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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

584 replies

malificent7 · 04/06/2023 07:48

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
Leafy3 · 09/06/2023 18:25

PicaK · 09/06/2023 16:59

Because as my post said - if you can't, because of time or because you're overwhelmed by depression, fatigue etc - then it's a real game changer.

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Yup, quite a bit of ableism on this thread

Leafy3 · 09/06/2023 18:26

I got two little stylish coat stands for DH and I, for the bedroom for clothes that are "worn but not dirty" which avoids the whole chair of doom debacle.

That's actually genius

woodhill · 09/06/2023 18:32

crummyusername · 08/06/2023 07:13

Buy a good quality sellotape dispenser. My god, the time it’s saved around Christmas and birthdays, not fiddling around finding the end of stupid tape and it all splitting and putting strips of tape all over the place. It’s a joy to wrap now (almost).

Love my sellotape dispenser

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:38

lieselotte · 09/06/2023 10:18

I don't understand what is meant here. I think I need a diagram :)

Show quote history

Similar to this. Scroll down for a picture of the inside.http://www.lusciousbooks.co.uk/christmas-card-address-books.html

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:40

Sorry, I thought you were talking about the Christmas card book!

user1471540245 · 09/06/2023 18:45

Mabelface · 04/06/2023 11:31

Buy hooks for your washing line that hangers go into. When washing is dry, straight into wardrobe with no faffing.

Genius! Where do I get these things?

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:46

3within3 · 09/06/2023 17:47

I have discovered if I leave the microwave door slightly open after using it, it doesn’t end up with condensation inside.

Also, when the dishwasher has finished, trap a tea towel inside the door (so that some of the the towel is hanging outside the door and is visible). After a while it will have absorbed the steam and the dishes will be completely dry for when you put them away!

I saw the tea-towel tip a while ago, and I've been doing it ever since.

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:49

Also, I keep a yoghurt pot with a lid by the hob and drain any fat or oil into it when I'm cooking. This is kept for about a week (depending on the weather) and then thrown in the general waste on bin day. Saves risking fats and oils going down the drain and potentially causing a blockage.
I don't have yogurt pots, so I just put several sheets of kitchen paper in the pan to soak the fat up; then put it in the bin.

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/06/2023 18:50

moonlitwalks · 08/06/2023 05:58

I wish I had cared less about what others thought about me. I wasted so much precious time and energy worrying about it in my 20s/30s. Most people are so wrapped up in themsleves their focus isnt on you all the time. I dont care so much now but I wish I had realised that earlier. Not any more.

This.

A thousand times, this.

Inertia · 09/06/2023 18:57

In response to the original question- 9 months into the school year, I have just noticed that the page corners are now perforated. No need to cut them off as I have been.

My cutlery contribution- we have a matching set of cutlery which is only used at the table. The random mismatched cutlery we’ve gathered over the years is kept in a separate drawer and used for meal prep, packed lunches etc. Teaspoons are kept in a drawer under the kettle, along with the mugs .

40friedfish · 09/06/2023 19:00

Washing line hooks bought- I had no idea such things existed, thanks everyone who's recommended them.

MysteryBelle · 09/06/2023 19:14

Solmum1964 · 09/06/2023 12:52

When my children were young they used to help pair socks and sort underwear as they came out of the tumble dryer whilst I folded the larger items. We got a dishwasher when they were about 7 and it was their job to empty it in the morning (after I'd removed the sharp knives).
In our house we all have specific mugs and generally use the same mug all day rather than a clean one for each drink. It's very rare for anyone to have anything other than their preferred drink so just one mug each which saves space in the dishwasher.
When I go shopping I will stock up on things we buy regularly when they are on offer. I also pay £7.99 a month for the Tesco Clubcard Plus app that gives me 10 per cent off two big shops a month (up to £200) and try to combine offers. For example favourite wine on offer at £6 a bottle. Buy 6 or more bottles and save 25 per cent. Big shop offer save another 10 per cent. Brings the cost down to £4.05 per bottle! If it's not a week that I am doing a big shop I look to see when the offer runs out and decide whether it's worth taking advantage of anyway or if it can wait until the next week. The date the offer finishes can be found on the bottom of the shelf edge label in reverse order : 230630 would be 30th June 2023

I wish I was like this, excellent.

