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Stuff Parents Need

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

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On Stress, Sleep, and Remembering to Take Your Pills (Giveaway!)

January 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 61 Comments

Do you ever have trouble sleeping due to stress? Welcome to adult life…it is one of the true (but really lame) hallmarks! The other big marker of being an adult that I’ve been experiencing lately is forgetting things. SEVERAL times a day I take myself to various parts of the house and upon arriving have to ask myself, “Why am I here?” Most of the time I can remember after thinking about it for a moment, but sometimes I can’t! It makes me feel old and definitely off my game.

Sainthood Herbs recently sent me some products aimed to address both issues, and I wanted to tell you about them just in case either (or both!) might be something you could use.

sainthood herbs mental agility stress & sleep

Stress & Sleep pills are designed to help reduce stress by inducing relaxation. They are not intended to be a nightly sleep aid, but to be used with occasional sleeping difficulties. Most nights I am able to fall asleep in a matter of minutes (I’m very lucky, I know!) but if I have been working on strategy for the blog, or am trying to figure out how to approach a story angle, I can really struggle to fall asleep as my brain keeps trying to work out problems. It happened to me just last night, actually, and that’s when I reached for the Stress & Sleep bottle to get a little assistance.

Mental Agility pills are designed to boost your cognitive performance by improving working memory and supporting attention. It also contributes to healthy cognitive function. I personally have noticed a positive difference in my ability to concentrate when I take these pills. The trouble is that I keep forgetting to take them! I want to get into the habit of having one with breakfast every week day, and at present, I only remember once or twice a week to take them. And yes, I think it is hilarious that I can’t remember to take my mental agility pills. If ever there was a sign that I need them, that’s it!

I haven’t been using these pills long enough or consistently enough to vouch for their effectiveness, other than anecdotally. But if you are seeking some help with powering up or powering down, they really might be worth a try.

 Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win a bottle of pills featured here (1 will win Stress & Sleep, 1 will win Mental Agility).

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: giveaway, herbs and supplements, mental agility pills, natural remedies, natural supplements, review, sainthood herbs, sainthood herbs review, stress & sleep pills, vitamins and herbs

Sonic and Wholly Guacamole: The Perfect Pair for a Morning Date (Giveaway!)

January 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 191 Comments

Thanks to Wholly Guacamole for providing products for review and giveaway. All thoughts are my own, as always. 

A few days ago Tim and I had a date. At 6am. On a weekday.

Welcome to life with kids. You take your time together however you can get it! My in-laws have been in town, and they watched the girls for us while we snuck away to accomplish the very romantic task of getting milk and toilet paper and all the groceries we’d need for the week.

But to my credit, I did have something planned that would be a bit unexpected and fun: we were headed to Sonic for breakfast.

Did you know that Sonic has a whole breakfast menu? Our Sonic is open at 6am on weekdays, and when we rolled up at 7am, there was a good amount of traffic there. I guess we were a little late to get the memo that Sonic can take care of your breakfast needs!

Anyway, Sonic and Wholly Guacamole recently reached out to me to inform me of their partnership on two new breakfast items, and invited me to come have a taste. When we pulled into our spot, we immediately saw the ad on the menu for the two new items!

sonic wholly guacamole salsa verde sign

I got out my awesome Sonic gift card (They are reloadable! Such a great thing to keep in your car!). And we placed our order while gearing up for the sunrise. It was SO nice to not have to make breakfast for a change.

sonic gift card at breakfast

Tim ordered the Salsa Verde Breakfast Burrito, which has lots of yummy things like eggs, onions, melted cheddar, and surprisingly, some tater tots (really good!). It also has a bit of Wholly Avocado in there, which really brings all the flavors together. I had a bite, and it was yummy. Tim wasn’t very inclined to share more than that, though!

salsa verde burrito at sonic

I went with the Salsa Verde Breakfast Toaster. Now I’ll tell you, it certainly isn’t a “light” breakfast. But if you need something to really fill you up, this is a good choice. I was very full until lunch, and that almost never happens with me.

sonic verde toaster sandwich

Sonic was so smart to partner up with Wholly Guacamole. I am a loyal buyer of their guacamole that you can find in stores (in the produce section). They use high pressure cold water rather than heat and chemicals, and that’s how they are able to offer products free of preservatives and additives!. Their stuff tastes so unbelievably fresh, too! Definitely give them a try the next time you are grocery shopping. And if you go early in the morning, like I do, stop by Sonic to take care of your breakfast, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a fun prize package from Sonic and Wholly brand. It will contain the following

  • a $20 SONIC Gift Card so you can enjoy quite a few of the breakfast items!
  • A SONIC backpack filled with SONIC goodies
  • Five vouchers for a FREE Wholly Guacamole brand product redeemable at your local grocery store.

