We’re all so busy, especially during the summer holidays as we spend our days trying to keep the kids entertained. As we work out where to take them next to get them out of the house, we also need to make sure all of the niggly daily things are still being done.
To make things a little easier, here are some essential life hacks to save time and free up five minutes for some ‘you’ time in-between trips to the park.
Cooking Tip
When it comes to cooking, time is precious. The one nifty meal-making hack that will ensure you can feed the kids after a day out involves defrosting meat.
If you’re planning on adding chicken to a dish and need to speed up the defrosting process, place the meat on a metal tray. Aluminium or stainless steel are great conductors of heat and this heat transfers to the meat, making the defrosting process faster.
Cleaning Tip
Vinegar is the multi-purpose cleaner that can shift grime easily. Scrub surfaces with white wine vinegar mixed with equal parts water to rid the limescale from your sink and clean the fridge and windows.
Break out the vinegar in the bathroom, too. Try filling a freezer bag or some cling film and tying it around your shower head. Leave overnight and give it a wipe.
Days Out Tip
Make navigating busy streets and attractions with little ones easier by planning as though you’re going abroad. Investing in travel-sized toiletries can make a huge difference to a day out. By having a mini tube of sun lotion, hand sanitiser and travel wash with you, you are planning for all eventualities as you wander around the zoo or beach.
Freezer bags are also great for messy clothes that need to be changed as well as your sandwiches and other picnic food.
Important Dates Tip
It’s easy to forget birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, especially when you’re distracted with trying to keep the children occupied during the holidays. Parcel delivery and courier services by companies like Parcel2Go.com make selecting delivery dates in advance easy, so you can send what you need when you need to send it without the last-minute panic.
Sending Messages Tip
Telling your partner where you are in the zoo/ park/ castle grounds via text or over Whatsapp can take a while. Save time by adding phrases you regularly use to your autofill options so that they can easily find you. For example, if you’re likely to be with the kids getting ice cream – and let’s face it, in this heatwave, aren’t we all? – then having an abbreviated version saved can make message-sending faster.
Will you be trying and testing these hacks? What time-saving tricks are keeping you going during the six-week break?
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