Stuff Parents Need - Page 5 of 298 - Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Time to Upgrade Your Kitchen Appliances? How to Save BIG on the Costs

March 28, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. As always, all thoughts and opinions are mine, alone.

I was recently chatting with a friend about the high, hidden costs of home-ownership. In my case, when my husband and I first purchased a home, all we saw was the initial price tag, and the initial monthly mortgage note. We knew we could afford that payment, so we signed on the dotted line, blissfully unaware of all the expenses just waiting around the corner. I’ll spare you the laundry list, but the short version of the story is this: stuff breaks, somewhat often, and every time it does you have to fix it or replace it.

Fortunately, there are some expenses that you can prepare for and save lots of money on by buying at the right time. For example, if you know you are going to remodel your kitchen at some point in 2017, then you already know that you are looking for some new kitchen appliances. Therefore, you can buy them when the price is right.

And at Best Buy, the price is right NOW. Best Buy is holding a Remodeling Sales Event and that means the top deals for the top brands and you will save a ton (up to 30%!). These are the best deals of the season on Samsung appliances, and you can save an additional 10% on select Samsung 4-piece kitchen packages, so if you need all new appliances, this is really the way to go. Plus, you can get a free $100 gift card when you buy 2 major appliances totaling $150 or more. What’s not to love about these deals? I mean, can we get a close up on that fridge???

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This is the French Door Refrigerator and I want it!!! It has a showcase door that makes the contents of your refrigerator visible without you having to actually open it. I know all the parents out there will rejoice with me on that one! No more having to tell the kids to shut the refrigerator door and quit letting all the cold air out! I also love the FlexZone drawer with 4 temperature settings and a Smart Divider to ensure the groceries stay the proper temperature. I always struggle to keep all of my produce at the right temp; something is always wilting far sooner than it should! Sounds like this fridge can really help with that problem.

Want to learn more? Click here to get the full scoop on this awesome sale! I hope you save a bundle and that your remodeling experience costs a bit less than you anticipated, thanks to Best Buy!

National Poison Prevention Week: Environmental Toxins to Watch for at Home

March 22, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

There are toxins in the home we need to be aware of and work to avoid! Please take a moment to read this really informative post I put together in collaboration with Heather and the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

National Poison Prevention Week is March 19th-25th this year and it’s a week to highlight safety for little ones and families, especially around the home. Keeping cleaning products, medicines and other labelled toxic hazards in mind as potential poisons are always so important, yet environmental toxins and chemicals in personal care items can also pose dangers that parents should be aware of.

Some things to be mindful of as potential dangers in the home and how to remedy them:

Environmental Toxins in the Home:

Asbestos – invisible fibers that are the known cause of mesothelioma cancer. Was widely used in multiple building applications including but not limited to: drywall, wall insulation, pipe insulation, tiles, popcorn ceilings, shingles and siding in older homes built prior to 1980. Learn the signs of possible asbestos and contact a licensed abatement professional for all testing and removal.
Lead – most commonly found in paint chips and dust, pipes and water. Exposure can be particularly damaging to children under the age of six, and poisoning can present in a range of symptoms. Licensed professionals can assess and properly abate lead hazards like paint and pipes.
Radon – naturally occurring odorless, colorless gas that can build up in homes and potentially lead to lung cancer. Testing kits are readily available online and radon removal specialists on the EPA website
Carbon Monoxide – odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can also build up in homes due to burning of fuel (cars, small engines, gas stoves and grills, furnaces, etc.) and detectors can be readily found online and in home improvement stores.

Personal Products:

Parabens – Synthetic compound widely found in personal care items from toothpaste to lotions, makeup, hair care, etc. Found to disrupt hormone function and lead to excess estrogen in the body over time. Learn the main types of parabens and switch to paraben-free alternatives when available.
BPA’s – Plastic compound mostly found in food and beverage containers. Can become an endocrine system disrupter, affecting body’s ability to regulate hormones. Try to switch to BPA free plastics, glass or stainless steel food and beverage containers.
Oxybenzone – Found in sunscreen and is known to build up in the body and can mimic estrogen in the body and associated with endometriosis in women. Look for sunscreens with natural ingredients.

