Tiffany Merritt - Stuff Parents Need

Starbucks Giveaway: That’s the Way to Start the Day! :-)

July 18, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 147 Comments

Thanks to Starbucks for sending goodies along for review and for sponsoring a sweet Starbucks giveaway! All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

In the recent podcast I took part in with Sarah, (go check it out! It’s a fun one!), one of the things we touched on was finding time in the day, every day, to do at least one thing for yourself. Parents tend to put themselves last because, understandably, our needs seem less urgent, and we have enough discipline and maturity to wait a bit longer than our kids do. But friends, the danger in this logic is that we always put our needs and wants in the spot on the to-do list that never gets crossed off. And if we don’t give ourselves a little bit of TLC, we will start to wither, and we’ll eventually break. For me that looks like a crying meltdown in front of my husband followed by two hours locked in my room by myself with the entire carton of ice cream and whatever I can find on Netflix to help me totally zone out.

Been there? Or some version of there? Yeah…we all have.

I think having a good cry every so often is totally healthy, but what’s even healthier is keeping yourself from getting to that breaking point in the first place. And I think what it means to do that will look different for everyone. For me, it means finding realistic ways to treat myself. I’m not going to be able to afford a weekly pedicure (both in terms of costs and in terms of time), but I can afford to treat myself to premium coffee.

starbucks giveaway 2

And I’m not talking about heading out to Starbucks every day, either (once again, my wallet and my schedule are both not able to accommodate that!). Instead, Starbucks is right at home with me. Iced coffees are one of my favorite things EVER, and that means that I need to do them right and make them with truly delicious coffee. It doesn’t really get much better than Starbucks, and I can brew it at home and keep my costs reasonable. If you LOVE coffee like I do, treat yourself to a really beautiful tumbler and to quality coffee, like Starbucks, that you can brew from home. Your taste buds will be so grateful, and if you are anything like me, everyone in the house wins when mama gets her good coffee. 🙂

Lately I’ve been enjoying Pike Place Roast from Starbucks. It’s a medium roast and it has some subtle flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts. Basically, it’s terrific! I need a dark roast to get me going in the morning, but Pike Place is my second cup of coffee choice (which happens around 10am). I will brew it in the tumbler immediately after making my first cup, and that gives it time to cool down a bit before I’m ready to pour ice over it.

starbucks giveaway

So whether you prefer your coffee hot or iced, I bet you super duper love it when it’s free! Want to win some? Let’s do this!!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a lovely To-Go Tumbler just like the one pictured above, as well ask a K-Cup Pike Place pack. YUM!!!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Banana Pudding with TruMoo

July 17, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 126 Comments

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

Yesterday I made a special treat for you all! I decided to make a banana pudding, but I wanted to make it even better than a traditional banana pudding.

I know what you are thinking: “Banana pudding does not need any improvements, Tiffany!” I hear you. Banana pudding is totally amazing. But CHOCOLATE Banana pudding is even more amazing, promise. I made mine with TruMoo Chocolate Milk. Have you seen it in stores? I’m a big fan, especially since it’s got no artificial growth hormones. Check out TruMoo for more information

And even though it doesn’t look super duper chocolately in its finished form, the color has been diluted with whipped topping and condensed milk. But there’s also chocolate pudding made with TruMoo chocolate milk, which basically makes it double chocolate pudding. So I’m thinking right about now you’d like to learn the recipe, yes? Ok, let’s do it!

Ingredients

for chocolate pudding

1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups TruMoo chocolate milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Other Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package of vanilla wafers, crushed
4 medium bananas, sliced to desired thinness

To make the chocolate pudding:

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add TruMoo Chocolate milk, roughly 1/2 cup at a time and stir until well combined after each addition.

Once all the milk is added, bring to a gentle boil (still over medium heat).

Let the mixture boil gently while constantly stirring for about 2 minutes. Then add the butter and vanilla and remove from the heat. Allow to cool down to room temperature (this will take 20 minutes or so, and goes faster if you give it a stir every few minutes).

