February 25, 2025

Hacks and Tips for Better Living

We’ve all seen the pasta “lighter”, hulling strawberries with a straw, and rubbing walnuts on wood furniture to cover up dings. With content flooding the internet through opt- in channels and pesky advertising, there’s no shortage of hacks, tips and reasons why life is better if you follow the advice of experts. But there’s some gold in all the shiny stuff and we found six hacks that we liked well enough to pass along to you on this 60-degree day in Looking Glass | Parker! 

FITNESS HACK: WALKING BACKWARD

While it may be trending on Tik-Tok, backward walking has been recommended by exercise gurus for years. It’s one of the four Bs Britney Spears used to shape up for her Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood (along with bicycling and basketball jump shots, and balancing on one leg while doing medicine-ball slams). And it’s a low impact way to burn calories, strengthen leg muscles you don’t usually engage in your glutes, shins, ankles and feet. It’s great for balance and coordination and with all the trails around Looking Glass, you’ll have plenty of paths to improving both.

KITCHEN HACK: PEEL-PERFECT EGGS

If you boil eggs to devil, or use in salads, check out this easy-peel egg hack. Jet, from Wild Card Kitchen on the Food Network says all you need do is poke your eggs with a needle to vent the egg and add baking soda to the boiling water. The venting part looks the hardest (how not to crack the raw egg in the process), but if you can master that, the result is no-fuss eggs. You drop them in boiling water for six minutes – for a jammy egg – eight minutes for a firmer yolk. And the best way to slice? Fishing wire. Check out the Instagram post for a watch-and-see and if you stay long enough you’ll catch the easy Shoyu Tomago marinade recipe, too.

GARDENING HACK FOR HEALTHY PLANTS

If you’ve ever over-watered a potted plant, raise your hand. The extra water that settles at the bottom of pot can lead to rot. We’ve killed at least two juniper trees that way afraid they were getting scorched, when in fact, we were drowning them.

To prevent this sad consequence, Family Handyman says to cut up some old sponges and put them in the bottom of the pot. The sponges retain moisture and provide space and air between the water and the roots. Sponges also help prevent water from seeping out the bottom and act as a water reserve to keep soil moist longer.

BETTER AND TASTIER SANDWICHES

You probably think you don’t need any help making the perfect mac n’ cheese, a great BLT or the tastiest Tuna Melt, right? But according to Martha Stewart if you don’t add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste to the milk right at the start, with both white cheddar and Swiss/gruyere/asiago cheese, and cayenne pepper, you’re missing the mark. From  Stanley Tucci’s point of view, the ONLY way to make a proper grilled tuna salad sandwich is to make the salad the day before, and Emmenthaler cheese, sourdough bread and diced red onion. And you can see why a BLT would be better with bacon in every bite, right? Seeing is believing and tasting means no wasting.  

FOLDING, FIXING AND FILLETING 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, these Instagram videos must be worth a million. If you think you know how to fold clothes, think again, because  the way these people do it makes everything look like a flawlessly wrapped package. You could store twice as many sweaters on a shelf or pack a dozen in a suitcase for a month-long cold-weather vacation.

You’ll never remember the dozens of hacks from TipsandTricksig, but even one or two can make your life easier.  From deveining raw shrimp and tying magic knots and peeling tomatoes, you’re sure to find a few that fit your life.

HOUSE-HUNTING HACK

Not long ago a real estate agent told us a bit of advice he gives to home buyers that stuck with us: be clear on what you want, because it makes decision-making more of a straight line than a zigzag! If you know how much house you can afford, where you want to live, what style and type of house you favor, and what about your life might change or won’t change — it can help define the kind of space you’ll need. Finding the perfect home is a process – and sometimes just looking at different possibilities helps you narrow down the options.  

LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE

In Looking Glass, the new home community in Parker with parks, trails, amenities and three quality builders (with a fourth coming online this fall!) your choices include ranch and two-story floor plans, and a variety customization options. Dream Finders Homes,  D.R. Horton, and Taylor Morrison sales associates invite you to stop by, look around, tour models, and talk about what’s important to you and your family with options for every lifestyle, taste and budget!