Oh boy - well, I've been doing it for a few years now, but I'm not sure how. I just
do.
I guess the first trick is to be very organized. (That's another post in and of itself.) The more routines you have, the more time you'll have for "flexibility."
If its a day I know I'll come straight home from work and start driving people around, I'll start dinner in the crockpot or make a cold pasta salad before work or plan something very quick like grilled cheese / broccoli sandwiches or scrambled eggs. (And surely, most husbands will understand if you can't cook for them
every night.)
In general, I try to plan a week's worth of dinners at a time so I know I'll always have the ingredients I need, and there's none of that "It's 5:00. What should I make for dinner? Hmmm... Domino's Pizza?" I can make the more time-consuming meals on the weekend or on less busy nights.
I try to schedule other errands that are on the way so I'm not making extra trips. Depending on how much time there is between drop-off and pick-up, I might go to the gym or go grocery shopping. I always keep a book or magazine in the van so that if I have 15 minutes of waiting, I can read. (I love to read, but don't have much time for it anymore.)
Some of the best conversations I have with my kids are in the van on the way to someplace.
I realize this is sort of vague - if I can help with more specifics please let me know.