Stuff Parents Need

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

(Giveaway!) Awesome Option for the Child Who Eats the Same Thing Daily

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The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Arnold® Bread so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Arnold®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Arnold® Bread.

What do you do when you have a child who wants to eat the same thing over, and over and OVER again? In my case, this presents itself as “give me a PB&J in my lunchbox or give me death!” from my first grader.

That child is hopelessly devoted to her sandwich.

I tried to fight this battle, and realized in time that the approach I was taking (offering a sandwich alternative) was the wrong angle. Instead, I could tackle this issue in another way, by keeping the variety plentiful and very healthy for her sides every day.

I could also make sure that her sandwich was loaded with high quality ingredients, not just on the inside, but also on the outside. That means choosing a peanut butter (or sometimes almond butter) with no added sugar, a fruit only spread for the jelly, and a bread with 100% whole grains.

When I’m at the store, I ALWAYS read the label for bread, because it’s downright shocking how many breads contain only enriched wheat, or that even boast to contain whole grains, ony to find that the very first ingredient is still enriched flour and not whole wheat flour. It’s a bummer.

One brand I know to be a good choice for my family is . I like the 100% Whole Wheat bread because it offers 100% whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavoring, and it has a really nice taste.

So if you are having a battle with your kid about wanting to eat the same exact sandwich every single day, consider losing the battle but winning the war by making sure that sandwich is made with bread that has 100% whole grains, like ARnold Whole Grains bread. It has 23 grams of whole grains per slice! You can find this product across the Easter U.S. and if you are in the Midwest, you can find it as Brownberry bread. And if you aren’t in a rut with the same sandwich and can switch things up a bit, get some recipe ideas on the Arnold Bread Facebook page.

Win it!:

One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win 3 coupons, each good for a free loaf of Arnold Bread (value up to $5 each!).
Arnold Bread Free Product Coupons

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

How to Coupon 101: Learning How to Coupon Effectively

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Friends I’m bringing back a great post that was originally published on 11/28/2010. I continue to credit this course with teaching me how to coupon effectively, and I thought some newer readers could benefit. Plus, the cost of the program is now less than half of what it was when I first tried it out! Affiliate links included at no cost to you.

Before Darah was born, I was a pretty good coupon user. I wouldn’t have ranked myself as one of the very best, not by a long shot. But weekly I would get some pretty sweet deals and keep our pantry and freezer rather stocked for cheap. Our toiletries were borderline out of control, because almost every week I could get toothpaste, shampoo, etc. for free or really close to free.

This, again, was all BEFORE Darah was born. Once she hit the scene, I just ran out of steam. Making a quick trip to one store became an act of Congress, so the idea of hitting up 3 or 4 different places was pretty much out of the question. So, I just stopped using coupons. They say that if you don’t have time, you’d better have money. This isn’t the case for online shopping, though. Nowadays, there are so many websites like Raise out there that help you to save money at shops like Kohls, it’s hard to avoid using them! I made the choice to just start spending more of our money on groceries and household items and spend that extra time with Darah. I don’t think it was a bad choice.

Fast forward to present-day. I’m staying at home, so I do have a little bit more time (although I’m most definitely BUSY!), and money is a more precious commodity now than it was when we had two incomes. I’ve known for a while that I needed to get back into couponing, but the thought really overwhelmed me. Where do I start? How do I do this on the terms that work for me? How do I learn about all the different ways to get good deals? All these questions were making me put off getting back into it, even though we really needed to be saving more money.

How to Coupon Effectively how to coupon 101

And then I heard about an audio series called Grocery University. It is described as, “a 2 hour 19 minute audio course that will teach you everything you need to know about making the most of your grocery budget – regardless of whether you’re new to bargain shopping or have been a super-shopper for years.” I thought this would be a good thing to try out, but I honestly didn’t think it could teach me anything I didn’t already know about saving money in the stores. But perhaps it would get me excited about getting back in the game.

Well, it did get me excited again, so that’s good. But I also learned a ton. I took notes as I listened to the series (each section is between 4-12 minutes, so you can really pace yourself with this course, which I love!). Now I have 9 pages of notes, and everything I wrote down was something I didn’t know before!

