What one thing do you do to increase quality in your life?

[Springhasspung]

What one thing do you do to increase your energy, or improve the quality of your day, I'm trying to steal little ideas that could make my life with two dcs under 5 and a busy DH tips are appreciated!

This is a very helpful thread:) thanks op:)

I have these as well
In the evening before bed the kitchen is tidy, everything is ready for the next day. Everywhere downstairs is tidied. Uniforms are laid out. My stuff is laid out.
Dc swimming, ballet, other activities stuff is always ready to go! Paints, crayons and paper, glue, glitter all neatly in the art cupboard and waiting.
I get up a bit earlier than dc and have a lovely coffee. If they haven't sneaked in with me, I take it up and have it in bed with the curtains open and sort of muse:)
I run about 5k every day in all weathers depending on work etc so about 3 times a week.
I have my hair cut and highlighted so it looks good all the time.
I keep well groomed with waxing, eyebrows etc, and I do my own nails as I'm good at it. I never look unkempt. I hardly wear make up but I have lip gloss at the ready:)
I buy lovely jo malone perfume which is pricy but always makes me smile when I put it on.
I buy books at charity shops, and fetes. I love old book shops and hang round them for ages.
I make dc a big English breakfast every morning and usually a roast at night. I have always done it and I'm not quite sure how I find the time.
Dc tidy their own stuff up and get ready for school. We don't do dramatic mornings. They are 4 and 7. Ds tidies everyone's room in the morning as he has far too much energy and likes things tidy. Dd ignores him and brushes her hair:)
I have candles and forget to light them!
I arrange weekends with the dc in advance, keeping busy doing activities, playing in the garden, doing homework, sight seeing - I consider it useful for them to join in with ideas- I am not entertainments director and one day they will leave and need to know how to occupy their time.
I chat to friends and enjoy play dates:)
I don't have strict routines as I'm personally quite relaxed and flexible, and deadlines make me stress. So I don't impose them on myself.

And also, people who don't add value or moan, complain and generally enjoy to be miserable don't find their way into my life. I smile and am determinedly cheerful but that's it. No inviting misery and endless moaning into my life.

I forgot- I buy nice clothes that make me gulp at the price but I would rather have 2 cashmere jumpers and 2 pairs of fabulous jeans that I wear all the time than a bulging wardrobe of crappy clothes. My long brown leather boots were 200 quid and bought before dc- they are ten years old now and still look great:)

So my wardrobe is small and not much in it, but everything is lovely and I wear it all the time. Don't keep things for best! You never know, James blunt or whoever you have a crush on could be at the local shop:)

Wow Lavender that is impressive. How in the world do you find time for a cooked breakfast everyday and a roast in the evening?

Wow, I'm particularly impressed by the sound of your lovely mornings lavender with full English breakfast all round and ds whizzing about tidying everything up as, like my DS, he likes things tidy. I've not got mine so well trained yet though

Not that I fancy him but rumour was that Simon Cowell was at our nearby village shop not so long ago well, ok, maybe a couple of years ago now

I'm not really into clothes (although getting a bit more into it now I'm losing weight) but a HUGE thing I did earlier this year was buying some Clarks Unstructured boots. Recommended by a colleague, I was concerned about spending that much (£80, which I know is not much for boots but it's a huge amount to me) but they are absolutely perfect for me. Due to my health it is essential that I have comfy feet as my job involves being on my feet a lot, and it's honestly changed my life having these.

Similar with bras really, although I'm kind of forced into spending a fair bit as you can't get cheap bras for an HH cup but had a proper fitting in Leia a while ago and now just ordered a duplicate of the exact one that REALLY fits and is super comfy with a nice shape. But I got it in pink this time :o

It's very good for us in the mornings NOT to have the TV on. Made the decision when eldest was at nursery and would get stroppy if I tried to get her ready before her afternoon sessions and I realised it was because she was wanting to stay in front of the TV. Never wavered from this rule and am very happy with screen free mornings.

As well as my electric blanket that I added previously.
Regular eyebrow waxes with therapist.
Netflix.
Exercise
Walks and fresh air.

