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| Sunday, July 22, 2007 |
More Reviews Are Coming |
| Just a quick post to say that there will be some more reviews in the next couple of weeks. |
posted by Alex Elliot @ 11:50 PM
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| Wednesday, July 11, 2007 |
The 24 Hour Pharmacist |
 Of course having a child is wonderful event, but with the births of both of my sons my estrogen levels were really out of whack. From weight gain, to lethargy, to big hair loss beyond what was normal after giving birth to completely unpredictable periods despite being on the Pill, my body has been through a rough year again, as it went through a rough year after my older son's birth. While I'm not there quite yet, I see "normal" up ahead in my near future. With this frame of mind, I was pretty excited to review The 24-Hour Pharmacist by Suzy Cohen for The Parent Bloggers Network.
 I must admit before I got it, I thought it was going to be like the book Home Remedies that used to be sold on TV. You know the one where your dog has been sprayed by a skunk and they tell you to wash the dog with tomato soup. This is set up a little differently. It's divided into 5 different parts: Above the Waist, Above the Neck, Below the Waist, Everything in Between and Think Outside the Pill. While there are some quick fixes mentioned like "put[ting]a little pillow beneath the small of your back" (p.101) to prevent snoring, a lot of it involves changing your diet, or taking a supplement. The author also give a bunch of tips throughout the book that are called Suzy's Secrets from Behind the Counter.
So what did I like about this book? I think in order to be able to make the best choices possible with your health (or anything else for that matter) you need to fully understand all your options, which means knowing the benefits and consequences of each option. I think that the author does a terrific job of breaking down medical language to explain it to people without medical backgrounds. This is no easy feat. I felt like she also gives the pros and the cons of the traditional treatments and then gives alternative suggestions and explains the conditions under which they are good choices and, where appropriate, the conditions under which they are not good choices. With more and more people becoming interested in alternatives to popping pills, I think this book is a great resource. I can think of a bunch of moms right off the top of my head who would appreciate it.
So what didn't I like about it? I had one major concern about the book: how she addresses depression. She does a good job explaining the different types of depression. As with other subjects within the book, she describes how the medications work and also recommends alternative treatments. However, one of the symptoms of depression is that those who suffer from it are often less motivated or willing to reach out for the care that they need. I would worry that someone who really does need a doctor's care might use some of the author's recommendation as a crutch or excuse to delay getting needed assistance. While she does have a warning not to stop taking anti-depressants without a doctor's supervision, it is at least important to ensure that people don't delay having the initial consultation with the doctor.
To be clear, she's by no means anti-medication. While she does spend a good amount of time talking about all the side effects of the Pill, she also mentions that she herself was on it for 20 years. I also liked her explanation of how Plan B works.
Definitely check out her book. Just in case you were wondering, she does recommend chocolate and coffee (and also Vicks cold formula rub to get rid of toenail fungus). If you leave a comment on campaign launch post you'll be entered to win a 50$ gift certificate from CVS. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 10:49 PM
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| Thursday, July 5, 2007 |
Kaboom Review |
I am always on the lookout for good bathroom cleaning products. I have a husband and two sons, need I say more? When I was in college I had viral meningitis. Because of this, I am prone to headaches and migraines For me finding a bathroom cleaner that actually works and doesn't give me a headache is no easy feat.
The first Kaboom product I used was the Kaboom Never Scrub Continuous Toilet Cleaning System. It is a small plastic container housing the cleaning product that is attached through the water hose so that the water runs through the container into the tank. It is very easy to install. You first clip the system to the back of the tank. You then remove the refill tube and attach one end of the Kaboom system to the valve. Finally put the other hose from the Kaboom system into the overflow pipe. The whole thing takes less than a minute. It is recommended that you clean your toilet bowl first.
Each tank of water after the initial installation therefore has the Kaboom solution in it. When you flush, the treated water cleans your toilet bowl. A flip of the wrist and your toilet bowl just been cleaned! It can't get much better than that. I really hate cleaning the toilet bowl. Be honest, do you really enjoy doing it? It also is always one of those chores that I keep pushing back and saying, "I'll do it the next time I go upstairs" only to have an entire week pass and then realize that now I really do have to clean the toilet. This product works for 3 months. Refills are available so you don't have to buy the container again.
