giveaway - Stuff Parents Need

AffordableChristmas Toys for Babies

December 8, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 134 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what to get my baby for Christmas. Of course, I want the day to bring her joy and laughter, but I know that it is completely unnecessary for me to overwhelm her with material objects in order to bring a smile to her face (and I pray that I never lose sight of that fact!). I’ve been thinking about finding just a few interactive toys for baby that are developmentally appropriate for her (looking for baby toys for 6-12 months), and that are affordable. If you’ve ever shopped for toys for babies, you know that you can certainly find cheap stuff out there, but that doesn’t mean that it will engage a child’s mind. You can also find some really engaging toys that hit your checking account awfully hard. In my opinion, Playskool is a brand that offers the toys that children can learn and grow with, minus the heavy price tag. If you have a baby or toddler on your Christmas list, I want to highlight a few really great affordable toys for babies from Playskool, all under $20.

For babies ages 6 months and up, the Tumble ‘N Twirl Top is an excellent option. Balls can be dropped into the chute, and then the button on top can be pressed to start twirling them around! A baby can also open the door to release the balls and enjoy crawling after them. This product retails for $19.99.

Another great option for a baby 9 months and older is the Blocksters Blockimals. These are stacking blocks with a twist! The outside of the blocks have different animal characters on them. The blocks also have an animal on the inside of the blocks for additional fun! The blocks come in sets of 3 and retail for $14.99.

If the baby in your life is 12 months or older, Playskool has a really cute and thrifty option for you. Wheel Pals are soft and squeezable animals on wheels! Your young toddler will really enjoy rolling these along the floor time and time again. The price also cannot be beat, as these retail for $3.99. These would be a terrific stocking stuffer, or put together a few of them (there are 12 varieties from which to choose) for a really fun gift.

For the kids ages 2 and up (and let’s be real, also for the grown ups), consider a Classic Themed Mr. Potato Head! If you never had a Mr. Potato Head growing up, I encourage you to indulge yourself and get one! They are SO MUCH FUN, and of course, they are even more fun when you get to introduce them to a child for the first time. Pretty much everyone is familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures, but did you know that Playskool also offers a Firefighter Spud that comes with an extinguisher and Captain Potato Chips, complete with a peg leg, eye patch and hooked hand? Imagine the fun to be had with these toys, and for the low price of $9.99!

I hope that this post gives you some ideas for truly fun toys for babies at a price point that won’t make you squeamish. The folks at Playskool do an excellent job of creating great toys that children will reach for again and again. They are definitely buy-worthy, in my book!

They are also win-worthy! Playskool is offering a Stuff Parents Need reader some of these excellent toys! One of you will win a Firefighter Spud AND 2 Wheel Pals! You will be giving hours and hours of fun to the little one in your life who will receive these, I guarantee it! This contest will run until December 15th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email with requested information. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter

Mandatory entry: You must follow or subscribe to my blog! Options include following me through Google friend, subscribing through email, or subscribing via RSS. Let me know which one you use in your entry.

Additional Entries:
1. Follow HasbroNews on Twitter
2. Tell me another Playskool toy you really love!
3. Check out the For Parents section of the Playskool site, and tell me something you learned there!
4. Enter my giveaway for swaddling blankets (ends 12/12)
5. Enter my Delicae Gourmet giveaway (ends 12/13)

Disclosure: I received no form of compensation for this post. I just love Playskool! Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.

The Lowdown on Receiving Blankets: The Key to Infant Sleep (Giveaway!)

December 5, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 109 Comments

(Image from Target.com)

Before I had a child, I thought that receiving blankets (or swaddling blankets for babies) just like the ones shown to the right made the perfect gift for new parents. After all, babies like to be swaddled, right? So a receiving blanket would be an extremely useful gift!
Only now do I realize how very wrong I was. I shudder to think about how many receiving blankets I’ve given at baby showers.

