87 Genius Mom Hacks and Tips to Make Life Better

Want to make life easier as a busy mom? Check out these 87 mom hacks & tips that help moms keep their sanity day-to-day!

the best mom life hacks & tips for an easier motherhood

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Being a mom is hard! From dealing with tantrums, to the endless meals, there’s so much that goes into taking care of our kids.

That’s why I’ve put together the best life hacks for moms. So whether you are a new mom, a working mom or a SAHM, these mom hacks & tips will help eliminate stress and help you feel more productive all at the same time.

They’re all tried-and-true methods that will actually reduce your stress.

This is your “Pro – Mom” Hacks & Tips / Survival Guide!

Truly the BEST Mom Hacks & Tips out there and will genuinely CHANGE your life as a busy mom!

The Best Mom Hacks and Tips

Mom Hacks & Tips are anything that can make your day or responsibilities of being a mom easier. They don’t have to be big things or changes.

A simple new product, a new routine, or a new efficient way of doing something that just clicks. Mom hacks & tips help make being a mom easier.

Check out these other amazing mom hacks & tips specific for baby & toddler:

Toddler Hacks To Make Parenting Easier For Busy Moms

50 Genius Baby Hacks From A Mom Of Four Kids

Check out what’s in this post!

Table of Contents:

moms need daily routines to be most productive

The Best Mom Life Hack

After 10 years of being a mom, having four children all within 3 years, plus a set of twins, having established routines have made all of the difference for me!

1. Get Efficient at Routines

Use Daily Routines to save time throughout your day! The moms that get a lot done in their day all have one thing in common; they’ve established efficient routines.

Want to eliminate your mom stress? Start creating easy daily routines.

Routines are the backbone to being an efficient mom. Avoid procrastination over the menial daily annoying tasks and establish efficient daily routines.

Work smarter not harder. Laundry and dishes aren’t going to magically go away (I’ve hoped they would!), so instead of avoiding or putting it off, find rhythms and routines that work for you, not against you.

There are routines for everything, and here are the most effective routines for moms:

2. Attach rhythms to things you do every day

There are things we do throughout the day naturally, that you don’t have to think about doing. Add a rhythm to these events.

While in the bathroom, after you’ve just used it, take 2 Clorox wipes (which are conveniently stored/hidden behind the toilet), and quickly wipe down the toilet and bathroom counter.

Going to the bathroom is a natural thing you will do every day, but adding the quick tasks of cleaning, is a new rhythm.

BONUS: Rotate the bathrooms you use throughout the day, and quickly wipe the counters and toilets of those too. By the end of the day, without any extra mental effort, you will have successfully cleaned several areas.

Apply this concept to other things you daily do throughout your day.

Want to learn how to create easy daily routines that fit your lifestyle and personality, so you can eliminate your mom stress and get more done in LESS time?

Start here!

Mom Tips

3. Get good at Schedules, Making Lists and Time Management

Mom life is filled with schedules, appointments, meals, laundry, kids activities. All of this stuff requires organization and making lists help you do that.

Benefits of lists:

Stay organized so you don’t feel overwhelmed and know what is needed of you
Plan out your week and set priorities
Create goals
Get more done in your day and week
Feel more in control with your day and week

4. Bundle your errands, appointments and meetings

When scheduling and planning your week, bundle similar and like errands, appointments and meetings together.

If you have several stores you need to go to for the week, plan them all on one day and make that your “errand” day.

If you have a couple of appointments and you can control the day and time, look ahead and plan them all on one day as your “appointment / meeting” day.

This eliminates the constant running out and being split in your time and day. It’s more efficient, a huge time saver and your brain processes better when similar things are grouped together.

5. Be A CEO Mom And Get GOOD At Making Lists

Are you a mom who is ready to get good at list making? Grab this proven strategy from a CEO mom who uses it every day to increase productivity and stay organized. Take action now and manage your time better – make lists like a CEO!

online grocery delivery saves you time and money

6. Switch to Online Shopping

Take advantage of the digital world we live in and stop going in to the grocery store and switch to Online Shopping.

There are so many benefits to online shopping! Online shopping will save you time, save you money and save your sanity!

Research shows that we do a lot of impulse shopping, especially if kids are in tow, while at the stores. You will save money by not impulse buying if you switch to online shopping.

Research also show that on average we spend 53 hours a year AT the store shopping for our groceries! That is a LOT of time saved just by switching to online shopping for your groceries.

Either have items delivered directly to your house, or utilize the Pick Up at the stores. I do not miss taking my kids to stores! haha!

7. Take advantage of Subscriptions and Auto/Recurring bill-pay

Automate as much as you can with subscriptions and auto bill-pay. For items that you buy regularly, bills that you pay regularly, switch to subscriptions and auto bill pay. You already have so much to remember, take something off of your plate by utilizing these services.

Amazon Subscription and Thrive Market Subscription are two services we use and love. All of my food, pantry, laundry and personal items that we buy regularly are setup with subscriptions so I don’t have to think or worry about purchasing these items.

Here are some items that are good for subscriptions:

Deodorant
Dry Shampoo
Detergent
Vitamins
Stain remover
Baby wipes
Ink Cartridges

8. Make yourself a priority

Don’t lose yourself in Motherhood. Have “ME” time. Daily self care should be a priority.

