Writer's Workshop: Perfecting the Art of Being Lazy

iRobot Roomba

2. November 3rd is National Housewife’s Day…how did you celebrate?

Okay, so I didn't really know that November 3 was National Housewife's Day but I had this post gathering dust on my blogging dashboard (pun intended) that it seemed to be a perfect fit when talking about celebrating being a housewife in this Rodriguez family.

You know me, being a housewife equates to being domesticated. And anything that helps me get a little bit domesticated is worth a celebration. Buying the Roomba is certainly not gonna win me any points when I argue that I am trying to learn to be domesticated. But it was really an excellent way to celebrate my housewifey-ness.

The Roomba I am referring to is a robotic vacuum cleaner famously sold by iRobot. I got myself one such cool gadget when it went on sale recently at the local Canadian Tire. Actually I encouraged hubby to queue at the store at opening time and grab a Roomba before they were all gone.

So we got the Roomba and started putting it to good use. It is really quite nifty. It goes around the house, sensing and avoiding stairs, bumping into walls and furniture but able to change direction, memorises room patterns, picking up dirt, hair, anything on the floor. It moves around until it just almost runs out of batteries, then it goes back to its docking station to charge. The higher models even have the ability to schedule when to start cleaning the house. It works best with wooden floors but can also do carpets.

After all the good things mentioned, you'd think that your maid is no longer needed. The only disclaimer that the Roomba has is that even with all its good qualities, it does not absolve the house owner of domestic duties. The Roomba is only there to help me maintain, but in the end, I will still need to give the house a good scrubbing once in a while.

Fast, efficient, and effective - the Roomba is definitely a cleaning equipment after my own heart. Which house gadget do you consider to be the greatest addition to your cleaning arsenal?