Friday Finds: See What I’m Scooping Up on Sale Today!

September 6, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Happy Fridady, friends! Friday is my favorite day of the week for online shopping. Many of my favorite sites seem to offer some of their best deals on this particular day. I love sharing my favorite finds with you so that you can score great deals, too! Here are the things I’m either mulling over, or that I’ve already purchased (yes, I went shopping this morning well before the sun came out!). Affiliate links may be included, where relevant. I only recommend products I adore, as always!

Jewel Scent

You are familiar with this concept of jewelry being hidden in candles, yes? I’ve actually got a Diamond Candles review coming out next week. Darah reacted with such tremendous glee to the ring in the candle that now I’m seriously contemplating getting this product for my oldest nieces. Jewel Scent offers not only candles, but also bars of soap…that’s perfect for a little girl, I think! What a fun gift…clean your way to bling! Ha ha! The soap is $15, which makes it a great price point for a holiday or birthday gift. The ring itself can be worth anywhere from $10-$7,500!

Vinyl Chalkboard Reusable Stickers

These can be used anywhere, and you can write anything on them. What a fun and easy way to dress up your home for various occasions! And the price is right at $5.99! Click on the picture to check it out! And don’t miss all the other adorable daily deals on Very Jane, which is one of my very favorite places online to shop!

My Cents of Style CLEARANCE!!!

There’s an AWESOME sale going on today at My Cents of Style. You can use coupon code CLEARANCE to take an additional 10% off anything that is in the Fashion Friday category, and all that stuff is already on MEGA sale!!! AND…with any purchase from that category today, you will receive a free item (bangle bracelet set is what I scored, and once those are gone, they will be offering pretty gem earrings). Remember that shipping is always free on the site, too! Here’s what I just purchased for $12.51 total (click on the photos to see them on the My Cents of Style website)!

Polka Dot Infinity Scarf ($6.25 shipped with coupon!)

Geometric bracelet ($6.25 shipped with coupon!)

Bangle Bracelets (FREE with any purchase!!!)

I’ve mentioned the Stars & Stripes flag scarf before, but it bears repeating. Mine just came in the mail and I wanted you to see how cute it is! Also…you can pay $65.00 for a scarf that looks like this (Ralph Lauren) OR you can pay $9.99 for the one I’m wearing. Free shipping, too! Just use code FALLSCARF to get the great low price. Also, I wanted to let you know that My Cents of Style is donating $1 from every stars & stripes scarf sale to Final Salute, a nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans find stable housing solutions (this is a cause Tim worked on for 2 years when he was first out of college, so I’m super excited to see it being selected by My Cents of Style as a worthwhile cause!).

And now for a few deals I’m contemplating. I’d love feedback from anyone who has tried these services!

1. Citrus Lane

This is a subscription services for newborns-age 3, with the boxes customized based on your baby’s precise age. Subscriptions start at just $21/box, and currently they are offering your first box 50% off with a new monthly subscription by using code HALFOFF. Have any of you ever purchased a Citrus Lane box? Thoughts?

2. Wantable

This is a box service that you can subscribe to for $36/month, or you can opt out of subscribing and just purchase a box for the month at $40. You can choose a makeup box (full-size, premium brands) or an accessories box. What you pay will be 60% cheaper than buying it retail, and selections are tailored just for you based on your style profile. Pretty fun little pick-me-up, I think. Free shipping both ways! Anyone tried it yet?

And on a more practical note, I just purchased some Buddy Fruits food pouches on Amazon. I got a package of 18 for just $10 with 2 day shipping (I have a prime membership). That makes these about .55/each, which is a good price in my book!

What are you shopping for today? Let me know if you snag any of the deals above, or if you find something worthy to be shared!

Pump It Up: Save Childhood, Support Imagination (Giveaway!)

