Looking for Day to day tips to make a busy life easier please

matts mom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2012
Messages
832
Purraise
90
Hi, I'm looking for some day to day tips to make a busy life easier to manage please. I know this may seem absurd to some of you, who already lead busy lives, but I've been married since I was 18 and a stay at home mom since I was 19. I always had plenty of time to do things that needed doing. 

If the toilet need cleaning, I dropped the cleaner in, let it soak and came back to scrub when it looked well soaked, for example. 

I started School this past week, and the first thing I noticed is I don't have all that time any more. I'm up 'till 12:30am doing homework, because the housework isn't done till bedtime. I need more efficient ways to do things.

Does anyone have tips or tricks they'd like to share with me, to speed up my busy lifestyle? favorite cleaning products? organizational skills that help them find things faster?

I'm open to all suggestions, from cleaning products to recipes to organizational techniques.. 

Thanks all :)
 

peaches08

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
4,884
Purraise
290
Location
GA
Can your husband help out?

Otherwise, as they tell us when beginning nursing school, make friends with dust.

There's a site dedicated to this sort of thing, I've never tried it but it seems good: www.flylady.net
 
Last edited:

andrya

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
2,561
Purraise
147
l'm not in school, but l'm also a friend of dust 


l work 12 hour shifts, and on the days l come home from work, l do NOTHING! My meals are made, planned and frozen on my off-days. The house is cleaned on my off-days. Cat litters are only scooped on work nights and double scooped and cleaned on off-days.

Have you checked out the FlyLady? l've used that site when l get off track, as l tend to be erratic in my habits - l have to force myself into being organized.

Also, l have 3 stories plus a basement, so l always have the main storey LR, DR, kitchen, nook and bathroom sparkling clean in case l have visitors drop in. And l live on the other stories, and clean them when l can, so they get quite messy at times. But that's okay. As long as everyone's needs are being met, don't stress yourself out about the odd bit of dirt, or being untidy.

Kudos to you for going back to school.
 
Last edited:

betsygee

Just what part of meow don't you understand.
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
28,331
Purraise
17,468
Location
Central Coast CA, USA
I don't know how many are in your household, but cooking ahead on the weekends always helped me--at the time, I was working full time, going to school at night and had a 12 year old stepson living with us!   I usually cooked a big pot of beans over the weekend.  Then you can quickly make them into two or three meals during the week-- add sautéed vegetables and/or meat for black bean stew, or use them for burritos or puree into black bean soup, etc.  I still do that.  

You can put together a lasagna and freeze it, then bring it out any night you don't have time to cook and bake it.  Here's an example:  http://www.southernliving.com/food/whats-for-supper/fix-freeze-lasagna-three-ways-00400000005529/

My hubby would cook a chicken or roast or something and then he'd have meat during the week to go with the bean dishes.  (I'm a vegetarian and he's not so he cooks meat if he wants it.)  

Anyway, that was a big time saver for me, using the weekend to cook several things ahead for the week.

Good luck with school!  What are you studying?
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,836
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
I agree with becoming friends with dust.  When you were a stay at home mom you had time for the whole everything spic and span and in its place now you don't have time for that.  I'm not talking about turning into a slob or having a house that could be featured in a show about hoarders but you could drop your standards some.
 

angels mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
6,899
Purraise
6,906
Location
Wilmington,NC
For quick surface cleaning in the bathroom, I keep a micro fiber cloth hanging inside the closet door to wipe up any water on the sink, shelves, etc..

I usually like to use more natural products, but I have found it also makes it easy to do a quick clean up of surfaces to keep a tub of the Clorox wipes

(or any brand, I buy generic to save) in the bathroom ready to use as well. I also have a Mr. clean eraser sponge in there that works great too.

It only takes a quick swipe around w/ one of these & then it's done!  (I usually do it after I finish putting on my make-up, so all is cleaned up).


I hope that helps.