Overall, I was very pleased with this product and I will invest in a refill. However, there is a minor detail that I feel I should mention in full disclosure. The first is that if a 3 year old who has been constipated for a few days happens to take a big poop in said toilet with this cleaner, you will probably still have to use an old fashioned toilet brush to clean it. For every day use, it worked great. However, when someone had "intestinal disturbances" or the above-mentioned constipation, extra cleaning was needed. It did initially leave the toilet cleaner than it would have been pre-toilet brush despite the illness.
The second product I reviewed was the Kaboom Shower, Tub and Tile Cleaner. This is works like any traditional household cleaner where you spray it on the surface and wipe with a cloth or paper towel. The big difference is that there is no ammonia, phosphoric acid or bleach used. Rather it uses sugar-based surfactant and glycolic acid. This means there is no toxic fumes. Yeah!!! I have to say this product worked very well. I sprayed it on the bathroom surfaces and let it sit for a minute or two and then wiped it up. It got the soap off from the rim of my sink faucet. It also removed all the soap scum from the shower. It also doesn't have the traditional harsh smell that a lot of bathroom cleaners have. I didn't feel like my brain cells where dying as I was scrubbing! That being said, it definitely does have a scent. I know this sounds really weird, but it smells like Bed, Bath and Beyond. They sell Kaboom products though and maybe they clean with them. I still cranked open a window when I cleaned the bathroom. I did find myself constantly reaching for this cleaner when it was time to clean the bathroom particularly if we were having guests come over to our house.
Check out the website because they have some promotions going on right now. There's even a video showing how to install the Continuous Cleaning System.
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| posted by Alex Elliot @ 10:00 AM
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| Sunday, July 1, 2007 |
Garage Sale America |
Originally published on June 26, 2007.
I have to admit that I had never been to a garage sale until I was in 6th grade. That's when friends of my parents were hosting one. They told us they would give us a percentage of the proceeds if we helped them. I was also exposed to the giant rummage sale at church that would last for a few days, because my mom was in charge of it for a couple of years. Other than that though, my experience was pretty limited until I became a parent and didn't want to pay a lot of money for toys. Although I then started frequenting them, I am by no means yard sale savvy. However, I was in charge of my moms group yard sale this past April, and shortly after that Parent Bloggers announced they were looking for people to review Garage Sale America by Bruce Littlefield. Of course I was eager to see what I had done right and what I could have done better.
The first thing I liked about this book is that it's so easy to read. It took me a little over an hour to finish the whole thing. There are tons of photos of great yard sale finds, as well as boxes with tips throughout the book. The author does a great job of describing the art of "yard saling" right down to explaining basic concepts like the difference between a yard sale, garage sale, and a tag sale (I had never heard of the latter until I came to MA and wrongly assumed it was the same thing as a yard sale.) There are also a lot of personal stories from different yard sale goers which which I also enjoyed reading.
The book begins with an introduction followed by Part 1 entitled The Adventure. It describes exactly what a yard sale is and explains why someone would want to go to one or to have one. I have to say that the writing is not only light-hearted, but also pretty humorous. I personally never thought about a yard sale as being neighborly (inviting people to come over to your home/lawn and handle your items). The author also started putting boxes describing particular good finds in specific states of the country during various times of the year. He also wrote about yard sale etiquette, and even covered the impact of eBay on yard sale pricing. I've always wondered if you know that an item goes for, let's say $40, on eBay, do you ask for that amount at the yard sale or do you price your item at $5? The author specifically suggests that you not quote blue book values or eBay prices because yard sales are for bargains. If you're not willing to part with it, don't sell it. You get rid of an item you don't want and get some cash and someone else leaves viewing your piece of junk as a treasure. It's a win-win situation.
He then described going to the world's largest garage sale, which is the annual Warrensburg Garage Sale in upstate New York. It's a two day event spanning 10 miles with over 1000 vendors. Yes, you did read that right. He then discussed his trip to what used to be (but is no longer) the World's Longest Yard Sale which is 450 miles long at US 127. This part is particularly funny as the author related renting a van and setting out with $1,000 in one dollar bills. He included small boxes describing things like how to tell if a Hot Wheels car is valuable. There's lots of tips, stories from other buyers/sellers, hilarious descriptions of yard sale food (who knew food was sold?)and fun facts about things like fishing lures, and Barbies not to mention The Fabulous Mark Eden Breast Developer. There is also a picture of some rusty old chairs that would have been out on the curb in my house faster than you could say "junk", but that were a great find for his friend Bev.
