ML Interest Tag: hack

Genius Pantry Organization Ideas That’ll Change Your Life

by Andie Huber

When it comes to pantry organization, there are few hard and fast rules to follow, like group like items together, clean out expired products regularly and place the most often used items within reach. But if you want to really level up your pantry storage and make it the most efficient space ever, you’ve got to try these storage hacks. It may just become your favorite area in the house!

Pantry Storage Hack #1: Use Clear Containers

Experts unanimously agree—if there is one pantry storage hack you must do to make your life better (and not just for aesthetics), it's to take everything you can out of the box, put it into clear jars or containers, and label them. The choice of container is up to you, whether you prefer glass canisters for a more farm-style look or a more modern, minimalistic take, but the real reason to do institute this change? As gross as it sounds, this is the best way to avoid bug infestations—you can easily see if there's a problem in your flour, sugar, oats or pancake mix without contaminating your whole pantry.

Pro Tip: Look for wide-mouth jars so the goods are easy to get and ones with lids that have a seal.

Buy glass canisters here.

Buy OXO Pop-Up containers here.

Pantry Storage Hack #2: Use Lazy Susans

One of our favorite pantry organization hacks of all time is adding a lazy Susan (or two or three) to pantry shelves. Not only does this little spinner save space, but bottles also won't get lost in the back corner, and the handy handles make carrying it in and out of the pantry easy peasy.

Buy it here, $20.

 

Pantry Storage Hack #3: Install Colorful Wallpaper

Organizing pantry storage starts with pulling everything out, throwing out expired products, donating any non-perishables you know you aren't going to use and wiping down the shelves. But before you put everything back (in an organized manner, of course), why not add a cheerful wallpaper to the walls? What is typically a dark, uninviting space is now fun, bright and welcoming.

While this wallpaper is out of stock, we love these peel and stick options from Etsy.

Buy it here, $33 & up.

Pantry Storage Hack #4: Install Lighting

Sometimes, not even a bright colorful wallpaper can help a dark space. If that's the case, you can easily install lighting (no electrician required!) with motion-sensor, battery-operated LED lights that will brighten all those shadowy corners in less than ten minutes.

Buy it here, $55.

Pantry Storage Hack #5: Repurpose Magazine Holders

File this under "Brilliant." These wire magazine holders have been reimagined as produce containers! The wire frame allows sufficient airflow to keep veggies from rotting, and the depth of the magazine racks was designed to fit on shelves. 

Buy it here, $13.

Pantry Storage Hack #6: Contain Items in Baskets

For larger items that are hard to contain (we're looking at you, bags and bags of Pirate Booty), or items you don't need access to all that often (food processor parts), add a couple of baskets with handles to the shelves. These beauties also stack, so if your shelf height allows it, you can add a few on top of each other—just add labels, so you know what's inside without having to pull each of them down to sort through them.

Buy it here, $54 & up.

Pantry Storage Hack #7: Spice Space Saver

Got a thing for spice? We do too, which is why this clever spice rack is by far one of the best pantry organization hacks we've seen yet. Take advantage of the inside of your cabinet by installing narrow shelves and magnetic plates to keep all your flavors handy yet out of the way. Pro Tip: Make sure to install the racks so they don't run into the shelves on the inside cabinet.

Buy it here, $15.

Pantry Storage Hack #8: Canned Food Containment

pantry hacks
Amazon

Cans may stack easily, but there's nothing worse than trying to get to the bottom can by having to move all the other cans first. This 36-can organizer eliminates that problem and keeps the cans rolling from back to front as you use them. Group like items together, and you'll never get caught without black beans, corn or peas again. 

Buy it here, $33.

Pantry Storage Hack #9: Door Storage

pantry hack
Amazon

Another great use of unused cabinet door space? Acrylic storage bins that can hold awkward-shaped items you need to access regularly like aluminum foil and sandwich baggies.

Buy it here, $13.

feature image: iStock
—Andie Huber

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Amazon’s New Alexa Update Allows You to Assign Reminders to the Entire Family

by Sarah Shebek

“Alexa, remind me to…” You’re probably already using the robotic assistant’s reminder feature to stay on top of the daily grind. Now there’s a new life hack courtesy of Amazon: you can assign reminders to other members of your household!

