There are several devices I have come across in the market with some exciting new smart features to try this Fall. For living in a remote cabin in the mountains, we still love our technology and anything I can do to save time on cleaning, I try to explore.

WET AND DRY VACUUM H11 & H11 Max

Dreame Technology recently launched their Wet and Dry Vacuum H11 and H11 Max that suck up all the dirty messes in one path, combining the actions of a broom, mop and vacuum in one. Using a separated two-tank design, the 900ml clean water tank sprays out fresh water and a cleaning solution onto the roller brush while the internal dirt separation system removes dirt water out of the brush and sends it to the dirt water tank in real time.

The convenience of a cordless system like this requires getting it back on the charging base at the end of use but the smart screen on top will tell you battery power, cleanliness and adds voice commands for operational guidance. Smart tools like this eliminate a closet of brooms, mops and vacuums and gets everyone excited about cleaning.

LITTER-ROBOT LITTER BOX

Litter-Robot has presented a VERY interesting option for not smelling the by-product of my daughter’s two cats she brought with her when she moved here from Texas. Don’t get me wrong, I love these precious cats. I could use less smell emanating from the litter box. Apparently, this patented sifting process automatically separates your cat’s waste from the clean litter. You just have to empty the waste drawer when it is full.

The fun part about this device is that you can monitor and control it from an app. The app sends notifications when the waste drawer is full and lets you run a clean cycle remotely, compare usage statistics, and more.

Fortunately, this device is also multi-cat friendly. The automatic clean cycle and odor-absorbing components in the Litter-Robot help significantly reduce litter box odors for up to 4 cats. I think this might have to be under the Christmas tree for our feline friends (if not sooner).

GLADWELL GECKO ROBOT WINDOW CLEANER

Gladwell, Gecko Robot Window Cleaner sounds like an amazing option for the big windows in our mountain cabin. With the ability to detect edges, it uses an advance algorithm to scrub every part of the window including hard to reach places. It has an app to allow you to control it from the palm of your hand.

Now, I am truly not crazy about adding another app to my phone but if it can help get the windows clean, I might have to try it.

Have you tried any of these devices? Let me know what you think!

Disclosure: Note some items in this post may contain affiliate links and/or are sponsored.

We order online ALOT, especially since moving to 40 acres on a mountainside. After receiving numerous boxes of our own online purchases, our dogs Duke & Dolly were quite delighted to have their own special treats from Chippin come in the mail.

Chippin is developing dog foods from superfood proteins including crickets, overpopulated silver carp and spirulina. They launched dog food made from overpopulated silver carp on World Oceans Day, June 8th and they are a trusted partner of the World Oceans Day organization.

We were sent a sampler pack with a bag of dog food and 4 kinds of treats for Duke & Dolly to try. This sampler pack is also available online at Chippin.

-Smokehouse BBQ Dog Treats* w/ Pumpkin & Cricket

-Antioxidant Dog Treats with Banana, Cricket & Blueberry

-Superfood Dog Treats with Peanut Butter, Cricket & Pumpkin

-Spirulina Dailies Dog Treats with Kale, Flaxseed, and Carrot

(Note: These treats can also be a meal topper or snack as well)

A couple more exciting facts & features:

You can calculate how much food your dog needs and subscribe so you receive regular shipments without having to think about it!

This is an all woman owned business! Yay!

With Chippin, you are feeding your dogs healthy, planet saving food. Read about it.

Follow Chippin on Instagram at @chippintime

Need a creative outlet? I was so inspired by the monthly kits available from Annie’s that I signed up for Annie’s Holiday Quilters Club.

I still need to create these clever hot pads and now the next kit just arrived. There is always a common fear related to signing up for a monthly club – getting behind! But, hey, it’s great to have a stash for the winter months to come if you can’t do them all now.

Not into quilting? Annie’s also offers the following:

Creative Girls Club

Annie’s Caring Crochet Kit Club

Annie’s CardMaker Kit-of-the-Month Club

Annie’s Hook & Needle Kit Club

.Annie’s Creative Woman Kit-of-the-Month Club

Annie’s Crochet Striped Afghan Club

Annie’s Knit Afghan Kit-of-the-Month Club

Annie’s Simply Beads Kit-of-the-Month Club

Young Woodworkers Kit Club

Annie’s Fiction Clubs

Enjoy creating!

Despite the fact that we moved to the farm and are appreciating the simpler things in life, I still love to share STEM related technologically advanced toys that help kids learn. Even our farm couldn’t run well without the technology we have installed here (more on this to come). With one daughter a biological & agricultural engineer and the other pursuing an audio editing career, I understand the need for kids to play with technological toys and learn how these devices work from a young age.

Recently, ClicBot released a really cool STEM robot that kids of all ages will enjoy. Keyi Tech created this robot to help kids from 5-10 and 10-15 get hands-on experience with robots. The modular designs allows children (and their parents) let their imaginations go wild. It is a self-balancing two-wheeled robot that responds to touch, sight and gestures and let you build a personality that seems so real.

Robotics are used across a wide variety of industries and the earlier girls and boys get comfortable with this technology, the more likely they will pursue degrees and jobs in this field.

This educational robot helps kids learn to code by using graphical programming through Blockly by Google. It comes with programs available across skill levels and step-by-step guides and tutorials.

Above all, I think its really fun and fun for the whole family to do together. It’s so mind-blowing seeing things like ClicBot that were only real in science fiction now available in our living room.

We recently added about 10,000 & 1 new pets to the farm. Bees in our beehive and a bluetick coonhound named Dolly!

The bees have been a new experience for us. Brian bought me a “Flow Hive” the Christmas before we moved. I read the articles about bees dying and the world needing more beekeepers AND I have also never had a serious reaction to beestings and I LOVE honey and anything made with honey in it.

Here is our new Flow Hive, currently set-up with two brood boxes to make room for our growing family of bees, first caught as a swarm up in the mountains above us by a neighboring beekeeper:

I also joined every Facebook beekeeping group both in the local area and specific to the Flow Hive which uses a tap systems to extract honey rather than the traditional means of spinning frames & crushing the combs once the supers are full. More on this to come as we add that piece of the puzzle.

And, here’s our new puppy, Dolly, the bluetick coonhound, Tennessee state dog and mascot of the University of Tennessee. We decided to stick with the Tennessee theme, especially after seeing one of her sisters from the same breeder at Tractor Supply and falling in love. So cute (until she’s nipping at your ankles begging you to walk outside before your first coffee sets in). My article went live in the Today Parenting Team Community about Dolly and getting a dog to ward off the COVID 15 (unwanted pounds) with dog walking exercise. Click HERE to VOTE UP my post, please! 🙂

Check the Camp Dream Works website each day for fun & educational activities to keep kids engaged and having an spectacular, splendid, sensational summer. On this site, you can find coloring pages, crafts, recipes, music, games, and more.

Here’s a schedule for this week that you can follow or create your own plan and mix it up.

Below you can find one activity you can download now and print. Follow the instructions to create a “fortune teller” to add a little serendipity to each day.

“Like” the DreamWorks Animation Facebook page to get regular updates and weekly activity schedules.