Review- Infantino Squeeze Station and Fresh Squeezed Product Line

Today we tried the Infantino Squeeze Station and Fresh Squeezed Line. Let me start by saying that I received no free products, these were purchases that I made and have chosen to review here.

The Squeeze Station comes with ten disposable packets and lids. I was impressed with the quality of everything in the station, including the disposable packets. If you know me, you know that I don't LIKE Disposable. At all. We don't DO Disposable. We reuse everything. We cloth diaper, we use cloth wipes, mama cloth, the whole deal. I didn't order the disposable refills, but instead I ordered the Infantino Keeper Squeeze Pouches (two of them, one for the main course, and one for the dessert... just to try and see if they were what we would like.) The Keeper Squeeze Pouches seem to be taking longer to arrive than the station itself... I will update the review when I receive them.

Happy Babe

Now, for US, the idea behind the squeeze station was to find a portable method for feeding baby that wasn't messy and didn't require me to take glass baby food jars or a thermos container, or spoons, etc... everywhere we went. This isn't a big deal when you have like, your first child.... but when you have three kids and two of them are in school in different school districts and you spend more time driving back and forth than you care to think about, there are times when your baby is hungry and you just don't know what the heck you will do. There isn't a high chair. There isn't a wipeable surface surrounding them. I need something small, portable, and simple that creates little mess. I don't need a baby spoon that baby swats away and splatters food all over. I don't need to worry about keeping said spoon clean in the bottom of a crumb infested diaper bag. I just need simple and efficient.

I have three kids. I am not ashamed to admit that I have done LOTS of things as far as baby food. I've done Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and Annabel Karmel books and recipes. I've made my own purees and other homemade baby food recipes. I've purchased baby food in glass jars and plastic rectangular lidded packs. I've received food purees free from WIC. This gives me the opportunity to give a pretty full review.

Let's start by saying that the pouches hold a surprisingly generous amount of food for their slim and portable size. Baby Ewyn (I know you can't pronounce it. Haven't you people ever heard of Ewan McGregor? well, just think "yoo-win" and you've got it. Scottish. Gaelic. It's not that hard people.) is 7 months old in 40 minutes. His puree spitting techniques are spot on, although he is usually more interested in getting things down the hatch. Feeding him does take a lot of time and it makes a big mess. I usually feed him naked and I HATE feeding him in public because it's much easier to "lift shirt, attach boobie" than do the baby feeding gig. I hate public highchairs (assuming you can find one) and for a while I was taking my own high chair here and there and I had an okay (although stressful) system down where I had everything in a ziploc bag inside the tray lid and I also took a dry washcloth and a wet washcloth (we don't DO disposable wipes, remember) but I felt like it took 22.75 hours of planning to leave the house (I doth exxagerate) and so this was a much better solution.

Pouch baby food that can be pre-purchased has a few issues. You can't control ingredients. Lots of waste (garbage) that isn't green minded. Prices are higher than regular or homemade baby purees. WhatKindOfCancerCausingChemicalsAreInThatSpaceAgedPackaging?! Can you heat it?

My biggest issue is, that I see parents feeding the babies squeeze pouch food all the time. At home. At daycare. At babysitters. And all I can envision is the futuristic people in Wall-E. When will our kids learn to use spoons and forks? Using utensils is a skill that you hope your child develops at a decent age, and feeding them every meal in a squeeze pouch is likely going to hamper that skillset. This is why I am only using pouches when away from home in an inconvenient setting. At home I will still be using spoon. I think. Although there are also spoons that can attach TO the pouches. I don't believe these are the devil, but I do know that they aren't going to mesh with me "cleaner eating away from home" plan that I envision in my head. I will try them later. At this point the reviews on them are not promising.

I purchased the fresh squeezed line and pouches and tested them with items like applesauce for the big kids, and also homemade purees and store bought baby food.

Trying out the Squeeze Station

To start, the Station allows you to be filling three pouches at once, and they can be filled with the same or different purees. You have three chambers to fill and ONE Plunger (aka Infantino Food Press) that comes with the kit. You can purchase additional plungers (which I did, although they also have not arrived yet and it wasn't a HUGE pain to just quickly rinse the plunger between purees if needed.) You can purchase an additional funnel ($20 on amazon?!) and it seriously is NOT necessary. The opening is plenty wide to pour into and if you can't hit that opening, you have bigger issues. I do like to use these tiny spatulas (I have a bunch of them) to get remains out of food processor and baby food jars. These are slick little guys. I bought them back with baby #2 when I got smart.

Station Includes Three Tubes, but one plunger.

You attach the pouches to the station by sliding them into the grooves. They don't "secure" in place until you screw a tube on to the top. The tube secures directly on to the pouch, the stand just sort of "holds" them upright for you. As another reviewer stated, you can easily do this without the stand at all. If Infantino wasn't in the money making business, I am thinking they could sell the pouches and one plunger/tube for less than $10 and still make everyone happy. But I can see if you are doing lots of baby food (homemade) that this stand and doing several pouches at a time would be much nicer and less time consuming than doing it by hand. So that said, you can fill the pouches without the stand itself. I do like that the stand is versatile and allows you to store all the pieces inside when you are finished, which takes up less space and prevents your cupboards from having all these pieces roaming around to be lost in the depths.

I only made a few at a time as the fridge life is very short.

The plunger isn't a complete tight fit, but it does create a nice seal in the tube. The downside is that you can be plunging the pouches full of air (which would be worse if the plunger fit super tight.) Once I fill a tube with puree, I insert the plunger but tilt it slightly to one side so that there isn't a "seal" created until the plunger is flush with the puree. Then I straighten the plunger to create the seal and press the puree down into the bag completely. This prevents you from injecting a bunch of air into the bag. Remember to unscrew the bag slightly before retracting the plunger or the puree will be sucked back out of the packet. A little puree will leak around the top of the packet when you unscrew, but it's minimal. If it's your first baby, just sterilize the pouch spout with bleach or alcohol before putting the lid on. If it's your third, just lick it and put the lid on. (kidding. About the bleach and alcohol part, not the licking part.)

