What new home purchases have you made that you love?

[mommyoffive]

Any new home purchases that you have made that you love?  Or old ones that are so worthwhile? 

I always find that some new home purchases really make a difference in the quality of my life.  Then I wonder what else would make my life better at home.  

[Trilliumlady]

Danish dough whisk.  Dupray Steam Cleaner. Instant Pot. I’m sure there are many more, but these three come to mind as I sit in the kitchen.

[Jaybee]

I got one of these phone chargers for both dh and me for Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DBXZZN3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 We really like them. Dh said last night that it keeps him from forgetting to plug in his phone at night--he just puts it on the stand.

[teachermom2834]

Our current home has no coat closet. No place at all to drop a jacket or a purse that is out of the way. I'll walk my jacket upstairs to my bedroom closet but no one else in my family thinks that is reasonable. I am guilty of dropping my purse on the dining room table or a chair. Just before Christmas I bought a chest (like you would put at the end of a bed) and it is along a wall in my dining room. It stores jackets and my purse and doubled as extra seating when my kids were home over the holidays. It doesn't look out of place and it is actually serving the function of keeping jackets and bags out of the way. Only took me almost six years to figure out this solution. LOL

[Carol in Cal.]

Two things:

Smaller Dutch oven from Target (Lodge) that is easier to move around than our camping one, and can be put on stove burners because it doesn’t have legs.  Great for baking sourdough bread.

Hangers, also from Target, that are JUST GRIPPY ENOUGH.  I do a lot of ‘hang to dry’ laundry, and the sponge hangers are too grippy to tug clothes off of, while the plastic or wire ones are too frictionless to be anything but precarious supports for drying clothes.  These new ones are slightly frictioned, enough to keep things from sliding off while hanging, but not enough to prevent ease of use.  AMAZING!

[Spryte]

Following along.

I don’t have anything terribly new, but we did repurpose a small shelf.  It’s a small, handmade wooden shelf with pegs - previous owner was a woodworker and made it for the pool room.  I always liked the wood grain, just didn’t see a use for it.  Yesterday we decided it would be useful for holding masks.  It’s just inside the door to the basement, so not in view, but still close to the front door, for us.

My favorite house thing, by far, is always our super automatic espresso machine. Anything that cleans itself and provides espresso at the push of a button is wonderful.

 

[BlsdMama]

Big or little?

 

I hate our living room. No idea why... like the color, great lighting, etc. I’m not much of a movie/tv person. 
 

We splurged on a big sectional with power recliners. It’s really firm and I don’t sink down in it. The kids can all fit on this one piece of furniture... all of a sudden mom is joining in on movies. 
 

Come to think of it, I did hate the couches - too deep, too squishy, too much effort to sit in. The movie had to be *really* good to talk me into it. 
 

 

Little: Costco has the Cuckoo rice cooker with the GABA rice feature on sale. My other rice cooker died about a year ago and I wasn’t motivated to replace it. It arrived yesterday and I’m, dare I say, excited. 😉 

[Carol in Cal.]

28 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Following along.

I don’t have anything terribly new, but we did repurpose a small shelf.  It’s a small, handmade wooden shelf with pegs - previous owner was a woodworker and made it for the pool room.  I always liked the wood grain, just didn’t see a use for it.  Yesterday we decided it would be useful for holding masks.  It’s just inside the door to the basement, so not in view, but still close to the front door, for us.

My favorite house thing, by far, is always our super automatic espresso machine. Anything that cleans itself and provides espresso at the push of a button is wonderful.

 

CLEANS ITSELF?  WHAT?

[Carol in Cal.]

3 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

Big or little?

 

I hate our living room. No idea why... like the color, great lighting, etc. I’m not much of a movie/tv person. 
 

We splurged on a big sectional with power recliners. It’s really firm and I don’t sink down in it. The kids can all fit on this one piece of furniture... all of a sudden mom is joining in on movies. 
 

Come to think of it, I did hate the couches - too deep, too squishy, too much effort to sit in. The movie had to be *really* good to talk me into it. 
 

 

Little: Costco has the Cuckoo rice cooker with the GABA rice feature on sale. My other rice cooker died about a year ago and I wasn’t motivated to replace it. It arrived yesterday and I’m, dare I say, excited. 😉 

I will never understand the draw of ‘deep seating’.

[Spryte]

3 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

CLEANS ITSELF?  WHAT?

Right?!?  
 

