SAVINGS THIS MONTH

Apps · · · · · · $30Housing · · · $225Health · · · · · $73

TOTAL $328

IN THIS ISSUE

These Apps Will Boost Focus and Energy

You’re Doing Frugal All Wrong

LH Diet of the Month Club

The Shelf Life of Food

Tips For Finding The Right Day Care

Make Sure Your Child is Never Lost

from Turbulence Training & Early To Rise Life Hacks Shortcuts to the Good Life

MARCH 2016

From the EditorHello, Early Risers! Welcome to your March issue of Life Hacks.

With spring right around the corner, many of you might be considering a move — we’ve covered all you need to know about analyzing the true costs associated with renting a home vs. buying one. Use the tool on page 2 as you contemplate your next move.

We’ve also packed this issue full of tips on how to boost your energy, when — and on what items — you should be frugal, how to overhaul your finances, and how to pick the best day care for your child.

This month’s biggest value is in our Diet of the Month. We’re giving you $73 worth of tools that you can use to follow a 21-day fat-burning diet from Early to Rise’s own nutrition and cooking expert Chef Gui Alinat.

If you’ve been looking for an effective way to shed some pounds, feel better, and make better nutritional choices before summer kicks off — all without feeling deprived — then this plan is for you. We’re thrilled to share this with our exclusive Life Hacks members.

The best part about Chef Gui’s Eat More, Burn More philosophy is that it isn’t a “diet” at all, but rather a set of tools, tricks, and secrets you can use to incorporate satisfying, healthy, and fat-burning meals your entire family will love into your daily life.

And if you’re planning some spring or summer travel this year, you’ll want to check out our tips on finding the best frequent flier program.

Each month we’ll continue to bring you the most useful information based on the latest research to keep yourself healthy and put some extra cash in your pockets.

To Living the Good Life,

Tara McMeekin Editorial Director, Early to Rise

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These Apps Will Boost Focus and EnergyThe average American works between 50-60 hours a week, and a majority report struggling with motivation and focus at some point during their workweek. Caffeine and sugar fixes will only take you so far. So what are some more effective, healthy alternatives to your afternoon candy bar or caffeinated beverage?

Here are 4 apps that claim to boost energy and focus that won’t result in a subsequent sugar or caffeine crash.

1. Focus@Will. Experts say that classical music, instrumentals and even techno are better suited to work environments than music with lyrics and human voices. That’s because lyrics can cause distraction by shifting your focus. Focus@will is an app that selects music that is scientifically optimized to improve concentration and focus, in part by blocking out background noise. The app is free to users for three-week trial period, after which time the cost is $3.99 per month or $34.99 per year.

2. Playing games at work isn’t generally synonymous with focusing, however, Lumiosity’s brain

games are based on the principles of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change or rewire based on experience. The games have been shown to improve cognition. Try it out on your public transit commute or lunch break. The app is free, and full subscriptions start at $14.99 per month.

3. Boost your focus with the Pomodoro app. The Pomodoro method breaks tasks down into 25-minute increments, followed by a three- to five-minute break. After four intervals, you’re prompted to take a 15-30 minute break. If you struggle with time management, or conversely, fail to take screen breaks, this app will alert you when it’s time to step away and then refocus.

4. Make meditation easy with Headspace. Headspace breaks down the basic principles of meditation into short, animated videos to take beginners thought brief mindfulness practices and guided mediations. The app is free, and access to hundreds of videos and audio recordings can be added for $10 per month.

Should You Rent or Buy a Home?This question is not so black and white, as you’ll see. When most people consider buying their first — or even second — home, they typically only weigh the costs of the home’s price, their mortgage payment, interest rate, and maybe even factor in some higher maintenance and utility bills. Those are all important numbers to consider, but in our experience there are a few more numbers — ones that tend to get overlooked — which play an important role in giving you the full picture of your big purchase:

• Taxes and insurance: What is your total mortgage payment: principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI)? If you’re paying for mortgage insurance, add that in, too. Taxes and insurance can add up over the years so you want to add those into your calculation.

• Tax breaks: Some states offer credits for renters, but homeowners typically get the biggest tax breaks.

• The opportunity cost of your taxes and insurance: What kind of long-term return could you get if you invested this money instead in the stock market, a CD, or even a “high interest” savings account?