......Matt is such a smart boy, I think he can learn to help out. LOL!!
 

betsygee

Just what part of meow don't you understand.
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
28,331
Purraise
17,468
Location
Central Coast CA, USA
 
......Matt is such a smart boy, I think he can learn to help out. LOL!!
LOL!  If we could all get our cats to pitch in and help (especially since they create at least half the mess!), we'd have TONS of free time on our hands, wouldn't we?!  
  But I must run--I'm doing the cat room laundry....
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
 
I don't know how many are in your household, but cooking ahead on the weekends always helped me--at the time,.............  Then you can quickly make them into two or three meals during the week-- add sautéed vegetables and/or meat for black bean stew, or use them for burritos or puree into black bean soup, etc.  I still do that.  

You can put together a lasagna and freeze it, then bring it out any night you don't have time to cook and bake it.  Here's an example:  http://www.southernliving.com/food/whats-for-supper/fix-freeze-lasagna-three-ways-00400000005529/

My hubby would cook a chicken or roast or something and then he'd have meat during the week to go with the bean dishes.  (I'm a vegetarian and he's not so he cooks meat if he wants it.)  

Anyway, that was a big time saver for me, using the weekend to cook several things ahead for the week.

Good luck with school!  What are you studying?
I have no excuses like family, or study on top of work right now but have added study on top of work a couple of times.  Big fan of betsygee's techniques.  Even used to do the mass cooking with a friend sometimes to make it a social time on top:  we'd split the stuff so we didn't have tonnes of just one or two things for the week.  Go for an enormous pot of soup with what ever's seasonal with beans or lentils, a big lasagne with green lentils or mushroom and celery if being veggie or meat if in the money, massive pots of chili (again veggie or meat) that could go with rice or baked potato, and any kind of pasta sauce that could be put together from the fridge and cupboard.  I don't often cook these days but if I do I tend to take the same approach.
 
For quick surface cleaning in the bathroom, I keep a micro fiber cloth hanging inside the closet door to wipe up any water on the sink, shelves, etc..

I usually like to use more natural products, but I have found it also makes it easy to do a quick clean up of surfaces to keep a tub of the Clorox wipes

(or any brand, I buy generic to save) in the bathroom ready to use as well. I also have a Mr. clean eraser sponge in there that works great too.

It only takes a quick swipe around w/ one of these & then it's done!  (I usually do it after I finish putting on my make-up, so all is cleaned up).


I hope that helps.

......Matt is such a smart boy, I think he can learn to help out. LOL!!
Wiping down the bathroom when it's all steamed up with a microfibre cloth pretty much keeps any cleaning other than the toilet, bath/shower tray and sink down to zero!  I do it with a towel wrapped round me drying off so it doesn't really take more time that my basic shower.  (My bathroom's fully tiled which helps, I even have an extending pole microfibre pad that I can wipe down all the walls every week or two then finish off with the floor).

And dust, well why deal with it until you can tell you've done something....  I have to say, my previous girls molted like **** and I don't miss the cleaning that used to generate.  My boy likes to keep his fur to himself and the difference in regularity of hoovering and dusting is fantastic. Unless someone in the house is asthmatic or has eczema dust is your friend, learn to love it like so many others do. 

How old are the kids?  Do they have chores, or can some things be like a game? (bottoms on cloths sliding about the floors, joining in the microfibre wiping, toys in the box races- including the cat ones when you need to hoover).  I know I don't have human kids of my own but believe me I have spent plenty time living with them, working with them, and gone from baby size to stroppy teens living in my home for months at a time. 

And yes, if there's a man in the house: work on who does what, though if you win on that one you'll be doing better than most of the people I know.


With the study, when I was studying and working I always seemed to have a huge pile of books, papers, my computer, and all the page markers and 'stuff' I was working on and it did my head in.  It had to stay in a pile and when I finished the courses I couldn't wait to clear it all away.  Keep it all in one place and keep it organized or you will waste loads of time both in study and general family time.

I do not have one of the cleanest dust free homes on this planet but I try to keep the floors reasonably tidy so when I do dust and hoover it gets done reasonably quickly....  and I pretty much gave up ironing several years ago.  What a relief! 
 
