Have you ever wondered how other people organise their day? How they manage to get it all done? Well Far from home mama tagged me in on a meme that asked the question ‘How and when do you find the time to…’ It was originally started by Ms Dolly Daydream of Sex, drugs, rocker and stroller, baby fame and is a sneak peek into the lives of other people and how they manage their days.
As with all memes (subjects that a group of bloggers write about) there are a few rules:
Rules:
- Please post the rules.
- When answering the questions, please give as much detail as possible!
- Leave a comment on Sex, drugs, rocker and stroller, baby so we can keep track of the meme and I can totally steal your routine tips to make my world a happier place.
- Tag 3 or more people and link to them on your blog.
How and when do you find the time to…
….do your laundry?
On the whole I try to do 1 load of washing a day. I use colour catchers so I can put everything in together (although I do try to do white separately) I hate having loads of ironing and clothes to sort and I find 1 load a day is manageable. I do it first thing in the morning and dry everything in the dryer (not eco-friendly I know but it is convenient). I time it so the drying is finished just after I come in from the school run, that way I can hang it all up straight away to avoid the need for unnecessary ironing.
….write a blog post?
I have decided that I will only do 2 posts per week. This is because I am conscious of the time blogging takes up and the effect it could have on my family. As well as writing and posting you have to consider the time involved in photographing editing and promoting a post. My OH runs his own business so I don’t have access to the computer in the evenings as he is busy using it for work related stuff so I tend to write my posts in the afternoon when my little boy is at nursery and I have a few hours on my own. It probably takes me about 3 hours (split over 2 days) to complete a post. This includes taking and editing pictures writing, publishing and uploading onto various sites.
….look after yourself…i.e. wash your hair, paint your nails, take a bubble bath etc.?
For my mental and emotional well-being I need to have some time each day just for me. In a busy household this can be hard to find so I get up early and go for a run. This gives me the time I need to clear my mind or organise my thoughts for the day. I shower and dress when I get in and before the kids get up. That way I can give them the time they need when they wake. I don’t tend to wear nail varnish or anything else that needs too much maintenance as I don’t always have the time for up keep and they end up looking scruffy. Any other major personal maintenance takes place on a Sunday when I have time to relax.
….spend time with your other half?
My other half runs his own business and while this gives him a certain amount of flexibility in his work it often means that he works longer hours than most. In the evenings he is on the computer sorting and organising quotes or dealing with call backs so we don’t get that much quality time during the week. Because the working week is so busy we are precious about our weekends and they are devoted solely to family activities and spending time together. No work, blogging or social networking. We don’t often go out without the children as we really do enjoy their company but this year we have planned a long weekend away while the kids are on holiday with their grandparents.
….do fun stuff with your LO?
Weekends are always spent doing fun stuff with the children. My son hasn’t started school yet and is only in pre-school part time so I have the morning to spend doing fun stuff with him. I try to give him at least 1 hour each morning where I sit with him and give him one on one time doing whatever it is he wants to do. I’d love to give him more but with housework and household admin to do it is not always possible.
….spend time with family?
Our families live all over the county. My other half is from Yorkshire and my family live in the Midlands. We love to entertain so the family tends to come and stay with us for weekends which we love. We also go on holiday each year with both sets of families. We have a week away with my family and a week away with the OH’s family. We also spend Birthdays, Christmases, Easters and other major holidays together.
….socialise with friends?
I live really close to my daughter’s school so it is not uncommon for friends to pop in for coffee and a chat on the way home from school. I am quite busy during the week (as I assume most parents are) so I don’t have as much time to see friends as I would like. Fortunately we are a bit of a party household and have several get togethers each year, which is great for catching up with friends.
….prepare an evening meal juggling a baby/toddler bedtime routine?
I cook evening meals and my OH baths them gets them ready for bed and reads the bedtime stories. He works long hours so often this is the only chance he has each day to spend quality time with the children. It is a great routine that works well for all of us.
….deep clean your house?
This is an issue in our house at the moment. I have a good daily/weekly routine for cleaning the house but it has got to a point where I feel it needs a really deep clean. You know the kind where all the cupboards are emptied and cleaned out and the woodwork is all wiped down etc. While I want it done I have to be honest and say I don’t actually want to do it myself. There are just so many other more interesting things I can think to spend my time on. So much to the distress of my OH who thinks I should do it I will be getting a cleaner in. Life is just too short
….do the food shopping?
My OH does all the food shopping. He used to do it at the weekend and would take the kids with him to give me some space. He has recently discovered the joy of internet shopping so now does it all online. He does the shopping weekly and before it’s ordered we sit down and discuss the meal plan for the week. I put the weekly meal list on the fridge so I know in advance each day what I am going to cook for dinner. He orders the shopping, cleans out the fridge and puts all the shopping away.
….bulk ironing?
I hate ironing so I do as little of it as possible. I try to get things out of the dryer straight away so they need minimal ironing and I have a great power steam iron. You just give the clothes a quick blast of steam and the creases fall out. I do 1 load of washing each day and iron only what is necessary each day and put it all away.
I hope this has given you a little insight into my world. Now for peek at how others do it. I tag
40 Something Undomesticated Devil
Just as a quick note before I finish this post. I have found creating daily and weekly routines allows you to achieve more with less effort. If you’d like to find out more about creating a daily routine have a quick look at the post below
If you find that your schedule is still too full to allow you to do everything you’d like to do read this post
Do you have any great time saving tips or hints to make life easier? Please share I’d love to hear how you do it.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Fab post lovely you seem to have thing in perspective and a great balance xxx
Thank you so much for joining in with this. I love your answers. You seem to have a really well thought-out routine. I holiday with my family too. It’s something I never grew out of and always have fun x