20 ways to make life easier

A friend recently sent me a nifty little email suggesting 20 ways to make life easier. Usually this type of mail would go straight into the trash but, for some reason (let’s call it ‘the spirit of the new year’s resolution), I didn’t bin it.

And I am glad I didn’t – it has some cool ideas relating randomly to house-keeping, holidaying, cooking, children and just life in general.

Have a read and you will undoubtedly catch yourself saying ‘now, why didn’t I think of that?’:

* Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

* Rub a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

* Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40 (also works on walls).

* Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

* Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape amplifies the music.

* Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

* Add baby powder to your beach bag – it gets sand off your skin easily.

* Attach a velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

* Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

* Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

* Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

* Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door.

* A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel!

* Use a muffin pan as a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

* Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.

* Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – more fun and easier for kids to eat. Definitely doing this!

* Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

* Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles: it’s a brilliant space-saver.

* Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

* Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Clever right? Who knew that baby powder removes beach sand, any old popcorn can be microwaved in any old brown bag and that walnuts disguise scratches. Life is pretty awesome sometimes.