Ways to streamline your weeknights

September 6, 7:09 PMBoston Healthy Living ExaminerTina Haupert

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Over the past few months, I’ve received a number of comments and emails asking how I am able to accomplish and fit so much into my day. Let’s just say, it’s not easy! And, to be completely honest, I don’t sleep much! (Maybe I should make it a Monday Mini Goal for next week to sleep 7+ hours most nights?) I also never stop moving when I am at home. I’m always going from one task to the next– from dinner to blogging to cleaning to reading to bed. However, I’m not a machine. You have probably noticed that there are nights that I don’t blog at all. On those nights, I unwind and recharge.

With that said, here are some tips for getting more out of your weeknights:

• Clean every night: Sounds impossible, right? What I mean is clean superficially. Every night, I take 10 minutes to pick up random stuff around the house, sort through mail, load/run the dishwasher, and wipe-down the counters in the kitchen and bathroom. I save the most time-consuming tasks for the weekend, like vacuuming, dusting, laundry, etc.
• Exercise in the morning: Ok, so you might not be a morning person, but getting in my workout out before the day begins, gives me a couple of extra hours in the evening to get things done. Check out my tips for becoming a morning exerciser.
• Make large dinners: I actually like eating leftovers, so I often make meals that will last more than one day, like homemade pizza, casseroles, and pasta dishes. I often pair these “heavier” meals with a light, veggie-packed salad. I love coming home to a dinner that only needs to be reheated.
• Pack multiple lunches: I love eating homemade salads for lunch, so when I pack them at home, I make sure to pack more than one. It makes the week so much easier when I don’t have to think about making a lunch every day. My husband is really hardcore and packs 5 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Sunday nights for the entire work week.
• Plan TV nights/record your favorite shows: I love my DVR! I record all of my favorite shows and plan a night each week to watch all of them– minus the commercials.  I rarely watch TV otherwise.
• Schedule “Beauty” Nights: I do all of my time-consuming beauty routines at the same time on one night, instead of individually, which saves time in the long run. See above for ideas! 
• Only do laundry on weeknights: I hate wasting my weekends doing laundry, so I’d much rather fit it in during the week. Living in an apartment building also makes doing laundry very time-consuming because I often have to wait for a washer or dryer. Doing my laundry during the week when there is less “traffic” in the laundry room speeds up the process.
• Sunday Prep: Preparing for the week on Sunday nights also helps streamline my weeknights.