Tiffany Merritt - Stuff Parents Need

Bringing a Bit of Summer to Winter Through a Road Trip with Enterprise Rent-a-Car

December 23, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

This post brought to you by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of my very favorite places to visit in the winter is the Gulf Coast. The water is still (relatively) warm, the beaches are pristine (as always), and in the winter, everything is calm and quiet. It is so peaceful and restorative to take a walk along the beach in December, let me tell you! And if I could plan a winter road trip for my family to take right now, that's exactly where we'd be headed. And since my girls have never seen the ocean, I can't think of a more awesome introduction to it and to the beach than during the winter.

photo credit: Henry M. Diaz via photopin cc

On our way to the beach, though, we'd have to make a stop at a place that has piqued my oldest daughter's curiosity for a long time. We need to stop and check out the ginormous peach in Clanton, Alabama.

photo credit: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent) via photopin cc

You can see this peach from the interstate, and Darah wants to get a closer look. She wonders aloud every time we pass it on our way to my hometown if it is real or not. She's fairly sure that it isn't, but wants to make sure! And while winter is hardly peach season, there's a shop in town that sells incredible peach ice cream all year, so it would be fun to get a little taste of summer on our way to the beach.

Taking road trips with kids really can be fun, if you have fun activities planned for them, and if you have the right vehicle for the trip. We own a Toyota Corolla, and we absolutely adore it. But our love for it does not hold out after several hours on the road. We all start to feel a bit cramped.

Trips like this one are the perfect opportunity to visit Enterprise Rent-A-Car and take something a bit more spacious for a spin. And you definitely need to check out the Enterprise Plus Your Points promotion website. This is a fantastic trackable loyalty rewards program that Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers, and now through March 31, 2014, you can earn double points towards free rentals in the future! I think it is awesome that the rentals you make now will get you closer to free rentals later, which will make it that much easier to get back in the car (or van, in our case) and go exploring again.

Once you are registered on the Plus Your Points website, you'll be able to see a complete list of ways that you can earn points, including renting a vehicle with Enterprise, referring a friend to the program who rents a vehicle, and even tweeting a message out about the program! There are lots of ways to rack up points and get yourself on the road again faster!

There are NO blackout dates for using your points, and as long as you have one qualifying rental within each two year period, your points won't expire, either!

If there's a road trip on your future, or if you'd like to make one happen, then definitely get signed up for this program. It's free! And be sure to Follow us on Facebook to hear about the latest great deals Enterprise is offering. That's another great way to save some money when you hit the road!

Where would you go for a fun winter roadtrip? I'd love to hear!

Tech Gifts Under the Tree? Don’t Forget the FiOS!

December 22, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

My main Christmas gift came early this year. I got a new laptop. Honestly, it wasn’t a very exciting purchase, as it was made spontaneously after my old laptop bit the dust unexpectedly.

I’ve been chugging along with my fancy new laptop and Windows 8 (which honestly isn’t a bad operating system IF you have a touch screen). But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about technology, it is that how many fancy bells and whistles it has, or how many apps or photos it can store don’t really matter if you have a slow or unreliable internet connection. Without fast internet, all of your fast gadgets get brought right back to the early 2000’s. Can you hear the dial-up connection happening? There you are, sitting around and WAITING.

That’s no good!

Verizon has a very clever video called ‘Twas the Night Before Stanley, and it shows just how Stanley the Gingerbread tries to create the perfect Christmas for his family. See what happens when he tries to get everything up and running online!

Take a tip from Stanley, and don’t let Christmas Eve or Christmas morning be the time when you realize that your internet can’t hang with your gadgets. My in-laws have FiOS, and it is like a dream come true! It is an awesome tool to help your family stay connected during the holidays, and to ensure lots of fun and no frustration when it is time to play with the new tablet, smartphone, or laptop you might have waiting under the tree.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Verizon. The opinions and text are all mine.

Kid-Friendly Snack: Clementines as Butterflies

December 19, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Earlier this week I purchased a crate of clementines. They are so adorable that they are even called “cuties,” so I knew these would be a kid-friendly snack.

Well, they weren’t. They’ve been sitting on the counter uneaten for 4 days, and my attempts to get my kids to try them have been in vain.

But then I figured that my approach was off. You see sometimes with food, it’s all in the presentation. How could I make these citrus sections look more appetizing?

Turns out, all I needed was a little pipe cleaner!

This snack idea works for me because it is EASY. Just peel and section your clementine, and then cut a pipecleaner in half, then fold it in half and curve the ends around just a smidge to make it look like antennas. Place your sections on either side of the pipe cleaner, and boom! A snack that will please everyone.

These butterflies were gone within 2 minutes of me setting the plate down on the table. Mission accomplished! Take that, scurvy!

Hair Woes and Wows with Dove (High Value Coupon!)

December 18, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Special thanks to Dove and Resourceful Mommy Media for making this post on Dove Hair and Walmart possible. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

No matter what hair type you have, you likely have some sort of challenges that go along with any perks. I’m very lucky to have thick hair that will hold a curl if you put one there. But day-to-day, it has just enough wave to it to look messy…and not that “I’ve been to the beach!” messy, either. We’re talking, “did you forget to brush your hair?” messy. And it is also dry as a tumbleweed (Is that a saying? Let’s just go with it….).

Whatever your hair challenges may be, Dove Hair and Walmart have teamed up to help you tackle them! Check out their videos on how to fix common hair issues, and after you have watched a video, you can download a sweet $1.50 coupon for Dove hair products!

Now I’m off to go try that fishtail braid I just learned about in one of the videos! I’m also heading to Walmart this afternoon…you’d better believe that coupon is coming with me! Dove Nourishing Oil, get ready to meet my parched hair!

Bi-Lo Twitter Party Thursday Night ($500 in Prizes!)

December 18, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post was created in partnership with Bi-Lo. All opinions are my own.

My grocery store of choice here in Chattanooga is Bi-Lo. This is a chain found throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and parts of Tennessee. I love to shop there because of the great customer service, and the great sales!

I’ll be hanging out on Twitter tomorrow night with Bi-Lo for an AWESOME twitter party, and if you are a Bi-Lo shopper, this is one you don’t want to miss, as they will be giving away a $100 Bi-Lo gift card every 12 minutes! 🙂

WHEN: December 19, 2013, 9:00-10:00 p.m EST

WHO TO FOLLOW: @BILOSuperSaver

TOPIC: Holiday Tips to Impress with @BILOSuperSaver

HOW TO JOIN: Follow the hashtag #BLHolidayTips

RSVP HERE: http://twtvite.com/BLHolidayTips

See you there?

How to Bake the Perfect Sugar Cookie

December 18, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

My friends over a Reynolds just put together a great tutorial on how to make the perfect sugar cookie. I found it useful, so I thought I would share it with you! Happy baking, everyone!

VTech Wows with Its VM333 Video Monitor

December 17, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

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

If you are currently in the market for a new baby monitor, or if you know someone who is, then I'd like to introduce you to the VM333 from VTech. We've been testing it out for close to a week, now, and after clearing a few hurdles with the new equipment, I can now say that we are very impressed with its capabilities!

The VM333 has replaced our other video monitor for a few key reasons.

1. range of motion. This camera has a ful range of motion, whereas our other monitor couldn't move its camera at all. We can look at the baby from different angles if we need to, or even zoom in, all without setting foot inside her room.

2. high video resolution. What good is a video monitor if the picture it gives you is always really grainy? That's not the case with this monitor, which provides significantly clearer images, as well as color instead of just black and white. I have a little tummy sleeper, so I really appreciate being able to get a closer look at her to make sure she's positioned safely. It also has a 2.8 inch screen, which is significantly larger than our old unit.

3. sound quality. This system is VERY sensitive to sound, and at first, this was actually quite troubling to me. You can have your monitor make a beeping noise on the observation end of the system whenever noise levels reach a certain place in the baby's room. I had to quickly change that feature, as it was driving me absolutely nuts. But I can also see how that is an excellent feature for anyone who is a really deep sleeper and has trouble waking up in the middle of the night, even if there is a crying baby in the next room. The monitor does provide crisp sound so that I can tell exactly when it is time to go in and get Layah (it isn't always the second she makes a peep, as she sometimes puts herself back to sleep!).

