Profesh Life Hacker Brooke Van Poppelen Shares 10 Hacks to Make Your Life SO Much Easier
Sure, life hacks are basically 90% of your Pinterest account — but could those fun and creative solutions to everyday situations actually become a career? Well, if you’re famous funny lady Brooke Van Poppelen, than the answer is yes! The NYC-based comic is also the co-host of truTV series Hack My Life. Throughout the program, Brooke and her co-host Kevin Pereira show you how to do everything from successfully packing super fragile possessions for a move to clever beauty tricks that’ll keep you looking fresh after an adult sleepover. Think of it as Mythbusters 2.0.
Just before the show’s mid-season premiere last night, we had a chance to chat with Brooke. We decided to test her DIY knowledge by setting up some situations she had to hack her way out of. From creating space in a tiny apartment to getting over a breakup, here are all the tips and tricks Brooke had to share.
B+C: So you just moved into your new (but tiny) apartment — what’s the first organization hack you do to fit all of your stuff in this small space (that looked bigger on Craigslist TBH)?
BVP: Well, if we’ve learned ANYTHING from HGTV, you’ve got to knock out a wall somewhere. Sure, it may be a rental, and yeah, it may be a shared wall but def grab a sledge hammer and get to know the neighbors!
B+C: Name a household item or two that can be used for something totally unexpected (and cool).
BVP: What CAN’T you do with aluminum foil? You can put it beneath the legs of furniture to easily move it around your apartment without scratching the floor. My new favorite use for foil is covering the doorknobs and faucets in your home when you’re painting so that your wet, paint covered hands won’t destroy your lovely hardware. Also, this is not a hack, but if you’re a life long Pee Wee Herman fan like I am, you can recycle all of the foil you use into a giant FOIL BALL!! AHHH!
B+C: What’s the weirdest beauty hack in your arsenal?
BVP: It’s all kind of weird when you think about the lengths we go to to make ourselves look presentable. BUT, if you’re super shiny or greasy after getting off a plane, the toilet seat covers in public bathrooms are the same as blotting papers — just make sure it’s still in the dispenser and not on the, um, toilet.
B+C: You have to pack for a two-week trip with just a carry-on. How do you do it?
BVP: It’s all about compression, my friends! However you can squeeze the air out of your clothing and get it looking like withered, dried apricots in your suitcase, the more you’re going to kill it with the packing. I go crazy at places like MUJI and buy soft, nylon bags for packing clothing inside my suitcase. Also, if you have to open your suitcase in the security line and dig for something, you’re less likely to have an explosion of unmentionables flying everywhere.
B+C: Best life hack for getting your dream job?
BVP: Definitely do something to stand out! And if that involves tap dancing, all the better.
B+C: Best life hack for breaking up gracefully?
BVP: Well, this is just some good, plain therapy talk but try not to assign blame by saying YOU this or YOU that, and switch it over to some I FEEL statements. Example: Instead of, “You stopped having sex with me roughly a year ago because there’s something terribly wrong with you,” say something more like, “I feel like there is something terribly wrong with you for not wanting to have sex with me and now I have to peace out.”
B+C: Best life hack for getting OVER a breakup?
BVP: Right now it’s discounted Easter candy.
B+C: Best tech/social media hack?
BVP: Your phone charges almost twice as fast if you flip it into Airplane Mode. Everyone might know that, but it’s my favorite!
B+C: Best “busy gal on the go” life hack?
BVP: I have turned my car into a snack dispenser. When you’re late for everything and stuck in your car, having munchies in the glovebox and some bottled water ready to go has kept me alive on days when I can’t seem to manage my schedule and also tend to pesky tasks like eating.
B+C: Best breakfast/lunch/dinner hack?
BVP: CROCK POTS. This is mother and grandmother approved. It’s all about that low and slow simmer, my friends.
Which life hack do you swear by? Share with us on Twitter @BritandCo.
(Photos via TruTV)
