http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/rjjorgen Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:42:57 GMT Reviews by rjjorgen http://www.viewpoints.com/Comcast-Cable-Company-review-5f091 Although slightly overpriced, Comcast, with its corner on the market in the TC area, is a reliable service with good customer service reps. We have had no problems with them, and the price isn't bad, just could be better. ... Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:42:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Comcast-Cable-Company-review-5f091 rjjorgen 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/HealthEast-St-Johns-Maplewood-MN-review-fb502 I had a good experience giving birth to my first child at St John's. The nurses were very friendly and calm. Although they all had different personalities and bedside manners, they were all polite and extremely helpful. There was a breastfeeding clinic while I was there, and the on-site lactation consultant made a visit as well. The room was comfortable, as far as hospitals go, and the food was better than I expected. The only thing we really didn't like was their general rule of not letting infants out of the hospital unless they were in a car seat - we have a car seat without a detachable carrier, so they had to make an exception for us.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:03:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/HealthEast-St-Johns-Maplewood-MN-review-fb502 rjjorgen 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Minnesota-History-Center-St-Paul-MN-review-a6243 My husband and I visited this museum before we had children. We found it interesting, but were concerned that it wouldn't be a place to bring children later. They had many very interactive exhibits, and the children that we saw really seemed to enjoy themselves. The exhibits change periodically, so this is a place that could be visited quite a few times.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:59:32 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Minnesota-History-Center-St-Paul-MN-review-a6243 rjjorgen 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Nature-Babycare-Diapers-review-f9c02 I normally use cloth diapers at home, but it's too much of a hassle when we're out. I am, however, concerned about the environmental impacts of traditional disposable diapers, both as waste and in the production process. Nature Baby was designed by a Swedish mom who wanted an eco-friendly alternative. They are becoming more widely available (I find mine at Target) and are equivalent in value and effectiveness to traditional disposable diapers. There are no cute designs - but does the baby really care? The biggest disadvantage I've found is that they can't be opened and closed easily - once opened, the fasteners don't stick as well. They work, and although no diaper is truly environmentally-friendly, these come close.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:45:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Nature-Babycare-Diapers-review-f9c02 rjjorgen 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Roseville-Skating-Center-Roseville-MN-review-53081 The Roseville Skating Center offers year-round family fun. There is an indoor arena that has year-round public skating and open hockey times, as well as hosting the local high school hockey team, the Minnesota 4on4 league, and the annual ice show. There are banquet rooms that can be rented out for business meetings, parties, showers, and weddings. Outdoors, from November to March, is the world's largest refrigerated sheet of ice - 110,000 square feet (the size of a football field surrounded by a 400m track). The Oval has hosted national and international competitions for bandy and speed skating, and is a practice site for bandy clubs, speedskating clubs, and youth hockey. There are open ice skating and hockey times throughout the week. Admission is reasonable, and even with skate rental it's no worse than a movie - and it's good, physical family fun. In the summer, the Oval becomes a skate park for BMX biking, skateboarding, and aggressive rollerblading. It also holds a basketball court,...... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:21:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Roseville-Skating-Center-Roseville-MN-review-53081 rjjorgen 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Concordia-College-at-Moorhead-review-88d63 Concordia prides itself on being a liberal arts college that provides a well-rounded education and emphasizes its international programs. Many students participate in international education, either summer, May term, semester abroad, or year exchange programs. It has a high four-year graduation rate, and excellent programs in many areas: foreign language, music, and nursing, to name a few. The size is nice. Students can really get to know professors, but it isn't so small that you meet everyone the first year. I was also able to participate all four years in both music and athletics, not something that's a possibility at many colleges! Because of the other colleges in the area (NDSU and MSU Moorhead), the tri-college community is able to offer a wide variety of programs that one college may not be able to offer alone. Being a college town also leads to many off-campus opportunities catered towards college-age students.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:11:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Concordia-College-at-Moorhead-review-88d63 rjjorgen 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Kick-Crawl-Aquarium-review-6d1d7 This activity gym has toys to grab and kich. The hanging toys are attached by strong velcro and can be pulled off by parents for tummy-time play (part of the base folds up to hold the toys). For crawlers, it can be turned into a tunnel. It is easy to assemble, and portable and lightweight, so it would be appropriate to bring for weekends at the grandparents! It has one noise-making but not a lot of gratuitous noise like some other toys do.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:03:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Kick-Crawl-Aquarium-review-6d1d7 rjjorgen 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Graco-UltraClear-Baby-Monitor-review-d1590 The UltraClear monitor is a budget-conscious way to monitor your baby. Although it may not provide visual monitoring or high-tech sensitivity, it is effective and has a great range. The dual receiver system makes it nice for houses with multiple areas. We keep one in the bathroom, and even in the shower with the fan on we can hear if she's fussing. The other one is kept downstairs (in a 4-level split we can't hear her from the top floor in the two basement levels). The range is excellent; I can hear her even while shoveling the driveway. The clip-on feature is nice while hanging up laundry - I can clip it onto the clothesline and not worry about dropping it. The receiver works well too. We have it in the doorway of the nursery, and it's able to pick her up when she's playing or napping in any of the three upstairs bedrooms. There are two channels, but we've never had problems with interference.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:51:06 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Graco-UltraClear-Baby-Monitor-review-d1590 rjjorgen 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Snugli-review-d78e2 We have three carriers: a handmade one similar to a Maya wrap, another handmade sling, and this. My huaband prefers this; he feels more balanced in it than the slings. It isn't easy to adjust, so I never use it, as he's 8 inches and 75 lbs bigger. Our baby really seems to enjoy it. She's fallen asleep in all three positions, and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable. When we go camping this spring, I'm sure we'll bring it; it's lightweight enough that it's not an extra strain, and she is securely held. However, like all carriers, it may not be as comfortable for every body shape.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:43:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Evenflo-Snugli-review-d78e2 rjjorgen 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Avent-ly-Isis-On-The-Go-Set-review-17426 Like any pump, the Isis is not appropriate for everyone - finding a pump that fits is like finding a perfect pair of jeans. However, if this is comfortable, then it's a great option! I am able to express 4-5 oz in 10-20 minutes (depending on how recent my last feeding was). It is much  more convenient than electric manuals, and I'm able to pump one-handed while doing other things like making phone calls or reading emails. The ice packs don't stay cold for very long, but I'm not as concerned about that as my part-time job has a fridge in the break room, and the bag looks very much like any lunch bag. If you are pumping a lot, you will probably want more bottles or the disposable options Avent has.... Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:33:49 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Avent-ly-Isis-On-The-Go-Set-review-17426 rjjorgen 5