my neverending storage bench saga.

If you remember my storage bench review for CSN Stores (now Wayfair), I had to amend my review based on poor craftsmanship & poor customer service. Well, it seems this tale has no end. I contacted Wayfair about this bad experience, and, surprisingly, received a prompt response from them. They apologized for my bad experience, and graciously offered to send me a replacement bench. Well, I had no idea where I was going to put another bench, but of course I accepted their offer! The bench is no longer offered in white, so I ordered the black bench. We need more storage space around this house, so I was starting to get excited about the prospect of having another place to stash my junk. :-) We promptly received our bench, and a few months later Baron assembled it. As soon as he put it together, he could already tell we were going to have the same problem we did with the first one. Sigh. So, after assembling 2 of these benches (which, BTW, takes about 2 hours...UGH.) and taking note of the poor craftsmanship of the lid, I can definitely say that I do NOT recommend this product. And to be honest, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth for Wayfair as well.

::UPDATED:: the "toy bench": a CSN stores product review

**Please see updated review at the bottom of this post!**

So for all 2 of you who keep up with my blog, you may remember awhile back when I mentioned I'd be doing another CSN Stores product review. Well, I decided to get this Linon Anna storage bench, but we had to save up for it, so that took awhile. :) We got the bench a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! It's the perfect size to store Natalie's smaller toys, a collection of which I am sure will continue to grow. The assembly instructions were a little confusing, but I was able to do most of it by myself when Baron was out of town. I left some of it for him to finish once he got back. :) Anyway, as always, shopping with CSN Stores was a breeze. Ordering was easy, shipping on this particular item was FREE, and I got the bench within less than 2 weeks of ordering it. If you haven't shopped CSN Stores before, check them out for home decor, furniture, luggage, baby stuff, and more!

So, my question for y'all is this:

How should I decorate the bench? Two small rectangle pillows? A long bolster pillow?

I need input!

::UPDATE::

It has been almost a year since I first reviewed this product on 3/28/11, and I need to amend my review. A few months after assembling it & using it, the screws in the hinges started to come loose, and the spring arm that holds the lid opened started to bend. Eventually one of the spring arms completely broke. As in, the metal just broke completely. So, I [eventually, I admit] called CSN to request replacement hardware. [I should note at this point that CSN Stores was in the process of changing over to Wayfair. That is important to remember.] The customer service rep I spoke with basically told me I should have called within the 60-day [or maybe 30-day? I don't remember] time after ordering the product so that it would be covered by warranty. [Really? So your product that cost us almost $200 should only be expected to last a couple of months? Nice, Wayfair. Nice. I digress.] The gentleman then told me he would have to check with the warehouse to see if there were spare parts he could send to me, and he would call me back the very next day. And...that was the last I heard from Wayfair. I do NOT recommend this bench, and I furthermore do NOT recommend this company. If they decide to make this right, I will consider changing my opinion.

On a related note, we also submitted a room in our home for the Worst Workspace Contest. We had started the very slow process of converting our dining room into a home office, and the timing was perfect, as this contest was just getting underway. That was a year and a half ago, and they have JUST NOW contacted us that the voting is open for the contest. Needless to say, we don't have time to wait any longer to proceed with the makeover of the room. It's already been a year & a half in the making, and as we are trying to prepare our house to be home to another child, we cannot wait any longer. The room is almost halfway done at this point, and we just can't slow the process any more. We could most certainly use the winnings to help us financially, which is why I am sorely disappointed in the untimeliness of the contest process.

You should form your own opinion about this company. I am simply sharing my experiences, in hopes that someone at Wayfair will take note, and work to make it a better company.

Thanks for reading! :-)

favorite things: the baby edition

When it comes to baby gear, we all know that the bumbo, bottles, boppy & bibs are a necessity. But sometimes it can get a bit confusing when it comes time to choose amongst the plethora of gadgets for little ones. Here are a few of my personal favorite baby items that have made my life with a little one a ton easier & a tad more fun...





A friend of ours gave Natalie these orbit labels from inchbug for her birthday, and they are a great find! These would be especially handy for daycare kids. They fit on bottles and sippy cups as well.