If you find yourself thinking “I hate being a mom“, chances are you are not making yourself a priority.

Get yourself a mani or pedi, have a doable daily exercise routine, shower every day (even if just a quick rinse off), run that Triathlon, go on a Girls Trip, attend the book club, MOPS or Bible Study.

Have an on-going list of things you want to do for yourself or things you want to accomplish during your journey of Motherhood.

Your list doesn’t need to include something that brings in money, but making money can help!

I know for me, starting this blog gave me the identity I was looking for and needing while being a stay-at-home-mom.

9. Make your home your sanctuary

Buy flowers, have amazing smelling candles & plugins, play music, turn the bright lights off and turn the lamps on, get cute throw pillows and seasonal decor. Make your home feel like your personality and a place you love to be!

10. Join the Dry Shampoo hype

These products just keep getting better and better. They have natural chemical free Dry Shampoo products if that is a priority for you.

Bottom line, Dry Shampoo is a huge time saver in the morning and a mom hack worth every penny.

While I shower every morning, I don’t have to spend extra time on washing, drying and styling my hair. Now my “hair” days are 1-2x week.

These brands are great!

Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo
Batiste Dry Shampoo

Want to learn how you can get ready faster each morning but still look and feel pretty? Check out these getting ready hacks!

11. Laser Hair Removal

This is a mom tip not talked about enough, a huge time saver, and is actually really affordable. GroupOn often has deals, so check out your area and make the appointment.

If you are tired of ingrown hairs, razor rash, and feeling like you always need to wear pants or leggings, this is worth every penny.

No more stressing during the summer about if you shaved that morning for the afternoon swim playdate. This is a great Mother’s Day gift idea, Christmas or Birthday gift idea. Make the investment in YOU!

12. Outsource / Delivery Services

The best time-saving mom hacks, be willing to outsource when and where you can.

Hire help when needed, especially for things you hate doing or don’t have time for. There is no shame in asking for help or paying for help.

Professional cleaners (especially for the deep clean), lawn maintenance, food delivery service, a nanny; hired help can save so much time in your week and your sanity. We’ve used a meal delivery service (HomeChef) for years and has been worth every penny spent!

This applies to stay at home moms too, if you can afford it, it can truly help make motherhood more enjoyable.

As a stay at home mom to four children (ages 3 and under!), I required hired help to function and maintain my sanity for the first year after the twins were born. I literally could not do it and was not “less then” as a mom because I needed help.

It’s a lot of work to get four kids dressed & loaded in the car, so I utilize delivery services as much as I can. Saves me so much time and my sanity.

13. Have your kids help

As Mom, we often feel we can and should do it all. But that is not true and not the case. Have your children help with chores, clearing the table, cleaning their room, prepping food (these kid knives are amazing!).

Teach them young when it’s less of a fight and they want to “help”. This pays off dividends when they are older!

Mom Hacks & Tips For Cleaning

14. The Power of 20 minutes

Focus on cleaning and doing household chores in increments of 20 minutes. Kids usually (even as young 2 years old) can be entertained for 20 minutes. Individual play helps too (more on that later!).

20 minutes gives you enough time to focus on 1 or 2 quick cleaning tasks. Start a load of laundry, fold and put away laundry, load or unload the dishwasher, Make all of the beds.

Focusing on smaller tasks throughout the day in 20 minutes increment are doable, provide quick results, and are more likely to complete the task instead of procrastinating.

Divide the day up in to 3 (20 min) increments and see how much you got done in your day.

Focus on similar tasks or one larger tasks so you don’t get distracted. Floors, counters, toilets, laundry, dishes.

Watch this reel on how I use the power of 20 as a Race The Clock technique. So powerful!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amy Motroni | Certified Life Coach Helping Overwhelmed Moms (@geniusmomhacks)

15. Have a Guest bathroom that is ADULT ONLY

If you have more than one bathroom, have a “kids” only bathroom” and “adult only” bathroom. Have a Guest bathroom or a Powder bathroom that kids are not allowed to use.

This takes some reminding, and children following rules of the house, but once it clicks, you will save so much time not having to clean all of the bathrooms as often. The adults only bathroom(s) will have to be cleaned half the time as the kids bathroom.

16. Store Clorox wipes behind each toilet

Conveniently hide these kid safe Clorox wipes behind the toilet for a quick wipe down of the toilet, floors around toilet, and counters, after using the bathroom.

This saves you time on not having to do a deep clean as often. Do little quick cleaning throughout the day as mentioned above in “Attach rhythms to things you do every day“.

If you have boys, you will definitely want to add this genius cleaning hack! Boys pee gets everywhere.

Related Post: Quick Cleaning Bathroom Hacks

17. Buy Baby wipes in bulk and use them every where!

Baby wipes are so versatile and great at cleaning, more then just little baby bottoms. Store baby wipes through out your house, cars, and bags for quick cleaning.

Baby wipes are great for cleaning counters, floors, spills, getting make up off, getting stains out of clothes, for on the go, in the car, the beach, picnics, parks and the list could go on.

Store baby wipes in a drawer right next to your island bar counter and dining room table for a quick wipe down when eating is done.

