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Crayola Slick Stix and My Holiday Craft Idea for the Non-Crafters!

December 10, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 64 Comments

The Crayola product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack featured in this post have been provided by Crayola. All attempts at craftiness are my own!

Let me give a big old holiday shout out to the non-crafty mamas out there who are struggling to get through the crafting high season. I’m right there with you sisters, scissors in hands, glue in hair, and pipe cleaners wrapped around my finger, looking very VERY dazed and confused.

Crafting is seriously challenging for me. My mind just doesn’t work that way, folks! But I don’t want to assume that Darah feels exactly the same way (I know for a fact that she doesn’t) so I try to find the occasional crazy-easy crafting project for us to do together. I usually mess it up. She never minds. 🙂

So when reached out to me to see if I wanted to try out some of their products and come up with a holiday craft idea, I did two things.

1. I laughed for a really long time. It started out as a, “you must be kidding!” kind of laugh and then somehow devolved into a “run in the other direction because this lady is crazy” sort of laugh as I thought about all the great craft ideas I had swimming around in my head. And by “all” I actually mean NONE. I had NO IDEAS.

2. I said yes to the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone, and get my craft on. With Crayola supplies on hand, it will at least be a little bit easier to come up with something cute, right?!

When the box of supplies arrived and I unpacked them, I happened to have a carton of Reynolds Pan Lining Paper on the table (it’s parchment paper on one side, foil on the other. It rocks in the kitchen, but that’s a different post…). I had a friend over at the time, and she started reading the packaging of the Crayola Slick Stix, and noted that they would color on foil.

And just like that, a craft idea was born in my head. It’s a Christmas miracle! I gathered my needed supplies to make some indoor sweet/outdoor pretty snowflakes!

So in truth, I totally forgot to use the glitter glue. But it would have been lovely, I’m sure!

Ok, now that the supplies are in hand, let’s rock this snowflake business!

Start by cutting a piece of pan lining paper, and then bringing up an edge like this to form a square.

Cut all that excess shiny stuff over on the right off. If you are ultra-awesome, use that to make another snowflake. I’m not that awesome, y’all.

Your cut product should look like this!

Now I’d say making a shiny square is great for a day’s work, but we aren’t quite finished! 🙂

Now it is time to break out your Crayola Slick Stix and color like crazy on the parchment paper side. The colors are vibrant and they will stick fairly quickly after being applied.

You can also color on the foil side of the paper, too. Below is just an example: we opted not to color that side and you’ll see why in a minute!

Once you have the parchment side decorated to your liking, it is time to turn it into a snowflake. First, this means a whole lot of folding!

Fold once:

Fold again:

And one more time:

Yeah, I know. It didn’t line up straight. I was actually having a lot of fun coloring and folding with Darah, and when I saw that the end result of the folding wasn’t perfect, I just didn’t care! It doesn’t really matter, so don’t stress out if yours looks crooked like mine.

Now, hold on to the internal corner of the snowflake. You don’t want to cut there, but feel free to cut pretty much everywhere else. Get wild and crazy. Here’s what I did!

Now slowly unfold your snowflake (careful! Sometimes the paper gets caught on itself!) and check out your colorful design!

So cool! Now for the reason why we didn’t color the aluminum foil side of the paper. I wanted to hang these in our window, and I wanted to be able to admire the art that my child did, and I also wanted to have something simple and bit less, shall we say, “colorful” on the outside. Here’s what it looks like to folks passing by!

So that’s why I’m calling these “inside sweet and outside pretty” snowflakes. And can I just say, OMG, I did a craft!

By the way, I made the stars to show you an even easier example of doing a craft like this. Just find a printable of a star and then trace it on your paper. Color, cut, then boom! Done!

Let’s celebrate my accomplishment, shall we?

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Crayola gift pack with the following items:

Crayola Washable Markers
Crayola Colored Pencils
Crayola Glitter Glue
Crayola Model Magic
Crayola Slick Sticks
$25 gift card to purchase additional Crayola items for your project

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

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Christmas Present Ideas that Offer #ScentSavings

December 10, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

Before I had children, I had a rather expensive hobby: I was a fragrance collector. I would spend hours reading perfume reviews, drawing up wish lists, and searching the internet for great buys on perfume.

Remember, this was BEFORE the kids came. It was during that blissful season of life when I had time and disposable income. Oh, the good old days! 🙂

At the height of my collecting, I owned 57 bottles of perfume. I would rotate them out weekly, and of course, could never even put a dent in them, year after year. I eventually got a better sense for my own personal scent preferences, and the best cologne for my body, and then began to part ways with much of my collection, which now stands at a super-slim 14 bottles. I have it down to the best of the best, and I simply can’t part with what remains.