Last edited:

betsygee

Just what part of meow don't you understand.
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
28,331
Purraise
17,468
Location
Central Coast CA, USA
 
  and I pretty much gave up ironing several years ago.  What a relief! 
IRONING?!
 What's that? LOL   

Actually, I'm lucky.  I work for a very small surveying firm, and can wear jeans and t-shirts to work every day.  I haven't ironed anything for years, either. 
 

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
 
IRONING?!
 What's that? LOL   

.....................
  
  Life is better with a few creases here and there. 


Matts mom, are you on the recipe exchange?  Have a look and see if there's a thread for meals in under 10 minutes and if there isn't one you should start it! (15 opens it up to oven chips, potatoes and a few more yummy things if you can be bothered with the extra time). I pretty much live my life on that rule: only spend longer when I'm cooking something fancy for people coming round.  Even then it will tend to be stuff I can mix together then it cooks for however long without bothering about it and I go off and do something else.  Needs to be a weekend tho' as way too hungry for that when I get in from work....
 

peaches08

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
4,884
Purraise
290
Location
GA
  :high5:   Life is better with a few creases here and there. :D


Matts mom, are you on the recipe exchange?  Have a look and see if there's a thread for meals in under 10 minutes and if there isn't one you should start it! (15 opens it up to oven chips, potatoes and a few more yummy things if you can be bothered with the extra time). I pretty much live my life on that rule: only spend longer when I'm cooking something fancy for people coming round.  Even then it will tend to be stuff I can mix together then it cooks for however long without bothering about it and I go off and do something else.  Needs to be a weekend tho' as way too hungry for that when I get in from work....
Crock pot meals are handy too! Put everything in that morning then come home to an awesome meal.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

matts mom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2012
Messages
832
Purraise
90
 
I don't know how many are in your household, but cooking ahead on the weekends always helped me--at the time, I was working full time, going to school at night and had a 12 year old stepson living with us!   I usually cooked a big pot of beans over the weekend.  Then you can quickly make them into two or three meals during the week-- add sautéed vegetables and/or meat for black bean stew, or use them for burritos or puree into black bean soup, etc.  I still do that.  

Good luck with school!  What are you studying?
I'm taking two courses: Issues in Human Growth And Development University Prep, and Environmental Science University Prep

The plan is to get the last 4 credits necessary to grab my High School Diploma, and then decide what to study to get me a decent job.
 
I have no excuses like family, or study on top of work right now but have added study on top of work a couple of times.  Big fan of betsygee's techniques.  Even used to do the mass cooking with a friend sometimes to make it a social time on top:  we'd split the stuff so we didn't have tonnes of just one or two things for the week.  Go for an enormous pot of soup with what ever's seasonal with beans or lentils, a big lasagne with green lentils or mushroom and celery if being veggie or meat if in the money, massive pots of chili (again veggie or meat) that could go with rice or baked potato, and any kind of pasta sauce that could be put together from the fridge and cupboard.  I don't often cook these days but if I do I tend to take the same approach.

Wiping down the bathroom when it's all steamed up with a microfibre cloth pretty much keeps any cleaning other than the toilet, bath/shower tray and sink down to zero!  I do it with a towel wrapped round me drying off so it doesn't really take more time that my basic shower.  (My bathroom's fully tiled which helps, I even have an extending pole microfibre pad that I can wipe down all the walls every week or two then finish off with the floor).

And dust, well why deal with it until you can tell you've done something....  I have to say, my previous girls molted like **** and I don't miss the cleaning that used to generate.  My boy likes to keep his fur to himself and the difference in regularity of hoovering and dusting is fantastic. Unless someone in the house is asthmatic or has eczema dust is your friend, learn to love it like so many others do. 

How old are the kids?  Do they have chores, or can some things be like a game? (bottoms on cloths sliding about the floors, joining in the microfibre wiping, toys in the box races- including the cat ones when you need to hoover).  I know I don't have human kids of my own but believe me I have spent plenty time living with them, working with them, and gone from baby size to stroppy teens living in my home for months at a time. 

