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

Fashion Friday: The Search for the Perfect Denim Jacket: Sound Off!

March 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Affiliate links included. If 100 of you buy this jacket, I might be able to, also. Only half-kidding.

I’ve been searching online for the past 45 minutes for the perfect denim jacket for spring. And I think I found it. I adore everything about it except for the price (of course…isn’t it always that way???).

Let’s get the price out of the way: $119.50. Is that a crazy high price? Yes? No? Maybe so?

But think about it: you wear jackets A LOT. And this one can look dressy (because it’s black) or totally tough (because it’s black) or slimming (because it’s black!). I love that it has a cool zipper instead of buttons. And I love that it is perfect for a layered look. Around here, the temperature can shift by 40 degrees throughout the day in the spring, so layering is sort of essential.

So tell me, do you ever “invest” in more expensive pieces like this, or keep it as cheap as possible, all the time? Or is the price totally reasonable to you? Let me hear from you!

New (FREE) Apps From SylvanPlay: Perfect for Spring Break and Summer!

March 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to SylvanPlay for partnering with me on this post about free educational apps. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Attention parents of kids in grades 1-4! Sylvan Learning has just released a suite of NINE mobile games that are designed to reinforce grade-appropriate lessons in fun and engaging ways, and enhance what your kids are already learning in the classroom. As we get ready to head into summer, having “games” like these on hand is a fantastic idea to help with the retention of lessons learned, and to offer some new learning opportunities, as well.

I’ve personally checked out 5 of the 9 apps that were just released, and I wanted to share my thoughts on those 5.

1. Critter Cruise (free)

This travel game has levels for grades 1-4, making it appropriate for the 6-9 year old range. Kids can pick out a vehicle and chart a course on a big road trip across America. Not only will they learn geography as they pass various landmarks while driving their car, they will also take lots of fun and quick quizzes that cover a wide range of topics, such as language and math. The quizzes help kids earn fuel for the car, as well as coins that they can use to “purchase” upgrades for their ride. It was simple, yet engaging, and I like that it has a built-in reward system to encourage kids to keep working on the quizzes so they can earn more rewards and do more customization.

2. Get Rocky (free)

This is a fast-paced racing game that takes you to the core of the earth and teaches you about geology along the way. For me, this one was one of the most “addicting” games 🙂

3. Angle Asteroids (free)

This one is all about angles! You have to position your spaceship at the correct angle to blast the asteroids. Simple, yet fun and a great learning game, I think!

4. Pizza Party (free)

This one is all about math! There are adorable creatures gathered together for a fun pizza party, and it is your job to do things like split up the pizza equally, determine quantities of treats for guests based on their request (“Mr. Potato wants 2 more cupcakes than Mr. S”), and serve up drinks in the right amount. Totally cute, but it does feel more like a math lesson than a game. This is a good one to play along with your child to encourage them to stick it out longer.

Additional Games in the SylvanPlay Suite

5. Sushi Scramble (tablet only) (free)

This game works on language skills and is designed for 2 to 4 players, who can collaborate or compete to “serve” up the most words or the longest word.

6. Not Lost in the Universe (tablet only) (free)

Kids learn about how wind, the sun, water and heat create lasing sources of energy while helping the brave explorers on the Planet Blarp refuel their power cells.

7. Wonder Bunny Math Race (free)

$wonder bunny math$

Helps younger kids ages 3-8 learn numbers, counting, addition and subtraction as they help Wonder Bunny win the race and collect carrots along the way.

8. Battle Station (free)

Helps kids improve number sense as they defend their ship from enemy submarines by estimating their location using marker

buoys.

9. Equator (free)

Challenges kids to collaborate to bring balance to the equator by testing their math skills including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and order of operations as they play through four seasons.

As you probably noticed, all of the games are free! Download them and see what your kiddos think about them!

Preventing Flat Head Syndrome with The Tortle!

