Soccer Mom Chillout

This is for all the ladies living life in the minivan, who get the tots off early and don't stop 'til sports practice, piano lessons, playdates, din-din, and homework are all in the rearview mirror. It's a tough job, so maximize that all-important me time with the dreamy uplift of Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova's gorgeous "Falling Slowly," put some pep in your step with the bop and bounce of Eric Hutchinson's "Rock & Roll," and give yourself a feel-good reminder of why you do it all with Donavon Frankenreiter's "Life, Love & Laughter."

The day is long, so hit Next Steps for more Soccer Mom Chillout.

No one knows it better than a mom — quiet can have its own power and sometimes a woman's biggest strength is her serenity in the face of chaos. It's a truth heard in tunes like k.d. lang's silky cover of the Joni Mitchell standby "A Case of You," and in Shelby Lynne's luxe-and-lounge-y take on the great Dusty Springfield hit "I Only Want to Be With You." Jazz diva Nina Simone transforms the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" into a bossa-nova'd mini-vacation, and Shawn Colvin crafts a folk-pop ode to having your heart's desire in "When You Know."

Deep Cuts has even more great chillout sounds.

Hey, a mom's got moods — we know your stress-release needs can vary from one soccer practice to the next, so we've gathered a multi-colored range of musical chill-pills for all-purpose relaxation. So while Southern chanteuse Lizz Wright offers a taste of soulful sonic honey on "I Feel the Earth Move," Nelly Furtado soars on the hip-pop wings of "I'm Like a Bird." Erin McKeown lets loose with the bubbly folk lift of "Slung-lo," and José González brings you in close for the Latin-spiced, acoustic intimacy of "Slow Moves."

"It's amazing, all that you can do," sings Jem on "It's Amazing," and when it comes to the life and times of a full-fledged, on-the-go, dawn-to-dusk soccer mom, it's the truth and then some. Sure, you're a referee, cheerleader, chauffeur, cook, maid, and, most importantly, snuggle bank all in one, but who's taking care of you? We can't clean your bathroom or pick up your kids from school, but we can do our best on the chillout detail, with everything from the laid-back smile-in-a-song that is Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," to Sarah McLachlan's sweet, jazzy treat "Ice Cream," to U2's bittersweet shout-out to all that you do, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own." So, put the wee ones to bed, draw that bath, and let our long-playing Essentials bring you down nice and easy.