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Celebrating the DVD Release of Inside Out with a Simple Feelings Headquarters

November 5, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

Over the summer my husband took our girls to the movies to see the highly praised film, Inside Out, while I stayed at home to take advantage of a quiet Saturday afternoon and get some work done.

Not going to that movie turned out to be one of my big regrets of the summer, because my girls AND my husband, Tim, simply could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. Over the next few months Tim would draw on situations that happened in the movie when coaching the girls through emotional struggles. I was so thrilled to see what a great learning tool a movie could actually be. And I was definitely jealous that I couldn’t make use of it since I hadn’t seen it.

So I marked my calendar for the Inside Out DVD release date, which was November 3rd, and high-tailed it to Walmart that day so that we could watch the movie as a family, and also so that we could create our own Feelings Headquarters at home. If you didn’t realize that the DVD is out and you need to go high-tail it to your Walmart, no worries. I’ll wait for you! 😉

Headquarters is a really important part of the story, as that is where the feelings live, and where they take turns getting to play center stage. I thought it would be great to create our own little space in Layah’s room where the girls could hang out with the various emotions and also where we could talk about how we are feeling. Joy and Sadness have been with us since this summer, and when we went to Walmart a few days ago, we scooped up Fear and Anger as well (they were sold out of Disgust, so now she’s on our Christmas wish list!).

And of course, I snagged the DVD I’ve been waiting for months to see. I noticed that Walmart has 3 different DVD options (standard, Blu-Ray, and Blu-Ray 3D). You might even notice that Inside Out has its own cute display area!

While we were at the store, my girls tried to convince me to buy Bing Bong, as well, but since I hadn’t yet seen the movie, I had no clue what his importance was in the film, and so I refused. My girls, being clever little things, fashioned their own Bing Bong, complete with a sack full of “core memories!”

Now that mommy has seen the movie (and cried profusely during a certain scene starring Bing Bong) he’s been put on the wish list right next to Disgust.

If you haven’t seen the movie, friends, I am going to have to insist that you do. I don’t mean to be pushy, but this is honestly one of the best family movies I’ve seen in years. The story is truly engaging to people of all ages (I get bored VERY easily at movies and I didn’t budge from my couch throughout the entire thing). The opportunities for discussion are plentiful. And of course, the characters are just plain fun.

And it’s so easy to keep the feelings talk going by carving out a little headquarters in your child’s room. We used a simple chalkboard sign and some chalk markers, along with the licensed TOMY Toys that we have and some improvised products to round things out.

Just this morning my oldest was playing in this corner of the room and said, “Mom! Come and see how I’m feeling this morning!” and I found her holding both Joy and Sadness. She was happy to be going to school, but a little sad because she realized that she didn’t eat enough breakfast. We remedied that situation before she headed out the door, of course. But that was just such a cool moment, seeing my girl literally embracing her emotions, and recognizing that her feelings can be complex.

Have you seen Inside Out? I’d love to hear what you thought about it! And if you are looking for an awesome gift to give to a family with kids this holiday season, I think you’ll have a winner on your hands if you pick up Inside Out and some TOMY Toys from your nearest Walmart.

(Giveaway!) The Thrill of the Draw: Introducing a Child to Archery with the Right Equipment

November 5, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 88 Comments

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

A few weeks ago I sat my 6-year-old down in front of the computer and asked for her to become a designer. Specifically, I needed her to design a bow and arrow that she would like to have as her very own. Darah, at this point, knew absolutely nothing about the sport of archery, but she had a wonderful time playing around on the Genesis Bows website and using the Genesis Build-a-Bow section to create one by herself.

Yes, Genesis Bows offers custom designs and they make the process so easy that a 6-year-old with no knowledge of archery can build a bow online. This was such a great way to introduce my child to this sport and to pique her curiosity as we waited for the bow to arrive (which, by the way, took less than a week!). We ordered the kit so that we could also have the arrows we needed, an arm guard and a really nice target for practice.

