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Time-Saving Tips for Busy Parents in Nederland &Port Arthur

In a perfect world, your family’s schedules would be neatly aligned, you’d never be pressed for time in the morning, and at the end of the day you’d all gather around the table for a delicious, nutrition-packed home-made meal.

Then there’s reality, where you sometimes forget that it’s your turn to carpool to soccer practice, your daughter almost misses the bus because she had “nothing to wear!”, and you find yourself grabbing take out for dinner on your way home – again.

Short of cloning yourself, the only way you’re likely to make more time for everything is to learn and practice some time-saving tips – the kind that really work.  And here are a few to get you started:

Presort the laundry. Perhaps the most tedious part of doing laundry is sorting it. Eliminate this task by labeling three laundry baskets or hampers with “Whites, Colors, Delicates” and place each of these in the laundry room. Then have your family toss their dirty clothes into the appropriate basket.

Meal plan for the week ahead. Meal planning not only helps eliminate the guesswork over what to make for dinner, it can actually save you time and money. Plan your meals around what you may already have on hand, what’s on sale, and what can be reused for another meal. For example, you can make a roaster chicken one night, and use the leftovers for chicken soup the next.

Make a double batch. When making pasta sauce, rice, quinoa, a casserole, or soup, make a double batch and freeze half. On those especially hectic nights, you’ll love having an almost ready meal (or side) that you can thaw and reheat in no time flat.

Prep for the morning the night before. Pack backpacks and briefcases, select and lay out outfits, and prepare lunches the night before to take some of the chaos out of the morning rush. Also, if you find yourself constantly running out the door at the last minute, have everyone get up five minutes early. It’s amazing what those five extra minutes can do.

Clean as you go. As with almost anything, house cleaning is much easier if you don’t let things build up to the point of “total mess.”  To prevent that from happening, pPlace cups and dishes in the dishwasher right after using them instead of piling them into the sink, toss in a load of laundry before you head out of the house instead of letting it pile up, or give the bathroom vanity a quick wipe down after you get out of the shower.

Eliminate extra steps. During meal prep, keep a bowl on the counter for peeling and chopping discards, then empty the bowl when you’re done instead of constantly walking over to the trash can. Also, keep a vacuum cleaner and mop on each level of your home so you’re not running up and down the stairs to clean your floors.

Here’s something else to consider:  is your lifestyle so hectic with all the “little things” that bigger and more important home maintenance matters sometimes get ignored?  Things like getting that leaky faucet fixed before it turns into Niagara Falls, or having your water heater periodically checked for performance and safety reasons.  If so, just remember that Connor Plumbing is here to serve all your home plumbing and drain needs, large and small.  And the only thing you to remember is to call us.

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