Stuff Parents Need

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

In Which I Confess to Having a Beach Chair as Outdoor Furniture: Pier 1 to the Rescue!

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This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have a front or back porch, what furniture do you have there? If you have pictures of it online, I’d love to see them (leave a link in the comments!). Tim and I have lived in two homes over the past 4 years that have had wonderful spaces to put some outdoor furniture, but in the first house, we didn’t have one single thing out there, and really just never made use of that great space. In this house, we have a swing for Darah, a sandbox, and to go right along with it, a beach chair. Yeah, a beach chair. Writing that out just gave me pause…I bet the neighbors are less than thrilled with our outdoor furniture choice!

I’d really like to get something different, but at 30 years of age, I have never ever shopped for this type of furniture, so I’m a little bit intimidated by the process. Fortunately, Pier 1 is a store that can make the process very easy. I’ve looked over their collection for this year, and I really don’t see how you could go wrong, whatever you choose!

Here are some of the pieces that I’m personally drawn to, and would love to see on my front porch.

Swingasan Chair. We had something VERY similar to this when I was growing up, and I absolutely adored it. I actually wish my parents had held on to it so that I could have it. It’s so great to see that now I could go out and buy one! They are SOOOOO much fun to sit in, especially for kids!

Outdoor Ciudad Armless Chair. Doesn’t this just look awesome? I could see myself getty really comfy in this chair, reading my blogs on my iPad while little D plays in her sandbox. I’m sure my neighbors would like it much more than my beach chair, too!

Outdoor Perched Bird Chair. While this piece doesn’t look as kid-friendly to me, it is 100% my style. I actually like it so much that I would bring this chair indoors, I think! That’s another great thing about Pier 1’s outdoor pieces; many are actually outdoor/indoor, which expands their functionality even further!

If you are like me, and don’t really have much money to spend on outdoor updates, Pier 1 still has some great products that can help you spruce up your porch a bit without breaking the bank. All of their outdoor furniture seems reasonably priced, in my opinion, but if you need to spend as little as possible, go for updating your welcome mat or adding some fresh new cushions to your chairs. Those options will go a long way towards reviving your space for the spring and summer! They also have some wonderful outdoor decor options! One of my top picks is this beautiful pot; just $15!

Pier 1 seems to be a perfect choice when looking to update your outdoor living spaces, whether you want a furniture overhaul or just one or two new pieces to add some charm. There are some upcoming Tweet Ups happening for Pier 1, so if you live in Atlanta mark your calendars for  April 5, and NYC is having one on April 20th. Here’s some additional information on the Pier 1 Tweetups.

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Like a Big Bottle of Tears: Biotrue Contact Lens Solution Review

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Today I want to tell you about a product that is perfect for all the contact lens wearers in the audience. I’m (sort of) reviewing a product called Biotrue. Let me explain the “sort of” part. I signed up for this campaign because I do need vision correction, and at my recent trip to the eye doctor, she told me that I had dry eyes and needed to find some eye drops (this is evidently a VERY common problem for anyone who spends a significant amount of time in front of the computer, just an FYI). I thought that Biotrue might be used as such, in addition to being useful as a contact lens solution.

So, I was wrong about that. Thankfully, on the FAQ page of their website, they note this (which made me feel less silly…I guess I’m not the only person who thought it could be used this way). I should have checked that section before signing up (lesson learned!), and sadly, I do not wear contacts. So all this is to say that I have not personally used this product.

However, I have been reading up on it, and it really does sound fantastic! In fact, I watched a video review by Vanderbilt Wife, and I thought her testimonial about how this product literally revitalized her warped lenses was awesome. Check it out if you have a second!

Ok, so what makes Biotrue better than all the other dozens of contact lens solutions on the market? Well, it goes beyond cleaning your contacts! It contains a lubricant that is found naturally in your eyes, which means getting your contacts in is going to be much less irritating.

