Simple things that make your life so much edit?

[LeonoraFlorence]

Every night my phone battery would be low and without fail I’d be sitting awkwardly at a funny angle on the couch trying to look through Mumsnet whilst it charged plugged in. DH ordered me a charger for about £10 with a cable over 1m long and it has changed my life! What other small things have made your life much more pleasant?

Just re-read my post of last night to Plain - nestable, not beatable!

Another with two duvets on the bed. Its the only way I'm going to make it through the menopause.

Two drawer dishwasher. One is always empty and so things go straight in rather than sitting around waiting and we need fewer kitchen items since it doesn't take long to get a full (half) load.

We have two duvets too (husband doesn't even have a duvet, just a sheet!)

Have actually had people say 'oh that sounds so sad and unromantic.'

90% of the time we don't even sleep in the same room because he fidgets and snores and I need my sleep. I can't see what's romantic about being kept up half the night.

My two duvets are on top of one another so we are both under both of them. My temperature fluctuates so much multiple times throughout the night that I can move the top layer on and off to cope. DH just keeps both layers on. Its revolutionised sleeping for me.

Automatic car, not a small thing but so much less stressful to drive than a manual.

I got fed up of searching for stuff in my work bag, so I bought 2 A5 sized sturdy plastic wallets. One for all my IT bits and bobs like my mouse, adaptors for work monitor and internet cable, my presentation clicker thingy, and one for my personal things like hairbrush, lip balm, pens, calculator. It’s amazing, I feel so organised! My bag now just has my laptop, kindle, purse, water bottle and 2 plastic wallets with all the rest of the stuff that would otherwise be left loose.

Every now and again I admit to myself I'm tired. I ignore everything that isn't needed for the next day and just go to bed. Once by 20:30, normally by about 21:00, latest 21:30. I sleep right through until 06:30 and it makes such a difference. Maybe once a month?
It's such a simple thing to do and no cost!

An Ikea Poang chair that I bought second hand for $6.99 in perfect condition. At last I have somewhere really, really comfortable to sit and read. Bliss.

Spices and dried herbs kept in plastic bins in my kitchen cupboards. Most used are on the bottom shelf, least used are furthest up. I take out one bin, like pulling a drawer out, when I am baking, and another when making potato salad, etc. No more rummaging among loose jars or knocking stuff out of the cupboard for me.

And using my slow cooker for raising yeast dough on chilly days. I set it to warm, make my dough, take out the slow cooker bowl, turn off the power, wrap my dough bowl with a kitchen towel for insulation and plop it into the SC, cover with the SC lid, and it rises nicely as it's warm and draught free.

Keeping the bed linen in each room.

So in each bedroom there is a spare sheet and duvet cover in a box on top of the wardobe. Strip bed and instead of having to go to linen cupboard like my mum had and search for all the matching stuff and the right sized sheets, its all there ready to go.
When its washed back it goes.
I am rubbish at general housekeeping and for some reason this has made it work in my head so much better.

The Our Groceries app.
Dp, dd and me all have it on our phones linked to my account. We all add things we need to buy as they notice they're running out and I check the list before I do an online order. Or I check the app when in the shop and enjoy swiping to cross them off as I put them in the trolley.

We have many lists for different shops - a general groceries list and others for those things we buy from specific shops.

Ocado, Amazon prime, cordless Dyson, all the streaming video apps, Kindle, decent phone with plenty of data.

Separate laundry baskets for different loads.

Plenty of chargers with long cables.

Google home; several in the house and nest thermostat.

Sonos speakers with Spotify.

YouTube if I ever want to learn anything new.

It's a wonderful time to be alive 😊

Am loving these!
Can someone tell me how to link the PressReader app to my library card tho?

Our library uses Borrowbox. So you might need to check what your local library uses.

Sorry just seen that Press Reader is for magazines.
Borrow box is for ebooks and audiobooks.

baublegirl454 in 'Accounts' and 'Social and Linked Networks' there is a 'Library' option in which you can enter your library card number

Reading this thread has made me realise how bloody unorganised I am!!
Perhaps all of these tips should be printed up as a book somehow ;)

Google home. I'm toying with the idea of buying smart plugs so I don't have to bend the whole 8" to switch off the lamb

Amazon Kindle. It lives in my bag and only takes about 45 mins to charge

5 school trousers, cardigans etc. I bought a shoe organiser from Wilko which is now hung in DD's wardrobe and I wash, iron and out away all the uniform for a week. Add pants and socks and all I need to do is scoop the contents of one compartment now

Filofax - I used to have my phone calendar, a wall calendar and notes. Now everything is in one place and I don't forget things.

A power bank - we have a very limited number of plug sockets in our living room so I use the power bank if I'm sat in 'my' corner (the one with zero plug sockets) and my phone needs charging

Podcast app - I listen to various different podcasts and I actually get through cleaning, ironing etc much more quickly because I'm busy listening so the time goes more quickly

Oh and a 3 USB plug from IKEA. It has 3 USB ports at the bottom so you can charge 3 things at once

And.... a weighted blanket. I got a single sized from Wowcher on offer. Makes me sleep SO much better.

Some great ideas on here - I’ve just ordered a sellotape dispenser off amazon!
Mine are: when folding bedding, putting the bottom sheets and pillowcases on top of the duvet cover and folding them all together in a kind of parcel. No more rooting around for the right sized bedding (I got this tip off Anthea Turner years ago!)

• After swimming/dance lessons etc, washing the kit and putting it all straight back in their drawstring bags on hooks behind the kitchen door so no rushing around find different kits each week (I also keep specific shampoo and brush etc in each bag)
• Taking pj’s for kids to change into after swimming lessons instead of struggling back into clothes/uniform. Judgy people - judge on!
• paying an ironing service. I loathe ironing and it’s well worth the money for the stress and time saved.
• my most recent is clearing out a little box room we previously used for storing junk and installing a load of billy bookcases from ikea. We’ve put all our books and magazines in one easy to find place instead of piles all around the house and it’s like having a little library!

Ooooo oooooo

On the subject of bedding - put a full set of duvet cover etc , bottom sheet, pillow cases into one pillow case. You don't have to dig about for the set then, just pull out a pillow case. I've done this for our bed as well as DC's beds

@MissLadyM how do you sign up for the press reader thing? I opened an account and it's asking me to pay for each copy of the magazines I want!

When I was working personalised pens.

When you are a supply teacher no child has a pen, or at least they claim not to and you never get the pens back.

I have bright sparkly pens with, "stolen from Ms sashh" on them.

I replaced one plug socket to one with 2 USB connectors, I never need to look for chargers now.

Getting a backpack rather than using a stupid handbag - no more achy shoulders.

Separate toiletries in my swimming bag.

Not washing my hair every day.

Nothing at all out on kitchen work-surfaces (apart from kettle). The added 2 seconds of going into drawers for things massively outweighs the headache of moving and wiping everything down regularly.

Pre-chopped vegetables - more expensive but worth it for saving the hassle.

Changed from shower gel to bar soap.