Archive for February, 2010
Dyson Ball, A Fun Way to Clean
Feb 21, 2010 Author: Jessy | Filed under: Product ReviewsOne day my old Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner stopped sucking, the brushes would spin but would no longer suck up anything. I cleaned it and I replaced the filter. I was covered with the nasty dirt and dust that had accumulated in the canister from 2 years of use. Yep that was it, just 2 years and it died. That was the same with my vacuum prior to that, only 2 years then it died too.
My husband tossed it out to the trash and said he was going to pick out the vacuum this time because he knew that if I went to the store I would just go get another reasonably priced vacuum like for the previous two. I had no clue what he was going to get, he spent an hour at Best Buy and he came home with the Dyson DC25 Ball All-Floors Upright Vacuum Cleaner. I was shocked because I would not have spent that kind of money and bought a Dyson Ball!
He set it up and I was truly excited to try it. My old vacuums with the wheels had to have the settings changed every time I changed vacuuming surfaces from the hard kitchen floor and kitchen rugs to the living room carpet to the frieze in the bedrooms, four times I would have to adjust the vacuum just to clean my upper level. With the Ball there is no changing of heights to go from one surface to the next, If you want to vacuum the kitchen floor and get the rug next it is seem-less and no stopping to change levels. The wheels verses ball is no contest, it is unbelievable how easy it is to vacuum with, my 2 year old can easily vacuum the floor and he loves to do it. You can whiz into every corner and narrow area with no effort at all. My living room carpet had a lie, and one direction was harder to push a vacuum than going against the lie. When using my old vacuum it was an arm workout trying to go towards against the lie, with the Dyson it was no effort at all.
When people come over I offer them the chance to try the vacuum. My sister vacuumed with it and she said it is so easy she wondered if it was even working? I said yep check out what you are picking up! She is used to her heavy normal vacuum that truly is a workout that pushing around the Dyson Ball is like night and day.
It has a 5 year warranty against breakage. 5 whole years! Maybe I will have a vacuum that will last more than the typical 2 years of my previous two models. I hope I don’t need it, but I appreciate it because I am certainly not easy on vacuums.
Instead of buying new filters you simply cleaning the filter with water and let it dry every 2 months. I used to hate having to make a special trip to the store to find a filter, remember the letter and hope it fits in the vacuum like I used to do with my old vacuums. No bags, no filters to buy. Awesome, that saves you money right there.
The easy to clean canister! I love the canister, with my last vacuum I used to have to unclog it by sticking my hand up to my elbow to clean out the clogged hair and dust stuck in the top of the canister. I never understood what the benefit was to having no bag when I was constantly touching the dirt I picked up. With this one, It is a wide open canister, you push the button to release the bottom and the dirt falls out, no unclogging required! No dirty hands and elbows!!!
The hose attachment is strange and does not bend much but it gets the job done, when doing stairs I prefer to use the hose and the ball is nice and light so I am not breaking my back lifting it up stairs, it also stops spinning all together when you pull out the hose so you are not wearing a hole in your carpet to vacuum corners and stairs. I am not a big attachment girl in my eyes it is just more to loose and fall off when I am moving the vacuum up and down stairs so the attachments that came with it are perfect for me. There is a pointed nozzle a soft bristle attachment for that and a flat head for lint removal.
I have only one complaint about the design, I wish the cord was longer.
I realized when I encouraged my little brother and his wife to buy one the other day that I needed to write a review. I have had my Dyson Ball for over a year now and still love it! The Dyson Ball makes vacuuming fun and does a fantastic job of cleaning my floors. The Dyson Ball really is that awesome, in my opinion it is worth every penny.
Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Car Seat Review
Feb 13, 2010 Author: Jessy | Filed under: Product Reviews
I have purchased and own 8 car seats, yep 8. We have 2 cars and 2 kids so we like to have car seats in both cars so we can get up and go at any time without having to transfer seats. We have a two infant seats, 3 belt positioning booster car seats, and 3 convertible car seats. Of all of these 8 car seats I have one favorite, it is the Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat
.
