It's amazing what some creative mommy and daddy bloggers have invented to recycle and reuse what they already own for the sake of cutting costs and making life easier for their families. These nine life hacks for parents will leave you exclaiming, "That's genius! Why didn't I think of that?"
Cut Down on Pit Stops
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Rachel and her husband jerry-rigged a DIY pulley system in their car to hand things to their booster seat-bound child instead of straining to reach her or pulling the car over to hand things back. They tied a rope between the handles on the ceiling of their minivan, attached the other end of the rope to a bucket, and shimmied the bucket back to their child when she needed something.
Hero Juice in a Bottle
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Peel the label off an old spray bottle, affix pictures of scary monsters on bottle, fill with water, and viola. When the need to get rid of monsters lurking in the closets or under beds arises, break out Alison's monster spray and consider your work done.
Ensure Chores Get Done Before Screen Time
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There's a reason many parents use bribery to bargain with their kids: It works. True, you'll have to change the WiFi password every day you want your kids to get stuff done, but it takes 20 seconds. Stick a post-it similar to Jennifer's on the refrigerator, and see if it works on your kids.
Target Safety in Parking Lots
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If your kids are prone to chasing each other around parking lots when you're trying to load shopping bags into the car, place a sticker or Parking Pal car magnet on your car and have the kids place one hand on the target while you get organized.
Convert a Crib Into a Desk
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This idea elevates furniture recycling to an entirely new level. Caz made a few tweaks to a crib her family no longer needed to transform it into a creative work station for kids.
Make Hand Washing Easier
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Even when propped up by stairs or a bench, your little ones might still struggle to stick their hands under the running water in your sink. Extend your faucet like Amy did by making a few strategic cuts in an empty lotion bottle.
Prevent Paint Spills
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Follow Michelle's recycling example and rinse out those iced coffee to-go cups from Starbucks. Fill them with paint so your kids can have a place to catch the excess dribble before it falls on the floor.
Keep Those Snacks in Check
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Kara keeps her kids' snack portion sizes in check by placing snacks into a plastic Easter egg container. The inexpensive, reusable eggs make compact to-go travel cases that won't easily pop open.
Make Your Own Yogurt Dots
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Kids adore those freeze-dried yogurt and fruit snacks, but if you spring for the organic ones, you can spend almost $4 on one bag. The gals at Small Fry offer a method to make your own dots.
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