TOP TIPS AND LIFE HACKS PLEASE!!!

[swingingonastar]

Im looking to get more organised and get some order back into the chaos that is my life so ladies what are your top tips and life hacks for a stressfree easy lifestyle with kids

I cook a lot of mash and freeze it.
Batch cook meals
Use vinegar for sweat smells in clothing
Charity shop a carrier bag if stuff most weeks to keep clutter to minimum

Following with great interest! I have no useful tips really, other than clean little and often so it becomes a habit rather than a big chore!

Declutter every inch of your house. Live with essentials only = less money spent on stuff & less time sorting all the stuff.
This leaves more time & money to be spent out of the house to enjoy doing fun stuff with the kids.

Actually didnt know you could freeze mash thats a great tip thanks and the vinigar tip aswell

I have loads (been a mumsnetter for too long)

Aldi almat washing powder is better than most and a bargain

IKEA kallax cubes with white doors help store lots of stuff

Definitely decluttering

Toys storage - you know the IKEA scarf thing with loads of holes? Well stuff teddies through them so just head peeping out

This

These r all brilliant ladies keep them coming i will defonatly be doing a big declutter over the next few days

One thing in one thing out. If you buy a new item, something you already have has to go

No ironing for anyone who is big enough to iron for themselves, or who leaves ironed clothes on the floor.In fact, choose clothes for DC that don't need ironing - jersey, sweatshirt material, etc. School uniform doesn't need ironing IMO.
Keep a bag for stray socks by the washing machine.
Teach DC to hoover, and if you can, teach them to be tidy in the first place( I failed dismally at this).

Marie Kondo de-cluttering (then follow the joy rule for any new item coming into the house).
Amazon prime - great for school bits.
These kept in the back of my filofax, they get stuck on anything new that is bought for school.
Family colours for towels, toothbrushes, water bottles, even plates when serving up food. If a towel is left on the floor you know who it belongs to.

Teenage DS has really sweaty clothes sometimes. How do I use the vinegar please? I am trying to remember to never go upstairs without taking something with me!

If you see something that can be cleaned or tidied in under 5 mins then do it straight away.

Do what you can the night before, so for me-

Packed lunches
Water bottles
Lay out clothes for me and children
Stick a wash on
Fluff up cushions and sofa
Stick dishwasher on

Online shop
Batch cook and freeze, meal
Plan
Fold Bedding sets into a pillow case so they are ready to go
Fold clean laundry off the line into person piles
Everything has a place and everything in its place

I've been watching looooooads of 'life hacks' in YouTube the past couple of days, I've got a bit addicted! So this is a welcome thread :) :)

Re the vinegar for smelly clothes, I have a spray bottle of vinegar and water (I think a 1:1 ratio), spray that on shirt collars/pits/wherever until saturated, leave for about 20 mins, then wash as usual.

Buy same socks so they can always be paired
Here's an old MN one I tried: batch making cheese sarnies for school (minimal butter) and freezing - it worked!
Never buy athg that needs ironing
Declutter dust grabbing ornaments
Buy a Dyson V6 Animal
Recycle school uniforms. They dont need washing every day
Dishwasher!
Tumble dryer
Leave stuff on bottom stair to take up (huff when DH and DC walk right past it!)

I never batch cook, but fridge/freeze leftovers and do 'tapas' dinner once a week DC love it!

Little cleaning but often, is my way to keep sane. Once every 2 months or so i'll do a big deep clean (inside cupboards, cooker hood that kind of thing).

I have set days for washing big stuff (towels and bedding), otherwise washing is done as and when needed.

Decluttering is the first thing to tackle. I was thinking we needed to get more storage- but actually we needed to chuck crap we no longer use. Therapeutic!

We have a small cutesy hammock (i made ) suspended off dc's ceiling that stores their cuddley toys.

I think once you have decluttered and deapcleaned, it is easier to maintain clean and tidy.

Get children to help. DS is 4.5 and helps clear up and taje things upstairs etc. I started him off at about 1yo when he wanted to help clean with a whole pack of some babywipes

Also, DH pulls his weight, so that helps enormously (sorry, i don't know what your situation is).

That scarf holder for the teddies is genius

Menu plan for the week and shop for it in one go. Go for mainly easy or one pot/one tray in the oven type of dishes.

Clean kitchen and living room every night so you're not playing catch up the following day.

Have a calendar on the wall and put everything in there.

Tell your family you're all a team and get them involved in as many chores as they can. Including menu planning.

Thanks Bendydick. Going to try that today!

My favourite latest one is put two plastic bags in the bathroom bin inside one another. So it saves you putting a new one in each time.

I have recently started to de clutter and it has made things a lot easier. I have a drawer for dc downstairs with hairbrush, hair bobbles, socks, wipes, tissues, so we aren't up and down stairs in a morning. Dc also have a toothbrush each downstairs.

Use small boxes and empty shoe boxes in drawers to separate outs bits. Eg I have a pant box and a sock box inside my drawer. Our drawer of junk is split into little boxes for batteries, light bulbs etc.

cherrypie I leave the whole roll of bin liners in the bottom of the bin... I don't detach them until I take the full one out, so as I lift it it brings the next one with it. Separate, fold over the top, done!

Agree with pp a set of toothbrushes and toothpaste downstairs has revolutionised mornings in my house! Trying to herd the Dc upstairs after breakfast inevitably meant losing one to their bedrooms to "just quickly look for a pen/book etc!"