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2. Do things the night before on weeknights: I check my planner to see what's on tap for the next day, lay out my clothes and jewelry, fill up my water bottle and make sure my breakfast and lunch are all together in the fridge or on the counter. I can be up, showered, and out of the house in 20 minutes in the morning since I'm not dicking around with that stuff. I like my sleep.
3. Drink 80 ounces of water by noon. This helps me with sinus issues, headaches, and overall health.
4. Plot out errands efficiently. Doubling back and inefficient use of time pisses me off so I group errands together, make sure my lists are ready, and keep my reusable bags in the trunk.
5. Request books in advance at the library. I know I'm always going to have something I want to read ready for me. I use Goodreads to keep track of books. I'm never without a to-read list and I love it.
6. Use cuticle gel and take care of my cuticles every week when I do my nails. And I do do them every week. I do not need to be walking around with janky ass chipped nails.
7. Plan to arrive early. I am without the stress of running late 99.5% of the time in life.
8. Not expect perfection from myself or others.
9. My Holy Grail - My Daily Dos: make the bed, wipe down the kitchen, deal with dishes, wipe down baths, spend 10 minutes picking up around the house and setting things to rights. This ensures that things never get too bad even if I skip a day here and there.
10. Value the opinion of my dogs over most people...and accept the fact that I'm never going to be able to eradicate dog hair from my home or life.
And of course, the kitchen version of this has its own post: did you see 10 things I do to make life easier in the kitchen?
What do you do to make daily life easier?
What do you do to make daily life easier?
I need to learn to say No more often and not feel guilt. I like to spend 10 minutes before bed checking everything over for the next day and getting a few things ready for the next day. Seamus wakes me early so I have a lot of time in the mornings to get my lunch together whether I like it or not.
ReplyDeleteI am working on number 1, but I definitely have number 7 down. I hate to be late, and I rarely am!
ReplyDeleteI am pretty good at saying no, but terrible about doing a quick clean-up around the house before bed. I know my morning goes more smoothly when I do, I'm just so tired by the end of the day. Does that cuticle remover stuff really work? My cuticles are one of the main reasons I don't paint my nails, because they always look all raggedy and I don't want to draw attention to it.
ReplyDeletei swear, you took this right out of my head. i'll straight up say no to an invite if it's too late or if i just don't feel like going. the other day a friend texted me and invited me to his bday party and our text convo went something like this:
ReplyDeletehim: hey! come out on friday; it's my birthday!
me: where and what time?
him: downtown at [random bar] at 10pm.
me: WTF are you serious? dude, that's like 30mins after my bedtime. why so late??
him: puh-leeese? i hardly go out and it's my birthday!
me: i hardly go out too and i'm an old hag. make it earlier.
him: it's MY birthday! just come!
me: that's way too late dude; have a good one!
i think he's mad at me LOL.
-kathy
Vodka and Soda
Ten.....how old is he? Lol.
DeleteI have learned to say no, but I need to learn to do it without the guilt. I am borderline obsessive compulsive about getting everything ready the night before, and don't really feel like I can relax until that is done.
ReplyDelete80 ounces by noon?? I'm impressed; I would be thrilled to get that in a day.
ReplyDeleteI have been working on my "put the house in order every night" routine and you're right - it is nice. I like coming home to a house that looks like it's waiting for me, not like a tornado blew through!
love this list! I need to make a similar list and actually stick to it. love the idea of doing little things around the house everyday for 10-20 minutes or so, so that things don't pile up. and the pugs' opinions are definitely number one!
ReplyDeleteYup. I need to do these things. Except the cuticle stuff- I already do that! That stuff is magical! PJ threw one of my bottles in the toilet and I almost had to sell him to a gypsy.
ReplyDeleteI try to write my grocery list in aisle order, so produce first, frozen food, bread, etc. Then when I check out I put them in order on the belt the way they go in the cupboard. So all cans go on the belt together, all produce, all cleaning stuff etc. It really saves time unless the cashier can't bag groceries right which is usually about 90% of the time.