All you have to do is make sure your family members have Alexa profiles set up. Once that’s done, ask Alexa to remind Timmy to take out the trash or Sarah to schedule a school meeting. The reminder will pop up as a push notification on a phone at an exact time you specify.

You can also create recurring reminders to assign to others, like “Remind Connor to feed the dog twice a day.” Finally, you can specify relationships in the Alexa App, like nicknames or family titles, so it’s even easier to personalize reminders. Any member of your house can use reminder assignments, so don’t be surprised if you see push notifications pop up on your phone, too!

For more Alexa goodness, check out another recent update that lets you add Shaq or Melissa McCarthy to your device. And if your kids are on the younger side, Amazon recently released a new feature that allows Alexa to read with them!

—Sarah Shebek

All images courtesy of Amazon

 

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A Hack to Foster Your Child’s Self-Awareness & Build Their Resilience

By Devin Tomiak

Photo: Devin Tomiak

Anyone else feel a mild sense of panic at the word “resilience”?

You worry you aren’t doing enough to build your kid’s resilience. You worry you aren’t doing it right. You worry because the stakes are so high. You worry because you don’t even know the difference between “resilience” and “resiliency.” (Is there a difference?) And your kid quit T-ball after just one practice. And your kid cried after losing Parcheesi. And your kid just seems, well, flimsy.

[Cue timid hand raise.]

Fear not.

Whether you mean to be or not, you are building your child’s resilience all the time.

That’s right. ALL THE TIME.

Each time you sign your child up for soccer or baton twirling or chess club, you are teaching the value of cultivating passions. Each time you ask your child to do a chore, you’re imparting self-efficacy. Each time you insist your child floss, you are instructing them on self-care. Each time you remind your child not to interrupt when you’re on the phone, you are teaching empathy and effective communication. Each time you say “After you,” and hold the door open for a stranger walking into a store at the same moment as you, you are modeling generosity and connection for your child.

So is this enough? Probably. But there’s an easy way to make all that you do and all that you say more than enough.

Simply help your child realize how they feel after they do something good.

That means not just teaching your child self-efficacy by assigning chores. It’s taking it one small step further by asking how your child feels about helping the family in this way. It means not just creating a self-care routine in flossing, but taking a quick moment to ask your child how it feels to be doing something for their physical well-being. Obviously, your child knows that he likes chess. But does your child know what it is about chess that he likes? The strategizing? The black and white pattern of the board and the miniature pieces? The feeling of winning?

And instead of just opening that door for the stranger at the store, it means saying afterward to your child, “Wow, that made me feel really good to do something for someone else.” Not only will you be modeling this type of thinking for your child. You’ll actually be triggering your child to think about how they feel. Hearing YOU talk about your emotions will cause your child to think about THEIRS. That’s because it’s just about impossible to hear someone talk about a sensation, without reflecting on your own experience. If someone says, “I feel cold,” our natural inclination is to check in with ourselves to see if we’re cold too. That’s built into our biology.

One of the most important protective factors we can possess on the journey towards resilience is self-awareness. And conversation is our gateway to awakening.

When kids know themselves—their needs, their strengths and weaknesses, when they know what drives them, what gets their blood flowing, as well as what gets their blood boiling—when kids understand who they really are, they’re able to set realistic goals for themselves, they are able to tend to their own needs, recognize their own limitations, and make responsible choices.

According to Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s company that aims to improve the well-being of people and communities, self-awareness is all about asking yourself the right questions.

When it comes to sparking self-awareness in our children, it’s all about asking them the right questions. Our job as parents is to help our kids learn to reflect on their experiences, not just have an experience.

Plus, growing our children’s self-awareness will not just help them understand themselves better. It will help you understand your child better, and along with that, it will help you connect to them better.

And perhaps you’ll never wonder if it’s “resilience” or “resiliency” again.

This post originally appeared on The Biggies Conversation Cards Blog.

After losing a brother to suicide, Devin Tomiak was driven to understand youth resiliency. Her personal mission to strengthen her relationship with her children, develop their emotional intelligence, and improve the communication skills of her whole family led her to create The Biggies Conversation Cards for elementary-aged kids.

