Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

La Bella Stella: Celebrate Earth Music Series (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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La Bella Stella is a really delightful compilation of artists who each contributed songs to the album that celebrate this great earth we all call home. It’s been released by Recess Music, a production company with the following mission: “We entertain, encourage, and educate children and families about or magnificent green planet through Earth-friendly music.” This album is a true celebration of the earth (and even the galaxy!) and is perfect in getting geared up for Earth Day in a few months!

One thing I love about albums like this is that they give you a means to familiarize yourself with a variety of children’s artists. Your favorite songs on the album are likely by groups that you would enjoy on their own, so you can go check out their other albums and see for yourself!

My personal favorite song on the album is Gravity. It actually reminds me a bit of the John Mayer song by the same name! The lyrics of this song, though, really help deconstruct just what gravity is and how it works. I love it!

If you are looking to check out some new artists, or you simply want some tunes that help your kids learn about loving our planet, La Bella Stella is a great find!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will receive a copy of La Bella Stella!

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MiYim: Organic Dolls and Plush Toys Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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As you know, my child LOVES dolls and stuffed animals. If it is soft and squishy, she’s all about it. If she REALLY loves it, she will put the animal or doll’s nose, arm, foot or ears in her mouth. A LOT. Strange? Yes. But that’s how she rolls. It is her greatest gesture of love to chew on her toys.

This is just one of the reasons why I am very drawn to chemical-free toys. Finding BPA-free plastic is becoming much easier, but I still struggle to find organic plush toys. But no longer! Today I’m featuring a company called miYim and they carry a FANTASTIC line of organic dolls and plush toys.

We received the ballerina doll a few weeks ago, and Darah was with me when I opened the package. I let her peek inside to see what was in the box, and when she saw what it was, she said, “Oh! It’s a dolly!” She handed me her bunny to hold so that she could use both hands to get her out of the package. Then she asked for help getting her out of the box.

One thing I immediately noticed was that there was NO plastic in the packaging. Not even to hold the doll in the box! Very impressive! The doll was tied into the box using ribbon. Because the doll box didn’t have a plastic face and because we didn’t have to tear into the box to get the doll out, it was left in perfect condition for play. The box was really beautiful, and fit the doll perfectly, so it is now being used as a doll bed by Darah (it was her idea, actually!).

We have named the doll Bonnie. Bonnie is now best friends with her other dolls and gets played with every single day. And yes, she also gets chewed on throughout the day. And I don’t break out into a sweat when I see her do it! 🙂 I know that Bonnie made with all natural cotton fabric, colored only with plants and minerals and has been certified as non-toxic and 100% chemical free. Chew away, my love!

Buy it!: miYim products are available online through various sites, or you can use the store locator to find your nearest retailer.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the plush or doll or your choice from miYim!
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Green Toys Fire Truck Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When we were expecting Darah, I had many parents warn us that our home was about to become a plastic jungle, at least for the next 10 years. Tim and I REALLY didn’t want to see that happen. We didn’t want our house to be overrun with toys at all (um, yeah, totally FAILED that one), and we also didn’t want plastic junk everywhere made with questionable chemicals and that would easily break and have to be pitched.

 

So it may seem a little strange that I’m featuring a plastic fire trucktoday as an excellent toy of choice for your little. But this isn’t just any old plastic fire truck! It’s from Green Toys, and it is made entirely out of recycled plastic! milk containers! Even the packaging it comes in is made entirely of recycled and recyclable materials. It is the world’s greenest emergency vehicle!

It’s also SO much fun! Darah is a HUGE fan of fire trucks, always on the lookout for them when she takes a ride in the car, and always listening out for their sirens. We live a few blocks away from a big fire station, so she gets to hear those sirens at least once a day, much to her delight. Her Green Toys fire truck rarely even gets put away. It seems to now live in our hallway, which is the best place for “driving.” Her smaller stuffed animals and figurines are also getting extra play time, as they will fit on top of the fire truck, much to Darah’s delight.

I have given the truck a thorough inspection, and I am very impressed with the quality. It really looks as though it was built to endure many hours of play from children who love their toys, but aren’t necessarily the best at taking care of them, yet. I expect that our fire truck will endure quite a bit of rough-housing with Darah, but will still be in fine shape for the next child, or even for Darah’s kids later on. It’s definitely a winner!

Green Toys has an excellent line of eco-friendly toys, all made from recycled materials, and also all free from lights, batteries and other annoying things that play for your child, instead of encouraging imaginative play. The price points for the toys are a bit higher than their non-recycled plastic counterparts from other brands, but these are toys that are built to last generations, instead of having planned obsolescence, so I think they are worth it! The fire truck I reviewed retails for $27.99

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Green Toys Fire Truck! The contest will run until September 4th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one other Green Toys product that would be welcome in your home!

My answer: The school bus!

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: Like Green Toys on Facebook

2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my blog.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Reusable Paper Towels: Skoy Cloth Review

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Reusable Paper Towel: Skoy ClothYou probably already know that we rarely use paper towels in my home. I still think they have their place (cat hairballs, anyone?), but overall, I really don’t miss them. The few times each year that I actually purchase a roll of paper towels, I always cringe. Even though I use them only when I feel it is necessary, it still feels like such a waste of money and resources.

skoy cloth reusable paper towel We’ve been using the same set of reusable cloths for over a year now. Many of them are still going strong, but a few of them are ready to be replaced. I’ve heard talk on the blogosphere about the crazy awesome Skoy Cloth and now I’ve had the opportunity to see for myself exactly what all the fuss is about.

SKOY cloths are reusable, and are said to last longer than 15 rolls of paper towels. That’s pretty amazing! From their site, “This new approach to cleaning boasts a cloth that is 100% biodegradable, natural and re-usable. The SKOY cloth has an absorption factor of 15x its own weight, which makes it far superior than any other cloth on the market.”
I’ve found the SKOY cloth to work fabulously. It is much stronger than any paper towel I’ve ever used, and when I’m done with it, I can toss it in the washing machine OR the dishwasher! Love that!
Buy it! SKOY cloths come in packages of four and seem to run around $10. They are available at many different shops online, as well as a variety of brick and mortar stores nation-wide! Since these should do the same work as 60 rolls of paper towels, I’d say $10 is a steal!

Win it! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to snag a 4 pack of SKOY cloths that I have on hand to give away. Woo hoo! The contest will run until 11:59pm EST on December 27th when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me your approach to cleaning up messes. Paper towels all the way? Only cloth? A hybrid? If you use paper towels, why (and that is not a loaded/judging question, promise!)?

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Skoy on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure. This post contains an affiliate link.


Get Ready: My First Giveaway Series!!!

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This week I will be having my first giveaway series. It is called Planet Earth is My Valentine! I will be posting reviews and giveaways of products that are environmentally friendly, and that you will most definitely LOVE!

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s to come. I will be featuring products from the following companies:

Get excited about giving our planet a big hug this Valentine’s Day!