Addicted

Back in February/March, I read a couple of blogs that went on and on about this blog called Southern Savers. I looked around the site a little bit at the time, but didn't want to dive in and become a "couponer". Come April, however, I really started to give this thing a go - in fact, I blogged about it here.

Fast forward three months and now I am a complete and total addict. Seriously. I started with CVS and now do Publix and Kroger too. I love, love, love the way Jenny at Southern Savers sets up the grocery lists every week - I have no idea how she has the time to do it all - I hope she is making a lot of money!

Over the last 3 months, I have shaved $25-$50 off our weekly grocery bill (that's $100-$200/month!). Don't worry, we still eat out a lot...couponing hasn't turned me into a cook! It isn't something I "have" to do, but I've found that I really do enjoy it!

True, it takes a lot of time (especially in the beginning), but I love finding new deals every day! Yes, I buy stuff that I wouldn't normally buy, but my rule is I usually only buy it if it is under $1 (and most of that is free!). Hey, if they want to give it to me free, I won't deny it! For everything I know we won't use, I have a big box of stuff to donate. We have also really enjoyed trying new foods and products all the time. It seemed like we had been in a nine year rut and all of a sudden, you never know what you are going to find in the pantry!

To give you an idea of how well you can do, here are a few of my recent CVS trips. I do the best at CVS, but I usually save about 40-60% at Publix & Kroger.

I got all of this for $10.37 (it would have been less, but two unnamed kids were pulling candy off the racks and I couldn't get to my last transaction). Note that this includes a package of diapers! Last week, I spent $4.51 on all this (includes 4 12-packs of coke!). I would have spent that much on the batteries alone 6 months ago!

If you all know of any other great sites out there, let me know!

My Latest Endeavor: Coupons

After having several conversations with friends in recent weeks about "couponing", I finally decided to break down and give this thing a try. Keep in mind that before kids, I was very organized...to an extreme really. That all changed when suddenly my free time was zapped in half and then half again and is about to be non-existent. That's OK - the hugs and kisses are worth it.

Sorry to digress there. So, in my now less than organized way, I have been trying to work this whole "couponing" world (and it is a world out there). While I have been very successful at the large grocery store trips (I saved $56 on my last trip to Target!!), I still find myself spending way to much money on those "I'm just going to run in and buy a couple of items" trips.

Before I go any farther, let me tell you about my favorite website of the moment: Southern Savers Blog. This girl thinks like me and writes things down in a way I would and it makes it very easy for me. I decided to start with her CVS "plan" since I live so close to one. I must say that I have been working the system very well. Take for instance my shopping trip yesterday:

I got these 11 items for $17 with $13 in CVS dollars to spend on my next visit. If I had more time, I would have ended up spending only $8 with $5 in CVS dollars, but I didn't have time for another transaction. The hardest part has been trying to stay away from brand loyalty (trying new shampoos, toothpastes, yogurt, granola bars, etc). So far it has been OK, but we'll see. I also don't have any room in my house to hoard items for an entire year...I can only imagine the size of these ladies pantries! A good deal is a good deal, but not at the expense of floor space!

I've also got a number of friends that use couponmom.com. It took awhile to sign up, but it is free. I like that they provide Target and Wal-mart shopping lists since that is where I primarily shop. However, these ladies are working the Publix deals, so they may be my next endeavor.

My only problem with Publix and Kroger is that while you can get some fantastic deals on certain items, unless those exact items make up a meal, you are still going to have to buy the other items. Wal-mart is so much cheaper across the board that I'd really like to see a price comparison since you can still use coupons at Wal-mart (they just aren't doubled).

That's where I'm at. Any other "couponers" out there? What tricks or tips do you use. I really am quite fascinated at the money I could save. Thanks!

You know I went to see it...

...Twilight, that is. I've never been much of a movie person. In fact, over the past 5 years, I have probably only seen 5 movies in the movie theater. However, I couldn't miss this one! My friend, Mary, and I couldn't wait! Thankfully, she waited for me to get back from Hawaii so we could go together. I don't know who was more excited to see the movie, us:

or the 6 teenagers we brought along:I thought it was a great movie, IF you have read the books. Otherwise, I think you would have been completely lost - there was no character development at all within the actual movie. For those who have read the books, I thought the movie was the icing on the cake.

I decided why I think so many ladies adore these books. It is because every single one of us wants that guy who will do absolutely anything to keep us safe - no matter how hard that might be. Anyway, that was my thoughts. Anyone else see the movie? What did you think?

