Reviews by Songbird0811

Songbird0811 says "Perfect start to a great series!" about One for the Money

Songbird0811 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:06:02 GMT

I picked up One For the Money at my local library because I needed something to keep me busy while I wait for Sue Grafton to write the next installment in her alphabet series.

I do tend to love series books, mainly because the characters become more and more real as you learn details about their lives and thoughts. This story did not disappoint!

Main character Stephanie Plum takes on a role that most women would be terrified to face (a bounty hunter, working for her slimeball cousin) but she does it with sarcastic humor that endears her to the reader. A romance with the man she's supposed to be after, plus her hilarious ability to accidently "trip over" her target make this a must-read!

I can't wait to read Two For the Dough!!!

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Songbird0811 says "Attention All Dieters!!!" about Orville Redenbacher - Smart Pop Kettle Corn Mini Bags

Songbird0811 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:54:28 GMT

These 100-Calorie bags are the perfect size, not just for snacking, but also because it's contents are pre-measured. As a person who is trying to eat healthy, and who happens to keep a food journal to keep the food volume under control, I think these little bags are fantastic! They come in more flavors than just Kettle Corn, and are filling enough to keep you going through your day on only 100 extra calories. Perfect!

Also, though my family doesn't mind popcorn, I'm the main consumer. I try to eat it during my usual "snack time" and that means that I don't have my kids awake with whom I can share it. Since my beagle isn't lucky enough to get any, it's really great to have a single serving size available, instead of a large bag that would just end up stale in a bowl on my kitchen counter.

The only caution I would have is the same as some of the other reviewers mentioned--you have to watch out for how long you keep this in the microwave, as it does tend to burn more easily than other...

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Songbird0811 says "Still a loyal Huggies user" about Pampers Baby Dry Diapers

Songbird0811 — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 07:37:09 GMT

For the first few months after each of our children was born, we used generic/store brand diapers. We did not have a problem with them until around 5-6 months of age, when each one would all of a sudden become allergic to them. Then, we switched to either Huggies or Pampers diapers.

As our family is ever on a budget, I admit that Pampers does usually have better coupons out there, so if you catch a decent sale, they do end up costing us less, and I have been known to stock up. I did notice, as another reviewer pointed out, that these diapers do smell a little bit strange, but that never deterred me from buying them initially.

We never had much in the way of "wet" leaks from Pampers diapers, but a lot of the time, expecially when they were still quite small, we experienced a lot of "dirty" diapers that shot straight up the back of the diaper and into their outfits. Yes, this does sometimes happen with Huggies, too, but it happened much more frequently for us with the Pampers. ...

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Songbird0811 says "If you like fruity teas, this one's for you" about Celestial Seasonings Wildbrry Zinger 20 Bags

Songbird0811 — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:21:37 GMT

I tried the Wild Berry Zinger tea when I was given the sampler pack in my Christmas stocking this year. It immediately became a favorite!

The flavor is not subtle, as fruit-flavored teas can sometimes be, and if you usually use sugar or sweetener in your tea, you might not even need it for this one. It's "zinger" quality is that it has a little bit of something that I can't describe. I guess I would have to say it almost "fizzes" when you drink it, but whatever you call it, it's not unpleasant!

The downside? This is not sold everywhere. I looked at every grocery store in my area without luck to find the package that was only Wild Berry Zinger, and finally had to call the company. I found out that the closest store to me that carried it is over a half an hour away and that they do sell it on their company website. They have many other "zinger" teas listed there that you can purchase online, as well, that I have not seen in my local grocery stores and that I will probably...

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Songbird0811 says "The BEST Chinese I've ever had!" about China Gate - Westland, MI

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:24:05 GMT

My sister introduced me to China Gate about a year ago. This restaurant has take-out food only, but it's the best Chinese I've ever had!

The food is . . .

~reasonably priced

~wonderfully delicious

~ready in minutes

and...

~their lunch-sized portion is enough for two meals

If you have to wait for your food (which you generally don't) they offer free, hot, Chinese tea inside.

The restaurant is owned by authentic Chinese cooks, and the staff is very friendly. The lady who rings up the orders and takes them over the phone speaks perfect English (which means a lot to me, since I seem to lose my hearing when I'm listening to people with accents sometimes).

