Today I shared a tip on Facebook that I got from a site that I like a lot.
Then it occurred to me that maybe all of you would be interested too. So I decided to come up with 5 random things that make my life easier and share them with you.
Now I really hate cleaning. I like a clean house; I just wish someone else would clean it. 😉
So when I find a quick and super easy cleaning tip, I’m all over it. That’s my first of 5 random things.
How to clean you microwave super fast and easy. I found this tip on one of my favorite blogs – One Good Thing by Jillee. Jille does her cleaning the extra special way by using essential oils to make it smell nice. I used plain water in a spray bottle and a cup of water instead of the sponge. The results are amazing!
Number 2…
My morning routine. I have gotten into the habit of unloading my dishwasher first thing every morning. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t not do it. It bugs me if I don’t. What I like about this is that starting at the beginning of the day, before anyone else is up, Mr. Dishwasher is empty and accepting donations. No excuses not to fill him up!
Now that might not be a big thing for you. The dishwasher isn’t the important part; the habit is. Find something that would make a difference for you and turn it into a habit. Give it at least 4 weeks.
III…
My calendar and I are BFFs. I make a habit of checking it at least twice a day – first thing in the morning (after Mr. Dishwasher and breakfast) and then some time in the evening so I know what’s going on the next day. I have been using a little spiral planner I bought at Target along with some cute colored pens and that worked well for me. But I just got a new iPhone, so I’m trying to do the computer thing and see if that works better. I prefer electronic because it has built in alarms. But no cute pens 🙁
Numero four-o:
I plan my meals in advance. My mom would start to think about dinner around 1:00 in the afternoon, and then she needed the rest of the day to get it on the table cause after she figured out what she was making, she had to buy it. Not me.
I plan my meals, take a look at my trusty calendar to see what’s coming up that might need a quick meal or a crockpot one, and then I write my list and go to the store. I try to plan for lunches and snacks as well as dinners. I just couldn’t do without my meal plans.
Oh, and if you’re not that kind of person, or just can’t come up with that many ideas at once, just make a note each day on your calendar of what you had for dinner. Pretty soon, you’ve got a list to choose from.
And number 5:
I have places for things and I try to keep them there.
Well, that was vague, wasn’t it?
Here’s what I mean:
I’ve tried to go through my house and find a home for the things that we use. Band aids and first aid supplies are in the closet in the downstairs bathroom. Second shelf up, on the right.
Papers have a filing cabinet and folders.
Medicines are in the kitchen pantry, bottom shelf on the right. Mine are separated from the rest in their own container. (That will change when our grandson gets old enough to start exploring. They will go on a higher shelf. And don’t store your medicines in the bathroom. It’s too humid in there.)
My kitchen drawers have those utensil organizers in them. Even the drawer that stores all the random stuff like measuring spoons, paring knives, etc.
Oh, and I should say that we don’t have a lot of stuff. My husband and I know what would happen if we didn’t keep things in check, so every now and then we do a major clearing out. Sometimes a little too much. Right now my living room has a sofa and a coffee table in it. Oh and one side table with a lamp. It gets dark in there at night. 🙂 We don’t intend to keep it that way – we’re in the process of furnishing it – but as I said, in general, we have less stuff than most people.
There you have it: my 5 random things.
Do you have any tips to share?