Recently, I decided it was time to try selling the Medela breast pump I barely used. I was going to use eBay, but I feel their fees are a little steep. So, I gave craigslist.com a try. Well, someone from California [who obviously knows English as a second language] contacted me and wanted to buy the pump....the fact that they weren't local should have been my first clue.....
Well, after several e-mails [that were usually one, very long, rambling paragraph], I agreed to sell them the pump and pay their shipper from money they were sending me via PayPal. Hey, it's PayPal, right? I figured I would be safe....how can they screw me over with PayPal....??
We paid about $320 for the pump, and I had it listed at $150. I figured shipping would be about $35 - 50, so I was looking for about $185 to show up in my PayPal account.....NOT $975! I suddenly get an e-mail from PayPal regarding this rather large deposit and then another e-mail from the "buyer" giving me details on what to do with this money.
Seems they had bought several items from sellers in Cincinnati, and they were entrusting me, a total stranger, with making payment to their "shipper" in Washington, D.C. And payment came from somebody in Arizona and was marked "UNICEF." Oh, and I was supposed to use WESTERN UNION to wire the money. And I was supposed to keep an extra $50 for my "trouble" of going to Western Union. However, the math didn't add up, and they didn't send me enough money nor did they tell me where to actually ship the breast pump....hmmmm.....
Are there really people who are THIS stupid or naive that they would fall for this scam? How many red flags do YOU notice in this scenario? Let's see....the horrible English.....all the different locations.....WESTERN UNION [major red flag]......not enough money......
Needless to say, I immediately contacted PayPal and explained the situation to them. They agreed it was a stolen account and scam and are supposed to put a freeze on the payment. Actually, they didn't seem all that concerned....which really surprised me! Wouldn't they have some interest in going after these people who are using THEIR system to scam others out of money.....? You would think so, but maybe not.
Luckily, a local woman contacted me about the breast pump, and I sold it to her instead. She's due in July, and I hope she gets more use from the breast pump than I did! Now, can I interest you in a Chicco carrier.....?
Showing posts with label chicco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicco. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Visit the 'Rents
This weekend, my husband is in Seattle visiting his mom. Nick-Knack and I are home alone, so I decided that we would also make a visit to the 'rents. Mom is always asking when she'll see him, and they are only an hour and a half away. It's a trip I should really make more often....
Since Nicholas is hitting six months tomorrow and allowed to start riding forward facing [not to mention that he's almost too big for the carrier], I decided to make the switch to his "big boy" car seat. We were lucky enough to win a Britax car seat from a local store, so I attempted to install it this morning and
replace the carrier we've been using.
The carrier we have is by Chicco and was part of a travel system. I have to say that I love it. It's served us well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I just happen to have one for sale.....ha, ha.
Anyway, after a few trials and errors, I did manage to install the Britax car seat using the latches. It was a serious pain in the butt to get the latches to "click" properly, but I finally got it all hooked in. Then, I packed up some diapers and formula, grabbed Nicholas, and we were off!
I'm not sure if he likes this new car seat. He kept looking around like he didn't know where the HELL he was. I also didn't get the usual smiles out of him. He just kept looking at me with this perplexed look on his face.
As usual, he fell asleep on the ride home, and his poor little head was slumped forward. It did not look comfortable. It did give me an idea for a possible new invention, though! I'm sure somebody has already thought of it, so it might save me the hassle of making a prototype.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see if Nick takes to this new car seat. It seems very comfortable, and I do like it. I hope he adapts and decides that being able to see out the windows and look at Mommy are pluses. And that change is good.
Since Nicholas is hitting six months tomorrow and allowed to start riding forward facing [not to mention that he's almost too big for the carrier], I decided to make the switch to his "big boy" car seat. We were lucky enough to win a Britax car seat from a local store, so I attempted to install it this morning and
replace the carrier we've been using.The carrier we have is by Chicco and was part of a travel system. I have to say that I love it. It's served us well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I just happen to have one for sale.....ha, ha.
Anyway, after a few trials and errors, I did manage to install the Britax car seat using the latches. It was a serious pain in the butt to get the latches to "click" properly, but I finally got it all hooked in. Then, I packed up some diapers and formula, grabbed Nicholas, and we were off!
I'm not sure if he likes this new car seat. He kept looking around like he didn't know where the HELL he was. I also didn't get the usual smiles out of him. He just kept looking at me with this perplexed look on his face.