It does an automatic cleaning - nozzles, etc, before turning off.  I just do maintenance - emptying grounds and excess water when it’s too full, refilling the bean hopper.  It makes a killer cappuccino, too, but that requires keeping milk in the house.  🤣

[Ottakee]

My electric pot to heat water for tea.....I can turn it on, push the stay warm button and the water is hot and waiting for me when I get out of the shower.

[prairiewindmomma]

30 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I will never understand the draw of ‘deep seating’.

It's built for giant people, like my dh. We have a super deep couch so that he can sit properly. Everyone over 6' who comes to our house is amazed that we have furniture that fits them. Like, to a person, they comment on it and how they never go places that have furniture that fits them.

I am not over 6' so I have to use a bazillion throw pillows or sit elsewhere. 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

When the wildfires came close to our house last year, I made a mental list of things I would immediately rebuy: my instant pot, my 14c. food processor, my Danish dough whisk, and my IKEA octopus hangar all came to mind. I actually got a second octopus hangar because we have so many masks that we air dry because of the nose wires.

That said, the thing that I am living or dying by right now is my bidet.  It's non-powered because I didn't want to have an electrician in during a pandemic.  $35, and I no longer panic at night about worrying about running out of toilet paper. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JG2DETM/ref=twister_B07Q4RCLL1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1  If you go to buy one and need to adjust your toilet seat, my best advice is to not buy bumpers, but to buy a compatible flat toilet seat (we got a Kohler one for $18).

[Lecka]

We got a chimanea -- never had one before -- love it 🙂

[Lori D.]

Not recently new, but might be useful new to you 😉 :

- ceiling fans -- get good quality QUIET fans; SO helpful for a cooler night's sleep in spring/summer, and cooler = more restful!
- stable/sturdy/heavy-duty folding step stool -- we were given one as a wedding present and still use it all.the.time!
- stringing a short piece of plasticized clothesline cord in the laundry room to hang up delicates as soon as you pull them out of the machine

[wathe]

24 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

When the wildfires came close to our house last year, I made a mental list of things I would immediately rebuy: my instant pot, my 14c. food processor, my Danish dough whisk, and my IKEA octopus hangar all came to mind. I actually got a second octopus hangar because we have so many masks that we air dry because of the nose wires.

That said, the thing that I am living or dying by right now is my bidet.  It's non-powered because I didn't want to have an electrician in during a pandemic.  $35, and I no longer panic at night about worrying about running out of toilet paper. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JG2DETM/ref=twister_B07Q4RCLL1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1  If you go to buy one and need to adjust your toilet seat, my best advice is to not buy bumpers, but to buy a compatible flat toilet seat (we got a Kohler one for $18).

I love that thing.  It's like it was purposely designed to air-dry masks.

[Lecka]

Do you not put masks in the dryer?  

[athena1277]

We bought 2 of these shoe storage organizers.  Shoes used to be everywhere.  We put this across from the bottom of our stairs, right by the front door.  Now shoes go right in it when removed, instead of all over the floor.  And I’m not constantly looking for my 4yo’s shoes.

https://www.amazon.com/ClosetMaid-8983-Stackable-15-Unit-Organizer/dp/B002IT6E6A/ref=sr_1_10?crid=1EX6BAVMA44EB&dchild=1&keywords=shoe+organizer&qid=1610132130&sprefix=Shoe+%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-10

Edited January 8, 2021 by athena1277
Edited to add the link.

[Alicia64]

Seventeen years ago we needed a new mattress and I'm much too embarrassed to tell you how much we spent (clearly we had no idea how expensive my boys, Lambo and Ferrari, would be).

Barely a night goes by that I don't give thanks that we went way outside of our budget and bought the best sleeping experience. We've returned home from hotels happy to be back to our mattress b/c it feels better than a nice hotel's mattress.

I miss our Shark vacuum. We have one now that I don't like at all. I miss our Shark.

Great thread idea!!

W.

[cjzimmer1]

2019 was the year of massive home improvement projects (necessitate by a whole lot of issues that cropped up at the same time) and in the process of putting everything back together, I spent a lot of time and thought to purchase the most useful replacements possible (I actually did nothing in 2020 because after the disaster of 2019, I had almost nothing left that needing fixing/replacing/improving).  These were some of my favorites:

I used these as under sink organizers (and stored tall bottles on top of them.  Life changing on controlling the clutter under my sink.

