HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎉

In honor of the new year, I wanted to pass on a few random things I’ve learned over the years that helped me get through life just a little bit easier. Life is hard and this post won’t change that, however, I hope to provide a few ideas that help you worry less and enjoy life more. While some of these life hacks are literally just things to think about, others are actual tangible tips to make your home-life a little easier. What may seem redundant to you is breaking news to someone else, so don’t forget to take what resonates with you and leave the rest for others! Let’s get into it :)

1. YOU ARE THE CREATOR OF YOUR RESULTS

Okay now repeat that 4 more times, then print it out and put it somewhere you look often, because you never want to forget this. It’s so easy for us to go through life and conveniently place blame on those around us. It’s almost like we’re conditioned to blame others for our shortcomings. Fight that urge with all of your might because YOU are solely responsible, no one else. YOU are powerful! So much more powerful than you even know. The sooner you realize it, the better. Yeah, some people suck, but stop pointing fingers at those lackluster folks and do some soul searching. What could you be doing better? What would you have done instead? What can you do now? Focus on what you can do to achieve the results you desire rather than focusing on what others aren’t doing for you. The precious time you spend contemplating on what others have or have not done should be poured back into you!

2. LEMON + ICE + GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Yes. This is in fact random, but useful. If you unnecessarily use your garbage disposal like I do, there’s almost a guarantee that there’s food residue trapped within your disposal blades. If you don’t unnecessarily use your disposal (congratulations on being responsible), there’s still a high chance there’s food residue hanging out in your drain. Food residue left in a garbage disposal can cause odors and attract critters—and we don’t want that! Garbage disposal drains are usually mysterious and gross, so I never want to put my hands anywhere near or down that drain. Here are a few tips on cleaning a garbage disposal without buying any extra products or getting your hands dirty!

• To deodorize and disinfect your garbage disposal - Put a lemon wedge (or 2) in your garbage disposal and turn it on. After a bit of noise, you should smell a fresh lemony scent coming from your disposal. Lemon has natural deodorizing and antibacterial properties. Another tip for deodorizing is to sprinkle a bit of baking soda down the drain and follow up with a splash of white vinegar for a satisfyingly, foamy clean.

  • I prefer used lemons (previously used for tea or recipes), rather than fresh lemon. Instead of throwing the used lemon away, I just put it in the sink. No food waste over here!

• To sharpen blades on your disposal - Fill a bowl with ice and pour the ice into your disposal. Turn it on. Now, it’s gonna be loud as I don’t know what… BUT sharper blades are on the other side of the racket, I promise.

  3. IF IT’S OUT OF YOUR CONTROL, WHY ARE YOU WORRIED?

  This is my favorite. Don’t worry about things you can’t control. If you can’t control it, why are you concerned with it? Often times we find ourselves worked up about situations we have no role in whatsoever. This is useless and detrimental to your overall success. Prior to learning and practicing this, I would find myself bogged down with the world’s problems. I would constantly wonder why the world was the way it was or why people did the things they did—but that was all out of my control. The only thing I can control is my thoughts, my behaviors and my actions. Of course we want to be empathetic and care about what’s happening outside of our own lives, and we can, without fully immersing ourselves in other folks’ issues. Your energy is precious—conserve it for things that are important to you, not the things that are important to everyone else. I found a great example of a “control bubble” online, made by a therapist, that sums up this thought. Make your own if it’ll help—the link has a blank PDF of the example below :)

4. ALUMINUM FOIL + KNIFE

Knife sharpener, for what?! This hack is for all home chefs (and those in between)! Although I’m still working on expanding my recipes, I really do love to cook. It’s super therapeutic and undoubtedly rewarding. I honestly don’t remember where I heard or saw this hack, but it works like a charm. It’s simple and it’ll make prepping meals a tad bit easier. Dull knives, be gone! All you do is grab a decent-sized piece of aluminum foil, then ball it up like a paper ball. Don’t ball it up too tight though—you want to leave enough surface area on the foil to safely glide your knife. You’ll literally run your knife over the foil, back and forth, similar to how you would use an actual knife sharpener. Boom! Sharper knives and less elbow grease.

5. ONE BAD DAY ≠ A BAD LIFE

“Without the rain, how would we ever appreciate the warmth of the sun?” Everyone has bad days. What makes the biggest difference is how you navigate during and after those days. Sometimes it’s easier for us to dwell on negativity rather than searching for a positive outcome, but if you want to live peacefully, it’s important you’re able to find the positive in all situations. Just think of it as looking on the bright side, even when it’s very hard to do so. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll be positive all the time, just remember that there are better days on the other side of that bad experience. I’ve had plenty of bad days and plenty more good days. All sunshine and no rain makes a very dry desert and flowers cannot grow without rain. It’s natural to be down sometimes but never stay down. Just hold on, you’ll be fine!

What are some life hacks you’re taking into the new year? Feel free to share below!