• The opportunity cost of your down payment: How much of a return could you get if you invested that lump sum instead?

• How long you’ll live in the home: This varies depending on the market, but in general, the longer you’re in the home, the better. This spreads your costs out over time.

You might be thinking these calculations sound like a lot of work. You’d be right. Thankfully, The New York Times Rent vs. Buy Calculator is an excellent free tool you can use that will factor in all these costs.

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You’re Doing Frugal All WrongMost people think they’re being frugal by cutting coupons and browsing the Web for buy-one-get-one-free deals, but we assure you, this is not what being frugal is all about. You’ve heard the phrase, “penny wise, pound foolish.”

If you’re spending three hours searching online to save $25 off of an $800 laptop, you’re being foolish. If you’re going out of your way to save $5 on gas when you have a $400 car payment this month, you’re being foolish. A better approach is to choose the savings methods with the biggest payoff.

The Frugal MethodKristin Wong, author of the blog “Two Cents,” says,

“When you’re trying to shrink your budget, you want to focus on the big stuff: the categories with the largest payoff. These are typically the three most expensive categories in your budget:

• Housing: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, housing makes up about 30 percent of the average American’s annual expenses.

• Food: Makes up 12 percent

• Transportation: Makes up 17 percent

Some ways you can save in these areas:

• Move to a cheaper location

• Cut back on meals at restaurants

• Carpool to work

• Negotiate your rent

These are just a few examples, but you get the idea — by making one frugal decision in these three expense categories, you will give yourself the quickest, and biggest, bang for your buck.

The coolest thing about the Frugal Method is you can use it to save money on almost anything. One example Kristin uses is planning a vacation:

Let’s say you’re planning a nice, relaxing two-week vacation. There are a lot of ways you could cut costs: stay in a hostel, cook instead of going out, house sit for someone in exchange for lodging. Those are all valid ways to save, but you’ll save more if you focus on the biggest expenses, like your flight and lodging.

For example, you’ll save tons by simply flying at the right time, when travel is cheap. Here’s how money writer Libby Kane puts it:

By choosing to travel six to eight weeks before or after high season, I save money on flights, accommodations, car rentals, and most everything else by making one decision and never thinking about it again.

It seems obvious, but a lot of people don’t do it.

How to Pick the Best Frequent-Flier ProgramChoosing the best flight rewards program can be as hard as choosing what color you’re going to paint your kitchen. There are so many options and everyone’s got an eye for color. To make the process of finding the best frequent-flier program as easy and painless as possible, we found Award Ace’s Beginner’s Guide to Miles and Points program to the best place to start. Once you’ve read through that, you’ll have the tools to decide what frequent-flier program best suits your specific needs. If you already have the chops to pick out a frequent-flier program but you want to know all the different options you have available, check out Award Ace’s massive guide to frequent flyer programs.

How to Sign Digital Documents Without a Pen“If you have a Mac, you have Preview, but you might not know this helpful little utility can store digital signatures for you,” says 9to5Mac’s David Nield,

“signatures that can then be appended to PDFs, Pages documents, and Mail messages.”

We’ve used this little hack many times signing PDF documents and it works like a charm. It’s not always as pretty as your pen-signed signature, but it gets the job done and saves you having to print, sign, and scan documents. Here’s David explaining how to sign a digital document using Preview:

First, create your signature(s): in Preview, choose Tools, Annotate, Signature and then Manage signatures. The dialog box that appears lets you sign your name on the trackpad or use your Mac’s webcam to scan in a signature (a business card works well). Unwanted signatures can be removed by clicking the x to the right of the relevant entry.

Once you’re done with that, you can add your signature in various places in Apple programs. In PDFs opened in Preview, click the toolbox icon (top right) then the signature icon to choose one of your scribbles and insert it into the document (you can add new signatures from here too). The same markup tools are available if you open up a PDF in Mail as well.

Adding the signature in Mail and Pages is slightly more convoluted: you need to take a screenshot of it inside a PDF (Cmd+Shift+4 then click and drag), then drag the picture into the app of your choice. If you open the Mail menu then click Preferences and Signatures, you can drop the captured doodle into one of your email signatures.

