Stuff Parents Need

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

Kids Easy Breakfast Recipe: Smiley Face Breakfast

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This morning is day 4 of the official “back to school” schedule in our home, and we have not yet mastered the easy breakfast routine. My kids like something more than cereal most days, but having to make pancakes or stove top grits in the midst of the morning chaos just isn’t working out.

I was recently going through some of my old magazines and noticed that the June edition of Parents magazine had a very cute kids easy breakfast recipe that is just perfect for a busy weekday.  The only cooking that needs to be done is to boil some eggs, which you can do the night before, or if you are like me and wake up before the kids, just take care of before they wake up. I bake mine in the oven and they come out perfect every time (post on this method forthcoming).

kids easy breakfast ideas

Darah loves being greeted with a smile when she comes downstairs for breakfast, and I love having a breakfast plan that is nutritionally dense and takes so little time to prepare!

My rule is that Darah needs to eat everything on the plate (though I usually eat a little bit of the banana to help her out), and at that point, she can have more of anything from the smiley face that she wants. And she always wants “more nose” (blueberries).

The next time you go to the store, be sure to purchase the elements needed to make this (bananas, eggs, blueberries and grapes (or raspberries…my store was out of them). Get your eggs cooked in advance and just store them back in the fridge. When morning rolls around, you will have an instant hit on your hands, and you’ll have freed up some time for other things, like actually getting a shower, yourself! (can you even imagine???) 🙂

Throwing Away Money In Your Sleep?

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My friends across the pond at Ovo Energy have partnered with Stuff Parents Need today to bring you a sobering look at just how much money you might be throwing away, even in your sleep, by leaving appliances plugged in and/or turned on. Before we had kids, Tim and I were actually pretty good about turning off most things before heading to bed. Not so much, anymore. But this is a good wake up call for me. Honestly, this is a pretty simple way to save some money! And just to help you with conversions, 1 British pound = roughly $1.50 .Brought to you by Ovo Energy the cheaper, greener and simpler energy supplier.

Win Your Entire Shopping Cart Online with RetailMeNot!

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Holiday Shopping

Yesterday, August 20th, I began my holiday shopping preparation in earnest. For real! I spent much of the afternoon going through all the gifts that I have been setting aside ever since last Christmas, and figuring out who is getting what, and more importantly, who still needs gifts.

And you guys, despite having two overflowing tubs of fun presents, my shopping list for remaining gifts is still very, very, VERY long! After all, I have 29 people that I need to purchase gifts for, so all that stockpiling I’ve been doing throughout the year has only put a dent in my shopping list.

Why Prepare for the Holidays in August?

But still, does this seem like a strange time of year to start getting serious about holiday shopping? For me it isn’t, for a few key reasons. First and foremost, October-December is my very favorite time of the year, and I don’t like to be super stressed about finding presents during that time. Sure, I’ll still have some shopping left then, but if I didn’t have anything ready by October, I’d really be sweating since I have so many people to buy for!

But there’s another reason I wanted to know what I have left to buy right now:

RetailMeNot Shopping Cart Sweepstakes

From now until August 31st any purchase by a registered member of RetailMeNot has a 1 in 10 shot to get paid back in full!

How it works:

1.       Become a RetailMeNot 

2.       Use a coupon from RetailMeNot to make an online purchase

3.       If you win, we’ll email you a VISA Virtual Rewards Card

If you aren’t a member of RetailMeNot yet, here are some other benefits of (free!) membership:

  • Receive first-look alerts for “super coupons,” limited quantity, deeply discounted special offers from top retailers, including restaurants
  • Access to weekly newsletters that promote RetailMeNot’s top online and in-store digital coupons
  • Ability to receive recognition for helping other users of RetailMeNot save by submitting digital coupons
  • Ability to track your savings when using RetailMeNot digital coupons

For more information, terms and conditions go to:

Since I know what I have left to purchase before the holidays, and since I know I want to “wrap up” (hee hee) all my shopping as early as possible, why not use RetailMeNot right now to save big on my purchases? And there’s a decent chance that they may foot the entire bill! 🙂

It’s that easy – shop to win!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by RetailMeNot but all opinions are my own. 

I Let My Husband Pick Out the First Day Of School Outfits! (Giveaway!)

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This post on back-to-school fashion for girls may contain affiliate links. 

Yesterday was Darah’s first day of school. She’s in year 2 of the 3 year cycle at Montessori school, but if she were in a more traditional classroom, this would have been her first day of preschool. I was aware of this fact, and as a result, I teared up more than once while taking pictures of her in the morning.

I thought I was going to hold it together, but I just couldn’t get over how grown my sweet baby looked. Her outfit was beyond adorable, and her socks…well…those sent me over the edge. Yes, I cried at the sight of her adorable socks!!

gymboree back to school socks

My friends over a Gymboree were kind enough to send me a gift certificate to get our back-to-school shopping started off right. I was so happy to work with them, as I order things from Gymboree fairly often (who can resist with all those Gymbucks offers, am I right?). But I decided to do something a little different this year: I gave Tim FULL REIGN over picking out something for both Darah and Layah to wear on the first day of school.