MCA_PoisonPrevention

Finding the Best Multivitamin for Children: My Epic Search and Results

March 21, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

After finding myself frantically searching through reviews on a multivitamin for children on Amazon (for the 3rd time in a year) I decided that I really needed to do some digging and do a best kids multivitamin comparison so that I could stop feeling so darn confused about what to choose.

Part of my search has to do with the fact that I’ve quickly realized how expensive it can be do give 2 kids multivitamins, probiotics and fish oils every single day (a post on probiotics and fish oils is coming later, by the way). I kept finding myself decreasing the dosage I’d give out so that my vitamin bills weren’t crossing over $60/month.

Is it REALLY necessary to spend this much on vitamins? Shouldn’t I start with just feeding my kids nutrient-dense foods?

Well, that really is my first conclusion. If you are spending $60/month on vitamins for your kids but not feeding them plenty of veggies and fruits, then my personal advice (which is not medical advice, by the way…I’m not a doctor and not pretending to be one!) is to put that money into trips to the produce section because that’s really the best place to start.

But I’m also realistic. I know that kids struggle with veggies, sometimes, and that they go through phases where they just want to eat 2 or 3 things (usually brown, carb-filled things) and that’s it. So multi-vitamins still have a place, for sure.

And I also believe that there are ABSOLUTELY vast differences in quality on the market. It is up to you, as the parent, to do your homework on how easily the vitamins and minerals in a product can be absorbed by the body. In so many cases, we are just paying to have expensive urine (sorry to be a bit crude, but it’s true). If the body can only process 10-20% of the vitamin content in a supplement, then the vitamin is only offering a tiny amount of what the child actually needs and the rest is getting sloughed off and sent right back out.

best multivitamins for kids

So here’s what we’ve tried and what it costs to use each product. Affiliate links included at no cost to you.

My Top Pick: Child Life Liquid Multi Vitamin & Mineral

So one of the best ways to ensure bio availability and absorption is to get a liquid multivitamin. My kids started taking Child Life Multi Vitamin & Mineral and they REALLY love the taste. I feel great about what’s included in the product and having researched the company a bit, I feel confident in this company and in their commitment to providing very high quality vitamins and minerals.

On Amazon, as of this writing you can purchase one 8 oz bottle for $16 or a two-pack for $22.99, which is a much better deal. The serving size is 2 tsp and a bottle has 24 servings, so that’s almost one month for 1 kid. If I were to continue with this brand, I would purchase them 2 at a time since I have 2 kids and since the price per serving is much better when you buy 2, and that would make my multivitamin costs $11.50 per child, per month. For me, that’s an acceptable price.

Solgar U Cubes

Let’s look at some other products on the market that you might want to consider, too. Solgar sent us U-Cubes, and these were the big winner as far as overall flavor. The kids wish they could have more than the serving size. I appreciate that they have a child-proof container because I can see kids attempting to break into these yummy treats. Children ages 4 and up get 4 gummies, and 1 container has a 30 day supply for 1 child taking 4 gummies/day. As of this writing, 1 container is $12.80 on Amazon.

Olly Kids’ Multi + Probiotic

This is another big winner in the taste department. It contains 35 servings so it will last you a few days over 1 month for the price of $13.99. This particular multivitamin also contains probiotics, a topic I will discuss in a later post. If you want your children to get probiotics every day this makes this particular brand a very good value since it is included.

Smarty Pants Kids Complete (Fiber, Multi, Omega 3)

I’ve purchased this product on a few occasions, especially when Amazon offers $3 off coupons to help bring the cost down. You should note that they also sell a multivitamin that is just like this one in its offerings, only without the extra fiber and with a sugary coating, and therefore, 3 more grams of sugar per serving. My kids prefer the more sugary one, but I prefer to give them less sugar and more fiber, so of the 2 I’d recommend this one.

The serving size is 4 gummies, and one bottle has enough for 1 child for 1 month. As of this writing, this product is $13.76 per bottle. It is important to note that this particular multivitamin does also contain fish oil, so if you want to give your children some fish oil each day, this vitamin can also take care of that need for you without you having to purchase something else. That’s a significant perk because as you’ll see in a later post, it can really help you save money!

Because of the additional fiber and the fish oil, this particular vitamin is my second favorite pick, and one that I will keep on hand in addition to the liquid multivitamin.

