The amount of hair this vacuum removed was impressive.  I also used it on the stairs and the "Riser Visor" really comes in handy.  There aren’t any outlets right next to my stairs, yet the power cord is long enough to reach most of the way down the stairs.  While this vacuum pulls out most if not all my dog’s long hair, it does not seem to get trapped too badly in the revolving brush.

The only thing that would make this little guy better would to add a retractable cord.  Although the place that Eureka made to wrap the cord around the base, is very easy to use and made my decision to purchase this hand held very easy.

I nearly missed the crevice on this hand held.  Eureka tucked it in the base and I only found it because I was looking for it.  But now that I know it’s there, I think it’s great.  Everything you need to tidy up areas of your house is in one neat package.  Whether you use it to supplement your Roomba, as I did, or to tidy up after children or pets, it’s a no brainier.

Since I don’t want the Roomba to get stuck and take longer to clean a room than necessary, I find myself picking up around the room just before the Roomba starts cleaning.  So not only do my carpets get cleaned, my rooms also get picked up.

I have a long haired dog, which is why I need to vacuum every day, so the dog hair gets wrapped around the Roomba’s brushes.  They are very easy to clean and I only have to clean them at the end of Roomba’s run. Since the area where the dirt gets held is quite large, I only have to empty it at the end of Roomba’s run and even then it’s not nearly full. 

I was very impressed with how much dirt the Roomba got out of the carpets.  I had vacuumed only a few days before getting the Roomba and it got a lot of dirt out.  Most of what Roomba removes from the floor seems to be dust or fine dirt particles because it’s in the second compartment with the filter.

I work from home, so the remote that comes with the 570 was nearly a necessity.  When the phone rings I can pause the Roomba’s cleaning process and then start it back up again without having to go find it.  The remote is also handy when the Roomba gets lost or stuck and you don’t hear it beeping right away.  Once I realize that I don’t hear it cleaning anymore I start searching for it while pressing the clean button which prompts the little guy to make a noise. It’s a little like playing Marco Polo.

I am a little disappointed in how often I have to clean the front wheel or the eye.  It seems like twice a week when the Roomba tries to go home it finds the dock and then turns away when it should be stopping.  I only have to wipe the front wheel off and make sure dust hasn’t gotten in the way of the Roomba’s eye or the dock’s eye.  For the money I spent, I wouldn’t think I should have to do that this often.  It’s also a pain because there’s no warning, I either find the Roomba completely out of power or I hear it banging against it’s docking station.

Taking everything into consideration I would definitely recommend this product especially to anyone with pets.  It has made an amazing difference in my home and I believe it’s helping with my allergies.  A huge time saver.

As you can see in the photo, not only does this sharpener have one sharpening wheel used independently on each side of the knife, it has a whole other set of wheels that “hone” the blades once they are sharp. If you’re like me and haven’t the slightest idea of what honing a blade does, I’ll explain.  It’s a little like sanding a piece of furniture with the rough sand paper and going back over it one last time with the smoother sand paper.  It simply smoothes away the smaller imperfections.

With the Presto Pro EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener it’s nearly impossible to do anything wrong, so you don’t have to worry about ruining your nice knives.  The angle that the sharpener is set to is the perfect angle for all your knives and it literally takes only a couple minutes to go from dull to extra sharp. 

The Presto Pro EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener also says that it will sharpen serrated knives, you sharpen the flat side of the serrated knife and do NOT sharpen the serrated side.  This is supposed to make the serrated knife sharper.  I have not tried this, I’ll be honest, I’m a little afraid to do this.  However, when I get my courage up, I’ll let you all know.  Either way, this is a great sharpener.

Don’t even waste your time with the sharpener they included.  I would recommend purchasing an electric sharpener. My experience is that the metal in these knives is just too hard for hand sharpening. 

I’ll be honest, when I brought the knives home I was very disappointed with how dull the knives seemed to be.  They just didn’t look sharp, although, they seemed to cut well enough.  Then I purchased an electric knife sharpener (I will be writing a review for this item later this week) and now I can’t stop chopping stuff.  The knives sharpened up very nicely and seem to be staying sharp for a lot longer than I expected.

