Efficiency by Erik

solution: Roomba price: $150 - 600 I know you've seen the Roomba in action by now. It's been around for years (I don't mean to offend you if you haven't, so click here to see mine in action in our kitchen ). But I'm here to tell you this: Make the investment. Do it for even a used Roomba if you like saving time, if you like clean floors, and especially  if you have a pet (my wife and I have a cat). Meet "Roombie". This is the name I've given our Roomba Pro, the original floor-vacuuming iRobot creation. Now I'll tell you straight-up my Father-in-Law gave this to my wife and I, after buying it for $5.00 at a tag sale. It had a weak battery, so I purchased a new one from iRobot for about $65. So our investment was less than yours will be, but I would definitely pay at least $300 to buy a new unit, knowing what I know about how much it has helped us keep our home clean and saved me time. Part of my excitement about the Roomba has to d...

solution: cable staples price: $1 - 5 at Amazon.com Cables are an essential part of today's home. They do a magnificent job of connecting us to the world through television and high-speed Internet. It's tough to imagine life at home without the T.V. or the laptop! Cabling, when installed properly, can look crisp and neat in your home. But, if you're like my wife and I, you've moved where the television is or where you like to set up your desktop computer or wireless router.And this means moving some cables around, wrapping them around corners, and doing our best to hide them. Enter today's Efficiency by Erik solution: cable staples .  Cabling in our general living quarters wasn't too big of a deal. The cables were usually hidden behind furniture, out of sight. But the cables ran into our basement, where it was a different story. Picture (I wish I had taken one to show you) a modem for phone and Internet and, to that modem - a few wires for the televi...

solution: AquaGlobe price: $6 on Amazon.com Plants are good. They provide fresh oxygen. They provide an aesthetically-pleasing environment. All they ask for is a little water and a little sunshine. The sunshine part is easy - stick it in a window. But my fiance and I, with our busy schedules, have not been so good about the water. Funny thing happens when you don't water plants for weeks...or months. They die. This has been a big problem for us - until now! I give you the Aqua Globe . Yes, this is the same Aqua Globe you have seen on those T.V. infomercials. I am not usually one for "As Seen on T.V." products (they're typically not even half as good as the brilliant stagehands and videographers make them look), but this one is good. It's constructed of decorative blown glass and actually works with the plant to water it when it needs a drink. Just fill your Aqua Globe with water and stick it in the potting soil. As the soil dries, it releases gases. The ga...

solution: bike hoist price: $10 - 30 Garage storage solutions are always a fan favorite because people end up putting so much stuff they don't want in the house in there. It generally leads to a cluttered mess. One thing you can do to resolve this situation is look up. Most of us focus on the garage floor and walls as our storage space, but the truth is there is a lot of available space if you can hang things from the ceiling joists. Today's tip: purchase a bike hoist . I purchased one of these a few years ago, when living in a Boston apartment (anyone who knows Boston knows apartments aren't really known for their roominess). My girlfriend at the time purchased a bike for me and we were storing it in our hallway. I thought a bike hoist would be great because I could lift the bike to the ceiling in our large hall closet. What a great solution! A pulley system makes it really easy to lift the bike to the ceiling without much effort. It is then locked into place a...