Little chores you’ll be glad you did a year from now

“Save precious time in the mornings by taking time to create a week’s worth of full outfits. Hang the clothes together in your closet and complete the look by putting accessories in a small bag on one of the hangers. That way you’ll be able to ‘grab and go’ instead of wasting time struggling to find something to wear. Once you’ve established a good outfit, keep it together. And don’t forget to check your calendar for upcoming special events.” —Jamie Novak, expert organiser and author of Keep This, Toss That.

Learn the 17 things in your home you should throw out asap. 

“Assign a daily ‘theme’ for meals, assigning a different theme to each day of the week. For example, Taco Tuesday, Chicken Wednesday, or Pasta Thursday. Keep it the same theme throughout the year. You don’t have to know the exact dish but having a basic meal plan will save you money and time at the store when coming up with meal ideas.” —Jamie Novak

“You shouldn’t keep every photo you take. If the picture is blurry or the lighting is bad, delete it immediately. If you took the picture to remember where you parked, delete it once you find your car. If you take a burst of ten photos, you can eliminate eight once you get a good look at them. Set aside a time to go through your phone and delete unnecessary photos, music and other files. Clutter on your digital devices is just as bad as real-life clutter.” —Cheri Warnock.

Here’s how to hide private photos on your iPhone or iPad.

“The frequency of eye exams depends on your age. For example, if you have healthy eyes and vision, we recommend an eye exam once in your 20s and twice in your 30s, then a baseline exam with an ophthalmologist at 40, after which the ophthalmologist will recommend the next point at which you should have an exam. After age 65 have regular eye exams every one to two years or as recommended by an ophthalmologist. If you wear contacts or glasses you’ll need more frequent check-ups.” —Dayle Kern of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Also look out for these 12 signs you need to see an eye doctor. 

“Schedule a cleaning/task day. I advise taking one day a month to focus on completing the tasks that you haven’t been able to check off your to-do list. Need to swap out your winter wardrobe for your summer wardrobe? Need to go through your children’s clothes to figure out what still fits? You already have a day scheduled to focus on those tasks if you schedule a recurring ‘get it done’ day.” —Stephanie Cummings.

“Lint that’s sitting in your dryer can clog it and also push air back into it, leaving your clothes hot and damp. This would then require you to run your dryer two or three times in order to fully dry your clothes. Before you run the dryer, check the lint trap and remove any lint build up with your hand or a dry cloth. You can also rinse the filter after wiping it clean under room temperature water. Make sure to let it dry before putting it back. By simply cleaning the lint trap each time, you’ll have dry clothes after one cycle, running your dryer less, which will help it last longer—and you’ll also save on energy costs.” —Bailey Carson.

Don’t miss these clever ways to reuse dryer lint around the house. 

“Mornings can quickly turn into a nightmare when everyone is rushing. You can reduce all this stress if you just do most of the preparation at night. Setting out clothes, making lunch, and making sure kids are all set can really save your mornings. You will even sleep better, knowing these things are taken care of. Take the time now to list what tasks you can do each night to make the morning rush easier, and then set up a routine to make them habit.” —Lauren Haynes, cleaning and home organising expert.

“Most women should have a baseline mammogram at age 40 and then discuss with their doctor about the frequency of tests thereafter. I also recommend yearly clinical breast exams. Just make it part of your annual check-up because doctors are trained to find anomalies that you might not recognise yourself.” —Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, MPH, founder of Best Friends For Life (BFFL)-Co.

“While you don’t need a yearly prostate or testicular exam—that’s a myth—you should still check in with your doctor on a yearly basis to be screened for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, colon cancer (if over 50), and review and update of the family history to look for other potential genetic disease. For men at risk of prostate cancer the American Urologic Association recommends screening every two years or more.” —Harland Thomas Holman, MD, a physician at Spectrum Health Medical Group.

“To strengthen their relationship over time, couples need to make a conscious decision to do things to nurture their connection. Lots of people make a big deal about date night and that is what this is really about. But the date night itself isn’t enough. Their commitment needs to include paying attention to each others’ interests and experiences as well as creating experiences that shore up their bond together. This might include things like maintaining their interest in sharing going to concerts together or some sport, something that doesn’t involve taking care of the kids. Schedule a weekly date night and make sure it happens.” —Mark E. Sharp, PhD, psychologist, relationship counsellor and author of Not Lonely at the Top: A Relationship Guide for the Courageous, Successful Single Who Hasn’t Found the Love They Want.

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Source: RD.com