Tiffany Merritt - Stuff Parents Need

Popular Kid Songs On One CD

October 11, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 71 Comments

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a big advocate of checking out different children’s music artists. It’s a wonderful way to expand your own repertoire, and I promise you, it will blow your mind how wonderful many of these bands truly are.

Darah loves to have music time every day, and I don’t feel punished because most of our “kid” music is quirky, humorous and beautifully sung.

But….

Darah also likes to sing along with other kids. A LOT. Those are her favorite types of YouTube videos, the kind with kids singing simple tunes that she can try to sing, as well (it makes my heart melt to here her trying to sing Twinkle, Twinkle). She’s shown a HUGE interest in those popular kid songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Old McDonald. Fortunately, there’s a cd out there right now that has pretty much everything that Darah is bonkers about on it, and it is sung by kids (or at least they sound like kids!)! While it isn’t my favorite thing to listen to, personally, Darah freaks out with happiness, and I cannot resist anything that makes her this happy!

Check out Children’s Classics Volume 1: Americana Series It’s Fun To Sing Along! This cd has 19 classic songs. Check out the playlist below!

Track listing:
01. B-I-N-G-O
02. Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
03. This Old Man
04. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
05. The Old Gray Mare
06. You are My Sunshine
07. Skip to My Lou
08. Animal Fair
09. If You’re Happy and You Know It
10. Me and My Teddy Bear
11. Hey Diddle-Diddle
12. I’m a Little Tea Pot
13. Bear Went Over the Mountain
14. O Where O Where Did My Little Dog Go
15. The Farmer in the Dell
16. Muffin Man
17. London Bridge
18. Mulberry Bush
19. I Love My Dog

I do see this as an excellent gift idea for young children, or for primary school teachers, or even babysitters! LifePath Entertainment, who put out the cd, also has activity pages with lyrics, puzzles, mazes and artwork on their website to go along with each song. I think that’s really cool! Additionally, free mp3’s and other special offers will be made available to parents who sign-up online.

Buy it!: It’s Fun to Sing Along! is available at Amazon.com for a smokin’ hot deal (just $6.98!!!).

Edit: this giveaway is closed.

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers are going to win a cd for their little ones. Hooray! The contest will run until October 21st at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me your favorite song as a child, or the song that your child sings constantly (It’s Twinkle, Twinkle for Darah).

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: Follow LifePath Entertainment on Twitter

2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect

Personalized Stories for Kids with a Cultural Twist

October 9, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 69 Comments

I always hoped that my child would be a bibliophile. Tim and I have filled Darah’s room (and then some) with books. We switch out books the way most other parents switch out toys! She is currently in the phase where she pulls her books off the shelf one by one (when does that stage of life end, by the way?), and will also bring books to us so that we can read them to her. It is the most amazing feeling when she brings a book to me, crawls in my lap and enjoys a good story. And if she really enjoyed it, she’ll ask that I read it again. And again. And again.

I’m thrilled to have our own miniature library at our house. The stories we have range from simple picture books to enchanted stories from fairy tales. These are wonderful to have, but I’ve wondered if Darah might enjoy having a book that is a bit more personal, and that tells her own beautiful story.

Personalized Stories for Kids

My Heritage Book does exactly that! It is a personalized book for children that celebrates the heritage of the child, and tells him/her all about the countries from which his/her ancestors came. Each custom-made, hardcover book can include up to four countries and is written for one American child (though there is an option to include the names of siblings if you want one book for all the kids to share).

While Darah is still too young to fully understand the book, I can tell you that I, as a parent, am delighted with it, and can’t wait to read it to her for years to come. Right now I’m enjoying showing Darah her name in print (her name is throughout the book…SO FUN!) and talking about the letters. We also talk a little bit about the beautiful illustrations in the book. As she gets older, this book will be an AMAZING teaching tool. It will give her a sense of history and geography and a closer look at cultural traditions. I could see us re-creating some of the special dishes or holiday traditions in our own home to show Darah what they are really like. That will be so much fun for all of us!

