I’m an "As Seen on TV" Junkie

I admit it. Every time I see some new gadget or gizmo on one of those infomercials I want it. Not the infomercials where Billy Mays screamed at you (I’ve had enough of people screaming in my life), but most of the other ones. Although I have tried Oxi-Clean. It’s pretty awesome stuff.

My husband likes to tease me about my “As Seen on TV” obsession. There was actually a store by that name at a mall in Seattle, and he dreaded going there. I could spend hours looking through all of the gadgets. Fortunately, he did not let me.

Brent (that’s my husband) used to tell me what cheap junk all of those things were, and how much of a waste of money it always was. And then one day I brought home a TableMate.

TableMates are about the coolest little gizmos ever. We don’t really adjust the height of ours much, and I don’t recommend them if you are going to have to adjust the height repeatedly, but to just pull them over to the couch or something, they’re pretty magical. I do adjust the top of mine and sometimes angle it to use my laptop. But, they do not “fold up easily” as the advertisement says.

After that, I pretty much had permission to bring home what I wanted (within reason). I think I’ve kind of made a convert out of him.
At least, that’s what I like to tell myself.

My next little gizmo to bring home was a fold-able pasta strainer. I must say I really love this thing because it takes up almost no space in the cabinet. I hate those giant strainers. I’ve got nowhere to keep them in my kitchen. Sure, plastic might kill you. But while you’re still alive you can enjoy all of the convenience and easy storage of the pasta strainer.

Just the other day I saw my next new gadget. I’m so excited I can’t wait to figure out when I’m going to order it. If I order it off television (or the internet) I get two of them, but I have to pay extra shipping and handling – which usually adds up to the cost of the item anyway, so I’m not really saving any money. I think I’ll check out my local Fred Meyer’s and Bed, Bath, and Beyond, both of which have a small “As Seen on TV” section.

I’m especially excited about this new purchase because it’s not made of plastic. I despise plastic China-made cheap lead-filled products, so I try to keep from buying too many of them. I won’t buy anything that you cook hot items in such as the Pasta Boat. I can only imagine how much Bisphenol A (BPA) you ingest from that. I also don’t “cook” in a microwave and stay away from those products, too. Anyway, the new product is called the Chef Basket!

I have bought two (not just one – TWO) metal steamer baskets in the past year, and they’re terrible. They have a tiny little metal ring, as if that does anything to help you get it out of the water. My husband and I eat tons of steamed veggies most nights, and I can’t wait to be able to just pick them up and pour them on our plates! I’m really tired of burning my fingers and dropping vegetables.

I just absolutely can’t wait to try this thing out. And throw away that stupid steamer thing we currently have. I only hope it holds enough veggies as you turn it inside out to keep them out of the water. But we’ll see.

So as you can see, “As Seen on TV” products are my guilty little pleasure. But they just make life so much easier and so darn fun! What’s your favorite product? Did you buy the two for one special or find it at your local store? Did you buy one that absolutely bombed and was a waste of money? Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone your secret. My name is Michelle, and I’m an “As Seen on TV” junkie.

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