We bought this elliptical two years ago, mainly because it was cheap. You get what you pay for, right? Well, we thought we had gotten a deal, because for one year, this elliptical worked fantastic!! Unfortunately, it only lasted one year. After about 10 mos of using it, it started getting very creaky when in use, and at almost exactly 12 months from the date we purchased it, the sleeve split wh...

ANyone who wants to have a baby knows how frustrating it can be when it doesn't happen right away. Well, my first daughter took 5 years to conceive, so when we decided we wanted another baby, I wanted to do everything to make it happen faster.I had read about basal body temperature monitoring to help chart monthly cycles and predict ovulation. Well, I have a hormonal disorder which causes m...

About a year ago, we decided to upgrade our DIRECTV receiver to a DVR system- we'd had DIRECTV for about a year, and were very happy with them. We were able to upgrade for free (with a 2 year contract extension, of course!), and we currently pay nothing for the service as it is included in our channel package. I am so happy we decided to get this DVR! It is so easy to use, my 5 year old kno...

My husband and I were trying to get pregnant when my brother announced he was proposing to his girlfriend. Once he had, my future sister-in-law asked our whole family to be in the wedding, and of course we accepted- we were so excited. She decided on this beautiful ballgown style bridesmaid dress for her bridesmaids, and when we went to try them on, I jokingly said to my mother "You watch,...

We have had TMobile as our cell phone service provider for four years now, and I just love them! In fact, we recently did away with our home phone and are just using our cellphones now, we are so happy with their service. My family has the Family Time Basic plan, which costs $59.99 per month for 700 minutes, with unlimited nights and weekends. Also, calling each other's phones does not coun...

I have been using o.b. tampons since I was 15 years old- so for 15 years now, I have trusted and sworn by this product! I absolutely will not use any other tampon (except in a pinch!)Speaking of pinch- that was why I started using these. There is no applicator, you simply fan out the end of the tampon with the string, then insert it with your finger. Before I used these, I was using another ver...

A couple of months ago my teenager asked if she could have highlights in her hair. Knowing full well how much highlights cost in a salon, I told her no way! So tonight she comes home with this little box in her hand- it was L'Oreal's Forst & Design Highlighting kit. She had picked it up and figured we could try it. I was a bit apprehensive, fearing it might look stripey or orange, a...

When we first bought our house four years ago, we knew it needed work. The basement was blood red cement, the kitchen was mustard yellow, the bedrooms were brown and avocado. (No offense to anyone who likes these colors!) We didn't have a lot of money for redecorating, but we needed a good paint that would withstand small children and pets. Someone suggested Behr Premium Plus, and we are so...

My mother in law calls me the Heathen of Borneo, because I rarely wear shoes. LOL My feet are usually black, and are very calloused and dry from walking around with no shoes. So, when summertime comes and I've been invited to a wedding where I would like to wear sandals, I look at my feet and go, yuck! As you can imagine, I have a very hard time finding a foot cream that actually works on m...

Let me start oiff by saying, we have a cat. We have children. A sandbox has a much different purpose to a child than it does to a cat, if you know what I mean. So when we decided to buy a sandbox for our daughter, we decided we needed one with a cover. I immediately thought of the sandboxes I had used at the daycare I had once worked at, the LIttle Tikes Classic Turtle Sandbox. Now, I know you&...

I received the Aura Elite Travel System by Evenflo at my baby shower for my second daughter. I was very excited to be getting a travel system, since it included the stroller and carseat all in one package, and the two could be combined for convenience. Honestly, though, I have not used it all that much. The carseat I use all the time, and it has some great fetures, including the Latch system, a...

We were given Helen Oxenbury's "Big Baby Book" by our pediatrician at my first daughter's very first doctor's appointment over 5 years ago as part of a literacy program our doctor participates in. It has to be the most-read, most-used book my dauhgter owns!!The book is set up sort of like a picture-book, with a little boy talking about a different theme on each page. For e...

I bought this book several years ago after the beautiful picture on the cover caught my eye. It has since become my gardening bible, with many self-written notes in the margins! At the time, I was just starting to garden, so needed something that was easy to use but contained all the information I needed. This book fit the bill!Treasury of Gardening is a large encyclopedia of various gardening ...

This is absolutely one of the best summer investments I've made this year! (Granted not much of an investment, but still.) I was looking for something to put my 5 month old daughter in so she could play in the water, but that wouls still protect her from the sun, since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no sunscreen on children under 6 months. This turtle was the answer!Now I do ...

Everyone knows that the fresher food is, the healthier it is for you, and every mother wants healthy food for her baby. This self feeder by Munchkin is a perfect way to help baby get those vitamins without the risk of choking!The self feeder is a small mesh net in a plastic ring that snaps open and has a large, round handle. The latch has a mechanism that you squeeze together to open it, so bab...

Ever since my last baby was born, I have been on a hunt for the perfect diaper- one that's comfortable for her, and effective for me. The challenge- she's breastfed, which, as any breastfeeding mom knows, means hard-to-contain bowel movements. Every time my little one went poo, we ended up having to change her from head to toe, wipe down the entire changing table, clean whatever she had...

Like many moms, I have back pain. A lot of back pain. I've been to physical therapy for it, I've been to chiropractors, I've been on painkillers for it, you name it. So with a new baby, I was determined to find a product that would allow me to carry my baby and  get things done, but not hurt my back. I had previously owned a hard-style carrier (ie Bjorn, Snugli), but it ca...

Just today, my daughter had yet another blowout, and I decided it would be easier to just give her a bath rather than waste 50 wipes. In gathering up her bath stuff (one-handed), I grabbed a sample pack of Huggies Natural Care Disposable washcloths I had received in the mail, since it was faster than hunting down a washcloth and baby wash. The idea is, the soap is already on the cloth...

When we realized our old monitor was missing the receiver, we hopped into the family van and took a trip to good ol' Babies R Us to get a new one. I made the mistake of not really researching before I went, and ended up shopping by price,and of course, you get what you pay for. Not that this is a bad monitor: it certainly serves its purpose, in that I can hear if the baby is awake or n...

Last Christmas, all my 5 yr old daughter wanted was Tekno. Tekno Tekno Tekno was all we heard. She told people she WAS getting him from Santa. So, of course, Santa brought it, and "he" is very glad he did! We were a little skeptical about spending so much money on an electronic toy for a 5 yr old girl, but luckily we found a good sale, and decided to go with it. Opening Tekno up is a ...