4. mountability. You can mount the unit to the wall. We've always had to have a tall-ish piece of furniture within a certain distance of the crib to set the monitor on, and that's no longer an issue.

The VM333 from VTech's Safe & Sound series is the best baby monitoring system I have ever personally experienced, by far. It would make for an awesome baby gift for new parents.

You can keep up with the latest from VTech, makers of a whole host of incredible products for the home and for everyone in your family, on social media. Be sure to Like VTech on Twitter and Follow VTech on Facebook to keep up with the new releases!

Best Friends as Sisters: Disney #FrozenFun Playdate!

December 17, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This Disney FROZEN shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

One of the highlights of the entire year for me happened during the Thanksgiving holiday, when we took Darah to the movies for the first time. We picked Disney’s as her introduction to the big screen. It was an incredible choice; if you haven’t seen it yet, it is worth the trip (and the ticket price!) My tip to make for an affordable outing: go to the late matinee (4pm or so), and then you’ll be out just in time for dinner. Swing by your nearest Walmart with a Subway inside, as there you will find FROZEN-themed Fresh Fit for Kids meals. The Walmart Subway locations are the only destination where you will find the adorable Olaf key chains as part of the meal. You’ll also snag a FROZEN-themed reusable bag, now through January 6th.

Darah’s best friend happened to be on a Disney cruise the same week we went to the movies, and she actually got to watch FROZEN on the ship! The girls missed each other after several days apart, and asked for a play date once they were back in the same city. I thought it would be fun to do something extra special and surprise the girls with FROZEN merchandise that I found at Walmart.

I went shopping just 48 hours after Black Friday, and once I arrived at the store, I realized that wasn’t the smartest move. Much of the FROZEN stuff was cleared off the shelves from the shopping frenzy that had occurred a few days before. I actually went to two different Walmart locations (my city has four, so it wasn’t a big deal to do so) and between the two stores, I was able to find some really fun stuff for the girls!

I bought an Olaf toy for each of the girls (he is my favorite, so he was a “must get!” on my shopping list!), and they each got a costume (one Elsa, one Anna). Additionally, I purchased a busy book that contained a mat with scenes from the movie, as well as miniature FROZEN characters.

Our guests brought fun treats from a chocolate shop down the street: frozen hot chocolates! Yummy! Here’s a recipe for something very similar if you like the sound of it!

Darah’s friend wasn’t quite ready to put on the Anna costume, but my little dress-up fanatic couldn’t wait to put on the Elsa costume and to start practicing her freezing techniques. Both girls totally loved getting to pretend that they were sisters, and that was just such a sweet thing to watch!

Olaf joined in on the fun outside, and he served as the inspiration ~~Darah~~ Elsa needed to bring on the snow! Soon both girls were racing around the yard “freezing” things.

If wearing one dress is fun, then wearing two dresses is better! Since her friend wasn’t quite ready to play dress up, Darah decided to model the Anna dress for us, as well. If you haven’t seen the movie (don’t worry…no plot spoilers here), Elsa and Anna are sisters, and like most siblings, they have very different personalities. Elsa also happens to have a special gift (or is it a curse?) where she can create snow and ice in an instant. The costumes available at Walmart are modeled after what the sisters each wear for the majority of the movie. If you are looking for them, you might need to dig around to the back of the costume pile at Walmart, as that’s where I found them! The costumes are both sized to accommodate a bit of a range (I’d say 3-5T), though I noticed that the Anna dressed seemed a bit bigger on Darah than the Elsa dress.

After drinking the frozen hot chocolate and “playing in the snow” outside, it was time to come in and warm up. While the older girls played with the miniature figures, Layah got acquainted with the Olaf toy. Just like in the movie, this Olaf plush is, shall we say, “arrangeable.” His body pieces are attached by a string, and so they can be pulled apart without the risk of them being lost (LOVE that feature!).

We ended the playdate with both girls deciding to be in full costume, plus the addition of fairy wings, crowns and wands. I thought their chosen embellishments were fantastic! These “sisters” can be whatever their hearts desire, and they can do anything they set their imaginations to, including making it snow inside, which of course, they did! 🙂

FROZEN the movie is a cinematic treat, and the Disney toys and costumes we played with after watching the film have added countless hours of laughter and fun to our home, and they have certainly given two best friends a reason to think of each other as sisters.

Your Turn to Win!

If you are also a fan of FROZEN, or if it is on your list of things to watch this holiday season, be sure to join us for the #FrozenFun Twitter Party this Friday, 12/20 at 1pm ET. RSVP here and get ready to try for $1250 in prizes!

15 Holiday Safety Tips to Keep Your Children Out of Harm’s Way

December 17, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I recently had the opportunity to learn a bit about safety tips around the holidays, especially as it relates to keeping our children safe, from Jarrett Arthur, a professional self-defense instructor. I thought her insight was extremely helpful, so I invited her to be a guest author on the blog today. I hope these tips will help you develop some new habits this holiday season that will help keep you and your loved ones protected.

During such a festive, joyous, and loving time of the year it can be a little depressing to have to come to terms with the fact that the holiday season requires heightened sense awareness and extra safety precautions. The reality is that crimes against adults, children, and homes spike over the course of these 6 weeks, due in part to several factors including, but not limited to: distracted consumers, more purchases being made, heavier traffic in public places, lowered personal boundaries, increased alcohol consumption, vacationing, and even just the simple fact that our economy is still struggling which makes people feel desperate, particularly during the holidays. Below are 3 common seasonal activities and easy strategies you can follow to make yourself and your kids significantly safer during this time of the year.

Holiday Shopping

The holidays mean shopping. Buying gifts, decorations, party supplies, returning gifts, capitalizing on bargains means that you’ll be spending an inordinate amount of time in shops, stores, and malls. The best tool you have is to limit distractions and increase your environmental awareness.

Leave the kids with a sitter for more involved excursions if possible. You’ll be able to focus more on the people and energy around you.
Put your phone and Bluetooth away, even when inside a store so that your eye line remains elevated and your ears remain open.
Have a shopping list and a plan before you even leave the house.
Park close to entrances if possible, utilize security guards as escorts when available, and take note of any signs for fire safety that you see so you will know where to go in case of an emergency.
Be extra careful when approaching or exiting your car and loading your vehicle.
Don’t carry a lot of cash and leave everything but the essentials at home.
Make a unique email address just for online holiday shopping so that it’s easier to track receipts, and if your account gets hacked you won’t open up access to more sensitive information, including your contacts.

Holiday Parties

This is a time for you to unwind, relax, and celebrate. It’s also a time when your child may be exposed to adults outside of your inner circle in intimate settings like home holiday parties. Whether you’re at home partying with distant friends, relatives, and coworkers, or at someone else’s home celebrating, now is the time to pay extra attention.

Give your child “polite greeting” options, such as a handshake, that instills manners while allowing them to maintain their personal space boundaries with an adult who they don’t feel comfortable around.
Designate parts of the party house that are isolated, empty, or have low visibility as “no go” areas that are off-limits to your child.
Limit alcohol consumption at parties with your kids so that you can more easily track their whereabouts and watch other adults interact with them.

Holiday Travel

As if traveling during the holidays wasn’t stressful already, you have unique safety considerations to make during times of transit. Preparation is the essential element here, as well as some general common sense strategies.

Talk to your kids ahead of time about safe places (stores, restaurants, security desks) and safe people (cashiers, wait staff, anyone in a uniform, parents with kids) they should go to first during an emergency, if a stranger has approached them wanting to chat, or if they get separated.
When you’re at the airport, gas station, or a restaurant play the “Safe Game,” where your kids try to identify as many safe places and safe people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Time them to make it fun!
Practice vehicle safety. Check oil, belts, and tires before heading on a car trip. Never let your gas tank get below half a tank. Also pack extra water, snacks, and blankets, as well as a tow rope, flares, and jumper cables.
Wait until after you get home from vacation to post photos and stories online.
Leave several inside and outside lights on auto-timers at home, and make sure you either have someone take in the mail or put your mail on hold.

Links:

Web: www.jarrettarthur.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/trainwithjarrett
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jarrettarthur
Instagram: www.instagram.com/trainwithjarrett

Your Turn to Win!

Holiday Shopping

Holiday Parties

Holiday Travel