I can’t wait to tell you about 6 must-have household items, but first I want to touch base on a few things. Think of it as the announcements over the loud speaker in high school…who doesn’t miss high school? Much simpler times, right?
Anyway, It has been just shy of forever since I last posted. When this whole quarantine/COVID-19 pandemic first started I thought I would get more done on my blog working from home. I am not sure why I thought that…maybe because I wouldn’t have anyone from work looking over my shoulder or popping in by surprise to see what I am doing. I’m not sure. All I know is that I was wrong, like REALLY wrong. I somehow talk to my boss more than I did when we were right next to each other in our cubicles and for some reason she wants to see results from me daily. The nerve! (Totally kidding – I 100% need my job on the off chance someone I work with is reading this).
All that to say, clearly I have not been working on my blog very much lately. Well, that stops today! I need to get everything under control. My priorities need straightening, everything (literally EVERYTHING) needs some cleaning & organizing, and a few lists need to be made. I am a more positive person when I have a handle on my life. Let’s not forget that Grant is mobilizing in the next few weeks and will be gone for 15 months (no, not a typo) I am going to need all the positive vibes I can muster. (Making a mental note for me to reference the following blog posts: How To Get Things Done When Feeling Overwhelmed by Life and How To Be Happy)
So, here I am at 6 am writing a blog post about must-have household items. This is literally the ONLY time of the day the house is quiet enough to concentrate.
Definition of a Must-Have item?
So, what’s a “must-have”? To me, a must-have household item is an item I use regularly, if not every single day, something that makes my life easier, and it is something that I would replace if my current model/version broke.
Side Note: These would also make GREAT house-warming gifts and/or wedding gifts.
6 Must-Have Household Items
Includes affiliate links.
Robot Vacuum
We call our Shark robot vacuum “Sharkie” and he is a beloved member of the Lively family. The model we have is no longer available, but this one is similar. I think we are going on our 3rd year with it.
If you have pets, a robot vacuum is an absolute game changer, a definite MUST-HAVE! We run ours almost every single day.
Disclosure: This is the only robot vacuum I have any experience with, so I can’t say if it is better or worse than other models. What I can say is that if Sharkie were to break I wouldn’t have an issue buying it again.
Money Saving Tip: Robot vacuums are expensive. We bought ours from Kohl’s with a 30% off coupon, Kohls gives Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent, which I used for Christmas presents. This was the cheapest way I could find. So, if you are looking for a way to save a little money you may try what I di
Candles/Diffusers
I love a house that smells good. I always have candles burning or my diffuser going. There is something about it that makes a home feel so cozy! (Click here for more ways to make a home feel cozy). I HAVE found a difference in quality when it comes to candles, but sometimes (almost always) I don’t want to spend $30 for a Yankee Candle candle! My favorite place to pick up candles is at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. They usually have Yankee Candle candles at a discounted price, along with other well-known brands. I have also read that there is a difference in quality when it comes to oils for diffusing, but if you are only using the oils for the scent and not for the medicinal/therapeutic qualities then I say buy whatever smells good in your budget.
Air Fryer/Crock Pot
I have been a long term love affair with the crockpot. Nothing makes meet quite as tender as a crock pot does, but we recently added an air fryer to the team and I have to say…obsessed. The only downside is that it is super simple to make fatty foods (chicken nuggets, French fries, mozzarella sticks, etc) and I definitely don’t need eating unhealthy to be any easier.
Our Air Fryer (here).
Our Crock Pot (here).
Alexa
Ours is in the kitchen. I love being able to say “Alexa, add ground cinnamon and cheese to the grocery list” as I’m cooking. Alexa then adds it to the app on my phone, so when I am at the store I always have my grocery list with me.
This next problem doesn’t apply to most people, as most people probably have a timer on their stove that works, but I also love using Alexa for a timer. Ours doesn’t work, and hasn’t for a year or more. It also has a 1, 4, and 7 buttons that don’t work, so anything that needs to be cooked at 425 degrees – forget it. Luckily, our “Pizza” button works, so we can bake things ta 400 degrees. ( I know, it’s exhausting at our house). We also use Alexa to listen to music throughout the house, play podcasts, and ask random facts. Some people have concerns that Alexa records everything people say and that may be true, but honestly, they can record me talking about plants and how much I eat if they want. Doesn’t bother me a bit.
Leaf Blower
Favorite/most used outdoor tool is our blower. I use it almost daily. We have a carport and a long driveway, so it makes tidying things up SO much easier.
Cat Door
We have 2 cats, Geezer & Louise. Louise enjoys sleeping 23 hours a day (she is the perfect cat) while Geezer keeps us up all night long. Our solution has worked wonders for our sanity making it a definite must-have in our house. We installed a cat door to our basement. During the day the cat door is open, however at nighttime we lock the cat door so they have to stay downstairs. Don’t worry, it is a finished basement. Their food and litter boxes are down there too. So, between the hours of 10 pm-6 am they sleep downstairs. They sleep. We sleep. All are happy.
So, there you have it. Those are my 6 must-have household items. I kid you not, if any one of those items broke or stopped working, I wouldn’t think twice about replacing it with another one of the exact same thing.
Let me know your “must-have” household items in the comments below =)
Until next time,
Julie
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