We have some traditions here at MWS that have become so over the past couple of years, especially around this time of year, when we take time off to reflect on the year that has gone by. Incidentally, Isn’t it great that the world did not end on 21 December 2012 as people have been saying? I think it would have been disastrous LOL!
Anyway one of the “traditions” is in stepping outside of the beauty niche for a moment to consider what our favourite NON-beauty purchase or item of the year has been.
Mine is above. Something much too large to fit in one frame. It may not be what you think it is 😉
Being a bit of a gadget freak, its no surprise that my favourite non beauty purchases for 2010 and 2011 have been gadget related. I did have one gadget purchase this year that I am very happy with, but I won’t be featuring that one (its the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaning robot btw – one of my best splurges ever!) Incidentally, the other favourite is a proper chef’s knife. I know, a little awkward 🙂
But the one item/purchase I made this year that has given me the most joy is my wooden floor.
The floor was tile before this, and I’d not been happy with it for a while. It was hard to clean and had a tendency to get dirty quickly and it had bugged me for years. I’d also been planning to have wooden floors laid for a while, but didn’t get around to it for various reasons.
Well, this year I decided that enough was enough. I got fed up and went out and got it done within a week; and I have to say its the best thing ever! Its one of those laminated wood floor systems that you lay over existing tiles so disruption was at a minimum, and the work was done in a day. Its so much easier to clean, the dark colour I chose doesn’t show up dirt as much, and it feels lovely to walk on.
Best purchase of 2012, beauty or non-beauty 😀
What’s your favourite NON-beauty item/purchase of 2012?
It could be something you bought yourself – a gadget, a tool, jewellery, a car? 😀 – or it could be something someone gave you. Share your fave of 2012!
Paris B
Nice! I love parquet because it’s warmer. It’s really cosy to wake up and step on warm floors, especially since there is air-con. With tiles, even colder months will ice the tiles.
hmmm, I haven’t quite thought of mine. Oh yes! My MacBook. Best purchase ever, seriously. It’s so insanely good at processing photos, videos, and music! Without my MacBook, I would never really have gone that far into blogging, simply because it’s hard to deal with pictures and not so comfortable to type on a Windows laptop. Without MacBook, I would never think of venturing into Youtube, because there’s no iMovie. iMovie is just the best invention, at least for 2012, for me!
And prolly I should include my iPhone 5 too.
I was anti-Apple up until this April when I took the plunge and got Mac.
I used to have parquet floors and htey do feel lovely. I wasn’t too enamoured with the grainy feel but ultimately wooden floors are so much lovelier than tiles or even marble, don’t you think? 😀 I love the feel of it. I know so many people with MacBooks! I haven’t gone down that route yet, being mostly non-Apple friendly except for the iPad but I can see why people love it. Their screen displays are quite something!
this is a tricky one….i can’t remember if i purchased anything significant non beauty item. tablet perhaps?
Haha your bicycle maybe? 😉
I have to think about this one… I haven’t really splurged on anything non beauty related for a while. I’ve been good after getting a brand new camera and laptop last year. I think this year, we splurged on a few mini family getaways. We didn’t go far, but these frequent little holidays where we stayed at nice hotels and ate the yummiest food, really added some quality fun to our lives. Brought the family even closer, and nothing beats genuine smiles and infectious laughter 😀
Ah holidays count! 🙂 I’m looking forward to finally going somewhere I’ve always wanted to, in 2013. Let’s see if it happens 😉
Happy call cooking pans!!
I’d so much about them, Esther! Are they that good?!
Yes!! They cook with no oil n will grill ur salmon crispy on the outside n moist inside…and no oil needed! And my broccoli stayed green and I made muah chee with it also. Countless possibilities!
Oooh no wonder there’s so much hype about it! 😀 I’ll take a look the next time I go to a department store 😀
Hrm, it’s borderline beauty, but I’ve started conditioning my leather goods thanks to your post, and it’s made a huge difference in my leather goods!
