{"id":5012,"date":"2018-09-11T13:49:38","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T17:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daniellebinns.com\/stagingsite\/?p=5012"},"modified":"2018-09-11T14:00:51","modified_gmt":"2018-09-11T18:00:51","slug":"going-back-to-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daniellebinns.com\/stagingsite\/2018\/09\/going-back-to-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Going back to work mama? This is for you."},"content":{"rendered":"
Getting kids ready in the morning, getting yourself ready, making breakfast, travelling to work, battling through traffic, being on your A-game at the office, rushing home from work, making dinner, feeding the family, getting them to bed, packing lunches.<\/div>\n
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Rinse and repeat.<\/div>\n
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Just writing this is exhausting!\u00a0 And I didn’t even include all the little things like laundry, paying bills, doctor’s appointments and dodging life’s curve balls.<\/div>\n
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Going back to work after babies is a major transition for mamas…or any parent for that matter.<\/div>\n
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But there are three things you can do to make the transition a little<\/span> a lot easier.<\/div>\n
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#1 – Cheat at mealtimes<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

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\"Meal<\/div>\n
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Of course, homemade meals are best.<\/div>\n
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But there are times when it’s no longer fun to be in the kitchen, especially after a long day at work.\u00a0 Meal planning and grocery shopping each week, on top of making meals from scratch every night, is time consuming.<\/div>\n
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So it’s totally ok (I give you permission!) to let someone else meal plan and even make your dinner for you.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Even though I love experimenting with my own recipes, I found myself gravitating to the same ol’ dishes that were easy.\u00a0 That’s never good when you’re also trying to expand your picky eaters palate.\u00a0 And we even relied on takeout more often – it was healthier takeout in 90% of the cases, but takeout nonetheless.<\/div>\n
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Then a friend told me about a meal delivery service she was using and loving.\u00a0So I decided to give myself a break from the meal planning and prep too.\u00a0 Then parents were asking what tricks and tips I had for simplifying mealtimes. That’s when I started reviewing the meal delivery options out there.<\/div>\n
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Here are a few Meal Delivery Kits<\/a> I’ve tested lately and summarized through the lens of a busy mom of 3 kids (and a nutritionist).\u00a0 Whether you want meals done for you, or just want to be inspired, there’s something for you.<\/div>\n
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Which services have you tried?\u00a0 Let me know below!\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n
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And if you spend more of your time worrying about what (or if) your child will eat, this is for you<\/a>.\u00a0 As a parent with a former extreme picky eater I know how much their eating consumes us. But it gets so much better when we have the right mealtime strategies in place<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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#2 – Go on a date…alone.<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

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My children and family are my priority.\u00a0 And I know they are yours too.<\/div>\n
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Of course 99% of your energy likely goes to your little ones: feeding them, comforting them, getting them to sleep, begging them to eat their veggies<\/a>, and teaching them how to grow up to be good people.<\/div>\n
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But as I learned, we can’t possibly take care of our kids if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Life is so busy and it gets busier going back at work!\u00a0 Now as a mom of 3, I’m starting to realize that it is so important to find some quiet time for ourselves as parents. Especially if you think you don’t have the time.<\/div>\n
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As someone once asked me, you often think about getting\u00a0quality time with you husband.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>But when was the last time you had quality time alone?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/div>\n
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My answer: NEVER!\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I go to the gym daily, and I work alone for the most part.\u00a0 But that doesn’t count..<\/span><\/div>\n
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I needed to book a ‘real date’ in the calendar and get out of the darn house.\u00a0 Because there’s no such thing as quiet time at home.\u00a0The most alone time I get is in the bathroom or shower with kids banging on the door, or a baby crying in the background.\u00a0 Hardly relaxing!<\/div>\n
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So after you get into the swing of things getting back to work, book a date with yourself. No friends, no family, and the hardest part for me…no phone.\u00a0 I desperately wanted to use the quiet time to call friends, respond to emails, or send text messages.\u00a0 But I forced myself to to just sit at the restaurant and take it in.<\/div>\n
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I put on a skirt, straightened my hair, and wore some makeup (because who goes on a date in their Lulu Lemons, right?)<\/div>\n
I chewed my food slowly (didn’t have to shove it in my mouth to rush home for the kids)<\/div>\n
I savoured every bite (didn’t have to worry about whether my girls were eating or behaving beside me, because they weren’t there).<\/div>\n
I even sat at the bar and ordered myself a drink.<\/div>\n
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(But I forgot to take the two-week old polish off my nails.\u00a0 Oops!)<\/div>\n
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It was the most therapeutic thing I have done for myself lately.\u00a0<\/strong>Time to reflect, refresh, and just be in the moment.<\/div>\n
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And as I continue to have my little dates, I always come back feeling like a better wife and parent.\u00a0 So it’s a win-win-win for everyone in the family.\u00a0 My husband now pushes me out the door!<\/div>\n
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Here are some ideas for you:\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n