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Stuff Parents Need

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

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My Daughter Has a Pet Red Dragon! (Giveaway!)

March 6, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 124 Comments

Isn’t it funny how children can be scared of the most unlikely things but be fascinated by things you would think to be scary? It makes me chuckle to see my child, who used to be absolutely terrified of butterflies and balloons, cuddling up with a red dragon every night.

Her dragon’s name is Darco, and he has been a character in her bedtime stories now for months. Tim is such a great storyteller, and every single night, her tells Darah a story, at her request, about her adventures with her pretend friend named Moon Girl (Tim tells me he was inspired by some anime flick he watched with a girl in it called Moon Girl). Moon Girl and Darah do all sorts of fun things all over Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain (that’s where the Mole Kings live) and they also travel to other worlds, under the sea, and to the land of the princesses. Moon Girl is able to fly on her own, but since Darah can’t, she has a flying dragon named Darco that she rides on their adventures. Darco is a red dragon, according to Darah. Red is one of her favorite colors, so I’m not surprised to hear it.

Darco has strictly been an imaginary character, until I happened to find a gorgeous stuffed red dragon through Douglas Toys. Darco made his appearance in the flesh on Valentine’s Day morning and has been a constant companion ever since. I wish I had videotaped Darah introducing Darco to Bunny (who is her very most special lovey). As she introduced them to each other she said, “You will be very good friends with each other, because I love you both SO much!”

Darco the red dragon plush from Douglas Toys

And love that dragon, she does. He has held up beautifully over the past few weeks, even with daring deep sea dives, trips into spooky caverns, and even a few quick jaunts into outer space. He’s ready for all the action!

I’m very pleased with the overall look of this red dragon from Douglas. His construction is beautiful, his colors are vibrant, and he is cuddly soft…not an easy feat for a dragon, I have to say! And for the price of $19.99, he is providing Darah with hours and hours of imaginary play. He is most definitely a winner.

Darco the red dragon stuffed animal from Douglas Toys

Does your child have a creative mind and a love of plush toys? Poke around on the Douglas Toys website and see if anything needs to come home with you. Easter is the perfect time for a new friend to be introduced! There’s even an entire category on the website devoted to Spring/Easter plush options. So much cuteness!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a plush of your choice from Douglas Toys (up to $25!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, My Favorite Finds · Tagged: douglas cuddle toys, douglas toys douglas stuffed animals, douglas toys review, giveaway, plush animals, plush dragon, plush toys, review, stuffed animals

Aurora Crinkle Friends Brights Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

July 7, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 112 Comments

When Darah was a baby, she LOVED to hear crinkly sounds (dry leaves being stepped on during a walk, for example). She would pay such close attention with both her eyes and her ears. It was so cute to watch.

Aurora World actually has a line of plush toys that make that same crinkly sound when you touch them. They’ve had a crinkly frog, pig and cow out for some time, but they recently added some really fun and different animals to the mix.

Introducing the Crinkle Friends Brights! They crinkle, but they also squeak and rattle. And boy are they cute!

Take a closer look at our new friend, Hedgehog:

The day Hedgehog arrived, I explained to Darah before I opened the package that it was a new special friend for Layah. When I pulled out the crinkle friend, Darah shrieked with delight, and exclaimed, “Layah will love it!” And then she proceeded to play with the hedgehog for pretty much the rest of the day.

Long story short, Hedgehog sleeps in Darah’s bed now. She will still tell you that it is Layah’s toy, but that Layah is sharing with her. Hopefully in the next few months I’ll be able to get Darah to start sharing back with Layah!

Crinkle Friends are suggested for children ages 6 months and up and are priced at $17. They can be purchase at retail outlets or online at the Aurora shop. They are bright and absolutely delightful to babies. And toddlers, evidently!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the Crinkle Friends Brights of your choice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: aurora babies, aurora flopsies, aurora plush, aurora stuffed animals, aurora toy, aurora world, aurora world plush, crinkle friends brights, crinkle toys, giveaway, plush animals, plush animals for babies, plush toy, review, www.auroragift.com

YooHoo & Friends “Wannabe” Review

April 17, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 70 Comments

On Easter morning, Darah found something very interesting from YooHoo & Friends waiting for her in her basket.

It was a stuffed lemur.

And it was dressed up in a horse costume!

This unique stuffed animal comes from YooHoo & Friends. YooHoo & Friends originally hit the scene in 206, and since that time, approximately 13,000 have been purchased EVERY SINGLE DAY, for a total of over 14 million! They are quite popular!  YooHoo & Friends wannabe collection

These new characters, the “WannaBes” are so much fun. They are the Yoohoo & Friends creatures that are also so loved by many, dressed up as other animals (for example, a giraffe, elephant, lion, tiger, horse, cow, cat and dog). When you squeeze your wannabe, they make the sound of the animal that they are dressed up like! Their hoodies are removable so that your child can play with their friend in costume or not in costume.

Now, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too sure if Darah would like this new toy, or if she would just find it to be a strange “sort of horse/sort of lemur” combo. In fact, she fell instantly in love with it. After we explained what it was, she started giving it kisses and telling it that it was so soft and sweet. And she LOVES the horse sounds that it makes when you squeeze it! She has been toting her lemur with her everywhere since she got it, and she also likes to brush its hair and practice putting it to bed (by reading it a story, taking it to the potty, putting it in her bed, putting covers on it, and singing to it. CUTEST. THING. EVER.). child with YooHoo & Friends wannabe horse

(Sorry for the poor lighting in the picture. My child wakes up before the sun…)

If your child is just a little big older than Darah, they might also enjoy the interactive website which compliments the line has is based on animals all around the world. Definitely check it out when you have a minute!

Buy it!: YooHoo & Friends are sold nationwide (find your nearest retailer here). Because they tend to sell out fast, the website recommends that you call before heading out to the store to make sure they have some in stock! They are also currently sold on Amazon.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a WannaBe animal from YooHoo & Friends!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: giveaway, plush animals, review, wannabe, wannabes, yoohoo & friends

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Welcome!


Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]

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