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Taking it Easy at the Beach: Our Tentative Gulf County, Florida Trip Plans

March 30, 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.

Today I’ve been doing something really fun: working on summer vacation plans. We have had such a rough past month with the unexpected loss of my husband’s dad, and I feel such a strong need for our family to have some quality time together to heal, to relax and to rejuvenate.

Vacations with young children can be a bit of a misnomer, at least for the parents. When’s the last time you took a vacation with young kids and really and truly got to relax? I hope you have had that experience, but likely not unless you had additional adults on hand to share the child supervision duties.

But what if your vacation could look different? What if your destination was so inviting and intriguing that every member of your family could feel free to explore and marvel and simply BE right there in the moment? Friends, that’s what I’m looking for this summer. And I think I’ve found it in Gulf County, Florida.

I’ve been checking out the Gulf County Adventure Guide which is actually a series of brief recommendation posts written by different locals. You get an insider’s perspective on some of the best things to see and do in the area. And I have to say, I LOVE that not a single recommendation has to do with visiting a theme park or creating an itinerary that keeps you running from sun up to sun down. Everything in this guide is focused on the great outdoors and the unique beauty of this particular part of the country.

For starters, I’m very drawn to the plethora of housing options through Pristine Property Rentals. It’s my preference to stay in a condo or a home than to stay in a hotel room. Having the extra space to stretch out, and the kitchen available so that we can prepare food when we want and how we want it is worth the extra expense. And frankly, I often find that the extra expense is surprisingly nominal, especially for vacations that last several days to a week. I am significantly more relaxed in this type of environment than I am in a hotel room, where I often find myself relegated to the bathroom floor if I want to stay up past 7:30 pm when the girls go to bed. Pristine Property Rentals manages over 250 properties of all sizes so I’m sure we’ll find something just right for us and our budget.

For the big “splurge” event, I’d go with a 4 hour boat tour of the area from About Fun Charters. It’s $350 for 4 hours, just $100 more than the 2 hour charter. And my family will be the only ones on the boat, just enjoying the gorgeous views and taking in all sorts of sights. It sounds like the area has an amazing array of wildlife and that you can see quite a bit of it from a boat as you cruise around the bay and the island. It sounds absolutely heavenly!

photo credit: Stormy Skies via photopin (license)

And speaking of wildlife, one of the places I predict my family will spend quite a bit of time at is St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. Get this: this state park is the home of America’s #1 beach. Oh heck yes we’ll be going to that! It’s also home to some incredible trails that almost guarantee you’ll see some great wildlife. There’s a playground on site and of course, those beautiful Florida sand dunes. This sounds like an area where my family can just get out and get lost together for a while. What a gift that would be for my family to be in that environment. It’s a completely different vibe from a Disney vacation (which we did last fall and we loved!) but it is exactly the type of experience we so badly need: nature, connection and no distractions.

Win it!:

Right now there’s a great contest going on to encourage you to have an adventure of your own in your local town. Ten winners will score a $50 gift card each and every week from now until April 13th, 2015! You definitely want to take a second to get yourself entered! Nothing to lose and maybe a heck of a lot to gain! Be sure to share the contest with your friends so that they can have a chance to win, too!

My Two Favorite Cuisines Joined Forces and I Am In Panda Express Heaven!!!!

March 26, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

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

As someone who spent 10 years of her life in Memphis, Tennessee, home of the best barbecue on the planet (#sorrynotsorry North Carolina, Texas and Kansas City), I consider myself to be a bit of a barbecue snob. When I find a good barbecue joint, I become very loyal to that location (I have found one and only one barbecue establishment that’s up to snuff here in Chattanooga, so far).

I also am extremely partial to Chinese food. It is my go-to comfort food of choice and my very favorite take out option. I would pick it over pizza any day of the week!

So what do these two things have in common? Panda Express! Everyone’s favorite quick-serve Chinese food restaurant has just launched, for a limited time only, Panda’s Chinese Spare Ribs! undefined

Panda Express may be a restaurant where you can get your food quickly, but that doesn’t mean the ribs were cooked fast. Instead, these Chinese Spare Ribs are slow cooked for 5 hours, which is exactly how you need to do it for ribs, friends. You want that meat to pretty much fall off the bones. So the cooking style sounds right to me, and the marinade sounds out-of-control AWESOME! Sesame oil, mirin, red chili bean past, garlic and red peppers all join forces to make a sweet and spicy sauce that will set those ribs free!

