Relationships are all about weathering the bad and sharing the good memories with the one you love. Marriages start when two imperfect people decide to face life’s hurdles together, and it takes constant work to keep the relationship going.
There are undoubtedly several thoughtful things that couples can do to make life easier for each other. This is particularly for husbands who always get a fair share of criticism for not carrying their weight when it comes to helping out with the little things around the house. It turns out that switching things up is the secret behind making mundane tasks a bit more enjoyable.
Think of working smarter, recycling, and hacks that help you get tasks done quicker. These are all things that will help make those house chores more interesting, and some might earn you some much-needed best husband credits. Who knows, the word genius might even come up.
Listen More
One of the other things that husbands continuously hear is that they don’t listen. This guy’s wife asked him to put the bananas away, and he sure did.
We are not too sure if he was trying to be creative or if he figured that bananas would hang well in the laundry room. The problem comes when he needs a banana and can’t quite remember where he kept them. Fortunately, his wife made the discovery soon enough. It is a new way to do it, but we are not sure if we’ll hear of many households adopting this banana storage method.
To make bananas stay fresh longer, wrap their stems using some plastic wrap. Repeat the process each time you remove a piece. Alternatively, separate the less ripe bananas and wrap their stems individually for added measure. Store banana slices in lemon to prevent browning.
Snow Half Shoved
They say that you should look at a glass as being half full, and that’s the approach this guy seems to have taken.
Battling to shove off snow and possibly working against time calls for creativity. This guy needed to use his truck, and he just didn’t have the time or was too lazy to scrape off all the snow. It still works, because that’s more than enough room to maintain proper visibility when driving. We also have a nagging feeling that his wife was the one who told him to brush the snow off their truck, and he got the job half-done.
We are not too sure what the highway patrol would do if they came across this vehicle, because some states have strict snow removal laws. This scraping job could cost them as much as a $1K fine in some states.
Turn On The Lights
It helps to have a handyman around the house, and this woman is lucky enough to have a crafty husband. Fixing a tripped circuit breaker is something most men can handle, but fewer can transform empty vodka bottles into lighting systems for the home.
Who knew that an empty bottle of scotch could create such a beautiful work of art? The bottle must have looked too good to throw away, and like the best whiskey drinkers, they wanted to hold onto it. Instead of having the bottle just occupy some shelf space, at least he put it into functional use as a bottle lamp.
Empty alcohol bottles also make great DIY photo frames. Soap dispenser, and flower vases. You can also transform them into salt and pepper shakers, message-in-a-bottle decorative pieces, whimsical terrariums, citronella candles to keep bugs away, and the possibilities are endless.
Drive-By Chores
Certain chores are left to the man of the house, like taking out the trash. It often isn’t a big issue getting this chore done, but most men need reminders now and then that they should take out the garbage.
This guy was running late for work, and he possibly remembered that he needed to take out the trash. He decided to get it done on his way to work, and we can give him the prize for creative thinking. We would all use this trick, especially when temperatures drop, and we want the warmth provided by our vehicle’s heating system.
A fun fact about waste is that the average person is responsible for generating about four pounds every day. That translates to 1.5 tons per person annually, and collectively, Americans produce about 200 million tons of trash each year.
The Way To A Woman’s Heart
We can all agree that the way to a woman’s heart is to learn her language of love. In this case, this husband knew that the key to his wife’s heart is through her stomach.
A bouquet and box of cholates are standard gifts expected on Valentine’s day. When she opened what she thought was a box of chocolates only to find it filled with fries and a cheeseburger. If you ask us, we say that this tops plain chocolate candy any day. Particularly if you usually follow a strict diet and exercise plan, this would count as a well-deserved Valentine’s treat.
There are several more inexpensive gifts that your better half will love to receive for Valentine’s. That includes thoughtful gifts like writing her a love letter, making a personalized item for her like a painting, and getting involved in her favorite hobby like dancing.
