Lifehacks for Mamas to Make Life More Simple
Simplifying My To-Do List to Have More Impact
I am sort of addicted to finding systems & resources that simplify life. Anyone else? As a business owner & a mama, I am constantly growing in this area as I become more ruthless about what I am saying “yes” to and what I am saying “no” to. I have struggled chronically with the idea that I can get more done in a certain amount of time than is ever really possible, underestimating the time, energy, & mental space it requires to complete the daily tasks of life. But it’s something I am intentionally working to get better at!
In one of my favorite books, The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman, she talks about how our absence in one area makes our presence in another that much more meaningful. Similarly, in another favorite book of mine, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, he shares how much more impact we can have when we can discern the “vital few from the trivial many” to use our energy towards things that matter most.
So, in this blog, I am simply sharing resources & ideas that have helped me maximize my time & effort in the areas that mean the most to me. I plan to update this list as I learn & grow & find new things worth sharing. In motherhood, it can feel like we are pulled in one million different directions, but I am passionate about minimizing those in whatever ways I personally have control over.
Life Hacks That are Saving me Time, Energy, & Mental Space
My Veggie Chopper
Y’all my veggie chopper has been my favorite kitchen utensil of all time. I’ve used it regularly since getting married & I’m actually still using the same one I got years ago! (Here’s one just like mine if you want to try!) It saves me so much time chopping & makes everything the exact same size which I love - especially when making a chopped salad! I make more or less homemade meals in different seasons of life, but ultimately, eating well-rounded meals at home together with my family is something that I value, so I am constantly looking for ways to make the process of eating in more efficient and enjoyable.
Roomba Robot Vacuum
Without my Roomba, sweeping would be my full-time job. 🤪 I am not even joking. Especially with having a black lab in the house. Bless his heart, sometimes I just want to completely shave his whole body and be done with all the hair. But the Roomba keeps buying him a little more time from that experience, ha! I have had the same one since 2017 and they have newer & improved models like this one now, but this has been well well worth the investment in the hours it has saved me of sweeping & vacuuming our house.
Instacart Grocery Ordering Service
Y’ALL. Unless you genuinely enjoy strolling the aisles of grocery stores (like a few sick people I know 😜), you are wasting your LIFE grocery shopping. Am I being dramatic? Maybe so. But if you are feeling like you have too much on your plate figuratively & not enough food stocked to fill your family’s plate literally, start having your groceries delivered. The time it saves you is worth 100-fold more than than the yearly subscription price you pay (which is only $99!) And it makes it easier to avoid being tempted by all the little treats at the store & stay focused on what you actually need for meal-prep.
When I realize we’re almost out of paper towels, instead of adding it to a grocery list, I just add it to my cart right then so I won’t forget & it’s already in there for the next time I order groceries. Plus, I often just use the “Order Again” feature because we repeat so much of what we eat on a weekly basis & this makes it easy to just add all those regular items to my cart without even searching for them. This service is a game-changer & an easy thing to delegate when life feels full. We use Instacart for our grocery-delivery and you can use this link to get $10 off your order (and if you use it, it will get me $10 off of mine!)
Bluetooth Headphones
My people. I never thought I would like or use bluetooth headphones, but I got AirPods for Christmas and they are so freaking amazing. I love listening to podcasts or watching Marco Polo videos from my friends when doing my daily chores & I love that I can let it keep playing in my ears even while I’m mopping or putting laundry away across the house. I don’t have to hit pause/play 100 times. I know these were invented quite a while ago, but as someone who was late to this game, I am now a total believer! There are so many inexpensive Bluetooth headphone options out there with great reviews like these over-ear ones for $30 or these in-ear headphones for $35, that look similar to AirPods. It’s so worth the money, honey.
De-Solv-It Spray for Tough Oil Stains
Guys, I took my mama’s advice and used this recently to get oil stains out of clothes and it is truly a miracle worker! It even got oil stains out that had been set in, washed and dried for several months. (Why were we still wearing clothes with stains like this? That is for another time.) But it’s truly amazing! I’ve also used it to get crayon off of our white bedside tables and sticker residue off of things. My mom said she even used it to get gum out of our hair when we were little - amazing.
You need to have some of this on hand for when the oxiclean, bleach, and spray n’ wash just ain’t cuttin it. I used the regular household cleaner De-Solv-It, but they now make this De-Solv-It specifically for laundry use. It is addicting once you realize all the things you can clean, mwahaha! Enjoy!
What are your favorite lifehacks right now?
Please, please, please share in the comments below! Anything that can life a little bit simpler, maximize our best use of time, or make things run more smoothly - I would love to hear! Other mamas & I both thank you in advance for sharing!
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