It's OK to act like a kid

Last night it snowed here in Wisconsin. This has been our first substantial snow of the season and my kids could not wait to get out and play in it. For the first month of winter we have not had decent sledding snow. The kids got the grand idea to take their sleds down our plastic slide. Luckily, I have not had to make any trips to the emergency room from resulting trips. 

So after my son got out of school I took them home, got them a good lunch, and packed up our gear. It's no easy task to find all the snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, and warm socks for everyone but we managed it. I honestly thought my son was going to fall asleep during the process but 40 minutes later we were in the minivan going to what I hoped would be a decent sledding hill. As we pulled up to the parkway I could see we were the only people there. I was worried that the hill would be too small or the snow would be worn off already from kids sledding earlier. To my pleasant surprise the conditions were perfect. 

When I approached the hill with them I thought about those roller coasters that when you reach the top, you can't see the track. As we got closer to the hill I could see the bottom but not how steep the first part of the hill was. With two kids on the younger side I didn't want to have any broken bones or lost teeth. However, the kids were both keen on going down (they have no fear). 

I had no idea how this was all going to work. Would they want me to go with them? Would I have to carry two kids back up this giant hill? Where was the chair lift?! How was I going to carry two kids and two sleds? I didn't bring any rope for this kind of work! I wore my snow pants and was prepared so that at least I wouldn't freeze while I stood there watching them have fun. Well today I was in luck, my three year old got to the bottom of the hill but could not carry her sled and walk. So I took our third sled and flew to the bottom to meet them. What a thrill! Not the kind of corkscrew roller coaster kind of thrill or even the great sex kind, but the thrill of feeling like a kid again. This was the thrill I get from feeling the chilly wind on my face and watching the smiles on the kids' faces as I came to play with them. 

Most days that's all my kids want- someone to play with them. Even though they play with each other and love to create and play pretend, sometimes they want a parent or adult to come join in the fun. Tonight my daughter asked me to play on the tablet with her. They just want to be near me. This is a lesson I have to remember as I'm busy making dinner, cleaning the house, or signing them up for lessons and activities.  Sometimes it is alright to stop cleaning, put down the vacuum, grab a sword, and pretend to be pirates. My kids won't remember how clean our house was or how I spent hours slaving away making dinner. What they will remember are the times we had fun playing and spending time together. 

When I think about my own childhood, I remember family road trips and vacations, nature walks, blanket forts, and trips to the farm. On days when I get the most stressed out I'm learning to stop and get my mind to think like a 5 year old. What do my kids really want and need at this time? What will they remember? What do I want them to remember? They want me to be with them, to sit and watch a movie, to make cookies, to play a game, or read a book. I want them to remember having fun with their mom. There will be time for everything else, but we only have today one time. I have to make the most of it. 

New Page! Discount Programs!

I created a new page (see the link to the right) that is all about discount programs I use. This page will be updated as I find discount programs I use and recommend. Enjoy! 

Ecovas Deebot Robot Vacuum- Our experience

Our introduction to Deebot, our new robot vacuum.

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.

I am one of those people who waits until the next big thing has come out with version 3, 4, or 5 before purchasing one for myself. Long ago the words robot vacuum came to our homes and I became excited. Could it be true; a vacuum that would do the work for me?! As one would expect, it took some time to work out the kinks and even then it wasn't necessarily what everyone thought it would be and so I waited. I waited and waited and waited. I also waited for the price to come down because anyone who knows me, knows I would NEVER spend $400 on a robot vacuum. 

One August morning I logged into my e-mail account to find that Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day was, to my pleasant surprise, a brand of robot vacuums. I was elated and skeptical at the same time. Could this be what I was looking for or was it some terrible knock-off that would disappoint me and leave me wanting more? The Ecovas Deebot M80 Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner (currently unavailable as I write this post, here is one that is available with similar features) was the brand of vacuums on sale.  While I appreciate any item with a 4 star or more review, I do read a variety of the reviews to make sure I was getting a quality item. So with this vacuum, it seemed we were ready to take the plunge. The Ecovas M80 we purchased was on sale for $169.98 (without tax) and was regularly over $300. Thankfully with Amazon Prime it arrived on our doorstep two days later.

I gleefully took it out of the package and immediately assembled it. With a dog and two kids in the house I was hoping it would prevent me from vacuuming once or twice every day. After allowing it to charge for the appropriate amount of time I set it off and I was not disappointed. The canister had to be emptied twice during its first run! The first few weeks I had it we ran Deebot (it's new name) every day. After that, I was able to go down to about once every two or three days. It was perfect for picking up dog hair and the loose dirt and grass the kids bring in from the yard. I don't allow it to go in the two rooms with carpet as there are too many items on which it could get stuck (toys, wires, doll hair). I now only do a deep vacuum once a week! YES, ONCE A WEEK! Here I was vacuuming every day (sometimes twice) and now I could spend more time with my kids, have a conversation with my mom, cook a meal, or have quality time with hubby. 

Deebot LOVES to get stuck on doll hair.

It does come with a wifi connection, but we have not set it up to take advantage of that feature. We have used the mop function though. It is by no means a replacement for a deep clean or if something has spilled. I have used it when a room needs a quick once-over and I haven't gotten the mop out in a day or two. The reservoir is not very big and will hold enough water for one normal sized bedroom. 

All that said, there are some things to be warned about. First, it does have a very random pattern. Deebot doesn't even do just one room at a time, it goes everywhere until it has run out of battery. That being said, it doesn't matter to me how it gets my floors clean as long as there is no dog hair when it is done. 

Pick up furniture.

I get stuck between the legs.

Secondly, it does get stuck between chair legs occasionally. This rocking chair is one of its favorite places to get stuck. After learning this I just put the problem chairs on top of a table or bed before I run Deebot. 

Thirdly, it needs three inches of clearance space to get under furniture. We adjusted the height of our bed frame to give it just that. You can see in the photos it manages to get under the bed just fine. It is the first time in years I don't have to clean under the bed myself and I can't tell you how happy about that I am! 

Lastly, if you don't pick up your charging cords it will get stuck on them. I just push mine behind my night stand and I've placed the lamp cords over a chair or wrapped them around the base. The instructions and reviews will tell you that it gets stuck on carpet tassels. I have runners with 2-3 inch tassels on them and only occasionally does Deebot get stuck on them. 

Overall, I would highly recommend it for those people who can't stand bits of food, dust, animal fur, etc. on their floors and find themselves vacuuming all the time. Out of all our purchases in 2017 this has been my biggest time saver by far!