Hula Pie

My favorite restaurant on Kauai is Keoki's for one reason and one reason only - Hula Pie. This is one of the best desserts ever. Levi thought so too. Towards the end of the dessert, Levi got tired and laid his head on the table, but he kept eating! That's my son!

My other favorite restaurant is Duke's (owned by the same people as Keoki's). This trip I had possibly the best fish I've ever had - Duke's Style Opah. Yum. Here's a picture of Garet & Kara at Duke's. I thought it was funny because Kara looks like she is so excited about the food!

Polynesian Cultural Center

After visiting Pearl Harbor, we choose to continue on around Oahu via city bus to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Not the best decision on our parts...it was crowded and took 2 hours to get around the island. I honestly wanted to kiss the ground when we got there.

Let me caveat here for a moment and tell you about a lady we met while waiting for the bus. She and her son had just moved out of a homeless shelter a month prior and she was helping us navigate the bus system. As the bus pulled up, she told us that we needed exact change (which we did not have). She gave us the money and wouldn't accept anything in return. I was so humbled by her generosity in what I'm sure was a lot of money to her.

Due to the length of our bus trip, we did not have very much time to explore the grounds at the Center, but I was so impressed by what we did see! They have all these "islands" that represent Polynesia (ex. Hawaii, Tahiti, Easter Island, etc.). The place was amazing and so relaxing! After a very stressful ride on the bus, we were able to float down this river through paradise!We only had about 30 minutes to walk through the islands, so I know we missed out, but what we did see was beautiful. We chose to do the luau and we headed over to eat. The eating part & show here were typical of every luau I've been to, but still good none the less.Where the Polynesian Cultural Center shines though is in their nightly show. Can I just say "Amazing"?!?! Wow. It was so good. We had only been in Hawaii a day at this point, so the kids where still jet lagged. Kara fell asleep, but Levi fought sleep as he was mesmerized by the show - he loved it. If you ever find your self on the east side of Oahu - go see this show!

I do not heart Waikiki

I've only flown through Honolulu, so we decided to spend a couple of days in Waikiki and explore what Oahu has to offer. I have to say that I was not impressed. From the minute we got the bus to the hotel and encountered rude service, I thought "this can not be good". Everyone I've ever encountered in Hawaii has been fabulously friendly. Apparently that is not the case in the Waikiki area. From the transportation staff, to the hotel staff and even to the other guests - bad moods everywhere! Ugh! I'm not sure what was up with that. There was not a laid back atmosphere at all.

Regardless, we were finally on land and the kids were ready to get in the pool: The "super pool" was freezing and so my lovely husband braved it with Levi:
We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (remember those points) and since this is low season, were upgraded to an AMAZING room. It was a huge corner room and we had a gorgeous view of the ocean, Waikiki and Diamond Head. This was great. We also used a bell service for the first time and I must say that I couldn't have imagined anything else greater with the amount of luggage we had - I'm going to remember that. This complex is a small town and I would imagine some people stay here and never leave, but oh what they would be missing. I kept telling Garet that it makes me so sad that some people save all their money to go to Hawaii and Waikiki is all they see. In case you are planning a trip, go elsewhere!!! Hawaii is a dream vacation, but Waikiki is not.

Here's our view (the Waikiki side), although this picture doesn't do it justice. At night, the lights were gorgeous:
Anyway, that is my rant on the airport/Waikiki area. We did go to the other side of the island...more to come.

The Flight Over

To say I was a little worried about the flight to Hawaii with two kids ages 3 and 1, would be an understatement. It was quite literally, pure dread. Thankfully, we only had one layover which meant 12 hours from wheels up to wheels down. After the first flight (30 minutes), Levi said "See Mommy, that flight wasn't long". I quickly told him that the long one was still to come. Long it was - 9 hours to be exact.

The first 3 hours were amazing - the kids were stellar. Despite some really bad turbulence during lunch (no doubt), where Levi spilled his orange juice everywhere, things were looking spectacular.

The next 3 hours were decent. Levi slept for almost all 3 of them, but Kara was a little squirmy (although quiet). Our flight was smooth during this time though and we could get up and walk around with her. She, of course, charmed everyone she walked by.

