As Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” {Legally Blonde}
Once you hit 40, it feels like your body suddenly starts falling apart – hot flashes, random aches and pains, fatigue, etc. The last thing you want to do is lace up your sneakers and hit the gym. But here’s the twist: working out might be the very thing that helps with all of those annoying symptoms (and more). Now, hear me out, I’m not saying you need to be at the gym at 4 a.m. for hours on end or become a bodybuilder. We’re busy, working moms, so the key is to keep it simple. That’s always been my motto—and it’s about time we all embraced it! Here are 2 tips for keeping working out simple so you can stay active and keep up with this chaotic life we lead:
Make Workouts Easy
Now like I said – keep it simple.
As a mom with a packed schedule, going to the gym often felt like one more thing on my to-do list—just another thing to squeeze in. That’s actually why I stopped going to the gym altogether.
Instead, I set a simple goal: work out for 15-20 minutes at least 4-5 days a week. I decided to bring the workout to me, so I invested in equipment that didn’t take up much space at home. And no, I didn’t build a full-on gym in my house—I don’t have the space or budget for that! I went on Amazon and picked up some simple items like resistance bands, weighted straps for my wrists and ankles, and a mini-stair stepper. All of this, plus my yoga mat, fits neatly in our storage ottoman.
Making my “gym” more accessible has made it so much easier to stick to my goal. Sometimes, I even work out in my pjs! It’s as simple as turning on a show and starting my workout in the living room. Before I know it, I’ve hit my 15-20 minutes. I also try to walk the dog regularly, and when the weather is nice, I ride my bike.
Working out doesn’t have to be a huge chore or a big trip to the gym. I just stop what I’m doing, get on the floor, and get it done. Simple, effective, and it fits right into my day!
Click on the pics above, or check out My Favorite Things to see the workout gear I love using at home!
Make Working out FUN
As I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite ways to get exercise is by riding my bike. A few months ago, Logan learned to ride without training wheels, and I was so excited! Now we have a fun and active activity we can enjoy as a family. On nice days, we love to ride our bikes together. It’s a great way to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and stay active. We also have a basketball goal in our driveway. Both of my boys play basketball, so anytime the weather is decent I like to get out there and shoot hoops with them to help them practice. When the weather is cold, rainy, or just plain yucky, I turn to something a little cozier: a kid-friendly workout video on YouTube. Logan loves to workout with me, and it’s always a blast! Not only is it fun, but it’s quality time spent together while moving our bodies. Whether we’re biking, playing a sport, or working out inside, we’re getting that active family time in—and it feels great!
“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” — Jana Kingsford
Healthcare Worker Moms: How to Make PRN Work For YOU and Your Family
Being a working mother is full of challenges. I maintained a full-time job working 40 hours a week when Blake was younger, and it wasn’t until Logan was about 6 months old that I made a change. The change was out of necessity, but turned out to be a blessing. Logan was born in April 2020 – a covid baby. I returned to work after maternity leave, and Logan started daycare. Matt and I were both considered “essential workers” and we figured out that didn’t jive very well with a baby in daycare that closed every other week due to covid cases. Also, Blake was at home doing remote learning since school was not back in person yet. This was around the time Matt was starting his pressure washing business, which kinda took off since people were stuck at home bored and decided to fix up their house! We had a long talk and look at our budget, looked at cost-cutting ideas, and made the decision for me to go from full time to PRN. If you’re not familiar, PRN basically means that I work “as needed,” like a flexible part time. I pick my hours, sometimes I work 4, 8, 12 at a time. Sometimes I work during the day, evening, or night. I work as much as I want/can or as little as I want (as long as I maintain the minimum requirement which is minimal). The downside to being PRN is you lose all benefits – no paid time off, no health insurance, etc. You only get paid when you work. At the time, I had health insurance on myself and the boys through through my job, so we had to get private health insurance. It was a little costly, but overall doable and we made it work.
Now 4 1/2 years later, I’ve found so many benefits to being PRN. The world is somewhat back to normal, and I could go back full time but the benefits of being PRN far outweigh full time for the time being. PROS: I make MORE money than I did working full time – working less, I never have to miss my kids’ activities, I don’t have to worry about vacation time getting approved/denied, and I don’t have to work the big important holidays (I do have a holiday requirement but I usually take care of that by working 4th of July or New Years or something like that – I haven’t worked Christmas or Thanksgiving in over 5 years). CONS: No paid time off – I only get paid for what I physically work, no health insurance, no guaranteed hours.
