5 Things That Worked for Me This Year

Most years since 2018, I’ve written a post about 5 things that worked for me that year (here’s the 2018 list, the 2019 list, and the 2020 list, if you’re curious!).

I didn’t do one last year – my brain was so fried by the end of the year that it felt like more than I could handle to write one, but this year I’ve been thinking of a few things that worked well for me this year and now that 2022 is just about done, I thought it’d be fun to share a few things that worked for me this year.

Plus, I had my team weigh in on things that worked for them, which is a fun addition (I’m definitely stealing some of their tricks!).

5 THINGS THAT WORKED FOR ME IN 2022

1. Getting LASIK. This was my #1 goal this year and I am so pleased that I made it happen. Every time we went to the water park or boating this summer, I thought, “I’m SO happy that I don’t have to decide between being able to see and having my contacts bother me in the chlorine or lake water.” And every time we’ve gone on a trip, it’s felt miraculous not to have to pack a bunch of contact solution, extra contacts, and glasses. Truly, the best money I spent this year (I wrote a whole post about it here, if you’d like more details).
2. Not using my phone in the mornings before the girls go to school. I’m not 100% perfect at this, but it is stunning (and a little un-nerving) how much of a difference it makes when I stick to it. Instead of the mornings feeling rushed and harried, I feel like I have PLENTY of time to get ready, do the girls’ hair, do baggie books with Tally, eat breakfast, and do things around the house. I’m definitely keeping this going through 2023.
3. Sunday afternoon menu and grocery ordering. This is one of those things that I NEVER want to do and yet makes all the difference in setting myself up for the week. I usually do it immediately after church while everyone eats lunch and then everyone has a chance to tell me what they need ordered and I set up my groceries to be delivered first thing Monday morning. I can feel the effects all week long if I don’t do this! Plus, it’s just the best feeling to know what I’ll be making every night for dinner.
4. Putting a space heater in our room. Our room is the worst in the house when it comes to heating and cooling, so in the winter it is FRIGID. Bart bought us a little space heater last winter and it’s made such a huge difference. I turn it on around 7 when I’m getting ready for bed and it warms it up beautifully by the time we get in bed to read or watch a show. I’m a massive fan (now I need one for my office!).
5. Taking probiotics. This is one of those things that always felt a little extra to me – nice but not necessary. And now I’m one of those people who takes them with me when I travel because I HATE to skip a day ever. They make the biggest difference for my digestion and I notice immediately when I skip a day. Seed makes the best probiotics on the market and they’re worth every penny to me – I’ve been taking them since the end of last year (my code is JANSSEN).

analese

1. Chopping up an entire bag of onions during one sitting. I would say that a majority of the recipes I cook with require some amount of chopped onions and I was sick of doing it every night. I was also sick of always having half of an onion smelling up my fridge. So I decided one day to chop my entire 3 lb bag of onions (with this amazingly fast chopper) and freeze them. And every time I need some chopped onions, I’m incredibly happy with myself because it’s already done. (Quick note: I double bag them in gallon bags to trap the smell because I got blasted in the face with onion smell with them being in just one gallon bag).
2. Mini Home Vacation Weekend. I saw Money With Katie post about this idea on social media and I loved the concept. The whole idea is to get all of your weekend chores done on Friday after school and work so you can enjoy the weekend. The second part is to stay off social media throughout the weekend so you can have a “mini vacation” for reading, playing games with family, doing fun projects, etc. I’ve only been doing it for about a month and a half (and I’m not perfect at it), but I absolutely love it! I feel like as a family we are all recharged as the new week approaches!

Kelsey

1. Cleaning the bathroom during bath time. My little ones are still at an age that they need adult supervision during bath time. Instead of setting aside a large chunk of valuable time to clean the bathroom, I have started cleaning it while they play in the tub. I save roughly an hour by combining these two tasks. I do have to go back through at a different time to clean the shower/tub (which I usually do before one of my showers during the week), but that’s only a short amount of time compared to doing the whole thing at once.
2. Setting a Google Calendar alarm 1 week before birthdays. One of my big goals this last year was to be better at sending birthday cards to family. We don’t live close to any family, so I love this simple way of showing someone you are thinking about them. I started setting an alarm for all the birthdays in my Google Calendar for 1 week ahead of time. When the timer goes off, I sit down with my box of cards (my favorite places to stock up on cute affordable cards is Trader Joe’s and TJ Maxx), write a sweet birthday message, and put it in the mail right then and there. It’s nice to know that they will get a little birthday greeting on their special day.

Jennifer

1. Establishing a skincare routine. I just entered my thirties and before this year I’ve never really had a consistent skincare routine. In addition to the occasional hormonal breakout, I was also starting to see the beginning of some fine lines and wrinkles. It seemed quite unfair to have both acne and wrinkles. I decided it was time to invest in some good skincare products and start taking it seriously so that I can age gracefully over the next several decades. I started using Dime beauty that Janssen has recommended, and it’s been amazing in addition to a few other products! I use this CeraVe creamy cleanser followed by the Dime hyper glow and Dewy Day Cream in the morning and the hyaluronic acid serum and restorative night cream in the evening. I alternate the night creams with the TBT serum and TBT cream and recently started adding the eye cream. I’ve also tried the blue facial oil to help with blemishes and it has been great. You can use Janssen’s code BRADSHAW20 for 20% off and take advantage of the bundle deals on the website. I went back in my camera roll to pictures of myself in January and I can tell a big difference! I’ve aged in reverse this year and I’m not sad about it!
2. Participating in a Babysitting Co op in my neighborhood. This fall I was invited to join a babysitting co op in my neighborhood. I was somewhat skeptical at first, but I’ve loved it! It has been established for a long time and runs really smoothly. A different person is assigned to host every day from 9-12 and 12-3. There are enough people that participate that you only have to host about once every three weeks. There is a ticket system established so that you pay one ticket per child per hour to the person that is watching the kids. They can then use those tickets for when they need to use co op. You text the host to let them know you are dropping kids off and there is a 8 kid limit so the host isn’t overwhelmed. I have a two and a four year old and having this easy babysitting system in place has been so freeing! I use it once or twice a week and drop my kids off while I run errands or go for a longer run.

if you liked this post about life hacks for home, you might also like these other posts:

• Do You Set Fun Goals?
• All About My Ski Lessons
• All about Seasonal Closet Switching, Clothes Storage, and Closet Decluttering