March 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

by Alanna Peters

A complimentary Tortle beanie was provided to me for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Are you familiar with Plagiocephaly and Torticollis? They are also known as Flat Head Syndrome. I was surprised to learn that more than a million babies are diagnosed with this condition each year, and that is in the U.S. alone! Plagiocephaly is the flattening of a baby’s skull and Torticollis is a condition when a baby has unbalanced neck muscles. I have noticed more and more babies wearing corrective helmets lately, and now I am beginning to understand why. Every baby is at risk of developing Flat Head Syndrome due to their lack of movement. While lying on the back is the safest position for a baby, it can also lead to flattening of the head. Tummy time is a great way to reposition baby’s head but if your baby is like mine, lying on the stomach is not always the most pleasant position for more than a few minutes at a time!

Thanks to Tortle, there is now another great way to prevent Flat Head Syndrome. The Tortle is an FDA cleared knit beanie that gently positions baby’s head to one side or the other while lying down or sitting. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies under 6 months have their heads frequently repositioned, and the Tortle is a great way to do so. Simply place the Tortle beanie on baby’s head with the support roll behind his or her ear. After each feeding, rotate the roll to the other side of the head. You can find out more about the Tortle in this video.

I’m excited to tell you that the Tortle is now available for purchase at Babies R Us and BuyBuy BABY Stores, and online at Target.com. Target.com will carry three Tortle designs; Blue Elephant, Pink Flowers and Solid White. The Tortle beanies are available in medium and large sizes at a suggested retail price of $19.99. Through this new, easy availability, Tortle will have an opportunity to further increase awareness of Flat Head Syndrome and the ease in which it can be prevented or treated!

I gave the Tortle a try and it’s quite easy to use. I did feel like it was a little tight to put on even though my newborn’s head is tiny. I had a hard time getting it all the way down over her ears. I don’t think it was really much harder to put on than a normal beanie though. One downside I found is that the Tortle is not for use overnight. I wear my baby so often that overnight is really the only time she’s lying down! I’m sure that will change as she gets a bit older though. The biggest challenge for me is simply remembering to put it on. (Hello, Mommy Brain!) I definitely feel like it’s worth using though – I’d SO much rather prevent Flat Head Syndrome than treat it!

Want to stay in touch with Tortle? Follow Tortle and creator Dr. Scott on social media at the links below:

Facebook

Twitter

Preschool Geometry Lessons Through Play (Giveaway!)

March 12, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 44 Comments

We just started playing with a new game sent by Learning Resources called Shapes Don’t Bug Me. It is some serious hands-on geometry fun, designed with pre-K children in mind. As it turns out, my 22-month-0ld also loves to play with the shapes included in the kit, which makes this an activity that the girls will happily do together.

Cue the angels! Cooperative play is happening thanks to geometry!!!

Does it maybe seem a tad overzealous of me to have geometry based learning activities for a kid who can’t yet write her entire name? I can totally see that perspective. But one thing we have learned since putting Darah into Montessori school is that kids’ brains are incredible machines, and they are rapidly mapping information that they will be able to pull from down the road. Any time I can find very tangible ways to help kids grasp what might be thought of as abstract concepts (like math), I leap at the chance to try it out.

By playing with trapezoids and hexagons and quarter circles, my kids are getting a very tactile experience with objects and really learning about them and how they interface with other objects to create shapes. Their muscle memory is being developed as they work with the shapes, and by the time they are learning things like the Pythagorean Theorem in middle school, they will have developed a great level of comfort with shapes and angles that will serve them well!

I’d love to hear if you have any activities that are geometry-based that your kids like to do!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win Shapes Don’t Bug Me, courtesy of Learning Resources.

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trying Out Better Life Cleaners (As Seen on Shark Tank)

March 12, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Complimentary products were provided for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

If you watch the show Shark Tank, where businesses present their products and services for consideration to a team of investors, then you likely saw Better Life Cleaners featured. This is an entire line of cleaners that is so non-toxic that one of the founders literally put his money where is mouth is and sprayed the cleaners in his mouth in front of the team evaluating him on the show.

