In a recent article on Time-Saving Tips for Too-Busy Moms, Ellen S. of the blog, “Love That Max”, reached out to other bloggers, life coaches and other experts for time saving ideas. The result was an entertaining and helpful list of time saving ideas that anyone can use.

My two favorites were all about delegating, something that I really wish I had more resources to take advantage of.

Ellen S. writes:

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegate tasks you don’t like, or aren’t especially good at. [Note from me: Would anyone like to do my laundry? I’m not very good at it. Come to think of it, I’m also not very good at cleaning the floors. Or doing any kind of housework. Would anyone mind if I delegated all of my housework to you?]

She follows it with:

Focus on what’s most important to you. Lower your expectations for tasks/activities that aren’t top priorities. [If nobody is willing to let me delegate my housework to them, then I will just have to lower my expectations and not clean my house for the rest of the year and not care if my kids have cooties.]

That second one both made me snort aloud, and really hit home with me. After our basement remodel was trashed by leaky windows for the third time this spring, we permanently moved our family room back upstairs. This meant we pretty much lost two rooms: our dining room, which is now the living room, and our family room, which is now just an empty basement with torn up carpet and issues that still need resolving. Now everything that was in those two rooms is still all over the rest of the house. We have a serious clutter issue. I find I just can’t keep on top of it.

Now that my son is two, and getting more and more independent, the disaster that is my house has been making me crazy. I need to get things under control so that he can run amok and be free. But I’m not ready to let him run wild yet in the house. Well, he’s still not ready yet either. But Ellen’s post (and the funny cootie comment) reminds me that I need to let some of that go. It will work out. One step at a time.

Go check out the article Time Saving Tips for Too-Busy Moms to read the rest of the great time-saving ideas Ellen collected.