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.
A calendar -- I couldn't manage without one. Also - take-out when there's just no time to prepare a meal.
I definitely need to write it down more often so that when I get busy, I won't forget things. I do it with groceries. Why not with LIFE?! Also, my favorite go-to easy recipe is spaghetti. Sometimes I don't even do meat. Noodles and sauce - everyone can add toppings like grated cheese, shredded cheese, a fried egg or even green or black olives. Add a loaf of bread and boom! Easy, inexpensive dinner in 30 mins or less.
I like to plan what I'm wearing the next day the night before. Clothes, shoes, accessories and even my hairstyle for the day. Saves me heaps of time!
I try to choose my outfit the night before to save time in the morning.
That timer is adorable! My time saving tip is to touch things once. If you pick it up, put it where it belongs. If the dish is on the table, it's rinsed and into the dishwasher or washed and put away rather than into the sink to sit.
The best way to save time in the kitchen...don't cook! I order all my dinners from Freshlys.com. They are all natural and healthy for you. They taste great and filling with 400-600 calories per meal. And at $107 for 12 meals a week, it saves me time at the grocery store and clipping coupons.
Best easy recipe- this is for dessert because that's obviously my favorite meal. I take some graham crackers and walnuts and smash them a little bit, layer them in a dessert dish, then I make whipping cream with sugar and dollop that on top; and cut up a peach and strawberries add a little sugar let them sit for 5 minutes and put them on top. Layer again and you have a fancy looking fresh tasting dessert in less than 10 minutes. I use natural sweeteners so it's healthy as well! Yummm! My kids are OBSESSED with it and it looks fancy. 🍑🍓🍓
My favorite way to make life easier is to plan out meals for the week, and shop for all the ingredients at one time. And then, I divide all the food for portion control in containers that I can take on the go with me, if I need to.
I tend to get more done when I make a list. So, I write all of my to-do's on paper. My favorite quick fix meal is Copy-cat Panda Express Orange Chicken. I actually like my version better. I try to buy a couple of rotisserie chickens when I go to Costco and I shred them and freeze the meat right away when I get home. I pull out a bag of chicken and heat it up on the stove. I add a bottle of Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce (so good!). Chop up a red (or yellow, or orange) pepper and toss that in. My hubby likes when I add a little pineapple too. Heat it all up and serve over rice. Super easy and delicious!
One of my favorite ways to save time is to split the chores with my husband. Seems like common sense but it really does make a difference when you each have duties you prefer to do and need to do to help out your spouse.
LET IT GO!! All I need to do now is convince the rest of the family to agree so we can de-clutter! Best easy recipe kids can do - it's a treat though! But keeps kids busy for a while! Hedgehog Slice 4 cups crushed animal cracker or similar cookie 2 sticks plus 2 tbs butter 3 tablespoons cocoa 3 tbs shredded coconut 1 tin sweetened condensed milk 250g milk choc bits 2 tsp oil Crush cookies in a bowl until you have fine and chunky crumbs. Add cocoa and coconut to cookies and stir well. Melt butter and sweetened condensed milk on stove. Stir until it begins to get bubbly. Do not burn! Add to dry ingredients to wet and mix well. If too dry add more butter, if too wet add more crackers. Place into slice pan and refrigerate 1 hr Melt choc bits with oil, drizzle on top of slice, refrigerate again until set. Cut into squares.
I multi-task and delegate!
prep dinner for the week over the weekend.... like prepare the casserole and freeze it....just take it out when needed and bake....
Great tips
I use my Amazon Echo devices to set daily tasks and reminders to make managing everything easier.