MOM HACKS

While I don't claim to be an expert on motherhood, by any means, I have found a few "hacks" along the way, the may seem ridiculous or silly to some, but that make a big difference in our standard operating procedure around here! 

Let me share some of my favorite #momhacks with you: 

GRABBER: You guys.... this is hands-down my most favorite mom-hack ever. Target has a dollar-section in the party aisle (not the one when you enter the store, but closer to where the birthday balloons & plates are) and they have little trinkets for party favors. One of the favors that ours has is these cheap little plastic grabbers. While some might assume they're great for little boys who want to traumatize their sisters, I saw it as a golden wand that can pick up everything in the backseat without breaking my back to reach. This little grabber is a gift from God and saves me from pulling over 50 times a day to pick up another damn toy or book that fell on the floor. Better yet, it delivers snacks and wipes to the backseat with a simple pull of the trigger. I promise, you won't be disappointed with this $3 purchase. :)

KITCHEN RUG: I feed three kids, three times a day and a husband, twice a day. This means, our kitchen table gets a LOT of action. Also, the floor. There's constantly crumbs to be swept up or water to be wiped up (because 99.9% of meals have a water spill, right?). I got SO sick of wiping the floor on my hands and knees multiple times a day, so, my mom-hack? I put a super durable, jute rug under the kitchen table. This way, it catches crumbs & water spills and I just vacuum it once a day (or every couple days - because who the hell has time to vacuum every day). It was less than $100 at Target and can easily be replaced if it gets ruined by something. 

CLOTHES in the TRUNK: This one happened due to my inability to keep my car cleaned out, but has paid off ten-fold. Keep a basket of clothes in the trunk of the car - pants, jackets, shoes, socks, a sweatshirt, whatever it is, for the kids. We've pulled from this basket more times than I'd like to admit, and it's covered my ass (not literally) in a handful of situations. It's a major win around here when everyone remembers shoes and in the winter, Lord help us if we don't all have hats or gloves to wear outside! 

5-MINUTE CLEAN: I've mentioned this before, but it's one of our go-to's. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and in that time, do nothing but pick-up/clean. Our house looks like a tornado if we're home during the day and it's a super easy way to get things picked up before nap time or dinner. You'll be blown away with what you can accomplish in 5 uninterrupted minutes. The kids love this too, because the novelty of racing against a clock still lives when you're 2&4. #suckas

ONE LOAD A DAY: I learned this one from the great Mix & Match Mama... do one load of laundry a day to keep the piles away. I try to start one load every morning before I go downstairs to do breakfast and find some time during the day to switch it over to the dryer (usually before naps) and then try to fold in the evening when the kids are in the bath. If you build this into your routine, it makes laundry a little bit more manageable. 

GIVEAWAY BAG: I keep a paper shopping bag in the bottom of everyone's closet and throw give-away items in there as I'm putting their clothes away or picking out their outfits (because you always run past one or two things that need to find a new home!) ... Once the bag is full, we donate or sell. This makes closet clean outs much less daunting and the maximizer in me is always trying to fill the bag :)

A few things I'd love to do, but just haven't managed to conquer: laying out outfits beforehand, meal-planning, organizing past season/too small clothes, and keeping up on those pesky piles that accumulate at the garage door.   

What are some of your #momhacks?! Hope these help you!