May is less than one week away.
Never before have I needed things to run smoothly and efficiently than in the month of May.
May is the busiest, not necessarily signing up for extras but fulfilling prior commitments. School has its end of the year projects and celebrations. Dance is finished off with a recital. There is prep required for summer activities, camps, and VBS. And then there is the beautiful weather which has us staying out longer in the afternoons. Oh, and the usual stuff like laundry, meals, carpool, 4 year old tantrums, 1 year old tantrums etc.
So I'm streamlining like crazy. Today, I want to share 3 more things I've added to my list of ways to make life a bit more manageable and that are now part of my streamlining repertoire.
1. The 3 oldest kids got a pair of Natives. My friends have raved about these shoes. You can get them wet. There are not shoestrings involved. They are durable. These shoes are a one shoe wonder in that they cover all our shoe needs.
These are my kids ONE pair of spring/summer shoes. Sure, we have back ups, but these are the shoes. I chose these because my children can easily put them on themselves. And that makes my life so much easier.
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This one, easy shoe philosophy could totally be done with shoes you already have. I'm not recommending everyone has to go out and buy a pair of Natives (though they are great). But, it's worth considering with your next shoe purchase how involved you have to be as the parent in helping with kids' shoes.
2. I've gone hard core (again) with our color coded cups. Each of my children (and one neighbor friend) has an assigned color. George and Caroline each have a sippy cup. When someone asks for a drink, I say -"where's your cup?" - and they have to find it.
It is my hill to die on.
This has cut way back on dishes.
The one pair of shoes and the one cup thing are teaching us all to be more disciplined about keeping up with our stuff.
It is truly so much simpler, a paradigm shift creating real habit change!
Last but not least...
3. I'm taking full advantage of Walmart grocery pickup, averaging about once a week. Because it's usually required that you reserve a time slot 24 hours in advance, it's forcing me to be more organized. This service is saving me so much energy because what is more exhausting than taking little kids to the grocery store?!
If you have not tried it, you have not really lived.
The comments were so great on the last streamlining post. Share if you have more ideas!
Woohoo, so happy you are on board the grocery pickup train! It continues to save my life. We have friends who hand down all their old shoes to us so I rarely have to buy shoes, but I've had my eye on Natives for awhile--glad to know they're great.
ReplyDeleteWe usually buy one pair of keen sandals for spring/summer but I may have to give these a try this year! Curious how order pick up is with produce? Great ideas as always, I think we will be trying the cup idea! We like to drink good coffee so I've started ordering it through Amazon subscribe and save that way we never run out and I don't have to think about it! We also have a lawn service so we can spend weekends relaxing, it's been worth every penny!
ReplyDeleteLove this. Currently thinking summer and how to streamline everybody underfoot. Now that we are in the country think we will be at home not at summer camps like we were in the suburbs... any summer tips?
ReplyDeleteone of my friends was JUST praising Native shoes! Might have to look into those for G, who says her Crocs are too small.
ReplyDeleteThat's the same brand of tortillas I buy!! (And I guess I have not lived - having never done the grocery pick-up. But I would sort of die before I take kids to the grocery store with me - market, yes, store NO).
You seriously have the best ideas. I have used your plating idea since you posted it and it has made things so much easier!!
ReplyDeleteNatives are life-changing. I don't even care if they match what my kids are wearing. Just go get your shoes on. Praise hands.
ReplyDeleteI love your 'hill to die on'. That made me chuckle, but what a superb idea for keeping things simple. I'm a ruthless declutterer and an almost minimalist. My partner on the other hand, loves to keep everything out on the bench and use a new glass for every drink of water. Arrrgghhhh!!!
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