Share some of your tricks with me.

EVA116

What are some things you do to make life easier? or cleaner? or more efficient ? 

Anything.

 

missyishere

I have a planner I write down everything I want to accomplish in a day.  Sometimes I'm able to cross things off-- sometimes not, but I can at least organize my thoughts and goals in a day to stay on track.  If I am not able to complete a task in that day, I just carry it over to the next or until I complete said task.  I like the ability to physically write things down and cross them off. 

EVA116

MrsBadKat said:

Like household things? Marriage things? Work things? What am I advising you on?

Household. Sorry I was not clearer. But I will take anything you got MBK.

jenn330

I get everything ready for next day the night before (bottles, H's lunch, diaper bag packed)

We do bulk shopping 2x a month and meal plan way in advance. Buy milk, eggs, formula on quick trips to target during break/lunch.

I set certain housework chores on certain days that I'm home and have more time (like laundry on Mondays, bathroom cleaning on Tuesdays, etc).

We try and limit our trips "into town" to only on Sundays to visit family (minus work, of course). It saves fuel from going to work, then home, then back into town again.

ToastieSimons

I try to break chores up into little bits throughout the entire day.  I'm a SAHM so this works best for me.  

I try to make a list of what i Have to get done EVERY day, like wash dishes, a load of laundry, get dinner defrosting, etc and then I break it down to when it has to happen and try to just get that done.  I spend a little time every day deep cleaning a room and rotate rooms through the year.

EVA116

I just feel like I spend all my time doing shit...I know, I know, I am an adult and this is life. I just want to play with my kids more.

What age can they start doing chores?

EVA116

I am also looking for things like:

Lemon juice gets out poop stains...that kind of stuff too.

( I have no idea if this works. I just made it up.)

EVA116

Hawkward said:

1. Use amazon for things we don't need right away.

2. Do a quick 15 minutes sweep through the house to straighten up a little before bed. 

3. Cook meat in bulk and then freeze smaller portions so I'm not waiting for ground beef to brown or chicken to cook to make a meal every night.

4. Keep cleaning supplies right where I use them. For example each bathroom has its own set of supplies so if things are looking a little dirty, I clean it immediately.

oooh good idea.

credcat7

Don't rest, always take care of everyone else first, skip showering ... thats the only way to stay ahead. .. otherWise do your best

missyishere

MrsBadKat said:

@CTGirl - I absolutely cannot get in an unmade bed. I don't know how people do it. I even make my bed in hotel rooms. If I didn't do anything else today, I made my bed.

I live life on the wild side in an unmade bed.

[Deleted User]

I make my own cleaner out of white vinegar and I soak citrus peels in it for a couple weeks.

I just feel better cleaning my counter (don't use this on granite though) and cooking/prepping surfaces with a non-chemical cleaner.

EVA116

@MrsBadKat No, I work full time. I work in the city so I am pretty far from home. I also take the train so I can't run errands on my lunch break. whomp whomp.

EVA116

DragonBlood13 said:

I make my own cleaner out of white vinegar and I soak citrus peels in it for a couple weeks.

I just feel better cleaning my counter (don't use this on granite though) and cooking/prepping surfaces with a non-chemical cleaner.

Do you keep it in the fridge?

EVA116

@CTGirl30 DS takes all the dishes out of the dishwasher right after I put them in. This is helping right? ugh.

shadypines

I drink!!!

I cook 2 meals on Sunday

I freeze a lot of food

I buy in bulk

I coupon (saves us a lot of money)

Very organize

We keep a credit on most of our important bills, water, car insurance, gas, eletric, etc etc

EVA116

How do you all clean your bath toys? Dishwasher?

EVA116

pobrecita said:

The sun gets out poop stains.

for realz

EVA116

MrsBadKat said:

EVA116 said:

How do you all clean your bath toys? Dishwasher?

I just toss them. I can't ever get the mildew out. 

Yeah I have tossed quite a few. Just thought there might be a way to keep some longer.

[Deleted User]

EVA116 said:

DragonBlood13 said:

I make my own cleaner out of white vinegar and I soak citrus peels in it for a couple weeks.

