Walmart - Stuff Parents Need

The Softest Disposable Diapers: Now in Larger Sizes

November 12, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Walmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

My two girls were born almost 3 years apart, and at hospitals on the opposite ends of the state of Tennessee. My pregnancies were different. My births were different. My worries were most definitely different (I had approximately 10% of the worries I had with my second thta I did with my first, simply because it wasn't my first rodeo!). But one thing about my daughters' first few days was exactly the same: they both wore Pampers® Swaddlers at the very beginning.

Perhaps your babies started out in the same diapers. It is entirely possible, given that they are the #1 recommended diaper by hospitals. They are super soft (the softest disposable diaper I have ever encountered, by leaps and bounds). Pampers Swaddlers are also distinct for their wetness indicators. With our first baby, we were so grateful for that color changing line that would let us know when the baby needed a change.

While we were more experienced with baby #2, I can tell you that I sure do wish her diapers had wetness indicators right now, as we are in the midst of potty training. Layah has made great strides in the last week about telling us when she needs to go potty, but there have been times when I have thought she had on a clean diaper, and only realized after an attempted potty session that she had already gone in her diaper. But I have always thought of Swaddlers as those awesome diapers for newborns and younger infant.

Exciting news, friends! Pampers® Swaddlers are now available in larger sizes (4 and 5). Layah is in a size 4 diaper, and I'd love to pick up a package of these as part of our potty training process. In addition to having a diaper that can help us know when Layah has had an accident, we can also take advantage of the Pampers Rewards Program. This is a free program that rewards you for spending your hard earned dollars on Pampers® products. It is so nice to get a little something back from a program like this, I have to say!

Give your baby the #1 choice of hospitals (based on sales data), whether you have a newborn or a toddler working on potty training! If you haven't yet tried Pampers® Swaddlers or if you thought your child was too big for them, let me encourage you to pick up a package on your next shopping trip. The softness is unmatched in the disposable market, and the wetness indicator takes away all the guess work!

Nice Prizes for “Nice Guys” (And Gals, Too!): $25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway!

November 12, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 78 Comments

Thanks to Global Influence and Walmart for partnering with me on today’s post. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Can you remember the first impression you had of your significant other? Was it spot-on, or way off? I remember the very first words I ever heard Tim speak. We were at college orientation for the community-service based scholarship program we were both part of, and we were going around the room stating our name, where we were from and one thing about ourselves. He was wearing a red shirt. And I’ll tell you honestly that I wasn’t dazzled by him. But that’s because I hadn’t planned on going to college to get my Mrs. So I wasn’t exactly in “man hunt” mode that day!

What He Didn’t Say

He gave his name and where he was from. He said he was from Fayetteville, Arkansas, which was where his family was currently residing, but he had actually only lived there for 6 months. He was FROM Washington state, which would have totally gotten my attention if he had said it, as we all know the ’90s were all about grunge, and for those of us not from the Pacific Northwest, that part of the country was so freakin’ cool.

What He Said That Mattered Most

And then he said one thing about himself. He said, “People tell me that I’m a ‘nice guy.'” Now, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about that statement, except for in hindsight. Tim really is a very nice guy. In fact, he’s so much more than nice. He actually did himself a disservice by using such a vague phrase to describe himself. But he’s also humble and not one to brag about himself. He’s a rare gem; one of the good ones. And I pray that our girls find partners as nice as their father. Because in the end, the kindness that Tim possesses is one of his greatest attributes. And it is one of the very first things I learned about him. I can’t help but think that my subconscious hooked onto what he said and put it in my mind to want to get to know him better.

The Internship

Speaking of nice guys, they deserve to get to have a fun little break every now and again, and I know my guy LOVES to get to watch movies. The Internship is coming out on DVD, and it showcases just how critical first impressions can be!

