Busy Working Mother Time Savers - Around the House

I belive one of the hardest places to become organized and to find ways to save time is doing the chores we have to do around the house. We have piles of stuff everywhere - in the laundry room, in the living room, in the kids' bedrooms, in our rooms. Our offices are overloaded with paperwork and bills that need to be paid, and our homes need to be cleaned - but when can we find the time? 

Today I will share some amazing tips sent in from people who have learned great ways to organize their time and efforts around the house. And while I would never call myself 'highly organized' (hey, it's a work in progress, right!), I will say that I have learned, over the years after acquiring two children and a business from home, how to stay somewhat organized.

Running a bit late most days? Kristin Cole, the Media Relations Director from Smith College, offers these tips:

• Keep an extra toothbrush and tube of toothpaste by the kitchen sink so that
  you don't have to go all the way to the bathroom when you are running late.
  Most kitchens are located near the main entrance in homes, most bathrooms
  are not.
• Keep a stack of coat hangers near the dryer so that you can hang the clothes
  immediately and eliminate the time of folding them if you just plan to hang
  the articles of clothing in the closet eventually.

Carrie Bell, owner of Madcapz, says this about weekly meals:

• I order once a week from a home delivery food shopping service (FreshDirect, Peapod, etc) - I order all my staples and the ingredients for 5 dinners each week. This has made my life so much easier as I am not wondering what to make for dinner each night, and also I have the ingredients for several different menus in the house at any given time!

Amy Knapp, producer of organizers to help you get, you guessed it, organized, offers this tip about chores:

• Make a list of household chores that can be completed in fifteen minutes or less and are doable by most, if not all, of your family members. Write each one of the tasks on a piece of paper or index card. Fold it,concealing what is written. Put all the items in a large basket, bowl or bag (creative idea--use a cookie jar on the counter!).When you find yourself with fifteen minutes to spare, or your child wants to earn some extra allowance money, or the kids are complaining that they're bored, go to the grab bag. It is a great way to have the whole family help with chores.

And one of my favorites, handed down to me by a fellow mom, is this about cleaning:

• Keep a 'cleaning bucket' filled with supplies in each room. Then, when you are giving the kids a bath, cooking dinner, or allowing the kids to have a little quiet television time you can be in the same room as them and get some cleaning done at the same time. 

I have also learned to:

• Return calls when the kids are watching TV and I'm cooking dinner (these are non-work related calls!)
• Give the kids some cleaning supplies (dust rag, vinegar and water solution) and let them 'help'. It may not be the job I would have done, but it saves time and gets a little out of the way.
• Pay bills while watching television or eating my lunch. It's not a relaxing thing to do, but it has to be done, and I find that if I do it when I am doing something else it doesn't bother me as much to waste time doing it! Plus I have other time to spend on additional chores or, gasp, a little free time!