Reviews by Jessica

Jessica says "Ensure is nourishing for people with poor diets. " about Ensure Creamy Milk Chocolate Shake

Jessica — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:11:47 GMT

I drank Ensure on a doctor's recommendation. During the difficult months before and after my marriage dissolved, my diet lacked essential nutrients such as ... food. Because of the way my body reacts to stress, there are days when chewing and swallowing is too daunting a process to undertake. There are only so many meals in a row a woman can miss before her dropping weight shifts from a consoling side effect of misery to a scary sign of unwellness. I've got work to do, a toddler to raise, and an education to complete, so I can't very well just lay down and die. Slugging down a chocolate flavored drink is a relatively painless way to avoid starving.

Chocolate-flavored Ensure is satisfyingly chocolatey, but the viscosity can be a little much. The mouthfeel is similar to raw egg whites, and it feels like a solid form sitting in the stomach. It made me full, but sometimes grossed me out. The bottle is small, so there isn't too much volume to consume, but I prefer other drinks that aren't as...

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Jessica says "I like it much better with dead batteries." about LeapFrog Baby Counting Pal

Jessica — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:16:05 GMT

The Leapfrog Baby Counting Pal is a plush caterpillar with a facial expression and cap that are familiar to all plush Leapfrog toys. She has a soft handle for carrying, five different-colored body segments with numbers on them, four feet with pictures of critters and various busy-baby contraptions inside, one foot that is actually a ring with four plastic flowers to spin, and four different settings for play. The settings are: Numbers, Colors, Classical Music, and Musical Medleys. That is also the order in which they irritate me. The parent's on and off switch and volume control are inside a velcro-closured pouch in the caterpillar's back. Cloth straps with velcro at the ends are fastened to the back. A female voice says rhymes and sings songs.

In the Numbers setting, she sings a different counting song to the same tune for all five numbers. I don't like this setting at all, because the songs take too long to get to the counting and are very boring. Colors is a step up because she sings...

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Jessica says "I play with these blocks more than my daughter does." about Imaginarium 50-piece wooden city block set

Jessica — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:03:34 GMT

These wooden blocks by Imaginarium caught my eye because of the bright colors, attractive pictures, and the metropolitan hipness of the concept. This set includes a mat with a road and some landscaping printed on it to build your city on top of, four cars with rolling wheels, a few blocks in solid colors, and a couple of bridges. The rest are squares and rectangles with architectural features painted on them. If put together by style, your city can include a modern high rise, a hotel, a few storefronts, old-world style condos, and a brick apartment building. The pictures on the blocks are so attractive that I like to set up the city as a decorative feature in my daughter's bedroom.

The age range of this toy is raised considerably by the design of the blocks, which I think is a flaw. They are not cube shaped, but are twice as tall as they are wide when the pictures are facing out. To build the three and four story buildings pictured on the box, the blocks must be stacked on their narrower...

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Jessica says "Pass the Excedrin - See 'n' Say is a hit." about Fisher Price "The Farmer Says" See 'n' Say

Jessica — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 02:42:43 GMT

If I were a rational person with a consistent behavior pattern, I would despise HRH's See 'n Say. This toy is plastic, noisy, and made by Fisher-Price - a troika of demerits. However, I am a silly person given to unpredictable whims, and I love the See 'n Say. I had one as a child and there is nothing like seeing your own enjoying something you used to play with.

Fisher-Price has made some major improvements - my See 'n Say was huge and operated with a pull string. If the string broke, it couldn't be fixed. The new See 'n Say is about eight inches square, and vaguely barn-shaped. In the center is the familiar wheel with the animal pictures all around and an arrow in the middle, but this wheel has a faceplate that flips back and forth, creating twice as many animal options. In addition to the animal squares, there is a quiz square and a song square. The best improvement of all is the lever on the right side which has replaced the pull string. This is a much more user-friendly toy for...

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Jessica says "Pleasant to use, but not the most effective treatment. " about Desitin Diaper Rash Cream

Jessica — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:43:46 GMT

The reason why Desitin Creamy is not the best choice for a serious rash is stated clearly on the front of the tube: Goes On Smoothly & Wipes Off Easily. The point of diaper rash cream is to cover the irritated area and protect it from wetness. If the cream wipes off easily, it's going to rub right off of the places she needs it when she moves around. Whatever stays behind might be good enough for some light irritation, but won't cut it for a bad rash.

Slathers of smooth, creamy lotion must feel great during application. The addition of aloe and vitamin E are likely very soothing. Desitin also smells like somebody is baking some baby powder cookies, and I've always found it very pleasant. Too bad it isn't good at what it's supposed to do.

If this were a sunburn relief preparation, it would be golden. But for a baby on the go, in an area that is wrapped up in the culprit of its irritation, there needs to be a lot more zinc oxide and a lot less slipperyness. Pleasant as I find the fragrance,...

