System

I'm all about trial and error. In my first year and a half of being a mom I have tried lots of things and made lots of errors. Luckily, Griffin seems no worse for the wear. While I find myself asking Courtney and my mom and my other mom friends questions about how they do things, I learn so much more by watching and participating. This is one of the reasons that I love to stay with Courtney. I always learn at least one trick or idea to simplify and improve my daily routine with Griff. For example, Court fills her kids' cups with milk each evening. Okay, so it's not a major revelation, but it gives you just another moment in the morning. I am all about having systems for doing those routine activities like breakfast, nap time, floor cleaning, laundry.

One of my least favorite household activities is emptying the dishwasher. I know it's silly, but sometimes I will put it off all day. I think it's partly because my son always tries to empty the dishwasher himself and climb into it. So, I need to be speedy about this job or always do it during nap. Here are a couple ideas to make your dishwasher emptying system speedy and less painful.

1. Separate your silverware: This is the biggest timesaver in the dishwasher world. All the spoons go together, all the forks go together and so on. You may have to train other people in your household on this one!
2. Arrange your dishes: I put all of my large plates on one side of the dishwasher, all of my small plates on the other side, and all of the bowls in the back of the dishwasher. My top rack is saved for small containers, lids, glasses and sippy cups.
3. Open your cabinets and drawers: I open all of the cabinets and drawers first, so I can carry a big stack without needing to stop and place everything on the counter.

You may just save two minutes, but if feels so good to have a plan for completing daily tasks. And, you may dread emptying the dishwasher just a little less.