Before you know it the kids will be back in school and, once again, it will likely fall to mom to arrange car-pooling schedules, pack lunches and help with math homework.

Even though after-school activities and weekend baseball games can weigh heavily on a time-starved mom, hope is not lost. With a few adjustments to the daily routine, moms everywhere can enjoy some time for themselves during the back-to-school season.

One way to do that is to cook 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 having to over think it.

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 child’s lunches in advance or teach them to make healthy choices so they can pack their own.

House cleaning services are gaining in popularity and it’s easy to see why. With the majority of mom’s time 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 offer numerous household maintenance services, including dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing.

To slow down the hands of time, organization is key. 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. Pick one day, preferably before school starts, to overhaul your organizational skills.

To make sure you always have your keys on-hand, purchase a key rack for the front door. Or, for a more fashionable approach, place a decorative, antique bowl to stash them on a foyer desk. Stackable, color-coded trays can be a handy place to store your child’s completed homework assignments. As they’re heading out the door, they can simply grab it and go.

As for closets, try arranging items of clothing by formality 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 morning.

By following time-saving tips like these, moms everywhere can enjoy a little more time for themselves. Back-to-school time can be a chaotic transition for both kids and parents, but simple changes can mean the difference between a happy home and a hectic one.