Early for pickup? Friend running late? Let Barclays know how you make the most of an unexpected 5 minutes downtime out of the house, for your chance to win a £200 John Lewis voucher - NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Barclays say "It's happened to all of us - you're out and about and you find yourself with some unexpected free time on your hands - you're a few minutes early for pickup, or one of the kids is bravely allowing a hairdresser to trim their locks."

"We're putting together the ultimate list of tips to maximise lost moments throughout the day, to celebrate two ingenious apps from Barclays: the Barclays Mobile Banking app, which lets you manage your finances when you are out and about; and Barclays Pingit, an app that lets you send and receive money using just a mobile number."

So they are asking, what do you do with that time? How do you make the most of the moments and once they have all added up, what would you spend an extra hour on a week?

Let us know your thoughts on this thread - everyone who adds a comment before the closing date of 15th July 2013 will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 John Lewis voucher. Please note your anonymous submitted tips may well be used on the Barclays pages on MN as well as possibly elsewhere.

Thanks
MNHQ

[TerraNotSoFirma]

On the rare occasion I get 5 mins, I get out my iPad check and update the diary, check bank balance against the budget and update the 'to-do' list.
After that, a bit of MNing or candy crush :)

[billybear]

paint my toe nails a bright colour

[barmaid]

Pop my headphones in, shut my eyes and dance to my favourite song!

[cafecito]

yes, to do lists

[BustyDeLaGhetto]

I'd probably have a wank or two :)

[TerraNotSoFirma]

Missed out the bit about the elusive extra hour.
I would probably have a bath and give myself a facial, wash and blow dry my hair.
Quite boring, but I miss having the time to do a bit of pampering.

[ThePearShapedToad]

For a precious few minutes, indulging in something gooey and chocolatey and decadent that would otherwise feel guilty about eating in front of others; for a full glorious hour-
Deepest hottest bubbliest bath with Adrian Mole and a giant mug of properly brewed, tea leaves in a pot cup of tea :)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

The question was about an unexpected 5 minutes out of the house. I'm very impressed with the resources some of you carry around

[DoubleMum]

I carry my kindle to read, and smartphone to check emails.

[Puppypoppet]

Catch up on emails, facebook, twitter, mumsnet and moneysavingexpert.

[purpleaura]

In five mins, I would be reading the pregnancy talk forums on mumsnet. If I had a whole hour, I'd buy a paper and find a comfy seat in a nearby cafe and savour the crossword :)

[twoboots]

play candy crush on my iphone

[Clawdy]

With a spare five minutes I'd happily browse in the nearest bookshop or gift shop.

[sc00ter]

I love my MP3 Player and I have it loaded with books.
I only listen to Motivational Books the likes of Jim Rohn, so I educate myself while I am on the move.
If I get a spare moment or two at home I like to meditate, again with MP3 Player. I have relaxing types of music on there for that.
If I have a whole hour I would be extremely motivated or relaxed.

[Alidoll]

I'll admit it..I'd enter a competition or two (she says as daughter is snoozing at the side of her!). ;)

[Doha]

I use my Kindle fire to catch up on MN FB pay bills etc or even just read the latest novel downloaded from internet

[JemimaPuddle]

With 5 minutes spare I would either MN on my phone or read my kindle.

A whole hour would be either sleeping or eating neither of which I ever get to do uninterrupted!

[makemineamalibuandpineapple]

I love to use my iPad in a spare 5 mins. Usually catch up on the news, mumsnet or Facebook.

[florencebabyjo]

Find a lovely tea shop and order a latte and a piece of the most gorgeous looking cake they have. Then I would truly enjoy eating this all by myself, savouring every mouthful without any little voices begging me for some, or worse helping themselves without asking.
I might make a list of what I need to do for the next day, shopping, meals and other tasks, so I would leave feeling both refreshed and rested as well as organised and virtuous, having had just that bit of me time to give me the energy boost I needed to give my family the very best of me :)

[Trouvere]

Listen to the silence. Search online for unusual ice cream flavours to try. Do an online survey for pennies. Weed the garden. Plant some more radishes or leaf salad mix. Give plants a pep talk. Squash aphids.

[AbuseHamzaMousseCake]

Crochet a granny square or two
Catch up with friends/family on WhatsApp. We have groups set up so can have ongoing conversations that you can dip in and out of.
Meal plan.
Do Guardian crossword
Read - either news via smartphone or book/short story via kindle app
Check calendar up to date and read emails
Check HotUkDeals for any bargain deals and of course Mumsnet!

[Spottybra]

Spare 5 mins?
My life is on my phone, with 5 m

[Spottybra]

Sorry, two year old pressed the phone and hit post.....


So, 5 mins....
Type up a shoppibg list
Search for cooking inspirations online (my 3 yr old has food allergies to common foods such as potato but I'm a good cook and can adapt things, but cos his diet is strict I want him to try different dishes as much as possible)
Read or download a new book from wattpad
Schedule appointments and update my diary
Send emails or read emails
Shop online. With a 3 yr old and a 2 yr old I am constantly buying new clothes as they grow.

I refuse to do grocery shopping online as I can't have substitutes because of diet restrictions and I cannot stand only having three quarters of my shop delivered. It's just annoying.

[Hopezibah]

that rare spare 5 minutes never seems to happen to me! but here's what I tend to do if it does...

I keep a book I am reading in the glove compartment of the car and read a bit.

I also keep a bible in there in case I get the chance to read that.

I keep a little notepad with me and use it to make lots of lists of things as otherwise things will just fly into and out of my mind. So shopping lists, to do lists etc get updated.

Just be! I think it is so difficult to be still and not 'do' anything in those spare minutes. So sometimes I just take the time to look at the sky, kick the leaves, or look at a flower or bird.

[SaltySeaBird]

I use iBooks on my iPhone to read for a few moments. I wouldn't necessarily have my Kindle with me if I had an unexpected 5 mins but I do normally have my phone on me. I've even read a few pages while waiting for a train at the level crossing.

Depending on the day of the week I jot down a few ideas for a meal plan the following week as that saves me time when I later do my shopping list.

I check my phone for unanswered texts and fire off a few.