Moms Helping Moms

Caroline Godin's Facebook post started with completely random mom advice, and it blew up with great tips you wouldn’t even expect.

Late in October, I was doing some chores when I realized that some of the things I do by habit started from a simple learning experience. I thought of things like the way I load the dishwasher so everything dries better, or the way I clear the table without having to put everything away (I stack like items, etc.) I had thought about putting together a Mom Advice book or something like that, but never had the time.

Then I remembered the Catholic Mom Group I'm part of on Facebook, and thought, “Everyone can contribute there!” (Catholic Mom is a closed Facebook group, so you have to request to join it. I highly recommend doing so; it’s worth it! This group is not connected to CatholicMom.com.) I pulled out my phone, threw out a post, and wow! People responded! Moms helping moms … okay, that happens all the time in this group—which is why I love it—but this was completely random advice, and it was great!

This blog seems long, but the real blog is short and the rest you can scroll and pick and choose. You can take or leave advice, but the information is good to have. Below are some of the tips moms had to offer. 

Cleaning

“Murphy's Oil Soap and a little elbow grease takes dry erase marker out of fabric (including khaki pants.)” – Lindsey

“WD-40 removes crayon from walls, counters, tables, etc.” – Anna Marie

Celia added, “WD-40 also removes spray paint from cars. My mother's car was unfortunately vandalized years ago and a quick Google search on how to remove it brought up WD-40. I bet it's great at removing all kinds of stuff.”

Grace replied with, “WD-40 also kills wasps. Growing up I stopped using wasp spray, because they would just fly out of the foam and attack me. WD40 would immediately ground them, and it would make their nests inhabitable.”

“Windex removes acrylic paint.” – Jessica

“Acetone, such as in hair spray or nail polish remover, cleans permanent marker. Or just keep those out of reach.” – Sarah

“Peanut butter works well to remove gum from hair. (I recommend doing this while in the tub.)” – Kelly

Laundry

“Zip up zippers in the wash; zippers can tear other clothes. Tie hoodie or sweatpants pull ties, they might be pulled out in the wash.” – Michelle

“Hook your bra straps before washing to prevent snagging and bent bra hooks!” – Harley

“Use alligator clips for socks to clip them together before throwing them in the laundry.” – Diana

Maggie added, “or put them in a garment bag.”

“Always double check your dirty clothes for diapers before you wash... And keep extra diapers hidden somewhere for days when you run out, like today hahaha. Very thankful for my car diaper stash.” – Malori

“Check all pockets for rocks before doing laundry.” – Sarah

Anna replied, “And crayons!”

“Put a dry towel in the dryer with your clothes; they will dry faster.” – Edith

Travel

“If you have multiple kids always carry around some snack size Ziplock bags with you so if you get a snack like popcorn you can split it up for them.” – Amanda

“Bring a potty in the car wherever you go!” – Jenny

“Keep wet wipes with you at ALL times.” – Ashley

“Have a throw up bag in the middle armrest of the car at all times. Pediatrician offices are happy to give you one.” – Emily

“I bought a bulk thing of throw up bags from Amazon when I had terrible morning sickness. Turns out, they work great on my littles if they have to pee, and no bathroom is nearby on the road.” - Alyssa

“Diaper backpacks are great for sports moms! Sooooo many pockets for all the snacks, sunscreen, and bio freeze!!!” – Brenda

“Dog poop bags in your diaper bag for baby diapers!!!!” – Alin

“Also, take-n-toss cups are great for easy “sippy” cups on the go. Use the straw lids with regular bendy straws though. The straws they come with are awful.” – Caroline

“You need to have a secret bag of extra clothes for every family member in your car.” – Sierra

“Keep a bottle of water in the car door for when kids hands get dirty, and a bathroom isn't nearby. I also have a small hand sanitizer size foam bottle with hand soap in the car.” – Hebeluz

All Kids

“If your kids are really grumpy out of nowhere—feed them!!” – Patty

“Have a playlist to help your kids get ready in the morning, make it a challenge to finish the task before the song ends.” – Courtney

“Make it a point to have a positive conversation with each one of your children for at least 30 minutes a day, even if it's in minute increments!” – Esmeralda

“Stress to your daughters the importance of discretion with disposal of hygiene products.” – Irene

“Rotate toys by tucking some away in the basement/attic and it’s like they’re all new when they come out. Also neatens up the playroom.” – Caroline

Little Ones

“Don’t accidentally leave your make-up bag out. Your toddler will find it and figure out how to open everything.” – Katie

“Also … there is NO surface out of reach of a determined 3-year-old.” – Anna-Marie

“Giving your toddler small chores (even if they are no good at them) helps them feel included and happy to be your big helper. Not to mention, it usually eats up time.” – Ashley

Megan added, “My daughter loves moving clothes from the washer (front loader) to dryer and it’s something she does really well at!”

“Reusable adult incontinence pads on top of the fitted sheet for toddlers. If they have and accident, you just take the wet pad off and put a new one down. We have 10 pads we cycle between 4 kids.” – Emily

“Keep a mattress or cot in your bedroom so when a kid wakes up they can sleep in your room without sleeping with you and making you totally uncomfortable!” – Shelby

“Put them in the bath every day. Seriously. They don’t have to get cleaned every time, but it will ALWAYS occupy the bored in them or calm the fussiness.” – Charly

Kitchen

“A spoonful of whipped cream cures hiccups.” – Megan

Melissa replied, “I’m going to try this even if I don’t have the hiccups!”

“When making up a batch of cookies, have a few extra Ziplock bags to make multiple of the dry ingredients. I usually make 3 extra bags. If I have the ingredients out, why not put it in multiple times and have the dry mixes ready to go as needed. Then all I need to add is butter, eggs and vanilla.” – Kel

Cerys added, “we freeze the cookie dough in balls so I can bake them from frozen. Makes it super easy to appear organized or a good host.”

Caroline replied, “I usually keep 3-2-1 cake on hand. Mix 1 box Angel food cake mix with any flavor cake you want. Store in airtight container. (I use a gallon Ziplock.) Feel like cake? Grab a mug. Mix in: 3 tbsp mix, 2 tbsp water, Stir, 1 min in Microwave. SINGLE SERVING CAKE! My kids LOVE this!”

“When planning to make a meal, turn on the heat source. It will cook faster.” – Jes

Lots of comments to Jes; we’ve all been there!

“When cooking, make everything double batch and freeze half for quick dinners.” – Yudith

“When making dinner make enough for a second meal and store in the freezer.

“If they won’t eat breakfast, put it in a baggie and call it a snack. It’ll be gone before you know.” – Sheri

“Make a “reverse” grocery list … type up and categorize every single thing you get from the grocery store. Print and keep copies in your junk drawer. Simply skim through and highlight what you need! Forgotten items in your mind will be happily on the page to jog your memory!” – Rebecca

Self-Care!

“Book a weekend with just your hubby, away from the kids. If you feel you’ve waited too long to do this, count down the days on your calendar. Speaking from experience!” – Cait

Have a list ready post-partum when someone asks if they can help. Also, paper plates and disposable utensils are great during this time.” – Maggie

“Pregnancy heartburn? Try Ice Breakers mints. I like spearmint. Discovered this with my 6th pregnancy.” – Cassy

“Hide and seek is a great game when you need a rest. You can hide and zone on your phone OR take as long as you want to “find” them.” – Anna

Evelyn replied, “I needed this!”

Click to tweet:
Mom-to-mom advice on everything from laundry to self-care. #catholicmom

Other Random Advice

“Whenever you leave a room try to take one thing with you that belongs somewhere else.” – Jillisa

“Put a crucifix in EVERY room of your home, even your bathroom.” – Kel

“Wet wipes take off the oil from poison ivy and oak left in your skin if you do it right after contact.” – Kierstan

“Tie a long bright ribbon to your remote control so you can find it when the couch eats it.” – Traci

“You can hide chocolate in empty bags from frozen veggies.” – Kierstan

“When you put away sheet sets, put an entire set inside one of the pillowcases. Makes the closet look tidy and you’re not searching for matching sets.” – Christy

Copyright 2022 Caroline Godin
Images: Facebook screenshot copyright 2022 Caroline Godin; all others Canva