I am perfectly willing to listen to Caillou whining in the background that he doesn’t WANNNT his mommy and daddy to go to work, he wants them to PLAYYY with him, as long as it means I don’t have to listen to Edward and Elizabeth whining the same thing.
The yellow is lemon muffins (they always come out a little dry; I’m still working on them) with lemon glaze, and the orange is orange bell pepper and baby carrots. I didn’t include the heaping bowl of blue cheese dressing because it’s (1) really heaped and (2) not orange.
Hey, if you have Netflix, has it ever told you at the top of your queue that you’ve qualified for a bonus DVD? Not the thing where it says toward the end of the month that you can upgrade to 4-at-a-time for only $1 or whatever, but that you get one extra just as a one-time thing? It told me that for the first time today, and when I looked it up in the Help section there was nothing about it, and I don’t exactly “read mailings,” and I couldn’t find any email way to contact them: it just kept looping me back to the FAQ and a phone number. It’s probably fine, I am just a little teeny bit worried that there will be some downside to it. A secret charge! An accidental upgrade! …Now that I’m writing this out, it seems like kind of a silly thing to be worried about.
I’m in the market for a new, inexpensive but awesome camera, and also for a new, inexpensive but awesome upright vacuum. I was going to ask for advice, but…I mean, do you ever feel like you’ve hit your absolute maximum for posts about cameras (Nikon!!/Canon!!) and vacuum cleaners (Dyson!!)? I’ve read so many of them, I shouldn’t be posting about it at all, I should just search for other people’s posts. Besides, I’m probably getting the Canon PowerShot and the Hoover Tempo Widepath, and so why even START a discussion that’s going to involve Dyson and SLR?
I hate Caillou. HATE.
I have the canon a630 and I love it. I would love a DSLR even more, but for a point and shoot, this one is wonderful. It has some additional settings that you can play around with, but it is not necessary to know how to use those in order to use the camera. The only thing I don’t like about it is that if you choose to take a picture in a low light situation without a flash the picture isn’t going to be the best (grainy). But it doesn’t pretend to be a DSLR so I guess that’s excusable. But if you don’t mind using the flash, or you do a lot of outdoor pictures, this is a very nice camera.
I’ve got nothin’ with the vacuum. I buy the $40 ones at Wal, *ahem*, I mean Target. Yeah yeah, that’s it [shifty eyes].
I second that Liz. HATE. CAILLOU.
I have a 2 or 3 year old Canon PowerShot, and I love it for day-to-day stuff. It fits in my pocket or in the diaper bag and takes good pictures. (Almost all the pix on my website are taken with that camera, if you care to look web.mac.com/bcargill)
Also, Consumer Reports’ new new issue did vacuums and Dyson didn’t even rate. I don’t have it in front of me, but the library probably has it.
I love my Canon Powershot. But I don’t have the time or give a damn to put into learning how to use a fancy camera and have no interest in trying to take fancy pictures that don’t even look that great anyway.
I dreamed last night that I had lemon cake for breakfast this morning, but we don’t have any and I wasn’t going to actually BAKE something at 7 am. So, I had cereal and I am now SO JEALOUS of your muffins.
Also, I HATE Caillou, too.
I am glad to see that others share the hate of caillou. I don’t understand how it’s on the air, but all the little kids I know love it. UGH.
I love that picture. It makes me conjure up the imagery of the little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The angel says eat orange the devil says YELLOW YOU NEED THE YELLOW.
This may sound gross, but try substituting mayo in place of your butter/oil in the recipe. It makes everything so moist! I use it in chocolate cakes and banana muffins and it doesn’t end up mayo-y. I promise.
And I have a Canon Elph which I really like but I also have a the big expensive one you’re trying to avoid – a Canon EoS Digital SLR and a bunch of lenses and a new flash. To me, the pictures are worth the expense but thats because I love photography so much.
But I can see how it would be an big expense if you’re not that into it.
And I do have the Dyson but never noticed a huge difference from any other vacuum I had, except that it’s been 4 years and hasn’t died yet.
I totally know what you mean about the Information Overload regarding a new purchase. No matter how much I read up on an item, there comes a point when I just can’t take it anymore and I just swallow and take the leap.
I love my oreck. It stands up to my golden retrievers hair and it is super light. I love Fuji cameras. MOst people don’t think of it, but they are super fast in the shutter speed area. I have the f50, but I think they might have been replaced with a newer model. If you go to Fuji.com you can compare all of them and figure out what you really need. I love my Canon SLR. I have the 40d, but I know the Xti is clearanced on Best buy.com for under $500. Just my two cents
Oh and I SO despise Cailou.
