a new seven

Lately .. as I am reading blogs.. one theme is shining through.. overwhelmed, over worked, frantic, out of time and over it... and.. THOSE lists.. the top 7 odd things no one needs to know about you..LOL

It occurred to me.. wouldn't it be better to read about the top 7 things YOU do to save time/make life easier?

PLEASE consider yourself tagged - think about your 7 time savers.. and post them.. + add a link in the comments.. and I will compile the motherload of time saving ideas! Cool huh!

My top 7.

1. Cook twice as much half as often. Making spaghetti bolognese? Cook twice as much sauce and freeze half. It reheats FINE.. and.. one night.. all you have to do is make pasta.. YAY. Likewise.. if I find lochie is happily watching a movie or playing contentedly - i might have a cooking session. Lamb casserole in the oven, bolognese on the stove, chicken something or other in the fry pan. I can easily cook double batches of 3 or 4 meals at once. No fuss.. I clean up ONCE and only have to make pasta/veges for those meals. BIG time saver and.. it saves washing up so much too!

2. Clean once a week... tidy every day. Cleaning is different to tidying for me. I clean weekly. tidy daily. We play beat the buzzer at night.. set the oven timer and see if the main areas can be tidy by the time it goes off.. A LOT of tidying happens in 5 minutes.

3. I do not file mail. It is a great to having a filing system and if you can use it ,.YAY.. but i can't. I bought a largish box. All envelopes go as soon as the letter/mail is opened.. then it goes in the box. If I have to pay something.. it is in the box (buy a nice box with a lid). When the box is full make coffee, cake and spend a quiet evening chatting to your partner while you file it. (every 3 or 4 months. I can file that often!) i never have mail clutter on bench tops/on the fridge and behind the lounge..LOL

4. Prepack the bag - we have a swimming bag. and a picnic bag. They have everything you need for that activity. beach towels, swimmers, change of clothes, baby powder (GREAT for getting rid of sand) sunscreen and bug spray.. ALL good to go! the picnic bag has plastic-ware, picnic blankets, sunscreen + bug spray etc. (there are always half empty extra bottles of bug spray or sunscreen.. throw them in the bags! I top up this bag with left overs from parties.. so we always have spoons, plastic cups etc

5. Dont walk around empty handed. Leaving the family room and going to the bathroom? Put away the X when you get there. THIS keeps clutter down.

6. I have ONE place for clutter.. a tray that is meant to hold only keys wallet phones. It is the ONE place I will allow clutter to build up. I just empty it every week or two. NO where else can junk get together and party. ALL surfaces are to be clear ... It makes a HUGE difference to how clean things look. I keep two baskets for lochie in the ent. unit. he fills them with his current fav toys at pack up time.. but we dont have much room so he knows it has to be put away. Andrew also has 2 solid boxes in the book case where he stores stuff. I have an office..LOL

7. Walk and Talk - I never sit and chat on the phone. Unless your skyping with me.. I am walking. I tidy the entire time i am on the phone. (Not with clients tho.LOL) If a friend or family member call.. i tidy. I can make a bed one handed.. i can flick laundry into the right colours for washing.. I can pick up toys. I can wash windows..(spray and paper-towel kind of wash.LOL) i can empty off the dining table, sort the bag rack. Why sit and chat? i barely notice I am tidying up and the house is better for it.

SHARE SHARE SHARE.... even if you only have one tip.. share.. and we can all lighten the load a lil for each other.

Comments

[jodie]

OOoh very cool idea... I've played along :)

[Leonie -Australia]

Good tips Lanne, quiet a few of those I do & would recommend. When my children were small I went around each night after they were in bed & did a general tidy up/pick up. Starts the next day in good way to get up to a tidy house. It also helps to put things where they go as SOON as you are finished with them, not drop them somewhere then have to come back later & put it away, do it while you have it in your hand, its done & finished with & the place stays tidy.

[aunty deb]

LOL thats sooo funny - i read your intro and went "yeah i'll put in my seven" and then i read yours and went ummm "ok we got the same 7!"

30 years and finally i found something we got in common other than our parents!!

nature or nurture???

big, big, big fan of the freezer around here - and the clutter thing is so deeply ingrained in my psyche that if eric puts anything on top of the fridge i threaten divorce

[katef]

Oh I love your tips... really great!
I have dubbed this year The Year of Organisation in our house and I just might have to blog about you on my new blog!