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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Your mum/life hacks?

379 replies

Emlou07 · 08/12/2017 07:27

Aibu to want alllllll the 'hacks' for an easy life Grin

Please share Halo

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
funnyfoursome · 12/12/2017 18:43

Please can anyone explain advert Olympics?
And any tips for tupperware organisation? I have an overflowing box of mismatched boxes and lids!!

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2017 18:54

Plastic boxes with mismatched lids - use them inside your crap drawer or make-up/hair things/small bits drawer to group similar things together. Put the lids in recycling.

Go out and buy exactly the Tupperware (other makes are available) set you need - preferably in colours that makes it easy to match lids to boxes. If they are going to be in the cupboard buy a nesting set.

SavoyCabbage · 13/12/2017 06:57

Is advert Olympics leaping up and exercising during the adverts?

Sgtmajormummy · 13/12/2017 07:24

With Tupperware I think it has to be at eye level to avoid blind rummaging!
I made a wall inside the cupboard with springloaded curtain rods. Lids stacked on their sides to the left, boxes on the right, nesting in order of size.
Keeping old food tubs may seem like a good idea, but you just know they're going to be more trouble than they're worth! Freezer or recycling is where they belong IMO.
IKEA or Lidl do cheap matching sets.

minnymoobear · 13/12/2017 07:46

THanks some great stuff here!

allthgoodusernamesaretaken · 13/12/2017 09:17

Is advert Olympics leaping up and exercising during the adverts?

I assumed it was tidy as much as you can during the ad break

squishee · 13/12/2017 23:11

Someone on here has given me the swishiest shiniest hair I've ever had ever. Who knew you don't need to rinse between shampoo and conditioner? Shampoo scalp, condition ends and rinse both off at once.

Thank you thank you thank you (sorry can't find your OP). Smile

squishee · 13/12/2017 23:28

After a big shop, write down the use-by dates of perishables and stick the list on the fridge door.

Use sauna wraps rather than bath towels - much better as they leave your hands free. Good for the post-swimming faffing phase too. No sleeves to flap about and get wet.

Towelling hair turbans are great. I can't bear to have dripping hair now.

Freeze guac ingredients in the same freezer bag (quartered limes, red chillis).

Freeze quartered lemons, limes, chopped ginger, breadcrumbs - anything needed in small quantities each time.

MissOrganisedMe · 13/12/2017 23:48

Love these. Can't add anything that hasn't already been said.

flowergrrl77 · 15/12/2017 17:15

Nothing wrong with pj’s after swimming! I’m with @crunchermuncher :)

Mind you, my kids swim in a small private pool with only 6 kids at a time, her class ends at 7pm. It’s also nobody else’s business!!

polarbear33 · 06/01/2018 00:02

Some great ideas on here, here are are couple of ours:--

Ikea packing cubes, pack of 4 or 5. Mesh on one side and various sizes. Great for after school activities like ballet/gymnastics and pop into school bag. Mesh means you can see what's in it. Once activity done, outfit packed back up and put on cupboard shelf for following week.

Take photo of birthday invites. The paper invite goes on a special little noticed board we have in the kitchen. The photo is for when you're en route and suddenly can't remember if it starts at 2 or 2.30 and what the post code is for the church hall that you thought you knew where it was but can't find!

Tumble drier for almost everything and ironing only what you need. Which is surprisingly little!

Baby wipes clean everything (just about) and are usually on bulk offer in supermarkets.

If you have old fashioned radiators, lay a tea towel along the top, and create a dip in the middle. Dry upside down water bottles, Tupperware, calpol syringes when heating is on. They always seem to take ages to dry in the drainer otherwise and get in the way.

Pump bottles, like Aveeno, when 'finished' actually have shed loads of product still in them. Remove pump and slice bottle open with a bread knife and spoon out (I have a small spatula for this!) into a small pot. I can make Aveeno last an extra couple of weeks that way. Same for tubes of moisturiser etc.

