Reviews by ConvenienceAddict

ConvenienceAddict says "Crock Pot's SmartPot's warm setting's a great safety feature" about CROCK POT SmartPot

ConvenienceAddict — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:23:54 GMT

Crock Pot's SmartPot's warm feature is great. No more needing to worry about things overcooking or causing a fire. :) Post-cooking, it flips to the warm setting, keeping the food toasty while you do whatever you're doing before serving it. The removeable "basin" is d/w safe--a must if you're like me--and works fine with the Reynolds Crock Pot liners. The basin does seem attract hard-to-clean-after-hardened residue from meals, but if you're better than I about rinsing after emptying the basin, this probably won't be an issue. (I've temporarily given up trying to rinse right after emptying; thus the Reynolds product...) I did chip the lid sometime ago, but even chipped, it works fine. The poking-out control panel is kind of awkward for storing, but I don't know that there's a good way around that one. Overall, it's served us extrEMEly well for over six years. Glad we returned a "prettier" aluminum finish one and got this one when we evaluated the wedding gifts; we've even considered......

ConvenienceAddict says "Great convenience & quality, low price--what more can you ask?" about Member's Mark Baby Wipes

ConvenienceAddict — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:26:10 GMT

Because of budget, I really tried to avoid getting any more wipes for some time--I bought cases--about 12 of them!--of some very inexpensive wipes a couple of years ago that I still have 4+ cases of. ! But the diaper-wearer of the hour tended to get rashes pretty easily, unil I found that if I avoided the cheapo--and old!--wipes, he "rashed" significantly less.

Since I already more than pay for my Sam's Club membership every year by the savings I get on diapers--and because I think they were even cheaper than the Walmart store brand wipes--I checked out Member's Mark wipes. (Not to mention that I get about the same diaper clean-up use out of one of any normal wipe than I get out of two of the cheapos). The convenience of the pop-up system is somewhat addictive for me (note my screen name...!), not to mention MUCH easier for my husband, who has limited use of his right arm and hand. I had to remove and separate the cheapos to avoid going crazy or using mass amounts while wrestling...

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ConvenienceAddict says "relatively inexpensive--@ our Sam's Club--and quite effective" about Huggies Snug and Dry

ConvenienceAddict — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:01:52 GMT

I get my Huggies Snug&Dry diapers in bulk at a Sam's Club that competes with a nearby Costco; so I get them less expensively than I would elsewhere--even another nearby Sam's Club. I think they are a little better at containing than the Member's Mark I've gotten for years, and definitely thinner and thus that much easier to pack and store, etc.

I've had a few leak-throughs a couple different times when I've forgotten to change as frequently as I should, but overall they've been great, even overnight--and this from a mom who used to consistently pay extra (something I try not to do much (pay extra)) get Huggies Overnites to buy a little more sleep while still keeping my kids reasonably dry. The gathers around the legs work, the tabs are strong enough, I haven't had diaper rash problems that seem to be related to these, they don't seem to sag and they don't seem uncomfortable for my kids, as diapers go.

I would try not to pay a lot extra for these, but since they're only a few...

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ConvenienceAddict says "Sturdy, secure & versatile--+ Hard to move & ~hard to clean" about Fisher Price Healthy Care High Chair

ConvenienceAddict — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:53:37 GMT

My in-laws got us the Fisher Price Healthy Start in 2004 or 2005. It has lasted very well. It is very sturdy; I had very little concerns about it tipping, even when we had two to four two-year-olds over in cramped quarters for storytime. It was great when our second child was young, especially; he sometimes napped in it, and in our small apartment it was easy to keep on eye on him while he did. The straps are secure. The height adjustment is nice, allowing possibility of drawing it up to and under a table. The d/w-safe snap-in tray is nice, simplifying clean-up some.

However, the removable chair cover traps food, etc. between itself and the shell (blech!) and the shell isn't particularly attractive w/o the cover, not to mention having wells for the screws in to which food, etc. can get in easily but out of which it is dfficult to retrieve it. However, the hard plastic is generally easy to clean. Still, the d/w safe tray certainly doesn't cover the entire top, leaving...

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ConvenienceAddict says "great functionality and price" about Magnavox - DVD/CD Player DP100MW8

ConvenienceAddict — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:27:09 GMT

We got the Magnavox - DVD/CD Player DP100MW8 at Walmart for a great price and have been very pleased. Easy to hook up, small and lightweight, it does just what we need--plays our movies w/o a hitch. We still use a VHS/DVD combo (the DVD portion of the combo functions spottily at best...), which sits on top of our TV fairly sturdily, and this fits on top of the combo, making it difficult for little hands to reach it.

I actually like that we attach it in the front of our TV, as I can then easily limit functionality to either video or audio only, allowing me to screen (no pun intended!) things I want to and to limit screen time more effectively for my little ones. At least two regular DVD's fit on top of it in our setup, too, allowing for easy but not cluttered[-to-me-]looking access to current favorites.

The remote is easy to use, I think, too.

It would be nice if it were shorter (narrower from top to bottom); before we got help to raise a shelf in our entertainment center, it was...

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ConvenienceAddict says "good for 1-baby family--not so much for toddlers/multi-child fam" about Simplicity for Children Milan Crib Changer Combo

ConvenienceAddict — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:32:31 GMT

The Simplicity Milan combo crib was fine for a while, and I think it would be OK--even good--for your first child, as long as you don't mind having to use two hands to put the side down. It moves around easily but stays put when you need it to (if no one--like your kids/their friends--"unbrakes" off for you), has everything together (as pictured), etc. The changing table portion (my favorite part of this item), while taller than many, is pretty sturdy and has rails on all four sides. Its smooth flat slats are much easier to clean than round or beveled ones. The pad is nice and smooth, easier to clean than others I've used. I'll probably keep it even if I don't keep the whole furniture unit, in the end.

I think it's pretty cheaply made--thus the price, and the recommendation as good only if you don't have any rough users in the house. There's more than one place on the slats where splinters have been peeled/ripped off and the bottom of the under-crib drawer busted through...

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ConvenienceAddict says "Easy, quick, great taste and hopefully a little fiber, too!" about Idahoan Baby Reds flavored mashed potatoes

ConvenienceAddict — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:53:03 GMT

Idahoan Baby Reds flavored mashed potatoes are easy, great-tasting and hopefully even have some fiber! Even my husband, not an instant mashed fan, liked them quite well!

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