Want to know more ways you can use baby wipes?

Related Post: 63 Genius Ways To Use Baby Wipes! You might be very surprised!

running the robot vacuum is the easiest way to keep your floors clean with small children at home

18. Get a Robot vacuum and Robot mop – a must have!

Specific robot vacuums can also mop your floors, and save so much time each day cleaning your floors FOR you. Have a daily house cleaning routine where you run your robot vacuum daily to keep floors clean, best multi-tasking ever invented.

19. Have a broom and small handheld vacuum easily accessible

In the kitchen or dining room area store a small broom with a dust pan and a light weight handled vacuum so you can quickly clean up spills and messes made after meals.

When it’s conveniently close by, easy to use, you are more likely to clean up the crumbs and messes right away.

I have a tall skinny cabinet right next to my island counter in my kitchen that I store both of these items in. I use them multiple times a day and I still run my Robot vacuum daily as well. With four kids there are always crumbs and little messes being made.

20. Have GO-TO stain removers and cleaners that work!

Folex is hands down amazing. A great Amazon Subscription item. Folex can get wine, blood and red fingernail polish out of white carpet without leaving any stain behind.

Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover Laundry Spray is fabulous for getting out any stain on clothes. Spray on clothes before throwing in the wash and once dried it will look as if the item never had a stain to begin with. Store right next to washing machine for quick applying on clothes prior to throwing them in the wash.

Easy-off oven cleaner is so easy to use! Did you know it’s not good for your oven to use the self-cleaning feature? It can mess with the control panel and damage your oven.

Consumers like the feature so companies put it on the ovens, but your best option is to clean it yourself.

Spray Easy-off all over the oven. Close the oven. Let it sit for a few hours. Come back and wipe it right off. So easy!

The Perfect Stainless Steel cleaner for kitchen appliances.

That’s 20 of my favorite Mom hacks… 67 more to go!

21. Clear Table Protector

Clear Table Protectors are life savers. Available in every size, shape and color. They protect your table so you don’t have to worry or get frustrated with kids doing school projects, play doh or coloring on your table. Marks wipes off so easily, even black sharpie and permanent marker come off. They are not obvious at all and I get so many compliments on mine.

22. Trash the box

Don’t keep all of the packaging that food comes in. The packaging is bulky, takes up way too much space, is ugly and not efficient to quickly grab and go.

Move food items to baskets and storage containers in the pantry and refrigerator. Allows you to easily see what food you have and what you are lacking and need to re-purchase.

Lots more on this in Declutter, Organize and Simplify your house and life.

23. Nothing left on the floor

Use this rule for the end of the night. Kids need to have all of their stuff back in their rooms by bedtime, if not, it’s yours! This really works and is very affective.

Kids are quick learners and after losing a few toys, they will remember to pick up their toys. You can always give one little reminder around bedtime if you want to.

24. Clean up immediately after dinner

Take plates, silverware and cups to sink to be rinsed and put in the dishwasher. Sweep the floor if it got dirty, and make sure all food is put away.

This usually only takes about 10 min, but often we get busy doing other stuff and messes are left for later. Clean as you go! It’s a team effort.

25. Re-use dishes & don’t be ashamed to use paper plates

Instead of getting out a new plate or cup for every kid and yourself all day long, just quickly rinse immediately after use and put to the side to use again later. This saves on constantly having to empty the dishwasher. Use paper plates if you want to use fewer dishes.

26. Run the dishwasher every evening

After dinner load the dishwasher and turn it on regardless if it’s full. Then pull from those dishes for the next day use. This concept can take some practicing to become natural and a routine, but once it does, can be a huge time saver and the sink is always empty and your kitchen looks clean too!

Parenting Hacks & Tips

27. Let go of perfection and don’t compare

Your home and parenting journey will look and feel different and that is ok! Focus on what is best for your home life and your kids. The compare game will always be hard but finding ways early on to stay focused on your journey helps so much. Your home will not look perfect, rooms will have messes, floors will get dirty, spills will happen.

28. Use technology strategically

Save screen time for times in the day that work for you so you can focus on getting something done that benefits you.

Utilize screen time during dinner prep, putting groceries away, responding to an email, or giving yourself a moment to sit in peace and quiet and read a good book.

29. Lose a toy

If kids are fighting, not being kind, not listening, instead of trying to create a new consequence that you feel will carry some weight, go in their room and grab a toy.

You can pick a toy that you feel meets the consequence, or just pick any toy. They can either earn the toy back or have lost it for good (maybe till Christmas or birthday).

This also helps with purge and declutter without the arguments.

30. Technology Time Outs

Turn the wifi off and lock up the devices and watch how attitudes, behaviors and listening will change in an instant. One of my favorite parenting hacks, because it is so effective.

You could also use chores as a way of earning their technology back faster. Win/Win.

31. Keep a couple band aides in your purse or wallet

It never fails that a child will fall and hurt themselves when you are not near your car (where the first aide kit is stored) and need one. Have a couple in your purse or wallet and then thank me later.

Eliminate your mom stress and learn how to add routines, independent play and system today! Think the best mom hacks times 10!

Get your home on autopilot today!