How I Make the Cons of PRN Work for Me
While being PRN has its benefits, it also comes with a few challenges. But I’ve found ways to make the cons work for me and my family. Here’s how I manage:
No PTO? Save Up My Own “PTO”
One of the biggest cons of PRN work is no paid time off. But I’ve found a way to handle it: I keep a small savings account specifically for unexpected time off. It’s not a huge amount, but it gives me peace of mind knowing I have a cushion if I need to take a day off.
I transfer $25 per paycheck into this account. I rarely call out, so I don’t dip into it often. However, if we have a vacation planned, I’ll work a little extra leading up to the trip. I also have a goal for how many hours I need to work in each pay period to meet our budget. Typically, that’s about 24 hours every two weeks.
If we plan a trip, I’ll either cram those 24 hours into one week or work a little extra each week leading up to it. And I like to think of the money I make as “fun money.” I’ll do some “nurse math” when planning trips—like, one extra 12-hour shift equals two nights at a hotel. Or 36 hours can cover the cost of a cruise. It helps me stay motivated and makes budgeting for family adventures easier!
No Health Insurance? Add It to My “Nurse Math”
Health insurance is another challenge with PRN work. Many nurses stay full-time just for the benefits. But when I had Logan, I realized that hospital-based insurance wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. After a lot of number crunching, we found that staying PRN with private insurance actually works out better for us financially.
Here’s the thing: adding the cost of health insurance into your “nurse math” makes a big difference. You also have to factor in the money you save by not using daycare anymore. When you compare the costs of health insurance versus what you’re saving in daycare and other expenses, it often balances out. If your partner has a job that offers insurance, check that out too—it might be worth it, even if it costs a little more than the insurance through the hospital. At the end of the day, it’s all about balancing costs and benefits.
No Guaranteed Hours? I Plan for Flexibility
At the beginning of each 6-week period, my manager sends out the “Needs List” with available shifts for PRN staff. There’s usually no shortage of hours to pick up, so I don’t worry too much about meeting my minimum. But as a seasoned PRN nurse, I’ve learned to plan my hours a little differently.
I don’t pick up all my hours at once anymore. With kids, things come up—sick days, unexpected schedule changes, and Matt’s growing business are all factors that can mess with my plans. So now, I pick up my hours week by week. It sounds a little scary, especially for someone like me who loves to plan, but I’ve learned that it’s actually pretty easy to get the hours I need.
I have a list of coworkers who are often willing to give up shifts. And if no needs are listed on the schedule, I start texting my coworkers to see if they want time off. We also have a Facebook group where I can post my availability for the week. It’s been rare for me not to get as many hours as I want.
Staying on Top of Education
One thing I’ve had trouble with as a PRN worker is staying on top of my continuing education requirements required by the health system. We’re allowed 3 hours per pay period to do education at home, and we get paid for it. I’m chronically behind on my education, so I take advantage of this policy and try to get some education hours in toward the end of the pay period if I’m needing a few extra hours to meet my budget goals.
Final Thoughts
While being PRN comes with its own set of challenges—like no PTO, no guaranteed hours, and managing health insurance—the flexibility it offers is invaluable. By planning ahead, staying organized, and doing a little “nurse math,” I’ve been able to make the most of my PRN schedule and find a balance that works for my family.
PRN isn’t for everyone, but for me, it’s been a way to maintain a fulfilling career while having the flexibility to be there for my family when they need me most. It’s all about finding what works for you, your budget, and your lifestyle.
Family of 4, that includes 3 boys that are human garbage disposals, and always on the go, requires some meal planning to stay organized and on budget. Here is a little snapshot of how I plan my week:
Weekly grocery online grocery orders to pick up on Sunday
Matt and I are both paid bi-weekly, opposite weeks of each other, so we have some type of income weekly. I budget for groceries a week at a time.
I “add to cart” throughout the week and check out to pick up on Sunday morning.
The reason I do Sunday is mainly because trash day is Monday, so while I’m stocking the fridge and pantry, I’m simultaneously cleaning it out (throwing out expired food, etc)
Sunday afternoon/evening, maybe even after kids are in bed, I do some meal prepping
Menu for the week
Midweek when I’m adding to my grocery cart for the week, I’m looking at schedules to figure out what we need for meals the following week
I have a few go-to meals that are healthy-ish that the kids like, and some that are good for on-the-go
I post the Menu for the Week on the fridge so everyone knows what is coming
I don’t make gourmet meals
I try to do well-balanced meals most of the time
I don’t make stuff my kids hate. The only veggies they really like are carrots, broccoli, and green beans. And that’s great! So I stick to that. Sometimes if I’m low on veggies I’ll add a fruit. I make one meal for everyone.