How to Find Hidden Channels on RokuIf you use a Roku box to stream TV, you’ll love this hack. Roku has a massive channel store, as you’re probably aware, but there are some channels called Private Channels that you won’t see in the channel store. Either because the private channels are from third-party channel services without an app, they’re still in beta, or the content is adult. For example, one of the best free TV channels we found was The Nowhere TV channel. You can gain access to:

• Bloomberg News Live

• John Green’s Crash Course

• NBC Nightly News and CBS News archives

• NASA TV and Hubblecast HD

• Khan Academy learning videos

• Government-focused channels like C-SPAN, The Pentagon Channel, and White House Press Briefings

• International news from Al Jazeera (English, American, and Arabic), BBC, and CNN International

• TED Talks

• Adult Swim shows

• PBS

• Universal Sports Network

• Live local news for most major areas

You can watch all of these channels on your Roku when you download the hidden channel called Nowhere TV (code: H9DWC).

For more hidden channels, we recommend visiting sites like Roku-Channels.com, RokuGuide.com, StreamFree.tv, and RokuChannels.tv.

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EAT MORE, BURN MORE

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BANANA-COCONUT-PEACH ICE CREAM

Active time: 10 minutes | Cook time: N/A | Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

5 bananas

1 cup coconut milk

3 cups frozen peaches

2 tablespoons pure

maple syrup

1 cup skim milk

1 cup plain Greek

yogurt, frozen

PREPARATION

1. The night before, place all measured

ingredients in a resealable plastic bag

and freeze.

2. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients

together until it has the consistency of

ice cream. Serve immediately.

SERVING INFO: 260 CALORIES, 9G FAT, 42G CARBOHYDRATES, 7G PROTEIN, 4G FIBER, 28G SUGARLH Diet of the Month Club

5Continued on Page 6...

Chicken Noodle Soup

Banana-Coconut-Peach Ice Cream

French ToastFrench Toast

Salmon Baked in Foil

Chef Gui Alinat’s Guilt-Free Comfort Food DietWe all know that a diet is most effective when it doesn’t feel like a diet at all. It’s no secret that you’re more likely to stick with it and lose weight if you don’t feel deprived.

But what has been a secret — until now — is how to cook your food, and what ingredients you need to replace in order to eat the foods you love and lose fat at the same time.

For the past six months, Early to Rise readers have been learning Chef Gui Alinat’s fat-burning cooking secrets to enjoy delicious foods without guilt or weight gain. His recipes and cooking secrets will help you create meals your entire family will love, and that are low on

the glycemic index. Because low GI foods regulate your blood sugar, they prevent blood glucose spikes, which in turn, helps you lose weight.

Chef Gui’s tips and secrets allow you to eat the foods you want — and there’s so much variety that you’ll never get bored with the same menu or feel deprived.

Your Early to Rise Editors have picked out a day’s worth of our favorite Eat More, Burn More recipes to share with you below. The daily meal plan below comes in at just 1,740 total calories.

And because you’re an exclusive Life Hacks member,

Chicken Noodle Soup

One-Day Eat More, Burn More Meal Plan

6Continued on Page 7...

we’re giving you the complete digital Eat More, Burn More cookbook — a $25 value — for free where you’ll get ALL of Chef Gui’s delicious, fat-burning recipes.

You’ll also get free access to a 21-day meal plan and calendar — a $47 value — based on recipes in the book. Plus, we’re giving you access to ALL of Chef ’s delicious and guilt-free desserts — an $11 value.

We’re giving you free access to all of these tools here until April 30.

The 21-day meal plan is tailored for men or women, and includes a done-for-you shopping list.

We want to make it easy for you to succeed, and with these simple recipes, a done-for-you shopping list and three weeks worth of meal plans, you can’t fail!