The upside is that these packets can be frozen (and of course they sell a packet organizer.) The downside is that they aren't shelf stable like a purchased packet and they only recommend keeping them in the fridge for 48 hours (yes, again.... if it's your

I don't get it mom.

first baby you'll listen. If you're me, you might go a week:) Another downside? These packets can't be microwaved or boiled. I assume you could put them in a hot glass of water to warm the food if you wanted, or maybe a bottle warmer? Some baby food is good cold or room temperture, but Ewyn made a horrid face at me when I tried to serve him cold green beans "ala packet" today.

The "tubes" have marks on the sides of them. The lowest mark is approximately the equivalent of a Gerber First Foods Plastic pack of puree. The second mark is about the equivalent of a standard Gerber/Beechnut baby food Jar (not the tiny ones that meats come in) and you can get two Gerber Puree Packets (plastic lidded smaller packs) into one fresh squeezed pouch. You can also get an entire jar of baby food in a pouch with wiggle room.

I think I can. I think I can.

My kids wouldn't eat green beans or peas. Ardyn would gag and puke. Marek and Ewyn just gag and spit and refused to swallow them at all. They were much happier with orange veggies like Squash, Carrots, and Sweet Potatoes. This time around I learned that mixing green beans or peas with fruit (seriously) is a big yum-o for baby and that I can get them to eat green beans and peas NO PROBLEMO if I mix them. Green Beans with Pears is a big hit with Ewyn. It's really nice because if I was trying to feed green beans on the go I would have to have a way to mix them with pears... or mix them at home ahead of time. In this case I mixed them right in the station tubes. I used the lines on the tubes to pour equal amounts of pears and beans into each tube and then mixed with my little spatula and pressed the mixes right into the packets. This would work well with homemade purees as well. Voila, green beans and pears on the go.

Aha! Suction!!!!

Of course the directions say do NOT reuse pouches (yes I tried it. yes it worked. No it isn't all super sterile and clean.) but the pouches do write on very nicely with a fine sharpie. I would recommend labeling them BEFORE filling *duh*

I also have purchased some of these really cool spout toppers that are silicbooginhead pouches (which I already have four of because the big kids pack them for snacks and lunches in place of disposable applesauce pouches.) However, the threading on the tube doesn't match the threading on the booginhead SqueezEms... and they must thread in order to work. Unfortunate. The alternative would be to OPEN the top of the squeezems pouch by booginhead, and using the tube and plunger in a handheld manner, you may be able to fill the pouches. I am not sure if this would be more difficult than just spooning into the SqueezeEms like I have been doing... because that seems like more hands might be needed than God has graced me with. Booginhead pouches are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe.... which is quite the edge over the Infantino Line. Although I have yet to get the reusable Infantino pouches to compare. In the product photo it appears that the infantino reusables are more of a bottle than a pouch, and I wonder about the "squeezeability" of them as well as how easy it would be for a baby to self feed with one when all they have is a suck reflex and can't properly squeeze the food out with their hands.

Gross Mom! Who Leaked??

one and I hope that they fit these infantino packets. They make the opening all soft and easier to suck food through, which should be a big plus for little babes. And will help protect from chewers too I hope. The infantino packets might be a little tricky because I get the idea they aren't the industry standard as far as spout/threading/size goes. I was hoping to use the station with my reusable

That leads me to another angle. Mess. At first I was disappointed because it seemed that these pouches were going to cause as much mess or MORE than spoon feeding. Baby wanted to grab the pouch and squeeze it all over. Think Juice box... aha! How about using this little device to solve some of that "excitable squeezing" ?? I have one or two somewhere around here but haven't been able to figure out WHERE so that I can test that theory... but I bet it would work nicely! Or it could become a baby projectile object....

At first Ewyn had a hard time figuring out how to suck the puree out. I was discouraged because as a breastfeeder he has major suck power. But he needed mom to help squeeze and it was practically impossible to do because I couldn't SEE what I was squeezing into his mouth so it was constantly an overflow situation. And he would just let the excess drool out below the pouch where I couldn't see it. Annoying when you have a high chair tray under baby, catastrophic when you do not have a high chair (away from home.) By pouch four, I was feeling much better about it, as he had mastered sucking the food from the pouch with very little waste. Much improved. I think this might be the solution we've been searching for!

Stay tuned for updates on other items that I am waiting for! and while you're at it... WATCH the video!

Wearever honors my warranty claim (#2) and Goes Above and Beyond

Special Thanks to Wearever for their awesome customer service. This is my second warranty claim on the pots and pans that I purchased 12 years ago before Evan and I moved in together. They sent me this Stainless Steel Set that is AWESOME and so nicely made. I hope it lasts! When I called I was told they could ONLY replace it with an identical set, but when I sent in the defective set I included a letter explaining that this was my second warranty claim for the same teflon flaking issue and that I wanted to request a stainless steel set for replacement so that I wouldn't keep having the same issue. They listened and I couldn't be happier! I used the skillet and the colander and spoon today while cooking the ground beef for my chili, and I adore them!

Here is a link to my previous post with photos and documentation of my warranty claim...
http://dazed81.blogspot.com/2011/08/wearever-warranty-claim-2.html

UPDATED Review: Samsung Won't Honor Warranty on $1500 Flat Screen TV

Well, here goes. Last year in March my husband purchased a Samsung Flat Screen TV. He also purchased a Sound Bar Surround System by Samsung, and we purchased a Samsung Bottom Freezer French Door Refrigerator. MAJOR Purchases. This year we purchased a Samsung Electric Convection (Flat Top Glass) Range.

And very soon after, we ran into our first warranty claim with Samsung. The first Three Samsung Appliances (TV, Surround, and Fridge) were purchased at Sears. The Range we purchased at a local dealer, because of our previous issues with Sears service and their warranties. We no longer purchase extended warranties from Sears because of the difficulty that we had with our dishwasher, which ended up being replaced as a lemon. Eventually. Most of you know all about that story.... and it's here if you want to read it.