Next add the condensed milk to the chocolate pudding mixture. Stir it well until it is throughly combined.

Now it’s time to fold in the whipped topping!

The finished mixture should look something like this:

The next part of the recipe was totally my favorite because it involves getting out your aggression. Poor vanilla wafers never saw it coming. Crush as many as you think reasonable at a time, but I can tell you that putting the entire bag of wafers in a quart bag at one time is over shooting. Just trust me on that one ;-).

I guess I should explain why the wafers are crushed instead of getting artfully arranged. Well, for starters, I don’t “artfully arrange” anything well as you’ll see in a second when you see the final product. But more importantly, I honestly think banana pudding is better this way because the crumbly goodness of the wafers is much more evenly distributed. Try it and let me know if you agree!

Ok, so back to the recipe. It’s time to get your layer on! Start with a layer of crushed wafers, followed by a layer of bananas.

Now add a layer of that awesome pudding you just made! I got a total of 4 layers of wafers/bananas and 3 layers of pudding. This isn’t an exact science, so it’s ok if yours doesn’t turn out like mine. And most likely, yours will definitely turn out prettier than mine! Layers are just not my thing, y’all.

So while it isn’t the most beautiful pudding in the world, it can hold its own in the taste department, and I think a lot of that has to do with the inclusion of TruMoo Chocolate Milk! I hope you will give the recipe a try; my crew has been thoroughly enjoying it as a special treat after dinner (and yeah, after lunch, too. Can you blame us?!).

Want more ideas for how to use TruMoo to make super yummy recipes like this one? Check out TruMoo on Facebook and join the community there to get more ideas, and to even hear about great promotions.

A Simple Hack for Your Keys (and $60 in Free Nail Polish, Too!)

July 16, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Affiliate links included. I use and love Julep polishes, and only promote what I love!

How much time do you spend fiddling around with your keys each time you leave your house and come back in? It used to be quite a bit of time for me, until I started doing this:

All you need to do is put a swipe of your favorite nail polish (my favorite polishes are from Julep), preferably a fun, bright color, and give it time to dry before using it. The polish will stay on quite a while (and you can just paint over it when it starts to chip…I had purple polish on this key a while ago until I switched to this pretty minty shade). And the best part is, I know which key to grab instantly. It saves me anywhere from 10-20 seconds, multiple times a day. That adds up fast, friends! So reclaim those lost seconds by painting your most frequently used keys right now.

$60 Welcome Box from Julep FREE for New Mavens!

And if you are lacking in fun polish colors, today is your lucky day! New Maven subscribers can get the new 4-piece Summer nights welcome box with these beautiful 3 colors, as well as a bonus beauty gift (the beauty gift item will be a surprise, as stock varies). It is yours FOR FREE when you sign up to be a maven.

The Julep Maven subscription box is the perfect way to treat yourself to new nail color and beauty products each month. Just a few of the perks you get as a Maven subscriber include:

A fully customizable box of limited-run nail colors and beauty innovations delivered to your door each month
$40+ of full-size products in every box for just $19.99 per month when you choose the multi-month payment option (or $24.99 if you chose the monthly payment option)
Free shipping and 20% off on julep.com every day

The Summer Nights Welcome Box is here for a limited time and is a great value! Don’t forget to use the code SIZZLE to get your own Summer Nights Welcome Box for FREE – you just pay $2.99 for shipping. And don’t miss the sale they are having right now, too (up to 75% off!).

On Not Using Your Degree, Not Doing It All, and Not Feeling Guilty About It (Podcast!)

July 16, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Friends,

I had such a fun conversation with Sarah Bagley of SarahRosemary.com. I was a guest this week on her podcast and we talked about all sorts of fun things we AREN’T doing these days, and how motherhood has shifted our courses a bit (I’m sure many of you can relate to that!).

I’d be so thrilled if you hopped over to her blog and listened to the podcast (it’s the perfect thing to listen to while folding laundry or working on dinner!).

