Look into the back of the boots of a busy um’s car and there are usually two distinct types: the super tidy and the fashionably disorganised.
Whichever type you are, here are some tips on what should be in your car boot, so you don’t have to feel guilty if yours looks bare, and to give you the comfort to declutter if yours has one of everything in it.
Morning rush. Commute. Work. Commute again. Afternoon rush. Children. Housework…or just about. Little sleep.
This is the way that the day starts for many working mums – even those who are self employed. How we keep the many balls we juggle in the air is a mystery to many bystanders. But little do they know what gets left undone or pushed into a hiding cupboard of box away from prying visitor eyes.
You know how this story goes…you’re in a rush to get the children and yourself out of the door, then you realise you can’t find your keys, or your mobile phone, or your purse. You spin around for a while like a dog chasing its tail, while everyone asks you where you put if last (very helpful question, that one!).
As the year draws to a close and we all start to reflect on the past twelve months, resolutions to transform or improve your life within the following year are hot on your mind. However, many of us forget about the other areas in our lives that could also use some work and attention.
Christmas the time of year that everyone above the age of fourteen becomes stressed, tired and skint. So when the big day finally comes around and the house is full of friends, relatives and those family members you spend all year trying to avoid, things can quickly become chaos.
Mornings don’t need to be stressful – seriously. Even if you have a family of 10, there are some measures you can put in place to make sure everything runs smoothly from the alarm clock going off in the morning to when you’ve finished the morning school or childcare run.
Here they are:
Eeek! It’s that time again…the children are back at school and military operation and organisation that’s required of you has just kicked off.
There’s nothing like a fridge full of reminders to keep everything rocking like clockwork. Here’s a video on how to make button fridge magnets – you can customise them with creative crafts from the children:
Pushy parent syndrome irritates other parents, and leave teachers wanting to give detentions…and not to the children, but their parents. But you also want to keep on top of what your child is doing (or isn’t) at school before it’s too late…
So just how do you get the balance right? Here are some tips:
It’s time to start downsizing. You’ve had this home for a while now, and it suited you well when you had children. But, now, it’s just too much. What do you do? Well, downsizing is a process. You’ll need a step-by-step plan and ideas for furniture. In a sense, you’re adopting an entirely new life.
There’s a lot of motivation to be gained when you’re up against the clock. It creates a buzz, a surge of adrenaline to do anything but fail.
That’s why we love the trusty old kitchen timer. Use it for maximum success in getting things done and staying on top of work and home chores.
According to the Office of National Statistics, UK families spend between £43.10 and £56.80 on the food shop every week.
That’s quite a big part of the monthly outgoings, but that cost soon multiplies when the kids are home for the school holidays – especially the summer holidays.
So just how can we budget during the school holidays? Here are some tips to help you save:
The holidays can be stressful – especially the summer holidays. The longest on the school calendar, there’s a lot of pressure to keep boredom at bay, and to stay on top of your finances, too.
After the first few weeks, you and your children may well wish school was open, but you still have t battle it out until the first week of September. Going away somewhere can lessen the stress (a bit), but you still have – here are a few ideas to help you keep your sanity this holiday season:
Eeek…are you still finding the odd biscuit tucked away in a corner somewhere, or toys in sofa after the Easter break? Just when you thought you were on top of it all, here comes another half term break, which means one more thing…more mess.
Children will be children, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t out something in place to stop (or reduce) the mess they create. Here are some tips:
Vacuum cleaners are one of those investment buys that can be a hit or miss sometimes – especially if you don’t do your research before parting with your cash.
If you’ve bought a vacuum cleaner and can’t seem to get the best out of it, here are five tips that could help change your vacuuming experience:
Is it your favourite childhood toy, or irreplaceable photos of the kids? If it’s the later then you’re not on your own because family albums have been revealed as the nation’s most treasured possession, according to a recent poll.
Once you know your family’s lunch budget, you can cut your spending by meal planning.
Put pen to paper at the weekend and decide what you’ll be packing for your lunch at work and for the kids (if they take a packed lunch to school) for the coming week.
We all need some help sometimes – last-minute crises, or just an evening out with friends to let your hair down.
Whatever the case may be, the last thing any parent wants is to come back home to pandemonium or an accident. This video will show you how to make your home safe for a babysitter.
If you’ve been stung with a huge childcare bill this half term, then you’ll appreciate getting up to 70% of that money paid back to you by way of tax credits.
Many families qualify for tax credits but don’t know they should be applying or how to apply – is yours one of them?
Make savings on your childcare costs
Going back to work after having a baby can be a hard decision. Do you go back full time or part time, will your employer let you alter your working hours to do the school run and what will you do for childcare?
If I had a pound for every time someone told me how tiring parenting is, or how much hard work it must be to juggle working with raising a family, I’d be quids in. The truth is, everything has it’s challenges, but that doesn’t mean it is an impossible task – and parenting is no different. It really does not always have to be a stressful job.