I was sitting watching Masterpiece Theater one Sunday night, and Evan came home, and said "What's that on the TV Screen?" and I said, you know, that little red line? I noticed it but thought it was just something on PBS. He looked at it and was immediately concerned, he thought it looked like a dead pixel. The problem began to "spread" as the line widened a tiny bit and started to run down the screen, like blood.

I called Sears and was told the television was TWO DAYS out of warranty. Yes. Seriously. TWO DAYS. When I started to press the issue, I was repeatedly transferred, and when I said that it was TWO DAYS after the date of purchase, but not two years after the date the TV Was shipped to the store and picked up, they then started to look into that, taking their time.

In the meantime, I called Samsung and was immediately told that the television was in fact still under warranty. They told me that an authorized repairperson would be calling us to setup a service call. I was assigned a service ticket, #4008058931. Within One Day we had a phone call from United Electronics, a small, one-person repair shop Authorized by Samsung. He came out within about a day, and looked at the TV. Immediately he was stumped. There was no damage whatsoever to the outer shell of the TV, the frame, or the screen. NONE. (which we already knew. Nothing had happened to the TV. I don't even DUST the TV, only Evan touches it, and the issue was right at eye level when you are standing in front of the TV, in the upper left area.) He took the television apart. He couldn't find what was causing the problem. He said that he would be contacting Samsung and someone would get back to us. He called back and said that he needed to take photos of the screen issue. Again, he came to the house (one week from the last time, on a Tuesday, which meant again that I wasn't home) and took photos of the TV.

The first time that he came, Evan said that he was a nice enough guy, but didn't really seem qualified to be repairing the TV. When he left that first time, he left TWO SCREWS out of the TV and Evan couldn't see where they came from. Likely somewhere inside the TV. Evan moved them to the top of our Office Armoire and when he returned the second time, he gave the man the screws and asked him to put them back, which he did NOT do. Two screws are still out of the television.

Evan was also very concerned and appalled with the way the man pushed on the Television screen. Evan said he was tapping and pounding on the screen, and pushing on it very strongly. Evan was very concerned because he wouldn't even let me DUST the TV, let alone have someone push on it. He couldn't believe that they would be that rough with something that we had thought was so delicate.

The Television shows NO issues when it is off. You can only see the pixelation when the TV is on. In fact, I just took photos of that too. Smooth as glass. Not a scratch, ding, mark, etc. And now our concern is that with all the pushing and pressing and tapping on the screen, and with having the TV taken apart AND having screws not replaced, we might have more issues than if we had never filed the claim.

The repairman called back and left me a voicemail. He told us that Samsung was not going to honor the warranty on the TV, for repair or replacement, and that the repair ticket was being closed. He said that Samsung said the damage was caused by an external force or damage to the screen of the TV. We KNOW this is not true, we never have had anything hit or touch the TV, and the repairman was the hardest on the Television that we have ever witnessed. We also know there is no scratch, knick, dent, or mark on the Television, and the repairman said the same thing himself. He told Evan that if the TV had been hit, the screen would had to have been cracked or damaged on the outside in order to cause that much damage on the inside. In the voicemail, the repairman told me that if I had questions to call Samsung Directly.

Tonight I took some photographs of the TV. It isn't easy to do because you get these strange "lines" when you photograph a television. But I assume that my photos are probably better than the repairman's, simply because I have a D3000 and he had a cheap Kodak Easy Share.

I intend to call Samsung and ask WHO made the determination, and pursue the issue further. This is very disappointing. Evan and I thought we had found a brand that we could count on, purchased FOUR appliances from them, and now with our first warranty claim, it is denied.

Stay Tuned....

We have uploaded pictures of the television, that we personally took after Samsung denied our warranty claim. You can see the interior issue that makes the pink/red on the screen when the TV is on. There is no evidence of anything wrong anywhere on the outside of the TV. it is immaculate. I took a photo of the TV off also. we are absolutely unsure of where the alleged "damage" is. The red line is located exactly 5 feet off the ground, out of the reach of anyone under 30 in this house. There are no scratches, no breakage, and no imperfections anywhere. The repairman told us that there is no damage to the TV itself anywhere, and that if the line was caused by "damage" the screen would have had to have been hit hard enough to crack the glass, which obviously did not happen. Our photos are here:

UPDATE- Called Samsung Tonight (Monday April 11th, 2011. ) Ticket is being reopened and now handled by their Executive Customer Relations Department, someone from that department will be calling me tomorrow. New Ticket Number is #4008130514 - I also told the rep about the repairman tapping and pounding on the screen. Also about leaving the screws out. - Spoke with Claude in Customer Service.

UPDATE2- called Samsung again tonight (Tuesday April 12th at 9:30pm) as NO ONE from any Samsung Department called me today. I had left a voicemail with the initial customer service rep who opened my ticket, and no call back and no action on the ticket. I also had spoke to Claude who escalated the claim and reopened the new ticket, as above. The new customer service rep read the ticket and said it has been forwarded to that department and that the Samsung Executive Customer Service Department is now conversing with the "Authorized Repair Center" (the guy who pounded on the screen) to see what he has to say. Nothing like ignoring the customer. I told them I will wait for a call tomorrrow. She said "Probably wait till at least Thursday"

UPDATE: called Samsung again Tuesday April 26th because I had not heard back from them AT ALL regarding the new ticket and the Executive Customer Service Department. Of course I had to go through two people, and tell my story over AGAIN to each of them. I was finally told that they had "called me back" and I told them that I had NOT received a call back. I told them they have one telephone number for me and I have voicemail and received no message. They told me they left me a voicemail. LIE! I was told that again the TV had been determined as physical damage and that the problem was not covered by warranty. I told them AGAIN that I wanted to know WHO made that determination and that I want to speak with THAT PERSON and I want to know exactly where this physical damage is to the TV. I was finally told that they would "see if there was a supervisor available to speak with me." (this was about 15 minutes into the call.) At about 20 minutes into the call, she was still trying to locate a supervisor. at 10am. On a Tuesday. I was eventually transferred to Shauna who is a supervisor in the Executive Customer Relations area. Shauna told me that their technicians determined the TV to be physical damage. I calmly (proud of myself) explained that we KNOW the television is not damaged and we are positive that it is immaculate. I explained that I want to speak to someone who made this determination and I want them to show me the physical damage that they see in the photographs, because we see none and know the TV has been kept safe and high in the air. She told me that there is "no phone number or extension" for the technicians and they just can not be spoken to. (the great and powerful oz! *insert image of small balding man behind a large cubical here*)

So I asked Shauna what a person like me was to do next. What is my next step. She said that while she cannot override the decision made by the technicians, she can accept additional photos (which I have taken) and forward them to the technicians for review and they can look their decision over again. She said that I could then appeal the decision at a higher level, such as sending a letter to the corporate office. She then gave me email and mailing addresses to both. I will begin by sending Shauna an email with the photos and a description of the problem.

