This post is sponsored by Cascade Pure Essentials. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Since becoming a mom, I don't think I've ever felt so perpetually short on time-time for my family, myself, friendships, housework, etc. Moms (and dads) out there I'm sure can attest that there are seemingly never enough hours in the day.
Needless to say, this time-saving mom hacks post is more than two years in the making. It's a master list of ideas from fellow new mom friends, as well as tips I've learned out of personal necessity. Many are about saving time, and others are about putting systems in place so we have less swimming around in our heads at any given moment, a.k.a less to remember at the drop of a hat.
I'm coming at this post as the mom of a two-year-old who's trying to keep all her plates simultaneously spinning, but these hacks are really for anyone looking for ways to spend as little time as possible doing mundane weekly tasks. So, without further ado, let's dish, eh?
1. Post a Community Shopping List
Basically, find a spot in your kitchen to post a community shopping list. If someone uses the last of something or notices an ingredient you need, write it down. It takes the guesswork out of remembering what you need to pick up when dashing out the door on a grocery run or have T-minus 15 minutes to place your online grocery order.
2. Order Groceries Online
Speaking of ordering groceries online, if you haven't done this, it's amazing. Basically, pick out what you need on say, Target's website, and someone else does the legwork of pulling it all together for you. All you need to do is stop in and pick it up, or better yet, have it delivered to your house. Though delivery is an added charge, it would have SO been worth it when Sylvie was a newborn in the heart of Winter.
3. Make Your Grocery List According to Store Layout
If traditional grocery-getting is your jam, then you're going to want to lean in for this one! When making your grocery list, group food items according to where they're found in the store taking into consideration, the typical route you shop the store. For instance, produce is the first department I hit, so all my fresh foods are towards the top of the grocery list. I've been doing this for about 2 years now, and it's SO helpful in getting in and out quickly, especially with a toddler in tow.
4. Cook in Bulk and Freeze
Choose dinner recipes that also freeze well. Tomato basil soup and wild rice burgers are two favorites that freeze really well. Make a double batch when time permits and freeze the extras. I use 16 oz mason jars to freeze soups, and they're perfectly portioned for 2.25 servings (two adults and a toddler). It's so darn convenient having dinner already made and ready to pop in the oven on especially busy days.
5. Skip Pre-rinsing Dishes
This hack is pretty obvious. Skip a step in your dish cleaning process and you save tons of time, not to mention water. (#win for parents and the planet!) To do this effectively, you need an all-powerful dishwasher detergent.
I've tried out several dishwasher pods, and Cascade pure essentials ActionPacs has been the one that's strong enough to reliably clean our dishes without pre-rinsing. It's also made of ⅓ bio-based ingredients and other thoughtfully selected ingredients. No bleach, no dyes and is free of phosphates and is Cascade's only dye-free liquid top. It's honestly the perfect pairing of performance + simplified formula, so I feel good about using it with my family, with no tradeoffs.
6. Double Line Kitchen Trash Bins
This is NOT meant to "double bag" garbage. (Heck No!). Double lining your trash bin condenses the annoying task of replacing the trash bag every time you take out the trash, so you only have to re-line your bin once for every two times you take out the trash. The silver lining is that if for any reason the trash bag happens to give way, you have a safety net to catch the mess.
7. Get Your Kid(s) a Toddler Stool STAT
What's a toddler stool you ask? It's a small step stool that has guard railings around the edges to keep your little one from teetering off. It's been CLUTCH for getting Sylvie up to countertop level so she feels more a part of kitchen happenings and isn't constantly asking me to hold her while cooking dinner. Can I get an amen?! This particular stool my husband DIY'ed using an Ikea stool and adding the guard rail using 1"x 2" boards + a dowel. Stay tuned for this DIY tutorial. If you're not into DIY-ing, Amazon also sells several options too.
8. Plan Out Your Day the Night Before
After your little ones go down, or even right before you crawl into bed, put pen to paper and make a quick list of things you need to make sure to accomplish while it's fresh in your head. It's like a personal assistant at your side in the morning keeping you on track throughout the day.
9. Clean the Bathroom While the Kids Take a Bath
Since you're already in there, why not wipe down the non-tub areas while the kids are suds-ing up!
10. Buy Blank Note Card Sets and Use for All Occasions
I love this tip because it's so simple, and easily saves time and money. Pick up a pack of pretty, all- purpose note cards, and keep them on hand for when you need cards for birthdays, weddings, thank you's, etc. Personalize the cards with occasion-specific sentiments inside, and save yourself extra trips to the store, not to mention $$ on individual greeting cards-which for some reason have gotten outrageously expensive in recent years.
So there you have it, all my time-saving mom hacks! Hopefully, you found a hack or two in here that'll save time so you can spend more undivided time with your little ones and maybe-just maybe-you can even carve out some time for yourself.
Hop over to Instagram to enter the Cascade giveaway for a chance to win a 3 month supply of Cascade Pure Essentials + a $50 giftcard!
Do you have a time-saving mom hack that's essential to your routine (i.e. sanity)? Share it in the comments so we can all learn from you! Oh, and if you found this post helpful please forward on to new mom friends or moms-to-be. I wish I'd had this insight right from the beginning!
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