http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/lilsquibb Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:50:10 GMT Reviews by lilsquibb http://www.viewpoints.com/Beanstalks-Play-Cafe-of-Saline-Saline-MI-review-2ed01 With all the cafe/coffee shop style places gaining so much popularity, places are cashing in on this trend.  So why not combine mom’s favorite thing... a coffee break, with kids’ favorite thing... playing.  Beanstalks Play Cafe of Saline (Michigan) has done just that by combining a cafe environment with a pay-to-play establishment.  While visiting my sister I took my kids and my niece to this fun place and enjoyed about an hour of fun. — — You have to pay-to-play? — The pay-to-play concept is basically like a McDonald’s play place that you pay a flat fee to enter and kids can play all they want.  The best part is they aren’t asking you for fast food that isn’t really good for them.  Apparently these places are becoming quite the phenomenon as there are more and more of them appearing around the country. — — Beanstalks... of Where? — Located in Saline, Michigan (just south of Ann Arbor),... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:50:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Beanstalks-Play-Cafe-of-Saline-Saline-MI-review-2ed01 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/First-UP-10-X-10-Gazebo-Tent-review-dc030 My sister in law is an aspiring photographer.  So in order to promote her business, she attends a few events during the year.  During this time she acts as a studio doing mini-sessions on the spot.  One of the best times was the Boo at the Zoo event held here in town.  Instead of setting up shop in the open air, where anything could happen (especially here in Michigan), she invested in a First-Up Gazebo Tent to shelter at least from the sun and rain.  Just a few weeks ago I attended an event with her where we used this little gem and it is perfect for the vender on the go.  First-Up is Easy-Up — Available for around $80 at Wal-Mart, The First-Up Gazebo Tent creates a 10' X 10' covered space (100 sq ft), packaged in a compact, wheeled travel bag.  This size is great since this is generally plot size most even locations give you.  It's also good for family gatherings during the summer as a place for everyone to get some shade.  The... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:19:54 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/First-UP-10-X-10-Gazebo-Tent-review-dc030 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Freebie-Finds-review-36c73 In these days of budget crunch, I love finding free stuff or great coupons and deals on products. My only problem is, as a full time working mom of 2, under the age of 2, I barely have time to them. That is until I found a fabulous website listing free items, deals and activities in one place ~ Freebie Finds. — — Blog My Way to Freebies — Utilizing the power of blog space, Viewpoints’ own Lisa Carey is the proprietor of Freebie Finds. Although Blogspot doesn’t always allow for the best layout of information, Freebie Finds manages to list the latest and greatest freebies available both online and off. The site itself has its quirks since it is within blog confines and at times offer links may not work, but a quick e-mail generally helps sort that out. All the keywords for brands and stores are available in case you want to check for a particular item or return to an item previously found. Additional items found on the website include links to... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:29:17 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Freebie-Finds-review-36c73 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Carters-Baby-Blankets-review-a5841 Seems to me one thing people absolutely love to buy for babies is blankets.  Whether bought or made you can bet a good amount of baby gifts will be blankets.  So is the case with my last little guy who just came.  A few co-workers went in on a gift basket for us and included of course... a blanket.  As soon as I pulled out the super soft, super cute Cater’s baby blanket, I was in love.  — — Measuring approximately 30” X 40” the blanket I have is identical to the one pictured, being a white fleece with the words “Sweet Baby” embroidered in soft colors.  Yes, you read that right, white... This is probably its number one downfall.  There has been several times it has gone across something dusty, or slammed in the car door and the dirt shows like crazy against the white.  I have since washed it several times in regular wash cycles with no difficulty and all of the dirt has come out.  It also holds up... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:30:13 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Carters-Baby-Blankets-review-a5841 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hanes-ComfortSoft-Boxer-Briefs-review-52393 I began buying my husband boxer briefs several years ago.  He wanted something that would come down on his legs a little to prevent chaffing, yet likes the tight feel of briefs.  