20 Years of TOM

What started as survival became a community.

20 years ago, there was no grand plan. No team. No app. No business strategy. Just me, trying to make life feel a little less overwhelming.

Back then, I was simply searching for a way to bring a bit more calm into the chaos of everyday life - the washing piles, the mental load, the constant feeling that I was always behind. I started sharing small routines and lists online because they were helping me, and I thought maybe they might help someone else too.

I never imagined what would happen next.

Over the last 20 years, TOM has grown from a few simple cleaning lists into something so much bigger than I ever could have created on my own. It became a community. A place where people could feel understood, supported, encouraged and reminded that they were never failing - they were just carrying a lot.

Gem

So I didn’t want this 20th year celebration to be about me.
I wanted it to be about you:

  • The women who printed the lists late at night.
  • The parents who found TOM during the newborn years.
  • The people rebuilding after difficult seasons.
  • The ones trying their best to hold everything together.
  • The community who turned this from “just me” into what it is today.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing real stories from this incredible community - and surprising some people with gifts chosen just for them as a small thank you for letting us be part of their lives.

Because this has never really been about having the perfect home. It’s about making life feel manageable, and I’m so unbelievably grateful you’ve been here for the journey. And the truth is, this community has changed my life just as much as I hope TOM has changed yours.

Our giveaway has now closed but you can read their stories in the TOM Blog

That said, if you’d still like to share your story then we always love a good read.

Read the TOM Stories

The story we built together

20 years of routines, real life and the people that made TOM what it is today - proving that you don’t need the perfect home, just a method that works.

2006
TOM was born
Our founder Gem, founded TOM. It started off as a way to find some sense of order in the chaos of new motherhood. TOM was a private little system and a way of keeping the wheels on.
2016
Hello, Internet
On a bit of a whim (a New Year dare), Gem shared TOM online for the first time. Never in a million years did she think that anyone other than her would be interested. But the universe had other plans and it turned out that LOTS of people needed it too.
2017
10,000 TOMMers
We hit our first 10,000 TOMMers on Instagram. Thousands of people started sharing the method and suddenly there was a proper little community forming.
2018
Sunday Times Bestseller
The first book was published. TOM had officially made it off the screen and onto the bookshelves as a Sunday Times bestseller.
2019
The start of the TOM App
We launched the very first iteration of the TOM app. And we won't pretend it wasn't stressful. Tech, timelines, troubleshooting… But we got there, and the app has grown into something that we are very proud of.
2022
TOM Rocks was launched
TOM Rocks was launched, taking everything we'd built and giving it a whole new energy. A real turning point in our community, TOM Rocks gave TOMMers a space to come when they felt like they couldn't do it alone.
2026
Twenty years of TOM
And here we are. Twenty years of TOM. Twenty years of routines, lists, a community, books, an app, wobbles and wins. We never could have imagined any of it back in 2006 and we're so grateful to every single TOMMer who's been part of the journey.

You were part of this story too

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing real stories from this incredible community - and surprising some people with gifts chosen just for them as a small thank you for letting us be part of their lives.

Because this has never really been about having the perfect home. It’s about making life feel manageable, and I’m so unbelievably grateful you’ve been here for the journey. And the truth is, this community has changed my life just as much as I hope TOM has changed yours.

Entries are now closed.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their stories, we loved reading them. As this celebration is about the TOM Community, you can now read some of the stories we recieved on the TOM Blog.

Read the TOM Stories