Reviews by lilsquibb

lilsquibb says "Nalgene Narrow Mouth is by Far my Favorite Water Bottle" about Nalgene 16oz Narrow Mouth TRITAN Water Bottle - Filter For Good

lilsquibb — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:48:19 GMT

In partnership with Brita, Nalgene has developed a line of water bottles to express one's commitment cutting down on personal waste by using re-usable sources, such as Brita water filters and Nalgene water bottles. Not too long ago, I received two new water bottles in a houseparty.com party pack. One of the included bottles was the 16 oz. Nalgene Narrow Mouth Tritan water bottle, in the Filter-for-Good décor. The timing couldn't have been better as I need to drink as much water as possible and the Tritan Narrow Mouth makes that just a touch easier.

Although the Tritan Bottle is recommended for extreme adventure, I pretty much use it while I'm at work. (That is an extreme adventure I'm sure it's not what Nalgene had in mind.) This BPA-Free water bottle holds 16 oz. of fluid and is green with a personal commitment statement as a going-green reminder. The bottle has printed graduations which are bright and easy to read for those wanting to know how much water they have had. ...

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lilsquibb says "Softsoap Hand Soap in a Body Wash Bottle" about Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Wash Moisture-Retaining Omega 3 & 6

lilsquibb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:10:31 GMT

I'm not usually a body wash person, but when I was able to get some samples of the new Softsoap Nutri Serum Body Wash from Bzz Agent, I was more than interested in signing up. At the least if I didn't like it I could give it away to my friend who loves body washes. In my campaign package I received the two versions of the Nutri Serum (the Moisture Retaining and the Restoring w/ Vitamin E). As of yet I've only had an opportunity to try the Moisture Retaining version.

What is this Nutri Serum?

According to the product description the Softsoap Nutri Serum Body Wash is "The first body wash made with softening serum pearls to give you soft and healthy-looking skin." The Moisture Retaining version is in the pink bottle and is made with Omega 3 & 6. The body wash comes in an easy to grip bottle and the sample size came with a flip top. The pictures of the full size bottles look like it has a similar top.

The New becomes the Old

As a clear body wash, (with the floating pink pearls)...

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lilsquibb says "Cool Weather and Children = needing EZY Dose" about EZY Dose Medicine Dropper and Spoon

lilsquibb — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:04:58 GMT

Luckily my boys are both pretty healthy and we haven't had to dispense much medicine around here this cold and flu fall. I'm not a big fan on of using medications unless necessary. When fever strikes in the middle of the night though, we've come to rely on our EZY Dose Medicine Spoon and Dropper (depending on the kid).

The EZY Dose Medicine Spoon and Dropper are sold as a set but we have been fortunate to receive both from the Rite Aid Pharmacy. We have several versions of medicine droppers and spoons around the house and many medicines come with measuring cups, but it always seems I go back to EZY Dose as a preferred measure.

Measure Me Out

The set contains an infant medicine dropper and a medicine spoon for older children both made of sturdy plastic. The dropper is a 1 tsp pipette with a rubber bulb at the top. This also features "arms" at the top to help ensure that it will not fall into the bottle of medicine. The 2 tsp medicine spoon has a nice little "foot" on which...

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lilsquibb says "My Mouse in My House that I Like: Dynex Optical Laptop Mouse" about Dynex Optical Laptop Mouse - Silver

lilsquibb — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:57:43 GMT

When I bought my laptop a few months ago, I knew I would need a mouse with it. For the amount of computer work I do, the touch pad was not going to be ok with me. We picked up the Dynex Optical Laptop Mouse basically because it was inexpensive and it had a retractable cord to it.

Here Mousey Mousey Mousey
My particular Dynex Mouse with a USB connection we picked up at Best Buy for around $15. Plug it into the port and you're ready to play. The mouse has a sleek design in silver and black with the buttons as part of the entire piece, not separate buttons on the top just adding to the smoothness (it also just happens to nicely match my computer). The odd thing with the buttons though is that they are LOUD. Now I don't mean that they just click like every other mouse... they are a loud click. A scroll wheel included and it rolls all the way around, not just one tap in either direction Smaller in design to fit in laptop bags, the mouse is just right for smaller hands like mine. ...