MegaFood Kids One Daily

Unfortunately this product is the one my kids really did not like. I really like this brand and the fact that the vitamins are certified non-GMO but they just couldn’t get over the taste. It comes in tablet form that can be chewed though if your child can swallow pills, it is smooth and so can be swallowed. If you are looking for a multi-vitamin for a child who can swallow pills, I do think this is a good option. I tried chewing up the pill and I agree with my kids…tastes gross!

As of this writing, this product is $25.62 for a bottle that contains a 2 month supply for one child, bringing the per month, per child cost down to $12.81.

Young Living Kids Mightyvites

Young Living is one of the companies that I have full and total faith in, as far as their commitment to providing the very best. I have been a member for 4 years, now, and place an order with the company monthly. I’ve only been able to order this product once because it is out of stock nearly constantly. I also find the price point to be painfully high, as the wholesale price is $25.74 for a one month supply per child. They do offer discounts for folks who order every month, so I do have a 25% discount off of that wholesale price, bringing it down to $19.31/child/month. This still makes it significantly more expensive than the other options I have highlighted, and I also cannot count on getting to order it each month. So this is a product that I will order when I can, but it won’t be the primary vitamin. I will point out that this product offers some whole foods components and also contains ningxia wolfberries, so it does go beyond simply offering vitamins, which is why it is something I will continue to buy when it is available and my budget allows for it. If you would like me to order a bottle for you using my discount, please email me at stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com and I’d be glad to help you out.

mightvites ingredients multivitamin children

Honest Company Gummy Multivitamins for Kids

My girls used to take Honest Company multivitamins all the time, and that was back when they didn’t taste all that great! Now they have been reformulated and are much more like the other gummy, sugar-dusted products that always go over well with kids. It is $15.95 and has a one month supply for ages 4 and up. It is also frequently out of stock, unfortunately. I like to add these on to a bundle I’m already buying with the honest company, because add-ons are offered at 25% off, which brings the price down to $11.96 per bottle.

Vitamin Ingredient Comparison

One thing I noticed when reading the labels for all of these different vitamins is that they do not all contain the same amounts of everything. One brand might have 20% of the needed vitamin A and another carry 40%, for example. I think the most dramatic differences I saw were with vitamin B12. Smarty Pants offer 1,117% (no idea why they need to include so much!), Child Life offers 100%, Olly offers 50% and U Cubes offers 40%. It’s really going to take more internet research on your part and conversations with your doctor about which vitamins and minerals you need to be working the hardest to get in your children’s systems. For me, after reading up on how the body absorbs vitamins, I’m going to stick with the liquid form in addition to offering my kids as many veggies and fruits as I can.

I also very firmly believe in the power of a good fish oil, and so we’ll take up that topic next time! Stay tuned!

10 Best Board Games for the Easter Basket

March 20, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I love to be able to get my kids something interactive for Easter, and board games are always a fun choice. We own quite a few board games that feature rabbits or chickens and therefore, could easily fit into an Easter theme. If you are looking for a game to put in your child’s Easter basket this year, here are my top picks! Affiliate links included at no cost to you.

best easter games

Rabbit Rally

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This game has been with us for just a few weeks, but it is a BIG hit already. The girls ask to play it several times a week and the whole family really enjoys it. It involves making estimations to create little bridges for the bunnies to cross in between 2 piece of land. My 4-year-old and my 7-year-old can both play the game without the younger being confused or the older being bored. It’s great for siblings! I also really like the sturdy wood construction of the pieces; it is built to last, and that’s not something you find very often with games, anymore.

2. Bunny Hop

We’ve owned this one for a few years, and it still get regular play. The rabbit pieces go into little holes and you have to figure out which ones will pop out of the holes and which ones will stay put. It’s really very cute and kids love it!

3. Rooster Race

This game sounds great! I like that it involves cards, a bit of good luck, and lots of corn accumulation!

4. Chicken Drop

I’ve played versions of this game in different formats, but it is similar to Jenga in that you are removing elements of the gameboard, piece by piece, and in so doing, you are risking losing the eggs that are being held by those pieces. My girls would totally love this!

5. Chickyboom

This is another all-wooden game, which I love for the sake of durability, and it involves learning to balance pieces as you move around the chickens, hay bales and wagon wheels.