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Jessica says "A wipes storage solution that is considerate to tiny heinies." about Prince Lionheart The Ultimate Wipes Warmer with Everfresh System

Jessica — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:50:38 GMT

Far from being over-indulgent to little babies, I think a wipes warmer is the only considerate way to change a diaper at three am. If you agree with my point of view, the Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer is a good option. I used mine more times a day than I'd like to remember for about sixteen months. In addition to being a compassionate tool, I've also found a wipes warmer to be a better way to store the wipes you are using than the packages they come in. Many brands of wipes dry up within days of opening the package, along with four-fifths of the unused wipes. Other brands' designs for getting the wipes out of the box are problematic or simply useless. This warmer solved those problems for me, because it is very easy to get wipes into and out of it, and it keeps wipes much more damp than they would be even in a freshly opened package. A very wet, warm wipe means each one does a better job cleaning up, and that means you use fewer wipes in the long run. If a wipes warmer helps...

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Jessica says "Moms of teething babies will try anything, and this isn't bad." about The First Years Massaging Action Teether

Jessica — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:31:59 GMT

When my sixteen month old cut her first eyetooth, I realized the worst of teething was not behind us. Not only were the canines more painful to cut, but my toddler was a much bigger "baby" about the whole teething thing than she was as a stoical young infant who didn't know any better. After trying what felt like every solution in the AAP child care book, I found this old teether in the depths of my diaper bag and offered it without much hope for results.

My daughter did not get much use out of this teether as a small baby. The star was too big to comfortably fit in her mouth, and she had to bit too hard to activate the vibration. As a toddler, she got much more benefit from it. The larger size and vibrating action made it both soothing and interesting enough for her to use herself. It doesn't replace a dose of Baby Tylenol now and then (something tells me that if we adults were teething, we would go straight for the Vicodin), but it provides a chewy distraction to the agony.

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Jessica says "Chicco offers a small, stylish alternative to high chairs." about Chicco Hippo Hook On High Chair

Jessica — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:21:06 GMT

This style of feeding seat attaches to a table by a hook or clamp that presses against the underside of the table and two arms that counter the weight on top of the table. The Chicco Hippo seat works with a clamp that can hold your table in a vise-like grip. The ends of the arms are a pair of hippos. I'm vehemently against juvenilia in my dining room (or just about anywhere, for that matter) and usually avoid little animals, but the all-black Chicco hippos almost have sculptural appeal.

When my daughter was under a year old, I liked using this chair at home because the baby could sit with us during meals. My baby behaved noticeably better when she got to sit near us in her hook-on chair while we ate. She didn't act up as much for attention because she felt more included, and she didn't squirm around as much because I think she was more comfortable than in the high chair. Now that she is two and a half, she has fairly good table manners for her age and understands that meals are social...

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Jessica says "Nice for a baby, but not for a heavier toddler." about Silver Cross Micro V.2 Umbrella Stroller

Jessica — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:06:55 GMT

I loved my pink Silver Cross Micro for about six months. At first, it seemed like the perfect umbrella stroller solution for a mom who craved something luxurious, but didn't want the same Maclaren as everyone else. The compact, efficient fold was perfect for travel and quick trips, and the larger than average wheels made it comfortable to push over imperfect sidewalks.

However, as my daughter got older and heavier, I noticed the stroller seeming to strain under her weight. The wheels squeaked, the seat creaked, and I had to wrestle with it to steer. This might be true of many umbrella strollers when children pass the age of two, but I expected a little more out of something that cost over a hundred dollars. Another obnoxious problem was the way the wheels touched the pink canopy when the stroller was folded. This eventually created black stains on my pretty pink fabric. Since this stroller is no longer very functional for me and it isn't even pretty anymore, the Silver Cross Micro is in...

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Jessica says "Little Touch will bore your toddler if she can get it to work." about LeapFrog Little Touch Leappad

Jessica — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:52:29 GMT

I wasn't thrilled about the LittleTouch the first time I turned it on, before my daughter was even born. My reasons were the very reasons why my daughter never got excited about using this as an interactive book. For an age group that is all about instant gratification, constantly having to push the green Go circle is frustrating, being instructed to push the lightbulb immediately after pushing the Go circle is more frustrating, and none of the activities or the story included are that riveting. There are many other interactive books to buy for the LittleTouch, and some of them are likely more fun than the "One Bear in the Bedroom" story that comes with it, but I think they would be a waste of money when my daughter would rather read a real book. Also, switching the settings and reading the book are too complicated for a toddler to do on their own, and as soon as you get it set up for them, they'll probably hit the off button because it's so much more fun. Furthermore, the LittleTouch LeapPad......

