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My husband has been traveling more and more for work over the past few years. Although it can be hard without children, once you have a child it is downright stressful! During a normal week, juggling work, being a wife and mom, and blogging occasionally leads to late nights (sorry honey!). But I can rely on my husband to help me out. When I have his duties as well as mine, I need some prep work done prior to his leaving so things run smoothly and Claire and I survive the week (I’m partly kidding).
We’ve had some experience with all these so whether it is your spouse leaving or you are, follow this checklist to help the next week be less stressful! And check out the printable at the end to help you prepare yourself, too!
1. Oh the Laundry!
It doesn’t matter who typically does the laundry in your home. Work together to make sure most, if not all, is completed, folded, and put away before your spouse leaves. Laundry is a tedious, but necessary time-consuming chore. The last thing you want is to realize you are out of socks or having to tackle that mountain of dirty clothes on your own while doing everything else, too!
2. That Yard Work
Especially in the summer, it is important to make sure the yard is mowed and anything else is done that cannot hold off until your spouse is home. Confession time: I actually don’t even know how to use our riding lawn mower. So for us, we always make sure it is mowed before Matt leaves. In general, it is near impossible to find hours at a time to mow, weed, or do other yard work if you have young children and you are on your own for the week.
3. Weekly Calendar
Who does the drop off and pick ups for your children? Do you need to make arrangements for that? What about extracurricular activities? Are there any doctors appointments that need to be taken care of? What about extra work commitments or meetings outside of your regular work day? There are many things to be taken into account when a spouse leaves on a work trip, especially if it is last minute. Take time to discuss and plan out for any of these situations.
4. Pick it up & Clean it Up
Please oh please, never ever leave a messy, dirty house for your spouse to deal with! Everything runs more smoothly when things are in their places and no one has to spend extra time looking for things. You never know when company might come over, too so leave things picked up and cleaned up. I know I am able to stay so much calmer and feel much more on top of things when my spouse is away and my house is neat and clean! That way only spot cleaning needs to be done which takes much less time and effort.
5. Easy Meal Options
Typically I get home about 30 minutes before my husband comes home with Claire. That gives me time to get dinner started. I don’t have that luxury when I am on my own. That is why we always plan out easy meal options for dinner that require very little prep work and can be prepared quickly. Before Matt left on his recent work trip this week, I headed to our local Walmart and picked up STOUFFER’S ® FIT KITCHEN™ Teriyaki Chicken, STOUFFER’S® FIT KITCHEN™ Sweet and Smoky BBQ Beef and STOUFFER’S® FIT KITCHEN™ Roasted Red Pepper Chicken for myself for dinner this week. They are easy to find in the freezer meal section.
These new STOUFFER’S ® FIT KITCHEN™ products are perfect options for those looking for a balanced, convenient meal. These meals contain 25+ grams of protein, are made with wholesome ingredients, and contain no artificial flavors. Once you try it, you will be able to taste the quality so “Taste Fit to Believe It!” You can check out STOUFFER’s ® on facebook, twitter, and pinterest.
To help you prepare for you or your spouse’s upcoming work trip, I’ve created a printable checklist you can use with all of these items plus an extra line you can use to add whatever else you need! You can find ithere.
What else do you have on your checklist before your spouse leaves for a work trip? What is your go-to, wholesome meal?
