Besties, I am really looking forward to the topics for February Monthly Musings. The topic for February is How We Make Our Weeks Easier. No matter what stage of life you are in, I think we all can contribute and learn from this topic. While I am the host for this link-up party, I will definetly be taking notes on the tips that the other writers share.
1. Paper planner, digital calendar or other option?
My answer is all of the above, but they are synched. Running Daddy and I use the Cozi app for our shared family calendar. I use Outlook for work. I have a paper planner that I use to schedule my day from morning to night and also keep my to-do list. The paper planner just helps me schedule my time well and is just really for me.
It might sound a little crazy but it all works for me.
2. Meal planning, meal prep or wing it?
I meal plan every week. I sketch out what we are going to eat on a list on the fridge every week. There's just too much traffic around here to try to figure out what to eat when I get home. Plus the whole defrosting thing I find challenging so I like to have things ready to go when I get home.
In my mind, I really want to meal prep. I have done it a little bit and it does truely make the week easier to have even vegetables chopped for the week. Unfortnately I can't seem to make meal prepping stick.
3. Do you choose your outfit the night before?
Much like meal planning, I plan my entire outfit the night before and put everything on a hook on the inside of my closet door before I go to bed. When I say my entire outfit, I mean all the way down to my underwear. If I don't do this, my morning is a disaster.
I also try to iron the night before, but sometimes I am too tired. When my outfit is ironed at night and ready to go in the morning, things are really clicking!
I actually don't mind ironing and don't understand people who don't iron. It really is instant gratification and doesn't take that long.
4. Tips for managing laundry and ironing
Now that Hockey Guy is in college there is much less laundry to do. He did his own laundry but there is just more household laundry when he is home.
Now that it is just the two of us, I do one load of laundry during the week and one on the weekend. One load is my personal laundry and one is household laundry. Running Daddy does his own laundry. That typically keeps things somewhat under control laundry-wise.
With ironing, I usually just iron my outfit as I plan to wear it. I don't do a pile of ironing when it comes out of the wash.
5. Grocery shop online or in store?
I rarely shop in store. I have been ordering my groceries since about 2010, long before it really was a thing. If I actually go into a grocery store it is for a quick shop or a Trader Joe's or Costco run.
I switched to Walmart + about a year and a half ago and I love it. They bring me everything I need right to my door.
6. Best tips for getting out the door in the morning without chaos?
Definitely try to plan as much as you can the night before as I discussed above.
The other trap I can fall into is spending too much time in the shower. I try to make my showers as utilitarian as possible especially because I have to wash my hair every single day.
7. Share your easiest dinners for crazy weeks
I am not even going to share recipes here just a list of super easy dinner ideas.
I always have a bag of frozen meatballs on hand. They are great for meatball subs, with rice or pasta and meatballs.
Running Daddy and I love frozen meatballs cooked in the airfryer with Banza pasta and the Caro Sugo pasta sauce from Trader Joe's. I always have two jars of this pasta sauce on hand. It's as Good as Rao's but cheaper.
I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights bowl several times per week. It's a fast, hot, complete breakfast.
I also like Honey Graham Chex with almond milk for a quick breakfast.
10. Share your Best overall tip not covered yet
Honestly, when I am physically in bed at 10 pm during the week, I am way less tired and things go more smoothly. I need to focus on this again and also stop doom scrolling.
Feel free to share your own tips in the comments below.
If you are joing us this month as a writer please link back to this page and share your link using the tool below.
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