My little one is HUGE fan of Mickey Mouse. We DVR a few episodes weekly so he can watch his favorite mouse during the day. It’s a great time for me to get a few things done around the house and get organized. The bad news is that the episodes are usually only about 25 minutes! That’s tough. I love to cuddle with him and watch together sometimes too but I am a busy Working Mommy so I have to make the most of my time and get some things accomplished. I’ve figured out that it takes some planning but I can get a lot done in just 25-30 minutes!
*Meal Prep: I’m trying to do better about meal planning. Half of the battle is actually planning for the meal and sticking to it. It takes some time but once I have a meal prepped I can start baking/assembling so that dinner time isn’t such a fiasco. I can even get the table set and get cups/napkins ready to for the the crazy meal time. If this is all I get done in 25 minutes at least it’s a huge task! Check out some of our kid friendly meal ideas. These are frequently on my meal plan!
*Work Out: I’m trying also do better about getting in a quick workout. I have an elliptical so if I can get my shoes on, get the tv show on for my littlest, then I’m set for 25 minutes. Don’t have any work out equipment in your house? No problem! Try these super simple fitness tips from Nicole. You can do these anywhere and get in a good workout 🙂
*House Cleaning/Organizing: I’m not be best at cleaning but if I look at my list on how to stay organized I can do some de-clutter and feel better. If my daughter is home from school then I can use this time to look over papers/sign hw/get lunch ready for the next day.
*Laundry: I can easily start a load of laundry and sort some clothes during a 25 minute show. I can sort my kids’ clothes and get my daughter’s basket ready for her to put away later. Laundry isn’t my most favorite thing in the world to do, but it HAS to get done! I’ve experimented with different systems and found that it’s best for me to just do a load when I can.
*NOTHING: I rarely just do nothing but sometimes I can just need a little Mommy time-out! If I can get my kids settled on a show then sometimes 25 minutes will be some bliss time just for myself. I can watch Netflix or even work on the blog! I’d love to do this and enjoy a sweet treat for a little afternoon pick me up!
Now the question is what do I try and do first??
Shannon
Tiffany says
Sometimes doing absolutely nothing can do the body good! These are such great tips, thanks for sharing!
Shannon says
Yes! That’s my favorite thing to do, NOTHING!! 🙂
Brittany says
Great list! When I have about 30 minutes to myself I try to do laundry, put dishes away, or clean something! But like you said, sometimes the best use of 30 free minutes is a Mommy time-out!
Rachel @ Smart Mom Smart Ideas says
I love to use the in between moments we have through the day to make the most of small projects. These are great ideas for using 30 minutes. I especially love just doing nothing or I would probably sit and read a book as my nothing time.
Shannon says
Reading is great! I know when I start reading I don’t want to stop!!
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
I’m always amazed what I can get done in a very short amount of time – you just gotta get GOING. That’s the hardest part!
Echo says
This is a great list! I often try to get things done in the small window when my kids are behaving, LOL!
Kacie says
Thats a great list! Another thing I like to do if I only have a few minutes is to work on my planner. I either use the time to decorate it, or update anything that needs to be updated (bills, monthly calendar, any of my collections, etc). Sometimes there are small items in your planner that you can get done that you may have been putting off (usually the stuff you mentioned already above lol) but not have some time to get it all done and marked off :]
Faye says
Working out is good. I often have it in my head that it’s not a “real” workout unless it’s an hour or more, away at the gym, but now with kids that often means I get ZERO exercise in. So I have to change my mindset to embrace the 20-30 minute workouts I can do from home. Also love the point about doing nothing – I am trying to work on not feeling guilty just sitting down and doing nothing for 30 minutes. I think as women and especially moms we often feel we have to be productive every minute of the day, and that’s simply not true!
Angela @ Blooming On A Budget says
Sometimes half an hour is all you get to tackle chores around the house. Always a great idea to have a game plan.
Shannon says
True! Chores are no fun but it does make my day better!