To ask - tips on what will make my life easier!?

[dragonzebra]

Posting for traffic! I'm an LP with very little support.

What tips / products / lifestyle changes might make life easier?? What do I need in my life?

I know it's hard without any background about me (I could bore you with the details but not sure it's necessary!), but I am just wondering what makes your life that little bit easier...?

Well, most importantly a good support network of friends through meet ups at toddler groups or in the school playground. I would also say a good washing machine and a nice bottle of wine in the fridge.

Online grocery shopping, a cordless vacuum and a spray mop are things I've recently invested in and they've made my life a whole lot easier!

Don't buy white clothes. Take everything dirty and shove it in the machine. When it's full, run it...(see 'don't buy white clothes')

I.e. don't have a washing bin or pile or anything

Tumble drier.
Dishwasher.
Slow cooker.
Online grocery shopping.
Meal planning.
To do lists.
Routine.
Try to tidy up before bedtime each evening so that you start each day from scratch.
Get DC to help around the house, give them small tidying jobs, play at dusting and cleaning or give out weekly chores according to age.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Little and often to keep on top of regular tasks.

thanks all!! good tips!

winterwonderly - what spray mop do you have?? Need a new mop!

Meal plan!

A large bag so I could pack everything I would need for a day/evening...i seemed to live in the car.
A list so I didn't forget anything important. Timetable, ( I was working also)
A suitable attitude..is everyone fed and watered? If yes all is ok, anything else is bells and whistles.
It doesn't have to be fun all the time, they will learn lots from shopping and cooking and clearing up..life skills.

Lay out everyone’s clothes(including yours) the night before.

Pack bags for the next day the night before.

Set out the breakfast table all ready to go next morning.

Get the kids into a morning and bedtime routine which involves them dressing and undressing themselves, putting away clothes, tidying away toys etc.

Tidy up every night once the kids are in bed - quick sweep/hoover and wipe down all surfaces (inc. bathroom and utility sinks - I always forget these!). Pick up and set right all items that have been displaced from their proper spots during the day.

Buy clothes that don't need ironing. Put important dates into diary/calendar. Try to save some money for emergencies. Have some time to yourself. Make lists of things that need doing and do them or roll some over until the next day. If you complete some chores it will make you happy.

Getting to know the neighbours has been amazing in terms of building up a local support network. We all help each other out and look out for each other. When we moved here I made an effort (am a shy person) to go and knock on doors and actively befriend them all.

Other things that help:

• having a cleaner (obvs budget dependant and ridiculous suggestion if budget doesn't allow)
• getting clothes and everything ready the night before
• using Google calendar to set reminders for EVERYTHING, including recurring reminders for birthdays, etc. (This really helps with the mental load)
• adopting a 'uniform' for want of a better word
• going to bed at the same time every night
• shopping via cashback sites
• sticking to a routine (again really reduces the mental load plus makes parenting a lot easier as DD always knows what to expect)
• batch cooking. Bulk buying often means you save money plus you can just defrost a nice tea whenever you need to.

Is there anything you're finding difficult in particular?

Do a load of washing every night, even if it’s small.i know that not environmentally friendly and I do feel guilty, but if I don’t do it every night then we’ve suddenly got a weeks worth of washing to do at the weekend which is a drag.

Love my tumble drier too.

I've just discovered the reminders app on my phone... never bothered using it before, but now I have a tab for shopping lists - whenever I think of something I add it on there; another for 'To Do' - any task that pops up into my head, it goes on there and another one with reminders.. with a recurring reminder to take my contraceptive pill every day!

Before I used to forget my pill, write shopping lists on scraps of paper which I would then forget to take to the supermarket, and had endless to do lists going round in my head...

Dont iron.
Dont buy clothes that need ironing.
Make the same packed lunches for everyone.
Load the dishwasher/washing machine before bed and switch on.
Empty the dishwasher/washing machine in the morning while the toast cooks/kettle boils.
If the dc go to childcare pick one that feeds them dinner.
Dont make your bed in the morning. Just yank the duvet back for air and make it about 6pm.
Re use bath towels. A clean body doesnt mank up a towel.

Hello all, thanks so much for the many tips! I'm pretty organised in general, I just wanted to pick your brains in case there is anything else I could do to make things easier...! As you all know parenting alone can be pretty tough even if you are very organised, am just looking to add new small steps to make it easier.

There are several good new ideas here that I can probably incorporate quite easily!

Thank you!!! And please do keep them coming!!

Au pair
Synchronised Google calendar with partner

@dragonzebra i think it's called vileda 1 2 spray mop. Make sure you buy a spare mop pad for it so you can have one in use and one in the wash. I think I got the spare mop pad free when I got mine.

I follow the organised mum method

TOMM

On Facebook is very good for keeping on top of housework

I have a magnetic family organiser thing that I write up every Sunday eve. It’s got all the kids clubs, sports etc, any events, parties, shopping deliveries. I check it each evening to plan the following day, pack bags etc.

The organised mum method; I follow her on Instagram but I think she’s on FB too? It’s a method for keeping your house clean with minimal effort. She shares meal plans too, so you could just use hers and save even more time!

I don’t iron. I don’t buy clothes that require ironing. My clothes come out of the washing machine, into th dryer and then folded straight away, which eliminates need for ironing,

Oh I've just started following TOMM, maybe from a suggestion on Mumsnet, I can't quite remember. I'm doing boot camp, but it's a bit slow with 2 children under 2......

Crossed posts @thehop. I’m a TOMM follower and it’s changed my house/life.

@wintersonderly I didn’t bother with bootcamp when I started. I didn’t really have time for it, so I just decided to get on with the cycle. I’m on my 3rd cycle now and my house is far more clean than it ever was before. In my opinion you can skip bootcamp and just pick up the slack as you do the Friday focus.

What is TOMM?

Good tip @Kolo, I might just do that!!