Outsource your least enjoyable tasks: Instead of looking for the easiest or most common things to delegate, identify the tasks that add stress to your life or could be done better, or more easily, by someone else.
Here are a few ideas:
Childcare drop-offs and pickups: Something that has worked well for us is asking a local teenager or family member to help with the childcare drop-off or pickup. If you can find someone who just wants to earn a bit of income (as you would pay by the job or by the hour), you can help another family by providing work and help yourself by reducing stress.
Kids' after school activities: Make arrangements to attend the events that matter most and hire someone (possibly the same morning helper) to help you with the pre evening driving needs. Also, try to make friends with other parents who may be able to share driving responsibilities. But be sure to return the favor!
Laundry and cleaning: It may seem extravagant to get hired help with this, but just think about the hours spent cleaning the house and doing laundry. That time could very well be better spent with your family doing much more meaningful and memorable things.
Cleaning up after the dog: I pass this task on to my kids as a part of their regular household contribution. But if your kids are too little, or just can't take on this task, consider having someone feed your dog, walk him, and take care of cleaning up the yard as well. There are many dog walking services that are happy to do this for just a few dollars a day.
Looking your best: If you can find someone who takes advantage of sales, coupons, knows where all the good deals are, and manages returns and exchanges, you might be surprised at how reasonable and valuable this resource can be.
The little things: It is the little things that take up so much of a working mother's day. Personal assistants are no longer only for the wealthy. Try using Elance for some of your on line needs, and reach to Craigslist for some of your local requirements. Make sure you think outside of the box and really let these people help you.
Grocery shopping or picking up dinner: One of my least favorite chores is grocery shopping. I am not much of a cook and the idea of taking time away from the family to roam aisles for produce and chips is not something I want to do.
In most major cities, there are services that offer online ordering and home delivery. There are extra fees for this, but consider all the time you spend at the store--and the expense of those impulse items you really didn't need.Consider heading to Costco or Sam's Club for ready-made meals. They aren't half-bad and work well in a pinch.
There are also a lot of services now that allow you to "create dinners" in bulk, freeze them, and then pull out as required (such as Dream Dinners and Create a Meal). This not only allows you to quickly create dinners that are tasty, but they can also be fun for the family to do together.
Samantha Knowles is the author of Working Mom Reviews. To learn about how to create a presence on Facebook, drive traffic to your site, build your brand and make sales, check out FB influence Learn about techniques to achieve personal and financial freedom at A Roadmap To Success
