Reviews by typeamom

typeamom says "What an amazing lather and cleaning from a shampoo bar!" about Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo Bar

typeamom — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:01:39 GMT

I was a bit skeptical when I bought the Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo Bar. I bought it to have on hand just as a backup shampoo, or for use on a trip. Then I actually used it and I became a true believer! This shampoo bar easily has more soft, sudsy, cleaning lather than most bottled liquid baby shampoos.

It was so easy to lather up the bar, scrub baby down and rinse. The soap was scented, but very lightly.

During the bath, there were no complaints from the twins when soap drizzled in their eyes, so the no-tear ingredients are definitely working like they should.

Afterwards, each twin's hair was soft and smelled nice. It definitely seemed to have some strong moisturizing ingredients.

A look at the label shows it does have some great, natural ingredients. I am always examining labels to see how many unpronouncable and scary-sounding chemicals are in food and bath products.

The Baby Bee Shampoo Bar contains ingredients like buttermilk powder, oat protein, sweet
almond oil and rosebud powder.......

typeamom says "I was surprised that I like driving this minivan! Who knew?" about Dodge Caravan - 2005

typeamom — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:47:58 GMT

When an ultrasound revealed I was having twins a couple years ago, one of the first things that popped into my head was, "Oh, no! I'll have to get a minivan!" With three kids, two in car seats and one in a booster seat, I didn't really see any other feasible option.

I'd always vowed I would never be a minivan mom, but the only other semi-affordable options were oversized SUVs in which it's hard or impossible to get a kid into the last row of seating.

When shopping for a minivan, I wasn't particularly excited about any model. After all, they're all minivans. How hot does it get? So I searched for a model that was more affordable so I could get a newish used minivan. The Dodge Caravan kept popping up as high in customer satisfaction.

So the first time I test-drove one, I was a bit surprised. It was actually very comfortable, and even a little fun to drive. I won't win any street drag races, but I don't really need to. I found one with the optional built-in DVD player, and that is a must-have.......

typeamom says "This clean, friendly city has a surprise around each corner!" about Toronto

typeamom — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:07:54 GMT

I have visited Toronto several times, and there's one thing that I find amazing about it. Each visit, I stumble on yet another cool neighborhood I've never seen before. There are beaches and islands, busy chain-store lined avenues and quaint neighborhoods with cheese shops and cafes. You can even see the underground city.

I've visited Toronto as a couple, and as a mom. I've met up with another couple with a kid for a family getaway. I've even done Toronto with a baby during the blackout. I've never had a bad Toronto experience.

Toronto has all the diversity and vibrancy of a big city, but very little of the trade-off you must endure in other large cities such as crime and general grunginess. This is a clean, friendly, fun and fascinating destination.

This is also a city that has a little something for everyone. I'm partial to the St. Lawrence produce market, but my husband insists on visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame each and every time we go there.

You will probably not get a chance to visit......

typeamom says "Foodie moms will love taking their kids!" about Ratatouille

typeamom — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:39:23 GMT

Before I even went to this movie, I made up my mind. My daughter was going to like this movie. It was about food, it was about Paris, the Eiffel Tower is right there in the previews, and a fab French dish name is the title.

What surprised me was how much I loved this movie. I expected it to be more tolerable than your typical animated children's movie fare. But I would go see this movie again - alone! Even though it's animated, they really did the city of Paris justice. When they showed Remy, the chef/rat, running around along the banks of the Seine, I felt like I was transformed back there.

The story itself is just fun. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy the story of a protagonist with a seemingly-impossible dream who ends up in Paris and pursues it. There are also some wonderful messages about not judging people (or rats) by their appearance.

What I really loved, though, was all the references that are most enjoyable for a foodie mom (or dad). They show the inside of a fine Paris restaurant's......

typeamom says "This is my favorite hotel ever, and I've traveled a lot!" about Hotel Windsor - Nice, France

typeamom — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:10:56 GMT

I have stayed in every almost kind of accommodation you can think of: everything from rugged camping to intimate bed-and-breakfasts to roadside motels to four-star European castles. I have stayed in some of the world's finest hotels. Still, there is one modest, locally-owned boutique hotel in Nice that I remember with the most fondness. It's the Hotel Windsor Nice.

