“Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” – Part One

Here on my blog, I strive to share simple, everyday tips and tricks that can help make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about, so I tuck them away to use at a later date.

I’ve built up quite a catalog of these life hacks, so I decided to share a couple dozen of them today! Enjoy the first installment in the “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” series.

1. Remove Strawberry Tops With A Straw

Use a drinking straw to quickly remove hulls from strawberries. This will save you a lot of time when using fresh strawberries in your baked goods or homemade strawberry ice cream!

2. Slice More Than Just Eggs

In addition to slicing hard-boiled eggs, an egg slicer is a perfect tool for slicing other soft fruits and veggies too, like mushrooms and strawberries.

3. Prevent Cutting Boards From Slipping

If your cutting board tends to move around on your countertop when you’re using it, place a damp towel underneath it. This will provide enough resistance to keep it from sliding, and you’ll be much less likely to have a knife mishap!

4. Keep Wastebasket Liners In Place

I love reusing plastic grocery bags as liners in my smaller trash cans, but I hate when the handles slip down into the can, making it hard to get out. A simple fix is to place small removable hooks upside down on opposite sides of the can. Just slip the bag handles under the hooks, and the problem is solved!

5. Snap A Photo Of Your Fridge

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to call home while at the grocery store to ask my husband or kids how much milk we had in the fridge because I forgot to check before I left. Now when I’m heading to the store, I stop and snap a photo inside of my fridge so I can refer to it while I’m shopping.

6. Connect Hangers With A Soda Can Tab

You can use an aluminum tab from a can of soda to create tiered hangers. Not only does using tiered hangers save on precious closet space, but it’s also handy for keeping outfits together.

7. Turn An Empty Bottle Into A Charging Station

You can use an empty oval-shaped bottle (like a baby shampoo bottle or similar) to make a convenient charging cradle for your devices. Use a utility knife or craft knife to cut a straight line across the front side of the bottle, then cut around to the back so that the back side is an inch or two taller than the front.

Cut a hole near the top of the back side of the bottle. Finally, plug your phone in, hang your cradle on the charger, and place your device inside. Easy!

8. Clip Recipes To A Hanger

Hold your cookbook open to the correct page by hanging it from a clip-style hanger. It’s also a great way to keep a printed recipe closer to your eye level (and away from spills and splatters) while cooking.

9. Stick A Bread Tab To The End Of Your Tape

Use the plastic tab from a loaf of bread to mark the end of a roll of tape. No more hunting for the end, or struggling to get it unstuck!

10. Clean Keyboards With A Sticky Note

If your keyboard keys are looking a bit dusty and grungy, all you need is a sticky note! Press the sticky side in between your keys to pick up dust and crumbs easily.

11. Keep Cords In A Glasses Case

Carrying around cords can turn into a tangled nightmare. Keep your cords organized and easy to find by storing them in a spare glasses case. (Looking for a way to keep your cords neatly coiled? Try a small hair clip!)

12. Protect Photos & Documents In Transit

If you’re transporting important photos or documents and are concerned about them getting bent or wrinkled, just place them in a large plastic baggie with a piece of cardboard or a paper plate to keep the bag sturdy.

13. Stop Toilet Paper From Unrolling

Tuck the end of the toilet paper roll inside the cardboard tube to keep pets and kids from unrolling them.

14. Make A Pop-Up Grocery Bag Dispenser

Make a pop-up dispenser for your plastic grocery bags by storing them in a tissue box. Before putting a bag in, thread the bottom of the bag through the handles of the previous bag. This will make them pop up just like tissues.

15. Turn Old Markers Into New Crafts

Make watercolors out of old washable markers by placing them upside down in a bit of water with the cap off. The color will mix into the water, making some fun watercolor paints for the kids.

16. Test Your Eggs For Freshness

How fresh are your eggs? Find out by putting them in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom, old eggs will float, and eggs that are in-between will stand up on their ends.

17. Use Sunglasses As A Phone Stand

If you’re referencing something on your phone, it can be hard to see when it’s lying flat on a table. Make a simple kickstand for your phone by placing it on a pair of sunglasses.

18. Use Nail Polish To Color Code Your Keys

Make your keys easily identifiable by painting the ends with different colors of nail polish. This is very useful when a lot of your keys look the same!

19. Don’t Waste A Drop Of Nutella

Got a nearly empty container of Nutella on hand? Get one last treat out of it by placing a scoop of ice cream inside, and eating it out of the container. Yum!

20. Take A Photo When A Friend Borrows A Book

I’m always happy to lend things to friends, but I’m not great at keeping track of who has what. An easy way to keep track is to snap a photo of your friend with the item they’re borrowing. You can also just keep a note on your phone with their name and the item.

21. Carry More Bags With A Carabiner

Make it easier to get all the grocery bags in the house in one trip by using a carabiner. Slide the bag handles onto the carabiner, and you’ll be able to carry several bags at once!

22. Add Accented Letters To Passwords

A simple way to create a stronger password is to add a letter with an accent mark. It’s easy to type on your devices, just hold down the letter and the accent options will pop up.

23. Hide Your Stuff In Plain Sight

Going to the beach or the pool this summer? A lot of people aren’t careful about their valuables while they’re in the water, and someone may walk off with them!

But you can easily “camouflage” your valuables by storing them inside an everyday item like a large sunscreen bottle. Just cut part of the container off, wash it out, place your items inside, and slide the bottle back together.