Marketing Ploy or Great Product?

Some would say that gullible is my middle name. My husband definitely would. While I admit to being somewhat gullible, I like to think that it's not so much being gullible as much as being desperate to find balance. If a product can save me time, I'm all over it. I love my Swiffer wet mop because I eliminate the need for pulling out a bucket, a separate cleaner, a mop, washing the mop, rinsing the bucket - you get where I'm going with this, right? I blogged about trying to find balance a while back and unwillingly had to admit that I'm not Superwoman. But I'll never give up the search for time/money saving products.

A few months ago I caught an infomercial about the Shark handheld steamer. Have you seen this? I was extremely curious about it because the sales pitch included how much safer this product is than all the cleaning products we're buying these days as well as what a time saver it is. Well, after hearing that, I knew I wanted to hear more! It comes with all these different attachments and pads to clean just about everything imaginable. Even windows.


I begged my husband to look into it. I'm not sure he ever did. I'm gullible, remember? But since then I've watched the prices drop a bit and admit that I am still curious about this product.

While looking it up the other night, I ran across another Shark steam product:





I have a very large hardwood floor that takes a very long time to clean and it's also hard to keep clean. So now I'm wondering about this product as well. But before I purchase one...

Do any of you use either of these products or know someone who does? I would love to hear what you think of it. Please be honest. Am I buying into a marketing ploy in my desperate search for saving time and finding balance?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Struggling

I'm struggling. Struggling to find balance in my life. Some would say I've got it made - a stay-at-home mom with two great kids, a fantastic husband, the dog, the house, blah blah blah. What's the problem? It is pretty perfect. But lately, I find myself struggling for balance. I want to find the perfect church again that has me thirsting spiritually for more and more and I want to be involved with that church. I want to be in better physical shape and drop about 20 pounds. I want to scrapbook more. I want to experiment more with my camera. I want a clean house. I want, I want, I want. But then I feel a bit on the guilty side when I'm not down in the floor playing my kids or teaching Keegan how to write and read at this stage in his life. These stages are so important and I don't want to miss anything! Soon, their lives will be all about cell phones, computers and their friends and they won't have time for Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders with Mommy anymore. So I want to enjoy every moment I can with them. But I can't seem to find the time to really do any of those things; or should I say do all of these things and do them well. And the eight hours of recommended sleep? How does one juggle all these balls of life? I feel like I'm dropping them all around me.

I know being involved in a church is not as important to God as just being in His word. So I've dusted off my bible and picked up my devotional book thinking I could at least find five minutes in my day to squeeze that into the routine. Even that five minutes has proven to be difficult to come by.

I tried setting an alarm for 5am to get up and exercise before the kids wake up. I've thought that if I did that first and got it out of the way then I would feel better for it and not have to try squeezing it in somewhere else in the day. But the alarm goes off and the thought of getting out of bed and sacrificing my eight hours of much needed sleep makes me ill. Go to bed earlier, you say. So when do I get to scrapbook, watch my favorite shows or simply spend time with my husband after the kids go to bed?

Get the picture? I'm struggling. Struggling to fit it all in somehow. Struggling for that balance.

So I turn to God. I'm praying to find that balance. I want to be a better wife, a better mother, a better Christian woman. Somehow, He will show me the way. So I pray.

Are you struggling?