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

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: giveaway, review, sonic, sonic breakfast, sonic breakfast burrito, sonic breakfast menu, wholly guacamole

Healthy Essentials (and LOTS of Great Coupons) from Johnson & Johnson!

January 11, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Healthy Essentials logo

My friends at Johnson & Johnson are SO excited to announce that just in time for the post-holiday budget crisis happening in many homes (Definitely in mine! Too much holiday spending!), you can save over $45 on products you likely already know and love. Go to www.HealthyEssentials.com and sign up for some totally awesome coupons, offers, tips & tools. HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® is here to get you on track for a healthy new year (and an affordable one, too!).

 #Moms4JNJConsumer healthy essentials package
If you’ve got some healthy resolutions, from pain & allergy relief to digestive & dietary health, you can find what you need on this website and save some money, too! Love it!!!

World Cup Sweepstakes! 

Want to go to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™? Visit HealthyEssentials.com and see if your wish could come true. Plus, get tips and coupons to save on your favorite products for the New Year.

All you have to do is share a picture or story of a moment of caring in your life and you could scream “GOAL!” from Brazil.

Visit www.healthyessentials.com for more information on this amazing opportunity!

Ring in the New Year with Healthy Essentials at the #Moms4JNJConsumer Twitter Party

I’ll be joining Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies for a Twitter party to talk about HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® for the New Year, resolutions, family wellness and how to score great deals on health and hygiene products! Learn how HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® can help you reach health-related goals for 2014.

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #Moms4JNJConsumer

Prizes: We will randomly award 15 prizes throughout the party, from all eligible correct responses to trivia questions. Each prize includes an assortment of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products with an estimated retail value of $50.

Prize Eligibility: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States + D.C. 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @TheMotherhood25

 I hope to see you there. Do you have any healthy resolutions for 2014? I’d love to hear about them! 

Filed Under: My Favorite Finds · Tagged: coupons, grocery coupons, healthy essentials, johnson & johnson, johnson & johnson healthy essentials, johnson and johnson, johnson and johnson coupons

The Next Big Thing in Online Shopping is Already Here: Rakuten Global Market

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

This post brought to you by Rakuten Global Market. All opinions are 100% mine.

Just yesterday my family members and I were discussing what might be the next big thing in online shopping. I can think of a few different online retail giants, and sometimes it is hard to imagine who might be able to compete with them. But remember, they weren't always around! And as it turns out, there happens to be an online shopping destination that over 80 million people are currently using, and that you may have never heard of. I know I hadn't! 

Check out Rakuten Global Market. This is the biggest e-commerce site in Japan, and its merchants ships cutting edge products to over 200 countries. 

I just spent a little bit of time on the site, and I have to say, I found quite a few super cool things for kids, the likes of which I really have seen in stores and online before. For example, I noticed a large variety of cute and colorful aprons on the site. The prices varied, but were all in a very reasonable range (this one was $18 and came with a matching bandana…so cute for a little kitchen helper!). 

 photo apron_zpsb71acbad.jpg

I saw lots of other cool products, too (boys' tuxedos, adorable Alice in Wonderland-inspired frocks, super cute bibs, fun and different maternity clothes, you name it!). 

I definitely recommend that you take a bit of time to Explore Rakuten Global Market. Offerings for babies and children are plentiful, and they are only a tiny fraction of what is available on the site! 

Shopping on Rakuten Global Market is also very easy. Simply register on the site (it only takes a few minutes and it is completely free) and then you are eligible to earn points when you shop, which can be applied to future purchases. The site is available in English, as well as 4 other languages. 

This is a very cool website that gives you access to over 40,000 merchants, many of which are likely very new to you. Truly, this is bringing the global market right to your computer screen. And if you already have certain favorite brands from Japan, this is a great way to easily get access to them without having to fly to the other side of the world! 

