And I've learned that leaving doesn't get easier. My heart aches and my guilt levels rise when tears are shed.
But I've also learned that leaving is good for all of us. It makes me a better mother when I take care of me. It makes me a better wife and role model of a healthy marriage when I spend solo time with my husband. It makes me a better person when I'm not solely existing to take care of other people and actually doing things I'm passionate about (like traveling!)

When we leave her, my daughter learns that she can live without us; she learns that we will always come back. So, while it may never be easy, I can be as prepared as possible - and I can make sure my daughter is, too. So, here are my top tips to ditch the mom guilt and travel kid-free.

Being prepared is crucial staying calm and reducing anxiety after you leave. Whenever we travel, I leave:

• A full schedule of our trip with flight numbers and times, hotel information, contact details for our doctor and the closest hospital.
• A Letter of Consent/Medical Authorization Form, in case of a medical emergency. You can find free templates via Google.
• Health Insurance Card & Medical Care Care
• A full itinerary of our typical schedule, with times and addresses of activities we attend every week
• Membership cards for the library, zoo, or other fun activities you might have access to
  
• Extra cash or coupons for activities

On our first long trip away (7 days!), my mother came to stay at our house with my daughter. Before leaving, I went to the dollar store and spent about $15 to get a small present for each day we were gone. They weren't extravagant presents - Play-Doh, bubbles, a puzzle, a toy dinosaur, a book, etc. Every day, my daughter was able to open a present from us; it helped me feel connected to her and made us being gone a little more fun for her.

I know, this one seems obvious. But even if your flight is at 6am (meaning being at the airport at 4am), it is so important to tell your kids you are leaving and remind that that you will come back. Don't spend a ton of time saying goodbye - drawing things out might make it harder on you and them.

Check in regularly - for us, that meant Facetiming with our daughter every day. We quickly learned that a couple of minutes was the perfect amount of time for us to say hi, tell her we loved her, and chat with her caregiver about any questions they had. If we talked any longer than that, she would get upset and cry; it's a live and learn thing, so adjust your timing as necessary!
Another bonus of our wireless world is that home is able to contact you immediately in case of emergencies, so make sure that they know the best way to reach you (text message, phone call, Facebook messenger, etc.)

Remind yourself: being away from your kids is ok. Taking care of yourself is ok. Investing in your marriage is ok. In fact, all of these things are incredibly important. You were a multi-faceted person before you became Mama; you need to take care of those parts of yourself as well. So, even if it's difficult, remember: you are doing a really good job. You deserve this trip. You've got this.

It's time to ditch the idea of a typical workday and start thinking "nap-to-nap." You don't need to sit down for 8 hours to get your work done; I mean, isn't that the beauty of being your own boss?! Your business can be built before your kids wake up, during nap times, and after everyone is asleep. Of course, there are certain appointments or activities that must be accomplished during the day, but don't feel like you need to accomplish everything in the traditional 9-5 structure. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: What gets scheduled, gets done. And I'm not just talking about your business, I'm talking about your entire life.
​That means, when you're planning out your daily or weekly tasks and goals, include non-work related items like when you're going to workout, when you're going to take a bubble bath, and when you're going to have family time. For me, that means scheduling weekly games nights and mid-day time to play with my daughter. Even if we have no structured plans, having that scheduled time reminds me of my priorities and helps me step away from my business to play my most important role: being her mom.

Nope, meal plans and meal prep are not just for weight loss! They're also great  to help save the busy mompreneur's sanity. Having a plan and being prepared will save you time, save money, and save yourself the 5pm madness of "Shoot, what's for dinner?!" Here are some tips to get started (you'll find TONS of great sample plans and even more recipes on Pinterest!)

1. Figure out what works best for your family. How often do you want to plan your meals and go grocery shopping? Twice a week? Every week? Every two weeks? You can also plan for two weeks and go shopping twice a week; really, it's whatever works best for you and your business. 
2. Write down your family's favourite meals - every one you can think of! You can always add more later. By creating a master list, you'll make it easier to rotate through all the things you love (instead of having meatloaf every single week because it's all you can think of!)
3. Now, organize your list by sections, either by type of meat or kind of meal (soup, casserole, vegetarian, crock pot meals, etc.). Again, you're just simplifying things so you can rotate your meals but still have variety.
4. Get a calendar and decide how many meals you need to plan for and how many people are eating those meals. Do you want to plan specific snacks for each day or do you want to have a list of things you can grab? 
5. Think about the week ahead. Do you have activities for all 3 kids on Wednesday evening? You probably don't want to plan on making a brand new casserole recipe with 30 individual steps that day!! Is there snow in the forecast? You probably don't want to barbeque. Don't complicate things, my friend.
6. Start filling in your menu. I start with dinner because that's the meal I share with my family and requires the most thought. Some people start with planning breakfasts because it's the easiest. Figure out what works for you! When figuring out your lunches, consider the leftovers you might have!
7. Add one new recipe every week or two, if you like trying new things. You can try out the 17,000 things you've got pinned on Pinterest AND find some new favourites! 
8. As you make your meal plan, create your grocery list at the same time!
9. Plan for eating out. Seriously. Schedule it. 
10. If you've got a crazy week ahead, consider prepping freezeable meals. Pinterest has tons of resources, but here's a board to get you started.

It takes a village to raise a child. So don't try and do this parenting thing all on your own. Communicate with your partner about how they can help you -- after all, you are juggling two full-time jobs. Figure out how to parent and how to share the household duties so that you're on the same page. Also, make sure you tell him how grateful you are for all his help!! (Hey, remember that scheduling thing? Schedule a date night!!)
Let's say your spouse is less than supportive, works out of town, or maybe isn't in the picture. What's a girl to do?
Honey, it's time to create a village for yourself. Go on Facebook for groups of moms in your city and look for a mama to swap childcare or stressful stories with. Hire a cleaning lady to come once a month or every 2 weeks to help around the house. Find a church, a mom group, or a book club help you survive. This article lists, in more detail, 7 ways to find and create your own village as a mom.

Your kids need a happy mom, not a perfect one. And the only person who can truly give them the happy mom they need? It's you. Remember, there will never be enough time in the day to get everything done. It's pretty much impossible. Your inbox will be full forever, so just accept it. You house will be a little messy and that's ok. 
You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of your family and your business. So, schedule your workout, take that bubble bath, and find time for a drink with your girlfriends. Trust me. You'll be a better mama and mompreneur for it.

Looking for your village, a community of women who embrace self-care, choose to grow, and just want to make life better every single day? Come join our free group on Facebook here!