Chili Tried

Leap Frog: Tag System

This is a guest post from my awesome sister-in-law, Brandi. Her oldest son is four and is the perfect age to try out the Tag system. Brandi was gracious enough to help me out with this review.

My son and I received the Tag system, with two additional books, in the mail a few weeks ago.  As soon as I opened the shipping box my son grabbed the Tag package, hugged it, and declared he loved it. His reaction told me the commercials work because he, at 4, knew exactly what the product was and was extremely excited to actually have a Tag in his possession, even though I had made no mention that we were getting one.

It only took a few moments to get the Tag reader out of the package and the book that came with the system, “Ozzie and Mack” was pre-loaded in the Tag pen so he was able to start playing immediately. One caveat though, my son was disappointed that the Tag reader would not work on any kind of print. He had been under the impression that the Tag reader would help him with any words, anywhere and at any time; he was a little disappointed to find out the reader only works with Tag books. Additionally, only those we own and only if I had downloaded the book from the website first. A minor point really, but it disappointed him to realize the pen was not quite as all-encompassing as he originally believed.

While he was playing with Ozzie and Mack I did a quick program install using the included CD so I could have access to the online Tag site to download the two other books we had gotten for his system; “Cat in the Hat” and “Dora Goes to School”.  Downloading the books was quick and easy.

As far as the actual use of the Tag system… The reader is extremely easy to use, a little awkward to hold as it is top-heavy, but very intuitive for the target age-group because my 4 year-old was able to use all the features with no help or instruction from me.  I like that the pen itself has a volume adjustment so he can adjust the reader so it sounds good to him, but is not blasting me out.  Every page of the books has multiple interaction options so it’s not a one-time read-through-and-you're-done style, the child can have the book read to them, read through the book on their own at their own pace, or play multiple games based on the story at several points throughout the text. Additionally, everything in the book makes some kind of noise when touched by the Tag pen so there is no lack of stimulation if your child is the random-clicker type.

If you have ever used a Leap Pad this system will soon seem very familiar as, other than the delivery system (pen versus a pad), the styling and usage of the Tag system seems almost exactly the same as a Leap Pad.  However, one of the disadvantages of the Leap Pad was needing to touch the “start” button on every page before its content became available. The Tag system does not suffer from this problem as every page is available immediately to the reader. This updated feature is good because my children, even with the My First Leap Pad, could never consistently hit the “start” button each page, so they would get the same content page after page, frustrating them greatly.

Finally, the price of the individual Tag books might make you choke but if you realize you are also buying the programming to go with the book, they don’t seem as exorbitant as they might at first glance.

Tag System (includes Tag Reader, USB cable, LeapFrog Connect software CD, and the book Ozzie and Mack): $44.99

Additional books: $9.99-$13.99

Recommended for ages 4-8.

The bottome line: I'd recommend this learning toy. Leap Frog Tag System, you've been Chili Tried and recommended. You're getting four chilis.

Senseo Coffee Maker

I don't drink coffee every morning, but I do like to have a cup now and then. I'm also the only coffee drinker in the house unless my step-mom is in town. I don't always want to drag out the coffee pot, measure out one cup of coffee, wait for it to brew, etc. More often than not I just skip it. Or stop at Borders on my way to another errand because the coffee guy behind the counter likes me and makes me special coffee. But that's another story for another blog. Suffice it to say I have been considering a single-serve coffee maker for a while now.

Then I was offered a Senseo coffee maker to review. I had actually been considering the Senseo or the Keurig so I was eager to try it. (Since the Keurig people have not contacted me to try their machine, I haven't saved up enough to justify the cost to sample it myself. I'll let you know if that changes.)

I've been using the Senseo machine for about two weeks now. I wanted to really see how I liked it. And I do like it.

When I received the Senseo, I read the instructions (Hello? I'm a technical writer. I read instructions.) and discovered I needed to prep the machine. Let me tell you, I'd read that the Senseo is fairly quiet so I was completely startled out of my skin when it sounded like a small plane taking off in my kitchen during this crucial step. However, I soon discovered this is a one-time thing and for every day use it's much, much quieter.