You may be very confused right now. Am I saying that babies don’t like to be swaddled, and therefore, don’t need blankets? Absolutely not! Most newborns absolutely love to be swaddled, and really NEED to be swaddled to help them feel secure, especially during the first 3 months of life (my little one is days away from being 4 months old, and she is still all about the swaddle). The blankets pictured above, along with the vast majority of receiving blankets you will find in stores, are simply WAY WAY WAY too small (the ones above are 30 x 30)! Darah was a smallish baby when she was born, and when we got her home we found that her receiving blankets could not contain her 6 pound 9 ounce little body. We received a homemade receiving blanket at a shower, and it was HUGE. We couldn’t imagine that we needed something that big, but in fact, it became our saving grace at nap time. Our traditional receiving blankets are sitting in her closet gathering dust while her homemade blankets are working overtime.

I haven’t really seen receiving blankets in any national chain stores that are truly big enough (edited to add, since writing this post, Amazon has started to carry some larger ones…always check the size!). But I have found a store on Etsy that makes exactly what you really need. Let me introduce you to Ahmelie. This shop carries a large selection of swaddling blankets that can actually get the job done (they measure 44 inches square for the large blankets). I was blown away by the beautiful patterns she offers. The price is outstanding, as well, starting at $11.00 per blanket. If you are expecting, I am begging you to get a large swaddling blanket like the ones at Ahmelie. If you are going to a baby shower any time soon, this would be a gift that the parents will thank you endlessly for once their bundle arrives (I promise!).

Buy it!
Ahmelie has swaddling blankets with a designer look, but without the designer pricetag. Head on over and stock up for yourselves or for your friends and family who have babies on the way! All orders come with a blank hand sewn card. BONUS: Anyone who places an order and mentions this post in their note to the seller will receive a free bib/nusring clip, which can be used to turn napkins and burp cloths into bibs or to secure a blanket in place so it can be used as a nursing cover!

Win it!
TWO lucky readers are going to win 2 swaddling blankets each of your choice from Ahmelie! Oh how I envy you! The contest will run until Sunday, December 12th at 7:59pm CST, when the winners will be chosen at random and emailed. The winners will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Ahmelie’s swaddling blankets. Come back here and tell me which two you would pick if you won!

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Become a fan of Ahmelie on facebook (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Make a purchase at Ahmelie (5 entries, so leave 5 comments)

Disclosure: I received no product or compensation for this review and giveaway.

Slow Cooker Meals Made Even Easier (Giveaway!)

November 30, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 155 Comments

EDIT: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

I have been back at work for 5 weeks, now. My husband and I each work 4 day weeks (10 hours each day). He has Mondays off, and I have Fridays off. We are very lucky; I know most working parents are away from home Monday-Friday, and sometimes even more than that. Even with that said, I’m still going to complain about Tuesday-Thursday. They are absolutely INSANE! We get home around 6pm. Our little one is very tired by that point, and pretty much eats and goes right to sleep. Once we’ve put her down, it’s 6:30pm and we have to figure out what to eat for dinner. We typically eat lunch around noon, so by 6:30 we are VERY hungry. We’re also pooped! Does this painful weekday scenario sound familiar to you? It’s so tempting in those moments to call Papa John’s or run out to Taco Bell for something quick. But doing so really takes a bite out of your budget and does nothing flattering for your waist line!

I was recently able to try out some yummy food from Delicae Gourmet that really did make a few of our weeknight meals MUCH less hectic. Delicae Gourmet has a line of slow cooker meals. You simply need to add a few extra ingredients (such as meat), turn on your Crock Pot, and walk away. We tried out the Big Easy Jambalaya and the Thai Curry Lentil Soup. The jambalaya was very flavorful, and was something with a much more complex flavor than anything we would normally eat on a weeknight. And yet, it was pretty close to effortless to prepare! The Thai Curry Lentil Soup was also a huge hit at my house. It tasted fresh and it felt good eating it, because the ingredients are so very good for you. These sell for $5.95 and $6.15, respectfully. I thought that the price tag was just ok until I made the dishes and realized how excellent they tasted, and even more notably, how much food we had leftover! The box tells you that these make 8-10 servings, and this is the truth, in my experience. Now I think that they are an excellent deal for a tasty home cooked meal!

When you check out Delicae Gourmet’s online store, you’ll quickly see that the slow cooker meals are only one of many different categories of food that they carry. We tried two other items in their line, the Sun Dried Tomato pasta sauce and the Lemon Pomegranate Marmalade. We used the Lemon Pomegranate Marmalade as a filling for crepes. OH MY WORD. This stuff was insanely delicious, and tasted so fresh! I would not hesitate to give this as a gift to someone for the holidays. It is a winner! The Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce. runs $8.50 per jar, so it costs a bit more than what I normally spend on canned sauces. Therefore, I expected it to really impress me. It honestly did! I thought that it tasted incredibly fresh. If I hadn’t prepared it myself, I would have bet money that the sauce had been made that very day, using all fresh ingredients. I would definitely use this in a dish that I would serve to company, and I might even take the credit for how delicious it is when the guests rave about it (because they definitely will)!

The owners of Delicae Gourmet, Barbara and Lenny, have a passion for gourmet food, and that really comes across in their products. Nothing that I sampled tasted canned, boxed, or stale in the flavor department. I would definitely shop from them again, and I would also recommend that you think of Delicae Gourmet when you are trying to come up with a creative gift for new parents, or for anyone who could use some help in the kitchen!

Buy It! If you are having a difficult time getting good food on your dinner table (that didn’t come from a restaurant) then go ahead and give Win It! The folks at Delicae Gourmet want to give one Stuff Parents Need reader a $25 gift certificate to their store! Shezam! The contest will run until Sunday, December 13th, at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my winning notification email. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Go check out all the amazing products at Delicae Gourmet, and come back here and tell me one thing that isn’t mentioned in the review that you’d love to taste for yourself!

Additional Entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog (3 entries, so leave 3 posts!!!)

2. Make a purchase at Delicae Gourment (leave me the email address you used for the purchase) (5 entries, so leave 5 posts)

Disclosure: I was provided with samples for product review purposes. The views expressed in this post are strictly my own.

The Importance of Nursing Pillow Covers (Giveaway!)

November 23, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 75 Comments

As a breastfeeding mama, I have to say that I have gotten some serious use out of my Boppy nursing pillow. It provides a really nice way for Darah and I to both be comfortable, which makes meal times much easier for both of us.

When we got our Boppy it came with a nursing pillow slipcover. We also registered for and received a second cover. I thought that the second cover was a bit excessive since we already had one, and I seriously doubted that we would get much use out of it.

I WAS TOTALLY WRONG.

Here’s the thing about breastfeeding: it can be EXTREMELY messy. It takes a while for you and the baby to get in sync on this thing, and as a result, milk is sort of going everywhere. The covers on these nursing pillows are absolutely crucial in order to extend the life of the pillow itself. I’ve already had to wash my nursing pillow a few times, and while it is still working pretty well, it doesn’t have the same firmness that it used to. A pillow cover can help prevent the milk from soaking into the pillow, though in my experience they are what I would call “water resistant” and not “water proof.” Therefore, having more than 1 is really ideal. If I had to do the registry thing over again, I would have requested one more cover for a total of 3.

I have found that breastfeeding pillow covers come in a very limited selection of patterns at major retailers, and they can be very expensive (Babies R Us is selling some of theirs for $20!). I have found some super cute ones that you can buy for a better price at Dance with a Dragonfly on Etsy!

Edited: Thankfully, prices seem to have come down since I originally wrote this piece. There’s now a nice selection of Boppy nursing pillow covers on Amazon starting around $9!

Erica’s covers are priced right, starting at $12.00 each. She has a huge selection of patterns to choose from, as well, so that you can have a custom made design that stands out from what everyone else has! Also, keep in mind that you will be spending A LOT of time looking at this pillow, so you might as well cover it with something beautiful.

