January life hack thread!

[Ohdoleavemealone]

I love these threads. Looking to share tips on how to make your life easier.
I started the "organised mum method" for cleaning in the summer whivh has slipped but I will get back on it when the kids get back to school and we all get back into routine.

Also reducing the cooking as much as I can this year. Tonights tea was meatloaf. Tomorrow I will crumble it into some tinned toms with herbs and pour over pasta. Easy and quick.
Similar ideas are shredding chicken and using for enchilada, pie, faita, curry etc. Quick adds to sauce to make life easier.

What do you do that saves you time and headpsace?

@TitsOot4Xmas

I've stopped ironing anything except DHs work shirts. The world hasn't stopped like I thought it may

In this bit of the world men can iron their own bloody shirts and the world won’t end.

Normally yes. But as I've been furloughed/out of work since March, it's the least I can do for him.

I have a birthday box too. I keep cards candles balloons in there.
Have two boxes - one for each dc and I place all clothes and undies and whatever for school in the box each night so they are ready to go in the morning.
Declutter as much as possible. Going to Declutter again tomorrow. The more you get rid of the easier cleaning gets.
Mid week I usually buy a cooked chicken and we have it with baby potatoes and next night for a curry. Quick and easy

Once a week I batch cook something different each week so I have a supply of various dinners

Writing a list of all potential meals (that everyone will eat at least part of!) makes weekly meal planning easier as I can just choose from the list.

While I have a paper, old school "to do" list I also use my phone camera. So say for example I remember it's been a while since I checked my tyre pressure I'll take a picture of one of my car wheels. Or if I need to see a button on my coat I'll take a picture. At the end of the day/week I check my random pictures and add that item to my actual list.

You may think this is mad but Saturday morning 8am is when I do most of my batch cooking. Kids potter about playing, I get an online shop Friday evening with a plan in mind. And then I just do it. Make loads of Bologna use/chilli/marinated chicken/whatever and freeze. Make lots of roasted veg pasta sauce. Etc

I clean the bathroom before I shower - in the nude

Super hack it: hair mask on then clean then shower.

Anytime I’m doing something dull in and around the bathroom I put some sort of mask on: face, hair, feet.

@1lbperweek

I love TOMM but adhd means I struggle to stick to things.

A tip I got from here last year was to buy all my cards at the start of the year from Whistlefish. Will definitely do that again!

Tell me more!

I just ordered from whistlefish. Genius

Place marking

@GloGirl they’re really nice cards and it’s £10 for £10 or something like that so obviously pricier than the likes of the card factory but you can just work out what cards you need for the year, order them all at once and you’re sorted for the year. Bliss!

I prep all the veg from the veg box when it arrives; and either store in the fridge or roast - depending on what. It saves time because it's one batch of chopping / cleaning; and also helps me think through meals and how I'll use the stuff up. Having a tray of pre-roasted veg means I'm more likely to bulk meals up with that, than with a packet of rice / chips / waffles / whatever.

Some great ideas!

Line the salad box and fruit bowl with kitchen roll then take any supermarket fruit & veg out of its plastic wrapping before storing. Lasts so much longer.

Thank you quil I never thought about roasting veg and freezing before but this would be a game changer mid week

Each member of my household has a small washing basket in their bedroom, just big enough to hold one wash load.

When full, they bring it down to get washed, dried then taken back up, put away and ready for the next load.

Each person is responsible for bringing down/putting away their own stuff. I still do the actual washing of the kids stuff but if they don't bring it down, it doesn't get washed.

No more sorting whose washing is whose, especially pants and socks. This has saved so much time!