Senseo uses pods of coffee and tea. Teas include Earl Grey and Minty Green. They offer a variety of coffee flavors:

• Sumatra
• Dark Roast
• Brazil
• Kenya
• Columbia
• Espresso
• Cappucino
• Vienna (hazelnut)
• Paris (vanilla)
• Medium Roast
• Decaffienated

My review packet came with Dark Roast and I bought Cappucino. The Dark Roast is very strong, but good. I also liked the Cappucino. I think it's because I put three spoonfuls of Ovaltine into all my coffee regardless of flavor. So if you're a coffee purist, you may want to skip the part about how I like all the coffee. You won't think I know what I'm talking about.

The Senseo takes less than a minute to heat the water for your coffee. I found this to be about right for me to find my mug, put in the obligatory Ovaltine, place the mug under the spigot, answer questions from the kids, remember I was making coffee, then push the button to make the coffee.

This machine comes with the option of making one or two cups at a time. I tried the one-cup method at first, but realized that it's only about 4 oz. and was far short of my expectations. We Americans like everything bigger and better. So I started pushing the two-cup button and was happy with the amount of liquid in my cup. I still used only one pod (instead of two) because I don't need to have my coffee too strong (see Ovaltine references  above). I found it to be just right. However, if you do like stronger coffee, you can definitely put two pods in before you brew.

As for the price of the pods, I think they are on the expensive side if you order from the Senseo web site: one package of 16 pods is $21.99. However, I found them at my Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market for about $4.68 for a package of 16. That's about .30 per pod. MUCH better.

If you're still not satisfied or you're trying to be more green (again, another topic for another blog), you can purchase the Brown Ecopad from Amazon.com. It's a refillable pod filter made for the Senseo coffee maker. They run about $6 for two.

The Basic Senseo machine runs $70 and is the model I tried. The Deluxe model (with 32 oz. water reservoir and adjustable spout) is $100 and the Supreme model (allows you to choose size of cup from 3 oz. to 10 oz., interactive LCD display) is $140. So, for an initial investment of $75 ($70 for the machine and another $5 for pods), you'll have a good cup of coffee in about 70 seconds. Over the course of a year, the machine will have paid for itself with the money you saved by not stopping at QuikTrip, Starbucks, or Borders, etc. and that works for me. You'll probably see those savings even quicker if you use the Brown Eco Pad.

I want to alert you to two things regarding the Senseo Coffee Pod System.

1. The Basic Senseo is currently being offered through the site ShareSenseo.com where anyone can sign up for a chance to receive the same machine. All you have to do is fill out a quick survey and, if selected, pay a $15 shipping and handling fee. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within 2-6 weeks if you are selected.
2. I have five coupons each for $20 off any Senseo machine. I will be glad to send one to you if you leave me a comment on this post telling me you want one. First come, first served. With the coupon, the Basic Senseo would only be $50!

Senseo Coffee Pod System, you've been Chili Tried and recommended. I'm giving you four chilis. I think it would behoove you to re-think the pricing of pods on your web site because you're being undersold at the local markets. On the other hand, I found the Senseo to be very easy to use, fairly quiet, and attractive enough to have on the counter.

Eat Better America: Free Fiber One Cereal

EatBetterAmerica.com (General Mills-run) is giving out free samples of the original Fiber One cereal.  As you may already know, Fiber One provides 57% of the average adults daily fiber requirement, has 0 grams of sugar and 60 calories per serving. All you have to do to receive your free sample is to sign up for the Eat Better America newsletter. The newsletter is an e-mail that is sent out once per month that provides recipes and tips for people to start living healthier lives.

The Virtual Cubicle

UPDATE: Christina has graciously offered a 15% discount on their first invoice to anyone who contacts her and mentions they found her through Chili Tried.

When Shannon hosted her latest Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, I won two hours of free service from Vital Office Solutions which provides the services of a virtual assistant. What, you may be wondering, is a virtual assistant? Well, it's Christina Nelson and she can help you with just about anything you can outsource: word processing, desktop publishing, data entry, research, bookkeeping, scheduling, blog maintenance, and a bajillion other things. If you can outsource it, she can probably find a way to do it.

