34 life hacks to save you from May madness

The morning launch pad & 33 other brilliant May survival hacks

Is anyone else feeling like May is absolutely determined to break us this year? The end-of-school avalanche (omg the dress up days), dance recitals, award ceremonies, teacher gifts, camp form deadlines… it's like the entire school year saved its final boss battle for right now. I've been existing on pure adrenaline and cold coffee for weeks.

And while I love diving into deeper topics and the profound questions we're all wrestling with because of #thestateofthings (waves hands around madly), sometimes my brain just needs a break. Sometimes, I just need to know how to get toothpaste out of the carpet (spoiler, it's dish soap, warm water, and vinegar) or convince my kids to put their shoes away. Because even as the world spins with complexity, we still have to navigate the daily chaos of life.

When I asked in our recent reader survey what content you wanted more of, it was fascinating to see the almost perfect split between emotional essays / big picture issues affecting women and day-to-day tactical advice. It makes perfect sense. While we're advocating for women's rights and wrestling with complex social issues, we also have to feed our people, manage our homes, and get everyone to school on time. The profound and the practical coexist in our lives every single day.

That's why I'll keep sharing both kinds of content here. Sometimes what we need most is a thoughtful exploration of complex issues, and other times we just need to figure out how to survive the fifteenth dress-up day of the school year (spoiler: it's a dedicated bin that goes with you year-to-year). Today is definitely one of those dress-up-bin kind of days.

We all know the standard advice. Meal prep on Sundays. Use a planner (I've got a pretty one for you!). Create a capsule wardrobe. But what about those micro-frustrations we face daily that rarely make it into the productivity articles? The tiny problems that collectively steal our time and sanity? I've collected 34 unexpected life hacks that have genuinely made my hectic life easier—not the ones you've seen a thousand times on Pinterest, but the practical solutions born from my real-life chaos. (PS: I'm also sharing links to the exact products that make these systems work in my home.)

So let's go. I need all your life hacks to survive this season. Be sure to leave a comment with your favorite Maycember life hack.

Household Sanity Savers

🦷 Keep a bag of inexpensive toothbrushes for when your kids' friends stay over and inevitably forget theirs. I've restocked our guest toothbrush stash three times this year alone… it happens that often! It’s helpful for kids and adult guests alike!

🧺 Place a large, sturdy basket at the bottom of your stairs to collect items that need to go up. Make it a rule that nobody goes upstairs empty-handed. I am the biggest fan of our stair baskets. Yes, they’re overflowing right now, but that means all the THINGS are off my living room floor and kitchen counters. I have these stair shaped baskets and use these clip-on label plates plus these custom labels for them.

👚 Designate a "donation station" somewhere in your home—a specific closet or box where outgrown clothes and unwanted items go immediately. When it's full, it goes to donation. Here’s a great NYT article on donating, consigning, and reselling. I love this bin. It’s tall, holds a lot, and comes in a 2 pack. One for me and Bryan, one for kids.

🧦 Buy identical socks in bulk for each family member. But make them different brands or toe colors. When one disappears into the sock twilight zone, you won't be left with useless singles, and you'll still know whose is whose.

🔋 Keep a "battery box" stocked with common sizes. Add battery testers so you don't waste time trying dead batteries in desperate moments. I have this organizer and love it. I buy batteries in bulk on Amazon when they go on sale (most Prime Days).