Did I lose my mind? Oh no, friends, this was a very strategic move on my part. You see, Gymboree makes is SO easy to find coordinating pieces, since they create entire collections around one theme. I knew that Tim would have to really make an effort in order to get something that wasn’t absolutely adorable. Gymboree makes that really hard!

The socks shown above were just part of the “so cute I cried” outfit he chose for Darah. Wanna see it???

gymboree colorblock dress

I think she caught on to how cute I thought she was in this colorblock dress, because the model attitude started coming out early on in the photo shoot! She’s 4 going on 14….heaven help us!

And while Layah wasn’t starting a new year in school today, she did go to her Parent’s Day Out program, and I wanted her to take part in the back-to-school festivities, so she also got an outfit (the flower dot sweater dress). And Oh. My. Word!

gymboree flower dot dress

I just love how the dresses are completely different, and yet those stripes pull them all together for a coordinated look. The dress is a soft sweater material, which I know will be comfy for a on-the-go toddler like Layah. And those sleeves! The little poof in them! Makes me swoon…

gymboree toddler dress

Tim reported back to me that he really had a lot of fun picking out clothes for the girls. He said he loved the selection at Gymboree, the ease of finding outfits that coordinated without being too “matchy-matchy” and he also loved that there were so many options that weren’t pink! 🙂

I think he rocked it out. Do you agree?

gymboree back to school 2013

Win it!: Gymboree wants to celebrate the start of a new school year by offering one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a $75 gift certificate to Gymboree!!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let’s Hang Out on Twitter Tuesday (Prizes: Visa Gift Cards!!!)

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Remember that free e-book on outside play with kids I told you about last week? Well, the fabulous folks from the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement and The Motherhood really want to celebrate its release, so they are throwing a Twitter party! I’m going to be there and I’d really love for you to join me!
be out there free ebook

Twitter Party Details

When: Tuesday, August 20, at 1p ET / noon CT / 10a PTWhere: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #BeOutThere hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/beoutthere

Hashtag: #BeOutThere

Prizes: Five prizes will be awarded throughout the party to participants who respond correctly to trivia questions. Each winner will receive a $25 Visa gift card and a Be Out There t-shirt.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @BeOutThere

Awesome co-hosts: 

 See you there??? And don’t forget to check out the FREE e-book. It is a terrific resource for saying goodbye to summer or even afer school boredom, as there are plenty of activities for all different occasions to suggest for kids of all ages.

6 Freebies for You!!!

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This post about online freebies may contain affiliate links.

Back in the day, I used to get fun samples and freebies in the mail almost every single day. It was so much fun, and a great way to try new products! As I was thinking about my old hobby, I wondered if some of you might like to get some fun free mail. Let me help you make it happen! Here are some cool free offers that I have rounded up for you this morning. Let me know what you go for. It’s all free!!! 🙂

Free samples:

free samples

 

woman freebies

 

Nectresse

 

Free magazine subscriptions:

 

american baby free magazine

 

Working Mother

 

Free ebook

Favecrafts

 

Happy (free!) shopping! 🙂

The Six Flags Over Georgia Shockers

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About a month ago I went to Six Flags Over Georgia with my family. Six Flags is known for rides like this:

six flags over georgia rides

Seriously amazing stuff. But, um, not so much for toddlers and preschoolers.

Six Flags Super Moms and Two Shockers

So why the heck was I there? I have joined forces with Six Flags Over Georgia as an official Six Flags Super Mom for the next year. Check out the video that Six Flags put together with me telling you more about what I’ll be doing this year as a compensated ambassador and some of the surprising things I learned about the park!

Shocker One: Six Flags Really Is Fun with Little Kids!

I’m going to be honest with you (like always!) and tell you that when I was preparing for my visit to Six Flags Over Georgia, I was open-minded about what I might discover, but quite skeptical about how appealing the park would be to parents of young children (think 10 and under…or really any child who wouldn’t want to ride a roller coaster). I mean, what is there to do at a park known for its roller coasters except for maybe a handful of kiddie rides?

six flags and looney tunes

Well, it turns out that there is a TON of stuff! The Looney Tunes characters, for one, have an entire section of the park dedicated to them and to all of their shenanigans. You can meet and greet the gang, watch some fun live shows, and ride several different rides that are intended for the little ones. But this is by no means all that there is for young ones to do!

six flags first ride

 Skull Island

My kids had a very decided favorite in the park, and it is something that I’d never seen before: a splash/water zone right inside the park, itself! It is called Skull Island and it is where my husband and the girls spent most of the day while I toured the park with the other Super Moms There are some great water slides and plenty of fountains and waterfalls for the young and young at heart to splash around and cool off in. I think it is an absolutely fantastic addition to the park and can help ensure that anyone who isn’t a huge fan of roller coasters (or who just isn’t tall enough to ride them, yet!) can still have an AMAZING time at Six Flags Over Georgia.

skull island at six flags over georgia

Shocker Two: The Food is GREAT!!!

