Simple things that I should have done years ago to make life easier

[malificent7]

My lovely cat has been waking us up at 5/6am for 6 years.
Last night I had the genius idea of closing the lounge door so she couldn't come to our room.
Hence we slept longer. Why did I not think of this earlier? I love cat snuggles but love a lie in more.

Am I thick or does anyone have similar stories?

Yeah exactly this!

Love these threads!

We roughly match duvet, pillow case and sheet on each bed so they all go in the same wash. Makes it easier to manage washing bedclothes if you like to split it up through the week and/or have bedwetters. I have been known to match PJs to bedding (just light or dark) for bedwetters too.

We have coloured glassware (& acrylic picnic type glasses) to help with reuse.

I have a teen whose bedroom is always a pit. We keep a roll of little binbags in her bin so it's easier for her to empty when repeatedly nagged asked.

Kitchen utensils as short person aids! We keep crisps on a high shelf and I use kitchen tongs to get them. If I open a kitchen window more than a crack I can't reach the handle to pull it closed, but the potato masher is perfect for hoiking them in.

As anyone who's seen my occasional posts must know, XH was not an unmixed joy to live with, and I certainly couldn't have shared socks with him as he had a way with socks that shredded them in a ludicrously short time. He ruined anything that was mine that he could possibly justify having borrowed, including a new pair of clean black trainers that he claimed to have mistaken for his old white muddy trainers He was also an inveterate hoarder (still is, although he lives on a small boat now, so I'm not sure how he's still above water), so my thing I should have done years before to make life easier was LTB.

However, he did have some lucid moments and one saying of his that I've kept, which is relevant to this thread, was: "Never be dictated to by things". (A bit hypocritical from a hoarder, but wise in theory.) Another thing we used to say to each other which I think he started was, when one of us was tempted to buy something fascinating but ultimately impractical, to quote Monty Python: "How you going to cook it?" Obvious shorthand for "you know you're never going to use that". And it did work.

leave a container of viakal and a squidgee next to the shower and clean the shower when you're in it

Or instead of hooks buy a big pack of cable ties. Make it into a circle by posting the slim end through the fastener., put it over your washing line and thread the hanger through the 2 loops.
When dry, if you leave it over the coat hanger hook, you can hang another garment from the cable tie doubling wardrobe space. Hope I've described it properly!
Also used here to support plants, repair dog leads, fasten broken fencing..

When my husband (who would keep everything if he could) wants to hang onto yet another spanner/old sports match programme/dvd he never watches etc etc, I say to him :"Good idea, Adult Child will enjoy taking it to the tip when we are dead." Strangely he then decides he doesn't need said item after all. Works every time

Oooh, that's a good idea - mine are still on the floor, in the cardboard box that they got put in when we moved house 18 months ago!!!! I have nowhere to put them so that's a great shout, thanks.

When making fairly homogenous food in the slow cooker (I.e bolognese, chilli, sauces) I peel but barely chop any veg which will go very soft anyway I.e. parsnips just cut into three chunks, not diced. Peppers still need slicing thinly, as do mushrooms, but this significantly reduces my prep time, and I go at it all with a potato masher when it’s cooked to get a nice consistency.

You should see the look of disgust on her face as she slithers through the cat flap if we don’t do our duty of opening the people door.

big boy cat doesn’t care, and will smash through the cat flap at top speed, it’s going to break one of these days. We have to put the bin in front of it when it is locked or he will still run at full pelt and just bounce off of it 🤦🏻‍♀️

Put it in the bin/ recycling.

Kids don't have to get dressed in their bedroom (unless they want to).

I used to battle with the kids to go back upstairs to get dressed, brush teeth, hair etc as they'd go downstairs for breakfast and put the TV on (age 5 and 3) whilst I was showering and dressing. One day I had the revelation to place their nursery and school clothes downstairs with their hairbrush and toothbrush and it's made mornings so so much easier.

Hardly revelatory and sure lots do it already but a square of kitchen roll in a bag of salad leaves really does keep them fresh. Can’t remember the last time I threw a half bag of salad away since doing it. Always did before!

I believe that’s what the manual tells us.

I’ve emptied my dishwashers this way for 40 years.

You don't need to peel root ginger. Leaving the skin on in a curry makes not a blind bit of difference.

Snap. This is my mother. She is in her 90s, unable to cook for anyone and complained the cater used her best china! When is she going to use it. She has a cupboard full of broken stuff. If we suggest to throw it away, she says it could be mended.

Found with my partner's cat that he will take worming tablets out of your hand with treats. So, so much easier than making a big deal out of it.

LeefPeeper Big boy cat sounds like he should have his own cartoon show! 😂

Omg! My Mum did this my whole childhood. I had completely forgotten.

Yes, second this. All my Xmas stuff goes in a cupboard in the spare bedroom. I bought a dozen see through plastic stacking boxes with lids and put everything Xmas in these. And the tree sits on top in three parts. As well as being see through I also label them and stack them so the boxes I want first are at the front. My list of what I need to buy/replace - (cards, paper etc) is in the foremost box, so I can easily get to it in November and start to get what I need.

I cook chicken kiev on a slice of bread to mop up the juices.

When hanging laundry outside, hang between the lines ( if you have parallel lines) instead of on the line. You will get much more out this way.

Yes this is so obvious. I will order one now

I have Thursdays afternoon off now, after working fulltime for 12 years. I had a relatively short maternity leave too (5 months), before going back fulltime.

I should have done this years ago, it feels like a ridiculous luxury. Afternoon school club being full forced me to do this. I wish I had done so earlier!

Pocket this will significantly improve my life! Thank you 😃

Also: I had many holiday days stored up, so I am taking a week off for myself next week.

Already booked in a pedicure, haircut and extra lessons for my hobby. I should have done this so much sooner.