Reviews by arow97

arow97 says "Adorable" about Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Bat and Wobble Penguin

arow97 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:43 GMT

My daughter received this for her first Christmas at three months of age. Even now, at a year, it's not necessarily her favorite toy, but she does bat him around every once in awhile.

Personally, I think it's VERY cute! I love the fact that he (I call our Bat and Wobble Penguin Petey) wobbles around like a little punching bag and that he's the same size as my daughter. The three balls rolling around in his see-through tummy are quite fun, too. My daughter has reached out for the balls a couple of times and had fun trying to grab them.

The felt covering the rest of his plastic body is soft enough for a baby's touch and makes him fun to grab on to. My daughter, when she does play with Petey, likes to grab his beak or wings or feet, anything sticking out and make him wiggle.

I'm sure my daughter would have more fun with him if we actually ever turned the sound on, but as he requires "C" batteries, a size we never have on hand I have never gone through the trouble of buying any. ...

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arow97 says "Not the best shape-sorter on the market, but fun to play with" about Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks

arow97 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:49:56 GMT

I love shape sorters. I don't love this shape sorter. Granted, I don't hate the Fisher Price Baby's First Blocks as a whole. As a shape sorter, it doesn't work, but as a bucket of blocks, it is so much fun!

My daughter loves the different colored blocks. She received them for her first Christmas at only 3 months old. Not long after that I showed her how to clap two blocks together and she's been a fan ever since. At almost a year old, she still loves them! For awhile it was fun for her to just hit two blocks together, then she would specifically look for two blocks that are the same color. Now she's using the bucket to learn how to take things out and put things back in. It's so fun to watch her dump the blocks out and then find each block and put it back in the bucket (with the lid off).

As far as my shape-sorting hang-up, the problem is that the lid slides right off, great for baby girl using her own initiative to get the blocks out, not so great for learning to fit...

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arow97 says "Cute with fun animal sounds!" about Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Barn

arow97 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:37:49 GMT

The Little People Barn was a hand-me-down from some friends, so it had already seen its fair share of playing and, yet, it still plays great! The little animals are so adorable and the animal sounds are fun to hear. Each animal has a specific "home" in the barn where, if placed, the sound will activate.

Unfortunately, the toy is obviously not intelligent enough to know whether or not the particular animal being placed in the pig pen is, say, the pig or the horse. Thus, whatever is placed there will "oink." In this way it is not exactly helpful if you are looking for any actual educational benefits. If you are simply looking for something a child will enjoy then you've come to the right place.

My daughter, at only nine months, was putting animals in the places where noise-makers were and giggling away as she heard the "neigh" or the "baa."

There does happen to be an issue with our rooster. Apparently in one position he cuckoos and in another the barn will play a sound. Well,...

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arow97 says "Perfect for our budding Mozart!" about Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Baby Grand Piano

arow97 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:40:42 GMT

The Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Piano is wonderful! It was given to us as a hand-me-down when my daughter was only six months old. Even at such a young age, she loved it! She would happily sit, pounding her hands on the keys. Now, at nearly a year, it's still a hit! When I pull it out, she'll try every button, flip the pages of the "song book" on her own, experimenting with the different songs it plays, she sings along, dances, bobs her head. It's the one toy I can pull out and know it will entertain her for at least an hour.
I also enjoy sitting with her, changing the modes from music to education to free play.

I'm hoping, as she gets older, the educational aspect of it will be something that helps her. It has the option for learning numbers, colors or notes on the musical scale. Right now these don't mean much to my daughter, but it is fun for me to watch her try to match the colors (she loves to match things!).

There is only one very minor issue I have with this...

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arow97 says "Simple to use, reasonable price." about Fisher Price Lion Chair Booster - Precious Planet

arow97 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:33:17 GMT

While visiting family members for a week, I realized a need for some sort of booster seat as we had no high chair with us and sitting on the floor for feeding was not working. I chose this model of chair because I had a price limit set by a gift card and the store had limited stock. Thus, I'm not sure, had I not been on a time and budget crunch if this is the chair I would have gone with, only because I tend to lean more toward the stream-lined, fit in with home decor branch of baby gear. Not that I've had much choice with owning mostly hand-me-downs, but I was sad that the one chance I had to buy something myself left me with what was not quite what I wanted.

That being said, the chair serves its purpose perfectly well. The lion is pretty cute and is a much better alternative to the tacky color scheme of the Fisher-Price Healthy Care booster seat (although, w/out the aforementioned limitations, I would have opted for the Healthy Care Deluxe due to its dual tray system and subdued...