The creator of the My Heritage Book, Deanna Novak, had a close relationship with her grandfather, who came to the U.S. from Italy. They would often talk about family traditions and about his home country. Deanna has noticed that in most families today, children don’t spend as much time with adults, asking questions about such things, and parents and grandparents often don’t know the answers to some of the questions, especially if their families have been in the United States for several generations. The My Heritage Book is Deanna’s gift to children and their families to help them have a venue for discussing cultural differences with children and what makes each of us unique and special!

Deanna has worked very hard to have a long list of available countries, and she has even more countries in the works, so contact her if one of the countries that interests you the most isn’t listed.

Available Countries

Africa * (continent)
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
England
Ethiopia
France
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan

Lebanon
Lithuania
Mexico
Native America *
Native Hawaii
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Romania
Russia
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Scotland
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Thailand
Trinidad & Tobago
Turkey
Ukraine
Venezuela
Wales

*	Based on customer requests, a more general overview of the cultures and traditions of Africa and Native America are offered. Please ask if there is a specific African country or Native American tribe you are interested in and we will let you know when it can be completed.

Remember, each book can have up to four countries listed in the book. Darah’s book contains information on Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Native America.

Buy it!: This is a FANTASTIC gift idea for children. If I didn’t already have one, I would be completely thrilled to find one under the tree this Christmas! Books can be ordered for $39.95. If you are unsure of the heritage of the child you want to buy this for, you can also order a gift certificate and let the parent place the order! Also, Deanna wants to offer Stuff Parents Need readers FREE SHIPPING! Simply enter the code STUFFPARENTSNEED at checkout and save! The coupon expires 11/01/10.

edit: this giveaway is closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a customized My Heritage Book. Is this your lucky day???? The contest will run until October 19th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me the countries your ancestors come from, if you know!

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: “Like” My Heritage Book on Facebook

2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via email or RSS.

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the home page.

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

DIY Distressed Dresser DIY Part 3

October 8, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 81 Comments

If you missed parts 1 and 2 of the DIY distressed dresser series, check them out (you don’t want to miss the freebie in part 2!).

Anne at milk paint suggested that we consider waxing the furniture after we painted it, which is something that had never crossed my mind. She said that it would make the finish look a little less chalky, and it would protect the piece from looking dirty quickly. When I thought of just how fast this piece would probably get stains from coffee cups and crayons, I decided to go for it.

We used Daddy Van’s Furniture Polish, which is a chemical free, nontoxic polish for furniture made with Unrefined Beeswax, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carnauba Wax and it comes in unscented or in 2 scents, beexwax & lavender or sweet orange oil. It was super easy to apply, because as you are applying the wax, it is very obvious where you have been and where you haven’t. The wax gives the paint a slightly darker look. Most of that color differentiation dries overnight, but I would say that the piece still looks ever so slightly darker now. And I love it! It really does have a smoother look, and those little places where I missed a spot and the color is slightly lighter simply add to the charm of the piece, and make the distressed look appear more authentic, as if the wax has simply worn away in places.

Next I want to talk about what we did with the hardware, which you see on the piece in this picture. I hated the hardware. It was old and ugly. We went to Lowe’s to pick up some new pieces. We needed 10 different knobs. News-flash: dresser knobs seem cheap until you need 10 of them. It was going to cost us $40 plus tax to get some drawer pulls that were better than what we had, but really just ok. The super cute stuff was $7 and up per piece.

So, right there in the store we decided that what we already owned wasn’t so ugly anymore, especially with a little help from a $4 can of spray paint. If I had to do it again, I would have selected a darker silver (nickel), but I’m satisfied with the end result. We put the old pulls on before we spray painted them, just in case they looked ok, and they were just so offensive. These look much better!

There’s one other thing I want to highlight about this paint. It is virtually idiot-proof, and we know this from firsthand experience. It turns out that we mixed the paint incorrectly. Oops! I think we had the ratio of water to powder off and we were supposed to use a mixer to really get the paint blended. Do you see how forgiving this paint is?!?! I think the piece turned out just great. I just wanted to point that out, though, because if you are doing a bigger job, you’ll want to make sure you read the instructions first, and don’t rely on our directions! 🙂

So, there it is. Two DIY-challenged individuals successfully turned junk into something pretty (at least we think so). I hope we have inspired you to look at some items in your home in a new way, and think about what you can do with some really good paint.

