I am constantly amazed by women who do keep down full (or even part time) jobs while caring for their children. Caring for a child in and of itself is much more than a full time job. Add a job and I get a huge headache so my hats off to those of you who get it done. It’s no easy job and I have a few weeks here and there of trying it to know how hard it is.

Sometimes it just feels like yesterday. Sometimes it feels like eons ago that I was commuting across a river to another state to a lovely job in a medical library.

I loved that job. It wasn’t full of glitz and glamor but it was full of memorable times and people. I loved (and still do) my coworkers. My patrons were great and I just enjoyed what I did. But then motherhood called. Not quite in the way I expected but nevertheless it called and there was no way I could see making that huge commute and being a parent.

But how do these women get it all done? Can you have a job, a together home, and well cared for children?

Yes. I know plenty of women who do it and you probably do too.

So what’s the secret?

The secret is being organized.

Remember I’ve had a taste of this. A week filling in for a coworker at work and I knew I needed a plan. I was just toast when I came home and thinking about what was for dinner, and staying awake while giving baby a bath just seemed to overwhelm me.

So here was (is) my Organized Plan for Working Outside of the Home

• 1) I had to spend some time during the weekend preparing for the coming week. From food to outfits I could save myself time and frustration by being prepared.

• 2) Meal Planning is your friend. It’s even more of your friend when someone else makes the menu, writes out your recipes and grocery lists. Start with a very simple plan. Recipes that don’t require much preparation or time. I recommend...

• 3) Most find that cleaning things such as the bathrooms, kitchen and vacuuming are better left to Saturday. Done efficiently you can whip through the house in a little over an hour. Have small kids interrupting you? Clean during nap time or sit them down with a good educational movie.

• 4) Putting things to rights at night will leave less confusion in the morning. Set out outfits, lunches and any paperwork you need to take with you. Clean up after meals and get all stray papers and toys corralled.

• 5) This should have been first but make sure to take care of yourself. We can’t always get the amount of sleep we should but just simply drinking your water and taking your daily multi-vitamin can help keep you on your toes.

• 6) Make lists. When you’re a busy parents lists are a lifesaver. You can have a pad of paper that is your list making pad, get a spiral notebook to keep lists, or you can go all out and put together a Homemaking Organizer. I opt for the organizer and started it shortly after marriage. When your brain goes kaput your organizer won’t.

• 7) Get help. Hopefully your spouse will kick in and help out especially if you are both working. Share meal responsibilities, laundry duties, room cleaning and the like. I still don’t know how she did it but my sister’s husband has permanently taken over laundry details. If I want to talk about the best stain lifters and cold water detergent I talk to him not her. And if your kids are 5 and older they can do their part to chip in. Use those chore lists. Dish detail is one of the best places to start. From setting the table, to clearing the table. From filling the dishwasher to scrubbing pots and pans. Get the whole family involved. Deal with the grumbling it pays off in the end.

• 8) Set out those outfits the night before. For yourself and your children. If they are old enough have them do their own. Even when I wasn’t a parent there were way too many instances of putting on a rushed together outfit that didn’t work to leave that to chance when I was that much more pressed for time.

• 9) And finally it doesn’t have to all be done in a day. When your work takes you out of the home 15 minute slots of time are precious. Use those 15 minutes a day to get organized. Start with organizing yourself and then tackle the home (trust me it’s easier this way). I remember years ago when I was commuting to work. My commute was about 4 hours a day. I left home while it was still dark and I returned home when it was dark. I was still making dinner, cleaning the house and keeping up with my piano lessons. But there was this particular dress I wanted to make. A nice simple wool number. Modest in design and so classically beautiful. It would require all the skills I had (and then some). I wanted it lined and done well. I had to have this dress. So I committed to 15 minutes a night to make this dress. I took me about 2 months but I did it. I still have this fabulous example of my handiwork in my closet. This isn’t about how long it took to make the dress or my sense of impeccable style. This is about taking your time but not overdoing it.