Would anyone with small children describe their home routine as organised? If so what's the trick?

[Somethingwicked]

I've got some things under control with my three preschoolers, but there are certain parts of the day that are pandemonium. Not that I want a military regime, but I take great pride in my innovative domestic timesavers, and would like to collect more...

Things I do that work really well to save time and stress...

Hairbrushes in almost every room in a little flowerpot along with clips/bobbles and baby nail scissors for spontaneous pouncing.

Upstairs and downstairs toothbrush and paste sets for all three for bedtime and just before leaving the house in the morning.

Child-size coat rack at front door with shoe bags and a hook for each one's hat, coat and gloves.

All of them sleeping in one room (everyone has songs/stories at the same time with time for one individual one each), and all their wardrobes in the spare room, so that I can sort out their clothes for the next day and put away laundry after bedtime (that's the idea anyway- rarely bears fruit though..)

I'm working on them having very minimalist wardrobes where everything matches to save time.

BUT things which are carnage and I want some inspiration...

Getting 5 meals of varying consistency and heat onto the table at the same time- impossible I find, DH and I always seem to eat cold and or overcooked food.

Making meals full stop with them all pottering (howling) around me

Getting them all dressed in the morning (only one can dress self and very very slowly).

The laundry- constant full-blown disaster no matter how hard I try to stem the tidal wave.

And probably lots more things that I can't think of at the moment...

How much does launderette cost second coming? And how do you 'send' it there? The times in my life when I have had to use launderette I have always found a major hassle and very expensive... your system sounds good though.

I love the idea of taking children shopping to butcher/baker etc. I think that might be a bit advanced for me at the moment though with children aged 1,1 and 2. Maybe next year.

Slow cooker porridge is AMAZING! Totally converted. This week I did my meal plan and it went really really well. On my slow cooker meal day I was missing the porridge though.

Is a rice cooker really a good investment then do people think?

I've got a 3 and half year old and 20 month old twins. Agree with the posts about bulk cooking and freezing - also, DH and I have given up eating dinner with the dcs as it was too chaotic, so I feed the dcs about 5pm (usually pop a dvd on for them while I cook)then twins to bed at 6.30 then older dd at 7. We then eat about 8pm. As girls get older we'll be aiming for family teas, but for the moment, this seems to be easiest way.

I'm seriously rigid about bed-time and don't bath them all every day, usually every 2nd or 3rd.

Mornings - I get up quite early and wash, dress etc before getting dcs up. Twins I wash/change/dress one at time and settle them with bottle of milk before getting dd1 up/washed/dressed. Breakfast together, then teeth/hair one at a time.

Housewifely chores (gah) - ironing, only what really needs doing, one evening each week. I do a wash each day, put out on line if poss, tumbledryer for towels etc. Just before dcs go to bed i put away whatever I can. I loathe hunting around for things with a passion, it wastes so much time, so I'm a bit anal about keeping on top of laundry. On Saturday or Sunday I'll give bedrooms and bathroom a blitz while dh keeps an eye on the little perishers, I can get a lot more done in an hour or so then, than I can if I try and do things like change the beds while looking after the dcs - agree with livvyluc, that way madness lies