Reviews by kartogis

kartogis says "buy at Sears Outlet, get over 50% off retail f dinged, scratched" about Frigidaire jd-21

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:33:54 GMT

that says it all, if you dont care that your fridge or other appliances have dings and scratches, save your money for a mini-vacation and buy from an outlet store. often brand new appliances can be bought at over 1/2 retail prices because someone didnt like the scratches delivery men made....

kartogis says "better than Allstate, saved us $ in auto and house and life" about American Family Insurance

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:27:04 GMT

like the quote says, they're better than the astronomical rates Allstate charged us for over 3 yrs. so when we were buying a house, and these guys' quote was best of 5 top insurance companies, we made a great choice and are very happy with it....

kartogis says "good for travelers, otherwise, high APR, and we are $20K in debt" about Citi - AAdvantage Gold Mastercard

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:24:53 GMT

here's how we got in trouble with this one, while both making over $80 a year/ at the time. we traveled a lot between San Fran and Chicago, and it made sense to get a card that earned us mileage. well, we stopped traveling eventually, and though we got 2 free stand-by flights out of all our miles, we quickly got into debt way over our head. spending limit kept going up, and when it stopped at $20K, so did we. its taken us over 4 yrs to pay it off, but we learned a good lesson!...

kartogis says "it keeps on going and going and going and...." about Motorola - Q Cell Phone

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:19:59 GMT

after being dropped in the toilet by my 16month old and laying out in hot car on many occasions this Smartphone really lives up to its name. it holds all my appts, has an sdMemory card for all my photos and videos, and has proven to be quite durable. i'm glad i have it...

kartogis says "I'm gonna drive it til the wheels fall off!" about Honda Civic EX - 2002

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:16:40 GMT

that's what another driver of this car said to me the other day and i have to agree. its a great little zoomer and after 7 yrs with proper maintenance, still maintains the factory quoted mileage/gallon. comfortable enough ride that we've taken it once from Chicago to Pittsburgh, over 20 times b/w Chicago and St. Louis, and twice to Atlanta from St. Louis. though i didnt like it at first, i must say i've grown to love it....

kartogis says "good for certain fields, otherwise OK school for B.A." about Northeastern Illinois University

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:12:43 GMT

it was a good commuter school for my needs at the time. now i'm just glad i finished and have my B.A. higher education is sourly overrated and this school is a prime example of it. its almost not good enough to be a full University, but in some fields, it offers an excellent curriculum. also, the board of directors needs some new faces, and so do most of the department heads. however, over all, its a good school with an Average mark, as there are many others that would make the money you spend on a Bachelor's more worth your time....

kartogis says "sad service, dirty washrooms and too smoky to enjoy the food" about Uncle Bill's Pancake And Dinner House - Saint Louis, MO

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:02:59 GMT

used to go to the original one on Kingshighway all the time. but the smoke always bothered me. last time we went with our little 1.5yr old baby, i was completely grossed out. not only did we get sitted next to the bathroom, litterally less than 5 ft from the door handle, but the smell was awful, the stalesmell of cigarettes and cigars hung low, and when i went in to use the bathroom with my daughter, i saw an obviously used catheter bag with hair and a needle still attached in the open wastebasket under the sink (and wastebasket didnt have a bag in it). the handicap toilet that we were using was dirty and sticky and smelled bad, and to think that we were sitted right there next to it. we left as soon as we came out of the bathroom. we will never, NEVER go back.

it maybe ok to sit there and smoke and have food with your ashes, but its gotten worse and worse, ever since they became a 24hr place....

kartogis says "there's better sushi in St. Louis" about Drunken Fish - St. Louis, MO

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:53:44 GMT

Drunken Fish is an overpriced place for sushi and to tell you the truth, there are way better places out here in the "Saint Louie Midwest" that are way better and way easier on your wallet.
a better place, considerably is Yoshi's, in Chesterfield, on Clarkson, next to the Sound Room and Crazy Bowls.

see site for more info on sushi in St. Louis
www.koshersushiclub.com/stl.htm
...

kartogis says "this is my FAVORITE Pizza Place in CHI-town" about Lou Malnati's - Chicago, IL

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:45:14 GMT

Lou Malnati's has delicious food, huge heaps of it, too, and is very easy on the wallet! this is my absolute FAVORITE place in Chicago for pizza and occasional pasta dishes. no one can compare, for the pizza value and taste!

