Cine-Consumer Reports

[kah]

Since I first started looking pregnant, people have been giving me advice. The most forceful suggestions were about diapers. No matter who I talked to, they all told me not to waste my money on cheap diapers, because I would pay for it in leaks. I spent the money on Pampers for about 6 months before I decided to try out the competition. I bought Target brand and Parent's Choice, a Walmart brand. For awhile, I would only put the cheap diapers on the boy during the day, making sure to get a Pampers on him before putting him to bed. I finally got sick of dealing with his soaking wet clothes and split diapers spewing chunks of absorbent material everywhere, and started putting him to bed in the generics. He hasn't had a leak since, about 1 month. They are not as sturdy as the Pampers, and occasionally a tab will pull off, but for almost 1/2 the price, I am more than satisfied.

Btw, Pampers commercials around here keep touting the "new, lower price." Since the prices haven't actually changed, I'm pretty irritated about being lied to.

Have any of you been surprised at finding a product better or worse than you expected/heard?

[RedKarma]

I bought a bottle of Castrol Super Clean at an auto store once when I was out of 409. Best stuff I ever tried!! It laughs at kitchen grease and can take any disaster thing my husband brings home from work. Wear gloves though, as it WILL take your skin off.

Tarnex. Works great the first few times you use it, then it takes the finish off your silver. Frequent use will turn your silver to gunmetal grey. Don't touch the stuff, if at all possible.


Nice topic hon, thanks.:D

[Jakester]

Our friends would buy generic diapers for their kid (the guy is big on whatever's cheap, even though finances are not a concern for them. I hated them, and we stick w/ Pampers. I'm less concerned about the Pampers/Huggies differences than my wife is, so we just stick w/ Pampers.

I prefer KY Jelly to Anal Ease. It applies smoother and gives more lubrication with just enough friction.

[Kaeos]

We're all about Luvs. The el-cheapo Walmart and store brands just weren"t cutting it. Luvs seems like a good mid-range and no leaks - tears - etc.

I highly recommend Soy Based Formula for any babies if you have a history of allergies in your family. Some studies suggest that the introduction of dairy products in the first year carries higher risk of developing childhoos athsma and allergy symptoms. It's worked so far for us.

[TrixieB]

I prefer KY Jelly to Anal Ease. It applies smoother and gives more lubrication with just enough friction.

I agree wholeheartedly, Jakester. :smirk::smirks:

As for the diapers... we used Luvs, I think until Huggies came out with those that felt more "cloth-like". Of course, this was 13 years ago... so what the hell do I know?

[omicron]

Personally, I use Depends Undergarments (http://www.depend.com/products/products_all.asp?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=26742&IQ_ID=26742). They allow me to sit and watch 12hrs of football without ever having to get up and relieve myself. :D Very important when you're at a crowded bar and you don't want to lose your seat.

Omicron

[kah]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I actually started using these a while ago, but they work so well, I had to bring it up here. A former roommate of mine was a huge slob, and moved out before our lease was up, so I ended up cleaning up after her. There was stuff on the walls I have no explanation for, and nothing I tried (Windex, soap & water, paint thinner, etc) took these marks off the walls. I decided to give the Magic Eraser a try, since the paint thinner was making me naseous. I'm telling you, it takes anything off the walls. It even works on flat paints, which you usually have to paint over, since they don't wash off. I haven't tried it on walls that had paint other than white. I've heard you can also use it to clean stains in the bathtub, but I haven't tried that either.

[kah]

Edy's Slow Churned Ice Cream. Normally I'd thumb my nose at anything that called itself low-fat, fat-free, good-for-you, but it was on sale, so I thought I'd give it a try. I eat a lot of ice cream, and I couldn't tell the difference. I bought Rocky Road, and my only issue was that it had way more marshmallows than the original full fat ice cream. That might be a bonus to some of you, but it was a negative to me. Overall, the ice cream itself was just as good as original, and for half the fat, I think that's quite a deal. That means I can eat twice as much. :wink:

[kah]

After Bite for Kids. OMG- where has this been all my life, living as a mosquito magnet? I bought some of this for the boy, who is apparently bug-repellent, so I tried it out myself when I got 7 bites in 10 minutes. Let me just tell you, when I get bit, they itch so bad I will tear the skin off within minutes. I have a bad response to mosquito bites. :dunno: Anyways, the first application took away the itch, and left behind a dull ache, like a bad bruise. A few minutes later, I put on a second dab. There was a faint whisper of irritation, but I was essentially good as new. I don't know if there is an After Bite for adults, but I will buy stock if there is. It makes me upset that I had to live through 25 summers without it.

Well, I found out they do make an adult version of Afterbite. I prefer the kid's, though. The regular AB smells very astringent, and goes on very wet with a roller. The kid's AB is a paste/gel and has a pleasant smell.

[fastcar]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I actually started using these a while ago, but they work so well, I had to bring it up here. A former roommate of mine was a huge slob, and moved out before our lease was up, so I ended up cleaning up after her. There was stuff on the walls I have no explanation for, and nothing I tried (Windex, soap & water, paint thinner, etc) took these marks off the walls. I decided to give the Magic Eraser a try, since the paint thinner was making me naseous. I'm telling you, it takes anything off the walls. It even works on flat paints, which you usually have to paint over, since they don't wash off. I haven't tried it on walls that had paint other than white. I've heard you can also use it to clean stains in the bathtub, but I haven't tried that either.


I can vouch for Kah on this. We used one to scrub the kitchen floor and the results were amazing. I wish they had the same thing on the end of a mop handle. But, to that effect, nothing takes care of the floor better than using good old elbow grease. Mops don't have enough pressure to really scrub deep.

[kah]

Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffeemaker

My mom bought me this for my birthday this year. It costs about 100-150 bucks, depending on the finish (plastic or stainless). It really does make better coffee, but I hate cleaning coffee grounds out of the thing every time I want to use it. Plus, it's supposed to be air-dried. Yuck. I'll probably be plugging my 10 dollar Sunbeam back in. It's made it through 3 years of daily pots, without breaking down on me. If you insist on grinding your own beans before every pot, then I suggest buying a separate grinder.

[fastcar]

Forget all those other sweepers like Dyson. Bagless vacs don't do a damn thing but redistribute the dirt when you empty them.

I spent a little extra money and got a hell of a vacuum.

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[kah]

Forget all those other sweepers like Dyson. Bagless vacs don't do a damn thing but redistribute the dirt when you empty them.

I spent a little extra money and got a hell of a vacuum.

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The Oreck can't be more expensive than the Dyson. Or can it? Really? My family (not me, family) has always had Kirbys. They last for 40 years, and they've finally gotten lighter (between the suction and the weight, it was like pushing a heavy plow without a horse to pull it), but they cost a little over a grand.