“My Best” Series: Parenting Hacks!

I mentioned earlier this week that I’m pretty excited about this new temporary series I’m launching for Fridays. It’s all about sharing some of my best ideas centered around a theme. Today I want to channel Buzzfeed and give you a listicle (God, I hate that word … too close to – uh-huh) of my best mom hacks.

What is a hack? It’s a shortcut / awesome trick / Supermom move that saves you time and keeps your kids happy. All of these make my life better in some way, and I hope you can use these ideas if you don’t already. And please – share your favorite parenting hack!

1. Muslin blankets on a car seat. = Magic cooling power on a black carseat! A lot of parents already dig those supersoft Aden & Anais muslin blankets for every use, and here is one more. No more crying that the seat is too hot! (Well, less anyway….)
2. Rubber band + kitchen towel or blanket = supergirl cape! Turns out if you use a rubber band to tie the ends of a towel/blanket together, you can curl the exposed ends into what Squish calls “a pretty flower.” Sure thing, kid! Easiest costume ever…
3. DIY craft caddy. Sick of your kids’ craft supplies getting everywhere? Have an empty box, such as a shoebox? Grab some plastic cups and fit them into the box, then put the supplies in the cups! Popsicle sticks, pens, markers, scissors and hole punch, pipe cleaners, etc. Easy organization! Just bring the whole box over for craft time (or if you’re like us, bring all of your boxes because you have a LOT of craft supplies.)
4. Plastic wall hooks for a dress-up area. Squish loves tutus and dresses, as I’ve said dozens of times. How did I quickly create a dress-up area of her dreams? Five 3M hooks, a spare mirror (lucky that we had that), and a bin for shoes, wands, hats, etc. This was so quick to set up! 
5. No closet? No problem! I’m not sure why (I suspect the septic tank size), but one bedroom upstairs doesn’t have a closet. But where will Squish hang her best dresses?! I bought a $10 expandable metal curtain rod from Target and have it compressed between her dresser and the wall. Instant “closet” rail! Bonus: she can always see her favorite dresses; it might be her favorite part of the room (not the mural I painted for her, alas).
6. Loose straps on her dress – no more falling down! Moms, do you have a spare clear bra strap? I used one to make a loop on the back of Squish’s dresses to prevent the straps from falling down her shoulders 15x/day. Squish loves it!
7. Freeze sliced bread and thaw by the slice. Squish is the only person who eats sliced bread in the house, so one loaf would go stale and moldy before she can eat it all (pushing 3 weeks). My super-solution? I freeze the bread, half a loaf per double bag, and thaw the slices two at a time the day I need them. In another bag on the counter they’ll be ready to eat in fifteen minutes. No waste = big mom win.

There they are, my best 7 parenting hacks. They are most helpful if you have a daughter! And wow, most of them have to do with dresses or dress-up. You can see how daily life goes around here.

How about you? What is your best parenting hack?