Random Hacks

I love life hacks! Anything that can help make things easier or lighten the load is a win as far as I'm concerned.  Here a few of my own random life tips/hacks:

Travel:
1. Clean your house before you leave for a trip! Trust me there is no better feeling than coming home to a clean house. It might also motivate you to unpack sooner rather than later since everything will be so nice and tidy.

2. Pack a plastic trash bag for dirty clothes or use the plastic laundry bag provided by the hotel (they are normally clipped to a hanger in the hotel closet.) This way when you get home you can just empty the bag into the washer not to mention it keeps your other clothes fresh.

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Parenting:
When you give your kids chores, set the oven timer or the timer on your phone and make it a challenge. Give them ten minutes to get their toys picked up and see if they can "beat the buzzer". If this doesn't motivate your kids then threaten to take away video game or TV time if the mess isn't up in ten minutes. Either way they'll get moving!

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Fitness:
If you're able to get out and go for a walk, head exactly one mile in the opposite direction of your house or car (if you drive to a park or walking trail) you'll have to get back to where you started, so you automatically put in 2 miles round trip. Straight paths or walking trails work better for me than a track because after the second lap, I'm usually headed to the car. I feel the same way about treadmills, it's just too easy to stop when you've had enough or get bored. 

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Productivity:
When I'm working on something that I know I can get done in a certain time frame, I set timer on my phone to keep me on track. There is something about knowing time is literally ticking that gets me to focus and not wander off on the Internet or social media.

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