REVIEW: MudPuppy.com

A few of my daughters favorite things? Ballerina’s, stickers and the color pink (she gets this honestly). So it was no surprise when she picked these two (2) items sent to us, for review, from MudPuppy.com who are taking part in the 2010 Birthday Gift Guide: For Children
 
The first one is a the Fun and Dance Sticker Set Play Scene and the other was Dreams, Thoughts and Secrets Diary complete with it’s own lock & key.

Dreams, Thoughts & Secrets Diary

With her just learning how to write I had to explain what a diary was to make certain this is what she wanted. She was very persistent in her desire to have it as she said, “But it has a key, it’s pink and it has dancers” as if that should have immediately sealed the deal.

Since it was her idea, I let her go with it and the moment it came in the mail she has not parted ways with it. In fact, she carries it around in her personalized lunchbox. I had to wonder if this was any idea of what I should expect from her when she was a teenager, but since she is turning five (5) years old I figured I should let things be as they are.

She has since drawn quite a few pictures and “written” a letter to her once favorite bus driver, for pre-school, Miss Mel. According to Alexis she told Miss Mel how much she misses seeing & talking to her; it touched my heart as Miss Mel was always so kind to her.

Now I can tell Alexis that her first diary entry was a letter she wrote to her favorite pre-school bus driver. And trust in the fact that this will become an item that will go in Alexis’ memory box for her to refer to someday.

Until then, I have every intention of buying her, her first keychain to keep her key on. This really seems to be important to her. And it gives this Mommy an opportunity to teach her about responsibility. Don’t worry though, I have a back-up key in safe keeping. Thank goodness there were two keys that came with it. A little more specific information in regard to what the diary entails:

Colored padlock with 2 keys 192 lined pages 4 x 5-3/4″ For ages 4+

Fun & Dance Sticker Set Play Scene

Fill up the practice space with dancers. Ballet, modern, or jazz–you decide. Illustrations by John & Wendy. With over 50 vinyl stickers to choose from, this play scene is not only portable fun for children, it’s educational too!
 

Sticker board with handle, closed, measures 9 x 12″ 50 reusable stickers Ages 3+

I have to be honest, as usual, and just bring up that I really didn’t think this particular sticker play scene would keep her all that interested after one-time-play.

However, it’s been the source for hours of play time and she seems to really want to care for the stickers  (she had me put them in a plastic storage bag for sake-keeping).

It has allowed her to create play scenes and tell me a story that goes along with it thus truly allowing her to utilize her imagination; and what an imagination she has! She has named each of the dancers and whose best friends with who already.

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom.

REVIEW: Frecklebox.com

Sometimes the best gifts are those that we feel are more personal, unique or creative. My daughter picked this personalized lunch box; and what she wanted it to have put on it.

Frecklebox.com is part of the 2010 Birthday Gift Guide: For Children on Unconditional Mom. I had previously looked at their website and just fell in awe at the products that they offered. It took my daughter about 45 minutes of surfing their site to finally settle on one product… the options are plenty & the cute factor is high!

When we received the lunchbox it was so much more than I had anticipated. The quality is truly wonderful. The personalization makes it appear as if that is how the lunchbox was originally created; no stickers, transparent layering, etc.

In fact, her name was on all four (4) sides - not just one. It seems Frecklebox.com knows the importance of giving it that extra ‘oomph’ and they do it so well. It’s almost too cute to use, but I wouldn’t do that to my daughter, as she adores it. I know it’s one of those things that she will never part with. Someday, when she’s 16 I’ll find it jam packed full of love letters from various boys or special memorabilia that she has saved over the years such as concert ticket stubs and then some.

Frecklebox.com even sent me a special surprise of my own: a personalized journal. My name was on the inside cover and every page there after. Again, they got it right with going the extra mile! I have shown it to everyone…

This goes to show that their personalized gifts aren’t just for children - they can be for anyone! It’s been a long time since I’ve received a gift with my name on it and it made me appreciate it that much more.