Boxer Briefs fit this description perfectly.  He had worn both Hanes and Fruit of the Loom Cotton Boxer Briefs prior to my purchasing the Hanes ComfortSoft Boxer Briefs.  — — So what makes ComfortSoft different?  First off the cotton fabric is definitely softer than traditional whitey-tighty style underwear.  At first we thought they would be too warm since the ComfortSoft Boxer Briefs are a thicker material and my husband tends to run warm anyway, but he has not problem with this.  In addition to the softer feel, the waist band is covered in the soft cotton to avoid the elastic digging into sensitive skin.  This is nice since he seems to have more and more belly beginning to hang over the waist band.  — — ComfortSoft Boxer Briefs also... Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:46:03 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hanes-ComfortSoft-Boxer-Briefs-review-52393 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Clear-Glass-Nurser-Baby-Bottle-review-7dae0 During this past pregnancy with my second little man, I began reading more and more about people using glass baby bottles due to concerns with plastic ones. Knowing I would need to purchase more bottles for my son, I did a little research. One of the most recommended glass baby bottles was the Evenflo Clear Glass Nurser and it was considerably cheaper than other bottles on the market. — — Back to the Classics — Back in the day glass baby bottles was all that was available. Now, up until a few months ago, the Evenflo Glass Nursers were some of the only glass bottles available. With all of the fears surrounding polycarbonate plastics (having a chemical that supposedly can leach into baby’s milk), there are two ways to go -glass bottles or BPA-free bottles. For $7 I purchased three 4 oz glass bottles from Amazon, which is more than a third of the price I would have paid for the BPA-free bottles from other companies. The glass bottles are available in 8 oz size... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:56:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Clear-Glass-Nurser-Baby-Bottle-review-7dae0 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Edys-Dibs-review-c52b1 What the heck is a Dib? — If you have never heard of this wonderful substance you really must give them a try.   Edy’s Dibs are a half inch cube of ice cream covered in a hard chocolaty shell.  There are currently 11 different flavors available.  Most of the flavor differences occur within the ice cream such as strawberry ice cream, mint ice cream, and peanut butter ~ my personal favorite cause it has a little peanut butter nugget in the middle.  Two of the flavors have vanilla ice cream with either Nestle Crunch or Nestle drumstick pieces mixed in the coating. — — Mmmmm Dibs my favorite — The main reason I like Dibs so much is of course the taste.  But to add to that glory, Edy’s Dibs are a bite size snack I can pop in my mouth while I’m on the move with two little ones to chase after.  Just pop the top and grab 1-2 little pieces and I’m off again (ok so sometimes this happens several times in an... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:08:27 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Edys-Dibs-review-c52b1 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Equate-Lavendar-Baby-Wash-review-509c2 I love it when my little guy smells good after a bath and since he doesn't have really sensitive skin, I get to indulge myself a little. I was going to purchase Johnson's regular baby wash, but really wanted something with a fragrance. When my hubby pointed out the Equate Lavender Baby Wash for half the price of Johnson's, I put it in the cart - and Johnson‘s didn‘t have the lavender in stock at the time. — Equate is the Walmart generic brand in skin care items. This particular baby wash is very similar to the well known Johnson & Johnson Baby wash, with the main difference being in the price. In addition to cleaning, the lavender baby wash claims it will relax and calm babies. — The 15 oz bottle was on sale for 95 cents normally listed for $1.19. The wash dispenses thinly, which I wasn't used to at first, so I got too much. Immediately it smells great - not a fake lavender scent, but nice and pleasant, not overpowering. My son's hair will still smell of the... Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:24:14 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Equate-Lavendar-Baby-Wash-review-509c2 lilsquibb 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Tostitos-Scoops-review-7cd32 Tostitos Scoops are a corn tortilla chip that are fairly new on the market (a year or so). The are a round chip that has been molded to look like a mini-bowl. Imagine a really small version of a taco salad bowl you would get from a restaurant. Scoops are come in a fairly large package for around $3.00 each. They also tend to go on sale so the last package I purchased was 2 for $4. Very comparable to the price I was paying for the store brand. Scoops also taste very fresh and are comparable to any corn tortilla chip. — Scoops are the anti-double-dipper's dream. One can easily scoop up enough dip, without breaking your chip, to cover the entire chip. Also, for me, I can usually pop one right in my mouth, even though they are not advertised as bite size. Because of their shape Scoops tend to not break as often. I hate getting to the bottom of a bag of tortilla chips and finding handfuls of crumbs. Usually I get about one small handful of crumbs. — I have always liked... Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:29:24 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Tostitos-Scoops-review-7cd32 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Oscar-Mayer-Deli-Creations-review-eaf6 A friend highly suggested picking up this new product called Deli Creationsfrom Oscar Mayer - and oh am I sooo glad I did.  — Deli Creationsare hot sandwich melt kits that contain everything you need to make a warm deli style sandwich, including sub-style bun, shaved lunch-meat, Kraft cheese, a sauce, Kraft Mayo and a microwave tray.  Each of the pieces come individually wrapped for freshness (although this does create extra waste.)  — So upon this great recommendation I had purchased two of the kits at Kroger.  My husband ate one cold and loved it.  The other - Shaved Steakhouse Cheddar- I took to work for lunch.  Once I assembled the sandwich and placed it in the microwave tray.  One minute later it was hot, melty and ready to eat - And yes it was hot.  This was the one thing I did not like about the sandwich - the bun is just hot bread, so it's not like it is toasted or anything.  Once I was able to eat my sandwich, I... Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:42:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Oscar-Mayer-Deli-Creations-review-eaf6 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Childrens-Place-Sport-Sandals-review-5091 My son is like his momma - he would rather go without shoes.  But it is a necessity in most situations involving leaving the house.  With summer comes the need to wear less, yet keep little feet safe. (Plus shoes and socks with shorts - not really the best combination.)  — Since Little Man had outgrown his previous pair, my search for fitting sandals lead to The Children's Place which had several items on sale.  At the time I had purchased these for $9.99 on sale from $14.99.  Currently you can find them for $6.50 (kicking self for not waiting).  But this has still been one of my best puchases this summer. — The sandals themselves have a very sturdy construction, unlike many toddler sandals that are made more of foam than anything.   The upper portion is made from faux-nubuck with mesh accents.  The straps have Velcro closure (more on that later).  They are available in three colors - Army (olive green), Navy (dark blue) and... Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:32:51 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Childrens-Place-Sport-Sandals-review-5091 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Just-Born-Wish-Upon-a-Star-Baby-Blanket-review-84bc We received so many different blanket before our son was born.  The most used blanket we received was the Just Born Wish Upon a Star Security Blanket.  This was a gift from his 5 year old cousin who knew how much her blankie meant to her.  Oh yeah and she bought two as it is well known in her family that you always have a back-up blankie. — The Wish Upon a Star Security Blanket is not your average blankie.  Measuring at only 16 inches square its sole purpose is to be used as a lovey.  This particular blanket has a blue star theme to it and has four 6" squares resembling a quilt (although not quilted), boarded by satin trim.  The back is all satin.  Each of the four squares has a different texture including fleece, satin and cotton.  The fleece square has a moon, some stars, and the words "Wish Upon a Star", embroidered on it.  Our only concern with this particular blanket is the stain is fraying some.  But what can you... Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:15:43 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Just-Born-Wish-Upon-a-Star-Baby-Blanket-review-84bc lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Gap-Long-Sleep-Set-review-4941 Is it just me or do little kids look so darn cute in pajamas?  I tried to keep my son in footed PJ's, but alas he would no longer tolerate them at a year old.  When fall came he needed pajamas that would be light weight for hot evenings yet warm enough for the night time cool down that comes with fall in Michigan.  Oh yeah and my son has an internal furnace as well, so having something light all year has been nice.  Searching through my piles hand-me-down of clothes, and voila, I came across four sets of Baby Gap Long Sleep Sets and oh were they cute (my neighbor has GREAT taste). The Baby Gap Long Sleep Sets come in a variety of themes for boys and girls, such as "Around Town" and "Bunny Car Race".  