Reviews by determank

determank says "My daughter LOVES this car!" about Little Tikes Cozy Coupe

determank — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:34:18 GMT

We bought a used Cozy Coupe for our 18 month old daughter since she loves playing with her cousin's. She LOVES this toy! Currently it is sitting in our living room so she can play with it even though our weather has been cold and rainy. She climbs in and out, over and over. She'll shut the door, look at us and say "Bye Bye!". She also likes taking her stuffed animals, blanket, or pretty much anything she finds for 'rides'. She'll put the object in the little space right behind the seat. She has also learned to say "Beep Beep" for car by using the little horn on the steering wheel. All this fun already and she hasn't even learned how to get the car to move with her feet. I can only imagine the thrill she is going to have when she discovers she can 'drive' it! The only con for me right now with the car is that our drive way is sloped, and there is no brake or anything I can engage to keep the car from rolling down the driveway when she is trying to play in it.

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determank says "So-so product." about Jeep Jeep Wrangler All-Weather Stroller

determank — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:02:20 GMT

I bought this stroller when we were pregnant with our first child because my husband is a huge Jeep fanatic. While I love the colors (ours is black and red) and my husband likes that it is Jeep, I wish now we would have gotten something else. We have had no problems with durability...the fabric is intact and everything works like it is supposed to. However, it is awkward to use. The handles are not adjustable and seem too short. I'm only 5'8" so I can imagine most guys would have a problem with this. I also feel like I have to stride differently than normal or I step on the wheels. VERY annoying! All in all, it works in a pinch for short, quick outings. But, as much as possible, I use my bigger stroller simply for my comfort. My recommendation to parents out there is to test-drive strollers. Walk it around the store before you buy. You'll know right away if it is a good fit for you.

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determank says "Great family car!" about Chevy Equinox - 2005

determank — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:57:30 GMT

We bought our Chevy Equinox shortly before our first child was born. We needed storage room since we travel frequently to visit family. We didn't want a full sized sports utility vehicle, but knew a regular sedan wasn't going to give us the space we desired. So, we began looking at the cross-overs. We liked the Equinox for the fuel efficiency, towing power (we bought a six cylinder), and roominess. The only thing so far I have discovered that I do NOT like is the blind spots. The framing between the front windows and windshield is quite wide, and it is easy to miss other cars if you are not diligent in looking carefully. But, once you get used to this it is not a big deal. I like the shelf in the back storage area that you can adjust to give you more stacking room. I love this feature when I go to get groceries! Gives me twice the 'floor' space for bags. I also very much appreciate the heated front seats in the winter!! :)

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determank says "Don't waste your money!" about Crayola Beginnings Creativity Central

determank — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:55:18 GMT

I bought the Crayola Beginnings Creativity Central for five dollars at Michaels thinking that it may be something fun for my eighteen-month-old. I am very glad I only wasted five dollars! The "mess free finger paint" is essentially like filling a ziploc bag with finger paint and then (trying to) drawing on it. Even I can't really get an image to stay without it just filling in again with paint. And i think if any sort of pointy object were introduced to the plastic covering, you're going to have blue fingerpaint oozing all over carpet. The other side is a drawing surface that is activated by water. While neat if used correctly, by daughter doesn't understand the need for the water and has scratched up the surface while scribbling with a dry wand. On a positive note, she loves the little shape makers and has a blast taking them out and trying to put them back in the right shape hole. Summary: don't waste your money.

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determank says "So far I like it alot" about Cosco Alpha Omega Elite

determank — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:39:27 GMT

We got this carset for our daughter when she outgrew her infant seat. I liked the fact that this could potentially be the only carseat she'll ever need since it can be a booster for kids up to 100 pounds. I will say that I like it much better forward facing as opposed to when we had it rear facing due to ease of adjusting the straps. When rear facing, it was hard to pull at the right angle to tighten. But, that is not a worry when facing forward. The other thing I really like about this seat is that I can adjust the shoulder strap height without having to undo straps and rethread. One lever can be pulled to raise and lower...making it possible to do without taking it out of your car. My daughter loves her cup holder and entertains herself taking her sippy cup in and out of it! The fabric is easy to clean and is soft, too, which is nice since my daughter has sensitive skin and eczema.