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: TropicalTraditions.com Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Sometimes there needs to be an alternative, a healthy alternative, to making food than what we have available. When I first heard of TropicalTraditions.com Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil I became very intrigued. I inquired if I could review the product, myself, so I could see if it was indeed as good as it sounds.

Before I get into the review portion of this post I want to give you a little insight as to what the Gold Label

Virgin Coconut Oil is about and I believe they said it best:

This Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil is unrefined and is made with organic coconuts. Fresh coconuts are used and only the best are hand-picked from each harvest. The fresh coconut meat is then shredded and then cold-pressed using the water that is inside of the coconut to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about 12 hours while the oil naturally separates from the milk.

You use this oil just as you would vegetable oil, or the like, and the taste is nothing short of great. I was a bit apprehensive, as you can probably imagine, as I had never tried anything other than the standard vegetable or canola oil in all of the years that I had been cooking. So, I went to their website and instantly found a couple of recipes that made my mouth water.

Can we say… yummy?

Alexis did.

So did Mom!

In addition, I can not - due to FDA & FTC rules - make any claims in regard to the health benefits directly on my blog, but I would highly recommend you visiting their website and learning more about it yourself. I can contest to the fact that it took my already high level of interest and doubled it.

Free Copy of, Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order

Tropical Traditions also has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number: 5825534, please.

By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet.

If you need assistance with setting this up, please feel free to contact customer service, for further instructions by clicking on this link: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/customerservice.cfm

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: Zooniwear.com Mop Top Hat

MOP TOP HAT

Introduction:

“Our Mop Top hats feature one-of-a-kind designs that are guaranteed to turn heads! Each hat is handknit with love and care from custom-made cotton yarn or bamboo yarn. Lined with soft fleece or jersey, our hats provide maximum warmth and comfort for your child. These hats make the perfect finishing touch to any outfit!”

Attempting to select a favorite of Zonni’s mop top hats was difficult. Just look at the Purple Reign Mop Top… hello?! It’s so cute!  I couldn’t wait to see Alexis in it with her bright blue eyes and beautiful dark blond hair.

And just look at her!

We took the hat out of the package, together, and realized that a picture on the website does not do this hat any justice at all. In fact, the picture of my daughter in it doesn’t do it any justice either. To actually touch and/or wear this hat is what does it justice. Then you’re left with feeling that you’re the only one who knows about this hat and almost, I did say almost, don’t want to let the world in on your little secret.

With that said, it really left me feeling a little uneasy as to how I could ever write a review on something that is just so… CUUUUTE! Okay, see? There’s proof. That is the first time I have ever stretched out a word in one of my reviews. That has to tell you something.

As you can plainly see Alexis wasted no time in putting it on and demanding a picture taken. So much so that she didn’t allow me to put it on completely right, but even with that, it’s alluring.

The mop top is high quality; this is definitely not one of those hats that will wear out easily. And it fits so nicely! It reads that it’s 2-5 years old, but she’s going on 5 and you see how well it fits. It’s made in a way that even if on a smaller head it won’t be so big as to cover their eyes and it will still rest nicely on top of their heads.

It’s so warm. With the freezing temperatures I’ll be confident that her ears will be nice and toasty. I would love nothing more than to see Zooni make coats to match their mop top hats - I would be the first in line to purchase one.

We’ll be holding on to this hat for years - no questions about it!

Too boot - now I want one for me! This is a hat I would actually wear… and I don’t wear hats.

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: Joovy.com Toy Caboose & Toy Booster Seat

CABOOSE STAND-ON TANDEM STROLLER

Prior to Christmas, my daughter was the proud owner of over 20 baby dolls. As I’ve admitted she is very spoiled and I have no shame in that whatsoever. With that many baby dolls a little girl has to have the baby doll furniture too boot. We have a stroller, baby bed, bunk baby bed, 2 play yards, a car seat, high chair and a walker.

As mentioned - prior to Christmas she had over 20 baby dolls. Now she is down to 10. Sometimes a mother has to realize that there can be too much of a good thing.

With all of my experience and observation with those aforementioned doll furniture I can tell you, first-hand, just how brutal a little girl of 2, 3 and 4 can be on them. Because of this I have bought those same items again and again. This can get expensive, but we have to have somewhere to put all of those babies!

