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When we have a lot on our plate, so finding time to do even simple tasks can be daunting. But by getting others to help us, whether it be a spouse or your teenager, really frees up time. In this episode we talk about teamwork, in particular the benefit of assigning recurring tasks to others, and also how to teach our family members to cook. Our community guest this week is Jennefer Bernal, who has an inspiring fitness Instagram page Running Ever After. We talk about how she grew up with food insecurity and viewed food as only a means of survival, and about how she now enjoys eating and cooking in her large household.

Going through our things and decluttering is a pain in the butt that few of us want to do. But having clutter inhibits our efficiency and costs us time. It takes us longer to find things, and longer to find space for things that need to be put away. In this episode, we talk about some simple and continuous decluttering systems so that we can declutter without having to do any big downsizing days. Our community guest this week is Brittney Lynn, the CEO of the PR firm at BrittneyLLynn.com. She's in the process of selling her house to move into a van and embark on living the #VanLife (talk about downsizing!). We discuss her fears of moving into a tiny kitchen and having to cook in a differently-equipped space.

While it's important for us to try new things, sometimes we need to know when to stop doing them, those things that are just not working for us. We have to weigh the sunk costs versus the opportunity costs. Is there an upside of quitting? And is finding a new way to do something always worth the time and energy?

Last week we talked about how small changes can have a big impact on our time. But, how do we continue to streamline without burning out? What can we do for ourselves so that the changes we make bring more joy to our lives? Our community guest this week is Andrea Jones, social media strategist and owner of OnlineDrea.com. We talk about systems and how she uses them for work and whether they apply to her cooking. We also talk a lot about lentil curry! The meal plan for this week features five meals that involve cooking ingredients whole, which eliminates a lot of the prep. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.

Small changes can make a big impact on how efficient we are with our time. How can we find a way to make small changes more of a habit and part of our daily routine? How do we remind ourselves to keep doing these things until they become a habit? Our community guest this week is Katy Widrick, a busy mom of two and the VP of Growth and Impact at Faster Way To Fat Loss. She tells us what word is NEVER spoken in her house, and how she incorporates her own dietary needs into her day without changing her family's meal plans.

Often, the way we imagine our typical day to be is not how any actual days are. In this episode, we explore how looking at our actual days more closely, rather than our imagined typical day, can really help us to find places where we can save time. Our community guest this week is Nicole Rosen, a very busy Professor of Linguistics in Canada, as well as a mother to two growing teenage boys. We talk about organizing a dinner plan when life is hectic, and we also discuss dried beans versus canned beans. And, did you know curling is a social sport?

Do you wander from room to room looking for your glasses? Or do you get annoyed at having to walk all the way to the garage when you need to replenish the toilet paper in the bathroom? If you're like me, this kind of thing happens A LOT. In this episode we talk about ways that we can stop wandering around the house by putting things in more convenient places, and in more numerous places too.

Our community guest this week is Nina Battershield, a busy Mom of three. We discuss using apps for ordering groceries and why she buys eggs SIXTY at a time!

When you go through a big life change, it can affect all aspects of your daily schedule and tasks. In this episode we talk about how these changes can help us to figure out our priorities and use them to streamline our lives as we transition. Our community guest this week is Amber Gray from Healthy Family Project. We are talking about how her life has shifted since having a baby, specifically her food and cooking routines. Also, Amber has some great ideas for hiding vegetables in food so her daughter will eat more healthily.

If you're like me, there are a lot of household tasks that you don't enjoy doing. In this episode I give strategies for developing systems that make these chores quicker, or gets rid of them entirely.

Our community guest this week is Heather McCurdy from Real: The Kitchen and Beyond. She's a busy working mom of three who is an expert at developing systems for work and home. We talk about places where people can begin systematize their home life.

If you're like me, it can be hard to delegate tasks that you can easily do for yourself, even if you're not an expert at them, and even if you hate doing them, and even if having them on your to-do list stresses you out. In this episode I share a process that will help you identify the tasks that you can consider delegating and I try to help with some of the rationalizing and convincing of self that it is okay to do so.

Our community guest this week is Melissa Lanz, founder of The Fresh 20, and mom to two teens. Melissa not only has a company that will help you to inexpensively delegate some of your meal-planning tasks, she is also amazing at delegating her own personal tasks as well. You'll get some great info about ways that you too can streamline your cooking life.