Why I Love Boxed.com

Have any of you tried boxed.com? From the moment I heard about it, I've been hooked. Why?

I Save Time

I know buying staple items like paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags, and even non-perishable food items like pasta are more expensive when you buy in small quantities at the grocery store. I've considered a membership to BJ's or Costco, but that means I have to make time in my already jam-packed schedule to shop at another store, deal with the hassle of finding what I want, and then drive back home--which is 25 minutes away.

With Boxed.com I sit down in the comfort of my own home and order the bulk items I need. A couple days later everything arrives on my doorstep.

I Save Money

Not only do I save money on everyday items I buy all the time, Boxed.com offers: free shipping on orders over $49 and cash rewards that can be applied to future orders. If a friend signs up through this link, my friend receives $15 off their first order of $60 or more and I also receive $15 in Boxed.com credit. There is no membership fee and they don't limit what type of credit card I can use.

Free Samples

When you place an order with Boxed.com you are eligible to receive two free samples. This month I chose some Easter candy and Dove deodorant.

Boxed.com is going to give Amazon's subscription service some good competition. There are a few items I've already found cheaper on Boxed.com. Online bulk shopping services like Boxed.com are also going to make things challenging for big bulk warehouse type stores.

Why would I do this?

When I can do this....

Tips for Saving Time in the Kitchen

Now that I am back to work, I find juggling everything a bit stressful at times. One thing I really miss is planning out my meals and being able to easily accomplish grocery shopping. I don't want to sacrifice healthy meals for our family even if I'm not spending as much time at home. Here are a few links with time saving tips for the kitchen:

Eating Well offers their "Best Time-Saving Ingredients & Cooking Tips" at http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_techniques/kitchen_tips_techniques/how_to_save_time_time_saving_ingredients

At HowStuffWorks, you can find these "10 Time-saving Tips in the Kitchen" at http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/10-time-saving-tips-in-the-kitchen.htm

Lifehacker shares "20+ Time-Saving Cooking Tips from Chefs and Food Experts" at http://lifehacker.com/20-time-saving-cooking-tips-from-chefs-and-food-exper-1503379557

Finally, This Mama Loves features this article with "Time saving tips for kitchen cleanup" at http://www.thismamaloves.com/time-saving-tips-kitchen-cleanup/  I'm a big clean as I go kind of person.

What is your favorite way to save time in the kitchen?

Time Savers for Working Moms

Whether you work outside the house or from home, every mom can use time-saving tips. From meals to getting everyone out the house on time each morning to speeding up your beauty routine, having a plan and being organized helps lower stress levels and keeps everyone happy.

The article "70 Time Saving Secrets for Working Moms" has great ideas along with links to 70 blogs that share their time saving tips for busy moms.  You'll find the entire article at http://www.nannypro.com/blog/70-time-saving-secrets-for-working-moms/ 

Getting Out of the House on Time with Kids

Ever since the girls were born, I swear, I feel I'm late for everything. That's not true, but it sure is frustrating rushing from one thing to the next. The one place we never seem to get to on time is church. We're always five or more minutes late. It makes me want to scream.

Here is an article that provides tips on how to get out of the house on time with the kids: http://www.aupairjobs.com/articles/how-to-get-out-of-the-house-on-time-with-kids/ I'm a big fan of packing the night before and checking the weather so the kids know how to dress in the morning. Hopefully you'll find some of these tips helpful, too.

Tips from a Busy Mom: Taming Morning Madness

I don't know how it is at your house, but mornings are crazy around here. It's easy to get overwhelmed. With two kids going to school at different times this year, I have to make sure our mornings run as smoothly as possible. Here are a few things I do to make mornings easier:

1. Makes lunches the night before. Right now, I have one child who eats school lunch almost every day (not sure how she stomachs that), one who has a homemade lunch, and a hubby who takes lunch to work three to four times a week. There is no way I could get everyone off to where they need to go on time if I tried to make lunches in the morning. And actually, I've found it much easier to make the Lil' Diva's lunch right when she comes home from school these days. I'm already downstairs because I try not to work in my office when they're home. She has her afternoon snack and I pack her lunch for the next day, which makes my evening less crazy, too. 
2. Set out clothes the night before or have some idea of what the kids are going to wear. When the girls were younger, I would set their clothes out the night before. At this point, they are old enough to choose their own clothes, but one day I won't be waking them up for school or picking clothes out of their closets for them, so while they still want me to do it, I will. When I shag them out of bed in the mornings, I grab an outfit I know they like from their closets and carry it downstairs with me. It's part of our routine and works well. 
3. Keep their backpacks in the same spot every day. Each of my girls has one spot that their backpacks go once they are done with homework. That way we aren't searching high and low for backpacks--or homework--in the morning. 
4. Plan the morning menu the night before. My husband gets his own breakfast, but the girls don't yet. If I plan what I will make for them the night before, then I'm not bugging half-asleep children to tell me what they want to eat. Each night before bed, they spend an hour watching TV with their dad and read with me for half an hour. In between those activities, we discuss breakfast, so we always have a morning plan.

Do you have any morning madness tips?

Busy Mom Time Savers

Maybe you're sick and tired of hearing from me. I can be quite wordy--or so they say. I know ways I save time during the day, but I would love to hear tips from other busy moms like you. Sharing can be fun!

If you're on Twitter you can share with me at https://twitter.com/BusyMomsDaily

Saving Time in the Kitchen

As I mentioned earlier today, I love cooking and baking. I should have gone to culinary school. I think I would enjoy catering; though I sometimes wonder if you get sick of food after a while.

Over the years I've found ways to help me save time in the kitchen. Here are some things that work for me:

Gather all your ingredients and supplies first

By the time I am ready to make a dish, I have everything right at my fingertips. Whether it's a batch of cookies or stir-fried chicken, I take out all my ingredients, utensils, pans, and bowls first. If a dish requires vegetables like onions or garlic, I slice and dice first, so once it's time to cook I simply toss in what I need to add to the pan.

Put things back right away 

In my mind there is nothing worse than waiting until you're done cooking to put everything away. Put things away after you use them. While your dish is simmering on the stove, put away the ingredients you don't need anymore. When I make stir-fried chicken, I put vegetable oil in the pan, and add onions, celery and ginger. I put the used cutting board that held the vegetables into the sink right away, then the oil and ginger go back into the pantry. I continue this as I add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, so that by the time I'm done, the counter top is almost empty.

Clean up while things are cooking

One thing I despise is coming back into the kitchen after a good meal to a pile of dirty dishes. Just like I put the ingredients back right away, I try to wash the dishes dirtied during food preparation while I cook. The cutting board and knife from the vegetables I used in the stir-fry can be washed while waiting for the chicken to cook all the way through. The small bowl I use to mix the cornstarch and soy sauce can be washed while I am waiting for the rice to finish cooking. It might not seem like a big deal, but it is so much nicer to enter the kitchen to a handful of plates to wash than have an entire sink full of dishes to clean after eating.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Feel free to share some ways in which you save time in the kitchen.