All that is say that I’m going to share an email I sent to Munchkin in regard to the refill bags for their diaper pail. I think it’s awesome, but then again, I would, wouldn’t I? I hope it made the CSR smile this morning when she checked the inbox.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I’m a long-time user of your Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail System. And by long-time, I mean 15 months. Just so we’re clear. 

I used to have a Diaper Genie, and when it went to the Great Landfill in the Sky, I decided to try your product. Until now, I’ve been very happy with it; however, the last batch of Diaper Pail bags I purchased are seriously DEFECTIVE. The bags are splitting down the seam whilst in the diaper pail, unbeknownst to me until I remove the bag. And then, the most horrifying thing happens. All of the old, dirty diapers spill out onto the floor of my son’s room and I lose the will to live.

Now listen, I know you’re going to think that I’m overfilling the bags and causing them to split. But come on. I’m a reasonably intelligent person who knows how to use a diaper pail. Also, this box of bags is has been the only one with which this has happened. And to be doubly sure, I only filled the last bag about half-full and it still happened.

HORRIFYING. 

I’m attaching a picture of the carnage, (Don’t worry. It won’t make you lose the will to live, too.) and a picture of the batch number on the box for your reference/amusement. What I’d like to know is this: have you changed the manufacturing process and this sort of thing is more likely to happen nowadays? Or did I perhaps get a bad batch and my next box will be mercifully horror-free? 

I appreciate your time and attention,
Erica Anderson

I sent the email last night before going to bed and  a reply was waiting for me first thing this morning. In case you’re curious, they’re very sorry for the defect and are sending me a replacement box of bags ASAP. No mention of my supreme awesomeness but it was totally implied.

The first is applesauce. The Mott’s line of natural/ no sugar added applesauces are great. There’s strawberry, blueberry and traditional apple. They’re $1.72 for a pack of six at my local grocery store. Which works out significantly cheaper than baby food applesauce and is even cheaper than buying the apples and making your own. And a bonus for those who make their own baby food, the containers of applesauce are great for taking out when you’re traveling and can’t really take frozen food cubes along.

Sam is teething pretty hardcore lately (damn you, top front teeth!) and wants to chew almost constantly. I tried those baby wheat cookies, but Sam quickly lost interest. They were too crumbly and didn’t provide the “roughness” that would help ease his teething pain. I looked for old school Zwieback cookies but couldn’t find them. Then, I considered making sort of a baby biscotti. While at the store this morning, I saw Melba Toasts. They come wrapped in small packs of six toasts, so they’re perfect for throwing into the diaper bag. I gave Sam one before lunch and he wolfed it down. And they’re quite a bit cheaper than teething biscuits marketed for babies.

How about you? Have you found any cheaper alternatives for baby food items?

I got a couple of outfits from Old Navy for The Boy last night. I got this:

And this, because they’re Gerald’s favorite band:

And this, because they’re one of my favorites:

I also got him a one-piece like the top one, but it’s shorts. It’s brown with white fishies all over it. For some reason, it’s not on the site, though.

And I got Maddie’s Easter outfit:

I also got an adorable navy blue cardigan with ruffles down the placket, but I can’t find it on the site. Whatev, Old Navy.

With this pregnancy, we are in a much better place financially and we have the benefit of being able to use the majority of the items we got for Maddie. The only things that I really need to get for The Boy are clothes (that aren’t pink!), a travel system (that isn’t pink!) and a dresser for his room. HOWEVER – there are some items that I really wanted to get for Maddie, but they weren’t necessities so finances dictated that we skip them. For instance, I really wanted a Baby Bjorn carrier for her and never got one. (Aside: A month or so ago I lucked out and got one for The Boy at Target in an open box for $27 marked down from $98. SCORE!) I’m not going crazy spending money on this kid, but I want to know what was the ONE THING you purchased, or were given, when you had a baby that was indispensable. What saved your sanity or made your life easier and will forever be the shower gift you give your pregnant friends and family?

Also, WRINKLED.

GAH!

Specifically, those pesky naso-labial folds (aka: laugh lines) are aging me. I keep telling myself to wear them with pride as I’ve obviously smiled A LOT in my life, but who am I kidding? I’m only 33 and I’m wrinkled! I’ll be proud to be wrinkled at 50. Not now.

So, here’s where you come in… can you recommend a good, reasonably priced anti-wrinkle concoction? A moisturizer or treatment or something? I’m clueless about this stuff, but I’ve got my finger on the “add to cart” button over at Amazon. Just tell me what to try.

2. Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions Target Spot Treatment – There are a couple of downsides to this product. First, it stinks. (Well, it smells like licorice to me which I think stinks. You might love it.) Also, it’s a weird container/dispenser. Again, it’s a liquid and it took me a while to figure out the best way to apply it. I jab a q-tip at the nozzle thing and let it soak up the anti-zit goodness. I just dab it on the zit and voila! It dries clear and is easy to cover up with make-up. I haven’t had any redness or peeling or dry skin at all.

3. Olay Body Wash plus Body Butter Ribbons – My skin is D-R-Y like the effing Sahara. This, combined with the fact that I’m entirely too lazy to apply lotion after a shower leads me to be ashy and itchy all Fall and Winter. However, this body wash has changed my life. After three days of use, my skin is normal. I’m not going to go so far as to say it’s dewy or moist, but it’s certainly not the Sahara. I’ve used it for the last few years and can’t imagine using anything else this time of year.

