Babyganics Stain, Stain, Go Away Stain Remover
Babyganics Stain, Stain, Go Away Stain Remover is only the 2nd stain remover we have tried (the other required a bit more elbow grease…and we don’t like grease on our elbows around here), but I think we have a keeper. If you have ever changed an explosive leaky diaper, you know how much scrubbing you have to do later…on the onesie, on the pants, on the sleeper, on the changing pad sheet, basically on anything that the poop touched, sometimes that could be on your own clothes. And for all you new moms out there, that tiny body can produce a ton of poop. It’s crazy, I know.
So after a leak, just spray, chill (you, not the clothes), and wash (the clothes, not you). It’s that easy. If you couldn’t get to the stain in time and it’s drying up already, no worries, just repeat the steps. One time we did not have time to get to the stain on Emily’s pants because we didn’t know it leaked that far. We sprayed it the next day and it still came out. And if you get to the stain right away, you can even possibly see the stain lift right off of the clothes when you rinse it.
This works for food stains and pukey spit-up stains, too. And don’t worry about how toxic it is, because it’s not. Here are the ingredients: Plant Derived Cleaning Agents (Coconut, Palm Kernel Based Surfactants, Filtered Water, Naturally Derived Quality Control Agents and Preservative (less than 0.1%).
Other reviews of Babyganics Stain, Stain, Go Away Stain Remover:
Babies ‘R Us
GoodGuide
drugstore.com
diapers.com
- Joyce
Sushi House
Address: 2375 Shoreline Drive, Alameda, CA 94501-6228
Phone: (510) 865-0999
Website: http://www.e-sushihouse.com/
I can’t believe we haven’t reviewed Sushi House yet. We’ve been here multiple times and Sushi House is the standard to what we compare Japanese restaurants against. They’re most known for their Lion King Roll and Bay Scallop Roll. They’re both baked Maki rolls wrapped in foil. We usually just order a bunch of rolls and share it with friends and/or family.
Of course, they also have my favorite Amaebi, complete with daikon and fried shrimpheads. I’m also a sucker for Sashimi of various kinds, rolls containing Sashimi, and Chirashi.
For the kids, Melody ordered the Tenzaru Soba noodles once (it came with tempura) and it was HUGE. Of course, she also had to have her favorites: Inari and Edamame. The chidren’s plate was better suited for her as it was just the right proportion of food. This comes with a choice of one entree item, tempura, miso soup, salad (which she absolutely loved), and rice.
The only drawback to Sushi House is the line. There are no reservations, so you have to get into the door as soon as possible to write your name on the waiting list. Waits can be from 15 minutes to 45 minutes depending on what time of the day you go and how many people are frequenting the place.
- Norm
Children’s Menu [y]
Changing Station [?]
Highchairs/Boosters [y]
Stroller Access [average]
Other reviews of Sushi House:
yelp
google
tripadvisor
Yahoo! Local
tastyr
insiderpages
citysearch
urbanspoon
uptake
Music and Lyrics
Music and Lyrics
2007
Directed by Marc Lawrence
Rated PG-13
Hugh Grant plays a “has been” 80s singer trying to continue in his career. A tween queen singer wants him to write a song for her album. He is at a loss for words until a new plant lady, played by Drew Barrymore, shows up at his place. Out with the old lyristist and in with the plant lady who has a way with words. There are so many funny moments in this movie that made me laugh. The song they end up with is not too shabby either.
Other reviews of Music and Lyrics:
Rotten Tomatoes
Yahoo! Movies
Cinema Blend
Amazon
metacritic
Flixster
- Joyce
Acura RDX
The Acura RDX is the family car that replaced my beloved STi. I drove it to work when Melody was born. Now Joyce drives it around to run errands and visit close-by family since I take BART to work.
Although I loved the performance aspect of the STi, I could never fully utilize its sportiness unless I brought it out to a track (which I never did). The RDX has paddle shifters, but the response isn’t as immediate as it was in the STi. It takes about one full second for up/downshifting to occur.
The thing I like about the RDX is its technology and since I’m somewhat of a tech junkie….it’s a perfect fit. The RDX has voice-activated commands for navigation, audio, and air circulation. Bluetooth Hands-Free linkage to cell phones is standard. Since we bought the Tech Package (the only option that was available on the RDX at the time), it also came with a Navi system with rearview backup camera (love it!…..so useful when parking) and 3 complimentary months of XM radio/NavTraffic. The HomeLink system replaced our garage door opener when programmed.
Of course, the RDX’s trunk area had to fit all my electric guitar equipment (pedalboard, small amp, and electric guitar in tweed case) or my Taylor acoustic across. There is ample space back there like there was with my parents’ slightly smaller Forester. There’s also a removable trunk cover and a small trunk light on the left-hand side.
Like on the STi, we got the xenon HID headlamps for better driving visibility, although the headlamps don’t adjust vertically like they can on the STi.
The only thing I dislike about the RDX is its gas mileage. It could get a little better gas mileage than the average 17-19 MPG it gets from normal driving. In future models, Acura offers a FWD version that gets a little better gas mileage than the AWD version we have.
- Norm
Something Borrowed
Something Borrowed
by Emily Giffin
2004
336 pages
Published by St. Martin’s Press
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads. It is a story of forbidden love. Rachel is a lawyer living in Manhattan. Darcy has been her best friend since elementary school. Darcy has always gotten her way and even has the looks and success to pull it all together. She is engaged to Dexter, Rachel’s friend from law school. On the eve of Rachel’s 30th birthday, she hooks up with Dex. We find it hard to feel bad for Darcy because of her horrible attitude and treatment of those around her. You’re in for a roller coaster ride of emotions as Rachel goes back and forth trying to choose between the friend or the boy. As if the secrets weren’t enough, Giffin throws in a twist at the end that leaves you wanting to find out more…which you can do by reading her 2nd novel, Something Blue.
Other reviews of Something Borrowed:
Amazon
Google Books
viewpoints
DealTime
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble
- Joyce
Manchurian Candidate
Manchurian Candidate
2004
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Manipulation. Murder. Mind-washing. Denzel Washington plays Marjor Ben Marco, a war veteran, who seems to have lost snippets of his time at war. He discovers that other veterans are having the same “dreams” but the veterans are then found dead after trying to get the officials to listen. He finds Sergeant First Class Raymond Shaw (played by Liev Schreiber) who is a politician after having saved the men in his unit from a battle. We later see that there is corruption in how Shaw becames a VP candidate in the upcoming election. There is a connection to what happened during the war.
Other reviews of Manchurian Candidate:
IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes
- Joyce
Ikea Art Easel
Mala Art Easel
Ikea
Recommended for 3+
We got this Ikea art easel last year. One side is a white board, and the other side is a chalkboard. You can also buy a roll of paper. We decided to go for the roll of paper instead of having Melody write on the whiteboard, because at that time she was still a little young to understand what can and cannot be used to write on there. The chalkboard side is against the wall because that was just too messy for our liking if she used it without our supervision. She would not write on the walls, but the powder from the chalk would be on her clothes. (I know, what kind of Pre-K teacher was I? haha Well, those weren’t my kids’ clothes that I would have to wash. =p) The only problem I see with the easel is that the tray is only on the whiteboard side. This is where all the writing materials can be held. Melody favorite things to draw on here with markers are circles in her favorite colors – purple, pink, and orange. Chalk and drawing paper roll sold separately at Ikea.
Other reivews of Ikea Mala Art Easel:
yoodoo
Gearhead mom
Disney Family Shopping
- Joyce
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
by Jennifer 8 Lee
2008
291 pages
Published by Hachette Book Group USA
In her search to find the origin of fortune cookies, Jennifer Lee learns more about Chinese food than she had intended. Lee ends up traveling all over the world and hearing the stories of many Chinese restaurant owners and workers. Sometimes the stories jump from one adventure to another, making it a little difficult to follow along, but it is interesting to read about the adventures that started with lottery winners who picked their number from a fortune.
Other reviews of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles:
Amazon
Book Bird Dog
Barnes and Noble
- Joyce
Leadership 101: An Interactive Leadership Development Guide for Students
Leadership 101: An Interactive Leadership Development Guide for Students
by Denise VanEck
176 pages
2005
Published by Zondervan/Youth Specialties
I got this book when I was still working with youth, but never got around to reading it until now. It is a training guide of sorts for student leaders. The focus for the book is on the verse Psalm 78:72. It is divided into 2 parts – Integrity and Skill. There are questions to answer along the way and the leaders can keep a daily journal because there are prompts to follow. The “Integrity” part of the book deals with “The Praying Leader”, “The Serving Leader”, and “The Inner Life of a Leader”, and the “Skill” part discusses “The Listening Leader”, “The Conflict-Managing Leader”, and “The Mentoring Leader”.
Other reviews of Leadership 101:
Amazon
- Joyce
Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business
Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business
by Eileen Figure Sandlin
2003
122 pages
Published by Entrepreneur Media Inc.
If I were to become a wedding consultant, this book would be very helpful. Eileen takes the reader through the steps to starting out in the business. She gives her honest opinion of why one needs to hire outside help, such as attorneys an accountants, at times. There are some great tips and what-I’d-do-differently-from-the-start stories from big name wedding consultants. Eileen also tackle the basic issues of zoning laws and the importance of researching resources.
Other review of Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business:
Amazon
- Joyce
