Thanks, Whirlpool, for sponsoring my CES series. Check out the special CES section of their website to see what they’re planning for the kitchen of the future.
Re-entry to home life after five days away could feel daunting but it doesn’t. Yes, I came home from CES in Las Vegas to piles of laundry, a house that wasn’t as clean as when I left it, having think about meals for the week, and making a run to the grocery store to restock the fridge but these were all things I did happily. Why? Because these everyday tasks represent the ways I show my family I care about them.
I know it seems a bit insane to want to come home after a five days away but honestly, I was ready and appreciative of the time spent with Whirlpool that gave me a new perspective on the mundane chores that used to get me down.
Indeed chores used to get me down. Just the word itself sounds yucky, boring, and not something that anyone would want to spend their time doing. Instead I’ve reframed the tasks that I do as part of my daily life as “little acts of care.” It may sound cheesy but sometimes the way we look at things can make all the difference in the world.
Perhaps the extra oxygen intermingled with cigarette smoke inhaled during daily walks through the casino floor to visit Whirlpool at the Sands Expo Hall affected my brain. Or maybe it’s just that since January is all about new beginnings and resolutions, I decided to stop getting bogged down in the everyday and embrace it. I like to think it’s the latter.
Working with Whirlpool at CES was a dream come true. Whirlpool isn’t just a brand that is about the talk. They walk the walk and talk the talk and have been doing so for years. Not only do they make award winning appliances (Whirlpool took home five CES Innovation Awards in multiple categories from this year’s show!) but their commitment to care truly inspires me.
These days every company has a care component or a buy one-give one type model and according to what I heard at the Social Good Summit earlier this fall, it’s the new way of doing business. But for Whirlpool, giving back is nothing new.
Whirlpool has been committed to helping Habitat for Humanity for the past 15 years – well before social responsibility became a trend. Since 1999, they company has given more than $80 million in products to help new houses feel like home through the donation of 160,000 ranges and refrigerators.
But they don’t just rest on their laurels and keep giving the way they’ve done in the past. They look for new ways to help the environment and charitable organizations through new and existing partnerships. The Connect to care™ program represents the first charitable giving tied to an appliance and the ability to allow Whirlpool owners to make direct donations to Habitat for Humanity each time we do laundry in our homes is so crazy simple. Donating while doing laundry with the Whirlpool® Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer takes the effort out of being charitable and making it part of our every day lives. According to Whirlpool, “it’s a labor of love that’s well worth the investment.”
And aren’t the tasks we do in the every day for our families worth the investment? I know the time and effort I spend cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and doing laundry are worth the investment. These little acts of care add up to a whole lot of love.
While they may not express it every time they put a bite in their mouths, the declaration of “Mom, it smells so good in here!” when my kids walk in the door from school and smell something on the stove puts a smile on my face. It shows me that they ultimately appreciate the thought that goes into purchasing healthy food for a great meal that’s enjoyed around the dinner table while we catch up about the day’s events. Lunchboxes that are returned home empty at the end of the day demonstrate that food is love that nourishes mind, body, and soul and contribute to them having great days at school.
And even the ritual of putting clothes in the washer, dryer, and taking them out and folding them? There’s love in laundry. The loving care that we go to when spot-treating dirt stained baseball pants that happened during a slide into home to earn the team that winning run? That’s love too.
As my kids get older, I’m realizing exactly how much these moments matter because my time with them is slipping away with each passing day.
For more information and news from CES, follow #EveryDayCare and Whirlpool on Twitter @WhirlpoolUSA, Like their Facebook page, subscribe to their YouTube channel, or visit their website.
Travel, lodging, and compensation were provided by Whirlpool for my CES brand ambassadorship however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love that this year’s CES seemed to be a shift from male-centric focus on audio, visual and tech gadgets to new products that everyone can use in our daily lives. What a great opportunity to go and see everything coming down the pipeline.
It’s so true! I get caught up in hating the chores sometimes, but then I remember I’ll miss doing the laundry in a few years when the house is empty.
I like the idea of adopting a new perspective on the day to day routine of life. When we are stuck in the moments of doing the same thing each day it’s nice to try to look at the bigger picture!
I’d love to get to CES some day. Hope it was an awesome adventure for you! It’s very true about how the little every day stuff will soon be missed – all to quickly and in a flash.
We have to savor it all because it won’t be long before they aren’t here, right? Maybe that’s why my mom likes to come visit and fold all of our clothes? Which, I totally don’t complain about!
Sounds like you had a fabulous trip to CES. I like what I’m hearing about Whirlpool. Sounds like the brand gets it. I love your attitude towards chores. I think about that sometimes when I’m frustrated or annoyed that the house is a complete disaster. I’m working on embracing that disaster because I know one day it won’t be there.