4. Business trips
Yes, traveling for work can be disruptive to family life and exhausting for all involved. And yes, I miss the girls and my husband awfully, and if I had to do it more it would really suck. But honestly, every few months when I have to go away for a couple nights, I get a king-size bed to myself, room service with a wine list, and wifi. Sometimes it’s nice to check in and check out.
5. The Magic Eraser
I’m sure it’s probably horrible for the environment and knocking a couple points off the household brain cell count, but it’s the only thing coming between a lipstick/marker-wielding toddler and a ruined $300 handbag. It really is magic!
6. The erg machine
When I can’t find the 45 minutes to an hour-plus I used to take pre-kiddos to hit the gym or go for a run (i.e., always), I put on my headphones and row. Fifteen minutes later, my head is clear, my heart’s pumping, and my lungs are full. In terms of money, time, wear and tear on your body, the ergometer is the single best ROI exercise, full stop.
7. Polyester and other non-natural fibers
Used to be I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything other than cotton, silk, wool, or maybe rayon in a pinch. Now, if the tag doesn’t say 50 percent something that was invented in a lab in New Jersey, I put it back. Stretchy, stain-resistant, machine-washable? Sold!
8. Bright red lipstick
One swipe and you’ve got a look. Dresses up (parties, meetings) or down (supermarket runs, Saturday morning soccer games). An office mom’s armor.
9. The village
You know, the one it takes to raise a child? I’ve got a nanny the girls love and I trust, a husband who has at least three meals he can make at a moment’s notice and is learning to braid hair, and parents who’ll ask to take the girls for a Saturday sleepover and are ready to pop over when I have a last-minute late-in-the-day meeting. With all the turmoil in the world, I know how lucky I am—we all are—and I’m so, so grateful.
10. Unpolished nails
Thanks to a New York Times investigation of nail salons, my unpolished fingers and dry, cracked mom feet are an ethical — as opposed to aesthetic, temporal, or financial — statement.
11. Smile.amazon.com
This is Amazon’s give-back feature. Pick a charity and it gets a tiny bit of eligible transactions (which is most). We’re talking like a millionth of a percent, but still, everything helps, right? Makes me feel better about all those $6 cords I order on Amazon Prime.
12. Frozen shrimp
It doesn’t go bad, takes 10 minutes to defrost in a bowl of water, and I can throw it into pasta, do a quick stir-fry, or toss it into soup or a salad and it’s a legit, home-cooked, healthy-ish meal. Makes me feel like the Enjoli woman.
13. Coming home
As much as I like the challenges and satisfactions of office life (and, yeah, that paycheck is pretty nice), there’s nothing better than opening the front door and hearing two little girls yell “Mommy!” as they come running. Not one thing.
More for Working Moms:
- 11 Things Bosses Should Do to Make Working Moms’ Lives Easier
- Mom Confession: I Feel Guilty for Being a Working Mom
- Working Mom Alert: I Was Daycare Shamed
Photo: Getty
