5 Ridiculously Small and Silly Things That Make My Life Easier

Five ridiculously small and silly things that make my life easier. I don't even want to call them hacks they're just tiny details that save me a little extra time or that help me keep up with something that I would normally put off forever.

1. Baskets under sinks

I've been putting a basket under my kitchen sink for a few years now. That way, when a kitchen towel gets dirty or I'm done washing dishes, I can toss them in the basket. When I'm ready to do laundry I just grab that basket with the others. But only a few months ago did I think to put one under the sink in the bathroom. Not for bath towels but for wash clothes and the scrub towels used to clean the bathroom. Again, when it's time for laundry, grab and go!

2. Dish Soap with a pump

This may seem a little silly but it works for me! I buy dish soap (mostly Seventh Generation) that comes in a squeeze bottle. But when I'm doing dishes, if I need more soap, I don't like having to grab it, open the lid, squeeze out the soap, close the lid, replace it. It just takes time and everything gets all wet and soapy. Instead, I bought a small plastic pump to put into my dish soap bottle and then, when I need more soap, one pump and I'm good to go. And I can move the pump over when I change bottles.

3. Plastic Bags for Cat Litter

We have a cat. Her name is Moxy and there are days she is the bane of my existence. Don't get me wrong, I love Moxy but she is all finicky cat. Which means her cat box cannot be ignored for more than a day or two. Luckily, I also have Alice, my darling daughter, who cleans the cat box as one of her paid chores (more on that another day). In order to clean the cat box, Alice scoops the icky stuff into one of the plastic bags we get from the store. So we needed a way to keep the bags together. IKEA to the rescue! We are lucky to have an IKEA close by, so we went, bought this nifty bag holder for about $2 I think and hung it on the wall over the cat litter box. Done!

4. Binder Clips!

I have to admit it. I have a love for all things office supply. I probably have a post-it note addiction. But that's a conversation for another post. One of the most over-looked, and yet most useful, office supply is the binder clip. I use these for everything! I use them to close open bags of chips or other snacks. I use a heavy duty one to hold my calendar so I can easily hang it from a hook. I have another one on my mailbox (which is small and attached to the front of my house) to hold my outgoing mail. I love binder clips! The prettier the better!

5. Magnets

I use small, very strong (rare earth) magnets to attach frequently used items to the refrigerator. I currently have a pair of scissors and a bottle opener attached to the side of the fridge out of the reach of small children. My kids have some sort of strange radar for scissors so these are mine for use in opening kitchen items!

Do you have any small tricks that make your life easier? I'd love to hear them!