The second part is called Design and describes how he furnished his home with yard sale finds. There are lots of photos showing how he took an item designed for one purpose and used it for something different. This is also known as "repurposing". A particularly memorable example was the barn door that he bought, not surprisingly, at a barn sale and made into a table.
The last part of the book is a month-by-month guide to the "best of the biggest" yard sales followed by a glossary of yard sale terms. Some of them are particularly humorous like when his definition of what food he eats at the big yard sales. FYI, some families take yard sale vacations!
So what exactly is a tag sale, if it's not the same thing as a yard sale?
A. Elliott's Lesson Learned: "...at a traditional tag sale you're actually invited inside the house where you find everything, still in its natural habitat, tagged and ready to move." (p. 47).
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| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:52 PM
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Vaccinated |
Originally published on June 20, 2007.
I come from a medical family. For me, getting my children vaccinated was never a question. However, when my older son was in Early Intervention for speech therapy, I met several parents who had autistic children. Many of them expressed the belief that thimerosal (used as a preservative in vaccines like MMR and flu shots) causes autism. While I still vaccinated both of my kids, I asked the pediatrians whether or not the shots did contain thimerosal and how much was in the shot.
Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases by Paul A Offit, MD chronicles Maurice Hilleman and his life's work creating vaccines. A humanitarian who wanted nothing more than to save children, Hillman created the vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, meningococcus, and Hib. Surely such a man would have received a Nobel Prize, right? The answer is no. Most people have never heard of him, myself included. Clearly he was not in this for fame and fortune.
If you are interested in science, you will probably enjoy all of this book. It talks not just about the vaccines that Hillman created, but more broadly about the history of all vaccines, including the work of other scientists. It describes how vaccines were invented and what methods were used to make each of them. How was the first vaccine invented? Did you ever wonder why the flu vaccine is grown in chicken eggs? Lest you think that this book is too scientific, rest assured that it is pretty easy to read. It's not the type of book to take to the beach, but it's not dry.
Even if you do not care about the history of vaccines, I think it is worth getting the book to read the last quarter. This is the part that talks about the alleged link between autism and vaccines. It also discusses the papillomavirus vaccine. I have to say that after reading this part of the book I feel much better about the vaccines that my eleven month-old will be receiving next week, on the other side of his first birthday. It also discusses capitalism and vaccines.
Obviously this book is pro-vaccine, but I did find the explanations of the history of vaccines, and the scientific data to be pretty unemotional. Even when showing that vaccinating is preferably after analyzing data, the author still completely articulated the opposing argument and then rebutted it.
From a moral and ethical perspective, I enjoyed this book because it talks about the atrocities that went along with creating vaccines - atrocities that I bet many people in my generation don't know about. Vaccines used to be tested on mentally retarded children. I think that that is something important to know about our society, and to understand, as the author explains, why it was perceived as morally acceptable at the time.
Finally, as the author points out, when we are protected, we take vaccines for granted. I'll never know if my own kids were exposed to measles or mumps last week. I'll just know that on June 20th, they were healthy. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:49 PM
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The Saturn Vue |
Originally published June 1, 2007.
It is no secret to any of my friends that I have a love/hate relationship with my car. I have a 2000 manual Honda CRV that I absolutely loved right until I had my second child. Before my younger son (YS) was born, I couldn't imagine ever wanting a different car. However, once YS was born, I realized that my feelings towards it had changed: it's becoming too small. Between the two kids, the stroller, the dog and sometime the two cats (inevitably they always need to be seen by the vet all at once and also inevitably it's during the weekends when the traveling vet is off) not to mention groceries or any of my older son (OS's) friends who currently cannot fit in our car, there just isn't enough room. We haven't even started t-ball or soccer yet! Ever since December the Big Giraffe and I have had some serious conversations about replacing our car. It's been a hard decision for us because we both think that a minivan would be better suited for us at this time in our lives, but we would really like to own a hybrid.
