Reviews by slatertq2

slatertq2 says "Baby Bjorn helps me function on my baby's clingy days" about Babybjorn Original Baby Carrier

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:56:18 GMT

I knew from the beginning that I was going to love baby wearing, and happily accepted every baby carrier hand me down I could get my hands on. I wound up with 5 different ones and the Baby Bjorn is the one I use the most. My baby was colicky for the first six months or so, which meant he needed to constantly be held and walked. After a while, though, I really needed to get stuff done around the house, and take care of my older child too. The Bjorn is great because it frees up my hands to get other things done, and watching those things helps entertain my little guy. Now that he's up to 17lbs, it's not quite so easy to wear him all day, but I can do it long enough to do the laundry, get dinner ready, go for a walk, etc. Last week I even discovered that I could turn it around and wear him on my back while we went hiking! A lot of people have commented on how difficult it is on your back, but it's much easier than carrying him in my arms all day!

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slatertq2 says "Bum Genius 3.0s have changed my life as a mom!" about BumGenius 3.0 One Size Cloth Diaper Diapers

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:39:12 GMT

My husband (and my friends, my family, strangers on the street, etc) thought I was crazy when I said I wanted to cloth diaper. But, he agreed to give it a shot. I did a lot of online research and picked the BG 3.0's. We asked for them as shower gifts and ended up with 17, which has turned out to be perfect. So, we didn't spend any money on them ourselves. We use them almost exclusively, only doing an occasional day of disposables when we get behind on the laundry. I find them easier to use and more leakproof than any disposables we've tried. The washing process is extremely easy. Even my husband has become such a convert he washes them. And, I love that they're one size fits all, so I can use them from birth to potty training and then save them for another child. They're cost effective, environmentally friendly, comfortable for my baby...I can't say enough good things about them! I'm so happy I made (and insisted on) this choice!

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slatertq2 says "Chefmate TR7000 makes it easy to have fresh bread every day." about Chefmate TR7000

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:26:45 GMT

I recently received the Chefmate TR7000 breadmaker as a hand me down / gift and I'm in love! I made three loaves of bread my first week. The friend who gave it to me passed it on because he didn't have the manual and couldn't figure it out, but I've found it fairly straightforward. I just did a little googling to figure out the basics and went from there. It only takes 5-10 minutes to get it ready, and a few hours later, I have nice, warm, fresh bread. I can't wait to figure out the more advanced settings, like how to make jam. And the one time I messed up (definitely my fault, not the breadmaker) and had a little bit of an overflow, it was easy to clean up. I understand that it would have cost over $100 new and I'm not sure I would have paid that because I'm on a strict budget, but now that I have it, I can't imagine living without it. Dinners at my house are going to be a lot better from now on, and homemade Christmas gifts a lot easier.

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slatertq2 says "The Metrolite stroller is convenient, functional, just right!" about Graco Metrolite Stroller

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:17:10 GMT

I'm not usually brand conscious, but I've become such a Graco mom! It's a brand I trust and so far none of their items have let me down. I love the Metrolite stroller, both with the Snugride carseat and without. When my guy was tiny, it was great to be able to snap his carseat directly into the stroller. I loved being able to go from home to car to store and back without waking him up. Now that he's a big guy, the stroller is still great. It's comfy for him, easy to use, and easy on me to push. I like how easily it pivots and how much I can store underneath it when I'm shopping. I didn't like a lot of the prints it came in, but I do like the nice neutral grey I ended up with. The only real downsides are that I find it a little bit heavy (can't believe it's considered compact) and a little bit of a pain to set up each time (lots of steps to set up and then fold up when done). So, I sometimes just grab my $20 umbrella stroller instead for quick trips.

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slatertq2 says "American Express Blue is a no hassles card..where it's accepted." about American Express - Blue

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:56:38 GMT

When I got my first credit card, I wanted something with no annual fee that also let me earn rewards. I found it in American Express Blue. I've never been charged any kind of a fee in the three years I've had the card. But, I have managed to earn several hundred dollars worth of free gift cards using my points. I use the card whenever possible, even if I have cash in my pocket, then pay off the whole bill every month. One percent of my purchases comes back to me in gift cards. I wish they had a wider selection of gift cards to choose from, but I've settled on Home Depot and Borders cards. So, my credit card pays for all my home repairs and reading! It's a great deal! The number one drawback to American Express in general, though, is that it isn't accepted everywhere. So, I have to have a backup card. When places don't accept it (usually small stores) I use my MasterCard debit instead.

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slatertq2 says "The Pump In Style makes breastfeeding on the go simple!" about Medela Pump in Style

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:43:49 GMT

When I went back to work after my maternity leave, I was nervous about my decision to continue breastfeeding. Luckily, a friend had given me her Medela Pump in Style breastpump after she decided to formula feed. Thanks to this awesome pump, my son is now 9 months old and has never tried formula.

The pump has so many great features. I love the discreet look, just like a black leather laptop case. I can take it anywhere without feeling like I'm advertizing my breastfeeding status to the world. I also like its speed and efficiency. Performance varies between women, but I find I can generally pump 8 ounces in 10 minutes. Finally, I love the flexibility of having a power cord or battery pack (which I bought separately). That way, I'm not limited to finding a place with an outlet. I've used the pump 4 days a week for about 5 months and not had any trouble with it yet. I'll certainly be saving it to use with my next child as well.

The only downsides I've encountered are...

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slatertq2 says "Smith College - a women's college you can call home!" about Smith College

slatertq2 — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:35:20 GMT

Smith College was everything I could have hoped for. Having transferred from a large and impersonal university, I loved the sense of community I got at Smith. The house system serves to make connections within and between class years. Classes and departments are small enough to allow everyone to get to know each other, and there are many extracurricular activities (sports, a capella groups, etc) that forge even more intimate relationships.

Another great, and unique, aspect of Smith is its academic honor code. Every student signs it, indicating their pledge of academic honesty, and professors and students take it seriously. Most professors won't even stay in the room during and exam, and finals are self scheduled and unproctored. In all my time there, I never knew anyone to cheat. It's amazing how treating students like adults gets them to rise to the education.

Finally, Smith's traditions and fun new activities may seem silly at first, but they're a lot of fun. Friday...

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