Move from shower gel/soap dispensers to bars of soap. Cuts down on plastic and lasts a lot longer. TK Maxx has a good selection of soaps to sniff and peruse so you can try out different ascents. Deodorant works better after using a bar of soap too I find.

R2G · 06/01/2018 00:51

My mum tips...

  • get a cleaner
  • declutter 15 mins a day
  • buy enough school uniform for each day at second hand uniform sales
  • Sunday - batch cook...
make sandwiches for lunches and freeze Make a couple of raw meals that get frozen then defrosted to go straight in the slow cooker. Chop fruit into Tupperware pots to go with lunch Roast two chickens, a tray of roasties, a tray of root vegetables. In a slow cooker cook a big batch of bolognaise. Sunday, roast dinner Monday, chicken risotto with root veg Tuesday - Pasta, chicken & root veg Wednesday - boil the carcass and freeze the stock for soup. Spaghetti Bol Thursday - jacket potatoes and chilli Friday - lasagne and salad Saturday - ready cooked chicken mini pasta and veg with the stock big chicken pepper pot soup.
  • get the kids stripping beds, hoovering, putting the washing on etc, , putting bins out, washing up as soon as they can
ferriswheel · 06/01/2018 00:59

Make lunch at breakfast time.

Floor wipes for everything.

Always have change.

Fresh air every day.

Get divorced if your husband is a bastard.

ferriswheel · 06/01/2018 01:03

I love the little ruck sack of toys idea!

sashh · 06/01/2018 01:25

Swwet potato 'mash'.

Put sweet potato in the microwave for 5 mins, turn over and then for another 5 mins.

Cut the sp in half and squeeze out the 'mash'.

tumpymummy · 06/01/2018 01:47

Placemarking for now. Will add my tips later!

FeralBeryl · 06/01/2018 02:06

A lot of mine are on here already, but just to add:

Mornings:
everyone's uniform, from pants onwards is laid out ready. No one downstairs until they are photo ready Grin
Separate tub for 'school' bobbles and clips.
1st one downstairs chooses their 'song' for breakfast.
Bags, shoes, kits, water bottles,coats etc all in front of the door so nothing gets left behind.
Once they are all belted trapped in the car, I do a quick swipe round the kitchen, take the rubbish out with me to the big bin.

Birthday parties:
RSVP as soon as I read the invite, I then write it on the wall planner with the address and time.
I stockpile cards, I have stopped giving presents for school friends and just put money in cards now.
My own kids love getting money in cards to save up and buy a 'big' toy (and it has taken so much pressure off me trying to buy/wrap presents en route to parties)

No food upstairs. Ever. except for my birthday breakfast in bed
Only drinks allowed are water in sports bottles. This will obviously change once they're older, but means I never find any surprise stains in carpeted rooms.

Timer for screen time, has completely stopped the tantrums that come from the '5 more minutes' warning.

Toys away before the next lot gets taken out. Stops the whole barbie shoes in the Lego saga.

New mum:
My main revelation here was long showering, particularly hair washing/colouring at NIGHT. I was traumatised with very clingy DD screaming as I'd have shampoo in my eyes racing to try and get out in the morning.
Take any help, really, just do it. Allow kind people to clean, cook, let you sleep.
Nappies and wipes everywhere. In the car, living room, handbag, pram basket. Same for bibs.

Do not encourage a comfort toy unless you have a spare fucking 5. If your child needs it to sleep - do not risk letting it be dragged round tesco. Under any circumstances.

I think everyone now knows that you just roll shitty vests down rather than dragging poo over your newborn's head now don't they?

God that was long - sorry Blush and makes me look very organised. I'm not. This is me keeping my head intermittently above water...

mywayalltheway · 06/01/2018 09:38

What's advert olympics please?

