Suburban Reviews

I am the proud recipient of a second child with a very unfortunate milk protein allergy. Since I’m breastfeeding, I am confined to a life sans dairy products. As a serious cereal addict, being banned from all dairy products has put a debilitating kink in my habit.

Luckily I have discovered an excellent alternative for soaking my morning grains…Rice Dream. It’s a completely dairy-free and organic milk alternative. Surprisingly delicious over cereal, it can also easily be substituted in recipes that call for milk. My frightened shivers prior to my first taste were completely unnecessary.

Rice Dream is a rice drink that comes in original, chocolate, carob, and vanilla flavors. It can be purchased in non-refrigerated cartons or in refrigerated cartons. I personally like that I can purchase the non-refrigerated cartons to keep on hand in the pantry.

Rice Dream is low in fat and calories. It is also enriched with Vitamins A, D, and B 12 and has the same amount of calcium as regular milk.

Although prices vary from city to city, Rice Dream can be readily purchased at most grocery stores for approximately $1.85 for the 32 oz. size.

So whether you’re a crunchy mama, vegan, lactose intolerant, or have a milk-sensitive nursling, Rice Dream may be the milk alternative you’ve been looking for. Thank goodness I was brave enough to try it. My lack of cereal was causing major side-effects including irregular heartbeat, dilated pupils, acne, ingrown toenails, chipped teeth, and a hairy tongue. Nobody wants a hairy tongue.

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When it comes to product reviews for moms, most of us think of strollers, car seats & slings. But I’m here to tell you of a little talked about must-have in any mom’s arsenal.

Carpet Stain Removers

That’s right folks, brace yourselves and don’t leave your seats because excitement is about to reign in the world of carpet fibers.

Once your child goes from stationary to mobile, you’ll soon discover the value and necessity of a good stain remover. In the realm of leaking sippy cups, melted chocolate and potty accidents, it is the must have.

Before having kids, I thought Resolve was da bomb. Then kids came along and I realized just how big of a bomb it was. It could not remove even a circle of white grape juice much less tackle toddler poo. It was time for something new.

I struck gold when i discovered Bissel’s OxyPro. I thought it was a stain-removing dream come true. Every stain I had it removed - throw up, (both child and pet) squashed mac-n-cheese, even red Kool-aid. While I did think the price of $5.96/bottle was high, it was worth the expense to save my carpet.

I loved the OxyPro. I praised the OxyPro to all those who felt the pain and tragedy of carpet stains that wouldn’t come out. I praised until the day OxyPro met its match with a stain or 4 of the magic marker kind. Not only would OxyPro not get the stain out, it would not even fade the color from green to lime.

In a moment of desperation, I grabbed a bottle of Totally Awesome off of my laundry room shelf. What was there to lose for my carpet, right? Much to our surprise, Totally Awesome removed the multiple ares of marker scribble. Completely. 100% gone baby! And those scribbles were not made with washable markers I might add. Oh no no no. We made sure this product was put to the real test with old fashion markers that refuse to come out.

Totally Awesome saved the day. But surely, if it beats out OxyPro at $5.96/bottle, then this product would be even higher?

Folks, Totally Awesome can be found for $1 at your nearest Dollar Tree store. That is not a typo. That is one dollar. Unbelievable, you say? No, it’s totally awesome!

At that price, I suggest you make a special trip right now to the Dollar Tree to pick up a bottle or 5. Who cares that gas is over $3.00/gallon, the money you save on the cleaner makes up for the gas you guzzle on your special trip. Go!

And on a side note, I do NOT recommend Elmers 3-D Markers.

I am a Pepsi girl, have been for years. I like Coke well enough, will drink it if it’s all we have, but given the choice between the two, the blue bottle always wins out. I think I have tried every Pepsi product they have put out in the last few years, so when I saw the new Pepsi Summer Mix at Walmart last week, I knew I had to grab one.

Pepsi describes the Summer Mix as ‘a mix of tropical fruit flavors’. Nowhere on the bottle does it give the slightest hint of which tropical flavors, and the ingredients list only says ‘natural and artificial flavoring’, no specific fruit flavorings listed. Oddly enough the website doesn’t give this info either! Curiouser and curiouser…

The first taste is so odd you have to get a few mouthfuls to even begin to decipher it. It’s not overly sweet like you might expect, more like a tangy-sweet, and to me it takes like a cola mixed with pineapple and lime juice. Some people have likened it to mixing cola with Starburst candies, to me it reminds me a little more of Skittles since the ‘tropical’ flavors are more pronounced than mellow. Unfortunately that unknown flavor drives the Pepsi taste into the background, and the result is the feel of drinking a cheap soda with candy like a 14 year old at a sleepover on a Friday night. Sorry Pepsi, not a time I care to go back to.

Pepsi Summer Mix is slated to run through August, so pick it up if you want to try it out just to say you tried it, but I don’t recommend buying a 12 pack unless you need it for something useful, like a doorstop or a really big paper weight. I couldn’t finish half of the 20oz. bottle I bought, and I don’t see this being a big hit unless you are like 12.

Despite my love of Pepsi, Summer Mix gets a huge thumbs down.