Life-changing: The Dyson Slim Cordless Vacuum

It's been a while since my last "life-changing" post.  I just haven't been extra "wowed" by anything lately.  That is... until my husband and kids gave me the Dyson Slim stick cordless vacuum as one of my Christmas presents.

Now, normally, I might get a little "huffed" at receiving a house-cleaning item as a gift but they know something you don't and that is:  I'm a little obsessive about my floors.... these floors....

.....and I'm not proud of it.  When we renovated our house, I was intent on getting the darkest floors possible (I was super close to going with black) and in a wide-plank, hand-rubbed finish.  The end result is beautiful...... when clean (did I mention I have 3 kids?).

Enter this baby.

So here's what all the fuss is about:

1. It's cordless.  Which means I can do my entire hardwood downstairs and upstairs plus 2 bedrooms with low pile carpet in 10 minutes or less which is a far cry from sweeping; lugging the big vacuum around; or continuously changing and washing dust mop pads. This cordless feature also means I can easily take it out on the screen porch to give it a quick once over without any hassle.
2. It's gets in tight places.  That whole Dyson ball thing is the real deal and because it's the "stick" design;  I can easily maneuver under furniture; along my baseboards, and in those hard to reach places below my kitchen counters where strange things can lurk for months.
3. It has great suction.  My main issue with my floors really isn't the crumbs that are part of everyday life but the dust and the dust bunnies that seem to attack out of nowhere and drive me crazy.  Other small vacuums I own have lost this battle.  This one really gets the dust up. 
4. It's flexible.  It has a short arm attachment that allows you to use it in the car or on upholstery (although I haven't tried this out yet) and,
5. It's lightweight.  Which means my 6 year old and definitely my 11 year old may be picking up a new chore around the house. :)

Now, there are 2 minor short-comings I must point out....

1. It only holds a charge for 15 minutes.... which isn't a problem for someone like me who uses it every day but may be for the otherwise occupied (aka not obsessive) or mansion dwellers. :)
2. It costs about $300.  Which, believe me, my first reaction was...... do you know how many pillows, a cashmere blanket, shoes, a necklace..... or other things I could have bought with that!

(not me or my house) :)

..... but those things wouldn't have given me back what I seem to be craving a lot these days..... time.  And for those of you who are reading this and thinking "Is she serious (or crazy)?  You care that much about your floors?.... get a grip!"..... Well, I know and I'm working on that! :)