Busy people who manage to fit loads into their days, can I have your top tips please?

[sinkingfast]

I've just received this year's round robin from a friend of mine. The amount that she has packed into a year is mind boggling - it's probably more than I've managed in the last 5 tbh. Where am I going wrong? What do I do that she doesn't (apart from arse around on MN, obviously ). She works 4 days a week, has 4 kids, gardens, swims, does keep fit classes, cooks fresh food every day, bakes, travels, is very outdoorsy, runs a Brownie pack etc etc etc.

If your life sounds anything like that, HOW DO YOU FIT IT ALL IN??

I notice she doesn't:

a) MN
b) watch TV
c) have sex (except to conceive the kids, obviously)
d) drink
e) eat chocolate

So she may be doing all that but is she having any fun ?

Well no, I don't think she MN's and I'm pretty sure she doesn't watch much TV. But how can she pack so much into a day? Is it a work rate thing? Energy? Time management?

Don't mumsnet. When my laptop broke I got loads done.

Do you really think that's what it is? Oh bugger

My friend gets up at 5.00am every day because that's when her ds wakes up. I don't get up until 8.00 or 9.00 which is when dd wakes up.

She gets loads more done than me, but then her day is 3 or 4 hours longer!

I think I'd rather have the lie-ins

Yes - definitely mn! I just turned the computer off for three hours and have managed to ice a xmas cake, tidy up kitchen, change the beds, do two loads of washing and precook a side dish for xmas day - phew!

I'm doing bugger all for the rest of the day though now!

she lies

I don't write round robins but if I did, I certainly wouldn't tell the truth, would you?

it's be all 'another delay on the train, another child puking, washing machine broken down, boss being too demanding, spent too long on the internet, credit card overdue, burnt the pizza etc. etc., getting to the end of the year and realising I've achieved about as much as I achieved the year before when I got to the end of the year and thought FUCK, next year I'll achieve more'

lol fox

The thing is, she's not lying (I've seen the photos, eaten the cakes etc etc). I have other friends who are similarly efficient - when they run through what they've done on a day, I have to go and have a lie down

Yes you've seen the photos, eaten the cakes but do you know how she feels?

When I complained recently about how hard my year had been, my (SAHM) friends said "but we thought you were superwoman!"

I don't have 4 children but I do have 2 young DS, work full-time, make cakes, cook every night.

I am also at the end of my tether...

And I could also get SO much more done if I could get off mn

It's not a competition!

I actually do get loads done and luckily normally have very high energy levels (not at the moment because I am ill), but as you can see I also MN and I am not averse to taking my kids to the chippie if I have not bothered to cook. I wouldn't bloody dream of listing anything in a round robin.

I think as long as your family is healthy and happy that's enough.

She put in a round robin that she cooks fresh food every day.

Sounds like she's trying a bit hard if you ask me.

Nooo, she didn't put about the fresh food in her RR but I've been to her house enough times to know that there are no chicken nuggets in her freezer

But you're right, there's a fine line between coping and not coping. In fact, thinking about it, it's my more efficient friends who are extremely hard on themselves and will be up scrubbing their bathrooms at 1am (whereas I'll be on MN and eatinh chocolate). I think maybe I need to find the middle ground.

I must need tips - I have no time to write round robins. I just about manage to reply to emails from friends in a timely enough manner that they still bother to speak to me. I'm lucky that my dh is very hands on with dd and can wield a hoover without complaining. I'd go mad otherwise.

I have a friend like that.
I've also worked out her husband does a lot more around the house than mine in so doing freeing up more of her time.

Yes, her husband does do a lot. Hmm...

I fit a lot in and also mumsnet.

I tend to be up by 5 in the morning and rarely go to bed before midnight. My dp also does a lot in the house. I also have a complete meltdown about once a year.

She put "I cook fresh food every day" in her round robin?

sorry, you have dealt with that one...

MP, I refer you to my post above about the chicken nuggets.

sorry, xpost

I'm sorry, b ut anyone who sends a farking round robin is making it up.

Is her name Bree Van Der Camp. Glad she is your friend and not mine.

Send her the Stepford Wives as a chrissie present

She might be a really nice friend. I bake a lot, cook from fresh, do lots outside of the home, garden, craft etc but would hate that me friends would see me as a stepford wife to be avoided. I just like to be busy

i think the more you do the more you can do

which will explain why i have achieved precisely nowt this year

money helps too, as does good health, and not needing much sleep