Breakfast:

French Toast: 370 calories, 12g fat, 54g carbohydrates, 13 protein, 6g

fiber, 25g sugar

Lunch:

2 servings of Chicken Noodle Soup: 300 Calories, 8g fat, 32g

carbohydrate, 26g protein, 6g fiber, 8g sugar

Snack:

Make Your Own Jerky: 190 Calories, 6g fat, 6g carbohydrates,

26g protein, 0g fiber, 4g sugar

Dinner:

Salmon Baked in Foil: 500 calories, 31g fat, 8g carbohydrates, 46g

protein, 2g fiber, 4g sugar

Wilted Kale and Coconut: 120 calories, 7g fat, 13g carbohydrates,

6g protein, 5g fiber, 4g sugar

Dessert:

Banana Coconut Peach Ice Cream: 260 calories, 9g fat, 42g

carbohydrates, 7g protein, 4g fiber, 28g sugar

Shopping ListMeal Plan

Whole-Grain Bread

Honey

Vegetable Oil

Coconut Oil

Olive Oil

Eggs

Milk

Vanilla Extract

Maple Syrup

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Chicken

Onion

Celery

Carrots

Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Whole Grain Pasta

Basil

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Steak

Worcestershire Sauce

Soy Sauce

Onion Powder

Liquid Smoke

Red Pepper Flakes

Salmon

Beefsteak Tomatoes

Lemon Juice

Thyme

Black Kale

Jalapeño Pepper

Coconut Milk

Coconut Flakes

Bananas

Frozen Peaches

Greek Yogurt

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FRENCH TOAST

Active time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings

1. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey and set aside briefly.

2. Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate.

3. In skillet, heat up oil at medium heat. Dip bread in egg mixture. Add slices to the pan and cook until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.

4. Serve with syrup.

Quick Tip: If you can find artisan whole grain bread that is unsliced, you may want to give it a try. Slice it thick and proceed with the recipe. It makes a beautiful difference.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Active time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servings

1. Pour extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Sauté onion and celery in olive oil until just tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth and stir in chicken, carrots, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

5. Add pasta and simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Serve hot.

Options: Add root vegetables for a variation on flavors. Some cooks also use spices such as cumin, curry, and turmeric. If you are on a gluten-free diet, just replace the whole-grain pasta with whole-grain gluten-free pasta, if available.

8 slices unsweetened, whole-grain bread (Such as Ezekiel’s)

2 tbsps honey

2 tbsps vegetable or coconut oil

3 eggs

2 egg whites

¼ cup milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

⅓ lb. uncooked chicken breast, chopped

½ onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, washed and unpeeled, chopped

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup whole grain pasta

2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Continued on Page 8...

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MAKE-YOUR-OWN JERKY

Active time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours Yield: 4 servings

1. Slice the meat, with the grain, into long thin strips.

2. Mix all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Add the meat and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat oven to 175˚ (80˚c) or its minimum setting. Remove the strips and pat dry.

4. Remove and spray the oven racks with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the meat strips side-by-side across the racks, leaving some space between them.

5. Place the racks of meat in the oven and cook until completely dry, about 4 hours. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.

Quick Tip: Keep in mind that the jerky will firm up as it cools. It’s ready when it is dry and dark in color.

SALMON BAKED IN FOIL

Active time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ (200˚c). Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, onions, oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

2. Place a salmon fillet atop a large sheet of foil (at least 8 x 11 inches). Spoon ¼ of the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy, large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet.

3. Bake for 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Options: Salmon is great for this recipe. But you can choose grouper, sea bass, cod, tilapia, and other fish, as well. Shrimp, scallops, clams or mussels, or any combination of fish and shellfish is just wonderful too. The cooking time remains the same as long as the pieces are not too big.

1 lb. flank steak

3 tbsps Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsps soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 salmon filets (8 oz each)

2 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

2 tsps fresh oregano

2 tsps fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Continued on Page 9...

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WILTED BLACK KALE WITH COCONUT

Active time: 3 minutes | Cook time: 3 minutes Yield: 4 servings

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. If using, sauté the jalapeno for a few seconds. Add the kale and wilt for a few more seconds.

2. Add coconut milk. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the kale to a plate, sprinkle with coconut flakes, and serve hot.

Options: Instead of black kale, you can use curly kale, chard, beetroot leaves, or spinach.

BANANA-COCONUT-PEACH ICE CREAM

Active time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 0 minutes Yield: 6 servings

1. The night before, place all measured ingredients in a resealable plastic bag and freeze.

2. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients together until it has the consistency of ice cream. Serve immediately.

