I’m all about doing things the easy way so that I have more time with my family. When I went back to work after staying home with my kids for 9 years, I discovered some busy mom must-haves that made life significantly easier.
I wish I had known about these sooner. As a stay at home mom, I took on all of the “homemaking duties.” We didn’t have much money, so I budgeted and did a lot of DIY stuff. Once we had the financial means, I started finding tools that made the work easier and more efficient. Below are some of the gadgets I found worth spending money on because they made my life more enjoyable. I wish I had known about them years earlier.
I don’t love the term “busy,” and my goal is to be intentional in all I do. Yet, sometimes there are seasons in life where I feel like there is so much to do that I never get a moment to breathe. Hopefully, if you feel stuck in that place, some of these items will make your life easier or save time on less important tasks so that you can spend your precious time on the things that really matter.
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Keurig
Coffee is important to me. You don’t want to be around me if I don’t start my day with a delicious cup of coffee. For years we have had a Keurig with an assortment of flavors to keep me happy. I love this thing. It also makes hot chocolate and cider for the kids. It is convenient to use and quickly provides a warm beverage to start the day. Everyone can make their own flavor, so there is no fighting over what kind of coffee or hot chocolate we should make.
I would suggest that if you have hard water where you live, invest in the filter. We had a couple of our coffee makers break from the hard water. Keurig was wonderful and replaced them both, but it was not a good day when it would only make 2 oz. We haven’t had that problem since we got the filter. It has lasted years.
Programable Coffee Pot
So… when I went back to work, I didn’t want to have to wait 3 whole minutes for my coffee anymore. I know I have issues. Don’t judge me. We purchased this Cuisinart coffee pot, and I have loved it ever since. It can be programmed the night before to start brewing at 5:15 a.m. That way, it is ready and waiting for me when I wake up. I usually set it up the night before during our 10-minute cleanup.
Although we don’t have tons of flavor options, my husband and I have found that adding cinnamon to our Folgers is great for both of us. We aren’t coffee snobs for our morning coffee. Dessert coffee is a different story. This coffee maker makes the right amount for my husband and me to have a cup or two of our coffee at home, and then take a big travel mug to work with us. It’s also better for entertaining because the carafe is 14 cups, which is bigger than most.
We do still use our Keurig for when someone wants a single cup. It works out nicely to not have to brew a whole pot. It’s also convenient when somebody prefers decaf or even apple cider.
Insulated Travel Mug
As a mom and a teacher, I rarely have time to drink my coffee during the day. After trying out MANY travel mugs, I have found this Contigo insulated travel mug to be the best. On many occasions, I took my first sip of coffee at school after the students left for the day. With this mug, my coffee was still hot enough to enjoy! This is a great busy mom must-have and one of my #1 teacher must-haves.
Slow Cooker
My slow cooker was a lifesaver for when I was working long hours. I would fill the crockpot early in the morning and come home to dinner, ready to be served. Sometimes it was as easy as adding frozen chicken and green salsa to the crockpot in the morning. We’d serve it as chicken burritos with tortillas, beans, and cheese. The next day I’d add chicken broth, veggies and top with avocado and cheese for chicken tortilla soup. Another favorite was a roast with some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce to make into BBQ Beef sandwiches.
One VERY LONG Monday, a friend and I assembled 15 different crockpot freezer meals in her kitchen. I wish I had onion goggles that day (I just learned that these are a thing). We cut SO many onions that my eyes were crying for days. However, those premade freezer meals made for many easy dinners in my first quarter of teaching. Only one was so gross that I had to throw it out. That’s a pretty good ratio… 14 out of 15 dinners were a win. I don’t recommend freezing tater tots in liquid and then putting them in a crockpot for 8 hours… they turn to mush. Gross! You can find a huge assortment of freezer meal recipes online. Need some ideas? Taste of Home has a post with 65! You can find them here.
Even easier…
Since then, I have discovered Citrus Pear. It is the same idea as making freezer meals in your friend’s kitchen; only they take care of the shopping and the mess for you. You assemble your meals in a grocery store… and the classes I’ve been to allow you to have fountain drinks to your heart’s content. It only takes about an hour instead of the 12 hours I spent with my friend. It’s brilliant. I believe that they currently operate in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Let me know in the comments if there is someplace like this near you. It is amazing.
