There is no greater reward than being a mother, but believe me, for all those expecting moms out there, you sure do have your work cut out for you in order to earn that reward. It was only when I had my second child that I realized, being prepared for any scenario was better than fighting the fire if it ever happened. Ok, that may be a bit over exaggerated but bear with me. Organization and preparation helps to cut the effort or the clean up time in half. From cleaning up ice cream in the car to quick fixes for minor aches and pains, these are a few hacks you can use to organize your and your family’s lives.

Kitchen Recovery

There are remedies hiding in your pantry that you don't know about, knowing what these remedies are comes in handy especially if you have forgotten to stock up on cough mixture or if you are not a big fan of giving your children chemical-based ingredients. Create a short list to put on the fridge of herbs, veggies, and spices that are helpful in providing relief from minor pains, coughs and aches. Briefly mention next to the ingredient what it helps with for example:

• Ginger - Nausea, sore stomach,  headaches, insect bites.
• Cloves - Toothache.
• Prunes - Constipation.
• Honey - Coughs, sore throats.
• Aloe - Burns, cuts, and bites.

You can find out more at Mommy Authority about these helpful natural kitchen remedies.

Car Savers

Whether you are going on a long trip or around the corner to your local grocer, it's always a good idea to be prepared especially when you have young kids in the car.

• Shoe boxes are lifesavers when it comes to storage in the car, you can attach them to the back seat of your trunk. You can use them to store diapers, extra pairs of shoes, toys, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and wet wipes.
• Keep a snack box in the trunk and fill it with nonperishable foods such as organic snack bars, nuts and dried fruits for when the kids get hungry. Keep an extra set of plastic bowls in the box for the kids to use.
• Paper muffin cases are perfect for those messy popsicles. Simply push the stick through the muffin tray to catch the dripping ice cream. Keep a few on hand especially on those hot days.
• Put a towel under the car seat, this helps protect your upholstery from sticky messes and crumbs.

Cleaning Up

It can be challenging to clean the house when you have kids around, especially when they are toddlers. Depending on their age, you can get them to help with basic chores such as watering the plants or cleaning up their toys. For some, it may be a challenge so try to make it exciting or turn it into a game. For example, you can do the music challenge where a chore that you have delegated needs to be completed before the song ends. For smaller children, like toddlers, use an inflatable splash pool to keep them in with all their favorite toys while you clean, who knew a splash pool could double as a fun playpen! Another great way to cut the mess in half is to do a spring clean every now and then and donate the things you don't use anymore to charity. Less stuff means less stuff to clean up.

Meals

This is by far the most challenging part of anyone's day especially when you have an entire family to feed. Meals tend to get bland and boring and some of us are guilty of turning to microwave ready meals that are quick easy and loaded with refined carbs and sugars.

These are a few ways to make mealtimes easier:

• Preplan your menu for the week.
• Make a grocery list of all the things you will need for those meals so you can buy them all at once.
• Leftovers go a long way, cook enough of one meal to eat the next day as well.
• Set the breakfast table the night before with utensils, cereals, plates, and glasses to avoid the morning rush.
• Cut up your veggies and anything else you might need for your meal plan at once and pack them in airtight containers for when you need them. This saves you a lot of prep time during the week.