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lilsquibb says "Shredding that Mommy Flab with 30 Day Shred and Jillian Michaels" about 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels

lilsquibb — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:56:51 GMT

Having 2 babies has seemed to leave my body not quite in the same shape it was pre-baby. Let's just say the profile still looks like I could have that baby in there. Most people I meet say "oh you don't look like you've had 2 kids." But trust me I hide it well. And hiding wasn't going to be much of an option once summer and bathing suit weather came. I knew I was going to have to do something about it and not just believe that the extra weight would just come. After reading a review from a friend about the Jillian Michaels 30 Shred video I decided to give it a try and picked it up for around $14 at Best Buy. Surely I could devote 20 minutes a day to getting rid of a little excess flab.

Strength... Cardio... Abs... Oh My!
The 30 Day Shred DVD featured Jillian Michaels who is a super tought trainer known best from the Biggest Looser. I've seen the results she gets during these shows so who am I to argue with whether the video will work or not it was more whether I would work...

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lilsquibb says "How Can a GENTLE Wash Burn Little Eyes?" about Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash

lilsquibb — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:17:46 GMT

There have been many various reports going regarding the dangers of various ingredients included in baby products. In the world of baby bottles it's a chemical by the name of Bisphenol A or BPA. With baby's body products it's Parabens which are commonly found in baby washes. In all honesty, I've not really gotten into the research or "bought into" the craze of buying everything natural but have been willing to look into more baby products that are better for babies. So when I was offered to try out the Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash I was more than willing to give it a try.

Shaklee Baby
For a little background Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash is available through a distributer or becoming a distributer/member yourself. Shaklee specializes in creating healthy, natural products for children and adults.

Gentle, Natural and Healthy
For the best description of the Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash it's best to read straight from the Shaklee Website "This extra gentle wash is naturally formulated to get your baby...

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lilsquibb says "Pleomax Stores Your Files in a Flash" about Pleomax 2 GB USB Drive PUBT2002

lilsquibb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:07:40 GMT

I was only recently introduced to the concept of using a flash drive for data storage within the past year. Where I work we introduced a new reporting software program for teachers to complete their paperwork on. This system was made to utilize a USB flash drive to store the program and the data to allow the staff portability of their work. After getting my hands on them and seeing how easy they were to use, I also began using a flash drive for various files.

So as the time came for the teachers to receive their anticipated program, our IT guy ordered a huge load of the Pleomax 2GB USB Drive for their use. I recall he bought a bundle for around $15-$20 each through tigerdirect which seemed pretty reasonable to me considering the capacity.

You have how many kids n there?

With a 2GB capacity, this Pleomax Flash drive has enough room to fit a ton of files. Each of my classroom teachers could hold not only their reporting program, but a variety of back up files and reports...

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lilsquibb says "Soleil Bella - Average Shave for Legs, Superior Bikini Shave" about BIC Soleil Bella 4-Blade Razors

lilsquibb — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:53:05 GMT

Primarily when I shave I use a cheap ol’ disposable razor and it serves its purpose. I have tried more expensive razors like the Gillette Venus as well as my husband’s Fusion shavers. Typically, I will only buy them if I can find a good deal on them though. As a member of BzzAgent, I was able to get a free package of Bic’s new Soleil Belle 4 blade razors. Free is a pretty good deal in my book.

The Bic Soleil Belle is a new 4-blade disposable shaver is touted to have four e-z rinse blades for a smooth shave. There is also a moisture strip with coconut milk. Honestly, I don’t really feel the moisture strip did a whole lot for me. The plastic handle has a very nice design in that it is more flat than curvy, which makes it great for holding while shaving. Non-slip rubber is also included on the key areas of the handles. This was probably my favorite feature of the razor. The package comes with 3 shavers – all in bright colors.

I finally remembered to...