In celebration of the DVD release of what I would personally categorize as a “dude flick”, you’ve got the chance to win big! Check out the Walmart AXE Hair The Greatest Place to Work Sweepstakes. Now through November 23rd, all you have to do is head to your local Walmart and visit bit.ly/axesweeps via your mobile phone and answer a few easy and fun questions and you can win ALL the prizes listed below (for real!):

An IT upgrade:

– Touch Screen Notebook- Mini Tablet- HDTV

Gym Benefits:

– Home gym- AXE® Styling Products

A sweet cafeteria situation:

– Mini-fridge- Coffemaker- Blender- Snack Supply

A smooth commute:

– Electric Bike

A better break room:

– Gaming console + 5 Games- Recliner- Massage Table- Putting Green- Media Streaming Device

Additionally, 3 finalists each week are going to score the following:

$250 Walmart gift card
The Internship DVD
AXE® Styling Products

And after you enter to win all these amazing prizes, come back over here and enter to win a $25 Walmart gift card, just for my readers! Woo hoo!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Saturday Shopping: Two Not-to-Miss Sales Today

August 3, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Good morning, friends! I’m up early this morning getting everything ready for Darah’s superhero birthday party! But before I don my cape and mask and fly away, I thought I’d share with you two special sales happening today that are worth noting!

First, Kiwi Crate, which is my all-time favorite craft subscription box, is offering a special discount. You can get their summer discovery series for $10 off!

Kiwi Crate’s summer themes explore nature, water and flight with fun, educational science and art activities.
Get outdoors for a nature scavenger hunt, float and steer your own sailboat, launch a rubber band rocket, and much more!
3 months of summer fun now discounted to $50 (and free shipping!). Perfect for kids ages 3-7.

Second, Zulily is currently offering up a premium stroller at 40% off!!!

The phil&teds Promenade is both stylish and smart with sleek aluminum framing and an intelligent, multi-function seat. It’s ideal for one child, twins or children of different ages. The retail price of the stroller is $850, but Zulily has it available for $499. The second seat for the stroller retails for $160, and Zulily has it for $99.99! This is a top-of-the-line stroller at a middle-of-the-pack price! 🙂

Edit: After I hit “publish” I found out about a third great deal! Walmart is currently offering FREE shipping on all their uniforms (starting at $4.50), school supplies, and backpacks! Check it out!

Anything you are currently on the hunt for? I love shopping online, and I’d love to help you find it! Just let me know!

Affiliate links included. Thank you for helping us support a child through Compassion with your purchase!

Starbucks #DeliciousPairings Make Saying Thank You Easy and Fun

April 27, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

Is there someone in your life who makes things just a little bit easier for you in some way? It may be a parent, a neighbor, a co-worker or a good friend. Do you ever take the time to give them a token of your thanks, especially when it might not be expected (so, outside of a birthday or big holiday)? I try to do special things like that from time to time, though I could certainly improve. I know I have taken people for granted in my life who deserve my heartfelt thanks.

Some of those people I don’t even have a direct connection to, but they still impact my life in a very positive way. In my case, my husband’s co-workers are absolutely wonderful people who are flexible and understanding of the fact that Tim has 2 little girls at home and a wife with a rather unusual job. They have supported me by voting for me in contests, giving Tim days or half days away from the office when I need to head out of town, or working with him so that he can come in late or even come in early at times. These people, even though I rarely directly interact with them, have a profound impact on my overall quality of life.

In celebration of Starbucks’ month of service (April), when all Starbucks partners are encouraged to volunteer, I decided to take the opportunity to give back to the people that support us every day. This past week was also Administrative Assistants’ Week, so the timing was absolutely perfect to bring some special goodies to Tim’s co-workers. Giving back doesn’t have to mean that you spend all of your time or all of your paycheck, either. Small gestures, made with love, are some of the best.

I headed over to my local Walmart to snag some Starbucks coffee and to get some baked goodies for the office. In the bakery section I found this signage:

It was really cool to see different roasts on display with basic descriptions of the type of flavor you would get. I will say that I wish the signage offered specific pairings suggestions, as Starbucks coffee really is sophisticated in its flavor profile. There are certain notes in each blend of coffee, and those notes pair particularly well with certain foods. I would have liked to have seen more signage explaining those pairings.

For example, I happen know that the Starbucks Veranda Blonde Roast pairs exceptionally well with milk chocolate, as well as with nuts. This is why I chose to pick up the banana nut muffins and some chocolate donuts, all made from scratch at the Walmart bakery. I braved this outing with little Layah in tow, and it was going absolutely wonderful until I realized that she had removed one of her shoes and dropped it on the floor. After an intense 30 minute search, I finally ran into an associate who had it at her register. Whew!

After that wild adventure, I was definitely ready for a little pick me up back at the house. And since I didn’t want to hand over these muffins and this coffee without making absolutely sure they tasted fantastic, I did a little taste test myself. Quality control, if you will.

