4 things that are making my life better
1. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Cups
Back in December I bought the gift certificate bundle from the Ultimate Bundles people, and I used one of the certificates to buy two of these Klean Kanteen stainless steel cups.
I hesitated a bit before buying them because I read that some people had rust issues with them in the dishwasher because of the rolled lip.
But I'm happy to say I have had no such issue, which is what I would expect from stainless steel!
Anyway.
These are lightweight, they nest (which means they take up very little cabinet space), and unlike glass, they aren't breakable, which means that they should last for ages, even in a house full of kids.
So, if you're looking for a kid-friendly, plastic free drinking vessel, I think you should get some.
I have the 10-oz. variety ($7.25 apiece)
They also come in a 4-pack for $27.75, which saves you $1.75 vs. buying four separately.
And they're available in 16 and 20 ounce sizes as well...you can view all the options in the drop-down menu on this page.
Since my kitchen is a bit low on cabinet space, I'm considering buying a few more of these instead of replacing the glasses we've broken.
2. The TubShroom
I bought one of these on a whim after seeing an ad on Amazon, and I have to say, it's pretty fabulous.
I have zero regrets about my impulse buy. 😉
It's $12.99, it fits into the drain perfectly, it's inconspicuous, it stays put (so no one has to actually remember to use it), and the tub drains just as well as it did before.
The only thing is, no hair is going down the drain!
This is in the bathroom that all of my girls use, so there's a powerful amount of hair that's being kept out of the pipes.
(We have had some impressively disgusting hair clogs in the past, let me tell you!)
Compared to the price and headache of dealing with a clogged pipe, $12.99 is a total bargain.
It comes in five different colors too, so if you don't want boring white, there are options for you. 😉
3. The Kindle App
I have not ever really managed to get onto the e-reader train. I never remember to get the Kindle out, and for some reason, I just completely forget that I even have e-books because I can't physically see them.
Library books sit on my nightstand, so I never forget about those. 😉
But.
I realized recently I was spending wasting way too much time on the Instagram explore page (ooh! So many pictures! Scroll, scroll, scroll...)
So, I installed the Kindle app and now when I'm at loose ends, I read a few pages of a book instead. In just a week's time, I got an entire book read this way.
Which is arguably a better use of my time than looking at before and after photos on Instagram. 😉
4. Flip and Tumble bags
I got a couple of these in my Mighty Fix some months ago, and my goodness, they are now my very, very favorite reusable bag.
The thing that makes them so great is that they are crazy easy to fold up. I've had some others that require zipping or snapping, but these just fold up neatly into a stretch pouch that's part of the bag.
SOOO convenient. And they come in a whole bunch of very fun colors.
I fold them up right away when I'm done and throw them into my purse, which means I always have two bags with me. This is so great when I'm running errands where I might not always remember to bring my stash of bags (like when I'm shopping at a clothing or craft store. Or visiting the library).
They're $13 on Amazon with free shipping, OR if you're a Mighty Fix member, you can add them on to your fix with free shipping for $11.99.
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What's been making your life easier of late?
I'm glad you are enjoying the tub-shroom. It seemed to do nothing for us so we bought a cheap metal strainer at Home Depot and haven't had an issue since.
Also, the stainless steel cups intrigue me as we seem to be breaking a lot of glasses lately (or rather they just end up in the cupboard cracked) but at that price, I think I'll pass.
As for me, I wouldn't say there's much making my life easier (life has been pretty difficult lately for a variety of reasons.) I will say that I've been really enjoying my new family room area in our basement. My daughter keeps her blocks and a few select toys down there and it's a nice place to watch TV, listen to music (my daughter loves dancing) and let her play.
Also, while I'd never actually own one, the Chevy Spark that the insurance company rented for me while I wait for my car to be repaired is actually really easy to park. It's otherwise a really cheap feeling econobox, though.
Battra92, I hope whatever is causing the difficulties gets resolved soon.
All the love to you, Battra. <3
Similar to the flip bags, I really like Chico bags. Same kind of concept and they have a carabiner. I carry a really small purse, so I just clip a couple bags to the strap.
I'm a Chico bag fan, too!
I have something similar for my bathtub since my hair seems to like falling and clogging the drain A LOT. It's such a big reliever to have such a simple yet effective tool. Now I just clean it after a shower and forget about declogging the bathtub >_<
I like this post idea!
I have the Chico bags that fold into themselves, so I can keep one in my purse. It means I almost always use my Chico bag instead of yet another plastic bag.