Here's a picture at about 6 hours into the flight. This was all I got since I didn't want to disturb everyone:
The last 3 hours were the hardest. We had a lot of turbulence and so we had to stay in our seats a lot. Everyone was starting to get restless (I mean we had been in a plane for hours at this point) and we were running out of things to entertain the kids with. Kara did sleep some during this leg of the flight. Despite all that, the kids really were amazing. Of the entire 9 hours, I really think there were only about 30 minutes where I wanted to pull my hair out. Thank you for praying! Our lifesavers were the DVD player, a Planet Heroes figure, a baby doll, milk and Teddy Grahams.

We like to play this game when we fly where we book the outside seats on a grouping of 3 in the very back of the plane. The middle seats in the back are usually the last to be booked and I would say we have been successful about 90% of the time in having an open seat between us. Thankfully, our game worked and we had an extra seat on the long flight (for Kara since she was a lap baby) - I really can not tell you how wonderful that was. Also, a note to all of you with the Britax Marathon. We brought the car seat on board for Levi to sit in, but it is so huge that his legs wouldn't fit between the car seat and the seat in front of him. Thankfully, Kara fit in it (and we had an extra seat). I think we are going to check it on the way home.

When we landed, the flight attendant came on and asked all of us to remain seated at the gate. With us on the flight were several military men and women who were on home leave from Iraq. They had been traveling for 30+ hours and they asked if we could let them get off first so they could see their families quickly. As they stood, the entire plane burst into applause. The emotion got the best of me - I was really proud to be an American as I watched them walk off the plane. And, they all looked so young. I'm sure none of them will ever read this, but just in case: Thank you for reminding me that I can fly with my family on vacation because you are facing danger everyday for me. I was honored to fly with you.

Things I can't live without: Garet Edition

I’ll try and avoid my engineer/dork side and not just list literally what I can not live without. Though I will start out with the one thing that would be on that list…

Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 will always be my favorite verse and Christ will always be my reason for living. If one question plagues my life it is “Why” or sometimes more specifically, “Why does it matter”. I may not know the answer, but I am convinced God does.

Alison. It’s a cheesy line, but Alison really does complete me. Her love for the Lord and willingness to put up with my goofiness exceeds my expectations.

Levi and Kara. I love coming home to them running (and crawling) to hug me. I could live without whining though.

My Bicycle. There is nothing more freeing than riding a bike. Sometimes when I’m doing really good, it almost makes me feel like a super hero. *bike pictured is not actually my bike… yet ;)

Sleep. Perhaps this one is obvious. However, I think I break down faster than other humans when faced with sleep deprivation.

Chocolate. The richer the better. They call me cake prejudice at work because I’m always bad mouthing the white cake.

Basketball. Though it turns out I can live without playing it. I haven’t really played much since Levi was born… but as long as the NBA is still around, I’ll live vicariously through them (shoe contract and all).

Shoes that fit. This is why I would want the shoe contract - I have super narrow size 14 skis… and I’m cheap. If I ever find a good fitting (good looking) pair of shoes, I love them with all of my heart.
“Waylon Live”. I know I’m supposed to say Third Day or something like that, but if I could only own one album, it would be this. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Waylon Jennings…”

Things I can't live without: Kara Edition

Here's to the littlest member of our family...

Gerber Puffs & Wagon Wheels. Kara could survive on nothing but these everyday.

Bows. Kara has not been blessed with the amount of hair Levi had at this age. In order to not cause confusion, I love sticking bows in her hair! (Not a great picture, sorry.)

Laugh & Learn Kitchen. This is one of the only "baby" toys she plays with.
Levi's Toys. Everything else Kara plays with comes from Levi's room. I think it is more because the toys belong to Levi than anything else.

Fisher-Price High Chair. Where was this when Levi was born? It's not big, bulky, can be easily moved (and hidden!), super easy to clean, etc, etc. I could go on and on. (sorry for all the old pictures in this post - I didn't have time to go take new ones!)
Orajel Q-tip Swabs. Kara decided to get 7 teeth over the course of 2 weeks (she's so determined!). I hate trying to get the squeeze gel right on her teeth - thank goodness for the swabs!

2-second Thermometer. We didn't get this until Kara was about 6 months old - I couldn't believe what I had been missing! The temperature reads sooooo fast - with a child that refuses to sit still, this is a must!

Boppy. Kara still prefers to drink every bottle snuggled in her boppy.

Ms. Paige. Only our very favorite babysitter! She's never allowed to move away.

Swing. Anytime she can see the playground out the window, she is pointing towards the swing.

I've found that things have been quite different the second time around. Kara didn't require near the amount of "baby stuff" that I thought I had to have with Levi. The above are essential at this stage in her life though. I can't believe she is almost one!