Working With Technology
Technology has revolutionized how we go about our daily lives, and it also provides a hack for everyday tasks. Take cooking, for instance; you could essentially whip up your wife’s favorite meal with some tech assistance.
This guy decided to bake something in the oven, but at the same time, he still wanted to sit back and relax on the sofa. He found a rather smart way to keep an eye on the oven from the comfort of the couch. He set one of his mobile devices in the kitchen and initiated a FaceTime call to keep an eye on the oven.
An oven is more effective when it’s clean and free from the previous spatter. One way to clean your oven after use is to heat it to 125° then liberally spray the surfaces with an oven-friendly cleaner. Close the door, and after half an hour, wipe the surfaces.
The Pizza Warmer
There are two things we conclude this guy prioritizes: pizza and seat warmers. He was thoughtful enough to grab some pizza for dinner, but the last thing he wanted was for it to get cold before he got home.
He figured that he could make use of his car’s seat warmers, and while at it, he could also keep the pizza in sight. No one likes to dig into cold food, but we are sure that 30 seconds in the microwave would have still warmed up the pizza in no time. We guess saving some electricity is the ultimate goal.
If your car doesn’t come with under-seat heating, place your bag of food on the floor area in front of the passenger seat. Crank up your heating system and set the control to hit your feet. That will keep your food nice and hot.
Not A Teary Task
Few things can make a man cry like cutting onions. The vegetable produces the syn-Propanethial S-oxide irritant, which is responsible for reducing us to a teary mess when cutting onions.
Wearing goggles is one of the ways to protect your eyes from the dangers around the kitchen. It might seem goofy to most people, but if you’ve ever had hot oils or greases from food fly into your eyes, you know that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Now, this guy didn’t exactly have kitchen eyeglasses, so he went for the next best thing, which was a pair of swimming goggles.
To keep the tears further at bay, wear rubber gloves when cutting onions and peppers. That prevents the spicy juices from these vegetables from soaking into your hands. The residue can linger on for hours, even after washing your hands.
Perfect Family Photo
One of the best ways to create special memories is by spending time with family and taking a couple of photos to commemorate the moment. It always means that one family member has to take the picture.
That means that they won’t appear in the picture-perfect snap. This family found a way to make sure that everyone appears in their family photo. All they needed was a mirror, and everyone was able to be in the portrait, without having to settle for a selfie. We can guess who came up with this idea, and it’s something that we should all try.
These days most smartphones have the timer feature which should take care of this problem. In the absence of a tripod, you might have to find smart ways to set the phone so that you can take that perfect family portrait.
Sustainable Christmas Tree
Christmas comes once a year and brings with it several traditions. One of these long-standing traditions is decorating the Christmas tree.
It’s often a time-consuming process, particularly if you don’t have a helping hand. This husband figured out a way to preserve their Christmas tree while also saving them the hassle of decorating it each year. He wrapped their artificial tree using saran wrap, with all the decorations in place. It also means that they won’t have to worry about the tree attracting dust or suffering from contact damage when it’s not in use. The only concern would be where to store it.
Another sustainable hack related to Christmas trees is to go for decorative LED lights. They produce a similar amount of light but prove more energy efficient. LED lights also have longer shelf lives when compared to standard bulbs, and they are also more fireproof.
Crumpet Feast
Ever started cooking rice only to find that you don’t have the main ingredient or making hamburgers to realize you don’t have buns? That’s the pickle this couple found themselves in.
This husband figured that they could still have burgers with crumpets in the place of buns, and they would still turn out amazing. To put it to perspective, a crumpet is a griddle cake famous in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. It’s made using a batter of flour, water or milk, and yeast. In New Zealand and Australia, a similar flat cake is referred to as a pikelet.
If you prefer to go the healthy route, you can forego buns altogether. Burger bowls have become increasingly popular, where you throw the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy. You can also use a lettuce wrap, portobello mushrooms, or high fiber tortillas instead of buns.