When I found out that PBN was looking for people to review Saturn's new Green Line, I was pretty excited. Not only was it a chance to drive a bigger car, (and quite frankly a car that was cleaner than my current one) to see if that would suit our needs, but it's also a hybrid. Let me take a minute to explain what exactly Saturn means when they say this car is hybrid. Not all hybrid cars work the same way. According to their website, when the car is at a complete stop (think stoplight), it automatically shuts off the gas and converts over to the hybrid battery. When you take your foot off the brake, the electric battery starts the gas engine. When you are accelerating the car runs on a combination of the two engines. The word "eco" lights up on the dashboard. The battery recharges while cruising. When you begin to slow down, the battery takes over again. When you brake, the kinetic energy is converted into electric energy and stored in the battery. (See taking physics in college was worth something!) A few weeks ago a Saturn Vue with Michigan license plates showed up. I transferred the boys' carseats and began my two week test drive. (The LATCH was easy to use, and the carseasts were always very secure.)
The inside of the car is very nice. I got several compliments on the silver trim. I'm used to cloth seats, and I found the leather seats very easy to keep clean. OS definitely put keeping the car clean to the test. The interior of the car itself is much roomier than my CRV, and the boys weren't able to reach to poke each other in the back when strapped into their carseats. Our car rides were much more peaceful.
When the carseats are removed, the back seat folds down, and the front passenger seat folds in half and flat. It does not fold into the floor, but it folds flat enough to put a bunch of cups of coffee on it. This makes it easy to carry large items. The passenger seat has a special plastic backing just for this. I was able to fit a Little Tikes 8 in 1 Playground that I bought off of Craig's List (in other words no box) in the car.
Of course, I would never go through a fast food drive thru window of my own volition, but in the interest of testing the car's performance under all conditions, I did take the Saturn through a few drive thrus. The car performed admirably in the drive thru.
The back seat also has a grocery bag compartment which worked very well. It kept the groceries from falling all over the place. The car is also equipped with Onstar and satelite radio. There were even cup holders and a power outlet in the back which would be perfect for a portable DVD player. The windows were also tinted. I really missed that when I went back to my CRV during the recent "heat wave" out here.
Another thing I really liked was how quiet it was inside. When I got my CRV, I decided not to do the soundproofing that Honda recommended because I thought it was a waste of money. Little did I know that it would always sound like I was inside a vacuum cleaner when I drove on the highway. There was very little road noise in the Saturn.
I found the car very easy to drive, and I was sorry to part with it. I had numerous people stop me at the grocery store, playground, (my driveway), to ask me about the car. There definitely was a lot of interest in it. In fact one of my friends bought one today (she was seriously considering it even before she saw the one I was driving in my driveway.)
So here's what you probably really want to know about: how much gas mileage did it get? According to the info folder I got from Saturn, it gets 27 City MPG and 32 Highway MPG. I wish I had written down the mileage when I got the car. Normally I fill the tank of my manual transmission CRV every seven to ten days. Despite the fact that I actually did some extra driving, including an extra hour-and-a-half round-trip to pick up the playground and a couple of 40 minute round trip visits to our local petting zoo, I went almost the entire two weeks until I needed to fill the tank. I have a feeling that I would have really made it at least half a week longer than usual if my usage had been typical. In addition to finding the automatic more fuel efficient than my normal manual transmission, which is a tribute to the fuel efficiency of the hybrid, I was surprised by how smooth I found the transmission's shift back and forth from "eco mode". (I typically find automatic transmissions far choppier than my manual.) The car itself costs $23,750, and the estimated fuel cost is $1, 371. It saves 20% on gas compared to the regular Vue.
So what didn't I like about it? When I first sat in the car, I felt very small. The door comes up much higher on my arm than my own car does. In fact you can see the obvious difference when just looking at the two cars side by side on the driveway. I have heard from other hybrid drivers that this is common in hybrid cars to create the illusion of being much roomier. I have to admit at first I found this made it hard to drive, but after a few days I got used to it. I should probably also add that I'm only 5'4". I'm glad I had the extra time to get used to it. If you are seriously interested in this car and initially find the interior height and arrangement to be a problem, I would recommend test driving it a few times to see if you get used to it.
Another thing I didn't like, is that the gas cap is on the passenger side. This is obviously a minor detail, but I prefer having the gas cap on the driver's side.
