Stuff Parents Need - Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

The World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

May 20, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Complimentary tickets to The World of Coca Cola were provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Last month when we had a weekend vacation in Atlanta, (where we toured The Georgia Aquarium and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History), we also spent a bit of time at The World of Coca-Cola, which is an experiential museum for anyone who has ever enjoyed a Coke.

So…that would be everyone. 🙂

The World of Coca-Cola is next door to The Georgia Aquarium, so if you are going to visit one attraction, you might as well visit the other. And if you are going to visit both, you might as well get the CityPass and get a discount! Inside you will find room after room of memorabilia that spans the last century and that hails from all over the world. You can’t help but feel like you are part of something BIG when you realize just how universal that feeling of having your first sip of coke is for people all over the world.

I will tell you, this museum was not as intriguing to our children (ages 4 and 2) as it was to the grown-ups. We had to breeze past much of the historical information on display, though I did manage to pause in awe at this little tidbit:

The Coca-Cola polar bear is on hand throughout most of the day to take photos with guests, and that is a great thing to do with the kids. The line was long, so we weren’t able to take advantage of it, but that’s something to keep in mind as a fun thing to do if you bring young children.

The highlight for most any guest who comes to The World of Coca-Cola is the tasting room. This is where Coca-Cola products from all over the world are on tap, and you are welcome to taste as many of them as you like! After viewing all the Coca-Cola bottles throughout the museum, you will DEFINITELY be thirsty by the time you arrive. And if you leave thirsty, then I hate to break it to you, but something must be wrong with you! 🙂

For me, The World of Coca-Cola was a feel-good, fun look at the most beloved soft drink in the entire world. If I were to head back again, though, I’d honestly leave the kiddos behind. They don’t know what Coca-Cola is (it’s a rare treat in my home, not a staple), and they aren’t drawn to all of the memorabilia or all of the soft drinks on tap. I would say to bring older kids and/or kids who have at least enjoyed a few Coca-Colas of their own, first. As for me, I’d totally love to go back and get to spend more time going slowly through the exhibits.

And I’d probably spend more time in the tasting room, too. Can you blame a girl?

Have you ever visited The World of Coca-Cola? What did you think of your experience??

Healthy Habits I’m Picking Up (at Walgreens!)

May 19, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

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

I’ve been talking on the blog lately about some healthy habits I’m working on (specifically, getting my allergies in check and dropping some weight). But as someone who is turning 34 at the end of this summer (gulp), I’m also realizing that NOW is the time for me to get really serious about my skin health (ok, 10 years ago was the time to get serious, but better late than never!).

On a recent trip to the corner of happy and healthy (you know the place! Walgreens!) I picked up 3 things on my list that will help me get my skin into shape from the inside out. I love Walgreens because even though they aren’t huge in size, they pack A LOT of stuff inside, and so much of it is so good for you! As a woman who is not exactly a spring chicken anymore, I have quite a few particular things I’m looking for help me keep my skin looking youthful. But I’m not fooled by advertisements telling that everything I need by this point in my life has to be expensive! It doesn’t have to be found at health food or high-end specialty stores, either. I can find SO many awesome things at my favorite drugstore!

For example, just this week I went to get some vitamins that could help with skin health, and I stumbled on a total goldmine! These sleep & beauty (cute, no?) pills were on clearance (how I love thee, orange tags!) AND that particular line of products was on sale that day for buy 1 get 1 free. I scored a two month supply for under $9, without any coupons!

These pills have melatonin in them to help me drift off to sleep, and while I’m resting, the keratin goes to work to help improve elasticity and keep my skin in great shape. Remember, your skin is an organ, and it needs nourishment and proper care just like any other part of your body.

I also picked up some sunscreen for me to use during afternoon play time outside with the kids. I think most of us by now have gotten the memo that sunscreen is really important, but are you like me and skip applying it when you know you’ll just be outside for half an hour or so? I am guilty of this so often. So guess what? I’m making it as easy as possible. I picked up a twin pack of spray on sunscreen and am keeping it by the back door. Applying it takes 10 seconds. No more excuses! No more sunburn, either!

Finally, I cruised by the refrigerated section at Walgreens (do you do this? You should start…they always have great prices on milk, just FYI!). And lo and behold, I saw something fancy that has been on my wish list to try: coconut water!