Jessica says "Mega Bloks are fine for a young sorter and stacker." about Mega Bloks 80-piece maxi bag

Jessica — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:58:39 GMT

My daughter received Mega Bloks as a gift when she was still far too young to play with them. I had reservations about them because I expected my family to be Lego all the way, but am not one to turn down free items. As soon as she was old enough for building toys, my parents purchased a set of Duplos meant for her age group to keep at their house and offered them to the baby. After she played with both brands, I immediately saw the advantages of the Mega Bloks. At ten months old, my daughter could not push the Duplos together without help because they fit much more tightly. She couldn't really take them apart, either, beyond knocking over whole stacks. In contrast, the Mega Blocks connect rather loosely, so she was able to put them together and take them apart easily.

She loved pouring the blocks out of the large, zippered bag, and we used them to teach her the names of colors. Sometimes she put them back so she could dump them out again. Although she enjoyed her Mega Bloks very much, we...

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Jessica says "Familiar Diet Coke flavor with amusing nutritional claims." about Coke - Diet Coke Plus

Jessica — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:35:35 GMT

Caffeine prevents me from falling asleep at the wheel or bursting into tears every time someone asks "How are you?", so I'm game to try whatever delivery systems are out there. Since energy drinks offer something new and interesting all the time, I'd almost forgotten about Coke and Pepsi. I am excited to see all my old favorite diet sodas offering juiced up versions for my artifically-alert pleasure. My favorite was always Diet Coke, which is tastier than any non-diet soda on the planet if you add a lemon, so I happily tested Diet Coke Plus.

This new variety makes some silly claims on the box, trying convince the weak and uninformed that this stuff might actually be good for them. Please don't believe any soda that says it will hydrate you like water or nourish your body with vitamins and minerals. Just because you don't die of thirst doesn't mean you won't be chronically dehydrated if you skip water in favor of caffienated beverages, and a few B vitamins do not a health food make. However,...

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Jessica says "Organic, superior-tasting milk produced by happy cows!" about Straus Family Creamery Nonfat Milk

Jessica — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:02:20 GMT

Straus Family Creamery produces excellent dairy products, but I think their organic nonfat milk is the best evidence of what can happen when a farmer puts the cows first.

It makes sense that Straus' milk tastes different. During the spring, their cows eat from a carefully tended organic pasture. The grasses have a distinctive flavor from growing in the ocean air on the Northern California coast. For the rest of the year, Straus' cows eat a high quality organic, vegetarian feed supplemental to what pasture grasses are available. Because the cows eat a balanced diet and are not treated with hormones, they produce less milk than what would be expected on a conventional dairy. These truly are the healthy, "happy" cows featured in the ads for California dairy farms. Unfortunately, those conditions are exceptional.

Straus caught my eye because their milk is sold in returnable glass containers and is not homogenized (homogenization is the process by which the fat molecules are broken apart so...

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Jessica says "Straw cups are a pain, but the Munchkin Cupsicle isn't bad." about Munchkin the Cupsicle Insulated Straw Cup

Jessica — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 05:46:08 GMT

The Munchkin Cupsicles came home with me because Costco carried a 4-pack with two extra valves for twelve dollars. How can any mom resist such a deal? I didn't expect to be thrilled by them, because so far all the straw cups I've tried have been mediocre to disappointing. The worst thing about most straw cups is that they are a pain to clean and drip steadily when they lay on their side. That isn't something I want to risk happening inside my beloved handbags.

The Cupsicles surprised me by not yeilding a single drip when they lay horizontally or are turned upside down. My curious toddler has spent plenty of time trying to get liquid out of the cups by tipping or shaking them, and so far she is thoroughly bored by the results. The only way to get water out of them is by sucking through the straw. I think these require more suction than most straw cups, because her cheeks pull in like a fish while she's drinking. Oddly enough, she doesn't mind the extra effort. The straw portion is a little...

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Jessica says "You Go, Girl! I dig this shocking pink sugar-free drink." about Nor-Cal Beverage - Go Girl Energy Drink

Jessica — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:38:18 GMT

I'm not going to lie about this - I bought Go Girl energy drinks because the cans are pink and say "Beautiful Energy" along the rim. My consumption of one energy drink per day is fairly habitual at this point, so why shouldn't it be Beautiful Energy in a color that flatters my skin tone? Go Girl was also on special for much less than I expect to pay for energy drinks per unit, and they were not only sugar-free, but also the label boasted SUPER CITRIMAX (the caps are theirs, trust me), "a mild herbal appetite suppressant." No matter what she admits to the public, what girl isn't interested in a mild herbal appetite suppressant? As if that weren't enough, this can is pink and just for girls, so there is a very good chance that - yes! just as I suspected - these drinks sport a pink ribbon indicating a portion of the proceeds are donated to breast cancer research.

