Moms are busy, no matter what their lifestyle, and coffee is the primary reason many of us are able to remain upright. Like you, my life is ALL-CAPS BUSY - I have three kids, five (contract) jobs, one husband, and one home currently up for sale. My husband is also working towards a Masters degree - it's a real party at my place, folks! Which means that the brunt of keeping our household running smoothly currently falls on my shoulders. Some days I feel like I'm pinwheeling through life.

How do I cope? The same way many of you do, and the way nature intended: Coffee.

Here are some Mom situations that whisper "Yep; you're gonna need a coffee!"

1. Getting the kids out the door in the morning...barely

Getting the kids out the door for school on time means that we often get maybe a sip or two of coffee before we get out the door ourselves. This is not acceptable. Nor is it in the best interests of those who have to spend time with us during the day. (FYI, I am happy if I make it out the door fully clothed and in my right mind!)

Solution: Until a reliable I.V. administration technique is available, grab your coffee on the go.

2. Your house is, well...not picture perfect

Having kids and a busy schedule means our homes may not be in presentable condition at all times. And that's okay. Rather than stressing about it, we do what we can, when we can, right? I am currently showing our home to prospective buyers, so last-minute texts asking if the house can be shown in half an hour throw me into a tailspin to clear away as much clutter as possible in order to make the house look neat and show-worthy.

Solution: Take advantage of house-showings by going out for a cup of coffee.

3. You manage to keep yourself and your family organized

Keeping ourselves organized is a job in itself, but when you also have to be somewhat responsible for helping to keep your kids organized too? That can be tough, especially when your kid calls you at work saying they forgot their planner/gym strip/permission slip at home and they NEED it NOW. The best part? You specifically asked them before they left if they had their planner/gym strip/permission slip and the answer was YES.

Solution: Charge said child a toonie for your time to deliver said item; add to coffee fund. You're going to need it when this happens again tomorrow.

4. You are dealing with a new car repair bill...one you could have avoided

You’re driving along, ignoring the "check engine" light (word of advice, NEVER ignore that light) and all of a sudden you power down. You manage to make it safely into a parking lot and after some frantic calls, you get towed to the mechanic. After a stressful wait, you find out you need to replace the $450 alternator, exactly one week after your spouse also had a costly car repair to replace the transmission on his truck.

Solution: While your already over-worked spouse cries silently into the phone, use the quiet time to enjoy a coffee.

5. You've prepared a slow-cooker meal...or so you thought

Being the meal planner you are, you threw together an amazing crock pot meal in the morning before you left for work and are now enjoying the thought of not having to deal with dinner preparation later. However, all of those blissful thoughts come to an end when your husband, who arrived home early from work, calls to tell you that while you did turn the crock pot on, you just missed plugging it in.

Solution: Make tonight a take-out night, complete with coffee and a treat for dessert - you deserve it.

So what should you do when you decide to take that much-needed coffee break?

Luckily for me, my wee town has a Shell Station. I’ve been stopping in to fuel up and grab coffee since before we had kids because my truck needs fuel and so do I. Shell’s Java Café is something I appreciate for a number of reasons:

• Their coffee is always freshly brewed and my local Shell offers a variety of Java Café blends. I like having a choice.
• Their bar full of condiments allows me to make my coffee just the way I like it. On the days I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add one of their complimentary flavour shots (I like Hazelnut, myself).
• There is a Shell Java Café Loyalty Card (ask for one next time you visit!), which earns you 25 bonus AIR MILES reward miles plus a free coffee on every fifth purchase of Java Café. Free coffee! Bonus AIR MILES! What’s not to love about that?

Now, I may be on a budget, and you may be on a budget, but Shell’s Java Café coffee tastes great and is affordable. Us busy moms and dads deserve a treat now and then, amirite?

Now excuse me, after typing all of that out I think I deserve to treat myself to another coffee. So should you, because odds are your life is either as busy as mine, or busier!