Second, the pH of this product matches that of healthy tears! On their site, I found a statistic that 81% of people who tried this product said it felt like their natural tears. So, you could try to catch your own tears and save them up in a bottle, or you could just get some Biotrue. Up to you, but I’m thinking that the latter might be the way to go!

Finally, it keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active, which means that it is helping your eyes to not get dried out while your contacts are in. I would imagine that this is a very good thing, indeed!

Biotrue is available pretty much everywhere, which sure is convenient. And there’s a $1.00 off coupon that you can use when you purchase it. Hooray!

“I conducted this review while participating in a Mom Central Consulting blog tour on behalf of Bausch + Lomb Biotrue. I received a Biotrue sample and a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Horton Hears a Who! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Oceanhouse Media has done it again!!! Horton Hears a Who! is available for download, and it is not to miss!

Horton Hears a Who! is a delightful story about an elephant who discovers an entire world that lives on a speck of dust! Horton works very hard to keep the tiny town of Who-ville safe from harm.

This and other books from Oceanhouse Media can be read 3 ways:

  • * “Read to Me” — listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read
  • * “Read it Myself” — read the book in its traditional form
  • * “Auto Play” — plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children!

These books are AMAZING! At $4.99, they might cost a little bit more than your average app, but they are also SO MUCH MORE than your average app. They are full books brought to life and I can tell you from experience that they are thoroughly enjoyed by little ones! What I love is that they cost about half of what you might pay for a Dr. Seuss book in the store, and you can store them all on your phone or iPad…that helps lighten the load, significantly, whether you are stepping out for a few errands or hitting the road for a week.

I also want to say that because we have great apps like Horton Hears a Who! for Darah to enjoy, she has really started to take a bit of ownership over the iPad (whether we like it, or not). At 19 months old, she already knows how to turn it on and find her favorite app and get it started. It is incredible to watch!

Buy it!: Horton Hears a Who! is available for $4.99, and is 100% worth it! While you are at Oceanhouse Media, be sure to not what the app of the week is, as that one is always on sale! Sweet!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your very own download of Horton Hears a Who!. The contest will run until April 9th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open worldwide! Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one other book that Oceanhouse Media offers that you’d like to download for your child or yourself!

My answer: The New Potty (a Little Critter) book just caught my attention. Actually, I just bought it because it was on sale for .99!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Oceanhouse Media on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary download for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Update on Our Financial Journey: Part 2 (YNAB Review)

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Hello friends!

Today I’m excited to give you the second installment of our financial journey that we’ve been taking, using the budgeting software You Need a Budget (YNAB). If you missed out on part 1, you can check out our YNAB review (there’s a video so you can see and hear me!).

Since that time, a lot of things have happened for us, and you’ll just have to watch this quick video to get the scoop(And sorry that I said it was April in the video…I guess my brain is a few days ahead of schedule)!

Did YNAB, itself, make this happen? Of course not! WE made it happen. But YNAB definitely gave us the tools to set goals and realize our potential to reduce debt and to enhance our quality of life. YNAB rocks, folks!

I’ll be updating you once more, in a few months, and you’ll have a chance to win the software for yourself, then. But if you are considering making the purchase, PLEASE don’t wait for the giveaway…look at we have accomplished in just a few months using it!!!! It is $59.95, SOOOO worth it!

I’d also love to hear from you in the comments a bit about your financial life. Do you keep a budget? Have any tips or tricks for saving and debt reduction? Looking for any advice or have questions for me? I’d love to hear from you!

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Nutrisystem 10 Day Challenge: My Thoughts

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I recently applied for a very cool blogging program put out by Nutrisystem to join their program for four months. You see, I’ve been about 20 pounds overweight….for FOREVER. It just seems to be where my body likes to hang out (no, I don’t think it is all genetics…it most definitely has to do with my eating and exercise habits, or lack thereof). You can imagine that the response they got when they made the call for bloggers was overwhelming, and yours truly wasn’t selected for the campaign. However, they did offer to let me do a 10 day challenge with them and tell you all about my experience. I thought it sounded like an awesome opportunity, so I jumped on it!

