Upping the efficiency ante

In the last couple months, we've made a few purchases that have significantly improved our lives.

Roomba vacuum
Neither of us likes to vacuum, but with a little one on the way, we need to have clean floors all the time. I considered my options and came up with a few ideas:

1. Vacuum more.
2. Hire a cleaning service.
3. Buy a Roomba.

I was able to dismiss Option 1 immediately.

Option 2 would provide many benefits other than clean carpets, but now is not the time to take on another considerable monthly expense.

Option 3 costs about the same as a month's worth of house cleaning--not cheap--but a Roomba comes with a yearlong warranty, so we can assume that we can enjoy the benefits of the Roomba for at least a year. Plus one of the benefits of a cleaning service is that it inspires you to neaten up for them, and a Roomba offers the same motivation because you don't want to run a vacuum when your shoes are littering the floor.

Our Roomba arrived a few weeks ago and seemed pretty easy to set up. (B did it.) The biggest hassle is the need to clean it out after every vac. As B pointed out, you don't necessarily save time over traditional vacuuming, since the cleaning-out process can be time consuming, but the Roomba is appealing to people who would rather clean out smaller parts than push a vac around.

B uses one of those air cans to help clean the little guy out, and so far, Roomby is working like a champ. We ran it for the first time when we were home so we could figure out where he'd get stuck. It's a little noisy, no worse than a regular vacuum, but its cleaning cycle is about 30 minutes, a long time to listen to a vacuum, so now we run it as we walk out the door.

The Roomba is lightweight, so you can easily move it from floor to floor, set it off, and come back to nicely vacuumed carpets. It even leaves vacuum marks in the carpet.

The Roomba probably can't replace our regular vacuum, and I wouldn't recommend it for houses with pets unless you were willing to run it and clean it out every day, but we're very happy with the purchase and our always-clean carpets.

New toaster
We didn't have a toaster in my city apartment; there was no room in my bathtub-sized kitchen. After we bought our condo about 5 years ago, we ventured to Target in search of a toaster oven. There were shelves upon shelves of them, and I declared that I was willing to invest in the cheapest toaster oven they had and would consider upgrading to a better model later. Mr. Cheapy came home with us.

He rattled and ticked and wasn't very good at toasting or reheating, but he was easier and faster than the oven, so we stuck with him. He repaid our commitment to him by continuing to work despite the occasional conflagrations that resulted from heating pizza slices directly on the rack.

However, life is too short to have to keep an eye on your bagel to make sure that it does not become burned. I decided I was ready for a grownup toaster oven.

My cousin raved about her Breville Smart Oven, and Cook's Illustrated concurred, giving it their top rating among toaster ovens. I was sold. B, who is not a fan of depriving himself, either, agreed that we deserved a better toaster and ordered it.

We love it. It is surprisingly easy to use, considering its complex settings. The crumb tray is a breeze to empty. And our bagels are toasted the way that we want them to be, no supervision required.

One minor issue is the oven's size and weight. This appliance is made to live on a counter top, whereas our old toaster lived in the pantry and came out only when we needed it. However, the size is also a plus. It's an extension of your oven and can fit surprisingly large pans inside. And it preheats in just a couple minutes, saving time and energy when compared to your oven.

The other major downside is the price tag. The Smart Oven is not a cheap investment. Sure, you're saving some electricity from not using your oven, but are you saving that much electricity? Probably not. However, if you can justify the cost to yourself (or if you don't even feel the need to justify the expense), I recommend considering this oven for your kitchen. 

Clothes lines
Great convenience can sometimes come at a low cost. Don't you love staying at a hotel and finding the convenient clothes line in the shower?

I do. I have a wooden drying rack from my college years, but the glue has worn out in several places, and it can't stand upright on its own anymore. With all the baby laundry we have ahead of us--including our crib linens that can't go in the dryer (argh), we needed a better drying solution.

B suggested the clothes lines that hotels feature, and I loved the idea. Hotel living at home? Sign me up!

We bought 2 retractable clothes lines, and B installed them in my shower in a snap. I washed a couple of bassinet sheets last week and was very pleased not to have to drag out that horrible drying rack.

There is one minor issue with installing the lines in the shower, though--you have to remember that you have items hanging in there before turning the shower on. Going forward, perhaps I ought to leave the curtain open when items are drying...