6. Chicken Cha Cha Cha

This is the game to pick for the kids who love to play memory, because the best memory is going to win!

7. Count Your Chickens

We also own and love this game, and one thing that makes it different is that it is cooperative, meaning that all the players work together to win together. This is a really great pick for younger players who are new to board games (perhaps ages 3 and up).

8. Jumping Jack

This is a really fun game for the active child who needs to see some action happen during a fun but quick game. Players take turns pulling carrots out and seeing which one will trigger the large bunny in the middle to jump sky-high. Part of the fun is trying to catch the bunny before he lands back on the ground!

9. Egg and Spoon Race

This is exactly what it sounds like, only this version is mess-free! Spring is the perfect time of year to get outside and do a little running, so I really love this option! It’s a stretch to call it a board game, for sure, but kids will totally love it, so I had to include it!

10. Dancing Eggs

Oh my gosh, get ready for some giggles! This game involves rolling a dice, placing an egg in funny spots on the body (holding under the chin, holding between the legs, holding in the elbow) and also being prepared to play a little musical chairs in the midst of it all. It looks hilarious!

The Best Root Cover Up Options: 4 Top Picks (and 2 to Avoid)

March 13, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

I used to dye my hair to give my natural color a bit of a boost, or to play around with auburn tones (or burgundy ones back in the ’90s when I loved Claire Danes so much!). But now that I’m working my way toward year 37, gray hairs are becoming more and more frequent and are the key reason for me to put some color in my hair. And as you know, gray hairs are stubborn! In my experience they have the hardest time taking the color and keeping the color. So a root cover up is actually a really helpful product for me because I can isolate those stubborn hairs, and also deal with roots just like anyone else who colors their hair. Using a root cover up can also help stretch out the time between coloring sessions, which saves you BIG bucks if you get your hair professionally colored, and still saves you money even if you color at home.

I want to offer some root cover up reviews since I’ve tried so many over the years to help you save time and money and point you to the best products for your needs.

best root cover products

Madison Reed Root Touch-Up Powder

This is my personal top pick because Madison Reed is my favorite line of at-home hair coloring. You can read more about my experience with the brand here if you are curious. I really like their root touch-up powder because it works quickly and effectively, the color blends in great (I have dark brown hair, BTW) and the product is pillow, sweat and even rain resistant! It will wash out with your next shampoo, and one compact should last you roughly 60 applications, which is a nice long time, especially if you don’t wash your hair every single day. This product is availabe in 8 shades, and the cost is $29.95 (it’s totally worth it!).

Color WOW

This might just be the top selling root cover up product, and for good reason. This is a mineral powder that is also sweat and pillow resistant. It has won over 30 beauty awards and gets high marks because it can provide coverage for those wanting to get rid of gray, but also for those with light colored hair wanting to get rid of darker roots. I also really like this product because it isn’t messy to use, unlike some other products I’ve tried! Color WOW is $34.50 and available in 7 shades.

L’oreal Paris Root Cover Up

So this is not my preferred application method (spray) but some people really like it and I will say that it doesn’t go everywhere, but is rather precise, so that’s good. The price point is nice at under $20, though I suspect that the powder applications do actually last longer in terms of the number of applications you get for the money. This product comes in 8 colors.

Mineral Fusion Gray Root Concealer

So I don’t recommend getting a wand-type product as your only root cover up (I much prefer the powders for the root line). But with that said, this is my favorite product for dealing with the longer gray hairs that you might have and that lose the hair dye applied to them the quickest. Since I have very dark hair, those hairs really stand out, and they are starting to be too numerous to simply pluck. A wand can help me cover up the entire strand with ease and precision. I use the wand in conjunction with a root powder.

Save Your Money

These are products I tried and did not personally care to buy again. Obviously you can make your own judgments, but I don’t recommend these 2 products:

Cover Your Gray Touch-Up Stick

I don’t like the texture when applying, I don’t like the texture once it is “dry” and I don’t think the coverage is all that great for the effort of application. Sorry, just didn’t work for me! The low price tempted me, but in the end, it was a waste of $5.

Rootflage

I do think this product is worth your time to check out, because it does have quite a lot of 5 star reviews. For me, it didn’t pass the test because I don’t like the lack of control with dispensing the powder. It just comes out of the brush when you turn it upside down, and I much prefer being able to control the amount of product I’m using.

