We're going to do a gentle reset this week. This is aimed at making the rest of the week a little bit easier without completely overwhelming you. Let me know how you get on. 1. Look at the week ahead (5 minutes) - Check your calendar - Note anything that needs food, energy, or logistics - Mentally mark the hard days and begin to think about what you might need to put in place for those (have someone else make dinner?) You're not planning anything, just removing surprises and being aware of where your pinch points are. 2 Decide on dinners (5 minutes) - Rough decisions only - Use your base menu if you have one (if not, check out the classroom) - Repeats are encouraged - you don't need a brand new menu every week. Predictable is better. If you know what's for dinner, the week already feels calmer and one less decision to make every day. 3 One small reset (5-15 minutes) - Pick one: clear a surface, empty the dishwasher, put a load of laundry on, reset a fridge shelf. Nothing major, just one more loop closed. 4 Check in in the comments - What worked last week? - What didn't? - What are you letting go of? - What challenges are you facing? These weekly resets will get slightly bigger as time goes on and you begin to build habits

I’ll admit was very skeptical about this one…laundry detergent made from ivy leaves?! But thought I would give it a go before I dismissed it completely and I’m sold. Got the recipe from Nancy Birtwhistle during an attempt to rid the house from as many chemicals as we could. You basically pick a big bunch of ivy which we have growing everywhere! Bigger leaves with lots of veins are best. Rinse them, cut into strips and put in a pot of water and boil then simmer for twenty minutes. Let it cool and that’s it! The leaves are full of saponins which make the suds. Cool and bottle then put two tablespoons in a cup in the drum of your washing machine. Add two tablespoons of washing soda to the drawer to soften the water and run on a long, cool cycle (uses less electricity too). Clothes come out smelling fresh. You can add essential oils if you want a fragrance. (Ignore the poison label on the bottle, it was a leftover Halloween decoration 😂)

What are you stuck on today? Having a shower? Putting that load of washing away? Lifting clothes off the bathroom floor? Whatever it is, I want you to take a moment now and countdown from 5. When you get to 1, get up immediately, no excuses…do that one thing. Just that one thing. This closes a loop that has been running in the back of your mind, taking up space and energy. Tell me how you feel afterwards 😁

If you’re reading this, you’re part of the founding cohort of the Household Operating System. I really appreciate you saying yes to this at such an early, slightly scrappy stage. This space exists because everyday life was taking far more effort than it should, not in a dramatic way, just a constant background drain. I needed something that worked on ordinary weeks, with ADHD, kids, work, low energy, and interruptions built in. What you’ll see here is the result of that thinking. Over the next 12 weeks, we’ll move through the system one piece at a time. It’s structured, but it’s not intense. The aim isn’t to overhaul your life, it’s to reduce mental load by making fewer decisions and letting systems do more of the work. As founding members, you’re not here to perform or “get it right”. You’re here to use this honestly and tell me what actually helps, what doesn’t land, and where things feel unclear or heavy. Your feedback will shape what this becomes. A few quick things to know: - New modules unlock weekly — there’s no need to rush ahead - Weekly chats are there for support and normalising, not accountability or comparison - Lurking is fine. Short posts are perfect. No pressure to overshare - This is a calm, practical space — we’re not fixing each other here Most of all, thank you for trusting me with your time and attention. That’s not something I take lightly. When you’re ready, feel free to introduce yourself in a few lines, or not. You belong here either way. Michelle x

Taking my utility room from disaster zone to 'good enough' in less than an hour with tips on: - eco-friendly laundry - containers - finding a home for everything