So obviously I am headed to Panda Express ASAP to try these ribs. You probably don’t need an excuse to get yourself to your nearest location, either, but just in case you do, think about which friend of yours has a birthday coming up. This will be the perfect birthday treat! A trip to Panda Express for the Chinese Spare Ribs could also be in order for Father’s Day or upcoming graduations. You can even place your Order Online if you want to be super efficient or pick up an amazing meal to go.

I can’t wait to try out this crazy awesome marriage between my two favorite types of cuisine. I’ll be letting you know exactly what I think. Bring your A game, Panda Express. I’m certainly bringing mine! And also perhaps a bib…

If you want to learn more about Panda Express dishes, visit the Panda Express Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites! And for some yummy DIY ideas, head to the Panda Pinterest page!

On the Loss of a Parent

February 28, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 23 Comments

We have had such a horrible week here at The House of M. My husband’s father, a very special person in our lives, unexpectedly passed away Sunday evening from a ruptured aortic aneurysm that we didn’t know existed. To say we have been devastated feels like an understatement.

When life deals you such a mighty blow, it’s amazing how quickly your entire world gets laser-focused on what matters the most. I have spent a lot of time this past week crying and grieving, a lot of time just being with my family (thank goodness for Skype so I could see their faces and feel that much closer to them). And I’ve also spent a lot of time just holding my babies.

I’m so thankful for this blog and for being my own boss, because I had the luxury and the freedom to step away and take the time I needed. I will continue to take time as I need it over the coming weeks and months, so if a handful of days go by without a post, just know that I’m taking time to be with my family and to celebrate and enjoy life the way my father-in-law taught me to. This guy was truly the life of every party. Always a smile on his face. Always an adventure right around the corner, waiting to be discovered. I’m going to follow his example more closely than ever before and savor the joy that can be found if you just take a second to look for it.

We love you so much, Dad. You are so very, very missed. And we are so grateful for the time and all the fun we had together. We promise to keep your legacy of prioritizing fun with family alive. Cheers to the next adventure!

One Simple Change Made the Difference: How We Potty Trained with Pull-Ups®

February 19, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 8 Comments

After going back and forth with Layah for over a year on a “laid back” potty training approach, I threw my hands in the air and decided to try something new: we just stopped using diapers cold turkey. I made peace with having a bit of a mess to clean up during this transition, and I also purchased some Pull-Ups® Training Pants for night-time, when I know it is harder for toddlers to go accident-free, at least in the beginning of the effort. Pull-Ups® had recently reached out to partner together for a post since they knew we were still in the midst of potty training, and I decided that now was as good a time as any to try a different approach since Layah wasn’t fully committing to being out of diapers. Want to hear about what happened when we simply removed diapers from the equation?

Short Answer: It Worked!

I kept my explanation of the changes we were making easy breezy with my daughter, and I had lots of very cool new things to show her, too. I laid out her super cool character underwear for day time and I also chose the so that she would be drawn to the designs on them, as well. Doc McStuffins and Ariel are some great new characters you’ll find on the designs for the girls, and the boys have Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Lightning McQueen. I explained that we would wear character underwear until we had an accident, and then if we had an accident, we would take a break and switch to underwear that didn’t have a design on it.

The main thing Layah was struggling with up to this point was pooping in the potty. This is a major sticking point for a lot of kids. She would ask for a diaper and we would often cave and give her one because let’s be real: who wants to clean poop out of underwear? It’s not high on my list of things I’m interested in doing.

So this time I explained to her that mommy and daddy and big sister were here to help her all day long and to get her to the potty any time she wanted to try, and that it was totally fine to try and not get the poop out on the first try. We could try again and again, no problem! BUT...if she pooped in her character underwear, unfortunately they would get so dirty that we would have to throw them away. I was VERY careful with my explanation of this because I did not want to make Layah feel any sort of shame. I was simply experimenting with a different consequence, as the previous consequence for pooping in her underwear, which was to help us clean it up, didn’t seem to be having much of an impact. And to be honest, I wasn’t so sure that she would care at all whether or not her character underwear got tossed in the garbage.

