Favorites-knives & Vacuums

I have a couple of cutco knifes that I love. I just have two or their pairing knifes and I use them for pretty much everything. I do need to send them in to be sharpened at some point, I just don't want to go without them.

Cant help you with a vacuum, I hate mine.
I have a set of Henckles and a set of Cutcos. The cutcos are very pricey but have a lifetime warranty and I've had mine for about 7 or 8 years and they are sharp and good as new. The henckles are less expensive, not quite as heavy duty as the cutco but are also pretty great knives and ive had em a year longer than the cutcos. The cutco steak knives are really awesome, the hinckles I dont like as much. I sort of mix and match out of the two set I have. But, I would suggest going Cutco.

I was a Housewares buyer at one point and there are lots of great knives to choose from
Wustoff is awesome and I love Cutco.. They have a warranty that is amazing..

Even if you just purchase them 1 at a time.. it is worth the wait..

FYI... New Knives are VERY sharp. If you are used to using dull knives, new knives can be dangerous. take extra care while using a brand new knife..

I have a really nice set of Wusthof. However, last year I got a ceramic knife and I love it more. They never get dull. Now I use that knife 10x more than the other ones.

Wusthof http://www.wusthof.com/ or
Henckels http://www.zwilling.com/en-US

You'll NEVER need to buy new knives again. And neither will whatever child you will them to. German steel, mama, german steel.

Shun knives are amazing as well, but the angle that the steel is cut is so steep that they are somewhat prone to snapping / aka you might have to replace them over time.

Mmmm.... I feel like I should add... both W & H have a few "levels" of knives known as "series". I get mine from the factory every time I go visit my brother (and he mails them home as gifts), but when buying in the US, it's VERY important to look at the series the knife belongs to. Try a Williams & Sonoma type store, or a knife only store to look at the different series. For myself (on me tight budget) I usually add only 1 or 2 knives a year.

I'm a Henckels girl through and through. You can get them at Target but I'd save up for the good ones from Williams-Sonoma, etc. It might take a while to build a 10-piece set but like Riley said, you'll never have to replace them.

For a cordless stick vacuum - I love my shark cordless vac. Works great on my hardwood & tile floors. I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond.