/ Source: TODAY
We all want to save time in our lives and get organized. But instead of looking at it as more of a big-picture project that can feel overwhelming and hard to stick with, taking on some easy changes throughout the day can help add hours of free time and save you stress!
TODAY.com's Meena Duerson and TODAY contributors and lifestyle experts Elizabeth Mayhew and Katie Lindendoll share some of the best tips to save time and get organized, morning noon and night.
In the morning:
- Style your hair while you sleep: If you don't have time to do your hair in the morning but want a soft wave that looks styled, all you need is this trick. Take a shower the night before, then towel-dry your hair (for thicker hair, you want it to be about 50 percent dry). Spray with a light beach spray or whatever product you like, then wrap loosely into a high bun on your head, pinning your hair in place with bobby pins. When you wake up, just take out the pins, shake out, spray with a little styling product and you're good to go!
- Quick fix wrinkles with a flat iron: Because they're small in size and heat up fast, flat irons are perfect for getting rid of wrinkles in smaller parts of your clothes like the collars of button-down shirts or creases in your skirt. Simply heat the flat iron for 10 seconds and you're good to go! The tip is to keep the flat iron on a medium setting so it's not too hot for your fabric.
- Have a morning checklist: Always a mad dash before you leave your house? Remember this mantra: phone, keys, wallet. If you say it to yourself before you leave, put a checklist by the door or create a personalized doormat or frame, you won't forget!
In the afternoon:
- Save time at the grocery store: When food shopping, pack your own bags according to where the items go in your kitchen. For example, put all the produce in one bag and all pantry staples in another. This way, when you get home, unpacking is much faster! (Tip: this can also be applied to your laundry. Wash all your towels together, all gym clothing, etc.)
- Save time when opening your mail: When you pick up your mail from your mailbox, rather than bringing it inside, go directly to the recycling bin and throw out any junk mail. If your recycling bin is in your garage and you have access to power, invest in a small shredder to take care of credit card offers and other sensitive, but not important, mail on the spot.
- Solve life's little annoyances: Prevent jewelry, headphones or anything else prone to tangling by sandwiching it between two pieces of plastic wrap. When you break a glass, use a piece of bread to pick up the shards. Last, use a toothpick to mark the end of a roll of tape so you don't waste time trying to find the leading edge.
In the evening:
- Get organized with Wunderlist: Wunderlist is an easy tool available online and on apps for iPhones and Android phones that helps you organize our personal and professional to-dos. Perfect for preparing tomorrow's schedule, go to bed without worries and get a great night sleep. Set due dates and reminders, assign "to-dos," share your schedules, work collaboratively on projects with family and friends. The program works across all devices to keep your life in sync.
- Travel with ease with the SHOLDIT®, a multipurpose scarf or head wrap that can hold all your important items like your wallet, phone and keys, secure. The items, which come in a variety of colors and patterns, can also be folded into a clutch.
- Never lose your keys or wallet again: TrackR bravo is a new thin and sleek tracking device that you can use to locate any lost or misplaced items in seconds. Its two-way ringer means your phone can find anything connected to the tracker within 100 feet. Even better, anything connected to your tracker can find your phone, even when it's on silent!