I found a Foley food mill at Goodwill, and it makes saucing cooked fruits and veggies a breeze. I also puree cooked pumpkin and hard squashes. Food mills have been around a long time, and I should have bought one long ago. I love that I don't have to peel if I don't want to peel.
My bamboo handled dish brush I got from Mighty Nest helps me get the dishes ready for the dishwasher a lot faster, and it's handy for things on which I don't want to use my stainless scrubber.
My plastic Mason jar caps are used constantly for storing, refrigerating, and freezing foods in Mason jars. I bought two boxes each of both sizes and I generally have all but 2 or 3 caps in use at any given time.
Our yard cart -- it's not really big, but for carrying potted plants, bags of dirt or cement, piles of debris, bricks, stones, wood, or anything big or bulky that needs to be moved, or for something for which there are a lot of small items to carry, it is the perfect tool.
I've thought about the steel cups, too, but having quite pulled the trigger on those yet.
Yes, I love those lids for the mason jars too. They are so much easier than dealing with a ring and lid, and no danger of rusting either. I use them for storing things in the fridge, cupboard, and freezer.
I also have some one piece all metal ones that came on jars of coconut oil. I think they're aluminum, and don't seem to rust either.
My issue with stainless steel cups is that they sweat. I like them for the future when we have a kid who will break glass, and they're better than plastic, but I don't like sweaty cups. I gave up my kleen kanteen water bottle in favor of an insulated hydroflask for this reason.
I don't have a problem with the double-walled ones sweating, and I love in hot, humid Texas. WalMart and Sam's have Yeti knockoffs now for less than $10.
Love these! I need to get a TubShroom!
I recently got some reusable metal straws for drinking smoothies, and ho-ly moly is it easier to sip on smoothies now. 🙂 I also made DIY beeswax cling wraps to replace Ziplocs. They're natural and made from old sheets I got at the thrift store. 🙂
This is not a product that is making my life easier, but both of my children now attend the same daycare!! We no longer have to do two drop offs and two pick ups. It's amazing the effect the extra half hour of sleep that my kids got last night had on their attitudes this morning. I was even able to add in a walk for myself!!
Yes!!!!!! This!!!! My youngest is starting school soon, same one as the oldest, which means one drop off, one pick up. Can't wait!!
We have a lot of SS cups, and you can get them WAAAAAY cheaper on Amazon through different brands. We used paint pens to have our kiddos decorate them, so it's easier to tell cups apart. I don't think you need the Klean Kanteen brand for these ones 🙂
Ooh, sweet! So, what brands of stainless steel cups do you recommend?
We just got whatever the cheapest ones were at the time. They don't have a brand name etched on them. However, after a year and a half of use with being run through the dishwasher, we've had no rust issues.
I got the cheap recommended ones on Amazon too and they have become my new favorite thing. I got the 16 oz. size and it came in a set of 5 for under $20. I think closer to $16 maybe. They also had the other sizes too. I'm trying to get rid of my plastic cups and needed something for my nieces to use (all 3 under 7yo) when they came over.
What type of paint pens do you use on them? I've been looking for a way to always be able to tell which kid each cup belongs to and this sounds like a great idea. Does the paint stay on through multiple washings? Thanks
We have the Sharpie oil-based paint pens. We run them through the dishwasher and paint fades and has gone off a little, but a year later and it's still mostly on there
So I think I want all 3 of those now!! Especially the cups. I swear, we have so many cups and nothing stacks well. And with the littles, I think those would be perfect to save cabinet space.
I've added a todoist app to help me remember all my things to do and it's helping alot.
Thats the biggest thing, but if anyone has a good way to keep up with laundry to help me keep that organized and focused, I fully appreciate that!
I almost bought the Tubshroom a couple weeks ago, but put it back. May have to go ahead & get it.
I love, love, love the Kindle app. I am on the mailing list of several free book sites and hardly ever read anything else now.
Just wanted to let you know I bought the tubshroom awhile back when you first talked about it and we are loving it!!!
Did the same. Love my TubShroom too!
When you buy a book on Kindle, you can usually buy the Audible version of the book at a very reduced price. I refuse to be a member of Audible after a very difficult experience getting out of a monthly account, but there's no membership required when you buy an Audible book to go with your Kindle or print copy purchased from Amazon. My favorite author's books are in the range of 1000 print pages, and the Kindle books take too long to read to borrow from our library's electronic book section. But for under $5 plus the price of the Kindle book (I watch for sales!) I get about 36 hours of listening on Audible. I like to listen when cooking and cleaning house. I get to read the book when I have some downtime on my mobile device, and listen when I'm engaged in activities that don't require my full attention. We recently took a trip and it was lovely to have both options to fill the time on long car and plane rides and when stuck in an airport for 5 hours.