When I tell people about my formerly fierce collection and the subsequent culling process I went through to get it down to 14, people assume that everything that remains must be the most expensive bottles. And sure, there are some pricey ones in the lot. There are also some big winners that can easily be found on the shelves of major retailers, like Walmart.

It has been at least 4 years since I have purchased any fragrance for myself or for Tim, and this year I wanted to get him something that smells great but is practical for our current “not-so-disposable” income situation. And while I’m happy to report that I still remember much of what I learned about fragrances and how to select truly magnificent scents, I’ve also learned through experience that a hefty price tag doesn’t make something smell great, and something value priced really can be exceptional.

I chose Curve for Men because it is a scent he hasn’t worn before, but it is one I think he is really going to enjoy wearing. It comes across as fresh and outdoorsy, but not overpowering, which makes it perfect for an office setting. I wouldn’t say that it smells “sexy,” and that makes it a safe choice for men on your shopping list like your younger brother or even your dad.

#shop #scentsavings curve for men collage

Curve for Men combines the scents of Douglas Fir, bergamot (similar to an orange), lavender and green leaf. It is crisp and fresh, but not overly bright. I am a big fan of it, and I think that this complex fragrance is bargain priced at Walmart right now. I picked up the gift set, which included a 2.5 oz cologne bottle, some hair/body wash, and a scented deodorant for just under $20. I have easily spent 3 times as much on cologne that didn’t smell half as good as Curve for Men.

Walmart and Walmart.com both have some shockingly awesome selections of celebrity department store quality gift sets available this holiday season. I found myself lingering over the Taylor Swift options. The bottles are so swoon-worthy, and the smells inside them are just fantastic! And if you happen to be shopping for a millineal, please note the free celebrity ringtone offer that is included on the package! I saw them on lots of different sets; they are perfect for the generation that changes their ringtones as often as they change shoes.

Curve for Men is just one of many great Christmas present ideas in the fragrance department at Walmart. You can see some of the other great #scentsavings options in this fabulous digital magazine (and it has a ton of other great ideas for the holidays…definitely worth a scan!).

You can also check out what some other bloggers have found while browsing the fragrance section at Walmart. They have discovered GREAT gifts and really creative ways to give them, too! Poke around at http://scentsavings.com and see what ideas it might help you come up with!

Is perfume or cologne on your shopping or wish list this year? Did you know that Walmart offered such quality fragrances at such reasonable prices?

Walgreens Holiday Solutions for Worn Out Mamas: #HappyAllTheWay

December 9, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 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 Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Ok friends, don’t shoot the messenger here, but did you know that after today we have 15 more days to get all of our Christmas shopping done?

And is anyone else in the same boat as me: totally not finished, but also totally worn out??? Yes??? Then you will understand why not once, but TWICE last week, lunch at my house looked exactly like this:

Walgreens had these pizzas in their case 2/$9 (or $4.99 each…I wanted the deal!). I’ve tried several things from the Good & Delish line that is exclusive to the brand, but not the pizza. It was, in my family’s opinion, exceptionally awesome for frozen pizza, and we will be purchasing it again in the near future. I went into the store to get myself some cold medicine (yuck) and while I was there, decided that I was just too tired and overwhelmed to make lunch. In fact, I was so over-extended that I realized I needed to treat myself to quite a few things!

It is pretty much ALWAYS dangerous to realize that you deserve a little something special when you are already in a store! But lucky for me, I was at Walgreens and could find exceptionally yummy treats thanks to the Good & Delish line, without busting my budget.

And treat myself, I did! I decided to do a little shopping just for me. What do I want to have on hand for holiday snacking? What would I be perfectly happy to hide from my family members (don’t judge!). I picked up this gorgeous selection of cookies, which really are the perfect thing to bring to a holiday shindig, or to arrange on a pretty platter for a creative gift. But this time, the cookies were just for me! Ok, ok, I shared a few of them with my family, but only after I had done some pretty serious sampling.

And can I just tell you how good it feels to be treated to something so pretty? It definitely made me feel better in the midst of my cold!

When I was browsing in Walgreens, I also picked up their free Happy & Healthy Holiday Guide (you can find it right next to the weekly fliers!) to get some ideas. That’s when I spotted these lovelies!

