I'm a huge fan of anything that will save me time or money, or preferably both. I love reading blogs and posts on anything related to quick fixes or innovative ways to use a product designed for one thing on something else entirely.
Some of the hacks are terrible; some are fairly decent and some... well, some are simple but superb.
These are my favourite hacks:
Shaving with Moisturiser:
I only tried this out recently after reading about it and was quite stunned that it worked so well.
My first attempt did leave my razor a little clogged; not to mention greasy, but it did the job well and I didn't have to rush into the shower.
Or you know, buy any of that messy foam stuff.
The fact that, not only does it mean you can wear a skirt to work the next day without frightening your colleagues and customers, but it also moisturises your legs while you're at it. Two birds; one stone, so to speak. Marvellous.
Hand Sanitiser as Deodorant/Freshener:
I am obsessed with Bath and Body Works and always have a plentiful supply of fruity smelling anti bacterial hand gel lurking at the bottom of my handbag.
I use it continually in motorway service station bathrooms (obviously...) as well as just whenever I decide that I want to smell like a Peach Bellini. Which is always.
I have noticed that, on top of the smell, they are excellent on a hot, sticky day in #Wales (yes, it does happen) when you get to late afternoon and feel like you need to shower.
As I don't actually have a shower in my office, I tend to slather myself in anti bac.
It take two seconds to dry; freshens me up nicely; makes me feel cleaner and makes me positively reek of fresh fruit. So much, in fact, that I often get chased to my vehicle by a swarm of wasps on my way through the car park. True story.
Baby wipes are also great, but take up more space and don't smell nearly as good.
Magnetic Strips on the Inside of your Bathroom Cabinet:
I lose, well...everything, really. I live my life constantly being asked the question: 'where are the tweezers?', or 'what did you do with the nail clippers?' And, for the most part, I know that they're usually somewhere within the Narnia-esque realms of the #bathroom cabinet.
My husband decided, in his wisdom, to affix a magnetic strip to aforementioned bathroom cabinet and voilà!, that's now where all the tweezers and nail clippers live, within easy access of my paws.
Spoiler alert: while this is certainly a brilliant idea, it doesn't work so well if, say, you tend to leave your tweezers on the nightstand or lounge coffee table. If you always put them back in the cabinet, you're golden.
Toilet Roll Tubes as Cable Storage:
I depise looking for cables. Mainly because every one we own is attached to every other one we own in an impossibly clingy fashion.
It can take me ages to strangle a cord only to find out that it wasn't the one I was act silly after. This is the main reason I didn't use my #Kindle for, like...a long time.
When I first stumbled upon this life hack, I went through an annoying period of collecting toilet roll holders and storing them in the pantry. Once I had enough, I dutifully separated all the cables and designated each its own lovely little brown cardboard house; obviously making sure that the all important 'end bit' (technical term) was sticking out so that they could be early identified.
It saves solo much time and no longer am I filled with dread at the prospect of trying to charge my phone/kindle/iPad/camera or the other devices we must own or we surely wouldn't have the cords for.
Rolling Up Clothes in Your Suitcase:
I don't iron. Like, ever. I am the person that hangs my clothes up when they're wet and just hopes for the best, so it's perhaps no surprise that I was particularly delighted to discover that rolling up your clothes and popping in your suitcase actually *does* stop them getting crushed. Or, in my case..more crushed. I have no real idea why it works; it just does.