32. Have kids take pictures as proof that they completed a task you asked them to do

If you are busy and have your hands full (making dinner or changing a diaper), have your kids take a picture and come and show it to you.

One, kids love to do this! Two, saves you time having to go and check on the completed chore a thousand times before they actually did it correctly. Thirdly, they start to learn and know what “good” looks like on their own.

33. Use a sunscreen stick for kids’ faces

Sunscreen sticks are so quick and easy to apply. Before your kids have time to complain, you will already have sunscreen on them and be done.

Buy a refillable sunscreen applicator, they are the easiest way to apply sunscreen to children. Use the stick for the face and this applicator for the body.

Small and convenient to store in your purse, car console and pool bag and have on your at all times. Now you can be at the park or a sports activity and quickly apply sunscreen without it being an ordeal.

Check out Blue Lizard as they are great for sensitive skin, use Zinc Oxide, SPF 50+, Water Resistant, UVA UVB Protection easy to Apply and Fragrance Free.

34. Take pictures of school paperwork that comes home

Have you freaked out because you couldn’t find that important piece of paper that contained all of the details to the school activity or your child’s book report? And for some reason the school decided to send this information home on a piece of paper in the “Thursday Folder”, instead of an email? Why do they do that?

Don’t worry anymore! Take a picture of the paper when you first see it, save it to a photo album labeled “school papers” and then you will have the details when you need them. No more digging through the miscellaneous drawer hoping you find it.

using a chore chart for your kids is a great mom hack

35. Use a chore chart for your kids

Chore charts and daily checklists take some trial and error to see what works best for you and your kids, but worth having them in the long run. To have a successful chore chart experience it takes consistency, setting expectations and giving rewards.

Whether you want to reward your child with an allowance, or chores are required as “part of being in the family”, having a visible reminder for the child to see every day is very helpful.

At the end of the week, make sure to follow up with your kids on how well they did and give them the earned reward that was explained up front in the expectations of the chore chart.

Use a daily checklist to help with morning, afternoon and evening routines.

Get the exact one I use for my kids emailed to your for FREE!

There are so many options and variations available on Amazon too.

36. “Kitchen is closed”

Have an eating schedule. Avoid the constant snacking all day long. Children thrive on consistancy, creating a schedule that kids know and can rely on helps avoid the constant snacking.

Use words like “Kitchen is closing, last call for food” prior to ending a meal or snack. Make sure children know when the next eating time will be and stick to it.

When a child comes up to you and whines they are hungry and going to die, set a timer on when the next eating time is and don’t cave.

If you really do feel like they are hungry, offer bland fruits and veggies, not something super sugary. Banana, carrots, and peppers are my go-to. If the child is really that they will take you up on the item offered.

I established several years ago after the twins were born out of necessity. I literally could not cave to the whims of 4 children individually at separate times asking for food and telling me they were hungry.

If I responded to every child, I would literally live in the kitchen, acting more like a Chef, than a mom.

Then I realized how amazing this was and freeing to give expectations and then stick to them. I never turned back. “Kitchen is closed” and “I am not a Chef” are on repeat in our household. haha!

Here’s a sample eating schedule:

4 kids, ages 5-9, have stuck to this schedule for 5 years.

Breakfast: 7:30 – 8am
Snack: 10am
Lunch: 12ish
Snack: 3pm
Dinner: 5:30 – 6:30

Kitchen is closed in between each eating time.

As in anything, allow flexibility for extenuating circumstances. Kids get sick, they slept in, growing spurts, you know your kids.

37. You can buy “NICE” things now

I hear often Moms say, “I’m waiting for the kids to get older before I buy (fill in the blank)”.

So in the interim, you are not happy or content with your home, your children are day by day destroying it, and this is’t making anyone happy.

How you feel about your home directly impacts your attitude and feelings as a mom! Love the home you are in!

You can buy nice things now, and teach your kids not to destroy them.

Nice furniture can still be “kid appropriate”.

I recently bought a new dining room table and chairs, I had to look at 11 different options to find the perfect one for our family and lifestyle.

Our dining room table is large, solid wood, no fabric, cleans easily, not easy to stain, and I put a clear plastic table cover on it so I feel better about my young kids using it.

They color, paint, play with play doh, build Gingerbread houses, decorate cookies, and paint nails all on this table. (having a great carpet cleaner helps too!)

The two cloth captain chairs are “adult” only chairs for mommy and daddy and our children know not to use them.

You don’t have to wait till your children aree older, or out of the house, to have nice things.

I love how my dining room looks, it makes me happy, makes my home look great and I’m confident my kids won’t trash it.

Mom Hacks & Tips For Meal Planning

38. Meal prep

Everyone talks about meal planning, but prepping is just as important as meal planning.

Meal and Food prepping can save you hours of time each week on prepping all of the repetitive food items that you will use that week.

Think about how many times you wash and cut fruit and veggies every day? Or thaw, season and cook chicken?

Eliminate the receptive prepping you do in your week and do it at the beginning of the week all at ONCE.

Here is a list of foods you can prep at the beginning of the week on your Sunday Reset Day:

Wash, cut and store fruits and veggies
Thaw, season and cook Chicken, Pork, Steak and ground meat
Make sandwiches for school lunches
Make wraps for the entire week
Prep smoothies for the week
Wash and cut lettuce ready for easy salads throughout the week
Large Egg Bake Casserole
Banana Chocolate Chip Pankcakes
Banana Protein Muffins
Make Pizza Dough

Store the prepped food in these amazing food storage containers designed to keep prepped food fresh all week long.

