Hacks

It is always nice to discover simple ways to make your life just a little bit easier. Life hacks can save time, effort, frustration, or even just simplify things. While these hacks may not be so uncommon, there are probably people out there who have not thought of them. I have found these hacks to work well for me so I will share them with you guys. Below are some hacks that I use.

Easy way to disinfect toys

Toys can get really gross. Like, disgusting sometimes. With my experience with my son, "A," I have seen him use his toys to eat with, to mold Play-Doh, he touches them with his messy hands after he eats, and they end up under the couch and bed only to be recovered months later. If the toys are made of plastic, I put them in the dishwasher. I figure if a machine can do it, why bother doing it by hand? The dishwasher uses hot water to and detergent to kill all the germs and the toys end up coming out perfectly clean and ready to be put away.

An easy remedy for chapped hands

I have eczema so my hands are frequently dried out. A quick fix that I use is coconut oil. It's natural and I always have some in the kitchen. I just get a spoon and scoop a tiny bit. A little goes a very long way! You don't want too much or it creates an oily mess. About a pea size of oil is just the right amount. It's easier to add more than to figure out what to do with excess. Different scents can be created by adding essential oils. When I do this, I get a small container and mix some coconut oil with the essential oils so that it is ready when I need it. This last time, I added lavender and peppermint. I love adding the essential oils because it gives me a calming scent to breathe in for the day.

How to easily transport hanging clothes when moving

This is one that I learned when I was moving to my apartment when I started college and have used it each time I've moved since. To do this, I just get a garbage bag and section off some clothes that are hanging in my closet. While the clothes are still hanging in the closet, I put the garbage bag over the clothes from the bottom and then tie the strings of the bag at the top of the hangers. This keeps the clothes protected without having to go through all the work of removing the clothing from the hangers and folding them. Instead, the clothes remain on the hangers and can be placed in the new closet without much effort. The bags remain in good shape after this so they can still be used in trash cans afterwards.

What hacks do you use?

• Dishwasher for disinfecting toys
• Coconut oil for chapped hands
• Garbage bags for transporting hanging clothes
• Other

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