Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The right tools make all the difference.

Let me start by saying cleaning is not my favorite job, like it is anyones. But I do love having a well kept or at least somewhat kept house.  It has only been for about the last 6 months or so that I cared what my house looked like at all.  That being said, do to social standards I have had to clean occasionally.  I have always noted what cleaning tools did there job with little effort.  When I was first married we had a Kenmore sweeper and I loved it.  The power was great.  It did a fabulous job and with the exception of the occasional broken belt, never game me problems.  I even used it to detail a car that had been in a fire and foamed with no problems.  Now eventually it died and I didn't have several hundred dollars to get another so I have had several "on sale" models.  None have ever made me as happy as my Kenmore.  I announced to my husband when this cleaning kick started my next sweeper would be a Kenmore canister.  He had all kinds of issues with the canister part.  But because we only have one room of carpet on the main floor I wanted something that would make it easy to suction up pet hair from bare floors.  We even did a date night for my birthday and I insisted we go to Sears and look at sweepers so I knew what to save to get it.  Did you know you can take a test drive on a sweeper?  Yes, you can I think it's how they get out of paying for cleaning people.  I found one I loved and as luck would have it last weekend mine died and we had enough money in the bank so my wonderful husband picked up my dream sweeper.  Under my direction of "I have had enough.  If you ever want to have vacuumed floors again you better go get me my sweeper."  Because it is shedding season and we have 1 dog and a herd of cats ( I don't think that's quite right but when they all run it sounds like a herd) I sweep ever other day, at least.  The sweeper is everything I had dreamed.  Last night I decided to do the stairs which I haven't done it so long I can't remember. It was amazing the attachment was so powerful I couldn't stop I wanted to clean ever piece of furniture and the drapes.  It is crazy that the right tool can turn you into a cleaning maniac.  All those years of struggle and unhappiness gone with one little sweeper. Now if I can only find a few more of these miracle tools I will have a perfectly clean house.  Ya right.  A mom can dream can't she.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

MINI-VAN MAMA..............AGAIN

Well it's official I'm a mini-van mama again.  Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a mini-van.  I have owned 3 before.  But I had thought I had moved on to bigger and better things.  Yep a Suburban.  No really we live in Southwestern Pennsylvania and snow is a way of life.  Last year I actually ran car pool to every activity mine and my friends kids were in because the "burban", as the kids call it, was all that could get around.  Unfortunately the price of gas has prompted us to look at alternatives and with three kids the options were limited. Now when looking there were several options that were not optional. Let's combare what some of these options really are.  Second row bucket seats, or as I like to call them referee seats.  By having second row bucket seats the children are seperated there for serving as a referee to keep fighting down.  Tinted windows create a dressing room on the go.  Anyone who has children in multiple activities it is vital that you have tinted windows for clothing changes. Rear heat control is really the not make mom so hot she explodes option.  None of my previous vans have had this option and I have spent much time trying to warm my children in the outer reaches of the vehicle while melting in the drivers seat.  Power sliding doors looked like a need feature but I didn't think of them as a must have.  At best I thought it would save me the countless trips back around the car when child #2 couldn't close the door and child #1 was being to "I'll show you" to help.   I was so wrong since getting this van my kids run out the door to the van as soon as I announce I'm opening the doors  Even the baby has a new independance with them.  She gets to push the door buttom if she gets into her car seat and doesn't fight me. All in all if you get the right options being a mini-van mama isn't so bad.  I may even get one of those catchy license plates or window decals showing how cool I am. 

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