7 time saving tips for busy parents. (AKA every parent).

Children are tiny time thieves. There is just no way around it.

No matter how lovable or cute a child is, each and every one of them seems to be born with the ability to zap time away, and frankly when faced with the choice between cleaning up and chasing bubbles in the yard with my kids, I know which one I’d choose.

As a mum, the days seem to fly by, and the list of things you need to get accomplished within a time frame gets longer and longer. So in the interest of helping out our fellow mums, I’ll start by sharing the best time saving tips I’ve come across, so that maybe one of us might actually be able to finish a lukewarm cup of tea in between back to back games of hide and seek.

Just as an FYI, this post is sponsored by Omo Ultimate. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

1. Shower at night.

Attempting to leave the house with children in tow is like mission impossible most mornings. Packing enough food to feed a small army, water, change of clothes, toys, games, nappies, wipes, the list goes on.

Personally, I don’t trust my children enough to let them roam unsupervised through the house while I attempt a three second rinse off in the morning, so instead I move my shower routine to the evening. There is something so therapeutic about being able to wash your hair in peace without wondering whether the kids are trying to ride the dog.

2. Simplify your beauty routine.

Yes, it’s true that as a mum you do have to forfeit a lot of ‘me time’, but that doesn’t mean that you have to walk around looking like Hagrid from Harry Potter.

Forget contoured faces and smokey eyes during the day and invest in a gradual tanning moisturiser at night to fake a holiday glow (hah!) and become a pro at a polished pony tail.

Keep it simple with tinted moisturiser, mascara and bronzer and you can still emerge into the general public looking somewhat presentable.

3. Feeding time at the zoo. 

I don’t know what it is about young children but they just turn feral at five o clock. It’s like they are programmed to implode.

Forget cooking a feast in a Tuscan villa, if Masterchef really wanted to impress me with their invention challenges they’d throw fifty children under five into the kitchen with the contestants. The winner of the challenge would have to come up with some half reasonable nutritious meal while various children attached themselves to their legs and had earthshaking meltdowns. Bonus points if you keep the sharp and hot things away from the small people.

If you can, set aside one day a month and stock up on freezer meals. Better still; get a food swap going with some friends. It’s where everyone cooks enough of one dish to go around the group so you all have a mix of freezer meals on standby for manic hour.

4. Nappy boxes are great for storing old children’s clothes.

We all have heaps of them laying around and they stack well on top of each other. I just keep one in the corner of my son’s room and as I notice him growing out of something, I chuck it in and seal it up when it’s full.

5. Before I had kids, washing was something you did on Sunday night in prep for the week ahead.

Now, the washing machine is the closest thing to perpetual motion I think I’ve ever seen. My tip here is just use something that works to begin with. Don’t bother attempting to make your own washing powder (I speak from experience during my hippy phase) it doesn’t work, its time consuming and messy. Get the decent stuff to start with so you don’t have to spend time soaking, or do the same load four times.

6. Store sheet sets inside one of the pillow cases.

I got this one from the master herself, Martha Stewart, so you know it’s good. Not only does it make the linen cupboard tidy, but when you need a fresh set of sheets in the night (toilet training anyone) you can just grab one item rather than rummage around for matching pillow slips and fitted sheets.

7. Get yourself a ‘gift cupboard’. 

Yeah, yeah, we all like to put thought and love into gifts and blah, blah, blah but frankly, for me to take my kids to the shops to source you a gift from the heart, you’re gonna have to be pretty darn special. Mavis next door just doesn’t cut it and so, will love the teacup set I got six months ago on sale. Same goes for cards. Buy plenty of blank cards.

How do you find time in your busy schedule to just enjoy some down time with your kids?

We want to help you focus on the moments that matter, so over the next few months we will be giving three lucky winners a $2000 voucher each, for a time-saving service around the house or quality family time experience!

And that’s not all- another 20 runners up will receive a prize to the value of $100!

To enter, click here and tell us in 25 words or less “What’s the best time saving tip anyone’s ever given you?”

 

Staying on top of daily chores and activities can be a challenge but thanks to OMO Ultimate Liquid, there’s one less thing to worry about. New OMO Ultimate Liquid actively lifts 48 hour dried in stains, giving you more time to do what’s most important to you.