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Let’s face it: modern parenting life is hard. People are busier than ever and that definitely includes our kids! And we’re just talking school, work, friend, and family schedules. Should we just resign ourselves to a packed schedule once we add in a time intensive sport like ice hockey? No, and here’s why: We can set up rhythms that let us simplify mom life and get done what needs done and free up some white space on our calendar.
Food Prep
I sometimes marvel at the sheer amount of time spent in the kitchen day-to-day. Often it feels like I have barely finished cleaning up one meal and need to start on the next and you probably feel the same. I was honestly going bonkers just trying to keep my student athletes well-fed. I knew I had to make some changes because as much as I would love to be in the kitchen all day making tasty meals and snacks, that just isn’t feasible. I have a business to run and, of course, hockey schedules to follow.
The first change I made was to simplify my idea of a meal. Not every dinner needs to be some extravagant design. Working around a simple meal formula for healthy meals that use budget friendly and common ingredients has done wonders to make meal times quick and easy.
Second, I really leaned into food prep. What could I make ahead and store safely? For the most part this the protein parts of our meals. I learned how to use an Instant Pot to batch cook a week’s worth of meat and rice all in under an hour. Chopping veggies that are ready to be put in the Ninja Convection Oven is also a big help when it comes putting a weekly meal prep together.
Are there core ingredients for meals you and your family enjoy on a regular basis that could be prepped at one time each week?
Habit and Task Stacking
Habit stacking is something I have been doing for a while, but just realized what it was called recently. While there is a whole official method, I just have my own personal way: try to stack habits that go together to make them easier to remember and get done consistently.
A great example from my life is that every Monday and Friday I vacuum and dust the house. I could piecemeal these tasks day-to-day, but I know that I would be more likely to get bogged down with the everydayness of the tasks. It just wouldn’t get done.
By maintaining the rhythm of dust then vacuum I’ve given myself a task that is manageable to get done every week.
Are there any tasks or habits that naturally complement each other that you could stack to ensure they get done and simplify the scheduling or thought process to complete?
Capsule Wardrobe
I am a minimalist at heart, especially when it comes to clothes. I admire people who can put together an outfit without a second thought, but I know I am not that person and have embraced it. I cannot afford to contribute to decision fatigue on a skill I do not possess.
Having a capsule wardrobe where I have a select number of items to choose from and that all mix and match has made my mornings much smoother. I know exactly what I have in my closet and every piece is used consistently, so no wasted money on clothes either.
There are lots of great articles online about how to pare down your wardrobe and create a capsule wardrobe, but I have found the easiest way to start is the hanger method. Basically, you turn all the hangers in your closet around so that they are hanging from the backside of the bar. When you use an item rehang the hanger the correct way. After a month you should see what items are going unused and which you reach for over and over.
Are there pieces of your closet that you love wearing and reach for again and again that can be a part of your starter capsule wardrobe?
Are there other tips or hacks you have found to simplify certain aspects of your life or schedule? Share one below so we can all start simplifying our lives as much as possible!