Speed & Efficiency

As a mom, wife and professional athlete my days consist of managing all kinds of activities. My schedule really demands organization and efficiency and the last thing I need or want to spend extra time on is my laundry. Luckily one of my sponsors, Maytag, was kind enough to send me a new Bravos XL high efficiency washer and dryer and let me say this … WA-WA-WEE-WA! After doing one load I couldn’t help but think about the many hours wasted using old equipment from a substandard brand. I used to constantly wash my son Blaise’s clothes over and over and apply all kinds of stain removers because spots and dirt (and unidentifiable stuff) just wouldn’t come out; My dryer never got hot enough to get the job done in one round so typically I’d try to multi-task around the house for hours waiting for everything to dry. Now, everything comes out clean and dry in a single cycle! (If I weren’t already married, I’d consider being the first to wed an appliance.)

Cleanliness aside, I think one of the most important features of the Bravos XL washer is that it gives me the option to use a cold wash cycle while providing the same cleaning performance as a warm wash cycle. It uses less energy and far less water. Win-win for the environment and me!

While my husband Sacha appreciates having clean clothes and being green, he’s much happier with the new washer and dryer because they are really, really ridiculously quiet. His office is situated right next to the laundry room and while it used to sound like knights jousting, he now hears nothing when I run a load or two. (He wants me to add that their sports-car-like appearance doesn’t hurt and almost makes him want to do the laundry … Maytag, I think you’re on to something here.)

Keep It Pinteresting

If you haven’t already discovered the website Pinterest I highly suggest hopping on the bandwagon ASAP!

I tend to spend a great deal of my free time surfing this site and by free time I mean sitting at home on the couch, in a waiting room, in line for coffee, while returning emails, even sometimes while I’m working out. It’s become a regular craving for me!

WHAT is Pinterest? Here is their explanation: "Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite."

WHY am I rambling about this? Well, I recently bought a house here in my hometown of Louisville, KY, and let me tell you that it has been one of the most challenging, liberating, fun, scary, long and artistic projects that I have taken on since being at FIDM. What am I getting at here? Well, almost 99% of my inspiration has come from Pinterest. It is truly an excellent source for anyone decorating a home.

Here’s how it works: You take images from other websites and pin them (save them) to the boards that you create on your Pinterest page. You can also re-pin ideas to your own boards from other people that are on Pinterest. It’s that simple and makes for and easy sharing of ideas and inspiration from all sorts of places you'd never expect!

If you’d like to check out my ideas for decorating, have a look at my Pinterest page and the board titled For the Home.  Lately I’ve been into textures, bold statement pieces and warm colors.

Two other boards well worth looking at are Mane Event (filled with amazing, easy and effortless hairstyles that I often try out) and YUM! You can gauge the latter for yourself but I’ll tell you I’ve made almost half of the goodies on that page and they are tasty!

Here's a link to Amanda's Pinterest page and don't forget to check out my recent 20 Question Tuesday on usaswimming.org. You might like #19! Swim Like A Mom!

-By guest blogger Caroline Stilwell Burckle