Please watch my video (just 3 minutes) where I give you the skinny (tee hee) on the program and an EXCELLENT free tool from Nutrisystem!

The app I mentioned in the vlog is wonderful and wonderfully free! You can download it here.

Ok, so now it is time for me to give you the scoop on the breakfast foods I tried from Nutrisystem. Please note that what I tried is not even close to their full breakfast menu, and I can only speak for what I have sampled.

My overall thought is that if I were to use Nutrisystem to help me lose weight, long term, I would probably skip most of their frozen breakfast offerings. No, I would NOT skip breakfast (this is a terrible idea, dieting or not!). I’m just more of a cereal gal, and many of the meals I tried were egg-based, which just isn’t my thing. If it is your thing, then they do have several good choices! I would also try their oatmeal, as I personally find oatmeal to be really filling.

Here’s what I did try:

  • Garden Vegetable Omelet (2.5 out of 5 stars…I really don’t like red and green bell peppers, which are in this dish)
  • Golden French Toast (2 out of 5 stars…tasted fine, but really, it was just a piece of lightly sweetened frozen bread)
  • Breakfast Burrito (3 out of 5 stars, though I suspect folks who like eggs will find this one to be a winner, as it is quite filling)
  • Ham and Cheese Omelet (3 out of 5 stars)
  • Homestyle Pancakes (4 out of 5 stars…the portion size is disappointing, but I guess what I’m realizing is that I eat much larger portions than I really need. The pancakes heat up nicely and are rockin’ with a serving of fresh fruit on top)

I’ll be back in a few days to tell you all about lunch with Nutrisystem!

In the mean time, I’d love to hear what you eat for breakfast! Any tips for getting a good morning energy boost without loading up on too many calories?

Disclosure: I participated in a 10 day challenge with Nutrisystem and was provided with complimentary products in exchange for my honest opinions.

Mixing Up Animals! JUMBIES (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Isn’t the imagination of a child so awesome? I’ve been reading about how the brain of a 6 year old child is just so very alive, with trillions upon trillions of connections (we lose a lot of those connections as we age, just in the interest of efficiency). But even though a young one may not be the most efficient thinker, s/he is often a much more creative thinker, making connections between things that an adult might not ever make! The end results are often hilarious and even inspiring.

Today I’m featuring a company that brings that imaginative spirit of a child to life through plush toys called JUMBIES. JUMBIES are delightful creatures that combine two animals into one! In our house, for example, we now have a Blabbit (blue bird and rabbit) and a Leopird (leopard and bird). I actually remember as a child trying to imagine new creatures that were combinations of existing ones, but of course, I can’t remember any of them now! In any case, they probably weren’t quite as creative as JUMBIES! Check out our new additions (note the toe rings that Darah gave to the Leopird!).

One thing I like about JUMBIES is that they have created a really fun website so that for a child, getting one is a true experience. You can log on to the site to read the story of how JUMBIES came to be (it is very cute, and involves some busy storks crashing into each other). There are also JUMBIES cartoons on the site, which are short and fun to watch. Finally, the site offers free downloadable coloring pages featuring their animals. All of these elements make for a wonderful way to introduce a child to the JUMBIES and encourage them to come up with their own jumbled animals! This also serves as the perfect way to get a child familiar with the animals before you do something extra fun, like hide one in the house and go on an expedition to find a JUMBIE! 🙂

JUMBIES can be found all over the U.S., though their market is a little bit limited. They have a list of stores where JUMBIES are sold, but there aren’t any retailers in my entire state, so buying JUMBIES online is really the only option for me. Fortunately, there is a store online (but I do think they need to work on making it a little bit easier to find…I missed it when originally looking for it!). Each plush is available for $7.95, which is a great buy!