Other than that, I guess my most significant purchase was my Samsung Android phone – which has changed how I do things, but I can’t say I don’t prefer my old Japanese Sharp phone – better camera and more reliable. So I can’t think of a favorite right now.
Yay Kuri! I’m happy to know you’re taking care of your leather good 😀 They’ll thank you by lasting forever and ever… almost 😀 I too am on a Samsung Android phone and its been amazing. Helps me be more productive even as it helps me waste time LOL! 😉
I didn’t really purchase these two items lol but I can’t imagine life without them. My iPhone and my Speedy. Quite superficial but they are lovely gifts nonetheless =)
Never superficial, Lynnie – its whatever makes us happy and if they are a gift, well, even better! 😀 Nice pick of the Speedy 😉 Which size/material did you go for?
Oooh I love wooden floors! The upper floor of my house is wooden, too, and I love the look and feel of wooden floors- for some reason they feel so posh and cozy 😛 Not to mention it’s less cold and slippery than tile. Great if the weather is hot but not great when you’re cold and the floor’s cold too haha! But having pets (A dog- corgi specifically in case anyone’s curious!) it’s a pain because it gets scratched very easily and (proper) wood flooring has to be polished professionally to remove the scratches… and it’s a very messy job >_<
Um, I haven't really splurged on anything non-beauty this year it seems- am saving up for next year 🙂 But can I still say that my favourite non-beauty "product" this year is my engagement ring? Haha! 😛
Congratulations on the engagement ring 🙂 And yes, wood floors can scratch very easily hence my decision to go wood but not 😀 Much easier to take care of 😉
My fave would have to be my multicolored Pilot pens! They come in refills in all sorts of colors and helped me to study a LOT heh heh heh. What’s more, one pen can house 3 colors so you don’t have to change pens often!
Pens! 😀 I remember them from uni days haha… these days, I would be hard pressed to find a pen much less a multicoloured one sigh… I swear someone in my office steals my pens off my table all the time! 😛
No wonder I couldn’t get into mywomenstuff site last night. Tukar layout rupanya. Very nice! On my mobile it looks vintage, elegant yet posh. Sigh…
My most favourite non-beauty item must be my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. It’s awesome.
Eee thank you Juan! 😀 I’m sorry about the downtime, there wasn’t supposed to be any! Hmm… I was looking at the Note 10.1 too but decided to be rational and get more use out of my ipad first before I go wandering off. I have a terrible habit to! 😛
Well said. The Roomba is so worth it. After 1.5 years of frequent use, mine looks a bit battered up already. But still kicking major dust-ass. Love it to pieces. 🙂 I’m a bit of a gadget freak too. Haha.
Yay for the Roomba! I set mine to run twice a week or on weekends when I notice that its missed some spots. Definitely an excellent gadget especially when you come home after a long day and rejoice in the feel of a clean dust free floor LOL! Hey, since its already 1.5 years old, what’s your fave item from 2012? 😀
Didn’t splurge on any gadgets this year. (Good girl. 😛 )
My best purchase for 2012 would be the Crumpler Artisanal Loaf bag. It doesn’t look big, but it’s huge. I can fit so many stuff in it. Now I only need one bag for my cosmetics/skincare when I go to the gym or holiday. 😀 It’s really well made and I can see it lasting a very very long time.