Where to Buy Milk Paint

It’s so easy, friends! Just head over to Amazon to pick out your favorite color of Milk Paint!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.

My Favorite Overnight Diapers

October 7, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

We’ve been talking a lot about cloth diapers lately (LOVE it!), and I have really been enjoying learning about products, both those based in the United States an also those from around the world.

I have been on pins and needles waiting for this next review to launch, though. I really hope you all will be just as excited to learn about this new product as I am to tell you about it.

My Favorite Overnight Diapers

Today I am bringing you a cloth diaper from New Zealand, and it is a diaper that gets my absolute highest praise for one very key reason: it really works for overnight. Seriously. 12 hours. No leaks. No, really. REALLY.

Check out my video on the Ecobubs diaper to learn more about what makes this diaper unique and swoon-worthy:

A washable wool pocket diaper truly combines the best of what wool diaper covers have to offer (major leak prevention) with the trim fit that pocket diapers can offer. Also, the stripes on the wool diapers are beyond cute on a baby’s tush!

I want to strongly encourage you, if you own a diaper shop or if you have a favorite online diaper retailer, to send them the link to Ecobubs. I think if some of the diaper shop owners gave these a try they wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to stock them!

Buy it!: edit: Ecobubs are now available on Amazon!

Since Ecobubs are based in New Zealand, their online prices are listed in New Zealand dollars. The cost for the wool pocket diaper in U.S. dollars is $28.30 (which does make it a premium diaper in terms of cost, but I PROMISE it is worth the money and then some, given all the middle of the night leaky diaper and crib sheet changes you WON’T be doing!). The Tangy Apple diaper is $23.09. Extra inserts are $4.10 each. Those inserts are soooo awesome, so I highly recommend that you buy them, and maybe even a few extra! Shipping to the U.S. is $11.17, but until October 14th, shipping for SPN readers is cut in half to $5.58 using the code DIAPER in the voucher code box. That will be the shipping price regardless of how much you order, so go in with a friend and buy as much as you can! 🙂 My husband and I have even started discussing if we can swing getting another diaper, even though our collection is decently large and money is tight. They really are just that good. To order, choose the diaper outer (wool pocket or Tangy Apple), choose the size and the number you want. Then click on the inserts and essential button to pick out the inserts. Then go to checkout. As a new customer you will register on the site, and then you can complete your order using a credit card!

Win it!: I’ve got that Tangy Apple diaper that is perfect for day up for grabs! The contest will run until October 17th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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:Tell me anything about how you have dealt (successfully or not) with leaking diapers (cloth or disposable). Is it just a reality you have to deal with, or do you have a strategy to prevent them? Anything relevant to the topic will work!Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Ecobubs on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main

page.

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

DIY Distressed Dresser Part 2

October 6, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Hopefully you saw my post about how Tim and I purchased a banged up old dresser for our room (for $20!) with the intention to give it the distressed, painted look that I love so much. If not, check it out here (it’s a quick read!).

Now I’m going to show you what we did to created a distressed dresser, diy style.

First, we took sand paper and sanded down the furniture. We didn’t strive for perfection, but just did our best to get most of that dark red stain off the furniture and get back to the original grain. Tim and I both worked on at the same time, and I think it took us about 20 minutes to get it sanded. No, I didn’t take a picture. Why? Because I’m an idiot. Sorry.

Then we busted out our milk paint! Milk Paint is a paint mix that uses milk protein, lime, clay and earth pigments such as ochre, umber, iron oxide, etc. They use no lead, no chemical preservatives and no fungicides. Milk Paint contains no hydrocarbons or any other petroleum derivatives. The paints are environmentally safe and non-toxic. I’ve always wanted to try out an eco-friendly paint, but I have only needed paint for small projects in the past few years, so buying a gallon, and sometimes even a quart, just didn’t seem necessary (at least not for the price).

But now that I’ve tried it, I wish that I had tried it LONG ago! And I definitely wish I had known about Milk Paint. This is totally the way to go! Milk Paint comes to your door as a powder in a bag. Check out the easy and fun process for turning it into paint (and yes, that’s a plastic box we used…we thought we had a paint brush tray, but we didn’t, and we were eager to get going!).

