dyson DC16 animal handheld vacuum

Back in August, I got a cat. I love cats and had one (three actually, at one point) for years while I was in university and in the years after that. I won’t bore you with the details concerning why I no longer had a cat (don’t worry; no animals were harmed in the story) but let’s just fast forward to the summer, when I got a new one. He’s the cutest little guy you’ve ever seen. Incredibly obedient and when he looks at me, I melt. He’s got the sweetest little face and he just loves to cuddle. All sounds great, right? Well, it was until I discovered that the cuddly little creature sheds like a … well, whatever sheds a lot. Seriously, it’s nearly impossible to stay on top of the cleaning because he sheds so much. My once spotless condo is often covered in a thin layer of fur despite my most diligent efforts. Enter The Animal! The Dyson DC16 Animal is the answer to all my cleaning needs. This thing is a lifesaver and has restored my furniture back to its pre-cat glory. I was amazed by the suction power and by how thoroughly it sucked up pet hair that had gotten trapped in the fibres of my couch. I’d tried other handhelds before, lint brushes, those sticky roll-y brushes, even tried cleaning it by hand but nothing produced such staggering results – and that’s not even mentioning how quick and effortless it is to use The Animal. It takes three hours of charging to give you six minutes of use, which I initially thought was nuts – but since it’s a handheld, you probably wouldn’t use it for much longer than that in one go anyway. It hasn’t turned out to be a problem for me and for this kind of suction power, trust me —  it’s worth the wait!

Interested in winning one of these beautiful beasts? Enter the Dyson Next Top Animal contest for your chance to win great Dyson products, plus cool stuff from Pedigree, Whiskas and Bark & Fitz.

Price: $229.99

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10 things to do in January

The craziness of the holidays is behind us now. I don’t know about you but my December was frenzied. So I’m happy to welcome the slower, more civilized pace that January brings. But I don’t need to come to a complete halt either. If you’re looking for easy, practical things to do around the house this month, you should check out our story, 10 things to do in January, written by styleathome.com contributor Carmen Taylor. I’ll give you a sneak preview, but to read the rest, click here.

1 Review presents and hostess gifts
Of course your friends and family love you and were grateful for your hospitality, but no doubt you don’t really need all the tokens of affection you received. Surely someone else could make better use of that collection of tea, those pot holders or that picture frame? Hold on to what you love, by all means, but get rid of the rest by dropping it off at Goodwill, Value Village or your favourite charity.

2 Tapers, tea lights, scented …
Candles make the season and since you’ve probably gone through a whack of them, replace your stock now. They don’t have a shelf life so it’ll be one less thing to shop for next year.

3 Move the furniture
You may be surprised what you find there. Take the cushions off sofas and chairs, vacuum along the wall behind the furniture and then turn your attention to the inside of the furniture itself. After the hosting you’ve done, no doubt it needs it.

Image courtesy of Crate and Barrel

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These are a few of my favourite things

Welcome to the STYLE AT HOME blog! Join us for an online “show and tell” as we share some of our favourite things for our homes. What do you love? We want to hear about that, too! We’re going to launch on Monday (November 12) so keep an eye out for our first entry!

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