Most days, 24 hours just isn’t enough time.

This is something I constantly find myself thinking. Life is hectic. With soccer practices and dance classes and errands to run it seems that there is never a moment to sit back and take a deep breath. However, with the trend of subscription boxes on the rise, I decided to give it a try and found that while there’s no way to add 6 hours to my day, there was a way to shorten my laundry list of things to do.

First, I tried out a meal-prep subscription to simplify home cooking and soon realized there is a box for everything you could possibly imagine. Men, women, the kids, your dog, meal-prep, baking, hosting- the list of options goes on and on.

As far as meal-prep subscriptions go, there is something out there no matter you and your family’s dietary needs. I tried Terra’s Kitchen for my family because of the variety of their offerings, price, and the fact that I wanted to still have some part in the cooking process. This one might not be for you though — each has its pros and cons. For me the box simplifies the process of making dinner immensely. I don’t have to worry that I’m forgetting an ingredient or try desperately to catalog my spice cabinet while at the grocery store deciding whether or not I need more rosemary. In fact, I rarely have to make my way to the grocery and I spend no time trying to plan new meals every week.

There’s also a good deal of great kid-focused boxes out there. They encourage kids to dream big, doodle and use their imaginations. Every box comes with new and exciting activities that give kids loads of activities to not only keep them busy (without sitting them in front of a screen) but stimulate their growing brains. As far as the parents go, some of the more popular boxes for women and men in the U.S. respectively are Birchbox and Basic Man. With some of these, you get different beauty products every month to try out and if you fall in love with a product, you can buy a full-sized version and earn loyalty points towards other purchases.

Shopping for beauty products can be overwhelming and, for me at least, tends to get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.

Other ones that are tailored for men can, well, simplify the process of going underwear shopping; men receive a new pair of boxers, a t-shirt, and a pair of socks every month. So if you need a new, exciting gift to get your kids or significant other for the next holiday, I would recommend it.

Essentially, life is busy and I for one am always up for trying new ways to give myself a couple more hours in a day. Subscription boxes simplify what needs to get done, not to mention I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every time I see that package on my doorstep.