You Know You're Old When...

...you get really excited about a new vacuum cleaner. Our old one recently died on us just moments before a house showing. It had been performing more and more poorly, then finally just quick picking up any of the dustbunnies on our floor. It actually seemed to be shooting dust back into the room instead.

Since we had to buy a new vacuum, we decided we might as well go for gold (and for broke). For years we've been hearing rave reviews from friends and the internet about Dyson vacuum cleaners. They're supposed to be great vacuums, requiring little maintenance, and especially good at sucking up animal hair - which we have in large quantities floating around our house.

We bought a refurbished model, which made me a little nervous, but we saved so much money that I felt it was worth a shot. So far, we've been very pleased. When we took it out of the box, it felt a little like a birthday party - how sad is that! But let's be honest. I spend a fair amount of time vacuuming, and I really want a cleaner home for all of us, so this little device will hopefully improve my life.

Just like the commercials claim, so far it has great suction. My other favorite features are the bagless canister that is easy to empty, the telescoping attachment that allows me to vacuum the stairs without dragging the vacuum cleaner behind me, and the really long cord which means I can vacuum the whole downstairs without changing outlets. Go Dyson!