I had heard of virtual assistants and that it is an up-and-coming career. I think this is an incredibly entrepreneurial endeavor. Everyone can use some help, right?

As I was perusing the giveaways, I came across Christina's blog, The Virtual Cubicle. She was giving away two hours of service from her business Vital Office Solutions. At first I thought, "I don't know if I really need this." Then I realized I had been putting off organizing the categories and assigning them to posts at Blogging Basics 101. I'd been putting it off because it seemed overwhelming to me and, you know, I like to procrastinate. So I entered. And I won!

Having looked over the services Christina offers, I wasn’t certain she would take on my project. She did. And? She was fast! She would have been done the same day I’d won, I bet, if I hadn’t been dragging my feet. She was ready to go as soon as she heard my project.

Christina is exceptionally professional. She asked me to explain exactly what I wanted and how she should proceed. Because she is ‘virtual’, communication is key. And, because any mistakes would have to be re-done, Christina is very clear with her questions and is sure to clarify and reiterate your answers--excellent project management. There is little left to chance and, therefore, little room for mistakes.

I also want to point out that, because of the nature of my project, I had to trust Christina with my ID and password for my BB101 site. I was unsure about this at first. What if something went terribly wrong with my design or she deleted the wrong thing? Ultimately I decided nothing could wrong that I couldn’t fix and I gave her my information. I’m not sorry I did. She was, again, very professional. She did not change anything that wasn’t agreed to. In fact, she did not delete the original categories that were now unused in case I wanted to keep them for future reference. I appreciated that. I’m sure if I’d asked her to delete them, she would have.

Blogging Basics 101 had 161 posts that needed to have new categories assigned to them. She was able to change the category names and assign all posts in just over two hours.
Overall, I was extremely happy with Christina’s work and her professional demeanor.

Her rates vary, but are generally $35 per hour (billed in 15-minute increments with a one hour minimum). If you have anything you’d like to delegate, I suggest you contact Christina Nelson at Vital Office Solutions.

Vital Office Solutions has been Chili Tried and heartily recommended. I’m giving you five our of five chilis!

Aardvark Adventure Stories

I usually politely decline book reviews. It doesn't matter if the audience is me or my kids. I have a whole list of books I want to read and I don't have enough time to read through those let alone be assigned a book to read and review. So I just don't take book reviews unless it's something that appears to be very special. Aardvark Adventure Stories seemed to fit into that category.

Aardvark Adventure Stories are personalized stories starring your child. You provide them with pictures of your child, name, likes, dislikes, etc. and they insert that information into a story. The story is fairly generic, but when embellished with your child's photo, it becomes unique to them. They offer two options:

1. Option One is a story that allows you to provide one photo of your child and has a written dedication to your child. The price is $39.99.
2. Option Two (the one I received) is a story that incorporates up to six different photos of your child and has an optional photo dedication page (great if you would like to include a picture of yourself and the child!). The price is $49.99.

One of the stories (the one I chose for my nephew who is three) is called Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! and it puts your child in the driver's seat--literally. I wish I had paid more attention to the information I needed to send, though. I only sent two pictures instead of six. That was entirely my fault. However, even with only two pictures of my incredibly cute nephew, the book is perfect for him. It has everything he loves: things that go Zoom! and him in the driver's seat.

My own children are seven and nine. I have read this book to them several times and they love it. They have both asked me for their own books! To be honest, when I was approached to review this book, I thought they would be too old to appreciate it so I opted to make one for my nephew's Christmas gift. I was wrong. My kids love it. Knowing how much my own children (in their maturity and aged-ness) love it, I know my three-year-old nephew will adore it and wear it out.

The price put me off at first. I wasn't sure how I could possibly justify recommending a book that costs $40-50. I mean, yes, it's personalized, but...really? Having received the book, now I see why it costs so much. You have to consider the expertise of isolating the child's head from the rest of the photo submitted, fitting the head into the story, publishing the book in hard cover, etc. You are paying not only for a book, but an heirloom, really. This is a snapshot of your child at this very moment. This is a book that is sure to be read every night before bed. It would make an incredible holiday or birthday gift for a special child in your life.

