Milk and Cookies
with Linda and Kristen
Milk and Cookies is a savory web venue for cool products, useful tips, and idea-sharing, prepared especially for busy moms like you. From the must-haves to avoid-at-all-costs, we're dishing out tools for a delicious life balance.
Visit Linda's fitness site at Bodies in Motivation and check out Kristen's blog at Swistle.blogspot.com
More high-end products: are they worth the hype?
Categories: Baby gear, House & Home, Toothsome products (for grownups)
If your household is anything like mine, you’re probably doing some cutting back these days, and luxury items seem a little more . . . luxurious than they used to be. As in, boy that necklace sure is pretty but I have other things I need to buy right now, like FOOD.
With budget restraints in mind, it can be hard to justify a high-end purchase, especially if you’re not really sure if it’s worth it. Is that spendy moisturizer really going to “revitalize” your skin, or will a drugstore brand do just as well? Let’s explore a few buzz-worthy purchases:
Bugaboo stroller
Okay, I admit it: I own this. I wrote about it before, and since then my opinion on it has changed slightly, in that if I were to be in the market for a new stroller today there is no way in hell I’d spend this much on something that would eventually be thrown up on, but when we did buy it 1) the economy was not in the midst of circling the toilet bowl; 2) I didn’t have two college savings plans, daycare costs, and only a part-time job; and 3) it was our first baby and we were sort of crazy.
This stroller has been awesome in many ways and by the time we’re done we’ll have gotten years of great use from it, but as you can see from the list here, there are an awful lot of popular choices that aren’t nearly as expensive.
I have one of these too, gifted to me by a friend who was no longer using hers. I used it for a while and it was a hoot, beetling around the floor and comically bumping into things and scaring the pets, but for the price I’d say you’d be better off whipping out the upright and doing your own cleaning. The Roomba is nifty, but loud, and has to be sort of strategically set up in an area where it won’t get stuck. Plus, it takes a long time to clean one room, and doesn’t do a very good job on carpet. My vote? Get yourself a bagless Bissell, it’s an affordable vacuum that works really, really well.
KitchenAid Mixer
I have friends who swear by their KA mixers, and I’ve heard from people who say a bowl and a pair of beaters does just fine. I suppose it depends on how much mixing you need to do on a regular basis — me, I haul out the beaters once every few weeks or so in order to make cookies, and that’s about it, so I don’t really need a $300+ piece of kitchen gear. But bakers, what say you?
Salon hair products
I have bought a ridiculous number of expensive hair products over the years, and here’s what I think: they tend to smell better, they come in a nicer package, and if you use them right after a salon visit on freshly-trimmed hair they feel like they make your hair more soft/fancy/awesome/etc. In my experience, though, once your hair gets to that unmanageable state of being in dire need of a cut (in my case that means: thick, fuzzy, dry ends, cowlicky), the salon stuff and the drugstore stuff does about the same job.
Agree/disagree?
Frozen organic baby food
This is kind of a random one, but what do you think about paying $4.69 for 12 oz. of frozen baby food? Does it sound ridiculous? Well, maybe it kind of is, considering how easy it is to make your own healthy fresh baby food — but for those times when you have a howling hungry child and no steamed veggies on hand, I think these meals (frozen into cubes) from Happy Baby are GENIUS. Worth every penny.
Opinions? The comments section AWAITS!
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I have a KitchenAid mixer that is worth every penny when it’s time to make hamburgers. I no longer have to touch the yucky ground beef.
Also, I burned the motors out of handheld beaters twice, so this mixer is great for me. I bought it with points accumulated from a store, so the price didn’t bother me as I didn’t have to lay out cash to get it. Many years of collecting points, mind you, but a “free” $200 thing at the end made it worth it.
Carmen | February 19th, 2009 at 6:26 am
I second the opinion on the Kitchen Aid being worth it. I got mine the day after Thanksgiving on a great sale. We invested in the shredder/slicer attachment and we buy huge blocks of cheese and shred it all at once and put it in a Tupperware in the fridge. We use tons of shredded cheese and my husband and I both hate shredding cheese.
Melissa | February 19th, 2009 at 6:31 am
KitchenAid= awesome. I can make bread and pizza dough in a few minutes, with no sticky hands from kneading. I also let it crank away for a minute on dough or batter and attend to my toddler. Come to think of it, my KitchenAid is way more obedient and cleaner than my kid. Maybe the next baby will come with the ice cream attachment.
A friend of mine has the Bugaboo, and while I was slightly envious when she had her first kid, she’s now on #2 and the foam handle bars are falling apart. No matter how nice the stroller is, it’s still going to get all manner of bodily substances on it.
Chaya | February 19th, 2009 at 6:50 am
I guess if you have a Bugaboo, that means you can afford one. I’ve often wondered if I could afford it, would I buy one too? I wouldn’t want to flaunt the fact that I have money or appear stuck up, so I’ll say no. (Oh, I have a Graco Metrolite that costed ~$100.)
I also don’t even own a whisk, let alone an electric one. I just use chopsticks or a fork. But then again, I don’t mix very often anyway. If I’m cooking eggs, I use the aforementioned utensils. If I’m baking something, I just use a very large spoon.
Linda | February 19th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I really love my KA mixer. I’m not a baker, nor do I even use it more than monthly, but it’s worth it every time I lug it out of the cabinet where it’s stored. It just works so well. That’s one splurge I’m glad we made. I’d love to get the meat grinder attachment so that we can start grinding our own meat and poultry.
Heather | February 19th, 2009 at 7:41 am
My Kitchen Aid is WORTH. EVERY. PENNY. I use it AT LEAST once a week. And a hand mixer with beaters would not do because then you would have to stand there and hold it. The motors on the hand helds are not big enough (IMO) to handle stiff cookie dough or prolonged mixing, I use my KA on high speed for 10 minutes when kneading pizza dough and a hand held simply could not do that. You can make really fluffy icing because you can set it up to mix for 5-6 minutes and then have a really creamy consistency.
If my KA ever burned out I would replace it immediately, like any of the other imprtant appliances in my kitchen: like if the fridge broke.
Bunny | February 19th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Interesting article! My $0.02:
- Bugaboo - sort of depends on where you live and how you will use it. I am a suburban mom who didn’t necessarily even use my stroller every single day, even before the babies could walk, so I think this would have been overkill. But I could see how, for an urban mom who walks everywhere, this could be worth it.
- I don’t have a Roomba, but I do have a Dyson. It is waaaaay better than the stinky Hoover I used to have. I would never go back.
- KA mixer - I got this as a wedding gift - several family members went in together - and I really do enjoy using it, and I know I will be able to use it for 10 or 20 more years. Mine’s not the fanciest one with the super-giant bowl, and maybe I wouldn’t shell out money for it right now, but in terms of wedding gifts, it is so much more useful now than any of the china, crystal or barware. Or the 15 bowls we got.
- Salon hair products - I agree. I am a recovering beauty product addict, but now 90% of my hair products and makeup are drugstore brand. I do like to splurge on the occasional specialty item - like a shine treatment - but for shampoo, no question, I am drugstore all the way. (It also helps that I can pick up a refill during my weekly grocery trip too).
- Frozen organic baby food - I didn’t go this route, since I don’t eat organic and I figured the kids would be eating “junk” food pretty soon anyway - regular old Gerber was fine for me. Although I will say, most babies are in baby food for such a relatively short time, that if this makes you happy it probably won’t break the bank, especially if you can supplement with some homemade items (anyone can mash a banana themselves). What I am not getting is the $150 machine you can buy that will cook your baby food for you. To me, buying this frozen stuff would probably be a lot cheaper for the four or five months until baby wants to finger-feed herself.
Leslie | February 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I L-O-V-E my KitchenAid mixer, consider it worth every penny, and use it lots for making bread and rolls, making cookies, mixing ground meat, just about everything. Then again, I have friends who can’t for the life of them imagine ever needing or wanting any stand mixer at all, let alone a KitchenAid. It’s so satisfying to make the splurge for something that actually works out to be Just The Thing, Knowing which splurgy things will be godsends and which will end up in FreeCycle is the tricky part! Different for each person!
Susan | February 19th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I think they key to the KA mixer is exactly what I’m reading here — if you are inclined to make rolls and bread to begin with, then sure. I’m not, and probably never will be. But if you’re going to use it to get your ROI on things like rolls and bread you won’t buy as a result, then sure.
jonniker | February 19th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Here are the things that are worth it to me:
Kitchen Aid-I want to be buried with mine, I love it that much. On second thought, seeing how long they last, one of my children can probably use it long after I’m buried and gone.
Expensive beauty products-My skin is horribly sensitive and dry, so I buy Aveda products mostly. No reactions and my skin stays moisturized much better than with drugstore products.
