happy thread! Solutions to life's little problems

[ohsomuchtodo]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new here but thought it would be nice to have a thread which just offers positive thoughts! - Any little tricks or solutions/cheap products you swear by etc to -help us all in our hectic and difficult-to-juggle-everything lives...

So, here are mine....
~ Wilkinson own brand non-bio is fab! Cheap and effective

~ Sainsbury's own brand nappies are better than Pampers at night for my 15 mo - no leaks with the former but quite a few with the latter!

~ Got a child who hates having their hair washed? Get them to waer goggles - it worked for my now 11 year old.

~ For sanity's sake try to give yourself at least half an hour of time to yourself in the day - I sometimes put my ds2 in his highchair with Night Garden on so that I can read or use the laptop or even have a little nap while he is safe... or I let him have his afternoon nap with me on the sofa so that I can watch daytime tv (!) or catch up with a friend. I try really hard not to use that time to do housework but try instead to get him used to my doing jobs when he is awake.... easier said than done I know. I realise this 'solution' isn't much of one if you have 2 at home but it might just help someone...

Please don't use this thread to say the solutions are rubbish or don't work for you but please do share yours and let's keep this thread positive and helpful €

Surprised that no-one else has posted.

Use dishwasher (machine) liquid with v hot water to soak off burnt on food. Leave till water is cold and the mess is easy to remove.

The absolute best and easy way to clean a microwave, put a cup or bowl of water in and let it boil for a good few minute, then just wipe clean. If the stuff doesnt wipe easily off, boil water for longer till it does!

Oooh landrover if you add a few drops of lemon (even just Jif lemon) to the water it cuts through the grease even easier and smells nice too!!

Always put your spare bedlinen away all nicely folded (ironed if you like) inside one of the top pillowcases so it is all together and easy to find and it looks nice too

Before bed, get out the bowls, cups, spoons, cereal etc and put it on the table. Fill the kettle and put the cups beside it with tea bags/ coffee already in them
It'll take you les than a minute at night, but save you ages in the morning while you struggle around eyes half closed

Lay out the school clothes whilst doing the bedtime routine/ homework, that way if there is no clean uniform you know at 7.30pm instead of at 11pm or worse stll 8 oclock the following morning!!!

Am so glad you've posted - I was getting kinda lonely here!

Love the idea about the duvet covers inside pillow case seeing as I have way too many (17 at last count!! )

I've also recently discovered www.madaboutbargains.comon which you can search for offers by type ie bogof or by supermarket so you can see where the items you need are cheapest when you need them.

hopefully we'll get more helpful happy postings on here to help us all in the daily grind

Thanks and keep 'em coming!

Iron all uniforms and set out vests, socks, undies and uniform for the week so you just have to grab them in one little pile every day.

get a slow cooker. sling ingredients in at tea time while you make tea for that day.
bung it in the fridge over night then get it out in the morning and put it on.....lovely meal ready when you get in from work.

fill washer as you go along, as soon as its full, bung it on and put washing on radiators at night, all dry by morning (in winter when radiators are on)

i dry my duvets over the banister, they dry straight and dont need ironing.

meal plan, plan what you are having for the week...then shop for that stuff only, this has cut my shopping bill by 3/4.

When you make curry/chilli/bolongnase make a bigger batch then freeze in those chinees takaway tubs, its a free meal for the following week.

freeze loaves of bread of offer, take out as you need it.
freeze tea cakes/potatoe cakes etc just grab one as you need them, helped me to lose weight cos i didnt have to use up the whole pack, cos of the date.