Run a home like you would a small business and treat it with the same seriousness.

If you are a housewife, take pride in that.

If everybody knows where everything is kept you can avoid wasting time looking for things.

Storage is important. Whether it's cushions you only use outside in the summer, or blankets that only come out in the winter, you've always got to think of where to store them.

A proper family diary with everyone's events and parties in it really helps organise the household.

Consider your house from an aesthetic point of view.

It's cool to have a well run, comfortable and inviting home.

Rearranging furniture, adding some candles, or making even small tweaks can really make the difference.

The first rule of management is delegation. Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't.

There's no getting away from it: you have to clean.

Knowing that you're the one who's been rejected, God it makes you feel isolated. I defy anybody not to be a bit upset. I felt as though I'd walked into the house trailing all this baggage.