7 Smart Ways to Save Time in the Evenings

This post was sponsored by Tai Pei. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

As a busy mom of two school-aged kids, I am always looking for ways to streamline our household and keep everything running smoothly. Over the years, I have developed multiple tips and tricks for saving time in the evenings and today I’ll be sharing my favorite ones. From creating a practical homework station or serving the family Tai Pei Asian Food, keep reading for evening time-savers that you can implement today.

1. Create efficient after-school routines!
Once the kids get home from school, things can get hectic very quickly. To create some order for our after-school hours, we have established a routine that seems to work well. While the kids would love to head outside and play right away, we first give them a snack (usually string cheese & some fruit) and demand that they finish any homework for the day. After they finish their homework (and before we begin our evening bedtime routine), we let the kids have some downtime. Sometimes they choose to doodle in one of their coloring books. Sometimes they choose to play with their favorite board games. Sometimes they choose to go outdoors and run around.

2. Serve Tai Pei!
When it comes to serving dinner on a busy weekday, I’m always looking for easy & convenient solutions that are also wholesome. We have been really enjoying the great taste and many varieties of single-serve Tai Pei Asian Food entrees. These frozen entrees offer an exceptional flavor in each dish and I love that they are free from preservatives or artificial ingredients!

Plus, with this new packaging, it’s so simple to prepare the meals. I simply place one of these cartons in the microwave for a few minutes.

The varieties of Tai Pei entrees that we already tried include Shrimp Fried Rice and Sweet & Sour Chicken. There are so many other varieties of Tai Pei at the supermarket and I’m looking forward to trying more of them! Stay tuned for future posts, where I will share my opinions of other flavors.

Banish the boredom of everyday meals and make dinner interesting & delicious with Tai Pei. I was really impressed by how flavorful and fresh the meals were! The Shrimp Fried Rice was super delicious with its flavorful shrimp and savory rice. The Sweet & Sour Chicken was also a winner with its breaded chicken & vegetables smothered in an awesomely tasty sauce.

On a busy weeknight, simple & delicious is the name of the game! Tai Pei is definitely a smart solution for any family. I love that the Tai Pei Frozen Fried Rice entrees are all made with real, high-quality ingredients. None of the bad stuff… just pure goodness so this is food I can feel good about serving to my family!

With Tai Pei, a gourmet dinner can be put on the table in no time. Tai Pei entrees are all made with flavor-infused Fried Rice. My family really enjoys these Tai Pei meals. Satisfied family AND less time in the kitchen … that’s a WIN in my book! Don’t forget to stay tuned for follow-up posts about other Tai Pei entrees in the future.

Want to try Tai Pei for your family? Use the store locator to find Tai Pei at a retailer near you. Before you head to the store, don’t forget to take advantage of this coupon offer here- this coupon gives you $1 off any Tai Pei single serving bowl!

3. Establish a homework station!
To streamline the completion of homework, I decided to create a homework caddy with all the stationery essentials in one spot. I filled up one of these handy dandy caddies with colored pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, glues, scissors and more! Easy peasy!

4. Select outfits for the week!
To keep our evenings running smoothly, we got into the habit of selecting the kid’s school outfits for the week on Sundays. We pick out five outfits and hang them these multi-hook organizers in the closet. We used to pick out the kid’s outfits the night before school, but by doing it all on Sundays, our weekday evenings become less busy!

5. Don’t overbook those after-school hours!
Ballet? Art class? Soccer? There can be a temptation to keep the kids busy every single day and sign them up for every imaginable after-school activity. Avoid overbooking the kid’s schedules- kids need some downtime, too. We like to stick to one activity (or two, MAX) per week per child. This gives the kids something to look forward to (passion, hobby, sport, etc.) but it also keeps our schedule from becoming too busy.

6. Streamline lunch prep!
I like to prepare lunches for my kids in the evenings. To make lunch prep more efficient, I created little stations with all of their favorite snacks in one spot: cheese & crackers, dried fruit, fruit sticks, etc. By keeping everything neat and easily accessible, I can get their lunchboxes packed with sandwiches and their fave snacks in no time.

7. Use subscription services!
Ever find that you run out of paper towel at the most inopportune time? Or did you find that you’re out of sugar right when you want to bake a cake? Heading to the supermarket in the evening will definitely result in crowded roads, long checkout lines and a lot of stress. Sign up for subscription services so that your household essentials can get delivered to your home on a regular basis- keep your evenings free from unnecessary trips to the store!

I hope these tips have inspired you to save some time in the evenings. How do you put dinner on the table quickly and conveniently after a long day? Have you streamlined any of your family’s activities to save time?

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