Do you have enough ME Time in your life? I never seem to find enough time to knit or sew or do the creative things that keep the right side of my brain happy. Can you relate? Working full time plus keeping the house clean, laundry done, groceries in the cupboard and food on the table takes up a lot of time. (I’m lucky to have a husband who pitches in SO much! But still. Never enough time.)
I have compiled a short list of resources (and my quick tip in each category) for streamlining the “must do” stuff in your life, so that you have more time for the “want to do” things that matter most to you- whether that’s knitting, sewing, walking, reading, or hanging out with friends, kids or grandkids. More me time for you!
Do you have handy tips that have helped you? Feel free to leave a comment below and share it with us!
Laundry
My tip: Do a load a day. If you just have one load to wash, dry, fold and put away, it’s much more likely to get completely done. Laundry going all day means lots to fold and put away and it’s more likely to pile up on your bed, couch, or dresser, siting in a basket, waiting to be dealt with.
Ten Ways to Breeze Through Laundry Like a Boss
30 Tips for Organizing Laundry
Cleaning
My tip: Get up 15 minutes earlier and knock out one thing before work. Kitchen floor one day, one bathroom another day, dusting one day, vacuuming another one day, etc.
13 Tips to Help You Speed Clean
Grocery Shopping
My tip: Make a master sheet of groceries listed by aisle for your favorite grocery store. Keep a copy on the fridge during the week to mark off things you need to get. When you shop with the list, it’s quick and easy to see that you need just two things in the next aisle and you can breeze through so much faster.
I Hate Grocery Shopping; This is How I Fixed It
Cooking
My tip: Make things ahead (see recipe below). Double your recipes and freeze the second batch/casserole/pan for another time. Use a dinner service. We’ve tried SunBasket, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. We liked the food better with Hello Fresh and SunBasket. (Saves time on your grocery shopping, menu planning, and prep time.)
10 Tips to Help You Cook Faster
9 Ingenious Ways to Cook Food Faster
Egg Muffins
36 Tator Tots (thawed)
1/2 cup chopped ham
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
7 eggs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a regular sized muffin tin pan well. Put 3 tots in each muffin cup and use a small glass to flatten them down to form the bottom crust. Bake the tots for 10 minutes and then remove from oven.
Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
Top each tot base with ham and cheese. You can also add in diced peppers, green onions, bacon, or anything else you’d like in your egg muffin.
Whisk the eggs and milk together. Pour into each muffin tin to just below the top. Sprinkle with a little extra cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg base is cooked.
Easy to keep in the freezer and reheat in the microwave for a minute!
(Recipe from Pinterest, originally from cakescottage.com and look at their awesome No Bake S’mores Icebox Cake recipe, perfect for all of us Loopy Campers! Um, and the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert? Need.To.Make.)
Here’s to more me time for all of us this weekend!
Sheri whoisalwaysupfortipstogetmoreknittingandsewingtime
Love these ideas!
Thanks much, Sheri.
I schedule my “me time” first. When I look at my to do list and start budgeting out my time, there is always about 15 minutes to knit (or what ever else it is that I want to do) right at the top of the list. Moms need down time too.
What a great post! I will be making those egg muffins for sure since breakfast seems to be the time when I never have enough time! I already freeze breakfast sandwiches when I can, and these will be a great addition. For the sandwiches I freeze now: I use Telera or croissant rolls topped with white cheddar, bacon & a small folded egg omelet. I wrap each one individually in plastic, then put them all in a Ziploc to freeze. To reheat, take plastic wrap off & completely wrap the frozen sandwich in a paper towel (prevents soggy bread)… microwave on high for a minute.
Thanks for the organization inspiration!
Multitasking laundry while cooking and cleaning in the kitchen helps me. My laundry room is near the kitchen.
I also find that if I get my ‘chores’ done early in the day I have more ME time.
My tip for trash is take it out first thing in the morning. If I don’t take the trash out first thing, it doesn’t get done, but I’ll take the trash out if it’s before anything else.
And I love the recipe. I will definitely be making it.
I keep my grocery list on my phone. Whenever I run out of something I put it in my phone then when I get to the store I have it with me.
Never underestimate the power of the crockpot! That’s my cooking advice.
My laundry advice is to do a serious overhaul of your clothes. The more clothing you have, the longer you wait to wash it, the more daunting it becomes.
I am TRYING a similar approach to cleaning as I do laundry– if I own less stuff, there is less clutter, less to move while cleaning, and less stuff in general to find a home for and keep tabs on.
Dry shampoo! Give yourself ten extra ME minutes (maybe ME sleeping minutes!) by using this genius invention.
And sometimes getting up 20 minutes early or staying up 20 minutes late for time for yourself is worth it.
I try to walk each day. Even if it’s just to the post office up the street it’s wonderful to see the neighborhood and stretch my legs!
I agree with doing laundry more frequently. I do a load whenever there’s a load, just leaving the towels and bedding for the weekend. During the summer grilling saves lots of time and dishes. I also love quick stir fry dishes with whatever veggies are in season. Above all, I try to do one of my crafts or read before bed. It gives you a nice peaceful end to the day!
Well, to speak the truth, I wake up and get the rest of the family out the door for their days work outside the home…and then I start knitting. I knit and take breaks to do chores and knit and take a break to do another chore and knit. I soon realize the family members will return and I must “look” like I focused on chores (but I have been really focused on my knitting). I can fake real house work pretty good and get a lot of real knitting done. This keeps my sanity in check.
I do laundry daily as it is difficult to do anything else when you are constantly loading, unloading, and folding. Upon getting out of bed I make coffee (a must) and while coffee is brewing make the bed. While drinking morning coffee I knit. Then it’s on to other tasks. I also try to make appointments and grocery shop on the same day so I can be home more and more productive. I really need to make those egg muffins!
Great ideas!!