But guess what? She NEVER pooped in her pants again. She even took herself to the potty several times that first day until she was successful. And OH MY GOSH did we throw an impromptu party for that kid once she pooped in the potty. You would have thought that we had won the lottery by the level of celebration happening!

To further boost Layah’s confidence once she conquered her big hurdle of pooping in the potty, we made use of Pull-Ups® Training Pants at bedtime. We simply called them night time underwear and showed her that you put them on and take them off the same way. We talked about how it would be fine to take trips to the potty during the night and how she could call for us if she needed help. For the first few nights, we were getting up to do a few potty sessions with her and she did wake up a few times having gone potty in her sleep. But she very quickly started to shift to waking herself up and going potty all by herself.

And now? More nights than not, she makes it through the entire night completely dry, and she is good about taking herself potty first thing in the morning. Our youngest is now potty trained.

photo credit: BLUE SKY2 via photopin (license)

It took forever and a day, but once we changed the tactic around and simply removed the crutch (diapers), the process wrapped up very quickly. If you are just getting started with potty training instead of being in the thick of it, you might want to think about starting with Pull-Ups® full-time while your child adjusts to learning how to start using the potty. Then you can gradually start introducing underwear during the day time until your child is in underwear 100% of the day, and after that, tackling night time potty training will likely not take very long, either. Pull-Ups® are a great addition to the potty training experience because they get kids started right away with training on how to be independent by taking their underwear off and putting it back on (thanks to those nice, stretchy sides) while also offering a level of protection against those accidents that are frequent in the beginning.

Special Coupon Offer

If you are ready to ditch diapers and give this approach to potty training a try, be sure to get the awesome coupon for (size Jumbo or higher) currently being offered. You can take $2 off, which is great, and if you share the coupon via social media, you get an upgrade to a $3 off coupon! .

The Pull-Ups® Big Kid Academy

If you want a customized road map for your potty training journey, be sure to enroll in the Big Kid Academy at . It’s totally free, and totally helpful, as you’ll find activities and advice perfect for wherever you may find yourself on the road to potty training. Parents can find expert advice there, too! And don’t miss out on the Pull Ups® Time to Potty App! Your toddler probably already wants to play with your phone, so you might as well bring in some helpful potty training resources during phone time!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pull-Ups®.

Another Resource

If you are in need of a resource to help you kick potty training into high gear, I have heard RAVE reviews for blogger Becky Mansfield’s ebook, Potty Train in a Weekend. Definitely check that out if you have a feeling that with the right approach, your little one can finish up potty training quickly!

Advanced Prep for Your #BigDay #Tomorrow: Cereal Toppings Make Breakfast Rock!

February 10, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Special thanks to The Motherhood and Kellogg for partnering with me to make today’s post possible. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Even though my children wake up well before the crack of dawn (I’m talking 5:30 AM, people) and we don’t leave for school until 7:50 AM, those 2 1/2 hours still seem to go by in a bit of a frenzied blur.

On the days when we are especially hurried, we love to reach for cereal since it comes together so quickly and when choose your cereal wisely, you can eat something that is chock full of vitamins and minerals to help give you and your little ones the fuel needed to start the day off right.

This week I started trying a new little life hack for our breakfast routine: preparing the night before. Now, you might be thinking, “What could you possibly need to do to prepare for a breakfast of cereal, Tiffany? You just pour it in a bowl and add milk!” And yes, you are right. But one simple little tweak will turn your weekday morning cereal session into something your kids will truly delight in and savor.

Cereal Toppings

My girls’ absolute favorite cereal is Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. Those raisins are their jam! So when I presented them with blueberries, strawberries and bananas to add on top, it was like a culinary Christmas to them. More add-ins?! Heck yes!!!!

What I do the night before is to prepare the toppings by rinsing the amount of fruit I think we will need and chopping the fruit that needs to be cut. I put the chopped fruit in a bit of water with a splash of lemon to keep it nice and fresh. In the morning I just discard the water and place the fruit on the table.

The girls load their bowls with those amazing, beautiful fruits. Tim and I get the leftovers which we usually add to a bowl of Special K (LOVE their protein variety!).