I discovered two very important things about this product. First, the holiday gift guide has a $1 off coupon for it at the back, so don’t miss that! 🙂 Second, I realized that the Belgian Chocolate Thins contain 24 pieces of yumminess. And that makes it a perfect Christmas countdown activity for mommy to do on her own. One chocolate for every day until Christmas! If you like the idea and want to do it yourself, you are going to have SO MUCH FUN getting caught up to December 9th! 🙂 My girls have the Elf on the Shelf, and they do a Christmas Countdown with one Hershey Kiss each day. This one is just for me, though!

I also noticed a very cool wax bead candle in the holiday catalog, and since I had been secretly wishing for a holiday scented candle for a few weeks, I decided to turn my wish into a reality. And what’s a unique and yet absolutely perfect pairing with a hot candle? Oh yes, a cool treat from the freezer section! This hot & cold therapy was just what the doctor ordered, let me tell you!

Another holiday favorite treat of mine are mint cremes, and let me tell you, Good & Delish knows how to do these right! The creamy center is just perfect, and the chocolate-to-mint ratio is spot on! I ate the entire bag in an embarrassingly brief period of time. Good thing Walgreens is near my home so I can get some more soon.

Oh, who am I kidding? I already got more!

And finally, for when the holiday stress gets to me and I realize that I need a little medication, I’ve got a beautiful jar full of what I call, “mama’s jolly pills.” They put a smile on my face SO fast! And they taste incredible! These jelly beans would make an outstanding gift for someone on your list who may be tough to buy for. They get two very enthusiastic thumbs up from this taste-tester (hey, somebody had to try them out for the rest of us. Happy to be helpful that way!).

Between the Happy & Healthy Holiday Guide and all the amazing Good & Delish products throughout the store, you are certain to find Christmas present ideas that will please most everyone on your list. And Owen the Elf, if you are reading this blog post, please know that I’m hoping or a Good & Delish-filled stocking this year! Bring on the premium snacks, please!

Have you tried the Good & Delish line of products, found exclusively at Walgreens? What’s your favorite find (please tell me, because I want to try it!!). As for me, I’m going for some of their crazy-awesome sounding gourmet appetizers the next time I head in the store!

Children’s Fashion at zulily: Hear What My 4-Year-Old Thinks!

December 9, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

One of my favorite places to shop for children’s fashion is zulily. Last week zulily was kind enough to send a box of surprises to Darah for her to check out. The cuteness that was contained inside is a testament to all the incredible stuff you can find there.

Let’s start with the basics. You can find excellent deals on workhorse pieces for your child’s wardrobe. This pink sweater, for example, will likely be worn almost weekly by Darah, since it is her favorite color, and since it so easily goes with many pieces in her wardrobe. Darah says that she likes how soft and comfortable it is. If you are like me and loathe having to go to a store to go shopping, zulily really is a great choice, even for the basics!

Perhaps what they are best known for, though, are the pieces that really stand out. Check out this military-inspired denim jacket. I almost couldn’t handle the cuteness when she put it on. And I also may have asked Owen, our elf, to please have Santa send me something similar. So in this case, if dressing like your 4-year-old is wrong, then I don’t want to be right! Darah has also noticed the pink stitching detail on the jacket, which has made it her new favorite thing to wear, and on milder days, it has replaced her coat.

Zulily is also a great shopping destination for shoes and accessories. The mustache necklace is hilarious and the animal print boots, while not my style, have been worn pretty much every single day since they arrived. I’ve been teaching Darah to say, “I mustache you a question,” and while I’m not sure that she completely gets the joke, she loves to say it! As for the boots, she says, “they are great for stomping!”

If you are looking for something for a special occasion, be it a dress up, or just certain weather, then I’d recommend zulily simply because you are going to find things there that aren’t necessarily carried at your nearest mall. In my experience, zulily carries a lot of “boutique” brands, but at a price point that I can actually afford. This adorable rain jacket still had its retail price tag on it: $42! It is totally cute, but that’s not something I can pay for a jacket that will be worn for 1 year, and only on rainy days! Because it is pink, Darah is in love with it, of course. And I’m in love with those cute ruffles!

I haven’t put links to the specific pieces of clothing up for a reason: they are long gone from the zulily site! If you’ve never shopped at zulily, they have new special sales every single day, and those sales usually last for a few days, or until inventory sells out, whichever comes first. It is a good idea to take a few minutes each morning and scan the new sales at zulily to see if anything strikes your fancy. You have to get it when you see it, or else it will be gone (I speak from experience!). You’ll also find plenty of fun items for you, for the home, and occasionally for men, too. Basically, zulily is like a miniature boutique mall that is on mega-markdown, delivered straight to your inbox. What’s not to love?