DIY Master
Who needs such a huge collection of nail polish? We imagine that’s what this husband thought when it occurred to him that he could at least help his significant get better organized.
The egg cartons that usually don’t have much use after we’ve consumed the last egg provided the answer. He didn’t even have to make any modifications to transform the egg tray into a functional nail polish organizer. Best yet, his wife didn’t even ask him to do it. After this, he must have set himself up to find more creative ways to repurpose egg trays and other things around the house.
The list is endless when it comes to the list of things you can do with an egg carton. You can use them to cushion Christmas ornaments for safe storage, they are perfect craft tools for kid’s projects, and they can organize other things like fasteners.
The End Of Messy Deserts
There are more ways than one to make use of egg cartons around the house. This husband just introduced us to the hack of using an egg carton as an ice cream cone holder.
It’s a practical and straightforward way to put an end to messy deserts. Family and friends will surely enjoy sharing ice cream from this tray on a hot summer day. You can even cut up the egg tray to create individual ice cream holders. Best of all, it assures you that you won’t have a lot of cleaning to do because this hack prevents the icy cold treat from dripping everywhere.
On a hot summer day, you might want to enjoy the outdoor breeze while cooling off with some ice creams. Keep your ice cream colder in a cooler filled with dry ice. Keep your cooler in a shady spot, and the ice will last twice as long.
Securing Your Investments
Men are known for their love of all things vehicles, and their sets of wheels are amongst their most treasured investments. That’s why they’ll do what they can to protect their cars.
This guy took a pool noodle and taped it to the pole that’s next to their parking spot. That was the only way he could get the peace of mind he needed whenever his wife was driving his beloved Prius. Maybe they had incidents before, and the dents might have increased over time. Even his wife agrees that she can’t blame him for taking the precaution, and this hack works.
In the case that you have a dent to fix, you can try to DIY it. You could use a plunger to get rid of a small to mid-sized dent. Wet both the dent and plunger with some water, then push and pull till the dent pops out.
Unconventional Cooking Tools
There’s always a quicker way to get things done in the kitchen, and it takes a man traversing that room to open up our eyes to the unconventional.
This husband has all the ingredients he needs ready to make some pancakes. Then there’s the power tool, which isn’t your traditional kitchen gadget, but it works perfectly instead of a traditional mixer. An electric drill is one of the standard equipment you’ll find in man’s toolbox. When the mixer broke down that morning, this husband saved the day when he suggested the perfect replacement tool that would get the job done.
The cordless drill can also work with several other kitchen applications or attachments. For instance, it can work with your pepper mill, powered cheese grater, and you can even clump a dishwashing sponge to make the washing process much easier.
Ingenious Shelving
You can never have enough shelves. There’s always something that needs to be hanged or stored away within reach.
This husband figured that the old garden chairs they had lying around would make a great storage system. He refashioned them to create some additional hanging storage space, and we can see the endless possibilities of how to make use of the unique feature. The best part is that some storage boxes can occupy the top of the chairs for added measure. The possible hazard we see here is if there are kids in the household who love to climb on things.
Several more items make great upcycled storage systems. Old trunks can be fashioned into coffee tables. Old wooden crates are also highly versatile, and they can make great bookshelves and hanging storage shelves that work in just about every room.
Makeshift Coaster
Hot summer days can put a damper on enjoying a day spent indoors enjoying an icy beverage. This guy figured out how to make cold drinks stay cold longer.
The best thing about his hack is the fact that it works as a makeshift coaster while also keeping the beverage cold. He placed his drink over an ice pack, and it works like a charm. This works whether you are indoors enjoying the cool breeze from your aircon system or relaxing out by the pool. It works just about everywhere you need to keep your icy cold drinks stay cold.
You can prolong the chill by wrapping your bottled beverages using a paper towel or damp fridge and placing them in the freezer. Fifteen minutes should do, and you can then transfer them to your cooler if you are taking them with you on the go.