AmazonSmile: SimpleHouseware Stackable 2 Tier Sliding Basket Organizer Drawer, Bronze: Kitchen & Dining

We have a small landing area when we you enter the house before going up or down in our split level house.  The shoe collection was forever a problem.  I tried multiple things to control and either they were too big and too much waster space, or they didn't accommodate large shoes (5 of the 8 people here wear shoes in size 10 or larger) or didn't fit in my tiny spaces.  This thing is customizable.  I split it into 3 sections.  One tall and narrow that fit perfectly in this corner where 2 doors meet, one section where I could leave the back off since it sits in front of a return vent and will still allow air flow.  another where I left the top row without a top so we could store tall boots.  Seriously, after 20 years of fighting with how to keep the shoes from overtaking the landing, I no longer have a shoe problem.  These things look chinzy in the package but when I put it together it was everything I was looking for and it's easy to clean too.

AmazonSmile: SONGMICS 7-Tier Shoe Rack, Space Saving 28-Pair Plastic Shoe Units, Cabinet Storage Organizer, Ideal for Entryway Hallway Bathroom Living Room and Corridor, 35.8 x 14.2 x 54.7 Inches, Black ULPC48H: Home Improvement

And thirdly as much as I hated the price, the Tupperware Rectangular Modular Mates storage containers were amazing at keeping my baking supplies, neatly organized.  I buy flour in 25 pounds,  It fits perfectly in two of the 37 cup containers.  Open bag of flour, pour into 2 containers, one in the kitchen and one in the pantry for later.  No partial bags laying around waiting to be spilled and yet flour is handy in the kitchen when I'm baking (nearly every day).  Swap the containers when the first gets empty.  The next size down, 2 are perfect for holding 25 pounds of sugar.  Plus they pack so nicely in the cupboard perfect fit front to back and nesting against each other on the sides, there is no wasted space.

https://www.tupperware.com/collections/modular-mates/

The last thing I bought was these wedges for the corner cabinets.  I always hated those corner spinning cabinets because everything fell off, this keeps things better contained.  

AmazonSmile: mDesign Kitchen Cabinet Plastic Lazy Susan Storage Organizer Bins with Front Handle - Large Pie-Shaped 1/4 Wedge, 6" Deep Container - Food Safe, BPA Free, 4 Pack - Smoke Gray: Kitchen & Dining

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, Lecka said:

Do you not put masks in the dryer?  

I don’t. I wash on high heat with detergent. I have nose wires sewn into the masks, and so I air dry them to minimize the amount of stress on the wire. This should also help the latex free elastics last longer.

 

[mommyoffive]

The things I have most recently bought

An over the toilet storage.   I had it for a few of our bathrooms, but now I have it in all.  Yeah now I can store tons of toilet paper.

A mini trampoline for myself.  It is also a favorite of my big kids now too.  It is just so fun to just jump on a trampoline during the day.  

[Spryte]

Oh!  Another one.  A rice maker.  I don’t know how we lived without one before!

[gardenmom5]

Most recent one is a vacuum for each floor.  (I have three).   I started with a stick vacuum for a particular room in our basement, then dh said he wanted something like that for the kitchen and our bedroom (hard floors).  So I upgraded the one in the basement to a cheap canister, and can use it for other things down there too.  Then I'll move the stick vacuum to the kitchen - it will hang up in the broom closet and is about the same size.

 

the kids gave us a nvidia shield.  I've been being driven nuts how they set up the theater - It was routed through the x-box, and even though they had previously bought a "user friendly control" . . it wasn't old people user friendly.   So they gave us the shield, and even if I can't figure out how to navigate it - I can speak into it and it will go right to it.  it will work the roku - but better.

[Shoeless]

A Eufy robot vacuum. I still need to run the Dyson every once in awhile, but the Eufy is great for daily cleanup on hard floors.

Dyson vacuum. I have had it 10 years? Best vac I have ever owned. 

My fizzy water maker. I love that thing. 

My next home purchase will be Corelle dishes. My current dishes are heavy and we don't have enough for 3 meals a day. 

[kbutton]

On my hope-to-do list is to replace the door that goes from the garage into the hall. It opens into the house toward the front door instead of the rest of the house, and the hall is tiny. You have to step aside every time you use the darn thing, going in or out!!! We are rearranging a lot of stuff so that we can park our grocery getter in the garage and actually carry stuff in outside of the weather (we moved and did a lot of home improvement, so the garage has been full of home repair stuff).

