Make Ahead
Since you're likely trying to reinforce to your family the importance of eating breakfast, resorting to a protein bar in an effort to save time isn't doing you any favors. A great way to ensure you're getting a good breakfast—while also saving the 10 minutes to make it—is to premake breakfast sandwiches, suggests Amanda Mushro, creator of Questionable Choices in Parenting. Over the weekend, crack an egg into each cup of a lightly greased muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Place the eggs onto English muffins with cheese and your breakfast meat of choice and then freeze to heat up during the week. Or freeze fruits and veggies in baggies or Tupperware containers to blend into smoothies during the week.
Toy Organized
To make toy cleanup a breeze and save on the sorting-time, put a picture of each type of toy on stackable storage bins, suggests Mushro. This way, all of the dolls go in one bin while the Legos and the blocks go in another. Besides making the playroom more organized, it can also encourage each kid to get involved in cleaning up since even the youngest can help sort the toys based on the bins' pictures, says Mushro.
Time Yourself
One of the best ways to save time is to time yourself, especially if it involves any mundane tasks such as chores, says Bonnie Joy Dewkett, a professional organizer and founder of The Joyful Organizer. Either set a ticking timer or use a visual timer like the Time Timer. Better yet, get the whole family involved by doing a cleanup between dinner and dessert, she says. Not only will this get the dishes done in record time, it will also motivate the family to "work" for their sweet reward.
Event Planner
A favorite time-saver of Dewkett's is to take note of all upcoming events (birthdays, graduations, anniversaries) happening in the month ahead. Then she'll buy all of the cards and any gifts in one swoop, saving herself time and multiple trips in the weeks ahead. The same practice can work if you prefer not to leave home. Just keep your list handy and do all of your online shopping at once at the start of the month.
Delegate Smartly
One sure-fire way to save yourself an easy 10 minutes is to stop trying to do everything yourself, supermom. Whether it's asking your husband to pick up the dry cleaning or trading off carpooling with the neighbors, you'll breathe easier when you can outsource at least one task a day. And don't forget to use your kids wisely. Even if it means having to take the time to teach them how to do laundry or load the dishwasher, it will benefit everyone in the long run. Plus, they'll likely be thrilled you're giving them more responsibility, says Dewkett.
Keep a Time Journal
Before you bypass this tip because it doesn't sound all that time-saving, just hear us out. While it may take some time at first to jot down how you're spending your days, it will help you identify where you might be wasting time—which will end up saving you a lot of time in the long run. Dewkett recommends keeping a journal for one to two weeks to give yourself a general idea of how you're structuring your days. Then, pinpoint some of the "black holes" in your schedule that are eating up your time. In Dewkett's experience, the biggest ones are typically social media, TV and shopping. "I've yet to have one client who really knows how long they spend in Target," she says. Just being aware of your tendencies to spend more time than you'd like on certain activities will save at least 10 minutes (if not more) every day.
Limit the Distractions
With the modern conveniences of technology, a bevy of time-wasting distractions are usually close behind. To keep yourself from going down the Facebook-browsing rabbit hole, schedule time each day to turn off the Internet and put your phone in your desk drawer so you won't be tempted to peek at it every time the screen lights up. If your willpower is wavering, try an app like Freedom or LeechBlock, which will temporarily block the Internet or any distracting social media sites.
Sunday Prep
On Sundays, create a meal plan for the week to make the daily "What's for dinner?" question obsolete. Once you've gotten the week's dinners figured out, pick out your clothes for the week as well, suggests Dewkett. Preparing as much as you can on Sundays and then taking a few minutes each night to prepare for the next day by organizing backpacks, lunch boxes and after-school practice gear will save you a guaranteed 10 minutes each morning and also help you start the day frenzy-free.
Inventory Check
An all-too-familiar time-waster is that last-minute store run mid-week for toilet paper, shampoo or lunch bags. Make a list of these items and, as you're checking your pantry prior to your weekly grocery trip, check their inventory, says Dewkett. Also, always buy in bulk on these items as often as you can. Prolonging that next emergency trip is so worth the extra money you spend.
Say 'No' to One Thing
While it always seems doable in the moment, saying "yes" too often is an open invitation to giving up valuable time. And it can really add up. Instead, practice saying "no" to one thing or allow yourself to scale back, whether it's every day or every month, suggests Dewkett. Instead of baking for your child's classroom, it's pretty likely the kids will appreciate the store-bought version just as much. And as wonderful as it is to volunteer, give yourself one week off a month to do something that will save you time down the road, she says, such as purchasing the month's worth of birthday cards.
