“Time is what we want most and what we use worst.” William Penn

“Like sands through the hourglass, these are the Days of our Lives…” Bet you’ve heard that line a time or two as a kid! Little did we know back then, they were obviously referring to quicksand and not the pristine white crystals you built sand castles with in Florida when you were six years old.

Like it or not, time entraps us as we become slaves to the clock. It dictates our days, while weekends and holidays slip away at the speed of light. That is, unless you’re doing burpees on a weekend. Then, I’m pretty sure God hit a pause on the time remote. Not fun. Anyway, back to my point…

If you’re sick and tired of battling the clock, here’s my top six time-saving hacks that will help conquer your day.

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1. COFFEE

You may not want to hear this, but I’ll shoot it straight to you. If you find yourself sitting in a long drive through or searching for an open parking spot each morning while pining for your cup of coffee before you begin your workday, you are wasting LOADS of time (and money, but that’s another subject).

What if I told you that you could make a stellar cup of joe at home in a tiny fraction of the time it takes to buy one, ANND it’s comparable to a popular coffee chain? Yes-for reals!

Enter Nespresso. With the ease of a Keurig but the quality of a coffee shop brew, Nespresso’s Vertuo and Citiz are cult favorites. Not only will it brew a killer espresso that will rock your socks, but you can also make lattes or cold-brew blends that will have you feeling like a barista in your own kitchen. Fifteen minutes spared? Check. Wallet feeling heavier? Double check.

2. CLEANING

If you have a dog or if you have a cat; if you have a kid whose food will miss his trap-then you’ll need a Roomba to suck up the floor’s crap. So how many of you sweep your kitchen or mudroom daily and it only looks good for a grand total of five minutes? How many of you have thrown in the towel and given up until your kids go off to college?

Listen- Roomba will at least make it look like you tried but with a fraction of the effort. You literally push a button and let it go do its thing! Under couches and beds, over rugs and hardwood floors-it may even get the areas you can’t (or won’t) get to.

The latest models have an app where you can program your Roomba to run daily at the same time to suck up all those crumbs and dust bunnies while no one is home. One word of precaution though- do NOT attempt to do this if you’re pet is not fully potty-trained. Smeared poo across all of your flooring is just not a good look (or smell) for anyone. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Luckily, not speaking from experience on this one!

3. LAUNDRY-

If you’re anything like me, laundry is never completely done. Like the loaves and fishes in the Bible, it just keeps magically multiplying.

What if I told you that Norwex has body towels and washcloths made from microfiber that can be used for an entire WEEK before they need to be washed? Listen, I wouldn’t joke about this because that would be just cruel. But they do, folks!

So here’s how we do it at the Oliphant house, each person has a different color towel assigned to them. We all have our own color-coded washcloths. We use our own towel and own washcloths daily. Rinse out the washcloths after each use with water, wring them out, and then hang them up to dry. That’s it!

The BacLock property makes them antibacterial and antimicrobial so no funky-bunch stuff is growing on them after its use. It’s seriously amazing but what’s even better is that the washcloths remove makeup, oil, and dirt from your face like no other! You literally don’t even have to use soap with them unless you just want to. Because of the density of the microfiber, it is like a magnet for dirt. I have a washcloth for my body and one for my face, and they both get washed once a week. It couldn’t be simpler!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much this has decreased our laundry. I recommend only buying Norwex products from an official dealer or you don’t know what you’re truly getting. Even better though, have a party and you can rack up some free products. Cha-ching!

4. GROCERY-

I don’t know about you, but I dread going grocery shopping almost as much as going to the dentist. I always end up with loads of stuff we either don’t need because it was an impulse buy and is unhealthy or things that we won’t use like an extra-large bag of kale.

Here’s where online grocery shopping will change your life. Many stores have it, from WalMart to Kroger to some smaller privately owned stores. I tend to use WalMart’s Neighborhood Market for pick-up because it’s new, nice, and clean. Another plus is they don’t charge a fee and tips are prohibited so you have nothing to lose by using this service!

The first time you use it will be a bit more time consuming while you find the items you need online. Good news is you get $10 off your first order and you can save items as favorites if they’re staples you routinely use. Next time, the process is much quicker.

You set a pick up time for the following day. They’ll send you a text reminder during your hour window for pick-up. Then click a link to let them know when you’re on the way, and there is zero waiting as you pull into a parking spot. You don’t even have to get out of the car unless you choose to. It couldn’t be easier! No impulse buys so money and time saved. That’s a win!

5. ERRANDS-

There’s this website called Amazon. You’ve probably have never heard of it. Wink!

Everything you could possibly need is just a few clicks away in one online store.

Hate making WalMart or Target runs for things like toilet paper, detergent, paper towels, soap, makeup-seriously, you name it!? Well, just stop then because Amazon has it!

If you’re not a member of Prime yet (I wouldn’t admit that out loud), you are missing out. For $119 a year, you get free 2-day shipping on most products, a free ebook monthly, and access to free movies and TV series. Have household staples that you go through monthly or bimonthly? Do the “subscribe and save” to get 5-15% off the regular cost without having to worry about reordering the items each month. They come on their own at an interval that you set. Easy-peasy…

6. COOKING-

So I’ll admit it. I was one to say I would never use an Instapot because of the some of the disastrous stories I’ve heard online about pressure cookers.

My curiosity about the hype failed to wane so I broke down and bought one on Prime Day for $49. Here’s the cool thing about the Instapot. For the most part, it’s a one-pan wonder so less clean up after the fact.

It sautes, pressure cooks, and serves as a crockpot. Lasagna in twenty minutes? Yeah! Steel cut oatmeal in 3-5 minutes? I’ll take it. Baked potatoes in less than 15 minutes? I’m not lying. It’s crazy!

You can make homemade yogurt, do a cheesecake, steam vegetables, do soups, boil eggs…It kind of does it all in a fraction of the time with much less clean up.

For those of you who worry about safety like I did, I recommend buying only the Instapot brand. Skip the knock offs fo’ sho! Read and follow the instructions carefully, and you should be good to go. Give it a try! You’re gonna like it.

So now that you’ll have all this extra free time, go enjoy yourself! Just stretch out on a highway and relax. Fit in a game of squash. Sit and have a conversation with your dog. Veg out with some Real Housewives and be glad that’s not your drama. Soak it all in, ladies! lol Until next time. xo-Christy