Hey y'all!
Ok mamas, let's get real for a minute! I know why you clicked this post... you know why you clicked this post. We are busy and we need simple hacks that make our lives easier. Plus, if it can keep our house running smoothly and efficiently then that's a huge bonus! Having 4 kids means my time is precious and keeping on track or making my life "less chaotic" is a top priority!
Between random Facebook posts or Pinterest posts, I'm sure you see a ton of different "Life Hacks" and they all seem great. But do they really work? I have tried many, many hacks and while some seem simple, they don't really make life easier. So, I decided to compile a quick list of some of my favorites!
Frozen PB&J- As a mom on the go, I try to stay loaded with lunches or snacks incase errand running takes longer than planned. Also, every now and then we decide to take our learning out of the house and head to the library so lunches are a requirement! One way to cut down on not only our grocery bill but also make packing lunches a snap, I make our own "Uncrustables". I am a true believer in Aldi's grocery store so these prices may vary depending on where you live. One 10 count pack of Uncrustables at Walmart cost $6.48 ( without tax). To make sure that my kiddos are set for at least a week and a half, I would have to buy 2 boxes. So $6.48 x 2= $12.96. 10 come in a box and if we get two, that would make them $0.64 a sandwich. When I make them my self they are merely half the cost! I purchase 1 large jar of peanut butter, 1 jar of jelly and 2 loaves of bread. I usually purchase all of these items from Aldi but every now and then the Dollar Tree in our area has some of our favorite breads that are normally close to $3.00 for only $1.00! So that can actually make it cheaper! Any way, if I were to purchase all of these items from Aldi it would cost around $7.25. Using two loaves (except for the 4 end pieces) will make a total of 21 sandwiches making them roughly $0.34 each! Not only am I saving money on these sandwiches, but once I wrap them tightly and pop them in the freezer, the kids have sandwiches for almost 2 weeks! Talk about a time saver when we are heading out the door!
**Pro tip** Peanut butter is oil based and jelly is water based, so, to avoid soggy bread, add a layer of peanut butter on both pieces of bread then a layer of jelly on one slice!
Popsicle Drip Guard- Popsicles are fun but the mess they leave behind is not! I can't count how many sticky fingers I have had to clean up and everything that has gotten in their way lol. I would always cut the bottom off of a cup like the one above to catch all the drips. However, I recently discovered a better way to do it is by using silicone cupcake liners! This way I can reuse them and create less waste! Soon as summer hits, I am breaking those bad boys out and putting them to use!
WiFi Picture- When you have a gazillion electronics in your house and guests coming over, it's good to have a few items available at the drop of a dime. WiFi is one! I am terrible with remembering logins, passwords and codes! So, I created this Wifi picture that hangs in our hall! I know this may not seem like a "mom hack" but trust me, this comes in handy when the kids are on the laptop, tablet or phone and they accidently disconnect from WiFi! Plus, when a guest comes over, it is one of the first frames they see so they can easily connect without having to ask you and then you spend 20 minutes looking for the code!
Dresser Labels- Not gonna lie, this hack may be a little costly in the beginning but it works like a charm! Phoenix and I made dresser labels for everyone, this way they can all easily remember what goes where! I used in my opinion, the best creative tool out there, Canva! The basic version which is very good is free and you can create all kinds of templates! We used some of our favorite photos and added them to these cool designs Phoenix came up with! Once we made them, I had them printed and laminated at Office Max. For these labels, I used the notecard template to make sure they were the right size for their dresser drawers. Then, I used clear tape to keep it nice and clean when sticking them on!
These are some of my favorite tried and true hacks! Each of these have made my house run smoother, my day less "messy" or really just one less thing I need to think about! I plan to keep adding more hacks to this post so keep checking this post from time to time! Also, if you have a hack I HAVE TO TRY, let me know in the comments below!