Win it!: If you don’t have a JUMBIES retailer near you, then this contest is not to miss! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win two JUMBIES! Woo hoo! The contest will run until April 7th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Like JUMBIES on Facebook and post your favorite JUMBIE on their wall! Then come back here to tell me you did! (This will clue you in to other giveaways they have, too!)

My answer: Zelephant is my very favorite! What a cutie he is!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow JUMBIES on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

My First Spring Break in 13 Years

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I don’t think I’ve had a legitimate Spring Break since high school. Yeah, we had Spring Break in college, but I remember always being loaded down with papers to write, so it never really felt like a break to me.

So that means my last true spring break was in 1998. Woah.

This is why I’ve decided that 2011 is the year that marks the return of the Spring Break for me! March 19-27, Stuff Parents Need will be quiet. I’m not gone, and I’m certainly not done blogging. I’m just taking a much needed rest. I’m not going away because I don’t like blogging. On the contrary! I’m taking a break because I love it, and in order to continue loving it, and to get new ideas, it is healthy to step away from it for a short while (this is something I haven’t done since I started this blog in September 2009!).

While I’m not going anywhere special, I’ll be basking in the sun and enjoying the blossoms on the trees with little Darah. I hope you might also create some time and space for slowing down.

See you in a week, my bloggy friends! Wish me rainbows and sunshine!

Tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids

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For several months after we arrived in Chattanooga, Darah and I would go grocery shopping together once a week. It was a fun time for Darah to go see a lot of new things and for us to talk about different foods. Aside from lugging the groceries in the house by myself, it was an overall pleasant experience!

But then, three things changed.

First, I started trying really hard to only grocery shop every two weeks. I found that this strategy saves us a bit of money as it gives me fewer opportunities for impulse purchases. The downside, of course, is that shopping for two weeks worth of groceries takes more time.

Second, Darah has started to exert her independence much more. She is a squirmy worm who wants to run around in the store, not have to sit in the cart. Naturally, this does not work so well for me if I’m also trying to buy groceries!

Third, Darah now notices all those cartoon characters and bright colors put on packages that are at eye level for her. I never realized how many packages in the stores are truly made for kids until now. Curse you, food manufacturers! It makes shopping much more of a chore when I am constantly having to tell Darah, “no” as she points to a million things and reaches for them.

So, in truth, our shopping trips together are on hiatus. I’m working now on getting my bearings with how to manage Darah while we are in the house, and then I’ll turn my attention to the store trips. My goal is to have us shopping together again in about 3 months.

canvas totes for grocery shopping with kids And when we go, I have something new that I am going to try that I think will help her feel more engaged in the process: she will have her own children’s canvas totes. Check out this fabulous set from Cloud B. The designs on the bag are some of the Cloud B. animals that are so popular. But even if your child doesn’t own any of these products, the bags are still absolutely darling! Darah has seen them already and quite likes them!

When Darah and I resume our shopping trips, one of my goals will be to make her feel as though she is really part of the experience, not just forced to tag along and stay quiet. She will have her own bags that I will have the checker put just a few things in, and I will ask Darah to help me put those bags in the car and get those bags out of the car. She can also help me unload them in the kitchen. She wants to be involved in the process, and even though for a little while this will take more time than it saves, it will make things so much more fun for her!

Toddlers also highly value having something that is theirs (oh yes, Darah has totally picked up on the word, “MINE!”). So anytime that you can make a big deal out of the fact that they have something just for them, it can get them pretty excited.

As Darah gets a little bit older, these bags can also be a great starting point for a conversation about being resourceful and not wasteful. As a family, we already use canvas bags for our grocery shopping, which I am sure Darah has noticed. We can talk about why we use them, and I will feel proud to know that Darah has had her own canvas shopping bags for as long as she can remember! This is one of the very best ways to get her in the habit of turning to reusable bags when going out to make a purchase.