Since then I have discovered Joovy. Joovy is a company that designs and manufactures strollers for real babies. You know, those ones that actually breathe, poop, pee, burp, etc. So what does this have to do with baby dolls?

Joovy also makes strollers for little girls baby dolls, stuff animals, etc. Yet, not your average, made of cheap plastic, run-of-the-mill strollers. Their toy strollers are made in a real stroller factory - they are literally miniature versions of the real thing!

When we, my daughter & I, received this stroller I can not begin to express just how much in awe I was. I believe the thought that went through my head was, “You’ve got to be kidding me”. The weight of it, alone, immediately told me that this was not some cheaply made stroller that a lot of stores sell. Again, this was the real thing and only a smaller version of it.

It did require some assembly, but it was so easy to accomplish, and no tools required. Alexis, my daughter, was running off to gather some baby dolls from her room by the time I had it all set-up.

Her reaction upon seeing it complete: “Wow, Mommy! It’s so neat!!!”

I had to agree with her - it’s quite impressive. I don’t know that I could talk it up enough. It’s the equivalent of an expensive foreign car in the doll strollers of the world. Every single detail is incredible. They even have a car seat that they sell separately, too match!

The one thing that stands out, outside of the amazing durabilty, is the fact that this stroller actually collapses exactly like a real stroller. Can we say, “Collapse and slide under the bed for storage purposes, please?”
Thank you, Joovy! No, seriously, thank you. You’ve made all other baby doll strollers obsolete in my opinion…and it doesn’t get any more honest than that!

With that said, the Caboose isn’t the only toy that Joovy makes… yes, there’s more!

Introducing the Joovy Toy Booster Seat. Yet again, it’s a miniature of the real thing too! “Joovy has developed the first doll car seat that helps children understand the importance of good passenger safety, without sacrificing play-time fun. Children learn to imitate the role of a caring and responsible parent as they safely secure a favorite doll or stuffed toy into the doll car seat. And parents find that their child is more cooperative about using their own car seat as a result!”

So, not only is it sturdy, but it’s also an educational tool? It certainly is. To give you some insight:

Washable fabric cover removes easily for cleaning

Attaches to vehicle seat using a seat belt or the LATCH car restraint system. Can be easily released for playtime activities

Crash tested Doll Booster Car Seat includes real 5-Point safety harness

5-Point harness is fully adjustable for height and width. Fits dolls or stuffed toys 12 to 20 inches in length

Functional 5-Point harness is fully adjustable for height and width. Fits dolls or stuffed toys from 12 to 20 inches in length

Unit is crash tested for passenger safety

Do children actually like it? Wellll, what if I told you my daughter fell asleep on the floor next to it last night?

And you thought I was kidding!

Both of these products have received the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award and are on sale with free shipping currently on Joovy.com. The Caboose is on sale for $59.00 and the Booster Seat for $29.00.

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: PinkChicken.com Estelle Dress

As part of the 2010 Birthday Gift Guide: For Children, here on Unconditional Mom, PinkChicken.com was a company that I had to include. Pink Chicken is designed and owned by Stacey Fraser, a 15-year fashion veteran (babyGap, Tommy Hilfiger, Old Navy, Ralph Lauren) and mother-of-two. They are based out of New York, NY and have been open for the last three (3) years.

I had heard about them awhile back and knew I wanted to get my daughter into one of their dresses…and I’m so glad that I did.

I’d like to introduce the readers of Unconditional Mom to a soon-to-be-released dress called the Estelle. These won’t be available until February 1st, 2010 for the Spring line so it allows me perfect opportunity to familiarize you with this product.

If there is anything that most little girls adore - it’s a beautiful dress.

PinkChicken.com has designed a dress that any little girl will love. As soon as Alexis took it out of the package her eyes lit up. For some reason, she calls it her “coconut dress”, but I’m not quite sure where that came from as there’s not a coconut any where on it. Out of the mouths of babes!