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determank says "Central prepared me for life, not just a career." about Central College

determank — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:26:35 GMT

Central provided me with not only a great academic foundation, but also opportunities for personal growth. I was challenged to broaden my perspective of the world and Central had several opportunities to study abroad in various countries. I grew spiritually through InterVarsity and small group Bible studies. I was involved with an athletic team that was very successful and taught me about the importance of being a class act on and off the court. I met friends that I'll have for life. If I had to name one thing that stands out to me about Central College is the faculty and staff. I had professors that saw me as a whole person, not just a student, and invested their time into helping me with anything I needed...even if it had nothing to do with their class! Even the custodians that cleaned our dorms got to know us and greeted us by name. These are the benefits of a small college...you are a person, not a number.

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determank says "The Papasan Cradle Swing is a lifesaver!" about Fisher Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:19:33 GMT

We loved the Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing! It has so many options to accomodate whatever mood your child is in...soothing sounds and slow speed for napping and soothing and faster speeds and music for playing! The motor is extremely quiet and you can hardly tell it's on when it's running (except for the swinging child of course!) Our daughter loved to watch the bunnies and leaves spinning above her head. We referred to them as 'her friends'. The toy bar is nice but I wish there was an option to remove the toy beads so that you could put different toys on there. The seat can change reclining positions very easily and also switch swinging directions (side to side/front to back). The cover is easily washed and dried in machines. My only complaint is that is takes up quite a bit of space. Because we have a small house it seemed like it was always in the way. But, that is something minor and wouldn't matter in a bigger room.

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determank says "We LOVE the Space Saver High Chair!" about Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:52:34 GMT

The Fisher Price Space Saver high chair is great! We live in a small house and do not have a lot of room for a full sized high chair. This chair offers so many options! It has 3 height setting and it reclines for smaller babies. The tray fits in the dishwasher so that make clean up easy! The seat cover is vinyl and removable so it easily wipes clean. The straps are easy to secure to any chair and provide a sturdy chair for my child. Also, because the chair has shoulder straps and not just a lap strap, I feel comfortable having my child in the chair without a tray if I need to remove it to clean up a mess or something. It's also nice because I have family that live in another state so when we go visit we can throw this in the car with no problem...very portable! I also like the fact that it can be used as a booster seat when my daughter gets bigger. No need to go buy a separate product!

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determank says "Playskool Lullaby Gloworm - cute toy." about Playskool Lullaby Gloworm

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:29:42 GMT

The Playskool Lullaby Gloworm is a cute little toy but my one year old daughter hasn't become too excited about it. I had a Gloworm when I was little so it is kind of a fond nastalgia thing for me. (Though I like the cute little night shirt and hat they've added to today's gloworms) I like the music it plays so that's a plus, I don't have to worry about it sounding like a derranged clown. ;) I'm kind of glad my daughter hasn't gotten attached to it because I'm not sure how I would clean it. It's got electrical parts, so it's not like you can wash it. And it has one of those plastic faces that inevitably seem to get black smudges on them and just look 'dirty'.

Maybe when she gets a little older and more interested in the doll-like toys this will become a more-loved toy. I guess I will update my review if she starts to play with it more and I notice any faults or things I love about it then.

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determank says "The Discover& Play Color Blocks are a hit!" about Baby Einstein Discover& Play Color Blocks

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:55:46 GMT

My child was given these blocks as a gift. She has loved playing with them at several different stages in her development. When she was younger, she loved the green block because of it has a tag she could chew on. Now I get giggles when I pull the frog's lag to make it shake. Now that she is older she learned how to quack because of the sound the duck makes (and yes, it took us awhile to figure out that we could push on the duck and it would quack!) The colors and different textures keep baby's attention and can help them learn colors, animals, and gross motor skills. We have fun playing 'stack the blocks and knock them down'. Because they are soft, they are safe for babies. No risk of bumps and bruises by wobbling legs falling on them.

I would recommend these for other children because they are safe and appeal to a variety of the children's senses. Great for teaching colors, foods, and animals!

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determank says "The Bat and Wobble Penguin is fun for my child." about Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Bat and Wobble Penguin

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:42:23 GMT

My daughter received the Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Bat and Wobble Penguin for Christmas. At first, she was terrified of it. But, as she got used to it she started to enjoy it. But, after a few months it seems to have lost it's appeal since she can't figure out anything new to do with it except bat it around. So, it's a fun toy but only for a small amount of time.

As a parent, make sure you turn the sound off when your child isn't playing with it. Because it is motion activated, everytime you bump the thing it starts laughing and talking. And let me tell you, it's annoying in the middle of the night or if you're just trying to move it out of the way. Well, actually, I could just summarize its noises as annoying no matter when you're listening to them!

