Rebecca's Reviews

I had seen this item advertised a few times and didn't purchase it. After having this for about a year I wish I had gotten it earlier.

The Plastic Surgeon is a safe and easy way to open even the thickest plastic clam shell packages.

It's also great for opening:
CDs & DVDs
Plastic safety seals
Foil on bottles
Blister packs
Shipping envelopes

Having fibromyalgia I was a little concerned about my hand strength and being able to use The Plastic Surgeon safely and effectively. I am happy to report that I have used this to open many items over the past year without any issues.

The auto-close cover is great, I love not cutting my hands anymore when opening the kids toys.

A few years ago we were in search of a toy kitchen for our daughter. We don't have a huge house, and the kids already had a lot of items for Christmas so we didn't want to spend a lot of money. We were at Walmart and stumbled upon this kitchen. We decided to purchase it and figured if she liked it and used it we could always upgrade in a year or two.

Well we still have that kitchen and our 4 year old still uses it. If you are on a budget I would definately consider this kitchen.

Here is what Walmart has to say about the product:
Cook up some fun with the American Plastics Homestyle Kitchen Play Set. This play set features a realistic child-sized countertop with light-up burners and a "ticking" timer with bell. When pots and pans are placed on the burners, the play set activates bubbling and sizzling sounds. There are seven reinforced doors on the refrigerator, oven, microwave and several cupboards, adding a sense of organization and allowing for hours of play. Other features include a sink with a removable sprayer-faucet, storage shelves and a play microwave.

Kitchen measures 34" x 37½"
Assembly Required
6 eating utensils (2 spoons, 2 knives, 2 forks)

1 cell phone
2 drinking glasses
2 plates
1 sieve
2 cooking utensils
3 casserole dishes
2 lids for casserole dishes
1 pot
1 lid for pot
1 measurement cup

Requires 2 "AA" batteries (not included)

There are only 2 negatives about this kitchen. One is the assembly time and the other is that our oven door rarely stays closed.

If you choose to purchase this kitchen allow yourself plenty of time to put it together. All the pieces are still attached to the plastic molds, so you have to break off or cut all the utensils, plates etc in addition to the kitchen itself. To prevent the oven door from falling open be sure not to trim too much around the door or oven opening.

* This is my personal opinion for a product that we bought at a retail outlet. I have not been paid or received any other incentives to write this review.

Our son has been in a Britax Boulevard since he was around 1 year of age. He is on the smaller side so he could technically still be using the Boulevard, but at 6 and in First Grade we thought he might like to be in something a little older.

As soon as I mentioned Booster Seat my husband started panicking and asking hundreds of questions. So I began to research the options available. There are a few seats available that have a 5 point harness for children up to 80 lbs.

We decided on the Frontier because we know and trust Britax safety standards. We also liked a lot of the features including:

movable arm rests

retractable cup holders

5 point harness to 80 lbs

seat positioning booster to over 100 lbs

latch and tether available (check with vehicle manufacturer for latch limits)

Side impact protection

9 yr expiration date

The seat can be used for children over 100 lbs. as long as the vehicle shoulder belt guide places the belt in the proper position for the child, and the top of the child’s ears are below the top of the head restraint, and the child physically fits in the seat, and is not being used beyond its expiration date (9 years from date of manufacture).

If you are looking for a car seat for a child who is at least 2 and 25 lbs then I would strongly recommend this seat. For a more detailed description of the Frontiers features and for testimonials visit Britax.

I believe that all children should be in a 5-point harness car seat as long as possible. If you have a child who you think is ready for a booster seat and the car seat belt please read this Is My Child Ready for a Booster Seat first.

I have been fortunate this week to have a savvy business woman from Connect2Mums review 2 body products from Arbonne's line. As an Independent Consultant with Arbonne I personally love these products, but it is always nice to hear how much others enjoy the products also.

Here is the review as it appears on Connect2Mums

Arbonne NutriminC RE9 Body Serum & Body Lotion
review by Monique Nickalls

For the last week or two I have been using the Arbonne REactivating Body Serum and the Arbonne REfinish Hydrating Body Lotion as part of my daily body skincare routine – these beautifully presented products are available online from Arbonne Independent Consultant Rebecca Doll at www.try.myarbonne.com

The first thing I noticed about these products was the lovely light orange scent. It is not overpowering or overwhelming, and it still allows the wearing of perfume without clashing (which is brilliant, I find creams that have a strong scent hard to wear as I like to use my favourite perfume in the day, and I don’t like any strong scents at night).

Following the product instructions, the Body Serum is used first. A quick couple of pumps and it takes just seconds to smooth over a little of the Body Serum. The Serum is absorbed super quick and feels quite refreshing and silky.