great for families! great for crowds! great for family crowds! some of their locations have extra rooms for parties! all of them deliver! and the pizza can even be shipped to anywhere in US! that's a great deal!

cant wait for our next trip back! its a bit of a drive for us (like 250 miles)
...

kartogis says "Sit down pasta restaurant with linens and good ambiance" about Macaroni Grill - Saint Louis, MO

kartogis — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:39:17 GMT

Macaroni Grill in ST Louis is a really nice sit down place with white linens and great atmosphere. prices are reasonable compared to other places with similar amenities, and staff is very attentive. i like the one in Creve Coeur best, its in the burbs and has that ambiance of richness without being over the top. soft lights and dark wood paneling make this a great dinner date before the movie starts at the AMC theater across the parking lot...

kartogis says "The best Washing machine below a front loader!" about Fisher Paykel Washer - Top Load Intuitive Eco - IWL16

kartogis — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:31:12 GMT

After much research we decided to get a front loader. Figured we'd bite the bullet, but when we walked into the Sears Outlet store and saw this Fisher & Paykel i fell in love just with the look, not to mention the price and the features.

This washing machine is about as close to a front loader as you can get without the price tag nor the special detergent. I love the features, the delicate cycle is truly delicate and the heavy duty really puts some "elbow grease" into the cycle.

One of my favorite features is the Time Save option on the wash. This way, the wash is done in less time, but with same excellent results as a normal cycle. The size of the machine allows me to wash blankets, about 3 sets of sheets or a comforter quite easily at home. This last task has been nearly impossible to do when we had a regular top loader.

The spin cycle is truly worth the price alone. it spins much of the water out and that way the clothes spend way less time in the dryer than they would otherwise. we......

kartogis says "great substitution for the big bulky highchair" about The First Years Newborn to Toddler Booster Seat

kartogis — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:55:06 GMT

I received this as a gift and it was great to use in the reclining position for my infant and as an upright seat as my baby grew into a toddler. We have always loved having our daughter at the table with us and believe that why she likes being at the table for family meals now. The chair is comfortable, easy to clean and very safe.

only thing is my daughter now, 16months, now knows how to get one side of table undone, so its a bit unnerving....

kartogis says "Long lasting and Durable" about Munchkin Baby Bottle Brush

kartogis — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:11:57 GMT

this was the first brush i bought to wash baby's bottles, a full 15 months ago. we wash dishes by hand so this Munchkin Baby Bottle Brush gets used a lot. it has lasted as through a full mobe and then we lost it. now as i try all other different styles, i really dont like them, i want my Munchkin back....

kartogis says "Very Versatile, I love it!" about The First Years Newborn to Toddler Booster Seat

kartogis — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:06:34 GMT

we got this seat for our baby cuz we wanted to save $ and space. this First Years Booster Seat has been the best purchases to date, of many gobs of baby goodies we've got.

I love the idea of a chair being attached to an adult chair, as it teaches the baby about the real restaurant-type booster seats. its also easier to transport, if the baby suddenly becomes attached to the seat and is much more worry free to have around. i dont have to worry that it may fall down on the baby or that the breaks are on or that its too nice to get messy.

i i like the 3 recline options, though sometimes these are harder to move, as you got have clean and dry hands in order to squeeze the buttons. in this case you have what you pay for, plastic is plastic, joints are quite stiff.

i love the reversible cover that it comes with, as i've been known to flip it over just as the in-laws came into the house for the weekend. :)

i like the piece in the middle, it keeps wiggly baby inside the seat at all times, even on......

kartogis says "good for short adults" about Jeep Wrangler All-Weather Umbrella Stroller by Kolcraft

kartogis — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:46:16 GMT

after my baby got done riding around the used Graco we got second hand, we were looking for something lighter and easier to maneuver. that's when i ran across the Jeep All Terrain Stroller by Kolcraft. this stroller has everything in features and value. it is super light and easy to fold and carry and pick up. folds with one hand and can be picked up while holding baby.

best of all, its an all terrain stroller that can handle our urban broken sidewalks and the mall and gravel paths at the Botanical Garden all with ease of an SUV. no wonder, as it is from Jeep! suspenshion and shocks on each wheel leg, though funny at first, really do the trick!

my only con about this, and this is the reason we had to return the stroller and get another, is that the handle bars didnt adjust for me, a mother who's 5'10", nor was is tall enough for my husband who is 5'9"
now my babysitter who's 5'8" swore by its utter ease of maneuvarability and ease on her shoulders, unlike other strollers that often sit up......