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arow97 says "A great way to waste time (and entertain yourself)!" about Nintendo - Mario Kart Wii

arow97 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:48:58 GMT

My husband and I love our Nintendo Wii. I am not an avid gamer, but I do enjoy a good Mario Bros. game every now and again. Mario Kart, however, is a different story. I find I have to force myself to stop playing so I can focus on things around the house that need to get done (dishes, laundry, etc.). I could easily play this all day!

I enjoy choosing my favorite characters and the bike/cart I get to drive (my fave is the Quacker for lightweight characters - not just because it's a duck, but it handles amazingly well, also - the Mach Bike for middle weight is a close second). To be honest, I used to pick vehicles based on how cool they look, but my husband is now proud of me for actually checking the stats and choosing the bike the rides better.

We also enjoy the option to race using our Miis and seeing our Mii characters featured in the opening sequences of the races - that's fun for me.

Now, just playing the races would get rather boring after awhile (given the limited number...

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arow97 says "Great Carseat, Bulky Stroller" about Graco Travel System

arow97 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:38:48 GMT

The Graco Travel System was a gift item my husband and I had registered for when we were expecting our first child. My sister owned one and I knew they were safe and reliable. Also, I loved the pattern we found - adorable for use with either a boy or a girl! However, had it not been a gift, I'm not sure we would have been able to afford the travel system, as it is rather pricey (for us, anyway!).

The infant carseat/carrier is wonderful! With the carseat base, it is easy to remove the carseat from the car - taking all of about ten seconds to get her in and out of the car (if she is already buckled in). Typically we kept the carseat in the house, buckled her in before we walked out the door then snapped her right in place before heading out. If she fell asleep in the car, we could snap the carseat out, carry her into the house and leave her in the carrier (with our supervision, of course) until she awoke on her own - sometimes a half hour later! Also, my parents have an extra...

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arow97 says "A great high chair!" about Fisher Price Healthy Care High Chair

arow97 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:14:39 GMT

I was given the Fisher Price Deluxe Healthy Care High Chair as a hand-me-down when we had our first child. I wasn't sure if I would really want to use it because we're short on dining space and it seemed like a bulky chair. However, the benefits have far out-weighed whatever bulk may have existed (I don't even notice that aspect anymore).

The chair has multiple height positions, which is a bonus. The only problem I have found is that our dining table is a bar-height table and the highest setting on the high chair does not quite reach that height. Thus, when I sit in the dining room chair to feed baby girl in her chair, I find myself hunching over. However, I recognize that we would have the same problem with any high chair on the market, unless we purchased one to clip onto the table. I think it would behoove high chair manufacturers to note these types of tables are somewhat in vogue at the moment and, thus, to build high chairs accordingly - but it's not a big enough deal...

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arow97 says "Good for teaching baby sippee cup essentials." about Nuby 10 oz No Spill Cup with soft silicone spout

arow97 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:47:09 GMT

I purchased this cup when my daugther turned six months old. In the beginning I was wondering if she would ever understand how to use the handles, so we put it away for awhile. Today, though, at seven and a half months, she is a BIG fan!

As I feed her cereal, I give her an occasional sip. She has gotten to the point where she grabs for the cup by herself, holds it by the handle and tips it into her mouth. I love that!

I do wonder, sometimes, if she gets enough liquid out of the tip, but she doesn't seem to complain. I have also wondered, as she is beginning to develop teeth, if her new pearly whites will begin to tear at the silicone.

For now, though, this cup works great. It is meant to be a transition from bottle to cup and I think it's serving that purpose quite nicely. It may be true that as she gets the hang of the cup concept I will move up to a cup without such a soft top - but I appreciate it at the moment.

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arow97 says "Entertains, but not as bouncy as others." about Bright Stars Bounce Baby Activity Center

arow97 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:40:17 GMT

This "activity center" was donated to us when we were expecting our first child. I had honestly not even considered what to look for in one of these and was, truthfully, relieved to have one less thing to worry about at the time! The Bounce Bounce Baby has been a great asset - a place to set baby so we can keep her close by and yet entertained. Our favorite is to use this in the kitchen so she can be in the room while I get dinner ready or do dishes.

She does enjoy the toys on it (especially the mirror!) and the music and light buttons. Also, she bounces a LOT and she loves using her legs. For this reason, this bouncer is perfectly adequate for us.

However, we have, at this point, had experience with other bouncers/exersaucers that I have began to covet, only for the fact that they allow her to actually bounce. In this seat she can bounce, but it's really just pushing herself up and down with her legs - which I suppose provides more exercise in the long run. In other seats...

