Reviews by illyria20

illyria20 says "Leapfrog Alphabet Pal, Great learning toy!" about LeapFrog Alphabet Pal

illyria20 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:08:55 GMT

I found the Leapfrog Alphabet Pal a great learning toy that spans many ages. It was purchased for my son when he was less than a year old. At first, it amused him by playing the songs and letters as he randomly pressed the feet of the caterpillar. As he grew older, he used it to sing his alphabet and identify his letters. Now, even though it's supposed to have been put away for my daughter to use when she gets older, I recently found it in my 4-year old son's room as he continues to play with it.

Although it has a string for pulling it behind you, I never found that my son used this function.

There was a rumor/recall that this toy could potentially pronounce curse words when using the phonics function. My husband has spent countless hours trying to make the toy perform (for his own entertainment) to no avail.

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illyria20 says "Repairs cost more than the camera!" about Sony - Cybershot H9 Digital Camera

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:27:53 GMT

I take THOUSANDS of pictures each year. This camera was a splurge for me having never owned a full-frame camera. I liked that the Sony H9 was easy to use, took regular (rechargeable) AA batteries, stored lots of pictures on the memory card, stored a reasonable amount on the camera itself (if you forgot the memory card) and took nice pictures. I never missed a moment with this camera. In fact, I would have recommended it to anyone had I not had to deal with Sony Customer service.

The flash bulb broke after having owned this camera for 3 years. Because I loved the camera so much, I contacted Sony repairs. ANY repair for this camera costs almost $200 as part of their flat-rate repair pricing. You cannot repair/replace any component for less than that. So a $20 (or less) flash bulb cost more than buying a new camera. So after having this camera for 3 years, I had to purchase a new camera or double the price of this camera to have it repaired.

After having purchased another brand of camera,...

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illyria20 says "Great toy for all ages!" about Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Home

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:07:16 GMT

What a wonderful toy! Both of my children enjoy playing with the Fisher Price Learning house. My 4 year old uses it for role play while my younger child tinkers with the buttons and gadgets. I think it's a great toy for the price. There are years of playtime in this toy and it's sure to be a favorite.

It was, however, difficult to assemble. It required 2 people to make sure that the two sides screwed together and a special screwdriver to fit in the small spaces. It took 3 tries before it was put together properly.

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illyria20 says "Good looking but impractical high chair" about Eddie Bauer Natural Wood High Chair

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:57:37 GMT

We purchased the Eddie Bauer high chair for my son and reused it for my daughter. I love that it was made of a sturdy wood which held up to the abuse of 2 children. Thousands of wipe-downs and it still looks great! It also didn't stick out like a sore thumb in our dining room.

I was disappointed to realize that it would be useless for the first 6 months. Although I didn't expect that my children would really need the high chair for those early months, it was a shame that we couldn't put them in a chair, level with the table to socialize with the rest of the family at dinnertime. We purchased generic high chairs for the grandparents houses and realized that mealtime was that much easier when the child can interact with the rest of the family.

Once we began using it, we found it easy to clean, Quite a bit heavier than plastic high chairs but twice as sturdy. I never worried about it tipping when they leaned out as I did with the generic high chair. The tray is also significantly...

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illyria20 says "Bumbo best for older babies" about Bumbo Baby Seat

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:44:06 GMT

We bought the Bumbo seat at a yard sale for my second child. We sat her in it long before she was sitting on her own. I loved that she could go wherever I went in the house. I loved that she could join us at the dinner table (sitting ON the table) and she seems to enjoy it for short periods of time. But...

There are some major problems with this seat.

1. For the "assisted sitter" (child who can't sit on their own) the bumbo seat sits the child straight up with no head/neck support. My 4 month old daughter slouched in the seat in the most uncomfortable way. Although she held her head up beautifully, the positioning of this chair wound up pitching her head forward.

2. Because of the upright positioning, it's not the most ideal chair for feeding an infant. I often had to tilt my daughters head back in order to spoon in her cereal. Else her chin was tilted toward her chest. Thus, another feeding option (high chair, bouncy seat) is required.

3. By the time my child was able to sit on her own,...

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illyria20 says "Leaky bottle with lots of versatility." about havent seen any good ones

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:29:19 GMT

This is a great bottle with lots of versatility. It attaches to the Isis Manual breast pump and storage containers, transforms into a sippy cup with handles and seems to please baby with the nipple contour. They can be used for the very small newborn till your child is big enough to use as a sippy cup. My only problem with these bottles is that they leak. Unless you perfect the art of tightening the lid just right, they leak all over. I've dumped the contents of many bottles all over myself and my children. After 2 kids and thousands of breastmilk and formula bottles, I still haven't perfected the lid tightening. Too tight, they leak. Too loose, they leak.

But, I thought they were a great bottle with lots of options. Although they're more expensive than some bottles, you can get much longer use out of them by adding the handles and sippy cup lids. Despite the leaking, I bought these again for my second child.

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illyria20 says "If no other formula works for your baby, this will." about Enfamil Nutramigen Baby Formula

illyria20 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:48:19 GMT

My son does not like to eat. He had feeding issues from the moment he was born. He first refused the breast. We tried the regular Enfamil with Lipil and he was unbelievably constipated We then tried the Soy version. He started projectile vomiting each bottle he was fed. All of the formula switching (over a period of 3 months) made him cranky and colicky. After trying everything else, we started Nutramigen. It worked perfectly! He was happy, eating well, not vomiting and having regular bowel movements. Every 3 months, we tried switching him to a less costly formula with disastrous results. If your child is having issues with all other formulas, this is the one to try! Be aware. This is probably the most expensive formula on the market and we were practically broke trying to feed our child, but it did the trick....