4. Boots No.7 SPF 15 Protect and Perfect Day Cream – This stuff is FABU. Seriously. It goes on silky smooth and is quickly absorbed. I typically put it on and then blow-dry my hair. By the time I’m done (2 minutes later) I can put my make-up on. This moisturizer isn’t greasy or heavy and the SPF is a total plus. You can buy it without, but why? I’m not trying to be a hot wrinkled mess in the next few years. The price is a little steep, but the jar is lasting me FOR-EVAH. It really only takes a small amount each day.

5. Old Navy Sweater Slipper Boots – I got a pair this weekend for 50% off ($8) and I’m in love. They’re super comfy and keep my feet toasty warm without venturing into sweaty territory. The sueded bottom isn’t slippery and is quiet on the tile. As an aside, Maddie has these Old Navy slippers and feels the same way about them. They’re easy enough for her to get on and off herself and she wants to wear them all the time, so I assume they’re comfy. She also runs around like a madwoman and doesn’t fall flat on her face while wearing them. Well, not any more often than usual.

My Kindle suddenly and inexplicably died on me. I tried a soft-reset, a hard reset and even removed the battery for a while. When my resuscitation efforts proved futile, I called customer service. I spoke with Angela S. and I relayed my previous efforts to revive my dead Kindle.

I’ll admit that I was prepared to come out swinging. I spent a lot of money buying two Kindles at once and I’ve spend AT LEAST a quarter of a million dollars* on books, and there was no way I was going accept a dead Kindle.

I needn’t have worried. Angela listened to my story and immediately offered to replace my beloved Kindle. She over-nighted it to me so that I wouldn’t die of withdrawals. None of this cost me a penny. When I questioned Angela by asking if it was really that easy, she assured me that it was. I thought to myself, “well, she talks a good talk, but we’ll see if a new Kindle actually shows up at my door.”

I’ve just finished unwrapping my new Kindle and packing up the old, dead one. I’m still a little stunned, to be honest. This was completely painless and yet ANOTHER example of exemplary customer service from Amazon.

I’ve posted this letter on my blog and I’ll be telling all of my friends and family about how great you are. Thank you for being such an awesome company, Amazon. I’ll be a devoted customer for life.

Erica

*Not an actual dollar amount, of course. But you get my point.

P.S. I already use, and love, Bare Minerals, so don’t suggest that stuff. kthxbai!

2. OxiClean Laundry Stain Removal. It’s like Spray ‘N Wash, but OxiClean. Maddie got strawberry juice on her brand new white t-shirt and one spray with this stuff at it was gone. GONE. It also got a stain out of one of my t-shirts that’s been there for a month. Dried in and everything. It’s amazing.

3. Jergens Natural Glow Lotion. I’m cursed blessed with deathly palor alabaster skin. I’ve been using this on my legs for a week and a half and I’m no longer blindingly white. This gives a nice glow that’s not scary fake tan orange.

4. Dole Baby Bananas. Maddie loves bananas, but can’t finish a whole one. I hate bananas, so I don’t finish them for her. I was throwing away the remaining half a banana, which is pretty wasteful. Last week, I discovered baby bananas. They’re about four or five inches long and perfect for Maddie. They’re $.99 a pound and the bunch of seven that I got was just over a pound. Maddie has one every morning and I don’t feel guilty for wasting food.

5. Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. Maddie has a slight case of eczema and this cleanses well and keeps her skin from getting dried out. It doesn’t smell good, as it’s fragrance-free, but it doesn’t smell bad. After her bath, I slather her with Aveeno’s Calming Comfort lotion which smells like lavender and vanilla, so she ends up smelling like that. I’ve tried all kinds of body washes for her and this one really keeps her skin in check without being insanely expensive.

Friday, I went to Walgreen’s to comb the hair color aisle for inspiration. I thought maybe if I gave myself a bold new color, then I’d forget about how much I dislike my hair. Instead of a color, I found a product called “EasyStraight.” It’s at at-home chemical hair straightener. It was $29.99, so I dipped into my Christmas money and bought it. Once I got home, I decided to check out the online reviews. BIG MISTAKE. I was terrified to use it after that. After slowly making my way through about 20 reviews, I realized there was a HUGE disparity between the ratings. Either women rated it a 9 or 10 or a zero. I decided that this meant the product was good, but you had to follow the THE VERY COMPLICATED directions flawlessly. In my opinion, the women that rated it a zero either didn’t follow the directions, or their hair was too curly or coarse for the product.

I read the directions five times and even watched an instructional video on the company’s website, and then I felt confident enough to try it. I was reassured by the fact that none of the negative reviews I read stated that the person’s hair had fallen out. Their complaint was that the product didn’t work. I can live with losing $30 on a crappy product, not with losing my hair.

My hair turned out beautifully. There are still some sections underneath that have a wave, but that’s were my hair is curliest. If it bothers me that much, I’m sure I can round brush it and it’ll be fine. Right now, all I have to do is blow dry it an go. I’m thrilled! The only downside is that my haircut is no longer flattering at all. My hair is very layered because that’s what wavy hair needs. Straight hair? Not so much. So, I’m going to make myself a hair appointment and get it cut into a more flattering style. Problem is, I have no idea what that is! I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to give up length in order to ger rid of some of the layers. I guess I’m ok with that. I mean, it’s only hair and it will grow back. And I wanted to lose that damn ponytail anyway, right? Then why am I so scared?