Anyone want to join me in becoming more efficient this Autumn?

[Thatsnotmybookworm]

Would anyone like to join me in a thread to encourage ourselves to be more efficient and organised this Autumn?
I'm about to return to work after maternity leave, and I've really enjoyed how organised and (reasonably) calm my life has felt over the past couple of months; I would really like to hang on to that state when I'm back at work, but I'll need to be pretty efficient to manage it; I'll need to figure out lots of shortcuts I think . Time is going to be my most precious resource and I need to manage it accordingly!
Would love some company on my journey

@thatsnotmybookworm - did you get any earlier nights over the weekend???

I have a new tip on a similar theme - micro napping! Heard some guy on a podcast talking about how 20mins was perfect amount to revive you but not put you in a deep enough sleep that it just makes you groggy. So tried it out both weekend days when I started flagging and toddler was asleep and was magic! Had enough energy then to get lots more done in the afternoon than usual

(Still didn’t have everyone’s school uniforms and PE kits ready this am but hey ho...)

Also stayed off phone/internet again - for the whole weekend this time. Was lovely... meant instead of 15mins accidentally googling some random item I suddenly think I might need I’d spend 5mins picking away at a task here and there and then it’d just get done. Also managed to read a bit of a book - haven’t done that in AGES...

Have done an online shop today, paid some bills and started writing my job seeking plan (as advised on another podcast I was listening to)...

... what I didn’t do was buy some Xmas presents I had my eye on. I kept prevaricating - had one thing I definitely wanted, then kept adding something else that I think will work to the basket to get the free shipping , then freaking out at spending so much money all at once and taking it out again. Realised I can ship to Australia rather than airmail if I’m quick, so I should just crack on and get the Aus-bound presents out of the way at least...

Wishing you all an efficient but also enjoyable week

I don't do much batch cooking but I do bulk buy the 'take-away boxes' from Costco. I think they cost about £6 for 100.They are great for batch cooking, storing left overs in the fridge & taking sandwiches to work We also use them for storing craft items and my dp uses them to store lots of his diy stuff, ideal for screws, bolts & the million other bits that he has to keep.

I’ve never got on with batch cooking - every now and then I freeze something then invariably forget it and end up chucking it in a freezer clear out two years later... I think partly because I don’t use freezer much and partly I don’t know what to batch cook - I don’t like anything with minced meat in, and I rarely cook any stew type dishes.

I am trying to think of an aim for this week because it’s helping putting stuff down on this thread and then having them in my mind to get on with... I think dc3’s bedroom might be the next pressing thing - need to move out a load of junk so we can move him out of a cot in my room and into his own room (he’s 2.4 so it’s high time he went!)

@corianderSnell; I had a lovely lie in on Saturday morning and felt great after it; but unfortunately it messed with my sleep pattern for the weekend so I'm just as tired again this week . I need to start getting to bed earlier but I find that tricky as I need to have a couple of hours of downtime in the evenings and, by the time DH is home from work, we have eaten and tidied up, and DC are asleep, it tends to be quite late. I suppose I need to be more disciplined about having more done earlier and then only doing the bare minimum in the evenings. And I probably need to get used to managing with less downtime in the evenings! Thanks for asking.
Good luck with DS's room. I have a project with DD's room too; she sleeps in it but it doesn't look how I want it to look! And to think DS's room was perfect before he even arrived home from hospital

I was in bed at 9.30pm last night and asleep within about two minutes; I feel like a new woman today!
I bought some new soup cups yesterday; I like to have plenty in stock so I can put the soup into the cups as soon as its made, freeze it like that and then I can take a cup out of the freezer, and bring it straight to work with me.
I've also done my meal plan and most of my online supermarket shop today.
Interesting to read about micronapping @coriandersnell; I find even a ten minute lie down without actually sleeping can be quite reviving sometimes.

Away for the night and DC are staying with my parents. I resisted the urge to pack everything in the house for them; it just makes unpacking tomorrow a bigger task, and they really don't need that much for one night.

Hi thread. The being more efficient is going well. I haven't bought my lunch at work in ages now so that's a result. The doing a massive shop at start of the month has been a revelation! I have done 2 very small top ups. -cream and eggs and fruit pretty much!

Hello everyone... and Help! I have lost my momentum and my motivation. Everything just feels overwhelming again and here I am sat on the sofa mn-ing in the middle of the day instead of sorting stuff out ...

I have at least dropped one bag to the charity shop this morning on our way to playgroup, and we got lunch out so the kitchen mess isn’t insurmountable. I’ve been feeling really knackered for the last few days and I think after a day or two of feeling physically tired there’s a kind of psychological tiredness from having to face the stuff that piled up whilst you weren’t on form... I know I just have to get on and do what I can but it is hard to work out where to start and it all starts to feel a bit futile...

I'm feeling the effects of a couple of courses of antibiotics (still on them, the nausea!) so perhaps not as speedy as normal but pressing on.

Have a list of fairly minor admin things to sort out this week, send a few emails, that kind of thing.

Sorry you’re not feeling good Sassitude - I find it’s always hard in these kind of circs to get the balance right between resting and going easy on oneself, and doing enough to keep things going...

bookworm - I know what you mean about evening downtime. I also find the more tired I am the more I feel I need to sit on the couch watching crap... and then of course I get even more tired! I have never managed to work out how to just get myself to bed on time...

Right, I am in a mild state of panic at everything not done at the moment so my aim for today is just to get things back to feeling like they are all kind of in hand... I will report back later with progress

I'd like to join as I am going to be upping my hours in October and need to get a grip on everything really

Welcome @hospbear.
Hope today goes better for you @coriander; I usually start with laundry when I'm in that frame of mind; the soothing monotony of it eases me into housework i think (I realise that makes me sound really sad!).
First day at work for the week for me and I'm pleased with how the weekend went considering it was a busy one; I feel pretty organised for this week.

