The Rundown on the Roomba

What I don't like about the Roomba:

1. It doesn't put toys away for me.

2. It doesn't do stairs.

3. It doesn't paint my toenails.

4. Sometimes it gets a little confused when it gets in a corner or under a chair, and needs a little nudge in the right direction.

5. It takes a long time to clean a room, so you have to plan your use of the room around that.

What I do like about the Roomba:

1. It vacuums my floors when I push the Start button.

2. It's easy to empty and clean. The brushes come right out and it came with a brush cleaner that really gets the nitty gritty out. (So my husband tells me--he has been spending the most time with this activity.)

3. It cleans under the changing table and crib, the armchairs, the beds, and the tables, and I don't have to move a thing.

4. It returns to its charging dock when it finishes cleaning and juices up for the next job.

5. It actually gets the floors clean. It's not just a fancy show that leaves half the dirt still in the carpet. I know this because when we emptied the canister, half of it was fluff from the cheap carpet.

6. It comes with "lighthouse technology," which means you stick a little tower thingy at the edge of one room, and it will clean that room. When it's done with that room, it moves on to the next room and cleans it. When that's done, it heads right to the dock. The lighthouse can also be used as a wall, so if you have a great room, but only want to vacuum the kitchen section, you can put the tower at the edge and it treats the signal as a wall and stays in the kitchen.

7. It only cost $150, because of a deal we got on woot.com. I would recommend going that route, since they are usually around $300. If you are like us, and have a LOT of carpet, this is worth every penny.

8. It entertains both my 4-year-old and my 8-month-old for hours at a time.

Don't forget to vote in the poll, if you haven't already. No votes for Edward Cullen? Really?