ten tips for every busy mom

Now a days everyone of us can relate to the fact we may be pulled way too thin. Chores, summer activities, BBQ's, summer school, so so much to do.  Even during the summer it feels like I don't get a break so here are some of my 10 ten time saving tips to make my (and maybe your) life a bit easier.

Plan Ahead. I hate last minute plans, despise them in fact. I like to always know what I'm doing days before so I can be on time and not have to back track to different places. Driving one straight shot around town saves me time.

Help from the kids. Ok so in my case just kid right now, but as soon as Kendall is a little older I will be asking her for help too. No, I don't make my kids into little maids but they can do their fair share by picking up their own toys, making their bed, hanging up their bath towels. Makenna even takes out the dog and gets it food now a days. This helps me so much.

Cook in the A.M. I tweeted about this a couple months ago and a few people thought I was so crazy but it really does help. Prepare or even cook in the mornings or at nap time. Come dinner time you just have to reheat or finish cooking and dinner will be done in no time.

Shopping List. Sometimes I am the queen of making a list and then not following it but if you make a list and stick to it you will save so much time at the grocery store. This rule especially helps if you go to your favorite store where you already know the ins and outs of the aisles

Shop Online. Hello, I don't even think this needs an explaination. I won't buy clothes & shoes for the hubby or myself online but everything else is great for online shopping. Leave the page open and come back to it later if you need. And if you plan your days and activities in advance (family photoshoot, vacation, special dinner) you even have time to wait for it to arrive in the mail.

Bank Online. Just like before using the internet to the fulliest is the perfect way to save time. Set up all your bills to automatically come out of your bank account. With my bank I can set that up through their website or most of the time you can set that up with the utility or phone company.

Don't over schedule. I love planning family outings but making your day too full just makes me feel exhausted and more tired at the day of the night. Take time to have fun family days inside. Once the "normal" things like laundry and dishes are done then it's just nice to hang out.

"Oops Dinners" We all have those moments; moments where we planned something for dinner but we're just too tired. So to make your life easier plan little meals that will take half the time to make but still gives your family a healthy choice instead of wasting gas to make a run to McDonald's.

Organize. Organize everything. This may not be for everyone but I love to organize. If I could have bins from wall to wall in my house I would. I like everything to have a place and be in that place. This saves me time from losing something when I need it most.

The Early Bird.... I've never been a very early riser but my kids love to wake up at 7 am almost every single day. As much as I don't like to admit it, you have so much more time to get things done in the day when you get up early. It's not that hard to believe since obviously If I wake up at 7 and you wake up at 10 I have 3 hours to get things done while you're still sleeping. This may not seem like a "time saver" but at the end of the night I have more time with my family so it gives me time.

These are my 10 favorite tips to save time. What are your ideas? Please share!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.