Overall, I was really happy with this car. Unfortunately, it still doesn't address one of my biggest needs, which is to be able to put a third child in a carseat. No, I'm not pregnant, but I am a stay at home mom. As such I would like to be able to be in carpools and to be able to drive OS's friends. While there is LATCH in all three seats (I was pretty impressed by that) the current carseats we have (Graco brand) are just too big to allow a carseat in the middle. An engineering colleague of BG has told him that her family has done the study needed to identify the narrowest carseats out there to enable three to fit in a row. Even if I were to pursue that for the two boys, however, (which BG would likely resist because it would eliminate just one more barrier to a third child), I obviously cannot compel my friends to buy the thin models just so I can drive their child. I would also still have to get the "middle child" strapped into a carseat over one of the other carseats. However, once my kids are no longer in carseats, this would be a good fit for our family. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:44 PM
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Get a Hobby! |
Originally published on May 29, 2007.
When I first became a stay at home mom, I was pretty overwhelmed with it. After a few months, I reached a good stretch where I felt somewhat in control (by that I mean I managed to shower when I wanted to and brush my teeth twice a day with at least a couple hours separating the brushes) only to give birth to my younger son (YS) and feel overwhelmed again. Now that YS is almost a year, my shower schedule is back on track. During these times of relative calm (moment here as I laugh thinking about YS dumping yogurt on his head and the dog's head today as I'm trying to get them to bed after their usual bedtime), I often feel a little...how do I say this...bored. I also know that I've heard quite a few other moms say the same thing. When PBN was looking for people to review the new book Get a Hobby! 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle by Tina Barseghian, I was pretty excited to read it.
The book starts out with a foreword by neurologist Dr. Miguel Figueroo about the health benefits of a hobby. Basically, doing a hobby causes you to relax by allowing you to focus on something other than everyday stresses, while also allowing you to learn a skill in an area that you enjoy, simply because you enjoy it.
The foreword is followed by an introduction to the book by the author, which is then followed by a quiz to help identify which hobbies might be a good fit for you. I have to say that the quiz was a lot of fun. The author definitely has a good sense of humor. Here's my favorite question and the answers from it just to give you an idea:
The Last Time You Used a Paintbrush Was:
a) To create a replica of the Last Supper on my dining room wall.
b) To apply "Breathless Nights" to my toenails.
c)When I tripped over the one the contractor left in the hallway.
Needless to say, my answer was c! In addition to generating laughs, the quiz helps you to identify the traits that are relevant to selecting hobbies, so that you can look through the book for hobbies that have one or more of those traits in the heading. (My hobby personality is animal-loving, nurturing and independent.) Each hobby includes a brief overview, a history, resources, a project and sometimes a brief interview with someone who did the hobby. Everything is concise, well-organized, and easy to read. This was very helpful to me because, for example, I realized right away that Docenting was not a good fit since it required "a lot of free time". When I got to Dumpster Diving...well...I just had to read the history of it! This book is not heavy reading. It's written in a fun and light-hearted way. There is a whole smorgasbord of hobbies with some that I had knew of and others that I hadn't really thought of or still others that became more interesting to me once I read what about their history and what they entailed. Candle making is an example that is a lot more interesting now than it was before I read the book. I know what OS's preschool teachers are getting as gifts next Christmas!
One of the hobbies that I matched with was ant farming! If you've read my bio, you'll see that this wasn't a surprise to me. Another one I matched with was stained glass. I've always wanted to learn how to do it and have seriously looked into taking a class several times. The book though does say that the quiz is just a guide, so if there is something that is eye-catching to you like Ice Sculpture you should try it out. Also, sometimes you need to try out multiple hobbies before you find one you really like, unless you're one of those people who enjoys doing multiple hobbies at once in which case you should be set.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My husband enjoyed flipping through it too. I think it would make a fun birthday present for a friend, particularly a friend who feels caught in a rut or is stressed out. This book would also be a great gift for someone who you are having trouble shopping for. Plus for their next present they will hopefully have a hobby and you can get them that great scrapbooking paper, kiln etc., that they would just love. I think the book would be great on a coffee table or quite frankly in a bathroom. The way it is written, you can just read one or two hobbies at a time. Like I said before, it's very easy to follow. Pretty much all the hobbies fit on two pages.