In addition to being terrific tools to help turn dreading shopping trips into something fun, the Cloud B. totes also make fabulous eco-friendly gift bags. They are surprisingly large, and definitely sturdy. I was honestly expecting something rather flimsy for the price, but these bags are real quality!

Buy it!: These reusable bags from Cloud B. are a total steal at $9.95 for the set of 3. I very highly recommend them!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of Cloud B. reusable bags! The contest will run until March 28th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me anything about taking your children shopping with you! If it is fun, what makes it so? If it is awful, why?

My answer: At this particular moment in my life, I’ve switched to doing grocery shopping early Sunday morning. Sometimes I leave Darah at home with Tim, and sometimes we all go as a family. Darah enjoys going to the store, but her patience runs thin because I typically buy a lot during each trip. What do you think about the strategy I’m going to use with the canvas bags?

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Cloud B. on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (found on my sidebar)

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

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

How to Get Your Car Problems Diagnosed BEFORE You See the Mechanic

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Raise your hand if your stomach turns into knots anytime you have to take your car to the mechanic. We are fortunate to have a car right now that it still in the midst of its “reliable years” (knock on wood), but I had a Kia Sportage for almost a decade, and in the last few years of her life, she was ridiculously expensive and unreliable. Stuff would break all the time, and each time I would take her in, I would have no idea if she had an $80 problem or an $800 problem. It made me physically ill.

What if I told you that there’s a product out there that can help you anticipate the problem? You know those computers things that mechanics will often hook up your car to so that they can get a read on what is going on? Haven’t you ever wished that you could have one of those? WELL YOU CAN!!

best car diagnostic tool
You guys, this product is so amazing! It is called the CarMD Vehicle Health System and I honestly think it is a game changer for anyone out there who doesn’t moonlight as a mechanic (so, 99.9% of us). This product can empower you as a customer bringing your vehicle in for repairs and give you confidence before you hit the road for a longer trip that everything is in good working order.

If something is wrong…let’s say that “check engine” light is on…you can get probable cause, fix and estimate repair costs by plugging the device into your car. I LOVE this….now you can have a general idea before you get to the mechanic so that you know if your repair should be $100 or $1,000! The device also keeps track of recall information, just in case your car (or something in your car) has been subject to a recall.

This device is hand held and it is compatible with Mac and PC software (edit: there’s now a version that syncs up to your smartphone!). I love that it can be plugged into any car. It doesn’t have to be specially programmed for your vehicle. This means that you can share it with family, friends and neighbors when they are in need. You will quickly become their hero when you bring over Car MD to someone who needs some help!

If you are ever in the market for a “new to you” car, this is also really nice to take with you as you shop. You can quickly get a sense for any problems that the vehicle might be having and don’t have to just rely on the word of the person who really wants to unload the vehicle!

If there is a problem with the vehicle you are inspecting, you can go online to get specifics. But what if you aren’t near a computer? No problem! 6 days a week, there’s a CarMD ASE Certified Tech available to speak to you by phone, just call the toll fee number on the back of the tool!

Pretty awesome, right?!

I just can’t say enough great things about this product. If they can make the next version so that it can actually fix the problems, that would be awesome! 😉 Right now we are very much enjoying seeing the green light on our Car MD, which means everything is looking good. But one day, when something does go wrong (and that day will come, my friends…we keep our cars for as long as possible), it will be so great to know what the problem is and roughly how much it is going to cost to fix before we even take it in. It will certainly save me a lot of anxiety and stress!

Buy it!: The CarMD is available for just $69.95. When you think about the amount that car mechanic bills can vary by, you can just imagine how quickly this will pay for itself (our mechanic charges $89 for a diagnosis, so this would pay for itself with just one use!). It could even save you from taking the car in for what will just be a minor fix, should you be handy with a car or know someone who is. And when it comes to shopping for a used vehicle, I’d just say that having this is an absolute must, as it can save you from buying a lemon!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affilate links may be included at no cost to you.