5 Hacks to Save You Time in the Mornings

We're busy people right? Jobs, kids, pets, chores...we're on the go and busy all day and I for one would like to make my life a little simpler, especially in the mornings where trying to get out of the door on time and in a reasonably presentable state (ie. with make-up on, hair brushed and shoulders that haven't been subject to a snotty nose or a bit of baby vomit) often doesn't happen. So I've been researching morning hacks and here are five that I think have helped to streamline my mornings:

1. Condition your hair before shampooing  - condition the ends and then wash the roots before rinsing both off together. Perfect for saving a few minutes in the shower on really busy mornings.
2. Brush your teeth in the shower.
3. Make packed lunches in advance: prepare sandwiches (or mini egg frittatas) for the week on Sunday and freeze. Get your lunch from the freezer in the morning and it should be perfectly defrosted by lunchtime.
4. Lay out/hang up your outfit (the kids' clothes) for the day, the night before.
5. No time to apply all your make-up? Apply red lipstick for instant glamour and self confidence!

Good ol' trusty red lippy! 

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Tidy the Toys

I've had a real bee in my bonnet lately about clutter. Like most parents of small children we are facing Plasticgeddon; the slow obliteration of our living spaces by the garish plastic army of giant melody (if you can call it that) making toys my children are accumulating. I mean, I know they should have toys to play with but why the hell do they have to be so bright and so big and why oh why do people - Grandparents especially - think it so hilarious to bring over yet another oversized plastic monstrosity to displace your own, carefully and aesthetically chosen furniture?

For example, it was with great excitement last year that I began planning and designing my little girl's bedroom. Having been in a neutral nursery since birth (as we hadn't found out the gender of our baby before arrival) and because she had to make way for the new addition, it was time to embark upon the creation of a our little girl's Utopia. When it was finished, I was thrilled. The vintage bed we had bought in France had been restored and painted with the finest Farrow and Ball had to offer, heart shaped lavender bags in pink hung from door knobs and a wooden dolls house took pride of place. It was Pintrest eat your heart out, no joke, until the plastic pink castle went in and the pink plastic baby bath and the pink kitchen and the giant Peppa Pig teddy bear and the Baby doll pram and so on and on and on...

Don't get me wrong, I don't want her to be deprived of the things that make her happy but I am now literally running out of space in her room to put any more toys and, well, Christmas is coming and we all know what that means...more toys. So I'm trying, kind of, to fight back without blowing the budget on some suitable ways to contain the plastic. Here are a couple of things I've found recently to help:

Red fabric storage boxes from IKEA:

These were a bargain at £2.50 and they are a decent size. I was quite sceptical upon purchase that they would look any good, especially because they are so cheap, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was also quite impressed with how many toys they held and the fact that they were quite robust and easy for the kids to pull out so that they could get to their games. They are certainly an improvement on just piles of toys.



White Cube Shelves from Amazon:

I needed somewhere in my little one's room to store some of her books and other ornaments and wanted something that looked quite cool. These were a more expensive storage solution, coming in at around £33 but I was really pleased at how good they looked once up and might invest in some more.


So, although my home doesn't resemble a show home (how I wish) I guess it resembles most normal houses, you know, the ones where people actually live and, if I am able late at night to have somewhere to pack the toys away that provides me with a few minutes of calm, personal space, then that's great.

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Mini Egg Frittatas

Well it's over a year now since bundle of joy number two arrived and despite frequent attempts to start exercising properly, eat more healthily and regain a more streamlined figure, I am yet to succeed. Of course I have many excuses. The biggest being my perceived lack of time to get things done, like cook healthy meals in the evening rather than reaching for something quick and processed from the freezer, or eating crisps and sweets at lunchtime rather than preparing a more nutritious packed lunch. However I recently stumbled across a recipe for these little gems, which can be batch cooked and provide a low carb, protein high snack for lunch or breakfast.

Mini Egg Frittatas

Ingredients:

2 tsps wholegrain mustard
6 eggs
Pinch of salt and pepper
4oz mature cheddar cheese
4oz chopped ham or pancetta
1 tomato finely chopped
2oz finely chopped onion










Method:

• Preheat your oven to gas mark 5 and lightly grease a 12 hole baking tray
• Whisk your eggs, mustard and seasoning and set aside
• In a large bowl mix together your cheese, onion, ham and tomato before dividing equally between the twelve holes in your baking tray
• Now equally divide the egg mixture between the twelve holes before baking in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top
• Leave to cool slightly before popping out of your baking tray - delicious hot or cold!

Why not change the filling ingredients, feta cheese and spinach is another favourite in our house.

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Extra Tasty Yorkshire Puddings

There's nothing more satisfying than serving up a hearty roast dinner for your family on a Sunday (or any other day of the week for that matter) and I've been experimenting recently on that old classic - the Yorkshire Pudding. Here's my herby take on this little beauty...

Ingredients:

• 4oz plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 6 fluid ounces of milk
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Half a tablespoon of very finely chopped rosemary or thyme

Method:

1. Place a little olive oil into the bottom of a 12 hole baking tray and place into a preheated oven (gas mark 7)
2. Create a well in your flour and crack your eggs into the middle
3. Add a little milk and mix into a smooth paste
4. Add the rest of the milk and beat to make light and frothy
5. Mix in your seasoning and herbs before dividing the mixture evenly between the 12 holes in your preheated baking tray
6. Place back into your  hot oven and cook for 15 - 20 minutes until fully risen and golden brown
7. Serve hot with your Sunday roast

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