It’s been a while…

Hello folks!

Don’t you fret, I haven’t forgotten about life hacks. Just today, I showed my roommate this easy tip for untying plastic bags…

Untie a plastic bag

It’s such a simple trick!

Another trick that I found recently is that take-out boxes can actually unfold to make a serving plate.

I still have to try this.

My second semester has just started up, so I’ve been busy. But this blog has still been on my mind, like a long lost love… Okay, just kidding.

I’ll catch you later!

-Alexa

Happy New Year!

Don’t worry folks, I haven’t forgotten about you…

I think I’ll keep this blog going and update it throughout the upcoming year. (And no, I will not call it a New Year’s Resolution… I don’t wanna jinx it!)

Just because I haven’t been blogging lately doesn’t mean that Life Hacks haven’t been on my mind. I am still on the hunt for life hacks to try out, and I’m trying to think of different things I can post on this blog that don’t necessarily have to be about Life Hacks. But don’t worry. I will stay true to my purpose. The great thing is, Life Hacks can happen any time of the year, holidays or not.

I’ve been back at home for winter break, spending time with family and friends. My break has consisted of a lot of movie nights, and going to different places to eat. I just got finished helping to direct a production for my church. (Here’s a link to the trailer, check it out! ) There was definitely a lot of arts and crafts life hacking that went into the set design. I’ve also been working on things post-production, like making the DVD of the play…

Anyway, I can’t help but feel like I have been able to accomplish a few things this year, which I am proud of.

So I leave you with this question: What have you accomplished this year? 

I’m sure you can think of at least one thing… and sometimes, one thing is just enough.

I leave you with this video. It’s a trick for cooking hot dogs from CHOW.com . I am definitely going to try this myself, and I will let you guys know how it goes!

Happy New Year everybody!

-Alexa

Lex’s Life Hacks So Far…

Honestly, I am amazed that I have been able to make it this far with my life hacks. It has definitely been a fun journey, and I’ve loved being able to try lots of tips and tricks that I otherwise would not have done if it weren’t for this blog. Above, I have a video of pictures of life hacks that I’ve found. Some of them should look familiar!

Just in case you want to see all of the life hacks I’ve talked about so far, here’s a compilation list of every blog entry that I’ve done.

Nail Polish Hacks

Last week, I talked about doing little things that can relieve stress. I failed to mention doing one thing that’s probably my favorite: doing my nails. There’s a big box that’s filled with nail polishes and other manicure/pedicure supplies that my roommates and I all share in our apartment. At one point in the semester, my roommates and I would do our nails at least every week, and we’d all come up with different designs and color combinations. There’s definitely some therapy that comes from focusing in on doing something meticulous. Maybe guys feel the same way when they’re shaving, or when they’re trying to fix something. Doing something to get your mind off things, but still having a tangible result is definitely a good stress reliever.

Follow Up: EVOO

Last night I took a bubble bath, and I remembered the bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil that’s in my bathroom cabinet. Of course, as much as I can, I never want to leave a life hack untried, so I decided to try shaving my legs with olive oil. I’ve already talked about the wonders of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), which you can check out in this previous blog entry. EVOO is supposed to work as a natural moisturizer to nourish your skin, which is why it should be able to work as a shaving cream substitute. Let me tell you how it turned out…

Would You Really Do This (Pt.3)- Arts & Crafts

What is this picture!?

a. absurd items I bought on Ebay

b. household items made out of recycled containers

c. some thing my roommate designed

d. new wireless technology

Today, I tested another life hack that I found online. This one involved taking an object and turning it into something else. Not only did I want to see if this life hack was actually possible to produce, but I also wanted to test whether it was useful or not. For all you eco-friendly readers out there, you should definitely check this out!

So if you guessed B, you were correct!

Cell Phone Hacks

I have an HTC Status. It’s known for having the Facebook button. Yes, I am team Android, but I do show love to those who are Apple fans (I am the proud owner of a MacBook Pro).

Smart phones can do almost anything these days. They’re basically mini-computers in the palm of your hand. Today I’m going to give you tips on how to make good use of your phone, without having to buy any extra devices. Whether you’re team Android or team iPhone, these tips are for you!

I got some of my ideas from this HTC Blog post, click here to check it out!

Would You Really Do This (Pt. 2)

I’m always on the lookout for life hacks that I want to try out for myself. I guess you can say I have some trust issues when it comes to things that I’ve found online, and that comes from previous experiences. If you want to know what I’m talking about, click here. There were no written instructions that came with this image, so all I had to go off of was the pictures. I’m assuming that this life hack is about cooking a perfectly round sunny-side up egg using an onion ring. Of course, I made sure that the egg I used wasn’t spoiled. Just in case you ever need to see if your eggs are spoiled, click here and see this nifty life hack! This morning, I decided to try out this egg+ onion life hack for myself. As always, I got some interesting results!

What’s an EVOO?

For the longest time, there has been a bottle of olive oil in my apartment’s medicine cabinet, and for the longest time, I wondered why it was there. I have come to accept that my roommates have different habits and tendencies than me, so like other nuances at the apartment, I didn’t think much of it. I have gotten numerous life hacking tips that have all pointed me to one amazing product: olive oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is one product that my roommate swears by. What I didn’t realize was that I too have utilized the amazing abilities of olive oil as well.

Why olive oil? It is all-natural, hypoallergenic, and fortified with antioxidants, and vitamins A and E. Check out OliveOilSource.com and ThePassionateOlive.com for more information on olive oil and its health and beauty benefits!

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving, I’d like to share a life hack that will definitely come in handy for the next few days!

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the turkey the National Bird of the United States of America?  In America, turkeys are actually native birds. Even though the turkey didn’t end up on our national seal or printed on our currency, the mighty turkey has become a symbol for Thanksgiving and is a staple food for numerous American holidays. For more fun facts about the turkey, click here!