When the end of summer finally rolls around it can be difficult to see past all the beach-bumming, lemonade-sipping and sun-soaking you've enjoyed for the past few months.

But before you know it, the kids are going back to school and good-old mom is busy arranging car-pooling schedules, packing lunches and helping with math homework.

After-school activities and weekend baseball games can weigh heavily on a time-starved mom. But hope is not lost. With a few adjustments to the daily routine, moms everywhere can finally enjoy some time for themselves during the back-to-school season, while still maintaining a happy household.

Cook Smart, Eat Smart

Save time during the week by preparing meals ahead of time. Buy universal ingredients like chicken, vegetables, sauce and cheese to create a variety of dishes without agonizing over precise recipes.

Scatter the ingredients on store-bought dough to make kid-friendly pizza or mix everything together and serve over pasta for a more rustic meal. You can even grill the veggies for fajitas to add a little sizzle to the week.

Prepare all the meals for the week ahead and store the items in separate containers to keep the food fresh. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat and serve for a quick and easy food fix.

Treat school lunches the same way. Pack your children's lunches in advance or teach them to make healthy choices so they can pack their own - saving you hours of time during the work week.

Let Someone Else Do the Dirty Work

Housecleaning services are gaining popularity and it's easy to see why. As the majority of mom's time is consumed by work and parenting, it's hard to find time to tackle cleaning duties around the house.

To ease the workload, residential cleaning services such as Molly Maid offer numerous household maintenance services, including dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing and virtually any other household chore you can imagine. Their Home Service Professionals will even provide the cleaning products and equipment.

By designing a cleaning regimen specially formatted to fit the lifestyles of each homeowner, Molly Maid ensures convenience and satisfaction with all home cleaning needs. No more picking up the kids from school and returning to a messy home. It's time to prop your feet up, relax and let someone else do the dirty work.

Find Time

Let's face it: most people get a later start to the day than they'd like to. We can't figure out whether the snooze button is a blessing or a curse. But either way, we end up making it out the door frazzled and disorganized.

Organization is key to slowing down the clock. You can save the extra time you'd normally spend searching for missing car keys, locating misplaced homework assignments and picking out your newest fashion creation. Invest one day to overhaul your spatial organization. Purchase a key rack for the front door. Or place a decorative, antique bowl to stash them on a foyer desk. Stackable, color-coded trays can be a handy place to store your son or daughter's completed homework assignments. As they're heading out the door, they can simply grab them and go.

And as for your closet, try arranging your clothing by form and color. Keep casual items separate from work-related ones and brightly colored items separate from neutrals. And when you've got some free time in the evening, try picking out your clothes for the next business morning.

Moms everywhere can enjoy a little more time for themselves without sacrificing their routine or their health. Back-to-school time can be a chaotic transition for summer-loving kids and parents, but simple changes can mean the difference between a happy home and a hectic one.

For more information on Molly Maid services available in your area, visit www.mollymaid.com, or call (800) MOLLY MAID (665-5962).