Kohler Bancroft Tub

In the course of a recent bathroom remodel (more on that to come!), we looked over oodles of tubs in search of one that a) looked appropriate for our "style", and b) had the proper balance of form vs. function. We picked a white Kohler Bancroft and it's been perfect for us. Aesthetically speaking, it looks great in the context of our room. What looks like almost a scroll shape on the product photo is actually a much more subtle rounded form that gives a great "weight" to the appearance from the side and a really nice vintage look.

The really key thing with this tub is that it has to do double-duty, with a functional area for kids to bathe in but also a sufficient amount of flat surface area for an adult to stand comfortably for a shower. It was surprising how many tubs we encountered when we went out looking that had narrow, sloping bottoms that would make anyone who was showering feel like they couldn't get a good footing. I stood in a number of them that had my ankles bent to an uncomfortable degree. Not so this one! Taking a shower is a pleasure. And if you ask our kids, I know they'll also say there's a huge amount of room down there for toys and comfortable sitting (and any adults who like to lay in the tub as well).

Umbrella Summer

We're constantly on the lookout these days for books that are good for our nightly read-aloud-to-the-kids sessions, generally taking place right before everyone is tucked in for bed. Our daughter is now six and our son is eleven, and for our nightly reading we tend to gravitate toward chapter books geared to kids closer to our son's age (with the expectation that our precocious daughter will be able grasp most everything our son can, which she generally does!).
Lisa Graff's Umbrella Summer proved to be a lucky find, with an engaging and entertaining story about a young girl whose older brother has died, and who now feels compelled to be extremely over protective of herself in everything she does as a result - extra pads when riding her bike, going through a box of band-aids every few days, avoiding "dangerous" play activities (like a friend's obstacle course), etc. But then she meets a kind older woman who's just moved in across the street, and things change when they discover they both have some important things in common. Despite the slightly girl-flavored cover, this book was great for our older son and our daughter as well.

Securifi Almond WiFi Router / Range Extender

We installed a Securifi Almond router and range extender on the main floor of our house a few months back and it's been working great thus far. Our main router is upstairs, tucked into the corner of our crowded office, and the Almond, operating as a range extender, has allowed us to propagate our signal further throughout the house. The nice thing is that it allows for the use of the same username and password that we use for the main router (and this is optional, as you can set whatever username/password you choose). Note that if you do choose that route, you will have two seemingly identical choices in your list of wifi connection points, though they'll have different MAC addresses, which is how I tell them apart, having noted those at some point during the process. Also, the setup really was just a few minutes, as noted in their promotional stuff, though that doesn't account for the additional time I spent playing around with it later just for my own edification.