One thing I get asked about the most often is how I stay so productive and organized all the time. My house is honestly almost always clean and I am constantly juggling a hectic schedule between work and the boys. For me the key is to have a plan and below is what I do to stay as efficient as possible:
1)Have a plan and make a lists. I literally have our whole week mapped out. Every Sunday evening I sit down with my planner and write out our schedule for the week. I write down all of our appointments so I know where everyone has to be but I also write down a list of all the things I need to accomplish that day. What do I need to get done around the house, for the kids, the blog, work, etc. I usually have the entire day accounted for and don’t get much down time until I get into bed for the night.
2) Have a command center. I turned the desk in our kitchen to a command center and it has been so helpful. I have a huge calendar with appointments so we are all on the same page, I have a basket for outgoing mail and things I need to bring to work, a file for important papers and invitations, and just any sort of desk supplies I may need on a daily basis. This has been working out great.
3) Meal prep. I use Peapod for grocery delivery and it is my saving grace. It comes every Sunday afternoon which means by Friday I need to have my order submitted so I need to know what I will be making the following week. I also typically make enough for leftovers so we have the same thing two nights in a row and we always go out to eat on Saturdays so I only have to cook dinner 3 nights a week. I keep fresh cut fruit and veggies in the fridge for an easy snack. I also make things in batches and freeze them so I always have something healthy for the kids in case I need it in a pinch (muffins, mac and cheese, etc). I still usually run to the grocery store once a week to grab a couple of things but it is so nice being in and out in 10 minutes!
4)Make sure everything has a home. Yes I do have someone come clean my house once every 2 weeks but honestly I feel like I clean all day long (which I do because hey I have a 3 year old and 10 month old). However one thing you need to know about me is that I am obsessed with being organized, literally everything has a home so it is easy to tidy up and put things away. Even the most organized people get disheveled sometimes, so every couple of months I go through all of our cabinets, closets, drawers, etc and reorganize things so they are back where they belong. It is a lot of work but it not only looks so good when everything is organized but it also just makes your daily life so much easier.
5)Line up the kids schedules. I know this doesn’t work for everyone and it probably won’t last forever, but both of my boys nap and go to bed the same time. We head up to start bedtime at 6:30pm and everyone is in bed by 7pm. This is so helpful to me because it allows me to concentrate and get important things done without any noise or chaos. I pick up toys and straighten up when they are asleep, and I also make lunches the night before so I can quickly pull them out of the fridge and they don’t have to wait to eat while I prep something when they are hungry.
What are your tips on staying productive?
xoxo
Rachael