13 Life-Changing Mum Hacks

I know hack is a totally over-used word these days, along with that word journey {which I love, mind you!} but I am totally going there. I love hacks. I love anything that makes life better, easier and more awesome. These hacks are just that… they’re game-changers. They make life better, easier, more awesome, especially when there are kids involved. I’ve pulled these together with a little help from American Express. They set me off to spend a tiny little bit of money on things that make a big difference. I think you’ll like them.

IDEA 1: The Ouchie Fixer
I love this idea. If you’ve got kids you know they can be prone to tripping, bumping and knocking themselves, and then… drama. A bag of frozen marshmallows is an easy way to help calm them down, but actually helps with bumps and bruises too. Simply place the bag of frozen marshmallows onto their boo-boo, which works great because it’s fun, it works and it’s a little distracting for your kids too.

IDEA 2: Shop smarter
We all grocery shop, right? It’s where a big bulk of our money disappears to each week. So, what if you earned while you shopped? By using your American Express card to pay for your groceries, you can earn 3 points for every dollar you spend, depending on your card, which you can then use for fun things {unlike toilet paper and milk!} such as holidays and Christmas shopping.

I have the Platinum Edge card, which I use for the shopping and travel, but also while we’re away on trips, so that the money I spend works for me. There are loads of bonuses, like free travel insurance when you pay for your trips with your card, as well as extra points for shopping at particular shops. You can check out what rewards each card has here. I’ll be using my points that I’ve earned over the past few months to make life easier {and more fun} over Christmas and the New Year break.

IDEA 3: Lollipop Saver
This past weekend my smallest daughter, Lulu, had her first lollipop… and decided a few moments after she started she decided that she was done with it. We were out and I had no-where to put it, but I knew she’d ask for a few minutes later. I love this lollipop saver idea. Simply use a toy container, place a small hole in it using a metal skewer.

IDEA 4: Lunchbox Cooler
Dampen a sponge slightly, place it in a seal-y bag, place it in the freezer and leave overnight. Add it to a school lunchbox and it keeps things nice and cool – and you can write a nice message for a lunchtime surprise. Voila!

IDEA 5: BUBBLE HOLDER
I think I’ll put in my next resume that my parental duties include making sure the bath temperature is just perfect, giving perfect bedtime stories, and holding the bubble mixture for bubble time. Yawn! This is a great idea for parties, simply tape the bubble mix to a chair or stool leg, and the kids can dip and run.

IDEA 6: THE DVD CRAFT FOLDER
I’m sure we’ve all got empty DVD cases lying around. I turned this one into a little portable craft folder that we can take on road trips, or plane rides, so that the girls can draw and then easily pack away.

IDEA 7: EARN WHILE YOU BURN
Petrol can be such a boring thing to spend money on, but it’s one of life’s essentials. Just by using your American Express card you can earn 2 points for every dollar you spend. Make your money work for you. Boom!

IDEA 8: THE NO-IRON TRICK
Do you hate ironing as much as me? Yuk. If you’ve got something that needs a little ironing, but you can’t be bothered… simply throw it in the dryer with some ice cubes and it will knock the wrinkles right out of it!

IDEA 9: THE GETAWAY FUND
I love this. We have a jar that we throw our random coins into, and while they seem like nothing when you start with one or two dollars… but it all adds up. Save them until the jar or container is full, count them out and then use them towards a little adventure or night away for the family. We had $400 in ours last year. It was such a treat. {Psst, if you’re using your American Express points to treat yourself to a getaway, the cash in your jar can be shoe or drink money, BONUS!}

IDEA 10: THE EASY WASH
I knew that you could cook fish in the dishwasher {say what now?} but I’d totally discounted the fact that I could wash other things in the dishwasher. Well, how about shoes and toys? Yes. Pop them in the dishwasher, let them do a cycle and things are nice and sparkly again.

IDEA 11: THE LEMON CLEAN
Lemons are great for cleaning things, and making them smell fresh. Fill a bowl with water, place in a few slices of lemon and cook for 1 minute. Wipe out the microwave afterwards, and you’re done.

IDEA 12: THE DRIP CATCHER
With summer just around the corner, I can almost smell icy pole time. Use a silicon baking cup, and place a hole in the bottom {cut a small cross using scissors}. Place the icy pole stick through and let it catch the drips as your child sips!

IDEA 13: THE FAKE CLEAN
I do this more than I should probably admit. I can clean my house in around 30 minutes flat, but doing a fake clean. I’ve written more about it here. Try it!

One last thing I want to share, before you go away and start getting your hack on, is that American Express loves when we shop small, and when we shop local. I saw this sign the other day and it made me thing of them.

American Express will actually reward us for shopping local. We can earn extra points just by keeping it local, and being a Local Champion. You can check out their Shop Small map for the best places to shop local and small near you. In November they have some great perks coming up where you can use your Card to get $100 back by shopping at eligible businesses.

What’s your favourite life hack? Got anything to add?

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