And yes, if there's a man in the house: work on who does what, though if you win on that one you'll be doing better than most of the people I know.


With the study, when I was studying and working I always seemed to have a huge pile of books, papers, my computer, and all the page markers and 'stuff' I was working on and it did my head in.  It had to stay in a pile and when I finished the courses I couldn't wait to clear it all away.  Keep it all in one place and keep it organized or you will waste loads of time both in study and general family time.

I do not have one of the cleanest dust free homes on this planet but I try to keep the floors reasonably tidy so when I do dust and hoover it gets done reasonably quickly....  and I pretty much gave up ironing several years ago.  What a relief! 
You guys are SO helpful :) 

What's this recipe exchange? crock pot recipes would save my sanity, with 5 of us and the hubby in school with me AND working afterwards-he could eat when he gets home.

He helps out with child-sitting-They're 9-12- when he's home, and picks up a little...but his courses are more homework-intensive than mine, so he doesn't have much time to help between school, work and homework.

The youngest likes the new, energy-efficient washer/dryer pair, and will help with laundry.....and the eldest is beginning to pull her own weight now, with cleaning up and helping cook/clean when asked. No one has official chores, but I'm thinking now's a good time to institute them. I put the back of the house litterbox in charge of the child who's room it's in-it's a self-cleaning box, so all he has to do is roll the box daily  and toss the mess from the drawer. very nice design-takes only a few seconds. Oh, and the little one likes feeding the pets, which takes another step out of my morning rush :)

I'm best friends with Huggies baby wipes, for quick clean up of everything from  milk droplets under cereal bowls, to sticky messes on countertops.

I have hardwood floors, so I can literally sweep from the front of my single-story home to the back, which makes the floors fast to clean :)

I think I need to start taking the garbage bag out the door with me in morning though-I hate playing 'what's that smell?' when I get home lol
 

Winchester

In the kitchen with my cookies
Veteran
Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
29,730
Purraise
28,024
Location
In the kitchen
It's not easy. I worked a seven-day, swing-shift schedule and went to college at the same time, taking 2-3 classes a semester, even during the summer months. Most difficult thing I've ever done and my family and I lived through it for ten long years until I finally got my degree. When I was on third shift, I would get off work at 7:00 in the morning, drive over to class, take my class and go sleep in my car until the next class. I'd come home at 5:00, have dinner, and crash until 9:30 or so at night, then get ready to go back into work for the night. And do it all over again the next day. One semester, I had a map lab (I was a Geography major with a concentration in Environmental Planning) and my prof came into the lab one afternoon and found me fast asleep with my face on the keyboard. She wasn't angry because she knew that I was working full time. But it can be done....you just go day by day by day. I know it sounds trite, but honestly, you just do it. You do the best you can and you will learn what's important to you. You figure out what can be done today and what can wait for another day.

I had two days a week off work and on those days, I'd spend one day cooking for the freezer and one day cleaning as best I could. And I learned that if the house got dusty? Life went on. If we ate hamburgers twice in one week? Life went on. And my husband cooked. A lot. We found out that Rick could cook and, if he wanted to eat dinner, he simply made it. It was either that or he could starve. He did loads of laundry. He vacuumed and he dusted when he could. And so did our son. And they survived. And yeah, there were times that the house just got dusty and stayed that way for awhile, especially when I was writing a research paper or studying for midterms or finals. What's more important.....the midterm or cleaning the house? In this case, it's the midterm! Get the kids to dust. Or let it go for now. A dusty house is OK. A dirty house is not. And there's a difference.

You're not the only person living in the house....you're married and your husband can handle some of this stuff. It won't kill him to do a load of laundry. Honest. And I do understand that he's in school, too. And you're right....now's a good time to make up a list of chores for the children to work on. I really do think that children should be helping out around the house anyway....it's important for them to learn things. I'll be completely honest here and tell you that, without Rick and our son helping out, I'd have never made it through. Not in a million years. I give them 100% of the credit here.....because they deserve it. Rick would come home after working all day and he'd make dinner and throw a load of laundry in the washer. They complained sometimes. They may not have liked it. But they got it. 

