2020 Favorite Buys

 

2020 Favorite Things

Before January slips into February it is time to look back on favorite purchases from 2020.  While I always liked shopping online and sometimes have "Primenesia" ( a package arrives from Amazon and I can't remember what I ordered!), this year was the biggest year for online shopping - due to Covid 19.  I like nothing better than going out and "dumming around" - as my mother called it - to look for bargains.  Not a good idea this past year.  So, here are the things I purchased this year that I am so glad I did...I love them  and would buy again! Note:  I did not receive any compensation for any of these items ( don't even know how to do that!) - these are just things I bought and love.

First up is "bottle bright" - Purchased from Amazon, these little tablets clean the gunk out of your water bottles or travel mugs.  Our Contigo travel mugs were yucky inside and no matter what I did I could not get them clean.  I actually used  a half of a tablet in each mug or water bottle and that did a great job.  Just fill with warm water, drop in the bottle bright, let it sit for a bit, and pour out all the gunk that was hiding in your containers!

We already had an Echo Dot in our bedroom and LOVE it for controlling the lights, alarms, and I even programed in emergency numbers so I can just tell Alexa to call them - but it did not have the time read out on the old one.  You can't see it here, but this one has a digital time read out, and counts down the time if you use it as a timer.  And..I can see that our nightstand that we have had for over 40 years needs some TLC...

Kasa Smart Plugs - also purchased on Amazon - and these are great.  Work so easily with Alexa.  I had one Amazon plug and 3 plugs from Tan Tan.  All of a sudden, after months of working great, 2 of the Tan Tan plugs were not operating.  Alexa kept saying she could not find them!  I tried EVERYTHING to correct the issue and then gave up and purchased these.  They were beyond easy to set up and have been working fine.  I have our living room lights on these and can just tell Alexa to turn them on or off.  Also have one on my bedroom nightstand light so I don't have to fumble for a switch in the middle of the night.  It was great to put our Christmas Tree in a plug and just tell Alexa to turn on the tree...now I am looking for other places I can use them!

OK...never thought I would buy or need a Dyson fan/air purifier  - but when we downsized and moved into this apartment the beautiful kitchen did not have a fan vented to the outside.  I bought this and have it here in the dining area, across from the kitchen - and it works great.  First, it is a nice cooling breeze when cooking or having the over on in the summer.  Second, it really does purify the air...takes all cooking smells away perfectly.  I like that it has a HEPA filter - and I downloaded the DYSON app and can monitor the air quality in our home.  I set it to VERY SENSITIVE and  AUTO MODE, so it automatically turns on when it senses something in the air.  I purchased it as a TSV on QVC at a good price and would recommend it highly.

Vacuum cleaners...in two previous homes we had central vac systems.  I like them...but for quick clean ups it was a pain to get that long hose out.  Last house we chose NOT to install central vac and got a great Simplicity Cannister Vacuum...which worked great, but was a pain to carry up and down the stairs...and to change heads from hardwood to carpet.  So, when we moved to our new place I purchased a Shark that could go from hardwood to carpet without changing anything.  The suctions was amazing...the upright unit was SO HEAVY!  I was considering buying another Simplicity since now we were all on one floor when I saw this Dyson V8 Animal on HSN.  I just LOVE it!  No cords, great pick up, goes from hardwood to carpet without me having to do anything.  It hangs on a charging station right inside the laundry room door and is perfect for a quick sweep of the kitchen after dinner - as well as deep, regular cleaning.  I am amazed by how much it picks up.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it !

A new hairdryer!  I don't need an expensive hairdryer...my short, fine hair dries in less than two minutes.  But my old dryer did not have enough setting and was too hot...

Found this one for a low price at Ross and love that I can have cooler air with lots of power...it works great and I love it.  It's by Remington and is an ionic kind..so it smooths your hair while you dry.

Had several of these "flickering" candles and they were expensive, and did not have remotes.  Everytime I wanted it on I had to pick the candle up - and we light it each night for dinner - and then I could never get the candle to sit straight the first time.  Bought this one for a little over 10 bucks on Amazon, with a remote, and it works great!

Replaced the standard faucet in the laundry room sink with this high, arched one that has a sprayer and a power spray.  Once again, found on Amazon for a ridiculous price of under 20 bucks, and it is great for cleaning out large items and filling buckets.

If you have visited Our New Vista before, you know I cannot throw out the carcass from a Costco chicken...I can hear my mother whispering in my ear that it would make good soup and be a sin to throw it out - You can read my chicken soup recipe here -

CHICKEN SOUP

The problem was that I often had trouble sifting out the little bones from the broth.  Then I found these...I first found them in a kitchen shop near me but then found at a much better price on Amazon.  You can use for chicken soup, or seafood so you don't get bones or shells in the broth, or for veggie broth if you want the flavor and not the pieces of vegetables.  

Another 20 dollar life changing gadget!  Our shower is huge and walk in with no door...and I love the hand held adjustable shower that came with the shower, but thought it would be more spa like with another shower head ( we purchased this unit partially finished, if from scratch I would have added a rainshower head in the ceiling, but we loved the place so we grabbed it ( last one in the building) and are making improvements as we go along.  This was simple...just put the divider on the shower pipe and add another shower head.  Bliss! 

Well, that's it - some things I purchased this year that were well worth the money and I enjoy using almost daily.  What did you buy this year that you are so happy you did?  I would love to hear about your purchases and ideas.  Please leave a comment below - it would make my day to hear from you.  Until then, thanks for visiting Our New Vista.  Enjoy the remainder of January...and keep on shopping!