It's a rare day that I don't fall into bed thinking about how busy the day was. I sometimes ask, what am I doing wrong? But when I talk to friends, they all say the same thing: life is busy, it's impossible to get everything done!
I refuse to accept this. There must be ways to save time and still enjoy life without it running us all ragged. So I polled some friends and got some great ideas. Then I tried them out. Read on to find out which tips worked for me - and can work for you too!
How do you save time? Tell us for the chance to win a $50 gift card to either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts (winner's choice!) and a cute kitchen timer. Plus, submit an easy recipe for a bonus prize. If we use your recipe in an upcoming blog post, we'll send you a $25 Amazon gift card to say thanks!
Most experts say that if you are doing two things at the same time, you are not doing either of them well. I beg to differ. On tasks when my brain runs on autopilot, I'm much more efficient when I multitask. For example...
Make a boring chore fun and you'll want to get to it, like ironing while binge-watching TV or cleaning the bathroom while listening to a podcast.
Exercise with a friend: you'll be getting healthier and finding out the latest gossip. Schedule in a weekly time on your calendar and you'll be more likely to stick with it.
Use waiting time, like your train-commute or your kid's gymnastics class, to cross a few things off your to-do list, That quiet time is perfect for finding dinner recipes, ordering groceries online, or doing vacation research. Alternatively, save that time to catch up on social media, and then resist checking your Facebook feed the rest of the day.
Plan for the unpacking while you are shopping: When unloading groceries from your cart to the conveyor belt at checkout, group them in order of where they go in the house, so they get bagged in that order (dairy together, fruit together etc). Then the groceries are easier to unpack when you get home.
Reminder: My kitchen timer gets a lot of use, but not just for cooking. It's the perfect way to remind me to get things done. For example, I put it on when I throw in a load of laundry so I don't forget to put the wet clothes in the dryer.
Deadline: Timers are also a good way to create an artificial deadline, like when I'm going through the pile of papers my kids brought home from school. I just put on the timer and try to get it all done in 5 minutes - it forces me to make decisions more quickly and keep me focused.
Note: Make sure the timer is in another room and doesn't stop beeping until you manually turn it off. Is it annoying? Definitely. But does it force me to stop what I am doing and change the laundry? Yes.
There are three ways to enter:
*One lucky commenter, Tweeter or Instagrammer will be chosen at random to receive a $50 gift card to the winner's choice of either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, plus a Hitechway Cute Digital Count-Down Up Kitchen Timer. Giveaway is open through August 27th, 2017 to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entrants must be a member of SheSpeaks. If you are not a member, click here to join. Winner will be notified by email.
Use the app Cozi. It keeps track of everyone's crazy busy schedules all in one place. My easy go to recipe is asparagus boiled in the oven on a sheet pan with chicken breasts. Bake for 40 minutes at 375 and dinner is done. Easy and only one pan to wash!
Save time by touching something once. If you bring in mail dont set it on the table, shred, throw away or put in bills folder for later. Follow this policy on everything you touch and/or set down. My best easy recipe put a pork roast in the crock pot with a bottle of bbq sauce, 4 hours later shred the meat and add more bbq sauce if needed. let go another half hour or more. serve on toasted buns with baked french fries,
I lay out my daughter's clothes the night before to save time in the morning! My fav easy recipe is a 2 pan dish... rice and salmon, with an olive and tomato sauce. Cook 4 slices of bacon til almost done. Then place salmon with pepper on top, cook for 5 minutes. Then place chopped tomatoes, presliced red onion, and chopped garlic stuffed olives mixed with olive oil on top. Cook until salmon is done, covered. Easy and yummy!
I always make lists and I delegate tasks to my husband and family to help. This gets stuff done quick and I don't get overwhelmed!
To make life easier, I use my crockpot for family favorite meals. Then when I get home at night, dinner is ready to serve.
Take rotisserie chicken, or already cooked chicken and add it to spaghetti sauce, slice up peppers and onions and serve that over noodles.
List, list, list! List makes my life easier
Sometimes I will set quick timer when I am using social media because I know I could waste hours scrolling through and lose total track of time. I also like to preplan dinner the night before so I am not struggling on a choice minutes before the meal needs to be ready.
I try to multi-task as much as possible, also make to do lists for myself. I really should make them for my hubby also, but he doesn't look at them, lol.
Quesadillas from corn tortillas and whatever cheese and vegetables are in the fridge.... :)
Sticky note lists in appropriate places :)
Quick & Easy Nachos...Ingredients: get your favorite tortilla chips (spicier use Nacho Cheese Doritos), can of refried beans or chili with/without beans, shredded cheese (Jack & Colby, Mexican, Cheddar - use your favorite), jalapeños (if you like spicy/hot). Directions: Take a microwave safe plate and place a single layer of tortilla chips to cover entire plate. Then open your can of refried beans or chili and take a spoon and take small blobs and scatter around on top of the layer of chips. Sprinkle cheese on top and add the jalapeños (if desired). Then put the plate in the microwave and heat for up to one minute and a half. (Watch carefully you do not want the cheese to start bubbling too much or it will be hard.) You can add sour cream, salsa, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, etc to make the nachos more deluxe. Enjoy!
I write reminder notes and out them where I know I will see them.
Life is always a bit easier when you are prepared for the unexpected. I keep extra food & drinks on hand for those unexpected guests. A quick and easy recipe are brownies made with a box of brownie mix and a can of pumpkin. That's it. Just those two ingredients stirred up and baked for a quick dessert.
I write sticky notes while I'm in my car and stick them somewhere on my dash, by the radio...I've even stuck it to the steering wheel...to help me remember..lol