And, if you aren’t so much of a note taker, that’s no problem! Grocery University comes with a really detailed student workbook for you to look through while you listen and refer back to later. It also comes with a price sheet that can help you with that initially daunting task of finding rock bottom prices of items you frequently buy. If you just can’t bring yourself to do it, this has a general guide for several items, though do keep in mind that prices vary by region.

So after going through Grocery University, I had the motivation I needed to start my coupon binder (a task I’d been putting off for a year, seriously). I also had a specific game plan for how to slowly get back into couponing. If you try to go all out right at the beginning (as I’m inclined to do) you will burn out and give up. Grocery University shows you how to take it slow and focus on the most crucial things first.

I’m very glad I had the opportunity to review this product. I think it is absolutely worth the $9.97 price. Just this week I did my very first trip to CVS and I didn’t even go nuts with the couponing there, and I still walked away with $60 worth of products that I could use for $23. Not too bad for a first try! So you can see how very quickly you’ll recoup your investment (week 1 for almost everyone!).

Buy it!: Grocery University is bargain priced at just $9.97. You will most definitely not regret the purchase!

(Giveaway!) A New Family Pet and A New Litter Strategy

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I have news: my family has adopted a new cat! Fresh Step® with the power of Febreze™ heard our news and partnered with me today to share our story of overcoming the loss of a beloved pet and adopting a cat who needed a family.

For the past 1 1/2 years, we have had a very lovable cat. Her name was Rose and she was a petite little pile of fluff who loved nothing more than to curl up with a good human. She was a gem of a find from our local animal shelter, and we were so glad to be able to give her a loving, safe home, as she had come from a home where the owner hoarded animals (I believe they said they counted well over 30 cats in a small residence).

Unfortunately, it seems that Rose contracted a fatal disease called FIP while living in those bad conditions, but it didn’t make itself known until late November of last year. Even then, the vet thought she had contracted a (common) upper respiratory infection. Only a few weeks later did we realize that something severe was occurring and that our beloved Rose would not survive.

It is so sad to lose a pet because they do become members of your family. My precious little Layah cried and asked through her tears if Rose would be joining the force, just like Obi-Wan (we spent the fall slowly working through Star Wars episodes IV-VI with the girls). We spent a lot of time over the following weeks sharing memories of Rose.

We were also preparing our hearts for a new addition, and about a month after Rose’s passing, we went back to the animal shelter as a family to see if there might be another cat who was awesome around kids, and who wanted cuddles.

When we told the volunteer at the shelter what we were looking for, she immediately took us into the back room and pointed to this cage.

Inside was a rather humongous cat named Gus. At first glance, I didn’t think he could possibly be the right choice for us (I imagined getting another tiny cat). But my husband reminded me to have an open mind, and so I agreed to get him out of the cage and play with him for a bit.

Well you know where this story is going, I bet!

This big boy melted our hearts with his loving personality and his ease around our girls. He reached his paws up to my face (very gently) and asked not just for pets, but also hugs! And he showed absolutely zero apprehension around our girls. He eagerly accepted pets from every member of the family and then gave us a look that said, “So, family, when are we going home?”

We went out for lunch so that we could all discuss what we wanted to do. And over chicken nuggets and waffle fries we concluded that while he wasn’t what we were expecting, he was everything we were looking for, all the same. And just like that, we headed back to the shelter and adopted Gus.

Two Cats, One Litter Box

But I will tell you something we weren’t quite prepared for: how the litter box struggles with two large cats. Gus was also recently neutered, so he still has some hormones working out of his system, and until they are gone, his litter box odors are quite strong, indeed. I knew after the first 24 hours at home that we needed a new strategy, because our whole house smelled like a giant, used litter box. Gross!

Since my family isn’t into spraying chemicals in our house or trying to mask odors, I knew we would need to do something that would actually eliminate the odors. We now do 2 things that work really well to keep the odors to an absolute minimum:

1. We scoop the litter box twice a day. I know this sounds like overkill, but we’ve been really surprised by what a big difference it makes to clean out the litter box in the morning, and once again just before bed. Our cats both seem to like to play during the night, so they are awake and definitely make use of their box while we are sleeping. I can tell that they are both happier with a cleaner box to use.

2. We are using . This is a new product from a brand I have always trusted because it creates its products with the health and happiness of the cats in mind, first and foremost. This particular formula has a lower dust formula to keep the air and surrounding surfaces cleaner. And with the power of Febreze™ added, you can expect the odors not to be masked, but rather to be eliminated. What’s left behind after a litter box session is actually a fresh, clean scent. Imagine that! It’s awesome, friends.

