Things that are nice but not worth the hassle

[CrabbityRabbit]

I made sweet potato gnocci for dinner yesterday from scratch. They were lovely. But they also covered both me and my kitchen with a thick layer of orange gloop that took ages to scrub off. And the gnocci were all funny shapes since they were too sticky to roll out properly. I shan't bother again.

In the same category I put properly decorating the house for Christmas/Halloween. I love decor but can only just be arsed to decorate the tree/carve a pumpkin. So they are the only things that get done despite the fact I would love a house covered head to foot in fairy lights/skeletons.

A decent skincare routine. Can barely remember/be arsed to slap on a moisturiser most nights let alone toner, eye cream or anything of that ilk. Am convinced I would have dewy, glowing skin ala a South Korean skincare advert if only I could be bothered to use 39 different products every day.

Anything else?

Ironing bedding, no thanks. Last year I replaced all our bedding with gorgeous stuff from the Croft range by John Lewis. Lovely, thick 100% cotton and it genuinely doesn't need ironing

Cleaning windows, they always look worse afterwards

Going abroad with dc.

Once took me all afternoon to make a French apple tart. Days before I had my first child. I vowed never to waste my time like that again when Waitrose ones are £5 and nicer.

I used to love camping but now with a DC - although we have fun while we are there - the packing, setting up and unpacking again at home are just not worth it for me. Am trying to persuade my husband to get a camper van instead.

I don't stir my risotto much. I know there's a MN anecdote about someone taking a dump in the kitchen in bin cos they couldn't leave their risotto. I fully wander off and do other things. It's fine.

Beach holidays - all the waxing/shaving, sunblock, sand everywhere, hot tempers etc

Young children - am hoping it gets better when they’ve moved out

Second homes - never known anyone who either doesn’t think it’s a pain or wishes they lived there full time. Either way, not worth it

Believing in God - too much awfulness

Knowing news the instant it happens - half a day really isn’t going to change anything. There’s nothing so new or so surprising that it can’t wait until after lunch

Dieting - waste of time and effort. Either change your ways or don’t. No point doing it for just a few weeks or months at a time.

Tarquin try making oven baked risotto you only need to stir once throughout cooking

Ironing socks and underpants? Good grief, who could be bothered.

Sunday Roast. All the bloody faffing and dishes to clean up afterwards.

Christmas Dinner - see above turned up to 100.

Christmas
Ironing
Going out on Winter evenings
Clothes shopping
Parties

I only ever do baked risotto these days - really easy.

I like to break the stages of lasagne up, so it feels less of a chore. Make the bol sauce in the morning (veggie, so use those ready cooked sachets of lentils to replace the mince). Cheese sauce in microwave, so less faffy. Assemble just before shoving in the oven.

Children

Ironing used to be a good way to get stuff properly dry in the old days I think.

Having a lawn - it’s just such a headache with the patchiness and the mowing and the way it goes horrid so quickly if it grows too tall. We grow veg and have a ‘wild’ patch instead. Not as posh looking but never mind.

Risotto. I love it, but I'm the only one in the house that eats it and it just seems like a complete faff making it just for myself.

I bother with a shockingly large number of things already mentioned. In fact, many things I don't even consider a bother.

My personal nice to have but can't be bothered is matching underwear.

Going outside. Getting dressed. Cleaning, ugh

Baked Risotto changed my life:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2818/ovenbaked-risotto-

Lobster.

I vacillitate between buying proper fresh veg to chop and frozen chopped onion/butternut squash/mash. Depends on how CBA I feel.

Agree re ironing. I rarely bother with clothes and have never ironed bedding.

I folded all my tops and knickers Kondo style in the drawers for a while. That didn't last but it was very good for selecting clothes. I have never learned to fold a fitted sheet as I know I wouldn't bother.

I really CBA with mash but I like root veg mash with swede, sweet potato, turnips, parsnip and carrots. You can't buy that frozen so every few months I make a fuckload and freeze it so I have it for a while.

I hate ironing but can't be doing with wrinkled sheets and duvet covers! Such a faff though. My husband has taken it over, and irons while he watches BT Sport. Big game changer :-D

Tidying up after toddlers

Taking toddlers ANYWHERE! Pack 50 billion things, get whined and screamed at, come home frazzled, unpack 60 billion things

Going on holiday. Packing causes me anxiety to the point of physical sweating!

Ironing. I do none. I don't even know where our iron is haha! MIL went through a phase of ironing anything dry on the airer while she was babysitting which was lovely but I just used to think, why the fuck? Especially kids clothes which get god knows what within seconds.

My fucking beautiful glass and oak dining table. I have conceded and covered this thing of beauty with an oilcloth table cloth as I can't bear a single mark on it.

Black appliances. Our fridge, washing machine and dishwasher are black. They look really smart but god, every fingerprint and speck of dust can be sent from a mile off!

Camping. Let's all try to emulate comfortable home living, outside. Having packed basically a camping version of everything, I think, why bother. The only way to do it is bare minimal, but nah fuck that!!

Nights out. Hangover for 3 days since about age 25!

French apple tart takes me about 20 mins from start to finish ( ingredients : apples (obvs) butter, flour, sugar) either one of us is doing it wrong

Ha ha this is sooo me 😉

I have always fancied keeping chickens and having super fresh eggs but I KNOW I would find it a massive faff and resent it straight away. Same with any animal that requires a habitat to maintain like reptiles or fish.

The cat mostly cares for himself so he is fine.

My nice but CBA is a clean car.