Prep Veggies and Potatoes, and put them directly in to these time saving Ziplock Zip n Steam Microwave Steam Bags. Use every night to cook and steam fresh veggies and potatoes in minutes.

These bags are a meal hack all on their own!!! Seriously, I use these almost every night in my house!

39. Meal Plan

On your Sunday Reset Day, plan out the meals for the week so you are not scrambling at the last minute with cracky witching our children in tow.

Plan for left overs. Double or triple the recipe and always plan to make extra for lunches the next day, or freeze and save for another week. Work smarter, not harder.

Simplify the meals. Rotate between 3-4 easy meals each week.

Plan meals & prep meals. Prepare Casserole’s, meat, veggies, prep and freeze ready to go oven and crockpot meals. Set your week up for success on Sunday with as much prepping & meal planning as you can.

Here are some easy go-to meals:

Large Egg Bake Casserole
Easy home made pizza recipe
Taco Tuesday with prepped meat
Fajitas (already prepped and in the freezer)
A simple crockpot meal
Frozen store bought lasagna
Prepped chicken with veggies

40. Use a Meal Delivery Service

THIS!! A Meal Delivery Service is a LIFE saver! There are so many great ones out there. My family uses Home Chef (for years!) and we love it!

Home Chef has saved me hours per week in meal planning and prepping. You do not have to commit to multiple meals each week or hundred(s) of dollars spent. If you want to, you can choose just one meal per week. Or skip the week all together!

It’s surprising how much time just having one meal delivered each week saves you.

41. Party Platter for snacks

These large snack platters are amazing, so easy to use and are great for outside snack picnics. You can find them very inexpensive at the dollar store. Kids love having options, which makes this a win/win for both mommy and kiddos.

Mom Hacks & Tips For Your Groceries

42. Switch to Online Grocery delivery Service

An Online Grocery Delivery Service saves you both time and money! As mentioned before, by shopping online, you avoid impulse buying which you will save money and help you stick to a budget better.

Having your groceries delivered right to your door saves you so much time and you don’t have to pile the kids in the car, manage them at the store, forget a needed items for that nights dinner, and then come home and have to still unload all of the out of your car and put them away.

You can order your groceries from anywhere. At 5am drinking coffee from the comfort of your bed. Flying back from a vacation in the airport. Convenience is another huge benefit of online shopping.

Cut your shopping errands in more than half the time with online grocery shopping.

These are just a few of the benefits, for more check out 13 benefits to online grocery shoppingand make the switch today, you won’t regret it!

43. Go to the store with kids prepared

Don’t wing errands and shopping with kids. Be prepared. Include the kids. Have it be fun for them.

They will whine less and it will be a more enjoyable experience if you do these 5 things:

Grab the fun carts with the cars (if they have them)
Make the kids a personal shopping list so they feel involved
If the store doesn’t have a ‘kid” shopping cart, bring one from home
Load them up and keep them preoccupied with snacks and treats
Have electronics for when the shi*t hits the fan

Lastly, if you have infants and young toddlers, park close to a shopping cart stall to make it easy getting in and out of the car.

But honestly, if I go to the store with kids, I’m usually just running in real quick for a couple of items, because I have switched all of my shopping for everything to online shopping.

Switching to online shopping was one of the best choices I ever made as a busy mom to 4 young children. I never really enjoyed shopping with children and way prefer online shopping to dealing with the stores and children.

44. Make digital list saved to your phone

Grocery list each week are usually pretty consistent, have a “Grocery” list saved to the Notes of your phone so you don’t lose it and always have it. Making list and using your phone is vital to mom life.

45. Buy bulk

Stock up on items that are used regularly like toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, plastic ziplock bags.

Mom Hacks & Tips For The Car

46. Make sure your car has all of the essentials

Make sure the following items are in your car at all times:

Trash bags
Activity bag – pack a small bag of kid activities like car toys, books, Paint by Stickers, & crayons to keep kids entertained
Emergency bag – change of kids clothes, extra shoes, diapers, formula
First Aid kit
Must Use On-the-go Freezer ‘Snack’ bag filled with yummy healthy snacks
Blanket and towel stored in trunk
Water bottles
Car cleaning supplies
Baby Wipes, Sanitizing wipes & paper towels
Lawn chair (once kids sports start)

Check out 6 Easy Car Organization Hacks – The Ultimate Guide for more details. Having a clean and organized car is so important for a busy mom on the go! Double check to make sure you are prepared.

organized stay-at-home moms have laundry hacks

Mom Hacks & Tips For The Laundry

47. Create a laundry routine

The only way to manage laundry is to stay on top of it. Create a laundry routine that works for you and the size of your family. My household is 6 people, 4 children, all in sports and activities, I use these genius laundry hacks to stay on top of laundry.

I do one load, per day. Friday I either take it off or play catch up.

Start the load first thing in the morning so you have all day to wash, dry and then its folded and put away by evening time. Even if it’s a small half load, stay consistent so you stay on top of it.

