Author Profile Page for: JennEm

The Kenmore refrigerator in the house where I grew up lasted 20 years. That's why when I was buying a refrigerator for my own first home, I headed to Sears to pick up a Kenmore. Things have changed. The refrigerator we bought was a side-by-side model in white with a freezer on the left and a fridge on the right. The warranty lasted a year. We hoped we'd have this fridge much, much longe...

Trader Joe's has done it again. This adorable little plastic bear holds a children's chewable multi-vitamin. Yes, they are for kids. However they are just fine for adults too. One dose is two vitamins. They taste kind of chalky-fruity, like you expect from a chewable vitamin, although they don't have that overwhelming orange Vitamin C taste you sometimes find. They are in the shape ...

The Step2 Water Wheel play table is a fun toy for warm weather activity. Toddlers and preschoolers can splash and play in the water table. The toy comes with a couple of boats, but you could add almost any bathtub toy of your own. The water wheel feature is unique, and the kids really seem to love it! The toy is plastic and about as durable as you would expect. It's fairly easy to clean. Ju...

My husband and I like to rent snowmobiles sometimes in the winter for some cold weather fun. I used to just use the helmets provided, but when I saw this pink one I was hooked. I like the idea of having my own helmet for a number of reasons. For one thing it makes me feel like a much more experienced snow bunny than I actually am. Also I like that I'm not wearing a helmet that hundreds of p...

Have you ever looked out your window and seen a short, round woman in her 30s whooshing down the sidewalk in roller blades? Hey, that could have been me!I am not all that athletic, but roller blading is something I love to do. I started with a cheaper paid of skates but I knew almost immediately that I would need an upgrade. In in-line skating you really need to spend some money to get the best...

Target's new brand, Up & Up, has been coming out with some terrific products. Among them are a new brand of baby wipes that are soft to the skin and come in several varieties. My daughter has sensitive skin, and other products can contribute to diaper rash or make her break out. I always try to stay away from any products with fragrance added. Sometimes even then they are too harsh for ...

Target has recently changed its store brand name to Up & Up. We shop at Target several times a week, and we use the Target brand all the time. Their baby wipes are cheaper than brand name wipes, but they are exactly the same thing. They also come in sensitive varieties as well as in a couple of different scents. I don't know why anyone would buy expensive baby wipes. I've never...

I have to admit that I am new to the world of power washing. This spring, though, I looked around outside my house and realized that there were lots of things that could use some cleaning. I went to my local home improvement store to see what I could find to do the job. What did I see? Power Washers! I have discovered something fantastic! I feel light a firefighter when I spray my deck, house a...

Every spring I get a little bit ahead of myself. Where I live you are not supposed to plant anything until Mother's Day. Mother's Day?! That's almost summer! I cannot possibly be expected to wait that long. That's why I like this little greenhouse tent. I can put these suckers right over my poor little plants and it's suddenly summer in their tiny space of earth even if...

You know that glass cleaner you use with the toxic chemicals? You don't have to use that. There is alternative that does the job just as well, smells great and is non-toxic. I am always looking for green and natural products for my house and family. Now that there is a baby in our house, it is especially important for me to use products that are green and will not harm her in any way. I rea...

I love greeting cards. I love to get them, and I love to send them. It makes me sad that greeting cards through the mail are becoming a thing of the past. It makes sense. Why would someone go out and spend $2 or $3 on a greeting card, plus more for the stamp, when they could send one instantly for free over e-mail?Maybe these budget greeting cards will help bring back the popularity of the phys...

There have been thousands of pictures taken of my daughter in her short life. More than a few of those were professional portraits. I have tried the expensive places that claim to be so fabulous. They are okay. But nothing beats good old JC Penney Portrait Studio at the mall. There is where I've learned to turn to again and again for beautiful portraits of my daughter. The studio near our h...

We needed a lot of money at one time for something of an emergency. Luckily our house is worth a lot more than we purchased it for, even with the bad economy. We decided to take out a Home Equity loan. It worked out well. We were able to apply for the loan online, which was nice. Then a representative from Wells Fargo came to our house to sign the papers. We got a pretty good interest rate, and...

My daughter got the Fisher-Price Bounce N Spin pony as a gift, and she has enjoyed it very much. This is a riding toy that sings songs and makes a trotting noise. It also connects to your tv, and your child can play games as he or she rides the pony! At one, my daughter has found the pony easy to get on and off of and loves to ride on the regular or non-tv setting. As she grows, this toy will g...

 Cabbage Patch dolls are back, and in general that is a good thing. These oddly cute dolls are something that many women remember fondly from childhood. The newborn dolls are smaller than traditional dolls and made to look like babies. They come in a variety of skin tones and hair colors, and they are a great size for tiny hands. The problem I have with these dolls is that they all seem wh...

I love this activity table! The Leapfrog Learn & Groove table offers literally hours of play to toddlers. My daughter has been loving this table since she was 9 months old and she got it as a gift. The music is upbeat and fun. My daughter loves dancing to the beat. There are tons of buttons to push and play with, and there are spanish options as well as English. Many instruments and musical...

When I was a kid Fisher Price Little People were wooden cylinders with a round head on top, and I loved them! The new Little People are more detailed and a whole lot cuter, and I am happy to tell you that they are just as much fun. My daughter got the Little People Lil' Movers Airplane as a baby gift. We love this toy. She got the pink version but it also comes in blue white. It comes with ...

Raising a green baby can be a challenge! When my daughter was born, I went looking for the perfect green, disposable diaper. Our lifestyle made cloth diapers a bad choice for us, so I needed something disposable but still as green as possible. Seventh Generation is what I found! My daughter has been wearing these diapers since birth. These diapers have been terrific for my daughter. They l...

Hartstrings makes some great baby and kids' clothes. I love their products because they are high quality, absolutely adorable and appropriate for children to wear. I want to feel like I'm dressing my daughter like a toddler, not like a future tramp.  Right now Hartstrings is offering the Watermelon Collection which features darling summer clothes in blue and white with a watermelon...

Blooming bows is a great little company that sells bows for children and babies online. They have clippie bows as well as headband bows. The color choices are abolutely huge and the bows go from casual to very elegant. You will be able to find a bow for every little girl for every occasion. They even offer special bows for holidays and changing seasons. The best product at Blooming Bows is thei...