How to get everything done?!

[gentlemum]

I'm sure this is a topic that must have been posted before, but how do you keep on top of everything?! We've got a one year old and my maternity leave ends in a couple of weeks and I don't manage everything now so don't know how I'm going to cope when I'm working. Friends in the same family situation seem to manage no problem, no one seems stressed by it all like me!
Please give me any/all tips and tricks that have worked for you to stay organised and on top of housework and general life admin! (We can't afford a cleaner or paid help).

The Organised Mum Method.

Thank you - I have actually been using an adapted version of this and still can't manage everything. From memory, I don't think it includes life admin as well. Just feels like the to do list is huge and never ending.

Robot hoover
make sure you dh is doing half
3/4 week meal plan, cook twice and eat once, slow cooker, online food shop
what kind of life admin are you struggling with?

What's life admin? Don't make extra work for the sake of it.

Do a ten day week for cleaning/tidying rather than a seven day.

When I had way lots of dc at home one evening a week I stayed up til at least midnight catching up with chores! Looking back I must have been nuts!
Now I lessen my expectations having dc at home (5)..

Have lower standards.

Use whatever cheats and easy options you need. When it's really busy for me I take all my washing to the laundrette to dry. 40 mins, £4 and I can have 4 loads dried, I can either sit and read my book or do the food shopping while it dries.

Easy simple meals wherever possible. Freeze extra portions for days when you can't be bothered.

Declutter, less stuff means less cleaning/tidying.

Family calendar with extra columns for birthdays and one for a meal plan. White board to write a shopping list as you run out of things. Everything goes on it so everyone can see what's happening when.

Have all bills/savings on direct debit or standing orders. Make sure wages are either being paid into the bills account or are on standing orders to go in on payday.

Sort everything the night before, have a separate work and nursery bag with everything inside so always ready to go. Make packed lunches whilst making dinner. You are in the kitchen anyway may aswell multitask!

Food shop online during your commute (if by train) or lunch break.
If you can afford it buy things that keep on offer (this evening DS yelled that the shampoo was out and I simply produced a bottle from the cupboard).
Wash in last thing a night timer to be ready at 7ish. On the line or in the drier in the morning. Takes 10 minutes tops.
Get a morning routine that is fully shared by DH. At that age he would shower and dress whilst I dressed the boys, I would then shower and dress whilst he got us all breakfast (and got DSs going on their food).
Try to train all parties to put stuff away as they go (I am still trying to do this, none of us are tidy by nature, sadly).
Keep a physical list (I use a whiteboard in my study) and try to keep it under control (I put things like MOTs and insurance on it…that way I get to them before they’re overdue).
Lower your standards (I wash bedding one week and towels the next (apart from hand towels and kitchen towels)…nobody has noticed).
Have a range of quick food in for when things go wrong. Filled pasta, baked beans for pasta, beans and cheese etc.

Work from home at least one day a week - its amazing how much you can get done in a lunch break without the kids at home.

Clean the bathroom while baby is in the bath. empty the dishwasher while making the tea

robot hoover

simple meals and batch cooking - reheating a chilli even once a week allows a window of cleaning the kitchen in the same time you would spend preping a meal

cleaner once every 2 weeks if you can