Household Savers

It is not easy being fab and young if you devote your life to the house. There is so much stuff I would rather do instead of cleaning, scrubbing, washing, cooking, loading, un-loading... Don't get me wrong, I love a clean house and love to cook and bake. But I also love doing crafts with daughter, spending time outside, reading, or simply relaxing with hot chocolate and watching romantic comedy.

Here are my top household savers...

1. Black & Decker Multi-Use Rice Cooker

This little pot does so many jobs for me. User manual even includes recipe. I make soups, rice, grains, stew, even meats (aka goulash). It is simply multi use, and what a deal for only $20. Plus it is super energy efficient, you don't need to use your heavy duty stove. The only downside - the volume is on a small side. But for now it works for our family of three.



2. The H2O Steam Mop

This house saver was recommended by one of my friends. It is so convenient. Nothing turns me off more than a mop and a bucket of water. I feel totally like a cleaning lady in my own house. It all changed when I got this cleaning friend. This magic mop cleans my tile, vinyl, even hardwood floors! All with water only and no harsh chemicals. I even cleaned my rug with it, which worked really well. My dear H2O, where were you all these years?



3. Cordless Vacuum

This little sucker goes and works everywhere. Working with broom is so inconvenient. I use this vacuum in the kitchen (to pick up all little crumbs and pieces of food), bathrooms (to get rid of lint, hair, etc.), and car - for a quick vacuum job. It is always plugged and charged so it is ready to go when needed. The big vacuum cleaner in our house is used for big jobs on big surfaces (i.e. rug, carpets, bedrooms). I also love it because it is energy efficient, quiet, and super lightweight.

4. Cleaning Supplies Organizer

I have a version of this with handles. All of my items are kept in one caddy. So all I need to do is to pick it up and move from one bath or room to another. Oh, best part - I got my "organizer"at Dollarama for $2. See my post on green and eco-friendly cleaners here.

5. Cascade ActionPacs

Over the years, I have tried so many dishwasher detergents. I honestly cannot stand any detergent that takes 5 seconds or more to put/pour into dishwasher. Some leak, some you have to measure, some you have to use scissors to open each individual pack. I am sorry, but this is too much for me. With these, you take one, put into compartment, and press start. The whole pack dissolves. I buy them in bulk at Costco - really great deal.

These are my top 5, but I most likely have others around the house. They truly make my life much easier, and more fab!

Do you use any of these? What other house savers you cannot live without?

Intro and Right to the Point

I have been thinking about this blog for years. I think at least four. As usual, time was my struggle. It still is, but somehow I am overflowing with things I want to write about. Without further a due, I want to talk about time management.

In reality, we all have the same amount of time. Yep, 24 hours in a day, 365 days per year. The thing is, I decided to be fab and young, and maybe do some crazy things now. Yes, even with small children, a husband (we are common law, but what's the difference?), a full-time job, two personal businesses, hobbies, etc. And did I mention a house full of chores screaming at me every day to get completed? The point is to do it all now or soon. Because something is telling me that I will regret it if I don't. When else? When I will have to babysit my grandchildren and feel too old to show up at a salsa club? When I would actually have money to do luxury things like travelling around the world?

I have read and heard many ideas on time management. For me, a fab mama and wife, it boils down to simple actions. Yes, actions, and not thinking about how you don't have enough time. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. I plan my whole week on Sunday. This includes actually writing down in my handy purse sized Poppy weekly planner from Chapters WHEN I will go to gym (on this in later posts), activities with our daughter D, meal ideas for at least three days, our weekly date night (even at home), hobby time, etc.

2. I cook five out of seven days. For dinner, I always make sure to make double to have enough leftovers left for lunch. One day is almost always dinner at family or friends' place, one day is lazy day. This day includes pre-made  pelmeni, vareniki, home-made pizza (not real cooking for me), sushi, or maybe even going out. I always make breakfast on Sunday morning. We usually have time and it brings family together.

3. I pack D's snack for school and work lunches in the evening and put everything in lunch bags in the fridge. That way, I just grab and go in the morning.

4. I get up 1 hour before we have to leave house in AM. Everything is planned. Yes, even outfits. My morning face cleaning/brushing and prepping routine is 10-15 minutes max. Sorry, can't go to work without makeup. Concealer (only spots where needed), powder, bronzer/blush, and alternate either eyeliner or mascara, lipgloss or cherry Chapstick to protect lips (winter only). Ta-da, that's it. Hair - sorry, only 1 minute. If it takes longer, I am doing something wrong.

5. I have inspiration board where I write my goals and "how to's"of our family for 1, 3, 5, and 8 years. The scariest goals are 8 year ones - because oh my, my daughter D will be 13! I also track our progress against our goals. We are committed to make them happen. But writing this all down is so crucial. Studies show that those who have written goals with actions and progress tracking achieve significantly better results.

6. I do all of our banking on-line. All statements are electronic, what a time and environment saver. I also buy more items on-line with free delivery to my home.

7. My spill-proof Via Starbucks mug (thanks to Christmas gift from my honey) is a time saver when life is so on-the-go. I just pour tea or hot chocolate.

8. My automatic car starter (so worth it) saves my valuable morning time and our daughter's nose in the cold days. Plus less ice/snow scraping = more time.

9. We purposely do not sign up for cable TV. No TV (rather flipping channels) = more time doing something useful. And the elimination of hefty $50+ a month service saves bucks too. Our solutions are on-line channels, YouTube, movies on-demand (when really craving).

10. I periodically read books on how to improve and be more efficient. One of my recent favourites is "Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets" by Lisa Quinn. The book is a wickedly funny guide that helps women create the life they want without all the hard labour and without compromising style. 

Do you have your own time savers?