Let me know what you think about the stuff we covered, or even better, let Sarah know by leaving her a comment!

Honest Company Diapers Bundle Review: An Honest Assessment

July 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Referral links included. I only promote what I use and love!

Throughout 2014, we have used the Honest Company Diapers & Wipes Bundle on a few different times for various reasons. While we primarily cloth diaper, we had occasions where we were headed out of town (and we choose not to cloth diaper on the road) and we also just had occasions where life was hectic, and taking that extra bit of laundry off our plates provided some much-needed relief.

What You Get in an Honest Company Diapers & Wipes Bundle

You will receive 6 packages of diapers, with the number of diapers per pack depending on your size:

newborn: 40 (240 diaper total)
size 1: 44 (264 diapers total)
size 2: 40 (240 diapers total)
size 3: 34 (204 diapers total)
size 4: 29 (174 diapers total)
size 5: 25 (150 diapers total)
size 6: 22 (132 diapers total)

Additionally, you receive 4 packages of Honest Company wipes, with 72 wipes per package. Since you are a bundle subscriber, you also get to add up to 3 Honest company items to your order at a 25% discount. I highly recommend taking advantage of this feature as part of your bundle, as it is a particularly nice way to get some of their less expensive items that you might not want to include in your essentials bundle for an even better price.

Pro Tip: Training Pants Available!

One thing I didn’t realize when I first started using the subscription service is that you can actually get training pants as part of your bundle. You can get anywhere from 1-6 packages, depending on your needs. I absolutely LOVE that feature! Perhaps you are working on potty training during the day but haven’t tackled it at night and need maybe 2 packages for night time for the month. No problem!

So…How Much?

A month’s supply of diapers (and/or training pants) and wipes is going to set you back $79.95. But you know as well as I do that using disposable diapers is an expensive endeavor, so the price tag shouldn’t be too shocking. Here are other key things to keep in mind about what you are getting with that hard-earned money:

1. You are getting eco-friendly products made with sustainable materials and no chlorine processing.

2. They are also free of harsh additives, latex, and questionable chemicals, making them a safer option for your baby.

3. The month’s supply of diapers is shipped straight to your door, eliminating those late night emergency drugstore runs. Shipping is free, too!

4. The prints. Oh my word, y’all. The prints!!!!! There are no disposable diapers on the market that can even come remotely close to being as cute as the prints offered by Honest Company. And several of their designs switch out seasonally, so there’s always something new and fun to try! If you want cute disposable diapers, this is the way to go. And yes, there are prints for boys, too!

5. These diapers work. We have used them during the day as well as at night and have NEVER had a leak or a blow out. Now that’s saying something!

So I will say this: if you want the least expensive diapers you can possibly get, these will not be your best bet. Couponing and watching for sales will net you cheaper diapers. But if you have concerns about the chemicals found in most of those products, or if you are concerned about the environmental impact, but you need an alternative to cloth diapering for whatever variety of reasons, then you should very carefully consider subscribing for an Honest Company Diapers & Wipes bundle. I think you’ll be very pleased with your hassle-free, totally awesome and adorable diaper experience.

New to The Honest Company? Start Here!

The Honest Company offers some great freebies to folks who are thinking of joining, including free diapers, so definitely check out my post on Honest Company free samples. After that, you’ll want to see my running list of Honest Company product reviews so that you can learn which products to buy and which ones to pass on, as well as how to bundle them for maximum savings.

Upcoming Birthday Parties? Hideaway Pets Are a Great (and Affordable) Gift Idea!

July 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to HideAway Pets for sending Big Doggy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I don’t know about you, but birthday party high season for us seems to be the summer and early fall. Every member of our immediate family has a birthday between the beginning of May and the end of August. So basically the “Happy Birthday!” banner just hangs in the living room for 4 months . Good thing it’s cute! I also make frequent use of a good birthday supplies site online. In order for everyone to feel truly special on their day, I try to tailor some of the party supplies we have on hand to their specific interests.

