pants, one for shirts, and one for pajamas. Socks and underwear also have their own space.
6. Stack twins’ outf its. When I’m
on my A-game, I like to stack my twins’ unfolded, matching or coordinating outfits on top of each other. Then I fold them over and place them into the drawers. When I’m ready to dress the boys, I just grab a bundle of clothes—voilà! I have what I need for each child.
7. Create a portable breakfast.
Getting everyone where they need to be each morning can be challenging, especially when running late. Having a portable breakfast on hand can turn carpool time into breakfast time. I fill a ziplock bag with dry cereal and dried fruit like cranberries or apricots. I even drop their multivitamin in the bag and shake it. My kids love hunting for the vitamin while they eat their breakfast in the van. Other portable options are granola bars, portable yogurt, sliced fruit or squeezable applesauce.
8. Keep all shoes in one place. Few things are more frustrating than trying to get out of the house on time and only being able to locate three of the four shoes you need for your twins. Trust me, I know from experience. Remedy this problem by keeping everyone’s shoes in one location.
9. Organize toys into activity bins.
I recently organized toys like play dough, crayons, and Matchbox cars into small plastic bins. By limiting the exposure the kids have to the new toy bins, I’ve increased the time they will sit down and play with them! Unlike opening a toy box and letting kids go wild, my toy bins are
controlled and reliable. I can get nearly 40 minutes of play time from all my kids when I sit them at the kitchen table and open the play dough bin. Forty minutes is enough time to check emails, cook dinner or both!
just excited when I squeeze an extra 20 minutes into any given day. Here’s to hoping you find an extra 20 minutes too!
10. Set a timer. Working against
In addition to being a busy mom, Nicole Carpenter is a communication consultant, freelance writer and blogger. She lives in Utah with her wonderful husband, 7-year-old daughter, 4-year-old son and 18-month-old identical twin boys. Nicole owns Sidewalk Communications, LLC and she’s the managing editor of the blog My Everything Else. You can also find her tweeting as @ NicsEverything or through her Facebook fan page.
the clock can accomplish so much. Use your oven or cell phone timer for a quick, speedcleaning session. Grab the kids, set the timer for five minutes and attack a room, getting as much of it clean as you can. When the timer stops, reset the timer and move on to the next room. In 20 minutes, you could have much of the house picked up! Those same strangers who wonder just how I do it all, also remind me that these kids grow up fast and I’ll wish these busy years back. In the meantime, I’m multiplicity
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