What to Do This Memorial Day

Hi mamas-

While some of you will be heading out of town for the long weekend, others will be staying put and hosting (or attending) get togethers with friends and family.

In my home, we’re in the throes of the last week of school, graduation parties and end of school banquets—it’s a LOT. I know so many of you are feeling this, too.

No matter if school is ending this week, or you have another month, one thing is certain: You’re still busy and juggling ALL the things!

We wanted to take some of the load off your shoulders as you figure out what to do with those three days off, HOW to get all your work done in a shortened week, plus easy Memorial Day dishes that aren’t a total time suck.

If you have any great recipes or productivity tips to share, we’re all ears! Let the other mamas know in the comments at the bottom!

Enjoy!

-Paula, Founder CARRY™

This week in The CARRY™ ALL, we’re talking about:

• 🌭 Memorial Day Dishes That Aren’t a Time Suck

• 💅🏼 Staycation Ideas for the Long Weekend 

• 💼 How to Get All That Work Done in a 4-Day Work Week

THE BIG 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣

1️⃣  🌭 Memorial Day Dishes That Aren’t a Time Suck

Whether you’re hosting a get-together this weekend or are bringing a dish to someone else’s place, the same thing is true: you don’t have time to create a gourmet feast. But we’ve never let a lack of time get in the way before, right? We’ve found some awesome recipes that’ll make everyone come back for seconds (but that WON’T keep you in the kitchen all day.):

• Sunny’s Sizzling Summer Burger - This burger is PACKED with flavor. Prep time is less than 5 minutes. You’ll just want to let them sit at room temp for 2 hours before grilling. They’re the perfect thing to bring to a cookout, since they can “rest” in the car on the way there!

• Bacon and Egg Potato Salad - Goodbye boring, mayonnaise-y potato salad, and hello flavor!

• Broccoli Slaw - In just 25 minutes (or less, if you choose to buy pre-shredded cabbage), you can serve up this modern (and healthier) take on coleslaw.

• Strawberry Country Cake - With only 30 minutes needed to prep (not counting baking time), this gorgeous cake requires no decorating skills and is a major crowd pleaser.

2️⃣ 💅🏼 Staycation Ideas for the Long Weekend

Is everyone you know heading out of town, leaving you wondering what the heck to do with your family for the holiday weekend? Considering how difficult (and expensive) travel has been recently, it might be a blessing in disguise. Why not enjoy a little staycation with these ideas?:

• Hike or bike as a family, exploring local trails you’ve never done, followed by a stop to an ice cream parlor. Even big kids love a good treat 🍨

• Many museums offer “Free Museum Day” — see if one near you is participating and take in some art

• Take a tour of a local brewery or winery

• Pack up a little lunch and head to the park for a picnic

• Take advantage of Memorial Day sales, and have yourself a little shopping spree

• Take a leisurely ferry ride to a nearby destination

• Honor the holiday by attending a parade or memorial service

3️⃣ 💼 How to Get All That Work Done in a 4-Day Work Week

Let’s face it: just because you have Monday off does NOT mean that the work you would have done on Monday will magically disappear. We know that next week will be a grind as you attempt to fit 5 work days into 4. Here’s how:

• Minimize distractions by turning off notifications and social media

• Batch similar tasks to bang out easily

• Prioritize tasks by categorizing them by urgency and importance, allowing you to focus on the most critical items first.

• Focus your work during your peak energy hours, getting the challenging items done when you’re most alert

• Take breaks throughout the day to reset your focus and avoid burnout

📰 IN THE NEWS: Child Tax Credits, Avoiding Holiday Traffic

➡️ Lawmakers are calling for an small increase on child tax credits, which will mainly benefit middle income families. Read HERE to see if you qualify.

➡️ If you’re one of the 45 million Americans expected to travel this weekend, HERE’s some advice from AAA on how to avoid the worst traffic.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT 🤎

for working moms with older children

• In recent years, we’ve been hearing more about girls reaching puberty at younger and younger ages. Much of the chatter on the topic revolved around the weight of the adolescents playing a role in an earlier first period. But a new study is showing something different that is worth noting — healthy diet (rather than a lower body weight) is linked to later periods. This is important because skinny does not necessarily equal healthy. If you’re a mom to a pre-teen, having them focus on consuming things like vegetables and whole grains might make a difference for the onset of puberty.