And I have to say, that gave these products a lot of street cred! As someone who has a toddler on her heels all day, wanting to do anything and everything that mommy does, having cleaners that are TRULY safe my my child to touch, and yes, even ingest (God forbid) is important.

Earlier today, for example, I was trying out the scrubbing product called “Even the Kitchen Sink.” And guess what? Layah tasted it. No, of course, not by intention. I simply set the bottle down and was cleaning an area of our stainless steel dishwasher front, and then I turned around in time to see a white speck of cleaner on Layah’s fingers, headed straight to her lips. It reached her mouth before I did, and while I wiped it off once I reached her, I also didn’t sweat it.

Speaking of that cleaner, I wanted to highlight that it is a product intended to use on multiple surfaces, such as glass stove tops, stainless steel, toilets, tile, grout, etc. It is a natural cleansing scrubber that offers scratch free shine. Here are my before and after shots:

While Even the Kitchen Sink didn’t provide a completely streak-free shine, I think its versatility of use, combined with its extremely safe solution make it a powerhouse tool to keep in your cleaning cabinet. I definitely recommend this one!

The other product in the lot that I personally thought was a winner was Simply Floored! The scent was awesome, first of all (citrus mint). And I noticed that it made quick work of messes on the floor that were dried on, which was really impressive. This product is safe for hardwood, tile, marble, bamboo, vinyl, laminate and other sealed floors. It also left a nice shine. This is terrific for spot treating your floors in between mopping sessions (and around here, mopping sessions are far too infrequent, so having something like this on hand is a very good thing).

So, where do you find these products? Better Life can be found online, and the website also offers a store locator if you just type in your zip code! Our local Whole Foods location popped up as the nearest in-store distributor.

Have you tried Better Life products? Are you on the hunt for eco-friendly cleaning solutions that are affordable?

Domino Sugar Provides a Frenzy-Free Morning (Giveaway!)

March 11, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 134 Comments

Special thanks to Domino Sugar and Mom It Forward Blogger Network for partnering with me on this compensated post. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own, as always.

I often tell potential blog partners that if they have a product that will save busy parents time, money, or both, then I want to hear about it. brought me a “sweet” little life hack by way of their new products, and I can’t wait to show them to you! Check out two ways that Domino Sugar is saving my family precious time in the morning.

Brown Sugar Bagels in a Flash

I’ve been eating bagels with cream cheese and brown sugar on top since college, when a friend of mine suggested it as a great topping option. I’ve never looked back, and now it is Darah’s favorite way to have her bagels. My brown sugar, however, is in a container that we keep tucked away in the pantry. It is still being stored as if it is a seldom-used ingredient, when it fact, we use it quite frequently during breakfast.

Check out Domino’s new flip-top feature, which is available for white or brown sugar. This makes it a breeze to grab the brown sugar and quickly pour it as we are serving up bagels for everyone in the house on a busy school day morning. I love it!!!

Cold and Sweet Coffee in Seconds

If you’ve spent any amount of time on my site, then you know that I simply adore my iced coffee. I like it sweet, too, and I’ve learned how to make iced coffee VERY quickly using my Keurig and my reusable K-cup (saves me a FORTUNE, by the way!). But since my drink is pretty much cold from the start, I pay the price with my sugar, which takes more time to dissolve than it would if I had made the drink hot.

In the same convenient container type that my Domino Brown Sugar now comes in, I’ve also got Domino Quick Dissolve Superfine Sugar, and it does exactly what it claims to do: dissolve fast! I knew it wouldn’t show up well in my coffee, so I took a picture of Domino Quick Dissolve Sugar just after pouring it into a glass of cold water. It was almost dissolved by the time I grabbed my camera to take the photo.