September 5, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 39 Comments

Pump It Up

Are you familiar with this place? This is a company that provides the kind of play space I would have dreamed of as a kid! It is basically an indoor bounce house, with wall-to-wall inflatable fun for kids to enjoy. Pump It Up has locations all across the country, so do a quick check to see if there is one in your neck of the woods.

Since my whole family got to be together for Labor Day, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go check out Pump It Up, as we were given pop in play passes for such a purposes. Pop-in-play is something that every Pump It Up location offers during much of the week. It is basically a time to drop by, pay a very reasonable fee ($6 per child, parents FREE!) and start bouncing! On the way over, I wondered if we were making a terrible mistake by brining such young children (4 and 15 months) to a giant bounce house. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!

We had A BLAST! Not just the kids; Tim and I were bouncing and laughing, too! I’m sure it wouldn’t have been as fun if it had been crowded, but it really wasn’t, and there were quite a few other toddlers and preschoolers there playing, as well, so that made for great company!

If you haven’t been to Pump It Up yet because you assumed your kids were too small, I want to encourage you to give it a try (assuming that your little ones are walking/running, of course!). We were surprised by just how much we enjoyed it, and we’ll be visiting again sometime this fall, for sure.

Save Childhood, Support Imagination

In addition to offering an absolutely fabulous space for kids to play, Pump It Up is also running a great campaign called Save Childhood, Support Imagination. The goal is for parents to strive to dedicate 1 hour each day to engage in imaginative play with their kids. Check out the website, and please consider signing the Imagination Declaration. You’ll also find some really cool resources for encouraging imaginative play with your children!

Win it!: TWO lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will each win a 4-pack of Pop-In Playtime passes to visit any Pump It Up and bring your imaginations to play!

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These Are A Few of My Favorite Things #DietCokeLife

September 4, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 8 Comments

Diet Coke recently asked me to come up with a list of sweet things that bring joy to my life. What a fun challenge! I thought I’d skip all the really deep stuff (like my kids, my spouse, etc.) and keep it light…just like Diet Coke!

Sweet wine (I used to be embarrassed that I liked the sweeter wines, as I’ve been told that’s the sign of an undistinguished palette. But then I got over it!)
Torrential downpours (especially in the middle of the afternoon, right when you are feeling a little sleepy!)
Scones with butter and jam (I’d never eaten a scone until I had the opportunity to study in England for a summer while in college. We at them every morning. I brought back so many great memories and also several pounds. Worth it!)
The Chi Omega symphony (yes, I was in a sorority. And I never cared too much for the parties. But I loved the symphony, which is a beautiful poem about the power of sisterhood. Nerd alert, right here! Any chi o’s in the audience? Send a little hoot my way!)
Lipstick in tiny plastic tubes (I’m talking about Avon samples. They remind me of my childhood SO much. I positively squeal when I see them!)
The Bellagio (Quite possibly one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. And in Las Vegas, of all places. Leave it to me to go to Sin City and find the Garden of Eden!)
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3888356671/
Jelly Belly (I’m particularly fond of the popcorn flavor!)
Scrubs (the world’s greatest pajamas!)
Pad Thai (when it is done right, meaning when I’m not the one cooking it, it is heavenly!)
The sound of a Diet Coke can being popped open (I have an immediate “Pavlov’s dog” response to it!)

photo credit: jeff_golden via photopin cc

So now you know just a little bit more about me. What’s something sweet that brings you joy?

I am serving as an ambassador for Diet Coke. However, no compensation was received for this post. These are strictly my happy things! 🙂

Potty Training: How I Get My Kids to Use the Potty So Early

September 3, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 55 Comments

Potty training is happening in my home once again. Layah has been working on how to use the potty for a month, now. I should probably mention for all the new readers out there that Layah is just shy of 16 months old.

Do you think I’m crazy/silly/delusional for potty training such a young toddler? It’s cool. You wouldn’t be the first!

