Despite what Mick Jagger sang, time is not on your side. Sometimes the moments between your morning coffee and those yawns while watching the local evening news are a blur. For working moms, time is what we definitely need more of. So what suffers as a result of our lack of time? Our social lives. It’s hardly a priority and for good reason—the kids need their mom and your job needs you. But what about what you need? 

Being socially interactive, outside of your family and we’re not talking about anything virtual, is imperative to your emotional health. Maintaining and forming friendships with other women is beneficial not only in the reduction of daily stressors, but in the strength of a bond that can last a lifetime. Here are some tips in making and keeping the ladies in your life.

Make the call.
You haven’t talked to her in well over a year, but she used to be your best friend…guess what? She probably still is. Sometimes rekindling a friendship is as easy as dialing her number—so why don’t you? True friendships stand the test of time. It’s time to pick up where you left off.

Don’t be shy.
You’ve seen her in the schoolyard picking up her kids, you’ve admired her style, thought you could be great friends, even smiled hello, but no one’s made a move. Yes, making new friends can be as hard as dating in high school, but thankfully it’s without the notes in homeroom and obsessive worries about pimples. Ask her to grab a cup of coffee and once out, talk about your kids. You’ll see if this “date” is worthy of going further or not.

Form a book club.
You’ve got a bunch of girlfriends, but there’s never time to see them all. Solution? Form a book club (or knitting group or music exchange or an assembly with any common interest) with all the ladies and schedule a meeting place for a once a month gathering. Form a blog on Blogspot and allow all to be contributors to keep everyone in the loop of discussions even if they miss a meeting.

Have a girls’ night.
Take one night and make it ladies night! You can try for a weekly meet where everyone gathers at one house to watch “Lost” together or designate the first Monday of every month to dish dirt, cocktails, and appetizers right after work at a local spot.

Host a swap.
Why have a Tupperware party when chances are your friends have what you need? Set up a swap party where each person brings some choice offerings (kids clothes, duplicate gifts never used, shoes you bought in the wrong size yet never wore). It’s a great chance to interact, but set up a “penalty” for the person who brings the worst offering—let her host the next swap.

Get involved.
Look to local organizations as great places to meet other women with the same interests—not just the PTA. Animal shelters often have volunteers, community boards have fundraisers, the local park has a committee—check into getting yourself involved and you may meet a gal pal a lot like you.

Start a Flickr.
This photo sharing site isn’t like other social networks—there’s no “about me” with top friends—Flickr is all about organizing your photos and enabling you to share with friends in an easy way. It’s a great spot to stay in touch with those who you don’t get to see very often due to distance or time restraints. And we all have a zillion photos to share, don’t we? Plus, it’s super easy to use. You can even take a photo on your phone and send it right to this site for instant upload. Have each of your friends set one up—you can comment on each other’s photos.