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I'm not entirely clear why I'm doing this, but from what I hear, "claiming your blog" on Technorati is the best way to increase your readership. And since I'm pretty convinced I have a valid and entertaining perspective on parenting in Des Moines, I'd like it to be seen. So, here goes nothin':
P.S. This advice comes to me from blog consulting firm, Purple Wren.
Submitted by Mark
I hired Sunroom Escapes to install a sunroom on the back of my home. While signing the contract, the salesman told me, my wife and my two children that all we had to worry about was getting someone to install the carpet. I thought everything was going to be taken care of.
The sunroom was supposed to take about two weeks to install. t took four months to pass the city inspection after a three week delay in starting.
There were MANY mistakes. They dropped my roof, leaving a large dent in it. They tried to cover it up, but it is still very noticeable.
The back wall was panelled. The lines did not match, and some of the panels were on backwards, not to mention the extra two-inch cut by the window that the trim (which I had to purchase and install) did not cover. After they redid the line problem the panels were still on backwards.
The french door was installed incorrectly. It was not plum or secured at the top. I paid someone to straighten it and found no shims were used. The holes were not predrilled and my casing is cracked.
There was supposed to be a 1/4 flooring on top of the 3/4 flooring, but when I asked about it, the salesman smirked and said I should have got that in writing. The deck was supposed to be any way I wanted. They did not do it that way.
After they failed the city inspection and had it redone, it is still not the way I wanted it. They failed the city inspection because the spindles were too far apart; they forgot to put the nuts on the bolts holding the posts to the deck, and the steps had no railing.
My roof had a large bump in it. I was told I was being nit-picky. After two leaks, I had my roof replaced. My gutters are not straight. The lattice on the deck was installed poorly. I asked for it to be fixed and they did the least they could. It is angled on the south side of my house because the deck is not square.
I am not to happy about the corrections the city made them do, shims, a support beam and a post mount. When we go to sell our home the corrections are very visible, and I am afraid it will bring down the value.
The posts under my sunroom are not even. One end is six inches from the lattice and the other is nine inches away. I have no idea how to correct that.
After all these problems, Sunroom Escapes did not pay the subcontractor, and I had a mechanics lein on my home. The owner made it sound like he was doing me a favor by getting that released. I had to contact the subcontractor about my roof leaks and was told he did not recieve any money for my sunroom.
There were lots of little mistakes. Screws were left out of my locks, several different kinds of screws were used in my windows, sod from the holes that were dug was not moved, gutter spout was draining towards my home, gutters leaked, my heating/cooling unit did not work because it was installed incorrectly, they did very little cleaning. It was a new room; it should have looked new.
I had to purchase and install the smoke detectors. My room is over 14 feet deep, and I was told there would be a beam down the middle. There is not.
The caps for the bolts in my door were missing, two different kinds of facia board covers, one textured/one smooth, are still there. I installed some weather stripping in the windows, but the room is still drafty. The vent pipe for my plumbing was a four inch pipe on the two inch pipe coming out of my home. After the leaks it was a three inch pipe, but it was still not sealed at the bottom. The roofers fixed that.
After all these problems, Sunroom Escapes continued to talk to me like they were helping me out. I feel they should have corrected some of these problems before putting the contract on my kitchen table and telling me to sign and pay. They did this before the heating and cooling unit was fixed and before they called the city for the final inspection.
I was supposed to get a tv delivered and installed in my home when the work was complete. I had to drive to Ankeny and call the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau and the State of Iowa and tell them everything was corrected to get it. I was a fool to let this happen. I should have not let them do this. I hope no one else has to deal with these people EVER!
I do not enjoy this room at all. It makes me sick to go out there. It has already been a year. I have many pictures of all the mistakes and would be glad to show them to anyone.
The Des Moines Register is reporting that a new boxing club, run by the Des Moines Police Department, is scheduled to open soon. And according to the article, children as young as nine will be invited to box. Writes reporter Todd Erzen:
Area youth as young as 9 will be able to train at the gym, which during peak times will be open 1 to 9 p.m. on weekdays. All participants must train for at least three months before they earn clearance to participate in an official boxing match, but boxing in actual matches is not a requirement.
Participants also must maintain good grades in school and avoid disciplinary and criminal activity.