2 things that made my life easier..
My Instant Pot. I had 6 ears of corn, 1 head of cauliflower and 1 huge pot of carrots cooked (steamed) in about 1/2 hour and I did not heat my kitchen up. Woot! It has made me want to get rid of my Nesco cookers but I keep them because people borrow them for parties.
Drop Stop. Yup my phone or keys were always falling between my seat and console..well not anymore!! :0)
1. E books that can be checked of the library, and yes, I have the app on my phone! I've that books are available 24/7 and I don't have to go anywhere to pick up or return.
2. Crock pot! I put in a roast right before I left that will keep my husband fed for the days I will be out of town.
3. My car cell phone charger. It's so much faster than an outlet and I can do it on the way somewhere.
Lol, when we went from a minivan to a sedan, I was always dropping stuff between the seats and unable to reach it. A friend recommended Drop Stops. I bought them with a coupon at BB&B. I thought they were a total rip-off, but installed them anyway. The other day, I looked between the seats and noticed them. Yup, they work so well I had forgotten they were there.
Uhmmm? Love my Instant pots. The price for 2 six-quart units was less than 1 eight-quart on Prime Day, so I splashed out on two and love them.
Ooh, this is getting harder. I found a Bodum Shin Bistro Coffee Press new in the box at GW for 6.99 last week. Since we don't drink coffee, it will be nice to have something easy, cheap and non-mechanical available for guests.
I can't think of anything else. Lucky me, I guess.
And Batttra92, I'm sorry you've hit a rough patch. I always enjoy reading your comments and the glimpses of how much your life has changed over the years. I hope things smooth out soon.
LOVE the kindle app and LOVE that I can download FREE library books.
What is making my life easier right now.... hmm...
1. That my 5yo is now out of the big car seat and into a booster seat that she's able to buckle herself. Yay for little steps of independence!
2. That I'm home almost every day in august with the kids. Enough said.
3. That my kids are old enough to manage mornings by themselves if I sleep in a little bit. (5 and 7)
4. ....? Can't think of anything original.....
I totally get the "being able to buckle yourself". My son is a huge 4 year old and he can now lean down and unbuckle the seatbelt. It is amazing!!!
Oooh, the Klean Kanteen cups and TubShroom look awesome! I may need to look into these...
Running hot water. There ain't nothing like it.
I feel like there must be a story here...
No particularly, no. I've traveled and hiked enough to appreciate how wonderful running hot water is (and my Revolutionary War re-enactor co-worker pointed out that our water doesn't have twigs or insects floating in it, either), but no sad/funny story to share.
1. As I was putting my wet clothes in my new dryer this morning I realized how much easier my life is with this dryer! My old one stopped working in June and we did without for about 2 months. This one dries so much faster, and I learned I could hang more clothes than I thought so hopefully will save on our gas bill in the future.
2. We love our Tubshroom. My husband was skeptical, but it has been great.
3. Grandparents who contribute to the expenses of school supplies for 4 children has made our life much easier. So thankful!
4. Fixed dishwasher... yes, having some challenges with appliances. This one we did without for about 9 months... once again learning how thankful I am for our modern appliances.
We are making ready for a first child/grandchild/great grandchild so much stuff has come into our tiny home. Oh my this baby is so loved already but there is no room. Since she is the first we will be keeping items such as bed/bedding so I need to find a home.
We are having solar power issues and not for the first time. I have gone as far as I can with trying to fix the inverter.
Meanwhile my reducing campaign continues.
I bought some stainless steel cups for my kids last year and use them all the time. I intensely dislike anything plastic, but also do not enjoy cleaning up ceramic shards, so stainless steel it is. Best.
We bought a 2005 Honda Pilot a couple of weeks ago and it has made my life much better. We only had one car for a few months, a Subaru Outback, which is a great car, but it's a 2003 and getting pretty rattly and loud after about 8 years of hard use by my husband. The back of the Subaru was so cramped it was really hard to reach the seat belt buckles for the three kids and getting them in and out was extremely frustrating. And although we can certainly handle only having one car, it does make for some inconvenience.
The real reason we got another vehicle is that our fourth child is coming in October and we didn't have a vehicle in which we could transport our entire family. Makes it kind of hard to bring the baby home from the hospital. 🙂 Even though we mostly got the Honda because it happened to be for sale in the tiny village near us and seats 8, it just feels much better to drive than the Subaru. It rides better and is much less cramped. Plus, it's not already rusting away, like our previous minivan was when we bought it. Bonus.