Take a day a week and cook. Make soup, make spaghetti sauce, make chili, roast a chicken and bone the thing. Roast a pork roast and slice it. Or a beef roast. Make a meat loaf. Or a ham loaf. How about a chicken pie? Beef stew. Chicken stew. Put it all in the freezer for meals later on that week. Believe me, it's easier than trying to make a complete dinner on a daily basis and it's cheaper and healthier than running to McD's every night. Use your crock pot. It's important. 

And yes, check out the Fly Lady. You need to try her ideas out and she has a lot of them. 

The Recipe Exchange? Check out my signature! The link is in my signature, so it's in every post I write. There are a ton of good recipes in the Exchange, including recipes for crock pots and for soups. 

It took me ten years to get my degree because I went part-time. And we managed. So will you. Good days and bad days. Just keep going. You can do this!
 
Last edited:

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
9 and 12, great for being pre-teenage grumps but who also have the potential to understand that mom is doing this to earn a better wage so they can get better things, and see that mom is doing homework just like them.

Think of involving everyone in the running of the household as a great opportunity to develop age appropriate independence skills. Far too many young people grow up not not knowing how to cook, basic home hygiene, how to do the laundry, and go food shopping / budget. Then they struggle when they want to leave home.  Approach it as a positive for everyone, and that you are being a great mom by showing that everyone in the home has a role in running a slick house!  That it is not all down to one person - for your kids you are setting an example for what they will do in the future, as caring flat mates or supportive partners, managing safely on their own.

Winchester is spot on though: you prioritize.  
 

peaches08

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
4,884
Purraise
290
Location
GA
Speaking of crock pots, save your bones in the freezer and make stock/broth while you work, study, or sleep!
 

betsygee

Just what part of meow don't you understand.
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
28,331
Purraise
17,468
Location
Central Coast CA, USA
 
It's not easy. I worked a seven-day, swing-shift schedule and went to college at the same time, taking 2-3 classes a semester, even during the summer months. Most difficult thing I've ever done and my family and I lived through it for ten long years until I finally got my degree. When I was on third shift, I would get off work at 7:00 in the morning, drive over to class, take my class and go sleep in my car until the next class. I'd come home at 5:00, have dinner, and crash until 9:30 or so at night, then get ready to go back into work for the night. And do it all over again the next day. One semester, I had a map lab (I was a Geography major with a concentration in Environmental Planning) and my prof came into the lab one afternoon and found me fast asleep with my face on the keyboard. She wasn't angry because she knew that I was working full time. But it can be done....you just go day by day by day. I know it sounds trite, but honestly, you just do it. You do the best you can and you will learn what's important to you. You figure out what can be done today and what can wait for another day.

I had two days a week off work and on those days, I'd spend one day cooking for the freezer and one day cleaning as best I could. And I learned that if the house got dusty? Life went on. If we ate hamburgers twice in one week? Life went on. And my husband cooked. A lot. We found out that Rick could cook and, if he wanted to eat dinner, he simply made it. It was either that or he could starve. He did loads of laundry. He vacuumed and he dusted when he could. And so did our son. And they survived. And yeah, there were times that the house just got dusty and stayed that way for awhile, especially when I was writing a research paper or studying for midterms or finals. What's more important.....the midterm or cleaning the house? In this case, it's the midterm! Get the kids to dust. Or let it go for now. A dusty house is OK. A dirty house is not. And there's a difference.

You're not the only person living in the house....you're married and your husband can handle some of this stuff. It won't kill him to do a load of laundry. Honest. And I do understand that he's in school, too. And you're right....now's a good time to make up a list of chores for the children to work on. I really do think that children should be helping out around the house anyway....it's important for them to learn things. I'll be completely honest here and tell you that, without Rick and our son helping out, I'd have never made it through. Not in a million years. I give them 100% of the credit here.....because they deserve it. Rick would come home after working all day and he'd make dinner and throw a load of laundry in the washer. They complained sometimes. They may not have liked it. But they got it. 