We talked some about Merida and about Robin Hood, as those are the most famous archers in her world (while an older child might be drawn into the sport thanks to Katniss Everdeen). She was quite excited to give it a try.

Breaking in the bow turned into a family affair, as we all wanted to learn together about how the Genesis Mini Darah selected worked with her arrows. Dad watched some Genesis Archery on YouTube to better understand some basic techniques, and he got to shoot the very first arrow. The speed and intensity of it definitely scared Darah a bit, as she realized just how powerful her bow really was. Honestly, we were all a bit taken aback by it. A Genesis Bow is the real deal! She actually shed a few tears because once she realized the power of her bow, she felt intimidated by it because she is a beginner. So we plopped down in the grass and had a talk about what makes archery so wonderful for kids, even from their very first time shooting a bow and arrow.

Benefits of Archery

Over 13,000 schools in the United States have picked up on the great skills kids can aquire through archery. The Genesis Original is the official bow of the National Archery in the Schools program, and is being used to help millions of kids build confidence, practice focusing, develop discipline, improve hand-eye coordination, enhance balance, and also value being outdoors in nature. We also explained to Darah that archery takes practice just like anything else in life, and that by following some basic safety rules, she can feel comfortable with her bow and arrow.

As a family, we set some rules about practice time and about where observers should stand during practice sessions. We also adjusted the bow so that she could more easily pull it back on her own. Once she felt comfortable with the safety of others and herself, and comfortable with her bow, I was floored to watch my child go from scared and uncomfortable to positively glowing with pride. Friends, this transformation seemed to happen in mere seconds. I will never forget this moment!

As you think about holiday gifts for your kids this year, I want to encourage you to think about a Genesis Bow. Children can’t outgrow the Genesis Original because there is no specific draw length. So it is a gift that can be played with for years and years, and that grownups can play with, too! You might also be introducing your child to a sport that will bring them a lot of joy, and that will certainly help them develop important life skills. And if your child does become truly passionate about archery, you can feel confident now that his or her introductory bow was of the highest quality and fit correctly, so that bad habits aren’t formed with an ill-fitting bow.

Win it!: Oh my word!!!! Genesis is giving away a build-a-bow voucher to one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! Enter for your chance to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

(Giveaway!) Fall Outdoor Family Fun: Kids Croquet Set

October 29, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 12 Comments

Thanks to Magic Cabin for providing the kids croquet set for review and giveaway. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m so sad to see October go, friends. Hands-down, it is my favorite month of the year. Where I live in eastern Tennessee, the weather during the month is nothing short of delightful. There’s a crispness in the air, but it’s not enough to keep you indoors at all. And while our trees don’t put on the same show that you’ll find further north, they still hold their own and give us plenty of beauty as the colors turn. And it seems like you can’t throw a rock around here without hitting a festival of some sort.

I LOVE IT!!!!

Since I want to be outside as much as possible, soaking up that good weather (that fortunately for us, should continue for most of November), I have been hunting for some great outdoor games for the girls. Magic Cabin has what I am quite certain is the world’s cutest kids croquet set. All you need is a patch of open spaceand two players and you are good to go!

The woodland croquet set comes with these 6 adorable croquet hoops (sorry…I’m not in the know about official croquet terms). It also comes with two wooden mallets and two balls.

The little critters stand up easily thanks to wooden planks. So there’s no need to poke the ground in any way! I really like this because it means that if you had a large enough space (such as a finished basement), you could even play this game inside once the weather is just too cold.

I only “sort of” know how to play this game. I know that you need to knock your ball with your mallet through each hoop. After that, it gets real fuzzy. But for a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old to play, I knew plenty! And friends, they were so cute playing this game together! They had such a blast and so many laughs, so I thought it be to not interfere in the fun with too many rules (not that I knew them!). We’ll work on technique down the line! 😉

This is my new go-to item for when we have play dates or for getting out a bit of energy before dinner. The set is absolutely lovely and my kids find it highly entertaining. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for something new for your kids to do in the back yard! It retails for $64.98.

