4 Mom Hacks to Help You Live Your Best Life

This post is sponsored by Degree Women but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

So, let's be frank, embracing being nearly 30 with my toddler in tow has been a real balancing act. I'm constantly debating with myself if heels are ever really worth the effort or if pants are really necessary at all times... I wear shirts that are covered in slime from breakfast covered hands giving me a hug and I often times sport a mom bun as my formal updo when leaving the house.

It's not like I don't love this stage of life, because I do. But I'm also dealing with hair in unwanted places, a mom pooch that I can't seem to get rid of no matter how much kale I eat, I get drenched in sweat every time I walk outside like I'm having a hot flash, and fly away "baby hairs" are pretty much all that's left of my once full head of hair. These are the parts of motherhood that I didn't necessarily think about when I agreed to this whole parenting thing... I feel like I got conned.

Obviously I'm being facetious, being a mom is my greatest joy and I wouldn't change a thing... even all of these baby hairs and these hot flashes are worth it when I feel my baby girl give me a hug or say "mama, wuv ya". That being said, I'm gonna dish out four of my "Mom Life" hacks to hopefully help you live your best life -

Mom Hack 1: Let's address how this all began, with me asking if heels are worth the effort and if pants are really necessary... and while the jury is still out on the latter, the former proves to be a yes. Heels are always worth the effort, but my suggestion for those mamas that are also uncoordinated (like myself) is to check out wedges. They provide just enough extra support to make walking in them a breeze... and they are still just as cute as heels!

Mom Hack 2: Now, let's chat about that sweaty, hot flash feeling that I mentioned. I'm fairly certain it's just a mixture of being older and this dang Florida heat but I'm hotter than a you know what in church nearly every time I leave the house. Instead of worrying about how I smell or if I've smeared deodorant on my favorite dress, I just grab for Degree’s UltraClear Black+White Dry Spray Deodorant.

Not only does Degree UltraClear Black + White Spray go on clear and leave me smelling fresh for 48 hours, it protects my clothing against yellow stains or the dreaded white marks that I only seem to get when I'm wearing black and in a hurry. It also lets out an extra burst of freshness when I need it, which is pretty much every single minute of the day in Florida.

Want to try Degree UltraClear Black + White? Check out more about the product and score a discount here.


Mom Hack 3: My next mom hack is all about you. It's time to find something you like to do... and do it. I know it sounds simple, but if you're a devoted mother like myself, you know it's often difficult to peel yourself away from Doc McStuffins imagination play with your toddler and go work on something you like doing instead... but I promise you, it's good for both of you to play.

I'm not saying you should take up bar hopping or spend hours away from your children, I'm just simply suggesting knitting while Judy plays with her Barbies or spending a few minutes each day learning how to edit photos in Lightroom while Joey plays with his toy cars. It's really important to find something you love doing and do it - that time spent getting creative or learning a new task is rejuvenating and your little one will benefit from it as well.

Mom Hack 4: My last mom hack is one I've definitely taken to heart... and that is - photograph it all. They aren't kidding with you when they tell ya life flashes by in the blink of an eye. I swear, some days it feels like we were just discharged from the hospital and then I look at my almost two year old and wonder where the time went. Luckily I've taken her photo almost daily, with at least my cell phone camera, and uploaded all those memories to an external hard drive to make sure I never lose them.

I can't preserve time, but I can help bottle up a tiny bit of the memories and share them with her in the future and I fully intend to photography her daily until she refuses to let me do so.

So, tell me, do you have any "mom hacks" that I need to hear? I'm always looking for ways to make life easier, especially now that I'm hitting my dirty thirties. Haha. So dish out some ways you've found to make this motherhood thing a little easier in the comments below.