Are you using and enjoying a differet root cover up product? Let us know about it in the comments so we can check it out, too!

Math Tutorials: How to Teach Fractions

March 8, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Last semester Darah’s teacher sent home a note that she was noticing Darah avoiding her math assignments each day. She goes to a Montessori school so she has full control over the order in which she does her individual assignments each day, and in math, she was being introduced to fractions.

She did NOT care for them. And so, she kept saving that work to last and not finishing. But her teacher was on to her and got me in the loop, and within just a few days I had a fractions workbook waiting for her when she got home and we got to work! I told her that the goal was to go from being intimidated by what is hard to embracing a challenge and that by the end, she’d really quite enjoy fractions.

$how to teach fractions$

Yes, it was a tall order, but the workbook helped. However one one resources made the biggest difference of all, so if you have a child struggling with the concept of fractions (including adding and subtracting), I highly recommend a product Learning Resources recently sent our way called Fraction Resources Equivalency Cubes.

When these arrived I decided to simply lay them out on the floor next to the area where Darah would be doing a fractions worksheet. I left it up to her if she wanted to use them or not. She was able to get through the sheet without using them cubes, but once she was finished with her assignment, she immediately started taking the cubes apart, comparing sizes, and totally on her own, figuring out what combinations could produce towers of equivalent sizes.

Since the initial introduction, she definitely has been using the cubes while working on adding together fractions with different denominators. Getting to have a visual aid and something tangible to work with while her mind wraps around the (hard!) concepts is something that is practiced in Montessori education, and we love it because it is highly effective. I’m so glad to have a manipulative device here at home to help her work through this challenging math concept and make it much more fun.

$math fractions practice$

The fraction resources equivalency cubes also showcase decimal points and percentages, and when those concepts come up in the third grade curriculum, these will be useful, yet again. They are reasonably priced at $19.99 and I can already tell they will be well worth that price, which is less than one tutoring session with a math coach around here!

The Best Cheap Mattress is Also The Best Quality Mattress: A Must-Read

March 7, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. I was not asked or sponsored to write this content about the best cheap mattress on the market, but am writing it because it is an AMAZING deal and I love to help my readers save money. I hope I save you hundreds and you sleep better than you ever have before!

I’ve been on this earth for 36 years and have slept on a wide variety of mattresses (and even a water bed for a short while) and having tried tons of different brands and tons of different types, memory foam mattresses are absolutely my favorite. They tend to provide a medium-firm level of support which is healthy for the body and they don’t make noises or cause disturbances to your partner when you roll over, and if they are quality, they maintain their relative shape for a long period of time.

Please don’t gloss over the part where I said IF THEY ARE QUALITY.

We bought a cheap memory foam mattress off Overstock.com probably 8 years ago to use in a guest room. It was pretty much unused for the first 2 years that we had it, and then we switched it out with our worn out, very expensive Stearns & Foster mattress that we’d been sleeping on for about 8 years (and that the salesman swore up and down would last us two decades). What did we get rid of the Stearns & Foster? Because it was totally sunk in at the middle point. My husband and I would roll down into the middle together and be squished in our own mattress. It was TERRIBLE!!

Anyway, so we switched over to the cheap memory foam mattress and after about 3 years on it it was getting lumpy and uncomfortable in places. So yeah, even though we paid a low price for it (I want to say it was $400), it’s not a good bargain if you have to replace it after 3-4 years of use.

I’ve also checked out the Tempur-pedic line and the Sleep Number line and they are VERY tempting, and I have no doubt that their quality is quite good. But that price tag, though! I just can’t fork over $2k for a mattress! Can you relate?

So where’s that sweet spot where the price is sensible and the quality lives up to the hype?

Nectar Sleep is a company that has blown me away with its offerings, with its over-and-above customer service, and with its customer reviews. The next time I need to purchase a mattress (probably when my oldest is ready for a full-size bed), I’m heading straight to NectarSleep.com.

No Showroom

Wait, isn’t a mattress one of those things that you really need to see (and feel) in person before you buy? If you don’t get any type of free trial, then I would say yes. But at Nectar Sleep, you get 365 nights of a mattress free trial.