First I tried some coffee. You will notice that I drink it iced. It tasted very light and yummy. I actually think the Blonde roasts are PERFECT for early afternoon coffee breaks, which is what I was having here.

Then I tasted the muffin. Since I’m “mostly” eating Paleo these days, bread and sugar are rare in my diet. So when I do have them, I REALLY enjoy them and savor them. This muffin was totally worth it, my friends. Moist, delicious, fresh. Well done, Walmart!

Then I took another sip of my coffee. And boom! Those complimentary flavor profiles came right out, making my coffee go from yummy to super duper yummy. What a treat it was to have both of these together. I highly recommend the pairing!

For those of you who haven’t purchased a bag of Starbucks coffee in a while, I wanted to make sure you that see this awesome offer on the side of the bag. When you’ve used up all your grounds for brewing at home, take that bag to your nearest Starbuks and get a free coffee! Woo hoo! That’s what I call taking good care of your customers! And while I brew my own coffee about 90% of the time, sometimes just having that Starbucks cup in your hand feels really special. And this way, it is free! 🙂 Starbucks is one of my very favorite brands to purchase for home brewing. The price is higher than store brands, but the taste, in my opinion, is worth the price difference. Plus, I find that the bags go on sale fairly regularly. That’s when I stock up!

Tim took the goodies I got at Walmart to work with him and let it be part of the big Administrative Assistant’s Day spread. He reported back to me that the 2 packages of muffins and two packages of donuts I picked up were gone in a flash. He also said that one of his colleagues made a point of telling him how absolutely THRILLED she was to see Starbucks coffee being offered. Evidently the office normally buys…let’s just say NOT Starbucks. Something much more economical. And even though this person LOVES LOVES LOVES coffee, she dislikes what the office has on hand so much that she never drinks it. So this was the pretty much the best day ever for her at the office. The entire bag of coffee was used up by day 2 in the office. I’m SO glad that everyone in the office loved the treats, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to express my gratitude for all the ways they help our family. It was nothing extravagant, but even so, it was still very special.

What about you? Are you a Starucks fan? Do you hit the coffee shops or brew at home? What is your favorite drink from the company? Ever tried the Blonde Roast line? And have you ever done a special coffee and bakery gift for someone as a thank you? Coffee is something I love to talk about, so please share!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #cbias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Replacing an Air Filter: How To and My Replacement Choice

April 10, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

So this week I decided to get educated about a car maintenance issue and work on replacing an air filter in my car. It was the PERFECT way to dip my toes into auto matinenance because it was ridiculously easy. No, seriously. It was!

What prompted me to do this? My allergies. I live in one of the top 12 WORST cities in the nation for allergies, and I am definitely feeling that right about now. The inside of my house is not too bad thanks to the air purifiers we have, but I also spend a fair chunk of my day in my car. The air in my car is just as pollen-filled as the outside air. But FRAM, a company that makes air filters, has just released the FRAM Fresh Breeze cabin air filters, made with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda that are specifically designed to help keep pollen particles, as well as road dust, out of the air you are breathing while inside the vehicle. And all this for right around $17. Heck yes!!!!

But I had a second motivation for replacing an air filter, as well. As a mother to two girls, I think I am especially sensitive to instances where I see stereotypical gender roles being enforced or played out. After having a great conversation with my daughter about what boys can’t do (grow babies in their bodies) and what girls can’t do (NOTHING!), I was feeling pretty darn smug. My daughters are going to be SO independent!!!

And then I realized something: while I’m being a good role model to them in theory, I am making some BIG mistakes in practice. There are certain chores or problems that I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS leave for Tim to fix. Now, I’m mature enough in my views of how to run a household that I know a division of labor is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it is just more efficient to know that you are in charge of x and someone else is in charge of y. But some of these tasks that I never do aren’t because I’m just trying to be efficient. It is because I don’t know how to do them, and I assume that Tim, as a guy, does. Car maintenance is one of those chores.

SO LAME OF ME!!!!

I recently spent some time hanging out in an aisle I don’t think I’ve ever visited before in Walmart, and I found the exact air filter I needed to help me breathe a little easier. If you’d like to see my full shopping experience, check out my Google + album.

Once we got it home, Tim and I installed the air filter together. And now I’m going to show you how we did it! Please keep in mind that every car is somewhat different. We have a Toyota Corolla, and here’s how it works on our car:

1. Remove the glove compartment. I didn’t even know this could be done! But all it takes is unscrewing a few screws. So simple.