Perhaps it’s because she also said it made her feel like she was on vacation in Florida again. Regardless, it has great style. Sometimes simple speaks volumes and I’m confident that this dress represents just that. As much into fashion that Alexis is she went and grabbed her jean jacket and a pair of pink flip flops to accessorize; she looked so unbelievably cute.

My biggest disappointment was not being able to let her wear that outside as the weather is still very cold here in the St. Louis area. C’mon Spring!

If the Estelle dress is any indication of what is to come of the 2010 Spring line from PinkChicken.com I can not wait to see what else they have come up with. I love originality and PinkChicken.com gives us just that…and then some. Finally - someone gets it! And from the look on my daughter’s face you can tell that she’s thrilled about that!

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: FaBOWlous.com

PEPPERMINT PRINCESS TUTU

Alexis has been taking dance lessons for two years now; ballet, tap and jazz. In this time, I’ve run across a lot of tutu’s. There is something about a tutu that just takes that already cute quality that our daughters have and multiplies it by ten.

Yet, there are those select few that are everything you visualize when someone mentions the word tutu. Fabowlous.com figured out precisely what it takes to make that extra-special tutu that would make any person smile at the cute-factor it presents.

These are absolutely stunning; there is no other word!

The Fabowlous.com tutu’s are not just made for those tiny dancer’s though. Any child can wear them and do so in fabulous style. You can put them over a pair of jeans or leggings and have the fashionista in your child shine through.

A well-made and quality tutu is difficult to find without paying a pretty penny for them - and believe me… I can say that from personal experience. I, personally, find their tutu’s being a great price and honestly intend to purchase more as time goes on. Alexis didn’t take her’s off without some serious coaxing on my part; she was dancing around for hours putting on pretend shows for the world to see.

I love the concept of keeping it as a keepsake. Fabowlous.com sends these tutu’s in a tube so your daughter can save them for their own daughter later on. If they want to wear it, in the meantime, you simply take it out and give it a good shake to poof it up. Fabowlous.com recommends putting it in the dryer for 5-10 minutes to do this, but I didn’t and it poofed up really well. See pictures below:

 

Each tutu is currently shipped free of charge and with a free matching hair clip. I have a funny feeling this tutu will be the selected outfit in a near future photo session. How can I resist? I want to capture this for a lifetime
.

INTERCHANGEABLE HEADBANDS

Alexis & I also had a chance to review Fabowlous.com new line of interchangeable headbands. These are so creative and stylish. It’s a headband that you can either wear alone or with a flower clip. You can make any combination from the selection that they have available on their website.

They add such a perfect accessory to any girls outfit who loves to dress casually or dress-up in their Sunday best. Not only was I an instant fan, but Alexis couldn’t wait to put it on. Again I had to coax her out of it, but that didn’t last long… she had it back on her head within a matter of minutes.

If you’re wondering if they are easily interchangeable the answer is an astounding… yes! It’s a simple, yet sturdy, clip that you can put on and take off with absolute ease. The flower clips can even go into your daughters hair, without the headband, and they stay put. Alexis has straight, fine hair (as you can see in the picture to your left, and the flower clip stayed in with no problems. None of that, “Come here honey let me fix your clip” stuff again; whew!

We even got a little creative and added an additional flower clip to the headband to see what it would look like with two. Here is the result:

Now if you’re curious if the flowers are a fake and cheap brand - don’t concern yourself with that. They obviously don’t have the feel of a real flower, but they are soft and look realistic which makes them all the more adorable. I truly love this and do plan on getting more flower clips so Alexis can continue to accessorize her outfits. My miniature fashionista wouldn’t have it any other way.

Disclosure: Per the FTC regulations and guidelines it is my duty to disclose that I did receive a product, for free, so a review could be completed. Receiving a product for free does not alter my opinion as stated here on Unconditional Mom. 

REVIEW: Piggy Paint

Moms, do you remember when you were a little girl and you couldn’t wait to paint your fingernails for the first time with your own kid polish? There was nothing better than the idea of knowing you could paint your nails and make them pretty. Now our little girls, granddaughters, nieces, little sisters, etc. are following in our footsteps with the same fascination.