I just feel better cleaning my counter (don't use this on granite though) and cooking/prepping surfaces with a non-chemical cleaner.

Do you keep it in the fridge?

Nope.  Once it sits with the peels for a couple weeks, I take them out and compost them.  Then you mix it with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water and voila!  I keep the mixture in a glass mason jar and then have a spray bottle that I just refill all of the time.

thebanich

EVA116 said:

I just feel like I spend all my time doing shit...I know, I know, I am an adult and this is life. I just want to play with my kids more.

What age can they start doing chores?

I ask Lilly (just a few months younger than your DD) to clean up her playroom. She loves to help me vacuum too. I have been setting timers for clean-up and I will work in the kitchen and DH will work somewhere else. My mom swears by Fly Lady but the emails drive me BSC.

jorkz821

I use baking soda to clean tubs. So much more efficient than whatever spray.

missyishere

MrsBadKat said:

EVA116 said:

How do you all clean your bath toys? Dishwasher?

I just toss them. I can't ever get the mildew out. 

We have pitched a few. Her current favorite bath time toy is her vagina, though.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

[Deleted User]

WTF?  Where is my picture???

[Deleted User]

.

EVA116

DD does basic things. She puts her plate in the sink and cleans up her messes after she plays. She is not interested in cleaning anything else....she's 3 so I don't mind. She will have plenty of years to help me clean, so will DS.

MissyC979

It's so hard right now to keep up with everything. We have a four year old and a four month old, so I'm really struggling some days. I can't even tell you the last time I vacuumed.

I load the dishwasher and wash the counters each night, which keeps everything clean in the kitchen, at least. It's on a timer, so it just washes overnight.

I order everything I can online. It saves so much time and money (less impulse buys at Target).

I prepare bottles and pack school bags the night before.

I program the coffee maker to make sure coffee is ready before I get up in the morning.

I do all the kids' laundry (usually two super-size loads) on the weekend. I can't deal with laundry during the week.

As for chores, DS1 is four, so I try to get him involved. He's responsible for picking up his toys, putting his dirty clothes in the hamper, and putting his dinner dishes on the counter. He will also help put away silverware, etc., or match socks, if I need laundry help. It sometimes takes longer to have him help me, but I'm hoping it will pay off over time.

NotSharknado

MrsBadKat said:

I'll go household tips:

I always clean as I go. If you constantly and consistently put things back as you use them, you'll find that cleaning a home really isn't a very daunting task. (Exceptions for people with multiple children, I suppose. I'm not sure, I only have one kid.)

If I dirty a dish, I wash the dish or stick it in the dishwasher. I always run the dishwasher when it's full and I always empty it when it's done. I never leave dirty dishes in the sink unless they are soaking or we just messed up a large amount of dishes for a dinner party or something.

I always make my bed first thing in the morning. A made bed makes the room feel cleaner.

I do at least one load of laundry a day so nothing ever piles up. Getting behind feels overwhelming.

I do this exact thing and my house never feels dirty, so I feel less overwhelmed. Over time it becomes routine and doesn't feel like a task.

Helenahhandbasket

missyishere said:

EVA116 said:

How do you all clean your bath toys? Dishwasher?

I just toss them. I can't ever get the mildew out. 

We have pitched a few. Her current favorite bath time toy is her vagina, though.

Same for me.

Rxmom04

DS is 5 so he is my runner when we're cleaning up. He's good at getting things back to the room and sometimes spot they're supposed to be and he picks up his own toys.


Also I work retail and some evenings so I like to cook by crock pot or on my off days make large batches of things to freeze for later- spaghetti sauce and meatballs, chili, veg soup and such.

Helenahhandbasket

Also-- I don't do any of these things.  I feel like I am a giant, lumpy, lazy time suck.

littlestjerry

Kinda like @MrsBadKat‌ said. I try to never say "I'll do that later." Of course, sometimes I put household stuff off, but I really really try to never do that, and it makes keeping the house clean and organized so much easier.

shadypines

pobrecita said:

ShadyPines920 said:

Very organize

We keep a credit on most of our important bills, water, car insurance, gas, eletric, etc etc

I don't know what this means.