8 cups lacinato, black, or curly kale, stemmed

1 seeded jalapeño pepper, minced

2 tsps of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsps light coconut milk

3 tbsps unsweetened coconut flakes

5 bananas

1 cup coconut milk

3 cups frozen peaches

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup skim milk

1 cup plain Greek yogurt, frozen

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One Weird Reason You Might Be HungryHere’s a strange one, researchers Erin C. Hanlon, Ph.D., and Esra Tasali, MD, found that not getting enough sleep can increase your appetite, leading to needless snacking. The study found that subjects who lacked sleep had elevated levels of the chemical signal endocannabinoid 2-arachidonolyglycerol (2-AG) in their blood, which is believed to increase appetite, similar to the way marijuana causes the “munchies.” So next time you’re feeling the urge to pig out, think about how much sleep you’ve been getting.

Mental Mindset HackA common trap we’ve noticed a lot of our readers fall into is they start rewarding themselves with self-care. Here’s an example:

“It’s 1 p.m., I’m hungry, but I need to finish writing this blog post. I’ll eat lunch when I’m done.”

Rewards can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Rewarding yourself with basic needs like food, sleep, and hygiene, will only hurt your overall progress in the long run. An easy way to remember this is to write down on a piece of paper or save a note in your phone that you will see every day these words: “Self-care isn’t a reward. It’s part of the process.” Now go eat lunch!

14-Day Planner to Overhaul Your FinancesGetting your finances in order can be a pain. That’s why we like it when someone tells us what to do, when to do it, and how. Business Insider published this amazing 14-day blueprint for your finances. Click here for the full guide explaining each step.

How to Keep Notes Organized on All the Books You ReadWe love this app, because it’s easy to use, it’s free, and it’s beautiful. If you read a lot of books like we do, you should download Shelf (iOS). Shelf is an app that helps you keep notes on the books you read. You can search for any book you’ve read and keep notes on it. The book’s cover will show up in your collection with your notes. No more folders with text documents or loose pieces of paper to contend with. Download Shelf from the app store here.

The Shelf Life of Food (Print This)You’re going to want to print this off and stick it on your fridge. Even if you consider yourself an expert in the shelf-life-of-food department, you probably have a daughter or son, niece or nephew, who could benefit from having one of these pinned to their fridge.

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Tips For Finding The Right Day CareBy Pete Cataldo

For new parents, the thought of handing their fresh-faced, newborn infant over to the care of a total stranger for eight hours every single day is downright terrifying. But, busy moms and dads are expected to do just that when they initiate day care for their young kids.

A recent study through Pew Research showed that nearly half of all two-parent households now include both a mother and father who work full-time. With the uptick in the workforce, there’s a related need for a childcare solution during the day for children who are not quite of school age. Sure, some parents can find the time to be constructive and productive while working from home, but for many parents, this is just not feasible and the need for a day care center becomes a priority.

While the task of finding the right childcare program can be exhausting and downright frustrating, following these five tips should help alleviate some of that pain:

1. Start the process early – The demand for day care is high and will likely continue to trend upwards. And with high demand comes a lengthy waiting list for the programs of choice. As a result, it’s a good idea to actually begin the search for day care once you are expecting and as soon as you’ve made the decision to use a day care. Seriously, some of the most “exclusive” day care centers will have waitlists that can last as long as a year. So start your research as soon as possible.

2. Do your research – Google and Yelp are certainly

your friends in the epic search for the right place, but nothing beats word of mouth and the honest review of fellow parents. Ask friends and coworkers for advice and recommendations on the best day care centers in your area. And when zeroing in on a center, ask that program for references and honest reviews. When given the opportunity to speak with a parent whose child attends a specific day care center, be sure to ask questions about the positives and negatives, and everything in between. If they don’t like the center, ask why; if their child is no longer attending that specific program, ask why.

3. Check your budget – The average cost of day care in the United States is just under $12,000 per year according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. That’s just the average. In big cities like New York and Washington, D.C., monthly prices can hit the $2,000 mark. Plan accordingly and decide if this is something your household can even afford to begin with; some families find it more financially efficient for one parent to stay at home full-time rather than take on the burden of another huge monthly bill.

4. Visit, Ask Questions & Take Notes – Most day care programs will have an open house or at least provide an opportunity to tour the facilities ahead of making the final decision. This is a great time to view the center where your child will spend the majority of her day and potentially observe the providers in action. Ideally, you’ll want a ratio of one caregiver for every three babies in the room. Check also for the cleanliness of the facilities and the routine of the caregivers: Do they wash their hands regularly? How do they interact with the children? Does the center itself have an emergency plan in case of fire, flood, tornado, etc., and are first-aid kits readily available? What is the holiday schedule of the childcare program? You don’t want to be

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obligated to pay for days you won’t need care if you can avoid doing so.

