Ten Things You Should Have or How do you not have these things already?
Based on the other articles/blogs (have I ever mentioned how much I hate the word "blog"?) that I've written for MyFresnoFitness.com, one might assume that all I think about or have opinions on is different diets and health and fitness-y type stuff. Maybe you think something like "That girl who writes stuff on that fitness website...she must spend her life dieting and working out and grocery shopping....I wonder if she does anything else...?" Of course, this is assuming that anyone out there gives a second thought to anything I've written.... Anyway, I can tell you that I do indeed have other interests! For one, I love gadgets and helpful tips and basically anything that can make life a little easier. So now, I'm going to share with you 10 Must Have Items That Will Make Your Life Easier (listed in no particular order, because they are all awesome in their own ways!!)
1) Swivel Sweeper G2
The Swivel Sweeper maneuvers smoothly around chair and table legs thanks to its 360 degree swiveling ability and picks up just about everything off your hard surface floors thanks to its "quad brush technology". It's not great on shaggy carpet but who cares? That's what the Shark (see below) is for!! Now don't get me wrong, the first generation Swivel Sweeper was amazing too, but the G2 is just....wow! The second generation Swivel Sweeper has a few distinct improvements over the first version. The most important change is the hands free dirt tray emptying feature. With the old Swivel Sweeper cleaning it out was just gross...but now I just squeeze two little buttons and the dirt tray hinges open and voila!...it's empty!!! (Just make sure you open it over a trash can!!!) The second improvement is the hinging handle which allows you to get under low furniture without having to bend over...I haven't found this too helpful, but some people might.
2) The Shark
The Shark is a great little cordless floor sweeper! It's fantastic on carpets and fair on hard floors...and totally necessary if you have kids who tend to get crumbs and bits of paper from who knows where on your front room floor multiple times a day. Who wants to drag out the big vacuum all the time? Not me! The Shark is small, easy to store, and super convenient!!!
3) The Hoover Impulse Cordless Power Mop
The Hoover Impulse Cordless Power Mop is the third (and final, I think!) floor cleaning apparatus that I love love love!!! It's the little brother to the bigger and more expensive Hoover Floor Mate, which is also a great appliance, but like I just said more expensive and bigger. The Impulse does the job better than the big guy and costs less! It is a must have for anyone with more than 100 square feet of hard floors in their home. This thing cleans and dries your floors lickety split! Gone are the days of slaving over the loathsome chore of mopping! Gone are the days of spreading dirty mop water over your floors in an attempt to get them clean! Gone are the days of finally finishing the mopping only to have to wait for them to dry as you guard the wet floors from the feet of kids, spouses, and pets! The Hoover Impulse is just awesome...get one...it will change your life...I'm not kidding!!
I love gadgets and helpful tips and basically anything that can make life a little easier. So now, I'm going to share with you
10 Must Have Items That Will Make Your Life Easier
~Liz
...it may just be a matter of common sense
~Liz
4) Folex Carpet Cleaner
I know I said that the Impulse would be the last floor cleaning apparatus I would talk about, but in all fairness, this is not an appliance or an apparatus...it's a spray! It's an awesome miracle spray in an unassuming spray bottle. When you go to the store to buy Folex Carpet Cleaner (and you'd be a fool not to!), you'll see what I mean when I call the bottle unassuming. It doesn't have any flashy colors or big statements claiming to be the best, it's just a large white bottle with purple letters spelling out exactly what it is: "Instant carpet spot remover" followed by a list of the many stains it removes. Take my advice, go to Savemart (that's where I always find it!), drop seven-ish bucks and get a bottle of Folex. You'll thank me the next time someone spills coffee or red wine on your carpet, or tracks in mud, or whatever! Do it!
5) DVR
Whether you have TiVo or a system from your cable/satellite provider, you must already know the miracle of DVR. If you have neither of these, you are missing out...unless you are one of those people who just doesn't watch TV...then you can skip this little section because you won't be able to appreciate it! However, if you are an enjoyer of television (as am I) and you have that constant struggle of "I want to watch Grey's Anatomy, but so and so wants to watch The Office" or "I wish I could watch Grey's Anatomy AND The Office"...well, get a DVR and your problems will be over!! Set it to record all your favorite shows then go about your business of paying bills, putting the kids to bed, going to the gym, going to bed early...whatever...then on the weekend or a free weeknight, sit down, relax, and watch your shows commercial free. I need a bumper sticker that says "TiVo changed my life" because I am so much more productive now that I only watch TV when I have time to do so instead of constantly thinking "I should be doing something else right now" (I can save that thought for all the time I spend on Facebook!).
