I started this blog last February and was consistent with writing my monthly favorites, but some time mid year – that fell through. This year, my goal is to at least write a favorites for every month even if I’m behind or if I only have one item to rave about. Most of my January Favorites were items that I got in December, but most were Christmas gifts so I didn’t get to use it much until January! A lot of small appliances used around the house – let’s get right into it!
When we first moved into our home, P wanted to gift me a stand mixer. At that point, we haven’t started renovating the kitchen yet and the house was a mess from renovating the family room. The last thing I wanted was another “big” item sitting out. I mentioned to him that we could get one after the kitchen renovation. 2 years later, he remembered. It was around Black Friday time and the stand mixer was on sale. P wanted to surprise me, but also wanted to make sure he got the color that I would like (there are so many and I am particular about color of a long-term item). After browsing around, I made the decision that I like the Artisan style and the color that actually stood out to me the most was the stand mixer color made specifically for William Sonoma. It is a pastel green with a copper bowl. Unfortunately, it was not on sale and the price was even higher than the average KitchenAid stand mixer. I couldn’t justify paying more money just because it’s a different color. The next one that stood out to me was the steel blue one made specifically for Crate and Barrel and it was on major sale.
I absolutely love the stand mixer and use it 2-3x a week. I love the tilt-head where I can pour ingredients, wipe the bowl down and swap the mixing head easily. The blue stands out, but not too much against our white/wood kitchen. I literally didn’t think it would make my life that much easier. If I had known that, then I would’ve purchased it years ago! Highly recommend one if you don’t have one. Yes, the upfront price is quite a bit. But in the grand scheme of things and how often I’ve been and will continue to use it – it’s a great investment. I have no doubts that the mixer will last a lifetime and even more (generations too)!
First off, I like to apologize because I can’t find this blender to purchase beside at Costco (which is where we got ours). Maybe this is an older model? Maybe it has been discontinued? I have no idea, which brings me to the topic of “Why does Vitamix have so many different versions of blenders”?! I tried to do research on what’s the best value and for which version and every time I go into a deep research, I come out even more confused.
This blender has been at my local Costco for a while now. I kept eyeing it, but was hesitated on purchasing it. I already have a blender (magic bullet that I’ve had over 10+ years and it still works), and I recently made a big purchase for my sister’s birthday gift (Hexclad pan set). I told myself that I’ll get it as a birthday gift to myself in March. Early December, P’s mom asked P on what I would like for Christmas and P mentioned to her that I’ve been eyeing the Vitamix E520 Blender from Costco. On Christmas week, this showed up and I was happily surprised! The blender happened to also be on sale in December, so I’m glad she got it for a deal too! I immediately said goodbye to the magic bullet and off it went to Salvation Army.
The Vitamix blender is a complete upgrade to what we had before. First off, no more making smoothies in batches. Best part? everything comes out so creamy and smooth. I literally made hummus yesterday and I couldn’t believe how smooth it was! Clean up is so easy – I pour water and some dish soap into the blender and blend away. Give it a few rinse and it looks brand spanking new every single time. Even though the research I done wasn’t much, I knew I wanted the E520 vs the popular 5200. And that’s because the 5200 has a taller container and the whole blender wouldn’t fit on my countertop (underneath some cabinets). Between the stand mixer and the blender – I am a happy girl in her kitchen world! Oh, I almost forgot to mention my absolute favorite part of the blender – the two tumblers with straws that came with the blender. It’s spill proof, unless you completely invert it and the water will come out of the straw. If you remove the straw, inside the cap has a spring-lock cap that closes the hole (amazing). It fits in a standard car cup holder (I have a 2007 Honda Civic, and I struggle with finding modern tumblers that will fit in it). The drink stays cold all day.
3. Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner
Christmas 2021, P’s mom gifted me this Little Green Machine – ProHeat edition. We were just starting the kitchen/pantry renovation and a lot of dust were floating around. Because we have a light grey/white couch from Article, I knew dust was getting on there, but you couldn’t tell. I wanted this machine to clean the couch, and for any future spills. I recently used this to clean a small stain on the couch and it worked wonderfully. Unfortunately, I don’t have a before and after photo. This also works great for carpet/rugs and your car! Side note: the machine does not heat your water, but helps maintain the heat (you have to put in warm water yourself).
Along with the flood that happened in the basement, which I briefly spoke about in my January Updates, my car also had water damaged inside. The backseat were wet and growing mold, and the front seat floors were flooded. I immediately sprayed vinegar/water mixture, let that sit for 30 minutes, then sprayed with 70% alcohol, then used warm water to wash and suck up all water. I probably emptied out the machine >10x, but it did the job… a really good job. My seats are clean and mold-free. It also even cleaned some years old stains I had back there. Amazing!
Moving on from appliances; my next favorite are these Chomps beef sticks. I’ve been seeing influencers on Instagram talk about this, but I hesitate to purchase anything that’s gifted, advertisement, or sponsored. I happened to see a pack of 10 at Costco (for a discounted price of $16; Chomps.com sells them for $24), and decided to give it a try. WOW. It’s literally a healthier and tastier (in my opinion) of a Slim Jim. There is zero added sugar, no nitrates or nitrites, and no additives. Only < 100 calories and is packed with protein! So far, we’ve tried the original beef, jalapeno, and the salt and pepper venison. All delicious. When I’m craving for a late night snack, I don’t feel guilty grabbing one of these! We’ve now have bought a second bag from Costco. This will definitely be an repetitive purchase.
That is all I have for this month. A lot of big ticket items, but I’m sure they all will last at least my lifetime. Thank you so much for joining me today and see you next time!
Some good favorites in there! Kitchen game coming up!
Plus those chomps!