This blanket-like-thing that zips so you can walk around in it has emerged as one of my top purchases of the year. Certainly, because I bought it with a gift certificate to Bed, Bath and Beyond, it was the best birthday present I received. As someone who is perpetually cold, I constantly cuddle in a blanket when I’m on the couch. With this wrap – you don’t have to uncuddle and recuddle when you get up to do something or get a drink or whatever. And it’s soooooo soft inside. I would have preferred a funky, fun color, but my chocolate brown does just fine. The only complaint is that my cats absolutely love it and race to claim their spot on it whenever I vacate the couch. Damn cats!

Wow. This is life-changing! And I didn’t get the brand-name nasal strips, I got the Target brand, but hells yeah – these are awesome. A lot of the NFL players were wearing them during last night’s Superbowl (only they were wearing black ones because black ones are more manly). I do recommend washing your face before you put them on if you have oily skin. Also, they’re a lot stickier than band-aids, so getting them off is a lot trickier unless you soak your nose a bit in the shower or have a higher pain tolerance. If you have trouble breathing during exercise and don’t care what the people at they gym think of you, they’re good for increased oxygen intake. As a person with crazy cedar allergies who can’t breathe at night in January, I say this product is a awesome!

I won’t however, put a pic of myself wearing one. Sorry, peeps, even Brendan doesn’t like to see that.

The commercials for the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser were funny. A couple sitting on a couch covered in plastic in a living room in which everything was covered in plastic, including their outfits. Having 3 cats and dog (yes, I have a problem), I was really excited about this vacuum and went against my better judgment and bought the appliance. My better judgment usually dictates that I do not buy the first model available of any product and wait until I can read consumer and expert reviews online.

Not this time.  I was too excited and wanted it for Christmas.

Basically, the vacuum is very powerful, and that made me happy. Emptying the tank, however, was VERY messy and gross. The tank has a drawer on the bottom that you can easily pull off and dump out. The top of the tank, however is filled with dust and usual vacuum-tank-grossness and you have to reach up there to pull out this cylinder in the middle to release all that grossness. When you pull down on the cylinder, the mounds of finite dust and dust bunnies fall all over the vacuum cleaner because the bottom drawer has to be removed before you can clean out the top.

This seems a very simple problem to detect during pre-release trials if tested in an actual home by and actual person who vacuums on a regular basis. I cannot imagine how this two-part tanks system with bottom drawer has made it to the consumer. There are other vacuums that use this two-part dirt container. Don’t go for it!

I had to drag the vacuum outside so the dirt didn’t get all over the house and the vacuum is heavy! Then I had to clean the damn thing itself after all the dirt fell all over it during the emptying process.

AVOID THIS VACUUM.

I’m going to buy another one before too long and I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m even considering going back to the back system.