Oh.MY.GOD! I so hate Caillou and refused to let my kids watch it because I couldn’t stand the whining…God the WHINING! I even switched workout times at the gym because they leave the tv on public television in the nursery and I couldn’t stand my kids watching that show. Okay, maybe a wee bit overboard on the hate. And it ended up with a whiner anyway. Gah.
I have an older powershot and I love it but I just had to send it off for CCD card repair thingy (yeah, I don’t really know) but Canon paid everything and is fixing it for free but I have no camera until it comes home.
Don’t use a vacuum as I have hardwood and tile only.
g~
I just bought the Panasonic DMC T25 in May.
I was going to Europe for three weeks and wanted a camera that would take good pictures but that I wouldn’t have to fuss with too much. My husband has a degree in photography, and he helped me pick it out. And I LOVE IT! It has a great zoom, and I think the pictures really turn out well. And I hardly have to think about what I’m doing before I snap the picture.
I highly recommend it.
Ha! I meant “and *I* ended up with a whiner anyway.” See, my hate of Caillou is melting my brain.
g~
Um, you said pretty clearly that you don’t want vacuum advice, but, um, I am going to give you some anyway. Obviously, feel free to quit reading this comment RIGHT NOW.
*sheepish grin*
I just bought the Kenmore Progressive with Direct Drive (on sale for $249 at Sears) and IT IS AWESOME. (It was rated tops by Consumer Reports; a Dyson came in about #8 or something, if that means anything.)
Much quieter than a Dyson, and from the Dyson converts to the Kenmore, it apparently to work better. Model #35922
It picked up the dog hair from the floor and the couch like nobody’s business. Crazy. I LOVE IT.
So worth it!
good luck with the camera purchase!
Oh, those muffins look devine. I just love breakfast with icing. Have you tried putting some plain yogurt in the, maybe half a cup? Plain yogurt keeps everything moist, IMHO.
P.S. those lemon muffins looks absolutely fantastic. What a perfect morning breakfast with tea!
Okay, that sounds kind of “dirty” when I just meant I love using plain yogurt in my cooking. Not that I’m saying you or any of your readers think dirty thoughts.
Oh, forget it.
When we were flush with wedding-present money, I got an Oreck. It came with an iron, a canister vacuum, and a mini car vac. Seconding what Tracy said, it is light as anything, which means I’m much more likely to actually vacuum. Also, it takes up very little space (I parked it against a wall in our living room and forgot about it for a month). All that said, you could get something like SEVEN Hoovers for what we got our Oreck for, which feels…kind of obscene.
I have to say, your breakfast looks yummier than your lunch. Regardless of the blue cheese factor.
Netflix has never coughed up a freebie for me. I did get a slightly lower bill (a couple of bucks less?) when they snafu’ed some shipping for a week.
I’m way jealous.
I got the Dyson animal one (the purple) reconditioned from Amazon – has been perfect so far and about 50% off retail.
I have a Nikon D40 Digital SLR and I like it a lot but I still haven’t figured out how to use it fully (despite taking a class), and it is frustrating that you can’t just toss it in a bag, so I still use the point and shoot a lot (a 4 year old Canon Powershot).
I have a Canon Powershot A720, which I love. My boss has lots of photographer friends and he reads all the photography magazines, so I believed him when he said Canon has the best processor in their cameras, and you don’t need more than 8MP. The A720 has GREAT zoom – good for taking sneaky photos of kids from across the room – and I have been really happy with the color and clarity.
It’s not the smallest camera but it can still easily fit in your pocket or purse.
Everyone who hates Caillou- OH I KNOW! The sounds of his voice! The things he says! And then his parents are ENDLESSLY patient with him, basically ENCOURAGING him to keep whining to get what he wants!
Artemisia- Ha ha! No, I DO want advice—I just didn’t want to be contributing yet another advice-requesting blog post to the overflowing field!
I’ve had the one time freebie thing from Netflix twice before. Once in response to some issue we had with them, and once just because I’m special I guess. No hidden fees, nothing different. Just had four movies for a week and then sent it back like normal. It was cool 33% more video choices!
I actually don’t hate Caillou, I don’t know what that says about me, because I cannot stand my own child’s whining. I also have a higher tolerance than most for Elmo. Maybe it is some sort of high tolerance for high-pitched voices? And perhaps that is part of what made me love first graders more than the average adult?
I wish I could help with the camera or the vacuum, but alas, I cannot. We are in desperate need of a new vacuum and I’m not even motivated to do the tiniest bit of research.
First– Made your apple bread yesterday. Oh my!! Yumm-o! Thanks for the recipe!
Second– Little point and shoots are awesome. I use a Sony Cybershot. I’ve had it about three years, drop it in my pocket or bag or whatnot and it’s great. I bought it on eBay and just bought the model from a year or two earlier so it would be cheaper.
Third– vacuums- Had an Oreck for almost ten years. It was good.