Yes, you read that correctly. You get a full year to decide if you are happy with the product. If at any point in time, be it night 3 or night 363, you decide it’s not meeting your expectations, you call the company and they come pick it up.

Totally free of charge.

Most brands do not offer any nights at all for a free trial. Tempur-pedic offers 90. A few online only brands offer between 70-110. But absolutely nobody else gives you this much time to decide if you like it. Since the mattress is a memory foam, this really got my attention after my total burn with my previous online memory foam purchase. By the time we’d slept on it for close to a year, we could already see the signs of problems up ahead with our mattress. So I love that Nectar Sleep is so confident in the quality that they are offering that they give you a year to test it out.

Another great thing about the fact that Nectar Sleep is online only is that the middleman is completely cut out. The overhead costs for the company are kept to a minimum. They have one central warehouse, but no showrooms all over the country to maintain, no salespeople at each location to pay, and all of this means that the total cost of the product can be kept lower.

Price Point

Let me show you how great the prices are right now!

Twin $500
Twin XL $550
Full $700
Queen $795
King $900
California King $900

There’s no shipping cost to you, and if you decide to return the mattress, you don’t pay for return shipping, either. The price is the price! And as of this writing, there is an additional $100 off (any size!) mattress order plus two free pillows. No code needed!

Quality Check

Ok, the prices are fabulous, but what about the quality? When I bought my “bargain” mattress online several years ago, I got absolutely zero information about how it was constructed (probably because if I knew I wouldn’t have wanted to buy it!). Nectar Sleep shows you exactly what you are getting, and it’s so cool to see that the reasonable prices aren’t coming at the cost of quality.

Layer 1 is the Tencel Cooling Cover, that promotes air circulation, heat wicking, and is bedbug resistant (very important!).

Layer 2 is the Quilted Gel Memory Foam, that provides loft and air circulation while perfectly contouring to your body.

Layer 3 is the Gel Memory Foam, which delivers weight distribution and pressure relief.

Layer 4 is the Adaptive Hi Core Memory Foam, that supports the body will providing some rebound and bounce.

Layer 5 is the Breathing Base Layer, which is reinforces the contouring and support layers and serves as a stable foundation.

This is a very thoughtfully constructed mattress that is designed for the long-haul. And should you have any doubts about how superior Nectar Sleep believes their mattress is, just check this out:

Forever Warranty

Check out the Nectar Sleep FOREVER warranty, because it is unlike anything else out there by leaps and bounds! It reads, “We guarantee that the NECTAR mattress will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for as long as you own and use the NECTAR mattress.” Full details can be found here. Yes, of course, there is fine print, but I’ve combed through it and it is a REALLY good warranty. If depressions in the mattress ever exceed 1 1/2 inches, that’s grounds for a defect and a replacement, for example. It’s honestly just incredible and shows me that this company takes quality VERY seriously. They wouldn’t be able to afford to stay in business if they were having to replace or repair mattresses regularly, so as a customer you really can buy with confidence.

What Type of Bed is Compatible?

In the years of my mattress shopping (mis)adventures, I’ve made quite a few mistakes, including purchasing a mattress and boxspring to go with a platform bed. Oops. You need to make sure that the type of mattress you get works with the type of bed you have for it. And good news; Nectar Sleep mattresses work on boxspring, adjustable, traditional, divan or platform beds!

Basically, Nectar Sleep offers a fantastic value for a mattress that isn’t going to wear out on you ahead of schedule and that doesn’t tack on all those high hidden costs (like delivery fees). I’ve shopped around and I feel comfortable saying that this company offers the best value for the dollar. You can sleep soundly after making this decision!

Need more reassurance? Read the reviews (and not all of the people who left reviews kept the mattress, so you aren’t only getting one perspective).

Rockin’ That 15 Minute Masterpiece Meal: Popcorn Shrimp Over Zoodles

March 6, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #40PerfectPairings. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

Last week was especially busy for my kids, thanks to Girl Scout cookie booth sales, play dates with friends, a birthday party, and preparing a tri-board presentation for school on land animals in Australia (Australian animals are strange, FYI). It has left our already tight schedules begging for mercy, especially when it comes to dinner prep.