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arow97 says "Peace of Mind: Priceless" about Bebe Sounds Angel Care Movement Sensor Baby Monitor

arow97 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:58:58 GMT

My sister had this kind of monitor for her firstborn and when I heard about these, I knew I needed one, too! I do not tend to worry an extreme amount, but the risk of SIDS does bother me. Therefore, to protect my peace of mind and keep me from jumping from bed in the middle of the night to check on my Baby Girl's breathing, I invested in one of these and am so glad I did. It gave me the security I needed.

I will admit we had to quit using the motion sensor after about three months. Around that time my daughter began to be quite a little squirmer and would often wriggle herself into the corners or sides of her crib and away from the monitor. Thus, the motion sensor would sound about five or six times a night. After about three nights of that, we turned that feature off. We did briefly attempt to make the pad slightly less sensitive to see if it might work better, but realized that was essentially useless after I was in the middle of a night feeding and realized I had forgotten......

arow97 says "Great price but requires patience and may not last." about The First Years miPump Double Deluxe Electric Breast Pump

arow97 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:14:13 GMT

I purchased this pump in a hurry after my Evenflo Dual Select bit the dust. The MiPump was like a breath of fresh air! I didn't even know what I was missing! The suction is great for the price. I have heard others say it does not compare to the Medela line, but for a third of the price, I think I'm okay with that. It definitely fits my purposes.

The parts all fit together well. As I have moved on from the Evenflo pump, my favorite part is that all the pieces snap in together, thus, no loose parts to keep track of until you purposely take it apart to clean it. The parts are easy to clean and maintain for the most part (I will adress my only issue along this line a little later). The power is nice. It always starts out on the lowest power and you may adjust it as needed. This is nice because there is no sudden shock of suction when the machine is turned on. The machine is MUCH quieter than the Evenflo, although it does not quite match the promise of being "so quiet...

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arow97 says "Not too bad for what it is - the least expensive on the market" about Evenflo Comfort Select Dual Breast Pump

arow97 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:50:14 GMT

This pump was purchased for use when I was ready to have my first child. Now, when my daughter is only 5 1/2 months old, it has died. To be fair, this could be the result of my error. In taking the pump apart, there is a button to push to release the bottle and horns from the pump itself and on more than one occasion I either forgot to push the button or didn't push it well enough, while I did not do this extremely often, the machine can apparently only take so much and a small piece which holds the parts in began to break. Although it did not break off completely, it did hinder the parts from being snapped in correctly. It was directly after noticing this broken piece that the pump as a whole began to malfunction.

As I began to use the pump the other day, the suction quit working properly. I fiddled with it many times, doing the usual "fixes" but nothing worked. After about 15 minutes, it began to work again, without explanation. Not wanting to rely on a pump which was clearly......

arow97 says "The price is right - if you have the time to fight." about Snapfish

arow97 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:49:32 GMT

I have been using snapfish's service for about two and a half years. I wasn't a frequent user, but anytime I needed a print, snapfish was my go-to service, mainly for their prices. I had never had any issues with them and thought I was getting a pretty good deal.

Recently, they have run a few promotions offering 50 prints for 50 cents. A deal that is difficult to pass up. The first time they ran this offer, I realized this was the chance to finally get some wedding pictures printed for my sister's wedding scrapbook - now that it was coming up on her five year anniversary. When I received my prints, I noticed a couple of them had strange bluish spots on them - one made my brother-in-law look like he had a black eye, another made my sister look like she'd been making out with a smurf prior to the shot of my dad walking her down the aisle - her lips were the only blue thing in the picture! This only made me laugh at the irony of the mistake.

I notified snapfish, returned my product......

arow97 says "The only way to take a temperature!" about Exergen Temporal Scanner Infrared Thermometer

arow97 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:16:30 GMT

Before I had my baby, I heard some nurse friends discussing this thermometer and thought it sounded like a good idea, so I added it to my registry. We did not receive it as a gift, but when I was in the hospital after giving birth, all the staff there used these types of thermometers. Now that my husband and I had seen them in action, we knew we needed to break down and get one, too.

I'm so glad we did! Before ours arrived in the mail, I tried to take Baby Girl's temperature once or twice with your typical digital thermometer and was afraid I wasn't holding it in the right place and she kept wiggling - it felt like it took forever to beep, indicating her temperature was done. And since I wasn't sure if it was accurate, I had to perform the process all over again just to check! It was enough to make me not want to check her temperature unless I thought she was on death's threshold!

