Life Hacks

There has been a lot going on lately.  Sadly, blogging about it does not rank high on the priority list right now.  Some of it would be boring to read about anyway (flu! business trips! tantrums! potty training!)  It can definitely be overwhelming at times, and like all working Moms I often stress over the areas where I'm falling short, but I thought instead of beating myself up on this post I would focus on the good and share some tips that help me stay sane in this busy season of life.  I think my readers fall into two groups- either this could be helpful because you're in a similar stage of life, or, you'll appreciate that your life currently doesn't involve buying/labeling 40 Valentines or obsessing over someone else's lack of manners.  Here is what I have found helps keep our family organized:

*Joint Calendar
Someone suggested this great idea during a marriage study our Sunday School class did last year and it is one of the best tools we use.  We have a shared calendar on our phones and it helps us map out all the work trips, school functions, church events, appointments, and social activities without having to remember to shout our plans at each other over the kids singing at the dinner table.

*Meal Plan
Let's be honest, if I slack on this miserable chore it's not the end of the world, it just means we eat a lot of pasta that week or other pantry/freezer staples.  However, when I actually plan out the menu for the week and wisely use the things we buy in more than one recipe so they don't go to waste, I feel like I'm winning at adulting.  We eat healthier and spend less money when I am able to pull this off.

*Meal Prep
Similar to meal planning, sometimes the stars align and I spend the weekend cooking ahead.  Since we get home around 5:30 each night and are hungry when we walk in the door, Future Me is always really grateful to Past Me for having made something that is ready to quickly be reheated.  Most weekends this winter I have also made some kind of soup so that we have an easy lunch option to take to work each day.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup - last week's daily lunch item thanks to a successful Sunday in the kitchen

*Delay Wash
There is a magic button on our washing machine (and probably yours too, you just might not have ever noticed it!) that will let you tell it when you want it to start washing.  I can set it to start at 4:00 and come home just in time to move the load to the dryer, avoiding stinky damp clothes that have been sitting wet in the washer all day long. Also, it allows for enough time to start a second load that evening too. It's a great trick. 

*Lunch Hour = Errand Hour
I run so many errands during my lunch break. I use this time to make phone calls to catch up without kids yelling in the background, I go all over depending on what we need- Target, CVS, the grocery, post office, respond to personal e-mails, and also eat.  It is often one of the busiest hours of my day but always feels so good to get that boring, tedious stuff out of the way without cutting into family time.

*Ignore
Part of surviving the juggling act is knowing which plates can drop and not feeling guilty over them.  There are corners of my home that are embarrassingly filthy (for example, my dust coated ceiling fans).  And I'm OK with that.  Deep cleaning, um... sometimes even light cleaning, decluttering, filing the bills, and other home improvement projects can stay on the back burner right now, there are other things I have decided matter more.

*Maximize Down Time
I may stink at some of my own suggestions I have given here today, but one area where I feel like we win is how we spend our time together.  Weekends are spent at playgrounds, evenings once the kids are asleep I spend doing something I want to do like reading, watching TV, or working on the giant puzzle I got for Christmas.  I have also set some fitness goals for myself for the first time ever this year and so far have been able to stick to them.  It's one more thing on the schedule, but I have found that if it isn't scheduled it just doesn't happen at all.

Someday I'll look back on this blog and think "That's crazy, you thought life with a 5 and 3 year old was hectic? You have no idea what's coming."  And then someday even later I'll look back on this blog and think "That was a busy time, I miss it. Guess I'll go wash my baseboards again since no one needs me to help them with their collage about dinosaurs today."

No matter what your day planner looks like right now, I think we can all agree that it never hurts to be more organized, and that was kind of the whole point of this post.  I'm realizing that the more energy I put into planning, preparation, (even just asking the kids to pick their clothes out the night before) and prioritizing, the less stressed I am so I should strive to do it more often and I challenge you to do the same.  If you have any tips that keep your family on track and help you manage the juggling act I'd love to hear them!