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They Don’t Make Toys Like They Used To

13 February, 2013 | Posted by Marvyn
I was originally going to write this as a bias towards toys from my generation compared to those that my 4 year old son, Jagger plays with today. I had two Transformers, Snarl and Jetfire to be exact, that I loved, but little pieces broke off — Jetfire's tail fin and Snarl's foot broke off. Now it's tough pinpoint the cause to being clueless in transforming them or they weren't built rugged enough for the abuse of a 10 year old boy. Yet Jagger's Transformers, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, have held up in the 1+ month he's owned them. When his Transformers stand next to mine (only Jetfire because I don't know what happened to Snarl as last I saw him was on my dad's office shelf 20+ years ago) you can see the difference in plastics used and lack of metal pieces. Maybe the materials are more durable, despite not looking as sharp as mine. I guess we'll find out in a couple months or one day when he gives his Transformers to his child.

Teva Chair 5 Men’s Boots

11 February, 2013 | Posted by Marvyn
I'm accustomed to wearing minimal type footwear, ranging from New Balance Minimus to Nike Kobe sneakers. It's much easier to move and feel connected to the ground than fumbling around in heavy, oversized-feeling boots. So I decided to ditch my warm and comfy, but heavy Columbia boots and welcome the Teva Chair 5 Men's Boot. Full review after the jump.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

2 August, 2012 | Posted by Mary
Heaven is for Real is a true story about a boy named Colton Burpo, who at 4 years old, had a near death experience. Well, you could technically say he did die for 3 minutes. Colton was brought to the hospital after complaining of stomach pains and constant vomiting. The first visit to the hospital diagnosed it as stomach flu. It turned out though that Colton's appendix had burst and had an abscess. He was in really bad shape because he had this in his system for 5 days! After surgery, they thought they were in the clear but as Colton and his parents stepped into the elevator, the doctor had stopped them because the blood work revealed that there were 2 more abscesses. With the condition Colton was in there was little hope that he would survive. His parents, Todd, a pastor, and Sonja, had asked for prayers from their congregation. The next day, it seemed like a miracle had happened. Colton was sitting up, playing like a normal 4 year old. Doctors and nurses could not believe it. To the Burpo's, it seemed like their prayers were answered.

Kiddy Guard Retractable Safety Gate

6 November, 2011 | Posted by Marvyn
Due to the layout of our staircase, traditional child safety gates do not wedge properly in between the opening. This led me to the Kiddy Guard Retractable Safety Gate. Read the full post for my review on it.

Samsung French Door Refrigerator RF4289

18 July, 2011 | Posted by Marvyn
Replaced a leaking old GE fridge for a Samsung - 28.0 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with LCD Touch Screen and Apps (Stainless-Steel). It's very similar to their 2010 top-of-the-line model, but with an LCD display for $400 more.

Samsung Washer and Dryer: Initial Thoughts

16 March, 2009 | Posted by Marvyn
Our old GE washer and dryer decided to give up while feeding it the ever-growing mountain of Jagger's onesies. After doing my homework on popular washer/dryer manufacturers, including Whirlpool, Kenmore, and Maytag, it was the Samsung line that had glowing positive reviews as opposed to the mixed bag of results from others. Initial thoughts after the jump.

Improving Sleep Quality with Tempur-Pedic

6 December, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
Our mattress was on it's last leg — The middle was sagging, the springs were creaking, and the pillow top was ripping. With a baby on the way, Mary had wanted a Tempur-Pedic bed. So off to Sleepy's we went to test out different models and get prices. More after the jump...

What the Foof? My MacBook Sleeve

4 December, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
I've had this MacBook laptop sleeve for a while, but I thought I'd share it with you. It's handmade by Foof, an Australian based company that also makes sleeves for Apple iPhones, iPods, and Nintendo DS Lite. The sleeve that I have is for the older model MacBook aka the BlackBook. More pictures after the jump...(warning: the innuendos are strong with this one)

Mythic Paint Hands On Testing – Final Coat

26 November, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
Mythic Paint has a large selection of colors, more than I have seen with other low VOC paints like Benjamin Moore's Harmony or Lowe's Freshaire. In addition, they can match any color you like. In my case, I had a local Mythic Paint dealer match a Sherman Williams color - Aqua Sphere 7613. Pictures after the jump...

Mythic Paint Hands On Testing – Applying Primer

21 November, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
I've started painting our basement this weekend using paint from the Mythic, who promote their brand as a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint. I have to admit that they have kept their promise on that end, but how well does its application really perform? Read on as I give my thoughts on the performance of this paint in my two part review. More after the jump...

Vouch for Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital

13 November, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
I've read some less than stellar reviews for Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital, and to the countrary they get my thumbs up approval. The type of quality care from Dr. Terrinin and her staff has been just what Oreo needs to help him get back into good health. More after the jump...

Webcam on Wheels – Meet Rovio

28 October, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
Recently picked up WowWee's Rovio to watch the house and keep tabs on Oreo from a remote location. Despite some negative feedback, I have to say that it does exactly what I expected it to. Maybe I'm not a robot geek and don't mind some of the Rovio's shortcomings. More images and thoughts after the jump...

The Good Daddy/Hubby/Photographer Bag Pt. 2

14 October, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
The Camelbak HAWG MG is a very versatile hydration backpack as reviewed previously. Unfortunately, it's just a tad bulky for short trips. Enter the Camelbak Ambush. More after the jump...

Hydration Continued – Camelbak Sno Angel

5 October, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
In my quest to keep Mary and the baby hydrated during her commute to work, I purchased another Camelbak hydration backpack — the Sno Angel. It is much smaller compared to previous Camelbaks I've written about here, (Ambush and HAWG MG) but it should be as this backpack was designed specifically for women. More after the jump...

The Good Daddy/Hubby/Photographer Bag

8 September, 2008 | Posted by Marvyn
In preparation for our family cruise to the Mediterranean, I picked up a Camelbak HAWG MG backpack. The though process was that I could provide water to my pregnant wife, hold my camera + lenses, and keep a sweater available. It certainly lived up to expectations. More after the jump...