If you go to the PBN site at this location and leave a comment at the launch post or the mid-launch post, you will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to Michael's. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:42 PM
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Baby IQ Review |
Originally published on May 9, 2007.
My husband was allowed to watch as much TV as he wanted growing up and he could watch pretty much whatever he wanted. I was allowed to watch minimal to no TV, and it was only approved shows like Sesame Street. We've hit a sort of happy medium with our sons where our older son (OS) can pick one long show like Sesame Street or two shorter shows like Blue Clues most weekdays, as long as quiet time has gone well. Obviously this is subject to change if someone, including me, is sick! I do have to say it took me a while to feel comfortable letting OS watch TV because I felt guilty about it. With my younger son (YS) it was a different story because unless I am going to put YS in a different room, he gets to watch whatever OS watches. The problem is that he's only 10 months old so he needs something that is more geared to him. How do I find a DVD that both my 3.5 year old and my 10 month like? When Parent Bloggers announced their campaign for Baby IQ-The World Around Us, I looked up the DVD on-line and immediately asked to review it.
So what exactly is it? It's the same idea as some of the other major baby DVDs (which we also own), but it's got a little something extra to it. It's classier. The biggest difference, and the one most heavily discussed in the other reviews, is that the music is by the London Symphony Orchestra. It has counting, shapes, colors, etc.. I also really find the music and images very soothing. In fact, whenever OS wakes up irritable after quiet time, I put this on to calm him down. Most importantly, unlike a lot of kids shows and music, it's not irritating to me as an adult, and I don't mind when my kids want to watch it again. While both boys like it, OS still tends to prefer his TV shows, although YS seem to like this DVD more.
So what didn't I like? I must confess that usually I put TV shows on for my kids (we Tivo everything) and then I go into the kitchen to make dinner. That means a horrible mother confession: I rarely watch the shows with my kids. I enjoy reading books to my kids, but TV is my "mommy break". However our kitchen opens into our living room, and our house is small so I can hear everything. This DVD is structured so that the parent identifies the various objects to the baby. In other words , they don't use voice overs. Fortunately for me, OS is more than happy to describe what is on screen, so YS is learning vocabulary while watching the DVD.
The first time I watched the DVD (yes I actually sat down on more than one occasion to watch the full video), I thought it would make a great baby shower gift. When I first became a parent, I found it awkward to have conversations with my newborn. It made me feel silly. I really didn't have any experiences with babies, and I had very little experience with young kids. In our childbirth classes, we were told this was very common, and we were encouraged to give our babies a tour of our house when bring ing them home from the hospital. The tour helps start a conversation. I think this DVD possesses the same quality: it gives you something to talk about with your baby. More importantly, it helps them build vocabulary. At least more so than "This is our new toilet." If you enjoy watching or narrating shows with your kids, you will probably really like this. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:35 PM
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Cozi Central Review |
Originally published on April 26, 2007.
Have you ever felt disorganized? What parent hasn't! How about like your family has too many calendars? Have you ever checked your calendar before scheduling an event only to realize that you have no idea if your spouse has anything going on, and no way to get a hold of him or her to double check? I have had the privilege of reviewing the Cozi Central for the Parent Bloggers. The idea behind the Cozi Central system is that it's a central calendar for your whole family and a way to help you organize. Oh, and did I mention that it's free?
The way it works is that you go to Cozi Central's Site and set up an account. You have a choice of either downloading the software to your computer or using the website. You create a family account with a family password. Then each person who will be using it enters their cell phone number and email address. What's nice about it is even though it's downloaded on my computer, my husband can access our account on the web at work (or at least from his own personal computer at home, since he doesn't like to use his work computer for personal activities). Same thing if I'm using someone else's computer.
Cozi's lets you set up grocery lists and other lists as well as fill out a family calendar. Why would you want a joint grocery list? Well, it allows anyone to add to it and everyone to view it. You can even email it to the family member doing a grocery run. You can also print out the list too. Oh, no you accidentally deleted the list from your cell phone or realized at the store that you forgot the list? Fret not because you can call the Cozi number and they will text the list to you or you can listen to your list. Just check with you cell phone provider and with the Cozi Help page because you may get charged roaming and or long distance. The other nice thing is that you can update the list by crossing out items that you've already gotten so that you don't have to keep on making a new list every time. In fact they also have a list of standard grocery items on the side (which was very helpful as I had been meaning to buy light bulbs for about a month and kept forgetting until I saw it listed in the sidebar). Plus you can add your own items to the sidebar.