Sample laundry routine:

Sunday – Kids clothes
Monday – Husband’s clothes
Tuesday – My Clothes
Wednesday – towels
Thursday – sheets
Friday – Catch up
Saturday – kids clothes (again)

48. Wash laundry by person

Wash each person in your family laundry’s individually. This will help so much when folding and putting away. Instead of having to sort through the pile of clothes looking for a specific person’s clothes, it will be quicker and easier since it is all the same persons.

49. Each person has their own laundry basket in their room

Grab each laundry basket one at a time. Wash and dry those clothes.

Put the clean clothes back in the laundry basket and then take the laundry basket back to the child’s room and have them fold and put away on their own. No separating is required.

If child is too young, assist and help the child fold and put away. The goal is that the child by age 5-6 is able to do this all by themself.

I like the laundry baskets with wheels. They are easier for kids to bring them to the laundry room on their own. If you have lots of flooring in your home, these are a great option. I also like the basket that have the 3 slots to separate your clothes.

50. Don’t separate colors from whites

Wash with cold water and use Color Catcher Washer Sheets so clothes don’t bleed. No extra washing is needed.

use a shoe hanger to organize kids clothes for the week

51. Use shoe organizers for kids clothes

When folding kids clothes have them (or you), pick out their clothes for the week and put them in the shoe hanger organizer. Do Sunday thru Saturday.

Look at the calendar and weather so you plan correctly. Include shirt, shorts, pants, socks, underwear and sweatshirt (if needed), or school uniform.

Every school day morning they will know what clothes to wear without needing your assistance or complaining about what to wear.

For babies and toddlers, this will help YOU in the mornings. You will be organized and not spend hours looking for that cute outfit but can’t remember if its clean or what drawer its in.

BONUS!! This is very helpful for Dads. Many dads get overwhelmed with kid clothes and would like to be more helpful but have no idea what to dress the child in.

Having clothes already picked out and in the hanger helps Dad’s out tremendously. This was a game changer in my home!

52. Have your kids go to bed in their school clothes

I’ll be honest, I’ve done this more times then I will ever admit. haha! If it’s a challenge in the morning to get them in their clothes, just have them wear them to bed and call it a night.

53. Use a mesh garment bag

Use a mesh bag for socks to keep them all together. It is easier and quicker to fold them too. You can also use a mesh bag to wash toys.

54. Carry a Tide stick in your purse

Carry a Tide stick in your purse or diaper bag for the stain you will eventually get. Children love to leave their dirty “paw prints” all over a nice clean shirt while out in public. Quickly remove the stain with this magical Tide stick.

55. Mom Hacks and Tips to remove stains on clothes

This was briefly mentioned above, but with children come lots of stains. It is worth the time and effort to find the perfect stain remover that does magic on your clothes. Who can afford to constantly replace clothes that kids stain? Not me!

I have found a couple that I love, so check them out:

Best Hacks to Organize Toys

56. Hide kid toys in the living and family room

As parents we all know it’s convenient to have toys in the common areas but it can quickly get out of hand.

In this picture, kids toys and electronics are hidden in the TV Console cabinet and you would never know. You can also use baskets, an ottoman, or side tables with drawers to hide toys. Get creative.

Have a rule that whatever toys are brought out of their rooms, must go back in to their rooms.

Store only small toys in the baskets, containers, and furniture.

During the infant / baby season you will have more equipment you can’t hide, like swings, pack n plays, and high chairs, and that is OK! Enjoy and embrace that precious season!

Those items are expected during that season. Minimizing and hiding the toys in the common area helps greatly, especially if you have baby equipment that you can’t hide.

Another option:

Here’s another great option to organize and store books and toys. This concept is great for the family room, for kids rooms or both!

This one is not sold anymore, but check out these options:

This is a beautiful more expensive option!
A less expensive option!

57. Store majority of toys in either a play room or kids room (closet)

If possible, store as many toys in their closets.

As a mom, it will start to wear on you if all of the toys are constantly stored in the family room where you want to relax.

It can quickly get out of hand and can make it hard to have the house feeling and looking clean.

Have them bring out what they want to play with and then put back when done.

58. Rotate toys

Store toys in containers and then rotate the containers. One container of toys will be up in the closet not being played with, while the other container is out available for play.

After a month or so, rotate the two containers.

Your kids will forget about the toys and then when they are pulled back out to play with they will have new excitement for them.

59. Use a Storage Cart to organize Legos

Do your kids LOVE Legos? Do you have a love / hate relationship with Legos? I do! But because my kids love legos, I’ve gotten good at managing them.

Buy a Storage Cart and Organizer with Drawers to keep legos organized. I have 3 of these carts, one for each of my boys’ rooms. Game changer for Legos!

Put down a sheet or a blanket and have your kids play with Legos ON the sheet or blanket for easy clean up when done.

Have a designated place to put the Lego “creations” or “kits” when done. We have shelving in their closets where they can display all of the Lego creations.

60. Put games in these awesome containers as a mom hacks and tips

These storage containers are perfect for games! This significantly reduces the space in storing games. The boxes games come in are so annoying, always tear or break and you end up losing important pieces. This is litterally a “game” changer!