We got an updated/nicer Shark, and it was worth every penny. The latches for the tank on our old basic model broke, and the tank was enough money that we wanted to watch for sales and upgrade. We got a good deal and are so happy we might replace the tank and use the old one for our basement, lol!

5 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

Our current home has no coat closet. No place at all to drop a jacket or a purse that is out of the way. I'll walk my jacket upstairs to my bedroom closet but no one else in my family thinks that is reasonable. I am guilty of dropping my purse on the dining room table or a chair. Just before Christmas I bought a chest (like you would put at the end of a bed) and it is along a wall in my dining room. It stores jackets and my purse and doubled as extra seating when my kids were home over the holidays. It doesn't look out of place and it is actually serving the function of keeping jackets and bags out of the way. Only took me almost six years to figure out this solution. LOL

Yay! I also have a closet-less entry. There is sort of space for one, but it would close things in so badly it's not worth it. Did you put bins or dividers of some kind inside the chest to keep it neat?

2 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

The last thing I bought was these wedges for the corner cabinets.  I always hated those corner spinning cabinets because everything fell off, this keeps things better contained.  

AmazonSmile: mDesign Kitchen Cabinet Plastic Lazy Susan Storage Organizer Bins with Front Handle - Large Pie-Shaped 1/4 Wedge, 6" Deep Container - Food Safe, BPA Free, 4 Pack - Smoke Gray: Kitchen & Dining

Those are cool! In my dream kitchen, I would have those big swing out organizers, but this could change my mind someday if the lazy susan is super sturdy and more affordable. 

[teachermom2834]

1 minute ago, kbutton said:

 

Yay! I also have a closet-less entry. There is sort of space for one, but it would close things in so badly it's not worth it. Did you put bins or dividers of some kind inside the chest to keep it neat?

 

I have not. It did come with dividers for shoes but we took those out. I did search around a long time to find the deepest/widest one that would fit. Alot of cute storage benches really didn't have a whole lot of storage space. I found this one on Wayfair but I did alot of comparing online before I bought. 

There are only three of us now that use it so it hasn't yet become overrun and disorganized. 

[Ditto]

4 hours ago, Lecka said:

Do you not put masks in the dryer?  

We have 2 different kinds of masks.  One kind I always hang to dry (they will shrink if put in the dryer) and the other kind I always put in the dryer.  So, to me, it just depends on the kind of mask.

[Ditto]

34 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

Clorox toilet wand.  Worth every single penny.

I love these!  You are right, worth every single penny.  I have used them for years and can't imagine cleaning a toilet any other way.  It sure beats the way my mother made me clean them (rag, clorox powder, scrub away while on hands and knees. Disgusting!).

[Ditto]

5 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I will never understand the draw of ‘deep seating’.

Okay, I admit, I love deep cushy oversized couches/seating.  There is nothing better than being able to truly smoosh into a couch or chair. 

[Alicia64]

5 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

We splurged on a big sectional with power recliners. It’s really firm and I don’t sink down in it. The kids can all fit on this one piece of furniture... all of a sudden mom is joining in on movies.

Can you say where you got the sectional? Sounds awesome.

2 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

Most recent one is a vacuum for each floor.  (I have three).   I started with a stick vacuum for a particular room in our basement, then dh said he wanted something like that for the kitchen and our bedroom (hard floors).  So I upgraded the one in the basement to a cheap canister, and can use it for other things down there too.  Then I'll move the stick vacuum to the kitchen - it will hang up in the broom closet and is about the same size.

A vacuum on each floor: YES! Still don't have that, but would sure love it. Can you link to the vacuum you like the most?

 

[Ditto]

4 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

It's built for giant people, like my dh. We have a super deep couch so that he can sit properly. Everyone over 6' who comes to our house is amazed that we have furniture that fits them. Like, to a person, they comment on it and how they never go places that have furniture that fits them.

I am not over 6' so I have to use a bazillion throw pillows or sit elsewhere. 

 

I just posted my love for this kind of couch/chair, yet I am not big at all.  No where near even 5ft 3in.  and seriously love this kind of seating. 

[gardenmom5]

On 1/8/2021 at 2:37 PM, Alicia64 said:

 A vacuum on each floor: YES! Still don't have that, but would sure love it. Can you link to the vacuum you like the most?

 

My main vacuum is a miele.  I thought about buying a new one and putting the old one in the basement - but I don't want to spend that much.

I got a cheap stick (re: electric broom) that I'll move to the kitchen.

and a cheap cannister for the basement.  One low-pile carpeted room (the thing that really prompted this), the rest is bare floor.