Oh, and did I mention that my husband is currently on a restricted diet to see if his body is intolerant of particular foods? It makes meal planning absolutely critical, and yet so many of the recipes I find assume that you have at least an hour to give up to the kitchen.

I definitely DO NOT have that kind of time to spare!

A large part of my strategy for weeknight meals includes finding key shortcuts that will save me big chunks of time while also increasing the odds that the meal will be well-received by everyone at the table. One brand I love to turn to is SeaPak® because seafood is something my husband can eat, and this company knows how to make it so, SO yummy (and I should know, because their popcorn shrimp has been MY JAM since I was a kid, myself!).

Last week the meal that got the highest praise from my family was popcorn shrimp over zucchini noodles. It came together lightning fast and tasted amazing, if I do say so myself! Also? I got my kids to eat piles and piles of vegetables, which is a feat in and of itself! Since SeaPak® Popcorn Shrimp pairs so beautifully with Black Box Sauvignon Blanc, I also treated myself to that delicious wine, sipping on it as I put together the meal, and finishing off my glass at the table.

Popcorn Shrimp Over Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients

ingredients for popcorn shrimp over zucchini noodles

SeaPak® Popcorn Shrimp (have a large family? get the family size box!)
zucchini noodles, spiralized (2-3 large for a smaller family, and increase as needed)
1/4 cup jarred pesto
avocado (1/2 needed)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 lemon

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees (as directed on the box). While the oven is heating up, bring 6 cups of water to a boil on the stove. Using a spiralizer, turn your zucchini into zoodles!

Side note: I’m not big on having too many specialized gadgets in the kitchen, but I HIGHLY recommend picking up a spiralizer on your next trip to Walmart because I’m shocked by what veggies I can get my kids to eat when I’ve spiralized them! I’ve also tried to make my own zoodles just using a knife and the amount of time that a spiralizer can save you is HUGE, so if you are on the fence, busy mom to busy mom, my recommendation is to go for it. 🙂

At this point the oven should be ready, so add those beautiful popcorn shrimp and bake as directed (10-12 minutes).

When the water on the stove is boiling, add your zoodles and cook for just 90 seconds. This helps them to be less crunchy and closer to al dente. Taste the zoodles at the 90 second mark and decide for yourself if you want them to go 30 seconds longer or not. Drain the noodles in a colander and return to the pot. how to make zoodle pasta

Add the pesto to the zoodles and mix well to combine. Now cut your avocado into bite size chunks. Add the zoodle mixture to a serving plate,and then add the avocado bits around the edges of the plate.

Once the shrimp are ready, add a heap of them to the center of the zoodles. More shrimp can be added to individual plates, as desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you like. Serve your dish and give each person a slice of lemon to squeeze over the shrimp (it’s a really easy way to add more fun to the meal and to encourage reluctant eaters to play with their food a bit!). Now pour yourself a glass of Black Box Wine Sauvignon Blanc. Cheers to you for putting together a fantastic meal is about 15 minutes, flat!

I picked up everything I needed to make this meal at my local Walmart. More often than not I actually use the Walmart Grocery Pickup service, which easily saves me 30 minutes of my day every week. But last week I popped in the store to pick up what I needed. If you have never used the Walmart grocery pickup service, you are in for a really special treat. Give it a first try between March 1st and mid-April and you’ll get an awesome goody bag from Walmart as a thank you gift, and it includes a fantastic recipe book from SeaPak with 40 meal solutions to help busy parents like you and me get our grocery shopping done faster and put together delicious meals quickly. And if you are already a Walmart Grocery Pickup veteran, you can find the booklet online here (and high-fives to you, savvy mama!).

seapak in walmart

And the next time you are in the store, be sure to check out the diverse seafood options that SeaPak offers and pick up a few boxes to have on hand when the weeknights leave you super short on time to make dinner (I also scooped up the family size package of popcorn shrimp since I know everyone loves to eat it, and I snagged the butterfly shrimp for next week’s menu!).

seapak in the freezer

SeaPak can help you come up with a recipe solution in less time than it would take you to hit up the drive-thru and make it back home. Don’t forget to print out this awesome coupon. That’s right: SeaPak wants to help you save time AND money. Aren’t they awesome?!