If you decide to order a book, please take the time to really consider the story that most reflects your child's personality right now. Then find several good photos (side view, front view, laughing, smiling, whatever you think the story calls for). This is the one area that I didn't pay enough attention to and I think it would make all the difference.

Aardvark Adventure Stories you've been Chili Tried and recommended. I'm giving you four chilis. The price is high, but the personalization and stories are fun. The customer service is fantastic.

WAIT! The fine folks at Aardvark Adventure Stores are offering 15% off all orders placed before Nov 15th, which is soon, but will still help you beat the holiday rush. If you mention that you came from Chili Tried, they'll also give you free shipping! Sweet.

Pure Essentials

I recently had the opportunity to try samples of Tide, Bounce, and Downey Pure Essentials. I agreed to do the review because those are the brands I use already. (No, I don't use Bounce AND Downey for the same load; I use one or the other depending on how I feel.) I like Tide, Bounce, and Downey--these are the brands I used growing up and they are the brands I use now. Just so you know where I'm coming from.

The regular scents of these three products sometimes overwhelm me, though. I go through phases where I just have to buy the unscented formulas because sometimes Mountain Breeze can start to seem more like an evening with my brother after dinner than a retreat, you know?

Now, though, I have my scent. Pure Essentials smells amazing. Pure Essentials is made with baking soda (Tide) and Aloe Vera (Downy/Bounce).  I tried both scents: White Lilac and Lemon Verbena with Citrus Extracts. They smelled wonderful. I actually wanted to do a few loads of laundry because I wanted to try the new scents!

The smell of the Bounce was a little intense when I first opened the package, but the real test was how the clothes would smell when they came out of the dryer. Bounce passed the test. The clothes smelled great, but didn't overwhelm me. It was very subtle.  As for the Tide and Downey, they worked great as always and also had a very subtle scent. 

I really liked the Pure Essentials. When I buy my next round of laundry supplies, I'll probably buy them. I already used those brands and I really love the new scents.

Pure Essentials you've been Chili Tried and heartily recommended. I'm giving you four chilis.

Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch

My family is pretty big on portable snacks. We like to keep a box in the car and several in the pantry. I usually have some sort of snack in my purse as well. This portable snack is almost always in the form of peanut butter crackers, a South Beach bar, or a chewy granola bar.

Since my family is fairly keen on granola bars, I agreed to try the new Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch bars.

I can't tell you why, but I was expecting these bars to be chewy, not crunchy. I mean, yes, the nuts would be crunchy, but I envisioned the "stuff" keeping it together would be chewy. And, yes, the title of the bar tells you it's crunchy. I was in denial, I guess. I still expected chewy. I never claimed to be a rocket scientist, y'all.

So, to recap: There is no chewy. It's all crunchy. You'll understand the crunch factor when you check out the ingredients. These snack bars boast only six ingredients and these days that's saying something. Those six ingredients are

Almond Crunch: almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sugar, corn syrup, salt

Peanut Crunch: peanuts, sunflower seeds, sugar, corn syrup, salt, almond flower

The overall taste of the Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bars is good. I like nuts, and I love almonds and sunflowers. The bit of salt and the sugar are a nice contrast to each other. However, I'm not a big fan of corn syrup. I think I'd just as soon have a handful of nuts and some raisins.

The Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bars retail for $3.39 and each package has six bars per box. They certainly aren't any more expensive than what I'm already buying. However, the texture isn't what my family wants--we like chewy.

Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch, you've been Chili Tried and recommended for those who love some crunch. I'm giving you three chilis.

Cascade vs. Electrosol

I was asked to do a little test with two dishwasher liquids: Cascade and Electrosol. Now, you know how I love my Cascade 2-in-1 Pacs. Frankly, I didn't want to stop using them to test out these new liquid detergents, but for you, my readers, I would do anything. So I put away my 2-in-1 Pacs and tried the liquids so I could give you the low-down.

I did not change anything with my dishwashing routine. I did not rinse my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher (have I mentioned my new dishwasher rocks?). I did not load the dishes any differently. I did everything exactly as I've been doing it.

