15 Mom Hacks

I've got some mom hacks to share with you today.  All of these things make my life easier.  Promise!  What mom hacks/life hacks simplify your days??

1. Take the Time to Meal Plan / Meal Prep
It's always worth it.  I try to shop and chop all on the same day.  It happens different days depending on our schedule, but we all eat healthier when I make grocery shopping and meal planning a priority.  I like to chop carrots, salad toppings, wash all fruits so they're ready to eat and write out our menu on the side of the fridge to set the tone for the week.

2. Only Keep the Clothes in Your Closet that FIT
I started this about a year ago and have been so happy with this system.  Everything that is hanging in my closet fits, feels good on me and is something I really enjoy wearing.  I change the closet out seasonally.  It makes me so happy to know if I walk into my closet that I can pick any combination of clothes and I'll like what I'm wearing.  This will require you to declutter, throw away, sell and purge.  I promise it'll feel so good!!  It's also worth noting that I have fancier dresses, some of my teaching clothes and some smaller sized items that don't currently fit in storage in another closet out of sight.

3. Store Art Supplies in a Caddy
This has been such a handy way to store art supplies!  I can leave it out in the kitchen for both kids to use for art or for homework.  It's also really easy to clean up.  The kids know where the supplies go.  This is a system that we've been using for over a year and still love.

4. A Bin for Everything
I like to group toys in bins so my kids can easily help clean up.  I pick up bins here and there and they don't all match.  We rotate them from time to time when my kids outgrow a toy.  It makes clean up really simple.  The dinosaurs go in the dinosaur bin, the Barbies in another bin, Duplos in one, etc.  I don't label them.  We just all know what goes in each basket.

5.  Shoe Baskets/Cubbies for Each Member of the Family
Each kid has a green bin of shoes that currently fit.  If they're too small they go in the sell pile.  The adults get two cubbies.  The kids get one basket.  We walk in the door and the shoes go straight to their spots.  We don't even talk about it anymore.  We've been doing this for 3+ years  and love this system.  When we have kid friends over to play they often just follow suit and put their shoes in the kid bins.  It's such an easy system!  We did practice and talk about it a lot when we first started it, but we don't even think about it anymore.

6. Write It Down (in a Planner)
I have a planner for my mom's group, a blog planner, a paper planner and a phone calendar.  If it's not written down it doesn't happen.  I write down everything from birthdays, daily to do lists, healthy goals, long term list, birthday wish lists, Christmas shopping lists, etc.  I color code my personal planner - each adult has a color and events have colors.  

7. Free Grocery Pick Up
I know lots of different stores do this and some even offer home delivery options.  My store of choice is Walmart because it's so close to my house.  I like to schedule grocery pick up to coincide with school drop off in the mornings.  That way I can drop Olive off at school and then swing by and get my groceries.  It's such a time and money saver for me.  You only have to spend $30 for the service to be free.  One of our kids woke up throwing up in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago.  I promptly hopped on the Walmart website in the middle of the night to stock up on all the sick day supplies for the next day.  I ran to the store at 7:00am while Kevin stayed home with the kids.  I was thrilled to have everything we needed for the day - soup , popsicles, medicine, snacks, etc - without having to take my kids to the store.  You've got to try it!

8. Pack lunches at night
I'm not a morning person.  I don't wake up hours before my kids.  I try to set my alarm for about 15 minutes before I have to get Olive up.  So I do all the lunch packing, backpack gathering, etc the night before.  I pack Olive's lunch and Kevin's lunch.  Everything we need for the morning is set on the island ready to go - water bottles, notes, lunch boxes, backpacks and keys.

9. Get One Thing Out at a Time
This goes for toys, art supplies, costumes, etc.  Have a blast with one toy and then pick it up before you move on to the next thing.  This prevents your house from becoming a disaster.

10. Clean Up After Yourself All Day Long with Teamwork!
Do the breakfast dishes after breakfast, tidy up toys regularly, wipe off the counters, make your bed, do laundry, etc.  If you keep up with all these little things during the day, you'll be able to put up your feet and relax after your kids go to bed.  Also, let your family know the plan and expect teamwork keeping up with everything in the house.  My kids know we all clean up, we all work together and it helps our family run smoothly.  I so look forward to that quiet time every evening.  I love watching a show, working on my blog and having a snack in a nice, tidy house.

11. Say YES
Sometimes it's easy to just say no.  I have to challenge myself to say yes and be the fun one.  I am definitely not naturally the fun parent :)  My kids were begging to make Angry Birds out of play-doh.  They knew exactly what they needed - googley eyes and play-doh.  I said yes and they were thrilled.  They did this activity every day for a week.  Both played so nice together and we could have easily missed out on this fun if I'd said no.

12. Be flexible.
This is also a category that doesn't come easy for me.  I like a plan.  I like a routine.  But motherhood has taught me that there's not one right way to get things done.  I've been walking every day for weeks and Fletcher is usually happy to tag along.  But he doesn't really want to ride in a stroller.  He'll sometimes enjoy the jogging stroller.  His number one favorite mode of transportation is this push car.  He can ride, walk, run beside me and it gives him a lot more independence than a stroller.  

13. Workout Most Days
It's easy to come up with a million excuses to not work out, but it you tell yourself you have to do it every day it becomes a part of your routine.  I've been biking, walking, jogging and putting exercise on my to do list for the past month.  I have actually started looking forward to getting exercise every day.  I have to be flexible - walking with Fletcher, bike rides in the evening after Kevin gets home or doing yard work as exercise if I can't get away by myself.

14. Put your keys on a hook
Hook them to your bag and you'll never lose them.  It's so handy and keeps you hands free.

15. Make Your Coffee at Home
My husband loves coffee.  I've learned to like coffee.  We got this Keurig for Christmas last year and it's been a fun treat.  We've saved money and it's more convenient to have coffee you love at home.  I enjoy iced coffee year round.  These are my favorite 2 drinks to combine and Kevin loves all the Starbucks pods.

Would any of these make your life easier??