Save Time by Automating Household Chores

I can’t afford to hire a housekeeper, and I work full time. I don’t have other family members to share the burden of taking care of household chores. How do I keep my house in order and maintain a good quality of life? Automate! Here are some ideas.

Cleaning the floor with robots

Let the Roomba or similar robotic vacuums clean the floor for you while you are at work! This is a major time saver.

Landscaping service or robotic mower?

While we are talking about robots, do you know there are robotic lawn mowers and weeders? These innovative products are offered by Automated Outdoor Solutions. Check them out!

Laundry

We all use washers and dryers, so laundry is automated. And if you use a programmable washing machine, you can schedule it to run at a convenient time, for example, two hours before you can come home to move the clean laundry to the dryer. But you can save more time by simply packing your laundry in a bag and call the local laundry delivery service. Your clothes will come back clean, fresh and ready to wear! You can further “automate” by subscribing to a weekly or biweekly delivery.

Maid service

Hey, automation doesn’t have to be by machines 😉 The robotic vacuum can only clean the floors. You can use automatic toilet bowl cleaners like Flush 2000. However, you’ll still need the clean the shower and the kitchen, do some dusting, etc. and there are no robots for those yet, as far as I know. Scheduling the cleaners to come every two weeks will do the trick!

Rent a dumpster for cleanups

De-clutter your house at least once a year to make your daily cleaning easier. Save yourself trips to the town recycling center and rent a dumpster instead. The dumpster rental company will haul your junk away for you and take care of the recycling, too!

Online food delivery service

No time for cooking and clean up afterwards? There’s nothing more convenient than having your favorite food delivered to you! You can use an app like UberEats, or order from your favorite local restaurant or supermarket as well.

Drugstore deliveries

You have probably used apps that allow you to refill prescriptions and have them delivered to you. But many drugstores, like the pharmacy near me, also have online stores where you can buy home healthcare products, personal care and even household products and deliver to you as well. Check them out!

Automatic propane delivery

If you use propane for heating, cooking, etc. for your home, sign up for automatic propane delivery. With automatic delivery, the supplier knows when to deliver propane to you without you having to call them. You’ll never run out of fuel because you forgot to check or to call. Isn’t that a life saver?

Sign up for autopay

I use autopay for all my utility bills, credit card bills, etc. It saves time and I’ll never get any penalties.

There are so many ways to automate and make our lives easier. It pays to be on the lookout for more automated solutions!

Celebrating Dads and Grads

Whether you’re a city native or a visitor, there’s much to enjoy in the Boston area at any time of the year. But with Father’s Day and graduation around the corner, you’re likely gearing up to celebrate, Boston-style. Here are a few tips to help you plan a happy and memorable Father’s Day or graduation celebration.

Dine at One of Boston’s Many Fine Restaurants

Whether you’re celebrating graduation day or hosting a Father’s Day event, you, your family, and your loved ones will enjoy having a night out and eating a nice dinner. And with many restaurants offering al fresco dining, you may even consider reserve an outside table.

Make it memorable by getting a makeover, dressing up in your favorite dresses and best evening wear, and taking lots of pictures. Before you go, take these fine garments to a Boston dry cleaner to get them cleaned and conditioned. Be sure to dry clean them again afterwards to remove any food stains and keep them in shape for the next wearing.

Enjoy an Outdoor BBQ

Or, instead of going out for dinner, why not stay in and host an outdoor BBQ party for your Grads and Dads celebration? Not only does BBQ make for a quintessential American party, it is also the best way to enjoy the early summer weather. (But if it’s going to be hot, you can always opt for some shade in your backyard or deck, or take your party to the local park picnic shelter.)

And when it comes to BBQ, you might want to invest in a propane grill if you don’t already have one. Propane is a clean fuel and propane grills are easy to start, easy to control the flame, and easy to clean. Just don’t forget to fill your propane tank or get propane delivery from a trustworthy provider.

Because of the warm weather, you can expect to work up a sweat and maybe get food on your clothes. If you are too tired after the party to do laundry, just call your local wash and fold delivery service!

Bonus Tip: Where to Buy Gifts

Every dad and new grad deserves a gift on their special day. If you had been too busy with party preparation and either forget or can’t spare time to shop for a gift, you can find gifts suitable for both dads and grads at the local drug store. For example, you could put together a gift bag of bathing products including bar soap, bath soaks, cologne, aftershaves and more.

If all that great food at the restaurants and BBQ gives you a bad case of indigestion, you can also rely on your local pharmacy for digestive help.