T00much · 06/01/2018 09:38

Just thouggt of one this morning. Cut the bagels the night before and put breakfast stuff out so kids can help themselves in the morning and I can have a lie in 👍

Eggzandbacon · 06/01/2018 10:01

At DDs swimming lessons there was 2 brothers and both parents would come and watch

They would just put the onesies over their wet trunks and take them home. It pissed me off every single week.

My tip is to keep those little weanie jars - DD is 9 and I still have them full of pasta sauce for her so I can make her a quick pasta/pizza for tea

Double cook what you can and freeze. When you can, try to cook dinner tomorrow nights tea at same time as that nights so only have to reheat the next night.

BeyondThePage · 06/01/2018 10:18

I just discovered I'm incredibly lazy... Left overs scooped into ice cube trays etc... nope - lid on tightly, turn upside down, put in fridge.

stuff only grows on the "air" side Blush

Subtleconstraints · 06/01/2018 11:11

For infants in winter; you can buy elastic with buttonholes sewn-in at approx one cm intervals. Sew four buttons securely on your child's coat: one at neck, one on the collar, and one at each sleeve. Sew one button each on your child's scarf, hat and gloves. Attach all the clothing items to the coat using the holed elastic, so that the scarf, gloves and hat stay permanently attached to the coat and stay with it every time it is taken off and put on.

Tape dispensers for wrapping presents. Always buy same sized sellotape to match dispenser.

Make bed-making an obligatory family activity on Saturday mornings first thing, before going out. Gets everyone up and at 'um!

If you write your name and address on back of Christmas cards or other correspondence, get a rubber stamp made up.

Always buy two or three (inexpensive) I D tags for your dog at the same time so they don't have to go a day or two without tags if one falls off collar or gets lost after a walk.

Buy laundry baskets per number of people in household, mark each with name, plus one for house. All laundered clothes are folded straight in to that person's basket and that way, if you are late with ironing or whatever, everyone knows where to find their clothes without asking, when laundry is between dryer and drawers/ wardrobe. Household basket contains bed linen, tea towels, etc.

Make or buy a bag-for-life sized bag for your dog in which to keep all his stuff; brush, emergency first aid, special shampoo, worming and flea tablets, folder (with passport, medical details, vet's address etc, list of things to pack when going away), spare blankets, collars, toys etc, spare bowels. Keep another smaller bag inside this in which you can easily transfer the things he needs for sitter.

Meal planning: always try and cook and plan meals so that you cook once and serve twice ie ratatouille with say lamb chops one night, and blend ratatouille to make pasta sauce next night. Introduce veggie Thursdays (and Tues?) and fishy Fridays to help balance your diets.

If you can, make veg soup for weekend while making veg dinner Thurs night (mass veg chop). Soup good for Sat lunches or for quick healthy snack between sporting activities.

If poss, bake healthy lunch snacks (biscuits, tray bakes, portable cake) once a week. You can cut down on the sugar content and bung in fruits and seeds etc, they don't contain additives, they save money.

(Aside from the odd bit of junk food) try to ensure that everything you and your family eat is "worth" the calories!

Subtleconstraints · 06/01/2018 11:20

Almost forgot! Take a picture of your child at roughly the same time every year (summer holiday/Christmas?) and present to them on their eighteenth or 21st birthday in an album (or just keep to pore over yourself once in a while!)

From about the age of 12 yrs, ask your child to be responsible for cooking one weekend lunch or supper per week. Start off helping them with simple recipes, getting gradually harder, then introduce shopping and budgeting for the meal etc , and by the time they get to university they should have a good repertoire of meals under their belt and the ability to shop properly.

tumpymummy · 07/01/2018 23:53

I have 2 email addresses. One normal one for friends, family, work etc. But then I have a second one which I use whenever you are signing up for a company, newsletter, competition, online order etc. This means that all further marketing emails come to this second email and don't clog up my normal one. Normal one I look at numerous times throughout the day. But I only need to look at the 'marketing' one once or twice a week.

IlikemyTeahot · 08/01/2018 03:49

pesto cubes that's brilliant!

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