This isn't the fanciest hotel. It isn't even close to the most expensive. There are hotels with bigger rooms in Nice, and there are hotels with more services. But this hotel, relatively undiscovered by the masses, should be teaching every other hotel how it's done.

For one thing, I believe it's a calculation of all the special little things that truly make a hotel. There also has to be some uniqueness. This hotel has several rooms that were painted with murals by local artists. We stayed in the Happy New Year room, which was so bright and cheerful you just can't be in a bad mood.

Our first stay there was during our honeymoon,......

typeamom says "Fisher-Price, get over yourself!" about Fisher-Price Kid Tough FP3 Player

typeamom — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:31:33 GMT

When the Fisher-Price FP3 player came out, I was delighted. My daughter loves music, but I don't want a 4-year-old playing with my $400 iPod. She has CDs, but I almost went nutso listening to Miss Spider's Sunnypatch Friends music on a road trip. A kid-friendly digital music player sounded perfect.

I even did some comparison shopping first. The competition wasn't good, especially for music players a preschooler wouldn't kill. So I happily settled on this FP3 player. I thought it would be cool to download iTunes music for her.

First thing I didn't like was learning you can't download iTunes or any other music to this music player. You have to either copy a CD (what mom has that kind of time?) or buy music directly from Fisher-Price (with a much smaller selection). It just irks me that I hand them money and they want me to continue to give them money.

So being what I can only describe as the queen of complaint letters, I went on the Fisher-Price site to e-mail them a nasty note about this. Guess......

typeamom says "All the comforts of home, and a decent free breakfast!" about Hampton Inn - Valparaiso, IN

typeamom — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:14:25 GMT

I have stayed at the Valparaiso Hampton Inn & Suites twice when I previously moved to Valparaiso. Once, I stayed during my job interview. Then, we stayed there again between leaving our short-term apartment and waiting for the final closing on our house there. Both times, we had wonderful experiences staying at this hotel.

Particularly on the occasion when we were between apartment and house, we were in need of the comforts of home on a budget. The Hampton Inn really just makes it so easy to stay there. There is coin laundry on site, free breakfast that doesn't just consist of donuts and coffee, kitchenette in room (microwave, coffee maker, sink and small refrigerator).

You could make coffee in your room, or get a cup of decent (not typical crappy chain hotel lobby coffee) anytime 24 hours a day downstairs in the lobby. You get a free USA Today in the mornings to read. They often times put out cookies at the front desk in the evening, and they even provide brown-bag on-the-go breakfasts...

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typeamom says "All the little extras and special touches make this hotel great!" about Victoria Palace Hotel - Paris, France

typeamom — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 02:54:17 GMT

The Victoria Palace could easily be unremarkable, just another four-star hotel in a city jam-packed with upscale accommodations. There are so many reasons why it's more than that. First off and mostly, it's just the little things. It seems that in every way possible, this hotel has found unique ways to make its guests feel special.

You don't just get turndown service, but you also get a card with the next day's weather left in your room and in your own language. They don't just have business services, but you can get a fax machine in your room.

The staff doesn't simply answer your questions, but they go above and beyond to help guests. Instead of simply telling us to take the bus when we wanted to go to another neighborhood, the front desk staff pulled out information on the bus routes and schedule. We knew precisely where to go, which bus number to watch for, and when to expect it.

Many hotels offer room service, but at the Victoria Palace you can actually have an incredible meal without...

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typeamom says "Don't just visit the top attraction, sleep there too!" about Chateau Frontenac - Quebec City, Quebec

typeamom — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 02:21:08 GMT

The Chateau Frontenac isn't just an upscale chateau hotel, but it's also the key landmark in this beautiful Canadian city. If you look at any brochure on Quebec City, or even travel guidebook covers for the city and region, that stunning castle you see in those pictures is this hotel.

