Reviews by jitterbug76

jitterbug76 says "No complaints whatsoever" about Vizio - Television

jitterbug76 — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:02:31 GMT

We purchased our Vizio flat-screen TV this last Christmas and boy, what a joy it is. previously we had one of those ginormous 55" televisions that came with it's own big stand and took up half the family room. What a joy that this little thing (well, not little... still a 37" screen) is so lightweight I can lift it myself (I'm not a strong woman) AND fits easily in a cubby in our built-in. One of the best upgrade decisions we ever made!

I do wish the stand was a bit taller because we had a very difficult time finding a stand for it so that we could put the DVD player underneath it on the same shelf -- then we could have had the DVD be on the shelf just behind the tv, but the stand was so short it wouldn't allow us to get to the controls.

One thing I LOVE about Vizio is I called their customer service one time with a question about the HDMI settings and the phone rang through and was answered by a LIVE person! None of this press 1 for this, 2 for that, and then waiting and listening...

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jitterbug76 says "Best nursing cover ever" about Hooter Hider/Bebe au Lait White Eyelet Nursing Cover

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:56:34 GMT

If you're looking for a nursing cover, look no further. This one is -- by far -- the best. I don't have the white eyelet color, mine has swirls on it. It comes in like 30 different colors/patterns. So you can pick your favorite pattern for what will soon be your favorite nursing cover :).

With my first I didn't bother with a nursing cover -- I just did a blanket and rarely had any problems. When I had my second I quickly realized I was too busy chasing my first to mess with a blanket! The Hooter Hider is an AWESOME solution. It ties around the neck so i stay covered even when walking after my first born and nursing. And it's wide enough I could tuck it under an arm or in my pants if it was a bit windy.

The tie around the neck is great, long enough, and easily adjustable one-handed (critical while nursing). There's a built-in burp cloth on one corner if you forget a burp cloth. It's big enough to cover everything and big enough to use as a diaper changing pad in a...

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jitterbug76 says "It's okay... not as great as I'd hoped" about Peanut Shell Baby Carrier

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:32:04 GMT

I asked for the Peanut Shell as a gift because I thought (and had been told) I could breastfeed baby while in the Peanut Shell. Sadly, the information I received was incorrect -- you cannot breastfeed a baby in the Peanut Shell.

I also found that my little "peanut" did not like the 0-3 mo position of laying down and being tucked in. I also didn't want her to get used to being worn and sleeping on me... I wanted her to sleep in her bed. Consequently, my Peanut Shell went unused the first several months.

Once my little "peanut" was big enough to be propped upright and hold her head, she did enjoy the sitting forward/legs crossed in front of her position but I found it to be not as sturdy as when she was in my Graco front carrier (kind of like a Baby Bjorn but cheaper). Plus, I found it more difficult to get her in/out of the Peanut Shell than the Graco, and not as comfortable on my back since it goes over one shoulder whereas my Graco goes over both for more even distribution.

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jitterbug76 says "My favorite bib ever" about Baby Bjorn Bib

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:22:33 GMT

I have found the bib I absolutely LOVE. When babies are babies and just starting on baby foods I still stick with soft cloth bibs that can be easily tossed in the wash. I just get a couple dozen and don't worry about them staining. But when they get older and onto finger foods and truly messy stuff, those little cloth bibs don't stand a chance.

Hence the need for the "pelican" style bib (goes around neck, has a pouch to catch food). I had used some of the little plasticy/vinyl ones and not only did they not work, they were ALL made in china and recalled with the whole lead in everything baby scare about a year ago. Hence my search for a better bib.... and I found the Baby Bjorn Bib.

I LOVE these things. They're kind of pricy (I want to say like $18 each?) and only come in three colors (I own two -- one yellow, one green), but they are AWESOME. we bought two for my son when he was 1 1/2 and he's now almost three and they are still in PRISTINE condition despite all the food...

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jitterbug76 says "Wonderful Christian Toddler videos" about Little Leaders Series

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:00:01 GMT

As a mom wanting to teach her little ones Christian values, limit TV time, and watch what I spend, Little Leaders is an AWESOME find. There are four videos in the series (Little Joseph, Little Moses, Little Noah and Little Ruth). Each is about 30 minutes long and I found each on Amazon for about $5-$6 each.

They're lower priced and it's obvious why -- they don't have the budgets of the other educational videos (i.e. Leapfrog) or even the more popular Christian videos (i.e. Boz and VeggieTales). They use a lot of puppets, simple computer graphics and volunteer actors so don't expect amazing things. But, kids love them, the songs are -- for the most part -- catchy without being too annoying. And they present each Bible Story in an easy-to-understand, child friendly format. For example, they tell that Joseph crosses the Nile and goes to Egypt but leave out the scary thrown-in-a-well-and-sold-as-a-slave details for when they're older.

