Life isn't easy... but some things help

As I was cleaning the house today I had some thoughts about things I own or ideas I've had that have made my life a little easier.

* The water dispenser on the refrigerator door- when my kids need a drink all they have to do is grab a cup (from the dishwasher- or a paper one from the pantry) and fill up all by themselves. There is no more yelling for mom to get them a drink.

*Sleeping bags for bedding- this might sound a little weird. Each of my boys have a dark blue fitted sheet on their bed. On top of that is their character sleeping bag: "Spider-Man" for Jackson and "Cars" for Gavin. They are warm, they are very portable (throw them off, take them down stairs, shove in washer, whatever), they have the same color palette so they match on the bunk beds, plus the best reason of all- just zip and straighten and you've made the bed for the day. The boys can actually make the bed look very nice and neat themselves. As long as they will let me I won't ever have flat sheets that you have to stretch around the edges, worry about the creases and wrinkles, and then tuck in and then put the quilt or comforter over that. I think the beds look just as nice with a simple sleeping bag.

*The Swivel Sweeper- this neat gadget is like a little vacuum for your kitchen. The head swivels around and gets in corners and under the table. It has a rechargeable battery so you never find yourself without its use. It's perfect for after-dinner crumbs, flour or sugar that sprinkles down while you are baking, or dried up play-doh.

*A third toilet- the beginning of this last year we had a good friend finish our laundry room and add on a little half bathroom. It is so nice to have that third toilet available right off the family room. It is especially convenient for the kids who now don't have to take time to rush upstairs, miss their show, and pee their pants because they "didn't quite make it." What a life-saver and a blessing.

*Pureeing Veggies- I have followed Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" book on how to add pureed vegetables to dishes that you eat so you don't have to worry about your kids not getting enough nutrients. I love the idea. My kids actually do eat veggies and fruit, but not the variety I would like nor the quantity, so this helps quite a bit. We have had oatmeal bars with spinach, brownies with applesauce/sweet potatoes, brownies with black beans, lasagna with cauliflower and carrots, mashed potatoes with cauliflower, chicken nuggets with broccoli, and the list goes on. My absolute favorite thing to add to anything is cauliflower. It's white so you don't detect it in hardly any sauces or dishes and it actually tastes good. I'm not a big raw-cauliflower fan, but cooked and pureed it is very similar to mashed potatoes and I can actually eat it by the spoonfuls this way. It's amazing.

*Baby formula- my SIL recently wrote about this great invention and I completely agree. I stopped nursing my baby at six months because I was supplementing after every feeding so I still had to buy formula. My body just stopped making enough milk for her. Luckily I have always given her one bottle a day to get her used to it so she wasn't ever starving or going down in weight. It was just getting to be a hassle to nurse her every two - three hours then have her drink a 4 oz. bottle after that. How much was I even making? What would I do if I couldn't have supplemented with formula? Do they even have wet nurses anymore- or was that just in the old days? Shout out for formula!!!

*Frank-my comic relief. When most of you talk to him or see him he is totally relaxed and in his element of quick wit and funny stories. However, on a daily basis he is like any other dedicated, hard-working, serious, sometimes-stressed person. But he can usually tell when I need to hear or see something that will lighten my day and that is when he brings out the "big-guns". He'll show me a funny clip he found on You-Tube, he'll try and sing while playing his guitar, he'll try and do old tricks he could do as a teenager, he'll dance, or we'll reminisce over funny sleeping memories or family stories. The comedy definitely makes the day easier.

*Lysol/ Clorox Wipes- just wipe up and go. I love these on the kitchen countertops after cooking any meat or eggs, quick mop of the floor, dusting, wipe down the toilet seats or any part of the bathroom, wipe off muddy/dirty shoes, clean the interior of the car, any doorknobs, handles, and phones, toys, etc. You get the idea.