Just checkin’ in today to share a couple quick life hacks. Apparently my ability to manage a household, hound contractors to finish our yard, hand-build a Father’s Day gift, keep food on the table, help a friend paint her house, and entertain summer kids has frazzled my bloggin’ noggin’. So, while this post may appear to rate high on the lame-o-meter; it is, in fact, the best I can do today… and rather useful.

This weekend I hung a mirror. << You may now applaud my meager DIY efforts. >> Can you guess what I dislike most about drilling into drywall? That dust which inevitably ends up all over the floor or any innocent furniture by-standers.

Well, no more! Next time you find yourself in need of a hole in your wall, simply fold a post-it note in half and stick it an inch or so below where you intend to drill.

Then drill, fold and toss. No muss, no fuss, no vacuums required!

After hanging the mirror I realized that I hadn’t brought my bubble level to check it’s level-ness. Just then I remembered learning that on the iPhone, if you go to the compass tool and swipe left, you’ve got a super accurate digital level.

Those hacks saved me a whole 5 minutes, which I promptly used to eat a Popsicle instead. One mirror hung clean and level in 5 minutes flat—sometimes the small victories are the sweetest.