That’s 60 of my favorite baby hacks… 27 more to go!

If you’re finding this post useful, share it in your mom group!

61. Store a container in your kids closets for hand me downs

In the closet of each kids room, store a plastic container.

If there isn’t space int he closet, under the bed is another great storage place using these storage containers.

Once the child has out grown the clothing, put it in the container. Then pass down to the next child or friend. Keeps hand me down clothes organized.

62. Art Caddy for the win!

Art is a kid favorite in our household. Having this art caddy makes clean up so much easier and keeps all of the art stuff together and organized. No more losing art supplies and constantly re-purchasing.

It has wheels so it can be moved to any room in house. So convenient!

The individual jars, mini buckets, containers and baskets that hold all of the art supplies can come out easy to be put on the table, or can be kept right in the caddy, right next to them.

Best Tips For The Home

63. Have a Drop Area

Have a designated area where every family member knows where to leave their belongings when they walk in the door.

64. Store sippy cups within child’s reach

Have a drawer that is at kid level with sappy cups, plastic plates, and bowels so they can help themselves to water and snack foods.

65. Declutter, Organize and simplify

Have a “PLACE / HOME” for everything.

You will feel less stressed if your Homelife is more organized. According to Mayoclinic, a messy and cluttered home can increase stress.

And it will take you less time to clean your house!

Homelife directly impacts mom life. Here are some simple steps and tips on how to declutter, organize and simplify, with links to all of the containers I’ve used to organize my house.

These kitchen drawer organizers are functional and make your drawers look amazing!

66. Refrigeration Organization

As you are decluttering, organizing and simplifying, don’t forget about your refrigerator and freezer.

This took me several years to get on board with, and immediately afterwards, I wish I had organized my refrigerator way sooner. It is an area we use so often and can save so much time when it is neat and organized.

These clear containers I used for my refrigerator and freezer are functional, allow you to easily see your food and make your refrigerator look so pretty!!

Large plastic clear containers
Stackable containers
Mix of large and medium stackable containers
Lazy Susan for condiments
Medium shallow containers

67. Toy management

This is an area that can get out of hand quick. Before every kid birthday, holiday and season change PURGE THE TOYS. Studies show that less is better with kids.

68. Teach kids to clean up after themselves

Be consistent in having your kids clean up when they are done playing (inside or outside), eating or changing their clothes. This is not easy and takes a ton of reminders and patience.

69. Closets, drawers & clothes Maintenance

Only keep what you need, use and isn’t expired. Periodically, go through your closets and get rid of everything not being used or have grown out of.

Mom Hacks & Tips for baby

As a mom, you know how quickly things can change with your little one. One day they’re enjoying their first steps and the next they’re defying bedtimes! During these times of perpetual uncertainty, it helps to have mom hacks and tips that make life a little easier.

While these are my top favorite baby hacks, don’t forget to check out:

50 Genius Baby Hacks From A Mom of Four

70. Start Sleep training early

Give your whole family the gift of rest by introducing sleep training early. There are many amazing sleep training methods available, and NO, it doesn’t mean you have to let your baby ‘cry it out”.

Many sleep training solutions do not involve crying it out, that’s a huge myth and scares many moms away from pursuing this amazing option!

I’ve never met a mom who did sleep training and regretting it. But I always meet moms who wished they HAD done sleep training and didn’t. Or want to start but feel it is too late. It’s never too late to start.

As a mom who sleep trained all four of her babies, including twins, giving my entire family the gift of sleep was and is priceless.

Still to this day, I’m so thankful for my great and amazing sleepers! We’ve been a 7pm – 7am family for years.

71. Introduce Individual play early as a mom hacks and tips

Teaching your babies and toddlers the gift of Individual Play (or Solitary play) is priceless.

Through Individual Play (AKA, Solitary Play), children learn to trust themselves, build self-confidence, have increased creativity, better problem solving skills, and improved concentration and develop their fine motor skills.

As a busy and tired mom Individual Play is one of the best Mom Hacks and Tips! This gives you so much extra time in your day to get a few more uninterrupted tasks, chores, work done, or just relax and read a good book.

This learned ability stays with them and helps them so much in adolescence and in school.

The child learns to entertain themselves without the need of an adult or someone else feeding them entertainment.

When the child is young, they might only last for a few minutes, but with consistency and age, the time will increase.

Start getting pockets of kid-free time back in your day now! Successfully teach your toddler the amazing life skill of independent play with my Little Adventurers Playbook.

Start Today!

72. Bath toy holder

Have a bath toy holder that suctions to the wall. Then the toys can dry and not be in the way.

73. Clip nails when sleeping in their infant carrier

A great mom hack and tips! It really is the easiest way to clip baby’s nails.

74. Play music or white noise machine

White noise machine mimics the sound infants heard in the womb. Helps them sleep and will block out other noises in the house or when out and about.

Have a portable sound machine and attach it to the stroller or infant carrier when baby is sleeping. Or download a white noise app on your phone and have it playing near baby while baby is sleeping.

75. Black out curtains in their rooms! A must!

Use black out curtains to get extended sleep from your baby, toddler and child, to avoid an early wake up time, and to encourage sleep over play.