Most of my meals for the family are quick and/or easy. I use my crockpot a lot. And if I’m not using the crockpot, it’s usually a meal I can make in 15 mins or less
I plan with reasonable expectations in mind
My husband is no cook. There are about 2 things he is able to cook. So if I’m working in the evening and he is handling the kids, I plan for him to cook one of those things. On OT days, it runs till dinner time and I either have something prepared ahead of time or they have a pizza night
I save cooking for days when they’re in school and I’ve had time to maybe prep before they get home. And I don’t plan to cook on days I work. I either prep something ahead of time easy to heat up, or use my crockpot and let it do the work.
Leftovers are ok to have as a meal
some weeks, especially if I’m working a lot, I will plan meals specifically because they make good leftovers and we can get a couple meals out of it.
I’ll share with you one of our on-the-go meals – Chicken Quesadillas. On Mondays, we leave for hockey around 4:30pm and get home around 7:00pm which is about the time Logan starts getting ready for bed. I make chicken quesadillas and he eats half on the way to hockey, half on the way back for hockey. It’s an easy finger food with minimal mess.
Ingredients:
chicken (I use frozen)
taco seasoning
shredded cheese
tortillas
Directions:
I usually keep a bag of frozen chicken in my freezer. I put frozen chicken in the crockpot with about 1/4-1/2 cup of water and taco seasoning (I season generously). I let it cook on high for 3-4 hours. It is usually easy to shred at this point. *Sometimes I cook extra to keep in the fridge and use for quick easy meals throughout the week. I use my quesadilla maker – place a tortilla in it, cover it with cheese, cover with chicken, cover with another tortilla – and cook. I use a pizza cutter to cut it up in triangles. For riding in the car I usually pair it with a fruit like apple, pear, or something like that easy to eat. I have a thermal container to put half in for Logan to eat on the way home from hockey.
I hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you’d like to see more meal tips/recipes!
As a mom of 2 boys, I feel like I am always on the go. Logan is in Pre-K at an elementary school and needs to be dropped off around 7:15am, picked up 2:15pm. Blake is in middle school and rides the bus to/from school. On Mondays they have hockey, on Tuesdays they have basketball practice, Wednesday morning I drop Blake and his friend off at school early for Chess Club, Wednesday afternoon Logan has OT, Saturday is for basketball games – Logan at 8/9am, Blake 7/8pm. T-ball season will start up again when basketball ends, only Logan does that one, but it is usually 2 nights per week. Blake is in band so add a concert here and there. Oh, and I have to fit some shifts in at the ER at some point lol. And some quality time with the husband.
I’ve been working on my mental health recently, and one thing I’ve started doing is changing the way I think about things – turning negative thoughts into positive. Instead of “I’m so tired, ugh I have to fill up my gas tank AGAIN, ugh I have to air out the hockey stuff when we get home, but I’m so tired…” I turned it into:
“It’s a busy season of life, but I love watching my boys do things they love. I love watching them be active – so much better than screen time. They are learning valuable lessons about teamwork and discipline. I’m BLESSED to be able to afford a nice reliable car to transport them, I’m BLESSED to be able to afford the gas to transport them. And when it’s my turn to transport Blake to/from basketball, it’s just the two of us and I really enjoy that one-on-one time with him because we don’t get as much of that anymore. I’m GRATEFUL to have such a great coparenting relationship with Sean, and that all 3 of us get along well and work together to make sure the kids are cared for and get where they need to be.”
As I type this, it is 6:40am on a Saturday morning. Saturdays are long, but I’m grateful to be alive on these long days. Logan has a basketball game this morning at 8am. Blake’s is later tonight at 8pm. Matt goes to work at noon on weekends, so he will miss Blake’s game. I have a sitter coming to stay with Logan because he goes to bed at 7:30pm. We try not to disrupt bedtime with him. Keeping them on routines, or as close to routine as possible, helps everything run smoothly.
I challenge you to take one negative thought you have today, and think about how to turn it into a positive. One simple change in your mindset can make a huge change in your mental health and how you handle the day.
I’m Kim, a wife, mom, ER nurse, and someone just trying to figure out how to stay healthy-ish while juggling it all. If you’re anything like me, you know life can get pretty crazy. Between meal planning, family chaos, work shifts, and maybe finding a minute to yourself, it’s easy to feel like you’re barely keeping up.
Here, I’ll share my real-life hacks for managing the madness—everything from meal planning to travel tips that save time and sanity. I’ll talk about work-life balance (or how I’m still figuring it out), share some funny stories that remind you you’re not alone, and pass along those little life hacks that make everything a bit easier.
I’m not here to give you the picture-perfect, “aesthetic” mom life—I’m just a regular mom, like you, making it work in this beautiful mess. So, if you’re looking for practical tips, some laughs, and a bit of real-talk inspiration, you’ve found the right place. Let’s navigate this wild ride together!
Scrubs and Motherhood 