The calendar works by assigning each person a different color. There's on overall calendar where everything is listed, as well as tabs for individual calendars if someone wants to see their own specific items. All you need to do is type in the name of the person and the event , or if it's for everyone you just type in the event. What's nice about this is that if you're trying to plan something and you need to know what your family member is up to, you can just check the calendar. You can also send notes to your family members. I copied and pasted grocery lists and sent them in a note to my husband, the Big Giraffe. If I'm at a friend's house and need to send a note to his email or cell phone, I can do it from the Cozi web page and it will be sent to him or I can leave it on the our home page and he will see it when he logs into our account.
There is also the ability to make a photo collage and apparently with that not only can you use "post-it" notes to remind you of things you need to do, but alerts can also be sent via this screensaver. I didn't use this feature because my husband recently made me a special collage of photos, but it does look neat. You can also use it to send family and friends photos.
The other thing I really liked about it is their customer service. Of course I like to research things so I tested out their customer service with some questions I had. I heard back within 2 hours on a Sunday evening and 30 minutes during a weeknight.
So what didn't I like? I wish, and I suggested this to them, there was a direct way of organizing grocery lists by aisle. I have to admit, I personally don't do this very often, but the Big Giraffe does. To give him credit, when I do use his system, the shopping goes much faster and I rarely get home realizing I have forgotten an item. It is possible to do this with the Cozi system, but it involves a couple of manual steps. The other thing that would be nice is if there were a way to schedule email reminders. Right now if you send an email about an event/appointment, it is sent immediately, even if the event is two weeks away. However, customer service told me they are working on it. A few people have suggested it. The Big Giraffe's biggest concern was that a common account and password makes it difficult to trace who makes what changes. Once our sons are old enough to properly use a computer, any pranks or mistakes they make could affect the list and schedule for everyone because their account is the same as the rest of the family, instead of having an account for each family member that gets to the same shared calendar.
So overall, what's my opinion of it? Give it a try! It's free! |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:32 PM
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School Zone Discovery Cards |
Originally published on March 8, 2007.
I am reviewing two products from the School Zone Discovery Cards for the Parent Bloggers Network.
 The first is called Peek-A-Boo Bunny Guess Who?. They're a set of cards marketed for babies 9 months and up. I have to admit when I first pulled them out of the box, I was a little confused by them, but they actually are very easy. There's a squeaky yellow stuffed bunny with a magnetic cardboard piece attached to it. The bunny's paws and eyes are also magnetic. You start with the bunny's paws covering its eyes in a peek-a-boo fashion. The idea is that you take one of the cards, which are also magnetic, and attach it onto the board. You read what is on that card. For example: "Peek-a-boo! Who likes cheese?" then you turn the card over and say "Who could it be?" and open the flap. "Mouse likes cheese!" Then you open the bunny's arms.
I thought the concept was interesting. My 8.5 month old younger son (YS) seemed to really enjoy it, but honestly it might have been because I was pretending to be very excited over it. What this toy was really good for was my 3.5 year older son (OS). While it was a little young for his interests, he enjoyed showing his brother how to use it. I found attaching and reattaching the cards to be a little tiresome, but OS seemed to enjoy doing it for his brother. That being said, after a while they did switch to using the cards without the magnetic board. The set contains 6 cards and sells for $11.99
 Fuzzy Animal Friends Discovery Cards were a much bigger hit. They are marketed for ages 6 months and up. Like the Peek-A-Boo cards, they look like a board book that was never bound together. Each card in the Fuzzy Animal Friends Discovery Cards set has at least one sensory item on it. YS's favorite is the card that has a ladybug made of shiny red and black paper on one side. The ladybug also has soft fabric legs that hang off the bottom of the card. On the other side of the card is a yellow bird. What are the legs on the lady bug's side are "hair" on the bird's side. The belly of the bird has soft fabric on it. So how is this different from the tons of sensory books that my sons enjoy? I have to admit at first I didn't see how YS in particular would find this any different. It turns out I was wrong. What I didn't foresee was how easy it was for him to pick the cards up. Unlike a book which is heavy and closes on him while he is trying to play with it, these cards are very light. He was able to turn it around and around and examine it from all different angles. Also, the sensory parts are more creative than the books we have. For example, the alligator/snake card has googly eyes and a crinkly tail that hangs off the card.
