How do you find the time?

[LovingTheseAutumnSnippets]

I don't need any recommendations for skin care, or makeup, or how to apply it. I don't need any more clothes or new Autumn boots. The reason being is that I have not used the stuff I have, or the things I've bought to wear (mostly bought on recommendations on here) because I just do not seem to be able to find the time.

It's just that simple. When do you find the time?

I work 25 hours a week, so am not working FT. I just always seem to have something more important to do. It's like today. I haven't even had a shower today as I needed to clean up after a long weekend, 2 school runs, do 3 loads of washing, 3 hours of ironing and now it's dinner. It's my day off and I'm knackered.

How do you find the time, to look gorgeous?

Lone voice, but I iron. In fact I even do DP’s work shirts (he does loads of other stuff round the house, it evens out). However unless it’s a lazy weekend day, the only thing that gets done here before a shower/hair/makeup is feeding the cat.

(Ironing I tend to do as a 15 minutes here and there, maybe when it’s my turn to cook and I am waiting on something in the oven. front door, never.)

Ive done less than 3h of ironing in the last 5 years 🙈

Just never stopped (not that I do much, just skincare routine, shaving, bit of makeup, and hair - I never remember to exercise, or do body lotion, or any further grooming). I have 2 dc and work full time and those things are just part of my routine. Figuring out how to make time for the things I don’t do is the question.
Oh and I hardly ever iron 😉

I too haven't ironed for 3 hours over the last 3 years! My 11 year old irons his own school uniform as did my 20 year old before him from the same age. Primary aged DS has the decent uniform that just dries straight or comes out decent in the tumble drier. Husband irons his own stuff so I rarely iron anything at all.
Having a shower and taking care of myself come way above tidying or cleaning - those jobs can be shared with everyone in the household.
Shower everyday, wash and dry hair every other day. Run straighteners through hair and do make-up takes ten minutes.
Once a week I sort my eyebrows out and cut my toenails - 15 minutes max. I also make time for exercise everyday, non negotiable and makes me feel much better about everything else.

The housework is the stuff that slips. I exercise a lot. So I end up with only being able to do about an hour housework a day. I figure 7 hours housework per week should be enough. People who are rich and pay cleaners probably wouldn't buy in much more (4 bed house). I only iron the stuff that really needs it. My husband irons his own stuff. We both cook. I wouldn't wash 3 loads of washing a day because we wouldn't need to wear all that for the next day. One load of washing done a day. Collections of clothes aren't exactly minimal, though (most of it quite old).

"Generally however we budget the following number of hours cleaning for each property type: 1-bed (2.5hrs); 2-bed 2-bed 1-bath (3hrs), 2-bed 2-bath (3.5hrs), 3-bed (4hrs), 4-bed (5hrs), 5-bed (6hrs)."

www.neatservices.co.uk/how-many-hours-cleaning/

Above based on cleaning once a week.

That's so true, about getting rid of the crap stuff. Then you have to wear the nice things.

You haven't had time to have a shower? That's bad. Forget "looking gorgeous", you should at least be clean! A shower, hair wash, getting dry and putting clean clothes on can be done in 20 minutes, easily. 3 hours of ironing? Don't let the stuff pile up, only iron what is essential (shirts, skirts, trousers, school uniforms). Never iron teatowels, underwear, bedding, t-shirts of jumpers.

It sounds as though you need to prioritise things more effectively, and your hygiene should be high on your list.

You surely don't need to spend three hours ironing, no one needs to unless you dress entirely in linen or some other very high maintenance garments!

But also - I don't give much time to it, what I do can be done in 15 minutes each day.

I only iron once a week and that's only the school uniforms and shirts nothing else. No way would I stand ironing everything for 3 hours.
I shower before bed every night, my hair air dries overnight. I run straighteners/curlers over it in the morning. I wouldn't have time for a shower and drying/styling hair in the morning. This also gives me time to do make up daily, you only need about ten minutes to do basic make up.

I iron as I quite like the excuse to watch telly 🤣.

I don't believe you don't have time for a quick shower!!

3 hours of ironing?

I don't do any ironing, maybe that's why I've more time.

I'm working somewhere where I have to look good so I have to iron. So I iron exactly what outfits I need for the week and that's it. Mainly just wovens.

Whilst I'm ironing I've mentally sorted out what I'm going to wear.

Job done.

Might sound harsh, but I'm guessing you probably:

• Don't have a morning routine for yourself.
• Faff about a bit. Be honest, did you really spend 3 hours ironing none stop? Or was there a bit of scrolling, watching TV, having a cup of tea etc involved too?
• Don't have a system of doing things little and often on a daily basis. You put jobs off, like letting the washing pile up, and then feel overwhelmed, guilty, do it all in a mad dash but with no clear plan, so you end up flitting from job to job getting distracted, not getting much done, then feel a bit more guilty, end up overcleaning one particular area, and then end up feeling exhausted?
• Have an unhelpful partner/family who don't pull their weight, or are maybe a little bit of a martyr?
• Have way too much stuff, so it takes longer to tidy up.
• Have very high standards and iron absolutely everything, including teatowels and socks, like my mother in law. She can literally iron all day, but she LOVES to iron and always spends half an hour getting herself ready every morning, and always looks "done".