The same was true when I made my (second) coffee this morning: it was pretty much all gone by the time I snapped the photo! If you drink iced tea, lemonade, or any other beverage that could use a little sweetening, this is a must-have product!

These new products from Domino Sugar retail for $2.75 and certainly shave a few seconds off our morning routine, as well as keep our products in containers that help keep messes off the floor. I’ll take all the help I can get, and I’m sure many of you feel the same way! You can keep up with the latest promotions (and coupon offerings!) by following Domino Sugar on Facebook and .

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a coupon to try Domino Pourable Sugar for free!

To enter: leave your email address in the comment section of the blog post AND tell me your favorite sweetened drink!

The contest will run until 11:59pm am on March 18th when a winner will be selected using Rafflecopter. 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. Stuff Parents Need is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Madison Reed Hair Color: My Experience with Non-Amonia Dye

March 11, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 9 Comments

Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of making more noticeable change to my hair color. I have very dark brown hair, but I had been wondering about whether or not I could pull off a lighter, more golden brown.

So I reached out to the fantastic new home hair coloring kit company called Madison Reed for some advice. Have you heard of them? They offer salon quality hair dye products that are completely free of amonia and that have a multi-tonal feel so that your end result isn’t flat and one dimensional (which, in my opinion, is how boxed hair color always looks). They also offer professional color consultations for free! I submitted a photo of myself and asked for some feedback about color options that would work for me.

Here’s what my hair looked like before. Notice the gray that I have coming in. That was another reason I was looking for a new hair dye…the gray is getting more noticeable day by day, it seems. 🙁

My hair had been dyed before (many times, actually, but the last time was 6 months ago, and I did use a permanent color). The color professional’s advice wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I know she led me in the right direction. Since Madison Reed’s products are amonia-free, they are not designed to provide major hair color changes on already dyed-hair. She said I could really only expect to lift the shade one level. She also said that I would have the best results if I would shampoo my hair with a clarifying shampoo for a few weeks before using the hair color. Clarifying shampoos tend to strip out hair color, FYI.

I followed her advice for 2 full weeks, and then I broke out my hair coloring kit in the color she recommended, Venezia Brown – 4NGV. It is still a deep brown, but it has a more golden hue.

Here’s what the box contains. Highlights for me included the very cool barrier cream that you apply where your skin and your hair meet to help prevent dyeing your scalp. And on the negative side, my gloves broke when putting them on, so that made it harder, in fact, impossible, to dye my hair without also dyeing my hand a bit. Fortunately the dye on my hands was all gone in 3 days. But still…bummer.

To be fair, the box actually contained 2 pairs of gloves (a second pair is offered to use while washing out the hair color). I actually didn’t notice it until I reached that part of the instructions. Had I realized, I would have used that pair during the dyeing process. Learn from my mistake!

The box is beautiful and made me feel much more pampered than any box hair color I have ever used. And the results? While darker than I wanted, I think the end result did look nice. Here’s a shiny pic so you can see how much more vibrant my hair looks:

And here’s an after shot in a more natural light:

The color makes my green eyes pop, which is exactly what the color specialist thought it would do. It looks nice, and I’m very glad to give my hair color a bit of a lift.

I also like that you can set up your home deliveries of your favorite hair color for as often as you’d like. I have started to notice the color fading a bit after 2 weeks, and that is with me washing my hair every other day. Obviously, results will vary based on how frequently you wash your hair. Overall, I think that the personalized service and the great advice offered by the crew at Madison-Reed really sets this brand apart from the pack. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others. If your hair needs a bit of a lift, give them a try!

Madison Reed hair color is available for $24.95. If you use coupon NEWYOU at checkout, you get 20% off and free shipping for your first order! Woo hoo!

My Favorite Clothing Stain Fighter Has a New Look

March 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator. All opinions are 100% mine.