Our two strategies have yielded excellent results. That litter box smell lingering throughout my house is totally gone (thank goodness!) and the act of cleaning out the litter box isn’t overwhelming or as gross as it used to be.

If you don’t think scooping the litter box as often as we do is going to work for you, no worries! Fresh Step with the power of Febreze offers a 10-day odor control guarantee. I wouldn’t personally recommend going 10 days without scooping the litter box (you will have grumpy kitties on your hands if you do that!), but it’s good to know that Fresh Step with the power of Febreze will keep the odors under control if you need to stretch your cleaning sessions a bit.

If your family might need a feline member to feel complete, you can find a list of your nearest animal shelters here. And if you’d like to get more information about Fresh Step with the power of Febreze (including coupon offers!) head over to the Fresh Step Facebook and pages.

Win it!

Here’s your chance to win something super fun! Twenty lucky people will each win a February subscription box from CatLadyBox, which will include exclusive cat items for you and your cat as well as a coupon for a free box of Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ (approximate retail value of $39.99 each)! To enter, complete the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™.

(Giveaway!!!) 4 Words That Mattered the Most: The Best Advice I Received as a Parent

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This post brought to you by COUNTRY Financial®. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

It has been such a thrill to watch my little sister and her husband take on the challenge and experience the joy of becoming parents this year. There were SO many things I wanted to tell Laura about parenting while she was pregnant, but I kept my mouth shut on a number of subjects (which might shock her to hear because I’m sure I seemed like I never stopped dispensing my “wisdom”).

Frankly, there are just some lessons that come along with parenting that you have to live through to understand. People can (and will!) tell you over and over again, for example, how everything is going to change. And they are certainly right. But to really grasp that truth, you just have to experience that change for yourself.

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But here’s one thing I can share with anyone out there who is currently expecting their first baby, or who recently became a parent, and that is that you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

These 4 words were gifted to me by my doula when I was in labor with my first child, and it was very appropriate for that particular event (there’s an understatement), but it was also true for every day that was to follow now that I was a parent.

Whether it’s something as simple as learning to keep that smile on your face during family photos while your little angel is filling up her diaper and then some (see below…way to keep that holiday spirit shining in the photo, mama!), or something more complex like figuring out what you want to do for school when the time comes, I can promise you that no matter how many parenting books you read, they won’t have every answer for you. You are sometimes simply going to have to wing it, go with your gut, and step out on faith that you are doing your best for your family.

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COUNTRY Financial® is a company that understands just how complicated life seems to get after a little one joins the ranks. They have been serving families through all life stages for 90 years, helping to make life easier in some way, including for new parents. Financially strong and highly rated by independent insurance rating agencies, COUNTRY Financial® is a group of US insurance and financial services offering a full suite of products that can help you right now, as you start your new family, as well as through the stages to come. They are well-suited to help make you more comfortable with some of those decisions you need to make to help protect your family.

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To qualify as a winner, you must reside in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin.

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(Giveaway!) More Fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas from Kohl’s

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Thanks to Kohl’s for providing products for review and the giveaway item. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I hope you enjoyed some of the Elf on the Shelf ideas I shared with you last week. I’ve got a few more fun (and easy!) ways you can have fun with your Elf on the Shelf in today’s post, and none of them involve making terrible messes or elaborate schemes. I like to keep it simple around here.

elf on the shelf outfit When my girls woke up this morning they found our Owen being just a smidge naughty (he’s playing in our television cords) but they also discovered that he has a new outfit! Kohl’s has the cutest Claus Couture collection, with several fun outfit options for your elf and for your elf pet!

elf on the shelf elves made me do it dish towel Owen has also been such a thoughtful house guest this week by bringing me, his hostess, a gift! Owen found this adorable “the elves made me do it” kitchen towel set at Kohl’s (and I saw his receipt…he got such a good deal!).

And next week, he’s going to surprise the girls one morning with a super fun gift just for them!

elf on the shelf bathtub stuff Yes, this fingerpaint bathtub set will be messy, but the kids will be in the bath, so they will wash off easily (and so will their canvas!).