Email address to send to Shauna- snaecr_ag52@sea.samsung.com
1-800-522-7341 option 7 extension 85158

Corporate Mailing Address:

Samsung Electronics America
85 Challenger Road
7th Floor
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
Attn: David Choi

email: officeofpresident@SEA.Samsung.com

Let's see if this gets us anywhere. If they can show me the physical damage to the TV, I would understand. But there just isn't any.

I also went ahead and filed a complaint with the BBB, and the BBB of New Jersey will be handling the complaint.

BBB of New Jersey
(Trenton, NJ)
1700 Whitehorse Hamilton Sq. Rd St D-5
Trenton, NJ 08690-3596
Phone: (609)588-0808
Fax: (609)588-0546
Email: info@trenton.bbb.org
Web: http://www.trenton.bbb.org

UPDATE: on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 I received an email from the Better Business Bureau regarding my complaint, notifying me that my information had been forwarded to Samsung in a formal complaint

From the BBB

Complaint ID#: 80184788
Business Name: Samsung Electronics America Inc.

Thank you for contacting BBB. Your complaint was received by BBB on April 26, 2011 and has been assigned case# 80184788in our files. Please make a note of this number for future reference.

Your complaint has been applied to the following business:
Samsung Electronics America Inc.
85 Challenger Rd Fl 7
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660-2118

Your BBB team has reviewed the case and sent it to the business for their response. Please note it can take up to 30 business days to resolve a dispute.

This business has an initial deadline of May 11, 2011 to respond to your complaint. If BBB does not receive an answer by the deadline, we will send a reminder to the company. You may contact our office after May 11, 2011 to check the status of your complaint.

We encourage you to use our ONLINE COMPLAINT system to keep up with the progress of this complaint. To view the details of your case please go to the following website address:

https://www.bbb.org/new-jersey/complaintreply/c

This email was received at 5:23am, and at 2:22pm today (the very same afternoon) I received a voicemail from Samsung Electronics asking me to return their call to 201-373-5429 regarding me BBB Complaint, and they gave me a transaction #3000646907. We were sleeping (naptime) so while the kids were eating supper I decided to give a call back in a moment of quiet. The voicemail that I reached said simply “Your call has not been answered.” And then gave me the option to enter another extension or to leave a message. I left a message. I then also decided to call back and try the other option to see what would happen next. I couldn’t understand the woman’s name in her voicemail, it was obvious that English was not her first language, and to be honest, even if I had understood her I don’t think I could possibly have spelled it. I am not usually concerned with anyone’s ethnicity, but the language barrier might be a difficult one when it comes to something like this. Her accent was very heavy, and I had to listen to her message three times to get the numbers correct. Hopefully I called the right telephone number. When returning the call the second time, and trying 0 for an operator, I did not receive anyone, but was instead directed back to the voicemail.

Mom's Night Out at Dora's Peruvian Chicken

Tonight the MOPS moms met at Dora's Peruvian Chicken for our Monthly Mom's Night Out. Earlier in the month I had started to hear a LOT of negative feedback about people's experiences. I had several friends on Facebook who had been there and been happy, and mentioned that the longer they are open, the more things they get on their menu, and the more they get kinks ironed out.

I have to say that I had been REALLY excited about something new and different coming in to Princeton. Evan and I had talked about taking the kids there and talked about going there for date night. I REALLY want this establishment to succeed. They have done an insane amount of work to this building and obviously intend to succeed (?)

Unfortunately, at the rate they are going, I don't think they will be there long. The expanded menu was.... weell.... seriously lacking. Seriously. Lacking. The prices of entrees range from about $12-16 per person. CB and I both ordered steamed tilapia, which came with rice and salad. It was a $12 entree. I love Pinot Grigio, which also happened to be their most expensive wine at $7 per glass. I don't drink wine often, and I am by no means a wine connoisseur, but I can tell you, that glass of wine was no $7 glass of wine. The majority of the other ladies had Sangria at $3 a glass. we inquired about pitchers of Sangria and did not (to my knowledge) get an answer.

Now, one thing I will say, up front, is that I really like the Waitress. She is a facebook friend and her family owns the restaurant. I think she is really sweet and I really hesitate to write this review because I don't want to hurt her feelings. But the more I considered it, the more I considered that it would be really a shame if a place with such great potential went under because they weren't providing what the people are looking for. And anyone who knows me should probably already know that all my blog reviews are NOT biased. Even if I get free product to review, I do not mince words and if I do not like it, I say so. I don't change my mind because I like you.

Firstly, when arriving at a restaurant, especially one that is new and considered (IMHO) Fine dining, the thing I expect first is a warm welcome. No matter what your ethnicity, language, or cultural differences, a big smile and a nice gesture to your table go a long long long long way. We received neither. In fact, there was a big lack of, well, talking. At all. No smiling, with the exception of our waitress. There was, essentially, no "host" or hostess behavior. The man who I assumed was in charge of greeting us also gave me a vibe that he might be a potential owner or family member, but when we arrived he was behind the bar and when we decided where we were planning on sitting, I don't believe he really made much conversation or eye contact with any of us. This was disappointing. I didn't feel welcomed, I didn't feel appreciated. I have to say that I am greeted better at McDonald's than I was at Dora's. Had it not been for knowing the waitress, I would absolutely, Never consider going back. Ever.