Next is the application of the Body Lotion. Because of using the Serum first, I found I only needed to use a tiny bit of the Lotion. It is very rich and creamy (but not at all greasy), and soaks in quickly so you don’t have to stand there for ages trying to rub it in. Using the cream each day has left my skin feeling very hydrated and smooth - even my husband has commented how soft my skin feels! And its great to use on feet too!

Even though you use the Serum and the Lotion as a 2-step product, I have found it is just as quick to use as other creams, which I was a little surprised about. Even though my skincare routines are practically non-existent being busy with children and businesses, I didn’t mind using these at all – in fact they brought a little luxury into my day using such gorgeous products each morning.

Overall, I found the Arbonne Body Serum and Body Lotion to be luxurious and effective products. The set would be a perfect treat for yourself if you need a body cream, or it would make a fantastic gift for a Mum or Mother In Law!

Visit www.try.myarbonne.com to read more about these lovely skincare products.

I am honoured to be conducting this review as part of the “Product Review Team” at CONNECT 2 MUMS.

Monique can be found at her site packed with unique handcrafted gifts for bubs, toddlers & Mums, www.YourCheekyMonkey.com.au

If you have ever struggled with potty training a boy, then you need to take a look at this product.

When I found the Peter Potty I had been battling with an almost 3 year old who was either OK with being wet or wanted to stand like daddy and just wasn't tall enough.

I needed him to be potty trained for preschool and I really wanted him to be succesful at staying dry for longer periods of time.

What the manufacturer has to say about the product:

No more training your little man to sit first and stand later

Start him out right - teach him to stand from the beginning

Little girls need to sit, but with the new Peter Potty, little boys can stand like Daddy

Benefits

Allows child to urinate by himself

Sized to fit and grow with your little boy

Can be wall mounted, free standing on supplied base or placed directly on floor

Our son loved this product and I finally convinced him he no longer needed it after about 18 months. It really helped him feel like he was accomplishing something special by being able to stand up like daddy. Being able to flush the urinal was very novel as well.

We used it with the base, and adjusted the height as our son got taller.

With a RRP of $39.95 in the US I think it is a wonderful option that is practical and easy to clean for parents potty training little boys.

I belong to a interactive online magazine for Aussie Mums, called Connect2Mums. This site is filled with hundreds of MumPreneurs and an unending number of products. In this post I would like to share a review by Rachael Stott.


The Importance of Dad’s

I recently spent an evening handing out information to new Mothers at the local hospital. It was only 12 months ago that I was in their position and so I had anticipated the empathy I felt for the slightly dazed, sleep deprived and sore mothers. What I hadn’t expected was the empathy I felt for the fathers.

Being a mother my bias is obviously female and I would not, for a moment, say that the Dad’s have it worse than the Mum’s in early parenting. But what I noticed for the first time was that there is no support for the Dads.

Dads’ miss out on all the good stuff. They aren’t as hormonally charged to nurture the baby, which is not to say they are less nurturing, but that they get far less biological help to do so. Fathers don’t experience the hormonal shifts that aid in returning to sleep after being woken mid sleep & they have fewer feel good hormones raging through their bloodstream that help mothers out in the early months.

Dad’s even miss out on a lot of the ‘stuff’ that goes with a baby. There is really no male equivalent to a traditional Baby Shower, and even if there were what would you gift to a father-to-be? They really don’t have any use for body creams, re-usable breast pads or spa treatments. At best Dad’s get the practical things like a baby carrier- but nothing really cool. Until now that is.

Last week I met Alan Jones and was introduced to his very kool product for new Dads’ – The Milkooler. Yes that’s right it’s a stubby holder for a baby’s bottle. Aside form being super cute there is more to this product than the novelty factor. It keeps Milk warmer, or juices cooler for longer, it is far easier for little hands to hold, it prevents the sun getting to the contents inside and when children are in the mimicking phase it is just like an adult stubby holder. They are inexpensive, fit most bottles and scrunch up easily in a nappy bag.

My son is totally breastfed but still uses his on some of his sippy bottles and bottles of expressed breast milk. My partner loved this product and it went straight to the top of his ‘Great kids gear’ list. We have ordered a few more for expectant friends.

http://www.milkooler.com/

You can read more of Rachael Stott at http://www.rachaelstott.com/





I also had the pleasure to meet Alan Jones and to see the Milkooler myself. As our children are no longer using bottles or sippy cups I gave one to my brother as he has 3 children under 3. The kids all wanted to try it, and dad thought it was cool too. The Milkooler is an Australian product that can be shipped to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, UK and Ireland, Canada and the US.