The Busy Girl's Guide to doing life Smarter (And Finding More Joy!)

Top Must Haves:

·       Potato Masher – because smashing spuds by hand is so last century.

·       Instant Pot – the magical cauldron for the modern kitchen

·       Online Grocery Ordering – because who wants to wear pants in public?

·       Grocery Pickup/Delivery – when you want to pretend you’re royalty

·       Rumba - ideal if you have children, pets, or love enjoying a snack while moving from room to room.

·       Rumba MOP – yes, it’s a thing, and yes, it’s fabulous.

·       Dry shampoo – because washing your hair is overrated.

Nope. NO thanks. I’ll pick something else. What are we missing? A salad? Dessert? Drinks? ANYTHING besides mashed potatoes. I don’t do mashed potatoes. Tell me you’ve also tried avoiding something at some point in your life. I’ve cooked literally every other dish known to mankind just to dodge the mashed potato bullet. We usually host most holidays, and for some reason, mashed potatoes are always a staple. Are they for everyone or just us? Either way, a meal around our table isn’t complete without them.

Did you know there are like 8 different ways to mash potatoes? I did not. This groundbreaking info didn’t reach me until I was 40 years old. In case you’re also in the dark, let me enlighten you: potato masher, potato ricer, food mill, immersion blender, stand mixer, hand mixer, food processor, and fork. FORK. Who uses a fork to mash potatoes when there are so many other EASIER ways? ME. The answer is ME. I knew nothing of these other fantastical inventions and merely mashed until my arm was sore, just as my forefathers before me had. I just accepted it as the norm and copied them. Potato Mashers are an actual thing, and I am now the proud owner of three of them, and my life has changed. Dramatic maybe. But seriously – here’s why….

What other easy things have I been doing the hard way? I realized that while I was forkin’ my Yukon golds for 30 years and dodging the task at every turn, I didn’t HAVE to be. I literally was a $10 Amazon next-day order away from making my life easier. I just didn’t know it.

Frozen meat and nothing else for dinner? Instant Pot!! How many times did I have NOTHING thawed and revert to cereal or pasta when I could have just thrown it in the Instant Pot!? Game Changer. If you don’t have one, run and get one ASAP. Thank me later.

Friends, life can be hard, but making mashed potatoes and dinner doesn’t need to be. Are you doing hard things right now that could be easier? What’s out there just waiting to help you? What tools are just a click away from enjoying the next family holiday? Have you ordered your groceries via app yet? Done grocery order pickup or delivery? Hours of my life given back to me!

What do you hate to do? What hard things do you avoid? I bet there’s something that will make you hate it less! Or, at the very least, an app for it to help you figure it out. 😊 God wants us to flourish in this life and be our best selves. Forkin’ potatoes did not bring out the best version of myself. Neither did unthawed frozen meat and a hangry family.

I challenge you to make a list of things you hate to do and ask copilot (oh, I should add that to my list!) to help you. Try something like this: “I don't like ________. Tell me all of the ways _________ can be made easier. Include tools, apps, and services.” Taking away the things that don’t bring you joy makes room for the things that DO bring you joy. When you have room for more joy, you have more opportunity to be the best version of yourself. Let’s do this!