So what did you find that looked really cool when you took a look at the place where over 80 million othr folks around the world are shopping? 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Filed Under: General · Tagged: global rakuten, japanese online store, japanese products, online shopping, rakuten global market, rakuten global market review, rakuten international, review

Groovebook on Shark Tank TONIGHT!!

January 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I’m an affiliate of Groovebook, as well as a paying customer, and quite possibly their biggest fan. I did not receive compensation for this post. 

Good morning, friends! (said in my, “I just had some coffee!” voice)

For those of you who have cable and/or who are simply “in the know” about cool television shows, you likely know about Shark Tank.

Yours truly just got schooled in what it is, because I’m not cool like that. It sounds really interesting, and it actually isn’t about sharks at all (I seriously thought it was…). Small businesses come on the show and have the opportunity to present their company to “sharks” (which is evidently something investors are called…guess that shows you how savvy I am with investment lingo).

ANYWAY….

shark tank groovebook

Groovebook, also known as my favorite app of all time, is going to be on the show TONIGHT! ABC airs is at 9pm EST tonight. They are going to kick butt, I just know it!

I mean, how can you not want to get behind a company that can print and deliver 100 photos from your phone for $2.99?

I’ve got the full run-down of how Groovebook works for those of you who don’t already know. AND…I’ve still got that great coupon code so that you can get your first Groovebook free. Use GROOVEPARENTSNEED at checkout! I think I’m on Groovebook 8 or 9 at this point. I’ve lost track of my count, but I haven’t lost one ounce of love for the company. My loyalty has grown and grown. It is a tremendous service, and honestly, I don’t know how they do it! I don’t have cable, myself, but I’m hoping to get to watch this episode on Hulu really soon!

Filed Under: My Favorite Finds · Tagged: groovebook, groovebook review, shark tank

How to Remove Permanent Marker from Skin

January 9, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

Despite the fact that I have been out of college for 12 years, I can’t fully shake the bad habit I developed there of writing important things on my hand.

Only these days, I can’t hang with the lack of sleep as well as I could in my very early twenties, and as a result, on more than one occasion I have used permanent marker on my hands and realized it only when(unsuccessfully) trying to remove it.

Oops.

Hopefully you aren’t as dim-witted as me when it comes to writing on your body, but you just may have a child in your life who has in the past found a permanent marker and decided to decorate themselves with it. If this has never happened to you, get ready. It totally will.

I can tell you how to remove permanent marker from glass, and now I can tell you how to remove permanent marker from skin. I just wish I could blame my research on my kids. No dice. This one is totally my own fault.

Ok, so here’s what you need!

how to remove permanent marker from skin

1. Quality eye makeup remover (my personal favorite is the Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, but go with whatever you like)

2. a cotton ball

3. A marker for doing it all over again. Just kidding.

Simply moisten the cotton ball with the eye makeup remover and give your skin a firm(ish) scrubbing. See how it is coming off?

 how-to-remove-permanent-marker-from-skin-2

 

Just a few more seconds of scrubbing, and the mistake is erased!

 how-to-remove-permanent-marker-from-skin-3

 

So there you have it; a rather simple solution to a very silly mistake. I hope it helps you out!

And just in case some other mishaps occur in your home, you may want to check out these other helpful “how do I get this off?!” posts:

permanent-marker-on-glass

How to remove permanent marker from glass

how to remove crayon from painted walls

How to remove crayon from painted walls

how to remove crayon from painted wood

How to remove crayon from painted wood

crayon coming off plastic

How to remove crayon from plastic

how to remove rust

How to remove rust

Filed Under: DIY Projects · Tagged: how to remove permanent marker from skin, permanent marker, permanent marker on skin, permanent marker remover, permanent markers, remove permanent marker from skin

Half-Popped: What We Are Reading This Month

January 8, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I received a copy of Half-Popped for review purposes. All opinions are my own, as always. Affiliate links may be included.