2. Remove the old air filter. All you have to do is pull it out. You will see it just sitting there. Think of removing it as similar to taking food out of the oven. Just slide it out!

3. Get grossed out by how nasty your old air filter looks.

4. Get even more grossed out when you take a closer look.

5. Insert your new FRAM Fresh Breeze air filter. Again, it is just like putting a pizza in an oven. Super simple.

6. Put the glove compartment back in. All done!

Taking just a few minutes to change out our air filter is already making a difference. Everyone in my family seems to have allergy problems (even poor little Layah!) so I’m relieved to have fresher air in the car while we travel in it.

My plan is to replace it once a year. It should be replaced every 15,000 miles, and that isn’t quite how many miles we usually put on the car in a year (we live close to where we work and go to school!). But I’ll just go ahead and replace the air filter every spring now, as soon as I start to feel the effects of all that pollen in the air. That will be all the reminder I’ll need to take action! And hopefully the air filter won’t look as nasty as the one I just replaced. We’ve had our current car for almost 3 years now, and we’ve never replaced the filter. And who knows how long ago the previous owners replaced it, if ever! GROSS!!!

Right now FRAM is offering a $3 mail-in rebate off the purchase of a Fresh Breeze air filter! I’ll certainly be filling it out! Don’t forget to print your form, too. And be sure to follow FRAM on Facebook to keep up with other great offers they have to help keep your car in great shape.

Confession time: Do you know how to change your air filter? Did you even know you had an air filter? How long has it been since yours was changed???

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and FRAM #cbias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

White Cloud Introduces the GreenEarth Line (Sweepstakes Announcement!)

April 7, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by White Cloud. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm a big fan of going green, especially when making the switch to something more eco-friendly doesn't present a hardship to my budget.

That's why I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that White Cloud, a paper products company sold exclusively at Walmart, has just launched the GreenEarth line. All the GreenEarth products are made with 100% recycled fibers and have been ceritified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Be sure to check out the White Cloud GreenEarth products page for all the details on this new line.

I'll be headed to Walmart tomorrow, actually, and I have these products at the top of my list (I need to buy new toilet paper since 2 weeks ago I accidentally purchased single ply stuff…it has been NO fun trying to use that stuff up!). White Cloud is a brand I already know to be affordable and to also be quality, and now they can add eco-friendly to the mix. That's the perfect trifecta for me! Click here to Find a Store Near You!

Since April is the perfect time of year to think about how your family can go green, I thought I'd share with you a few ways we reduce, reuse and recyle around here, all without overly burdening ourselves or our pocketbooks.

1. Switch to recycled and recyclable disposable products. We use mostly cloth diapers, but I'm not interested in giving up my toilet paper, personally. But I can make the switch over to more environmentally responsible choices with ease thanks to White Cloud's GreenEarth line.

2. Recycle your food containers. We go through a LOT of cardboard boxes, aluminum cans and plastic containers, all of which held food we purchased. Almost all of them are recyclable. Get a large plastic tub to hold your recyclables while you wait for the next curbside pickup or while you wait until you next head over to the recycling center. Committing to doing this only takes a few extra minutes every few days. We've been doing this in earnest for the last 6 years, and while it requires dedicating some additional space in your home or in your garage to garbage collection, it has substantially reduced the amount of trash we are putting in landfills.

3. Talk about the changes you are making with your kids. You are already setting a great example by your actions, but make sure your kids really understand the impact of your decisions by explaining it to them. This will also help them get more excited about what you are committing to as a family. Our oldest goes out with dad to transfer our recylables to our larger bin outside, and she LOVES to watch the recycling truck pick up our items every other week. It is so important for the next generation to have environmental stewardship engrained in them at a young age, as that increases the likelihood that they will continue (and hopefully improve upon) the practices as an adult.

In addition to sharing about the ways my family is going green, I also wanted to share something I know you love: a great sweepstakes! Check out the White Cloud “Living the Green” Pinterest board and then follow the White Cloud Pinterest page. Then you just need to create yhour own "Living the Green" Pinterest board and repin at least one pin from the White Cloud "Living the Green" board back onto your board. Be sure to use the hashtag #Livingthegreen in your pin's caption so that White Cloud can find you! Finally, you'll visit mywhitecloud.com/promotions and complte the sweepstakes entry form. Click here for Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 4/30/13. Click here for Official Rules.