The main reason I purchased this set was because it had two different sizes of the Santoku knife.  Not only is that handy to have around the kitchen, the 5" Santoku knife is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. 

I’ve started eating mini bagels for breakfast and the 5.5" serrated knife is the perfect size for slicing those little guys open.  It’s just so handy having the scissors in the knife block instead of keeping them in a drawer somewhere. 

A huge bonus of this set is the block itself, it’s a very nice looking, kind of a metallic gray nearly black color.  If you cook at all, or know someone who does, this set is worth the money.  Enjoy.

The My-T-Fine scissors are amazing.  I purchased these for cutting fabric.  My hand gets so tired after cutting material, especially denim, for different projects, these scissors make a world of a difference.  And since I’ve been taught since I was a little girl that your fabric scissors can’t be used for anything else, I had to go and buy another pair for using around the house and the workshop.  There’s not anything these don’t cut through easily.

The My-T-Fine scissors also come with self-sharpening blades, a comfortable rubberized grip that is ergonomically designed.  The charging base is also where you store the scissors and there’s a compartment for storing the power cable as well.  No need to keep it plugged in at all times because it will run for 75 hours on one charge.

The My-T-Fine scissors are a must have for anyone that’s into crafts or sewing, and would probably be beneficial to anyone who does handy work around the house.  They are truly amazing.

Charlee Bear dog treats are dry, not greasy, small, but not too tiny and my dog LOVES them.  I put them in his Treat Ball to keep him active and involved.  I use them as rewards for doing or learning new tricks and I keep them with me when we go out for a walk to reward him when he returns to check on me while we’re off leash. 

These are perfect for snacks or if you’re looking for something to use with whatever training method you use.  You can buy Charlee Bear dog treats at most pet supply stores and some Trader Joe’s stores.

I was unable to find very much information online about the Brother PC-420 PRW , even when looking on Brother’s web site.  I couldn’t find a single review and when I called Brother’s customer service to find out more information, they didn’t know anything either.  The machine was too new.

Well, I decided to give it a shot.  Brother makes great sewing machines, how could I go wrong.  And what a fabulous decision that was!  This machine does EVERYTHING the NX-450 does, the reason I’m so sure of this is because the stitch card that came with my machine has NX-450 written on it. 

I’m going to list the features of this machine as best as I can since I cannot copy from the manufactures web site.  I’m just going to hit the highlights so it’s important while reading this to assume that this machine does all the basic things the Brother machines do.

• “Drop and Sew” bobbin where you simply put the bobbin in and start sewing, there’s no need to thread the bobbin with the needle. This will probably only make sense to people who have had to do this before. Trust me, it’s a HUGE time saver.
• Three different font types - script, block and outline.  All caps, 55 shapes total.
• Two different font sizes - large and small.
• 67 utility stitches
• 62 decorative stitches
• Programmable, customizable “My Stitch” function.
• Programmable automatic reinforcement stitch.  This is where it sews three stitches forward, then three back.  Then when you touch the reverse button it sews three stitches back and three forward.  It’s amazing.
• Programmable automatic top and bottom thread cutting.  After it finishes the automatic reinforcement stitch, it cuts the thread for you.
• Cruise control - no  more need for the pedal.
• Push button thread cutting - if you don’t want to use the automatic feature, you just push a button and thread is cut.
• Dual needle stitching capable.
• Knee switch for lifting the presser foot.  I’ve never used this before and find it very helpful.
• Programmable needle ending either in the up or down position.
• Automatic button holes.
• 13 presser feet.
• Completely computerized.
• Automatic thread tension. No more having the test the thread on fabric and adjust the dial.
• Adjustable presser foot pressure. Useful when  sewing with knits.
• Automatic presser foot leveling.
• The easiest, actually automatic threader.  So much better than the older “automatic” threader on the other Brother machines. You simply click the thread into place and flip a switch.  No more looking to see if it hooked on, or having the hold the thread just right.
• Hard Cover with a compartment - I use this for the manual, since it’s still so new and whatever pattern I’m working on.
• Built-in accessory compartment to easily store and organize feet and other accessories.

I can’t imagine needing to upgrade to another sewing for years and years to come.  There is NOTHING this sewing machine doesn’t do.  Except sewing sideways (which I don’t see myself needing to use).

