20 Great Life Hacks

We all can use some shortcuts in life to make our lives a little easier (and shave some time off our already busy schedules).

Well here I will give you a few little hacks to make your life a little easier and may be save you a few minutes in your daily routine with some.  Mind you, some of these are no brainers, some you may have already done and not even given a thought to and some are like wow...didn't think of that.

1.  Pee in the Shower - yes you heard me, while you take a shower, just pee.  This will save you time as well as reduce your water consumption.  Some of you may already do this and not even think about... some will balk and be like no way... it all goes down the SAME DRAIN.  If you do this even once a day you can save over 1,000 gallons of water a day.  Saves you time, saves water and helps save the environment (water consumption).

2.  Tight Shoes - are your shoes a little tight?  You can make them a little more comfortable with a little science by using water!  Yes, you read that right - water.  Grab some freezer baggies, place in your shoes, heels, flats and add water, seal and place in the freezer for about 2-4 hours.  The water will expand between 7% to 10% in the baggies in your shoes.  Your shoes will be stretched out just enough to give you a little wiggle room - AND - you have a unique ice mold of your shoes that if you want to save and use later for something you can - because the ice is clean and safe inside the baggie.

3,  Ties Come Out of Your Clothing - we have all had that happen whether in the wash or not paying attention and we pull to hard on one side and the string disappears inside the clothing or comes out completely.  Don't fret!  Grab a wire hanger and undo it.  Use one end around the string and push it all the way through to the other side - VOILA! You have quickly restrung your hoodie, PJS, athletic pants, etc.

4.  Wire Hangers aren't just for hanging clothes - they serve a great purpose in emergencies - make sure you pack a few when you go camping (make sure you have wire snippers with you as well) and if you forget your tent stakes - snip off the top of the hanger (at the base of the twisty part) and pop into the ground and your tent is secured by the hook at the top of the hanger while the base goes into the ground.  I've used a wire hanger to help pop out a stuck snap button on a tailgating tent pole.

5.   No Matches or Lighter - never fret, grab a battery and a piece of aluminum foil.  Place one end of the foil on each end of the battery and BAM!  You have a quick light.

6.  Records - I love my records!  Are your records sounding fuzzy and making a scratching sound on the player?  Well turn on the player, pour some wood glue (yes Wood Glue) on the record, spread with a card or some other flat object and let dry.  Once dry, peel off the glue and your records should sound less fuzzy/scratchy.

7.  Coffee Stain on Shirt - if still wet from the coffee (if dry, add a little water first), use a pantyliner or maxi-pad to rub it out - the pad will absorb the liquid and remove it from your shirt.

8.  Cats and Furballs - add a little Olive Oil to your cat's food to stop their tongue from pulling out their fur.  This will also help your kitty's health.  Helps my kitty - she hasn't hacked a furball at all.

9.  Refresh Your Eye Mascara - want to refresh your eyes after working all day without making them goopy and clumpy?  Dip a mascara wand in make-up remover and brush your lashes.  It will re-wet the mascara on your eyes so you can reapply fresh mascara without making your eyelashes clumping together. 

10.  Clogged Toilet - No plunger?  No problem.  Just some liquid hand soap in the toilet and let sit for 5-10 minutes, then flush again.

11.  Vomit - the next time you have to clean up vomit, put ground coffee on it.  The coffee grounds will take away the smell and dehydrate it, then it can just be swept up. (Wished I knew this when my kids were little.)

12.  Laundry - adding a pinch of salt to your load of laundry will brighten the colors of your clothes.

13.  Sanitize Sponges - put your used, wet sponge in the microwave for two minutes to kill 99% of the bacteria in it.  (I do this!)

14.  Quickly Identify Your Luggage - tie a small piece of brightly colored fabric to your luggage. You’ll be able to spot your bag at the airport in no time.

15. Grease Stain - No problem.  Just rub some chalk on clothing to remove grease stains.

16. Ink Stain - No problem.  Just rub some rubbing alcohol (or use those alcohol cleaning wipes) on the ink stain to remove it.

17.  Fruit Juice - want more juice from your fruit?  Just pop them into the microwave (lemons or other fruits) for 15 seconds to double the amount of juice you get from them.

18.  Red Wine Stain - oops you're out eating dinner and suddenly spill your red wine on your clothes.  Don't fret, ask for some white wine to remove the red wine stain.

 19.  Cold Drinks - want to make your drink cold really fast? Wrap it in a wet paper towel and put it in the freezer for two minutes.

20.  Extend Battery Life - save your battery's lifespan by only charging your electronic device batteries to 80% instead of fully charging them.  This will greatly extend the usable lifespan of the battery.