March 3 is Simplify Your Life Day, so here are a few tips for things I have done to simplify mine.
1. Unsubscribe
Unsubscribe from email lists that are no longer relevant to you. When my children were little tots, I signed up for many store email lists to get discounts, but my children are now too big for the clothes those stores sell. I set a goal to unsubscribe from at least 2 companies a week this year – I check my email each day, and I make it a point to think about whether I actually read those emails or go to those places. If I don’t, I unsubscribe.
2. Teach
Teach the kids to set out their outfits the night before. My girls have done this since they started school – each night they set out their outfits for the next day, so there is less drama in the morning. Now that they are in 5th and 6th grades, they even check the forecast to make sure they will be dressed for the weather!
3. Reminders
Set recurring alarms for everything. The alarm app on my phone keeps me on task for busy mornings, after-school pick-ups, etc. Heck, I have even heard that the Tooth Fairy uses hers to remind her of which houses she needs to stop at! I also rely heavily on my phone calendar for appointments and reminders. I used to think of it as a sign of forgetfulness, but now I think of it more as using the tools available to me.
4. Prepare
Batch meal prep and grocery shop online. For Winter Storm Delilah, I knew my kids would be home with enough notice that I spent the night before prepping food. We had enough prepared meals to last us 2 days, which was very helpful. I also batch grocery shop for school lunches – every 2 weeks I will incorporate lunch items run with our regular groceries, and I know that it’s enough to last 2 weeks, including drinks and snacks. This cuts back on unnecessary grocery runs. I do a fair bit of our grocery shopping online for pickup. It saves me from buying things we don’t need, and it saves me over an hour of walking through the store when I could be doing other things.
5. Shop Ahead
I keep a small stash of “kids’ friends” gifts on hand for last-minute birthday party invites. I keep a few smaller gifts on-hand that are good for my kid’s age group in case there is a last-minute birthday celebration to attend, so we don’t have to stress about running out to the store. I started doing this when we lived in a more remote area, and have kept it up since it became a habit.
If there is anything you do to simplify your life, please share it in the comments!
Let us help simplify Birthday party planning with our Birthday Party Guide!