6) Cascade Dishwasher Tabs
Into the kitchen we go!!! Cascade dishwasher tabs are one of the best little conveniences I have stumbled upon! I no longer have to wonder how much Dishwasher detergent is left in the bottle...and I refuse to use dishwashing powder because it never rinses right and leaves gritty things on my glasses. I love that I can see how many runs of the dishwasher I have left before I need more detergent! Also, I can let my two year old help because there is nothing to spill! The tabs are a bit more expensive than the liquid or powder detergent, but so worth it!!!!
7) Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay Dish Soap Did you know that not everything can go in the dishwasher? It's a shock, I know, but it is advisable to hand wash fine china and crystal, Teflon pots and pans, and all the stuff that doesn't fit in the dishwasher after you have neglected dealing with the kitchen for a day and a half. I have only recently discovered that hand washing does not have to result in dish pan hands! Who knew? Yes, there has always been Palmolive which has promised for decades to leave your hands soft after soaking them in dirty dish water everyday, but there was something about the bottle of Dawn that I was drawn to...maybe it was the font on the packaging, or the soft color of the soap (as opposed to that lovely Palmolive green), or the price (which I can't remember now, but I know it wasn't outrageous because I wouldn't have bought it!). Whatever it was that made me put that soap in my shopping cart, I'm glad I did! First, Dawn Hand Renewal is not antibacterial unlike so many liquid soaps on the shelves. (I won't get on my soap box -haha- right now about how awful antibacterial soaps are...just know that I never buy any of that stuff!) Secondly, the fragrance is very mild and not overwhelming at all. Third, it really has improved the skin on my hands!! I can wash the dishes and not be left with dry flaky hand skin....fantastic!!
8) Bounce Laundry Bar
Let me start by saying that I have not always used fabric softener. I grew up with dryer sheets and used them for a long time as an adult until I ran out one day and just never bought more. I thought I didn't miss the fabric softener, that it didn't really make a difference, and that the lack of fluffiness in our towels was a small price to pay for not having used dryer sheets all over the house (how do those things manage to get everywhere...or maybe that is just my house...??)...but boy was I wrong!! After hearing about the Bounce Bar from a friend I decided to give it a try, so I bought the small 2 month size, stuck it on the drum of the dryer as instructed and kept washing and drying our clothes and towels. My first reaction was "How could I have gone so long without fluffy towels?!" My reaction after a couple weeks was "There is no way this thing is going to last 2 months!" The Bounce Bar looks and kind of feels like a big bar of soap. I suppose what happens is that the heat in the dryer softens it up and the clothes tumble around in there and bump into the bar and get soft...I don't know the science behind it, but that sounds good. Anyway, I guess with three kids and two adults in the house, I do a lot of laundry...maybe the thing would last 2 months in a smaller household, but the 2 month size bar lasted me about 3 weeks. Now I have the 4 month size, and I'm hoping it lasts at least 6 weeks.
9) Eggsact Egg Timer
A long time ago my friend bought this for me as a joke because she knows how I cannot for the life of me grasp the concept of how long it takes to properly boil an egg. (I also can't figure out the right amount of rice to cook...I always end up with way too much or not nearly enough, but I have not yet found a gadget to help me with this problem...it may just be a matter of common sense.) Just throw the red egg into the pot, put the eggs in, fill the pot with water, and put it on the stove. When the red egg turns purple, the eggs are done! If you prefer a soft or medium boiled egg, watch for the timer to turn purple to the appropriate line then take the eggs out. I still use my egg timer every single time I boil eggs! There's a link at the end of this list that will show you what it looks like and where you can get one!
10) Baking Soda
I love baking soda!! It does everything!!! You can make clay out of it, you can do fun science experiments with it, you can bake cookies with it, you can exfoliate your skin with it, you can brush your teeth with it, you can remove tarnish from your sterling silver jewelry with it, and you can clean with it!! Here are some things I do around the house involving baking soda: To clean the scorch marks off your stove make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub. To freshen your drains and disposal sprinkle a good amount of baking soda down the drain then pour vinegar in after (also works as a cool thing to show kids on the kitchen table if you are prepared to clean up the mess! My teenage brother says it is also fun to put baking soda and vinegar in a water bottle, cap it, and throw it down the street while crossing your fingers that it doesn't explode on someone's car. I am not recommending this one, so don't hold me liable!!) Mix baking soda with a little water and exfoliate your skin...just make sure to moisturize well afterward! Finally visit this website http://www.armhammer.com/myfamily/kids/play_clay.asp for instructions on how to make clay with baking soda.
Did I miss anything? Does anyone have anything that their household couldn't run without? Let me know! I'd love to try it!!!
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