Now that I dogged on being too efficient (or trying to multitask to an unhealthy extreme), I thought I'd share some of my efficiency tips that might actually be helpful. As Grasshopper Mama would say, you're welcome.-I believe that every minute counts. As a result, I do small tasks whenever I can. For instance, now that both kids are self-feeding, I can wash the dishes or sweep the kitchen while the eat, and still talk with them. Instead of worrying about not being able to finish a task, I just try to get it done.
-Since I have to change diapers/pull-ups (one day she'll e dry consistently!) first thing in the morning, I see no point in exerting energy to re-dress them in pj's. So, I get them dressed before we're even out of their rooms. Saves a stressed out dressing later. I have always hated missing a spontaneous outing b/c we're not ready!
-I like routine- it's predictable. We have a good one that works for us:
- So, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I get up with the kids, feed them, play with them, then I work out (we have an elliptical we got free) for 30 minutes.
- How? I can hear you ask it...well, both kids like "moo-mees" as Luke excitedly says and points to the TV, so they get gated downstairs with a movie while I work out. I usually pray as I go to get some extra prayer time in. (not trying to sound spiritual, that just works for me).
- Then, while I cool down, I play with the kids again and give them some more face time.
- Next, they get fruit snacks and do room time together in Rebekah's room. Luke loves this part of the day, and it tickles me to see them play together. (side note- this morning they were playing for 45 minutes when I poked my head in- they both looked up and chirped, "Hi!" at the same time. AWESOME!) The point of room time is 2-fold- 1) give them time together with no movies and 2) get myself showered w/o an audience.
- Now, we are all dressed, so we can hit the day!
- On off-exercise days, I try to make sure we do something fun together, such as a park or a fun errand or a play date. I chose Wed's and Fri's as off-days to make getting to our scheduled play groups easier.
-As you can see, in general, I have a set plan of when I'll do things, and then I flex on it when I need to. For example, I told you that I work out on specific days. However, I can rearrange that schedule if something pops up. I want to work out 4xs a week, so I look for ways to make up missed days and plan ahead to ensure I don't miss one. Similarly, if it's not a work-out day, I use the kids' room time to clean the flat or start dinner prep.
-Now that I mention dinner, I smile. Cooking is one of my strengths. :) I love planning it, ordering it (yea for delivery!), unpacking it, and cooking it!
- When I plan my menu, I do it 2 weeks at a time. For budgetary reasons, I try to cook every 2 days. I'd love to have the money to cook every night, but that simply is not the case. So, we do a lot of soups and bigger meals that we can stretch for another meal. So, in implementation, I actually cook 2 nights in a row, then we eat the left-overs 2 nights in a row. That way, we don't eat the same meal 2 nights in a row.
- I always keep sandwich meat, cheese, bread, tortillas, butter, tuna, canned soup, fruit, and pretzels around. So I vary those items to make grilled and fresh sandwiches. I also make a killer salad, so I grab some of the items too for a fresher lunch. Bless Josh for loving all food!
- When I actually plan, I try to think thru my meals to maximize each ingredient. For example, if I'm buying feta cheese, I try to think of meals that will use all of it, so none is wasted. This goes for meat, fresh herbs, etc.
- I always try to wash dishes as I cook. You don't have to stand over boiling pasta or simmering meat- use this time to prep the rest of your meal, and then to wash the dishes you've been getting dirty as you cook. Again I can hear you wondering how to do this with children? Well, Josh usually gets one-on-one time with them while I cook. Sometimes this necessitates gating them away from me. I know, I'm that fun. Otherwise, I put the kids at the table and let them color while I cook.
- Another time-saver is prep work. If I'm chopping onion to saute with some ground turkey, I try to think if I'll need more chopped onion later in the week. If so, I go ahead and chop more than I need, which saves time later. Case in point, we ate turkey rashers this morning for breakfast (with our french toast- yummy!). I knew we'd do a salad for lunch, so I made some extra to throw in the salad for added protein. Furthermore, as I flipped french toast, I chopped the other salad ingredients and washed the lettuce, so it would be ready after church.
I think my main thought is that doing things as you can, with a plan, and therefore AHEAD can only help lessen feelings of overwhelment. (yes, I made that word up)
If you're wondering about the picture, I added it because when I shared this post with Facebook, it was grabbing weird things since I didn't have an image anywhere in the post. What scandal. So unlike me. So, this was a favorite of us. I posted a long time ago how we had such grand adventures even before moving across the pond- this was one of my faves- Alaskan cruise. And it was pre-children and pre-30, so I still fit in a size 6. Those were the days. Not really. I much prefer having Rebekah and Luke to not.
