This is a bissell steam and sweep mop. I got this for Christmas from my wonderful husband. Yes, I realize this is an odd gift, but it is seriously one of my favorites! I used to spend so much time sweeping and mopping, and even having to get on my hands and knees to scrub up some foreign substance that one of my children left behind to dry and stick to the floor. I have a bad back, and I am pregnant, so mopping was becoming a dreaded chore. This is lightweight, and with the push of a button, cleans EVERYTHING! No more scrubbing...ever! I usually sweep before hand, because I have a messy family, but I don't have to do it too carefully because the mop also vacuums up the extra dirt as you go. Best part of all is that is sanitizes the floors, so I feel like my house is a tad bit cleaner.
My next favorite "tool" is kind of a new one for me. My good friend Vivian gave me some microfiber towels awhile back. At first, I'll admit, I had no idea what I would really use them for, I had never used microfiber towels before. I can be a bit compulsive when it comes to cleaning, and I tend to make everything harder than it has to be. Dusting is one of those chores I "over-do". I have a LOT of woodwork around my house, including built in bookshelves that I would always take every frame off of, spray down with furniture polish, then dust each frame and put it back. I would do this once a week, and it always takes forever and gives me a huge headache. I decided to dust with these one day, and I was AMAZED! They collect the dust without me needing furniture polish, and I finish in less than half the time. I still take everything down and polish it about once a month, but it isn't necessary to do as often as I had been. 
This, I believe, is a must have if you've got small, messy children and/or wood floors. This is a swiffer sweeper vac. It is rechargeable, I just plug it in after each use, so it is always ready to go. It is great at sucking up crumbs leftover under the table from mealtimes, and collecting dust that accumulates under furniture when you have wood floors. It doesn't cost too much, and it makes clean up so much easier. Also, my 5 year old LOVES to use it. She asks me all the time if she can sweep the floor with it. Added bonus? I think so. ;)
This is also a new favorite for me, introduced by Vivian. I've been making my own laundry soap for awhile (read about it here.) and it has been working so well! I love the detergent, but the only thing I miss sometimes is the wonderful scent you get from the laundry soap you buy at the store. Well, problem solved! Just add a small amount of these little beads to the wash, and everything smells so good! I've used it on several loads of clothes now, and haven't found any problems with it. It says it is safe for all fabrics. I washed my daughters bedding last night and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had freshened her entire room!So there ya go, just a few things that seem to make my life as a busy, homeschooling mom with too much to do and not enough time to do it just a little bit easier. I'm always looking for more efficient ways to do things and make things a little easier and less stressful, so if you'd like to share your tips and tools, they would be greatly appreciated!
