Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I thought that this might be a useful thread to start. We're all busy, busy, busy, so what are some things you do to save yourself time?


For me, and this is a silly one that really does save me time, I buy minced garlic in a jar now. I know, silly, right? But I use garlic in almost everything I cook, so I use the minced garlic during the week when I'm trying to throw dinner together.

I also cut chicken cutlets into "chicken nugget" sized pieces and freeze them raw. This way, during the week if I need to make Ava some "chicken nuggets" I pop them in the micro on defrost, bread and bake. Which leads me to.....

The convection toaster over we bought. Another thing that sounds silly, but it cooks food so much faster than a conventional oven, so if I'm trying to throw together dinner for just Ava and myself, it cooks in half the time in a convection oven.


I also try to restock her diaper bag as soon as I get home so the next time I have to go out I can just grab it and go.


And to save time in the mornings, I iron all my work clothes for the week on Sunday night while I watch Desperate Housewives. How's that for irony?

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I clean the bathroom with organic cleaners while Jordana takes her bath.

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I too buy minced garlic... but its in little cubes and it goes in the freezer..

I make extra of everything I cook and freeze it- great time saver...

I always pack lunch and bottle/cups up the night before

I try and lay our clothes out the night before (this dosent always happen though)

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I second the jarred garlic...so easy!

I actually have a few diaper bags so I keep a stocked bag in both of our cars, because we are good at forgetting the bag when we leave.

I'm also loving crock pot meals. I try to make a few on the weekend and save them for the week.

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I cut up peppers and onions and throw in ziplocs into the freezer

I buy the boxed frozen veggies so we can have a balanced meal

I clean her bathroom while she is bathing

crockpot crockpot crockpot....and the leftovers get frozen

same with pancakes...make a double batch and freeze the leftovers

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I try and lay out both of our clothes the night before.

I keep the diaper bag stocked in the car too, one in mine and one in dh's.

I make the morning bottle the night before ehile I am making her night bottle.

MY MOST FAVORITE TIME SAVING TIP:
Peapod! I started having my groceries delivered- best thing ever! I can't get through a whole food shopping with her so I found myself going to the supermarket way too many times a week. I found I save a lot of money too, because I just get what I need, no impulse buying.

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I really need to try peapod. JT yells at me everytime I tell him I want to try it. I am just going to order groceries next week and tell him the morning they're due to come


I just thought of another nutty thing I do.
Since I'm on WW and I bring my own lunch, I portion out my snacks, be it pretzels or crackers or whatever into 2 pt. portions and put in ziploc baggies for the week. I don't really like those 100 calorie packs So this is a good alternative.
I like the cleaning the bathroom while they're in the tub, too!

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

1. Fresh Direct for grocery delivery (we live in Brooklyn)

2. Get a cleaning lady if your budget affords it (we have one that cleans our 2-bed 2-bath apartment for 50 bucks, a no-brainer in my book)

3. CLean bottles, restock diaper bags, prep things for daycare/nanny the night before.

4. Make your husband help! Assign him some chores too.

5. Shop online! It is a HUGE time saver!!!!!!!

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

Alex's lunch is our dinner from the night before - that way I don't have to spend extra time preparing her lunch everyday. When I'm serving everyone, I put a small portion in a little container, put it in her lunchbox, and she's good to go.

I prepare everything for her - lay out her clothes, clean her sippy cups, get her lunchbox together, all the night before.

Having DH help is tremendous as well. While he makes dinner most nights, I'm tidying up the house, and getting her stuff together for the next day.

Re: Mommy time-saving tips...care to share?

I signed up for daily emails from this site 12 mintues to get organized

They give you a household task and the idea is that you get as much done as possible in 12 minutes and then walk away and go back to what you were doing before. I don't really stop at 12 minutes if I'm not done, but it was a good reminder for me of how much you can get done in a short time.