ReplyDeleteValue the opinion of pets over people haha... I laughed at that one. Good list!
ReplyDeletePug in glasses!!!! So wise!!!! I die. I always listen to what my dogs have to say. They are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI try to pick up around the house every day as well. My counters are always clean, the bathrooms are always presentable, dishes are always done....dog hair is NEVER gone. It is a great accessory though.
I like to keep an ongoing grocery list on my fridge every week so I never forget anything at the store. As soon as I finish a product, on the list it goes.
I definitely need to take up some of these my mornings are always chaotic and by the time i get to work I am angry and stressed out. I try to clean the kitchen before I leave so I can start dinner immediately when I get home makes things a little easier between work baseball etc
ReplyDeleteOMG number 4! I can't tell you how many arguments I've had with Kevin when he all of a sudden needs to go to this random place not on my planned out route. ah! #9 is great! I do most of those little things but adding the couple others would be great. Love this list : )
ReplyDeleteAgreed completely. I must always be early. And Hawkeye's opinion reigns supreme. I've been known to say "nah, I can't go out tonight, my dog doesn't want me to." More than once. I need to be better at #6 though, nail care just never ranks on my to do list.
ReplyDeleteAnd in saying that, I just looked down and realize my pinky nails look like I regularly snort cocaine. I need a manicure.
Deleteall ridiculously valid, Steph! Though for whatever reason lately, my to-do lists stress the shizz out of me, instead of feeling accomplished, lol
ReplyDeleteAll good stuff. Agree 100% on never being late, I err on the side of early. #youneverknowabouttraffic I have my coffee maker ready to go the night before. Even tho I do not have to be up and out(eternally grateful for this!), I need the pot ready to go. Love to hear those beans grinding. I need to get that Sally Hansen stuff pronto. I always clean up as I cook/bake, too. Carpe diem this sunny day! Love your MOMMA
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I wish I did half of these things. I feel like there's just not enough time in the day to plan ahead, but if I really thought about it, I'm probably wasting a lot of time doing things I could have prepared for.
ReplyDeleteSo wise! Lol, Brie and I were talking about the blue cuticle gel that you both use. A good friend of mine always posts IG pics of her nail designs, but her cuticles are gnarly. Brie was saying it would make you shudder!
ReplyDeleteLove how you do daily mini clean ups! I definitely have tried implementing that since you first shared.
ReplyDeleteAnd saying no is so hard but I'm getting better at that too!
80 oz is impressive! I was feeling good about drinking like 70 before the end of the school day which is 3.
ReplyDeleteI try to do as much as I can the night before as I enjoy my sleep and want things ready to just grab in the morning. So, I set my coffee maker, have lunches prepared, and my outfit all ready to go in the morning. This way I can sleep in more and walk around like a zombie and just grab everything and head out the door :-P
ReplyDeleteYou may just be my hero now! I am finally learning how to say no without feeling guilty and I am all about getting things ready the night before so that I can sleep as late as I want.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! Being able to say no to things is something everyone needs to learn how to do. I know that I'd go crazy if I didn't! Something that makes my life easier is making sure I get enough sleep, or else I'm groggy for the WHOLE day and just thrown off.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...not running errands in an order or time that makes sense drives me NUTS! My husband is notorious for this.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've gotten in the habit of showering the night before and getting clothes ready for the next day. HUGE time saver.
I am the queen of to-do lists and having everything prepared for work the night before. Guess what two things I have been slacking on lately? This led to me posting yesterday about how much I have to do and how stressed I am. This was a huge reality check for me. If I don't stay organized, I. flip. out. I have no idea how people regularly function without planning things out! It just doesn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think you need to switch careers and be a life coach!! I am serious! You seem to have such a level head...give us tips on how to be stress free and enjoy every inch of life, plus you are pretty dang witty! Want me to be your first client?