What I found was that the Cascade was better than the Electrosol. Every time I used the Electrosol I had small food particles on my dishes. That has never happened since we installed the new dishwasher a few months ago. Each time I switched back to Cascade, my dishes were spot-free and food-free. I'm staying with Cascade.

I still prefer the 2-in-1 Pacs because I think they're easier to pop in the dishwasher. However, I was perfectly happy with the cleaning power of the Cascade liquid.

Cascade liquid, you've been Chili Tried and recommended. I'm giving you four out of five chilis (because I really like the 2-in-1 pacs).

Olive Kids Sheets UPDATED

Updated per Olive Kids request: I am hoping you can make a couple of changes – the price for the twin sheet sheet set sells for $42.99; the under construction set currently on sales for $38.99.  If you click on any link on our bedding pages it brings up a description of reach product including the thread count.  The Under construction Sheet set is made from 100% ultra soft cotton percale with a 210 tread counts. I believe it is important to have correct pricing and finding the thread counts on our site is readily available which is important to our customers.

Olive Kids has a ton of adorable things for the child(ren) in your life. They offer everything from wall art to infant and toddler bedding to personalized gifts

I chose to review the Under Construction toddler bedding. I was happy with what I received; this set is absolutely adorable. The sheets retail for $31.50 $38.99 and the twin set included a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and a pillow case. The flat sheet had ribbon detailing that helped to set off the design. Very cute. I was afraid, though, that the ribbon might bunch up after washing. I was pleasantly surprised when, after washing several times, the ribbon was just fine. The price is higher than what I would normally pay for children's sheets.

I could not find a thread-count for the sheets on the web site or the packaging. The sheets are moderately soft. In other words, I'd count them at least as soft as anything you'd buy at Target or Wal-Mart.

The items at Olive Kids are generally, in my opinion, for infants and toddlers. School-age children are a bit too mature, I think, to appreciate the profound cuteness offered here. For the perfect shower gift or if you're decorating for your own baby or small child, you should definitely check out Olive Kids.

Olive Kids, you've been Chili Tried and recommended. I give you three out of five chilis. The designs are adorable, but I prefer a little less expensive product for everyday wear. If you're looking for 'just the right thing', though, Olive Kids is your place.

Nesquik Chocolate

Chocolate milk, to me, is one of those necessary evils moms take on when trying to ensure their offspring eat healthy food and drink healthy liquids. Sure, I make my kids drink plain ol' milk (gasp!), but I do like to throw them a bone and let them have chocolate milk every once in a while just to change it up a bit. Of course, that doesn't mean I like to throw the nutrients out the window. I try to choose a chocolate powder that will add vitamins. So far, that powder has been Ovaltine. However, I was recently asked to review the new Nestle Nesquik Chocolate powder with 25% less sugar. I was pleased with what we tasted.

Wild Thing and I did a taste test (I assure you it was highly scientific) with Ovaltine and Nesquik. We put the suggested amounts of Ovaltine (4 Tblsp) and Nesquik (2 Tblsp) in two fancy glasses (what's the point of having fancy milk without the fancy glasses?). We poured in the milk and stirred it up. Then we took turns drinking the chocolate milks.

Here's what we found:

• Nesquik was not as dark as Ovaltine.
• Nesquik was sweeter than Ovaltine.
• Nesquik was not as thick as Ovaltine. (I, however, think this was a pro, not a con.)

For me, Ovaltine has been the standard in chocolate milk because it offers so many vitamins. To do a true product review of Nestle Nesquik Chocolate powder I feel I must compare it directly to Ovaltine. The bottom line is that Ovaltine offers a higher percentage of more vitamins. On the other hand, Nestle Nesquik Chocolate powder has fewer calories, less sodium, and less sugar than Ovaltine. And Wild Thing seemed to prefer the taste of the Nesquik.

Nestle Nesquik Chocolate powder, you've been Chili tried and recommended. If you aren't concerned with the vitamins in chocolate milk or are giving your child(ren) a vitamin supplement, I think Nestle's Nesquik Chocolate with 25% less sugar is the way to go. My kids really liked it and I would buy it again. I'm giving Nesquik four chilis.