This thread inspired me to declutter the other day. Clothes are all sorted now.

Still reading through this - brilliant thread.

I wanted to add a few - I had spent years shivering under a crap cheap duvet, adding extra blankets in the winter.. finally splashed out on a lovely fluffy synthetic down one (don't like real down). God it's gorgeous. Improved my bed 100% and now I'm never cold. Best money I ever spent, worth every penny.

I use EverNote to make lists (I think I got it from another thread on here on how to organize your life). Trying to use it more, but getting used to keeping all important phone numbers, lists etc on there so I don't have to search for scraps of paper all the time.

Prepare a meal plan for the week - also saved on Evernote. I write it when I write my shopping list, so I make sure I have everything I need. Then I don't have to think about what to have for dinner at all again for the rest of the week. Bliss.

Recent resolution - do all grocery shopping online. Never have to trudge around a supermarket again, and can check my cupboards as I go along to make sure I buy all that I need. Never have to load / unload shopping from car. £4 for all that = bargain.

When renovating our bathroom we got a Double bath big enough for DP and I together. After failing to actually get round to using it often enough, we have recently made a pact that Tuesday night is bath night. We jump in to a hot bubble bath together, where we can relax and just talk. It's amazing what a difference some quiet time together can make.

LemonPipLimePeel following on from your Tues recommendation - have been for nice early evening walks with DH (just 45-60 minutes but good to mark the end of the day). It reminded me of LBC (Life Before Children) in a good way.

Lavender, I'm impressed with your life! Just read the bit about full English and a roast every evening to DP, he said woah in a wistful sort of way!

I sound like Ma Larkin:) I'm just v organised - I don't get up really early or anything. Plus - no tv.

Dinner- roast anything is easy really as well, prep and put in oven- I use timers and prep veg so its ready to go. My dc are at primary so we get home unless activities at a sensible time. If we are going on from school somewhere I take them a snack and have prepared something like lasagne and salad so there is no fussing at home.

It doesn't always go to plan, but I have backups in the freezer. I do find planning meals and how I will manage each day helpful.

Bump

I've thought of another really good one. In my futility room I have a Box of Last Resort which contains things I am likely to run out of at most inconvenient moments.

My box of last resort is DSS2's cash box (an old cigar box of DP's) in his bedside cupboard which I regularly raid to pay tradesmen .

A few things I do...

A load of laundry a day, there are only three of us, but keeping on top of the laundry is easy this way, I hang it on kitchen airer & it's dry by next day.

Put a tablet in dishwasher every time I empty it, means it just needs switched on when full.

Epilate legs & underarms, means I'm never caught out by nice weather!

Drinking a big water bottle of water every day, I feel so much better.
Ditto exercise, muscle ache feels good now & I have more energy.

Spend lots of time clapping and cuddling my beloved lab.

always have something to look forward to;

for me it would be - a day out, coffee with a friend,
meal/cinema/ with dp/dc, holiday, weekend away, a nice dog walk.

Reading through this thread makes me feel a bit sad.That so many women are doing things like having a cup of coffee and staring into space for 5 minutes and classing it as a treat that "improves their quality of life" wtf.

Either tradesmen are very cheap where you are, Bonsoir, or there is a lot of money in that cash box.

Having our camping and picnic gear organised in clear plastic tubs is fantastic. Weather good, off we go

expat - the latter . He's a saver - unlike his brother!

Things don't have to be expensive, long or blingy to be treats.

My big treat in summer is taking a picnic down to the park at lunch time and eating it on the grass with DD. Such a great break for her from school and for me from whatever else I am up to.

I do find it a bit depressing, how domestic this all is.

Do you think if we asked a group of men the same question so many of them would reel off long lists of housekeeping tips?

there was another thread "what one thing have you done that's made you feel better about yourself" or something like that and on there I would have put - leaving job working for a bullying, discriminatory, woman-hating sociopath, and setting up my own company - so it's not all bad! I do enjoy a clean, tidy house though - that I pay for myself, out of my own money and hard work.