But the fact of the matter is this: our first child was 100% potty trained by 20 months using the same method that we are using now, and so far, so good with the second one. So for those of you out there who are interested in potty training tips, especially for younger toddlers, I’d love to share with you what we do!

How to Potty Train

Let me preface by saying this: every child is different. I am not claiming to have a method that will work for every child. But I don’t think my children are exceptionally gifted or exceptionally rare when it comes to potty training abilities. I think that early potty training is a possibility for many children if they are given the opportunity to try it out! I also think that parents need to read up on different approaches and develop a strategy BEFORE their child is ready to potty train. You want to be prepared so that if your child starts to show readiness for using the potty, even before you thought they might, that you are ready to get started!

I would call our approach “laid-back” early potty training. This is not the method for anyone who wants to be all done in 3 days or 24 hours or anything like that. We worked on potty training with our first starting at 13 months and while she was all done by 20 months, you can see now that the process of potty training took 7 months. But it also came without any tears and with remarkably few accidents. Here’s what it did take: LOTS AND LOTS of time in the bathroom, sitting on the potty. Reading books. Waiting.

What you need:

1. an infant potty seat. We have a two-story house, so we actually have two! Our current favorite is one Prince Lionheart recently sent our way, the pottyPOD Basix (I always shop at Amazon, but JCPenney also carries this particular seat). It is very important for a child to have a seat that they can hop on and off that is at their level. It gives them more of a sense of control, and also rapidly increases their comfort level with potty training. We had the potty seat out for a few weeks before we even talked about it with Layah, giving her time to get used to seeing it and to develop her curiosity about it, without feeling stressed.

2. sign language. Communication is a key part of potty training, no matter the age. Your child needs to be able to tell you when s/he needs to use the bathroom, or when s/he just used the bathroom (either in a diaper or in the potty). We started teaching baby sign language potty training terms to Layah at the same time that we introduced the potty seat. Since she already uses sign language, she was very quick to pick up on the sign for “potty” and within a month, was using the sign gleefully any time she sat on the potty. She also started telling us when she just went potty in her diaper. That’s a HUGE step forward for potty training, as a child has to be aware of her bodily functions before she can exercise control over them.

3. a potty schedule. Currently we are in the phase of potty training where we put her on the potty as soon as she wakes up in the morning, as well as right before bed. We have a pile of books in the bathroom to read to her while she sits (be sure to have a potty time book in the pile!). The longer we can get her to sit there, the more likely she will go potty. But we don’t force it. If she is adamant about being all done with her potty time, we tell her that we are going to put a diaper on her now, and then we go on about our day. Currently, she is using the potty about 25% of the time that we put her on it, which isn’t too bad!

After your child gets very used to morning and evening potty sessions, begin to incorporate potty time 10 minutes after every meal that you are together. I am just about to get started with this phase, and it will involve setting the timer so that I don’t forget! You will notice your potty success rate go up dramatically when you add this step in, and along with that success, please do heap on the praise for your child for using the potty. This will build their confidence and their own joy about using the potty instead of their diaper.

4. a plan for wrapping things up. We knew that our first was ready to totally finish her potty training once she started going to a corner and hiding when she pooped. So at that point, I told her all about big girl underwear and how she was ready to start wearing it because she knew when she needed to potty, she knew how to tell us, and she even knew how to sit on her potty seat. Over a 2 day period, we gave Darah lots of water and juice and put her on the potty every 2o minutes on day one, and every 30 minutes on day 2. She wore big girl underwear all day. And she had 2 accidents on the first day. She actually told me about them, believe it or not! She was accident-free the second day.