I will never get Chinese from another restaurant as long as I live in this area!

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Songbird0811 says "Great Exfoliator!" about St. Ives Apricot Scrub

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:48:53 GMT

I have bought both St. Ives apricot scrub and the Target brand of apricot scrub in the past. Personally, I don't see a difference between the two.

Both are fantastic at exfoliating my skin, and both have the tendency to dry out my face a little bit. Since I have combination skin, this is both a blessing and a curse, as it helps out some parts of my face and distresses others. One thing I've done to try to counteract that is to mix it with my favorite facial cleanser when using it on my face. I get the creaminess of the cleanser plus the scrubbies in the apricot scrub, then make sure to apply enough moisturizer where I need it afterward. I don't always use it for every wash, either.

For my body, this stuff is miraculous. Both my husband and I use it each time we shower, and it will give you great, soft skin and a cleaner feeling than just soap or body wash alone. The downside to using it in the shower? Those little scrubbies don't always wash down the drain willingly. ...

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Songbird0811 says "Our Sweetheart" about Beagle - Breed of Dogs

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:37:32 GMT

We got our beagle from the Humane Society a little bit less than a year ago. Now, I realize that many of the characteristics of our Louie will be very different from other beagles, but we really did luck out. We fully prepared that visiting a dog once or twice at the shelter would not give us a full picture of how the dog would act once we got him/her home, but we went with the recue option, anyway.

Louie is a very loving, sweet dog. He loves our three small children (ages 5, 3.5, and 14 months) and has never done anything to harm them. He loves to play outside, and does like to follow his nose around our fenced-in yard. We had a microchip implanted before he left the H.S. just in case he was ever lost. We found out after we got him that he is both house-trained and crate-trained, too. Some family must have lost a good friend.

He is not a typical howling beagle. In fact, he never barks when he is at home. The only time we have ever heard him bark or howl is when we take...

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Songbird0811 says "Simple can be Best" about Apple - Shuffle MP3 Player

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:24:06 GMT

I received my IPOD Shuffle as a gift from my husband, and I do like it a lot. It holds more songs that I even really need, it's compact and lightweight, it charges while hooked up to a computer/laptop, it's easy to create playlists and download/add songs to it, it didn't cost an arm and a leg, and it seems to be pretty durable.

My only downside is that I was hoping for an IPOD with a screen. The only options are to play the songs on your playlist in order, or to play them "shuffled" or randomized. This would not bother me as much if I could remember every song I'd added to my playlist in order so I could recall a specific song that I wanted to hear.

I do use this product quite often, regardless of how I feel about the lack of a screen. :-)

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Songbird0811 says "Lots of good qualities" about Creative Memories 12x12 Album

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:15:46 GMT

I first started scrapbooking with Creative Memories about 3 years ago when a friend invited me to a party at her house. I bought what I needed to start my middle child's album, and am still working to finish it. :-) In the end, I will have one for each of my three kids.

These albums are expensive, yes, and they do take some getting used to. I did not understand for a while how to get them apart and together, but I have finally gotten the hang of it and love that I can add up to 90 pages to one album! There is enough room for me to do a page per month for each child through age 2, plus "special" pages, plus a page or three per year until they hit school!

I love that they come in plenty of colors and that they can be imprinted to make them even more of a keepsake for my children. They are fantasic quality and are completely safe for any keepsake you might have.

Yes, you have to have a Consultant through whom to buy these, but the one in my area is incredibly nice and is now...

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Songbird0811 says "My son's favorite toy" about LeapFrog Learn Around Playground

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:59:46 GMT

Okay, I can't say enough about this toy!

My son was given it as a hand-me-down when he was around 11 months old, (several months ago) and he hasn't stopped playing with it yet. This toy sings classic songs and new ones, teaches colors, textures, opposites, the alphabet, dexterity, cause and effect, shapes, you name it! It also switches from a learning mode to a musical one (which are both educational) by turning over a plastic "page" in a "book" on the side of the toy, so my son can do it by himself.

He pushes the buttons, dances along to the music, puts the balls down the tube over and over again, plays with all of the little toys on top, switches the modes repeatedly, crawls underneath and through the bottom, and it even helped him learn to stand more independently and is a great "island" to help him learn to walk.