As usual, he fell asleep on the ride home, and his poor little head was slumped forward. It did not look comfortable. It did give me an idea for a possible new invention, though! I'm sure somebody has already thought of it, so it might save me the hassle of making a prototype.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see if Nick takes to this new car seat. It seems very comfortable, and I do like it. I hope he adapts and decides that being able to see out the windows and look at Mommy are pluses. And that change is good.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Visit to the Dentist
I'm not real good about flossing. Just seems like such a pain in the butt. I know I should do it, but I have been blessed with good teeth and strong enamel....so, it hasn't always been necessary.
Well, unfortunately, the gums have been receding for years now. It's made my toothy grin even toothier! And exposed a little root here and there. Thus, I had to make an extra visit to the dentist to have some enamel added to an area. I really don't know how to explain what I had done, so bear with me.
Had NO idea they were going to numb my mouth. It's been sooooo many years since I had a numb face.....I forgot what it was like! I ended up spitting water in an arc when I tried to rinse. I was laughing so hard after it happened that I spit some more water.
It's been about four hours since the shot that numbed my face.....and whoa, it's wearing off. That area is definitely feeling a little sore......and weird.....SO unexpected!
While I could still talk without drooling on myself, we were discussing epidurals and childbirth. My dentist, who is a male, had to weigh in on the subject....which, OF COURSE, had the women rolling.
After my appointment, I chatted with one of the women who works there. Her husband, ironically, works for my company, and she just had a baby in December. And her son's middle name is Nicholas, so will the similarities never stop??? I hope I gave her some good advice. I realize that so many moms have gone before me, but I would like to think that I have one or two tidbits of gold to share....
1. I had a big baby -- 9 lbs. 6 oz. He was, is and will be a healthy eater. Breast milk didn't hold him, especially at night. So, I switched to formula. That worked better, but he still woke at 4:30 a.m. like clockwork for a "midnight" feeding.
Then, I discovered Enfamil Lipil A.R. It's meant for babies who spit up, so there's rice cereal added to it. Hmmmm.....rice cereal......maybe this "heavier" formula would stick with my kid longer, and he'd sleep longer....hmmmm......sleep deprived wheels are churning......
So, I tried it, and BINGO! The kid was sleeping about ten hours a night around 10-11 weeks. As he's gotten bigger/older, we've had to add a solid food feeding before bedtime, but the bambino is snoozing from 8:00 p.m.ish until 7:00 a.m.ish, and we are enjoying a full nights sleep.
2. Pack and Plays/Playpens/Play Yards.....whatever you want to call them. The one we got is from Chicco, and we love it. It's very versatile. Nicholas slept in the "bassinet" part of it until he moved to his crib in his room. But the base/bottom of it was SO hard....how was a baby supposed to sleep on this slab of concrete?
The solution? We bought one of those memory foam mattress toppers. We got one for a twin bed at Target for about $19 and cut it down to size. What a DIFFERENCE! Made his little bassinet so much more comfortable. You know, this little "fix" might have also contributed to Nicholas being such a good sleeper.
3. When you have a baby, you MUST buy some things.....a carrier, clothes, bottles, diapers....you know, the ABSOLUTE necessities. There's no debating these things.
Then there are the "nice to have" things or the "you don't really need these things, but it's your first kid, so what do you know?" items.....the ones that aren't REALLY necessary....or, you could buy cheaper, less fancy versions. Like, do you REALLY need one of those wipe warmers? Do the wipes actually get SO cold that you need to warm them up first? My kid just seems happy to have the poop wiped off his back -- he doesn't seem to mind the room temperature wipe.
Anywho, I would include "video baby monitor" on the "nice to have" list. I think a monitor is necessary, but a video one with a 2.5" screen [which is a wide screen in the world of video monitors] might not be a "must have."
However, I love, love, LOVE my video monitor and consider the $165 we spent on it to be WELL WORTH the price. I have such peace of mind knowing that, with the click of a button, I can see my baby. I hear a whimper and CLICK. I hear a cough and CLICK. I hear a fart and CLICK.....wait, was that my husband.....? I can make sure that the baby is okay without running up a flight of stairs.
Plus, it's so much fun to watch him flailing around in his crib while he sings to his fishy mobile. Lately, he's been rubbing his fingernails against the cloth crib bumpers. He seems to enjoy the sound it makes. And he's been practicing the "raspberry" sound I taught him. Watching him entertain himself is far more amusing than the best of the worst of "American Idol."
The monitor we got is by Summer. The 2.5" screen, 900 mHZ one. It doesn't interfere with our wireless Internet nor any of our 5.8 mHZ cordless phones. All coexist in peace and harmony.