My mother-in-law introduced me to the power of Biz as soon as Darah hit the scene and we started dealing with formula and milk stains. Known as the ultimate laundry booster, Biz contains more stain fighting ingredients than other detergents or boosters and knocks out stains, and I have found it especially effective with food stains, personally. Biz even made my list of my all-time favorite laundry products!

So when I was asked to take a look at the new packaging Biz had to offer, and to try out its stain fighting power on the blog, I couldn’t wait for the chance. This will be a product that I’m going to buy, anyway, so why not get a sneak peek? And I also get so offer my readers a coupon to save $1 on Biz, too! Everyone wins (except clothing stains. Those lose).

So here are two shirts that I dealt with last week. One was from a shirt of Darah’s that either didn’t get clean the first time it was washed, or that accidentally got put in the clean clothes pile when it was dirty (I truly don’t know which is the case, and now you have a glimpse at just how out-of-control our laundry piles can get when you hear that dirty and clean can get confused!).

The instructions on the bottle suggested directly applying a bit of Biz to the stained area, and scrubbing it in a bit, and then letting it soak for 5-10 minutes. I followed the instructions, but I can also tell you from experience that when you have REALLY tough stains, a longer soak (even overnight!) is what will really do the trick.

When I pulled the clothes out of the wash, I inspected the stained area before drying it (always a good thing to do with stained clothes just in case the stain isn’t lifted!) I discovered that the stain was gone. I’d love to tell you that I was surprised, but I totally wasn’t, because I already know that Biz is amazing! 🙂

I also had a purple shirt of my own in the same load, and it had a grease stain. Typically, this is the kiss of death for an item of clothing, unless you have Biz!

I did the same thing and applied the Biz, scrubbed it in, and let it sit for a bit. I was actually a little bit worried about this one, because a grease stain is something I would usually soak for at least an hour, if not overnight. But what do you know? Out it came!

So what I did for this load, since the stains were bad but not totally crazy (like huge patches of grass stains) is to directly apply the product to the stains, and then I added a bit of Biz to the laundry, along with regular detergent. If you have some intense stains, you can simply use Biz in the place of your detergent for that load, rather than as an additive.

You can follow Biz on Facebook to keep up with their promotions and to read testimonials from other satisfied customers. And if you are ready to try it yourself, here’s a list of where to buy Biz. It’s a must in my laundry room!

I Want to Know: What’s Your Take on the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift?

March 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Thanks to Paula Miles for partnering with me on this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Ok, so this infographic really got me thinking about mom’s really and truly want for Mother’s Day.

Escape and unwind with a pamper session at home by making use of your preferred body and foot care products.

I’m going to be truthful with you and tell you that with the exception of my very first Mother’s Day, when we spent the day together as a family doing things like having a picnic and taking walks, I have asked for the same thing every year: a day to myself.

I’ve wondered if it has been a counter-intuitive request: on the day to celebrate mom and how wonderful she is, all she asks for is to be left alone. I’ve even had a few people tell me that they think it is a selfish request. And on some level, I’d have to agree with them. It is completely self-serving to ask for a day to myself.

And yet, I think it is also a gift that helps me be a better mother on the day after Mother’s Day, and the day after that, etc. Moms are typically not so good at self care, and so we press on with our duties until we reach a breaking point. I’ve actually gotten fairly decent at seeing the warning signs for an impending breakdown, and Tim is very accommodating about helping me get whatever sort of “time out” I might need. Usually that looks like dinner in my room by myself so I can eat in peace and watch a television show online that I like, or take a bubble bath. During especially rough days, I’ve been known to do all 3 things at once! But an entire day to myself is still a very rare thing, and it is VERY rejuvenating. It truly feels like a gift because it goes a long way toward restoring my depleted resources.

Still, I found it interesting that according to the infographic above, only 1/3 of moms are interested in the gift I request. Perhaps other moms are even better than me at keeping their self-care in check. Or perhaps it is the case that as kids get older, the need for that type of break from them becomes less necessary? I’m not really sure, but I’d love to hear what you really want for Mother’s Day.