Little Hacks That Make Life Easier

I’ve posted many of these before, but I thought I’d do a quick roundup of some of my favourite “hacks.” There is a broad range of things covered, so if you’re looking for a cohesive theme, you won’t find one!

• Freeze recyclable containers full of water – to create DIY ice packs – before a potential power outage. We tend to lose electricity due to hurricanes each fall. When I told my friend I should go buy some ice ahead of a recent storm (though I hate bagged ice because it makes such a mess as it melts AND COSTS MONEY), she mentioned her sister-in-law fills old juice/milk jugs with water, freezes them in advance and voila – giant ice packs to keep things cold in the freezer in the event of a power outage. When the storm was over (we didn’t lose power), I set the containers in our laundry sink and once they were melted poured the water into the washing machine for laundry!
• Use a Q-tip to remove mascara smudges. I don’t use waterproof mascara so I just wet the tip of the Q-tip; if you’re using waterproof mascara, you would need to use some eye makeup remover. It’s so easy to be precise when touching up little smudges.
• On the theme of makeup – I use lipstick in place of blush and have for YEARS based on the recommendation of a Clinique beauty expert before my wedding (I wanted my lipstick to match my blush and she recommended using the same shade of lipstick for both purposes)!
• Use a Sharpie to draw directional arrows for hot/cold taps in the shower. I am always so confused when I visit other houses (as an overnight guest) to figure out how their shower works. Does one tap turn to the right and the other to the left? If they’re not marked, which side is hot versus cold? Our basement shower is tricky. Hot (on the left) turns to the left and cold (on the right) turns to the right but I was ALWAYS forgetting. I used a Sharpie to write H and C along with small arrows (to the right and left, respectively) over the taps and now I always know which way to turn them…and so will any guests!
• Freeze compost. We used to have so many issues with fruit flies. Now we save all our small/thin cardboard boxes (think crackers and cereal), and store one box in the fridge freezer which we fill with compostable materials. When it’s full, it goes out into our compost bin (which, where we live, is collected on garbage day) and I start another box. No smell and no fruitflies!
• Sending e-mail reminders to myself. This only works well because I am an Inbox Zero sort of gal, but if there is something I absolutely cannot forget to do, I send myself an e-mail and only allow myself to delete said e-mail when the task is complete.
• Cutting pizza with scissors. It works like a charm and I’ve been doing this my whole life! Incidentally, when we were in Italy, we discovered they regularly cut pizza with scissors.

• Use the gas arrow to instantly determine what side of the car your gas tank is on (I often look to confirm in my own vehicle, but this is even handier in a rental or when driving another unfamiliar car!)
• Steaming veggies in the microwave. I have friends who don’t own or use a microwave. I cannot imagine life without this kitchen appliance and use it many times daily. Magic bags! Reheating coffee! Reheating leftovers! Cooking eggs! But I always steamed veggies on the stove. The microwave is so much easier.
• Freeze chips and crackers. This helps intensify the flavour and keep them fresh and crunchy. (I store coffee and yeast in the freezer, too).

Your turn. Any little life hacks you can share today? Which of the above do you already do/know about? Which hack would you never use (is anyone a hardcore powdered blush fan)?

Header photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash