Jamison Rody: 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

It's Time To Get Ready For Winter

Here in the Texas panhandle it was under 40 degrees when I woke up this morning. That tells me winter is not to far away.

It's time to get ready.

I found a really neat way to cut down on our heating bills this winter. As you've probably read here before, we live in a pretty big house. It makes no sense to me to heat the entire house with the central unit when there are rooms we rarely go in. So instead we'll be buying a small ceramic heater to go in each room. After all, why pay to heat rooms we're not using.

Ceramic heaters are great. They are super cost efficient and very safe. Our friends did this last year using these and cut their heating bills in half. I suspect we'll see similar or even better results.

The one potential drawback I saw was having to go into a cold room and wait for it to heat up, but even that's not a problem. For instance I don't want to wake up in the morning and head down to a cold kitchen for my first coffee. But many of these heaters are programmable. That means I can set it to start heating an hour before I wake up, and when I get to the kitchen, it will be nice and toasty for me.

There are tons of ceramic heaters available and this website gives you all the details you'll need to pick out the perfect ones for you.

They review all the major brands too like Holmes, Pelonis, Bionaire, Honeywell, Lasko, Comfort Zone, Duraflame, Optimus, DeLonghi, Sunbeam, Sunpentown and others.

It's amazing how many there are to choose from.

Are you ready to watch your heating bills plummet?

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Getting Ready For Winter Heating Bills

I'm bound and determined to lower my bills this winter. It's amazing how high the gas bills were last year. No I'm not going to tell you, it would probably give you a heart attack. Suffice it to say it was more than I ever wanted to pay to heat my home.

Part of the problem is, our house is very big. But now that 4 of our 5 kids have married and move out, it's way more space than we need. But we're not going to move for a couple of reasons. For starters, moving is a pain in the rear. Second, we have seven grandchildren and we want a house big enough to accommodate everyone at family gatherings. And third, it's our hope that one day one of our kids will take over the house for their growing family.

So, what now?

Well there's no reason for us to heat the entire house all the time. Instead we are going to buy a few small ceramic heaters and place them in the rooms we actually use. I did the research and it's incredible how cheap it is to run a ceramic heater. And safe too.

I'm hoping the gas company will have to call because they suspect we've tampered with the meter this year because our bills are so small.

We'll see.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

One More Travel Story

This is more like the kind of travel I like. Get on a plane, arrive at your destination with the rental car waiting and drive to a nice (no not necessarily a 5 star) hotel. In addition to our camping trip we also took a sort of vacation this summer. It wasn't really a full vacation because we were leaving for our son's big baseball tournament, but it was still a week away from home so that counts for something.

Luggage has always been a sore spot with me and planes. It's rare that we buy a new piece that the airlines don't find a way to damage or otherwise destroy after a single flight. One piece that has somehow managed to survive several trips worth of such abuse is our Victorinox garment bag.

I decided that if I have something that can actually survive the treatment of airline workers as long as this has, I should probably tell everyone about it. And that's what I've done with my new page over at SirGo.

You can check it out here.

Rest Comfortably While Camping

My wife always said my idea of camping was staying at a Holiday Inn. So I'm not one to be spending a lot of time in the "great outdoors". Still, every year we spend a weekend camping at a state campground somewhere here in Texas.

No RV's allowed either. We use a tent only for sleeping, and at my age that gets a little more difficult every year. Plus, I hate air mattresses. I needed to come up with a solution for our weekend this year, so without telling anyone I went out and bought myself a Hennessy Hammock.

Imagine the surprised look on everyone's face when we got to our appointed destination and I began to get this thing out of the bag. What's so cool is that I had my "bed" set up before their tent was even halfway done.

This is not your typical hammock either. Actually, it's far from it. And it still qualifies at "roughing it" in my eyes. Plus it's the best I've slept on a camping trip in years.

I have a feeling I won't be the only one using one next year.

Find out more about it at my new SirGo page http://www.sirgo.com/hennessy-hammock.aspx

Love This Fitness Equipment

OK, as is frequently the case, it's been a long time since I've posted here. So before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post, let me just say that I haven't been doing much online at all, especially when it comes to Squidoo. Lots of changes over there and a site that I once loved has made it so it's simply not as much fun to write there anymore. So I'm trying out a new site... SirGo.com.

And although summer is winding down, I thought I would let you in on my goal of getting fit over the summer. No, I'm not sporting washboard abs or anything like that, but I have lost 30 pounds and much of it is because I've been working out on a new Total Gym.

Let me say that the idea of going to the gym is not something that I've ever been too fond of, and lifting weights just seems like too much work, plus you need a spotter which means another person has to be with you. When it comes to fitness, I much prefer to go solo. That's why I like the Total Gym. It's not too difficult and I can really see the results after only a few months.

In short, I'm happy with my purchase. Normally that means I would make some form of lens on Squidoo to give you all the details. Not this time. Actually you can see more details over on Sirgo at http://www.sirgo.com/total-gym-xls-reviews.aspx

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Am I Having A Flashback?

Yes, I'm an old hippie. Emphasis on old. And no, I'm not one of the millions who claims they were at Woodstock when they actually weren't. But I went to more than a few Grateful Dead concerts right up until the end.

Which brings me to something I saw the other day. I saw a new mom wrapping this big cloth around here before putting her baby in what looked like some of the homemade baby carriers I saw back in the day.

But this was different. It wasn't tattered and it had a really nice design on it. Plus everything seemed perfectly in place.

If you know me, you know I had to ask.

It turns out it was a Moby Wrap baby carrier. There's now an actual brand that makes something our generation did out of necessity. But these things are really nice.

Through our conversation I found out what she liked best about it, besides keeping her baby close, was the fact that there are no narrow shoulder straps that did into your shoulders. Those I'm aware of. We had a baby carrier that I hated for that very reason.

So naturally I did some research and found out all there is to know about the Moby Wrap. I'd get one for my kids but they'd probably think it's just dad being an old hippie again.

Shopping For Valentines

I'll admit right up front. I'm probably the worst gift giver in the universe. I do fine with the grand kids. They're easy to shop for. But there's no question in the world that if you ask my wife or adult daughters who is the worst gift giver in the world, they would not hesitate for one second before pointing me out.

I hate gift giving occasions for that very reason.

So I hesitate to even tell you this, but I've been shopping for Valentine's day and came up with this idea. A mother daughter necklace.

Sounds pretty good to me. It's actually two necklaces, one for the mom (my lovely wife) and one for one of our daughters. They somehow go together.

I think it's a good idea, but what do I know. Not much if you ask them. But hopefully this year will be different. I look at it this way. They'll either both love me or both hate me together.

Here's what I'm talking about.

Keeping An Eye On The Baby In The Other Room

I'm not a fossil, although my kids may think I am. We actually had baby monitors when our kids were small. We'd put one in the nursery and be able to hear if he or she actually woke up at night.

We even had video monitors available to us, although quite frankly I never saw the need for one.

But the video monitors today are awesome.

We were just looking at a Lorex Baby Monitor and are starting to change our opinion about the usefulness of being able to see as well as hear.

First of all, you can be in any room and see what's happening with your baby. That's a given. But it's also great for small children too. Keep an eye on them while they're playing elsewhere. I almost feel like 007 with one of these.

And what's really cool is you can get a camera for 4 different rooms, and walk where ever you want with the monitoring end in your hand. If you have multiple kids and are trying to do the housework and cooking, this is great.

You can even use it as a security device.

One other feature that's pretty neat is that if you happen to spy your child doing something really cute, you can press a button on the monitor and take a picture. Granted the picture is pretty poor quality, but at least you've captured the moment.

Find out more about this monitor at my new lens.

Something The Little Ones Can Drive Like Fred Flintstone

When my kids were little, they played with and loved the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. That hard plastic car is still around today and the grand kids still use it.

But the boys want something a little more cooler. And that's why I'm considering getting a Little Tikes Truck.

It's basically the same as the coup my kids used to have. It's powered courtesy of their two feet. It's hard plastic. And it's built to last. But this is a truck.

Actually, there's several trucks for parents and grandparents to choose from. And I know I said this is for the boys, but they make one for little girls too. Not that they can't drive around in the boy truck but the one made for them is pink and purple. What little girls wouldn't love that.

When I think of Little Tikes trucks I generally think of things they can push around with their hands. Those are great toys. But this is one step better.

Check it out at my Squidoo lens.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

My Grandson (The Builder) Has A Birthday Soon

Sometimes figuring out what to get small kids for birthdays can be hard. But most of the time you know what he's fixated on (most small children are fixated on something) and the choice becomes easy.

For my grandson, the choice was really easy. Some kids love dinosaurs, some love video games, my grandson loves to build things. His dad (my son-in-law) has his own workshop. He's out there all the time building things out of wood. My grandson loves to be out there with him.

So I just knew a Little Tikes workshop would be perfect. He could set it up in the work area and while his dad is busy building the newest glider or swing he's designed, he could build (or pretend build) something of his own.

Sometimes I'm amazed at how easy it is to shop for gifts if you start with Little Tikes products.

The Home Improvement workshop is the one I chose simply because it fits his age perfectly. But there are workshops for smaller kids too.

See all that's available at my new Squidoo lens.

A Wagon For Work Or Play

No matter how you look at it, wagons are awesome.

They're great for pulling your kids around. And kids love pulling their dolls or toys around in them. They're useful if you want ot walk to the grocery store. And there's so many other uses.

I had a Radio Flyer wagon when I was a child. It's a classic and still highly recommended. But for my own kids I wanted something a little more sturdy and lasting. So if you've been reading this blog at all you probably know the first thing I did was check out what Little Tikes has to offer.

What I found was there are a lot of Little Tikes wagons.

Boy wagons have come a long way. There's canopies, coolers attached, individual seating, sides that come down and much more. It's the difference between a luxury vehicle and an old Ford Pinto (yes I had one).

You can also get them in a number of different sizes depending on your needs.

I finally decided to get a Lil' Red Wagon. I guess I'm still a traditionalist at heart. But you really need to see everything else that's available.

So I've laid it all out for you on my new Squidoo lens.

What Child Doesn't Like A Playhouse?

I know kids love playhouses. My own kids love them and my grand kids are now playing in the same Little Tikes playhouses my own kids played in.

That doesn't mean they are playing in new models. They are playing in the very same playhouses. How's that for products that last.

The difference now is that there are so many more playhouses to choose from than there was when I was buying them for my children.

I figured it was about time my grand children got a new one, so I immediately started looking at what Little Tikes had to offer. No need to change brands when these have lasted so long. What I didn't expect was that I'd have so many more options.

Like the kitchens I wrote about in my last post, there's probably about 10 playhouses to choose from.

Since most of my grands have boys and girls living in the same family, I decided I needed one that was kind of unisex. That meant I could eliminate things like the Race N Refuel Pit Stop (too bad, I really like this one) and the Pink Cottage right off the bat.

I ended up settling on the Endless Adventure Tikes Town, but it wasn't an easy choice.

If you want to see the different items that I had to consider check out the new Squidoo lens I built.

Little Tikes Kitchens - More Options

We've already looked at the Super Chef Kitchen and the Grillin' Grand Kitchen from Little Tikes, but closer examination reveals that there are more Little Tikes Kitchens to choose from.

The two I've already looked at are clearly made for slightly older children. But let's not forget about the smaller kids too. After all, with two more grands on the way I've got to broaden my thought process to include gifts and toys for them.

So here's what I found. There's actually about 10 different Little Tikes kitchens including the ones I already mentioned. But here's the beauty of Little Tikes, you can get items for even the smallest of children.

The DiscoverSounds and Mudpie kitchens are ideal not just for pretend cooking, but for learning as well. Your child doesn't even have to walk yet to enjoy playing with these. And there's a Cupcake kitchen for those who just want to pretend bake goodies for the family.

There's also the Cook N' Grow, the Sizzle N' Pop, and the Backyard Barbecue to go along with the ones mentioned in previous posts.

In short, there's a lot of options.

If you want to see them all check out this Squidoo lens.

Friday, January 25, 2013

I Wasn't Expecting To Buy This (Honest)

While shopping for the Little Tikes Dollhouse I came across the coolest item. And I mean coolest in both a liter and figurative sense.

I came across a Little Tikes Water Table.

Maybe I'm behind the times but I had never seen or heard of these before, but apparently they're more popular than I would have ever known.

What caught my eye was one that's shaped like a ship. One of my grand sons loves boats, so I immediately thought of him when I saw it. Yes I know it's winter, but his 3rd birthday is this spring so I had to buy it and put it away for a birthday gift.

I know he will love it.

Now if you're like me and have no idea what a water table is, basically it's a table on four legs that's shaped like something (in this case a boat) that holds water and has lots of things that spin and move as the water passes through.

It's not something they can get in so there's no chance of an accident. It's just something they can splash around with and have lots of fun.

It's actually not that easy to explain. You'll just need to check it out for yourself at the links below.

I'm On A Little Tikes Roll

Wow there are a lot of dollhouses on the market!

I suspect that's because there are so many different kinds of people that love them. There's dollhouses made for little girls, all the way up to the more fancy and realistic ones that grown ladies still display well into adulthood.

For little girls, I was looking for one that would be sturdy, easy to clean and fun. So as you may have guessed I immediately started looking for a Little Tikes dollhouse.

They are, of course, all those things. They are also easy to handle, and that's important for little hands. The pieces are big enough that young girls can easily set up their homes in any fashion they choose.

And speaking of choices, unlike most Little Tikes products there's only two that I really considered. There's the more traditional Classic Dollhouse and the 2-in-1 Dollhouse. It's 2-in-1 because in addition to being a dollhouse, it's also a playhouse.

We settled on the Classic simply because we have something different in mind for a playhouse. We'll tell you about that in a later post.

But for now check out these two options and get whichever one would work best for the little girl in your life.

Storing All Those Toys

My kids hate me.

OK so they don't really hate me. But I can see the look of frustration I get sometimes when I bring over a new toy for one of their children.

Basically they think I'm to blame (and actually I am) for all the toys laying around all over their house.

But I'm nothing if not considerate. So if I'm going to keep bringing over all these toys, the least I can do is get them a toy box so they have a place to put them all.

You already know I love Little Tikes, so the only question in my mind is which of the Little Tikes toy boxes to get. You get plenty of choices, and they are all made with the usual Little Tikes high quality.

I didn't want to get one too big because there might not be enough space for it. And I didn't want to get one too small either. Fortunately there's plenty of sizes, colors and shapes to choose from.

So what did I end up with? Well I got a nice pink one for my grand daughter to put all her toys in, and I got one shaped like a basketball for my grand son. But it wasn't an easy choice. I really wanted to get the Primary Colors toy box for both of them, or the Thomas the Tank Engine toy box, but in the end I figured it would be better to get two separate ones so they wouldn't throw all their toys together.

You might not think it's all that difficult to pick out a toy box, but when you see the full selection at my new lens you'll understand why this was not as easy as you might expect.

Super Chef For The Little Chef In The House

So we're not done with toy kitchens, and we're far from being done with talking about Little Tikes.

The truth is, I love just about everything from Little Tikes. I love the hard plastic that's almost impossible to break. I love how sturdy their products are. And I love how easy they are to clean. But most of all I love seeing how much fun my kids had, and now my grand kids are having, when playing with them.

Oh and that's something worth mentioning. The grands are playing with the same items I bought my kids 25 plus years ago. How's that for durability.

So it should come as no surprise that when we do decide to buy something new, Little Tikes is our "go to" line of products.

Which brings us to the focus of this post; the Little Tikes Super Chef Kitchen.

I could take forever to list off all the things that make this such a good product. In fact I already mentioned several of them above.

But what made this perfect for my grand daughter is the house they live in. With 3 kids in the house there's not a lot of additional space. Many of the kitchens, including the Kidkraft kitchens I talked about in a previous post, take up a lot of wall space.

I love that Kidkraft kitchen but realize it's just not feasible for everyone.

The Little Tikes Super Chef Kitchen is.

It fits nicely in a corner so it won't take up a whole wall. It has everything a mom has in her real kitchen and there's plenty of storage space for all the extras you'll probably be getting over time.

Really, you need to see it for yourself. And you can do that on my new lens.

Time To Look At Toy Kitchens

Kids love toy kitchens. Little girls love to imitate their mom when they are busy preparing a meal. Little boys do too, although probably to a lesser degree. But those same boys love to imitate their dad when he's out in the backyard firing up the grill and putting on a big slab of some kind of meat.

When there's a little boy and a little girl in the same house you can now get a toy kitchen that will have both of them covered. The Little Tikes Grillin Grand Kitchen is perfect for this type of family.

Our grand kids use it all the time. And they use it together.

It's really great to see them playing together and getting along. I can already picture what's going to happen in a little over a week. You know, Super Bowl Sunday.

I can picture my grand daughter whipping up appetizers on her half while my grand son will be cooking some burgers and hot dogs,

Basically it comes down to this. If you need a toy kitchen suitable for both a young man and a young lady, this is probably the one to get.

And of course being from Little Tikes you know it's quality, sturdy, and will be easy to clean for both you and them.

You can check it out at my new lens.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kitchen Playsets From Kidkraft

As you may have realized, my two favorite brands of kids items are Fisher Price and Little Tikes. But when I was looking for a toy kitchen, Kidkraft entered the mix in a big way. And I mean that literally.

Kidkraft kitchen playsets are large, and pretty much contain everything you could possibly want in a kitchen.

Look around your own (real) kitchen. See all the various items you have in there. Chances are you can get most of them for your Kidkraft kitchen.

This is really important because when children want to imitate their parents, they want to be able to do everything their parents are able to do.

If you use a mixer, she or he will want to use one too. If you make smoothies, your kids are going to want to pretend to make them as well.

That's what's so great about the Kidkraft kitchens, they have just about every accessory you would find in a real kitchen.

But it doesn't just stop with the accessories. The kitchens themselves are great. Some of them are huge. And they are all good quality.

You'll probably be shocked when you visit my Squidoo lens and see everything that's available.

A Little Tikes Bed Might Just Last Forever

When my kids were little, my son had a red Little Tikes Race Car bed. My other son used it too.

My daughter had one of those Little Tikes cottage looking beds. My other daughters also used it at one time or another.

Now with 5 grand kids and two more on the way, those beds have been passed down and are still in use. How's that for durable. But with more than two grand children at the age where they could use a bed this size, we might just have to break down and get another Little Tikes Bed.

The question becomes which one to get. My favorite is the Thomas the Tank Engine bed, but that seems more boy specific. I want one that can be used by both boys and girls so it can get passed around to different families.

I'll probably end up getting the Noah's Ark bed. That one seems more gender neutral. But there are plenty of other choices.

I'm pretty sure that my great grandkids will end up using it too. It's that durable.

I've put down all the choices in a new lens on Squidoo in case you're interested.

Another Facet To My Getting In Shape Plan

I told you earlier I'm going to resume boxing workouts (not actually boxing) to get back in some for of decent shape.

That included running. OK maybe not running but some form of light outdoor aerobic exercise. Call it jogging, or just walking fast is probably more like it for me.

I don't want to give up too much family time to do this, especially when the grandkids are visiting. So I decided it would be wise to get something that would allow me to take them along when I'm out. This turned out to be an InStep Double Jogging Stroller.

As it stands now, I'm hoping it gets a lot of use, especially with two new grand babies due in about a month. If it doesn't get used it means I've fallen down on my mid-January resolution.

When doing some checking I realized this would be just what I needed when I'm jogging with the babies. It's fairly light, the wheels move easy, there's separate canopies so each child can either have it or not individually, there's even rain covers and bug covers. I didn't get the last two things however. I have no plans on jogging or power walking when the weather is bad. And I certainly wouldn't take the grandkids out in bad weather.

There's a lot to like about these strollers which I detail in my new Squidoo lens.

Garage Sales And Tools

I told you it's been unseasonably warm here so far, and that means there's quite a few garage sales. We don't usually get many of them in the winter but not this year.

Anyway, if you go to garage sales you'll always find a lot of tools. And being the tool nut that I am (my wife says I have a problem), I can't resist looking and maybe buying a few.

But this weekend I came across a radial arm saw. I didn't think they even made them anymore so while standing in the driveway I decided to do some research. Aren't iPhones great?

Anyway, yes they still make them. I know I used to have one but it died and I didn't see any reason to get another. I could do everything this saw could do with other tools I had lying around.

But in the course of my driveway research I realized I hadn't even touched the surface of what could be accomplished with one of these. If I had known all this way back when I probably wouldn't have gotten all those other tools.

OK so that's a lie. I probably would have gotten them anyway. I just wouldn't have needed them.

Wondering what you could do with your old radial arm saw or interested in getting a new one? Check out this Squidoo lens.

Oh and by the way, I ended up getting the saw.

Planning Ahead For Spring Cleaning

I know it's January, so the title of this post seems kind of silly. But it's in the 60's today so I couldn't help myself.

I love the snow, and I love the siding on my house, but after the snow melts it inevitably leaves dirty streaks down the side. Those things are a pain to clean if you have to get up a ladder or try to wash them away with a garden hose.

That's why I started reading electric pressure washer reviews.

I started looking with the house in mind, but after reading I've found a number of other uses for one of these.

The driveway, the fence, the cars, the boat (OK I don't have a boat), could all benefit from my owning one of these. I think my wife likes the idea too, primarily because she like to see me working. LOL

Anyway, as I said, I was reading the reviews and decided on electric instead of gas for a number of reasons. The primary reason being that I don't think I'll need one with enough power to sand blast the color off the siding. Electric is cheaper too.

If you want to find out more about what I learned then just visit my Squidoo lens.

Time (Again) To Get Healthy

It's been a few days since I posted here. And that of course means I have a lot to talk about today, starting with my new found desire to get in shape.

Actually it's only new found because my doctor said I needed to do something or I was going to be in big trouble health wise.

You'd never believe it to see me now, but I used to be an athlete. One of those guys who lettered in 3 high school sports and also did some boxing. I think it was boxing that got me in the best shape so that's why I'm going to do now.

No I'm not going to step into the ring ever again, but a boxing type workout is on the agenda. That means hitting a speed bag and a heavy bag placed on a new heavy bag stand.

It also means I'll be jumping rope, but those are easy to find and choose.

The hard part is deciding on a bag and stand. I had to do some serious research on picking out the right stand and I've decided to go with an Everlast.

I'll use my old gloves since I won't be hitting anything but a bag.

Here's some of the research I did while looking for the stand on my new Squidoo lens.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Just Saw The Latest Batman Movie

Am I the last person on the planet to finally see The Dark Knight Rises?

I finally broke down and went to Redbox and rented it for an evening. I had already seen the previous ones, and while I'm not a huge fan, I did enjoy them. And I enjoyed The Dark Knight too. Anne Hathaway is a really good Cat Woman.

As you might expect, I have a grandson who really likes Batman. And if you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I'm a big fan of Fisher Price and Imaginext toys. So it made sense, given that I had just seen the movie, that I would start looking to see what Imaginext Batman toys were available.

To my surprise, there was way more than I thought.

You're not just getting Batman here. You have the potential to build almost an entire Gotham city.

I really like the Imaginext Batcave and all that comes with it, but there's so much more, including figures (both good guys and bad guys) and items for all your favorite baddies too.

Looks like I've got plenty to choose from when the next birthday rolls around.

If you have a little Batman fan is your life, check out my new Squidoo lens to see everything you can get.

I'm No Boxer But I Play One During Workouts

Let me say right from the start that I'm not a boxer. I've never really gotten into fighting and probably (cliche coming) couldn't box my way out of a paper bag.

But I do like to workout. And some exercises typically associated with boxing are great for normal people too. Not that I'm saying boxers aren't normal.

Anyway, one of those exercises is hitting a heavy bag

There's so many benefits to it if you do it right. Sure it builds strength. It builds endurance, It's a great cardio exercise workout. And best of all, it's a great way to relieve any frustration you may be feeling.

So I got one for my home.

Yup, our house is big enough (now that 4 of the 5 kids are grown and moved out) that we actually have a room dedicated to fitness equipment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm far from an exercise freak. But I do like to go in there most days and spend 30 minutes or so doing something that's good for me.

So I got some boxing gloves, a heavy bag, and a heavy bag stand.

Picking out the bag was easy. Picking out the stand... not so much. There's a lot to choose from and you really want to get it right. The wrong stand can ruin everything.

And the cost differences were huge.

But I finally got an Everlast (sturdy and well know brand) and not can go work out any frustration I may be feeling whenever I need to.

One thing you have to know about hitting a heavy bag. If you want to get the full benefit you have to do it right. My new Squidoo lens supplies some tips if this is something you may be interested.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Would You Really Pay This Much For A Stroller?

Today's post has nothing to do with anything I'm planning on buying. It's just something I came across when doing a little online searching for strollers. Don't forget I have two grand children due in a month or so.

Anyway, while looking at strollers I came across the iCandy stroller. The picture looked good so I clicked to check it out. And what jumped out at me was the price.

The one I clicked on cost $1000 (actually $999 but why quibble). Really? Is this stroller made out of gold? Does it have diamond studded handles?

To be fair, not all of them cost this much. One of them was a mere $250, and most were in the $500 dollar (and up) range. That's a lot of money to wheel your kid around. Kind of reminds me of those high dollar designer purses. You know, the ones where you're paying for the name but otherwise, they're not much different from the purses you'd get in your local department store.

Naturally I looked closer, trying to determine what could possibly make a stroller cost that much.

For starters, it's British made. I'm not sure that makes it better... I'm just sayin'.

Turns out this stroller has some really nice features you can't get anywhere else. Does that make it worth the money? Well I guess that depends on you. If you have the money to spend then maybe it will be worth it to you. If you don't, you'll probably do just as well with some of the other strollers I've already mentioned in this blog.

If you want to see for yourself just what makes the stroller better, then go ahead and check out my latest Squidoo lens.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Great Item For Toddlers

If the best thing you could say about Little Tikes toys is that they are extremely durable, that would probably be enough. We all know that inside or outside, Little Tikes are built to withstand the inevitable mishaps and destruction attempts that little ones can dish out.

But Little Tikes toys are so much more than durable. They're also fun.

Such is the case with the Little Tikes Climb and Slide Castle. My grand kids really love this thing. This is one of those toys that stays at my house. It doesn't go home with any particular child because they all love it so much.

It's lasted through 5 grand kids so far, and I'm sure it will make it through the next two that will be here in a month or so.

You could understand that with some toys. If they're not fun they don't get played with. And if they don't get played with they don't get damaged (usually).

But this one is played with all the time so you know it's fun.

And I like the fact that the kids are active and improving motor skills. They climbing up the rock wall. That actually took some getting used to (about 5 minutes) but they climb it like a pro. And then they get to slide down the slide. It's a perfect size for a toddler. Not so high or steep that it can be scary.

They even stand at the top and turn the steering wheel. At least that's what I think it is, but why there's a steering wheel on a castle I haven't figured out yet.

Anyway, if you have a toddler check it out at my new Squidoo lens.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Keeping My Man Card

I've been spending so much time writing about baby items and girly things lately that you may be wondering if I have a life outside of the kids and grand kids.

That's why I feel compelled to tell you about a new item I'm getting for the shop. My favorite hobby (yes I have several) is wood working. In fact we even built a large shed in the yard just so I would have a safe place to keep my stuff and escape to do my wood work.

But when I come in after working on a project for a couple of hours my wife tells me my voice sounds a little gruff and it's not unusual for me to be dried out and coughing.

Truth is, when you work with wood, you're going to have a lot of dust in the air. And that's why I'm getting a Grizzly dust collector.

That should keep the dust in the air (and consequently my lungs) down to a minimum. Grizzly makes several models with varying horse power engines. I think one of the smaller ones will do for my purposes. No need to spend more than I need to.

From everything I've read, I'm anticipating it will make a huge difference once it arrives and I set it up. Hopefully it's as easy to put up and operate as I've been led to believe.

If you work around wood or any other dusty area, you may want to check out my Squidoo lens and see the the potential benefits.

And Something For The Young Man Too

It's only fair. If I'm going to get something for my grand daughter, I need to get something for her brother too. Hmmm... What should I get?

Well, he loves trains. I'm pretty sure most boys do. And he loves Thomas and has all the engines from the show.

I've got it!

I'll get the Kidkraft Waterfall Mountain Train Set and Table.

Check this one out. It's really cool. It's a table with a train layout on top with lots of moving parts to allow the trains to chug around all over. It's got bins to keep everything in which is definitely needed since it comes with over 100 pieces.

On a side note my kids think I hate them because I'm always buying stuff with small pieces that they seemingly only find when they are walking at night and step on them. But that's another story.

Like the dollhouse I told you about in my last post, this is a pretty large toy. In fact it's over 4 feet long so space really could be an issue. But it's really something worth considering.

Check it out at my new Squidoo lens.

A Marvelous Dollhouse

OK, now on to more pleasant topics.

One of my grand daughters needs a new dollhouse. Here come Grandma and Grandpa to the rescue.

But there is a lot of them out there. So the trick is to find one that's durable, and gives the young lady plenty of options to express her creativity. We also want one that's not to hard to put together, but that's another story.

I really like the Kidkraft Majestic Mansion Dollhouse.

What I like best about it however can also be a drawback to some people.

It's huge.

That of course makes it easy to play with and allows you to rearrange rooms with plenty of space. It also allows and old guy with aging eyes like me to easily be able to play with the child. Pieces are bigger and easy to handle and see.

But that also means it also takes up a pretty good amount of space. Maybe not as much as you'd think but if you don't have the room for it....

I'm going to run this one by my daughter and see what she thinks. If she says she doesn't have room for it... Well this is an item that just might have to stay at Grandpa's house. I don't have a problem with that.

Here's more on the Majestic Mansion if you'd like to see it.

Advice For My Daughter

OK, so this isn't unsolicited advice. I normally stay away from that. But the other day my daughter asked me for advice.

She knows that I'm kind of a geek and spend a lot of time researching stuff for the babies on the internet, so she asked me if I had come across a good breast pump because she needs a new one.

Awkward.

Anyway, that's not something I had spent a lot of time (OK any time actually) researching, but told her I would do some looking for a quality pump that was inexpensive. What I settled on was the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Breast Pump.

Lots of cool things about this one including how adjustable it is, yada yada, blah, blah. I'm not interested.

But what really caught my attention was how it's made.

I had been hearing a lot of stuff lately about BPA and the horrible effects it could potentially have on your baby. I don't think anything is proven yet (I'm not sure), but why risk it.

Lansinoh uses no BPA in making their stuff.

That's all I needed to know.

Sold.

Here's my Squidoo lens on this.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Bookends - Wow That Was Hard

So you already know we're getting a trophy case to show off everything our kids have done over the years. We thought it would be kind of cool to put their yearbooks and what not on top. That means of course that we would need a nice set of decorative bookends. Sounds like finding them would be a pretty simple task right.

Nope! Not even close.

Holy smokes there's a lot of them out there. We had to choose the kind of material we wanted. Wood, marble, brass, cast iron... they were all on the list of possibilities.

Then most importantly, there's the design factor. About the only thing I knew for sure was that we didn't want those flat metal ones that slide under the books and really don't make a statement.

Yup, making a decorative statement was probably priority one.

Well whatever kind of statement you want to make, there's bookends available to make it. Since these were school yearbooks we decided on a scholarly pair that we like best, but we can't buy it yet because we're not exactly sure what trophy case we're getting.

It will be a lot easier to match the bookends to the case rather than the other way around. At least it seems that way to me.

But when you check out my new Squidoo lens and see all the bookends available you may not be so sure anymore.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

No Way I'm Washing Dishes By Hand

The words in the title of this post were actually spoken to me by my daughter. Because of a new baby on the way, she and her husband are looking to move out of their small apartment and into a house.

Like her parents, she likes old things. Antiques and older homes are great. And she looked at one house build 80+ years ago that would be absolutely perfect. There's only 1 problem. It doesn't have a dishwasher. That's hardly a reason not to consider a house in my mind.

The thing is, it's a very large house, with a very large kitchen. It's just not set up for a dishwasher. They didn't use them that long ago and although most of the house has been updated the kitchen has not.

Go figure. That's one of the first things I would update, but that's another story.

Anyway, I tried to explain that a portable dishwasher would solve all her problems but she remains unconvinced. I even tried to tell her about new countertop dishwashers, but still no sale. Although she's probably right that a countertop model would not be big enough for their growing family.

I'm not sure how this story will end, but I'll let you know what she decides.

In the meantime, you'll be amazed at how good portable dishwashers are now when you check out my new Squidoo lens.

What To Do With All These Trophies

I don't like to brag (well maybe a little), but we were cleaning out a close yesterday to put some of the new baby items and came across a big, dusty box. Inside we found dozens of trophies that our children had won when they were younger. They were all pretty athletic.

I hated just seeing them (or not seeing them) sit in there so we decided it was time to put them on display. In other words, we need a trophy case.

We've actually got a pretty good spot picked out for it, we just need to decide which one to buy.

I thought this would be a simple process, but as usual, I was wrong. We have to figure out how big it needs to be. We need to figure out what style, color and material it should be. And we need to choose from tons of options. Oh, and we need to settle on a budget too.

Remember that not everything that displays trophies is actually labeled as an actual trophy case. You can pick from literally hundreds of different curios that will do the same thing. Are they specifically made for trophies? No. But they will work just as well and some of them look great.

So here again is a new Squidoo lens for you to peruse if you might need some form of display case for your memories.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Knitting As A Hobby

Everybody needs a hobby. My wife has decided that with two new grand kids on the way she is going to make knitting hers. She picked up a couple of books and the necessary supplies and has started on wool hats for the little ones.

The hardest part so far has been picking out the wool yarn she will use. I guess hard isn't the word, more like challenging. You see there's just so much out there to choose from.

You would think wool is wool right? Nope. There's different wool blends, different thicknesses of the yarn, and of course a massive amount of colors. There's even synthetic wools that most people say she should stay away from.

Wow that's a lot to learn for what was expected to be a simple hobby.

Anyway, she settled on something called Superwash wool because it's supposed to not itch like traditional wool. She also decided not to go with the traditional pink and blue. She doesn't want her grand babies looking like everyone elses.

Now we'll have to see how things turn out. There's still about 1.5 to 2 months before the babies are due so there's no telling how much she'll be able to get done in that time. She's pretty crafty so I'm betting she catches on pretty quick.

If you're looking to learn more about wool and see what's available, be sure to check out my new Squidoo lens on the topic.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Changing From A Desk Chair To A Drafting Stool

One thing you've probably realized by now is that I spend at least a few hours every day sitting at a computer, building lenses and writing these blog posts.

I really love my ergonomic chair from Herman Miller. I've had it for a few years now. But I'm seriously considering getting a drafting stool instead.

Don't think this necessarily means one of those round little backless stools you see in a doctor's office. Yes it can mean that. But drafting stools come with arms if you want them and a lot more.

With my big chair, I feel kind of confined. It basically gives me the feeling of being locked into the desk with no escape. I know that's not the case but it's just the way I feel.

A drafting stool on the other had would give me more mobility. I would get one without arm rests since I never use them anyway. It makes the whole set up feel more open.

I also think I would enjoy the round foot ring at the bottom of the seat.

What really surprised me was the number of different options that are available. So, as always, here's my new Squidoo lens that tells why this may be the best option for any home or corporate office space.

Putting In Our Own Hardwood Floors

Another thing we're seriously considering is putting in hardwood floors in our home.

I'm a do-it-yourself kind of guy, so I really want to try this myself. Notice I said try. I didn't say I was good at all these projects. But if I can do it I'll make the effort in order to save some money. If I fail, so be it. Then I'll just call in a contractor to fix the mess I've made.

Yes I've had to do that before. And sometimes I end up spending a little more this way. But in the long run, over the many projects I've tried (and often completed), I know I've saved thousands of dollars by doing this myself.

But to put in these floors I'm going to need some tools. And one necessity is a pneumatic floor nailer. I've found two I'm really interested in getting and I wrote about them in my new Squidoo lens. I'll give you some links below.

But first I want to talk briefly about why I want hardwood floors to begin with.

I like carpeting, but I hate cleaning it. And with grand kids and dogs it can get really dirty really fast. Yes I could go with darker carpet, but if you read my previous post you know that I'm interested in making my rooms look bigger not smaller.

Hardwood floors with a light wood just seems like the perfect solution.

So that's where it stands right now.

And here's where you can find out more about the pneumatic floor nailer.

Using Mirrors To Increase Space

I'm going to take a little break from writing about baby stuff because we've got some home improvement projects in the works and I would like to tell you a little bit about them.

For background, we live in a pretty large house. But not all the rooms are large. Actually some are fairly small and we needed a way to make them look bigger. We've heard all the typical things like painting the walls a lighter color etc., but our walls are already white so that isn't really an option.

One thing that worked out surprisingly well is by adding standing mirrors in a couple of rooms. It's really simple and really effective. And these mirrors can look great too.

If there's a drawback it's that you have to see yourself if you walk by. At least that's a drawback for me, maybe not for you.

And the positioning of those mirrors makes a huge difference on the effect it has.

I did some research online and found out the best places for these mirrors to have maximum effect. It would take me way to long to list them all here, but I did put them in a new Squidoo lens (naturally).

If you want to learn how to use these mirrors in your own home I suggest you check it out. Then follow some of the design ideas and you'll be amazed at what kind of effect it will have.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Traveling With A Baby Means You Need A Travel System

In our last post we talked about how we to keep a baby contained and help him sleep while on the road. Yes everybody needs a travel crib. But what about getting from place to place? The obvious answer is a complete travel system. And once again we turn to Graco for the solution.

I really love the Graco Alano Travel system for a number of reasons. But let's start with the basics and let you know what a travel system is.

Basically, it's a stroller and a car seat. Sounds pretty simple right? You're probably asking why not just buy a stroller and a car seat. Well, you could. But the advantage of buying a complete system is that everything fits together perfectly.

Think about this. The car seat base is in the car. You bring your baby out of the house in your car seat and snap it in place. No need to transfer him from one seat to another.

You arrive at the mall. Now you just unsnap the car seat and snap it into the stroller. No need to wake the baby up by removing him from the car seat and putting him in the stroller.

Now do you see why this is so good?

The thing I like about the Alano is that the entire system is fairly lightweight. The SnugRide car seat is extremely safe. And best of all, it's relatively inexpensive compared to other travel systems on the market.

Read more about it at this Squidoo lens.

Time To Hit The Road So Travel Lite (Crib of Course)

When you travel with a baby as we'll be doing, the last thing you want to do is carry around big, bulky and heavy items that you'll need for your child (or grand child).

That's why we're getting set with a couple of new items I'll talk about today.

The first is the Graco Travel Lite Crib. The obvious advantage to any travel crib is that it is lightweight and easy to move from one location to another. Great. That's to be expected. However Graco takes this a step further by making this smaller than most bassinets and playards. The difference is up to 20%.

That may seem like a lot of space and it is, but it's not enough to lower the baby's comfort level. And it is enough to keep the weight of the crib down and allow you to place it in smaller locations. That's a big plus.

Plus the Travel light actually offers 3 different levels for the baby, all the way from a shallow bassinet to a deeper playard type setting. In other words, it allows your baby room to grow without outgrowing the crib.

Anyway, you can see how all this would be pretty handy. If you want to learn more about it then check out this Squidoo lens.