Favorite Life Hack

[bisous]

I love these threads!

Mine is for swimming days.

I use TWO bags.

I have a dry bag (a tote) that contains sunscreen and ziplock bags. The bags hold phones, glasses, insulin pumps, cell phones, etc.

The other bag is one of those big ikea blue bags. It holds goggles, flippers, puddle jumpers, etc. And at the end of the swimming session it can hold soggy towels, wet rash guards, etc.

It makes getting there and cleaning up easy!

Also, a parenting hack. If things are unraveling at home AND I've got a million projects and I just feel overwhelmed (often these days) I take a few minutes first of all to spend directly with each kid. Reading to them, listening to them chatter on about a TV show they love or something they made in minecraft, I make sure they're fed and have gone to the bathroom and I just make a conscious effort to slow way down. Then when they are "filled" again, I try to start them on a new project, get a bin of toys they haven't seen for awhile, etc. and then I'm in a much better position to be able to tackle whatever stressful thing is weighing me down. I've used this a million times since the spring!

[WatchingThemGrow]

THIS THREAD NEEDS PICTURES!!! Pretty please post them!

I'll have to post as they come to me: DH runs dishwashers (2) at night and kids (3) unload a rack in each every morning. Also, a wooden drying rack usually (in non-covid times) stays in the back of my van during summer and any times we are doing swim team. We reuse the towels for a few days, so keeping them in the car is perfect. (We are washing them all this summer.)

[Melaine]

closet.jpg

Here is our school closet. Honestly it does get kind of messy but it is really easy to straighten up with the clear pockets and so quick for finding what you need.

To SnuggleBuggles, we do wash a lot of dishes so there are days I run the dishwasher twice, on those days I just make sure it is still run again at the end of the day. If it isn't full I go all over the house looking for stuff to put in.

[Melaine]

THIS THREAD NEEDS PICTURES!!! Pretty please post them!

I'll have to post as they come to me: DH runs dishwashers (2) at night and kids (3) unload a rack in each every morning. Also, a wooden drying rack usually (in non-covid times) stays in the back of my van during summer and any times we are doing swim team. We reuse the towels for a few days, so keeping them in the car is perfect. (We are washing them all this summer.)

The drying rack for you van is genius!!

[bisous]

I forgot a favorite! QUIET TIME for everyone! I have been enforcing this since like day one of quarantine and it has saved my sanity. After lunch and read aloud time, everyone goes to their rooms for 1.5 hours from 1:00 to 2:30 every afternoon. I feel like all of us need it. I didn't know if the kids would do it willingly but the timing helps. Everyone is full, they've had a busy (schooling) morning, and I make sure that they have something fun they want to play with in their room. If they stay in their room the whole time, I let them have a treat. Usually a juice popsicle or popcorn or something not too junky. I'm looking at schedules for the school year and I'm going to see if I can continue to enforce this most days.

[lizzywednesday]

... Clear shoe pocket organizer on the inside of a closet door ....

I use one of these for gloves, hats, & sunglasses.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I use one of these for gloves, hats, & sunglasses.

I like that idea. Thanks!

[rollycolly2007]

closet.jpg

Here is our school closet. Honestly it does get kind of messy but it is really easy to straighten up with the clear pockets and so quick for finding what you need.

To SnuggleBuggles, we do wash a lot of dishes so there are days I run the dishwasher twice, on those days I just make sure it is still run again at the end of the day. If it isn't full I go all over the house looking for stuff to put in.

I use a clear shoe organizer for our pantry. We only have 4 small shelves, so it helps to maximize the pantry space.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

[lizzywednesday]

I like that idea. Thanks!

Any time. It means DD doesn't lose her gloves over the summer and I always know where my favorite ballcap & shades are.

[gatorsmom]

I love these ideas. This isn't a house organizer hack. This is more of a MacGyver/boy scout hack. While camping recently in the boundary waters north of Minnesota, DS3 was whittling and sliced his finger a good inch. The guide my boys were traveling with cleaned it out and glued it shut with superglue. Then he cut a strip from his foam sleeping mat and created a splint to keep DS3's finger from bending and re-opening the cut. He taped it all together with medical tape. DS3 (who is 12yo) canoed, hiked and camped like that for 5 days and nights before they could get to a doctor. When the doctor pulled the bandage off, it looked perfect. No infection, no redness. Nothing but a thin red scar.

Super glue. Who knew?