Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Ziploc® brand. All thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own—I’ve always been a big fan of Ziploc® brand products!

How often do we hear people say “I’m so busy!” All the time, right? While I am actively working on trying to avoid saying that phrase, and instead updating people on various things I’m working on, it doesn’t change the fact that I AM busy! Working full time, doing my own workouts, teaching and subbing classes, writing posts to keep this blog active, spending time with RM and my family and friends…it’s sometimes a wonder how I have time to sleep! Or better yet, get anything done. I’m sure lots of you are nodding along in agreement, right? And, those of you who are moms and who have kids and a family to take care of on top of yourself have EVEN MORE on your plate. If you’re like me, you’re probably looking for ways to make your everyday activities, chores, jobs, etc. a little easier, right?

So, when Ziploc® brand reached out to me to see if I’d like to test out their new Easy Open Tab bags, I jumped at the chance. Not only do I love all Ziploc® brand products, but I am always looking for ways to make the simple activity of packing my various lunch baggies a little easier and a little quicker. These new Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs have all of the standard Ziploc® brand bag features we already know and love, but with an added tab making them easier to grip and open.

For me, there are a few weekly and daily things I do to make my life a little easier and although they vary, they all revolve around one thing: PREP WORK! It may be a pain to do, but prepping for busy days/weeks is really a life saver. Here are some ways I prep to alleviate a little stress throughout the week:

• Keep my apartment clean and organized, that way I know where everything is and feel calm when I’m there (is it just me or does clutter stress anyone else out?!)
• I now prep my meals and freeze excess baked goods in Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs and Ziploc® brand containers to take out during my busiest weeks
• I like to pack my breakfast/lunch/snacks the night before so I just have to worry about waking up and getting dressed and heading out the door in the morning
• Pack up my gym bag the night before
• Pre-schedule my blog posts so I don’t have to worry about finding time to blog during the week

Ok, back to the Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs. After testing them out, I was amazed by how well they work! These new bags are good if you’re in a rush and short on hands (which moms usually are these days!). The new Easy Open Tabs on these bags, are great since one edge is higher than the other, making them very easy to pull apart.

I have to share this hilariously awesome Ziploc® brand Tough Mother YouTube video showing how these Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs can help moms in everyday life. A mother’s job is not easy, but Ziploc® brand is working on making it a little easier, one bag at a time. (And, while I’m not a mother, I’m pretty excited because they’re making my life a little easier, too!).

Moms these days have so much going on between packing up lunches and snacks for their kids and getting to work that they don’t have time to waste on dealing with bags that can’t be opened quickly and easily. And, to make it even better, the bags are offered in a variety of sizes with different tab colors, perfect for storing fruits, meat, craft materials, school supplies and other household items. We use Ziploc® brand bags for ice – it’s a big thing in my family. My parents just got back from a road trip and before I even told my dad about this post, he was raving about how well the 2 gallon Ziploc® brand bags worked to hold a block of ice and avoid getting everything in the cooler wet when it started to melt!

• Ziploc® brand Storage bags with Easy Open Tabs: Feature a pink-colored tab and are available in quart, half-gallon and gallon sizes.
• Ziploc® brand Freezer bags with Easy Open Tabs: Feature a blue-colored tab and are available in pint, quart and gallon sizes.
• Ziploc® brand Sandwich and Snack bags with Easy Open Tabs: Feature a green-colored tab and sandwich bags are available in standard and extra-large sizes.

To help celebrate the launch of Ziploc® brand bags with Easy Open Tabs, they partnered with Tough Mudder in honor of moms who are taking on a whole new level of strength. Have you guys ever done a Tough Mudder race? I haven’t, but from what I’ve heard they are no joke! Ziploc® brand is forming a “Team Tough Mother,” made up of national and local influencers, who participate in Tough Mudder events to honor tough mothers everywhere. Since the race is held in Vermont the weekend I get back from Italy (June 6-7), I won’t be able to join the team (super bummed!); but it’s definitely on my bucket list to complete one of these events! If Tough Mudder is something you’re interested in, I definitely suggest checking out their list of events to see if there’s one near you.

(screenshot from their website: toughmudder.com/events)

As part of the partnership between Ziploc® brand and Tough Mudder, the new bags are available at every Tough Mudder bag drop so participants can store their gear during and after each event. This is a huge perk because there’s nothing worse than not knowing what to do with all your muddy, wet clothing!

Questions for you: Do you use Ziploc® brand bags? What is your favorite way to use them? How do you help make your busy weeks a little less stressful and a little smoother?

Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:

Snacks for my long days

Travel