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lilsquibb says "Suave Kids Smoothers-Smooth as Baby's...Hair" about Suave for Kids Smoothers 2-in-1 Shampoo

lilsquibb — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:13:19 GMT

Once we received out Suave "stimulus" coupon for a free bottle of Suave shampoo, I figured I would check out something new for the kids. I have two little guys with completely different hair types, so trying to find something for both of them is a challenge. My oldest has thick, coarse hair that must be washed at least every other day. The baby on the other hand has baby fine hair that easily looks flat and can get tangled especially when he decides he also wants a yogurt bath that day.

While perusing the selections available, I choose the Suave Smoothers 2-in-1 Shampoo in the orange-mango scent (so it wasn't too girlie) to see if it would work well for the both of them. Immediately upon using it I fell in love with it. Smoothers is also available in a strawberry and coconut scents. In the Suave Kids line, there is straight 2-in-1 shampoo and the Smoothers 2-in-1 shampoo. They claim the "smoothers" is for added softness. Suave Kids also adds the claim of being tear-free....

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lilsquibb says "Soft Sleep From Soft Gerber Crib Sheets" about Gerber Woven/Knit Crib Sheet

lilsquibb — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:55:39 GMT

When it came time for baby number two, I knew I would have issues with bedding with two using the same stuff if I didn't get some new sheets. Thankfully we were gifted with two packages of Gerber Woven Crib Sheets one in white and one in aqua (or green). We had several other sheets, which I had thought were Gerber brand, but I must have been wrong as these are noticeably superior to the ones we already had.

The Feel: The first thing I notice is the Gerber Crib Sheets are sooooo very soft. They consist of 100% woven cotton and are as soft a jersey T-Shirt. My little guy doesn't show a preference but I feel better knowing how soft these sheets are.

The Fit: Like all crib sheets, the Gerber Woven crib sheets are a fitted sheet, sized just right for a crib mattress. The Gerber Crib sheets though are designed with extra deep corner pockets and extra strong elastic. This really helps create a tight fit so as not to worry about having any excess bedding around baby. Since we have...

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lilsquibb says "Snuggle up with a Swirl Blanket" about George Baby Swirl Security Blanket

lilsquibb — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:01:02 GMT

Knowing that little ones will always choose a lovey, I chose in advance to provide one for my guys so it doesn't become sometime I don't want them carrying around. For instance, my step-mother talks of her oldest carrying around a disposable diaper as his lovey. With my first Little Man, the blankie of choice was his Just Born Blankie. With my Little Squirt, it was much more difficult to find a suitable security blanket as it doesn't seem that a plain square blankie is really made much anymore. We searched every store we could think of and it came down to Wal-Mart of all places having a few choices in security blankets that didn't have some weird animal head attached to it. After pondering the choices we settled on the George Baby Swirl Security Blanket in baby blue because it was just so soft and cuddly.

The George Swirl Blankie is just the right size for little hands (approximately 14” square) and has a mixture of the things babies love – both the soft furry feel and satin....

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lilsquibb says "A Squeaky Clean Bum with Method Baby Squeaky Green Diaper Cream" about Method Baby Squeaky Green Diaper Cream

lilsquibb — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:05:06 GMT

I have to thank a good friend for turning me on to Method Baby Squeaky Green Diaper Cream right at a time when we really needed it. When I heard how well Method Baby Diaper Cream works, right at the time my little Squirt had one of the worst rashes I've ever seen, I made hubby go get it right away.

Smooth as a baby's...
Immediately I put Method Baby Diaper Cream to the test as my son's rear was to the blistered and bleeding stage. One of the main concerns at this stage is applying diaper creams, since well it just plain hurts and you could damage the skin. Most diaper creams spread on thick which has the potential for pain. As soon as I dispensed a bit of this cream on my finger I knew we wouldn't have any concerns about that. The texture is so smooth it's like spreading on a lotion, yet it coats very well. The next test though would be getting it on that sore bottom. It was almost like spreading whipped topping and seemed to almost instantly comfort that raw behind.

Red... Pink......