Safety Measure
Keeping fit is one of the ways to stay healthy and also to feel great about yourself. That feel-good mood can quickly disappear when you get back home and realize that you dropped your keys.
This guy figured out how to secure his belongings when he’s out for a run. He simply tied a rubber band around his pockets, and that makes sure that the items he has don’t have room to fall out. It’s a quick and simple fix, and we are confident that his wife must have been impressed because it brought an end to their trips to the locksmith.
Other alternatives include carrying your stuff in a fanny pack when out jogging. If you are not that kind of guy, a phone armband provides the solution. Most allow you to snuggly fit your phone as well as a few personal belongings, including keys and some cash.
The Way MacGyver Would Open Wine Bottles
Ask any lady about their definition of a perfect day, and a bottle of wine will pop up in their description. Nothing can ruin a good bottle of wine except for the inability to get it open.
It happens sometimes, you might turn the house upside down and just not trace where the corkscrew is hiding. That’s where your MacGyver skills come in handy, and this guy knew that he could open the cork using a screw. It isn’t the most refined way to open up a bottle of wine, but as they say, invention opens the door to necessity.
Other ways to MacGyver a bottle of wine open without a corkscrew include pumping it out. A bike pump with a needle attachment does the trick. A serrated knife or keys can also open a wine bottle, but it can get messy.
Making The Most Out Of Furniture
Sofas provide us with a place to sit or lay down in the living room, but what if they could serve other functions? That must have been this guy’s chain of thought.
They have a perfectly good coffee table that can free up his hands when he is resting on the sofa. This must have been before the lazy phone holders were in circulation, or perhaps he figures why buy something when you can work with what you have? While he seems quite relaxed, it must take a bit of energy to set this up in a way that the leather sofa won’t suffer from damage.
A lazy neck phone holder costs as little as $2, and we imagine it is a better solution to go hands-free when enjoying your favorite shows. We highly recommend it as the perfect all-occasion gift for that man in your life.
Quick Fix
Tech issues that don’t have a thing to do with the common hardware or software are the worst. Take this guy, for instance, his laptop just can’t seem to stay in an upright position without some help.
We would all want to have the financial backing that allows us to replace defective gadgets with new ones, but that’s not always the reality. That’s why this guy went for the next best thing, a quick fix. He attached a picture frame to the back of his laptop, and that solved his problem. In this case, function trumps aesthetics, but we are not sure how long this will hold up.
One common laptop issue most people face is the unit heating up, causing the fans to run loudly. The quick fix is to use the laptop on a flat, hard surface to avoid limiting the fans’ air intake. Soft surfaces may also present the same problem, so stick with hard surfaces.
Repurposing The Hanging Shoe Rack
Most of us have those hanging shoe racks around the house, and it turns out that they serve more than one function.
This clever husband figured that they could use a hanging shoe rack to store their cleaning supplies. It makes them accessible but still keeps them out of the way when they are not needed. If you have kids at home, then it’s best to store the dangerous chemicals high up and out of reach. There are many more ways to make the most out of a hanging shoe rack. You could also use it to store power tools and cables in the garage.
It’s also the perfect organizer in the bathroom for your toiletries. In the bedroom, it can store your significant other’s makeup and beauty items. Not to forget its primary function, which is helping you organize your footwear without taking up too much space.
Getting It Done At One Go
Wives love shopping trips, but it’s husbands who often get stuck with the task of carrying the groceries indoors. If this rings true to you, then this hack will help you get it done at one go.
A simple broomstick functions as the secret behind this balancing act, and you also want to make sure that you are dealing with grocery bags that can securely hang on it. This sums up the statement that it’s best to work smarter than to work harder. If you are dealing with paper bags, this won’t work, but there are other ways to go about it.
A Grocery Gripps carrier is a strap that helps you carry multiple bags on your shoulder. It allows you to transfer your shopping from your cart to vehicle, and then vehicle to the house in one trip. For paper bags, have a big enough box in your truck that can hold them all.