Overlooking that factor, We waited 25 minutes from the time of arrival until the time our orders were taken. There were about 4 other tables of 2-4 people at the time, and there was ONE waitress. ONE. She was in charge of taking orders, filling water glasses, bringing drinks from the bar, AND putting tickets in, delivering meals, clearing the table after the meal, AND taking the money up to the bar with our tickets. ONE. WAITRESS. Granted it was a Tuesday evening, but that is a bit silly. Even if you are trying to save money, if things aren't done in a timely manner, you aren't going to save yourself anything.

She brought us ice water right away, but it was 25 minutes until our order was taken, and after our order was taken it was quite a bit of time until we received our drinks. One of our ladies actually walked up to the bar and took a full pitcher of ice water, which had been just sitting there, and brought it back to the table because all of us had empty water glasses but the waitress was busy with other tables, some whose food orders were up, and some who were just coming in.

the bar was NOT full, the exact opposite in fact. The "bartender" was sitting behind the bar drinking (lemonade?) while we sat without water and waiting for our drinks. When the waitress took our order she let us know that the chicken would take 30 minutes to get done. She asked if that was okay. I don't know what would have happened if we said no, but of course we said "fine." After placing our order, we had our food in between 15-20 minutes. It really wasn't much of a wait... ONCE we had placed our order. A few people came in and left, because the sign on the door stated that there were no credit or debit cards accepted until their system was online. I can understand that... but it has been a few weeks since their opening. Checks and Cash were accepted. We witnessed one family, who finished their meal, and the father had to go out in the pouring rain and DRIVE to an ATM to come back and pay for their meal. If I had children with me, there is NO WAY I would have seen that sign on the door when ushering them inside in the rain.

A few moms had to pay other moms back because they weren't prepared for the Cash or check only situation.

Food. this can certainly make or break a restaurant :) I ordered the Tilapia, and it was, in fact, delicious. The portions were generous. The Tilapia had a delicious sauce and was marinated with some types of tomato/onion/vegetables (chopped and cooked) and really was quite tasty. It was quite possible the best tilapia I have ever had in an Illinois establishment. It was not the traditionally light, flaky, yet DRY fish.... It was incredibly moist. CB and I both questioned if it truly had been steamed. I almost thought it had perhaps been steamed but then sauteed in the sauce with veggies... it was delicious. Not something that I would be "dreaming of" in the future, but really quite good. Everyone at the table agreed that the rice sides left something to be desired. They tasted a little less delicious than the Uncle Ben's 90 second microwave pouches. This was not just my consensus, but more than one person said that, and agreed with that.

SC said the chicken was good, and others said they wished they had tried something else, because their order did not overly impress them.

Our side salads came with our meals, but none of them had salad dressing on or with them. We all were quite puzzled. Several minutes later (8?) after many of us had already eaten half of our salads, the salad dressings arrived with each individual cup on a larger tray, much like a tray of drinks. they were left at one end of the table and we passed them out ourselves. Many of the ladies meals included french fries... and only ONE person got ketchup, because she specifically asked for it (?)

There were candle lanterns on the tables, but none of them were lit. There were silk roses at the center of each table. the tablecloths were white linen, but were covered with white paper, like butcher paper, that was replaced after each table was cleared.

Dessert "options" consisted of Sisler's Ice Cream. After eating, we were all looking for something sweet, but with the prices and the types of meals we had eaten, and the wine and sangria, we all expected a dessert menu, something with a little more to it. Something rich that you could split and sink your fork, and your teeth into. Something rich chocolate with whipped cream, or cheesecake. None of us ordered dessert.

It took so long for the bartender to get our money figured out and get the change back to the waitress that some moms thought that she had made off with our change.... but I had been watching all the trays with receipts sitting up on the bar and assured them that she would not take off with our money.

1. No One Greeted Us Properly
2. Everything Seemed to take an unacceptable amount of time
3. Everyone was wondering exactly what the bartender's job WAS, and if he was actually doing it.
4. The food was nothing to write home about. Especially for the cost. If the fish and chicken had some phenomenal sides, MAYBE. The sides left a LOT to be desired. The Salads were unimpressive and the dressing was late.
5. While the renovations were very nice, and some of the peruvian themed wall decorations were very nice, there were also some really poorly done fake flower arrangements, some hand blown glass "vases" that looked much like bongs, and a large fake fruit bowl arrangement on the bar. It would do better with a minimalist look than it would to have such a beautifully done style that was cluttered up with things that you would find looking quite plastic, tacky, and dusty in your grandma's old house.
6. If you are in any sort of a hurry, go somewhere, ANYWHERE else. I would not take your kids there. At all. There is no children's type menu, I would not pay $12 for my kids to even split the food, and there is no way they would sit through that type of waiting successfully.
7. It was HOT in the building, even though it was overcast and storming out side. Originally the people who had said it was hot had said they thought it was because of the big windows and all the sun coming in, but there was no sun and it was STILL hot. I had a sweatshirt with a tank top underneath and I ended up eating in my tank top and it was 40 degrees outside and raining.

There you have it.

I still maintain that this place could be SO COOL! They need people who are more willing to take initiative and help the waitress, or a designated hostess who welcomes you and handles drinks so that you feel like they actually WANT you there. The meat dishes seemed to be well done, but the sides were unimpressive and the prices were not in line with the service and package they were providing. The wine is overpriced. No refills on drinks like Lemonade.... The menu is very slim. There wasn't really much of an issue "deciding what you want" - it was more like "Deciding what you might like"

I hope that they take some of our suggestions to heart and make some positive changes. Princeton needs different places to eat. At this point I would rather go to McDonalds or Monicals or The Pizza Cellar than go to Dora's again.

My Bill for one entree and one glass of wine plus tip was $25 even.

A Great Day and the Learning Curve Red Barn Dilemna

The dog and both kids are sleeping. I thought about napping, but a nap starting at 5pm probably isn't in my bestest interest. probably. Plus I had a few things to take care of.

