Resources and Recommendations

I am regularly asked about my best recommendations for products and services in a variety of areas related to the life of a working mom. And while I share this information in many of my blog posts I thought it would be helpful to put all of my resources and recommendations in one place.

This list includes all sorts of recommendations that would be helpful for a busy mom striving to prioritize their physical, mental, and spiritual health.

If you are curious about my recommendations in a category not listed below be sure to let me know.

Time Management

The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington – This book is by far the best book I’ve read that has helped me to be more productive, better plan my schedule, and get more done.

Make Over Your Mornings Online Course

Make Over Your Evenings Online Course

Make Over Your Year Online Course

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Online Course

4 Weeks to a More Productive Life Online Course

Productivity Apps

Google Calendar

Google Drive

Budgeting and Finances

YNAB (You Need a Budget) – this is what we use to manage our family budget.

Quick Books Self Employed – this is the software I use to manage my blog finances.

Exercise

Garmin Vivosmart HR+ – this is the fitness tracker/wearable/running watch I use.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. – this is the fitness tracker my daughter uses (she is 9, my son will probably get his own soon).

MapMyFitness App – I log all of my runs and workouts in this app (my Garmin is set to automatically send my information to the app).

Aaptiv – they call this the “Netflix of workouts”. It is all audio workouts so you don’t have to watch videos, just stick in your earbuds and go. They have a huge selection of really great workouts from a variety of trainers.

RevWell TV – an online library of Christian workouts filled with Truth to train your hope and move you in God’s love. Every time you press play, you’ll experience a message of freedom. Revelation Wellness not interested in skinny and ripped. The goal is to help you become healthy, whole, and free.

Yoga-Teket – this is a membership site with tons of great yoga workouts. My favorites are the Yoga Strength workouts, yoga for strength is by far my favorite way to get strong. You can get a 30 day free trial with my referral link.

Shopping

I hate shopping in stores. Shopping online saves me so much time and stress.

Amazon Prime – you already have Prime, right? If not, do yourself a favor.

Target – get the Red Card if you shop a lot, they have a Debit option that is just like writing a check

Shipt – I get my groceries delivered by Shipt almost every time. (Get $50 off your annual membership through my referral link.)

Ebates – if you shop online a lot use Ebates so you can earn cash back on most of your online purchases.

Joe’s New Balance – I get most of my tennis shoes and running shoes from here. It’s an online New Balance Outlet.

Hollar – an online dollar store

Thrive Market – I like to think of this as an online discount Whole Foods. They offer tons of health food and health products at reasonable prices. It is excellent if you don’t have a convenient health food store in your area or just don’t have the time (or desire) to go to a physical store.

Rockets of Awesome – this is where my kids get the majority of their clothes. It is a seasonal subscription box. Each season they send 8-10 clothing items based on your child’s preferences. You can find out more in my full review post here.

Household Stuff

Tray Table for working from bed – I work from home full-time and work on the blog/podcast. Sometimes I get tired of working from my office and want to work from my bed. I love this tray table as my “bed desk”. It folds up flat and slides into the spot between my bed and nightstand to keep it out of the way when not in use.

Personal Health and Hygiene

Care/Of – I recently switched to taking Care/of vitamins. They have you take a quiz about your health and goals and then suggest a personalized set of vitamins and supplements that they package up in daily packets for you to take. I love the convenience of the personalized packets! Get 50% off your first month with my referral link.

All Girl Shave Club – I love getting my pretty pink package of razors and shaving cream in the mail every other month. Use my referral link to get 10% off a new subscription.

Diva Cup – When I first saw this concept I was quite turned off, but it slowly grew on me and now I love it. If you don’t know, this is a reusable silicone menstrual cup. It allows you to avoid using tampons and maxi pads which are typically bleached and full of chemicals that are not so great for your most intimate parts.

Native – let me be fully honest here. I don’t actually use Native Deodorant anymore but I wish I could. I’m still struggling to find a natural deodorant that my body can handle. I have tried several. This was by far my favorite one and they have lots of options and scents, so until I can find the perfect one for me, this is the one I’d recommend to others wishing to try out natural deodorant.

Fun Stuff for Kids

Highlights Magazines – my kids love reading these and I’m all for anything that makes my kids excited to read

KiwiCo Crates – they have crates (boxes) that they send out every month (or based on your chosen length) that are STEAM related for kids to learn, play, and explore. They have several age groups and options to help you find just the right fit for your kids.

Little Passports – these are also monthly subscription boxes for kids that are more geography based. They also have a number of options to choose from.

Green Craft Kids – another subscription fun box for kids that sends earth-friendly craft projects.

Wellness

Plant Therapy – I use almost exclusively Plant Therapy essential oils. They are very high quality, the company is very passionate about education and safe usage, and the prices are much more reasonable than some other brands.

Marriage

Boost Your Libido Online Course – if you struggle with getting in the mood for intimacy with your husband this course can be a tremendous help. She covers so many areas that might be causing you issues with your libido (hormones, body confidence, negative/religious mindset issues around sex, and many more).

His Needs Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage Book by Willard Harley Jr. – my husband and I read this book on our honeymoon at the recommendation of our pastor. We still discuss the concepts in it, 11 years later.

Meal Planning

Prep Dish – this service provides you with a weekly meal plan (breakfast option, snack, four dinner meals, and a dessert). The meal plan includes a grocery list, prep day instructions, and dish day instructions. All of the meals are real, healthy food and there are options for gluten-free, paleo, keto, dairy-free, and more. You take an hour or two to prep everything (typically on a weekend day) and then you only have to spend a few minutes in the kitchen each evening to get dinner on the table. I love it!

Once a Month Meals – this is another incredible resource that can help you get great meals on the dinner table with limited time on your busy weeknights. The concept here is to spend a day once a month preparing and prepping tons of freezer meals to have on hand to last you all month. They have tons of meal and menu options to choose from and provide a grocery list, cooking day instructions, as well as instructions for the day you serve the meal. (You can read my full review here.)

eMeals – this meal planning service allows you to select your meals from a variety of diet and food options. They then provide you with a grocery list and all the cooking instructions. This service does not have any make-ahead prep requirements like the above two do, so you may spend more time on the meals during the weeknights but you don’t have to try to squeeze in prep time on the weekend. You can get a 14-day free trial to try this service out.

Meal Delivery

Green Chef – this is my favorite meal delivery service because all of their ingredients are organic. The food is fresh, the meals are delicious, and the service is great. You can read my full review here.

Home Chef – this is another meal delivery service I’ve tried. Their prices are a little better, but the food is not quite as healthy and delicious as Green Chef. You can read my full Home Chef review here.

Blue Apron – probably the most popular and well-known of all meal delivery services. Their prices aren’t too bad and their food tends to be very healthy as well.

Plated – another great option with a variety of menu choices.