Prepare the Table

Does your table look like this sometimes when you come down for breakfast? Mine does, and it is such a bummer. I have never understood why the night fairies don’t clean up our messes, but they don’t! You guys, I have to tell that taking the time to clean the kitchen if you are able, or at the very least to clean off the table where you eat breakfast the night before makes a HUGE difference. Maybe it doesn’t save you a ton of time, but walking into the room to see it ready for the day ahead of you, and not already behind schedule, just feels like a weight off your shoulders. If you don’t have pets, you could go all out and even put your cereal bowls and spoons out the night before. I have 2 cats and I don’t trust them not to lick all of our stuff. Just keepin’ it real! So that step needs to wait for us, but the fact that the table is ready to go just puts me in a good mood right off the bat!

Other Ways to Kickstart Your #BigDay Tomorrow

I have sporadically used a few other strategies in my home. They all work wonderfully, so the issue is just getting me to turn them into habits! Laying out clothes for the kids, and even for myself, in advance shaves 5-10 minutes off our morning routine. Packing the girls’ lunches the night before is definitely one of the biggest game-changers. If that’s done in advance, the mood throughout the house all morning is noticeably more serene. This is because our girls’ school is VERY strict about what can be sent it, and really in the end I’m very thankful for that. But the fact that NO sugar of any sort unless the item is an actual piece of fruit is allowed makes lunch building a little bit tricky. It’s difficult to do at night or in the morning, but I need to keep in mind just how happy it makes us all when it’s a chore we don’t have to face first thing!

I bet you have some good ideas about things to do the night before to help the mornings be more joyful. I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments! You can also find some more ideas about starting your #BigDay #Tomorrow off right on the Kellogg’s website.

Power Up with a Triple Berry Protein Smoothie (Perfect for Breakfast or Pre-Workout!)

January 17, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

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

Like millions of other people, I have started off 2015 by working on healthier habits. I’m enrolled in a wellness program in my gym to help me develop workout routines and I have access to a nutritionist to help me learn how to make healthy food choices.

As we have reviewed my food log, one of my struggles has been incorporating protein into my breakfast. The old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day exists for a reason. You need to power up before you launch into hours upon hours of not only being awake, but also exerting mental and physical energy. My nutritionist suggested that I look for some good smoothie recipes, and I’ll admit, I didn’t understand what that could possibly have to do with getting some protein in my diet first thing in the morning.

And then I learned about the power of AllWhites Egg Whites. This is a very convenient product, found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It is made of 100% liquid egg whites and can be used in any recipe that calls for eggs. It’s a great product to have on hand if you are like me and working on some health-related goals.

Last week I printed the $0.50 Off AllWhites Egg Whites coupon (which is still available!) and picked up the product. I then headed over to the AllWhites Egg Whites Favorites recipes page for ideas. They have quite a few smoothie recommendations, but I decided to go for this one first.

Making this glass of deliciousness is crazy-easy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/3 cup AllWhites Egg Whites
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
optional: 1/2 cup ice cubes

First, add your grapefruit juice to the blender. Grapefruit is an AMAZING source of great vitamins and minerals. I will tell you that the tasted of the juice is quite tart, though, so if you think that will be a struggle for you, you could opt for a different juice or even go half-and-half with grapefruit juice and another juice.Another option if you don’t mind the extra sugar is to add a tablespoon of honey. Experiment with it and see what works for you!

Time to add your AllWhites Egg Whites. You may be wondering if consuming raw egg whites is safe. I looked this information up my understanding is that if the egg whites are pasteurized, as these are, then the threat of a food born illness will not be present.

Now it’s time to add your berries. My blend had strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. If you want a thicker, colder smoothie, go ahead and add your ice cubes, too. Blend away! Give it a taste and adjust to your liking, if needed (I added more berries to mine after tasting it).

This is a really easy recipe to make because it doesn’t require too many ingredients and it comes together really fast. It’s also quite filling, and it provides some excellent fuel for you as you begin your day. It’s also an ideal food choice before a work out!

If you want more great ideas, be sure to follow AllWhites Egg Whites on Pinterest.