So easy! And here’s what I really love: you only have to make as much as you want to use at a time. Over time, my cans of paint have always dried out, despite our best efforts to keep them sealed. That just isn’t a problem with Milk Paint, since anything you don’t use stays in powder form. Additionally, I found the paint to have NO SMELL. This is something I’ve never experienced with paint before, and it was so cool! I feel so happy about this, because I know it isn’t slowly letting off dangerous chemicals in our house. Also, I love that you can purchase the paint by the gallon, quart or even the pint! Thank you!!!

Finally, I love the limited selection of paints that they offer. Yes, you read that correctly. I am completely overwhelmed by all of the options at Home Depot, and most any time I choose paint, I seem to get the color just a little bit wrong, which is so disappointing (especially since we don’t realize it until it is up on the walls and dried). Milk Paint offers 20 shades, all based on colors found on existing antique buildings and furniture. I can get that cool distressed look I want and be sure that I’ve selected a color that actually makes sense.

Here is a shot of the entire dresser after we painted it with the color Slate. I love the look, but I’m actually not sure if we distressed it enough! Ha!

Stay tuned for part 3 where I show you what we decided to do about hardware for the piece, and where I show you a different look you can achieve by using wax on the furniture! I’ll also talk about the basic strategy for achieving the distressed look. Finally, part 3 will also include an awesome giveaway, so don’t miss it!

And now for the freebie. The folks at Milk Paint are so sure that you will fall in love with their products if you just give them a try, that they’d like to send my readers a free sample of their paint (a pint)! It will be the perfect amount to tackle a small project! All you have to do is email Anne@milkpaint.com and tell her the color you’d like to have. Be sure to tell her that Tiffany at Stuff Parents Need sent you! Isn’t that crazy generous of them???

This post contains affiliate links. I was sent a complimentary sample of milk paint for review purposes. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.

Caspar Babypants: Fun Music From an Artist You May Know!

October 5, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I think it is really fun when a rock artist ventures over into a different genre, specifically, children’s music. Today I’ve got a terrific album called This is Fun! from Caspar Babypants. This is second children’s album from this artist, who may be known to you as Chris Ballew, the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America.

Caspar Babypants’ tunes have been described as “great stories dressed up as song.” I love that imagery! I love the sound that Chris has in all the songs, and find myself singing along with him, as opposed to running out of the room when the music comes on (some kids music makes me do that, just sayin’). Also, please note that he tells you the stories behind his songs, and I hope he’ll post the stories that go along with the songs on This Is Fun! as well.

My only complaint is that Caspar Babypants’ shows all seem to be in the Pacific Northwest. Do a national tour, puh-leeze! It would be SO MUCH fun to take Darah to your show!!!

In honor of Darah’s new favorite sing-a-long, here’s a great Caspar Babypants video of the Itsy Bitsy Spider! I ALWAYS love with children’s artists do YouTube videos. Thank you!!!

Buy it!: During the month of October, you can buy advanced SIGNED copies of the album for just $12.00! Rock! The album will be released on November 2nd. If you need some new tunes for your kids, I definitely recommend this album! This makes an excellent stocking stuffer or holiday gift!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader is going to snag your very own copy of This is Fun! The contest will run until October 15th when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their 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: Name an “adult” artist or band you would LOVE to see do a children’s album (my answer would be Ben Folds!).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Caspar Babypants on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links

DIY Distressed Dresser (3 Part Series)

October 4, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I’ve got a really cool 3 part series for all you folks out there who want to give your old, ugly furniture a face lift! I’m going to show you how we exerted not much effort, and even less skill, and turned a $20 old, beat up looking dresser into something shabby chic and totally cute! I’ve got a great giveaway to go along with it, as well as a freebie for everyone, so stay tuned!

First, let me introduce you to our dresser.