AngryBirdsNoMore · 09/06/2023 19:45

Buy a McAllister £15 electric cordless screwdriver. Absolute game changer for doing jobs around the house - you can have it out in the kitchen drawer and it makes it really quick to do odd jobs. Every odd job takes a few minutes rather than it waiting until you go and find the tool box and then argue with old screwdrivers. It’s also very strong. My husband is quite in love with it.

our dishwasher door fell off yesterday and DH has already fixed it because he finds it such a pleasure to use. No shade to DH but otherwise that door would have stayed off for at least a week.

https://www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-3-6v-1-3ah-li-ion-cordless-screwdriver-msd36-li/5059340252735_BQ.prd

Mac Allister 3.6V 1.3Ah Li-ion Cordless Screwdriver MSD36-Li | DIY at B&Q

Mac Allister 3.6V cordless screwdriver features adjustable handle for use in tight spaces. Fast 1hr charge time, max torque of 5Nm and LED worklight for working in darker spaces.

https://www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-3-6v-1-3ah-li-ion-cordless-screwdriver-msd36-li/5059340252735_BQ.prd

3within3 · 09/06/2023 19:54

Citronellaawesome · 09/06/2023 15:48

Love this thread thanks some great ideas. Home compost bin line with newspaper and grab mint leaves from outside door to make nice smell. Used to take ages to scrub out every time. Religious use of key drawer saves so much stress. We’ve at last thought of obvious solution to clothes worn once but clean and have put shaker style peg board in each bedroom so no moth problem and no messy half worn clothes. My pet hate is having to soak off labels from storage jars now just use white paint pen to write on contents.Easily comes off when need to change. No more scrubbing the gluey labels.

Blast the labels with a hairdryer and they peel off easily

QueenOfWeeds · 09/06/2023 20:07

We have a laundry basket for things which are dry-clean only, one for underwear, and one for everything else. Makes sorting things so much easier - just group by colour as required. One IKEA Kallax cube is a decent laundry load for our machine.

When DH was in the office daily, we used a shirt service. £10 a week and all shirts done, so no faffing around at home.

I love these threads - thanks OP!

CountingMareep · 09/06/2023 21:31

viques · 08/06/2023 12:01

Plus frozen garlic , chilli and ginger. Gamechangers. Especially the garlic!

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Can I just warn anyone who tries the garlic version of this tip that pre-chopped garlic needs bulletproof double-insulated wrapping and storage, to prevent it tainting anything else in the freezer?

I speak from experience, having previously sampled a rather ‘interesting’ crumble topping that was stored next to the garlic…

halfpasteleven · 09/06/2023 21:47

Peppermintzz · 09/06/2023 10:49

I used to feel guilty about throwing out my children’s’ artwork until I had a brilliant idea.

I bought a mini da Vinci frame for each of my children - it holds up to 50 pieces of their ‘artwork’ from nursery/school. We display each piece on our kitchen wall and then keep it in the frame until the next piece comes home.

At the end of the year we photograph all the artwork, throw the originals away and make a photobook of the whole years’ artwork for each of them. It means we avoid clutter but have a memento of every picture they have ever drawn/painted and stored on their bedroom bookshelves.

Have you a link for the frame please @Peppermintzz

CountingMareep · 09/06/2023 22:04

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:49

Also, I keep a yoghurt pot with a lid by the hob and drain any fat or oil into it when I'm cooking. This is kept for about a week (depending on the weather) and then thrown in the general waste on bin day. Saves risking fats and oils going down the drain and potentially causing a blockage.
I don't have yogurt pots, so I just put several sheets of kitchen paper in the pan to soak the fat up; then put it in the bin.

We use old juice cartons, the sort with screwtop lids. You do need to make sure the oil has cooled down though.

