You know you're in trouble when...

... you talk to your tumble dryer - "I'll be there in a minute!" or "Shut up, I know you've finished!" (particularly if you have the beeping type, like me)

... you spend 2 hours online researching robot vacuum cleaners, reading hundreds of customer reviews and THEN you dream about such a device, that very night

... you start a blog about housework.

It's like this. I'm a Brit in Bavaria, moved here 2 weeks ago. Some of you might know that the Germans make much of the word housewife, or as they say, 'Hausfrau'. One is supposed to take pride in one's work and be ready to swap tips at the drop of a hat. One relishes a sunny day, as that means a prime window-cleaning opportunity, AND you can hang your kids' duvets out on the balcony to get rid of all the evil bacteria. Don't even get me started on the recycling, I'll save that treasure for another time.

So I'm starting this blog, as I KNOW there must be millions of people out there who, like me, hate housework but are, for various reasons, locked into a futile domestic cycle, a treadmill from which they will never descend unless they (a) win the lottery or (b) die. Maybe we can comfort one another with banal tips and labour-saving ideas. Or maybe we can just moan about whatever task is getting on our respective nerves.

Must go and mash some potatoes... Talk to you soon!