At the handbag hanger, we’re all about making life easier, more organised and even more beautiful at the same time. We love it when we get great tips on how to do simple things better; so we thought we’d share some of our favourite life hacks with our beloved fellow handbag lovers.
But first of all, where does the expression ‘life hack’ come from. We were intrigued and thought you might be too… Well as you might expect, it comes from the hacker world – computer geeks and programming nerds. The term was coined in 2004 during the O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in California by technology journalist Danny O’Brien to describe the shortcuts and ‘embarrassing’ scripts IT professionals used to get their work done. After his presentation, the term ‘life hack’ spread in the tech and blogging community to refer to any trick, skill or shortcut that increases productivity and efficiency in life. The good news is that most hacks usually make use of things you have lying around the house.
So we’ve put together a list of our top 10 favourite ‘life hacks’. So here goes…
1. INSTANTLY HEAL A PAPER CUT
For small cuts, scratches, shaving nicks; ‘seal’ them instantly with a touch of lip balm like Chap Stick. No need for a Band Aid.
2. EXTEND THE LIFE OF BATTERIES
Chillingly simple – just place batteries in the fridge for 1 day before you start using them.
3. USE TOOTHPASTE INSTEAD OF A PENCIL
When hanging pictures, forget about mucking around with pencils and rulers, instead put a dab of toothpaste on the frame where you need the nails to be. Press it against the wall et voilà, you have marks that act as guides for hammering in. (Don’t worry, the marks can easily be wiped off once done). Not only will you have a dazzling smile but you’ll dazzle everyone with your picture hanging skills.
4. SHOWER CAP YOUR SHOES
When storing your shoes in the cupboard (or when travelling), keep the soles of dirty pairs away from clean clothes by wrapping them in a shower cap.
5. NEWS FOR YOUR SHOES
Stuff your smelly shoes and sneakers with newspaper. The good news is (pardon the pun!) they’ll soak up the moisture and any smells along with it.
6. COLD BEER FAST
Need to cool down a beer pronto. Don’t just stick it in the freezer, wrap it in a wet paper towel first and then into the freezer, It’ll cool it down much faster.
7. USE A STAPLE REMOVER INSTEAD OF YOUR NAILS
I don’t know about you, but I certainly hate adding or removing keys on my keyring (I know I’ll be calling my manicurist straight afterwards). So instead of damaging your nails, use a staple remover.
8. NOW YOUR BEER’S COLD, WHAT ABOUT YOUR WINE?
Instead of using ice to cool your wine, and watering it down, use frozen grapes instead. Cool wine, full strength.
9. KEEP BUTTONS ON
Anything that means less sewing is a winner with me. So how do you keep buttons from falling off? Coat the buttons and their stitching with clear nail polish.
10. IRON YOUR COLLAR IN SECONDS
I’ve banished the iron from our home, a chore that I refuse to do. But the other day I wanted to wear a shirt and the collar looked particularly creased. What to do? Simple, I got my trusty hair straightener out and used it on the collar. So quick and easy.
11. TENNIS BALL TRICK
I'm constantly ramming the front of my car into the wall of my garage. I always think I’ve calculated my entry to perfection, only to find I frequently misjudge the distance. To stop this happening I’ve just hung a tennis ball from the ceiling in the garage, positioned just right so that when it touches the windscreen it’s time to hit the brakes.
12. HANDBAG HAPPINESS
How do you make sure you have the perfect bag within easy reach each day to wear? With a handbag hanger of course. No more hunting around under the bed, on the floor, or wherever your handbags have lived ‘till now. Just get yourself a handbag hanger collection, hang up all your bags and they’ll be super easy to access and at the ready for you each day. (Granted, this isn’t so much a ‘life hack’ as a life ‘must have’!).
13. GET ORGANISED
Get yourself a handbag organiser. Another must-have in my opinion. You know, those bags within bags that you can easily remove and then pop into the next bag you wear. That way you’ll always have your essentials with you. With this you’ll spend far less time looking for things you need as you’re running out the door, plus, you’ll thank yourself time and again when you have your lip balm on the ready (you might want to use it for ‘hack number 1’ if you cut yourself whilst you’re out!). Your bags will thank you too. At the end of the day, just remove the organiser and stop your bag being weighed down (just remember to always keep it in the same place).
So there you have it, 13 life hacks or perhaps just ideas to simplify and streamline your life. After all, why not make the things that you can control in life easy.
Do you know of any other great life hacks that you can share with us? If so, please comment below, we’d love to hear from you.