Coconut water is the latest health food craze, and I’m not so sure that I buy into the hype that it is the beverage that will solve any health-related problem that ever existed. I think that’s just a wee bit of a stretch! However, I have personally experienced the benefits of using coconut oil (internally and externally) and so I believe that coconut water is a good option to use. One of its benefits is that it helps your body really get hydrated, and when your body is hydrated, so is your skin. Hydrated skin = beautiful skin, plain and simple. So this week I started making coconut water ice cubes (I threw a little fresh mint from our herb garden in there for extra flavor). You guys….this is SOOOOOO yummy! Coconut water is on the high end for calories, and I prefer not to drink my calories throughout the day, but to save those for bites of gelato in the evening, so the coconut ice cubes give me that nice flavor without a ton of calories being added to my water. It’s totally going to be a summer staple for me!

Walgreens is promoting #HerHealth by helping me take great care of my skin these days, and its convenient location and variety of products help me wrap up my shopping list all in one shot. That gives me more time to hang back with the family, kick off my shoes, and play some hide-and-seek. My skin is all taken care of, but I’ve still got to work on my poker face.

Do you have any beloved products or helpful tips for others when it comes to skin health? I’d love to hear about it! And I’m super curious to hear if you’ve tried coconut water yet! 🙂

Get Inspired for Your Next Date Night: Roman Holiday Theme Ideas!

May 19, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

This post brought to you by Breyers Gelato Indulgences. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yesterday Tim and I had a FABULOUS date night, all because I took just a little bit of time to think outside of the box about what we would do for our evening. We didn’t do anything crazy (or crazy-expensive) like a hot air balloon ride, or an overnight getaway. In fact, we just went out to eat, pretty much like every time we have a date night.

Only we took some inspiration from the classic movie, Roman Holiday. This made it SO much more fun!

Instead of just wearing the same old tired stuff in my closet, I went for a new outfit. But not just any new outfit…I went for Princess Ann’s look in the movie (no, not the ball gown…). She had such an adorable look with her blue skirt and white top. I replicated it easily with items currently being sold at Target! Woo hoo!

We were also inspired by the fact that Princess Ann just wanted to get to enjoy her surroundings a bit, and so we decided to just enjoy ours. We walked to the restaurant and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of downtown Chattanooga, and then after dinner, and quite by accident, discovered ping pong tables that had been set out for the public to enjoy. How fun is that?

Finally, once we returned home and sent the babysitter on her way, it was time for dessert. Get your mind out of the gutter, you guys! Sheesh! I’m talking about the perfect ending to a perfect Italian date:Breyers Gelato Indulgences.

I had a container of the Tiramisu flavor for me, and a container of the Triple Chocolate for Tim. We were both in heaven! And we saved a bit of money on our date by coming home after just 3 hours out, and having our dessert at home. We also watched a movie, courtesy of our Amazon Prime membership. That’s right, Roman Holiday is available for viewing there for free if you are a prime member! 🙂

While it wasn’t anything too outside of the norm, this date night was just different enough to make it absolutely delightful. That’s actually sort of how I feel about the difference between gelato and ice cream! The next time you head to the grocery store, switch things up just a touch and add a carton (or 4) to your grocery cart. They retail for $4.49-$5.99 (depending on location) and they are truly an indulgent treat. You can even surprise your significant other with an Italian-inspired date night and claim it as your own idea. I won’t tell, promise! Divertitevi! (Have a good time!).

An Update on Creating a “Sanctuary” This Year

May 17, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I am participating in the ZonePerfect Blog It Forward program, and am receiving complimentary products as a thank you for my participation. I am encouraged to provide honest feedback, be it positive, neutral or negative! So just like always, all thoughts and opinions listed here are my own.

Four months ago, almost to the day, I wrote about the word Tim and I chose as our focus for 2014: sanctuary. I talked about how we were seeking refuge from the over-scheduled, hyper-stressed lifestyle that seems to be the norm in America. And I talked about some key things that needed to go (lots of junk in our house) and a few things that needed to be added to our schedules (like working out) in order for stress to no longer have a grip on us.

So, how’s it going? Well, overall I’d say very good. But slow.

De-Cluttering

It actually wasn’t very slow, at first. We hired a professional organizer, just as I said we would, and we had an incredible 4 hour long session with her where we got MANY great ideas about how to change our current habits into ones that would serve us better, about how to get our children used to the idea of order in the home, and about the critical importance of using vertical space in our (quite small) home.

Just before and just after her visit, Tim and I were ON FIRE about getting stuff out of our house. Looking over our tax donation forms for the year, I count 11 trips that I have made to the thrift store, each time with a trunk full of items that we realized we would be happy to live without…even happier than we were to live with. 🙂 After ridding yourself of 11 trunk loads of stuff from a house that is just shy of 1400 square feet, I can tell you that we most definitely feel a little less burdened with stuff. And I don’t miss a thing (not even the ironing board…totally got rid of that visual reminder that I hate ironing!).