We are having so much fun with Owen, and I am really loving this new tradition we are creating of having our elf provide some new fun holiday decor each year. If you don’t have an Elf on the Shelf, they really can be a whole lot of fun, so think about getting one. Our elf keeps us highly entertained. He even does a great Adele impression (call him Adelelf!).

Hello, it’s me. #Adelelf #elfontheshelf #adele

A photo posted by Tiffany (@stuffparentsneed) on

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a $100 gift card to Kohl’s. You can get your house all decked out with Elf on the Shelf gear and other holiday decor! 🙂
Kohls Gift Card

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

(Giveaway!) 9 Tips for a Cleaner, Happier Car Trip with Kids

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Thanks to AutoTrader.com for partnering with me on today’s post and for providing some GREAT ideas for traveling with kids! 

Are you traveling this holiday season? We are going to be traveling by plane, but we are also going to be traveling quite a bit by car, as well! I did not take the steps I normally take to prepare our car for travel over Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, I paid the price. Here’s a direct quote from my personal Facebook page on Thanksgiving morning this year:

“Hour 3 of my seat being kicked and unceasing whining by this kid behind me.”

Thanksgiving morning

I’m already getting geared up for our travels later this month, and I most definitely won’t be overlooking the car travel prep again this time (live and learn!). I’ve got some ideas that we use effectively that might help you out on your next road trip, as well as some super cool Mom Hacks that the folks at AutoTrader.com have to offer. Let’s dig in to some car travel tips!

road trip with kids

1. Clean out the car before you leave! 

I know it feels like your car is going to get junked up on your trip, so why get it clean now? I have some tips coming up to help the car stay clean, but trust me, if you are going to be stuck inside a small space for a long time, you will feel much more relaxed if that space is nice and clean! So bust out your vacuum and get everything picked up before you head out of town.

2. For peace of mind, have your car serviced

Get your tires checked, your oil changed and if it’s time, do the whole tune up. Breaking down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere is only funny in the movies, friends. Do everything you can to make sure that it won’t be your family experiencing car trouble when you are hundreds of miles away from home.

3. Pack more snacks than you think you could possibly need

Somehow, you always need all of them. Just trust me. Having ample snacks on hand will also help you cut down on the number of times the kids beg to stop for food and drink, too.

4. Have some new toys on hand

No need to spend a lot of money on this one. But a brand new coloring book or a new pack of cards can be so much fun. Additionally, you can surprise your kids with toys they already have but don’t play with much. A road trip is a great time to get re-acquainted with those items.

5. Use the clock as a tool

Lots of snacks and fun new toys are awesome, but not if your kids blow through them all in the first 15 minutes of the trip. When we travel, we use the clock as a tool to space out the new stuff. So for example, one new snack item is revealed per hour, and one new toy options is offered every half hour.

6. Divide the trip into pie slices

This is especially helpful for kids who can’t yet tell time. Help them understand how long a trip is by turning the hours into pie slices. For example, when we went to Disney World, the trip was 10 hours long (bless us), so we turned that into 20 pie slices. Every half hour we would tell the kids that we ate another slice of the pie, and remind them about how many slices remained. It helped them have a better understanding of how long we had been traveling and how much more traveling we had to do.

7. Keep Your Car Clean!

AutoTrader.com has 7 totally awesome and easy hacks you can use on car trips that will help keep supplies orderly and food and drink from spilling all over the place. From DVD covers to plastic wrap, take a moment to check out these clever ideas that will help your next road trip run smoothly!

8. Rest Stops Are Awesome! 

Don’t overlook the official rest stops on your travels. These are, in my opinion, the very best places to stop because they have large swatches of land where your kids can RUN. They also have picnic tables, so if the weather is cooperative, you could have a meal there and enjoy yourselves more than you might crammed in a booth at a fast food joint.

9. Don’t forget some medicine!

I don’t know why, but my kids seem to be quite fond of getting sick when we are traveling. Fevers come out of nowhere and stomach bugs make a very unwelcome appearance. Be prepared for those unfortunate moments with the types of medicine your kids take when they aren’t well. Better to not need it and have it than the other way around.