You need to prioritise yourself more. Why spend 3 hours ironing, and not spend 10 minutes doing something as basic as having a shower? To do this, you need to start doing a morning routine for yourself. Set aside some time, either before or after the school run, and have a shower, do your skincare, sort your hair and put some make up if you want to. All together this takes me less than 10 minutes (if I don't faff and end up scrolling!) but I feel better when I do. Declutter your wardrobe so you only have 'nice' clothes left. Pick your outfit for the next day the night before. Or pick a whole weeks worth on a Sunday night. Organised mum method for the housework, we have a customised version that I printed off, laminated and put on the fridge. I still set a timer to prompt me to get it all done in the 15 minutes. When it goes off we stop. Setting a timer is really helpful for me to keep focused with things. She also has a free podcast where she talks you through a 30 minute clean for the kitchen, living room etc, a bit like a personal trainer/DJ, so you're less likely to faff and/or get distracted. Her ethos is "there's more to life than housework", as in get it done and then do something more fun!

@SweetLittlePixie I genuinely don't think I've done three hours of ironing in my adult life!
OP ditching that alone would be a trip to the hairdresser, a long bath, painting your nails... whatever is your treat of choice. Life is faaaaar too short for three fucking hours of ironing!

I'm not in the 'I haven't ironed anything since 1992' camp but I only iron certain things and I'd never dream of doing a 3 hour ironing stint. Kids clothes generally don't need ironing. Partner can look after their own stuff, so just do the few things of your own that generally looks smarter for having been ironed.

I always find 5 mins for a shower and 10 mins to put some makeup on in the morning. And find 5 mins early in the evening to do my night time skincare. Because it matters to me I make it happen.

Slap on some tinted moisturiser, lip gloss and mascara- 2 minutes?

I doubt this is going the way you expected! But yes, seriously, 3 whole hours ironing? I don’t iron until I need to wear something and never iron the kids clothes if I can help it, but even if I ironed all my pants and my bedding I can’t imagine it taking 3 hours 😳

In terms of personal care, though - 20 mins is enough to shower, dry and straighten my hair, slap on basic make up (primer, mascara, eyebrow pencil, blush) and put on some ok clothes.

As a genuine question, leaving aside the make up etc, what’s the struggle about trying on or wearing new clothes?

3 hours of ironing is a waste of a life.

Everything @Popc0rn said!

Shower only takes 5 minutes, makeup 5-10 and I like all my clothes so feel ok when I chuck something on.

Routine and priorities.

I get up at 6am, shower and put my face on before I get my kids up at 7am. I have a pair of ditherers so I need to help them still. Then when the kids have breakfast, I do any dishes, pop the wash on and quickly run around with the hoover.

I send my kids upstairs at 8pm and that Is my time to focus on myself, hobbies, watch telly etc.

I work full time and I also iron my own clothes and kids uniform. My DH pulls his weight with housework and childcare so it doesn't all fall to me. I also don't leave things to my days off. We do a load of washing a day, 30 minutes housework a day etc. On the weekend we go out and I'm not one of them who takes my kids to 500 extra circular activities.

I also have an easy routine with hair, make up and clothes. So it's wash hair, quick style and leave to dry. No half an hour straightening it. Same with make up, it's a 20 minutes max job. My clothes are ones I can mix and max easily enough so I grab a jumper and pair of jeans out the wardrobe and I know it goes.

I get up and showered and dressed first. Like everyone else has said, prioritise yourself.

I also prioritise cleaning/housework stuff. If I don’t have much time, I’ll have a quick run around with the hoover/put things away rather than do a big tidy up. I do iron, but just as and when I need, and I have a steam iron, so it’s literally just a minute on a top or something before I get dressed.

I never spend hours doing housework, just do bits and bobs when I can. Like PPs have said, I just do it in between other stuff - like if I’ve got something on in the oven I’ll put a wash on or if I’ve got an hour between other stuff I’ll do a bit of cleaning.

DH and I both split the chores equally. I exercise most days, socialise, and am always showered and have a quick make up routine.

Does your partner do his fair share? I can’t imagine doing all that housework unless I had left it all to build up and was doing it all for the whole household with nobody else contributing.

I only iron for weddings and funerals.

I think you’ve found you answer OP. It’s the ironing! I never iron (I use my tumble dryer to knock creases out if needed). I find time to put on makeup everyday. I normally do it first thing in the morning when I’m slowly waking up.