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3 Family Road Trip Hacks Every Family Needs

By Marissa Goldstein

Photo: Marissa Goldstein Rafi Nova

This past April, my family took our first post-pandemic trip. We packed our two sets of twins (ages five and three), laptops, bag-o-cords, luggage, bikes, scooters, double-stroller, and a kid-sized port-a-potty into our minivan and drove from Boston to Orlando and back. We drove, and drove, and drove. We spent more than 46 hours in the car covering 13 states. We had so much fun in those 2800 miles that I’m already planning a 4-week road trip to the West Coast for the summer. 

Traveling is our passion and our business. We lived in Vietnam for two years. While we were there, we traveled to 20 countries with our first set of twins strapped to our back. Those trips inspired us to create our family-focused travel accessory brand Rafi Nova and our first product: a carry-all bag built for life-with-kids that moms actually want to wear long after the bottles and diapers phase. 

After traveling thousands of miles with four kids, there are 3 simple hacks that keep my husband and me sane and our kiddos happy. They fall into 3 buckets: Packing, Planning, & Being Present.

Hack #1: PACKING: Prepare to be unprepared.

Want to enjoy the everyday adventure more? Prepare but don’t over-prepare. If you over-prepare (especially with young children), you’ll spend hours packing but only use a fraction of it while you spend hours reorganizing it. Pack the essentials, and leave the rest. Let’s unpack (ha!) this happy medium:

What to Pack:

  • Pack for 4 days max—no matter the length of the trip.

  • Use a laundry bag to store dirty clothes, and plan to do laundry every 3-4 days. Less packing means less organizing, and kids LOVE laundromats! 

  • Pack diapers and wipes for 5 days. Restock along the way.

  • Pack a small extra bag with 2 days worth of clothing for roadside emergencies and late-night check-ins.

  • One packing cube per person (except, of course, Mom—she gets as many as she wants). 

  • Pack all shoes together in their own bag.

  • Pack all toiletries and first aid items together in their own bag.  

  • Store snacks and drinks in a car cooler. Separating snacks like goldfish, popcorn, and granola bars into ziplock bags makes them easy grab-and-go options. Pouch yogurts, apple sauce, and cheese sticks are other favorites (kept in the cooler filled with ice-packed Ziplocks).

Hack #2: PLANNING: Less is more.

  • Have a destination planned out (in our case—Disney) but make the trip about the journey rather than the destination. REMEMBER THAT PART. Just like life, it’s about the journey, not just the destination.

  • Think about places and stops you want to make along the way but leave time to be spontaneous. We planned two stops; our alma mater, the University of Maryland, and Charleston for some southern charm. All other visits were spur of the moment. In Charleston, we heard that Amelia Island was the place to go—so we spent two nights there instead of Hilton Head. In Richmond, we stumbled upon the best park ever and spent a day playing with the kids. In DC, we happened upon the Presidential motorcade, stopped and showed the kids Civil War history in Fredericksburg, VA, and in Georgia, we stopped at a peach farm after seeing a sign for it.

  • A road trip with kids is far more enjoyable if you stay flexible and go with the flow. Your family will be miserable if you try it any other way.

Hack #3: BE PRESENT: Embrace the chaos. 

We’re often planning for the future or analyzing and complaining about the past. Staying present and enjoying the journey will make all the difference on your trip. However, it can be hard to practice when your smartphone is also competing for your attention. So first, know what does not work for your family. For us, strict and busy schedules, extended seated meals (no surprise), and long walks (instead we use those stroller, bikes, and scooters) never, ever work. So what did work for us?

Keeping expectations low, a flexible schedule, and adapting to our kids’ needs and interests. 

We prioritized:

  • Being good partners. We give each other “time off.” One of us takes the kids outside while the other gets time for themselves, even if it’s only 15 minutes. This is a game-changer and keeps us both a lot happier.

  • Reminding each other to put down our phones and engage the kids (trust me—not all the time, but not infrequently either).

  • Bringing the stroller everywhere. This allows the kids to be buckled in and us to exercise our bodies and minds.

Our family motto is life is chaotic—and it works for us. Life cannot be scripted, and things will not always go as planned. We embrace the chaos and explore the new opportunities it presents to us. We’ve discovered so many amazing surprises by being open to adventure. 

In a nutshell, prepare to be unprepared, be curious, and embrace each day as it unfolds (amazing things will come of it)! The present is really all there is, and it’s where little kids hang out and thrive! See how much our little ones taught us in 20 days? 

