http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/GMRsMom Tue, 13 May 2008 21:40:34 GMT Reviews by GMRsMom http://www.viewpoints.com/Navigator-Organizer-with-Wheels-review-2e990 I bought the Navigator Organizer because I simply had no easy way to get my scrap-booking stuff from point A to point B without making a dozen trips to my car each time. I do very little scrap-booking at home, so I wanted something that would fit everything yet still allow me to carry it easily. This was my answer! — — It actually holds a lot more than I thought it would at first look.  A HUGE main compartment with movable dividers holds hundreds of sheets of paper, albums, and boxes of embellishments. There are multiple elastic loops for pans and scissors. Velcro and zippered pockets on the sides and front give me places to store glue sticks, adhesives, embellishments, stamps, and other small items. — — There are two side handles for lifting and a collapsible handle for pulling it on it's wheels. It does get pretty heavy when I have everything in it, but I'm mostly only lifting it in and out of the car and wheeling it everywhere else. — ... Tue, 13 May 2008 21:40:34 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Navigator-Organizer-with-Wheels-review-2e990 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Sony-Handycam-DCR-SR80-HDD-Camcorder-review-076b2 After the birth of my son, we decided we wanted to get a camcorder. The biggest thing was finding one that would be easy to use for the non-tech savvy. I also wanted something that could take still shots as well as video. I did a ton of research and reading reviews in various places, and finally settled on the Sony Handycam DCR-SR80. So far I'm loving it! — — Instead of using removable media (tapes, cds, flash drives), the SR80 records to a 60 Gigabyte hard-drive - up to over 40 hours of video! It comes with software to either download to your computer and/or right to DVD.  — — The sound quality is great!  I've seen other videos where you can't hear a thing, but the SR80's microphone picks up sounds well.  It also comes with a cable that you can hook directly to the TV to view videos/pictures.  The still photo quality isn't as good as you'd get with a good digital camera, but it's pretty decent.  And it beats having to carry a... Tue, 13 May 2008 11:44:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Sony-Handycam-DCR-SR80-HDD-Camcorder-review-076b2 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cacique-Balconette-bra-review-37432 At a 38DDD, I have had the worst time finding bras that not only fit properly, but that are also  supportive and comfortable.  I went shopping out of desperation and the salesgirl recommended the Calique Balconette Bra.  I couldn't believe how much I liked it as soon as I put it on!  It fits great, it's super-comfy (and I usually despise under-wires with a burning passion!), and it keeps the "girls" right where I want them all day long without feeling like I'm about to spill over or fall out!  I think I paid about $32 for one, which to me is well worth it for being able to feel confident and sexy.  I tried several more expensive ones and wasn't happy at all with them.  My husband thinks this is the best bra I've ever worn - he says he can tell I'm more comfortable wearing it - which says a lot if he's noticed such a difference! — — The store I went to didn't seem to have a whole lot of colors available, but otherwise, I couldn't be... Mon, 12 May 2008 19:06:06 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cacique-Balconette-bra-review-37432 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/FTD-review-c0b3 I used FTD for the first time this past Easter to send a miniature rose bush to my grandmother, who has grown award-winning roses since before I can remember. I was a little wary of ordering from a site like this at first, having known other people who've had problems with ordering from the big flower chains, especially out-of-state. — — It was great! I went on-line, was able to browse and select what I wanted easily. I was able to track the shipment and received a notification when they arrived at her house. I haven't seen them in person yet, but apparently, the roses were beautiful and healthy (and she would have told me if they weren't!). She planted the bush in her garden and it's already blooming again. — — Next time I need to order flowers or a plant, I'm definitely going to... Mon, 12 May 2008 11:41:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/FTD-review-c0b3 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Dragons-Gold-review-e5dc3 We'd all like to be able to make a little extra money at home easily, right?   Right.  Well, being a stay at home mom, I was looking into different ways to make a little extra - I didn't expect to get rich or anything, but maybe get a few dollars a week or so.  I know a lot of these sights that you sign up for and complete surveys and offers and whatnot are just scams. There are a few legit ones, but they're pretty few and far between. So when someone I knew said they had done pretty well on TheDragonsGold.com, I figured, what the heck, give it a shot. — — Long story short, the site's a complete scam. — — Oh, there are a few nice incentives - a $5 sign up bonus, a low cash-out - only $15, lots of free offers to sign up for, so you don't even have to pay anything. Weekly and monthly contests for cash prizes.  