I need to get my act together - anyone else?!

[MillieMoodle]

I really need to get my act together - my house is a mess and needs a bloody good clean, I don't look after myself properly so always feel scruffy, I'm overweight since having 2 DC and I permanently feel stressed and like I have no control over anything.

So I am going to take back control. I would like to be an oasis of calm and serenity, preferably 2.5 stone lighter, obviously much slimmer, with decent hair, nails and eyebrows, a lovely clean house and the ability to turn down a chocolate bar once in a while. I also want to be able to wear a bikini on holiday next year without feeling quite so wobbly. It starts today!

Anyone else up for it?

OMG Howlong you don't know what you've just done.

The less I do the less I am motivated to do.

That's it! I was poorly for a very long time and now I'm mostly better but struggle with procrastination and getting things done... And I think this is why!! I have to remember that.

I’m planning a better day today! You are both right (Howlong & Canispeak). Up, dishwasher emptied / reloaded, washing out and another load in. It helped that I heard the window cleaner at the window so that made me jump up and get in the bathroom quick 😆
Last day of the school hols here so we are off out for the day and I’ve set up my watch to count my steps when out. Will get weighed too in the hope I can kickstart the healthy eating/ exercise.
Soup recipes- you’ve reminded me Howlong. I was planning something similar as I love soup, thought it’s fairly low in calories but good for the veg intake. I’ve found some good recipes on BBC Goodfood. My favourites were 1) mushroom, 2) courgette, cheddar & rosemary 3) Thai green curry.
Have a great / productive day everyone.

I’m finally ready to do this. Yesterday, I was really tired and had to endure the stress of last minute school shoes shopping so I ended up eating really badly and not doing many chores.
Today is the start of a different routine.
I’ve done a whole load of chores this morning, I’m making blueberry porridge for breakfast for everyone, minestrone soup for lunch and I’m having a spinach dahl with rice for dinner.
We need to get all the bags and uniforms ready for back to school tomorrow.

I get all my soup recipes from bbcgoodfood or Jamie Oliver’s site.
Favourites are -
Minestrone
Tomato
Leek and potato
Thai butternut squash
Lentil

Does anyone find their whole day is decided in the first 30 minutes? I’ve discovered that if I get up when I wake up, and shower, get ready, try to look nice, dress in my favourite clothes and put shoes on, I’m generally productive all day. But if I wander round in a dressing gown for 30 minutes, I end up doing sod all, all day.

Yes! I agree.
I also find that if I don’t eat breakfast early, I eat less all day.

I'd love to find my secret to eating less all day.

I'd like to join in please. My last day off with the kids and I (we) really need to use this opportunity to tackle outstanding jobs and get organised for the school year.

I am just sitting down drinking tea!

Joyfulincolour

rammel

I love that word and haven’t heard it being used in ages!

I’ve had a productive day so far with house stuff - 2 loads of washing on & drying, general tidy up, kitchen tidied & dishwasher on.

Also cooked myself a nice healthy lunch and have meal planned for next two weeks.

We have finally got shelves up that have been desperately needed, so my plan this weekend is to buy boxes and start clearing out the junk spare room!

Just need to get more productive with work now. DH and I are both finding it a real struggle to work a 40+ hour week with a commute, keep the house tidy (we have a cleaner so that’s ok), keep on top of laundry and ironing, meal plan/food shop/eat healthily, exercise, socialise AND get enough sleep.

I’m joining!

Number one priority is diet - I eat so much crap I’m ashamed. I do exercise already but diet is shocking & I’m carrying excess weight.

Also just how I look in general - a total mess I had a baby a year ago and have looked like crap since. Need to sort hair / face / clothes.

I don’t have time to do a full wardrobe audit but I’m trying to wear each item once and anything that makes me feel crap is going in a charity shop pile.

House also needs sorting but will have to wait!

@YahBasic - your house blitz sounds awesome! I bet you can’t wait to start filling those shelves.

Can I ask to see your meal plan? I’ve been doing them but I always struggle to think of new things, so it always ends up fish pie, spag Bol, chilli, on endless repeat. Which is all fattening. Hence all this gestures at self

I’ve been using my Getting Stuff Done planner, and not letting myself go all perfectionist with it.

I did all my jobs yesterday, which was a mix of work and home stuff, but I fell down on the “self care”. Do you have any ideas for self-care stuff, other than beauty treatments? Should I be reading motivational books or something? Aside from fake tan, baths, painting my nails and deep-conditioning my hair, I don’t really know how to self-care. I suppose just phoning a friend for a lovely chat would count, though?

Talking of which, I have a friend and her son coming over for cake and coffee after lunch, so I’d better get out of bed and make one!

I’ve got a long list of things to do today all mapped out, and if I did them all I’d feel pretty good.

DC back to school tomorrow. I’m going to love the peace, miss their company, and miss the lie ins! 😂 Oh God, and it’ll be back to making packed lunches every night. Yay.

