Ideas for Simplfying Your Life

Organize an All-in-One Planner

Avoid the stress and wasted time of forgetting things until the last minute by keeping everything in one place. Buy a weekly calendar and start by marking down all of the most important things—birthdays, holidays, and big church events you know of. When the kids start school each year, look at their schedules and write down semester and term deadlines, main school events, and sports schedules. Then record events as they come up so that you don’t have to waste time every day trying to remember what you need to do. Whenever bills come, mark their due dates a few days in advance to make sure it gets paid on time.

(Moki recently had a GREAT post on her planner - I love love love it and have started one of my own but it's not nearly as cool as hers - yet! :))

Conquer Clutter

Every night before going to bed, take fifteen minutes as a family to walk through the house together and put everything away. All family members should help and pay special attention to collecting their belongings to take back to their rooms. With everyone pitching in, it will only take a few minutes to have the house tidy every night, as opposed to the alternative of spending the entire morning sorting and carrying the clutter alone.

Start a Gift Box

Whenever you go shopping, keep your eyes open for good deals on things that would make nice Christmas, wedding, or birthday gifts. Keep a gift box in your house. When a special occasion comes along, and is accidentally forgotten until the last minute, you won’t need to squeeze in time to frantically speed to the store and search for a gift!

Workout to Your Favorite TV Show

This could be the most entertaining multi-tasking you’ll do all day. Instead of sitting down to watch your favorite show, create a workout routine that lasts about the same amount of time as the TV program. This way you won’t have to schedule time later to get your exercise, and it will put the term couch-potato to shame.

(I have our portable DVD player hooked up on my treadmill - I watch NCIS, Nip/Tuck and will soon be starting the Sex and the City series - I don't let myself watch these shows at all other than on the treadmill which gives me some motivation to get on there:))

Utilize Recipe Chain Letters

You’ve probably seen at least ten of these pass through your e-mail inbox in the past year, and they deserve more credit than they’ve received. Sometimes it can be time consuming to search through recipe books looking for meals that your family might enjoy that are also easy and fast to make. Type up an easy recipe that’s popular with your family, and send it out to all of your friends with a note asking them to send their favorites back to you. This way, you can quickly and easily collect recipes that are easy and family-friendly!

Minimize Garbage Trips

While preparing a meal, keep a big bowl near you on the counter. Put all of your chopping, cutting, and peeling excess into it. At the end of your preparation, you’ve saved yourself countless small trips to the garbage and several minutes worth of time.

(My sister and I both do this (we put all the trash and waste in the sink) and I LOVE IT! Both our husbands HATE that we do this)

Take Care of Yourself

Are you eating balanced meals throughout the day? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you feel healthy? Fatigue and drowsiness are two of the main contributors to wasted time. When we are tired, we take twice as long to accomplish tasks—that is, if we have the energy to attempt them! Take the time to make sure you are healthy. Regular exercise, while helping your body by making it stronger and fitter, also contributes to better and more regular sleep.

Also, consider eating at least five small, balanced meals every two to three hours throughout the day. The key here is five small meals. This will keep up your metabolism, and give you the energy that you need to accomplish everything you need to—without wasting time on fatigue.

Teach Your Kids How to Deep Clean

Make one of the weekly chores for each child a “deep clean” item, such as cleaning the toilet or mopping the floor. Then, make a chore belt for each child, a small handyman’s belt outfitted with rags, spray cleaners, and anything else they might need. Check up on their deep cleaning and let them know what they need to do again and what they did well. It may be time consuming initially, but in the long run, you will save time, and your children will gain a sense of responsibility.

Say No Once in a While

You can’t do everything that everyone asks you to do. If a neighbor invites your family to her daughter’s dance recital, and you don’t want to go, just say no. You aren’t expected to do everything that everyone asks of you. You need to be realistic with your own time. Help others whenever you can, but cut out the unnecessary time commitments to friends and neighbors. You can be polite and friendly, and say “no, thank you” at the same time.

Excerpted from a great article I found HERE