But we aren’t out of the woods, yet. We still need to find homes for the things that remain, and that has been a slower process. It takes time to really think through where something should live, and time is something we are still short on. But we are at least able to start thinking about these things because we’ve removed the distractions.

And by the way, if you are also trying to declutter and don’t want the process to take a year, you should check out fellow blogger Becky Mansfield’s fantastic ebook called Freed from Clutter that will walk you through how to free up space in your home by letting go of clutter in just 30 days.

Healthier Living

The other element of sanctuary had to do with creating time and space for healthy decisions for our bodies (yoga classes, outdoor activities, and eating food that is good for our bodies, and not just our taste buds). I’m happy to report that thanks to having helpful resources on hand like my essential oils for weight loss and breakfasts I can easily make for myself at 4 am (shout out, ZonePerfect bars!), I’m down 13 pounds! I have cleared a good bit of clutter in a very physical way, I suppose!

But getting myself to the gym for those yoga classes has been slower going. But I’m feeling so much more motivated since my eating choices have helped me have some successes. It won’t be easy to get back into shape, friends, I have no illusions of that. But I know it will at least be easier with some of that weight already off, and I’m so proud of my progress so far.

How are your goals for 2014 going so far? Don’t give up on them if they are going slow, friends! Sometimes the hardest work is the first few steps. And sometimes you have to be ok with pacing yourself after beginning the race with a mad dash, like I did. Either way, I promise you can find your groove if you just don’t give up!

The cutest little wetsuit you’ll ever see! A Konfidence Babywarma review.

May 16, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 83 Comments

by Alanna Peters

A complimentary Konfidence Babywarma was provided for this post (thank you!) but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Summer is definitely on the way and, for those of us who live in certain areas of the country, it is getting HOT! (A little TOO hot for us in San Diego. 🙁 These fires are scary!) One of the best ways to stay cool in hot weather is at the pool or at the beach. My oldest daughter has gotten to be quite a fish after a couple years of swim lessons and I’m excited to start my little one in the water soon too! We are at swim lessons almost every week of the year and LOVE it.

Our swim lesson pool is heated to a balmy bath tub temperature, which litle baby loves. However, the outdoor pool we played in yesterday was a bit on the cool side. It felt great to the kids and adults in our 95-degree weather but my baby wasn’t digging it! I figured it would be the perfect time to test out our new Babywarma wetsuit from Konfidence to help keep her a little warmer while in the water.

Konfidence is a European company that designs premium protective swim gear for babies, infants and children. They also have sun protective clothing, wetsuits, and more for children up to 14 years. They’ve won numerous awards for their products and are now available in the US!

We were sent a Konfidence Babywarma to try. The Strawberry design we received is adorable! I love that it’s cute and sweet but not too girly. I can only handle so much pink and purple! (My oldest daughter would strongly disagree with me on that one.) I was very impressed with the quality of the Babywarma. The material is a soft but sturdy neoprene wetsuit material and is very well-made. I especially love that every opening on the suit has a Velcro closure so there is no part of the suit that ever has to go over baby’s head. I just put her inside like an envelope and sealed her up! The closures also make it easily adjustable for different lengths and widths. (We received the 0-6 month size Babywarma which fit my 3-month-old perfectly.) She only seemed OKAY with the suit on, but I couldn’t tell if it was the wetsuit or the cool water that she was unsure of! We did have a good time floating around after a while. (And yes, her tongue is ALWAYS sticking out of her mouth.)

The Babywarma Swimsuit is designed to keep baby warm in the water. It is soft and snug and secure and provides 100% sun protection for covered areas. It also makes baby easy to hold onto in the water! The Velcro tabs allow the suit to be opened completely flat for quick drying and the bottom flap allows for easy diaper changes. The Babywarma comes in sizes 0-6, 6-12 and 12-24 months, and is available in Blue Polka Dot, Strawberry, Clownfish, Fuschia and Nautical Blue.
Want to find out more about Konfidence? You can follow them online at the following links:

www.konfidence-usa.com
Facebook
Twitter
They also have a fun video on YouTube!

Konfidence products are now available at buybuy BABY stores and online at buybuybaby.com. The Babywarma retails for $29.99, which I think is a fair price for a great product! Or, you can enter for a chance to WIN a Babywarma Wetsuit!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Honest Company Bug Spray Review: An Honest Assessment

May 15, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

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

Today I’m excited to be showing off one of my absolute favorite Honest Company products for the summer season: Honest Bug Spray.

