As parents, what do we value
most and have the hardest time saving?
TIME.
Amy Brady, Austin mom and owner of
The Clutter Consultants ,
was recently featured in
Parenting Magazine for her time-saving and organizing tips for parents. Here are a few of her suggestions:
Get a load of this... Get two mesh laundry bags (one for whites, one for darks) for each family member's closet. When a bag gets full, just pull the drawstring and throw the entire bag in the washer, then transfer to the dryer. This eliminates the need for sorting when the laundry's done!
Junk Mail: Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by removing your name from mailing lists. This benefits you and the environment!
You can do it yourself:
www.optoutprescreen.com
or www.catalogchoice.org
Or pay to have it done for you:
www.greendimes.com
www.41pounds.com
Schedule: Keep the family schedule on ONE calendar. A great solution for moms is the Mom Agenda www.momagenda.com
line of planners and magnetic wall calendars. They have designated spots for mom's schedule and the kids' schedule.
If you prefer an electronic calendar, consider color-coding events by family member. That way, it's easier to see who's going where and when, at a glance. Also, transfer items from various calendars that you receive from school or extra-curricular activities onto your family calendar, then toss or recycle the paper.
Time Management: Get smart about the way you spend your time by looking for ways to eliminate time-wasters. For example, I once calculated that it took me four minutes per load of my husband's laundry to turn his socks back to right-side out. Conservatively speaking, if I do eight loads of his laundry a week, that's thirty minutes a month I spent turning socks right-side out! That's SIX HOURS a year! Once I shared these findings with dear “hubbie”, I haven't seen an inside-out sock in the laundry since.
Look for ways to get precious time back in your pocket. Take a week and write down the amount of time each chore or errand takes for you to do. You'll be amazed!
Simplify your Lists: Create a daily to-do list, and make it realistic. Rather than creating an overwhelming list of 20 or so items, narrow that to-do list down to only 3 or 5 items. Tackling a realistic goal will leave you feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
To read more tips from Amy, see article in Parenting Magazine
Remember to check out our calendar weekly for event updates.
BSA’s dot-com of the week: www.cuddlywuddlees.com
The creator and designer of the famous Diapees and Wipees announces the arrival of a new line of hip and trendy baby blankets, Cuddly Wuddlees.
Stars like Julia Roberts, Keri Russell, Sheryl Crow, and Jenna Elfman have all been wrapping their little ones up in these fashionable blankets this winter. Mom of three and Texas native, Christina Rein, has designed two trendy and functional styles. The
Original,
made of soft cotton fabric with colorful prints and a plush chenille border and the
Lambie ,
a slightly larger, chenille blanket trimmed with hip designer fabrics. Whether you give one for your next baby shower or buy one for your own “snuggly bear”, Cuddly Wuddlees are the next coolest thing to warm up baby! Cuddly Wuddlees are sold at Nordstrom or online at www.cuddlywuddlees.com.
Diapees and Wipees are sold locally at Between Friends, 8108 Mesa Dr. 512.795.1868
www.bfkidsonline.com
If you'd like to win a Cuddly Wuddlee Blanket or a Diapee Wipees, please post one question in our Baby Scoop Forum,
then send us an e-mail to scoop@babyscoopaustin.com with the question you posted. Winners will be e-mailed directly.
Vote for this week’s poll: Best House Cleaning Services
Thank you for posting the Scoop! If you have discussion questions or want to chit chat, head on over to our Baby Scoop Forum and post, post, post!
Be that cool, hip mom-in-the-know that you are, and be the first to tell your friends about the coolest “mommy thing” in town!
Check out our site key for more details.