I have bought the frozen baby food, but only when on vacation (in a condo) and I couldn’t bring my own homemade stuff because of the flight restrictions (and the freezing). It is one thing to buy it every once in a while in a pinch, but you’d be crazy to buy it all the time!
Joceline | February 19th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I’m not sure jonniker is right on the KA, saying that you only love it/use it lots if you were already inclined to baking?
I used to only make cookies or brownies about once a month or so, and when I first got the KA it was like HEAVEN so much that I wanted to make cookies for everyone I knew! And DID! For at least a year I used it every single weekend, usually more than once. Then I went and moved to a tiny place in NYC for two years and didn’t bring it (left it with my mom) and got out of the habit. But it’s slowly coming back. Every time I want make cookies (hello CHRISTMAS?!) it makes it so much easier and more fun and just a total delight.
Sundry, I think you need one. Save some pennies up! The refurbished ones are often on sale on Amazon.
marilyn | February 19th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I work in a kitchen store and waited 3 years before I bought my KA mixer. The first time I used it (immediately after I brought it home), I thought “What took me so long? This thing is freaking awesome!” Then my husband used it a few months later and said “What took us so long to get this thing? It’s freaking awesome!”. If I ever burn it out (which is highly unlikely-they last 50 years), I am getting another one immediately!
I use it at least three times a month and it is, hands down the best thing I have brought home from work!
chris | February 19th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I use my KitchenAid mixer nearly every day, but I have my husband, brother, and three kids who eat cookies/banana bread/granola bars each day. Plus, making whipped shortbread with a hand mixer caused all sorts of hand cramping.
As for salon products, I find that cheap shampoo/conditioner makes my hair all frizzy and nasty, but I use Herbal Essences mousse. Go figure.
Angella | February 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I love my roomba.
But . . . I got it cheap on craigslist (replacement batts are @40$ from amazon btw). And my livingroom and foyer are a giant rectangle so it can do both rooms and my house looks transformed and clean! just don’t look too close at the diningroom/kitchen flors!
My kids like to use it so they will clear the floor and fight over who gets to turn it on. It gets stuf on my floor lamp and they fight over who gets to fix it etc. I also like to run it when I am leaving the house or overnight - pleasant surprise when I come home or wake up.
Deanna | February 19th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
My KA stand mixer was passed down from my MIL, who got it from her mother. It was apparently purchased in the late 50’s! It’s the smaller 4qt bowl (how I lust over those larger bowls!) but the thing is a work horse. I’ve been using it several times a month for almost 10yrs now.
De in D.C. | February 19th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I got my KitchenAid for a wedding present from my mom, who is a baking goddess, but would like to think I would have invested in one eventually. Mom’s first one lasted something like 20 years with intensive use; she’s since upgraded to the fancier model that suspends the bowl in the air somehow. Bonus: I got her old work bowls, so I could, in theory, have three cookie doughs chilling at once, if I wanted. I don’t think I would bake as much if all I had was a hand mixer, but then, I don’t have Linda’s super-buff arms!
Jenny | February 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Welllll, I guess my comment on these items is covered by the fact that I own exactly one (1) of these items, the Roomba, and it was a gift. Although in the interest of full disclosure I must note that I am a total cheap-ass.
So, re Roomba: we have it, we don’t use it. It hasn’t played well with the kids (not really its fault, although I don’t see that picking up pieces of dry spaghetti placed out specially for it is THAT hard), and it doesn’t really clean corners…I find that if I’m of a mind to bust out a vacuum cleaner, I’m of a mind to want me some clean corners, not to mention clean baseboards and clean space-under-the-cursed-bird-cage. So I just get the vacuum and do it my ownself.
Melospiza | February 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I bought my Kitchen Aid mixer at a garage sale and I’m glad I only spent a fraction of what they cost because I never use it. I thought it would unleash the inner baker, but I found out that there wasn’t any baker in me. Maybe someday?
As for the Bugaboo, if I had the money and I knew I was going to have another child, I think I would buy one. The one thing that gives it more clout than other strollers is that it has a very high resale value and you can often re-coup more money when you’re done with it. The same Graco travel combo I bought in 2006 for $200 now goes on Craigslist for $25-$50.
kirida | February 20th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I have the kitchen aid mixer but it hasn’t been used in years. I melted the plug (don’t ask!) and to replace it was too much of a pain. So, I still have this $5 hand held electric beater I bought in college at Caldor (Boston, remember that place?). It is great. I don’t miss my mixer. Well, a little. It was easier and less mess for pizza dough.