Awesome Steaming Idea
Garment steamers essentially do the same job as irons, but steamers are mostly preferred because of convenience.
Steamers do not require contact with the cloth to get rid of the wrinkles, and this also eliminates the chances of burning the fabric. They help to protect the shape of articles of clothing fashioned using delicate fabrics and clothes with pleats, and jackets. Steamers are also faster, overall, when compared with irons. If you don’t have an actual garment steamer, hanging your shirt on the kitchen cabinets above two pots of boiling water (never oil) will still get the job done.
An alternative is to take the shirt with you into the bathroom when having a shower. Hang it on your towel rack or any other hook you have in the bathroom. The steam from the shower will get the job done.
Washing Days Are Over
Life would be better if we could always use disposable dishes to get rid of washing altogether. The reality is that there will always be dishes that need washing.
What if we used cellophane to wrap plates and then served our meals on top of that? All you would have to do is unwrap the cellophane and throw it out after each meal. This works for those special nights you don’t want to spend time washing clearing up meals. The reality is that there will still be cutlery and cooking ware to wash because we don’t see how this hack would work for everything.
Alternatives would be enjoying as many meals as you can in a communal style. That means eating from a single large plate the way some cultures around the world enjoy their mealtimes. Regardless, you can’t entirely stop washing dishes at home.
Dining Like A King
Who said that just because you are having a regular meal at home, you shouldn’t dine like a king? That’s where the adage about one man’s trash being another’s treasure comes into play.
A toilet seat isn’t something you expect to see anywhere else apart from the bathroom. This photo is all kinds of wrong, but at the same time, we can’t help being impressed by this man’s out-of-the-box creation. He found a way to enjoy what looks like his two favorite things; dinner and watching the TV. We might not need to point this out, but if you are going to follow suit, thoroughly wash and disinfect the toilet seat.
If you are redoing your house and want to install new toilets, donating your old ones to Habitat for Humanity or other similar nonprofits/salvage organizations is a good idea. If you are the quirky kind, you can repurpose them into a myriad of things like garden chairs.
Cool Relaxation
There isn’t a lazier person than someone soaking in the sun on a lounge chair/bed. They won’t want to move an inch, and if you are at a luxury resort, that can be a reality.
There are still things that would require moving an inch or two to get done, like enjoying a cold drink. This guy just put an end to all our problems by showing us how we can get it all done without having to move a muscle. Once you plop yourself on a lounge bed with this setup, your only concern will be soaking in the sun and nothing else.
This also keeps the beverage shielded from direct sunlight, and that will keep it cold for a while. Add the cold pack hack, and the drink can stay cold longer, and the only problem would be when it eventually runs out.
Restored Privacy
Parents with toddlers know that they have to make peace with saying goodbye to any semblance of privacy they previously enjoyed. Kiddos don’t have a sense of boundaries, and they’ll follow you everywhere, including the bathroom.
This dad found a way to make sure that the kids stay out of the bathroom when he needs some alone time in there. A belt does the trick, and we are confident his wife was also more than happy to make use of this nifty hack. The lock seems to be broken, and that’s why this dad had to come up with a smart way to keep the kids out.
Other bathroom hacks that will earn you points include applying magnetic strips on the door or behind cabinets. That creates a solution to hold bobby pins, tweezers, and cosmetic brushes that your better half wants neatly organized but within reach.
To The Very End
Those vows that couples recite when tying the knot might seem like just words. That’s until the years roll by, and they are growing old together.
There’s something about older couples that makes us believe that love can last. That’s the feeling we get from this photo, and it’s even more heartwarming to see how they find smart ways to spend time together. Perhaps they’ve been taking walks for years, and now that age has set it, they can still roll around together. The husband hopped on a skateboard, and his wife’s electric wheelchair pulled him along for the ride.
They kind of remind us of one of the celebrity couples who’ve been married the longest. We are talking about Bonnie Bartlett and her better half William Daniels who marked their 69th wedding anniversary on June 30, 2020. They are now both in their 90s.