Buy It!
Dance with a Dragonfly is a terrific resource for any breastfeeding mom. Trust me when I say that you will want more than 1 (or even 2!) covers for your pillow. Check out what she has to offer, and go ahead and buy something lovely from her! While the contest is running, you can snag 20% off any purchase of $15 or more (less shipping) simply by sending Erica a convo with “Stuff Parents Need” in the message along with what you want to purchase, and she’ll make a custom listing for you with the discount! Sweet!

Win It!
Dance with a Dragonfly has kindly offered up a nursing pillow cover to a lucky Stuff Parents Need Winner! The winner will be able to pick from a selection of fabrics that Erica has on hand at the time of the drawing. The contest will run until Sunday, November 29th at 7:59pm CST, when the winner will be chosen at random and emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Dance with a Dragonfly . Come back here and tell me one other item she sells or describe your favorite fabric from what is shown here.

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Make a purchase at Dance with a Dragonfly (5 entries, so leave 5 comments).
3. Become a fan of Dance with a Dragonfly on Facebook (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

Disclosure: I received no product for this review, nor did I receive any compensation. i just think Erica has beautiful pillow covers!

Handmade AND Inexpensive Toys for Baby

November 16, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 126 Comments

Darah has hit an age where her arms are flailing all over the place. She’s having a lot of fun with this, and has really been wanting to test out her newly discovered appendages. I wanted to find some toys that would help her understand that she is actually controlling her movements. A wrist rattle is one of the handmade toys for baby I would recommend the very most.

I found a great Etsy store called Lil’ Bit Sassy. Rhonda runs this shop, and she had the perfect item in stock. She kindly sent me a wrist rattle for Darah to try. People, this thing was a major hit the second I put it on her! Her face just lit up when she heard the jingle in the rattle, and it was so precious to watch her as she started to realize that she was making the noise by moving. Rhonda makes these in a variety of patterns, and she has priced them at a point that will make any frugalista smile: only $3.00! The picture to the right is a little bit blurry because Darah was constantly moving her hand, playing with her new rattle.

Rhonda also sent along a matching taggy toy for Darah. These are made from soft cotton fabric with ribbon tags on all four sides. These are also priced beautifully at $4.50 (if you’ve ever priced these taggy toys in stores you will know what a bargain this is!). When I took a stroll around Lil’ Bit Sassy, though, I learned that you can buy a taggy toy and wrist rattle set for only $6.00! These would make fantastic shower gifts, and the price is simply unbeatable. The taggy toys come with a teething ring, also. Darah is especially fond of this component of her new toy!

Additionally, Rhonda sent a burp cloth for review. These are new additions to her store. Darah received a super cute burp cloth with pink and purple owls (which happen to be the mascot of my college sorority, so that made me smile!). I really love the design of these cloths, with indentations for your shoulders. Darah put its absorbency to the test, if you know what I mean, and it totally passed! These are currently selling for $5.00 and come in a great variety of patterns.

Buy It!
Lil’ Bit Sassy has some truly terrific handmade toys for baby, at a price anyone can love. Please check out what she has to offer your little one! Rhonda says that she loves a challenge, so she welcomes custom requests, even of things that aren’t listed! Now that’s some serious dedication to customer satisfaction! She has a wide array of fabrics from which you can choose for your items here: http://www.lilbitsassyfabrics.shutterfly.com/. Rhonda is also offering you a smokin’ hot deal. While the contest is running, make a purchase and save 20%! Just put “Stuff Parents Need” in the notes to the seller and wait for an invoice from her before paying. I’ve already placed my order!

Win It!
Lil’ Bit Sassy wants to give one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a taggy toy and wrist rattle set along with a burp cloth. You lucky ducks! The contest will run until Sunday, November 22nd at 7:59pm CST, when the winner will be chosen at random and emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Lil’ Bit Sassy. Come back here and tell me your favorite item sold there other than items mentioned in the review.

Additional Entries:
1. Share this post via any of the venues at the bottom of this post (digg, stumbleupon, twitter etc.). Leave one comment with a link for each way that you shared or your username on these sites!
2. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Make a purchase at Lil’ Bit Sassy (5 entries, so leave 5 comments).

Disclosure: I was given the above products for the purposes of writing a review, and received no other form of compensation.

Playskool Gloworm Giveaway!

November 5, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 202 Comments

If you missed my post about just how much my infant loves her Lullaby Gloworm by Playskoo l, check it out here. We are BIG FANS in my house. The Gloworm can calm my baby when she is all worked up and it can also make her smile most any time. After I made that post and the second post, I just didn’t feel right going on and on about how cool the Gloworm is while leaving all of you to feel jealous, so I contacted Playskool. And aren’t you lucky, because now you can

Win It!
One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Gloworm for themselves (er, I mean, for their kid!) The contest will run until Thursday, November 12th at 7:59pm CST, when the winner will be chosen at random and emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to reply with their contact information. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States. Thank you, Playskool!

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go to the Playskool website and tell me one other toy you’d love to have for your little one! (1 entry)

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS (3 entries!). Leave 3 comments with your email address for the subscription.
2. Share this post via any of the venues at the bottom of this post (digg, stumbleupon, etc.) (1 entry per method). Leave one comment with a link for each way that you shared or your username on these sites.

Ready, Set, GO!

Disclosure: I was not provided with any form of compensation for this giveaway or for my previous review. I just love the gloworm!

Natural Products for Baby, Including Cloth Wipes Solution

November 2, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 106 Comments

I’ve noticed lately that my little one has a strong affinity for chewing on her fists. I think we are in the very early stages of teething. Oh joy. Because her hands are always in her mouth, they are starting to get quite sticky. This made me wish that I had some sort of all natural product for baby that I could quickly and easily wipe her down with. I went to Etsy to search for something, and I found the solution at BareBebe.

BareBebe is a new company to Etsy, having been in business for about 7 weeks now. The inspiration behind the business came about 4 years ago, though, when Alison (the owner) started her family. She says, “I really became focused on not only what we put into our mouths, but what kinds of things we put on our skin.” When she decided to fully commit to cloth diapering with her third child, she had a really tough time finding wipes that weren’t really cheap and detergent that fully disclosed its ingredients. With cloth diapering, this is particularly important, as some ingredients can ruin or at least diminish the effectiveness of cloth diapers. So she did was any creative person would do; she started making these products for herself! Soon after, a store was born featuring 3 signature items: PureBebe detergent, CleanBebe wipes and FreshBebe wipes spray. There are other great items in the store as well. Alison says, ” I realized I had many things in my home, made by me, that would be great additions to my store (ie. BabyBreathe Eucalyptus balm, MightyToSave dryer balls, and BareBebe milk bath) All these items are natural replacements for the most commonly used items in my house.”

Alison was kind enough to send me the BareBebe Sample Pack, so that I could try out her products for myself. The sample pack contains the following:

~2oz. FreshBebe wipes spray
~Enough DryBebe (powder) for several diaper changes
~One gender neutral CleanBebe cloth wipe
~Enough PureBebe laundry detergent for 3 loads of laundry (6 loads for HE)
(all of this is only $3.50, by the way!)

I was excited to try every product, but I was especially eager to try out the FreshBebe wipes spray. It was created as a wipes spray, especially for sensitive skin, but its uses go way beyond that! I’ve found it to be an excellent item to have on hand to quickly wipe down Darah’s hands throughout the day, and I have absolutely no worries if she starts chewing on her fists 3 seconds after I used the spray on her, because it is a natural product.Alison says, “FreshBebe contains a naturally derived mild soap and tea tree oil. Both of these have antibacterial qualities and guarantee your little one will be clean.” FreshBebe comes in a variety of scents. I chose tangerine vanilla, and it smells fabulous but light. I am really happy to have found a great solution to my problem with little miss sticky fingers! A 4 oz spray bottle is a very reasonable $4.50. She also sells 8 oz refill bottles!

