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Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

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Alison Randall
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I really like this statement in your post (there's no right way to do something). We are all life learners and will keep evolving as long as we live. I am excited to connect with many wonderful people from different facet of life on this platform.

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Bayonle Arashi
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

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Alison Randall
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@Alison Randall, As creatures of habit, my family grocery shops on Saturday mornings. When we're unpacking them, I make a list of meals that we purchased food to make for the week.

Sometimes, at the end of the work day, I open up the fridge and just see a bunch of ingredients and I can't remember what they're all for. Instead of giving up and ordering a pizza, I refer back to that list. Why did I buy cilantro and black beans? Oh yeah, burrito bowls! 

​​​

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-Brianne
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

------------------------------
Alison Randall
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@Alison Randall - so funny that you mention dish-washing. I also learned the pots/pans drying on the stove from my partner. She also shared that she recently learned that there are people - like, LOTS of people - who don't rinse the soap off the dishes. They wash the dish in a sink full of soapy water, dunk the dish back into the water, then dry it. It blew my mind.

My favorite life hack really only happens in the summer - and that is to pour the last bit of coffee ​from my pot into the ice cube tray, freeze it, then use those as the ice cubes for my iced coffee the next morning. Totally prevents the watered down taste!

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Stay awesome,
Quinn
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

------------------------------
Alison Randall
------------------------------

I go dirty dishes to the left, clean dishes to the right when I wash dishes, @Alison Randall and I also use a dish towel on the counter when the draining rack gets to full. I also put my pots on the stove to dry overnight and put them in drawers the next morning. I've never just kept them out on the stove, though I've seen that done with really nice, colorful pots in kitchen magazines! 

But to answer your question: My latest "how-did-I-never-think-of/know-this-before" life hack came this past Christmas. I absolutely DREAD putting lights on our tree. I've always done it the way my mom did it: Start at the top and wrap the strands round and round while weaving them in and out for maximum light fantastic! We typically get an 8-footer and I'm only 5-1, so it involves me going up and down on a ladder quite a bit. It's a painstaking process that brings me to tears every year. So after years of hating this chore, I finally googled "What's the best way to string Christmas tree lights?" and learned that you can start your light strand at the top and run it down the tree and then back up in a V shape. It still takes some time to weave the lights into the center of the tree, but this technique is much less burdensome. And taking the lights down was almost downright fun! Like peeling an orange. 

I definitely plan to continue looking for new or different ways of doing things. Routine is good for some things, but it's also really good to learn a few new tricks to keep us on our toes! ​​

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Maria Mooshil
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

------------------------------
Alison Randall
------------------------------

Not sure if this qualifies as a life hack or not, but I am always forgetting how many times I wore a shirt or hoodie (my favorite uniform now during work from home) before it goes into the wash. And I've never been a big one on either washing them after every wear or going by the smell test. I had a chart to track it for awhile but this became tedious. So I began to hang them in my closet between two different colored hangers. 
Those that are in line to be worn are on one side of the first colored hanger, those that have been worn once are in the middle, and those that have just been washed for some reason like a stain or excess dirt, go to the far right to await their turn back into the rotation. If I was wearing dress shirts, I'd do a similar thing. I also line up my clothing -- matching socks with pants (or sweats) etc. -- the night before so I don't have to think about it in the morning.

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Arnie Grahl
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

------------------------------
Alison Randall
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@Arnie Grahl - this system is genius. I'm also one to wear a shirt a couple of times before washing, but I've had the same struggle in remembering when it should make its move into the laundry bin. (especially during the pandemic when I'm not seeing a ton of people and time seems to move both quickly and slowly.)

I am also one to pick out my outfit the night before, especially in the days that I commute to work. My brain is always foggy in the morning, so the more I can get done in the evening, the better I set myself up for success the next day. Thanks for the closet tips! ​

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Stay awesome,
Quinn
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-28-2022 09:26
From: Arnie Grahl
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Not sure if this qualifies as a life hack or not, but I am always forgetting how many times I wore a shirt or hoodie (my favorite uniform now during work from home) before it goes into the wash. And I've never been a big one on either washing them after every wear or going by the smell test. I had a chart to track it for awhile but this became tedious. So I began to hang them in my closet between two different colored hangers. 
Those that are in line to be worn are on one side of the first colored hanger, those that have been worn once are in the middle, and those that have just been washed for some reason like a stain or excess dirt, go to the far right to await their turn back into the rotation. If I was wearing dress shirts, I'd do a similar thing. I also line up my clothing -- matching socks with pants (or sweats) etc. -- the night before so I don't have to think about it in the morning.

------------------------------
Arnie Grahl

Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2022 09:38
From: Alison Randall
Subject: Life Hacks - Which one helps you the most?

Hi all,

The other day I was in the kitchen and was thinking about how sometimes we are stuck in our ways without even realizing it. I wash the dishes the way my dad taught me and assume that is how everyone washes dishes (dirty dishes go to the right of the sink, drying rack on the left - fill up the sink with hot water and if you need extra space to dry pots and pans you put a towel on the counter). It wasn't until I lived with my first roommate that I saw her dry her pots and pans on the stove upside down. It blew my mind. She said this way you know they are clean and they don't take up any counter space. I've been drying my pots and pans like this ever since.

It got me thinking about other life hacks that people have that either save time, space, money, or just make sense. We all do things differently (there's no right way to do something) but as someone that works in process improvement you can find inspiration and ideas everywhere to make your life a little easier.  What are some life hacks that you either learned from someone else or that you use regularly?

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Alison Randall
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