You know.......I would probably lose more of this baby fat if I were running up that flight of stairs every time I heard a whimper, cough or fart......but I still recommend the monitor! I'll get plenty of exercise chasing after Nicholas in a few more months.....
Well, unfortunately, the gums have been receding for years now. It's made my toothy grin even toothier! And exposed a little root here and there. Thus, I had to make an extra visit to the dentist to have some enamel added to an area. I really don't know how to explain what I had done, so bear with me.
Had NO idea they were going to numb my mouth. It's been sooooo many years since I had a numb face.....I forgot what it was like! I ended up spitting water in an arc when I tried to rinse. I was laughing so hard after it happened that I spit some more water.
It's been about four hours since the shot that numbed my face.....and whoa, it's wearing off. That area is definitely feeling a little sore......and weird.....SO unexpected!
While I could still talk without drooling on myself, we were discussing epidurals and childbirth. My dentist, who is a male, had to weigh in on the subject....which, OF COURSE, had the women rolling.
After my appointment, I chatted with one of the women who works there. Her husband, ironically, works for my company, and she just had a baby in December. And her son's middle name is Nicholas, so will the similarities never stop??? I hope I gave her some good advice. I realize that so many moms have gone before me, but I would like to think that I have one or two tidbits of gold to share....
1. I had a big baby -- 9 lbs. 6 oz. He was, is and will be a healthy eater. Breast milk didn't hold him, especially at night. So, I switched to formula. That worked better, but he still woke at 4:30 a.m. like clockwork for a "midnight" feeding.
Then, I discovered Enfamil Lipil A.R. It's meant for babies who spit up, so there's rice cereal added to it. Hmmmm.....rice cereal......maybe this "heavier" formula would stick with my kid longer, and he'd sleep longer....hmmmm......sleep deprived wheels are churning......
So, I tried it, and BINGO! The kid was sleeping about ten hours a night around 10-11 weeks. As he's gotten bigger/older, we've had to add a solid food feeding before bedtime, but the bambino is snoozing from 8:00 p.m.ish until 7:00 a.m.ish, and we are enjoying a full nights sleep.
2. Pack and Plays/Playpens/Play Yards.....whatever you want to call them. The one we got is from Chicco, and we love it. It's very versatile. Nicholas slept in the "bassinet" part of it until he moved to his crib in his room. But the base/bottom of it was SO hard....how was a baby supposed to sleep on this slab of concrete?
The solution? We bought one of those memory foam mattress toppers. We got one for a twin bed at Target for about $19 and cut it down to size. What a DIFFERENCE! Made his little bassinet so much more comfortable. You know, this little "fix" might have also contributed to Nicholas being such a good sleeper.
3. When you have a baby, you MUST buy some things.....a carrier, clothes, bottles, diapers....you know, the ABSOLUTE necessities. There's no debating these things.
Then there are the "nice to have" things or the "you don't really need these things, but it's your first kid, so what do you know?" items.....the ones that aren't REALLY necessary....or, you could buy cheaper, less fancy versions. Like, do you REALLY need one of those wipe warmers? Do the wipes actually get SO cold that you need to warm them up first? My kid just seems happy to have the poop wiped off his back -- he doesn't seem to mind the room temperature wipe.
Anywho, I would include "video baby monitor" on the "nice to have" list. I think a monitor is necessary, but a video one with a 2.5" screen [which is a wide screen in the world of video monitors] might not be a "must have."
However, I love, love, LOVE my video monitor and consider the $165 we spent on it to be WELL WORTH the price. I have such peace of mind knowing that, with the click of a button, I can see my baby. I hear a whimper and CLICK. I hear a cough and CLICK. I hear a fart and CLICK.....wait, was that my husband.....? I can make sure that the baby is okay without running up a flight of stairs.
Plus, it's so much fun to watch him flailing around in his crib while he sings to his fishy mobile. Lately, he's been rubbing his fingernails against the cloth crib bumpers. He seems to enjoy the sound it makes. And he's been practicing the "raspberry" sound I taught him. Watching him entertain himself is far more amusing than the best of the worst of "American Idol."
The monitor we got is by Summer. The 2.5" screen, 900 mHZ one. It doesn't interfere with our wireless Internet nor any of our 5.8 mHZ cordless phones. All coexist in peace and harmony.
You know.......I would probably lose more of this baby fat if I were running up that flight of stairs every time I heard a whimper, cough or fart......but I still recommend the monitor! I'll get plenty of exercise chasing after Nicholas in a few more months.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