Now have- a Kemore Direct Drive and I am trying to decide if I want to keep it or not. That mother is quite heavy. lol It has amazing suction and does well on wood floors and carpets both. Problem is, it might have TOO MUCH suction. Even on its lowest setting, it keeps trying to eat my very large, full room rug. Not a lightweight rug, mind you. I’m talking like a 12×8 rug.
Good luck with all your choices and, er, obsession!
Leeann
niccofive.blogspot.com
I got a freebie from Netflix last week, too. But that is because they failed to ship out the three Season Two DVD’s of the Shield so that I could indulge in a Labor Day weekend of marathon Shield viewing. I, in fact, has ZERO DVD’s all weekend. Instead, I got four the Wednesday after Labor Day now that I have no time to watch anything.
Bitter much?
I got a freebie from Netflix last week, too. But that is because they failed to ship out the three Season Two DVD’s of the Shield so that I could indulge in a Labor Day weekend of marathon Shield viewing. I, in fact, has ZERO DVD’s all weekend. Instead, I got four the Wednesday after Labor Day now that I have no time to watch anything.
Bitter much?
I have one of the Canon digital elphs (SD 850 IS) and it’s great. My hubby has the big Canon Rebel with all the accessories, and while it takes great pictures, it’s a little bulky to haul around (particularly with 4 kids, a purse, a diaper bag, and a partridge in a pear tree).
We have a Kenmore vacuum, but it’s a canister. I think it’s just fine. It has lots of cool attachments and can suck all the cheerios out of the sofa. What more could a girl ask for?
love my canon power shot. slim to carry everywhere and quick shutterspeed, perfect for kids. it’s a great point and shoot.
if you get a dyson will you get me one too? preferably the pet hair one?
kthanx!
1) Caillou- has been banned from our house. It caused a lot of Caillou-esque whining. BANNED. There was one episode when the little round-headed freak said “i think my parents are awful!” and DD spent the next few days telling me I was awful. Why is that crap on the air? Argh!
2) I used to have a Powershot, and then I spilled apple juice on it. It was good. We replaced it with an Olympus Camedia Fe-250 or something like that (looks like this, but I’m not positive it’s the same one: http://tinyurl.com/5wvzcv) at the rec of my photographer friend. I just said I wanted a cheap but ok camera that TAKES THE PICTURE when I press the button. I think the powershot has better picture quality, but it was so slow I was getting high-quality pictures of the backs of little heads. The Olympus is quick. Also, I like that it has its own rechargeable battery, the Powershot chewed through AAs.
3) I have a Bissel that I got at target three years ago, and it sucks, not in the way vacuums should. So I am adviceless.
Ok. I am SO GLAD I am not the only Caillou hater. He is not allowed in this house period. I can go on for days on everything I hate about that kid. The one thing I would like to know is why is he still bald? He is 4!
I am glad you are looking into a new camera. So am I and I am adding what your readers say to my research list.
As for the vaccuum cleaner, I bought the $80 one from your boyfriend Target. I don’t have much carpet so I figured I really didn’t need a $400 one.
I have gotten the “one-time freebie” message from Netflix, requested the extra DVD, and don’t recall any negative consequences.
As for Caillou, I hate his parents more than I hate him. NOBODY is that freaking calm, cool, and collected with their kid. Every time they manage not to yell at him like any self-respecting, red-blooded, breathing parent would, I feel like I’m being chastised. HATE. Who writes that crap, anyway?
I don’t know if we are talking about the same thing, but here is what my Netflix thing does… It tells me the prorated amount for me to upgrade in the middle of the month. By the time my bill is about to come due, it is really low, but that only gives you the upgraded membership for this month. Next month it will charge you the full amount. Hopefully that makes sense (I feel like I’m kind of talking in circles).
On the Netflix free rental, they used to do a referral bonus where if you sent someone an email for a free trial and then they signed up you got a free rental in your queue. Searching the help on netflix now says they don’t do a referral bonus so maybe that isn’t it afterall. Just a thought. I think I got a free upgrade for a month in 2006 when there was a class action lawsuit settlement.
I have a Dyson and a Nikon DSLR that I love. Does that make me a sheep? Maybe…but a happy sheep.
Caillou DOES have a whiney voice- I think it’s the whole adult-pretending-to-sound-like-a-kid thing. Shows are so much better when they use real kids’ voices (Charlie and Lola). That said, I don’t hate Caillou because I think the story lines are sweet. But the parents make me feel like a shitty parent, whatever THAT says about me, and I’m sure it says something…
I DO want an SLR camera…. so expensive though….
My child LOVES Caillou. LOVES. I swear he has taught her how to be a whiner…AH!
