My Working Mom Must-Haves

This January actually marks 1 year of my return to being a "Working Mama," but part-time instead of full-time now.  Right before I found out I was having twins, I had shifted from being a middle school English teacher for five years in the Bronx to working as a Coach of Teacher Leaders across schools in the Bronx region (my professional career dream come true)...then the surprise of my life came when I realized I was having twins, which would change everything.  I worked until about the 8th month of my pregnancy, but had to stop earlier than I anticipated, due to preeclampsia issues in the twin pregnancy.  I took my maternity leave and stayed home for about 9 months before returning to work, and I was so fortunate to be able to go back part-time when I felt ready.  Getting back to my career, even just for a couple days each week, has brought me a lot of happiness and fulfillment because I feel like I am still connected to the side of me I worked most of my life to achieve as an educator, while still allowing me the flexibility to be home raising my "Dear 3 Boys."

There's never a dull day in my life, but especially on my working mom days, that usually require me to get ready and out the door in a matter of minutes (mostly because I can't let go and still want to dress everyone, make breakfast, make beds and all that other morning mom stuff one does), being able to travel from school to school within a day, all while lugging my portable "office" so to speak with me and looking put together...somehow I've made it work for the past year.

Back in March I shared a blog post of my personal "Mom Essentials" that are really purposed for me the mom (you can click here to go back and read that post in case you missed it).  Now I'd like to share with all the mama's out there my must-have items for me the "Working Mom" - but I tell you, there's something useful in here even for the mom who stays home with her kids full time, to the mom working part time like me, to the work from home mom as well.

Here's my list of my working mom must-haves that have made life a little easier for me:

1.  Wedges for Cold & Warm Seasons

Before becoming a mom I used to live in heels for pretty much any and all occasions, especially when I was working as a teacher and had my own classroom, but because I'm running after 3 kids and my job now requires more travel than in the past, I've had to give up lots of my heels.  Regardless, every working mom should have a great pair of wedges to wear to work because they are stylish and add the look of wearing heels with some added height, but are so much more comfortable than the traditional heel.  I have my go-to pair of wedges for the warmer months that are a nude color so they match nearly all my outfits, and recently picked up these comfortable water-proof leather wedges by Ugg this Winter in black (click here for link) that I find very comfortable and easy to pair with most of my working mom day outfits.


2.  L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation 

Now, of course, I have my "special" makeup for those special occasion kind of days, but for the regular working mom day, L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation is my absolute must-have cosmetic to use.  I usually use a sponge to apply it...or my fingers if I'm in a rush.  It provides just the right amount of coverage, and I really love the "matte" finish - I never have to reapply it throughout the day, so totally long-lasting coverage.






3.  Any.Do App

I know there are "a gazillion" (as my son would say) apps out there nowadays for time management, to-do lists, etc.  But there is ONE that I think is different from all the rest that I am so fond of and have been using these past few months.  I honestly think it's worthwhile in sharing with others - it's free for the Basic version and called Any.do.  It's an app that offers a calendar, to-do lists and reminders.  This app is my absolute fav, among all the rest, because it links to your Apple or Google calendar (no other app I know that does that).  And everyone already knows how much I love my Google calendar, so everything I put on there also shows up on my Any.do app, and I can set to-do's and reminders on my phone, easily share with others, set a due date, etc. through the app.  This probably sounds crazy, but I actually like the idea of using both my Google calendar and the Any.do app for my tasks and to-do lists because writing something down twice really commits it to my memory and is double assurance for me that I won't miss whatever it is that has to get done.  And for as much as I love my Google calendar, I still have to make to-do lists.

4.  Anker Portable Charger 

This is my most recent working mom life saver because as my twins have gotten a bit older, they use my cell phone more often now (usually to watch a Pinkfong video...probably reruns of "Baby Shark").  There have been a few horrific days when my cell phone was about to die, and I only noticed when I had just gotten into work.  And because I'm not always necessarily close to an outlet, or I am on the move from school building to building within a day, I needed to get something to have handy for these emergency situations of when my battery was low.  The Anker charger is portable and not much bigger than the average lipstick.  It's compatible with the iPhone, Galaxy and a few others.  It can give me one entire charge on my iPhone X, and I am so glad I got it!  You can check it out here on Amazon.

5.  Genius Scan App 

This app is free and one that I've been using for years now, which was introduced to me by a teacher colleague because we always wanted to take pictures of student work, or handouts, etc. The Genius Scan app uses your phone camera to snap a picture of any page and automatically converts it into a clear PDF file that you can e-mail, print, or store on your phone.  As a working mom, I use it often to snap pictures of things/files I am working on so that I don't have to carry a ton of paper with me or need to make physical photocopies.  I've even used it to snap pictures of my son's school work because that pile of stuff I've been trying to save since Pre-K-3 was getting out of control.

6.  One-Pocket Tote Handbag with Long Shoulder Strap 

You really can't go wrong with any brand bag.  For me, it's just got to be a large, one-pocket tote with a shoulder strap long enough to wear like a crossbody.  I usually get a Steve Madden tote for my working mom days, and I have a taupe and black colored bag to pair up with different outfits.  A work bag is so necessary and important, so don't skip this one...or two.





7.   Phone Case & Laptop Skin

Ok, so seriously, I could not get any work done without my laptop and phone - not sure who I love more, my Macbook or iPhone.  Either way, having durable and stylish cases on both of these items is important to me.  Right before the holiday season, I partnered with CaseApp to design and order matching cases for my tech.  I went with a classic silver marble design because I felt like it was neutral enough, where I won't be standing out too much at a meeting, but still offered a clean, fresh look.  And I seriously love that my phone case and laptop skin are matching.  CaseApp has many pre-made designs on their site (many of which you can select and actually further customize for yourself) or you can completely design your own cases.  I went with the pre-made marble designs, but did customize a bit for my phone by choosing to soften up the marble to look a bit more white for my phone case.  The phone case is a hard plastic cover, with a very smooth matte finish to it and feels light in my hands.  The laptop skin is adhesive, so it protects my laptop from any scratches while in my bag, and it was simple and easy to put on - you literally can stick it on, and if you mess up (like I always do on my first try, then it's easily removed and placed on again as no sticky residue is left behind).  If you're interested in CaseApp, you can order a pre-made phone/laptop case or custom design your own on the Case App site by clicking here.

8.  Moleskine Notebook 

I love a good notebook, and I use one all the time to record my notes going from meeting to meeting, teacher to teacher, all in a work day - so a good quality notebook or journal that won't fall apart is totally necessary!  One of my teacher friends introduced me to Moleskine notebooks one year when she gifted me one for the holidays, and I have adored them since the get-go.  Moleskine notebooks are super simple, come in a slim design, can be hard cover or flexible, and just great quality, ivory paper.  Here's the link if you're interested in getting one - they're sold in many book stores or here on Amazon.  These notebooks make a great gift too!


9.  Sunglasses 

Every mom needs a good pair of sunglasses.  I often use mine on the days I'm a stay-at-home mom and going out for a walk (with bags under my eyes because no one slept the night prior).  As a working mom, I love putting on a pair of sunglasses on my way to and from work and everything in between.  They're a great accessory to amp up any outfit or look, too.  My Aviator Ray Bans are my usual go-to sunglasses on my working mom days because they match pretty much every outfit, while still providing just the right amount of shade I need for my commute.  I see the classic Aviators go on major sale from time to time here at Macy's Sunglass Hut.  You can even use a Macy's store coupon to purchase them.


Now it's your turn!  Leave a comment and let me know what your working mom must-have is below.

xo,
Vicky