And don’t forget to cruise over to the beer and wine aisle, too. Note that Black Box wines have snagged a whopping 50 Gold Medals and 29 Wine Enthusiast Best Buy awards. It can be intimidating to try a wine you’ve never tried before (I can think of several times I bought brands that looked pretty but tasted not so great). Let all those awards put your mind at ease! The Sauvignon Blanc I picked up is bright and beautiful and took the food I was eating to the next level. Not a bad thing to have happen on a super busy weeknight! I also love that Black Box wines contain the equivalent for four 750ml bottles of wine at a price point that is about 40% less than what you would expect to pay for comparable wines. It stays fresh for 6 weeks which means I’ve got plenty of opportunities to enjoy one glass of wine after a long, crazy day!

Let me know if you give this yummy, time-saving recipe a try. I’d love to hear what you think!

Moana-Inspired Easter Eggs: Fun DIY Project for The Whole Family

February 28, 2017 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Last weekend my girls were absolutely THRILLED when I surprised them with my fun plan for our Saturday morning: we were going to make Moana-inspired Easter eggs! They were delighted, but also confused since Easter is still a few months away. Well, that’s blogger life for you…we tend to be operating a season ahead of schedule! So Easter eggs in late February is totally legit! 🙂

We came up with 3 Easter egg ideas based on things we saw in the movies. These are simple designs that children can help create because frankly, my crafty skill levels are just not more advanced than that, and I also wanted it to be fun for everyone!

moana easter eggs DIY

Ok, so here’s what I used to make these cute Moana Easter eggs!

moana easter egg supplies

You will need the following supplies in addition to your hard-boiled eggs:

red, blue, green and yellow food coloring
fine glitter in 2 shades of green (my colors are evergreen and key lime) and silver (I used this set)
school glue
bright pigment markers (I used this brand)
silver tempera paint
white vinegar
egg dye containers

Let’s start with the egg inspired by Moana’s outfit!

moana easter egg moana's outfit

To make this color, use 15 drops of red dye and 1 drop of yellow. Add your already hard boiled and cooled egg to a container with 1 cup very hot water and 1 tsp white vinegar, as well as the dye. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the color comes out a bit patchy, don’t worry about it! I think it looks extra cool that way, to be honest! You can dye more than 1 egg in the mixture but you may want to re-heat the water a bit as that seems to help the color take better (be sure your containers are microwave safe if you do this!).

We took a close look at the pattern that can be most clearly seen on Moana’s sash (take a look here) and then practiced it a few times on a piece of paper. Then we simply drew it with a red marker onto the egg. Easy peasy!

moana easter egg moana's necklace

This is modeled after the necklace that Moana’s grandmother gives her. It hold the heart of Te Fiti (more on that in a minute!).

To make this color, use 15 drops of blue, and 1 of yellow in your cup of very hot water with 1 tsp. white vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Once the egg is dry, you will use some tempera paint in silver or gray and paint the top third or so in the same shape as what you see on the original (take a look at the top image here). This will take a little while to dry, so be patient or break out the hair dryer to speed things along. Once it is completely dry, create the design on the silver part of the necklace with a gray marker. Then using glitter glue, or a toothpick dipped in glitter with glue, or a tiny paintbrush with silver glitter and glue, go back over the design to help it stand out a little bit more.

moana easter egg heart of te fiti

And now for the heart of it all…the heart of Te Fiti! To make this color use 12 green, 6 yellow and 3 blue along with 1 cup very hot water and 1 tsp. white vinegar. Let the egg sit for 10 minutes. We looked closely at the design on the heart (look here) and since it was more subtle in its overall look, we decided at the last minute to simply use school glue to create the swirls and then the other detailing. Then we used a pre-mixed combo of evergreen and key lime glitter and sprinkled it all around, and then let it dry. We did another one where we drew out the design using a green marker, followed by glue and glitter. It looked pretty, too, but the pictured approached looked closer to the read thing, so that’s the way I’d recommend doing it!

These eggs are extra fun when you put them in a basket with leis used in the place of Easter grass. You can score a big pile of leis for pretty cheap online!

I hope you enjoy working together as a family on this fun Easter craft idea! Let me know if you come up with any additional Moana-inspired Easter egg ideas!

Do you need some ideas for what to fill your Easter baskets with this year? Moana stuff, of course! Here are some really great ideas to go along with the theme!

Moana Easter Basket Ideas

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