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!

Be outside as much as possible-even in bad weather. Even 5 minutes makes a huge difference. I've never been healthier and the house stays cleaner!

I get the www.ahaparenting.com emails.
usually there is a little bite sized bit that is useful. love this thread!

Make coffee in my coffee machine at home and take it to the office in my never-leaking hot cup (which I love). Lasts me at least an hour as it's kept hot and makes me happy. And saves me about £10 a week!

I love to make a pot of tea using leaves like my gran used to do. I think the reason it feels that it makes my day better is due to the performance of it as well as the tea tasting lovely. The warming of the pot...the smell of the leaves...straining the tea when it is that perfect golden colour, and their being some more tea waiting to top up your cup once you have finished. Its the perfect thing to do on a rare Saturday or Sunday morning when you dont have any plans. Snuggling up with the kids on the couch with a cuppa, watching tv and deciding what to do with the day as you 'come to'. I just need to replace my favourite china mug as it broke

Unfuck Your Habitat is a very good resource. With lots of cursing, too.

delegate!

Go outside

Even if it is only to walk around the farm, take the dogs up a hill, pootle about in the garden. I get loads of thinking done, enjoy a bit of fresh air and it ALWAYS improves my mood, even in the rain

Order online, especially groceries. No need to go around supermarket with kids.

I have my friend who's a gardener come clean up the borders in my garden once a season. It makes it more manageable for me. It's less than £20 and I support my friend's business.

Also pacing myself, which Unfuck Your Habitat encourages. 20 mins of cleaning and a break. It's a very good technique for people with depression.

3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlpL8Gnd28w/UsMUt-5P4KI/AAAAAAAAKTU/SGWpkplH58w/s1600/perfect.jpg

laqueen I'm in awe of your organisational skills.

I don't have a cleaner but I do have a gardener. I get to enjoy my beautiful garden with minimum no effort.

Mine are (in no particular order)
No shouting in the morning, everyone must start the day happy and relaxed!
Nice smelling candles in the evening
Keep the kitchen and bathroom clean but don't sweat the other stuff
Physical contact with dh - sounds daft but when we are busy we end up never even going near one another
Meal planning but always have a quick tea on standby (pizza never killed anybody)
Take some time to really use your senses - smell something delicious, admire a garden, stroke the dogs ears etc!
Have a perfume or body lotion you love that always makes you feel good when you wear it
Cuddle your dcs and really talk to them
Go to bed early at least once a week so you wake up feeling good

Am going to c+p my list for future reference!

say no

get outside more

try and worry less

get more sleep

learn to relax

Spending time researching the very best suppliers (be they greengrocers, dermatologists, schools, music teachers, solicitors, decorators, window cleaners...) is always time well spent. Feeling confident in the knowledge that people to whom you outsource work are going to do a brilliant job provides huge peace of mind - which is a great contributing factor to quality of life.

Cut down on internet time! I can waste a whole day doing nothing but browsing sites. As soon as I cut it down, I started doing more.

It saps time and energy like nothing else.

Other things are

Getting out and about, especially somewhere new.
Spending time with friends
Spend some time playing chase/tickle/I'm a cuddle monster coming to get you type of games with the kids. The laughter instantly perks you up.
meal planning and getting organised with chores frees up time to spend on pleasure. Also rope the kids in and make sure your partner, if you have one, does his bit too.

Be thankful for what you have and take positive and practical steps towards achieving your dreams and aspirations.

To all of you who have cleaners, how often do they cone in and how much do they charge? And how did you find them? I dont know anyone with a cleaner so cant ask around.

returnvisit - we initially started off having a cleaner just 2 hours, every other week. We pay £11 per hour.

We have now upped to 2 hours every week (as my DH loved coming home to a clean house SO much because I was so shocking at cleaning he declared he wanted a clean every week).

We found ours by word of mouth. But try yell.com, your local paper, local village shop small ads board.

I would say, if you don't want to stretch to paying for one every week, do try every other week to begin with - it just massively helped me stay on top of things, the house was spotless every other week, then it was so much easier for me to keep it looking fairly good the inbetween weeks that she didnt come.

Also, to begin with, my cleaner tackled tough areas first eg spent all of one visit getting kitchen up to scratch, then the next time the bathrooms. I also might leave her a little note asking her to do eg skirting boards one week. I have to admit, its a complete joy to come home to a clean house every week

Re-read my post, I sound like a complete dirty ratbag pre-cleaner !! Honestly we weren't that bad, but I had our 3rd baby, and just couldn't manage it all. Re-jig of spending / finances meant we could afford a cleaner, and we've never regretted it since.

G

One thing? Id have to pick something which encompasses a multitude of other things. It has to be 'love'.

Loving myself: taking my meds, enjoying healthy foods and a healthy lifestyle, sleep, hobbies and getting fit, becoming a more positive person, smiling more and seeing more of the best in people. Also loving others and enjoying simple pleasures shared with family and friends, helping others achieve their goals and keeping the house clean and happy enough that it is usefully organised and comfortable.

Thanks sugar, im pregnant with DC4 so im struggling at the moment!

Re kids' toys:

When the girls were small we kept toys in baskets/crates - so:
Playmobil in one
Lego in one
Farm animals in another
Barbies in another
Baby dolls and clothes in another etc
That way, they could have a basket out at a time, which gave them lots of play opportunities but was easy to put back all in one place.
Until they decided that killing Barbies with the Playmobil weapons was a good game, and then the organisation all went to pot!

I say no now and don't feel guilty.