Now, however, I can take her temperature any time I have the slightest inkling that she maybe, possibly,......

arow97 says "Inexpensive, yet effective." about Evenflo Snugli Comfort Vent Soft Carrier

arow97 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:43:06 GMT

When registering for baby, I knew I would want a carrier for various reasons, and this one was by far one of the cheapest on the market! We were able to use it at only ten days old for a relative's wedding. Hubby wore it, with baby girl at his chest, and we danced the night away. I have also used it to get things done around the house when she is awake and just wants to be held. Although, she doesn't stay awake long! Sitting so close to our chest, she drifts right off to sleep.

I find the large number of buckles to be a bit cumbersome and can make the process of putting the Snugli on a difficult one if she gets squirmy, and also a bit longer than I would like it to be.

Overall, for the price, this baby carrier is very much worth it!

UPDATE: At seven months, Hubby is pulling out the Snugli even more often! He'd much rather tote her around in the Snugli when shopping or at an outdoor event than using our umbrella stroller (which he has to stoop to push) or carrying her in his...

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arow97 says "Saving money, one diaper at a time!" about Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diapers

arow97 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:30:47 GMT

I bought my Fuzzi Bunz used and, thus, use fleece liners along the inside of the diaper (that were cut out myself) because the natural lining has pilled with use. However, I would have to say these were one of the best investments ever (especially at half price)! The snaps are durable and easy to use. I know she will continue to fit in the same size for months. I only have 16 of the small ones (and 12 large that aren't necessary yet) and I end up washing a load about every other day - not too shabby. The inserts are VERY absorbant, but I would have to warn other mothers to be sure the insert is tucked securely inside the diaper, within the elastic waistband. I've accidentally left mine peeking out the edge once or twice and it wicks the moisture right up her back, soaking her outfit - so watch out for that.
For the first couple of weeks, baby girl was too small for her fuzzi bunz, so we relied on disposables - she had diaper rash after a week or so. With fuzzi bunz, there...

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arow97 says "So easy and flexible to redeem!" about Discover - Miles by Discover

arow97 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:27:56 GMT

I initially signed up for this card for the attractive introductory 0% APR on balance transfers, because I had high interest rates on other cards. The introductory period has since ended, but the APR is still a competetive rate that I can't complain about (especially with the fact I have had two late payments in the past six months!).

Better than the rates, though, is the rewards program. You earn miles simply by making purchases, but they're not tied to any particular airline and there are no restrictions. I recently booked a flight with Southwest, and when it posted to my account, I called to redeem my miles and a simple 2-minute phone conversation was all it took to have the credit I had earned from my miles posted back to my account to cover the cost of the ticket.

Even better, if you don't feel like spending your miles on a flight (with gas and ticket prices sky-rocketing, it could take awhile to earn enough to completely cover your ticket), you can opt to trade your miles in for...

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arow97 says "Too many hoops just for TV service." about DIRECTV

arow97 — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:29:15 GMT

My husband and I just canceled our DirecTV service because we were completely dissatisfied with their service!

First of all, the only reason we signed up with DirecTV was because they offered a packaged deal with Earthlink internet and it was difficult for us to get high speed internet in our location. We were assured Earthlink was available to us. It was not until AFTER we signed up, installation was completed, and no internet was connected that we contacted DirecTV again and were told that we could not have Earthlink internet at our current address, a question we had already asked. But, because we were already signed up, we would suffer a high early-cancellation fee for disconnecting DirecTV service.

We used it for six months. I will have to admit, their reception was fairly good and I loved the features of the DVR as opposed to the Tivo (in most regards).

However, after six months, our DVR Receiver fried. The over-the-phone technical support was useless because someone on the......

arow97 says "Bunnies like to dance." about Nintendo Wii - Rayman Raving Rabbids

arow97 — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:13:44 GMT

I loved this game! I am not an avid gamer, but I am easily amused, and this game was hilarious! I loved watching the short sequences between games and noticing how the bunnies reacted to Rayman. I also loved the unique, somewhat sadistic, but hilarious nature of the games. Being a girl, I will also have to admit, I really enjoyed the ability to change Rayman's outfits.

My favorite games were definitely the "dancing" games because I loved the variety of the songs (especially Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!). I also had a great time with all the other games, as well.

We initially played this with a group, switching turns at every mini game and that definitely made it more fun and interesting because we never knew what was coming next or what game you were getting into by jumping down that rabbit hole.

In all, I would say it was a very entertaining game and fairly easy to play, once you get the hang of it.
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