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.
One of my favorite quick fix dinners is pizza on a pita! The pita holds up well to toppings. I usually make mine with sliced tomatoes and mozerella, and just pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Sometimes I add salsa. Total prep and cook time is like 7 minutes!
I try to batch cook on a Saturday or Sunday morning. I usually make stuff that I can just heat and eat during the week, such as chili. I'll also prepare a bunch of salad and put it in large ziplock bags.
I try to do all little tasks immediately so they do not all build up.
To save time, I like to make a list for the week and add or subtract accordingly. My quick fix recipe for Fall is Oven Roasted Veggies. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop butternut squash, onion, brussel sprouts, and whole cloves of garlic tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread veggies evenly so they're not crowded. Roast for 40 minutes, turn veggies after 20 minutes for an even cook.
Here's a quick and easy recipe for non-toxic, chemical-free deodorant: Mix well 1.5 cups of corn starch, 1 cup of melted coconut oil (the solid kind), 2 tbs of baking soda, and 45 drops of a high-quality lemongrass essential oil (Young Living is my fave!) in a bowl. Transfer the mixture to individual glass jars and use daily instead of the stuff you buy at the store and you'll have a fabulous deodorant that keeps the stink away.
My husband and I sync our phones with our calender's so that it shows up on each of our phones when something is due, activity planned, birthdays, etc.
I lay out my "flat person" (clothes) the night before.
I use a crock pot to get my meals going or marinate meats ahead of time so I don't have to fool around with dinner later or end up eating too late when I have a busy schedule. I try to think ahead as much as possible, but sometimes you have to live in the moment too.
My favorite easy recipe is my Presto Pesto. I like to use spiral rotini, or bowtie pasta. I use a half a jar of Barilla pesto, a little bit of olive oil depends on your taste, about 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta depending on your taste, and how much pasta you feel like making. I didn't like to top it off with parmesan as served. This is amazing hot right after being cooked, and taste absolutely wonderful cold. Making this not only a very easy meal to make but an easy meal to get back out of the fridge with as little fuss as possible.
I use an app called SplenDO It lets me customize a to-do-list and reminds me to get things done. Like Dust on Monday or Trash on Wednesday. I find my house is cleaner.
I keep a small pad and pen next to my bed so if I think of something I have to do for the next day I just write it down and go back to sleep!
My way to make my life easier is to always write down & schedule everything for about 15-45 minutes before so we actually get there on time! I hope a go to easy snack works as I invented this as a little girl & now I make it for my daughter! Graham Crackers in Halves, Spread Peanut Butter on both halves of Graham Crackers & sprinkle chocolate chips on one half. Take the other half and place on top of chocolate chips & ENJOY!! I called this "Bossy" when I was little because it's a healthy alternative & super quick, easy and SO YUMMY!!
My way to make my life easier is to always write down & schedule everything for about 15-45 minutes before so we actually get there on time! I hope a go to easy snack works as I invented this as a little girl & now I make it for my daughter! Graham Crackers in Halves, Spread Peanut Butter on both halves of Graham Crackers & sprinkle chocolate chips on one half. Take the other half and place on top of chocolate chips & ENJOY!! I called this "Bossy" when I was little because it's a healthy alternative & super quick, easy and SO YUMMY!!
My way to make my life easier is to always write down & schedule everything for about 15-45 minutes before so we actually get there on time! I hope a go to easy snack works as I invented this as a little girl & now I make it for my daughter! Graham Crackers in Halves, Spread Peanut Butter on both halves of Graham Crackers & sprinkle chocolate chips on one half. Take the other half and place on top of chocolate chips & ENJOY!! I called this "Bossy" when I was little because it's a healthy alternative & super quick, easy and SO YUMMY!!
My way to make my life easier is to always write down & schedule everything for about 15-45 minutes before so we actually get there on time! I hope a go to easy snack works as I invented this as a little girl & now I make it for my daughter! Graham Crackers in Halves, Spread Peanut Butter on both halves of Graham Crackers & sprinkle chocolate chips on one half. Take the other half and place on top of chocolate chips & ENJOY!! I called this "Bossy" when I was little because it's a healthy alternative & super quick, easy and SO YUMMY!!