76. Mini portable pack n play

A mini travel pack n play is a great travel hack! Also great for play dates and visiting grandparents. This mini travel pack n play is easy to take anywhere. Store it in the back of your trunk.

77. Snap the onesie over the pants so the child doesn’t take their pants and diaper off

Has your baby ever taken their pants off? What about their diaper? It only takes one time walking in to a crib with pooh everywhere to get smarter than the baby.

Snap the onesie over the pants and you can assure those pants (or diaper!) are not coming off.

That’s 77 of my favorite baby hacks… 10 more to go!

You’re almost through all 87, make sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can get more helpful mom hacks right to your inbox!

78. Silicone bibs

These bibs are a life saver! Especially, if you do Baby Led Weening (BLW), use silicone bibs. They catch food, keep babies clean and are easy to clean.

79. Portable silicon re-usable place mats

Great to use wither at home or when at restaurants. Silicone Placemats catch food, suction to tables and easy to wipe down.

80. Ditch the purees and introduce foods with Baby Led Weaning (BLW)

“You just hand them the food in a suitably-sized piece and if they like it they eat it and if they don’t they won’t.” That’s the essence of Baby Led Weaning.

“No purees, no ice cube trays, no food processor, no potato masher, no baby rice, no weird fruit and veg combos… just you and your child, eating food that you enjoy with you and your family.”

We switched to BLW at 6 month for the twins, and this was a game changer! So much easier, way less food to prep, and all of my kids were able to eat the same foods.

Which meant, I wasn’t having to make 3 different meals each day! Win/Win! (note: it can be a little more messier, depending on the child) The Silicon bibs help a LOT!

81. Use a Wake up clock as a mom hacks and tips

These are so helpful for nap time and morning wake time. Wake up clocks light up and let the young toddler know when it is time to come out of their room once they have transitioned out of crib. Most wake up clocks can serve as a white noice machine too, which is very helpful for staying asleep.

82. Use a timer with kids as a great mom hack and tip

Kids respond better when given a heads up about the next transition. I have an apple watch, which makes it so easy to tell Siri to “set timer for 2 minutes”. I use it for:

Sharing toys
Cleaning up
To start bedtime routine
Warning prior to leaving a location (park, play date)

Kids love racing & competing! Use the timer to see how fast they can do something.

Ask your child to put their clothes away and say “let’s see how fast you can do it in”. Or “let’s see if you can beat your 1 minute record”.

Watch them sprint to and complete their chores or your request in record time.

83. Double layer sheets

Who wants to change sheets at 2am in the morning? No one. Layer up the sheets and use sleep protector liners.

Crib mattress Protector liner
Regular mattress protector liners for sizes twin+

Mom Hacks and Tips For Toddler

Here are a few of my favorite toddler hacks, but if you want even more, don’t forget to check out Toddler Hacks To Make Parenting Easier For Busy Moms.

84. Bath time is magical

Bath time is not just for getting clean. It’s a great during the day activity for kids. Great for raining days, filling up time, keeping them confined. Add some fun bath markers, bath bombs and other toys, and this can be the perfect activity.

85. Use a laundry basket for bathing baby

It’s the easiest way to give babies a bath once they have out grown the sink bath.

86. Buy bath toys that don’t have holes in them as a mom hacks and tips

The rubber toys with the holes where water has a hard time coming out quickly grows black mold and are so gross and hard to keep clean.

If you have some or still want to buy some, close the hole with hot glue so water does not get in.

But, there are many other great bath toys out there where you don’t have to worry about mold collecting on the inside of the toy.

Buy these instead:

Hard plastic bath toys

Washable bath crayons

Foam bath letters and numbers

Washable bath markers
Foam letters and numbers
Hard plastic bath toys
Bath Bombs for kids

87. The power of a blanket!

Kids actually prefer boundaries. They love to push them, but it helps their brains if they can see and understand “their” space. Blankets do that for little kids.

Put down a blanket, even in the house, for play time. Put a handful of toys on the blanket and watch as your child will stay in their space and focus on the toys in front of them.

This is very useful with multiple kids. Can eliminate fighting over toys and getting in each others “spaces”. Its powerful, give it a try!

Looking for even more baby and toddler hacks? Look no further!

Related Post: 50 Genius Baby Hacks From A Mom of Four

Mom Hacks and Tips Recap!

Despite having so much to juggle, motherhood is such an incredibly rewarding experience. The smallest parenting hacks can make a world of difference.

It doesn’t have to be hard or expensive; small changes in our home, like using items we already might have or rethinking tasks in order to make them easier can help give you more freedom and peace of mind.

For more mom hacks to make life easier, sign up for my Genius Mom Hacks newsletter to be sent to your inbox monthly.

Since mom life is already so busy, I do not spam, as I don’t have time for that. I send 1-2 emails per month loaded with free resources, efficient tips to make mom life easier and of course lots of mom encouragement!

Start using these mom hacks & tips today!

While this isn’t a “hack”, one of the things I love doing every year, is getting professional family photos taken. Time with our kids flies by, and having these quality pictures every year allows me to savor the moments.

If one of these Mom Hacks and Tips has been extremely helpful, I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below! Also, if you are feeling overwhelmed as a mom, check out Start Here for more mom hacks that will truly help make motherhood feel easier.

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