@probrecita

At the moment all of our important bills have a credit. So if we decide to not pay our electric next month. We are ok. We always carry a credit on all our imporant bills. At least 2x the amout that is due.

Organize part

I use a calendar, planner & my smartphone

I try and declutter one room a week. And rotate

Write a lot of stuff down

Delegate responsibilties (14, 5 yr old & DH)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

billybumbler

Don't have things that "live" on top of a counter or some random place. Everything needs to have a place inside a cabinet/drawer etc. I regularly pick up rooms and put stuff away and it makes it so much easier when it's time to clean, because you don't have to move stuff.

TiffanyBerry

Do less and say no.

Seriously, when I schedule 1-2 things in a day, and no more, life is WAY better.  WAY, WAY better.

It took a while to get to that point.  After going through the "no, I have to do this" stage.  But that stage is full of lies, I tell you!  Lies!

shadypines

mbenit4 said:

I clean as I go. Should I say I clean while I am in there too. Like when giving DS his bath, I scrub him down, rinse him, or encourage him to rinse himself. Then I will wipe down bathroom counter, pitch dirty clothes in hamper, anything that needs to be done while I am in there. When we leave, the bathroom is clean.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

I never house dirty dishes in the sink. They get put into dishwasher immediately. When full, run it. When done, unload right away.

 

Everyone has clothes laid out and bags packed the night before. I started making DD lay her own clothes out when she was younger now it is a habit.

 

I have a cleaning schedule. I do one room an evening aside from dishes, laundry.

 

Laundry almost every night to every other. Weekend laundry doesn’t work for me as we are usually out of the house.

 

Toy pick up every night before bed. I do not have toys in the living room as I don’t house them there.

 

I meal plan. I make extra pancakes on Sunday and just microwave them during the week or muffins or something if possible.

 

I keep the meat selection simple during the week – ground beef or chicken breasts. I may brown 2lbs of ground beef on Monday. Monday we’ll have spaghetti then Tues tacos.

 

I start my kids on chores young. DS can wipe tables, take his dishes to sink, put his shoes away, toys away, feed the dog, clothes in hamper, bring hamper to laundry room

 

DD gets the mail, feeds the dog too, vacuums, washes her clothes, dust, sweep, set table, packs her lunch

@Mbenit4

I plan on teaching DS this summer. Should have done this yrs ago. Plus he will be ironing his own clothes starting this upcoming school. No more uniforms for HS. So DH will be teaching how to iron.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

shadypines

I also make DS breakfast on Sun for Mon-Wed. I usually scramble 4-6 eggs, 4 hash browns, sauseges and take out bagels and/or muffins from freezer. I repeat on Wed for Thurs & Fri. .  And yogurt & fresh fruit is available everyday with breakfast. He really should be doing this himself. But.......

PeanutButterFox

ShadyPines920 said:

mbenit4 said:

DD gets the mail, feeds the dog too, vacuums, washes her clothes, dust, sweep, set table, packs her lunch

I plan on teaching DS this summer. Should have done this yrs ago. Plus he will be ironing his own clothes starting this upcoming school. No more uniforms for HS. So DH will be teaching how to iron.

I started teaching M to do her own laundry when I found out I was pregnant with E. 

PeanutButterFox

ShadyPines920 said:

I also make DS breakfast on Sun for Mon-Wed. I usually scramble 4-6 eggs, 4 hash browns, sauseges and take out bagels and/or muffins from freezer. I repeat on Wed for Thurs & Fri. .  And yogurt & fresh fruit is available everyday with breakfast. He really should be doing this himself. But.......

I just buy M Eggos, and we always have fruit and cereal. She's not much of a breakfast eater anyway.

thebanich

FWIW - I don't force my 3 yr old to vacuum. She always asks to use the little stick vacuum when I am using the monster. I do expect her to put toys away in her playroom and try to get the little one to pitch in. They also like to help me wipe down the kitchen. Which is not helpful at all.

I can't wait until they are old enough to clean their own bathroom. I hate scrubbing bath tubs.