I’m just gettin’ started!

I’m so excited and so tired all at the same time. I just got back from the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. I learned so much about future trends and made some really great connections with BIG brand name companies that are super excited to work with MY DAILY SHE! How exciting is that, folks?! I’m so giddy! I’m taking a deep breath, because my life is about to get a whole lot busier. (Image via IHA)

I reviewed thousands and thousands of great products, some of them brand new for 2018 ready to hit stores this Spring. People from all over the world come and sell stunning housewares items. It’s truly a feast for the eyes. On the flip side, it also kicks your butt because there is SO MUCH stuff out there and a lot of great things to view, but it also is very daunting. I’m glad I’m back home. Now, I’m just letting all that info just marinate in my head. I admit, I’m still a little brain dead. 😉

Oh my gosh, not to mention my house looks like we are moving. Items are packed up, wrapped up and piled up in other rooms because my built-in book cases are being made as I speak, plus I’m getting ready to go on vacation. One of my greatest strengths is burning the candle at both ends! Anyone else like that?

Sorry, my head is just spinning.

One of the biggest takeaways from this years show was AI. It is growing fast and it’s not slowing down. The Smart House is getting smarter and AI is eating up the kitchen.

What does this mean? Well, designers and engineers are working together to bring you more ease into the kitchen. Each consumer will use this technology in different ways. For people that don’t like meal planing or cooking, but want to eat healthy and even want to lose weight, there are companies working on and launching products that will do all that for you. If you’re a picky eater and want precision cooking, perfect every time, they are working on an oven that will soon wipe out those obnoxious microwaves and cook your meats, veggies, breads, desserts, you name it, to perfection. You wont have to do very much. Plus, you’ll be able to program it, so it’s cooked just the way your Grandma did.

What do you think about AI? Does that scare you or excite you? Will people lose a sense of humanity. Will their be too much perfection, will mistakes be frowned upon, how about empathy?

One example of how AI will be a big help in the kitchen is by saving costs on food, and tell you when to use your food so you don’t end up throwing it away. Here’s a fun fact I heard from a fabulous lecture by Carley Knobloch over the weekend.  “Americans throw away approximately $165 BILLION worth of food each year. For the average American family, that can be up to $2,200 per household.” – National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

We as people are definitely more on the go and the demand for less time prepping, cooking and cleaning in the kitchen is becoming a bigger demand.

So, long story short I’m going to be pulling together all my notes from the show, picking my personal faves, reaching out to these amazing contacts I now have and chatting a lot more about their beautiful products. No, they are not large AI appliances, but they are great products based on function and beauty that can help us while we continue to be on the go.

Oh! And I almost forgot! OF COURSE, I’ll be doing GIVEAWAYS, so stay tuned because some of these products haven’t even hit stores yet…

XOXO

Melessa