RELATED:
24 Car Games to Play on Your Next Road Trip
The Ultimate Guide to the American Road Trip
Insider’s Guide to the Best Family Trips for Every Age & Stage

Marissa Goldstein is a mama to two sets of twins, blogger behind @TwinsonthegoX2, & Founder of Rafi Nova (www.rafinova.com), a sustainable fashion brand that unites parents through thoughtful and ethically made bags and accessories. Marissa, her husband, and their 4 kids under 4, split their time between Boston and Vietnam.
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Meet Eva, Red Tricycle’s Bump + Baby Editor

by Erin Lem

Eva Ingvarson Cerise, Bump + Baby Editor
Eva lives in northern Utah with her husband and daughter and misses her grown-up stepdaughter, who lives in another state. She began her career as a magazine writer, editor and copy editor for publications such as Bon Appétit, and then spent more than a decade developing content and defining the content strategy and user experience for websites in the financial and consumer space, such as Evite. As a recent transplant to Utah, she is enjoying exploring the area with her family.

What’s the best piece of advice you got while pregnant?
Let go of your idea of how things should be and focus on how they are.

Favorite baby travel hack?
Pack a clean-up kit with baby wipes, disinfecting wipes, Ziploc bags, garbage bags, extra diapers and a change of outfits—yours and your baby’s. Storing everything you need in the same place makes it easier to manage messes when they happen. And they will.

What’s in your diaper bag or purse you can’t live without?
A small flashlight. My daughter finds it endlessly fascinating, so I save it for when I really need her to be calm and content, like when we’re waiting for our meal at a restaurant.

Your favorite city to visit with your family and why:
Stockholm. I was born there but moved to the US as a child. It’s a beautiful, walkable city with lots to do, especially in the summertime. I also have lots of family in the area and love to catch up with them.

Your idea of a perfect Saturday (or any day) with your family:
A lazy morning spent reading in bed, followed by a nature hike and an excursion to a local museum, farmers market, zoo—any venue that makes my daughter’s eyes light up.

The most surprising thing you’ve learned as a mom:
Just how fascinating it is to watch these little beings learn and grow. Every month, I find myself saying, “This is the most amazing age.” And they all are. It all feels miraculous and I’m so grateful to experience it.

Contact Eva: eva.cerise@tinybeans.com

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The Essentials for Running Your Business During Naptime

by #MomLife

 

Emily Ryan

Emily Ryan is a Mailchimp Expert and owns her own email marketing agency, Westfield Creative, where she has helped clients for the last 5 years with their email campaigns.

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Let’s be real. When you have your own business and you work from home AND you have a baby…there will be A LOT of days where you only get work done during naptime. “Work while baby sleeps” is a real thing and you can be surprisingly productive during this time. While some naps are better than others, if you have the right setup (and mindset), naptime can be a time to grow your business significantly.

As a mother who worked from home through two babies (and little help), here are my absolute favorites and also my work from home must-haves. From the coziest sweatshirt to a great baby monitor, here is what got me through the many naptimes when work was calling.

1

Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor DXR-8

Keep taps while you work during naptime. A must have.

$165.99

A great monitor is so worth the investment. I can be at peace working away during the baby's nap, if I have a great monitor. A video is so helpful and one with a microphone so you can talk to baby from your office is also great. This monitor was our favorite.

BUY NOW

2

Strong As A Mother Coffee Mug

A great coffee mug can sometime make or break your work day.

$6

If you're having a tough day trying to work and watching your baby, sometimes a great mug is all you need (and great coffee). This is one of my favorites to remind me that I will get through it!

BUY NOW

3

Women's Crewneck Fleece Pullover - A New Day

The coziest work from home sweatshirt ever.

$20

This has been my go-to work from home sweatshirt for AGES. The fit is amazing, the have such fun colors and it's just so comfy.

BUY NOW

4

Logitech H390 USB Wired Headset

Block out the baby screaming on calls with a great headset.

$20.99

When you work from home and take a lot of calls, you need a great headset. Not only do clients appreciate the great sound, but it helps when baby is screaming in the background.

BUY NOW

5

Ingenuity InLighten Twinkle Tails Bouncer

Place baby in a great bouncer by your desk. Best WFH hack ever.