Take a day a week and cook. Make soup, make spaghetti sauce, make chili, roast a chicken and bone the thing. Roast a pork roast and slice it. Or a beef roast. Make a meat loaf. Or a ham loaf. How about a chicken pie? Beef stew. Chicken stew. Put it all in the freezer for meals later on that week. Believe me, it's easier than trying to make a complete dinner on a daily basis and it's cheaper and healthier than running to McD's every night. Use your crock pot. It's important. 

And yes, check out the Fly Lady. You need to try her ideas out and she has a lot of them. 

The Recipe Exchange? Check out my signature! The link is in my signature, so it's in every post I write. There are a ton of good recipes in the Exchange, including recipes for crock pots and for soups. 

It took me ten years to get my degree because I went part-time. And we managed. So will you. Good days and bad days. Just keep going. You can do this!
Great post and great advice!  You are absolutely right, it certainly can be done.  

Re freezing food ahead, a FoodSaver (vacuum sealing device for food) was one of the best investments I ever made!  
  All the soups and other pre-made foods we made went into single serving size bags (for taking lunch to work) or dinner sized serving bags.  
 

margecat

Mentor
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
Oct 11, 2006
Messages
5,209
Purraise
2,556
Right now, before you start school, sit down and write out a plan/schedule for important things. such as cleaning, paying bills, laundry, and, since you have a husband, discuss what chores you both will do. Get rid of anything that you don't need in your life right now--knick-knacks, habits that cost a lot of time and energy; de-clutter your house and your life. It will be much easier to keep things clean that way. Even if you just box up stuff and put it in storage for the time being, that would help. I try to keep knick-knacks and clutter out of my life. Cleaning goes a lot faster when you don't have to move stuff to clean!

While you're planning the above, also plan some easy menus for a couple of weeks. Rotate the menus as needed. Also, try to take 1 day ahead of time (enlist hubby's help here, too) to cook and freeze meals. Also, prep fresh veggies for snacks during the week, make hard-boiled eggs, etc.

Get a calendar with big blocks. You can mount this in a prominent place; everyone can write their schedule, such as appointments, on it. You'll be busy with school. This way, you won't forget important stuff.

Set up times to study, and let others know that you are not to be disturbed (this includes phone calls!) then.

With house cleaning, what's the one thing you can't stand to see dirty?  Even if you can't tackle anything else, make sure that one thing is always clean. For me, it's cat fur on the floor. Drives me nuts. I have 10 cats.  Every day, I sweep the stairs and run the vacuum downstairs. I count this toward exercising, BTW.  I also make sure the dirty dishes are at least consolidated into the dishpan in the sink. I hate seeing dirty dishes, but it's DH's job to run the dishwasher, and he doesn't always unload it.

I've never done the Fly Lady thing, but she has a point about the kitchen sink: scrub it before going to bed, so it's nice and clean the first thing in the morning; it's sort of what I said about the one thing that you hate being dirty. It gives you a psychological boost--even if everything else is out of control, you have at least that one thing that you do have under control. She also has "fling-boogies" (15 minute??) where you set the timer for a certain amount of time, and then go into each room with a trash bag. box, etc., and pick up and tidy as much as you can in that time frame.
 
Last edited:

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I definitely second the cooking ahead tip.  I live alone and hate cooking for one, and often I'm too tired when I come home to bother cooking at all and I'm not one to plan my meals and remember to take stuff out of the freezer ahead of time.

So I cook for 4 or 6 and eat one portion and freeze the rest into individual "TV Dinners".  When I make a chicken or roast, I make enough potatoes and vegetables so that I can make meals and freeze them.

I also make breakfast foods ahead of time:

Muffins

French Toast

Granola

Boiled eggs

Even Oatmeal that I portion out for the week. Then all I have to do is heat it up and add some milk to it.

Soups, stews, chili are other items you can cook ahead and freeze into 1 cup servings for future meals.
 
Top