Things I can't live without: Levi Edition

I am continuing my series on "Things I can't live without". Levi will be 3 in a week and a half - agree or disagree with the list?

Electric Toothbrushes. After using all those "Baby Toothbrushes" for so long, I found this on clearance for $1 and Levi now loves to brush his teeth. I feel like it gets them cleaner anyways.

Cars shoes. I love any shoes that I don't have to put on Levi. They might not always get on the right feet, but I'm OK with that.
MDO. I know I talk about this ALL the time, but I can't help it. Every day Levi comes home with something new he has learned. The past few weeks have included the days of the week, the letters A & B, numbers 1 & 2, the color red, circles and the weather wheel.

Kandoo products. There is just something about green foam soap that encourages Levi to wash his hands.

Portable DVD Player. Levi thinks it is his own laptop. A must for any trip.

Large sheets. Great for tents and forts galore.

Diego Dixie Cups. Levi is now drinking out of "big boy" cups and I can throw these away instead of washing them.

Plastic Sheets. Although Levi is now wearing "big boy" underwear at night, he has had a couple of accidents in the middle of the night this past month. Plastic sheets are a lifesaver!

The shower. Levi has never been a big bath person (I think because it aggravates his eczema so much), so now he takes showers. We even let him take his own now (although we help him with the cleaning part a little).

Lemonade (Crystal Light specifically). Thank goodness for sugar-free lemonade. This is Levi's drink of choice and he could put away a gallon-a-day if you would let him.

Playgrounds at Chick-fil-a, McDonalds and the mall. These provide an incentive for Levi to eat...something he doesn't do very well.

"Cars" Pasta. Spaghetti night is no longer the messiest night in our house! Levi's can "ring" the pasta on his fork and it doesn't go all over his shirt!
Strawberry Sugar-Free Applesauce. The one thing that has to be included in his lunch every day.

Pants that don't button and zip. When a kid really needs to use the bathroom, easy-off pants are a must!

Playground. We went back and forth on this for a long time, but it is so nice to have as an alternative to being inside all day!

Stay tuned for the Kara edition tomorrow and if we are lucky, the Garet edition on Thursday!

Things I can't live without: Alison Edition

This week, I'm going to do a series of posts on "Things I can't live without". I am starting with myself. Would you agree with anything on this list?

Target. I wish someone would pay me to shop there every day of the week. I could do it and I could find fabulous deals every day. If anything keeps me from our Dave Ramsey budget, it is Target.

Tivo. I'm still trying to decide if I watch more TV or less TV than I did before Tivo. I think it is about the same. I watch more shows, but have only seen about 10 commercials in the last two years. Our favorite is watching a 4 hour football game in 2.

Amazing Race. I just love that show. I would so be on it if I knew I could control my ugly side.

Travel. I need lots of vacations.

Facebook. I love friends and have been blessed with so many good ones over the years. What a joy to see (almost) all of them in one place. I love reconnecting with friends as far back as grade school and getting to keep up with their day to day activities. I think I'm about to cancel Myspace - too much work.

Costco/Sams. I posted about my love affair with them here.

The Beach. I've said it before, but Garet and I hope to live at the beach someday. I honestly don't think there is a better way to relax than at the beach.

Good jeans. I wear them everyday - I have to seriously think about the last time I wore a dress, another kind of pants or shorts (except at the gym) - it doesn't happen often.

Flip flops. Is there anything else to wear in the summer?

Sunglasses. I think I have super-sensitive eyes. Mine are missing at the moment, proving that I can't live without them! Side note: I couldn't find a picture of me without my sunglasses on my head the other day.

Google Reader & Google Calendar. How else would I keep up with 100 blogs a day and also keep my family organized?

Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. I allow myself one a day. Ahhhh....

Cheesecake. Not the fruity kind. If you read this post, you know I only get it after working out 12 times. Otherwise, I would be a balloon.

The gym. When I am not in a consistent routine, it just ain't pretty.

My Life Group / Friends. God knows that I need them and they blow me away each and every day with their kindness and compassion.

My family. I am so, so blessed on both sides to have an amazing family that loves me and cares about me. There is no family drama, which I know is something to be thankful for.

My kids. Who knew you could love something so much? They have magnified every emotion I have 10 fold.

My husband. Just watch this.

My faith. Without it, I don't know how I could navigate this life. I have been given so much grace.

Kristen's Creativity

In an effort to redeem myself in my brother's eyes from yesterday's post, I figure I better try to make him lots of money today. You see, my brother married Kristen, who is seriously one of the most artistic people on the planet. After much encouragement, she has finally started her own Etsy site (Little Acorn Products) and is now sharing all of her amazing abilities with the rest of the world - yea for us!

