Last month, I read Kendra Adachi’s The Lazy Genius Way and The Lazy Genius Kitchen. A mentor shared some principles she had learned from these books, which piqued my curiosity. The ideas she had for her home sounded so easy and so genius.
The Lazy Genius Way outlines Kendra’s 13 Lazy Genius principles to:
“Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.”
These principles are straightforward and gave me permission to consider a new angle on reoccurring challenges. I also loved all of her practical ideas and wit to keep me engaged in the reading, plus find some creative solutions for my home.
The Lazy Genius Kitchen applies the same 13 Lazy Genius principles, but applies them directly to the most-used room in many homes. I liked the simplicity of her approach. She had some great solutions on how to make life in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable.
So, here are the five ideas that I am putting into practice in our home. I hope these give you some ways to consider how to be a lazy genius in your home.
1. Laundry Shift
Start by Asking The Magic Question which is “What can I do now to make life easier later?” This can affect multiple areas of home and life. One way I immediately implemented it was an example from the book. Before bed, put a load of laundry with soap into the washer, but don’t turn it on. First thing in the morning, start your load of wash. Before much of the day begins, I already have a load of laundry washed and ready for the dryer. It seems so simple, but this made my laundry routine a little easier by getting it started first thing in the morning.
2. Prep (More) Meal Ingredients
This falls in line with the magic question, as well. I found that prepping a meal beforehand rarely happened if I couldn’t prep everything. Instead, Kendra suggests prepping what you can with the few minutes you have.
So, for example, if I am chopping vegetables for a dinner recipe, but know I need veggies for tomorrow’s meals, then chop what I can while I am in chopping mode and have the kitchen tools out. This can also be setting out non-perishable ingredients on the counter this morning. Tonight, when I get home it is one less thing to do to get dinner started.
3. Meal Plan by Theme for Weekdays
This goes along with Lazy Genius principle Decide Once and Live in Your Season. I had heard of this before, but I am trying to implement it for our family. Basically, every dinner (or as many days as you wish) assign a meal topic (e.g., Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Pizza Friday, etc.). When it is time to make the weekly/monthly meal plan, I have already narrowed down each night’s dinner theme. This moves me from endless recipe options and never-ending “what’s for dinner?” question to a simple plan. This eliminates some decision fatigue. Having weekly topics in mind will also make grocery shopping easier. Taco Tuesday is a family favorite, anyway!
4. Pre-Decide Gifts for Special Occasions
Using the Decide Once principle, we are eliminating decision fatigue of how much or what to give for weddings, graduations, teacher, and bridal/baby shower gifts by deciding once how much we will spend on a gift (or give as cash/gift card). The gift also depends on how close we are to the gift recipient.
For example, for a graduation gift, we now have a set amount that we give to all graduates of extended family and close friends. No more trying to remember how much I gave to the sibling last year or how much I should give this year. It is the same across-the-board. If it is my child, obviously this is a much closer relationship, so the gift decision is more personal and costs more.
5. Set House Rules
This is one of Kendra’s 13 principles. I am thinking how to implement it for our family in a way that serves us well and helps eliminate some of the reoccurring topics of conversation.
If, for example, the house rule is “put your shoes away when you come in the door” then everyone does it, and it becomes our routine. One rule that I like is that the kitchen island is not to be the dumping ground for everyone’s items (mine included). Let’s put the items away so that I do not have to move stuff off the island when it is time for a meal.
These are just a few ways that we are adjusting our home routines and decisions. I hope to make it easier for all of us to enjoy the people, space, and time in our home. To find out more, check out Kendra’s podcast here. Or find the books at the Pikes Peak Library District for a fun summer read.