The feet include:

• Zig-Zag foot
• Button hole foot
• Overcasting foot
• Monogramming foot
• Zipper foot
• Blind stitch foot
• Button fitting foot
• Walking foot
• Quilting foot
• Stitch guide foot
• Adjustable zipper/piping foot
• Non stick foot
• Open toe foot

All of the main stitches I use are a one touch button on the front of the machine.  Any of the other stitches are very easy to get to by scrolling through the stitches on the machine.  I don’t see any need for the stitch card because the stitches are all pictured in the list that you choose from on the sewing machine.

I sewed a front pleated skirt the first day I had the machine.  It really didn’t seem to take as long as normal for me to make this skirt.  The zipper went in easier than it ever has before. I don’t know if that was because of the adjustable zipper foot, or the machine, or both. Also, the machine hem was completely invisible I believe that is because I am able to adjust the width and length of the stitches digitally instead of using the sliders that were on my other machine.

As a note, I would recommend purchasing the narrow hem  foot, it’s truly amazing.  Also, be careful when looking for these machines, I’ve found that they can be very difficult to find and the PC-420’s seem to be everywhere.  The PC-420 does not have all the features of the Brother PC-420 PRW and they are selling for the same price.

Whether you’re a hobbyist, quilter, sewing enthusiast or someone who does this semi-professionally, I really believe this is the best sewing machine on the market today. 

Please email me if you have any questions about this machine.  I know how stressful it can be when you can’t find the information you want.  I’m happy to answer any question that I can.

The Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera is perfect for the photography enthusiast and it’s still easy enough for the hobbyist to use. Some of the main features include:

• 12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
• 6x image-stabilized optical zoom; 3.0-inch LCD display; optical viewfinder
• Face Detection technology and in-camera red-eye fix
• 25 shooting modes, including 9 special scene modes; Print/Share button

For those of you who don’t know, RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete control when editing. The Canon PowerShot G9 can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.  And of course has the ability to record solely in JPEG format.

The shooting modes include:

• Auto - The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.
• P Program - Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically.
• Av Aperture-priority - You define the aperture to either isolate your subject or have clarity throughout the entire picture, and the camera will choose the corresponding shutter speed.
• Tv Shutter-priority - You select the shutter speed to stop or blur action, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon’s noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise.
• Manual - The ultimate in creative control, you set both aperture and shutter speed manually.
• C Custom -
  Define and store your own settings to achieve the effects you prefer.
• Stitch Assist -
  Build awe-inspiring panoramas by neatly aligning sequential images.
• Movie -
  Shoot for up to 1 hour or 4GB, or Time Lapse at 1 second or 2 second intervals for up to 2 hours.

The Canon PowerShot G9 also has a number of accessories available for in including flashes, lenses and even an underwater kit.

This camera is one of the best on the market for someone who wants the option to have more than your typical point and shoot experience. There are an almost endless amount of settings to change to get the shot “just right.” Even with all those features the camera remains lightweight, easy to carry and one of the fastest cameras I’ve seen go from Off to Ready.  It also has a 6x optical zoom and additional digital zoom that I wouldn’t recommend using without a tripod.  Although the Canon PowerShot G9 does include an image stabilizing sensor and face detection technology in addition to the red-eye correction.  A great camera.

I found this grill while looking for a good waffle maker.  I had tried a number of waffle makers and wasn’t happy with any of them, until I found the G5.  I didn’t have high hopes for the waffle maker part of this grill, but it cooked waffles better than the machines I had tried that only cooked waffles. 

In addition to the waffle maker, the G5 is just as great as the other George Foreman grills when it comes to grilling, but what makes this one better is that the plates can be removed and washed in the dishwasher.

I also purchased the additional George Foreman Omelet Plates for the G5 and they make fabulous omelettes.  They also come with a recipe for brownies that I haven’t tried yet, but looks very good. 

The baking plate is nice, not really big enough to cook pancakes for more than one person and the recipe book includes a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, that I can’t imagine trying because you can only cook 6 cookies at a time.  It would take all day!  And I tried to cook a pizza in the baking plate, but I think I must have done something wrong because it didn’t turn out at all and made a terrible mess.

Overall I still think this is a GREAT grilling, baking, panini machine in addition to a waffle maker.