We finally gave in and bought a new washer and dryer after old Shredder/Scorcher started threatening to burn down our house.  After doing a lot of research, we decided to get the Whirlpool Duet Sport.  It is rated Energy efficient and uses a lot less water than the traditional top-loaders.  However, we have run into a few nagging issues.  Our basement floor slopes a good dea...

We got this hat rack to match our shoe rack, and I've really enjoyed the extra storage that it provides.  The picture above shows it loaded down with summer items, but it handles all our winter coats without any problem.The design is really attractive.  What made me decide on this one were the old fashioned hooks.  And there's a lot of them!  There's six dou...

We love this easel!  It's great for the kids to draw on.  One side is a chalkboard, while the other is a dry erase board.  You can also have a roll of paper underneath to pull through the top that the children can draw or paint on.So far we've used the chalkboard quite a bit.  It erases well.  We also color with crayons on the paper.  I'm not ready for ...

We recently replaced our washer/dryer with the Whirlpool Duet Sport washer and dryer.  While the washer has given us a few problems, we have absolutely loved the dryer.  It is very fast.  The cycle time for most cycles is 35 minutes.  The dryer also has a sensor so if clothes are not dry, it will add an additional 15 minutes.  I've only had that happen once, with a ...

We thought it would be nice for the kids to have a tent to play in, since we're always making tents out of blankets and chairs.  So when we saw this at Ikea for the price, we went ahead and got it.  Unfortunately, this was one of those cases where you get what you pay for.The tent itself was very flimsy.  The fabric is made to look like an igloo, with a door in the front and ...

My children received this toy for Christmas and it has been one of their favorites.  At first they would fight about who got to vacuum all time, but now that we've worked out an elaborate system involving the timer, this toy has brought a lot of enjoyment to our house.The vacuum itself is very realistic, down to actually picking up a little bit of dirt.  However, it could have bee...

We got this product to go along with the body wash, trying to get rid of my daughter's eczema.  She has very sensitive skin and is allergic to any harsh chemicals, so this seemed like a good investment.It did work well as a moisturizer, clearing up some of her dry skin.  And it was mild enough not to cause any irritation.  However, it didn't do anything for the eczema.Als...

I have rosacea, so I have a hard time finding beauty products that don't irritate my skin.  Fortunately, this mineral powder seems to work okay, with a few drawbacks.One is that the lightest shade is not as light as my skin.  It looks a bit odd on me if I put too much on.  However, the amount that I put on isn't enough to cover my redness on  really bad rosacea ...

If you've read any of my other reviews, you know that I have rosacea.  I am always trying different beauty products to see what will work best to cover it up.  Arbonne Intelligence Personalizer is a product that works well in concealing redness and absorbing excess oil.  It's tinted green, which helps block out my redness after I put on my other makeup.  (You do have...

This is a cute little children's table, great for art projects and puzzles.  My kids both really enjoy sitting at it.  It works very well for their ages (2 and 3).  The price is very reasonable.  It is packed flat, so you need to assemble it.  However, assembly wasn't very difficult.  The table and chairs are also very sturdy - my children are climbers, so ...

This is an excellent winter time book!  I absolutely love the illustrations in this book.  They almost seem to glow from within.  Our children enjoy it as well.  For older kids, there are hidden shapes in every scene to find, making it have appeal for a broad range of ages.In this book, by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner, is about snowmen who come to life dur...

We bought this shoe rack last year from Ikea.  We have a lot of company, and hardwood floors, so we usually ask people to take their shoes off in the winter. This shoe rack is very stylish.  It's dark brown wood, which matches nicely with our decor.  There are eight positions for shoes.  Our children's shoes can actually fit two pair per opening.  It's ...

Having a daughter with extremely sensitive skin, I have to use detergent without any additional scents added.  All works well for sensitive skin.  I generally use the liquid form, but decided recently to try the powdered form because it handled 40 loads, while the liquid handled 32 at the same price.I will not get the powdered form ever again.  I've used powdered detergents i...

 "A Sock Is a Pocket for your Toes" written by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser is an endearing rhyme about what fits in what.  The illustrations are adorable and complex, telling a story of their own while the rhyme tells of love and family life.  Yet both work together in an intricate dance.My children have especially enjoyed this book....

I confess, I hate children's music.  That leaves in a bit of a bind, as I have a two and three year old.  However, after seeing Laurie Berkner perform her song "Bumblebee" I decided to give her CD a try.  And I love it!All the songs are fun.  Some are rewritten oldies, like "I've been working on the railroad"  while others are her own creatio...

"The Seven Silly Eaters", written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Marla Frazee, is an entertaining look on what would happen with seven picky eaters in one household.  It's very sweetly illustrated and everything is written in rhyme, which makes it more enjoyable for young listeners.However, the theme of the book leaves something to be desired.  The children each...

Princess Petal, by Lesley Rees, is a very attractive board book.  It has all sorts of sparkly illustrations and a sturdy board backing.While the illustrations are pretty, the story leaves a lot to be desired.  It is very inane, completely uneducational, and poorly written.  The whole theme of a princess getting dressed up to be the prettiest one there is demeaning to women, as we...

Mermaid Marina by Lesley Rees, is an attractive board book, filled with whimsical sparkly illustrations. It's intended for children aged three to six.  It's one in a series of four books.While the pictures are attractive, the story is terrible.  Marina is a mermaid, who gets ready for a party where everyone is amazed at how pretty she looks.  The story itself is poor...

We love Mario Party 8 for the Nintendo Wii.  It is one game we play all the time.  You play through one of six different game board with the intent of winning stars.  Each game board has a different strategy.  You also win money to buy stars and candy in minigames, some easy and some more difficult. Not only is there a multiplayer game board mode, there are several othe...

Arbonne touts its products as pure, safe, and beneficial.  They do use a lot of natural ingredients, but know that they are not organic and include parabens.I used to use the Nutrimin system.  I have rosacea, so my skin is very sensitive and prone to get red very easily.  When I did the one week trial, I saw a great reduction in the redness, so I bought the product.  (I didn...