The Hottest Toy for Little Robin Hood or Merida: Air Storm Firetek Bow

December 20, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Walmart for partnering with me for today’s post on hot toys for 2014. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Ok, friends, we are truly in the home stretch of holiday shopping. Just a few days left to polish off your lists (or get started, bless your heart, if you haven’t yet!). Over the past month I’ve been showing you the toys that kids have chosen as their top picks (have you seen the entire Chosen By Kids section at Walmart.com? It’s a must-see!). My girls have been trying out some of the top toys, so if you are looking for some ideas, check out our reviews for the Sew Cool Sewing Machine, Palace Pets Magic Dance Pumpkin, Razor Scooter and the Zoomer’s Interactive Dino.

Today we are headed back outside to pretend we are Robin Hood, or perhaps Merida from Brave. We’ve been playing with the Air Storm Firetek Bow and working on target practice, hand-eye coordination, strength, and of course, our imaginations.

air storm firetek bow 1

This toy is recommended for ages 8 and up, and while I personally think a 6-year-old might enjoy it, I can tell you that it is too much of a challenge for our 5-year-old to master by herself. For now, we’ve been playing with daddy helping with the launching (which has been EXTREMELY fun for Tim). The girls have also enjoyed running all over the yard chasing the arrows.

I think this is a particularly great product for this time of year, when it gets dark SO early where we live (5:30!) because the bow and the arrows actually light up with a fire-glow LED. This makes them extra fun to launch and extra easy to find.

The bow is an interesting design, as you hook the arrows into loops to launch them. I think once you get comfortable with how it works, the design is intended to make launching arrows extra quick.

While the arrows are a soft foam, do be advised that because they can shoot so far (over 125 feet!) they do go fast. We’ve already had one incident of getting smacked in the head with an arrow, and tears were shed, though they subsided after just a few minutes and with no lasting injury.

The Air Storm Firetek Bow comes with 3 arrows and it also comes with the 2 AAA batteries needed. I have such a soft spot for any company that sends the batteries along with the toy. Thank you for saving Christmas for many people! 🙂

Savings Catcher

The Air Storm Firetek Bow is currently on rollback, down to $24.97 from $29.97. The odds are really good that Walmart has the best price on it in town. But here’s how to be 100% sure: download the free Walmart Savings Catcher app, upload your receipt (for this and any Walmart purchase you make) and if a better price is found locally, Walmart will refund the difference to you in the form of an eGift card, simple as that. Sweet, right?

And if you don’t have a smartphone, Walmart does still offer an Ad Match guarantee. So if you see a better price advertised elsewhere on this or any other item Walmart carries, bring the ad into the store and Walmart will honor the better price!

So friends, I’m very curious to hear if any of the Chosen By Kids toys are under your tree this year! Let me know in the comments below.We got a few hot items for Angel Tree this year from the list! 🙂

Baby’s First Christmas: Making Memories with Happy Family

December 11, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Happy Family Products for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hf_logo_hires_300_px

It was just 2 years ago that my baby was really and truly a baby, and celebrating her first Christmas. Look at that little doll!

Oh she was such a bright light that year! All grins and slobber and full of energy! She’s 2 now, and while she is SO different in so many ways to that Christmas 2 years ago, that doesn’t mean that some things haven’t remained the same. For instance, my little girl still LOVES with all her heart to get squeeze pouches and tasty snacks. Happy Family products are a favorite of hers, so here’s a sneak peek at what Santa will be dropping off this year (I’ve got the inside scoop!).

I really love those squeeze pouches, too, because they are just perfect to throw in my purse when we will be out and about, and they are packed with great ingredients that I can feel good about offering to my child. If you haven’t had the chance to try them out yet with your baby or toddler, I want to personally recommend them to you based on our experience with Happy Family products over the years. AND…I bet you would enjoy a $1 off coupon for Happy Family baby food pouches. That’s just a little gift from me to you! 🙂 And if you’d like more information on the great selection of products Happy Family offers, visit the Happy Family website to learn about organic baby and toddler food.

Giveaway!

Who couldn’t use an opportunity to win some great gifts to add under the tree? I know I could! Be sure to Join Happy Family on Facebook and enter to win during December’s #TistheSqueezin giveaways!. They are giving away cool prizes every single day this month. You can’t win if you don’t enter, and if you do enter, you just might win! 🙂