And bonuses for filling out even the free offers. Sounds great, right. — — BUT, I filled out I don't know how-many... Mon, 12 May 2008 04:05:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Dragons-Gold-review-e5dc3 GMRsMom 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Stargate-The-Ark-of-Truth-review-56ee4 When Stargate:SG-1 ended, it left several plots hanging.  The biggest one was what exactly happened to the Adria and the Ori?   What everyone *hopes* and *thinks* happened is told, but not what actually occurred.  The Ark of Truth finally answers that.  — — While I think this would have made a great 2-part or extended-length episode, it was a little disappointing as a stand alone movie.  It felt as if I was watching any other Stargate episode. — — I hate spoilers, so I won't go into any plot details.  :) — — But overall, it wrapped up some of the open plots rather nicely and made for an entertaining story. — —... Mon, 12 May 2008 03:53:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Stargate-The-Ark-of-Truth-review-56ee4 GMRsMom 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Allstate-review-394c1 We went to Allstate when my husband's previous insurance company dropped him after an accident. With his driving record, we didn't qualify for an Allstate policy, but they farmed us out to State Farm's high risk policy. We paid a small fortune with State Farm. Even after two or three years and no tickets or accidents (and a previous accident and two tickets being removed from his record) our rates barely went down. When I received a letter from Allstate saying they could lower our rates, I went in to talk to them. — — Allstate cut our rates by more than half! We went from paying over $5000 a year to less than $2500. Thats to insure two SUVs in New York City and renter's insurance. We haven't had any accidents or tickets since moving to Allstate, so I don't know about how either of those will raise our rates. But our rates have gone down quite a bit more in the three years since we've had Allstate as my husband's record has remained clean. — — I love... Sun, 11 May 2008 13:50:03 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Allstate-review-394c1 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Baby-Safe-Feeder-Baby-Bottle-review-5c9a3 The Baby Safe Feeder was invented by a father whose baby almost died from chocking on a biscuit. It's simple to use, just unscrew the top/handle, put whatever you want baby to have into the little mesh bag, replace the top, and you're ready to go.  The handle is small enough for a baby to grasp easily by themselves. — — We gave out son a lot of fresh fruit using this. He was able to suck and chew on it and get the juices while we didn't have to worry about him chocking on a piece. — — These are also great for teething. I'd put an ice-cube in the bag and let my son chew on it to sooth his gums. — — The entire thing is washable, either by hand or in the dishwasher. When the little net bags start to either show signs of wear or won't come clean, you just throw the net part away - I found 4-pack refills for them. ... Fri, 02 May 2008 13:16:51 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Baby-Safe-Feeder-Baby-Bottle-review-5c9a3 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Playtex-Ventaire-Baby-Bottles-review-8a6b1 I received one of the Playtex Ventaire Wides from my OB during one of my pre-natal visits and when I had to begin supplementing breastfeeding with the bottle decided to give it a shot.  We soon ended up buying more. — — They come in two styles - regular and wide. They also have 6 oz and 9 oz sizes.  I found these sizes to be much more versatile than the 4 and 8 ounce size bottles I usually find.  I was able to use the 6 ounce bottles for months longer than a 4 ounce bottle.  Being able to use them longer made them worth any extra cost. — — The bend in the neck of the bottle makes it easier to hold baby upright while feeding.  I also found that my son seemed to be getting less air with these than with other bottles.  It's easy to find extra nipples and membranes for them (at least in my area).  The nipples come in slow and fast flow.  An in-between would be nice, though we didn't have too much trouble going from the... Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:41:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Playtex-Ventaire-Baby-Bottles-review-8a6b1 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Book-of-Three-review-45492 The Book of Three is the first book in the five-book series of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles.  The books are based loosely on Welsh mythology, most notably The Maninogion and anyone familiar with it will notice many familiar names.  It is not simply a retelling of Welsh myths, however.  Alexander also has a cast of unique characters with which he weaves a truly amazing story.  — — I first read the Prydain Chronicles in elementary school and have re-read them many times since.  They were some of the few books I took to college with me and that never got packed away when I moved.  The story has never lost it's magic, even after 20+ years. — — The Book of Three begins by introducing Taren, an orphan raised by the enchanter Dallben, who longs to leave the small farm and go off on adventures like his hero, Prince Gwydion. Wanting to be something, Taren is dubbed Assistant Pig-Keeper, giving his duties of caring for the... Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:45:02 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Book-of-Three-review-45492 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Snopes-review-c0873 I love Snopes! There are a few people on my e-mail list (who shall remain nameless - you know who you are!) who insist on sending me every little e-mail that they've ever been forwarded because "Well, if so-and-so sent it to me or I saw it at such-and-such a place, then it must be true!" WRONG! I've found most of those "e-mail legends" to be absolutely false. Everything from Bill Gates is giving away billions of dollars to everyone who forwards this message to the CIA's spying on you through your television and everything in between. — — The site is easy to search and is pretty extensive.  I haven't had one search come up with no information there yet - and I get a LOT of this crap sent to me.  Snopes usually also shows the origin of a particular story and sometimes where it may have roots in the truth, but where it's gotten twisted or misunderstood. — — Do your friends/colleagues/relatives/everyone in your address book and yourself a favor. ... Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:24:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Snopes-review-c0873 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/LeapFrog-Little-Leaps-review-b5951 My son received this last Christmas, right after he turned a year old.  He's only played with it once and then only for about 10 minutes.  I've tried to get him interested in it several times, since he loves pushing buttons, but he's just not interested in this.  It might be good for an older toddler, but I wouldn't bother with it for a younger baby.  For now, I have ours on a shelf to try again later when he's a little older.  I'm just glad that we got it as a gift and didn't lay out any money for... Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:36:24 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/LeapFrog-Little-Leaps-review-b5951 GMRsMom 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hasbro-Busy-Gears-review-adc60 My son lies this because it lights up, makes noise, and the gears move.  The gears are easy for him to take off and put back on by himself.  And it keeps him entertained for a stretch. — — On the downside, the music it plays and the "rattling" sound the gears make as they move gets very annoying after a while.  The gears also fall off easily if it's not laying flat - frustrating for my toddler who would rather play with it propped up on an angle. —... Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:26:43 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hasbro-Busy-Gears-review-adc60 GMRsMom 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Crayola-TaDoodles-review-caf21 When I first saw the Crayola Beginnings TaDoodles, I thought they were a great idea.  They may be a great idea, but in practice, they're terrible.  — — Each package only has three colors.  The markers came in red, green, and brown.  Brown?  Seriously, how boring is brown when you're only getting 3 colors to begin with?  It doesn't seem particularly appealing to a toddler like bright colors are.  Blue, orange, or yellow would all have been better choices.  And I haven't been able to find any other colors.  — — I don't know what toddler's hand they used when designing these, but mine doesn't like holding them.  He can hold regular crayons and marker's fine, but he has trouble with there.  Unless you hold them straight down, you can't get the color to work.  The ink is so wet that it gets everywhere before it dries - hands, clothes, floor.  I know that giving a toddler art supplies can be a messy... Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:44:46 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Crayola-TaDoodles-review-caf21 GMRsMom 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Similac-Advance-Baby-Formula-review-06171 I had to supplement breastfeeding with formula from the beginning and was unable to continue breastfeeding at all after four months. We started with Similac Advance in the hospital and decided to continue with it. My son never had a problem with this formula. — I also like that it comes in different sizes and forms. I usually used the large can of powder at home and kept smaller cans of powder at my parent's and in-laws.  The 2 and 8 ounce ready-made bottles are perfect for nighttime feedings or to put in the diaper bag for on-the-go meals.  Especially after they made their 8 ounce ready made bottles that a nipple could be attached directly to instead of the cans. — We got a ton of samples and $5 checks from Similac when we signed up on their website. Until we weaned my son to regular milk, I don't think I ever had to pay full-price for formula. —... Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:11:01 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Similac-Advance-Baby-Formula-review-06171 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Breastfeeding-Opinion--29115-review-be7c0 As a first-time mom, I had never doubted that I would breastfeed my children. My mom breastfed me during a time when formula was all the rage. I knew all of the benefits - bonding between mother and baby, easier for baby to digest, et cetera. — — Unfortunately, things don't always work out as planned. My milk didn't come in for nearly a week after my son was born, and even then I was never able to produce enough for him to not still be hungry afterward. I tried everything to increase production - nursing longer, nursing more often, pumping after feedings to make sure they were completely empty, pumping in between feedings. It got to the point that I almost always had either a baby or a pump attached to my breast! Nothing got it to the point it needed to be at, so we had to supplement with formula. — — I felt like a failure, because in the breastfeeding class we took before my son was born, the attitude was that everyone can breastfeed if they really... Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:07:19 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Breastfeeding-Opinion--29115-review-be7c0 GMRsMom 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Blue-Ridge-Safe-Fit-Grow-With-Me-Backpack-With-Harness-review-23371 My toddler loves walking when we're out.  However, he likes to run and hates holding hands.  I can't blame him.  When holding his hand, his little arm is stretched up above his head and I have to hunch over.  It's uncomfortable for everyone after a few minutes.  I got the Safe Fit Grow With Me Backpack with Harness because I wanted something a little less obvious than the plain harness with "leash" attached.  Several people who've seen it on my son were surprised that it had a tether - they thought it was just a little backpack.  The tether can also be removed, allowing your child to use the backpack by itself.  — — So far this has been a great product.  It allows my son to walk freely without having to have his arm above his head or tripping over the stroller while trying to hold onto that.  He has both hands free.  It also keeps him by my side.  I don't have to worry about him running and getting away from... Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:48:13 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Blue-Ridge-Safe-Fit-Grow-With-Me-Backpack-With-Harness-review-23371 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Secure-Solutions-Top-of-Stairs-Wood-Swing-Gate-review-c3101 We have a very long and steep staircase which has landed both my husband and I in the ER several times, so finding a secure and safe stair gate was very important to us. After searching around for a bit, we settled on the Enenflo Secure Solutions Top of Stairs Wood Swing Gate. We've found it to be a great gate! — — It's a hardware-mount gate - which is what you want for a top of stair gate anyway as pressure-mounted gates can be dislodged if enough force is applied to them - and it's amazing the amount of force a determined toddler can exert!  It was easy to intall - it only took us a few minutes. The hinges allow it to open in either direction and it will lay flat against the wall and out of the way when we're not using it. The latch mechanism is simple enough for an adult to open one-handed, but too difficult for a toddler to open.  My 15 month old knows where the latch is, but he can't get it open.  It's sturdy - our toddler bangs and shakes it and... Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:02:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Secure-Solutions-Top-of-Stairs-Wood-Swing-Gate-review-c3101 GMRsMom 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Snapfish-review-af291 Snapfish does make it easy to share photos with friends and family.  The site is free and  easy to use.  And the prices per print are pretty good.  They have a lot of different gifts you can order from photo-books to calendars to mugs to photo greeting cards for all occasions.  The option to ship or pick-up prints is nice, though it's going to cost a lot more to pick-up your photos. — — However, Snapfish does have a couple of huge downsides: — — Downside #1 - even with a broadband connection it takes forever to upload pictures if you have more than a couple.  — — Downside #2 - I've noticed that the bottom set of pictures on the wallet sheets seem to be cropped along the top.  I haven't had anything major cut out to make them unusable, but it's something to watch out for. — — Downside #3 -The customer service is TERRIBLE!  On one order I had spent over $100 on photos and ordered them 2nd day... Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:33:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Snapfish-review-af291 GMRsMom 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Upromise--115220-review-34380 We signed up for Upromise when our son was born. My in-laws and parents also joined. Since I do a lot of shopping on-line, it's an easy way to earn money for my son's college. All you do is register with Upromise, then shop through their site. Merchants contribute between 1%-25% of your purchase to your account.  Some merchants also offer incentives such as free shipping or other special offers when you shop through their link on the Upromise site. — — We also earned money through grocery shopping - you just register your store cards with them and it's automatically added when you buy qualifying products (a list is available on the website). Upromise also offers a credit card which allows you to earn an additional 1% of any purchase. — — In the first year we saved almost $1000 dollars by using Upromise.  I don't necessarily expect to save that much every year, but with the cost of education getting higher and higher, every little bit... Sat, 15 Mar 2008 01:59:38 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Upromise--115220-review-34380 GMRsMom 5