Do you have any favorite zulily finds? I’d love to hear about them!

I am an affiliate of zulily as well as a regular customer. I only promote what I love!

Warmest Socks for Cold Feet (Giveaway!)

December 7, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 63 Comments

Special thanks to Heat Holders for sharing their incredibly warm socks with me and my readers. All opinions are my own, as always!

I’ve heard before that women tend to have poorer circulation in our hands and feet, and as a result, we tend to complain a bit more about being cold.

My husband can definitely tell you that my feet turn into icicles this time of year, and that one of his least favorite things ever is for my feet to venture over to his side of the bed in an effort to get warmer. I can’t help it…he’s so nice and toasty!

Today my family is headed to an outdoor holiday parade and to a birthday party that will have an outside play component. It will be 42 degrees during the parade and 45 degrees during the party. While not exactly freezing temperatures, that’s cold enough to be quite uncomfortable if you have to stand around in it for a long time!

So I’ll be wearing these today:

Heat Holders are the new BFF for my feet, that’s for sure! Check out what the inside of the socks look like, just to give you a sense for how amazing they are!

So here’s what’s going on inside these awesome socks. They have specially advanced fibers that provide high performance insulation, as well as excellent moisture wicking. The extra long looped cushion pile holds in more warm air, which is what has helped these socks achieve a 2.3 TOG (thermal overall grade) rating (cotton socks have a .33 TOG rating, and ordinary thermal socks have a .89 TOG rating). The socks are also fuzzy on the inside because they go through an intense brushing process to maximize the amount of warm air held inside the sock.

I was excited to learn that these socks are available in a wide range of sizes (starting with size 9 for preschoolers!). They area also available in several different colors. Heat Holders is currently offering free shipping when you order 2 or more pairs, and the prices are start around $15.99. They would make a most excellent stocking stuffer!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 2 pair of Heat Holders!

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

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Weekend Pick: Merry Christmas, Splat!

December 7, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

If you are looking for some quality Christmas shows for the kids, I have a recommendation for you! Scolastic Storybook Treasures has just released Merry Christmas Splat…And More Winter Stories. We were sent a copy for review, and we loved it!

This is a fun 37 minute DVD that brings 3 different delightful books to life on video.

Merry Christmas, Splat is first up, and it is about an adorable cat named Splat who is trying sooo hard to be good before Santa comes. He’s got his hopes up for some special presents. Darah can definitely relate to this story line, and has already watched it 4 times!

Next is Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas. Fletcher is very concerned that Santa might have trouble finding his home with all the snow that has fallen! This story has prompted a good conversation between Darah and me about how Santa handles different situations (for example, how does he come to our house since we don’t have a fireplace?).

Snowflake Bentley tells the true story of a boy in Vermont who loved snowflakes so much that he studied them very carefully. This was a favorite of mine, as it reminded me of just what a marvel snowflakes really are!

Finally, Owl Moon, which is narrated by the author, Jane Yolen (a favorite of ours! She wrote How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight!). This story is about a special search by a father and daughter through the woods at night for the Great Horned Owl.

The video is suitable for ages 3 and up and is the perfect DVD to purchase in anticipation of the upcoming winter school break! Amazon’s currently got it at a discounted price of $13.46.

Personalized Kids Jewelry from Isabelle Grace

December 5, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Our 18-month-old daughter absolutely adores bracelets and necklaces. She could easily spend 30 minutes (a lifetime in the world of a toddler) taking them off and on, and then putting them on her stuffed animals. It is not unusual for Tim and I to find ourselves adorned with her baubles and gems on a daily basis, as well.

Since her big sister is going to be getting that awesome John Hardy find I made at Unclaimed Baggage in the fall, I thought it might be nice for little Layah to have a special piece of her own.

But finding jewelry, especially nice jewelry, that is made for little ones is really hard! Don’t even get me started on the epic quests I go on for screw-back earrings for my girls.

So when I learned that Isabelle Grace Jewelry had a line of silver bracelets in sizes to fit wee wrists, I was thrilled! They sent me a Lovely Hearts bracelet to showcase. Lovely, indeed!

The Lovely Hearts line has options for bracelets or necklaces. You can customize your piece by selecting the initial you would like stamped on the heart, and by selecting from 6 different Swarovski accent gems.