I was reading The SeaBird Chronicles review and I have to agree with her that I think these cards would make excellent crib toys. They certainly have kept YS entertained for a while. The only thing I didn't like about them is the packaging. I remember with OS that he and some of his friends went through a phase where putting toys back into their containers was just as much fun as playing with the toys. Other than the original plastic packaging bag, there is no child appropriate container like there is for the Peek A Boo cards. This is important because the cards aren't bound like a book, so there is a very good chance that they will wind up under your couch without you realizing it until someone is looking for the ladybug card later. Or it is possible that someone, and of course this would never be me, might spend a good 5 minutes looking under her couch for the 6th card only to later double check the packaging and realize that it came with 5 cards and not 6 like the Peek-A-Boo Bunny Guess Who?. This costs $15.99 and comes with 5 cards.
I would buy the Fuzzy Animal Friend Discovery Cards. YS enjoyed them a lot. Plus, since they are not bound like a book, you can always grab a card or two to take on errands for your baby. The Peek-A-Boo Bunny Guess Who? cards would be good as a gift particularly from someone like a grandparent or aunt who is looking for a way to interact with your child. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:26 PM
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BurpCatcher Review |
Originally published on February 26, 2007
 This is my first review as part of the Parent Blogging Network. I have had the opportunity to review the BurpCatcher. Let me start out by describing it. It is a double layer of flannel with a pocket sewn onto the end of it. The pocket opens when the Burp Catcher is placed over the shoulder of the arm. The idea is that the pocket then catches any spit up that runs over the cloth. You can get a package containing two flannel BurpCatchers for $9.99 or one BurpCatcher in fleece.
Just like in many areas of parenting, I could not get my baby to properly use the BurpCatcher. This really shouldn't have surprised me. However, in fairness to him, he just turned 8 months old. Thus, his spit up is completely unpredictable and also very small now that he is eating solids. On the other hand, his spitup also now reflects the cover of whatever he has just eaten. While he may burp after having a bottle, his actual spit up only seems to take place when I am dressed very nicely, he is dressed very nicely or I have just washed the floor. It also honestly usually involves him shimmying on the floor on his belly.
However, after having two babies who did spit up quite a bit, I think this would have been a great product to have when my boys were newborns. During the time when gently rubbing them on their backs caused a giant amount of spit up to be produced, this product would have worked well. They never projectile vomited (actually there was one scary time when my younger son did projectile vomit through his nose and looked like something out of a horror movie. I personally blame the hospital nurse because I never had that experience with my first son and was completely shocked as a veteran and know-it-all mother when he told me that most parents see it at some point with their babies). Sometimes the spit up did run down the regular cloth diapers that I use as burp cloths. The idea that this excess could be caught in a hood is appealing.
Of course the scientist in me wondered how truly absorbent the BurpCatcher really is. Since I didn't have a large amount of spit up to work with, I set up a lab in my kitchen. I put on my safety goggles, gloves and tied my hair back in a hairnet. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating the slightest bit, but I did pour a small glass of water on the BurpCatcher just to see if it would leak onto my shoulder. I have to say that it did pretty well. It's by no means water proof, but it is way better than using let's say a dish towel for example (I have no idea who would do that!) Although it eventually does leak through, you do have adequate time to remove it before endangering your clothing.
Here are a couple other things that I really liked about it. - It packs really well in a diaper bag. Unlike the bulky cloth diaper, this folds up pretty small and is very light weight, and so is easy to shove in a diaper bag.
- It's very soft which is nice for babies' faces if you're wiping them after they have already spit up into the toy bin.
- When you're out in public, it looks much better than a cloth diaper.
- It was designed by a mom of three; I always like supporting ideas that other moms come up with when I can.
My overall feeling on this product is that it would make a good gift from a friend for a baby shower or right after the baby is born. If you have a baby though who does have reflux, or projectile vomits, I would go out and get this. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:18 PM
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Test Post |
| This is only a test |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 10:58 AM
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My Profile
| Name: | Alex Elliot |
| Home: | MA, United States |
| About Me: | Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe. |
| See my complete profile |
Flexible Media Appearances
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