Organizational tools for Moms on the go

By Kristin Mastre, The Scoop Blog Network & FeastingFortCollins.com

When I was pregnant with my first son, I expected that I would live my life as a stay-at-home mom until he was old enough to go to middle school. I was a latch-key kid growing up with a mother who worked way too much and I was determined that I would be a different kind of mother.
It was great for a while during his infant and toddler years as we played at parks and met up with other mothers for play dates. We soon welcomed another son into our family. But, it was at that point I began to realize that I just wasn’t cut out for Legos and Play-Doh, and the entrepreneur in me ached to build a business. There was an innate part of me that yearned for independence. It wasn’t that home life was a drag, but there was an unexplainable sense of feeling like I needed to do more to be fulfilled as a person.

In my efforts to fill this desire to harness my independence, I still wanted to maintain balance as a mom. Creating my own business as a profession blogger on FeastingFortCollins.com and Blog Network Founder of The Scoop Blog Network was the perfect solution – I was able to develop my professional needs as a writer and entrepreneur while managing my personal needs with my family. Being able to tap into my passion made me a better mother and a happier, more fulfilled woman.

Living life as an entrepreneur and mother is no easy task. But, my best tip to balance it all comes down to organization! One of the perks to doing your own thing is having control of your schedule and the flexibility needed to go to school plays one day and business meetings the next. My mantra is “live by the calendar, die by the calendar.” In today’s technologically savvy world, there are all sorts of tools to help working moms on the go.

For our family calendar, we use Cozi to keep doctor’s appointments, business trips, and gym workouts straight. Each member of the family is assigned a color, which makes the visual assessment of flexibility pretty easy. There are mobile options that are nice, so when the kids are old enough we can create task-alerts, like when to complete a chore.

For Business, I’ve found Base Camp to be an excellent organizational tool for entrepreneurs and freelancers. Not only is it a great way to keep track of projects and deadlines, it can be synced with other online calendars, making it easier to manage.
No matter what path motherhood might take you – be it staying at home, working from home, or heading to the office every day, organization is an important key for all moms on the go. Living life as an entrepreneur and mother is no easy task, but these tools certainly help me maintain that balance while living my passion!

Kristin Mastre is the premiere food blogger and restaurant critic in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Reviews can be read on FeastingFortCollins.com. You can also find her on Facebook at facebook.com/feastingfortcollins and twitter @feastingFC. She’s also the CEO and founder of The Scoop Blog Network, creating and managing hubs of hyper-local professional bloggers covering niche topics in the community.