This is more of a kid thing than a house thing but I have started reading to my boys before they get ready for bed.
I don't prefer bedtime because I'm tired and the kids get SO punchy and distracted and by the time it's actually time for lights out I kinda hate them--but I do want to read to them. So now instead of having them get clean/put on their pajamas/brush their teeth so they can cuddle in bed with me while we read (and I'm spent from them jumping around, doing pull ups, talking about b.s., milling around in a state of undress) I'm doing it on the couch while they're still in their school clothes, dirty, but at least I have more energy to read and then it's just the express lane from tooth brushing etc --> sleep.
Omg yes! My kids have been out of school now for almost 2 years. By the time supper comes around, we have nothing new to say to each other and I am so tired; I just read to them while they eat. Then bedtime and bye!
Storing Tupperware with the lids already on has changed my life. Takes up more space but eliminates the daily frustration of fishing around for the right lid to each container. Only exception we make is for takeout containers which get nested with all the tops together. Otherwise every single thing has its lid and if there’s no lid, it gets recycled.
I love literally all of this. Another thing I've been doing a lot is using Shipt for Target delivery rather than schlepping out there, even for drive-up. I tip the shoppers well and feel like I'm probably still saving money by not dealing with impulse buys. Also our Target is like a postapocalyptic nightmare that's out of everything due to supply chain so half the time when I actually get there I can usually never find what I need. Trying to break up with Amazon Prime, which is not only evil but also full of weird counterfeits now--so I'm giving money to another corporation, yay!
I started making meal plans for the MONTH instead of for the week. Not having to figure out what I am buying at the grocery store is a huge win for me.
Planning planning planning. The more my meals are planned and shopped for and written down where everyone can see them, the less annoyed they can be about what we are eating. Same goes for daily activities. They are in my phone and then I write them on a calendar so that everyone can see them. I also review what is coming for the next few days every freaking evening with my kids. The less surprises the better, but it is a lot of organizational work. Definitely asking the kids what they want for dinner just so maybe maybe the child who doesn't eat much will actually eat something.
YESSSS to not folding laundry! Fancy clothes hung up, everything else gets shoved in a drawer. My mother and MIL are aghast that I allow this to happen, lol. But especially with kids clothes, who cares? Plus barely any of those fabrics wrinkle anyways.
Also one load of laundry in the middle of the week keeps me from going insane on Saturdays. :)
+ 1 for meal planning ! We basically always do the same types of meals (pasta, tacos, quiches, ragoûts, salads, etc) so we take some time on Thursday to plan the following week (with seasonal vegetables and such), we get the groceries delivered of Friday and voilà ! You can still be flexible if you have the energy for it, otherwise it's "what's in the spreadsheet for tomorrow"
Oh this may be old news but Pirate Ship for those who have to mail packages from home. Get yourself an OXO kitchen scale off Amazon or whatever if you don’t have one. So much easier than post office runs.
This is more of a kid thing than a house thing but I have started reading to my boys before they get ready for bed.
I don't prefer bedtime because I'm tired and the kids get SO punchy and distracted and by the time it's actually time for lights out I kinda hate them--but I do want to read to them. So now instead of having them get clean/put on their pajamas/brush their teeth so they can cuddle in bed with me while we read (and I'm spent from them jumping around, doing pull ups, talking about b.s., milling around in a state of undress) I'm doing it on the couch while they're still in their school clothes, dirty, but at least I have more energy to read and then it's just the express lane from tooth brushing etc --> sleep.
Omg yes! My kids have been out of school now for almost 2 years. By the time supper comes around, we have nothing new to say to each other and I am so tired; I just read to them while they eat. Then bedtime and bye!
Storing Tupperware with the lids already on has changed my life. Takes up more space but eliminates the daily frustration of fishing around for the right lid to each container. Only exception we make is for takeout containers which get nested with all the tops together. Otherwise every single thing has its lid and if there’s no lid, it gets recycled.
Thank you for this. I have been intending to do a whole thing on Tupperware storage but I have been building up the journalistic courage.
I love literally all of this. Another thing I've been doing a lot is using Shipt for Target delivery rather than schlepping out there, even for drive-up. I tip the shoppers well and feel like I'm probably still saving money by not dealing with impulse buys. Also our Target is like a postapocalyptic nightmare that's out of everything due to supply chain so half the time when I actually get there I can usually never find what I need. Trying to break up with Amazon Prime, which is not only evil but also full of weird counterfeits now--so I'm giving money to another corporation, yay!
I started making meal plans for the MONTH instead of for the week. Not having to figure out what I am buying at the grocery store is a huge win for me.
Planning planning planning. The more my meals are planned and shopped for and written down where everyone can see them, the less annoyed they can be about what we are eating. Same goes for daily activities. They are in my phone and then I write them on a calendar so that everyone can see them. I also review what is coming for the next few days every freaking evening with my kids. The less surprises the better, but it is a lot of organizational work. Definitely asking the kids what they want for dinner just so maybe maybe the child who doesn't eat much will actually eat something.
YESSSS to not folding laundry! Fancy clothes hung up, everything else gets shoved in a drawer. My mother and MIL are aghast that I allow this to happen, lol. But especially with kids clothes, who cares? Plus barely any of those fabrics wrinkle anyways.
Also one load of laundry in the middle of the week keeps me from going insane on Saturdays. :)
+ 1 for meal planning ! We basically always do the same types of meals (pasta, tacos, quiches, ragoûts, salads, etc) so we take some time on Thursday to plan the following week (with seasonal vegetables and such), we get the groceries delivered of Friday and voilà ! You can still be flexible if you have the energy for it, otherwise it's "what's in the spreadsheet for tomorrow"
Also, these days my 2-year-old child only eats pasta and cherry tomatoes for dinner and I am fine with that
I wonder why I am so reluctant to meal plan--if it's the lack of spontaneity or the depressing common sense of it, or what.
Oh this may be old news but Pirate Ship for those who have to mail packages from home. Get yourself an OXO kitchen scale off Amazon or whatever if you don’t have one. So much easier than post office runs.