 

UPDATE: I'm sending the canister back, and upgrading my basic miele canister.  That will go in the basement and I'll get a better miele canister for area rugs.  It will cost a lot more - but I'll be happy with it in the long run.

Edited January 10, 2021 by gardenmom5

[Ditto]

Big favorite home purchases:  hardwood floors throughout the house (except bathrooms and kitchen) and ceramic tile in kitchen.  Small purchases:  T-Fal stainless steel pot with a lid that allows you to strain liquids, wooden spoons, and my Fiesta dinnerware.

[Nanax6]

We built ourselves a 20 x 20 deck.   We love sitting outside even in the winter after our walks.

Gas logs...who doesn't like a cozy fire when it's cold outside.

New grill and a Traeger smoker.  

We're currently building a craft room and wood shop in the basement.  We've made the most of this quarantine and hubby working from home.   

[wathe]

5 hours ago, Lecka said:

Do you not put masks in the dryer?  

No.  Because ours all have nose-wires that get mangled, and ties that get tangled.  (We like nose-wires and ties for fit and comfort.  So, we hand to dry)

[iamonlyone]

We purchased a cabinet/sideboard for the kitchen: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/lommarp-cabinet-light-beige-70437003/

The only storage area for large items in our kitchen is a deep, blind (dark!) corner under the cabinet by the stove. So, our less used appliances were in various places in the house: crockpot in laundry cabinets one floor down; food processor and spiralizer two floors up.

When we built the IKEA unit, we only put one shelf in each space (rather than the two shelves shown), so now those large appliances—plus my KitchenAid mixer and our toaster, both of which were on the kitchen counter—can be stored. I also moved my baking pans to the cabinet. It has been wonderful not crawling under the cabinet, with my phone light on, to look for a pan, etc. or having to run up or downstairs for an appliance.

I was also able to clear off things that had been on the top of the refrigerator (large bowls, snacks, place mats, etc.). It's amazing how much it holds!

[history-fan]

Smart light bulbs and plugs. I can ask alexa to turn only specific lights on or Christmas tree etc. I could also just use my phone.

looking at smart window coverings for DR and kitchen.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Nanax6 said:

 nd wood shop in the basement.  We've made the most of this quarantine and hubby working from home.   

One of the houses dd looked at had a really cool basement shop.  It also had a big window (might have just been clear heavy vinyl) so those on the outside/next-room could see - without being in the middle of sawdust going every where.

I also saw someone who made a "spray paint booth" for their craft projects.  There's a frame that hangs from the ceiling - then the sides that roll down to contain all the overspray.

[gardenmom5]

We did finish (mostly - still need the LEDs) our basement home theater.  two rows, 2nd row on a platform.  (I picked up the sofas on craigslist.)  snack bar (also craigslist) with a mini-fridge and microwave.  (I'm thinking of a soda stream).    we are liking it a lot more than we thought we would.  (I expected to like it.)   And the kids will come by and go have movie marathons together.

and if I want quiet - I can go in there and lock the door.

[Spy Car]

My son likes to skateboard. Since the lockdown--and the shutting down of his water polo/swim teams at school--the skateboard has been a great tool to help keep a boy who needs to move sane.

And he's been able to mask and ride socially distanced with his "posse."

To support him I've added a couple more setups to his quiver. Had fun myself geeking out over different deck sizes/shapes and different trucks and wheels, etc.

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," is my operative philosophy.

The issue? Skateboards left everywhere. Constantly! Afraid Mrs Spy Car might break her neck tripping over one.

The solution? Found some very cool (and surprisingly cheap) skateboard hangers on Amazon. The quiver now looks very cool and well organized on his wall.

Liked the first set of three (that went up yesterday) that I have another set coming Monday. These padded hanger will also work for his guitar and for the remaining unhung board #4.

Really happy. Looks very cool. Well organized. And hazards eliminated.

Bill

 

 

 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, history-fan said:

Smart light bulbs and plugs. I can ask alexa to turn only specific lights on or Christmas tree etc. I could also just use my phone.

looking at smart window coverings for DR and kitchen.

Oh cool.  I haven't heard of those before.  That would be so fun. 

[BlsdMama]

8 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

That said, the thing that I am living or dying by right now is my bidet.  It's non-powered because I didn't want to have an electrician in during a pandemic.  $35, and I no longer panic at night about worrying about running out of toilet paper. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JG2DETM/ref=twister_B07Q4RCLL1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1  If you go to buy one and need to adjust your toilet seat, my best advice is to not buy bumpers, but to buy a compatible flat toilet seat (we got a Kohler one for $18).