In addition to the items on her site, I have to share with you a couple of the things she has done for me. When Kara was born, I asked Kristen to do something for Kara's wall, and the result was amazing! I wish you could see them in person, because I do not have photography skills.

Look at the details! Kara's room is in dragonflies and she handmade the dragonflies with little beads - so cute!These boxes were my Christmas present and I love them! Again, my photography doesn't do them justice.

Go check out her stuff. I've got a link on the side of my blog, so come back often to see what new and amazing things she has!

What can you buy for $6.36?

3 shirts, 1 pair of shorts, a swim shirt and a swim suit. That's right - each piece was about $1!Our local Old Navy is moving to Bridge Street and so they are clearing out the store. All clearance items are 75% off the lowest price. If you have a boy, they still have a big selection, but there wasn't anything for girls. All the baby stuff is 40% off this week, though, so I still got a few things for Kara that I couldn't pass up!

Why have I not been blogging?

Because of this:

If you have read this series, you know exactly what I mean. I finished the last book late last night and as my sister-in-law said, I am very happy with how it all wrapped up.

Yesterday, I had three people ask me what had happened to my blogging and that is when I had to admit my obsession with these books! When I was buying the third one, Garet said, "This says juvenile" - I know, depressing. When I tried to tell him about the plot, he just kinda looked at me like, what??

Another mom at the kids school told me that her book club was addicted to this site: TwilightMoms. This is crazy, I know, but I can't wait until the movie!!!

Has anyone else fallen victim to these books?

If you are local, I've got the 3rd and 4th book that you can have. I gave my sister-in-law the first two and she finished the whole series in a week!

"I didn't hurt her too bad"

When you hear this comment coming out of Levi's mouth, a million things go through your mind.

Thankfully, when I ran into her room, this was all I found:

Levi thought Kara needed to wear her new cowgirl hat (souvenir from San Antonio) while she drank her bottle. I loved it!

He did give her a binder clip later which I found her mouth - I don't know how I'm going to keep Kara alive with all she puts in her mouth! Levi never did this!

In other news, I finally opened my iPod last night. Can I get an "Amen"?!?! I wanted to run with it last night, but I quite possibly had the worst run I've ever had and now I associate my iPod with evil. It is going to have to redeem itself. I was very happy I chose the smaller 8G as I probably would have thrown anything bigger at the ground last night!

Finally, go give some blog love to one of my frequent commenter's...Kimberly! Welcome! She finally caved to the pressure!

Product Review: Sit & Stand Stroller

Jason asked me about our stroller a few days ago, and since we just used it every day for several hours, I feel that I am now an "expert" on it. Plus, several of our friends are venturing into the land of "child #2", so hopefully this will help answer some questions. I have yet to push this bad boy around without getting at least one comment or question from someone.

My Sister-in-Law, Keri, is the first person to introduce me to the Sit & Stand Stroller. She loved it and now I love it.

Let me start by explaining what this stroller is: The front of the stroller is designed 2 ways - to hold a infant carrier or to use as a regular stroller seat. The back is designed for a child to sit facing backwards or to stand forwards. There is also an awning that goes over one or both children.

We got this stroller right before Kara was born and it was the right decision for us. Levi had (literally) just turned two when Kara was born and so he was of the age where he likes to walk by himself everywhere. The stroller was perfect because he could hop on and off as he wanted (or as we wanted) and we don't have to worry about strapping him in.

Pros:

• Extra tall push bar. If you are tall like us, you know how uncomfortable the low arms are. This stroller will not disappoint!


• You can buy an attachment that holds drinks - a wise investment.


• Levi can hop on and off very easily unassisted.


• Storage basket for things you don't want to carry (although it is on the small side)


• Large canopy to shade both kids


• Much smaller than most double strollers

Cons:

• It is very long when folded (especially with the infant carrier attachment on). It fits in my CRV just fine though. Most double strollers are longer than this though (unless they are super expensive!).


• When you have the infant carrier on the stroller, it makes it difficult for the child in the rear to sit comfortably because the front seat is "reclined". However, it is possible and Levi rarely rides sitting down anyway. This isn't a problem when Kara is just sitting in the stroller as opposed to her infant carrier.


• The storage area could be a little bigger

As I was looking for the link to post, I noticed that they have SEVERAL models available now including a triple Sit & Stand and a lightweight version (although much more expensive). Anyway, I highly recommend them for parents of two kids.

