💘 Valentine’s Day for Moms: Love Notes, Class Parties, and the System That Keeps Me Sane

[Erica_Tay]

I was standing in my kitchen unpacking groceries for a Super Bowl party my husband and I were hosting at my dad’s house when my phone buzzed.

School email… you know the kind:

Valentine’s Day is next week!

• Don’t forget class valentines for both kids.
• The 100th day of school is coming up. Dress your child like a grandparent.
• On Friday, wear the color of the football team you think will win this weekend.
• Report cards go out Wednesday.
• Sign up for the upcoming PTA event! There are only 50 spots!

And just like that, the mental checklist started forming.

Valentines. Snacks. Craft supplies. Spirit day outfits. Birthday party venues for my two Taurus babies before everything books up. Spring sports sign-ups. Summer camp emails that somehow open in February.

I felt that familiar, subtle panic; not because any one thing was impossible, but because all of it lived in my head at once.

So I did what any project manager would do – I opened my calendar and started making reminders.

And that was the moment I realized: if I can build systems at work that keep multi-million dollar ad campaigns running smoothly, why was I still trying to run my household on mental sticky notes?

The Mental Load Nobody Sees

I lead the project management organization at an advertising agency. I often tell people that my job is literally to reduce chaos.

My team builds automated systems that move creative campaigns from intake to ad launch. I coach PMs on eliminating busywork so they can focus on strategic thinking. We’ve implemented automation across our Asana space so our team isn’t buried in administrative tasks, but solving real problems.

At work, I believe deeply in systems and process.

At home? For a long time, I pressured myself into relying on memory (if you’re a mom or parent, you know how that goes).

• Did I answer the neighbor?
• Did the laundry ever make it out of the dryer?
• Do the kids have enough snacks for the week?
• When are annual doctor appointments due?
• Did I order vitamins?
• What ELSE am I forgetting?

Before I built stronger systems for my personal life, everything felt reactive. I’d remember things at the last minute. I’d get frustrated with myself for putting something off. I wasn’t failing, I was just carrying too much in my head.

And the mental load isn’t heavy because the tasks are hard, it’s heavy because they never stop.

If It Works at Work, Why Not at Home?

As an Asana Ambassador, I have access to a separate Asana space outside of my agency account. One day, I just kind of knew there had to be a better way.

If I could keep multi-channel client accounts organized…
If I could automate campaign workflows…
If I could help a team of PMs breathe easier…

Why was I forcing myself to manually remember when to wash sheets?

So, I started small.

I created a running gift list for holidays & birthdays. Throughout the year, whenever I thought of something someone might love, I added it. When birthdays rolled around, I wasn’t scrambling.

And then I thought, “why stop there?”

The System That Keeps Me Sane

The biggest shift wasn’t complexity, but consistency.

I gave myself tangible, digestible to-dos in the same place I already look for tasks every day.

Laundry became recurring tasks:

• Kids on Monday
• Ours on Tuesday
• Sheets and towels on Wednesday
• Break on Thursday
• Friday catch-all

Annual doctor appointments? Recurring annual reminders.
Vitamin reorders? Recurring.
Camp registration deadlines? Dated tasks months in advance.
Birthday venue bookings? Set reminders months ahead of time.
None of this is revolutionary, but it’s relieving.
I didn’t need more discipline, I needed fewer decisions.

Automation has been the biggest game changer both at work and home.

At work, automation has allowed our PMs to stop chasing status updates & checking boxes. Instead, they focus on improving processes, identifying risks earlier, & being real partners to our clients & teams. It gives us room to think.

At home, automation gives me room to breathe. It’s not about turning my family into a project plan. It’s about reducing friction, so I can be more present.

Because when my house is on a routine schedule, my brain is calmer. When my reminders live somewhere reliable, I’m not replaying to-do lists at 10pm. When I’m not mentally juggling chores, I’m building forts and puzzles or outside running around with my two tiny humans.

And that matters more than any perfectly folded laundry ever could.

Love Is… Not Carrying It Alone

Valentine’s Day for moms isn’t just love notes and class parties.

It’s coordination.
It’s remembering spirit days.
It’s signing permission slips.
It’s booking birthday parties before venues sell out.
It’s responding to the PTA email while unpacking groceries.

For me, loving Asana isn’t about features, it’s about what it gives back.

• Less stress.
• Less last-minute scrambling.
• More clarity.
• More presence.

The real reason I love Asana isn’t because of automation rules or recurring tasks (even though I genuinely adore both). It’s because it empowers me to be my best self with the people who matter most.

[Vanessa_N]

Such a beautiful and honest reflection, @Erica_Tay! Although I know it’s Valentine’s Day, I wanna share huge appreciation for you and all the parents in our community.

The “double journey” of showing up fully for your teams at work and then doing it all over again for your family at home is honestly incredible. Thank you for sharing how Asana has become that reliable partner to help you clear the mental clutter and really show up for loved ones!

[Erica_Tay]

We appreciate YOU and your support in keeping this community a great place for parents to be! Hope you had an excellent Valentine’s Day, Vanessa!

[Sara_Casillas]

Hi Erica. This is very helpful! I am an Asana Ambassador, but unfamiliar with the separate Asana space that you mention. Can you tell me a little more about it?