Win it!: Lucky you!!! One Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Woodland Croquet Set from Magic Cabin!

Woodland Croquet Set

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

(Giveaway!) A Closer Look at the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program

October 22, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 140 Comments

Special thanks to P&G and The Motherhood for partnering with me for today’s post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friends, it’s the time of year when our kids will start coming home from school with various forms of “the crud.” This is just something we have to deal with when it comes to changing temperatures, little humans hanging out in close proximity, and the occasional hand washing or nose-blowing fail that each of our kids (and yes, even us grown ups) are guilty of from time to time.

It’s SO tough when our kids miss school. Yes, it’s hard on the parents due to having to re-arrange work schedules, but it’s also hard on the kids because they miss school and depending on how long they are out, might struggle to catch up on their schoolwork.

Yes, we have to be on guard against all those germs that tend to pop up this time of year. But do you want to know what ISN’T causing our children to be sick here in the United States? Our drinking water. Everyone has access to clean water, and that access is as simple as turning on the faucets inside our homes.

There are nearly 1 BILLION people in this word who don’t have easy access to clean drinking water. The children in that enormous group often get sick, and as a result, have to miss school. Many of them struggle tremendously to get caught back up, and some even drop out because they fall so far behind due to these recurring illnesses they face due to a lack of clean water.

P&G has a Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, and among other benefits, this program is helping to keep these kids in school. Since 2004, this program has been helping to save lives by providing clean drinking water to families in need. The P&G Purifier of Water is a packet of powder the size of a tea bag that can treat water right on the spot. More than 9 billion liters of clean drinking water have been donated, and P&G is committed to delivering 15 billion liters by 2020. This water is being used in over 75 countries through a network of more than 150 partners.

All of this clean water will mean a boost in school attendance for these children, who won’t have to battle those awful illnesses associated with dirty water. Everybody wins when a child is learning, wouldn’t you agree?

How You Can Help

One day of clean drinking water for a child costs about two cents. You can donate that 2 cents simply by watching this video on the Power of Clean (the donation will be made on your behalf). Couldn’t be easier!

You can also make a donation. It only takes a very small amount to make a HUGE impact. For example, $7.50 provides enough water for a year for a child. $30 will provide clean water to an entire family of 5 for a year. You can donate directly at www.csdw.org.

Win it!
One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win big by helping others! You will receive a P&G product basket (value of at least $50) and a $30 donation will be made in your honor to provide clean water for a family in need for an entire year.

P&G Clean Water

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of US & DC who are 18 years of age or older. Giveaway starts 10/22/2015 and ends 11/05/2015. Sponsored by The Motherhood in partnership with Procter and Gamble. For the full list of rules, click here

(Giveaway!) A Fun Fall Family Adventure Awaits in Gulf County, Florida

October 2, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

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

In May my family decided to take a risk and try out a new (to us) part of Florida for our summer vacation: Gulf County.

We loved it so much that we have plans to return every year. It’s now our go-to place for an amazing retreat and a fun way to get rejuvinated.

What I really love about Gulf County, Florida is the relaxed vibe and the focus on nature. You won’t find tower after tower of condos or a crowded beach strip full of souvenir shops. But you will find some really cool stuff there, especially as it relates to nature.

My oldest, for example, spent an entire day playing with a tiny little clam she named Clammo. She used her pails to build him a little ecosystem, and even gave him a teary-eyed goodbye when the sun was setting and it was time to return him to the wet sand.

Fall may not seem like the best time of year to head back to the beach, but I actually think it’s a glorious time of year there. And Gulf County has a few fun adventures that I think would be just perfect for the month of October.

If I could go back this month, I’d be sure to go for a kayak ride on the Dead Lakes. Just look at how amazing (and yeah, spooky!) they look, especially when the fog comes off the water in the early morning!