Because it is inflatable, at least it won't take up much space when we pack it away for the next child. Unless I leave it out until she can walk...I can see her entertaining herself my kicking it around.

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determank says "My baby loved her Bumbo!" about Bumbo Baby Seat

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:22:02 GMT

We started using the Bumbo seat for our daughter when she was about 4 months old. She was very alert and interested in the things going on around her and hated to be in a position where she couldn't see the whole room. With the Bumbo, she was able to sit uprite and watch anything we were doing and play with the toys we gave her. Because it is small and portable, we could take it with us when we traveled so that she could always sit up.

When we started feeding her baby cereal, we used the Bumbo instead of a high chair because she was so little. Even reclined in a high chair she slumped down. By sticking her in the Bumbo she sat up straighter and I think that helped with her digestion as well. (Especially since she had problems with reflux!) I would definitely recommend this product to parents who have babies with reflux especially. Having them upright is better than laying down for their tummies.

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determank says "The Pump-in-Style worked great!" about Medela Pump In Style Advanced Shoulder Bag

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:56:27 GMT

I bought this product because it was recommended by our hospital's lactation consultant. I am a working mom so I knew I'd be doing alot of pumping. Turns out, my baby never learned to latch on so all I did was pump! Needless to say, I had plenty of bonding time with my Pump-in-Style! I liked that I had complete control over the speed and could increase/decrease as needed instantaneously. The bag makes the process discrete and convenient...there was room for everything I needed.

There are only two downsides to this pump as far as I am concerned. The first is noise. I found it to be fairly loud. But, I think this is the case with all pumps and not unique to Medela. Just as a general rule, pump noise is annoying. And when you're a sleep-deprived mom, it is easy to begin thinking that the pump is talking to you! (hehehe!) The second thing I didn't like was the battery option. While it worked, it definitely didn't have as much power as when it was plugged in.

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determank says "Love the vent system...much less gas!" about Playtex Ventaire Advanced Wide Baby Bottle

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:47:40 GMT

I am a first-time parent and we tried several bottles for our baby. Our favorite by far is the Playtex Ventaire Advanced. We have the wide size. Our little girl had problems with reflux and gas and we could definitely see a difference when using this bottle compared to others we tried. One of the biggest annoyances with other bottles was the nipples collapsing. We were constantly having to pull the bottle out of her mouth to let air back in the bottle. This problem was solved with the Ventaire system. Air is automatically vented in through the bottle as the baby sucks. Brilliant! No more collapsed nipples.

Another nice feature is that everything comes apart for easy cleaning. The vent seal, bottom and top collar and nipple all come apart allowing you to thoroughly clean everything. We typically washed all the pieces in our dishwasher and nothing happened to them. I would highly recommend this bottle to others!

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determank says "Nipple/collars leaked." about Evenflo Purely Comfi Baby Bottle

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:32:13 GMT

I bought 2 sets of these bottles for my daycare providers (other family members that also have children). My sister-in-law finally asked me to buy different bottles because these leaked ALL THE TIME! I tried them myself and she was right. If you don't have the nipple lined up perfectly centered in the collar and then screwed on to the bottle just right, your baby ends up with milk pouring all over them. If you leave the collar either too loose or too tight, you've got a mess. Not wanting to waste the money I spent on them, I switched to Medela nipples and that helped some, but still have problems if not careful. I bought these without doing the research and going on looks (they come in bright colors) and I learned my lesson. The only nice thing I discovered about these bottles is that they work with the Medela breast pumps. Pay the extra money for a better product. You won't regret it.

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determank says "Chicco KeyFit infant carseat was the best decision we made!" about Chicco KeyFit

determank — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:17:41 GMT

This carseat is wonderful! We loved the ease of the straps. With just the center-pull adjustment straps, strapping in little babies is a breeze! Even around bulky snowsuits! The bases use the Latch system and they were SO easy to install in our car. The carseat releases from the bases with just one lever. We also have the stroller that the carseat clicks into and the combination is a dream. I've seen other carseats being used (Graco mainly) and I would never want a carseat where I had to adjust each strap individually to get correct fit. I was able to wash all parts in the washing machine and just air-dried them. Color choices are very modern. The newborn insert kept our small baby secure (she was only 5 lbs 10 oz when she came home) and comfortable. I would recommend this carseat to anyone without hesitation and have even had comments from friends that they wished they had gotten the KeyFit instead of other brands.

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