We got this from a fabulous person off Craigslist for the bargain price of $20. I call it a bargain because I saw potential in the furniture, not because it was in wonderful shape. It was all scratched up and had nail polish on it, but I thought it had a kind of unique look and charm that you just don’t see every day, so I went for it. My plan all along was to paint the furniture. I’m inspired by The Nester and all her gorgeous furniture. The painted look may not appeal to everyone, but I absolutely adore it. The distressed look is my absolute favorite, because it encourages imperfections! For someone who is extremely challenged in the creativity department, I embrace this style, because it is really all I can do (intentional or not!). 🙂

Stay tuned for part 2 where I show you how we sanded and painted the piece using some seriously cool eco-friendly paint called Milk Paint!

Amy’s Soups: Fall Has Arrived!

October 3, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 124 Comments

A few months ago I introduced you the best frozen food I have EVER had. Check out my review, here, and get ready to add Amy’s products to your grocery list.

Amy’s doesn’t just sell fabulous frozen foods, though. They have a whole line of packaged and canned goods that are organic and scrumptious. We’ve recently discovered the cheddar bunnies. We bought them for Darah, but truthfully, Tim and I ate them ourselves. I think Darah had 2 or 3. In our defense, they seem a little hard for her to eat right now. But mostly we just loved them so much that we scarfed them down before the kiddo had a fighting chance at them.

Anyway, the folks at Amy’s want to help us all welcome fall. In my neck of the woods, it is just now starting to feel like something other than the summer that WOULD. NOT. END. Thank goodness! To usher in my absolute favorite time of the year, Amy’s wants to offer a special giveaway to Stuff Parents Need readers! Woo hoo!

One lucky reader will score 3 FREE PRODUCT coupons good for any Amy’s soup, bean or chili! You’ll also snag a canvas Amy’s tote to take your new Amy’s food home in style. The contest will run until October 13th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me your favorite fall soup/stew. If you post the recipe, I won’t give you a bonus entry but I will give you plenty of love from my heart (and my stomach. Ha!). My favorite is homemade tomato soup made with plenty of garlic and cream cheese. Yum!

Additional entries:
Sponsor love: “Like” Amy’s on Facebook
Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

The Flannery Brothers Review

October 2, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 26 Comments

As Darah is getting a little bit older, I’m loosening up just a bit on my “no tv” policy. I do try to severely limit how much she gets to watch, and I’m always with her when she is watching. We actually don’t have cable, so we just watch short videos on YouTube. Those are just right for her, and after we watch a few different clips from The Wiggles or Sesame Street, we go do something else. Darah LOVES when the clips contain songs, so I keep an eye out for those.

There’s a new video out on YouTube and it was made by a band whose cd we have been enjoying for the past few weeks. If you are looking for something new and fun for your kids, check out Pirate or Parrot?

The video gives you a taste of a wonderful band called The Flannery Brothers. They are hilarious and have a wonderful sound that reminds me a bit of some of the “grown up” groups I listen to. I like their laid back style and their toe-tapping melodies. It is really easy to get into one of their songs and rock out with them. Darah bounces around to pretty much everything on their brand new album (set to release October 19th!) called The New Explorers Club. From the press release, “The New Explorers Club invites everyone in the fmaily to go exploring. Filled with danceable, clappable, singable, family-friendly rock songs, The New Explorers Club enthusiastically encourages seeking adventure and viewing the world with a fresh new perspective.”

We love The Flannery Brothers at our house, and we are evidently not the only ones! This band has won a very impressive 13 music awards, and that was just for their first two albums! Woah! I want to encourage this group to keep making really fun music, and DEFINITELY make more YouTube videos! I know my child loves not only hearing your music, but seeing the lyrics played out!

Buy it!: If you are looking for some truly wonderful music for your children, The New Explorers Club is a must. You’ll be surprised by just how much you like it, too! You can pre-order now and get an AUTOGRAPHED copy for $15!

Win it!: Hooray! The Flannery Brothers want one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader to win their very own copy of The New Explorers Club! The contest will run until October 12th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: If your kids like to watch videos on YouTube, post a link to their very favorite video! (here’s Darah’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyRxY1rXKF4&feature;=PlayList&p;=D8B30753277B8F48&index;=0&playnext;=1)
If your kids don’t watch videos on YouTube, just tell me which Flannery Brothers song you like best (you can listen to their songs here).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” The Flannery Brothers on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

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