Our four-year-old has a lot of questions about diversity these days, and I mean that in every possible way. She wonders why different folks have different color skin, different hair length, different laughs, and different shoe sizes. She is particularly interested, though, in the fact that different people seem to have different personal interests and preferences for activities and ways to pass the time. Basically, she is just really starting to grasp that people are DIFFERENT in a whole lot of ways, and that while it may seem overwhelming or even a little sad (especially when your BFF doesn’t enjoy playing something you do, for example), our differences are actually what make us special and what make the world interesting and even exciting.

half popped book cover

Half Popped has been a regular read for us since Christmas. It is about Kenny the Kernal. He was only half-popped when the microwave stopped, and he feels like he isn’t what he is supposed to be because he doesn’t look the same as the other popped kernals. I think every human can relate to that feeling in some way. The feeling that you should be more or different.

Despite his own lack of confidence, Kenny seems to be a great cheerleader for some of his fellow snacks who are also feeling out of place. The book is full of funny illustrations and great examples of how we are so much more than meets the eye.

And in the end, Kenny even sees that for himself.

half popped book inside

Half-Popped is a great jumping off point for conversations about difference, gifts and talents and what it means to be true to yourself. It is currently available on Amazon for $8.99.

Filed Under: Parenting Tips · Tagged: book review, half-popped, half-popped book, half-popped book review, kids book, kids book reviews, review

My Favorite Kitchen Cleaners

January 7, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Is anyone else besides me doing a whole lot of organizing and cleaning these days? I’m feeling really dedicated to paring down the junk in my house, and to keeping my home a bit cleaner than I did in 2013.

Last year I shared some of my favorite laundry products, and you all seemed really excited to see what I use and love regularly. So I created something similar for my favorite kitchen cleaners. While I use a variety of products, here’s what I use the very most!

My Favorite Kitchen Cleaners

my favorite kitchen cleaners

1. Basic H2. I use this super concentrated formula to make window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, and my personal favorite, degreaser. It lasts for YEARS AND  YEARS. Every household should have this!

 2. Scour Off. I’ve never found another product that will get stove tops even remotely as clean as this will. Total lifesaver!

3.Palmolive Ultra Soft Touch . Keeps hands moisturized. Provides excellent lather. Gets dishes sparkling.

4.Bar Keepers Friend. If you have stainless steel in your kitchen, this is the best product by far. It has kept my expensive pots in tip top shape. I’ve tried to find a less harsh alternative, but nothing else seems to work as well.

5. Cascade Platinum. Hands-down, the best dishwashing detergent I have tried!

6. Honest Company Fruit & Veggie Wash. I keep this on the counter and give my non-organic fruits and veggies a good spritz and wipe down with this product to help get rid of pesticides.

So that’s what I’m cleaning with in the kitchen these days. Have you tried any of the products that I love? Have any recommendations to share with others? Please leave me a comment with your favorites!

Filed Under: Featured, My Favorite Finds · Tagged: best kitchen cleaners, favorite kitchen cleaners, kitchen cleaners, review

Miniature Pecan Pies, Magical Scotch-Brite Dishwands, and Cleaning Confessions

January 6, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 129 Comments

This post highlighting recipes with tricky cleanup has been compensated by Scotch-Brite. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I’m sure many of you out there have a list (or more accurately, a Pinterest board) overflowing with awesome recipe ideas that you just haven’t gotten around to trying yet. I know I certainly do.

In particular, I have quite a few recipes that I seem to be dragging my feet to try for one simple reason: I judge clean up for these dishes to be a nightmare. Any food that is served in a glass, that has marshmallows that have been heated, that has a flaky crust in a small container or that involves syrup in significant quantities keeps getting passed over by me because however good the recipe may be, I’ll be annoyed that I made it when it is time to scrub the dishes.

Follow Stuff Parents Need’s board #ScotchBrite Yummy Recipe Possibilities on Pinterest.

Scotch-Brite recently challenged me to create a Pinterest board with exactly those types of dishes: the ones I’d really love to eat, and even ones I’m willing to make, as long as I don’t have to do dishes afterwards. I was also challenged to actually make one of those recipes, and then face the dreaded dish pile afterwards with the Scotch-Brite Stay Clean Dishwand in hand. The folks at Scotch-Brite were confident that with the right tools, washing those dishes would be a breeze.

Y’all, I’ve cleaned a lot of plates (in Memphis! Like Tina!) so I was not as confident. But I’m always up for a challenge, especially if it means that I get to eat something super yummy.