Clearly, as a 20-something girl spread thinner than light cream cheese on a high-fiber bagel, I'm smack dab in the middle of Go Girl's...

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Jessica says "Every parent I know loves the Healthy Care Booster Seat." about Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat

Jessica — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:12:16 GMT

The only reason I don't take the Healthy Care Booster everywhere my two-year-old and I go is because most people I know with toddlers in their lives already own one. The booster is perfect for taking to restaurants, friends' and relatives homes, outdoor picnics, and even as an unobtrusive alternative to a high chair in the home. My little HRH uses a Stokke Kinderzeat to eat at the table with me at home, but I wish I'd known about Fisher-Price's excellent booster when she was novice to solids. For children old enough to sit unassisted, virtually any chair with a back can be a high chair if the booster is strapped to it and the tray attached.

For home use, my favorite thing about the booster is if you are short on space (or just refuse to let baby gear take over your house) you can leave this strapped to one of your dining chairs and push it against the table. It disappears and most people won't even notice it's there. When on the go, the light weight and various straps make it easy to tote,...

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Jessica says "I live in my Hanky Panky thongs." about Hanky Panky Thong

Jessica — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:34:09 GMT

I own Hanky Panky thongs in every color, and haven't worn any other panties ever since I discovered them about a year ago. They are more comfortable than any underwear I have ever worn - not just more comfortable than other thongs, but all other underwear. The lace is so soft and stretchy, there is never any chafing in delicate areas. They feel as if they glide over the skin, while still providing a snug and flexible fit.

Although they are a one size fits all item, for all practical purposes, Hanky Pankies come in three sizes. The Plus size fits women over a size 12, the low-rise are comparable to other brands' extra-smalls, while the originals do an excellent job of accommodating everyone in between. I have friends of all shapes and sizes who swear by Hanky Pankies. Be careful while shopping, because it's easy to grab the wrong style while picking through the table for your favorite colors. The difference isn't clearly labeled, and I always ask for the salesperson to double-check before...

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Jessica says "Cheap, easy, and effective harness for shopping carts." about SafeFit Safe 'N Secure Shopping Cart Safety Seat

Jessica — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:54:40 GMT

Just before HRH turned one, trips to the grocery store became so difficult I considered ordering all our food on the internet until she enrolled in kindergarten. When I saw this simple harness at Babies 'r' Us, I tossed it in the cart because it was inexpensive and had a five-point harness. This seemed like just the thing to keep her safely harnessed in a shopping cart, and maybe even entertain her a little.

This seat cover folds up to about the size of a greeting card and kept my daughter away from the grossest parts of a shopping cart, which are the handlebar and the straps. Since the harness goes over the child's shoulders and between her legs, she can't stand up or twist her body around in the seat. HRH must have been comfortable because she didn't struggle to get out. When we were shopping in a store with free samples, I often let her eat them, and everything wiped off the slick, non-absorbent material.

There are a few problems you should be aware of before buying. Unfortunately, the...

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Jessica says "This bag holds a lot more than it looks like it could." about Safety 1st Bath Toy Bag

Jessica — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:33:45 GMT

The Safety 1st Bath Toy Bag is probably the cheapest option for bath toy storage, but that isn't the reason I chose it. Because the bathtub is in the guest bathroom, I felt a need to tone down the presence of the bath toys, and storing the toys in another toy would not help.

With so many bath toys, I wasn't sure only one bag would be enough for them all, so I bought two Toy Bags. I was quite pleased when all the toys fit inside one bag with plenty of room to spare, and I returned the second bag to the store. The net opens up quite a bit and expands as you fill it, so I've decided that if one bag is not enough for all the toys, it is time to get rid of toys, not add storage. I'm impressed that the weight has not presented any challenge to the suction cups.

I have not had any trouble with mildew or slimy stuff growing on the toys or in the bag, but I do have a strict policy of only allowing bathtub toys in the bath. These are usually designed to stand up to water and resist mildew, and...

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Jessica says "Really grew with my child to last the whole first year." about Fisher Price Link-A-Doos Musical Play Garden

Jessica — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:19:02 GMT

Of the three playmat/playgym toys our daughter had in her first year, this is the only one I truly enjoyed seeing around. HRH played with it from when she was three weeks old until she was over a year. I knew I was in trouble when her favorite thing was the sunflower-shaped mirror. Although I didn't have any success in getting her to use the toy for tummy time, some of her milestones were encouraged by this mat, such as cooing at the toys, reaching for them, and eventually learning to push the lever that brought the little bird out of his house. Best of all was the day she was able to grab the sunflower in both hands and pull that mirror down to her face so she could finally get a good look at that extremely attractive baby who had been smiling at her all this time. If I did happen to get enough of the music, I could switch the toy off and she would still enjoy playing with it. When she was ten months old the batteries finally died and I didn't bother to replace them, and she continued...

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