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?

Why are you ironing? I understand school and work shirts perhaps but nothing else needs such a big outlay of time.

I iron and clean but always make time to shower and wash hair and then straighten my hair if working in the office. I do bits and pieces of housework every day esp when working from home just fit it in then that allows more time at the weekends that being said my children are grown up but it wasnt really any different when they were young house always clean and tidy and still time for me

I haven't done 3 hours ironing if you add it all up over the past 5 years

Work full time leaving at 7.15
I don’t iron
5 min shower when I get up followed by skincare in stages whilst drying hair/getting dresses
I make time for skincare before going to bed
One weekend morning for longer maintenance eg hair mask on whilst shaving legs/filing feet/face mask then shower

I really do not understand how people do not iron.

H does the ironing here, most of it is his

Haven't ironed in years. Life's too short.

I don't iron except for my interview/funeral suit.

I pick fabrics that don't need it

I hang up and smooth once out of the washing machine

Ok so some progress.

Yesterday I had more dried washing to iron. I ironed one, then said fuck this, and folded it up instead. It looked no different. I’m going to cut it down to essential work and school stuff.

Also, yesterday I managed to:

Wash hair, use a hair mask (in shower of course)
Shave legs
Use my Philips lumiere on arm pits, top lip, chin and lower leg
Do one hour of exercise
Go to bed early and did Liquid Gold treatment, foot moisturise and massage cuticles with cream.

Thinking about it I just have too many chores to do and then I’ve ended up putting chores first and me last. My DH works away a lot and very long hours and can’t really do much at home.

Don't iron the school stuff. Just don't. It's a waste of time. And only iron the work stuff if it really genuinely looks bad without the ironing. But otherwise, good progress.

Yep, cut the ironing and then you have loads of time!

Don't iron for three hours, that's crazy! My mum (76) still irons for hours at a time, ironing bed sheets, tea towels, the lot. My sister and I both early 50s only ever when necessary ie if something Someone wants to wear really needs it. Grown kids do the same. I used to do 2x1hr ironing sessions when kids were little but gave that up. My mum still can't believe that we don't.

Showering daily, shaving most days, dying my hair monthly, sorting eyebrows weekly, exercising a few times a week, meditating for 15mins daily, skincare morning and evening etc doesn't take long at all and makes me feel a lot better than ironing ever did. Make up takes 5mins and hair goes up if I've not time to wash and style it.

Give yourself a break and only iron when necessary.

Well done @LovingTheseAutumnSnippets on stepping away from the ironing board! I honestly don't think you need to iron that much. I used to iron the pleats in DD's uniform skirt and her summer dress but now she's at secondary school she just wears trousers, shirt and blazer and I find they don't need ironing if I shake them out and hand them up to dry.
DH used to iron shirts for work but has taken to wearing polo shirts instead which don't need ironing.
I avoid buying things that need ironing. I've got a few blouses that need ironing but I rarely wear them for that reason!
I don't think you need a long, complicated routine but you do need to put your own sanity and basic hygiene above the ironing!

Very easily? Generally buy fabrics that don't need it then give things a really good shake when they come out of the machine. I'm not ironing DS's school shirts just for him to go and sit on a bus and crease them up again. Plus he's in sixth form so if he really wants them ironed, he can do it himself (not sure if he realises the concept of ironing exists, come to think of it).

DH's work shirts go off to be ironed elsewhere, but since WFH that's pretty rare now. Some viscose summer tops of mine get a quick run over with the steamer (viscose fibres tend to go short and crunchy in the wash, so need some steam). The only reason I still have an iron is because I sometimes sew.

Anyway, well done OP - you definitely need to prioritise yourself a bit more 🙂.

I’m the same as you OP. It’s so hard to find the time. I know loads of people say prioritise yourself, but that’s hard when jobs need doing. I regularly do a 3 hour ironing stint because I hate crumpled clothes too. I don’t really know what the answer is, but I try to have a quick shower before I start doing jobs and I wash my hair on an evening once the dc are in bed.

You can avoid or at least minimise ironing by hanging things straight to dry and then hanging them in a steamy bathroom before you put them on. The heat of your body will also shake out small creases when you put stuff on.

Or buy non iron fabrics. And men should 100% iron their own shirts.