Anyone else have one and want to make a comment?

Diet Caffeine Free

I am a Diet Coke (as in "soda" or "pop") drinker. I always have been. That is all I had growing up and so thankfully I have never developed a taste for the "loaded" soft drinks. I have had just about every diet drink out there at one point in time or the other, but my favorite diet drink of choice is Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi - hands down. I also enjoy a Diet Sunkist as well.

Since the above are not found in restaurants, I always drink a Diet Coke/Pepsi. However, having been either pregnant or nursing for the better part of the last three and a half years, I have had to watch my caffeine intake. I also cannot drink caffeine after about 3:00 or I'm awake forever at night. Now, let me say that I have never been over-the-top addicted to caffeine, but I do like my cokes. Also, I am not a hard core "never drink caffeine while pregnant or nursing" - I limited myself to one a day which is appropriate from everything I've read.

If you followed all that, you may have said to yourself: 1) She likes diet drinks and 2) They need to be caffeine free. Here's the question: Do you realize how FEW restaurants serve such a commodity? When I find these special places, I take note and are always high on priority lists of places to eat.

For those of you still searching, I've compiled a list:

1. Chick-fil-A - This has always been the most consistent place (state to state). Let's just say that we usually spend money here once a week...we do it for Levi (right?).
2. Sam's - Could we expect anything less from one of the greatest shopping places ever?
3. Macaroni Grill - Not my favorite Italian, but everything tastes better with a diet coke!
4. Target - A great place to grab a bite when your 1 hour shopping trip with 2 kids turns into an all-day "event"
5. Nothing but Noodles - I don't know what they do to their machine, but they make their fountain drinks extra good here.
6. Oh Bryans - Local Place - Excellent Food
7. 5 Guys - Already have the best burgers, PLUS, they have cherry coke and I can splash my Diet Caffeine Free Coke with a little cherry flavor!
8. Subway near the hospital - This is right near where all the childbirth classes take place, so I choose to believe that they have this just for them.

As you might notice, this list is very short (sigh). If you ever run across any other places, please let me know. I need to start making restaurants more aware of the need for Diet Caffeine Drinks. Do you have a favorite drink that is hard to find at restaurants?

The Roomba

As I posted yesterday, I FINALLY opened my new Roomba on Friday. Josh had told me that he just opened his up, pushed the button and it went. My experience was not quite that easy. I got it out, pressed the button and nothing. Hmmm... I read all the instructions, looked online and even called the customer support people - nothing. I thought for sure this was my punishment for leaving it hanging in the box for so long. I decided to just let it sit on the charger and see what happened. About an hour later, it starts talking to me..."Error 5, Error 5, Error 5". I look it up online and it turns out that when I pulled out the plastic to make the battery connection, a small piece remained inside and messed up the connection. I fixed it and it was time to Roomba!


Having never seen a Roomba in action, I didn't know what to expect. It is different, that's all I can say to describe it. It starts out in a circular pattern and then as it "runs into things", it starts a very random pattern. We have a lot of toys in our house and so the Roomba had a lot of "distractions", but it seemed to have a method to its madness. The Roomba does GREAT on our laminate flooring, and it goes seamlessly onto our rugs and carpet (although it goes a tad bit slower on carpet).

Monday I put it to the test though. Levi has a rice table at school and so I thought I would let him play with some rice at home. Yea, it didn't go so well and I had rice EVERYWHERE in my living room. This was a test for the Roomba! I set the thing down in the middle of the mayhem and let it go to work. And work it did! Except for the very edge of the wall, it picked up the rice. Levi had spilled A LOT of rice though and so I did have to empty the chamber 3 times, but it got it up.
Note: That middle pile is where I opened the chamber and I spilled some of the rice.

I still haven't tried the automatic programming yet. I'm letting it run around the house while I'm home because I want to make sure this doesn't happen while I'm gone:


I also need to learn to set up these "lighthouse" things which keep the Roomba in a certain room for a certain amount of time. Right now, it goes all over the house and it can't do the whole house before it returns "home" (or "parks" as Levi says) to recharge.


If you have solid surface floors or pets (which we don't - not an animal lover here), I think it is worth the investment. Otherwise, you might check with someone who has carpet. I'll post updates as I encounter them.


Now, I'm going to see how many days I can go without vacuuming - probably not too long as Levi loves to play with play dough! Oh, and Levi had Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk ride around on the Roomba - pretty funny.