3 top things that make life a bit easier!

[VAM24]

Full time working mum to a toddler and just interested in little things that have made your lives a bit more convenient in getting every day jobs done that I can start doing too! (in the absence of being able to afford a full time cook/cleaner/gardener!). Could be something you've bought/ something you do etc.

For example (and this is mega basic) but getting my DDs nursery outfits for the whole week sorted on a Sunday makes my mornings much less frantic and I am considering getting a hive connected to our boiler so I can more easily control our hot water and heating around our lives.

Looking for inspiration! X

Bulk buy greetings cards, birthday, good luck, congratulations etc. Whistlefish do a huge range which are lovely and great quality 10 for £10.
Makes such a difference not having to go out to buy one as and when you need them.

Meal plan and write shopping list. Even if you end up shifting the days around due to shelf life when shopping arrives or due to life commitments you'll still have all the necessary ingredients for the week.

Have a stash of seasonal gear and spare clothes for the children that lives in the car, so hats, gloves in winter, sunhats, suncream in summer.

Meal plan
Cordless hoover
Hand held steamer (instead of ironing. Mainly used for emergency work/school stuff)

We have 3 under 2...
Tumble dryer
Dishwasher
Breakfast set ready night before for them and clothes
Weirdly kettle full night before and quite often coffee in cup cause it makes me so happy coming down and click its on and done quickly haha
A small light cordless hoover
But tbh everything else gets done as I go along cooking, cleaning etc. Although right now with 3 trying to walk it adds for extra fun lol.
I'm currently home hubby works but when he isnt working he also dives in with everything aswell watever needs doing. My one hate is putting washing away luckily he doesn't mind it

Frozen chopped onion (and butternut squash if that’s your thing). Haven’t chopped an onion for ages.
Keep a list on your phone of random things you think of eg phone calls to make, thinks to look up

Online grocery shopping

A cleaner

Money

For us it was moving into a house where the previous owner left the dishwasher. That was the first game changer to the point where when we remodelled the kitchen a dishwasher was an absolute must

secondly was the tumble dryer. We got it free when friends remodelled their kitchen. One of those heat pump condenser ones. Oh my Lord the difference that made!

3rd was a simply cook subscription. The meals are all tasty and so simple. It’s added variety to our meals and we are eating better for it.

Keep on top of the clothes sorting - putting away or donating things that are too small.

While it's good to have enough clothes (and youll know how many she gets through) , don't have too many or the washing builds up.

Next overnight delivery for those "Muuuuuuum all my school trousers are too tight.." moments

Plan for 'dead time'. It's amazing how much you can tick off the list that really only take 5/10 mins. So fill in forms whilst waiting for kids to come out of school/activity. Write a birthday card whilst waiting for the dentist. Clean the job whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. I've just re-booked my car insurance whilst the colour was taking on my hair at the hair dressers. Then ordered a couple of birthday presents online whilst waiting for a friend for a coffee.

And you'd be amazed at how much can be done in an ad break! I can hoover hall stairs and landing in 3 breaks!

Dh and I have a Google doc saved on our phone home screen which we keep a live shopping list on. Every time we finish something or remember we need something it goes on the list. Means whoever does the next shop gets the lot. Game changer.

Washing - figured out where most clothes got dumped (bathroom) and put washing baskets in the bathroom. We now have a 1 x 2 Kallax in the bathroom with a box for lights & darks. I then just take that whole box to wash.

Pants & Socks - have enough to only need to wash every couple of weeks. (I also have a separate smaller washing basket in the bathroom for these)

Cheap & easy dinner night - one night a week we have cheap & easy dinner night - it's literally bog standard pasta with grated cheese, yogurt & whatever frozen veg we have in the freezer: it's one less night to think about, and we always have stuff in for it.

School uniform basket - I realised we wasted loads of time in a morning getting ready for school when the kids went back into their own bedrooms to get ready. Enter the school uniform basket (again, in the bathroom - very lucky to have a large bathroom!) - they each have a basket in there where they keep school uniform, they stick their PJs in there when they get ready for school, then when they get home from school they jump into onesies, stick uniform that can be worn again in the basket, then at bedtime their PJs are there too. This was actually life changing for us, and has led to much calmer mornings AND we don't loose school ties or jumpers in bedrooms.

Loo roll - on subscription from who gives a cr*ap .

@christmasgeek have I misunderstood, pasta and yogurt?! Together?!

What do you think of who gives a crap? I keep thinking about it but is it worth the price? It's basically a pound a roll isn't it? We currently buy 2 X 24 packs at a time in Lidl / aldi

Love this thread! Here are things that have transformed my life as mum of 3 kids...

A dirty and clean washing basket for everyone in the house. All clean baskets stack together on top of the Washer. whites and colours are washed together for the kids, I no longer care if the kids polo shirts go a bit grey (in fact buy coloured polo shirts if uniform policy allows). I do one person's load each day, TUMBLE DRY, NEVER IRON then fold. That person (child or adult) Puts their own laundry away. As its nicely folded it all fits in the drawers easily.

Dishwasher on overnight whether full or not. Kids job to empty each morning.

Wash my hair every 3rd or 4th day, you can extend how often it need washing by gradually building up the interval, I never knew that before!

Switching kids bath from morning (must have been mad) to evening, twice a week only.

Limit kids activities to one each per week. They love time at home and time to play with friends anyway.

List an item a week for sale just to keep the throughput of stuff in and out the house.

Automate meal planning and shopping. I have a Week 1, Weekend 1, Week 2, Weekend 2 etc shopping list on morissons online. I set up deliveries for Mondays and Fridays a month at a time, just by selecting 'add list to basket'. All weekday meals are 'ready to cook' meats, pre chopped veg and packet rice, pre cooked mash etc. If I need anything extra, or if we're going away, I amend the next delivery. It's made life so much easier!!! It's a little more expensive but has saved vast amounts of time and energy in planning, shopping, prepping etc. I just don't think about any of it anymore, whereas before it was like a second job.

Cleaner each week and pay for an extra 30 mins for them to change a bed, put clean sheets on, put in the machine and hang out to dry before they leave.

I'm thinking of advertising on a locals facebook page for a 'helper' to come for 2 hours a day Monday to Thursday from 3 to 5pm to tidy up, do after school snacks, cook dinner, maybe do a school run, do my online shopping orders, run errands etc. That's my dream anyway!

Money spent on convenience in this season of life (busy working parents age) is money well spent. Like the money I spent on travelling in my 20s in that season of life, I wouldn't go back and change that. Just giving myself permission to spend on convenience has been very helpful.

Clean the bathroom while your dc is in the bath. While they play with their toys scrub everywhere else. Then it never gets too bad and one job is done.

Same in Italy - I love it! So much easier and child gets one or two decent presents instead of lots of little bits.