What if I told you that there was something about solvent-based children’s fingernail polish that isn’t common knowledge? And what if I mentioned that it isn’t something you would like to hear? I want to share part of a story with you told by the founder of Piggy Paint - Melanie Hurley.

One day while we were painting nails over a foam plate, my daughter dropped a glob of her solvent-based polish onto the plate. Shortly after, the paint began to bubble and “ate” through the plate. I looked in dismay at the hole in the plate and decided to test all of her other “kid” polishes on the foam. Within minutes, ALL of the solvent-based polishes began to bubble and eventually left big holes in the plate. From that day on, I decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for my children’s fingernails, which would inevitably end up in their mouths.

This inspired Melanie to create something that would be safe for her daughters to use and today that product is known as Piggy Paint.


Piggy Paint is:
1. Hypoallergenic
2. Odorless
3. Has no toxic chemicals

It’s as Natural as Mud!

  

Suited for a little girls imagination with such fun names as, “Clouds of Candy”, “Forever Fancy” and more. 

Alexis recently had the opportunity to try their “Girls Rule!” color. This is such a pretty color of Piggy Paint that even I contemplated wearing it; contemplated. Seeing this color, along with the options available on the PiggyPaint.com website, I could tell that they have only selected colors that little girls would love to adorn their fingernails with.

In fact, I was semi-jealous as I realized that no one had anything remotely similar to these colors when I was Alexis’ age. Our options were “Rose Red” or “Grandma’s Pink Lipstick” - you get the idea. And it was always that cheap polish that would peel off the moment you took a bath or otherwise.

Alexis absolutely loves this nail polish. She loves putting it on, she loves wearing it and she loves taking it off so she can do it all over again. Truth be told, I believe she may have now become a lil’ Piggy Paint Princess, who will now only adorn her nails with that of which is only fit for princesses around the world.

Mother Approved: I’m definitely a fan of Piggy Paint as well. It’s comforting to know that there is something safe on her nails and it  won’t harm her if she puts her fingers in her mouth… or reverts back to her old bad habit of biting her nails. Perhaps this will assist me in reminding her that she’ll mess up her nails if she bites them. Now that’s an idea!

Both of these pictures were taken at Tori Spelling’s daughter, Stella’s, 1st Birthday party. You can see all of the pictures, including those with little one’s wearing Piggy Paint, at this location. They are copyright to the PiggyPaint.com website.

EXCLUSIVE UNCONDITIONAL MOM DISCOUNT:
All readers of Unconditional Mom can utilize a special 15% off discount on the PiggyPaint.com website using the code, “UncondMom15″, at checkout. That’s a wonderful opportunity that I’m grateful Melanie has offered and encourage all of you to take advantage of.

Disclaimer: It is my duty to disclose that I received one bottle of Piggy Paint and one bottle of Piggy Paint Remover for review purposes only.

REVIEW: Zuvo Water Purator

When I first heard of the Zuvo I felt like I was missing out on something. The reviews that I had personally read were nothing short of fantastic; so I had to see, or taste, for myself.

I personally contacted them to inquire if I could review the Zuvo as part of my “Home Beverage Machine Reviews” right here on the Unconditional Mom blog and I consider myself one lucky Mom!

When I received it I was amazed at the very sleek design. I studied it a little bit and read up on all of the material that was sent along. I couldn’t wait to get it hooked up!

You see, I live in a small town right outside of St. Louis, Missouri and our water is just - bleh! There is no other word to explain it. So like most ‘locals’ I invest in expensive bottled water and attempt to persuade my conscious mind that I’m not filling up landfill, after landfill, with plastic bottles. I’m not what you call a modern environmentally concerned mom, but I don’t want to be a contributing factor to situations if they are preventable.

So, here was my chance to see if I could lay all of that to rest and have quality drinking water to consume. Within a couple of days (not due to the Zuvo) I had the opportunity to put it to the ultimate test!

Be prepared for what you are about to see… this thing is flat out AMAZING!




It’s fascinating just to watch…

I wanted to take a picture so all of you could see what it looks like with the lights off. This is what it looks like while it’s purifying your tap water. Pretty neat, eh?