$59.99 BUY NOW

There are so many times when you have to get work done and the only solution is to put your baby beside you in a great bouncer. This was our favorite and works like magic every time.

Duncan Hines Released a Hot Cocoa Baking Mix & Frosting Just in Time for the Holidays

by Jennifer Swartvagher

Cue up your favorite holiday movies and get ready to enjoy a sweet treat. If you are excited for Duncan Hines Holiday Mega Cookie, then you are going to love their new winter-inspired treat. Teaming up with Swiss Miss the popular baking brand is releasing a new hot cocoa baking mix and frosting. 

Hot Cocoa Baking Mix

Duncan Hines Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Flavored Boxed Cake Mix: Rolling out to grocers and retailers nationwide in November, this holiday must-have cake mix is practically a baking hack and is made with rich cocoa simply requires 3 eggs, a cup of water and a ½ cup of vegetable oil.

Hot Cocoa Frosting

Duncan Hines Swiss Miss Creamy Hot Cocoa Frosting: Hitting shelves nationwide in November the indulgent collab is the perfect topping to any baked good this season.

Top your cake (or cupcakes) with mini marshmallows and a sprinkle of cocoa powder for the ultimate holiday dessert.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Duncan Hines

 

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Read Every Parenting Book You Can—Then Toss Them All in the Trash

By Sonal Patel

Photo: Sonal Patel-Saraiya

There’s a certain lure to self-help books. Especially if you’re anything like me. I’m always on the quest for more knowledge, always the perpetual student. 

I’m always either trying to constantly look for ways to better myself or I’m looking for ways to do things better, faster or quicker—in other words: shortcuts galore!

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve read almost every popular parenting book out there. (Heck, I’ve even co-authored a surviving twins guide.) Even before I was a parent, I read many self-help books on dating, better communication how to improve my career and more.

(Well, by read, I don’t mean that I actually read all of the books from cover-to-cover. I usually skim through them or read only particular chapters of interest or those that I feel will be of benefit me.)

What I’ve come to realize is this: there’s no magic solution to parenting. There’s no hack. 

Parenting is a work in progress. It’s an evolution of ourselves and our children.

Some parenting techniques require both parents (and often grandparents) to consistently apply those techniques for them to be able to work. Some techniques are more rigorous than others. Some are too lax for my parenting st‌yle, some are to rigid. But I like picking up a few key ideas from each book. 

You have to know your own temperament—and your child’s  You have to constantly adjust. Needs change as situations change and as their development changes. Know your child and know yourself so that you can anticipate problems and set boundaries, but adjust them when you need to.

No one tells you how hard parenting is going to be! No single self-help book can help you hack parenting. It’s a work in progress for all of us.

(PS: My current favorite parenting book?  Weird Parenting Wins, by Hillary Frank of the parenting podcast, The Longest Shortest Time.)

Dr. Patel is an allergist in Pasadena California. She is board-certified in Allergy-Clinical Immunology and Pediatrics. She is the co-author of The Mommy MD guides to Twins Triplets and More! She understands that parenting is the hardest and most fulfilling job you can have. You can find her @TMommyMD.

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Turn Your Canon Camera into a Webcam to Connect with Family & Friends

by Jennifer Swartvagher

The pandemic and stay at home orders made it difficult for parents to share moments and milestones with loved ones. Canon has come up with a way to capture and share these which is free and easy using something you may already have on your shelf. Canon released a software to turn existing Canon cameras into a webcam that streams and records at the same time in broadcast quality.

Canon webcam

In early April Canon was quick to address the sold out webcam issue by thinking beyond that which their cameras are traditionally capable of answering the needs of many with a free software that turns Canon cameras into webcams. Canon was first to market with their competitors following months later and has more than 700,000 downloads to date.

Last week Canon released their full version software which is now:

  • Compatible with 42 Canon camera models
  • Works with 13 of the top video conferencing applications including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Facebook Live, Slack, YouTube Live and more
  • Stream and save these precious moments at the same time with the ability to record while using the software

The software works with Windows 10 (full version) and Beta available for iOS users.

Using a Canon camera as your webcam upgrades your video experience delivering broadcast quality pictures (a leap beyond the webcams built into most laptops) which is more and more important these days as we turn to video for learning, job interviews, work conference calls, seeing family, capturing milestone moments like virtual birthdays, gender reveals and more.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Canon

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