http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/MaineMomof2 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:28:56 GMT Reviews by MaineMomof2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Monster-Lo-Carb-Energy-Drink-review-e9580 I started drinking regular the regular Monster Energy drinks a couple years ago until I realized that there were 26 grams of sugar per serving and 100 calories (and there are two servings in a can of monster!)  Forget the fact that sometimes stores only cary the XXL versions and that is THREE servings! — I have to say that the taste of Monster is acquired - that is, you may not like it when you first try it.  However, if you are into energy drinks - like myself - you will already know that it's very difficult to find a GREAT tasting energy drink that isn't full of sugar or carbs. — Lo-Carb Monster has a total of 10 calories per serving and 3 grams of sugar per serving.  So, if you were to drink the whole can (like everyone does) you would only get a total of 20 calories and 6 grams of sugar!  Plus, I really didn't notice a difference energy wise between the lo-carb and the regular monster. — The only problem I have had is finding these in... Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:28:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Monster-Lo-Carb-Energy-Drink-review-e9580 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/DirecTV-review-d765 I have always had cable growing up. I always had cable at other places I lived until I moved in with my now husband and he was a dish lover. — At first, I couldn't really get used to the fact that we couldn't get our local channels on the dish. I got even more frustrated when all the shows that I loved to watch were on network TV and my Tivo couldn't record them because, again, we didn't have local channels on the dish. — Fast-forward to a year ago. We were moving to our new home and decided to extend our contract in order to get another DVR (which was NOTHING like our Tivo - but the person whom we spoke with promised us we would like it MUCH more). The other dish company (Dish Network) was promising local channels so we were a little leery to renew at first; however, DirecTv promised us that they too would be offering us our local channels very soon so we had nothing to worry about. — It is now one year later and we are still under contract. We still do... Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:01:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/DirecTV-review-d765 MaineMomof2 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Huggies-Natural-Care-Disposable-Washcloths-review-80de1 I recently discovered that my infant son has eczema.  I was told to get rid of everything that smelled good that I was using to was him (which included the Huggies scented washcloths that I use on my toddler) and I was to only use natural products that would not dry him out.  I discovered these washcloths at my local grocer (they don't sell the natural ones at Target or Walmart in my area for some odd reason) and I have used them a couple times.  I have definitely noticed a difference!  I have to admit that I have been moisturizing four times a day as well - but I am so glad that I am still able to use these convenient washcloths!  It really makes bathing a lot easier! — — Another great thing about these washcloths is that they can be used head to toe!  I love not having to use a shampoo AND body wash - I get an all-in-one with this product!  How simple! —... Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:11:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Huggies-Natural-Care-Disposable-Washcloths-review-80de1 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Yo-Gabba-Gabba-review-0d5b2 I'll be honest, we are a bunch of TV junkies in our house; however, before I begin the review we are extremely picky on what we let our toddler watch AND we have extended periods of time during the day that we don't watch TV. — When it is time to watch TV, my toddlers constant request is either "Dora" (like all other toddlers her age) or "Yo Gabba Gabba". — When I first saw the commercials on Nick Jr. introducing this new show, all I could think about was how crazy it looked. I think my husband's comment was "Someone had to be on some serious drugs to create a show like that!" I never intended on ever watching it until one day, I happened to turn it on when we were fumbling for one of our saved Dora episodes on our Tivo.  My toddler lit up with excitement and thus went our introduction to "Yo Gabba Gabba" — Don't be scare, it is kind of wild at first - but your toddler will be dancing around saying "My name is (insert their name here) - and I like to dance!" -... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:54:08 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Yo-Gabba-Gabba-review-0d5b2 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Playskool-Busy-Ball-Popper-review-be210 I was lucky enough to get this ball popper at a yard sale and it was, by far, one of the best yard sale purchases that I made. I was even luckier that it came with all the balls! — This is a great toy to introduce independent play.  My daughter was about 11 months when she started to use it and she STILL gets a kick out of it at 27 months. — I think the key when using this toy is to use it in an enclosed space like a pack and play, play yard, or something of the like.  If it's used just anywhere, the balls go flying.  This would be the only toy (besides books) we would put in the pack and play for our toddler so she could have a little independent play while I needed to do some stuff around the house.  It totally kept her busy - until someone put other toys into the back and play and she put those into the ball popper.  — Overall it's a great toy - and great for all ages.  It's so much fun when your toddler gets SO excited about... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:49:49 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Playskool-Busy-Ball-Popper-review-be210 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Priceline--25303-review-05552 As I have talked about in some of my other reviews, I am a former airline employee (six years) for a major airline.  These are just some of my opinions of customer service and some of the things that may go wrong from a former airline employee's point of view. — When it comes to Priceline, and this is honestly unbiased, this was the WORST company to deal with when it came to trying to reroute passengers after a flight cancellation. — I worked at an outstation which means that there's no connecting flights going through our airport.  We were either a destination or starting point of travel.  When you are flying out of an outstation you really want to make sure: — (1) ...You have seat assignments.  Priceline, most of the time, does not provide seat assignments and outstation flights are a lot of the time overbooked.  If you don't have a seat assignment, there's a very good change that you might not get to travel that day - no joke.  ... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:41:16 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Priceline--25303-review-05552 MaineMomof2 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Expedia-com-review-b27b1 In some of my future reviews you will find that I will talk a lot about my experiences as being a former employee for a large airline for seven years.  There is so much to learn for even all of you frequent flyers out there - so here is my opinion on expedia.com. — With some deals that these Internet companies dish out - you have to be VERY careful.  Sometimes, in the very fine print, it will say that this ticket is ONLY good on the airline that it is booked on.  What does this mean to you?  Well, if your plane takes a delay and you miss your connecting flight - you may not be able to reach your destination if there are no more flights available from the original airline you were booked on.  This means that if you are traveling on Northwest Airlines from Boston to Dallas with a connecting flight in Detroit and your Boston to Dallas flight is delayed, EVEN if there is a available and open flight from Boston to Dallas on American - you may not be able to... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:07:11 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Expedia-com-review-b27b1 MaineMomof2 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Jeep-2-in-1-Baby-Carrier-review-d3653 We bought this baby carrier at Toys R Us at a discount because it was an opened package. We have had other baby carriers (two Snugglis and a Enfantino sling) and haven't had much luck with any of them. Both of my babies went (and are going) through these phases where they don't want to be put down - I searched high and wide looking for that special carrier that maybe had a little more back support than the ones that I had tried. We really wanted to get a Baby Bjorn - but it really wasn't in our budget. — We ended up finding this baby carrier in the clearance section and only spent $8 on the usually almost $40 carrier. When we got home we of course tried it on and immediately liked the design and the overall "rugged" feel of the carrier. Not only is this rugged, it had two kinds of secure snaps on each side which make you feel a little safer with your newborn baby on the front of you. — Over all, this is a great product but has limited back support. I have yet to... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:28:16 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Jeep-2-in-1-Baby-Carrier-review-d3653 MaineMomof2 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Eat-This-Not-That--138268-review-c28f1 I heard about this book like many others on the Today Show on NBC. On the show they were showing all kinds of things that people might think are healthy, but are actually loaded in calories and fat. With each food or meal, they showed a healthy alternative and referred back to "Eat This, Not That" after reviewing all the healthy alternatives. — I have tried a bunch of diets and the only one I have had limited success with each. I have been looking for something that is more like a complete change in living than just eating lettuce or meat and cheese until I go nuts. I think that this book suggests a lot of healthy alternatives to some of the things I love and with this book I don't feel like I am starving myself or going without. — Overall, I would give this book an A+; however, I won't know how successful it will be until I find out how much weight I lose. I'll definitely respond with an update as soon as I see results, especially if this book is successful! —... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:22:52 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Eat-This-Not-That--138268-review-c28f1 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Gmail-review-d8661 I made the switch to GMail after dealing with spam upon spam from my AOL account that I had had for over ten years. Having AOL was comfortable, and I was a little worried that as I made the switch I would lose some of my contacts and people would have a hard time sending mail to my GMail account. GMail couldn't have made the switch easier. — — Not only does Gmail provide a great spam detector that weeds out the stuff you don't want to read - it detects items that you DO want to read and doesn't send them to your spam folder like a lot of other email providers (*ahem* AOL *ahem*) would do. I can't tell you how many times I didn't get an email on my AOL account because it was in the spam folder. — — If you are looking for a better, faster, more technological email - look no further. GMail is the answer. It's so easy to set up, and it even provides an online address book as well as markers to tag the mail that you need to organize so you can find it... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:41:13 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Gmail-review-d8661 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/University-of-Phoenix-Online-Campus-review-dda04 At the time when I attending the University of Phoenix back in 2003, I was a full-time student and a full-time employee at an airline. I was hoping to expand my horizons by obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice, hoping one day I might be able to work as a police officer. — — I have to admit, the price immediately made me think twice about attending at first. When I finally did decide to attend, I paid cash for my classes and my books (which was INCREDIBLY hard on my budget) and dove head first into the term of one class without the help of an advisor to guide me through what I would be doing. After they had my money, they weren't really of any help to me. — — I only ended up attending the University of Phoenix online for three terms (one class each) because I really didn't like the teaching style that it offered. Everything was learned and all classroom participation was graded through "posting" which was completely confusing to me. I had taken... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:34:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/University-of-Phoenix-Online-Campus-review-dda04 MaineMomof2 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/1-800-Flowers-com-review-1d440 Every year we use 1-800 flowers to send an arrangement to my husband's grandparents who live in North Carolina. We usually send them a centerpiece for their dining room and I have honestly never received a picture of the centerpiece that we sent - I always just assumed 1-800 flowers was doing their job, which they probably were, in providing the best possible arrangement that can compare to the one that they advertise on their website. — We recently purchased a centerpiece this Christmas on a Thursday night, finding one that had "same day delivery" (which we assumed would be delivered that Friday before Christmas) and spent a whopping $75 on the arrangement. — I ended up getting a call the next day telling us that the florist was unable to deliver that day because he had already delivered early that morning. When the delivery was finally made, my husband's grandmother happened to take a photo of her centerpiece and sent it to me - which looked NOTHING like the one I... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:22:02 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/1-800-Flowers-com-review-1d440 MaineMomof2 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Big-Love-review-ab4b3 I watched big love when HBO premiered the first episode back in 2006. I was immediately hooked and forced my husband to subscribe the the HBO service at least until the season was over. — Even if you don't agree with polygamy, you will be immediately hooked and drawn to these characters and the plot of the show. If the characters don't hook you, then the whole story of the compound, "Juniper Creek" will catch your attention and you will be horrified to catch a dramatic glimpse on how what old school polygamy is really like. — With a producer like Tom Hanks and a veteran actor like Bill Paxton - you really can't go wrong! —... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:04:03 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Big-Love-review-ab4b3 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Target-Stores-review-7ed23 I love, love, love, Target. I honestly visit about 2-3 times a week and I never leave empty handed. — — There return policy; however, needs some ironing out. I understand why they have it and why they had to take these precautions but honestly, two returns in ONE YEAR without a receipt? That's a little ridiculous. — — I recently had a baby and for all of you who have had a baby you know that you always receive things that you either (a) don't need (b) are the wrong size or (c) already have. Now, it's not like I want to return something that I KNOW isn't from Target, but if I have something that is Carter's "Just One Year" and I just want to exchange it for a different size - they should let me and I shouldn't have to use one of my "two returns per year" to exchange something. — — I do, however, enjoy shopping at Target a great deal. They have shoes in my size (which I take a size 11), they have a GREAT home decor section, their toys... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:48:24 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Target-Stores-review-7ed23 MaineMomof2 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Fisher-Price-Alphabet-Peek-A-Blocks-review-de9e0 I absolutely love these toys. I collect the blocks for my now toddler because she learned SO much from these toys! We now have a new addition to the family and I hope that he enjoys these blocks as much as my now toddler did. — — A lot of my toddler's first words came from these blocks. She would look at them and then show them to me and say "what" and I would tell her what was in each block. I think the most amazing part was when she began pulling out all the blocks and telling me what was in each one - she didn't miss a beat. She now states the letter (1/2 of the time getting it right) and then tells me what is in the block. I love it! — — I think that these blocks are great learning tools for ages 0 - 4 years. I will continue to collect these blocks and the play items that go with them! — —... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:37:08 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Fisher-Price-Alphabet-Peek-A-Blocks-review-de9e0 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Prince-Lionheart-The-Ultimate-Wipes-Warmer-with-Everfresh-System-review-9deb3 I got this item after using it when I was watching my baby cousins. I liked it mostly for the fact that it was a great storage tool for wipes and the added plus was that it kept the wipes warm which was GREAT for those cold, uncomfortable days when the LAST thing you would want touching your bum would be a cold wipe! — — I may be spoiling my infant a little, and honestly - I don't use this all the time. I probably wouldn't add it to my "absolutely need to have" list when preparing for a newborn, but it is a nice thing to have if you feel bad about using cold wipes on your little one. — — A couple things I noticed when I used this for an extended period of time was that the wipes seem to dry out more easily. The last five or six wipes are always dried up, which I would say would be a big con to the product. I think its because the pillows do not seem to hold in the moisture that they should. I also noticed that the pillows seem to brown easily - even... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:30:08 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Prince-Lionheart-The-Ultimate-Wipes-Warmer-with-Everfresh-System-review-9deb3 MaineMomof2 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/godaddy-com-review-f5030 I have used GoDaddy for the last two years and I have had nothing but a great experience with them. — I am fairly new to web design, but I like to consider myself a little more knowledgeable than the average Joe.  GoDaddy has made me feel like I know what I am talking about and they have informed me of different directions and different opportunities to make my websites the very best they can be. — I like the fact that you can call GoDaddy in the middle of the night and still speak to someone who is knowledgeable OR someone who can pass you on to someone who is knowledgeable in the area you need assistance with.  I give their tech support an A+ — The only downfalls to GoDaddy is the fact that they have a long distance number to call for their tech support.  Thank god I have a cell phone because, honestly, I would be spending a small fortune if I was calling on my home phone.  Another downfall is the fact that I get people calling me a lot to not... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 05:20:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/godaddy-com-review-f5030 MaineMomof2 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/T-Mobile-MDA-review-e972 I bought this phone back in September of 2006.  I was excited to get a PDA and I was more excited when I found out that this phone offered WiFi (that is why I went with it instead of paying for the extra service with a Blackberry).  I went on different websites and saw that, for the most part, it got good reviews.  After careful review, I slapped down the $200+ T-Mobile charged me (even though my contract was up AND I had been a loyal customer since 2004) and was eager to use my phone. — When I received it, I guess I hadn't realized how difficult it actually would be to make a phone call.  The actual screen was finicky and it was difficult to connect up to the interent - even though we have a wifi connection in our household.  It was NOTHING like I had planned.  It was very UN-user friendly and I found it difficult to even keep track of appointments and such USING the phone (it was fine when I was able to sync it up to my computer and make... Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:39:19 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/T-Mobile-MDA-review-e972 MaineMomof2 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Family-Labels-review-a2970 I'm a big fan of being different.  When I sent out my wedding invitations back in 2004 - I wanted something different, I wanted to stand out.  That's why I chose to address each invitation with a "You're Invited" label from this company - so my invitation would stand out as if to say "Don't throw this out!" — The labels were a big hit and everyone was talking about them asking me where they could get them.  I of course directed them to the website and many of my friends and family started using the lables for thank-you notes, Christmas cards, and everyday mail.  It's kind of cool when I see one of these REALLY cute labels come on a piece of mail.  Trust me, you will get a reaction :) — So, if you like to be different and want your Christmas cards or thank-you notes to stand out - get some of these labels from the website.  It's worth the money for as many as you get! —... Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:17:50 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Family-Labels-review-a2970 MaineMomof2 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/MySpace-com-review-891b0 I joined MySpace way back in 2004.  I couldn't believe how great it was, unforutnately, no one I knew had a MySpace account AND the only friend that seemed to want to know me was Tia Tequila. — After encouraging a bunch of my friends to sign up, it began to be fun.  At first, I accepted friend requests from ANYONE and EVERYONE who asked me to be their friends.  I then learned that they were just trying to sell themselves and after many more of my REAL friends started getting accounts, I deleted them - one by one. — MySpace is super easy to use and SUPER addicting.  I think it's fun for all ages OVER 18 (unless you plan on explaining to your 16 year old about the BAD stuff online and letting them watch "to catch a predator" to see what they are in for if they start talking to people they don't know).  — I know MySpace is more for the younger generations, but I am having fun with it and I am in my late 20's.  It's fun to reconnect with... Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:07:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/MySpace-com-review-891b0 MaineMomof2 4