Today was a really great day. I started the morning with getting myself and the kids all dressed, and then I left the kids with daddy and went to pick up Courtney. I wanted to take her to Tampico to the Country Lane Market and Shady Acres Grocery. We ate lunch at R&B's (Former dutch diner) and visited with Jeff Hinton while taking the full house and barn tour. I almost died when Courtney said "I've never been in a barn before." WHY does she not tell me these things? I feel like I have been purposely depriving her. What a horrible friend I am.

The Amish run stores were even better then the last times I visited them. This time Courtney and I bought 100 lbs of rolled oats. Yep. You heard right. And we are splitting a 50 lb bag of white winter wheat, which we intend to grind into own fresh wheat flour. (raise the roof, that's right!)

I actually hugged the bag once, before Hans took it out of my van. Just in case it would be a few days till I saw it again. They have lots of soup base mixes now, so for about $7-9 you can buy a big container of dry soup mix. You then add a few fresh ingredients (if you so choose) like peas, meat, broccoli, etc. and about 1/2-1 cup of the soup mix, and have a hearty delicious soup. Can't wait to try them. There were so many things there that I just WANTED to try, but had no idea what to do with them. Like DARK Brown sugar. Besides wanting to roll around naked in it, I figured there must be something more productive that I could do with it. It just looks so pretty! Crystalline and Dark! I NNNEEeEEeD a reason to NeeeEEEd some.

The Grocery Store itself was also much expanded as far as what they are carrying. Courtney and I got stuck in the Book section for what might very well have been HOURS!!! They had an entire aisle (a large and long aisle) of books. Homeschooling books, Christian books, oh my. some really cute and nice little toys too. They even had Melissa and Doug toys. My favorite was a wooden barn that I know Marek would LOVE LOVE LOVE but It was $49 and I just could NOT do that. But then I came home and looked online and it is $65! WHAT?! So now I want to drive back over and get it for him. His birthday is next week.... *sigh*

If I had any cell phone service there I could have looked it up online and decided while I was still there. Oh well. I guess I will have to go back this week. Don't anyone rush over there and buy it and make me cry.

But the more I thought about it, the more I thought of the previous Learning Curve Barn that I asked Grandma to buy, that ended up being a piece of junk, and this hesitated my purchase enough to make me think about it. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Although I have been happy with almost every Learning Curve product we have (and we have MANY) that I just didn't feel right about their product after that darn barn. So I sent the company an email that went something like this:

Hi there. I am writing regarding the plastic John Deere Big Red Barn Playset, with the barn that folds and the hayloft that attaches inside. I asked grandma to purchase this as a gift for my children, and when we received it, I was so incredibly disappointed in the quality of the barn. I thought perhaps that it was a learning curve (no pun intended) that I needed to get around in order to operate it. Both my husband and myself, and everyone at the party tried to get this barn to work properly. We are still extremely dis-satisfied with the barn. For a while we put it up thinking that our 3.5 and 2 year olds just weren't old enough for it. But when we did bring it down, they would have the whole thing falling apart and bringing the pieces to us within minutes. The doors don't stay on, the roof won't close properly, and the hayloft we are ready to throw away completely. If two 30+ year old parents can't work the barn, how can you expect a child to enjoy and not be frustrated by this toy? I also read the reviews on Amazon and quickly concluded that this was not a one-time "bad day at the factory" incident. This barn is not properly made. We have owned and spent money on a great deal of learning curve children's toys, including Thomas Wooden Railway (we have an entire train setup) and Lamaze Infant Products, including crib toys, stuffed learning animals, and the Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym.

This is only the second product that we have been unhappy with (The first was the Garden Gym, which I never said much about.) Today I almost purchased the $60 Wooden Big Red Machine Shed and when I realized it was a Learning Curve Toy, I hesitated. This was the moment that I realized I should write you about the playset. Before purchasing the big red barn or machine shed (the wooden ones) I was wondering if we sent you back the original Learning Curve barn that we bought, if I could perhaps get some money off the purchase of a more expensive, more sturdy barn. I would love to have a coupon or something, because it seems silly to purchase a product that clearly has a problem, spend $35 on it, and then reinvest in a similar product from the same company. Please respond and let me know. We have a Birthday Party April 3rd and I would like to pick a new barn for my son as soon as possible so that we can have it assembled and ready for a gift at his party. Thanks!

Meagan Johnson
Loyal Learning Curve/Lamaze Toy Brand Customer of 3.5 years

So. That's that. Now we wait to see what Learning Curve says. Poor Marek always wants his tractors in the barn. He loves barns. He LOVES Tractors. But we all hate that darn Big Red Barn because it is essentially just PIECES of a barn that don't function.

Ah Sears. You top yourself in service, yet again! (not!)

Remember my dishwasher? Remember the ENTIRELY annoying and ongoing debacle with Sears, and getting them to recognize the problems that we had with the dishwasher, and getting them to honor the purchased extended warranty? Yeah. Me too.

Information UPDATE 02.18.2010: Had Dishwasher Issues and called 8004myhome on February 18, 2011

Was told that the dishwasher was out of warranty. Was transferred to Warranty department who told me the same thing. Luckily I kept my documentation (above) and knew that I had purchased an extended warranty that expired on August 7^th, 2011. They had no record of that purchase (WTF?!) and I had to dig to find my salescheck # (my original receipt from 2008!) which I luckily had and was able to quote to them and prove that I have warranty. The dishwasher was replaced in January of 2010. And is covered until August 7^th, 2011. Then I was transferred back to the department who can schedule a repair appointment. I was also promised that this would be fixed in the computer and also I would be emailed my agreement information as proof for future transactions.

Review: Babyology Wool Soakers and Longies

I've had my fair share of wool covers. many of them hand knit by WAHM's and some made by shop owners of reputable hyenacarts. I've also had recycled wool, including Woolybottoms, and several other similar brands or custom made footies and longies.

My all-time wool favorite has been Babyology. I love the way they fit, the way they WORK, the way they wash and lanolize... It's just been a win-win situation for me. I started using them when Marek was a newborn.

I stocked up on them for nighttime, because I planned on using fitteds overnight. Since I knew that initially I would be changing him each time I nursesd him throughout the night, I knew that I would get to experience and practice with which fitteds and wool would work overnight and how much absorbency I would need. I was very very pleased with the softness of their wool and the protection it offered. It was beyond cute and snuggly, and comfortable.

