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/

 

Maternity Week: Sleeping (A LOT) In Comfort! Hanes Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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For the first trimester of my pregnancy, I turn into a bear in the winter. That’s right, I HIBERNATE. I easily sleep 12 hours each and every day that it is possible for me to do so. I’m extremely lucky that this is even possible for me to do. It certainly comes at a price (my house is constantly dirty…and I don’t mean slightly messy…I mean DIRTY). But I am SO tired that sleeping wins every single time I can possibly choose it.

Since I’m doing a lot of sleeping, I need to be as comfortable as possible. As those of you who have been through pregnancy before know, your body goes through some pretty rapid changes, even in the first trimester. You experience quite a bit of growth (in your belly if you are like me and start showing 7 minutes after discovering you are pregnant). But even if you are lucky and don’t show for a while, your breasts almost certainly will start to grow. And they will be sore and sensitive, which means that you don’t want to wear your traditional bras any longer than you absolutely have to.

I’ve been spending a lot of my time in the perfect option from Hanes. Check out their ComfortFlex Fit Bras. These offer light support (so for me, they aren’t for wearing outside of the house), no wire, and they are SUPER soft. I wear these when I’m in the house, and also I wear them to sleep, as they provide some extra needed support while I toss and turn. They are also value priced, at $12 each or 2 for $20 (go ahead and buy 2, you will wear these constantly). While they aren’t designed specifically for expecting moms, I can tell you that they are the perfect choice for us, and I highly recommend them.

The other area where I need some extra comfort while sleeping has to do with my feet. Women are known for having poor circulation in our feet, which causes our toes to be freezing cold. I feel as though the problem for me has been multiplied since being pregnant. I’m not usually one to sleep with socks on EVER, but I’ve had a change of heart in recent weeks because my feet were so cold that I couldn’t fall asleep. So, I reached for my new Hanes socks that are made with a Comfort Toe Seam (all Hanes socks are made this way!). They are designed to feel smooth all day long to the wearer, and not to bunch up and be irritating. I put them on and drift off to sleep since my toes are snuggly warm! Love them!

Comfort is king when you are expecting. You are already going to be fairly uncomfortable during your pregnancy (at least that’s my experience), so anything you can do to get a little more comfortable is a good thing, indeed. Hanes is a company to turn to for some relief, and their prices can’t be beat!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a comfort flex bra and a 6 pack of women’s socks from Hanes! Yay!

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Hanes Comfort Flex Waistband Boxers Review

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So my husband is a boxers guy. He says he has been for as long as he can remember. For years, I would be on the lookout for great deals on boxers. I would always feel like I hit the jackpot when I would find them on mega-clearance for $4/pair at Banana Republic. They had some cool prints, but the truth is, those boxers wore out (especially in the waistband) just like everything else. Just because they were more expensive didn’t mean they were higher quality!

hanes comfort flex waistband boxers

Tim LOVES to wear Hanes t-shirts (please tell me you have checked out their lay flat collar undershirts!), but he’s never really tried their boxers. Until now! For the past month, he has been putting Hanes boxers with the Comfort Flex Waistband to the test, and they have passed with flying colors for us both. Tim likes the fact that they are tagless, which means they don’t ever itch. This is especially nice since he rides his bike to work every day, and the tags on other boxers can irritate him during his commute. The waistband is designed to move with you, and best of all, to hold its shape (this is the key problem he has with boxers). So far, so good!
And perhaps best of all…the price! Hanes sells a set of 3 boxers with the comfort flex waistband for $9! That’s better than the “deal” I normally look out for (which I haven’t found in the past year…sorry, honey).

I’m not sure why I never tried Hanes for Tim’s underwear before now. We’ve always been impressed with the quality as well as the price for their shirts. Now I know to look to them for great deals on quality boxers, and I don’t have to wait for any special sale to stock up! Great job, Hanes!

Win it!: Hanes wants to send one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader (or their significant other!) a pair of Hanes underwear with a comfort flex waistband. You can choose a boxer, brief or a boxer-brief! The contest will run until October 6th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which style of underwear you find to be the most comfortable, either for yourself or that your loved one likes the most (for example: I would answer boy shorts as my favs).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Hanes on Facebook (fans get first word on special sales and promotions!)
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect!

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, located on the sidebar of my home page.


Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own (and my husband’s!).