Another “gentle thrills” option would be to go shark fishing. Fish’N Xpress offers a 3 hour experience with all the logistics handled for you, including the equipment, bait and licenses. You can snare a tiger shark and get your photo taken with it before releasing it back into the water. Just imagine how your kids will love to tell the story of the time they caught a shark! 🙂

Finally, we’d head over to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park to see some wildlife. Deer, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, Kingfishers, owls and otters call the park home and can be spotted by the watchful eye.

Take a moment to check out the Gulf County Adventure Guide to see what fun fall adventures might be right for your family, as I’ve barely scratched the surface with my ideas. There’s really something for everyone there, and I can tell you from experience that if relaxation is on your list, it doesn’t get any better than this place.

Giveaway!

From now through 10/25, ten winners each week will win a $50 Visa gift card! You can put it toward a family adventure in your own community, or save it for your next trip to Gulf County! Be sure to share this great giveaway with your friends to spread the love around (and to give yourself a little good karma!).

(Giveaway!): Get Ready for Halloween with a Halloween Countdown Chart!

September 18, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to One Step Ahead for providing the Halloween countdown review and giveaway products. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the most successful holiday “craft” projects I ever conducted was the year I made a paper chain that served as a countdown for Christmas. My oldest eagerly looked forward to removing one chain each morning, and it eliminated the question of, “How much longer?????”

So when I saw the totally adorable Halloween countdown chart that One Step Ahead has out right now, I knew it would be just perfect for my family to use this year and for many years to come.

This chart is made of felt and comes ready to hang up and to decorate with 31 different spooky images. If you are creative, you can actually create a fun scene at the top of the chart. I struggle with creativity, but I’m certainly going to let my kids take a crack at placing the characters in an intentional way.

As the days of October pass, you take one character from the scene and cover up that date to mark its passing. There’s also a small pocket that can fit a small piece of candy, a piece gum, or a small note inside. You could do have a fun “fall” idea listed on some of the days to surprise your kids, even!

I totally love this product because it makes for a great Halloween decor item in and of itself, and because it helps you and your kids celebrate a little bit every single day of the month. The chart retails for $39.95 but is currently 20% off!

Win it!:

Lucky you! One Stuff Parensts Need reader is going to win this fantastic Halloween countdown chart!
Halloween Countdown Chart

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

(Giveaway!) Our Best Swimming Lesson Yet: How Kidizoom Action Cam Helps!

September 12, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 12 Comments

Thanks to VTech for supply a review and giveaway unit. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Friends, my husband (bless him) has spent the past 6 weeks taking our 6-year-old to the gym 4 times a week to give her private swimming lessons. The process has been nothing short of arduous for him, mostly because for the first 3 weeks of lessons, she REFUSED to actually go underwater (a critical component of learning how to swim!).

During this period of time, I had agreed to check out the VTech Kidizoom Action Cam, simply because my girls love to grab my phone and take videos or pictures, and I loved the idea of them having their own device that they could play with and that was built tough so that I wouldn’t worry about it being in little hands.

When I realized that the Kidizoom Action Cam has a waterproof case, I sent it along with my daughter to her lesson and suggested that she try to record some videos of her swimming. She thought that was the coolest idea she had ever heard, and so when she got to her lesson with her dad, this happened:

The camera provided her with a focal point, and the idea of having a video of her swimming underwater was so cool to her that she kicked the fear right out of the pool and got to work. This was a HUGE breakthrough; Tim was really beating his head against the wall about how to get her to go underwater. We weren’t expecting a camera to be the trick, but it was!

The girls have been playing with their camera daily, but they especially like to use it when the family is doing something extra fun. We had a pinata as part of my birthday celebration, and that was a fun opportunity for the girls to practice their video skills and their photography skills. Darah captured her little sister taking a crack at the pinata:

They also were able to practice using some of the funky features that allow for altered shots. This one was a favorite!

The girls were also quick to discover that the camera also has three built-in games. When you add this to all the spcial effects features, this has become one highly entertaining device.

Summer may be officially over 10 days from now, but that doesn’t mean that your kids won’t be able to find awesome things to capture, inside or outside. The Kidizoom Action cam comes with ounts so you can attach it to a bike or a scooter. And if you have any travel opportunities coming up and your hotel has an indoor pool, bring along the action cam and the waterproof case.

