Mom Hack: How a Laundry Basket Saved My Sanity

Mama Poe
Apr 14
2 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

black and white image of a laundry basket

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When my blissful maternity leave (read: actually just FMLA, because maternity leave in the U.S. is a joke) came to a close in early March, I was honestly a little daunted by the thought of getting three kids under two out of the house every morning.

I had completely forgotten how chaotic it is just to get a newborn to daycare. You’ve got the baby in the car seat, pumped milk (if you’re bringing that, like I do), a work bag, a lunch bag, a pump bag—and in my case, a makeup bag because I do my makeup in the car after drop-off. Yikes.

Getting the twins out the door was stressful too, don’t get me wrong—but it was manageable. Fewer things, and on a good day, they’d walk themselves to the car. Adding a newborn and all of his extras into the mix? I knew pretty quickly something had to change.

Enter: the collapsible laundry basket.

WHY THIS simple MOM HACK CHANGED MY LIFE

When I say this mom hack saved my sanity, I mean it.

Before I went back to work, I spent a good chunk of time looking up huge bags that would fit everything I need for work, pumping, and the kids. But really? I just needed this.

I didn't buy any new bags. But instead of making what felt like six trips every morning just to get everything to the car, I now load everything into one basket and take it out in one go. Game changer.

It also became our designated drop zone the night before. I hate clutter piling up on the kitchen counters or dining table, so having one place to put everything actually keeps the chaos contained.

And maybe the biggest win? I’m not running around like a maniac trying to find things five minutes before we need to leave. If it’s going with us in the morning, it’s already in the basket, usually placed in there the night before!

FINAL THOUGHTS

All I can say about this one is that I genuinely wish I had done this sooner. I’ll never forget going back to work in Fall 2024 with the twins and how chaotic mornings felt—not to mention what I did to my back and shoulders trying to carry everything at once because I refused to make multiple trips (GREAT if you're my masseuse, bad if you're me). If I had used this laundry basket back then, I can confidently say I would’ve been at least slightly less miserable every morning.

Oh well. You live and you learn.

Posted from the heart,

Mama Poe