Additionally, they offer 4 different sizes for the bracelets, and recommended age ranges that start at 9 months and go all the way up to 16 years.

Isabelle Grace has 13 different pieces in the Just for Kids section of the website. How refreshing to find some many adorable options! Now I’ve just got to convince them to start carrying earrings (screwback, of course!).

If you are searching for something special for a little girl this holiday season, do take a look at the offerings at Isabelle Grace. The Lovely Hearts necklace we reviewed is nicely priced at $45.

Is anyone on your shopping list getting jewelry this year? And please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles to find kids jewelry!

Unclaimed Baggage Center Coupon and Where I’ll Be on December 14th

December 5, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

Thanks to Unclaimed Baggage Center for partnering with me to make this post possible. All thoughts, opinions, and awesome shopping skills are my own.

Do you have travel plans this month for the holidays? If they involve travel to the Southeast, then you need to factor in a detour to Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama.

No, really. YOU NEED TO!! And I’ll prove it to you with a few of my recent finds.

You can check out my first post about Unclaimed Baggage Center, the store where all the lost luggage (and its awesome/crazy/cool contents) ends up…for sale! On my last trip to the store I scored a cocktail dress that I got to wear on a cruise last month for just $30!!!

Unclaimed Baggage Center coupon cocktail dress

They also happened to be having a special coat sale the day I went…racks and racks of coats for $10! Look at the gorgeous Bebe coat I scored that day. I went to the Bebe website, and while they don’t have this particular style, I noticed that their coats are priced between $160-$260! What a steal!!! My fellow bargain hunters, this is one of the very best strategies I know for finding cheap designer clothes.

Unclaimed Baggage Center coupon cheap designer clothes

I felt like a shopping ninja after that trip, friends.

unclaimed baggage center coupon shopping ninja

Perhaps you are a highly skilled bargain shopper yourself, and you are ready for the ultimate cheap thrills destination! Make a visit to Unclaimed Baggage Center part of your holiday plans this year. Regular operating hours for Unclaimed Baggage Center are as follows:

Monday-Thursday, 9-6pm
Friday and Saturday, 8-6

They also have some special holiday shopping hours!

THUR, Dec 12: 9a-5p
SAT, Dec 21: 8a-8p
TUE, Dec 24: 9a-3p

Santa Shoppe Day

I’m going to be heading over to UBC on December 14th, as that will be Santa Shoppe Day. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there, and there will be pictures and ornament decorating for the kids offered absolutely FREE! I don’t know about you, but the Santa pictures at the mall here are around $30, so I’m feeling pretty excited about spending $0 on them! I’ve also got the inside scoop that there’s going to be another surprise character on hand for the kids (can’t let the cat out of the bag, but it’s a good one!).

So what do you think? Wanna join me there bright and early on December 14th? They open at 8! If that is early for you, don’t worry about it…they serve Starbucks drinks on site! Yes, friends, it just might be the happiest place on earth, after all.

Unclaimed Baggage Center Coupon

Perhaps you need a little more of a nudge. After all, if you are a crazy bargain shopper then you need some coupons, am I right? I’ve got the hookup for you, friends! Simply print this coupon and take it with you on your shopping quest. It is valid any time between now and 01/31/2014.

Happy shopping! Let me know what bargains you find, please!

For Your Next Party: Sweet and Spicy Barbeque Meatballs

December 4, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I wrote this post as a Reynolds Real Mom. For more fantastic recipes with effortless clean-up, be sure to check out the Reynolds recipe page!

For your next potluck gathering, I’ve got a very easy recipe that will be the first dish to get polished off on the buffet line! Two very surprising ingredients form the perfect sauce for these oven-baked meatballs.

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Meatballs

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs ground chuck
2 lbs ground pork
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp steak seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs

for sauce:
1 32 oz container barbecue sauce
1 32 oz container grape jelly
hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 and line 4 baking sheets with Reynolds non-stick aluminum foil. Combine the meat with all other ingredients except for the sauce and form into bite-size meatballs. Place 20 meatballs on each pan, and bake for 35 minutes or until browned all the way through.

While the meatballs are baking, pour the barbecue sauce and the grape jelly into a sauce pan and heat over medium until they are well combined. If you want your meatballs to have a little extra kick, add some hot sauce to the mix.

Once the meatballs are finished, you can slide them right off the pan an into your serving dish. Pour your sauce on top and serve immediately. The finished dish does well in the microwave if you are taking it to a party and need to reheat it.

Yield: 80 meatballs (sounds like a lot, until you see how quickly folks inhale them!)