When Marek hit about 1 year old, I decided that I really missed that wool, and that I needed something overnight worthy for him, and that I could use over our Goodmamas in summer when it was too hot for PUL.

Right away I knew that I needed some Babyology Soakers and I bought two pair for him. I love them so much that I am thinking I might buy a pair for my toddler, who still diapers overnight. The waistband can be folded for maximum comfort, and the leg openings offer full protection without being constricting in any way. Each morning I simply turn them inside out and air dry them on a peg in his room, ready to be used the next night. They are rarely even very damp with a goodmama and a goodfront booster overnight. I can use spray lanolin in the wetzone if I need to between lanolizings and washings, but really they are just very carefree, which is saying something for wool.

Review: Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Diapering System

PLEASE NOTE: The Tuck and Go Pads that I received (3 of them) are NOT gathered at the legs like those that I now see on the Monkey Doodlez Website. I have contacted them to ask why, as perhaps they have changed their design a bit and that might change my review entirely, especially since the main issue that I saw was involving the leg area of the diaper. Stay Tuned and I will update accordingly!

Today I am going to write a review of the Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Diapering system. I was very excited to try this diapering system, because I love love love love their pail liner... It's the one thing that I recommend every cloth diapering mamma have. It's double sided PUL, so the plastic-y side of the PUL is contained inside and this prevents icky sweating inside your pail and means that the pail is always dry and clean. It's also wonderfully sturdy. I own two, and one of them I have had for 3 years and it's still going strong. I adore them! Especially the elastic top that just slips over the rim of any inexpensive garbage pail and makes a quick and secure liner.

First, let me apoligize for the length of this review... but I feel like I have so much to say about this product!

Okay, I digress. Anyway you get that I was excited to try these diapers! In the last 1-2 years, cloth diapering has accelerated even more than it had when I started about 3 years ago. We are now seeing many "Hybrid" diapering systems like the Bum Genius Flip, the Booroi system, Gdiapers, Best Bottoms, GroBaby, and GroVia. This is similar to these systems, allowing you to lay an insert inside a PUL Cover, and simply tuck it inside and go. But what is surprising (to me at least) about the Tuck and Go System, is the amazing LUXURY inside. This is not just some PUL Cover. The insides are lined with SUPER soft Microfleece (I actually thought it was OBV at first) that prevents any PUL from touching baby's skin. The pads are amazing, very thin and trim but incredibly absorbent, and made from Bamboo and Organic Cotton. They are super soft inside, like my adored Goodmama fitteds.

First I'd like to say that I am a fitted girl. I prefer Goodmama fitteds and a variety of covers (wool, fleece, PUL, etc) and I do use prefolds and covers also, with snappis. In coming to the conclusion that Goodmamas are my favorite, I have used LOTS of different diapers. I started with pockets. Particularly things like Fuzzi Bunz, Snap-ez, Bum Genius, etc. They were great... except for extracting poopy inserts from the pockets... and when poop would get INSIDE the pockets (don't ask, it can happen!) and the stuffing! OY all the stuffing. it got so tedious that I dropped pockets altogether.

Then we started exploring fitteds and prefolds. I tried many types, but the bottom line with all these systems was that they had to be replaced as the baby moved up a size, and it became expensive. And just because I got an awesome fit in a small Snap-ez and a small Fuzzi Bunz, did NOT mean that the same brand fit right when she moved up to medium and got chunkier thighs. I felt like I was on an endless search for something that was for us.

Then I tried AIO's, specifically to use something simple and easy for on-the-go, and for ease at Daycare. We used Thirsties AIO Pockets for a while, and loved them until they started to leak profusely and the company wouldn't honor the warranty or even replace them at a discount. They later released V2 to fix the leaking problem.

The day I tried a goodmama, I was purely doing it for entertainment. The stalking level was at it's peak, and the day that I first went to their store, just to check it out, I stumbled upon an unannounced stocking and bought just one (one was the limit in those days!) and told myself I might as well see what all the fuss was about. From the day that diaper arrived, I gradually moved my entire stash to goodmamas and prefolds, with the exception of some BGOS 3.0's that we use overnight. I loved the true one size, just like the BGOS system, and it saved me so much time and money, and was excellent when I had two in diapers, because one diaper fit both kids!

Everyone is looking for something different in a diapering system. That is why no system is perfect for everyone. If you are looking for ease of use, especially if you are new to cloth, are on the go or traveling more than you are home, or have a diapered child in daycare.... a hybrid system might be for you. I have yet to see a hybrid insert as awesome as the Tuck-and-go. The inside of the PUL cover has positives and negatives. Of course it's excellent that the PUL doesn't touch the baby's skin. BUT as soon as I saw the microfleece lined legs, I thought "luxury.... but is that PRACTICAL?" In my mind, I could see the leg lining getting soiled or wet and causing the cover to need to be switched out more frequently than any wool, fleece, or PUL cover. But remember this is coming from my fitted point of view. :)

The first time I used the system, I was going to my parents for the afternoon/evening. I waited until my guy (20 pounds and 15 months old) had done his "morning poop." This boosted my confidence that the cover would make it a longer time frame. With his usual regime of fitteds and covers, we never ever EVER have a diaper leak out the legs or up the back. Fitteds are so absorbent and the legs and back are elasticized, so everything is always contained. I am so confident in that statement that unless I am using prefolds, I NEVER take a spare cover with me when I leave the house. The micro fleece leg-lining of the Tuck and Go system had me worried.

I had him in the Tuck and Go and had two inserts packed, and then I took fitteds and a cover for backup, just in case. Sure enough, when we got to my parents, he pooped AGAIN (unusual for my once a day pooper!) and it was ALL over the leg lining and even up the back of the cover. It did NOT leak. Not even close, but the cover was most definitely not reusable. I moved to fitteds. I was disappointed. I was really excited to try out the Tuck and Go. I thought that it was really probably just that Murphy's Law thing, and that I would just try try again.