Technical issues: None. Hooking it up to the sink took less than a minute! Just read the papers that come with it, ahead of time, so you know how to operate it. When you first hook it up make sure you let it run for 5 minutes so it can purify your water to the fullest extent.

Cost:

The cost of a Zuvo? On Amazon.com: $208.93 (currently)

And no plastic bottles!

As their amazing filters last 6-8 months; dependent upon the use.

Now, on to the taste test: I have to tell you I almost forgot that I needed to take a drink as I was so mesmerized just watching it work. However, after I waited the initial 5 minutes of flushing it out, I grabbed a clear glass and let it fill up - the was crystal clear. Something I have never seen coming from my tap in the 4 1/2 years that I have lived here.

I closed my eyes (hey? I’m always a little leery!), took a deep breath and began to take my first sip. The moment it touched my lips my eyes opened as I was in disbelief; it was tasty! Tasty in the sense that it was free of any chemicals whatsoever and absolutely fresh!

On a personal level this made me really excited. As you know I have kidney disease and drinking water is more so imperative for my health than the ‘Average Joe’; we all need to be drinking water. Thanks to Zuvo water that just became a lot less expensive and enjoyable! My kidney’s no longer have to work extra hard flushing out those impurities that are found in bottled water as the Zuvo does it for them and that means a lot to me. Not to mention, that I know when my daughter drinks the Zuvo water there are no ‘nasties’ going into her system… and that makes my heart happy.

Now if you’ll excuse me… I’m going to go get another drink of my new crystal clear water. Kudo’s to Zuvo’s around the world; finally a water purifying system that I can actually SEE working.

Disclaimer: To keep within the FTC guidelines I have to mention that I received a Zuvo Water Purator in order to complete this review. I received no other form of compensation and my opinion remains honest regardless.

REVIEW: Dyson DC25 All Floors

I am 36 years old. I have been living on my own since I was 19. In those 17 years I have managed to go through over 10 vacuum cleaners. I don’t know what it is… I just could never find a vacuum that could stand up to what I put it through.

Then I added the kiddo; my little mini-me. After going out and spending almost $300 on a vacuum (I’ll leave the name out of it); it broke on me 3 months later. Yes, 3 months. Next came the long haired white cat named Gabriel. Oddly I’ve been using a regular, bagged vacuum cleaner, for the last few months and it has been sufficing. Albeit, it was just enough to let my floors look decent and that was about it. I never felt that it was getting clean… picking up dirt under the surface of the carpet.

I have always wondered why a company couldn’t make a reliable, well thought-out & functioning vacuum, that could withstand the run-of-the-mill household. Those of us who have children; pets, blue collar workers who come home dragging in dirt from their work sites, etc. Is it really that difficult?

Sure, it is. If you want to spend up to $3000.00 to get one. Honestly, times are tough enough as it is… I don’t know about you, but the last thing I’m going to invest up to $3000.00 in is a vacuum. I had the opportunity, years ago, to review a name unmentioned vacuum that did the trick; it really got the house clean. But it was so expensive that I would have been paying on it for years and the one thing I truly didn’t like about it was the fact that it would mix in with water and leave me a big mess to clean up after I was done… cleaning. Who came up with that concept? Too boot, it was a complicated pain to work with, with all of the huge gadgets to attach, leaving me with no desire and major physical work-out to actually use it.  I sent it back and had no regrets about doing so.

I have heard a lot about Dyson. I’ve actually never had the opportunity to use one or be near one. However, that recently changed. Dyson sent me their DC25 All Floors and for lack of better words I will leave you with what I told their company representative via e-mail just yesterday, “OMG this thing is freaking AMAZING!” You’ll have to pardon my lack of verbage, but quite frankly I was still trying to come down from the ‘someone finally gets it‘ high that I had achieved in the time I spent using it.

 Dyson has engineered this vacuum with more thought in all of the years that vacuum’s have been in existence - combined. It’s genius! Allow me to preface this just a little bit and simply say I put it together using no directions; so easy! While I was putting it together (no tools required!), I was in awe by the sheer fact that someone took the time to really think the design through; from top to bottom - there was nothing left to be desired if someone would have asked me what I wanted in a vacuum myself.

