Home Truths with Helen Skelton (and what bad habit she can't quit)

Take my shoes off, coat off and hug my kids.

Definitely early morning - that's the calmest time of day in my house. I've always been an early bird because I grew up on a dairy farm, so the day starts early. I just like that stillness of the morning when everything is waking up.

When the kids’ have gone to bed, that’s my time to switch off - just half an hour sitting in the bath. I've just gone from a freestanding bath to a fitted bath. 

I loved my freestanding bath before, but I quite like a fitted bath at the minute because you can put stuff around the edge like candles and a glass of wine.

Anthropologie, because you don't expect it to be homeware. I've tried to buy the furniture that they display stuff on so many times - like the actual shop fittings - because they're so cool. They've not let me buy any yet, but I'm still working on it!

Mugs, because I drink a lot of coffee and I have such a relationship with a coffee mug that are connected to certain chapters of my life that they remind me of. The bigger the better.

I have one coffee cup that I bought in Berlin when I was covering the world swimming championships for BBC and it's massive - I can remember buying it with Mark Foster and Becky Adlington.

This is gross, but I really like taking the hair out of the shower drain - it's so satisfying! And cleaning the shower screen using a window wiper - it doesn't take very long but it has an immediate impact. In fact, just ordered a Kärcher window vacuum cleaner for the job!

All housework. I hate putting dishes away and I hate cleaning the kitchen. I try to encourage the kids to do chores and say they won't get pocket money if they don't, but somehow they wrangle their way out.

I have no routines at all because my job is so chaotic. I do have this thing with my friend where we feel like we're winning at life if we get the school uniforms organised and ready to go for Monday on a Friday night. We text on a Friday to see if we've done it. Then I feel like you can enjoy the weekend. Those little wins are worth it!

Not putting the washing away. I do the washing, I dry it, I fold it, I put it in a basket and then I don't get it put away, so the kids will be pulling things off the pile. Then I have to fold it and wash it again. It's the worst bit about doing the washing!

When the boys leave the toilet seat up… and muddy football boots!

Cut grass makes me think of home and growing up.

I regularly try. I'm not good at it, but I'm not terrible at it. I built some garden furniture at the weekend, and I do have a big bathroom mirror to go up, but it's so heavy that I feel I need a ‘proper’ person to put it up. I try little things, but I wouldn’t trust myself with a nail gun!

I'm not often in the house by myself but when I am, I have a bath. It’s kind of a running joke, anyone who has small children knows that having a shower or a bath by yourself is something you never get to do. So on the rare occasion I'm on my own in the house, that's what I do.

Yes, I do. I'm a good host in that I'm welcoming, I've got good music on and I'm relaxed about my home. That said, I'm not a good cook. My friends always bring their own food when they come to my house!