Life throws some hairy little problems our way – from warm wine when you really need a drink, to babies coughing away into the night – and really, don’t we have enough to deal with already? Enter the Life Hack: a clever trick, tip or shortcut that makes life run that tiny bit more smoothly. It’s a cheat’s guide to life.
At www.thisisladyland.com, we’ve put together some of our favourites. Follow these tips and before you know it, you’ll be the bastard lovechild of Anthony Robbins and Martha Stewart with the wry grin of a domestic goddess. Shazaam!
Sometimes you just really need a glass of cold white wine. Fast. Instead of adding ice cubes, add frozen grapes to avoid diluting the wine. You’ll need to have these on standby in your freezer.
An experienced sommelier would say something like: “That is totes ridic! You will ruin the bouquet of your wine fo sho bro!” But if you can’t wait half an hour for a glass of chilled wine, you’re probably not the kind of person who would be that bothered. Wine please!
Get your little sprouts to hold their juice boxes by the ‘ears’ to prevent juice spurting out at them while it’s full.
A pineapple will ripen more evenly standing upside down. If you keep it right-side-up, the sugar settles on the bottom and it will rot before it ripens. Once it develops a golden colour and sweet aroma, you know it’s ready to be devoured.
If you’re a little OCD about your DIY, avoid that crusty dried paint on the edge of the tin by wrapping an elastic band around it to wipe the brush on.
If you want your bananas to stay yellow, wrap foil around the stems. This will slow their production of ethylene which makes them (and other fruit around them) ripen. Science innit.
Instead of flapping your hands about, dip your nails in ice cold water to make your nail polish dry faster. The cold thickens the nail polish and speeds up the hardening process.
Sure, the Italians have been doing this forever – but for the rest of us mere mortals still grappling with the mould that instantly attacks tomato puree in the fridge, here’s the solution: pour over a good glug of olive oil. A layer of oil forms a seal that helps prevent oxidisation – and mould from forming. You’ll never again have to scoop out that mouldy bit on top so you can use the rest (not that you’d ever do that).
Always carry a cute baby photo in your wallet. Wallets containing baby photos have a much higher return rate than those with pictures of animals, old people or no photos at all, because of our evolutionary compassion towards infants.
Help your coughing bubba sleep by putting Vicks Vaporub on their feet, then cover with socks. Tried and tested by the Ladyland mums. We’re not doctors so we don’t know why it works but if it means you both get some sleep, who cares?
Put an apple in with your potatoes to stop them from sprouting. (You don’t need to line them all up like a serial killer, I just did that for the picture).
After chopping garlic, wash your hands with potato peels to remove the garlic smell from your fingers.
If you need room temperature butter for a recipe but haven’t remembered to take it out of the fridge in advance, you can speed things up by dicing it and putting it in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes.
Always take Doritos with you camping because, a) they are delicious, and b) they are highly flammable (proof if needed) so you can use them as kindling when everything else is damp.
Chemical air fresheners never smell like the bushland meadow they claim to be. Hang a bunch of eucalyptus branches in your shower. The steam will release the eucalyptus vapours and make your house smell like the real deal.
Freeze left over portions of fresh herbs in olive oil in an ice cube tray so you always have some ready to cook with. Use a different ice cube tray to your regular ice – unless you want your G&T to taste like rosemary.
Photography and styling by Emma Scott-Child