The next attempt was an overnight attempt. And it went amazingly well. The system is SO trim, that I was even able to double stuff without barely noticing a difference. It was still trimmer than a BGOS... but, could it hold? My guy sleeps 12-13 hours each night, and peeeeees. He does not poop overnight, and everything went as planned. I assumed that when I took the Tuck and Go off the next morning, all the microfleece lining in the cover would be soaked, along with the inserts. I was WRONG. I was absolutely shocked to find that although the inserts were wet, the leg lining and other inner linings of the cover were not even damp. I was amazed. The cover could easily have been reused after a brief airing out. These would make for excellent overnight diapers. If I didn't have a lifetime supply of BGOS I would certainly consider these as my nighttime solution.

My third and fourth attempts during the day ended in the exact same way. The first time I put the Tuck and Go on him, he pooped. And even when the poop was solid, it still soiled the leg linings of the cover and I was never able to reuse it. If you have a once a day pooper, this system would be doable, because you would likely only go through two covers a day. If you have a EBF baby, or a newborn, or even someone who poops twice or more a day, I would not recommend this system simply (and ONLY) because of the legs lined in microfleece- the cover would be soiled and not reusable.

The advantage to having unlined leg openings is that if there was a poo, you would be able to wipe the cover out with a baby wipe and reuse it. With these microfleece lined legs, that just isn't possible. You and only you can make the determination of you think this is efficient for your needs- and does the comfort of the leg linings really have enough advantages over a non-lined leg... to justify the cost and hassle of needing that many more covers.

The quality of this system is, without question, outstanding. They are well-made and the velcro is amazing. It's very tough and feels almost more like a soft plastic than the despicable velcro on Bum Genius. It's even superior to Thirsties Velcro. I love that instead of having foldback laundry tabs inside the back of the diaper, the velcro folds right onto itself on the wings, for laundry day. I love that the cover has multiple rises, because a baby can be in a medium diaper for a LOOOOONG time. I have to say, however, that at 20 pounds by guy did not give me the option to try the smaller rise. The covers are a tad bit more pricey than regular PUL covers, but not astronomical by any means. The covers are $15 each, comparing to about $11-12 for your average PUL cover. The inserts are $30 for three.

If you are a person who is using pockets, this system would be a nice change. It would drastically cut down your load in the diaper bag, because instead of taking stuffed pockets with, you would just have to take flat inserts and one spare cover. With this system you just don't dare NOT take a spare cover. This was the thing that was the breaking point for me. The leg linings are fabulous, but they are also the one drawback in my mind. This would work very simlar in my mind to having prefolds and cover in your diaper bag, but you wouldn't have to know how to fold the prefold and snappi or pin it :) The ease of washing is much like that of prefolds and covers, and I love the fact that there is no "stuffing" or snapping of inserts on laundry day.

Another thing that I noticed. When I did attempt to salvage the cover this morning when he pooped.... I would normally (with a fitted) just unsnap the diaper, and then lift his legs while I wiped. Then I would remove the fitted and fold it up, setting it on top of the diaper pail (to dump in the potty later) while I rested his bum on the PUL of the cover (on the changing table.) Then I would reach for a new fitted with one hand, keeping my other hand on him, and put the new diaper under his bum, inside the cover, and then put both the fitted and the cover back on him. Basically the entire diaper change, I never have to take a hand off the baby. Not once. Everything I do in the change is with one hand.

When it came time to try to get the poopy insert out of the Tuck and Go, I was unable to get the insert out of the diaper with one hand. I may have gotten the insert out (one-handed) had I shaken it over the diaper pail, but because it had a solid stool in it, I wanted to get the insert out and set it aside so that I could dump the poo in the potty, and then put the soiled insert into the pail. But I could not get the insert out one handed to do that. Shaking it over the pail does my no good if I want the poop in the potty. I found this frustrating because I have a mover and shaker and he would be flipped over and off that changing table in an instant if I took my hand off him.

And then there was the issue of needing two hands to stuff the next insert into the cover. This was a huge learning curve for me, and I am used to either grabbing a new fitted or a fully prepped pocket diaper, and just putting it on. I am not used to having to tuck and prepare the diaper during the change, and this was not possible to do while keeping one hand on the baby. This made me think that it would be better to have a pre-tucked insert and cover ready before each diaper change, so instead of using one cover and trying to get the most use out of it each day, you just prepare to have at least two covers per day, and always keep the "spare" cover tucked and ready for the next diaper change. This system would work really well, unless one of those covers got soiled, then it would be back to tucking each time that you did a diaper change - Unless you had a THIRD cover on hand, but now you are using three covers a day... which to me is excessive.

I am really on the fence as to whether I will purchase more inserts to use with the Tuck and Go system that I have tried. I have one cover and three inserts. To make this be an efficient system for me, I would need at least one more cover (I would likely only use the system when we are on the go) and at least 4 more inserts. But because they come in packs of three inserts, I would likely have to buy 2 packs. I think it would be nice if they had the option of purchasing the inserts separately, or in the multi-packs, perhaps at a discount.

I feel badly because I feel like I have listed a lot of negatives in this review. I don't want to give the impression that this is a "bad" system. Quite the contrary. However, it is not for everyone. I would urge you to strongly consider how often you would use this system, and buy only what you think you may need to start with. Then you can easily add to your stash if you think it's the one for you.

I am considering keeping some of these on hand, just for the fact that they are nice and trim. But at the same time, Because I have been doing this for a while now, I am confident and comfortable with the fitteds and covers that I have, and also with using prefolds and covers as a backup. If I were a pocket user and didn't use fitteds and covers, I think this would be an EXCELLENT change. If I were new to cloth, I would like to try this system, but would be concerned that they would feel overwhelmed when it came time to change baby and tuck the insert at the same time.

I urge you to try them out yourself and see what you think! Please share your experiences with me! I want to know how they worked for you!

I've added some horrible quality pics of Marek in the Tuck and Go. Sorry they are from my iPhone and not the Nikon D3000, but the short lens from the Nikon is in the shop for warranty work right now. But hopefully you'll get an idea of the fit :)

Happy Diapering!
Meagan