Warning…this post contains some raw, unfiltered truths about my journey to proficiency. You may find some of what you’re about to read…well, abrasive…but I’ve gotta keep it real for those of you who may need some creative ideas for managing the daily tasks in your homes. You’ve been warned. 🙂
I mentioned that I’m a working MoM of 3 littles, right? And in case you’re unfamiliar with the term MoM, it means Mother of Multiples. In my case, five-year-old boy/girl twins. We also have an adorable and accomplished 11-year-old daughter. And we both work very demanding full time jobs. So, life is hectic, to say the least. When the twins were born, remembering if the babies had eaten and been changed took precedence over when the vacuum was last run. We’ve all been there, right? Crazy work load at the office, conflicting carpool schedules, dogs need to go to the vet, bills need to be paid, husband wants a date, and you need a pedicure! And if you’re experiencing some of the same dilemmas, please keep reading.
The simple fact is that it’s all about time management. Time is the one commodity that is truly impossible to get back, and so through the years I’ve learned to use technology to help me manage my time to the fullest capacity. Unfortunately, not all of these great solutions were available to 6 years ago. So I’m sharing some back story to help you understand how real the struggle actually was. Stay with me…
When the twins were born, grocery store visits became an absolute nightmare. For starters, shopping carts weren’t (and still aren’t) large enough to hold two infant carriers. So I could never do major shopping trips because the groceries had to fit into the back of the double-wide stroller. That meant more frequent trips, and more questions from well-meaning shoppers who just couldn’t resist the urge to inquire. I tried to smile and be patient for the first couple of months, but after a while, my responses became sarcastic and short. I was a tired MoM on a mission to get groceries and get home to keep the babies on schedule for feedings and naps!
“Are they identical?” No, he’s a boy, in the blue, and she’s a girl, in the pink.
“But they look identical.” I promise, they aren’t.
“Are they natural?” Um, yes…what do unnatural twins look like?
“Two for one!” No, it’s more like two for the price of four.
“Do twins run in your family?” They do now.
“Here comes double-trouble.” Yep, and double my time because I’m talking to you instead of shopping.
“You’ve got your hands full!” And you, are a genius!
“Awe, I wish I had twins.” Blank…silent..stare.
“I’ll bet you are all done!” Well, thanks for figuring that out for us!
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It was tough. I learned how to make it work, but there are a few things I’m using now that I really wish I had back then…robots. Apps and robots! Here are a few of my absolute favorites. I really hope this helps, if you’re having trouble pulling it all together.
Shipt is an on-demand grocery delivery service that has changed my life! Think of it as your own personal grocery shopper that will deliver your groceries to you in less than an hour. Gone are the days to negotiating with my littles on why they can’t have the cookies, the “are they twins” questions, and the “I need to go potty,” while you’re trying to decide on Ragu or organic pasta sauce. No more. Now, I simply take the list that I compile during the week, and hop on over to my Shipt app. From there I make my selections…shop by “sale” items, by department, or by custom search. So easy! For a minimal monthly or annual fee, I get a couple hours of my life back every week, and still keep our home stocked with groceries! Worth…every…penny.
When I’m firing from all cylinders, I tend to forget things…a lot. Like, what I need from the grocery store. So, when I first started using Shipt, I’d find myself struggling to remember everything I needed from the store. That’s when I started putting Alexa, our Amazon Echo robot, to work.
I realize that the jury is still out on Alexa with many consumers. And I’m actually still learning how to use her to her fullest capacity. But for now, she’s awesome at helping me with lists. So, what used to go like this…
Go to pantry for new paper towel roll. Realize it’s the last one. Go to kitchen junk drawer for pen and sticky note to add paper towels to the list.
“Girl twin, did you take the pen from the drawer?” “Yes, Mommy.” “Bring it down here, now, please!”
Ten minutes later, girl twin arrives with the pen. I grab it, but don’t remember what I needed it for. Girl twin gets a talking to about putting things back where they belong.
Squirrel! Paper towels never make it to the list.”
…To…
“Alexa, add paper towels to my shopping list.”
Done and DONE. Now when I pop open my Shipt app, I’m ready to rock-n-roll with the list I’ve compiled all week.
We have two dogs. I know…don’t ask. One of them is a 160lb mastiff. So, daily vacuuming is an absolute necessity. But since ain’t nobody got time for that, we put Rosie, our Roomba robot, to work. We schedule Rosie to run daily in the highly trafficked areas. She’s awesome because she runs seamlessly from carpet/rugs to hard flooring, and then finds her way back to her charging station on her own.
Although I still need to run the vacuum each week, what used to take about an hour several times a week, now only takes about 35-40 minutes, a couple of times a week. Again, worth-every-penny.
Incorporating technology into helping me manage our home has been a game changer. Every minute that a robot saves for me, is one that I gain to do what I absolutely love to do, which is enjoying my family.
What are some of your favorite technology game changers?