Life Hacks I Learned on TikTok

Hi, my name is Lizzie, and I am addicted to TikTok.

To be clear, I have never actually made a TikTok, but man do I love scrolling TikTok to unwind after a long day. The algorithm mostly takes me to pages with talking animals, temperamental toddlers, and corporate drama, but occasionally I end up on #momtok, and you guys—it is a WEALTH of information. Why don’t they give you this information in school? The hacks I’m learning on TikTok have solved problems I didn’t even know I had.  So, to save you 98,352,983,529 hours of scrolling, here are the best hacks I’ve learned.  You’re welcome.

  1. Chop onions without killing your eyeballs.

Did you know that the reason your eyes water while cutting an onion is because the onion seeks out the closest water source? No? Me neither. Is that accurate information? Who knows. BUT YOU GUYS—THIS HACK CHANGED MY LIFE (which is why it’s number 1)! Save your eyes! Fold a paper towel and wet it with water. Place it next to your onion as you chop. Your eyes will thank you—and you can thank me later.

Cut it out!

  1. Properly place a trash bag.

Are you pulling out the trash bag, opening it, flapping it around, fluffing it, and stuffing it? I was, too. Did you know there is a better way? An easier way? Did you know that the trash bag comes inside out? Girl…

Change your life.

  1. Avoid exploding aluminum foil.

Fun fact that I learned three days ago—there are tabs on the ends of your tin foil box TO HOLD THE ROLL IN PLACE. No more re-rolling the foil back into the box every time you need a sheet.

Unroll the truth.

  1. Hang pictures without destroying your walls.

There is nothing worse than getting some cute wall décor only to find that it has those two obnoxious holes on the back—or even worse, those random hooks. If you are like me, you promptly hammer 3,829,573,895 holes into your wall until it’s mostly level. What if I told you you could hang your stuff with the minimum amount of holes required? Get yourself some painter’s tape, mark the back, put the tape on the wall, and hammer in the exact location you need the nails. I mean, WHAT?!

See the difference?

  1. Chop those peppers without an explosion of seeds.

Whenever I am making a recipe that tells me to “chop and de-seed” a bell pepper, I chop the pepper, the seeds explode all over my counter, the dogs eat some, and then half the seeds make it in the recipe. But not anymore!  

Chop chop: Here.

  1. Keep chips, bread, or cookies from turning stale.

My husband will tell you I am the single worst about making sure the cereal bag is sealed tightly after opening. Everything is stale, all the time. I also always lose those freaking ties that come on bread. (I swear they grow legs and walk away.) Even worse, our four-year-old can now reach some of the shelves in the pantry, and that is not helping anyone. Want to know three tricks to avoid these problems? Girl, I got you

Ta-da! Here.

  1. Easily remove the tags from all your Target finds (or Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, etc.).

You know what I mean—you see a cute four-pack of festive bowls at Target. They speak to you. They were made for you. Who cares if you already have 15 sets of bowls?! You need these festive new patterned delights that perfectly match that new table runner you found a few aisles back. Then you get home, you plan to wash the bowls before use because #pandemic, and you go to remove the stickers. You are left with that half-torn sticker at the bottom that will eventually turn sticky gray and live on the bottom forever. Or, you can upgrade your life with this trick for getting those tags completely off—up to you.

Tag be gone!

  1. Keep your frozen foods fresh.

As a mom, my freezer is usually stocked with half-eaten items, freezer bags of undated chicken, and frozen fries, tater tots, and chicken nuggets that will never be eaten because I accidentally threw away the bag with directions. Guys, it can be so much easier! Stop throwing all your stuff in gallon freezer bags! This tip is so easy.

Brrrrr, it’s cold in here!

  1. Strain pasta without straining.

Okay, this might not really be a problem that needed a solution, but it seems so much… easier? Usually I dump the pasta in the strainer, scrape out the stubborn noodles, and put them back in the pot to mix the sauce. Nope. Keep those noodles in the pot.

Stir it up, here.

  1. Easily insert your blanket into the duvet cover.

Did I save the best for last? Maybe. I have easily lost a week of my life trying to get a duvet cover on a blanket. It never works! There is always a bunched-up corner and another corner with nothing in it. This hack is a game-changer. It may take a little practice, but anything is easier than trying to perform the acrobatic routine required to place an insert into a duvet.

Roll out! Here.

I hope some of these hacks have been as useful for you as they have been for me. Have you learned any other great hacks on TikTok? Share in the comments! 

Lizzie
Born and raised in San Antonio, Lizzie is a wife, mama of two (Kate, 2016 and Emily, 2019), and dog mom of three (however, has been limited to two moving forward). She is a full-time lawyer, but before law school, was a middle school teacher and coach. Lizzie is a proud member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2009, loves shrimp tacos and pedicures, and loathes ranch dressing. Lizzie loves finding ways to make juggling it all a little bit easier, and loves getting to share a part of herself with ACM! Favorite Restaurant: Top three because it's impossible to pick just one: Sorrento's, SoLuna, and Cappy's! Favorite Landmark: The Majestic Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Christmas lights on the Riverwalk - bonus if you have a cup of MiTierra's famous Mexican Hot Chocolate! The Battle of Flowers parade is a close second.