TIME SAVING TUESDAY -- CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PERFECTIONIST

So maybe I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Often I find the results of my perfectionism to be absolutely satisfying. It keeps me motivated, focused, driven and I feel good about the completed task I've worked so hard on. But then there are times where I'm left feeling depleted, exhausted, overwhelmed and disappointed.
That is why I absolutely LOVE this WOMAN'S DAY ARTICLE, featured in the August 2011 edition. Let's face it, many of us struggle with perfectionism. It may be a desire to be the perfect SPOUSE, the perfect PARENT, the perfect STUDENT, the perfect CHILD, the perfect EMPLOYEE (this could go on & on). Regardless of how you live out your perfectionism, you've probably found their can be perks at times but pitfalls at other times.
I'm generally a perfectionist when it comes to the "state" of my home if company is coming over. I've tried relaxing on this and have had moments of success, you know, like not wiping down all the baseboards or re-organizing the tupperware cupboard. Real success, huh? Luckily, "The Hubs" is a bit more rational with such issues and offers good balance in this arena. He is also extremely helpful in times where I just can't let things go, like a couple weeks ago, when I thought surely the whole house needed mopping before we left for vacation. What would the house-sitter think of all those dust-bunnies?
Let's face it, when it comes down to it, it's like Heather Lende says, "Life's not a contest, and no one gets a prize for the cleanest kitchen."

So in the spirit of "time-saving," I've hung up my perfectionist ways this week 

and here are some of the results:

Front Entry

Living Room

Bedroom

We're also not having any company over until this mess is cleaned up. 

C'mon, I have my limits people!

TIME SAVING TUESDAY -- KITCHEN TIPS

Squeeze Now, Use Later

If you have leftover lemons and limes from a cocktail party, squeeze them and freeze the juice in an ice-cube tray. Once they're frozen, store the cubes in zippered plastic bags and use them for recipes that call for fresh lemon or lime juice. (One cube equals about one tablespoon of juice.) Or just pop a couple in your water for some extra flavor!

Minimize Trips to the Garbage Can

While preparing a meal, keep a big bowl on the counter. Put all your chopping, cutting, and peeling discards into it, then make one trip to the garbage instead of 10.

Since we've started gardening, we actually have a compost bin we keep under the sink for all our scraps. This not only cuts down on our trash but also helps create great soil for our future crops!

Get Ready for Morning the Night Before

Set out everything you can―dry breakfast ingredients, clothes, backpacks and bags, and lunches―before going to bed. It means fewer things to think about when you wake up and you're getting ready to leave the house. Anything that minimizes thinking in the morning is worth a shot for me!

What about you? What sorts of things do you do to save time in the kitchen. Link up below and share your ideas with others.

TIME SAVING TUESDAY -- FREEZER COOKING

Don’t let the title scare you. 

I’m a newbie to freezer cooking and can’t hold a candle to people with these results!

But I’ve been intrigued by the idea for some time so decided to give it a whirl “in moderation.”

I imagine if you are a single person you may have stopped reading at this point, assuming there is nothing here that will apply to you. Well let me tell you, YOU ARE WRONG.

Here are the excuses reasons I hear over and over again about why cooking at home is not desirable from my single friends:

• I’m just one person, so much goes to waste
• I don’t like eating the same food over and over again
• I don’t like eating alone
• It’s just as cheap to eat out
• The work isn’t worth the time/mess

I hear ya! But I actually think freezer cooking can actually address most of these issues and save you money in the process.

Here are just a few basic tips for starting freezer cooking:

      1. Pick 1-2 recipes

I generally base my recipes on food that’s been on sale. Recently Smart & Final had Jenni-O Turkey for 2/$5. This is the cheapest I’ve seen it in San Diego. I bought 4 lbs.

2. Buy all the supplies

I decided I would make a batch of sloppy jo and some taco meat, so I made sure to have all the ingredients for both recipes on hand.

3. Choose one chunk of time to do all the cooking

On a Sunday night while Gary (the Hubs) was watching basketball I enjoyed whipping up some meals in about 30 minutes. I made 1 lb. of taco meat and 1 lb. of sloppy jo. I put ½ of each in the fridge for meals this week and the other ½ in freezer containers for some other time.

4. Assess your results

Not only did we have two dinners and leftovers already prepared this week, I have another two dinners and leftovers for a week when I don’t feel like cooking or we’re short on time. It took me 30 minutes to prepare 4 meals for 2 people. If I’d prepared these meals individually at different times it would have taken me an hour.

Obviously these results are specific to our family (a family of 2 adults only). But I think the same principles can be applied whether you are single or a family of 10.

So how about it? Who’s willing to give it a try? Just once? Leave a comment below if you are willing to try freezer cooking and I’ll send you one of my favorite freezer cooking recipes.

Do you have a freezer cooking recipe you'd like to share? Link up below!

TIME SAVING TUESDAY -- Simplify Your Wardrobe

Five years ago today “the Hubs” & I were in Beijing, China. We had just celebrated our 1^st anniversary and set off for the adventure of a lifetime. 

We spent 8 weeks traveling throughout Asia and about 8 months living and traveling throughout Australia. Seriously? I know. It was AMAZING!

You might be asking, what does this have to do with saving money? You've heard it a million times, "TIME IS MONEY." Well, let me tell ya about the time I saved those 10 months. This is how I looked when that adventure first started.

That was it. That was all I had: a backpack, a camera bag and a travel pillow. I didn’t think it was much that morning we left but as the days and weeks went on, I quickly realized how much more I could do without.

As I look back through the photos of those 10 months (which I do fairly often) I basically see myself wearing the same 4-5 outfits over and over and over again. And at times I even take pride in the simplicity we were choosing at that time. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely days where I wished for variety, nights I wanted to wear that special dress, and moments of shame, sporting stains I had acquired and couldn’t get rid of.

But more than any of those memories the lesson that has stuck with me most: SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE. I was amazed at how little time it took me to get ready each day. With limited choices, there’s no trying something on and changing your mind. You just go with it. There’s no standing in front of a closet stuffed full of clothes you hardly ever wear wondering if those pants still fit or what will match that one shirt. You grab what’s on top and put it on, end of story.

It’s been four years since we returned from that adventure and I find myself with a rather full closet and mornings often wasted thinking about what to wear and trying things on and taking them off.  And then out of nowhere, I remember. I remember the simplicity of that backpack and the minimal choices I had and I try to pull a few things off their hangers and put them in a donation pile. I also have a little conversation with myself about why I don’t need to go shopping and that I can live without a new pair of shorts, even though it is summer and Gap is having a great sale. 

What about you? What things do you do to save a little time?