DryBebe was another great product in the sample pack. It is a talc and cornstarch free powder option for little tushies. Alison has blended some essential oils of lavender, vanilla and lemongrass to create a scent similar to lemon poppyseed muffins! The powder is tan, which surprised me at first. As Alison points out on her site, though, “it’s all natural, and you can’t find many things in nature that are pure white.” Good point! I got about 8 uses out of my sample pack of DryBebe. It helped to keep Darah nice and dry, and it smelled great, too. An 8 oz bottle is $7.75, and it will last a long while.

PureBebe is a laundry detergent th at is enzyme, dye, perfume, soap brightener and softener free. It turns out that all of these elements can possibly irritate the skin of a baby. It comes scent free, but essential oils can be added to give it a very light fragrance. I requested lavender essential oil to be added to my sample. The product smelled great. I’m pleased to say that Darah’s clothes have done well with this detergent! PureBebe is $6.50 for 38 loads (72 loads in a HE washer).

The Clean Bebe wipe I received was soft, but also very sturdy. It is two-ply, which means it can really handle some business. One side is made of soft cotton jersey and the other side is made of cotton flannel, which makes it a bit more helpful for, well, the big messes! The cloth held up beautifully after being put through the washer and dryer, and is ready for its next mess! Best of all, these come in a variety of really cute patterns! A package of 4 of these costs $4.00, just about the same price as a package of disposable wipes. You can see how these will pay for themselves rather quickly!

Buy it!
BareBebe has some truly fabulous products that are good for your baby and kind to your wallet. Please check out her site and snag something special for your little one. Also, for the duration of this contest, Alison is offering you a 10% discount on anything in her shop! Simply put code, “Stuff Parents Need” in your message to her at checkout, and wait for her to send you an invoice with the discounted amount.

Win it!
Alison has generously offered a $15 BareBebe gift certificate to one very lucky reader. This contest is open to residents of the United States, and will close on Sunday, November 8th, at 7:59pm CST. I will contact the winner via email, and that person will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Go check out all the amazing products at BareBebe and come back here and tell me how you would spend the gift certificate if you won!

Additional Entries:

1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 posts)
2. Share about this giveaway via any method found at the bottom of this post (stumbleupon, digg, etc.) (1 entry for each method)
3. Make a purchase at BareBebe (3 entries). Leave 3 comments with the email address you used when making the purchase.

Disclosure: I was given a sample pack of BareBebe products to try for this review. No other form of compensation was received.

UniqueRabbit winners!

November 1, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Congratulations to post #7 (dwalline@…) and #68 (CharlieGurl57@…), who are the winners in the paperless towels and reusable wipes giveaway from UniqueRabbit. Winners, check your email and respond to me within 48 hours to claim your prizes.

If you didn’t win, no worries. I have SEVERAL more giveaways heading your way, so stay tuned!

Reusable Paper Towels Review and GIVEAWAY

October 25, 2009 · by Tiffany Merritt · 68 Comments

Do you use dish cloths in your kitchen? Almost everyone does, it seems. They are so great to have around to wipe off your hands or the occasional mess. In my own home, I’ve been wondering for a while why I have no problem using reusable dish towels, but I am still buying paper towels for other messes. It seems a bit silly. A few weeks ago I decided to do something about it, and so I went online and found un-paper towels, also known as reusable paper towels, at a fabulous Etsy shop called Unique Rabbit. I’ll tell you more about what I ordered a little later. First, Let me tell you more about Unique Rabbit and Kimberly, the owner.

Kimberly has been happily married for 10 years and has two boys, ages 2 and 8 weeks (brand new!). She has been a crafty gal for as long as she can remember. Her shop has a focus on earth-friendly products that support a sustainable lifestyle. The inspiration for this has come primarily from seeing what things have worked for her family and creating these products for others to use as well. This includes the paperless towels and wipes, as well as organic cotton lunch sets, cloth shopping bags, and flannel hankies. Kimberly says, “I really believe in the products I make and love that with every sale I am helping someone else live a little ‘greener.'”