Natalie was a formula baby, and for all formula babies, a formula dispenser is a must-have. Let me save you time and money: go with the Avent formula dispenser. I tried 3 different kinds, and this one is by far the best. I had one other brand warp when I boiled it (even though the directions say to boil it before first use to sterilize it), and neither of the other two brands were as good about emptying all of the formula easily. And also...with the Avent one, the dividers are removable, making it into a snack cup for later. Ours now houses Cheerios. :)

There are a plethora of strollers out there, and I made the mistake of not researching & thinking ahead when I registered. The travel system stroller is awesome when baby is little & still fits in the carrier, but they quickly outgrow it. I bought an older version of this stroller for a plane flight, since this folds up compact like an umbrella stroller. It still has the height of a regular sized stroller, and it's super easy to steer and comfortable to push. This one looks WAY cooler than the one we have, being that ours came from a flea market for $10. :)

And when do you do order that awesome stroller...you'll quickly notice there is no cup holder. Enter this. {Available at TJ Maxx, Baby Depot, and I think Wal-Mart as well.}

Natalie got a super awesome wagon for her birthday, courtesy of her Mimi & Paparoxy. We added this clip-on canopy for some shade, and I've decided it's a must-have if you have a wagon!

Evenflo BabyGo High Chair. This thing folds up almost as compact as a camping chair, and let me tell you, we have already gotten our money's worth from it, and we just got it for Christmas. Ours came from Amazon, but I don't see it on their site anymore. Find it here. This might be the #1 baby gear item I recommend because it's just not very well known.

**UPDATE: This chair has been discontinued by Evenflo. I know, it's DEVASTATING. :) Every time I use this chair in public, I get comments on how awesome it is. I know several moms who would love to have this chair. And it's not available. I called Evenflo, and the best thing we can do as consumers is call or email them & let them know you want this product on the market again. Call Evenflo at 800-233-5921 & just tell them you would LOVE to have this chair. It only takes a couple of minutes, so DO IT. Or you can email them by visiting their website here & filling out the form. {It asks for model # & manufacture date. You can use the info from my chair if you want; the model # is 25703917 and date 10/08.} Thanks!**

What are your favorite baby items? Please share!

another upcoming product review

So, you've heard me talk before about my love for CSN Stores. I've mentioned that they have a kazillion different things to shop for...from modern dining room furniture to baby & kids stuff to sweet cookware. They really do have SO much stuff, and at great prices!

I'll be doing another product review soon, so stay tuned! Now, I've got to decide what I'm gonna get from their 200+ stores...decisions, decisions....

awesome new diaper bag

Recently, I was contacted by CSN Stores to do another product review. This time I chose to order a diaper bag, and it took me FOREVER to choose which one I wanted. I am SO happy with my choice! I got the Kalencom Medallion Midi Coated Diaper Bag, and I love it!! It's smaller than my other bag, so it's easier to carry around. I did have to reorganize my contents (yes, I'm THAT person who keeps my bag in order) but it's totally worth it. It also came with a changing pad & a small diaper/wipes bag (staples in the diaper bag, if you ask me!). I'm starting to really love the yellow/gray/white color scheme. I'd love to redo a room in my house inspired by this bag!

The ordering process was simple, and I got my bag in the mail in just a few days! I highly recommend shopping over at CSN Stores for just about anything you need!

another upcoming product review!

I recently did a product review for CSN Stores. For those of you not familiar with CSN Stores, they have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from luggage to LED lighting to cookware to baby gear! It's all the buzz in the blog world these days, and for just reason. You can just about find anything you would need to buy online. So, stay tuned for my product review of what's bound to be an excellent purchase! In the meantime, go shop at CSN Stores now!!

Natalie's favorite mobile!

Remember when I told you that CSN stores contacted me to do a product review? Well, I chose this adorable Sevi B My Prince mobile for Natalie's nursery, and it is so cute! It took me awhile to choose a product, because CSN has SO many to choose from that I wanted. I finally settled on this lovely little mobile, and it is perfect.

The only negative thing I have to say about my shopping experience is that the mobile was on backorder, so it took two months to get here. When I placed the order, the site said it was in stock, but turns out it wasn't. As far as the Sevi line is concerned, they have the cutest stuff! It's a tad pricey, but a lot of their items have free shipping.

As for the B My Prince mobile...I LOVE the product! It's so cute in Natalie's nursery! Check out CSN Stores for more great products, including an entire line of Sevi toys for your little one. {I'll take one of each, please! :)}

{mobile above the changing table}

{Natalie loves her new mobile!}

product review coming soon!

Recently I was contacted by CSN Stores to do a review of one of their products on my blog. Well...of course I agreed! If you're not familiar with CSN Stores, it is an online shopping experience with several different stores from which to shop. Their 200+ sites offer the largest selection of home and office products - from bar furniture to luggage to baby products to kitchen gadgets...and much more!

So, if you haven't shopped CSN Stores before, be sure to check them out! And stay tuned to my blog for my product review...coming soon!