I also had a very high end stroller that I did love to death. I loved it so much I forgot to put it into the car when leaving a store. With my daughter too old for the stroller and my son about ready to be done with it I got a $10 umbrella stroller. It was the best item I had - compact, easy to use, minimalist. Works well as a shopping bag holder.
Michele | February 21st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Happy Baby frozen foods are the best. Mine loves them and gobbles up the spinach. What’s better than that? I tried them because I had buy one get one free coupons so one box was 2.50, which is expensive and I don’t use them on a daily basis, since you can make your own fresh frozen foods so easily, but for the occassional use, there is nothing better.
jen | February 23rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
As a third child I ended up fending for myself a lot as I got into my teen years…my mom was always asking me to cook and bake (which I enjoyed) and when her 20-year-old mixer died I FORCED her to get a KA - this was about 17 years ago and she still thanks me today. My aunts all got me my own KA (in cobolt blue) as a shower gift 9 years ago and I love, love love it. That thing can handle anything!
I have also purchased the Happy Baby before as back up - when I didn’t have food prepared to send to daycare and was running late I could just grab it out of the freezer. I great product for occasional use, but I can’t imagine not making 99% of my baby food.
One area that I do spend a ton of money on is shoes. I am a huge beleiver in having just a select few pairs of shoes that are high quality and comfort - and that usually means a price tag of $150+. I have 4 pairs of shoes that are in my main rotation - all told they cost me about $500 but they were purchased over the course of about 3 years and I wear each pair ALL THE TIME. I do get a pair or two of cheap trendy shoes each year (less then $50) to throw in the mix but my main loves are my 4 year old Dansko’s and my 2 year old Cole Haans with Nike Air insoles - swoon!
ikate | February 23rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
So, I’m not a mom, unless you consider a 10 lb Maltese a kid (I kinda do), nor am I fancy cook, and I depend on a regular vac, so I can’t comment on most of the topics. But I have to weigh in on expensive salon products.
I will never go without my Deva products. As a curly-haired girls, I’ve spent years trying so many products that promised wonderful things but ultimately gave me dry, frizzy unmanageable hair. Once I finally found a gal who actually knew how to work with my hair, recommending the Deva line, I was at peace. I’ve never loved my hair but I do now.
Marisol | February 23rd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I want to marry my KitchenAid mixer.
And we have a Roomba, because my husband has a gadget-buying problem, and I think it’s crap for everything except entertaining the toddler.
maggie | February 23rd, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Oh man, I have a MAD LOVE for my kitchen-aid mixer. It’s TOTALLY worth it…. before I got it I was pretty sure it wasn’t worth it. I don’t hesitate to make anything now, it’s so much easier. I mix up meatloafs, cookies, cakes….. the fact that I can just toss stuff in as it mixes, all hands-free, makes it so much more convenient and no-hassle. It’s by far the favorite small appliance in my kitchen!
April | February 23rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Eh…we have a ridiculous stroller and I kind of love it. I once read a justification for expensive strollers that was along these lines…Think of it as a car for your baby. Wouldn’t you want a comfortable ride each time you climbed into the seat? Hmmm.
As for the Roomba, I don’t have one but only because I love to vacuum.
Korinna | February 23rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
1. I love my Kitchenaid. It’s absolutely worth every cent.
2. Salon products. By and large I agree that they’re not worth the price; HOWEVER, there is a line of B&B products for curly hair that I love. My hair is naturally (very) curly, and their “curl creme” is the only thing On Earth that tames it. In the summertime, I’ll even splurge and get the B&B shampoo and conditioner, too, because they stand up so well to the humidity. The rest of the year, I just use Pantene shampoo and conditioner; in fact, with the exception of B&B, if I can’t buy a beauty product at Target, I don’t buy it!
Betsy | February 23rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
The KA mixer is on my wishlist - I just have to convince the hubby we need it just as bad as he needed the PS3 he just got. He would not let me (ok ‘would not let me’ is wrong terminology - he does not control me - I should say he REALLY REALLY REALLY did not want me to) register for it when we got married - so I didn’t
He thinks it’s only good for baking and he doesn’t want me baking because he likes to eat healthy! I know there are so many more other uses for it - I just can’t rattle them off when he asks! I should do some more research so I can present him all the good things I can use it to make!
Jilian | February 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
1. Feel exactly the same way.
2. Disagree completely. They do an awesome job getting up our dog hair. Of course they break a lot. I think we are on number 4. But they clean so well and in every nook and cranny that we just keep buying more.