Overnight Potty Training Tips

After she was fully potty trained during the day, we immediately began potty training for night-time. She has been receiving a bottle before bed, so over a 4 day period, we reduced the amount of milk she got in her bottle. And I’m going to tell you the truth, folks. She was cool with it for the first 2 days, but by day 3 she was NOT happy with how little milk she was getting. This was the only time in the whole potty training experience that crying happened, and it wasn’t because of having to use the potty, but rather, because of giving up her bottle. BUT…the drama was over fairly quickly, and because she was no longer drinking 6 ounces of fluids right before bed, she pretty much stopped using the bathroom at night! I do brag about the fact that we never purchased a single package of Pull-Ups. Our checking account was SO thankful! I will say that at 20 months, Darah did sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and ask to go potty (we could hear her thanks to the monitor). So be prepared for possible middle of the night potty breaks.

So that’s how we potty trained our first by 20 months, and it is the path we are currently on for our second. It definitely takes a lot of time, but it is a powerful example of just what little ones can accomplish if you give them the chance!

Looking for a Different Approach?

I fully understand that the approach we took with potty training isn’t right for everyone. If you are looking for something a little different (perhaps for an older toddler who might be ready to train quickly). In this case, I’ve heard rave reviews about blogger Becky Mansfield’s ebook, Potty Train in a Weekend. It’s definitely worth a look to see if that’s a better option for you!

Other Resources

Essential Oils and Overnight Potty Training

Affiliate links may be included, always at no cost to you!

Cooking With Kids: The Perfect First Cookbook (Giveaway!)

August 31, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 88 Comments

Cooking with kids can be a lot of work, at least at first. But the payoff for having a child, and eventually a teenager, who is comfortable in the kitchen can be SO worth it! Has your child started to develop an interest in cooking? And are you ready to start encouraging that budding interest? Then I’ve got the perfect cookbook!

I was recently sent a copy of ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family. It is a beautifully photographed book filled with over 100 recipes that new little chefs will enjoy. It also has great tips and tricks and teachable moments , such as how to operate a salad spinner, or answers to questions that kids might be asking while cooking that will help them better understand why the recipe needs to be followed as written (such as why tomatoes get added so late in the process of cooking lentil soup).

Perhaps my very favorite thing about the book, though, is the fact that the photos inside show kids doing the cooking. How empowering it must be to a child to see example after example of someone their age creating something in the kitchen!

Here’s an example recipe from the book. Check it out and give it a try with your child in the near future!

Little Lasagnas

from ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family.

It’s fun to get your own cute little lasagna! And this is an easier, quicker recipe than the big-pan lasagna. Plus, this recipe will give you some good math practice, too.

Adult Needed: Yes

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Makes: 12 little lasagnas

Kitchen gear: 12-cup muffin tin, measuring cup, measuring spoons, box grater (adult needed), pot holders, butter knife

Ingredients:

1⁄2 cup hot tap water
2 1⁄2 cups tomato sauce
1⁄2 pound (1⁄2 box) spaghetti (any kind is fine)
3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1⁄2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions
1. Turn the oven on and set it to 350 degrees.
2. Put 2 teaspoons hot tap water in each of 12 muffin cups inside the tin.
3. Add 1 tablespoon tomato sauce to each muffin cup.
4. Count out 48 spaghetti strands. Break up 4 spaghetti strands and add them to the first
muffin cup, then continue, adding 4 broken spaghetti strands to each muffin cup.
5. Top each with 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese.
6 Top each with 2 teaspoons shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. Top each with 2 teaspoons tomato sauce.
8. Repeat, starting with step 4 (the spaghetti strands).
9. Repeat again.
10. Carefully put the muffin tin in the oven and bake until the top is golden and the
tomato sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Set aside for 10 minutes. Slide the butter
knife into the inner edge of each muffin cup and gently go around it, loosening up the
sides. Carefully remove the lasagnas from the tin and serve right away.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food With Your Family!

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Room on the Broom: Great DVD and Book for Fall!

August 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 61 Comments

Affiliate links may be included.

So my birthday was earlier this week, and for me, it is always the official end of summer. As soon as we pack away the “Happy Birthday” banner, all things fall are officially allowed to come out of storage and preparation begins for the last 4 months of the year, which are without question, my very favorite ones!