I stopped getting notifications for this thread! But I'm pleased to say I've been quietly efficient this month in prep for going back to work. I've got the Wunderlist app someone recommended and it's great.

I've cleared out my wardrobes, been batch cooking for the baby and generally decluttering so I don't need to do it when I'm working. Got ideas for make ahead lunch and breakfast too and I had a trial run KIT day earlier in the month. Managed to be out the house for 7.15!

Next up: sorting out a schedule for drop off and pick ups, figuring out how to fit in exercise, Xmas shopping prep and a plan for the garden!

I'm also trying to digitise my shopping list. Is MySupermarket any good? I shop in Aldi, Tesco and Waitrose and need a way to keep track of what comes from where!

Welcome back squadron and well done on your preparation. I’m also working on Xmas shopping prep atm - it’s the first time I’ve ever considered doing anything this early; it’s only just occurred to me how it makes sense to have time to plan properly and source stuff in cheapest way, rather than getting to second week of December, panicking and spending way too much because of just having to get it done!

I’ve been thinking a lot about our mornings this week - we’re on our second year of having two different school runs and although we’ve got better at points it’s still mostly chaos - so I’ve been printing out little evening checklists for the kids and I to tick off sorting as much as we can the night before, and also bought myself a light alarm clock to try and get myself up and out of bed! We’ll see how we go next week.

I read through that thread in chat about organised people and what they’re like/ tips and initially felt really depressed comparing myself to all these people stacking the dishwasher whilst they simultaneously mop the floor and brush their teeth and write a list of lists... but then I read a bit more carefully and noticed that LOADS of them said they had a day off for house work, admin, exercise etc., or they dedicated all of Sunday to prep. I have a non-napping two year old with me 24/7 and a DH who works away in the week and is away a fair few weekends too. So I realised that actually given that I’m doing a lot better than I was giving myself credit for, and started to feel quite good about myself!

To whoever was talking about their bujo thread earlier, there used to be a really long ongoing thread about them a while ago in the housekeeping section. I love my bujo - stops me forgetting birthdays appointments etc and ticking things off lists is so satisfying.

That's the spirit @CorianderSnell ! I've given up comparing myself and my house to others. We do what works for us as a family.

FWIW while I like the idea of using Sunday for prep I'd rather spend it doing fun stuff with DH and the baby. I try and make time for life admin during the week so the weekend is properly free.

Hi folks, the massive shop start of the month paid right off. Must buy even more uht and cereal for October and fruit winders but I think on the whole I've had more time and less shopping. I haven't bought my lunch at work once this month.

Following tomm and Mrs Hinch and the house isn't looking too bad.

Can I join pls. My house is absolute chaos. Can anyone recommend any good apps for sorting the house and being more organised in general.

@sijjy I loved the organised mum - find it on instagram. She has set days for tasks and rooms. I don't need that much direction but it's very easy and clear.

The dds are October and November birthdays so I'm taking advantage of the rain and enforcing a big declutter in their room.

I've got a box for the chazza and a box to bin it's bin day tomorrow thank god.

Also thinning their clothes found about 15 school polo shirts I'd kept for spares but look horrid! Good bye!

This is what I need to do. Go through each room and get rid of crap. In time for Xmas to replace with more. Lol. I've followed her on insta so will hopefully get my house back to some sort of order soon. I also follow Mrs hinch. Any tips for quicker cleaning are great.

@sijjy the only way to reduce cleansing is doing it every day. I like Mrs Hinch idea of putting things to bed. I need to come down to a tidy living room and clear kitchen. Works for me.

When I moved house I got a load of plastic storage tubs with lids for the loft so up in the new one there is a Halloween box an Easter box and far too many Xmas boxes all in one area.

I am a recovering clutterholic!

Well, I've been making up a Christmas (and birthday's list) and marking off what I'd bought in the Toys R Us closing down sale. It's really focussing the mind on what I need to actually buy vs what I might just throw in the basket in a panic. So feeling quietly confident that we can just buy a few things each month.

I've been making moves on the ironing, which has made things easier all round. DD can get dressed in the mornings because all her school uniform is in her wardrobe rather than me running around looking for clean stuff. DS is now in nursery so I have some time during the week to crack it.

The biggest job will be the attic. It's all in boxes, but needs sorting and clearing out.

Ok, new week efficientisers! I am full of cold but feeling strangely optimistic about getting through stuff this week...

I know what you mean about running round hunting clean uniform in the morning Purple - I managed to get all washing done at weekend and uniforms laid out last night so this morning went well but we’ll see whether we can do the whole week like that!

Also been making Christmas lists - also been carrying a rather long general shopping list in my head - vacuum broke, need a replacement, need winter jumpers, one child needs new shoes the other pants, various other bits and bobs. Normally I buy things in dribs and drabs but think I’ll sit down and try and get it all done at once - that way I’ll see the whole total rather than thinking each purchase individually seems reasonably then wondering how I spent so much at the end of the month... if I can get stuff at same place better for p&p and can look up everything on toocashback etc at the same time

It’s weird - every day I feel like I’m getting loads done and on top of stuff until about 2pm and then I realise what hasn’t been done and start to panic and feel I haven’t done anything...

I’m trying to remember what I’ve actually got done today and yesterday to remind myself I do do things! I put a load of washing away, did an online shop, washed some coats, started tidying the garden, wrote down all my spending by category for last month.

Got my light alarm clock too which did help getting me out of bed on time this morning.

Most of the things I need to do at the moment are computer-based which is really tricky with 2yo DS around.

How’s everyone else doing?