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The other day I blogged about the top ten things I love that
are inexpensive or even free. But today I’d like to share my top ten favorite
things that are NOT cheap – but that, to me, are still well worth the
(considerable) expense. Obviously, “expensive” is relative, so for the purposes
of this article, I’m considering anything that costs at least $100 to be
“expensive.”
Keurig Coffeemaker
Honda Odyssey
When I was pregnant with my second child, my husband and I
agreed that it was time to turn in one of our sedans for a minivan. Since I was
the one who would be hauling the kids around most of the time, it made sense
that I would be the minivan driver. I hadn’t driven a large car since I learned
to drive in my parents’ 1979 Plymouth Gran Fury (which easily seated 11), and I
was vaguely terrified of the idea. But after renting a minivan for a weekend
trip, I gave in and bought my Odyssey. Having always owned Hondas, the
familiarity of the Honda cockpit and dashboard layout made the transition
easier. Now, whenever I drive my husband’s sedan I feel like I’m sitting on the
ground. I love my minivan. I love how comfortable the seats are. I love the
extra safety of the back-up camera. I love the CD changer. I love the DVD
player. I love how much stuff it holds (right now there’s a bike, a ride-on
giraffe, and a large trash bag full of clothes waiting to go to Goodwill in the
back and there’s still room for a full Costco load including diapers, toilet
paper, and bottled water), and I love how easy it is to fold down the seats and
to pop them back up again.
Kindle Fire HD
I really didn’t want a Kindle Fire, particularly since I
already had a Kindle. Little did I know how much I would come to love it. We
bring it to restaurants for the kids to play with when they finish eating
before we do; I’ve used it to play lullabies and induce naptime when we’re away
from home; I can catch up on email and Facebook while I’m waiting for an
appointment; I even play games to lull myself to sleep when I have insomnia.
And that’s not even counting using it to, you know, read books.
Window Air
Conditioners
I grew up in a house with no central air conditioning and
only fans in most of the bedrooms, including mine – which was on the second
floor and a sweltering illustration of the rule that “heat rises.” So having
room air conditioners in our bedroom and the kids’ bedroom as well as the
office where I spend much of my time has been a wonderful luxury during
this very hot summer. And on nights like last night when we can turn them off
and open the windows, they help me appreciate the joys of fresh, cool night air
even more.
Video Baby Monitor
When my kids were infants, it was reassuring to be able to
see as well as hear them when they were in their cribs. As they grew older, it
was even more reassuring to be able to see them in their bedroom and know that
they weren’t ripping down the venetian blinds or coloring on the walls with
crayon or getting their chunky thighs stuck between the bed slats (or at least,
if they were doing any of those things, to be able to halt it quickly). And even beyond the reassurance
factor, the monitor allows me to peep in on them without disturbing what
they’re doing, which has led me to see amazing moments like my son “reading” my
daughter a story, my daughter climbing into her brother’s bunk and hugging him
awake, and both children quietly – and peacefully – building castles of blocks
together. Those precious moments are worth every penny we paid for that
monitor.
Artificial Christmas
Tree
A few years ago, I would never have imagined my including a
fake Christmas tree on this list. But after finally giving in last year, I’ll
never go back. No more spending hours making sure that the tree is straight in
its stand and that the “flat side” is facing the wall. No more detangling
endless strings of lights. No more scraping the skin off our fingers along with
the lingering sap. No more still vacuuming needles out of the carpet at Easter.
No more discovering too late that a precious sentimental ornament went to the
garbage dump with the tree. Our tree is realistic-looking, and a few lengths of
pine roping on the mantel provide plenty of festive aroma. Merry Christmas to
us!
In-ground Swimming
Pool
I’ve never been much of a swimmer. But having a pool
literally in my backyard has taught me to enjoy the water, even though I’m
still not much of a swimmer. Aside from the actual swimming (or, in my case,
bobbing), the ambiance of the pool is a wonderful thing. My husband and I have
spent countless evenings having quiet romantic dinners next to the pool, the
reflection of tiki lights flickering on the water and the soft hum of the pool
pump joining with the hum of summer insects. Our pool deck is our oasis all
summer long. You can’t put a price tag on that kind of relaxation.
Costco Membership
I’m not sure this actually counts as “expensive.” True, the
price tag is over $100 for our annual Executive Membership, but we save well
over $100 over the course of the year. Kirkland brand diapers, clothes, detergent,
and even wine are staples on our shopping list, and party foods like pre-made
veggie platters, gourmet meats, rich chocolate layer cakes, bulk bread and rolls,
wheels of Brie, and frozen pre-made appetizers make a regular appearance at our
house. Right now, I’m wearing jeans that cost me about half of what the same
brand of jeans would have been at a “regular” store, drinking coffee brewed
from a K-cup costing pennies rather than dollars, and planning tonight’s dinner
of double-thick pork chops that cost the same as chops half their size at the
local grocery store. Oh, and the computer I'm typing this on came from Costco, too!
LG Gas Range
My dishwasher died right before Thanksgiving last year, and
since the broiler of our oven hadn’t worked in years, we decided to replace
them both at once. And I love my new dishwasher, but I ADORE my new oven. The
built-in griddle gets daily use; the “Superboil” power burner considerably
shortens the time it takes to make pasta; the “proof” feature on the oven makes
bread dough rise perfectly; the convection oven bakes things quickly and
evenly; the oven is large enough to cook multiple dishes at the same time; and
instead of having a buzzer or beeper to signal that the oven is up to
temperature or that the timer is done, it plays a cheery little melody. It
makes both cooking and baking a pleasure.
Sleep Number Mattress
This past spring, I was diagnosed with multiple allergies,
including a fairly severe allergy to dust mites. So my husband and I decided to
bite the bullet and replace our old mattress with the Sleep Number bed we’d
been eyeing for a few years. Since we got it, we’ve both been sleeping better
than we have in years. The ability to adjust the firmness separately on each
side is great, and it still amazes me that even with a pretty significant
differential between our preferred firmnesses, the mattress doesn’t feel like
two different mattresses stuck together. Getting into bed every night is a
pleasure, and the mattress does more than I would have imagined to erase the
stress of each day and give me a new start every morning.
I am grateful that I am able to have these luxuries that
make my life both easier and more pleasant. And I’m glad that I’m able to use
many of them to make my friends, my family, and my guests safer, happier and
more comfortable as well.
