By: Rachel Ventura
I’m a mother of two young children and I work part time from home. We have preschool, soccer, gymnastics, Early Intervention, play dates, birthday parties, and much, much more. We are busy! And I’m sure many, if not all, of you are as well! Sometimes I 
honestly think it’s a small miracle that I am able to find the time to cook and clean the house. I have a few products that I use regularly which make my crazy, hectic life just a little easier.
I have to tell you, I am absolutely in love with my Shark Steam mop. It is so easy to use and cleans the floors beautifully. We have hardwood and tile throughout our house and it works great on both. You just fill it up with water, plug it in, and go. It cleans the floors well, without a lot of elbow grease, and dries very quickly, which is an invaluable asset to someone with young children. I also love that it cleans using simply water. No harsh chemicals that I need to worry about with the kids and dogs. So it’s good for both the environment and your pocket.
I also use Clorox disinfecting wipes, a lot. I love the convenience of the wipes themselves and the cleaning power that they have. I’ve also found that they work well on mirrors and other shiny surfaces, leaving no streaks behind. However, it wasn’t until I saw a commercial that I became aware of the fact that the company recommends that you wipe down surfaces that may come in contact with food after you have cleaned them using the wipes. It freaked me out a little bit. I still use the wipes to clean the bathroom and kitchen, but for other, more sensitive areas, I now use Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes. I love the fact that I can use these everywhere, including the dining room table, highchair, and even the kid’s toys!
Another favorite in our house is the Crock-Pot. In the fall and winter I use it at least once a week. (I also use it during the spring and summer, though not as frequently.) What could be easier than throwing everything in one pot in the morning and coming back to a delicious dinner a few hours later? (Easy clean up, too!) And, the house smells scrumptious all day…bonus! One of our favorite recipes is for chicken enchilada soup. Yummmm.
Growing up, we ate a lot of Shake ‘n Bake. It was one of my Mom’s specialties and as the commercial said, I loved to help! Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy some Shake ‘n Bake chicken from time to time, but Kraft has stepped it up and created Fresh Take cheese and breadcrumb mixes. After trying these, I don’t think I will ever go back. You can find them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually with the shredded cheese. It’s really easy and tastes great on chicken, pork and fish. They also have other recipes on the package like twice baked cheesy potatoes and southwest stuffed peppers. We’ve tried all the different flavors and they’re all really good, but our favorite is cheddar jack and bacon.
What are some of your tried and true time savers? I’d love to hear about them so please comment and share!!
Community Voices for Health 