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.
My favorite recipe is hummus...chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, tahini, salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning. In season, we love to make it with fresh basil from the garden! Also great made with roasted veggies or harissa for a spicy kick!
When you have a paper that has instructions/address/itinerary or other important info, take a picture of it with your cell phone. Then you have all the info at your fingertips wherever you are. Simply delete the photo when the event is over!
I always have a list of things I need to do with me. That way I never forget what tasks were supposed to be done. Keeping track of everything in your head, you lose some things as the day gets busier. If there's ever anythign I can prep the night before I try to do that as well.
Always keep a list and make sure your watch is working . Stay on schedule and give yourself time to prepare
Chili
To save time in the morning I make sure everything is ready the night before.
Being early to any occasion
I like to cook once & eat twice, AKA plan overs, not leftovers!
I make lists for everything - no wasting time trying to remember. cook onions in olive oil, medium low heat, until translucent or crispy (according to taste) - everything is better topped with smothered onions
tweet: https://twitter.com/shiebs24b/status/897516059435163653
Podcasts are one way I multitask. I can do monotonous cleaning tasks while listening to a podcast that lets me learn about something new that I can later write about or share about with others!
I do a lot of multitasking everyday. It works well for me.
Put everything for the week on sticky notes on the door
One of my best easy recipe has to be Chicken Souvlaki salad Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breast marinate with EVOO, 2 table. Greek yogurt, 2 garlic cloves minced, lemon juice, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Broil chicken breast 7 minutes each side. remove and slice into bite size pieces. Make extra of the marinate for dressing. ..omit yogurt. Make a huge salad, whatever you like! Add chicken and marinate.
My favorite way to make life easier and stressfree is to give everyone a job. It doesn't matter how old you are or young. There's always something to be done and at any age you can help. It makes chores easier, quicker and done. I'll usually make a list and tell all my kids to pick a chore. It works!