Matchmaking Blake Shelton?

For anyone who didn't see last night's finale of The Voice, turn away now... or not, since you've probably already read on Facebook who the winner was.

For those who did watch it, what did you think of the performance by Danielle Bradbury and Hunter Hayes? I for one was watching thinking to myself that perhaps Blacke Shelton is a bit of an amateur matchmaker...

They make a great looking couple and with the heated glances they were throwing each other throughout the performance, I wouldn't be surprised if Danielle and Hunter soon become an item.

Summer Fun For Toddlers

Summer officially begins later this month and with the warmer weather comes some unique opportunities to entertain the little ones outside of the home. If you're a parent of toddlers, you may be looking for some entertainment ideas. Here's what I've come up with to keep my brood of 2 happy and active once the warm weather returns.

1.) Sidewalk chalk - Not only is this stuff fun to draw with, you can also make games with it like hopscotch. Or, you can draw out a track for a bike or toy car, you can practice writing letters, or even work on identifying shapes. The activities depend on the age of your child, but the possibilities are endless. If the day is really hot, you can take out the hose to clean off your canvas, spray the kids down and then have more fun when it dries.

2.) Plants - Plants themselves aren't very fun, but toddlers are great gardeners. Teach them how to pick peas or beans and you'll have entertainment with a purpose. My two love love love to help harvest vegetables, plant seeds and do anything garden-related.

3.) Pools - Just a little kiddie pool or a water table on the back deck can be a lot of fun. You don't need anything huge for fun, and actually in my experience smaller pools work better. They fit on the deck and they are just as much fun for the little ones. I'm thinking of investing in an outdoor rug to go under the pool (one that can get wet) to protect their tootsies from the hot deck.

4.) Paint Something - When the weather is warm, it's easy to strip down to the diapers or swimming suits and have fun painting. When the masterpiece is complete, throw them in the pool or the sprinkler to get clean.

5.) Nature Walk - Your backyard can be a great place for your toddler to explore nature. Make a list of things to find and explore along the way. In our yard, that could include the following: a strawberry, a honeysuckle, a flower, a puddle, a rock, a willow tree and a bug. Take your time and look around as you walk the yard, you'll be surprised how much "nature" you have nearby.

6.) Bubbles - This one is pretty self explanatory. Bubbles are fun, period.

7.) Have a Picnic - Go for a picnic in the backyard with your kids. It's a fun way to turn something ordinary into something exciting and the best part is that you'll always be near bathrooms, sinks and other comforts of home. Not up for packing a full meal outside? Take a Popsicle or other treat instead and enjoy some play-time and dessert in the fresh air.

There are plenty of ordinary, fun things you can do in your backyard. Even if you don't have a lot of toys, a big swing set or other comfort items, you can still show your kids a great time outdoors.

Businesses Calling Over Yelp Reviews

I had an interesting experience today that I feel is worth sharing.

Recently, a bad review was left for a business under my Yelp account. I'm not the only one that has access to that account, but since it's my name and last initial I guess it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, today I got a call from a restricted number. I answered it (don't ask me why) and it was the business that had the bad review. They had used the information on yelp (name, last initial and date of review) along with a few details about the review to surmise who it was and find my phone number in my patient file (it's a vet, by the way).

Then they proceeded to call me about the review and tell me that they didn't appreciate it. Well, I didn't appreciate the long wait, the bad service, the foolish billing practices or the phone call regarding my Yelp review. They maintained during the call that they wanted to "make sure I was happy" because customers are "lifeblood of their practice". However, the tone and other things she was saying weren't meshing well with that sentiment.

Then it hit me. She didn't want me to be happy - she was just angling for a 5-star review!

So I asked what she wanted me to do and she repeated the line about wanting me to be happy, blah blah blah. It was like a broken record that's slightly threatening and 100% condescending. I wound up removing the review (because she seemed like a big enough bitch to turn it into a legal issue -- I'm telling you they are straight up unpleasant.), but I did "edit" the post to say that it was edited because they called and wanted it removed. I left the 2-star rating, though considered giving it 1-star.

I also left a blurb about not appreciating her using my Yelp info to call me and harass me. I mentioned too how suspicious it was that there were only 4 and 5-star reviews. Maybe the threatening phone calls work after all?

So what's your take on this? Should businesses use contact information in their files to call customers about Yelp reviews? Should they ask or insinuate that bad reviews be removed to protect their reputations? Does the threat of harassment ever prevent you from leaving a bad review?

In my opinion, if people can't feel comfortable leaving bad reviews on Yelp, the site will become useless. The point of Yelp is to give your opinion and your version of your experience with a company. If you have to change it, sugar coat it or act like it was something it wasn't, doesn't that undermine the spirit of Yelp? Furthermore, I feel like I gave them my phone number to use for contacting me regarding care of my animal - not stalking me down about a Yelp review. In my opinion they misused trusted information and violated customer privacy. If I wanted to chat about my bad service, I would have bellied up to the front desk or called them.