Life's Little Shortcuts

Someone should have told me that a part of being a mom is constantly finding shortcuts to everything.

Want to catch up girlfriends without sacrificing time with your husband and/or child, but also need to squeeze in your workout? Shortcut: Long 2+ mile walks with your friend a on Saturday morning while you push your stroller.

Want to try the latest restaurant but also need to find time to socialize and have adult conversations? Shortcut: Attend networking events at a bar/restaurant on your "must try" list.

Being a mother means that with your busy life you get by with help...lots and lots of it. I mean why do you think us moms love wine so much?  I'm coming to terms that taking the easy way out isn't always so bad.

Last week I  experienced the perfect storm of all shortcuts when I attended a Google Express dinner at Celeste. I learned about another great service that will make my life more manageable, tried a restaurant on my bucket list and caught up with some of my favorite local moms. Maybe the best shortcut I've had in a long time.

I have a love/hate relationship with weeknight events. First comes the excitement of the invite, then the celebration that your friends will be there, but closer to the event exhaustion overshadows it all and sometimes I so easily want to bail. However, I'm always rewarded when I push through because these events bring together some of my favorite people and always delivers beyond my expectations. While I may not see many of my wonderful blogger friends like Johanna, Nikia, April, Jessica or Alison often, I love how events like this dinner bring us together and so naturally we pick up like no time has passed. I guess that's the joy of sharing some of the dirty secrets of your life when you blog...the ice is already broken. On the flip side, I also always leave making new friends - feeling like my world became a little more complete with the introduction of some fabulous people who I learn so much from.

This event in particular opened my eyes to all the shortcuts you take as a mother. Being surrounded by all these amazing mom influencers made me realize that you can try to have it all and shouldn't feel guilty about the shortcuts you take in life to ensure you try to fit in all the things you love in life. Shortcuts seem like a such a cop out, especially for us moms who feel like they want to do it all, but truthfully it's a way of life. Sure it may seem like a half ass approach to friending, parenting, wifing, etc. but it's all about balance and prioritization. Making sure that you are able to achieve everything that needs to be done.

So next time you find yourself questioning if you're taking the easy way out, cut yourself some slack and remember that life's little shortcuts are there for a reason. By no means should you feel any guilt for taking a shortcut, but instead you should feel empowered as it gives you a little more time back in your life to squeeze in more of what you love.

Thanks to Google Express and Celeste for a wonderful dinner. If you're interested in trying Google Express use the promo code "ExpressChicago" at checkout!