Well, folks, we’re well into 2019 so time for all of us to abandon our New Year’s Resolutions. We’re fed up with flavorless diets and crowded gyms and ready to resume our normal mid-year routines. Or maybe we’re adjusting our lives to fit the goals we’ve set and cruising along just fine. Maybe you’re down a jean size and feeling amazing, not missing sugar and cheese and the convenience of drive thrus and greasy burgers. For me, in the midst of all of the new year self-improvement, I do my best to set reasonable daily goals for myself and choose my calories as wisely as possible. I try to be honest about what works for me and my family. Because truth be told, things would look much different if I didn’t have to prepare meals for two conveniently picky kids or live by a brutal schedule that defies my nocturnal archetype. I’ve learned in my time as a parent that my goals and resolutions often have to yield to those more pressing activity schedules and homework demands. Finding the balance between paralyzing mommy guilt and necessary ‘me time’ has become a bit of an obsession for me and my Pinterest-perfect parental generation. I don’t have a magical potion that allows me to split my chromosomes, but I do have a few #momhacks to help me stay (or at the very least feel) productive.
This series is dedicated to maximizing efficiency for busy mommies by minimizing some of the minutia of mundane tasks. Whether you are a working mom or a sort-of working mom or a full-time momming mom, we can all agree that sometimes the duties of maintaining a household and keeping our kids happy and healthy can be exhausting. Homework, afterschool activities, and managing chores can easily become motherhood’s maddening monotony. And when you’re trying to carve out time for yourself to exercise or meditate or just visit the loo in peace, the idea of shaving five or fifteen minutes out of your day can be glorious, nay invigorating.
Listen, I’m really no expert here. I’m just doing my best to get the most out of those fleeting waking hours. I mean, I guess from a theoretical/normative sense, I know quite a bit about efficiency (that’s what a Ph.D. will get you I suppose…), but it’s relatively useless in my #momlife. I don’t sleep nearly enough (more on that later), I’ve been known to brush my teeth in the shower (I stopped out of fear of electrocution when I started using a Sonicare…), I eat breakfast on my way to work, and I allocate my evening free time into two-minute-two-second commercial break increments even though most of my television is pre-recorded.
So let’s start with a few hacks I’ve found to make the most of the millions of errands all moms are required to run. The hope here is that your task list starts to feel more like a scenic jog than an all-out frantic sprint.
Mommiefficient Errands
Minimize & Streamline
I realize for most moms a trip to Target is considered a staycation. There are few things as satisfying as browsing the Dollar Spot in the quiet company of a warm latte. We rarely get a full Saturday to browse at the mall anymore so we learn to master the “buy everything online we love; try it on; decide we hate it; and then have to go to the store to return it anyway” shopping habit. Generally speaking though, errands are a royal time-consuming pain. I went through a phase not too long ago when I would shop at three different grocery stores because everything we needed wasn’t available at just one place (The Central Market pickle and olive bar is in a class by itself, amIright?). Now I challenge myself to go long stretches without stepping foot in a grocery store – my current record streak is 17 days.
So how do I do it? That’s right – I take FULL advantage of grocery pick up, Amazon Prime Now, and the occasional retail grocery delivery. Walmart Pickup is my current go-to mainly because you can get craft supplies, birthday gifts, and your weekly food haul in one fell swoop (more on this later..). It’s especially efficient and downright amazing for families who have to lug diapers, cat litter, or other ridiculously bulky items from shelf to shopping cart to car. The time it takes to set up an account and place your grocery order (even the first time when you have to find all of your favorite items) is minimal compared to the added annoyance of actually grocery shopping, and your kids can scream in the comfort of their own home while you’re shopping instead of distracting you by trying to sneak snacks into the cart. Plus, online grocery shopping has helped me with list management, menu planning and, ultimately, with our food budget.
Bring Errands to You
In our Amazon-obsessed world (guilty!), we certainly appreciate the convenience of two-day shipping and round-the-clock deliveries. One of the best things about urban living these days is that we can have most everything delivered most anytime. I suggest taking the at-home service one step further and bring errands to you. More often than not, we can check off those mundane tasks without even leaving the house. For example, our dry cleaning gets picked up and delivered, and it’s the same cost as most drop off launderers. I use Avon Cleaners. No more fear of wrinkle-prone work shirts being piled into the back of my car + one less to-do on my weekly list = win/win!
I recently brought one of my least favorite, and frankly, often ignored errands to my driveway – the dreaded carwash. I used to get around to having my car washed about four times a year. I’m talking about the exterior AND interior snack and sticky eradicating carwash we all know we need but can never make time for. It didn’t float to the top of my list unless we could make a full meal out of the crumbs in the carpet so every time I sat in the sun baking and waiting for the swirling towel of clean, I would calendar my next carwash. Then I would promptly ignore the carwash reminder because, well, who has time for a carwash on the regular?
Now my secret to the monthly, scheduled, only slightly-filthy-car carwash is a monthly onsite service. I’m not going so far as to say it was life changing, but it sure does feel nice to do my chores whist my car is getting cleaned just outside. If you’re in Dallas and interested in trying out this not-quite-euphoria-inducing-but-pretty-darn-close service, check out The Waterboys. I’ve used their monthly service for more than a year, and I highly recommend them. The Waterboys will come to your home or office, and their gift certificates are a unique treat for your favorite boss or teacher. (BONUS: The Waterboys will give Bon Mot readers a 25% discount on any mobile cleaning service. Just visit their website and enter BonMot at checkout.)
Find an Order
For those errands we have no choice but to run, it’s often helpful to plan ahead to maximize efficiency. I know it sounds easy enough, but if you’re like me, when you realize you have an unexpected 30-minute window before carpool, you decide to spend it shopping for holiday décor at Target instead of popping by the post office or returning those boots that have been bouncing around in your trunk for a month. I once read that you should run your errands in a clockwise direction from your house. In other words, focus on right turns. My errand order sometimes depends on the goals I’ve set for myself for the day. If I’m searching for an outfit for an event, I often start at the place where I’m most likely to find what I’m looking for (Nordstrom, always Nordstrom). More often than not my order is determined by urgency and importance, regardless of right turns. In other words, I triage my errands. If my gas light is on, and I have a package to mail (that doesn’t fit into a prepaid Priority USPS box because I send those from my front porch), and I have a library book to return, the gas light wins every time. Because my impeccable history of fine avoidance and thoughtful care package won’t matter if my car runs out of gas.
I sincerely hope one or a few of these tips helps to fuel your errand-running practice. Look for more posts in this series over the coming weeks. If you have ideas about Mommieffiency or some tried and true shortcuts, please share them below.
“Any kid will run an errand for you, if you ask at bedtime.” — Red Skelton