Even the books we are reading to the kids and the DVDs we watch start to get peppered with fall themes, and one new addition that I am absolutely adoring is Room on the Broom.

This is from the same folks behind The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child (two of our VERY favorite books and DVDs, by the way). We received the book and the DVD to review, and they are both instant hits with the whole family!

Room on the Broom is all about friendship and adventure. A friendly witch and her cat meet great new friends under unusual circumstances, and by offering kindness and a spirit of sharing, they build loyalty that becomes very important when a fearsome dragon comes onto the scene.

I also love that you can find educational activities for Room on the Broom based on the story (and there are TONS of other great resources…this is something not to miss!).

The Room on the Broom DVD retails for $9.99 (but is currently on sale on Amazon!) and the book retails for $6.99 (also on sale on Amazon!). I love them both, and they are bargain buys for anyone ready to get in the fall spirit!

Win it! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the DVD AND the book version of Room on the Broom!
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Fashion Friday: Seeing Stripes!

August 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links.

No doubt about it, stripes are hot this year! I could use a few stripey additions to my fall wardrobe, which is why today’s sale at Cents of Style turned my head. Thought I’d share it with you! Use code STRIPES at checkout to get the hefty discount! And remember, shipping is ALWAYS free! Anything on the Fashion Friday page (linked above) will work with the code, but here are my favorites.

The handbag above (what a great size!) will be $19.58 shipped today. You can get it in gray or red (my eyes are locked in on the red!). The scarf? Just $9.10! It comes in 5 different colors, too!

Miriam Scarf: Just $6.98! For real! It has a thin metallic pin strip on the outer edges, and comes in 7 great transitional fall colors. I’m particularly fond of the navy option, myself.

I also wanted to draw your attention to another special deal on the site: use coupon code FALLSCARF to get this Fashionable Stars & Stripes Scarf $9.95 & FREE SHIPPING. Ralph Lauren sells one very similar to it for $60!

Even Very Jane got in on the stripe fun today. Look at these adorable straws for just $2.95 (pack of 25). So many stripes, and other patterns, too!

And while it is totally unrelated to stripes, I just had to share that these fabulous mason jar lids also made it into my shopping cart this morning! $4.99 for a set of 6! Too cute!

What stripey goodies have you added to your wardrobe this year? If you pick something up from the sale, let me know so I can swoon over it with you! I love going shopping with others, even if only virtually! 🙂

You Won’t Believe What is Coming to Six Flags Over Georgia!

August 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

I am serving as a Six Flags Super Mom with Six Flags Over Georgia, which is a compensated opportunity. As always, all opinions shared are my own.

I have been on pins and needles waiting for this morning for about a month now. I finally get to let the cat out of the bag on some BIG news.

No, it isn’t a baby.

No, I’m not moving.

No, I’m not the Powerball winner that hasn’t claimed their millions yet.

My news is EVEN MORE AWESOME! (Ok, maybe the Powerball thing would have been slightly more awesome…)

Today Six Flags Over Georgia has announced a MASSIVE park expansion that is going to surprise and delight everyone who sets foot in the park.

Hurricane Harbor

Oh friends, I was so excited about this idea from the moment I heard about it and tried to envision it. And when I saw this beautiful rendering of what it will look like this time next year, I swooned! This all-new water park element of Six Flags Over Georgia is going to be yet another AWESOME answer to the worry some have about just how much fun Six Flags Over Georgia can be if you either have young kids or if you just aren’t a roller coaster person. I already mentioned some of my findings when visiting Six Flags Over Georgia with young kids, myself, but Hurricane Harbor is going to take the fun factor to a whole new level!

You are looking at 7 acres of space that Six Flags Over Georgia is turning into a Caribbean landscape. This is a place to go, kick your shoes off, and RELAX! One of my only disappointments about living in Chattanooga is how far we are from a beach. But if I just head 2 hours south to Six Flags, I can get a tropical getaway, right inside the park.

