These things will definitely make your life easier if you're a mom or wife.
1. Assemble Your Dinner Ahead of Time.
Chop veggies, cook the meat, assemble so that you just have to throw it in the oven 30 minutes before dinner time. I made a stuffed pepper casserole last week (Stay tuned for the recipe tomorrow!). I knew we had a busy night so I did all the prep during nap time. I popped it in the oven and had a delicious dinner for my family. It wasn't stressful and the meal was soooo good! Note to self: do more dinner prep the night before or during nap time.
2. Pack a bag for each activity
We have a pool bag, a back pack, a library bag and a car bag.
Each bag is packed with the essentials for that activity and I just have to add my wallet, drinks and keys before we go. Each bag is filled with lots of little zipper pouches to keep them organized as needed. It makes getting out of the house with two little ones much easier. And it's great to know we can be ready to go without too much prep.
3. Organize, clean and tidy up WITH your kids.
Make picking up toys a game or a race. Ask them to help you sweep or put dishes in the sink. Let them load the washer with dirty clothes. These tips will not make the process go any faster for you, but they will pay off in the long run. I'm hopeful that my kids will do chores with me and then learn to be able to do them independently when they are older.
4. Never leave home without snacks/drinks
I always carry granola bars, gold fish, pretzels and ice water for everyone when we leave the house. I know that I can avoid meltdowns or hangry episodes if we all have something to snack on.
5. Sunscreen your kids BEFORE you leave home.
There is NOTHING worse that having to apply sunscreen to your kids at the pool or at the park when they are dying to run and play with friends. I lotion/spray everyone at home. Let it dry and then we load up in the car. It's so fun to arrive at the pool and jump right in (after putting on the puddle jumpers of course :)
6. Write appointments/playdates/kid activities down.
I have always been a paper planner person. Since 4th grade when we were first given planners. I cannot imagine functioning without one. I don't have a great memory so I fully rely on my planner to keep our schedule straight. My husband keeps his schedule on an app on his phone. So we coordinate schedules every Sunday evening to map out the week. Both systems work for us and we rarely miss out on events.
7. Unload Groceries while Kids Snack
I almost always grocery shop with my kids. Unloading the groceries is always trick with little helpers. So I usually hand them a snack to enjoy in their car seats while I unload. I can easily see the kids the whole time I'm carrying the bags in and just use your best judgement with the weather. If it's super hot - leave the car running, nice day - roll the windows down or freezing - keep the car on. Once the groceries are inside then I unload the kids :)
8. Scope out the restaurant menu in advance so you can order quick.
Dining out with little kids is not my favorite thing. They're messy, usually loud and they aren't the best at waiting. I know it's good practice for them, but I have found that it's nice to know what we're going to order ahead of time. That way we can place our order quickly and be enjoying our food quickly. Or just get take out haha!
What is your best MOM HACK???
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I love these! Especially the bag for each place! And eating out is a disaster over here, so ordering quick is a great idea. Also margaritas. Those are also a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great tips - I love the bag for each activity too. That would make going certain places MUCH easier, I'd imagine.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Such great snacks. I would add never underestimate speed cleaning set an alarm for 5-10 and CLEAN. When the kids are older have them join in. As well as, clean out your fridge and pantry before you shop. Not only does this help you to make a more accurate list, putting away groceries is MUCH faster too.
ReplyDeleteYES YES YES to all of these!! Prepping dinner and ALWAYS having drinks and snacks on hand while we are out and about make my life so much easier and less chaotic!!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I never regret doing things ahead of time! I definitely agree with you about taking a snack - even without kids this has saved me so many times. I try to keep granola bars in Paul's car for those hangry emergencies! One of my best tips is to run the dishwasher after supper - but it only works if you unload the clean dishes before going to bed. It's so nice to be able to load breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. I hate coming home from work to a sink with dirty dishes - even just a few.
ReplyDeleteWhitney @ Come Home For Comfort
One thing I do is if I know we are going to have hamburger/turkey burger for meals, I cook a huge batch at once and split it into 1 pound packs to have on hand for when it's time to cook dinner. It cuts down on my prep time a ton the day of.
ReplyDeleteI am taking notes for the future! Now I know what I can do with all those extra bags I have lying around. Snacks are always a must; I may pack some since it's just me for now! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are always so organized! I have learned to always have snacks with us!
ReplyDelete