I’m trying to come up with some interesting ideas for posts, so I thought I would share a few things that I couldn’t live without.
1. Swiffer sweeper vac: 
We moved into a two-story townhouse almost 2 months ago and the entire downstairs is tile. I hate cleaning tile! Sweeping, then a vacuum, then mopping… just shoot me now! A friend recommended I buy a swiffer sweeper vac. I am so glad I did. I use it on a daily basis!
2. Shark Steam Mop: 
Even with the help of my swiffer sweeper vac, mopping the entire down stairs with mop and bucket just made me want to kick rocks! While complaining to my Dad’s girlfriend about it she told me about the lifesaver otherwise known as the Shark Steam Mop. She swore up and down that it was the greatest thing ever. Being that she has 2 dogs I assumed I could take her word for it but I went ahead and read some reviews online to be sure before taking the plunge and spending $80 on a mop. It got rave reviews every where I looked.
Here is my review of it… I love this invention! It take the work out of mopping, as well as the nastiness of using a bucket filled with disgusting water. Not only that but because it requires no chemicals or cleaners making it 100% safe for my kids. Because it gets so hot, the steam sanitizes as it cleans! It dries instantly and leaves my floor squeaky clean.
I love this mop!!!
3. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes: 
These wipes are God’s gift to mom’s with messy kids ( and husbands). I use them everywhere in my house… the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, dining room, playroom, living room, patio… you name a room, I use them there. ( i think I named them all) I even use them in the car. Who ever invented these…. THANK YOU!
4. Nuby Sippy Cups: 
I was introduced to these when Trey was about 6 months old but didn’t want to spend the money to buy them before I felt like he was ready. I started watching a little girl who was a year older then trey when he was about 10 months and she always had one. One in every color, one for everyday of the week, one for every flavor juice or milk she could think of… I finally gave in a bought them for Trey around his 1st birthday… He transitioned amazingly!
They never leak or spill ( unless the spout isn’t in correctly or you get too much wear and tear out of the spout). I love these cups… i have about 15. Why, you ask? Because it took me about 15 months to figure out instead of buying a new set every time the spout break, I should just order new spouts for the existing cups. I searched and searched and finally found a few sites that have the spouts sold separately. When I purchased the replacement spouts, they were not available on the nuby website. I e-mailed customer service and told them they should really consider selling them. I just payed a visit to the site and they finally have them! 10 for $10… That’s AWESOME! I paid $3 for each pack of 2.
Anyway, I love these cups. So does Trey, I should say did. I am trying to wean him off them as he is potty trained now and was in the habit of drinking way too much. We use juice boxes now with meals and snack time instead of sippy cups whenever he needed comfort. No worries though, I will get plenty of use out of these with Leilani!
5. In-Car Dvd Player: 
I don’t know how I got by with out this. We had ours installed last summer and boy was it a life saver for the 30 minutes ride to and from swimming lessons. Trey knew where we were going everyday and would freak out the second we got in to the car. The dvd player took his mind off the destination and allowed him to enjoy the ride. 
Downside: he became addicted to it and would ask for it every time we got in the car. You may not see the problem in this… the problem is our car broke down a few months ago and in the process of fixing the car the DVD broke. It needed a new fuse and we just didn’t get around to getting it fixed until last weekend. So for few months without it working, driving anywhere was a nightmare. Ok that might be an exaggeration but you can imagine a two year old not getting his way.
Worth the investment!
6. The Backyadigans: 
If you don’t have children you most likely do not know who these marvelous creatures are. If you do have kids and don’t know who they are, you should get to know them… Nickjr and Noggin, comcast channels 61, 131, & 132 on various times during the day.
Trey has been in love with this show since the first time we watched it, so have I. It’s amazing how creative the makers of this show are. They sing and dance in every episode and each episode has a theme, like country or salsa. It’s amazing and entertaining for kids and adults. Trey may not speak well but he has all the songs memorized and attempts to dance like his favorite friends. We even have a cd filled with songs off i-tunes to listen to in the car when the dvd was broken. Last Halloween he was allowed to pick his own costume…
that’s Pablo the penguin if you aren’t familiar.
7. (Last but not least) DVR: 
Please don’t judge me that I am addicted to tv. I love this invention! Not only is it great for me to catch up on missed shows while the kids nap or while I’m in school so I can focus on my work instead of dreading missing a show, but our dvr downstairs is loaded with dozens of episodes of Backyardigans for Trey. There are times during the day when there is nothing on tv that is appropriate for a 2 year old, or any age for that matter. ( I HATE SPONGEBOB!) It’s nice to have backup when he just wants to watch tv. He now knows to specifically ask for backyardigans. ( he’s watching it at this very moment).
What are your guilty pleasures? What fills up the most space on your DVR or TIVO?
What can’t you live without?
(this is a new verison of my model)