Opening Memorial Day 2014

My calendar is already marked for opening day of Hurricane Harbor. And what a perfect choice: the unofficial first day of summer! If you live within driving distance to the park, I hope you will check it out next year, as well. One thing I can guarantee you, based on what I already know about how Six Flags Over Georgia runs its business, is that you will be absolutely delighted by your experience. They insist on providing nothing less!

Hurricane Harbor Attractions

I wanted to give you a run down of the new elements that will be in this part of the park (which is replacing the old amphitheater/concert area of the park…no roller coasters will be harmed in the making of Hurricane Harbor!).

Gigantic Wave Pool – Hurricane Bay

This 38,000 square foot pool will have rolling waves up to four feet high!

Dual Slide Complex – Calypso Cobra

You have to be at least 48 inches to ride this thrill ride, which incidentally, is the first of its kind in the world! Four riders at a time will barrel down an enclosed 5-story drop before plunging into a 40-foot wide bowl. But that’s not the end of it! Right at the end, you’ll be sent perpendicular to the ground and will be suspended in a moment of ZERO GRAVITY! Omg, I can’t wait!!!

Multi-Slide Complex – Bahamas Blaster and Runaway Pipeline

Two riders at a time will go down a dark watery tunnel that twists and turns with 180 and even 360 degree turns for the Runaway Pipeline. Riding with their family and friends in an inner tube, guests will careen down a dark watery decent through the enclosed tunnels and soar down 180 and 360 degree curves. Also part of this complex, the Bahamas Blaster takes you down a four-story drop into a gigantic bowl and hurls you around before dropping you through a corkscrew chute into the splash pool below.

Children’s Activity Area – Paradise Island

This is the place for the little adventurers to get a taste of adventure! Paradise Island is an interactive water playground that includes three giant water-dumping towers and hundreds of interactive water elements. Island-goers will also find water gadgets, climbing nets, tipping buckets and six slides!

I Want to Go!

I bet you want to know where to go to get your 2014 season passes, am I right? Just click on the link to purchase Six Flags season passes (and check out the AMAZING deals they are offering the 2014 season pass early birds. They have never offered more extra perks than they are offering this year!).

Magic School Bus Presents: Revving Up and In a Pickle

August 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 128 Comments

This post on The Magic School bus may contain affiliate links. Thanks to Scholastic for providing DVD copies for review purposes.

Beep Beep! The Magic School Bus is ready to leave on some more great adventures. So hop on the bus and I’ll tell you all about them!

As I have mentioned before in previous Magic School Bus reviews, I was just a little too old to personally enjoy this show as a child, but I loved watching it later on while babysitting, and now I’m thoroughly enjoying it with Darah. I’m (re)learning a lot of great information (especially on STEM-related subjects) and Darah and I are having very animated conversations about what we learn in each episode. You cannot go wrong to get a little Magic School Bus action in your home, for sure!

Scholastic just released two new DVDs. First up is The Magic School Bus: Revving Up. This is a 3 disc set that includes “Under Construction,” “Getting Energized” and “Cracks a Yolk.” Each DVD has 3 episodes, and each also includes a bonus episode, which means the set has over 4 1/2 hours of great educational entertainment! It retails for $24.95 (and is even on sale right now!). To get so many episodes for the price is a great bargain!

You can also now pick up The Magic School Bus: In a Pickle. You’ll find 4 episodes about microbes, smell and decomposition. Stinky, but fascinating stuff to young minds, I promise! This DVD retails for $12.95 (and is currently 45% off on Amazon!).

The Magic School Bus has made my list of fantastic gift ideas for kids, and I recommend these and their other already released DVDs for personal and school libraries. They are fantastic!

Win it!: TWO lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will be winners! The first winner drawn will win Revving Up, and the second winner drawn will win In a Pickle!

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