This product contains citronella, cedar, rosemary and peppermint essential oils (and you know how I feel about essential oils!). It smells REALLY good…unless you are a bug, in which case it smells repulsive.

I put this product to the ultimate test a few weeks ago when my family did some hiking in a heavily wooded area in eastern Tennessee. We had no bites of any sort on us after our walk, which made me really happy, and proved to me that this stuff is the real deal. I’m going to order a second one for my next bundle for sure!

How to Buy Honest Bug Spray for the Best Price

Ok, so this product retails for $12.95 on the website. This makes it an EXCELLENT choice for part of your essentials bundle (refresher: the bundle is an auto-ship program that allows you to choose any 5 things in a category for $35.95…as long as you pick things that retail for more than $7.20 each, this is a great deal!). You can also make it one of your +3 items that you can tack on to a bundle, which are offered for 25% off, and that would make the price $9.71. That’s not as good as $7.20, but if you wanted more than 1 bug spray at a time, that’s still better than the retail price!

But First, Get Stuff for Free!

If you have never ordered from The Honest Company before, you need to get your freebies before you do anything else! 🙂 Here’s the rundown on how to get Honest Company freebies as a new sign up. After that, check out my growing list of Honest Company reviews to help you figure out how to order the best products for the best price (as not everything I have tried as been awesome, and there are several products listed as bundle options that actually retail for less than $7.20…don’t fall for that trick!).

My Little Southern (Iggy) Azalea: She’s So Fancy

May 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Well, Jimmy Fallon definitely did Ms. Iggy Azalea justice with his recent lip sync of her song, “Fancy” (if you haven’t seen it, here ya go. I’ll wait):

But as I flipped through pictures I recently took of my oldest’s play time with her Grammy and the homemade Southern version of Glamour Shots that ensued, I couldn’t help but think that she might be giving Jimmy a run for his money. I mean, just take a look at some of the highlights!

Here’s hoping that she only ever wants to act out those lyrics and not the rest, though I highly suspect I’ll be seeing her being in the “murda bizness” when it comes to dealing with her little sister.

Such a charming little Azalea, isn’t she? 😉

Limited Edition Art Prints from Minted: Dress Up Your Walls

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

Affiliate links included. I only promote what I love!

Anyone else out there itching for something fresh for your walls with the change of seasons? Painting is too involved (and permanent), but how about some lovely new art prints? Minted, my favorite place for beautiful birth announcements, has launched a set of limited edition art prints, and they are SOOOOO GORGEOUS! Here are my top 3 favorites (and PLEASE tell me which one you like best! You will help me choose which one to get!). Just click on the photos if you want to see these on the website.

1. Out to Sea

2. Summer Clouds

3. Grace

The prices for these prints are quite affordable, starting at $20 for a 4×6 (I’m interested in 11×14 size, with prices varying, but hovering around $40…not bad for something so pretty!). You can also purchase the frames for an additional fee. I’m inclined to do that simply so that I don’t have more work to do once the print arrives. It will be ready to hang!

If you’d like to check out the other prints available, created by a global community of independent artists, check out the full list. Your purchase goes to support the careers of these independent artists (yay!). And leave a comment telling me which one you like best, because it’s totally fun to window shop together! 🙂

Walgreens Has Simple Products as a Great Value This Week!

May 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Compensation provided by Global Influence. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I’m headed out to Walgreens this week to pick a few items that I already needed, and to take advantage of the Simple Skincare sale happening.

If you purchase at least 2 products in the line, you earn 2,000 points on your balance rewards card, which basically equals $2 back! Additionally, the products are buy 1 get 1 50% off, so that will save me even more. I have used their makeup remover cloths in the past and absolutely loved them. They got my makeup successfully and my skin wasn’t the least bit irritated. I have sensitive skin, so it isn’t uncommon for me to be a little red after using a makeup remover, which sometimes can be a bit harsh for my skin. Simple Skin Care has NONE of the following: parabens, dyes, artificial perfumes, or harsh irritants.

Since I really loved the makeup remover cloths, and since Walgreens is offering some sweet incentives until the end of the month, I thought now would be a great time to give a few of their newer products a try. This afternoon I’m going to be picking up the Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer, as the warm weather has made me realize that I need to switch out the moisturizer I used throughout the winter for something not so heavy. I’m also going to pick up the Simple Nourishing 24-hour Day/Night Cream because in addition to being sensitive, my skin is also very dry, so I’m going to see if this slightly heavier cream might be a good option for me to wear at night during the warmer months. I’ll report back if I fall madly in love with it!

Let me hear from you if you use Simple products! I’d love to hear about what your favorites are (and you may cause me to make more than one trip to Walgreens to pick up more products!).