MAINE, USA — Let's be honest. During quarantine, we've been bored, like really bored. So much so that some of us turned to online shopping to try and create some excitement. Whether it’s a tie-die sweatsuit, viral beauty product, or new household item, almost everyone in the NEWS CENTER Maine newsroom came up with something they are—or aren't —proud to show off.
The purchases:
Amanda Hill:
BEST: Girl… clip-on bangs.
Aimee Lafreniere, Program and Promotion Specialist
- BEST: An Instant Pot! Incidentally, I bought it “like new” from a person who had posted it on Facebook Marketplace, and I got it for about 30% of retail! I make AMAZING Indian food in it
- WORST: 3 different “fitness programs”: I’ve used two of them twice each and one not at all. I just don’t like doing a yoga “class” via my iPhone, or salsa dancing alone in my living room….
Krister Rollins, producer
- BEST: My girlfriend and I bought a house.
- WORST: There's this berry-flavored seltzer that's now sitting in the back of the fridge of our new house.
Maddy Raynor, producer
- BEST: Bought a surfboard
- WORST: Boxed hair dye – RIP
Myk Albert, Big Ole Fish host:
- BEST: Hi-Speed Internet
- WORST: Fishnet masks
Jess Yario, producer
- BEST: New house
- WORST: The flying squirrels that came with the new house
Erin Keller, Digital Content Producer
- BEST: Handband flashlight that I wear to walk my dog
- WORST: A LED facemask that I think burnt my face....I Googled it and don't think that's possible, but my face has been super red since I used it...
Chris Bernazznai, Director of Digital Sales
- BEST: I bought a condemned house next door to mine
- WORST: 5 boxes of Good Seasons Italian Dressing and I paid $25 for 6 rolls of toilet paper last March
Roslyn Flaherty, Multiskilled Journalist
- WORST: Everything I bought I did NOT need
Sebastian Bennage, photojournalist
- BEST: Camping equipment
- WORST: The 30 cans of chicken noodle soup for quarantine that's still sitting in the pantry.
Jacob Richards, photojournalist
- BEST: Hair clippers (Many other good purchases but this is useful and saves me money!)
- WORST: The used PS3 that I had to have to play a childhood video game. The last time I turned on the console was 5 months ago and I'm still not finished the game
Peggy Keyser, 207 contributor
- This might not be best/worst but perhaps 'dumbest'. Part of how I got through the long winter months of the pandemic was deep cleaning my dog-hair-filled house. I was kind of manic about cleaning. Anyway -- one day as I was scrolling - these came in to view and I was like 'YES. I NEED THOSE." They do absolutely nothing. If you look closely you can see the dog hair ON them, but -- uh, there is dog hair ON everything in my house. So I bought... six I think. And of course, as I was checking out, it said "Buy three more for only $10" and I thought -- WHAT A FREAKIN DEAL" so I bought three more. I have them all over the house, and -- as far as I can tell then do absolutely nothing. Sigh. I SO thought I was getting out in front of all those harmful pollutants here in South Portland.
Jeff Schools, Director of Digital Content
- BEST: My Bluetooth/WiFi grilling temp monitors. It comes with an app. It’s glorious
Rebecca Stefansky, Executive Producer
- BEST: Puzzles
- WORST: Phish Puzzle
Bill Taylor, director:
- BEST: Bose Surround Sound system for my home theatre.
- WORST: Toilet paper imported from China through Amazon. Ouch!
Mike Slifer, meteorologist
- BEST: Bike. Kept me sane/out of the house!
- WORST: Vitamin D Lamp. Cumbersome and kind of a pain, plus we didn’t feel any different after using it for a while
Hannah Yechivi, multiskilled journalist
- BEST: a flight to Florida
- WORST: Chocolate peppermint pretzels
Isaac Luken, producer
- BEST: Bike
- WORST: Ethernet Cable Splitter, because my wife barely worked from home
Aaron Twombly, photojournalist
- WORST: Early on in the pandemic when there was a mask shortage and everyone was in a general state of panic I bought this. Allegedly the best kind of filter. I thought “I’m fairly handy I can make masks for my family.” It was comforting and my “best” purchase in that moment. Now? I wish I had my $12.