If you’ve got birthday parties on your calendar over the next few months, I’ve got a fun gift idea for any child who loves stuffed animals. Check out HideAway Pets. They remind me just a bit of Popples from back in the day in that they can curl up and hide away when not in use, turning themselves into a pillow.

Each animal is 15″, which makes them large enough to really love on, but not so big that they become a nuisance. Layah received the Siberian Husky pup from the lot and she is quite attached to him. She calls him, “Big Doggy” (creative naming abilities are a work in progress over here…the most precious loveys in the house are named bunny and doggy. Sigh…).

We are HUGE stuffed animal fans at my house, so HideAway Pets are just perfect for my kids. And at $19.99, I think they make a fun gift idea for any child who likes stuffed animals. Since they curl up so easily, they are great for travel because you have a stuffed pal and pillow all in one. Love it when a product multi-tasks!

You can learn more about HideAway Pets and hear about promotions and giveaways by following the company on Facebook and Twitter! You can also find these lovable pets to purchase at Walmart, Target, KMart, and Toys R Us. Which one do you think your kids would like the best?

Drink Bottled Water? Get Your Rewards On!

July 11, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

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

So bottled water hasn’t been a thing that my family has purchased much in the past. We used to live in Memphis, home of some of the best drinking water in the entire United States (y’all, it was GLORIOUS!).

But Darah is about to start kindergarten, which means that I need to pack her lunch every day. I thought that perhaps throwing some bottled water into the mix might be a fun thing for her. But honestly, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the price tag.

Joke’s on me, friends. I seriously had no idea that bottled water could be so afforadable. And I made the choice to go with Nestle Pure Life® for one very important reason. I noticed this:

When I got my waters back home I hopped on the computer to check out The Nestlé® Pure Life® Drink Better. Live Better.™ rewards program. Basically, it takes just a handful of seconds to get registered and to start earning points. I earned 10 points just for signing in using Facebook!

And I got more points for sharing about the program on Facebook.

I also got a $1 off coupon which is a really great coupon value for a product that costs just $3.48 from the start!

Then I headed over to my package of waters to get my unique code.

I uploaded the code, and within about 20 seconds I saw that 24 more points had been added to my account. There are all sorts of rewards on the site, from free packages of water (250 points) to Universal Studios theme park tickets (4000 points). They also have great bonus point opportunities on the site. For example, you can watch fun videos like this one and earn!

I’ve also learned that between 7/21 and 8/15 the program is offering DOUBLE points when you load them during that timeframe. That’s got me thinking that I might purchase another 5 cases or so so that I can earn enough with that double promotion to get a free case coupon! Normally it would take around 10 cases purchased to earn enough. So between the case I just bought, the 5 more cases I’m going buy, and the free case I’ll earn with my credits, I’ll have 196 bottles of water. Assuming 20 school days for every month, that pretty much gives me enough bottled water for her lunch every day for the school year. Sweet!!!!!

So what rewards would you go for? Would you cash out as soon as you hit a free case of water, or would you go for the Amazon gift cards, or even have your eyes on the big reward: University Studios tickets?

ThredUp Review: My Top 4 Tips for Successfully Buying Used Clothing Online

July 9, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 10 Comments

Affiliate links included in this ThredUp Review. I only promote what I use and love!

Nobody give me the stink eye for saying it, but back-to-school season is right around the corner. I was at Walmart this morning and they already have their school supply section front and center in the store. You can run, but you can’t hide. It’s time to start thinking about the clothes your kiddos might need for the upcoming school year.

My little ones go to a Montessori school, and there is no specific dress code. But even for those of you whose kids are in uniform, you don’t get a free pass from clothes shopping…you still have to get plenty of khakis and button up shirts and all that good stuff. And of course, your little ones probably want to change into something more their own style when they get home!