Ourladycheesusedatum · 09/06/2023 22:38

Sgtmajormummy · 09/06/2023 12:02

Organise food cupboards with trays or shoebox lids. That way you can slide out all the breakfast stuff in one move and baking ingredients stay together at the back.
Have a dog walking “grab bag” that everyone uses (ours is a small Decathlon backpack) with house keys on a lanyard, tissues, collapsible bowl, space for your phone.
Break poo bags apart in advance and keep them in the front pocket so you can pick one out blindly while keeping an eye on the spot in the long grass!

I have cupboard trays too.
Like these but not these ones
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kurtzy-White-Storage-Baskets-handles/dp/B082Q3W2Y4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3KJQQR1DILV4S&keywords=kitchen+cupboard+organiser+with+handles&qid=1686346318&sprefix=kitchen+cupboard+organiser+with+handles%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-5

Perfect for tins or spices or flour, anything.

And the dog walking bag is labelled. It was bought with the printing on . This is my dog walking bag. Always water bottles and wipes and balls and poo bags in it. Choice of bucket, metal bowl or collapsible bowl for the different people who walk my dogs.
Bloody handy when my adult child comes to randomly walk em, he prefers the collapsible bowl, and my DP prefers the metal bowl, and I prefer the bucket.

Chasingsquirrels · 09/06/2023 22:42

Ourladycheesusedatum · 09/06/2023 22:38

I have cupboard trays too.
Like these but not these ones
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kurtzy-White-Storage-Baskets-handles/dp/B082Q3W2Y4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3KJQQR1DILV4S&keywords=kitchen+cupboard+organiser+with+handles&qid=1686346318&sprefix=kitchen+cupboard+organiser+with+handles%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-5

Perfect for tins or spices or flour, anything.

And the dog walking bag is labelled. It was bought with the printing on . This is my dog walking bag. Always water bottles and wipes and balls and poo bags in it. Choice of bucket, metal bowl or collapsible bowl for the different people who walk my dogs.
Bloody handy when my adult child comes to randomly walk em, he prefers the collapsible bowl, and my DP prefers the metal bowl, and I prefer the bucket.

Show quote history

Which does the dog prefer though? 🤣

sashh · 10/06/2023 04:37

Lapirogue · 08/06/2023 09:55

I thought I had early arthritis. Turns out the tin opener was really stiff and it was painful trying to use it. I bought a new one. Life changing.

Felt a bit stupid.

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I do have arthritis, which is why I have an electric tin opener.

Oh I also use bull dog clips in the freezer, much better than those plastic clips.

Leftbutcameback · 10/06/2023 07:27

sueelleker · 09/06/2023 18:49

Also, I keep a yoghurt pot with a lid by the hob and drain any fat or oil into it when I'm cooking. This is kept for about a week (depending on the weather) and then thrown in the general waste on bin day. Saves risking fats and oils going down the drain and potentially causing a blockage.
I don't have yogurt pots, so I just put several sheets of kitchen paper in the pan to soak the fat up; then put it in the bin.

If you have food recycling collections you can often put fat into a plastic pot and then into the recycling (but check your local details). A yoghurt pot sounds ideal!

viques · 10/06/2023 07:53

CountingMareep · 09/06/2023 21:31

Can I just warn anyone who tries the garlic version of this tip that pre-chopped garlic needs bulletproof double-insulated wrapping and storage, to prevent it tainting anything else in the freezer?

I speak from experience, having previously sampled a rather ‘interesting’ crumble topping that was stored next to the garlic…

Show quote history

Mine is in blocks, each block is four cloves. So powerful. I keep it in a Tupperware box in the freezer. Another tip. I cut a few of the blocks in two with a very strong knife for times when I only need two cloves.

EekGoesTheBaby · 10/06/2023 08:00

FeltCarrot · 08/06/2023 07:51

Regarding school stuff, I made the DC a photo book for their 21st birthdays with funny paintings, stories passing driving test cards etc in. All the “originals” could then be binned.

You are a genius!