If you are a Lagos mum, you deserve to be celebrated. No one can make things happen like a Lagos mum! It is no longer a secret that the need to juggle many balls can drive you up the wall and leave you murmuring to yourself in the full glare of spectators. Living the Lagos dream (which is one of having a thriving career/business with a beautiful family) comes with its ups and down. I mean there are only 24 hours in a day so you will have to figure out how to do so much in very little time. The good news is that it is possible to keep it together as you will find out in a few seconds. Here are 7 easy ways to make life easy for yourself as a typical Lagos mum.
- Prepare for the Week: A lot of us think about the week and get depressed. It is a lot of work but “it is our work”. It is not impossible to arrive at work dressed like a clown because you hurriedly picked out your clothes or wore two different shoes on each foot. Doing something as basic as picking outfits can be tiring and time-consuming. You can make your week better by picking out your outfits for 5 days. This does not only help you stay fashionable through the week, it also helps you leave home early. You can also have a standard pair of black shoes in your office drawer so you don’t fall into the rush hour trap and wear slippers at work because you forgot your shoes at home. Take a few minutes on Saturday/Sunday to choose & iron your clothes and watch the week become an easy one.
- Buy in Bulk: The thought of going to the market after facing the “normal” traffic jam from point A to B will not only rob you of the little energy you have, it will also leave you feeling miserable. You might use the excuse of power fluctuation as a reason to go to the market every day but that is not ideal. There are many food items that don’t require power to stay fresh. The availability of food items like yam, potatoes, rice, beans, cereals, beverage etc. will help you plan your meals properly while working up much-needed enthusiasm to cook healthy meals for your family. The beauty of buying in bulk is the fact that it takes little time and energy to go to the market once or twice a month. It also makes it possible to draw up a meal plan which can be followed through without doing so much. Work out time to buy all you can in one trip to the market and see the food time become fun time for you and the family.
- Get a Help: No one gets a trophy for dying from stress. The idea of doing everything yourself is gone with the winds of time. The need to meet up with societal standards will only rob you of good health. Asking for help does not make you weak, it only makes you look wise. Get someone to help clean the house, do the laundry and also watch the kids. Don’t forget that these people need the money you pay while you get the rest and free time you deserve. Consequently, you would end up with more time and energy to spend with your hubby and children after work.
- Install a Camera: As mothers, it is normal to feel guilty because we are far away from our little ones. Every mother wants to know what is happening with her children. The truth is you can’t always be with them but technology has made it possible for you to watch them all day. All you need to do is buy a camera, install and follow their activities on your phone wherever you are. This way, your mind will not play tricks on you because you are virtually with your little darlings. Stay at rest, install that camera today!
- Leave Work Early (LWE): This sounds unrealistic but it is possible. Resuming early and closing late is not a sign of hard work, it is a sign of time management issues. Working smart can help you close early and get home in fairly good time. The key to this is getting to work early and working in a way that helps you meet all the company needs except on rare occasions when meetings can keep you back at the office. Once you have this figured out, you get the chance to work well and play hard every other day. Put your LWE plan in place today and watch your day go by in a productive breeze.
- Invest in Wigs: One thing that can make the weekend super short is the regular visit to the salon. It is time-consuming yet unavoidable for every lady (excluding the lucky African queens who have decided to sport the low cut look) because no one wants to go to the office with horrible-looking hair. A bad hair day will not only give you an unprofessional look, it will also leave feeling sorry for yourself. Fortunately, wigs are trending. A wig is a hairpiece that can be worn and removed at will. It can save your life and also give you the look you need to stay beautiful. No matter your budget, you will always get a wig that will not leave your account smiling. Apart from the aesthetic-related comfort you get from rocking one, you can take off the wig and feel fresh air blow through your natural tresses (the Lagos heat has no chill!). Be a diva any day, get that wig today!
Well, there you have it; 6 simple tricks to make your week a refreshing one. Who says you can’t do so much in very little time? Step up your super mum game and watch the family blossom. Enjoy your week!
Image Credit: Darkday via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
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