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lilsquibb says "Amy Coe Brings Cuteness in More Ways than One" about Amy Coe Sunny Smiles Crib Mirror

lilsquibb — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:05:11 GMT

While pregnant with my second little guy, a co-worker of my husband's was getting rid of all of their baby stuff. Tucked in one of the boxes was a cute crib mirror, which conveniently stayed there for quite some time. Before the box got packed away I remembered we had the Amy Coe Sunny Smiles Crib Mirror and added it to his room. Hanging on Squirt's crib, this mirror adds just a little cuteness touch to his room.

With my first son we received the Sassy Crib Mirror, which frankly is obnoxious with it's bright colors. Our Amy Coe Sunny Smiles Crib Mirror is primarily a pale green color with some quilt like patterns on the front. As a more neutral color it is good for boys, but could also be good for a girl's room with no problem. Attaching to the crib with two, thick ribbons, the crib mirror has of course a mirror (non-breakable), encased in a soft frame. It's not the highest of quality or anything but it reflects Squirt's favorite thing... himself. Remove the Velcro flap and the...

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lilsquibb says "Capture cute prints: Winnie the Pooh Hand and Foot Print Frame" about Winnie the Pooh Hand and Foot print frame

lilsquibb — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:01:44 GMT

When my first son was born we were inundated... I mean blesses with a lot of new stuff. Included in this new stuff was tons of memory keeping items. Scrapbooks, photo albums and brag books a plenty... but the one memorabilia item we received that was cuter than cute was the Winnie the Pooh Hand and Foot Print Fame.

Classic-ness

Designed in a classic Pooh motif, the Hand and Foot frame has nice soft colors which makes it fit nicely with pretty much any décor. We didn't really have a set theme in my son's room but we used a rich color of blue and at one point were going to have the Pooh characters throughout (he is now on to Transformers and Scooby Doo). The set comes with 2 small frames – one for the foot and one for the hand, and yes they are labeled – that are attached by a ribbon and hang by a ribbon. Due to the nature of ribbons, the frames do hang a little crooked. For me it's not a big deal, but if you are picky about frames being level than you could have a problem...

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lilsquibb says "Home and Business covered with Turbo Tax" about TurboTax Home & Business Software for PC

lilsquibb — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:49:28 GMT

Tax time isn't really something we look forward to as we've basically owed at least one entity every year for the past few years. So anything that makes the process a little smoother is generally most helpful. For several years we had gone to an accountant, which is helpful since they are able to walk through every step with you and ensure you are getting all deductions you can. In the past two years I've ventured out to trying Turbo Tax, with this year being the Home and Business version, since both my husband and I own small businesses.

Turbo Your Business's Taxes

Turbo Tax is a highly popular software system that is designed to walk the user through the difficult tax process. There are a variety of versions available depending on what your needs are. The program can either be purchased as a disk or downloaded from the Turbo Tax website. If you have the most simple taxes to complete you can even complete these for free on the website as well as e-file your federal return. Turbo...

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lilsquibb says "Journey Into Music History With Girls Like Us" about Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and the Journey of a Generation

lilsquibb — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:52:28 GMT

We all know that music can shape society in a profound way. Some of the most influential lady singers have been Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carley Simon. In Girls Like Us, by Sheila Weller, the lives of these three ladies are intertwined to unravel the influences they made on generations of women.

We all travel a path....

Although I didn't really know who these ladies were prior to picking up this book, I am a big fan of reading biography type books as there is always something you can learn from someone's travels through life. Any one of these lives alone would have made a great book, but the author chooses to intertwine the three lives discussing their impacts on each other as well as their impact on music as well as culture. There are tons of trivia tidbits throughout the book not only about the girls' lives but about the lives of those around them. And, even though they are worlds apart, each has some influence on the others.

Decade by decade... life by life

Each...

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lilsquibb says "Tub O' Fun with Infantino Tub O' Toys" about Infantino Tub O' Toys Bath Gift Set

lilsquibb — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:05:51 GMT

Top on our Christmas Wish list was new bath toys. By the time Z-Man came there were very few bath toys left that were still good and that he could play with. Hi aunt was more than happy to oblige and bought the Infantino Tub O' Toys Bath Gift Set.

