Ebay and Amazon. My Friends.

I am a big eBay-er.

I just sold a cell phone for 49.95 on eBay and turned around and bought new cabinet hardware for my kitchen.

I got oil-rubbed bronze knobs (34) and matching handles (2) and bin pulls (2) so 36 bronze pulls for about $42.00.

This is a HUGE savings. The knobs were $0.80 each. Compare that to similar items in Lowe's for $2.98 each.

The hardware all arrived today and it is GORGEOUS!

I went to eBay last Saturday when I had to sweep three times in a row to eliminate the dust/fur/lint all over the floors in the kitchen and dining room.

I thought when I laid the floor that a hard surface would be better to keep clean-- reasoning that the carpet held on to so much dust and dirt and was always dirty no matter how much you vacuum.

What I have come to realize is that hard floors aren't any more clean, it's just that you SEE the dirt faster, more obviously, and constantly.

I bought a Roomba.

If you don't know what a Roomba is, it is a robot vacuum cleaner.

Mine is a refurbished version from Amazon.com. It is bright red, round and the cutest thing you ever saw. It cost $99.00.

It came in the mail day before yesterday and after charging for 16 hours, I used it for the first time today.

I stared at it in awe for the entire first half hour it ran.

The Roomba vacuumed every nook and cranny in my living room , dining room and kitchen in about one hour without my supervision or help. It is an amazing invention. It works and it works well.

There is a little spinning whisk on the right front of the Roomba that wipes and sucks the cracks around base boards and around chair legs. Nothing is missed.

It has a lot of power for a battery operated vacuum. It's very surprising. I had to empty the dust bin twice in the hour it ran.

Your house has to be kinda Roomba-Proofed, but that is easy. This means that you can't have wires laying where the Roomba can get to, and you have to get all the random items off the floor. So the only thing that should be on the floor is the bottoms of furniture, like coffee tables, chairs, and couches. (no shoes, papers, toys, dirty panties, remote controls.... etc....)

I think everyone should have a Roomba.

Plus, it scares the dog.