Why I Bought a Venti Milk at Starbucks

For me, the term “busy mom” is the understatement of the century! I work full-time, take care of my daughter full-time and I run my household. I make cupcakes for family dinners, write a weekly article for Patch and still manage to read a book that is about a real person not a caterpillar, gorilla or the moon.

So one morning, after filling my daughter’s cup with milk, I noticed we were out. All out! No extra gallon hiding in the back of the refrigerator. None of those milk containers that don’t need refrigeration hiding in the cabinet. Nothing.

Needing to start work in half an hour and knowing I wouldn’t be able to get to the grocery store until later in the evening, I did what any busy mom would do. I decided to multitask. I was tired and knew it would be a kind of morning. Nothing like a venti iced latte to start the day (many of my days begin this way). So why not just get her milk for the day at ?

I know what you are thinking and yes, I did pay a ridiculous amount for that milk, but sometimes paying more is the price you pay (literally) for being a busy mom. There are a few things that I will pay more for just to make my life a little easier and to save time. Pre-chopped onions, bagged salad, and the occasional heat and serve meal.

I have seen many postings on Facebook, with comments from moms like “peanut butter and jelly isn't a bad dinner choice is it?” or “Pediasure counts as a complete meal, right?” I won’t pretend that Madison hasn’t had yogurt and toast for dinner. Sometimes it’s easy to serve up three great meals a day. But other days, it’s nearly impossible. In my eyes, even getting two healthy meals on the table is an accomplishment.

So why do moms feel bad when meals and life don't go according to plan? Because moms feel they should be able to do it all and look pretty while doing it. I’m here to tell you, that’s just not realistic. As long as I get it right 90 percent of the time, I’m not going to beat myself up over the 10 percent that is less than perfect.

Over the years as a nanny, I have come in contact with many different types of moms, and have been witness to the way that they run their lives. Some were very organized and others were so unbelievably unorganized that I couldn’t believe they managed to get out the door in the morning. I feel that in a way, being a nanny has given me a “leg up” on being a better mom. I have seen what to do and what not to do.

So you ask me if I sweat the small stuff? Absolutely not. We can’t be perfect all the time, so if that means buying milk at Starbucks, so be it.