August 30, 2013
by Dawn Marie 15 Comments

Why I fell in love with Dyson

This is not a review. I was not asked to write this post, nor was compensated for it. I have no affiliations with the Dyson company. I am just a mom sharing her experience about her vacuum.

When the Dyson company started selling their vacuums I coveted one. At the time they only had the one model, which you could also get in the ‘animal’ version.

Now there are many models to choose from. I know, I know, have you seen the price? Whoa…

I was finally given one as a gift after Baby Sid was born. I would have chosen a different model, for only one reason. The handheld hose part.

I have the DC24 Animal, because we are dog people.

DC24 ~ image from Dyson.com

We don’t have a large house, so this vacuum is great for us. It is compact and light weight. Because of the dog, I do have to empty the canister before I am done vacuuming the living room, but that is not a big deal.

DC24 ~ image from Dyson.com

My only complaint is that when I want to use the hose I have to take it apart first.

Image from Dyson Manual

See. I can’t just pull up the hose and vacuum the cobwebs in the upper corner. I have to take it apart and put it back together.

This is the only design flaw I have found. If I had known about it, I might have looked into exchanging it.

However none of that has anything to do with what made me fall in love with my vacuum company.

While vacuuming one day it starting to make a bad noise. I noticed that the noise was coming from this white disk. It still worked, yep no loss of suction. It just didn’t work as well as before.

When I covered the circle the sound went away, but then it would come back. I looked on their support page for help, but couldn’t find an answer.

The support page offers contact information so I decided to write an email as I wanted to send them the above picture explaining what was wrong.

I sent them an email at 11:15 a.m.

They replied at 11:21. The same day.

Yep. They responded within SIX minutes.

And it wasn’t one of those, ‘we got your email and we will get back to you’ responses.

They answered my question. And while I know it was a canned response, it was tailored to my problem. That means someone read my issue and adapted the response to me.

I can’t tell you how impressed I was at the quick response.

Turns out my vacuum was clogged, but not in a place I could easily see. The email explained how to remove the clog.

I vacuumed up the stuff that was clogging my vacuum and it filled the canister. Twice.

Umm. Gross.

Not only was I impressed with the fact that my vacuumed still worked while clogged, the very quick, very helpful customer service is what really wooed me.

Would I recommend spending that much on a vacuum? Yes, yes I would.

Happy Cleaning

Update:

Since I had a few people contact me about Dyson’s response I thought I would let you know what they said.

Look for and remove any blockages from the cleaner head or lower duct hose.
To remove the cleanerhead follow the steps:
Recline the handle of the machine and place handle on the floor.
Locate opening for C-clip on the front of the.
Place flathead screw driver into the opening and lift C-clip straight up to unlock cleanerhead from machine.
Remove cleanerhead from the machine.
Once the cleanerhead is removed inspect the pins on the cleanerhead and the outlet on the main body of the machine for damage or debris.
Reattach the cleanerhead and lock it onto the machine using the C-clip and attempt to vacuum
Instructions for removing the Lower Duct Hose:
1) Unplug your machine from the power outlet
2) Position yourself in front of the machine facing the dust canister
3) To the immediate left of the Ball there is an accordion-like hose that measures roughly 3 inches long
4) Grip the hose in center and pull firmly to the left, away from the machine
5) Once the Hose is disconnected, check for obstructions and remove as necessary
6) Reinstall the hose by using a twisting motion

August 20, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Free Childcare ~ if only for an hour

Have you ever had one of those “Why the hell didn’t I know about this!” moments?

I just did this past weekend.

Do you have an Ikea store where you live? Have you ever been there?

I do and I have. But I have only been there a few time, and I will admit it is not the first place I think of when I need something.

But there was something I specifically wanted from there, so the boys and I went this weekend.

So here is how our Saturday went:

All week I had seen the marquee for our cheap theater, the one that plays movies before they are on video but after they are done playing the big movie theaters, ay “Monsters U 2pm” I thought perfect! The boys will eat lunch at one and then we will go to the movie.

So I get closer and see they changed the time to 4:45! Now what do we do?