Each set has two coordinating pajama pieces, long-sleeve top and long pants.  Pieces are made from 100% cotton (except decorations).  Decorations are either screen print or sewn-on fleece appliqué (no choking hazards noted). — The tops have... Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:26:52 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Gap-Long-Sleep-Set-review-4941 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Kroger-Ultra-Comforts-Diapers-review-4bfa As a new mom, there is always a search for "The Best Diaper."  You get diapers as gifts, advice from everyone and coupons from just about every brand.  I believe I tried just about every diaper out there - name brand and store brand.  I had found a diaper that I absolutely loved (Kozy Kids - only available online).  But when we needed to cut a few expenses, I learned that the Kroger Ultra Comforts diaper was the same thing, minus the cost and unfortunately the stretch tabs.  — For those who may not have a Kroger available, look for an all white diaper with blue/purple colored animals on the top and they are probably the same diaper (not White Cloud though.)  I have since learned that Meijer carres the same design under the name of Whisper Touch. — So why do I LOVE Kroger Ultra Comforts? — Alright of course the first thing is the price.  Ultra Comforts come in similar packages to Name brand diapers (Huggies, Pampers etc...), and of... Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:34:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Kroger-Ultra-Comforts-Diapers-review-4bfa lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Johnson-Johnson-Bedtime-Lotion-review-2987 When my son was born, the first baby lotion I used was the "complimentary" bottle of Johnson's Baby Lotion (the pink stuff) and it worked really well. Once it came time to purchase a bottle of lotion Johnson's was first on my list. I had read about the calming aroma contained in the Johnson‘s Bedtime Lotion so I figured I would try it out. Hey, anything to get baby to sleep more than a few hours at the time was fair game. — My son naturally pretty soft normal skin so I wanted something that would help keep in the skin's natural moisture and assist in baby massage. The Johnson's Bedtime Lotion is a white cream with a lavender and baby powder scent, made help calm baby through the night. I really enjoyed the light scent, especially the sweetness that would be left over on my son‘s pajamas. A note of caution: those with seasonal allergies may have difficulty with the flowery scent. — As far as the calming aspect, I would venture to say it probably didn't do much... Fri, 25 May 2007 02:27:20 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Johnson-Johnson-Bedtime-Lotion-review-2987 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Gerber-Variety-Onesies-review-cb81 We've had many differing styles of one-piece t-shirts - hand-me-downs, brand new, colors, patterns and white (white is always the largest stack).  Gerber's classic white Onsies has always been my favorite.  — The Gerber Onsie is a one-piece bodysuit style t-shirt.  The top is identical to a standard cotton t-shirt with a flap that wraps around baby's bottom and snaps.  This keeps the shirt in place so it doesn't bunch up or come un-tucked from baby's pants.  The three snaps come together easily and hold very well especially when baby bends over or the shirt starts getting snug.  Trust me, we tested these out several times when I wanted to get just one more wear out of the shirt. — Onsies are made of light 100% preshrunk cotton with quality construction.  Because they are light, I always used onsies as the extra shirts I carry in the diaper bag.  This saves room while still providing extra clothes for "just in case."  Updated... Thu, 24 May 2007 17:36:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Gerber-Variety-Onesies-review-cb81 lilsquibb 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Baby-Einstein-Baby-Newton-DVD-review-9531 When I first encountered Baby Einstein I was extremely skeptical of its value.  My beginning experience was my sister using it basically as a babysitter while she took care of other things in the house.  I watched my infant niece zone out as she watched toys dance around the screen to music.  Initial thought: "What a marketing scam.  They have produced a $2 video and sold it for $20,saying it will build your baby's brain because it has classical music."  Now that I have experienced several different videos in line my feelings have changed a little since my first meeting with Baby Einstein... Thanks to Baby Newton. — Baby Einstein — The premise of the Baby Einstein line of videos is that classical music is good for brain development.  Each video is made up of flashes of familiar objects (or some dancing across the screen) such as toys, puppets and children set to classical music.  First I would like to clarify that it is not just... Sat, 19 May 2007 03:12:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Baby-Einstein-Baby-Newton-DVD-review-9531 lilsquibb 3