It is an extended use convertible car seat that can be used from infant way past 40 pounds as most convertible seats end, all the way to belt positioning booster seat so it could truly be the last car seat you will need. I believe there is value in having an infant car seat for newborns and infants but after your child is too big for the infant seat this is the model you should look at.
With a nice wide seat, the padding makes it comfortable and it is well made and sturdy. When your child grows you slide the 4 position padded headrest and harness up without needing to un-thread and re-thread the straps, if you have ever had to do that you will know how awesome it is to have a seat smart enough to not need to be re-threaded. I noticed my son had grown and I was able to move the headrest up while it was still securely strapped in my car!
I occasionally have to remove and install this seat in a grandparents car and it is made to be easy to install with the latch system. The belts have a locking button that you need to push the button to release the latch belt slide to make them easy to install and remove when you need to. Once it is tightly installed it does not loosen up at all even on my leather seats, that thing is absolutely immobile. Even with it being taken in and out of my car countless times for cleaning my car or moving it into another car it is still as sturdy and tight as it was when it was brand new.
When my son is not in the car my daughter wants to ride in his seat because it is more comfortable than her seat. It is easily adjustable with a front adjustment to accommodate my older daughter while still being latched into my car. It has nice long shoulder belts so you can comfortably strap your children in with snowsuits and puffy jackets. My daughter is about 40 pounds and with her winter coat there is still plenty of slack in the shoulder straps to accommodate even larger children to be strapped into the 5 point harness.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and keep your child rear facing for as long as is possible for the car seat and this seat allows you to have your child to stay rear facing up to 35 pounds. This seat has plenty of room and can comfortably stay in reverse to keep your children safe.
In comparison to more expensive safe seats that can be kept in rear facing for up to 35 pounds this seat is really reasonably priced.
I love this seat! It looks cool in my car, (I bought it in Proton) it wipes clean easily with the material. It will grow with my child, it is large and comfortable and has features that older kids want like the articulating arm rests and the removable cup holder. I am excited that it will still be latched into my car and can be used as a belt positioning booster when my children outgrow the 5 point harness. I wish I would have bought two when I got it, one for each kid.
Recharging the Mom Batteries
Feb 13, 2010 Author: Jessy | Filed under: Family Management, Think About ItNo matter how much I wish I was the energizer bunny of moms that never needs a break, I know it simply is not true. There are days where I need to take an extra few minutes in the bathroom to get some space and regroup. I treasure nap times when I get them, and also love the hour or two that I spend up after the kids go to bed. As a stay at home mom I don’t get the adult interaction every day, don’t get the 8 hours each day away from my kids so that I am excited to see them when I pick them up in the evening. No matter how much I enjoy being a stay at home mom, every once in a while I need a break away from my home and children. I think as mothers we need realize that we may be better moms when we take some time to ourselves to remember what we enjoy to do besides just spend time with our children. It not only can teach our children the importance of friendships and having your own interests, it also gives you something to talk about with your spouse, and gives you the opportunity to look forward to seeing your children after a short separation.
I have a supportive husband and a wonderful family who happily offer to take my kids so I can get a break when I need it. The other weekend I did not just recharge and relax I also had fun with my friends. I woke up, fed my kids breakfast, drank my morning coffee, kissed the kids goodbye, packed up the car and took off a few miles down the road for a solid twenty four hours of uninterrupted time. We had a scrap booking day and overnight planned at a local hotel with my friends and fellow scrap bookers. I am not a super scrap booker, but I think it is fun to work with my hands and create projects with like minded creative women. I enjoy devoting endless hours creating something without my kids “helping” wanting to do it too, or wanting to steal my scissors and hide it somewhere around the house. I made some fun scrapbook pages and used the time to get my kids baby books up to date.
We laughed, listened to music, snacked on appetizers and deserts, drank some cocktails and enjoyed each others company. After we all had a full 12 hours of scrap booking we packed it up, and spent some time laughing and telling stories and stayed up much too late. We slept in surprisingly comfortable beds in the hotel rooms and woke up, ate continental breakfast then went swimming in the hotel pool and the hot tub. I was home by 10 AM and I was so excited to see my kids after being away for twenty four hours! I was able to appreciate the time away from my children, away from my husband, spent with my friends, doing something creative. I call that a successful recharge of the mom batteries.
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