Trying to do it all? Still think you can actually balance your roles as a mom, wife, working gal? Forget it. The best you can do is focus. Focus on the moment you're in and you won't dilute any one experience. You'll also lessen that niggly guilty feeling that you're not being quite as good a mom/wife/working gal as you could be. If you're going to spend the next two hours with your kids, get down and dirty with those mud pies and put everything else out of your mind. (And put that Blackberry away!) When you're out on that recommended monthly (or is it weekly?) date with your husband, focus on him, really focus. You'll feel less fragmented because you're focused on what's in front of you.

Get organized and focus becomes do-able. Write to-do lists, lots of lists. Plan your time. Book your time. Make priorities and make them happen. You can even book in 15 minutes for you to put up your feet and close your eyes, if you want to.

Get yourself a notebook to write it all down - while you're at it, make it one that's good for the planet. There's loads of funky ones out there that you'll want to keep with you and want keep writing in. Try a gorgeous feather notebook made from sugarcane or one with an inspirational quote to keep you going like "It always seems impossible until it's done".

Remember to work some green into your to-do's whenever you can. Taking the kids to the library to return those overdue books you finally found? Try walking. Doing the laundry? Try hanging it outside to dry. Taking care of some thank-you's, birthdays, etc. the old-style way? Stock up on all occasion recycled paper cards in advance and save time and money.

Ok, so I got most of this from listening to Dr. Laura - except the green bits - but it makes sense. Don't you think?

Lavish and Lime is a Vancouver-based on-line boutique specializing in eco-friendly product lines for living, giving and more.