Gwyneth's Real Mom Tips Need Some Frugal Reality

I get GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's gushy newsletter on life, style, food, spirituality and travel (G.O.O.P. are her initials). My daily reality as a mom of three boys, however, is not her reality, and I admit I mostly read it occasionally for a spoonful of gawking and nostalgia for a time when I myself had disposable cash for travel and eating out, and trips to New York and London -- although obviously not as much as she does.

Even for Gwyneth, though, last week's newsletter was something. In the attempt to show her readers how "to find a good balance between having a career and being a mom," she got together two of her friends -- a prestigious venture capitalist and fashion designer and Beatle-daughter Stella McCartney -- to join with her in telling a story of a normal "manic" day and offer some tips for finding balance.

The results were hilarious, especially if you're a regular (read: non-famous, non-wealthy, non-staffed) mom. In the spirit of camaraderie, we decided to offer some frugal, time-saving mom tips of our own: