Share your time savers......

So what do you do to save time? Please share your ideas and tricks!

1. I make enough formula for at least 24 hours.
2. I pre-pour enough bottles for 24 hours. I wash at least 20 bottles in the dishwasher each day.
3. I buy at least 2 weeks of formula from drugstore.com at a time. Shipping is usually free when you spend over a certain amountâ€â€plus you get drugstore.com dollars with your purchase.
4. I buy in bulk from BJs (diapers, batteries, food, mylicon, baby Tylenol, etc.).
5. I (gasp) heat bottles in the microwave---making sure to shake the bottle to distribute the heat evenly.
6. I put extra trash bags in the bottom of the trash can and diaper champ so that I don’t have to run for a new bag. I also store the Lysol in the diaper champ.
7. I have multiple bottles of hand sanitizer around the house.
8. I order groceries on-line when I can get a free delivery code.
9. I run the vacuum cleaner when I can’t get the kids to sleep---usually works like a charm and my carpet gets clean.
10. I am starting to learn how to use the crock pot!

 

So what do you do to save time? Please share your ideas and tricks!

1. I make enough formula for at least 24 hours.
2. I pre-pour enough bottles for 24 hours. I wash at least 20 bottles in the dishwasher each day.
3. I buy at least 2 weeks of formula from drugstore.com at a time. Shipping is usually free when you spend over a certain amountâ€â€plus you get drugstore.com dollars with your purchase.
4. I buy in bulk from BJs (diapers, batteries, food, mylicon, baby Tylenol, etc.).
5. I (gasp) heat bottles in the microwave---making sure to shake the bottle to distribute the heat evenly.
6. I put extra trash bags in the bottom of the trash can and diaper champ so that I don’t have to run for a new bag. I also store the Lysol in the diaper champ.
7. I have multiple bottles of hand sanitizer around the house.
8. I order groceries on-line when I can get a free delivery code.
9. I run the vacuum cleaner when I can’t get the kids to sleep---usually works like a charm and my carpet gets clean.
10. I am starting to learn how to use the crock pot!

 

You sound HIGHLY ORGANIZED!!! WOW!!! You ROCK!! Good work!!!

I can't really add anything to what you did because I am not that organized!

 

I just wing it. I do stock up on formula and diapers. I buy atleast 1 months worth at a time. But the rest, hay, I do what I can when I can. I basically just sit and play with the boy's. I do usually make dinner when the boys take their afternoon nap so I can just heat it up later.

 

I put together "Outfit packs".

My boys go to daycare and I am required to pack extra outfits for them in Ziploc bags labeled with our last name. Therefore, I have writen our last name on many gallon sized Ziploc bags and then when I'm folding laundry I just put together the outfit packs at that time. One shirt + one pair of pants + one pair of socks. It takes no extra time when I'm folding and it works out well because it seems that the matching shirts and pants end up in the same load of laundry anyway.

Then when we pack their bags for daycare in the morning, it makes it easy to just grab a few outfit packs, throw them in the bags with the bottles, blankets, and binkis and go!

The bonus is that my husband complained that he could never figure out which baby shirt was supposed to go with each outfit. Now he can just grab an outfit pack and dress one of the boys...helping us get out the door that much faster.

 

I do many of the things you do. I also try to re-stock the diaper bag sometime after we get home from an outting so that all I have to do is grab it and go the next time. I find trying to make sure I have everything we need before we leave really stresses me out and I always end up forgetting something if I do it that way. I also keep a shelf in one of our downstairs closets stocked with onsies, bibs, burp cloths, and socks so I don't have to run upstairs twenty times a day.

 

I do many of the things you do but can't order groceries online- you're so lucky. Often when I'm doing laundry, I'm doing other things too and don't want to stop to fold so I wash, dry and stash in a basket til the end of the day then I fluff and fold while I watch a show (it's my way to slow down enough to watch Grey's Anatomy and Desparate Housewives w/o feeling guilty/lazy.) When I make the >24 hours worth of formula I mix 2 cups powder & 23oz water in the blender and add to 23 more oz of water in a rubbermaid container(usually have to make 2 batches)- I save alot of shaking time and it mixes so much better (rarely any residue at the bottom and never any lumps & the blender rinses easily) I don't wash the bottles in the dishwasher but there is always a sink of hot soapy water and I wash them as I wash my hands after diaper changes or whatever.

Will be watching for more ideas!
Christina

 

quote:
I just wing it.

I don't know why, but that made me laugh hysterically!

 

I do most of your list as well. I sometimes make 36 hours worth of formula at a time and prepour all the bottles at once.

I also:

- double sheet the cribs with a piece of rubberized flannel (waterproof) in between, that way all I have to do is peel off the top sheet and waterproof layer and chuck them in the laundry basket. Voila! The crib is already made!

- hang coordinated outfits together in the girls' closet, no guesswork for dh!

- buy all non-perishables and frozen foods in bulk, I'll get a months' worth of whatever is on sale (laundry soap, dishwaser detergent, bar soap, TP, PB, spaghetti sauce, frozen meatballs, Eggos, etc.)

- cook double batches of any meals that will freeze and reheat well ie. lasagna, most casseroles, BBQ pork (very easy in a crock pot ), etc.

- pay bills online - I set up repeating payments for all my bills and then will edit the dollar amount from month to month. This way I don't have to think about what's due, it's already in there.

- keep wipes, diapers, burp cloths and a couple plastic bags in the family room where we hang out most days, no more running to and from the girls' room for diaper changes or burp rags!

I would *love* to have a grocery store that delivers here! Or at least one that will assemble my order for me and let me pull up to the door to pick it up!

 

Amen to preparing formula and bottles in advance! That as well as feeding the babies together are my biggest time savers.

 

I am loving these ideas. I thought of another..... I set up my coffee pot the night before.
Holly

 

I do most of these too...especially making up formula!!! The one thing I do before I go to bed is tidy up the family room and get it ready for the next morning...I get bibs, diapers ready and put their rocker chairs ready for breakfast. It saves me so much time and the babies have less chance of being fussy for breakfast! We use cloth diapers so I fold a whole bunch while they are napping (usually during Y&R). I do enough to last about 3 days.

I usually make dinner so during their afternoon nap I prepare veggies and defrost meat ahead of time so that when DH gets home and is ready for dinner all I have to do is cook it. It also means there are less dishes to deal with afterwards.

 

We live in a 3 story house, so I always make sure there is a baby washcloth at every sink to help with the messy food wipe ups! I too also order in bulk, prepare formula in advance, and cook dinner in advance if possible. I also cut veggies and meat (for me) the night before so it's readily accessible.

 

I used to do 24 hours of formula at a time but now that they're down to just about 3-4 bottles a day I just make the morning ones the night before and shake to order!

DH brought the changing table downstairs to store stuff on since I haven't changed a diaper in their bedroom in MONTHS! About the only thing they do in their room is sleep - all the dressing, diaper changing, bathing is done downstairs...

 

I make a pot of STRONG coffee and keep it in a carafe. It stays piping hot for 24 hrs. when I want or need a cup of coffee its ready for me or dh. If I want weaker coffee I just add alittle hot water.

When I make a "good" dinner I make enough for two dinners so I get to have one night off of cooking per 2-3 days. Not to mention easy lunches.Plan meals for the month so shopping is easyer and cheaper no guessing on what meals to make just look at the list.

I do a load of laundry in the am a load at night and sometimes one during the day. I fold them all most of the time at night when Im being"lazy" and watching a movie or listing to the radio.
Set out outfits ahead of time.

 

Formula prepared in batches is a must!

Also,
1. I make a weekly menu and write out my grocery list accordingly. I do to the store one evening just after the babies fall asleep.

2. I hang outfits together in the closets and then all shirts and all pants together in groups. I keep matching/coordingating twin outfits in one drawer in case we are going out or somewhere special.

3. I put plastic shoe tubs in the dresser drawers to keep things from getting all thrown together. I can fit four in each drawer so I can keep tights/socks/shoes/hairbows, etc.. separate, but in the same drawer.

4. I jot "firsts" and milestones on my main calendar so that I can use it to write down things later in the baby book (which I have yet to write in!)

5. I keep three separate tubs in the closets for the three kids as they outgrow their clothes. I toss them in each child's tub. When it is full, I label it, put it in storage and put a new tub in the closet.

6. I bought tubs to organize all of my older daughters crafts, paints, play doh, tea party sets, handheld electronics, etc... I keep them up high so I can get them for her as needed and have her clean up one before she gets out another. Then we all know where her "special activities" are when she is needing them vs. playing with toys.

7. My favorite organizer idea is to keep two photo keepers--one for me and one for "extras." As I get pics developed, I write the date on the backs and separate out my originals from my doubles and file them away in order according to the date. I don't have time to scrapbook and may not for years! So this keeps all of my pics in order and accessible until I can one day scrapbook again.

 

I have a hanging closet organizer, and on Sunday nights I put their clothes for the week in each of the compartments, I also set out my own clothes everynight, it ensures we are all dressed in the am, even if nothing else gets done , Tracy

 

You are way more put together than I am - I tried to do time saver things when they were born, but now I just wing it. Bottles don't take me that long anymore - I'm a pro at it now. I'm all set with doing everything pretty fast - except laundry - If anyone has any ideas on how to save time doing laundry let me know!!!

 

1. DH and I presort our laundry into the the three types when we take our clothes off each night. Makes my laundry days sooooooo much easier to get started when the loads are already to go.

2. I found an online recipe organizer called Big Oven, you can download a 30 day trial. I put all our panty/frig/freezer/baby/hygiene items into a "recipe" and I can generate a shopping list quickly by checking off the items we need. It lets you put categories, so I added which aisle they are in...so my list comes out organized. This makes the shopping with 3 kiddos go pretty quick. No backtracking.

3. I do some freezer cooking. I really hate the cooking part of being a new SAHM.

4. We also load the coffee pot the night before. I wish we understood that trick during the 3 month black out of exhaustion.

5. I do online banking too. So quick and easy.

6. I try to stretch times between shopping trips as long as I can to save $$. So, we stock up on baby supplies, etc.

 

Oh, and on the laundry. To keep it going during the day...I often just lay the hang up clothes on our bed so they don't wrinkle and forget trying to fold and put away during the day. At night, in order for DH and I to sleep, we have to finish, so we do it fast.

 

quote:
Originally posted by cwinslow7:
Often when I'm doing laundry, I'm doing other things too and don't want to stop to fold so I wash, dry and stash in a basket til the end of the day then I fluff and fold while I watch a show (it's my way to slow down enough to watch Grey's Anatomy and Desparate Housewives w/o feeling guilty/lazy.)


Hahah! I do this, too! Same shows, too. Those are my nonnegotiable times to just do something I want to do (except that whole laundry-folding thing).

My biggest time-suckers are doing, folding and putting away laundry and keeping up with doing dishes. I would LOVE to hear any tips you guys have to streamline that whole process!!! It seems neverending. My husband and I question sometimes where there IS a floor next to the washer and dryer.

 

Oh, something else, and this may seem minor but dh and I just LOVE it. I almost didn't ask for this for Christmas (since I have like 5 coffee makers of varying types now), but I went ahead and put the Keurig one-cup coffee maker on my Amazon wish list. I got it for Christmas, and even my husband says that is the best gift I got.

What is so great about it (and I didn't see the benefit of making coffee this way before having it) is it is SO fast and easy to make a cup. You just pop a pod in, hit a button and in 40 SECONDS, it's ready. There is no wasted coffee, no rush to fill it with water, get a filter, put grounds in etc., and then wait for a whole pot to brew. Having a time-saver like this first thing in the morning when we have so much to do is amazing.

 

These are my unconventional laundry time savers:

1. Unwad clothes and sort them as you take them off into different baskets like PP said.

2. Anything that is stained goes into a pail already filled with water and stain fighter of your choice, so you don't have to waste time spraying individual stains/spots/garments.

3. I bought different colored baskets at BRU and sort the clean clothes into them, right out of the dryer. One for onsies, one for footed pjs/nightgowns, one for daytime outfits. And it saves even more time, cuz you just grab whatever is on top and go with it. No time lost digging through drawers and it also helps people that may be helping you that aren't familiar with your drawer system (DH ha!)

4. And I took off the closet doors and hang all the "special outfits" side-by-side and stack all the extra supplies like diapers and wipes so at a glance I can take inventory.

 

I wash the bottles in the dishwasher. And once they are done I fill each bottle up with the right amount of water. Scoop the right amount of formula into one of these formula powder dispensers http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.ht...ID=10019&pID=41 . THat way when the girls are hungry I just pour in the formula and give it a quick shake. They like it room temp so there is no need to warm it or anything. Its great when we have to go out because I just grab the bottles and the dispenser and go

 

-I also pre make my bottles ahead of time.
-At night, I keep bottles in a cool pack upstairs so I do not have to go downstairs in the middle of the night.
-I warm the bottles under running hot water while I am changing the babies and the bottles are ready when I am finished changing the babes.
-I have TIVO!!! No commercials...saves a TON of time...hahhahaha

 

The biggest time saver I do is keep the babies on the same schedule.

For laundry, I do the baby wash separately. When it's done drying I hang it up in their room when the babies play in a crib. It combines a chore with playtime.

 

1. Bottle warmer
2. Our formula is good for 48hrs mixed and refrisgerated so I make enough for both for a day and a half
3. I have baby food for the day pre measured in First Years tupperware so its fed right from that container, just take the lid off
4. 30 mins before bath time I put out 2 towels, 2 sleepers, 2 diapers, cream and lotion
5. I wash all the bottles before I go to bed (about 15)
6. I buy 2 cans of formula for each baby everytime we need to buy a can so we always have a backup one. I buy powder so its good for about a year or so
7. I buy boxes of diapers and boxes of wipes and the value packs of Penaten Cream (has 2 big tins and a smaller travel size tin)

 

I don't know if this would be considered a time saver or not...BUT

I make a list everynight before going to bed of things I want to get done the next day. I usually have at least 10 things on my list. Somedays I get all 10 and more...Some days I don't get hardly any done. Those I transfer to the next day's list.

I seem to walk aimlessly (all day) thru the house if I don't have a list to keep me focused.

 

I do many of the same things as pp

Make bottles 24 hours in advance.

I did the ziplock bag outfits for vacation and it was a huge time saver!

I order as much as I can online.

We do "whats for dinner" where someone makes (or you can go and make, but we pay the company to do it for us) premade frozen dinners. Usually you only have to take it out of the freezer the night before and stick it in the fridge, then pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.

I do the garbage bags in the Champ as well.

I have 3 diaper changing stations in our house.

I have a big red bucket that I take all the premade bottles upstairs in. We have a "dorm room" fridge upstairs that I put the bottles in and a warmer in the bathroom. I put all the "empties" in the red bucket during the day and take it all down to the sink after they are down for the night.

Oh, and I hired a maid to come once a week to clean and do laundry. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it!

 

I "reset" the house every night after they are in bed. I restock diapers, wipes, diaper bags, put binkies, toys, and books back where they belong and make sure everything is ready to go for the next morning so I'm not running around looking for things with two screaming babies.

 

As I get coupons for diapers, formula, food, etc. I put them in an envelope in my purse and some in the front pocket of my diaper bag so that I don't forget to take them when I head out to the store.