ThredUp is a GREAT resource for parents of school-aged children, whatever your clothing needs might be! I recently did some shopping (ok, A LOT of shopping) on the site and I wanted to tell you exactly what the experience was like for me (the good AND the bad!). After all, buying used clothing that you have not been able to personally inspect before purchasing is a bit risky, right?

photo credit: susieredshoes via photopin cc
photo credit: K·FREE via photopin cc
photo credit: jen_rab via photopin cc

ThredUp: What They Sell

ThredUP sells clothing for women (including specialty sections like petite, juniors, maternity, and plus sizes). They also sell children’s clothing starting at size 12 months. They sell shoes for women and children, and they also sell handbags (including some NICE handbags if you love a quality bag but are on a budget) and some accessories like tights, scarves and gloves.

What They Don’t Sell

Nothing for men, I’m afraid. I was bummed about that, as I would have loved to made purchases for Tim while I was on my fierce shopping spree.

How (In)Expensive Is It?

I’ll tell you this: if you go to ThredUp expecting to pay garage sale or even thrift store prices, you will be disappointed. I found that most items started around $4.99 and went up. Could you find some of them cheaper at a thrift store or even a consignment sale? Perhaps. But remember, you are getting the convenience of having everything pre-screened with any notes on the condition (for example: new with tags, or slight pilling). And you can shop by brand, by size, by color, all from the comfort of your home any time you want. For me, that type of convenience is well worth it. I love going to the thrift store, but it’s always hit or miss, and I might find something fun, but it’s 2 sizes bigger than what I need. When I need to shop for something that my kids need to wear ASAP, thrift stores and garage sales can’t always provide what I need. Plus, shopping at them takes forever! I don’t think I’ve even been to a garage sale since Layah was born and I used to love them! So again, you are going to pay more, but the prices are still quite good for the quality, because ThredUP just won’t sell it if it isn’t in great shape. Here’s what will be Layah’s outfit for her first day of school!

My Finds

When I went on my shopping spree, I was chiefly looking for stuff for me, to be honest. Because both of my girls were born in the spring and summer months, my summer wardrobe is PITIFUL. I mean…it’s really sad. I had probably 3 or 4 tops that I was interested in wearing TOTAL, so I was on the hunt for casual but updated pieces. And I hit the jackpot, you guys! I spent $200 and I was sent 16 pieces of clothing, all in outstanding condition. I now have LOTS of fun choices for myself, and I scored a few fun finds for my kids, as well. While I was looking for casual stuff, they have no shortage of pieces that are appropriate for the office. Basically, they have something for everyone!

Tips and Tricks

I do have a few tips and tricks based on my experience shopping with ThredUp.

Tip #1: Plan to spend at least $79. Why? Because shipping is FREE once you spend that amount! 🙂 Honestly, what I do is go big, though, and spend $150 at one time. That’s because when you do that, you get free shipping, not only on that order, but on any order you place for the next 30 days (yes, even if you only order one thing)!

Tip #2: Pay CLOSE attention to the pieces you select. I was having so much fun shopping, that I got a little sloppy with paying attention to details, and I failed to notice that two of the tops I picked out had a bunch of sequins on them. I’m not anti-sequin, but I like just a touch, and both of these pieces looked like they were rolled and dipped in sequins. I wouldn’t have ordered them in the first place if I had paid a bit more attention.

Tip #3: You can send items back for a refund within 30 days of purchase, which I LOVE! But what I recommend is opting for store credit on any of your returns, for one VERY important reason: if you opt for store credit, you do not have to pay the return shipping costs (ThredUp gives you a pre-paid label to print from your computer). If you opt to get a refund, however, you have to pay for the cost of return. I did this once and once only, because I got some major sticker shock when I dropped off my package: $15 to send my returns from east Tennessee to San Francisco! Oy!!!

Tip #4: Look for brands you know fit you well. In my case, I purchased several Ann Taylor and LOFT items because I rarely have fit issues with this brand. I kept every single item from that brand, incidentally! There were also certain brands that I avoided (Express…their clothes fit like junior’s…a junior’s large WILL NOT fit me and will only make me feel bad!).

Bonus Tip! If you are new to ThredUP and shop through my referral link, you’ll get $10 off your first purchase (no minimum!). I get $10, too, so this is one heck of a win/win!