Have an amazing day, all of you!

Hi Sodding - yep definitely feel better today knowing I’ve only got my ironing to do!

For meal plans, I keep two lists on my phone. One is a master list of meals that we like, and then I create a second weekly list by going through the cupboards/fridge & the master list to see what we fancy for the week. I then create the shopping list on the second list & tick off as I go around aldi!

This week, the plan looks like:

Mon: chicken, mushroom & asparagus risotto
Tues: sausage pasta in tomato & mascarpone sauce
Weds: lamb koftas, Greek salad and flatbreads
Thurs: bacon & kale pesto spaghetti

Next week I’ve got roast beef dinner, crispy beef stir fry & fish on the list so far.

YahBasic - love your list! And really like the idea of having a “master list” of meals. I can definitely do that. Thanks.

We’re having risotto this week, I’ve just decided.

I’ve made a cake ✅
But am yet to clean the house before my friend comes over.
After that, I’ve got to take the DC up the town to get their hair cut. Then get something in for dinner - no idea what. And get packed lunch food.
This is all so dull. When did my life get so dull?!

@HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo yes, if I get up and get on with it I have a great day. If I start pottering about it all goes wrong!

Sorry I've been AWOL but I have had a moderately productive time! I spent Sunday cleaning our bathroom out, chucking out old lotions and potions, DH built a cabinet which we bought months ago, so it's finally being used and the bathroom is much cleaner and tidier.

Food wise I've not been great but not terrible either. Now DS1 is back to school we should have more of a routine. Exercise wise it's a work in progress and this week has stalled completely so far. Self-care wise I booked myself a massage which I had this evening and it was amazing! I feel much better and my back, neck and shoulders are much happier with me.

@MillieMoodle -- you've been busy! I LOVE a good clear out, and I bet your bathroom feels awesome now, full of the stuff you actually use, rather than the crap you just push past to get to the stuff you actually use. :D I'm always amazed how I feel like I have more stuff after I've chucked the old stuff away.

I'm reborn, with my Planner. Every night I've made a list of tomorrow's jobs, and bugger me if I'm not getting them all done.

My exercise is non-existent too, sadly. When the DC are back at school tomorrow, I want to get into the routine of doing a workout at home. Like the 30 Day Shred, or a YouTube routine.

Self-care wise, I've been actually putting body lotion on, instead of just keeping it on the bathroom shelf. I'm amazed now whenever I touch any part of my body - my skin is weirdly soft.

Love this thread. Love it.

Well my little boy started back at school on Tuesdsy I worked Tuesdsy and Wednesday. I'm off today so planning to ring water company to sort bill out, have an appointment at 12, get all washing done, book dentist appointments, do monthly meal plan, then add anything I need to online shop I've booked ( I have actually booked 3 online shops at different dates this month ) so thsts organised and can just add any extras. cook a roast beef dinner and give the house a quick tidy. I'm going to write a list and tick each thing off.

I've been getting up and getting ready in the mornings quite successfully! And getting more done than I thought. Various appointments and little jobs today.

Good luck, @Sleephead1 -- that sounds very productive! And a roast beef dinner sounds amazing.

Is it too late to join now?

Both DC up and off to school. I made pancakes, which DS2 enjoyed, but his brother (who's 16) skipped because he was in a late panic.

This sounds weird, but one of my "things to do" is shag DH more! We could put that under self-care... I jumped on him last night and it was amazing. But I then didn't get to sleep till 2am and I'm so, so, so tired now.

Anyway, today's list:

• Make dentist and eye test appointments for all of us;
• 2x laundry;
• Tidy bedrooms;
• Hoover upstairs;
• Work stuff;
• Clean bathroom;
• Water garden;
• Find out what's wrong with my roses;
• Make soup;
• Cook dinner. No idea what.

• Make dentist and eye test appointments for all of us; DONE
• 2x laundry; IN PROGRESS!
• Clean bathroom; DONE
• Water garden; DONE
• Find out what's wrong with my roses; DONE
• Cook dinner. No idea what. DONE
• Tidy bedrooms;
• Hoover upstairs;
• Work stuff;
• Make soup

Do you ever find that having one job you don't want to do sort of puts you off doing anything else? I need to hoover upstairs. But getting it out and dragging it upstairs is such a faff. So instead, I'm doing collages of my DC's "first day at school" pictures of today, and 5 years ago. 🙄

OK, sod it, I'm hoovering NOW and sorting the bedrooms, then rewarding myself with a coffee and an episode of some crap on TV.

More shagging is a very commendable ambition I think sodding

We have a hyper-vigilant teenager who would be on high alert for any signs of The Sex, so we do actually plan it into our daily routine when he's out the house - he was actually away on a four week expedition over the summer

Anyway today I am ill 😷 It's DS's first day back at school and DH is at work, I was supposed to be on a training course but instead am languishing in my bed. I've not had a day off sick in the two years I've been in my job so I don't feel too guilty.