I just got a Canon PowerShot SD1100IS after my old PowerShot took a crap. I love, love, love it! It’s small so it fits in my purse, 8 MP, and it does some neat tricks. (Example: you can do accent colors so the picture is B/W except for one color. I took a picture of my daughter picking flowers and only the flowers are red. It is so cool! Of course, maybe my old camera did that and I never knew it. Whatever. It’s currently $174 at amazon w/free super saver shipping)
Vacuums? What are those?
Caillou does whine BUT I have decided the silence it brings to our house outweighs turning him off. My son loves that show.
I highly recommend the Nikon D40 I own but it is expensive. I don’t have any other camera advice…Sorry:)
I have a Hoover Tempo Widepath and I love it. I was even going to suggest it before I got to the end of the post. My mother recommended it, and I always listen! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
I have a Hoover Widepath bagless and LOVE it! While it does not have the suction of the space shuttle, it does have the suction of, say, a miliary cargo plane – and for under $150 that’s good enough for me!
I have given you an award on my site – and you’re most recent mention of Caillou reinforces my love for you all the more!
Here is my lemon muffin recipe if you would like to try it. It doesnt have icing though, so might not be as popular with the kids. My 3 year old nephew eats the top off coz he likes the drizzled lemon juice part best lol. You’ll have to convert the temperature to Farenheit I guess…but you can do that online fairly easily.
Lemon muffins
2 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
75 grams butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
Grated rind of 1 large (2 small) lemons
Topping:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar
Measure the flour and sugar into a bowl and toss to mix.
Melt the butter, add the milk, egg and lemon rind and beat well with a fork to combine. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and combine only until the dry ingredients have been lightly dampened (but not thoroughly mixed).
Bake at 200c for 10 minutes.
Stir together the lemon juice and sugar, and drizzle over the hot muffins as soon as they are removed from the oven.
I am a Technology applications teacher and we use the Canon digital cameras at school. They take great pictures and are VERY easy to use. (My 3rd ans 4th graders use them all the time)
Vacuuming? I hate it which is why I have a Roomba :)
We have the Canon Powershot and we LOVE it. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket, but it takes fabulous pictures.
My friend Sam has a Dyson, and I lived with someone who had one, and I LOVE them, but I’m not sure I love them for $400 or whatever. And consumer reports wasn’t super-impressed for the price either. They recommended something else. Now I can’t remember what, though.
Good luck!
I can’t comment on vacuums, the one we have now is older than dirt and is fantastic so I have no complaint other than it’s not bagless.
As for cameras…. I definitely wasn’t in the market for something expensive when I bought my newest one so I got a Fuji Finepix J10. $130ish at Walmart.
i want lemon muffins now.
canon powershot = an excellent little camera. go for it!
My kids have never liked Calliou but when we were flipping the channels one day, my husband asked if he had cancer and was undergoing chemo. He does seem old to be so bald right?
I have a Nixon SLR and I had to take a class on digital photography to use it – or use it well, I mean. The teacher told us that Nikon/Canon/ Sony – he didn’t care, he said buy whatever’s on sale, as they are all the same.
Aaaand lastly, we just got a bonus DVD from Netflix this week! I was like ‘the hell? We have three already’ (we never, ever get to watch the movies that we rent so I know which ones we have). But I looked it up and figured it was our bonus. No downside so far, I wouldn’t worry.
Great new tag-line!
Did you see your vacuum choice is on consumersearch.com? I am (according to your latest post) addictied to looking things up there before I buy them. My vacuum is there too. It’s the Eureka Boss SmartVac and I’ve had it for 6 years and SWEAR by it. We have 3 cats and installed new carpet throughout the whole house (which means LOTS of vacuuming) and it’s still going strong. No Dysons for me thankyouverymuch!
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/vacuum-cleaners/
I received great advice a while back about appliances. Call your local appliance repair shops (the ones that Sears, Best Buy, etc are contracted with) and see what they’re fixing the most and the least of, etc. Often they’ll give great advice too. In my case and a also for a few of my friends, a Kenmore Progressive (Sears) was recommended. Despite it’s price tag, I’ve had it 2+ years and it’s still running great and my friends haven’t been disappointed either. However, there may be other great vacuums out there now that come highly recommended.
I didn’t read the comments so I’m sorry if this is a repeat recommendation.
It is almost impossible to find a vacuum that everyone likes. The one we have now is a high-end Kenmore canister, and it works like a DREAM. It tells me when it’s done picking up dirt, which is VERY helpful on our black persian rug with making sure I actually got all the puppy fluff off of it, and the cord is really long. However, since you have mainly outdoor cats, I’m not sure you would need that model – they sell a lower-end one that would probably be fine. I do like that it works great on both carpet and the hard wood, which is hard to find.
We have an older canon powershot, and it works great. Someday I will upgrade to a Camera and maybe take a photography class, which I have always wanted to do, but other than that, it’s good.