Margaret Arnold • January 11, 2025
Everyday Life Hacks from Mom

After last week's longer “Year of Wisdom” post, I’m returning to quick and inspirational ideas on living simply by sharing a few ERW Life Hacks. ERW, my tiny and determined mother, lived a remarkable 93 years. Throughout her life, she quietly exemplified resourceful living, teaching our family through her daily example.


With family providing daily caregiving during her at-home 18-month hospice journey in the pandemic years, I observed some of her clever shortcuts and methods that made her daily living and efforts easier. While I’m sure she was using her life hacks through her life, watching more closely (and sometimes gently directed) during that time in her home helped me see and admire her practices and rituals. 



... I observed some of her clever shortcuts and methods that made her daily living and efforts easier ...


Safety pin on blanket

I smile whenever I use one of her clever life hacks in my daily life. Though I drew the line at some of her more frugal practices – like washing and reusing her Kirkland Signature gray multipurpose gloves during the pandemic – her gentle wisdom lives on in these everyday moments.


  • Grapefruit Spoons as Combined Fork/Spoon/Knife – A grapefruit spoon is the perfect combination of a fork/spoon/knife.  As my mother’s daily living tasks became more difficult, rather than retrieving three utensils she retrieved one – a grapefruit spoon! It was her favorite multipurpose meal tool and she had more than a dozen of them in her drawer.


  • Blanket Corner Small Safety Pins –Keep and reuse those small safety pins to mark the corners of comforters, quilts, spreads or blankets to easily orient yourself when making the bed. Nearly invisible, I learned from my mother that marking the corners saves time when figuring out which direction the bedding goes.


  • Pots and Pans Paper Towel Separators – Use a few pieces of paper towel as separators between pots and pans to quiet the stacking when putting away and to protect them from scratching against each other. I originally questioned why the paper sections remained in my mother’s cupboard or drawers and soon learned how nice it was to have a soft landing when returning the pots and pans to her cupboards.


  • Small Container Leftover Prep – To prepare for the next meal whether to heat up food or prepare a small dessert portion, breakdown leftovers into small, covered containers (microwave safe glass rather than plastic). As we were cleaning up, I observed how my mother’s daily ritual of using small containers to keep the perfect portion for the next few days saved time. I use a hack upgrade by adding a labeling system and freezing some of the containers. 



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Past Blogs

A tote bag is sitting on a counter next to bottles of cleaning supplies.

A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

By Margaret Arnold • May 17, 2025
When my four children were in elementary and middle school, an annual Christmas card and letter that arrived each year gave me a glimpse of the life stage that awaited our family. I recall the usual family news but what struck me about this particular holiday update was the amount of moves her four children made in those college and post-college years and the loving assistance she provided. Little did she know she was modeling how I wanted to be, and have been, for my children these past 13 years and 18+ moves (counting three for my husband and me). From college dorm room to first apartments and now to first homes, I have had the joy of helping my kids settle into their spaces. What an exciting time it is for them! A key role I’ve played during these move-ins and occasional move-outs has been that of a cleaner. I like to clean – I mean I really like it. Not only do I enjoy the physical work I especially like the mental and organizational challenge and doing this domestic task better, deeper and, in the last three years, more sustainable. A KEY ROLE I'VE PLAYED DURING THESE MOVE-INS ... HAS BEEN THAT OF CLEANER.

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

By Margaret Arnold • April 26, 2025
Earth Day has significant meaning for me. Beyond falling during my wedding anniversary week (4.23), this global day has involved cleaning ditches with my children and outdoor spring projects. It's ideal for honoring Earth's wonders as nature awakens in Minnesota. For a third year, my gift to Earth is a forest management project first shared last year on LinkedIn . My husband and I have tackled buckthorn eradication , transforming our woods to reveal 300-year-old oaks, black cherry, cedar trees and the land's natural contour. While I attempt to embrace simplicity, this conservation project isn't simple! Eradicating this invasive shrub (and larger old trees) from our forest will take a decade or more. It demands physical work and resources, but the rewards extend beyond restoring native habitats in my corner of the world. my gift to the earth is a forest management project ...

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

By Margaret Arnold • April 13, 2025
Last Sunday, three friends and I celebrated spring birthdays with a long walk and brunch. Though still brisk walkers as former "runner girls," we paused to appreciate the beautiful spring morning as we wound through streets, a wooded trail with frozen ground, and finally a shared-use path. Greeting passing runners reminded me of my younger self, but I've grown content with my natural walking habit. Four years ago, I retired from decades of running for a consistent walking routine. I no longer feel compelled to justify my walking routine against running and have fully embraced this new habit and discovered unexpected treasures beyond the well-known health benefits. EACH WALK OFFERS BRILLANT SUNRISES, UNIQUE CLOUD FORMATIONS, CHATTERING BIRDSONGS ...