Paperless towels are cloths meant to replace paper towels in your home. They are not only gentle on the planet, but also gentle on your wallet in the long run! I predict that these napkins will pay for themselves within about 6 weeks at my house, and depending on how often you use paper towels, they might pay for themselves even faster in your home. Kimberly is selling a set of 6 handmade cloths for $5.50. You heard right, just $5.50. That’s a downright bargain, folks. A jumbo single roll of Bounty can cost as much as $2.00, and of course it has to be replaced frequently. I was so impressed with the quality and the pricetag, that I ordered sets for about half the folks on my Christmas list!

There are a rainbow of colors from which to choose, which was really nice. I ordered a set that would match the color scheme in my own home. While some paper towels have cute little designs on them, I don’t know of any that coordinate with your color scheme, unless of course your entire house is white. Kimberly will do a custom order for you, with any combination of colors that she has. She will even customize the thread color around the edges, if you so desire! And if you like those adjust-a-size paper towels so you can use the right size for the mess, she can make smaller or larger towels for you, as well.

I laid out one of my paperless towels on top of a paper towel. At 10 1/2 X 10 1/2″, they are just slightly smaller than a standard paper towel. These are made from a very soft flannel. They certainly feel a lot nicer than paper towels do. I can see how they would also make very good reusable napkins. I’ve even grabbed one of these a few times to wipe my infant’s face. One other great feature of these paperless towels is that they aren’t going to tear on you in the middle of a job that involves a bit of scrubbing. I really appreciate that! I’m also happy to report that they are holding up just great after going through the washer and dryer a few times.

In addition to my order, Kimberly was nice enough to send me a sample set of reusable wipes to try out. I’ll be honest; I was REALLY nervous about this! Since I don’t use cloth diapers (at least not yet), I wasn’t sure if I would really be cool with having cloths with pee on them sitting in my laundry bin. But the truth is that I do laundry so often (every other day now) that it’s no big deal. I will confess that I didn’t use the wipes for poo situations. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, and that’s ok. One step at a time, right? But seriously, I really didn’t mind using the reusable wipes. They were very soft and sturdy, and the wipes solution recipe that Kimberly sent along was even more simple that the one I’ve used before, and it worked great. I will keep these wipes on hand to use with pee diapers, and that is going to seriously cut down on the amount of money I have to spend on wipes. Yay! UniqueRabbit also sells double thick wipes, which are perfect for, well, messier messes! You can get 12 single or 6 double thick wipes for $6.00. I think 12 wipes is enough to get you through one day, at least most of the time!

Edited: I noticed that Kimberly has taken a break from the business, but no worries! You can find a rather amazing selection of reusable paper towels on Amazon! I’ve tried the Skoy products (read my review here!) and quite liked them, myself.

Buy it!
In addition to selling reusable cloths of all sorts, UniqueRabbit also has other earth-friendly products and hand-made toys and accessories. The prices are incredible, so hop on over! Kimberly is even offering Stuff Parents Need readers an additional 10% off until Sunday, November 1 at 7:59pm CST! To get the discount include a note when you check out on Etsy with the coupon code “Stuff Parents Need” and don’t pay until you are sent an invoice by Kimberly with the discounted total.

Win it!
Kimberly has generously offered to give one lucky reader a set of paperless towels and a second lucky reader a set of reusable wipes! You will even get to customize the colors! The contest will run until Sunday, November 1st at 7:59pm CST, when the winners will be chosen at random and emailed. The winners will have 48 hours to reply with their contact information. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! If I can’t find your email address, a new winner will be chosen. You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Unique Rabbit. Come back here and tell me your favorite item sold there other than items mentioned in the review. Also tell me if you would prefer the paperless towels or the wipes.

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription.
2. Make a purchase at Unique Rabbit (5 entries). Leave 5 comments with the email address you used when making the purchase.
3. Blog about this giveaway (3 entries). Leave 3 comments with a link to the post.
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a url for your tweet
5. Share this post via any of the venues at the bottom of this post (digg, stumbleupon, etc.). Leave one comment with a link for each way that you shared!

Disclosure: I purchased the paperless towels myself, and received the reusable wipes as a sample for the product review. No other form of compensation was given for this review.