Perhaps one of the things I love the very most about this product is the price tag: under $60! You do have to upload your videos frequently since the amount of storage is on the small side, but as long as you remember to do that after your kids have finished playing with it for the day, you’ll be fine! You can also just get a microSD card of up to 32 GB if you want more storage. Easy peasy!

Win it!

One Lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a VTech Kidizoom Action Cam!

Kidizoom Action Cam

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

(Giveaway Alert!) Cooking Shortcut: Trying the Pressure Cooker for Busy School Nights

August 25, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Complimentary product provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

We’ve been back in school for a week now, and I’m still getting my bearings since daily homework is now part of our reality. I now call 3-5pm my “sprint” in the day, because I really have to be on top of my game to make sure that homework gets done, the kids have some chill time, and I get dinner on the table by 5pm (because my kiddos are SO hungry by that point, even with an after-school snack!).

One new tool I’m trying out in the kitchen is the Clipso Pressure Cooker from T-fal. I tend to think of a pressure cooker as something that grandmothers use to make pot roast. I’ve never even owned one until a few weeks ago! But it turns out that our grandmothers were on to something, as a pressure cooker is designed to help you speed up the cooking process without drying out your food (so it’s GREAT for meat dishes!).

There is a bit of a learning curve with pressure cookers. When you get one, it’s important to spend a bit of time with the instructions so that you can get to know how the equipment works and how to use it safely. I have challenged myself to use it for every dinner prep this entire week to help me feel more comfortable with it.

But to provide some inspiration, last night I made a delectible Indian dish, Chicken Masala, using the pressure cooker. I was able to use the pot just like a conventional pot while sauteeing onions and garlic, and then once I added all of the other ingredients, including an entire fryer chicken (cut into segments) and used the pressure cooking capabilities, my dish was done in 20 minutes. Chicken masala is definitely NOT a 20 minute meal, and yet, I was serving it to my family on a Monday night at 5:15 pm after starting the entire process at 4:45pm. Winner, winner, chicken dinner, indeed!

The T-fal Clipso is available in Macy’s retailers and Macys.com for $99.99. For more information please visit, www.t-falusa.com. If you’d like more weeknight recipe inspiration, follow T-fal on Pinteret!

Giveaway Alert!

Right now, T-fal is hosting a great Back2School Photo Contest! All you need to do is share a photo on Facebook, TWitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TfalBack2School that demonstrates how you are getting ready for the school year. Here are some ideas to get you started: a room in your home that you recently organized (or that you need to organize!), a favorite lunch box idea or weeknight dinner, or what your homework station looks like. One lucky Grand Prize Winner will get a Back2School package worth over $1,000 and 5 runner up winners will win T-fal packages values at $500 each. Woo hoo! Full details and entry information is on the T-fal Facebook page.

(Giveaway) Gears! Gears! Gears!: Raising Little Engineers!

August 20, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 8 Comments

Special thanks to Learning Resources for providing complimentary products for review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I am so deeply in love with the maker movement happening in our world right now. I love any opportunity to encourage my children to use their minds AND their hands and to create! This can be purely artistic in nature, purely functional in nature, or even somewhere in between.

So I totally dig the Gears! Gears! Gears! products that Learning Resources is currently offering.

We have been checking out the Sweet Shop from Gears! Gears! Gears! but please know that they have a wide variety of offerings just in case your kid wouldn’t necessarily be thrilled with lollipops and cupcakes. 🙂 The gears are really easy to put together in a wide variety of ways to make some rather cool movements. My 3-year-old feel comfortable and confident arranging them to make the perfect sweet shop, usually for Pinkie Pie to work in and for all her My Little Ponies to come enjoy.

This is a fantastic toy to encourage fine motor skills and to encourage a child to create something of their own invention. We are really pleased with it!

Win it!:

One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your choice of the Sweet Shop or the Pet Playland from Learning Resources!
Learning Resources

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