It reminded me of those Windows 7 commercials where people are claiming to be the inventor of their product…

With what the Dyson DC25 All Floors can do I expected it to be a huge, and possibly heavy & complex vacuum to operate. It’s so easy to maneuver that my four-year-old was vacuuming within seconds…and had fun doing it! (BTW, that’s an additional bonus to this entire thing). Let me give you some basics of the Dyson DC25 All Floors:

1. Weighs only 16lbs.
2. Single-action wand with instant 16 foot reach for stair and high-reach cleaning.
3. Patented Cyclone technology that doesn’t lose suction power as you vacuum.
4. Rides effortlessly on an ultra-lightweight ball and turns on a dime.
5. Air expelled from a Dyson has up to 150 times less bacteria and mold than the air we breathe.
6. Washable lifetime HEPA filter designed to trap microscopic allergens such as pollen and bacteria. No bags, belts or filters to buy.
7. One touch hygienic and quick-to- empty bin; just press the button at the top of the cyclone and dust empties from the bottom.
8. Five-year warranty for parts and labor guaranteed by Dyson.

Now on to my opinion and the purpose behind it:
As mentioned it was so easy to put together; having to use no tools and little brain power was extremely nice. The single-action wand? Impressive! It stows away inside the handle so it’s not in your way while you’re vacuuming. However, when you’re ready to use it - you simply flip the top, slide it out, and you’re ready to go. It reached up to my ceiling and ceiling fan with absolute ease. Truth be told, my ceiling fan looks like new.

Even the dust that I thought might not come off without a little assistance from a wet rag of some kind was sucked off the blades with absolute ease. I could hear it make a ‘whoosh’ sound as the dust was inhaled into the cyclone container. I even vacuumed my walls. I was on a roll - don’t fault me.Next I tackled the back of my couch where my long haired cat, Gabriel, likes to hang out. One swipe down the back of it and viola! - cat hair gone. No vacuuming over and over again to achieve a satisfactory result. Of course, I then wanted to vacuum the floors, both carpet and tile, to see what magic the Dyson DC25 All Floors would do… my chin was to the floor. And what a clean floor to rest it upon!

I honestly thought it may suck the carpet right off of the floor - I could feel it working. With the canister collecting all of the dust, allergens, etc. I could see it working.

You can not tell that a four-year-old child and long haired cat live here. The DC25 All Floors kept up and didn’t miss a beat…or speck of dust; or cat hair, etc. Everything looked as if I had spent hours vacuuming and I hadn’t; it was a grand total of 15 minutes. I was able to get to things that I normally wouldn’t have been able to due to the ball that it moves around on. Just a flick of my wrist and I was easily maneuvering it effortlessly.

When I was finished, I simply unsnapped the canister out of place, took it to the trash can, pushed the button and all of the stuff my prior vacuum didn’t get it was sliding it’s way into the trash can. I snapped the lid back on, popped the canister back on to the vacuum and I was done! If only you all could have seen the look of sheer satisfaction on my face…

I have confessed my undying love for an inanimate object on my Facebook as of yesterday.

Let me be quite frank with all of you… I am not a fan of vacuum’s. In fact, I giggle at those who claim ‘there’s is the next best thing since sliced bread’ from all of my bad experiences with them, but Dyson proved me wrong. They showed me it is possible to have a vacuum that does what we need it to do without having an empty checking account or complex, messy and never-ending wrestling match with attachments.

Now I'm breathing much easier.

 Listen, I know you read reviews from people all of the time, particularly here at Unconditional Mom. And albeit this is the only vacuum review I have completed on-line I just want you all to know that the DC25 All Floors by Dyson is really that good. I don’t get impressed by vacuums and any one who knows me well can contest to that fact. Now I am truly very impressed!

Disclaimer: Per the guidelines of the FTC I must let all of you know that I did receive a Dsyson DC25 All Floors, from Dyson, for review purposes.