Good girl indeed! I did. Bad girl! LOL! For a moment, I thought the Loaf bag was for baking, because I know you bake and all so it was a surprise to find out it wasn’t haha! It does look like a very sturdy and lovely travel bag. You know, I don’t need another ok! 😉
Hello 🙂 hmmmm, to be honest I have never own any tablet before but lucky enough to received a gift , which is iPad mini , i found it’s really convenient and easy to bring anywhere where we found our laptop sometime could be quite heavy , on the other hand with handbag still ! LOL , just nice to put in your bag , after some tiring work , or you need is just a good cup of coffee and good wifi , enjoy spending time for some blog or forum reading 🙂
Woohoo! You got the iPad Mini! 😀 Its so cute! I was eyeing it but I already have the iPad 2 so it would have been silly to pick up another one since I get so little use out of mine 🙂
I am so liking my Iphone …I have use it all the time..thats the one non beauty things that I have right now…eyeing to buy an Ipad mini next year because me and my hubs seems to be doing tug n war at home because we play a lot of games in the iphone hahahahha
Haha you got the iPhone 5 then? 😀 I think the ipad is a nice complement and the mini is really cute! I like my iPad for reading and checking stuff online without having to boot up the computer 😀
Is that a shisha? this pic from your home?
mine was Sony nexf3 camera. l love it and I love the pictures that makes everything more beautiful !
Haha yes, its a shisha (for decoration only) and this is part of my home 🙂 The Sony Nex camera is really nice. I was quite tempted by it when I was considering the Micro 4/3 cameras because its so compact! I’m sure the pix are stunning
I was looking forward to you saying something along the lines of, “hitting it up with a hookah.” You let me down! 😛
Great choice on getting a wooden floor. It’s amazing how something that might come as an afterthought in your living space makes a huge difference. I prefer wood, too!
hahaha… sorry Peach! That hookah is purely for decoration only, although its workable. My sis got it from me from the Middle East – I’d always wanted one – weird right? 😀 I wish I’d gotten my floor earlier. But hey, better late than never! 😀
I have a Chinese cabinet & love it to bits! My new place but on minimalist design so no matter what I’ll try to fit it somewhere…
Hrmmm beside getting a new place this year I’ll say I love my dry kitchen with 7.5 ft island & my bosch oven! Plus some personally picked lightings.
Ermm got a Balenciaga & loving it to bits too! But hard to choose the ultimate fav as its all in diff category.
I tot Roomba does e mopping & iRobot (my mon is using it) does e sweeping. Can u elaborate e use? I’m Planning to get 1 of these.
Mmm a Chinese cabinet sounds lovely! I like mixing up the furniture in my home so my house is basically a mish mash of designs haha! Oh and can I say that I’m jealous of your kitchen?! I’ve always wanted a kitchen with an island but my current place does not lend itself to one. If I ever move in future, you can bet I’d have a kitchen with an island 😉 As for the Roomba, it does the vacuuming. The Scooba does the mopping and iRobot is the brand 🙂 I didn’t get the Scooba because of my flooring but if I had tiles/marble flooring I’d definitely get it!
my fav purchase this year would be canon 60D 🙂 and, the credit goes to Tine…she recommended that to me 🙂
Yay for the Canon 60D and yay to Tine for recommending it to you! 🙂 Hope you have lots of fun with it 😀
I love your floor! Looks really good.
For me, it was Radiohead tickets. Tickets count as items, right? 😛
They are my favourite band, and getting to see them live was a dream come true. Definitely highlight of the year!
Thank you Sarah and yes, of course Tickets count! 😀 I think its awesome that you got to see your favourite band live – the experience just doesn’t get any better 😀
My favourite purchase for this year has got to be my pole. It get to practice and keep fit with it. It makes me happy when I am able to master a move I’m not able to in class.
I’m in awe of anyone who pole dances, seriously! I went for an introductory class once and I learnt that I have no upper body strength whatsoever and heck! Its a LOT of work! Good on ya 😀
For me it is definitely Coco the furball monster. She’s a handful and a massive brat but I won’t trade her for anything in the world. Come to think of it. She’s almost the price of a bag :-\
She has and will give you much more joy than a bag ever will 😀 She’s beautiful!
I would say my iphone 5! i used to use nokia but switched this year and now understand what the hype is about… am considering getting ipad as well… lols…
Haha when you fall, you fall HARD! 😉