Using Time Wisely

Organized to save money, energy, and time

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1 Minute of Cleaning Now, Saves 5 Minutes Later

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Do you clean messes as they occur? A wet mess is easier to clean than a harden mess. If a glob of toothpaste falls on the bathroom counter, then the minute to stop and wipe it up while wet saves me 5 minutes of scrubbing later. If I were to wait until bedtime to address the sticky mess, it will be hard and require extra time and energy to scrub it clean. Here are some other messes that save me time by cleaning them now rather than later:

  • Boiled over pasta water on the stovetop
  • Heated spaghetti sauce in the microwave
  • Leftover food on dinner plates
  • Spilled milk in the refrigerator
  • Cups knocked over onto the carpet
  • Drips during a meal on the table/high chair
  • Fabric softener dribble on the washing machine

When I notice that these messes have occurred, I do my best to clean them up immediately. Though I want to clean up every mess quickly, I don’t always succeed since I may be in the middle of helping another child or just don’t know that the spill happened. When I find the mess, I try to clean it while it is wet. By doing so, I save myself lots of time and energy from scrubbing a baked-on or hardened mess.

Do you attempt to clean up spills and messes right away? By staying on top of spills, my home will be a cleaner place, I’ll save time and energy from having to scrub, and I can spend my time wisely with my family.

Waiting or Working?

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When my hubby arrived home and played with the kids, I took the opportunity to work on dinner alone. I put the pot on the stove and had some time to wait for the water to boil. During this time, I would have sat down to rest, if needed. But on this day, I needed to get my kitchen in order. Here is what I was able to accomplish while making dinner:

  1. Unloaded the dishwasher,
  2. Reloaded the dishwasher,
  3. Wiped down the counters,
  4. Finished my menu plan for the week, and
  5. Wrote out my grocery list.

At the end of the 25-30 minutes, I had a clean kitchen, menu plan, grocery list, and dinner made. After dinner, I was able to play with the kids while hubby graciously cleaned up the kitchen. Using the little chunks of time during the day to accomplish small tasks adds up to extra time spent doing what I enjoy – playing with my kids. What can you accomplish while waiting for water to boil?

Little Time, Little Project

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What do you do with little bits of time? I try to get little projects completed. For example, when waiting in car line to pickup my son, I can be found:

  • Cleaning out my vehicle.

Tasks like putting the toys in their assigned spots, shaking out the car mats, folding blankets, and dusting out car seats. My oldest daughter likes to help while my younger daughter enjoys the extra kisses she gets as we work around her.

  • Reading to my daughters.

I like to bring along some of the books we chose at the library. The girls enjoy hearing the stories read over and over and over again.

  • Singing with my oldest daughter.

We often listen to music CDs in the car. My oldest daughter loves music, and she loves to learn new songs. My youngest daughter enjoys babbling along with us.

  • Solving puzzles.

I love the Sudoku puzzles in the newspaper and magazines. I cut them out and save them for a time when I have a little time to spare. When the girls are occupied with toys or books, I can sometimes get a little time alone.

The car line is a dependable 5 to 15 minutes of wait time. By preparing purposefully for that time, I can accomplish a little project in a little time while using my time wisely.

Odds and Ends

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Hump Day has arrived! I first heard this term during my first semester of college. A professor welcomed the class on a Wednesday afternoon with, “Happy Hump Day!” I remember staring at him and thinking, “What in the world is ‘hump day’?”  After consulting an upperclassman, I learned that Wednesday was Hump Day. The explanation continued that the week is like a hill. After climbing the hill on Monday and Tuesday, you will reach the hump on Wednesday. Take a breath. Then the decline takes place on Thursday and Friday ending with the welcomed weekend.

Upon reaching the top of the hump today, I am taking a breath. This includes catching up on items that have been toss to the side during my busy Monday and Tuesday, preparing for the rest of my week, and relaxing for a few minutes to refresh.

In the spirit of calm, I plan to post on Wednesdays miscellaneous items that have helped me along the way. For example, next Wednesday I’ll share what I do when I only have a few minutes to spare. Until that time, I wish you a breath of fresh air as you enjoy the rest of this Hump Day.

Welcome to Using Time Wisely

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Your time is valuable, and I’m so glad you are spending some of your time here. As I share my tips, tools, and systems which make my life more efficient, I hope you will share your tips with me.

For me, the more organized the task; the more efficient I am. With efficiency comes additional time to do the things I love to do. As a busy mom of three little ones, I love to spend time with my family. So, to use my time wisely, I aim to stay organized. My goal is to post each day sharing how I stay organized. Here is the schedule I plan to follow:

  • Sundays – Important Documents
  • Mondays –  Household
  • Tuesdays – Event Planning
  • Wednesdays – Miscellaneous
  • Thursdays – Food
  • Fridays – Family Activities
  • Saturdays – Tools of the Trade

So visit me each day here at usingtimewisely.com.