With that, you will be nature staying right in the heart of the city. Besides obviously being pretty close to the top city attraction, the Chateau Frontenac is centrally located mere steps from much of the city's best offerings. Just outside of the hotel lobby, you can see the Saint Lawrence River, or visit Quebec's charming lower city filled with cute boutiques, art galleries and sidewalk cafes.

I have stayed at many upscale hotels, including various castle hotels, and there is one thing that truly makes the Chateau Frontenac stand out beyond all the obvious reasons to stay there. The staff is exceedingly helpful and friendly.

At one stay at the hotel, we arrived at this posh hotel after two long days of heavy...

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typeamom says "Everyone who sees it calls it the Cadillac of strollers!" about Graco DuoGlider Double Stroller

typeamom — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:18:33 GMT

I have to make a confession about my stroller. I have had the Graco Duoglider for over a year, and I have opened it and/or closed it on my own, unassisted maybe twice. Both times, my children and innocent passers-by were exposed to a string of expletives and I could actually feel my blood boil.

That could just be me. I have about three seconds of patience for all complicated and cumbersome baby gear. I also hate assembling things. It just isn't my thing. If you are like me, you can get this stroller. Just be sure someone else is always around to open and close it, or that you spend a lot of time (eww!) practicing doing it.

I would tell you the secrets to operating this stroller, but I don't know them. Ask my husband.

This stroller is also extremely large, bulky and heavy. You really can only transport it if you have a large trunk or hatch for storage. It fits fine in the back of my Dodge Caravan, but once it's in there nothing else is going in.

That said, if you can get over the obnoxious...

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typeamom says "A fun way to see New England and Canada with family!" about Norwegian Cruise Line - Dawn

typeamom — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:23:16 GMT

We traveled with our daughter, then 9 months old, and my in-laws on the 11-day fall Canada and New England cruise. We were looking for a way to travel with my older in-laws and a baby that would be easy on everyone, but still allow for lots of things for everyone to do. We were most attracted to Norwegian because it allows babies under age 1 (some cruise lines don't) and it had this great fall itinerary with stops in Quebec City, Halifax, Sydney, Boston and Bar Harbor.

Cruising with a baby was definitely interesting: fun but at times challenging. We had no problems at all taking her to the restaurants for meals. The fact that Norwegian has a casual dining policy and no assigned seating or meal times was a big help.

We even had dinner one night in the fine dining restaurant, and the maitre d' entertained our daughter as we ate so we wouldn't have to attend to her! The staff was most accommodating, and we were able to find substitutes for baby foods like mashed potatoes to feed her.

The downside...

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typeamom says "Philadelphia is so underrated! Check out how cool it really is!" about Philadelphia

typeamom — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:12:33 GMT

I just love Philadelphia, and when I say that out loud people give me the strangest look. Even, or especially, when I say it in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is underrated, but that's all the better for those of us who know how cool it really is.

If you're a foodie, it's really a great town to visit. There are fab local markets, like the Italian Market in South Phillie or the centrally-located Reading Terminal Market. The fine dining here is creative and innovative, if you know where to look (ask a local foodie for a detailed and lengthy list). And the casual cuisine is fun for families. Everyone should have an authentic Philly Cheesesteak at some point, or an Italian Ice (a.k.a. "water ice").

This is also a great city to hit with kids, and I don't just mean little kids who are easily amused by a children's museum. Teens will totally dig the South Street area, filled with shops selling punk t-shirts, music stores, and funky items mostly of interest to teens and 20-somethings. Teens will also...

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typeamom says "This costs less than half of brand names, and was better!" about Target Milk Based Powder Infant Formula

typeamom — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:37:52 GMT

I never used store-brand or discount formula with my first child, and I was reluctant to do so with my twins. They were exclusively breast fed for months, and only needed formula after I had returned to full-time work and they hit a big growth spurt. We went with Enfamil for a while, but when they started exclusively drinking formula it was killing my budget. I was buying the big Enfamil cans at $25 a pop almost daily.

Then I saw on a twin mom forum some other moms raving about the Target formula. I bought a small can, so skeptical that I also bought their regular formula, and tried it. The twins were preemies who spent some time in the NICU, and never reacted well to various formulas. Not only did they do OK on the Target formula, they stopped spitting up and seemed to really love the taste more.