Miniature Pecan Pies

I reviewed my options, and at the end of the day, just couldn’t stop thinking about those adorable rustic ramekin pecan pies. Head over to Bev’s site to get the recipe (it’s a good one!) if you’d like to give it a try. I’ll show you the process I went through to make the pies, and I think in so doing, you’ll see the increasing level of “Ugh!” I was facing as clean up time neared.

Scotch Brite miniature pecan pie 1

First I cut out the dough to fit the inside of the ramekin (accomplished by using a bowl that was slightly larger than the ramekin). So the inside of my dish is covered in dough, which is flaky, crusty, delicious, and a bear to clean.

Scotch-Brite miniature pecan pie 2

But, you know what? That’s not enough crust! Time to put some around the edges! I actually totally agree with Bev on this concept, and I loved the fact that the pie is supposed to look “rustic” so it is ok for the crust to not be nice and neat. But now I’ve got pie crust on the inside AND the outside of the dish.

Scotch-Brite miniature pecan pie filling

Time to make the filling! Various yummy and sticky things go into a pecan pie filling, including eggs, sugar, lots of syrup, and to put a little pink in your cheeks, some bourbon (in my case, I used Chattanooga Whiskey…keepin’ it local!). My main concern with stuff like this is that it may come off the bowl, but then it will just be stuck to the sponge. Gross.

Scotch-Brite miniature pecan pies

The finished product was totally cute and yes, absolutely delicious. My family enjoyed every single bite.

Cleaning up with Scotch-Brite Stay Clean Dishwand

I got my Scotch-Brite Stay Clean Dishwand all ready to go. It is especially designed to keep the food off the dishes AND off the sponge, which means that it can go the distance for you without having to be replaced quite so quickly. I had the perfect tool on hand for the job, so no need to dally, right?

#ScotchBrite stay clean dishwand

The Part Where I Totally Embarrass Myself

Only I did dally. I dallied like it was going out of style. Honest truth time: I was nervous that the dishwand wouldn’t work as advertised, and that I’d ruin my new kitchen helper on its very first mission. Between the crust, the gooey filling, and the sticky leftovers in the prep bowl, what sponge wouldn’t have to sacrifice itself for that mess??? Also, I hate doing dishes, so that contributed to my procrastination, for sure.

Those dishes sat for 3 full days. And actually, they sat longer than that but I’m just too embarrassed to tell you how long. I avoided this chore like the plague, and in so doing, really just made my poor, cute little dishwand’s job infinitely harder.

scotch brite stay clean dishwand preparing for use

And yet, she seemed undaunted (and perhaps even a little giddy) about her assignment (What? Dishwands totally show their emotions, you guys). I put her durable scrubbing surface to work, and what I thought was going to be a horrible chore seemed to be more like a fun game to this dishwand.

scotch brite stay clean dishwand cleaning a bowl

Even the crusty ramekins didn’t see to phase her, and bowl after bowl, the dishes were coming clean.

scotch brite stay clean dish wand food not sticking

When it was all said and done, I realized that I put off a chore that wasn’t hard at all, thanks to having the right tool on hand. And was the dishwand scrubber ruined by all the sticky stuff it had to clean? On the contrary…it hardly looked used at all!

scotch brite dishwand after cleaning

So now I’ve got a new best friend in the kitchen, and my hand washing dishes aren’t piling up for a week 3 days like they used to. The Scotch-Brite Stay Clean Dishwand is easy to use, actually works the way it claimed it would, and is priced nicely at just $2.99 for the dishwand and $4.49 for a 3 pack of refills (though it will take a while for the sponge to wear out!). The sponges are also designed to fit any Scotch-Brite wand, so if you purchase a different dishwand and want to try out these sponges, that’s no problem!

What awesome recipe are you going to try now that you know cleaning up will be easy??? 

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the full suite of Scotch-Brite dishwands!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways, The Kitchen · Tagged: clean sticky dishes, mini pecan pies, miniature pecan pie recipe, miniature pecan pies, pecan pie, recipes, review, scotch brite, scotch brite dishwand, scotch brite review, scotch brite stay clean, scotch brite stay clean scrubbers, scotch-brite stay clean dishwand

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Welcome!


Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]

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