AN EASIER LIFE

I like anything that makes my life easier. I have always been happy each day if the beds are made and the dishes are done. It doesn't matter what else is out of place, if those two things are done then the house seems tidier.

One of my bug bears is the mess that accumulates on the kitchen table. We all do it. We walk in the door. Dump our bags on the table with the keys before putting the kettle on. Mail and junk mail join it and before you know it the table is looking like the proverbial dung heap.

I think this is the next habit I need to address. While the kettles boiling I will walk my bag up to the bedroom where it belongs and put my keys in their spot. I will pick through the junk mail and put the stuff I don't even look at straight into the recycle bin. 

While having my cuppa I'll go through the mail, put the bills into my bill folder for paying. The rubbish into the recycle bin. 

I'll then go through the rest of the junk mail. If there;s anything that catches my eye I will tear it out, write the store on the picture and put it in my purse. The rest can go straight into the recycle bin.

If I did this over a cuppa every night when I walk in the door my table will stay clean and ready for dinner. Between doing this, my beds made and dishes done, add a quick fifteen minute walk round after tea my home will always be manageable and ready for unexpected visitors.

What do you do to make your life a little easier?

MENU PLANNING

Dinner is served

One thing I keep trying to remember to do is to write a menu. I just need to do four and rotate them. Menu planning is the best way to save money in the kitchen. 

You  know how much of the ingredients you need and only buy them. You don't waste food by throwing excess in the bin. It also allows you to stockpile most common used items when they are on special, saving more money.

It also saves you time. Knowing what your having each day takes all the guess work out of making a decision. You pop your hand in the freezer take out the meat and put it into the fridge to thaw. Vegies can be prepared the night before or in the morning. 

The added bonus is you find you no longer run out of things and so you go to the shop less saving you more time and money because lets face it. Nobody pops in to buy a loaf of bread and doesn't pick up something else.
If you shop fortnightly like I do it saves you a lot more.

PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST

Part of my problem over the last year was that my todo list was so long that it was really over whelming. I made a new schedule this week with just the basics logged in. You know the ones. Work, shopping, housework and any outside activities that are non negotiable. It left so much time free. :-) 

I penciled in a few "15 minute chore" throughout the week and walked away. My long list is on the side of the fridge out of sight. I'm taking one of them and 15 minutes at a time will slowly attack it till its gone. No more pressure to get stuck in and exhausting myself, no more feeling guilty about not getting on top of the list.

It will all get done eventually but for now I'm enjoying the down time I've made for myself and actually am looking forward to doing my 15 minutes.

Don't forget to take time out for yourself. We are important too.

FINDING TIME

My weeks seem to get busier and busier. 

As soon as I have  5 minutes spare something or someone fills it up. With working outside the home I am over whelmed by all the

 projects running through my head that I would like to tackle. 

You know how it is. So much to do and I want to do it now. 

I was going through my list which was growing by the minute and wondering how in the world I was going to find the time to  even start. And then it hit me.

Before I could even think about starting my new way of life I was going to have to get organised and find the time in my current lifestyle to allow me to make a start.

.

So out came the calendar and in went the times for things which were a must. (like work) and then in went the necessities of shopping and family.

I was surprised at how much free time I actually had that was taken up with incidental nothingness.

Now I think I can start on small things during the week. I'm saving the weekends for larger projects and family on Sundays.

Woo hoo It looks like I'm on my way.