I hope those tips help you as you prepare for your next road trip! And if you are looking for a new vehicle, don’t forget to check out the great offerings at AutoTrader.com!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Mom Hacks road trip survival kit, valued at $75 and including the following awesome items:

  1. Charger
  2. $25 Visa gift card
  3. Tote
  4. Seat Back Organizer
  5. Selfie Stick (not pictured)
  6. First Aid Kit
  7. Single-use Wet Wipes
  8. Snacks

Road Trip Survival Kit

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

($50 Gift Card Giveaway!) The Gifting Bunch for Easy Group Gifting

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Special thanks to The Gifting Bunch for partnering with SPN for today’s post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Have you ever been put in charge of organizing a group gift? If so, then you know what a cumbersome chore it can be!

The Gifting Bunch is a new start-up designed to make groupgifting easy and fun, just as it should be. The website has special tools and tricks to help the organizer create a group gift, collect private donations, and even personal messages from those who contributed, all in one spot. Additionally, there are more than 500 e-gift cards that can be selected for the gift recipient, and those gift cards are to the types of places your recipient would enjoy, such as Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Visa, movie theaters, restaurants, etc.

In addition to being able to collect funds for a gift for an individual, you can also collect funds or multiple recipients (for example, if you are collecting funds for the teacher AND the teacher’s assistant at your child’s school, or if you are collecting funds for a gift for all the non-teaching staff at the school). I’ve also been part of group gifting before for baby showers and wedding showers, and this would work for that purpose, as well. Best of all, the recipient gets the gift of choice, and can choose to spend the funds collected at one or more of over 500 places. The gift cards can be used online or in-store.

Middle school students in class.

Here’s a quick video that walks you through the process if you’d like to learn more. Each gift giver pays just a 2.9% processing fee on their donation. So if someone gave $10, they would pay $10.29, which is less than it would cost to mail in a check to someone; TOTALLY worth it! 🙂 This is such a great option for group gifting during the holidays or any time of year.

GIVEAWAY! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a $50 e-gift card to the store of your choice through The Gifting Bunch! And bonus: the first 5 people who sign up for an account with The Gifting Bunch will get a $5 e-gift card to either Target or Starbucks! You must use the sign up code listed in the giveaway below!

Gifting Bunch

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

(Giveaway!) My Favorite Holiday Gift Idea for Cats

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This post brought to you by Friskies. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

Friends with kitties, let me help you with the question of what to get your cat as a special gift this holiday season. My cats have been testing out a new product from Friskies that is really 3 gifts in 1, and it has been very well received (so much so that I keep finding the cats sleeping curled up around it after a play session)!

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In the past I’ve always picked up Friskies Party Mix treats as holiday gifts for the cats. I have felt more at a loss about what to do for toys, though (and especially for our older cat who is pretty much a big grump and doesn’t like to play). But Wobbert, who is part of the Friskies Pull ’n Play Combo Pack, actually got her attention! 

To fill Wobbert, you simply unscrew the top portion and add the Friskies Party Mix Treats. Then you take a string from the Friskies Edible Strings and thread it through the holes at the top. And as you saw in the video, as the cat bats at Wobbert, treats will fall out (but only from one angle so treats aren’t constantly falling out!).

photo friskies wobbert_zpsh7qe4rxp.jpg

This is such a fun way to combine play time with special treats for your furry friend, and a fun way to show them a little extra love this holiday season. You can find Wobbert and all the great Friskies treats at major retailers nationwide (a full list of retailers can be found here).

photo friskies cat treats_zpshv1spayu.jpg

And I love that you can play with those cute edible strings with Wobbert or on their own. The string treats come in 3 flavors (Chicken & Cheese, Salmon & Shrimp and Tuna & Crab). While my cats haven’t eaten the string just yet, they have been sniffing them like crazy, so I think they are going to figure out pretty soon that they can do more than just play with them. .

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So whether you have a grump like our Hattie, or a super sweet cuddlebug like our Rose, you are going to have a hit on your hands with the Friskies Pull ‘n Play pack and those great Friskies treats. That’s one more thing you can cross off your holiday shopping list!

Win it!: TWO lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win a Friskies holiday kit, which includes a Wobbert toy, Party Mix, Edible Strings and a Collar. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us how your cat has been naughty or nice this year! Give us a good laugh, and be sure to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you win! 😉

Contest open to residents of the United States ages 18 and older. Limit one entrant per household, please. Contest ends at 11:59PM EST on November 26th. Winner will be drawn at random on  from eligible entries using Random.org. Potential winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is drawn. Stuff Parents Need is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

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