O' The Toys

To a baby's delight, the Infantino Tub O' Toys contains a plethora of bath squirt toys, in a handy bath set container (the container is disposable.) The 10 different animals come in three different sizes small, medium and large and are not really from any particular area or theme. Each of the animals is very cute with a characterized smiling face and bright colors. Of course each is made of squeezable plastic.

Large Animals: Polar Bear, Hippo, Elephant, Seal

Medium Animals: Octopus, Whale

Small Animals: Star fish, Fish, Frog, Dolphin

There are 2 factors to me that make up a good squirt toy.... 1) it has to be easy to use for little hands and 2) having minimal molding potential. In this set, the majority of the toys are easy to fill and squirt....

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lilsquibb says "Swinging Soul Jazz that's Live In Evanston with John Temmerman." about John Temmerman Quartet - Live in Evanston - John's Mixed Bag

lilsquibb — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:28:58 GMT

Live from Evanston, it's... our very own John Temmerman (A.K.A. Saxguy). I was more than willing to receive a free preview copy of John's third album, Live in Evanston: John's Mixed Bag, featuring all of his favorites from live performances at the Custer's Last Stand Festival of the Arts in 2007 and 2008. Although I don't know a whole lot about jazz, so I can't tell you if there was too much bass here, or too little sax there, but I do know when music has a passion to it. Also, I am a big fan of soul-filled music that gives a nice brassy attitude, which is exactly what I got out of The John Temmerman Quartet's Live in Evanston CD.

So what will you find in the Mixed Bag?

Exactly that.. a mixed bag of live performances that include a smattering of jazz songs from John's original compositions, classic jazz (Horace Silver, Eddie Harris etc...), 60's pop and gospel jazz mixed up in eleven tracks. Being a former brass player myself, I'm definitely drawn to the brassy sounds that resound...

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lilsquibb says "Cut the Crust With Smuckers Uncrustables" about Smucker's Uncrustables

lilsquibb — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:10:59 GMT

A few months ago, I signed up with BzzAgent, which gives me opportunities to receive free products in order to test them out and spread the word to others who may be interested in them. The very first campaign I was able to participate in was for Smuckers Uncrustables. I had only briefly heard of Uncrustables prior to joining this campaign, but had never had a chance to try them. Since I have little ones and I like convenience foods, I was definitely excited to try them.

Pre-Made PB&J? Hmmm…

Smuckers Uncrustables are just that… pre-made sandwiches that have been pressed together to seal and remove the crusts. We all know too well that many little ones do not like the crusts on their sandwiches so this saves mom a step during lunch prep. In our home, my little man doesn’t make any kind of a stink regarding crust, and I’ve never really given him the option. But I did notice he ate the Uncrustable more like a sandwich, unlike regular sandwiches which he likes to eat from...

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lilsquibb says "Shreve's Maple Syrup Made Me a Lover of Pure Maple" about Shreve's Pure Maple Syrup

lilsquibb — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:46:33 GMT

I've never really been a fan of pure maple syrup... I definitely would not have paid over $5 for a bottle of it. Normally I would be content with a store brand syrup for my morning frozen waffles. That is until my husband picked up a bottle of Shreves Maple Syrup while on vacation in Bear Lake, Michigan a couple of years ago.

I was skeptical of this pure maple syrup when my husband brought it home for breakfast one morning, but it was all we had so I was stuck with it. I'm not sure what they do differently that other producers.. this is just 100% maple syrup... but this stuff is amazing. Shreve's Maple Syrup has just the right amount of sweetness to it, yet not so sweet like many other maple syrups I've tasted in the past.

Packaged in a plastic bottle - round with a little handle, Shreve's Maple Syrup is available in 16 oz. or 32 oz sizes. The one thing I don't like is that the bottle is a colored plastic making is so I cannot see how much is left. Of course the syrup comes...

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