Late-Summer Panzanella
Your 3 Biggest Time Wasters
And How to Avoid Them
How many times have you found yourself wishing for a couple extra hours in the day? We all wish we had more time. But when was the last time you really looked at where each minute was going? Some of the biggest time wasters are the little things that add up over time. Here are three that you might consider turning into time savers. WORRYING How often do you find yourself taking the worry train? You start to remember something you haven’t done, or the “what-ifs” of your child’s first day of school, and suddenly your mind is on a one-way ticket to Worryville. It’s not a fun — or efficient — place to be. Worrying doesn’t accomplish anything past getting you more stressed. Instead, try writing down what’s worrying you, and for anything that can’t be addressed immediately, add a date and time for when you’ll resolve it. MINDLESSLY SCROLLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA You may think scrolling through Instagram once every few hours doesn’t eat into your precious time, but five minutes here and there can easily add up. It doesn’t mean you have to give it up — it just means you might consider scheduling time for it, as Jennifer, author of “The Intentional Mom,” recommends. Jennifer suggests scheduling time to scroll — even if it is three minutes every hour — and sticking to it. NOT HAVING A ROUTINE This may be the most important waster you can nix, as it may help manage your other time wasters. Spontaneity is fun for dates with your husband, but not for the everyday tasks you want to get done. According to Jennifer, “Routines save time because tasks don’t take up space in our heads and we become more proficient when they are done repeatedly the same way.” Little tasks like making school lunches, doing laundry, and even drinking your morning cup of coffee can all be part of a streamlined process that you don’t have to spend time and energy stressing over.
Ingredients
Inspired by Food Network
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1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
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1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1 cucumber, sliced into rounds
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20 basil leaves, chopped
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2 large tomatoes, cubed
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Salt, to taste
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cubed
Vinaigrette
Directions
1. In a large sauté pan, set to medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add bread and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing often, for 10 minutes or until toasted. 2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables and herbs. Toss in bread and your favorite vinaigrette and mix again. 3. Serve immediately or allow to sit up to 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together.
Have a
Laugh!
Want to know one way to get into a routine and cut out a task that eats up a lot of your time? Bring your laundry to In the Bag Cleaners. We take care of your wash-and-fold laundry so you can spend your time doing more valuable tasks, like talking to your child about how their day went.
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