household appliances

NOTE: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Ew… Stuffies.

I know, I know…. right of passage, every kid has them. Truth? I think they’re the most nasty, germ-infested things known to mankind.

Kids drool on them. They chew on them. They spill juice on them, wipe their runny noses on them, and always pick up dust bunnies as they drag them across the floor. They are a cesspool of filth and I want nothing to do with them.

My boys, on the other hand, LOVE their stuffed animals. Reid, who is particularly nurturing, lines them up before bed and even hushes us if we’re too loud, telling us his “baby is sleeping”. He calls Minnie Mouse his “girlfriend” and pats his baby giraffe on the bum to “burp him”. And yes, I do have the most stinkin’ cute toddler who happens to be addicted to his stinkin’ stuffed animals that really do stink.

The thing is, I’m often too lazy to wash stuffed animals, especially if they’re not visibly dirty. Because I know that no sooner than the stuffie is reclaimed… behind the toilet it will go. (I swear kids do that just to get a rise out of their parents. I know Ryder does.) Plus, it’s not always feasible to do a full load of stuffed animals, especially when there are whites, darks and delicates waiting in the wings.

But just thinking about all the aforementioned germs make my toes curl. I wipe down surfaces with bleach, wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap and carry hand sanitizer with me in every purse. Yet I’ve let my kids go to sleep with stuffies that have been sneezed on more times than Leann Rimes talks smack about Brandi Glanville. Sigh.

Until now. I simply adore the Maytag Maxima XL HE Steam Dryer. The “Sanitize” feature raises temperatures to eliminate 99.9 percent of certain household bacteria, dust mites and other allergens that can transmit germs and respiratory illnesses. So, you can actually “wash” your stuffed animals in your dryer! It’s pretty freakin’ brilliant.

So those stinkin’ stuffies? Let them get musty. And dirty. And smelly. And gross. I DON’T CARE! I LOVE IT – the Maytag Maxima XL HE Steam Dryer, that is.…

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

No really. I’m about to go on and on about a washer/dryer duo, and I promise you – it’s fascinating.

(Fascinating! I swear! Think about it – the average mother spends FIVE MONTHS of her life doing laundry. I found this statistic in the Daily Mail UK so it’s totally legit-ish. And for any woman who spends that much time in the laundry room, it’d better be fascinating. Correction: it’d better Rock Your World.)

So this happened. A few weeks ago, two brawny, buff men knocked on my door and announced that they had a special delivery. My first thought: men of that size could only be offering a big, fat Publisher’s Clearing House cheque – but alas, before I could question their credentials (or fix my hair for the inevitable camera crew), they swept upstairs and confiscated my washer/dryer. Seriously! They took my washing machine.

Next, the laundry fairies (as I’ve since dubbed them) replaced the set with a brand, spanking new Maytag Maxima XL Front Load Steam Washer and Maytag Maxima XL HE Steam Dryer.

(Technically, since I have a stacked laundry setup on the second floor, the laundry fairies didn’t necessarily float up the stairs. And there may or may not have been some grunting involved. But you get the picture.)

So now I’m the proud new owner of a washer/dryer duo that I’m sure made a cameo in Back to the Future and possibly includes a secret passage to Narnia. (*EDIT* There is no secret passage to Narnia.)

Of course, no sooner than I had finished “oohing” and “ahhing” over my new set, THIS landed in my inbox:

Embrace the Mayhem with Maytag’s Online Blogger Challenge!

Do laundry at least four times from May 31 – June 6 and see how much time, effort and aggravation your Maytag Maxima saves you. Pair different load types (i.e. large, small, whites, darks or delicates) with various Maytag Maxima XL features (i.e. Wrinkle Prevent, Auto Refresh Steam Cycle, Allergen Removal or Optimal Dose Dispenser). For bonus points, test out the unique Maytag PowerWash Cycle, using extra cleaning action, a built-in water heater and a thorough rinse to rid clothes of tough stains. Pair it with the Maytag Steam-Enhanced Dryer feature which uses steam throughout the drying cycle, and your clothes will come out looking relaxed and refreshed. Don’t forget to take notes so that you can write about your laundry experience in your blog post. 

Durr… I knew there was a catch! I’ll never trust strange delivery men again! But suddenly, I found myself caught up in the fast-paced, high-stakes, winner-take-all #MaytagBloggerChallenge. Do laundry at least four times? Check. Learn about the features? Check. Test out the Maytag PowerWash Cycle? Oh boy, that is definitely a check. Maytag, I accept your challenge!…

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