'Syyyyysssteeemmms, I love syyyyssstemmmmms' 🎵🎶🎵🎶 Jamie's singing. Dickhead. He's made up a daft song as he tidies up.

But we are totally crowing about all the new systems we have to make life easier, simpler, more minimal.

It's easy in the new house. We bring the old house's lessons here, a lifetime of things that don't work tossed out, and some pretty great systems for ensuring things run smoothly and easily so we aren't overwhelmed and can have more free time doing things we love.

So there's a reason to sing, I suppose - it's all so easy and smooth and flowy. Yay.

System 1 - Bedding

We sleep in separate rooms - we get far better sleep that way. We have a rule that the beds are made before we go into the kitchen for breakfast. It took me a while to train this habit in Jamie. I believe it sets the mood for the day and makes everything feel calmer and organised, and I think there's nothing worse that going to bed in a messy room with an unmade bed. I like to open the windows to air it out (better hygeine, less smells) and put any clothes away.

This morning we changed the bedding - I strip the bed and put the pillow slips on, and Jamie does the sheets and doona cover. Takes us five minutes to do it together. The rest goes in the washing machine. We have this system down to an art so we don't even have to talk to each other as we do it, unless I'm berating him for not putting the pillows together straight.

Oh, and I got these little zip/velcro boxes from Kmart to put the doona/sheet/pillowcases in, so I don't have this pile of crap fall on me when I open up the cupboard.

Home is where I want to be
But I guess I'm already there
I come home, she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place

System 2 The Next Day bench

This used to be a basket, but this bench is now agreed as a 'next day' bench. Anything we have to remember to take out of the house for work or whatever goes on this bench as we think of it the night before - library books, lunches, towels to go back in the van, sunglasses, reading glasses, handbag, car keys - whatever, particularly if we have a busy morning to come. It means we rarely forget anything as we know to pick things off the bench as we leave the house.

You may ask yourself, "What is that beautiful house?"
You may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?"
And you may ask yourself, "Am I right, am I wrong?"
And you may say to yourself, "My God, what have I done?"

System 3 Coffee

This is my favourite system. We don't argue about who's getting out of bed to make coffee, because it's always Jamie. The night before, we rinse out the moka pot, put water in it, put coffee in it ready to go. All Jamie needs to do is turn the kettle and the moka put on and go back to bed for more snuggles before getting up to pour.

The coffee grounds go in a knock box ready to go out to the compost or the garden.

It's also his job to make second coffees - he drinks his, mine goes in a takeaway cup for the drive, but we also make it for a flask for morning tea.

Don't worry - I'm not being lazy. I'm the one, whilst he's doing this, picking up clothes from the floor and sorting washing ready to go on in the arvo whilst the solar's on.

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

Ah, divine simplicity. The anti chaos machine of minimalism.

Systeeemmmmss, I love sysssteemmms 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

Oh my goodness, is that me singing that stupid song? Yep. WE're just happy because these systems make life easier. It's a minimalist hack that is less about 'less' junk and more about ditching all those tiny stupid stresses that can pile up in a working week, and having to do it all when you're tired when you get home or on the weekend.

Because we've got these little habits and routines sorted, the house stays calmer without loads of effort and arguing. Everything just flows better. We trust each other to get the jobs done - I don't need to say 'did you make me a coffee?' or 'can you put the doona cover on' or 'where are the keys to the van' or 'where's the snacks for work' because we know our place, our role, in these little banal domestic duties.

Systeeemmmmss, I love sysssteemmms 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