Reviews by petstafford

petstafford says "Perfect for a beginner .... " about Olympus Evolt E-500 (Double Lens Kit) Digital Camera

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:21:32 GMT

My husband bought me this for Christmas last year and I love it. Last year I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, but after sitting and reading through the manual that came with it I slowly learned what each thing did and how to go about taking good pictures.

The lenses that come with it are okay, but I'm itching for a 50mm lens for portrait work. It's a strong, sturdy camera. I've had no issues at all with dust on the lens. I love it!

Would definitely recommend to an amateur digital photographer looking to get into the world of the DSLR's...

petstafford says "Total awe ... " about Fisher-Price Elmo Knows Your Name

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:17:20 GMT

So, we bought this for our son for Christmas. He hasn't played with it yet, but the look of complete awe on my husband's face when he said our son's name has already made it worth the money!

Our 2 1/2 year old is totally Elmo obsessed and he is going to absolutely adore this! I've very impressed with what I've seen of it so far (we took it out of the box to program it and to play with it a little!), and will update after Christmas to let you know if he loves it as much as we did!...

petstafford says "Smart, sassy, exciting and fun! " about Stephanie Plum Series

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:12:52 GMT

So, after walking past this series in Target many, many times, I finally found myself buying the first novel : "One for the money"... and I never looked back!

I announced to my husband that I was taking a couple of weeks off and promptly purchased all 13 books! I still have them and re-read them often! They are fantastic! I can totally feel her men dilemma as you can feel the love for Joe... but Ranger.... oh my, oh my.... Ranger.... *swoon*

You just have to go read them! Fun, fantastic, can't put them down. When is the next one coming out?!??
...

petstafford says "We called it the miracle swing!" about Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:08:09 GMT

We had a swing for our eldest son, and he absolutely hated it so we got rid of it before our youngest was even born.

One day, when our youngest was only a couple of months old (if that!) I went to a playdate at a friends house and the baby was fussing a little and she said : "Try him in the swing", and so I put him in this swing. It was incredible! He used to fus a lot, and I knew when I sat him in the swing that he was about to enter a fussy period, but he promptly fell asleep!

I went home and told my husband all about the swing. He was apprehensive at first, because it is a lot of money, but we went and bought one. That evening when the baby started fussing again, we popped him in the swing and he went out like a light. From there on out it was named : "The miracle swing", and we used it for as long as we could!!!!!

Love it! Couldn't recommend it anymore!

Oh... the rotating mobile was noisy and basically useless, but we just never turned it on and can't say we ever missed it!...

petstafford says "Two strollers in one!" about Joovy Groove Green Black Umbrella Stroller

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:56:28 GMT

My husband announced before our second son was born that he was putting into place a stroller embargo. Argh! I love my strollers... I used to have about five of them, but after the embargo, no more strollers!

A couple of the older ones we got rid of and finally about six months ago I convinced my husband to let me buy a new stroller for our just turned two year old (I had to let him buy a new cell phone, but it was worth it!).

The Joovy Groove isn't cheap, but it's a fantastic stroller. We live in Florida, and I've always had issues with the stroller canopy not doing anywhere close to a decent job. The Joovy Groove has an extra extender on the canopy, so I rarely find myself in a position where I have to drape something across the front of the stroller to keep the sun out of his eyes. The basket isn't huge, but it's big enough and unlike the Peg Perego Pliko I used to have, I don't lose stuff out of the sides if I fill it up. It's an umbrella and the folding is simple and easy......

petstafford says "Gas guzzler, but my dream car! " about Chrysler Pacifica - 2005

petstafford — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:32:06 GMT

Brief history. When my eldest son was born we were in a rush to purchase a car and without thinking we purchased a slightly used Hyundai Sonata. Both my husband and I hated that car with a pashion. As far as reliability went, it was a perfectly sound vehicle, but it was mind-blowingly boring and had absolutely zero style, however, caught in the negative with regards to financing we were stuck with it for nearly five years.

This summer we finally broke free and reluctant to fall into the same trap as before we spent months reviewing different vehicles trying to find our perfect car. Our budget was up to $25,000. We were stuck though. We wanted a fuel economic vehicle that would seat six comfortably. *insert sound of head hitting desk*. Impossible to find in our budget. I would have loved the Ford Escape Hybrid, but not in our price range. Same for the Hybrid Toyota Highlander. I also wanted something that felt luxurious! (Not hard after five years in the Sonata!).

I was browsing......