There are a lot of fantastic prizes up for grabs, and I want Stuff Parents Need readers to win them! Good luck, everyone!

Scrumptious Salads Just Got Much Easier to Make: Lean Cuisine Salad Additions

December 30, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Last week my family and I took a trip to Walmart to get a nice meal that was really easy to prepare and would give us lots of fuel for our packing and wrapping left to do before Christmas. We spent $12.22 plus tax for a 16″ cheese pizza (Walmart has the best deals on cook and serve pizzas!) and a beautiful, healthy, scrumptious salad that looked like this:

I didn’t use any coupons to put this together, and the only thing I had on hand was the romaine lettuce. I combined that with spinach, which is part of what my $12.22 went toward.

So how did I build a salad with grilled chicken, broccoli, red onions, yellow carrots, whole grains, sesame sticks, dried cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette for such a low price? Would you believe that I put this all together with something found in the frozen food aisle?

Lean Cuisine has recently launched a FANTASTIC new product called Lean Cuisine Salad Additions. Basically it helps you build a super yummy AND super healthy salad for a VERY reasonable price. This kit I bought to create a cranberry & chicken salad was only $2.50! All you have to add is the green base of your choice. It’s SO SO SO easy!

It is designed to feed one person a very filling and satisfying salad. But we turned it into a side dish for our family’s meal and got 3 adult size servings out of it!

Using the Lean Cuisine Salad Additions is very easy. All the components come together in their own packets and with clear instructions. I was surprised that I needed to heat up some of the food rather than just let it thaw, as I usually eat my veggies raw on my salad. But I followed the instructions and thought the final product tasted just wonderful.

There are two main things I really appreciate about Lean Cuisine Salad Additions. First, it saves you a lot of calories. I absolutely love eating salads IF they have a lot of yummy goodies in them. But that’s exactly what makes salads a potential landmine. If you aren’t careful with your choices, you can end up with a salad that has as many calories as a deluxe cheeseburger from a fast food joint! Lean Cuisine has carefully selected ingredients for you so that your portion is correct and your calories are in check, all without sacrificing flavor.

The other thing I love about this product is that it saves you time and money! While I was at Walmart I did some comparison shopping and found the ingredients I would need to buy if I wanted to recreate this salad on my own. If you’d like to see what I found in more detail, check out my shopping trip. Here is the cost breakdown:

grilled chicken: $2.50
salad dressing: $1.66
dried cranberries: $2.98
sesame sticks: $2.98
carrots: $1.18
broccoli: $2.28
red onion: $.98

total: $14.56

Now, obviously if you buy all of these ingredients you will have more food on hand, but much of it will need to be used up quickly. So if you don’t want to have this salad every day for the next week, you have to come up with some other ideas for how to use up the products. Additionally, you have to be responsible for putting all the elements together and getting your portions right, which is very tricky.

So in my humble opinion, spending $2.50 to get exactly what I need is SO much better than running all over the store and spending significantly more money just so that I still have to go home and prepare all the individual elements and make sure I don’t over-indulge. I’ll take a pass on that and opt to pick up the Lean Cuisine Salad Additions, thank you very much. It leaves me much more time to hang out with my family and watch a fun movie together rather than being stuck in the kitchen cleaning up!

There is no doubt in my mind that I will be purchasing this product again. It is the perfect option to have on hand for those days when you feel like eating a really good salad (and I DO get those cravings from time to time, as does my husband). It also makes a healthy side dish option for my entire family for those days when I know we need some fresh veggies, but I’m short on ideas for what to do. I was very impressed with the flavor of the salad and the ingredients. To be honest, I would never have guessed that it was Lean Cuisine just because I think it tastes too yummy to be light on calories!

If you think you’d like to try Lean Cuisine Salad Additions, be on the lookout for a nationwide magazine ad with a coupon going out on 01/06 (so check your favorite mags next month!) and there will be in-store demos at select stores on 01/03, and coupons will be handed out along with samples! I’d also suggest following Lean Cuisine on Facebook. I really enjoy following them, myself, and from time to time, they reward their fans with special treats like coupons!

So what do you think about this new product? Have you ever tried to make a salad with lots of great ingredients and been horrified by the cost? Or by the calories?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and NESTLE #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.