Well I needed to go to Ikea and thought about going after the movie, so why not before?

Ikea has a children’s play place called Småland. It is a supervised play area where parents can drop their kids off to play while they shop!

Image from Ikea

The catch: You have to stay in the store, and you only have an hour.

OK, I understand the first rule, but if you have been to the store you know that you can’t shop there in under an hour. But if you are an Ikea Family Member you get an extra 30 min!

I have never used this service before, but Ian wanted to go in, so we stood in line.

Yes, there was a line, the store was super busy.

The place was huge! They had a ball pit, a movie theater, puppet shows, toy kitchen and so much more. Plus while in line you can see all the other kids having fun in there, through a window.

Ian got to play with a bunch of kids while Sid and I took a peaceful stroll through the showroom. I got my purchases then went to collect Ian.

He, of course, didn’t want to leave.

We then went to the little food court for a snack (fed us for $4!)

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A post shared by Dawn Jennings (@mamasonshine)

So I ask you, why the hell didn’t I know about this!!?!

If you didn’t know about it, you can thank me later. But seriously, free play time even if only for an hour, what a bargain!

They only let in a certain number of kids, kids have to be between specific heights and potty trained. They have multiple staff members and good security measures. Ours hosts a craft night every Wednesday night.

I might just be making more trips to Ikea in the future.

p.s. we did make it to the movie afterwards

Happy Shopping

August 14, 2013
by Dawn Marie 2 Comments

Necessities for Baby- What To Save On and What To Splurge On {Guest Post}

There was another baby added to our family (not by me!) recently.

The birth of babies always has me thinking back to when I had my boys. Which makes me think about the things that we need and don’t really need for these tiny little humans.

Katie Moore from Moore From Katie would like to share with you what she feels is a necessity for new babies.

Necessities for Baby: What To Save On and What To Splurge On

When I was pregnant with my daughter, it was quite overwhelming to see all of the different baby items that were available for purchase online and at baby stores in my area. I had no idea whether or not some of these items were actually necessary or if they were just over-hyped and far too expensive for what they were worth! With a little experimenting and the help of other expectant parents, I was able to narrow down the list of items that I would actually need for my little one. If you are just as overwhelmed while doing your baby shopping, these tips will assist you in picking some things that you should definitely splurge on while opting to save on others.

Splurge On A Crib

Splurging on a crib is a must when expecting a newborn. A quality and safe crib is an important investment for any nursery. A crib should never be purchased used as it may no longer be safe or may have been recalled in previous years. Opt for a crib made from high quality wood that will offer sturdy construction and a long-lasting design that can be used from infancy throughout toddler-hood when choosing a crib that converts into a toddler bed.

~Babies R Us

Splurge On Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking has become an increasingly popular choice over the last several years. Cord blood comes directly from the umbilical cord after birth, so the decision to splurge on this option should be made before the birth of your child. Your child’s cord blood can provide your family with a source of related stem cells, which could possibly be used in a medical treatment – should the need ever arise. Make this a splurge but be sure to do your homework; talk with your doctor and find out more about cord blood banking and potential benefits.

Save On A Diaper Bag

Forget about picking out a stylish diaper bag that could run you into the hundreds. Instead, opt for a more practical, comfortable bag as this will most likely take the place of your purse and be something that you will be carrying around with you for years to come. The most important thing about a diaper bag is that you have enough space for diapers, wipes, bottles and other necessities!

Save On A Wipe Warmer

Wipe warmers are simply something that you do not really need to have for your child. While having a warm wipe may feel nicer during diaper changes, there is no need to warm a wipe before using it. If you do want to warm the wipe, simply rub it between your palms before changing your little one. If this is something that you must have, consider buying one used or a cheap model rather than splurging on an expensive wipe warmer that you may rarely, if ever use.

~ Babies R Us

Take it from me- a little bit of research can go a long way when trying to prepare for a baby on a budget. Talk to others parents and find what worked and what didn’t work for them. This exciting time will be much smoother with extra change in your pocket!

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article, all the opinions expressed are her own and may not be that of the owner of this blog. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26