Also, each video teaches something educational. Joseph...

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jitterbug76 says "Love it!" about LeapFrog: Letter Factory

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:44:29 GMT

Picked up this video for only $9 at Target and we have really been enjoying it. My son (almost 3) has been asking to watch it twice every day and it's so pleasant that I'm not annoyed by it at all. We also have the "Your Baby Can Read" DVD series from Usborne that he started with. That series was more expensive ($80 for 4 or 5 DVDs) and more annoying for mom and dad but he loves it. I'm thinking these two DVDs together will help his reading skills develop. He recognizes all his letters and loves singing his alphabet. I understand phonics is one of the easiest ways to teach reading. I also hear there are two other Leapfrog DVDs that help teach phonics thru the videos. I imagine we'll be investing in those as well. I love that my son is already learning letters and interested in the early phases of learning. How amazing that we have inexpensive, fun, educational videos like this available to us!

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jitterbug76 says "Simply terrible" about Crayola Tadoodles Crayon Buddies

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:27:27 GMT

These are simply awful. My girlfriend gave them to me when her two-year-old just used them to mark on herself and had graduated to crayons. My kids (almost 3 and almost 1 1/2 yrs old) also use crayons but my son LOVED the new singing colorful noises on the tadoodle packaging (which I found annoying) and I thought they might be helpful for my daughter (15 mos) who likes to eat crayons instead of color with them. Boy, was I wrong! While my son (almost 3) did love them, they made a HUGE mess and were very hard to clean up. I think I'll likely let him play with them again... but outside and with minimal clothes!

And my daughter.... where do I begin. I was excited to try these because they're supposed to be specially designed for first coloring experiences. My daughter could hardly hold them and, when she did, they immediately went -- ink side first -- in her mouth! I showed her how to use them on the paper but because they splatter they still go all over her and her clothes. ...

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jitterbug76 says "Best Sunshade around -- worth the money" about Twin Canopy Upf 50 Sunshade

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:30:05 GMT

I'm usually a pretty stingy person, even when it comes to parenting. I've been able to save a fortune through using coupons on diapers and buying used clothes for my little peeps. But, this is one place where I was GLAD to pay full price: a sun shade for my jogging stroller. I walk two miles every morning and have since my first was born three years ago. With my first I did the whole clothes-line clips and blankets in the sun.... what a pain! My girlfriend told me about Protect-a-Bub and how it doesn't go flying up in the wind lke the cheaper ones. When i read it's also SPF 50 and very flexible on how you tie it onto your stroller, I was sold. My kids are sooooo much more comfortable without the sun all over them when I walk. I still sunscreen up their little legs, but the Protect-a-Bub catches the rest. I understand they come in singles too. And I need to find out if they come in triples... baby 3 on the way!

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jitterbug76 says "My favorite double stroller" about InSTEP Safari Double Jogging Stroller

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:22:35 GMT

This is, by far, my most favorite double stroller for my kids. We tried the Eddie Bauer front and back stroller and WHAT A PAIN to maneuver that thing! Granted, it folded up easier than this one, but it also was a roughter ride. This stroller is awesome -- it really is TRULY easy to walk and jog with. I use it mostly for walking (not much of a jogger). The big cushy wheels are awesome and it's great for off-roading too. MUCH easier to push than most other strollers. I love all the pockets it has and especially appreciate the cup holder/key clip on the handle as well as the extra strap/break if you get going down a hill. It has a pretty decent sunshade too but, as I live in a very sunny climate, I purchased an additional sunshade (Protect-a-Bub) for about $50 and it has made a world of difference.

A couple downsides: The front wheel doesn't turn so you have to push on the handlebar to lift the front wheel to turn (not tough, but be aware... when you're jogging you don't...

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jitterbug76 says "A great alternative to frumpy maternity clothes" about Gap "Tall" line of clothes

jitterbug76 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:49:43 GMT

I discovered that I'm not a big fan of maternity clothes. They tend to look baggy or frumpy and I prefer form-fitted clothes... espcially when I'm pregnant and want to show off the cute belly! However, I'm tall so most maternity clothes are also too short by about six months. Especially troubling since most maternity pants have that huge elastic waistband.

BUT, Gap and Old Navy have a "tall" section of clothes online and I ordered several in the next size up -- many of them are stretchy enough to fit over my growing belly and because they're so long they keep the whole belly covered AND the elastic!. Plus, a lot of the tees and tanks are form fitting so I don't feel like I'm wearing those baggy, awful maternity tops. Plus, they're not marked up on price simply because their maternity. LOVE this discovery :). If only it worked for pants too....

I also found, after my last pregnancy, that they worked GREAT after baby was born and you can't fit into regular clothes but you...

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