Instant Pot
If I’m honest, I was a little intimidated by a pressure cooker at first. It seemed a little too complicated and “Sciency,” but it totally won me over. My Instant Pot comes in handy when I get to work and think… Oh, snap! I forgot to put dinner in the crockpot! I have done this on numerous occasions. When I get home, I can still put the freezer meals in the instant pot, and it only takes about 45 minutes. Even better, I can call my husband before I leave and have him do it!
My instant pot also makes the perfect hard-boiled eggs. They peel easily and are cooked to perfection. I like the 5-5-5 method. Additionally, an Instant Pot works as a rice cooker. I am finding new uses for this gadget all the time.
Insta Hot– I just discovered how much of a busy mom must have this is!
Okay… this is my latest gadget that makes me feel like I have truly made it in life. You guys… I never have to wait for water to heat up. Ever! Want tea? The water is ready. Cup-O-Noodles? Pour that water in, and we’re almost ready to go. Peanut butter stuck on a spoon? Let me use this hot water to get it off. This thing saves me so much time. I feel spoiled. This must be how the rich and famous live.
ToiletWand Disposable Cleaning System
The first time I saw these toilet wands, I thought to myself, “Who would waste their money on these? It’s not that hard to grab the toilet bowl cleaner and toilet brush!”
Then I had two boys and realized I am this person. I have one of these by each toilet so that OTHER PEOPLE can easily grab them and clean the toilet. There is no gross mess of brown water puddled in the brush holder (Gross! That is what occurred when my kids used the other toilet cleaning method), making it more doable for my kids. The “toilet yuck” gets thrown away… by my children. That is well worth the price!
Smartwatch
The smartwatch is another busy mom must-have. I didn’t realize how much I needed until I had it. My smartwatch has saved me on numerous occasions. Since we are an Apple family, my phone, computer, and watch all work together. While I am at work, I can see texts from my kids and husband and respond right from my watch. I also set alarms to alert me of important things, and it buzzes me on my wrist without alerting the rest of the world. Most importantly, every day I use my watch to ping my phone, meaning that I misplace my phone every single day. This has saved me hours of hunting for my lost phone.
hook or basket for keys
Having a hook or a basket for keys (I have used them both at different times) has been a huge timesaver. I spend way too much time looking for my keys, and it is helpful to have a dedicated spot to put them. This busy mom must-have will save time for scatterbrained moms like me. I can’t tell you how many times I had to borrow my husband’s keys because I was late for work when my keys did not make it into the basket. I do have a tile on my wishlist for this purpose.
Circle Home Parental Controls
My kids do not love that I can control their screen time from my phone, but it gives me peace of mind. Now that my kids are becoming more independent, they must learn to be safe on the internet. Since most of their school work and social interaction happens online due to the pandemic, we need a way to regulate. All of our devices are connected to the Circle, and we not only block inappropriate content and give them a cut-off time, but we can control the amount of them they are on certain websites. My kids will watch Youtube for 12 hours a day if we let them. We now set a time limit for Youtube, and it won’t play anymore when their time is up. It can always be adjusted, but they need us to do it for them.
Steam Mop
Mopping is one of my least favorite chores. This busy mom must have was given to me by my neighbor (also a busy mom and obviously a good friend… I mean who else would give you a mop) and has made mopping less annoying. It uses water, and the pad can be thrown into the washing machine. My kids are able to use it independently, which is a big plus. This is a weekly chore for both of my boys. Thanks to the steam mop, my kitchen floor has never been so clean.
Migraine and headache relief cap– A busy mom must have for anyone who gets headaches!
This little Magicgel cap has changed my life. I get migraines every month and am always trying to find creative ways to strap the ice packs to my head. I’ve tried headbands, shoelaces, and the decorative strap from a pillow. Nothing works. This hat provided a solution to that problem and truly is a lifesaver. It is snug enough to put pressure on my head, and the individual ice packs are perfectly placed to provide relief to wherever my head is hurting the most. If you get headaches, I highly recommend this! This has become one of my most essential busy mom must-haves.
