Lareina Chavoya

“I have started doing my kids’ chores with them. Every Monday morning, we have a list of everything that needs to be done. I pick a couple of things off each child's list and do it for them. Chores go by faster and the entire house gets cleaned once a week. Then, the rest of the week all the kids have to do is small maintenance work here and there. Then we all get to enjoy a clean and organized place for school.”

“One thing that I know is huge for us is preparing/finding all clothes, shoes, Bibles, coats, etc. for church on SATURDAY morning (not Sunday) BEFORE breakfast. Inspiring because everyone would really like to eat. :) Even the van gets cleaned out, and ideally, something goes into the crockpot in the fridge for Sunday lunch, too. Sunday breakfast is very simple smoothies (or muffins made ahead).”

“This is something we started doing several years ago, and it has saved our family so much time during the course of the day.  Since many of our snacks/meals consist of something simple like a sandwich, toast, smoothie, or fruit and veggies slices, we have found that we save more time by using a paper plate, a paper towel, and/or a paper cup for eating and drinking. Tossing the paper products in the trash or mulch pile is faster than washing lots of dishes. Writing names on paper cups that will be used all day helps cut down on washing a bunch of cups that have accumulated in the sink from the day.”

“Mornings are usually pretty busy around our house. So, one thing I like to do to save time is prepare a small breakfast for my boys the night before. It’s usually something that can be stored in the fridge over night. For example, I pour some yogurt in a small, clear container that has a lid. Then, I portion out some granola and some berries if we have them. After that, I put them in little bags and place them on top of the yogurt container. Then, in the morning, the boys can just grab it, put it together, and enjoy. I never even have to step in the kitchen! This helps us get an early start on chores and schoolwork. This also works great for my husband’s days off. It allows us to sleep in a little longer without having to hear the kids banging on the door first thing in the morning asking for food.”