Seriously this thing is amazing. I come home, and like clock work, I realize that I never pulled the chicken out of the freezer. And then the heavens part and the angels start to sing because I remember, “We have an Instant Pot!” In 45 minutes, I can have baby back ribs, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob on the table from start to finish. No boiling, straining, checking, nothing. It’s an absolute must. Amazon has sales pretty often, so keep your eyes peeled. I use it at least once a week, and it has been a complete game changer for my family!
2. A set of mason drinking jars
These little gems make any get together elevated. Any party that I have, mason jars make it such a hit. Seriously. Spend the $50 to get about 20 jars with handles. Here’s how I use them:
- party punch or featured drink. I just get cute paper straws that match the theme and cute lemon wedges for the rims.
- centerpieces for fresh cut flowers or floating candles or coffee beans with vanilla candles
- coffee bar
- hot chocolate bar
- parfait bar
- ice cream sundaes
- root beer floats
3. Reliable babysitter
It doesn’t matter how adorable and well behaved your kids are. You need a moment. Whether it’s a family member, friend or a trusted neighbor, have someone you can trust who will enjoy your kids and engage them with meaningful play. My suggestion is to pick and schedule a regular date so that you have that time away regularly. For example, the first and third Saturday evening is when we have our date nights. We may use a sitter more than those two days, but those two Saturday’s are set in stone. Sometimes we just walk around Kohl’s aimlessly and other times we go to a fancy restaurant. But knowing we have those two Saturday’s is key in refreshing your sanity. So, stick to those date nights and try not to cancel.
4. Brownie mix or cookie dough
Is an explanation even necessary? I ALWAYS have this on hand. I make brownies, brownie cookies, brownie sundaes, etc. and it's so easy to make. A crowd pleaser EVERY time. This is definitely a staple in our house!
5. Containers in fridge specified for packing lunches
This saves me every night. I could probably blog about just this one topic! We have two bins in the fridge labeled “lunch" and about 4-5 bins in our pantry labeled “snack.” My kids come home every day and pack their lunch by going “shopping,” as they like to call it. :) I take about 1-2 hours on Sunday to prep all of the lunch and snack items- cutting and bagging fruit, sandwiches, veggies, etc. Doing this has made all the difference for our family. Instead of taking 30 min of family time to pack lunches for four kids each night, the kids have been able to pack their own lunch in less than five minutes. It’s a win-win!
What would you add to this list?
This is great! I need an instant pot!!
ReplyDeleteIt’s probably the best appliance I’ve ever owned. Made mashed potatoes in 15 min tonight. No boiling, no straining. It’s amazing!
ReplyDelete