The best part was that the price was $11 for the same large can, and the scoops were no larger. We even could stock up and buy three cans for just a couple bucks more than one can. This was a real...

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typeamom says "Check out the kid-friendly free museums!" about Washington, D.C.

typeamom — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:20:09 GMT

There is one great, incredible, fabulous reason to visit Washington, D.C. with kids: the Smithsonian Museum network. I've been to plenty of big cities with great museums, but visit even a few with kids (and the need to buy several tickets), and your wallet gets tapped quickly. Or you visit the free ones, and they are, well, worth the money. In Washington, D.C., there are several high-quality, vast, impressive museums that won't even bore the kids, and entry to every single one is free.

In fact, having grown in the a Washington, D.C. area, I still get peeved when I get charged to enter a museum. I was spoiled by the Washington museums. I paid $20-something a pop to get into a Chicago art museum when we lived there, and all I kept thinking was that the National Gallery (a much larger and better museum) is free!

Some of the museums in the system are less kid-friendly than others. You may get a few yawns and whines if you drag the kids to the National Portrait Gallery ("Mom, is that ANOTHER painting...

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typeamom says "Yes, Nice, France is a family-friendly destination!" about Nice, France

typeamom — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:55:28 GMT

When you think family-friendly, you don't often hear Nice, France mentioned at the top of lists. Having lived in Nice with my husband and 1-year-old, I would have to disagree. There are not only many things for kids to enjoy, but there are also lots of attractions and things for parents to do.

The produce markets, especially the Cours Selaya Flower Market (which also features produce), are fun for all ages. You will see olives the size of golf balls, vendor tables with basket after basket packed with herbs and spices, and local artisan bakers selling fresh-baked peasant bread. It isn't just about finding great fresh produce, although that doesn't hurt. It's really about the social aspect of the Nice markets, which are a rush of humanity and excitement.

After you visit the Cours Selaya market, meander into Old Nice and find an ice cream shop to please the kids. Since Nice is right next to Italy, the ice cream here is in the gelato style. If you have an apartment rental in Nice, also buy some...

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typeamom says "New parents have to own this coffee maker!" about Keurig Elite B40 Coffee Maker

typeamom — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:17:59 GMT

When I asked for this coffee maker for Christmas, I almost took it off my Amazon wish list. After all, I have way too many coffee makers already. I can make coffee with a European press, my espresso machine, a small four-cup coffee maker or a nice LCD display automatic timer 12-cup stainless steel machine. Shoot, I can even brew coffee in the woods with my camping percolator or my camping espresso maker. Let's just say I like coffee.

So I really didn't think I needed another method of making coffee, but I had people bugging me for gift ideas and a shortage of time to look for things I want and this went on the list.

Then I got it. I plugged it in. I brewed coffee with it. The other coffee makers got tucked deep into a bottom cabinet in my kitchen.

The beauty of this coffee maker is does two things a groggy, sleepy person needs in the morning: it brews coffee quickly, and it doesn't take much effort to brew a cup. I've always hated finding the filters, fidgeting with them until I get one loose,...

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typeamom says "Barcelona is an underrated, family-friendly travel destination" about Barcelona

typeamom — Sat, 26 May 2007 18:49:38 GMT

Barcelona is one of those amazing cities that is constantly overlooked and underrated. The beautiful thing about visiting Barcelona is that it has something for everyone. It's one of those rarified places that is actually fun for kids and grown-ups. It isn't hard to please the kids (hey, just hit Disneyland) or the parents (any old urban setting will probably due just fine). Barcelona is actually great for the whole family.

Here are things the kids will love:

The Barcelona Zoo is very nice, with a lovely natural setting right in the middle of the city and loads of cool animals to see
Barcelona Aquarium is another wonderful attraction here for kids
Barcelona's beaches, fun places for kids to splash and often near some great fine dining
Las Ramblas is a vendor and souvenir shop lined avenue which is just exciting for kids, and features a section with pet shop vendors selling animals that kids will love

Here are the things parents will love:

Fine Catalan cuisine, as well as several bustling fresh...

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