Stuff Parents Need

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

Favorite Products of 2011

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About a month ago I made a list of my VERY VERY favorite products that I reviewed in 2010 (if you missed it, click here to check out this blogger’s favorite things!).

I really enjoyed writing that post, and decided that I’m also going to write one for 2011. And at the end of the year, I’ll write about my 2012 top picks, as well! When I first reviewed all the products from 2011, I was blown away by all the awesome, and was really overwhelmed. I had 33 “top picks” at first! But I have since narrowed it town to my top 10. These are the products that got and are continuing to get the most use in my home. If a product isn’t on this list, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it, or even that I didn’t love it, though.

So here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. Shaklee cleaning products. The cost per use is so unbelievably cheap, the products work amazingly well, and everything is eco-friendly. What’s not to love?

http://stuffparentsneed.com/shaklee-basic-h2-and-shaklee-scour-off-review/

2. George Foreman Grill. This is how we cook our chicken about 90% of the time, which means this gets used every single week.

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/06/knock-out-the-fat-with-george-foreman-and-win-1000-2/

3. Robby Wash Ball. This has pretty much replaced other detergents in my home for any non-cloth diaper laundry. I love how little space it takes up in my laundry room!

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/06/think-about-your-laundry-detergent-once-per-year-giveaway/

4. Automatic Yogurt Maker. I’m not sure how anyone with small kids in the house lives without one of these! It makes excellent yogurt and it much more cost effective than buying it!

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/06/how-we-successfully-made-our-own-yogurt-giveaway/

5. Girl Gotch underwear. Not only are boxer-briefs adorable on little girls, but the coverage is also unbeatable. Best underwear for little girls on the planet. For real.

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/06/does-darah-prefer-boxers-or-briefs-giveaway/

6. Fun Fort. This makes building a fort take about 30 seconds. Can be used inside or out. Will be used for years and years. Basically, this product rocks.

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/12/fun-fort-build-a-fort-anytime-anywhere-giveaway/

7. Gallery Direct Framed Art. I have reviewed many MANY gorgeous pieces of art from Gallery Direct. This beach scene was my first. And it remains my very favorite. I look at it every single day and it always makes me feel calm.

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/07/the-case-for-framed-art-2/

8. Build a Dream Playhouse. This cardboard castle still gets played with and is in pretty decent shape, and I just love that it lives under our couch!

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/06/build-a-dream-playhouse-review-and-giveaway/

9. Hanes Comfort Flex Bra. I slept in these throughout my pregnancy and even 5 months postpartum, I am still grateful for their comfortable fit. It’s the perfect “around the house” bra.

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/10/maternity-week-sleeping-a-lot-in-comfort-hanes-review-and-giveaway/

10. Kaboost Chair Booster. Darah went right from the high chair to an adult size chair thanks to this product. It still gets used 3 times a day, every day! We’ll be getting one for Layah as soon as she needs one!

http://stuffparentsneed.com/2011/04/booster-chair-alternative-kaboost-chair-booster-2/

 

Knock Out the Fat with George Foreman and Win $1,000!

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Tim and I have been using a George Foreman Grill for at least 5 years, now. Many households have one. If you don’t, I want to strongly recommend one! We primarily use ours to cook chicken and turkey burgers (we don’t really eat beef).
If you do eat beef, however, I think you are going to be impressed with what I’m about to tell you. An independent test showed that the George Foreman Grills remove up to 42% of the fat from a quarter-pound burger made with 80/20 ground chuck beef. That means that by cooking this burger on a George Foreman, each patty has roughly 89 fewer calories than it would by being cooked a different way. That’s awesome!!!

We have been testing out the George Foreman GRP4B Next Grilleration Removable Plate Grill, and we are very impressed! Here are my favorite features:
1. The grill plates are removable. Hallelujah! Our old grill did not have this feature, and so cleaning it really was a pain in the rear. The fact that we kept using it, anyway, should clue you in to how much we loved it. I will say that it is easier to just hand wash these plates, even though they are dishwasher safe.
2. This grill holds almost twice as much as our old grill. Since our family has grown, this is a very nice feature. I think the small grills are perfect for one person or a couple, but no more. Once your family grows, your George Foreman needs to grow, too!
3. The slope design of the grill. This is what causes all the fat in your meat to slide right off! It is caught in the drip pan. While we eat very lean meat, already, I can tell you from experience that the George Foreman still removes fat from our meats, which is great. We don’t miss those extra calories one bit!
While beef is very rarely served in our house, I think I’m going to buy a steak to cook on this grill. I’ve cooked steak one other time in my life, and I over-cooked it and it was gross. But I think this grill is pretty much perfect to get the job done. Could we be destined to have a juicy steak in our own home? We’ll see!
Right now, George Foreman has a Lean Mean Burger Challenge recipe contest happening on their Facebook page. Submit your best original and creative burger recipe prepared on any George Foreman Grill. One grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and five finalists with receive $100 gift certificates to GeorgeForemanCooking.com. Hurry up and get your entries in, as it closes on June 6th!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product to review through the Family Review Network. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.