Cordless vacuum or Roomba
These two items I do not yet own, but have always wanted. A light cordless vacuum for quick mess clean up, and a Roomba to do the work for me! As a teacher, I borrowed many cordless vacuums and always wished I had one for my house. And the Roomba feels very Jetsons to me. You guys… we live in the future! Who doesn’t want a robot to do the work for them?
These are some essentials that have made my “busy mom life” easier. Leave a comment and let me know what things have made your life easier. I’m all about working smarter, not harder!
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32 Comments
obsessed with the programable coffee pot!! How nice is it to wake up with the smell of coffee without literally doing anything!
I agree. I love to wake up to that smell and have my coffee ready in an instant!
??♀️- thank you for some awesome tips.
From ALL the busy moms around the world!
You are very welcome!
Nice post. My fave on this list is the travel mug, because I move around a lot. Thanks for sharing.
I love this! I’m not a mom yet but hopefully soon, I will definitely be using your suggestions 🙂
Hey Holly! Many of these tips you can use before you are a mom. They will save you time and energy.
Great list! Thanks for sharing. I would love a Roomba!
Right… a robot to vacuum for me sounds amazing!
Instapot and Roomba!!!! YAAASS!!! Can’t live without them! I will also need to look into that headache hat for my husband!
The headache is amazing! My son keeps trying to steal it, and I guard it with my life. I might need to invest in a few more! He will love it!
The coffee and mug will help (since you can’t have a caffeine IV all day). These are good gift ideas for my wife. Thanks
I am still reeling from creating 15 meals all in one day! Wow 🙂
We were exhausted! And then we had the great idea to have our families eat dinner together, so my friend cooked for us. She was an all-star. Next time, we order pizza. lol
I’m not a mom but I still appreciate these items, especially the coffee pot and mug! Anything to make life easier is a win, in my book.
I agree! I’m all about making life easier!
Love this post! These are awesome essentials for moms. I completely agree…who doesn’t want a robot to do the work for them? If only I could get a robot to dust for me and clean toilets, lol! Thanks for putting this awesome list together! 🙂
Right?! I think we are getting closer to robots doing all the work for us, though. lol Until then… my preteen and teen will have to do it. lol
Woah saves a bunch of time ..instead of looking all over the net for must have items !
Great post .
Great ideas. I don’t love the word busy either. I’m all about purpose and intentionality. I’m feeling you on that one for sure.
Yes! It’s all about purpose and intentionality.
So many great ideas, I’m a busy mom and have a lot of these already which saves me time sanity haha. I think I need that migraine hat, had no idea about these. I must live under a rock I had no idea about the smartwatch features. I need that on my wish list. Thanks, for the great round-up of products for moms like me!
The migraine hat is AMAZING! And I don’t even use half of the features on my smartwatch. It’s worth it for the ping my phone feature alone. Lol.
I absolutely love this list! I’m not a mom but I shared with my friends and family that migraine pack is super awesome would love to check that out! The insta pot yesss and also the smart watch for sure!!
That’s a great list! I love it! I am also that person who doesn’t have time to clean the toilet even though I keep thinking I have time to clean it! It’s crazy how such a simple task can’t even get done.! I have also installed hooks and baskets everywhere! But sometimes my keys end up hanging on the dog leash hooks… but at least they’re not lost! But I do need a roomba! One day! Thanks for the great list!
My keys are hanging on the dog leash hooks right now!!!
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I LOVE THIS LIST SO MUCH!!! First, Keurig has FILTERS OMG how did I not know this!!! I am ordering one as soon as I find out what model number I have. I spend SO MUCH TIME trying to clean it out with vinegar that I have been tempted to pitch it in the trash.
Second, the migraine cap! OMGGGGGG buying that also.
Love love love!!!
The filter really has made it last much longer. I hope it helps. AND THE MIGRAINE CAP CHANGED MY LIFE!!! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
This is an awesome list. I really love the picture of the onion goggles. It’s a really great idea, especially when you have people over and you don’t want your eyes to water and smear your makeup.
The onion goggles keep me from touching my eyes when I cut Jalapenos too. lol
Thank you for some great tips!