I keep coming across posts with life hacks, mom hacks, baby hacks, etc. Which are awesome, but they all have the same collection of hacks and I get tired of ready 9 hacks I’ve already heard to find the 1 hack I haven’t. So, I’ve compiled a list of mom (and dad) hacks you probably haven’t heard before! Most are geared towards small children, but also useful for bigger kids too!
Baby Powder for Sand Removal!
Sand is hard to get off, especially off of sensitive baby skin. Hit the sandy spots with baby powder, rub gently and viola! sand gone. It does leave a little mess of sand and baby powder on the floor, so use this mom hack outside! Baby powder is also helpful for getting shoes to slide on fat little feet – just sprinkle and slide!
Keep track of Medicine doses
Whether young or old, it’s easy to forget if you took your medication. And when your head hits the pillow and the fussy, stuffy, coughing, unhappy toddler is finally asleep, you don’t want the “did I give him his antibiotic?” thoughts running through your head. So, when the doctor sends you home with antibiotics or any medication, grab a permanent marker and make a little chart of the side of it for each dose, then keep the marker right there with the medication and check off each dose as you take it. You can also use it to write times right on tylenol, motrin or cough syrup bottles so you know when the 4-6 hours is up and you can give another dose. Don’t want to write on the bottles? Tape a piece of paper inside your medicine cabinet door and keep track there.
Uses for Baby Food Jars
Those little jars are so cute, and the perfect size for a ton of things! Use them for craft item storage, snow globes, hardware storage, tea light candle holders, candy jars, salad dressing jars, or storage of any other little items! Or make Lego-man heads or little jars to hold positive thoughts and goals for a pick-me-up!
Instant Baby Food
In a pinch for some baby food? Grab a canned fruit or vegetable from the pantry and mash it up, then thin with breastmilk or water, or thicken with rice or oatmeal cereal. Baby food! Works great for carrots, peaches, pears, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes and so much more! Not as healthy as fresh food, but quick and super easy!
Baby Food Fruit Roll-ups
Almost any baby food, homemade or store bought, can be spread in a dehydrator at 135* for 4-8 hours then cut and wrapped in clear wrap as fruit roll-ups or fruit chews for toddlers and older kids! My favorite fruit roll-ups are made from strawberries or apples. You might need to add extra sweetness before dehydrating, give it a taste. If you don’t like it as baby food, you won’t like it as a roll either!
Sun as a Stain Remover
Apparently this is an oldie but a goodie – wash your stained clothes then lie them out in the sun to dry. Over minutes to hours the sun will dry the stain right out.
Shades For Convertible Car Seats!
Baby carriers come with little canopies. Convertible car seats do not, which leaves baby wide open to the sunshine, and those window shades only block so much. Go buy a set of pop-open car shades! One shade can easily sit from the top of the convertible seat to the back of the car’s seat to give baby shade, and maybe some entertainment if you buy the ones with prints! Emersyn stares at the butterflies on ours, and Micah likes to use it for peek-a-boo.
Baby Pools are Safe for Sitting Practice
While baby is learning to sit on her own, she will tip over, a lot. A one-ring baby pool with the puffy inflatable bottom is a great safe play space! Set baby in the middle with toys, if she tips over the puffy bottom and sides will give her a soft landing on any surface. Plus the ring helps keeps toys and baby in! Then it makes a fantastic hot-day play pool for crawlers and toddlers!
Foam Tape for Pumping
I’m an emergency room nurse, so when I get a chance to go pump, I have to make the most of my time. Which means I’m eating, checking on baby, and pumping all at once. I don’t own a pumping bra though, I use another trick: foam tape! A small piece of foam tape is easy to tear off, holds the pump on my skin well, then comes of my skin and the pump easily without leaving any sticky residue behind.
Homemade Bottle Holder for Baby
Baby loves to grab at and hold onto her bottle while drinking, so one creative mom came up with the idea of cutting an Oball to fit the bottle so baby can easily hold her bottle, or you can, or you can share the easy to hold Oball bottle! This would totally not work for my wiggly Emersyn, but my super-independent Micah would have loved it.
I love the pop up shade for the convertible car seat. How have I never thought of that before. Brilliant!
I wish I would have known about the baby powder for sand removal for my kids. I never hear of this one