Collaborative post with Laundryheap
Days can absolutely fly by when you have lots to get done. Every Mom is a multi-tasker. It is part of the job description. But sometimes things can get skipped and it's stressful to get to the end of the day feeling like you have forgotten things or haven't accomplished what you wanted to.
With that in mind, I have 10 tips for you to help you stay organised and make life a bit easier for you. So you can have more time with the kids and even to get some 'me-time' into your week as well!
1. Use Laundryheap instead of doing your own laundry
In my house and I think every parent's house, laundry is a never-ending story! There is constant laundry to sort out. I could have piles to iron, piles to hang and so on. It takes time, effort and thought to stay on top of the never-ending laundry piles. With some chores, it is best to pick your battles!
Thankfully, laundry is a really simple and reasonable one to outsource which will free up a lot of time for you. Laundryheap offers convenience at a reasonable price and can handle all of your laundry needs including home and bedding items as well as dry cleaning, ironing and standard laundry services.
Laundryheap is a popular service that allows your laundry and dry cleaning to get done quickly and fuss-free! They offer a 24-hour turnaround time and free delivery! It is simple to schedule a collection and you get your laundry delivered back within 24hrs. Let's be honest, I never have my laundry completed in 24 hours here. It always stays in a pile somewhere for longer than that.
2. Meal Plan
Planning your meals for the week ahead helps to streamline your shopping list as well as your time. When you decide in advance the meals you want, you can then buy the specific ingredients that you need. This also reduces your bills because you will have less waste! Meal planning will help you to also make bulk meals so you can have leftovers for lunches or other dinners.
3. Declutter
When the house is full of things you don't use anymore, it can create a more stressful environment. Decluttering your home is like decluttering your mind. It frees up room, things feel cleaner and in turn, it is a more calm environment to be in.
Your pre-owned engagement ring is one example of something you might discover while decluttering. Consider putting anything you no longer wear or that has sentimental significance in the "storage" box to keep it safe and free up room in your living space. Making deliberate judgments and efficiently simplifying your surroundings is easier when you have a specific box for such products.
It's best to go room to room, taking each space as its own, so it's not an overwhelming process to declutter. Have a bag or box for things you want to get rid of and one for things you want to keep but will put in storage instead of having them out. That way you leave the minimum amount of items in your living space.
4. Pack Lunches the Night Before
The morning can be stressful trying to get kids dressed, fed and ready for school. Having lunches ready in advance can be a big time saver in the morning and reduce that stress. You can have traditional lunch ingredients like sandwiches or have leftover dinners for the kids in hot pots. Either way, the portions can be ready in the fridge for the next morning.
We love using Yum Boxes so there are a variety of items for the kids to enjoy for lunch. It's easy to put things like freshly cut carrots and hummus in the box along with rice cakes, small sandwiches, fruits and vegetables.
5. Order Groceries Online
I switched to online shopping and delivery during my second pregnancy. It was a huge game-changer! The amount of time it takes to drive to the store, get the shopping, check out, load the car, drive home, unload the car and put it away is a lot! Having your shopping arrive at the door to be simply unpacked is such a delight. Many places offer minimal delivery fees for an online order so shop around your local area to see what the best deals are!
6. Use a Crock Pot / Slow-Cooker
Having a delicious and hot dinner ready when you walk in the door seems like an impossible dream unless you use a slow-cooker! It takes a little bit of prep in advance so you have the ingredients ready. You can spend a few hours on Sunday getting bags of ingredients ready or the crock pot. Then in the morning you simply pop them in and viola - dinner when you get home! There are loads of slow-cooker meals for kids out there so the whole family will be pleased.
7. Use your Phone Calendar as a Planner
I used to have paper calendars and planners but I switched everything over to my phone calendar. It has made it more streamlined, with everything in one place. And my phone is always with me so if I am out, I can check what is on each day before making appointments or plans. You can also set reminders/alerts to come on your screen to remind you of your events, cleaning, me time etc.
8. Have Morning and Bedtime Routines
Kids thrive with routines. It allows them to know what is coming next and what to expect from the day. It helps them to feel more secure and it will help you because things tend to run smoother with a routine in place.
Having a morning routine with positivity helps a lot! If your kids struggle to get ready quickly in the morning, you can offer a little game or other prize if they are done early, to help motivate them.
For the evening, it's great to end the day with a book or something relaxing to help the children wind down. Having a regular time to go to bed and routine before bed time will help ease the kids off to sleep.
9. Make Weekly or Daily To-Do Lists
When you are holding all of the weeks chores in your mind, it can get stressful because they are constantly churning in your thoughts. By writing a list, you can take the items out of your mind and not think about them. Plus there is great satisfaction in crossing off completed tasks!! This dentist who does orthodontics in Williamsburg VA adds not to forget adding taking of yourself to the list. Your physical health is just as important as any other tasks you need to do for your family.
10. Online Banking
If you haven't already switched your bills to direct debit and online banking, it is really well worth the bit of time it takes to set up for the ease you have in the long run. You will save a lot of time with everything set to automatic payments for you!
Let me know which of these tips you will be trying out and if you have any more to add in the comments! Thank you for reading x