3. Get married so you can get yourself one of these from some sucker.
4. Freaky curly hair. Salon stuff better but not necessary.
5. Make your own! This stuff is waaaay overpriced and you can make your own in about 2 seconds.
Monica | February 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Love, love, LOVE my KitchenAid mixer. Worth every penny and has completely changed my life. It’s seriously like having an extra pair of hands.
Re: the Bugaboo. If I had a child, this would be the stroller I would covet. It just seems so functional. I like to assign a “dollar a day” value to most everything I buy and I could see using this for what, three, maybe four years? It totally seems like it’s worth the money since it grows with your child (so I hear)
Jennifer | February 24th, 2009 at 3:47 am
Everyone who bakes, even a little, needs a stand mixer. They free your hands for other prep work. That said, you don’t necessarily need a KA - though I have one and I would kiss it if you asked me to. My mom has a Hamilton Beach which was less expensive and just as good. Also you can get KA rebuilds for a decent price. They really do last forever.
Carolyn J. | February 24th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I have the KitchenAid mixer, gifted to us by my parents for our wedding, and since my husband is a chef, it was a good purchase that we’ve gotten a lot of use out of over the years. We break it out only a few times every couple of months, but when we do, it kicks ass. I can put in my ingredients, choose the mixing utensil, and walk away if I need to, say when the baby decides licking an outlet across the room would be fun and I need to go stop her. There’s no splatter, and there’s virtually nothing in the world that is too much for this mixer. There will be no bogging down if you throw in something that needs a hefty whirl around the bowl, like bread dough. (that sounded gross, sorry for that.) I would imagine that as I get older and the urge to bake strikes me more often as it seems to have done since I was in my 20s, I will break it out more often. I also have a handheld KitchenAid mixer and I love that as well. Worth every penny.
Shutter Bitch | February 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I have a KA mixer that was gifted from my partner’s grandmother who can’t use it anymore. We do very little baking, so it mostly collects dust, but on the occasions where we need a mixer and I bring it down, we both sing it’s praises. Short of being very heavy, it’s very easy to use, has fun attachments if that’s your thing/need, and is easy to clean, too. And talk about making a perfect whipped cream or shortbread each time. LOVE!
Also - I have SERIOUSLY curly hair. I used to believe that salon products were a rip off, and most of them don’t do anything for me, but I’ve become product loyal to my salon brand (Rocco Altobelli - Alto Bella products), and damn if the curl serum I buy from them doesn’t make a 100% difference from the Frizz Ease I used to use. It actually costs about the same thing and I don’t have to wash my hair every day for the frizz to stay away. The other products I use from them are more costly, but I stock up when they have their sales every so often and suck it up. It’s worth it to feel good about my hair.
Lauren | February 24th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I am a kitchen aid mixer lover too, but currently without one. My old one was lost in a fire, but it was well beloved. Right now we just don’t have the space for one. But I want to give a huge shout behind their handmixer too. I’ve burned out numerous cheap handmixers and it’s great knowing theirs holds up to anything without that horrid burning smell.
Another thing I absolutely believe in splurging on in the kitchen is a great chef’s knife. Really great knives make fast work of the chopping, which always seems to be so much of the prep time.
For hair products, I have tried so many of the salon products but for most items don’t seem to get much of an advantage over Pantene, so that’s the majority of my gear. One of my dear favorite products is cheap at Target and grocery stores though…Infusium defrizzer handles tangles and split ends for me like a champ through even the dry mess of winter and it’s crazy cheap. Seriously works way better for me than the salon alternatives for it I’ve tried.
veralynn | February 25th, 2009 at 1:31 am
I disagree about the salon hair products because I’ve tried going back to store brands with mixed experiences. It has taken a bit, but I’ve figured out how to make the most of my salon products. I use Bumble & Bumble and my stylist knows I don’t want to use 8 products when styling, so she doesn’t sell me on as much of the finishing stuff. I did, however, discover that the once-a-week hair mask has helped my hair’s condition and it lasts a very long time. On occasion, I use a colored shampoo that will last at least six months. In general, I have to use less of each product (than drugstore brands) and, overall, the B&B works better.
Sara | February 25th, 2009 at 6:18 am
I have a stand mixer made by JC Penney - Cooks, that works wonderfully. IT actually has more power than a Kitchenaid and I paid 1/2 the price.
The Roomba we owned, it’s battery died after 2 years and so did 2 of our friends who used to own it. We just use the Dyson now and if the udnerside of my bed looks like the Goonies live there, oh well.
Sylvie | February 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm