Sunday 24 June 2012

Cleaning up

The things that I have found most irritating over the last few years tend to be little and largely insignificant in the whole scheme of things! For instance, I have found my way round the problems of preparing and cooking food fairly easily - it is the clean up that has thwarted me time and time again. For example, having cut bread it is inevitable that a small amount of crumbs would escape the board/plate. I used to use one hand to sweep the crumbs off the top into my other hand and from there to the bin which is now impractical. I have tried putting a plastic container against the edge of the top, held in place with my hip or stomach but inevitably I would drop the box and spill the contents everywhere. That is, until this week, when looking at sale items in Lakeland Plastics  I found the Chop & Sweep Bin Board. 

I immediately declared, in a decisive and forthright manner, that, as it was reduced to £15, I would buy one. But in true Bryant woman style I hemmed and hawed and didn't get round to it. 
Three days later, wandering round Asda with both my boys in tow, what should my stunned eyes see? The Worktop Wonder from JML - An almost identical product, but cheaper and more versatile! My one reservation with the bin board had been that, if items fall off the board onto the counter, there is no way to sweep them into the bin
No such problem with this alternative and having used it for a few days, I am  pleased to report that it was well worth the £9.99 I paid!
In addition to the clean up after chopping veg etc. I've found that I store it by the kettle so I can also use it for tea bags, so no more drips of tea from the kettle to the bin. If only I can persuade my hubby to clean up after himself, then I could have a fairly effortlessly clean kitchen! (I don't hold out much hope for miracles though...)

Let's try again shall we?!

I started this blog not long after having my first son for various reasons. It very quickly fell by the wayside as I was dealing with a number of things - adjusting to life as a mother while coming to terms with being disabled and trying to move on emotionally from the trauma of the stroke itself. However, after chatting with my stroke consultant - the lovely Dr.Cloud - I think my experiences could be useful to others who may find themselves in similar circumstances. Initially I was going to focus on gadgets that assisted me as a mother.

But that was 3 years ago (yup Bigfoot is now not far off school age!)  and I now have a second son (Littlefoot) who is 3 months old now so I have a bit of a different (more balanced?) focus now and so I think I will widen the focus of the blog to general aids that have helped, or organisations that have assisted me to live as normally as possible with only the use of one arm. I am going to try to to post at least once a week not always with product reviews but hopefully with relevant stuff...