Heh...don't know about anyone else, but I have my game pretty much running in the background all the time and I go and do something with it whenever I have a chance. I put it on half speed at night only if I'm worried I'll have a food crisis, otherwise I have it running normally.

When I've got spare time to actually sit down and play, I pick up a child and go scanning the village constantly, picking mushy's and collectibles as soon as they appear.