5. Make Sure There’s a Match – During the interview process, be sure that the provider follows similar parenting and caregiving styles to what your child experiences at home. Find out about discipline (scoldings, timeouts, etc.) and what kinds of technologies are used throughout the day (TV, radio, tablets, etc.). The key is for your child to be as comfortable as possible while they are in the hands of the day care center facilitators, and for as much consistency as possible.

6. (BONUS). Stay Involved & Make Surprise Visits – Once you’ve found the perfect day care program, the job is still not done. It’s important to be involved early and often. Be sure to communicate with your child’s care provider regularly and get constant feedback on the behavior of your child, feeding habits, number of diapers per day, etc. When possible, it’s also a good idea to stop in at a random time, unannounced to see just how the day-to-day is going with your child and ensure everything is

up to par. Just make sure you do it at a time that won’t be disruptive to the class, and if your child will be upset if you come and go, come in at the end of the day when you can take him home with you.

It’s a daunting task and a scary proposition to think about handing your baby over to another person for the greater part of the day. But for working parents, it’s necessary. While the journey to find a day care center that is not only affordable, but effective, can be downright painful, following a well-thought-out plan will ease that tension and help ensure a smooth transition for both you and your child.

About the Author: Pete Cataldo is a fitness and nutrition coach who lends his voice to commercials and narrations as a professional voice talent. When he’s not training, coaching or voicing projects, Pete is writing and sharing his take on the zany trials of being a first-time father on his blog DaddyMindTricks.com.

Make Sure Your Child is Never LostLast summer I was at an outdoor music festival. While I was enjoying a concert sitting on the grass, a little boy walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. He was lost and asked me if I could phone his mom. No problem, I thought. Then I asked him what his mom’s phone number was, he looked at me, and then pointed at his wrist. On his wrist he had a bracelet with his phone number. I called the number and the little boy’s mom picked up. She was panicked, but then relieved when she heard I found her boy. For such a simple hack, this seems like a no-brainer for any parent with young kids. You might also consider non-permanent tattoos. Here’s a website that specializes in this.

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Life Hacks is a monthly newsletter designed to reveal the shortcuts to the good life.

2016 © Early To Rise Publishing, LLC

Thanks for reading this month’s issue of Life HacksIf you have a favorite hack or shortcut for improving your life, please send it to support@earlytorise.com.

We’d love to include it in an upcoming issue to help all our readers.

For the past 15 years, EarlyToRise.com has partnered with the world’s leading experts to help you improve your health, wealth, and productivity every day. It is our mission to help you live your best possible life.

Meet your LifeHacks Team:

Craig BallantyneCraig Ballantyne has been the Editor of Early to Rise since 2011. He’s the creator of Turbulence Training and the no-equipment Home Workout Revolution system, and is the author of The Perfect Day Formula.

Chef Gui AlinatChef Gui Alinat is the author of the groundbreaking Eat More, Burn More cookbook, and a regular contributor to Early to Rise. His fat-burning recipes allow you to burn fat while eating more of your favorite foods.

Chef Gui will show you that you no longer have to starve yourself or eat boring meals to lose weight.

Missi HoltMissi Holt is a regular contributor to Early to Rise. She’s a world-renowned pain relief expert and body transformation coach, a Certified Turbulence Trainer and the creator of Yoga for Pain Relief, the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, and the Miracle 3-Day Chocolate Cleanse.

Missi has decades of secrets to help you eliminate pain and quickly transform your body so that you look and feel 10 years younger.

Nick PappleNick Papple is Managing Editor for Early to Rise and author of The Daily Brief Newsletter. Nick works closely with Editor Craig Ballantyne, curating content, overseeing LifeHacks and ETR’s new Success Formula Newsletter, and writing and editing essays for ETR’s daily newsletter.

Tara McMeekinTara McMeekin is Editorial Director for Early to Rise and has been a writer and editor in Denver for 16 years. Tara oversees and edits all of ETR’s daily and monthly newsletter content.