ReplyDeleteI too try to do most of these, especially requesting books in advance from the library, since our library is closed for renovations.
ReplyDeleteThat cuticle gel is THE best. I haven't done my nails in a few weeks. They're naked and they look like shit.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do the water thing... I've tried... I just NEED pop w/in reach at all times!
Love this! Definitely important to drink a ton of water and do as much as you can the night before. Have a great Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteLindsey // MoreAwesomerBlog.com
Efficiency and grouping errands helps a lot! Plus, who wants to spend more than they have to on gas, anyway?
ReplyDeleteI'm always about 15 minutes for things, because you never know if there will be traffic or what. Plus, it is nice manners to be on time. Saying no is a very important one!! A person can only do so much and don't need to be everything to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list!!! I cannot stress #2 enough!!! Makes life so much easier, and I too love me some sleep:)
ReplyDeleteI hate being late. I get seriously angry when I am late or something/someone is making me late.
ReplyDeleteI don't do this daily but whenever I wash my sheets I always put them inside one of the pillow cases to make storing them easier. That way I'm not hunting down each individual part of the sheet. I always pick up my house right before going to sleep and wipe down my bathroom sink and kitchen counters. A lifelong goal of mine is to always do the dishes everyday but sometimes it doesn't happen. It's a work in progress.
I am the total opposite in the morning; I would rather get up early to have enough time to do my morning things and relax a little bit than be rushed. If I have to wake up, shower, get ready, and immediately leave without being able to have breakfast, watch the Today Show, and screw around on the Internet for a little bit, I am all out of whack all day.
ReplyDeleteAnd my dogs are the best judges of character I know.
Number 10 is THE BEST. I should definitely say "no" more often. It's a work in progress. I'm all about having my breakfast and lunch ready to go the night before. If I start off the day eating crap then I feel like crap the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to drink water more often.
ReplyDeleteI'm also using Goodreads! I've had an account awhile but never used it. Now I am!
Gah! I love that the pug is wearing glasses at the end! I really should wipe down the shower everyday, because when it gets to be bad I let it get worse and then I still don't do anything about it. That and the window treatments and fans. Those things are a bitch to clean! I'm learning to do my lunch and breakfast the day before.
ReplyDeletemaking things easier.... I wake up? Does that count. Oh and I put on clothes. Definitely makes things easier when I wear a bra. But really, I am getting better with no... but I can ignore the dishes like no body. We are using paper plates currently until that resolves! I do plan things out in advance..make sure Bird has school stuff by front door, ect. And if I am late...something is seriously wrong. If you're early you are on time. On time you are late. Late and you're out. I live by it!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great list and so many ideas. I used to do so many of these things but have lax lately. Now I'm strict about only doing what makes me happy and is beneficial for my family. I guess that does make my life easier...less drama!
ReplyDeleteSoooo many of these are useful to me. Or all of them, really. Thanks for the list! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is all so genius. And, I am jealous of every single one. Shit is so crazy, I'm like, "Where do I start?" We are about to move, and I'm going to use my new house as a chance to get rid of unneeded clutter, and to start systems for managing things. I hate that most of my anxiety comes from my own disorganization.
ReplyDeleteI try to do most of these things! I especially hate not being efficient when it comes to running errands. I put off going to the grocery store for three days, because I didn't have any other errands to run or reason to leave the house.
ReplyDeleteI love this post - it's a great reminder because most of these things are things I've tried and KNOW they help, but don't always do them.
ReplyDeleteI wish my mom would mix a little bit of 8 into 7 - she's always in a massive hurry and drives me crazy (literally - the other day I was late for my ID renewal appointment and running on an empty stomach and all the anxiety she was throwing around triggered my anxiety and made me dizzy. It's a wonder I made it to the police station and back).
OMG I'm embarrassed of my cuticles...perhaps I need to acquire some of that gel...
ReplyDelete