We bought one too! Swash 1000 from Costco for the new bathroom. I’m not hooking it up until we’re all done but excited. They’re self cleaning too! DH is not as enthusiastic.....

4 hours ago, Thatboyofmine said:

My O Cedar mop.   https://www.amazon.com/Cedar-Easywring-Microfiber-Cleaning-Refills/dp/B07VWL357N/ref=sr_1_3?crid=19JHU088WX8VP&dchild=1&keywords=o+cedar&qid=1610142672&sprefix=O+ceda%2Caps%2C284&sr=8

 

Clorox toilet wand.  Worth every single penny.   
 

I agree with the mop!

Love my OXO - Costco usually sells them in two packs. However, during Covid I decided to replace mine. I threw them out before getting new. 🤦‍♀️ Costco? Sold out. BBB? Sold out in two cities. Target? The same. Amazon came through. Apparently due to toilet paper shortage? 👀 

4 hours ago, Alicia64 said:

Can you say where you got the sectional? Sounds awesome.

 

Originally from Furniture Row but it was going to be late January? We walked into Costco and saw one very similar for 20% less!

Costco should love me by now.

3 hours ago, Nanax6 said:

 

New grill and a Traeger smoker.  

Possibly best investment ever. We bought an off brand and I love it. We’re on our second one. We cooked for our oldest daughter’s wedding by smoking the meat and took it to the reception actually. 😉

[Terabith]

Bearaby weighted blankets

[BeachGal]

We bought a Renpho digital smart scale that measures subcutaneous/visceral fat, muscle, bone, water, etc. It’s like a mini DEXA scanner. I’m not all that concerned about weight but fat, bone, muscle, etc. — yes. When I can get a DEXA scan again, I’ll have to check to see how accurate it is. It does seem to match my numbers, though. It’s also very easy to use and only costs about $35.

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, BeachGal said:

We bought a Renpho digital smart scale that measures subcutaneous/visceral fat, muscle, bone, water, etc. It’s like a mini DEXA scanner. I’m not all that concerned about weight but fat, bone, muscle, etc. — yes. When I can get a DEXA scan again, I’ll have to check to see how accurate it is. It does seem to match my numbers, though. It’s also very easy to use and only costs about $35.

I just bought one recently thanks to a thread here (was it you?). We love it! We love that we can each have our own sign in so the others in the house don't know your info unless you choose to share it. 😄 

[theelfqueen]

Smart lightbulbs are my favorite. 

And my new Shark Robot Vacuum 

And I've had my instant pot a few years ago but I still use it all the time. 

And we emptied a less used cabinet and installed this pull out trash can and it is great!

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002XD08Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ovu-FbDAKXPCJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Edited January 9, 2021 by theelfqueen

[TexasProud]

My oldest son gave me a Roomba. I didn't think I would like it, but it has been stupendous. I was stupefied at how much dirt it picked up after I vacuumed with our regular vacuum. Positively horrifying.  

[mmasc]

15 hours ago, iamonlyone said:

We purchased a cabinet/sideboard for the kitchen: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/lommarp-cabinet-light-beige-70437003/

The only storage area for large items in our kitchen is a deep, blind (dark!) corner under the cabinet by the stove. So, our less used appliances were in various places in the house: crockpot in laundry cabinets one floor down; food processor and spiralizer two floors up.

When we built the IKEA unit, we only put one shelf in each space (rather than the two shelves shown), so now those large appliances—plus my KitchenAid mixer and our toaster, both of which were on the kitchen counter—can be stored. I also moved my baking pans to the cabinet. It has been wonderful not crawling under the cabinet, with my phone light on, to look for a pan, etc. or having to run up or downstairs for an appliance.

I was also able to clear off things that had been on the top of the refrigerator (large bowls, snacks, place mats, etc.). It's amazing how much it holds!

I LOVE this! Thank you for posting! 

[mommyoffive]

10 hours ago, theelfqueen said:

Smart lightbulbs are my favorite. 

And my new Shark Robot Vacuum 

And I've had my instant pot a few years ago but I still use it all the time. 

And we emptied a less used cabinet and installed this pull out trash can and it is great!

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002XD08Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ovu-FbDAKXPCJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Oh maybe I should do a pull out trash can.  That is the only spot in our kitchen for one.