The boxing club is under renovation in a former Casey's building at 2025 E. Grand Ave. Stay tuned for more information.
Last night, on my way to get the boys from daycare, I came out of my haze to realize I had nothing planned for dinner. Call it divine intervention or good marketing, whatever you wish, but at that moment I remember that What's for Dinner was advertising a solution for this very crisis; they called it 911 meals.
I dialed 4-1-1, got the number for What's for Dinner and asked the gal who answered what was on the 911 menu Tuesday night.
Well, she was new and had no clue what I was talking about. I was embarrassed (and super bummed), but she quickly turned my mood around when she said she would talk to the manager and call me right back.
Two minutes later, she was back on my phone with a promise to have a cheesy ham and potatoe bake with a side of parmesan corn ready for me in 15 minutes. I was thrilled.
Wanna know something else... they were CLOSED! This gal pulled together an emergency meal for me on a night when the store wasn't even open. She just happened to be there doing prep for the next night.
So, remember these gals next time you're desperate for dinner. They will go the extra mile every time!
So, there's a way you can do holiday cards on your computer without looking like you did holiday cards on your computer. It's called Send Out Cards and there's a local woman serving this market who can guide us through the entire process.
In addition to allowing you to select the design of your holiday card, write your own message and upload your own family photos, this technology will even create a custom font designed from a hand-writing sample you send them in the mail. So it appears that you hand-wrote each one. So sneaky!
I have a feeling this is just a tip of the iceberg in terms of what this technology allows you to do. For more information, check them out here.
I'm always looking for an excuse to get to the East Village, but there's hardly ever any family-friendly events down there. But that's changed now that East Village Books has committed to a monthly family activity, scheduled to be held the first Friday of every month.
First of all, I love that the bookstore caters to the parents as much as it does the children. With the wine and cheese pairings available for the "big kids," it becomes date night and family night rolled in one.
We absolutely LOVED this event and will go back as often as our schedule allows.
A few things to keep in mind when you take your family:
1. Inquire as to the actual start time of the children's activity. Last Friday's event notice said to "join us anytime after 6," and the storyteller didn't start until 7. You know what they say about idle hands... especially idle toddler hands in a beautiful bookstore.
2. Put the kids in jammies... last Friday's event was almost an hour long, and the kiddos were ready to go straight to see the Sandman when we got home.
3. Designate a driver. Free wine can get pretty tempting for mom and dad.
This event and this store gets a huge thumbs-up from DesMoinesFamilies.com. Way to go... remembering that parents deserve some attention at kids' events is so rare... great job!
Submitted by Denise
I read the latest review on this play place in your reviews section and thought I'd write another opinion. I honestly don't feel like this play place is the safest for my 2-year-old, and I probably won't visit often, if ever again. The place is colorful and clean, however (even has those sanitizer dispensers).
The main reason I don't feel it's safe is the equipment. There is a bridge and a castle where kids can climb up to the top - but once they get there the "walls" of those areas come up to a small child's knees. This means any toddler slightly off balance or the slightest nudge by a group of rowdy kids will send a child over the edge and likely onto their head. The walls of the climbing equipment should be much higher.
Also, this play place is I-shaped (where Jordan Creek is round and Merle Hay is rectangle) so depending on where you sit, you can't view the entire play area. f your child is young enough, you are likely following them around anyway, but for the older toddlers and preschoolers who like to run around a bit, you have to move around in order to get a view of the kids at all times.
I'd rather go to the Jordan Creek or Merle Hay places, even though Valley West is closest to my home.
Submitted by Stephanie
My family and I went to B&B in Beaverdale on Kids Night (Tuesdays). The service was very good, and the waitress made it a point to put the childrens' orders in right away.
Our daughter ordered the spaghetti, which came in a well-sized bowl and was quite good. Both children got plenty of drink refills and neither of them could finish all their food. The patio area is perfect for children as spills are easily cleaned off the hard floor.
Overall, I enjoyed the evening and will certainly go back.
Submitted by Cindy
I went into Sara's Garden House on Grand in WDM last week to get some flowers. It was a pretty much perfect experience. I was greeted right away with a lovely carnation, asked what I needed, and was made to feel like a cherished customer. They really have the customer service thing down - and the store was darling, as well.
