Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

Now that I am in my mid-thirties, I understand the importance of working smarter and not harder. Coming from a very traditional background, manual labor was mandatory in order to feel any form of accomplishment. A popular Jamaican saying is - "If you want good, your nose affi run" this means in order to be successful you have to work really hard. While I agree to wanting the success I really don't care for a runny nose so I'm on a mission to change working hard to working smart. 

I've decided to start with my immediate environment, what are the things I do every day? how can I make those things less tedious or more enjoyable? I created a list of effective, time-saving gadgets that anyone could use and I wanted to share them with you.  As we move more into the future, we can save time and energy by introducing more technology to assist with small tasks and chores, this way we can have more time to do the things we really like, whether its spending time with our family, a new hobby, or even if its just to do nothing and spend time with ourselves.

The Kitchen

• A rice cooker pretty much reduces your dinner prep-time in half, and you are almost at big time chef  status when your rice comes out perfect every single time. You now have more time for meats, sides and even a little garnish- show off.

• This is specifically for the coffee lovers. If you like your perfect morning pep up before people start approaching you then get off the fence about purchasing the Keurig. Its a great investment to ensure your day starts off with your favorite brew. Remember -  when you have your morning coffee, you not only help yourself, you help everyone around you. 

• If you are like me spoiled veggies make you livid! its like throwing money down the drain. By getting these silicone covers you can slow down the spoilage process and prevent food waste. Healthy foods are not the cheapest and if you have a busy week it shouldn't mean your food should spoil. 

• If drinking a whole bottle of wine all at once is not your style, then these are for you. Casual wine drinkers can now savor wine, have a sip here and there without worrying about it going bad.

• I know that almost everyone has one of these, but just sometimes we have people holding out, waiting and  comparing (the ones still infatuated with their blenders) but today I am letting you know that this is a great health tool to have in your kitchen. Smoothies, Purees you name it, if you can dream it the Nutri bullet will blend it. 

The Bathroom

• Sometimes I feel that people may think that because they don't have the perfect house, or the perfect life that they don't deserve fun things. If you are a music lover and like to sing in the shower, you might want to set your alarm 20 minutes earlier to have extra time with this Shower/Speaker. Play your favorite tunes while you wash your cares away. 

• If you have ever fallen into the "Lid up trap" then you will love this. I often walk around my apartment with all the lights off, I am a very light sleeper and I believe that if I turn the lights on to use the bathroom I may not be able to return to deep sleep. This toilet night light is super effective since it has a sensor and does not emit that blinding bright wake up fully right now light to your face.  - Ladies you're welcomed. 

• I don't know about you guys, but I spend lots of time sitting in the bathroom just scrolling through social media, thinking and laughing even when I am by myself. The bathroom is usually a comfy safe place where you can go to escape everything and everyone (except your kids, they will still find you).  An auto air freshener is easy to put up and just as easy to refill, it creates a lovely- breath easy atmosphere for you to do nothing (or something) for the next ten minutes or so.

The Living room

Having a little helper around the house all the time is what most people dream of, if you do mini cleans during the week, then the weekend clean up process wont be as tedious.  This device will help you to get a little sweeping done to keep your floors super tidy between the major cleaning days.

• Your living room is one of the main areas that both you and your guests will congregate, Jazz things up with this Humidifier and oil diffuser.

• Spills and miscellaneous stains are no match for this spot cleaner, It cleans with heat which will  kill germs and have your carpet, rug or seating back to new.

The Bedroom

• This is not a Gadget but I do think its necessary to have one of these in your bedroom, It is important because it not only works as extra seating, but also as a storage space to house your favorite blankets and a perfect spot to stash your junk if you have guests randomly show up to your house. 

• The Echo is one of the most popular hands free home devices. It connects to everyones fave "Alexa" and it is able to process a variety  of commands. Whether you need a timer, an alarm clock, help with general information, news or if you just wish to have music the Echo is literally at your beck and call.

• Back in the days my mom would have us iron everything we needed to wear during the week (mainly uniforms) on Sunday nights, we would pull out the ironing board, get the iron and go at it for almost an hour- it was the least fun hour of the week! This Garment steamer comes highly recommended because it saves time, and effort and energy and there's no board to set up or pull down.

• This one gadget shows up on every Best gadgets for 2018 list. This Phllips hue is a lighting system that you can control from your smartphone. It offers various colors and hues and you can connect all rooms to this one device to create whatever mood you choose at anytime.

I hope this post will make you want to explore more gadgets that would make your life a little easier or at least more fun.If you are on the fence then jump off and try something new, nothing beats a fun experience. If you are super traditional and think that everything has to be done manually to be done right its cool, I just ask you to open your mind to the possibility of these items being super efficient time savers or as things that you and your family can experience and enjoy together.