Two features that I commend are ones that MUST come standard on any musical toy given to my children- a volume control and an off switch! There are two volume settings...

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Songbird0811 says "Perfect for my home!" about The Body Shop Home Fragrance Oil

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:40:26 GMT

I bought two of these scented oils at a home party that a friend of mine threw, Orange Clove and Cranberry. I had never used scented oils before and was a little bit nervous buying them for the first time from a home party when I hadn't even had a chance to smells them, but I'm completely satisfied.

Both of them smell wonderful, and they last a long time because you only have to use about 6-10 drops to scent an entire room! I use them with my potpourri burners by adding a little bit of water (maybe a 1/4 cup or so) to the oils, and just let the tealights under them burn out. (With a little bit of trial and error, I figured out how much water to put in to make sure that they were never burning dry.)

The scents I chose smell great individually, but I can mix them together and make a whole new scent if I want! It smells either like I'm baking something or like it's Christmas at my house a lot of the time, and I'm not sorry about it. :-)

Also, since I can't stand clutter any more...

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Songbird0811 says "A good starter digital camera" about Kodak - EasyShare cx7300

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:18:16 GMT

This camera is average in most ways. I was given it as a gift about five years ago, so it's not the newest thing on the market, for sure.

The main thing that I liked about it is that it is relatively idiot-proof, which is something that made the transition to a digital camera from a 35mm much easier for me. The delete button and the preview button are separate from any menu buttons, so I learned very quickly and easily how to manage the pictures I took.

The prints I get are decent quality, there is a zoom feature, it's able to accept memory cards, it has shown itself to be pretty durable, and it takes regular AA batteries. Also, though I'm unaware as to whether or not this feature is available on all digital cameras, it gives you the option to not view the photo you're about to take on the LCD screen for the purpose of saving battery life.

On the general downside, the screen is a little small compared to the newer versions I've seen. Granted, it never bothered me as a first-time...

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Songbird0811 says "Best value around!" about Aldi - Garden City, MI

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:07:17 GMT

I have shopped at this store since we moved to our house about a year and a half ago.

The everyday prices at ALDI are wonderful, and they even run sales every week on things I use. Many of my usual grocery list items (sour cream, yogurt, lettuce, bread, etc.) are much cheaper at ALDI's everyday prices than I would pay for them at any of my other local grocery stores. A lot of the time, their everyday prices are even cheaper than the other stores' sale prices!

I have no problems with buying and eating "generic" brand items, and my family actually prefers some of the ALDI brands to the major brand names out there.

At this store, because I shop there about once each week, I have noticed that the employees are very sweet. They always greet me, and if I need help with something, someone is always very willing to help. Since they are a smaller store, I find that I am dealing with the same person or persons more frequently, which is pleasant.

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Songbird0811 says "One of my favorite baby products to date!" about First Years Booster Seat

Songbird0811 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:59:18 GMT

This baby booster seat is amazing.

It is very easy to clean and the tray can be thrown into the dishwasher, too! The straps come off as well, and can be thrown into the washing machine.

It worked for my kids from when we were first starting them on baby food until they were old enough to sit in regular seating. Once they were older, we just clicked them into the seat and pushed them right up to the table without the tray. The arms of the booster seat fit under the dining room table, so they could be scootched in as far as they needed to be to prevent spills on their clothes.

Its adjustable straps make it easy to attach to any chair. We used a folding chair, and my sister had it strapped to one of her dining room chairs. It doesn't budge when my child gets fidgity, either. If you are traveling with it, it folds up quite flat, too.

I received mine used from my sister, and this chair is completely durable. It would easily make it through five more children. :-) If I needed...

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Songbird0811 says "I was on the edge of my seat, and she made it all seem so real!" about T is For Trespass

Songbird0811 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:47:44 GMT

In her latest installment of the alphabet series she's worked on since the 1980's, Sue Grafton takes us deeper than ever into the scary world of the criminal's mind.

I have ready all of her books so far, and this one creeped me out the most. The humiliation and helplessness endured by Kinsey Millhone's next door neighbor as a phony caregiver squeezes the life out of him, literally and figuratively gave me a tight feeling in my chest that returns every time I think about the book.

Kinsey's dry humor throughout added to the side story about daily life as a private investigator to make this my favorite read of the year to date. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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