Want to Hear About Selling?

So the reviews I have read about selling on ThredUP have been mixed, at best. And as a result, I’ve been a bit hesitant to send in anything. But they offer you a 20% off coupon if you sell to them, and that’s pretty darn tempting. Are you interested in having me blog about what it’s like to sell to ThredUp? Leave a comment to let me know, because if you want to hear about it, then I’ll document the experience for you!

Healthy Essentials Make for Fun Summer Play!

July 8, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

So a handful of weeks back I received a box of super awesome essentials that will help me and my family have lots of fun this summer, all why staying healthy and safe. I’ve been excited to show you some of our favorites from the bunch at work!

First and foremost, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE NEUTROGENA’s sunscreen products and have been using the heck out of two of them this summer.My husband and I are both super pale (if we burn, we just peel and are pasty white again…no need to even attempt a tan). Additionally, melanoma runs in Tim’s family, so for both of those reasons, we take our sunscreen seriously. Sunny, overcast, whatever…if we are going to be outside for more than 5 minutes, we lather up!

neutrogena healthy essential ultra sheer sunscreen

My personal favorite product in their sunscreen line is the NEUTROGENA Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45. It provides that high level of protection that I need, but it doesn’t go on greasy or thick AT ALL and is dry so fast! This makes it very easy to apply right before putting on my makeup. I barely even have to wait before I’m good to go with my foundation! Speaking of foundation, I’ve been eyeing the NEUTROGENA Nourishing Long Wear Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 20, too. I was sent a bottle, but it was too dark for my complexion (seriously…PASTY white…). But I really like the sound of it. Anyone out there tried it yet? Thoughts? But as for the sunscreen above, do yourself a favor and put it on your list for your next trip to the store. Just trust me!

We’ve also been using the heck out of the NEUTROGENA Wet Skin Kids Spray Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70+. I’ve actually purchased a second bottle because we love it so much. When it comes to kids, nothing is better than a spray-on sunscreen. Ok, actually there is something better: a spray-on sunscreen that can handle your skin being wet! That’s the deal with this. We’ve used it at Six Flags, at the splash park, at the river….basically anywhere we like to hang out that involves water. Application takes mere seconds!

Two other products getting some love these days (though I’ll spare you the pictures…you’ll understand why in a second) are Band-Aid Tough Strips Adhesive Bandages and NEOSPORIN + Pain Relief Ointment. Tim and Darah have been spending a lot of time practicing riding bikes, and that inevitably means some scraped up arms and legs. Like most kids, Darah seems to feel remarkably better after she gets her “badge of courage” (a Band-Aid) and I feel a heck of a lot better knowing that NEOSPORIN has been applied to provide instant pain relief as well as to start the healing process quickly. These are both brands I grew up with and continue to trust!

And finally, I’ve been rocking the Cool Mint LISTERINE Antiseptic Mouthwash. It tastes great and super refreshing, and my mouth tingles with that clean feeling for quite some time afterwards. This happens to be my favorite flavor of Listerine, as is evidenced by my having 3 bottles of it under my sink. I’m not sure if I’m afraid they are going to run out before I can buy the entire stock in my city, or what, but there you have it. I’ve got more than my fair share of this product!

And you guys, GET THIS….did you know that Listerine is also great for a foot soak?! Say WHAT??? I didn’t make this up, y’all. It’s all over Pinterest. And I was planning on showing you how to do it until I read multiple posts saying, “DON’T USE COOL MINT….YOUR FEET WILL TURN BLUE!” So I’m putting this little project on the back burner until I can get another color. But I’m so gonna do it. What a great way to get all that excess dead skin off your feet, especially this time of year when you are probably wearing sandals a lot and want them to look their best!

We are having an adventurous summer over here, and I hope you are, too! Just be sure to have all the supplies you need on hand for SAFE summer fun! And perhaps for soft feet that won’t turn blue, too! 😉 Want some coupons? You can find some for many of the healthy essentials (and some other great products) right now (more than $45, worth!).