Hope you find these ideas useful and wish you a great Father’s Day or school/college graduation celebration with your family and loved ones.

New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier Life

Each New Year brings new and exciting possibilities. We get to start on a clean slate and set New Year resolutions. Many goal-setters strive to improve their health. They set resolutions for the New Year, such as do more exercise, go on a diet, get more sunlight, etc. and aim to stick with them. Others get stuck. So I will share with you a few suggestions to live a healthier life.

Visit Your Elderly Parents Once a Month

Health isn’t exclusively about what you put into your body. Spending time with people you love also assists with health. Some elderly parents receive attention from home health aides. These professional caregivers help senior adults with everyday tasks such as meal preparation, housekeeping and personal hygiene, as well as offering meaningful companionship.

However, time with these in-home caregivers is not the same as spending time with your child. Visiting your elderly parent once a month gives them more time with you. You both get to share memories and bond during your precious moments. Spending time with your parents is the best way to show that you care. Your visits will benefit their physical and mental health as well as your own.

No one wants to do chores, but unattended laundry will pile up over time. Dust will accumulate and trigger allergies. You might also notice the odor. Not tending to laundry can turn your home into an unpleasant one and hurt your health.

A weekly laundry pickup and delivery will solve this problem. Not only will create a cleaner space in your home, you will also always look your best in clean and fresh clothing. Furthermore, delegating laundry gives you extra time to exercise, work on other health-related goals and spend precious time with your family, which is again beneficial to you and your family’s mental and physical health.

Be Environmentally-Friendly

Taking an environmentally-friendly approach to your living environment is not only kind to our planet but often ensures better health for yourself as well. For example, a lot of cleaning products contain chemicals and toxins that are harmful to the body. Resolve to start using green cleaning products this year. You won’t feel the disadvantages immediately. However, like the planet and climate change, these effects will occur in the long term.

Homeowners can also consider switching to a propane water-heating and space-heating system which are more eco-friendly than oil and likely to be cost-beneficial in the long run. Consult your local home energy supplier and also inquire about availability of propane tanks and delivery service.

Set Up a Health and Lifestyle Plan

Strive to become healthier now than you were last year, but it may not be easy to do it alone. You can enlist a loved one to keep your objectives on track, but sometimes professional coaching is more effective. Some pharmacies have a wellness coach who can set you up with a health plan and recommend proper exercises, vitamins, and supplements for your goals. Having professional support along the way lets you establish challenging but reasonable goals, with a higher probability of success.

Setting New Year resolutions around health is a great start for the year. I wish you the best as you continue your health journey in 2022!

Three Simple, Eco-Friendly Changes You Can Make at Home

Humans depend on the earth for food, safety, and oxygen. It only makes sense that we would want to take better care of this planet. Eco-friendly living starts at home, and it does not have to be that difficult, either. Here are three simple, eco-friendly changes you can make to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive impact.

1. Change laundry products and habits.

Making a few changes to your laundry routine can reduce the amount of pollution your household releases. If you don’t already use a natural, eco-friendly laundry detergent, it’s time to make the switch. Also make sure your fabric softener is eco-friendly. You may even want to try reusable, laundry-softening balls rather than a liquid product.

If you have clothing that needs to be dry cleaned, go to an eco-friendly dry cleaner. Look for a business that recycles hangers and uses reusable laundry bags rather than plastic ones.

2. Grill with propane.

Sure, grilling over charcoal makes for a tasty meal, but burning charcoal also releases a lot of pollutants into the atmosphere. If you want to live in a more eco-friendly way, switch to propane. You can buy reusable propane tanks and propane delivery from your local gas supplier. Propane emits 50% less carbon dioxide than charcoal when burned, and carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Propane grills also make it easier to control your temperature. They heat up faster than charcoal grills, too!

3. Purchase eco-friendly personal care products.

It’s time to visit your nearby pharmacy and give your personal products an overhaul. Look for eco-friendly alternatives to your current toothpaste, shampoo, soap, makeup, and other cosmetic items.

Eco-friendly cosmetic and personal products are usually sold in recyclable packaging. They also tend to be free of polluting compounds like sodium laurel sulfate. If you can find products labeled as “vegan” and “cruelty-free,” that’s even better. These products are better for the animals, who are certainly part of this great planet. Eco-friendly and vegan products may be better for your own health, too.

If you want to preserve the planet and live a greener life, then it’s time to start making changes. You don’t have to overhaul your entire life. For now, focus on improving your laundry habits, purchasing more earth-friendly cosmetics and personal items, and grilling on propane rather than charcoal. The planet will thank you.