Theme parks and good food don’t typically belong in the same sentence, but here goes: Six Flags Over Georgia has delicious food! We were served lunch while we toured the park, and every single thing we sampled could be found in the park for purchase. We tried turkey burgers that were REALLY good (no…really….moist, flavorful…not like any turkey burger I’ve ever had, and I eat turkey burgers regularly! Best ones I have yet to taste!). They even had taco salads (a personal favorite! What a treat!) and gluten-free brownies. And let me tell you, if brownies made without wheat can taste this good, then wheat no longer has any business being in any brownies from here on out. They were out of this world, you guys.

six flags over georgia food  Six Flags also offers burritos, wraps, and other outside-the-themepark box offerings. And do you want to know why? Because they do a FANTASTIC job of listening to their customers! Six Flags wants to offer what people want to eat, and as food trends and dietary restrictions change, they want to make sure that everyone can have an delightful experience in the park, not only while enjoying the rides, but also while enjoying the food! I also saw an employee preparing by hand some amazing looking caramel apples in one of the shops. Don’t those look delicious?

six flags caramel apples

And just in case those apples aren’t enough for your sweet tooth, just turn around and see if you can find anything else to tempt you!

six flags candy

I captured about 10% of the candy in this particular store. What a fun place to take your child for a special little treat! 🙂

I was expecting Six Flags over Georgia to be a fantastic place to take tweens and teenagers for a vacation or even just a break from the usual, but I was truly shocked to discover how much fun it is with young children. And I was shocked by easy it is to find food on site that won’t give you indigestion or leave you feeling totally gross. I will be heading back to Six Flags in the next few weeks to take a closer look, and I have a feeling that the park with surprise and delight me even more the next time around.

Have you ever visited Six Flags Over Georgia or any other Six Flags parks? Have you been with small children before? Do you have any questions or concerns about planning a trip to Six Flags, either with young kids or not? I’d love to share your thoughts with the park staff! 

 

How I Set Sound Free: Jabra Solemate

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Last month I attended my first blogging conference in a year in a half, called Reviewer’s Retreat. While I was there, I was introduced to Jabra. Jabra is a company that makes innovative headset and speakerphone solutions, with the aim of empowering customers to accomplish amazing things, on their own terms. After conversations with the company representative at the conference, I learned that Jabra is truly passionate about being a leader in what they do, and they work extremely hard to make sure their customers’ lives are made easier with the use of their product.

Making my life easier is totally speaking my love language! So I knew I had to bring Jabra to Stuff Parents Need and tell you all about them. The company sent me a product that they thought busy parents would L.O.V.E. and they were spot on!

Friends, let me introduce you to the Jabra Solemate.

jabra solemate

Can you see the wires for the speaker? No? That’s because THERE ARE NO WIRES!!!! This is a completely portable, completely wireless speaker set. We used it last week while we were outside playing and washing the car. We had some fun music keeping us company, and it sounded AWESOME!

So where was the music sourced from if the Jabra Solemate isn’t a radio? In this case, the Jabra Solemate was playing music from Pandora, sourced on the iPad, which was still inside the house. Pretty awesome, right? The speakers can link up with any device that is bluetooth enabled (your phone, your tablet, probably your computer). I’m not tech savvy, and yet even I can get my speakers going with just a few simple clicks.

jabra solemate controls

And the Jabra Solemate is so light and small…very easy to take all around the house, and even on trips. Our current favorite use of the speakers is to crank up the quality of sound when we are watching movies/television shows on our laptop. Yes, my laptop speakers work, but the difference in sound quality is night and day. Plus, we can strategically place these speakers in our room to get more of a “surround sound” effect, which rocks!

The Jabra Solemate comes in black or white, and has a very unobtrusive look that I love. Clean, simple, really quite lovely (especially for a speaker!). And best of all, NO CORDS!!! There are so many reasons why this is huge. First, I have a toddler who loves to yank on cords. I’ll let you guess how many different objects have been broken as a result of this favorite pastime of hers (pretty much no matter what number you guessed, the answer is MORE THAN THAT!). Second, I have a cat who likes to bite through cords, which has cost us far more than the $100 adoption fee we paid for the cat in the first place. Jabra Solemate is bringing us great sound, hassle-free. It is making life easier, and definitely more fun! So now instead of yanking on cords, Layah has moved on to new pursuits. Like eating bubbles.

toddler eating bubbles

Have you had the chance to try the Jabra Solemate? Would you like to set sound free? Wanna see a giveaway for Jabra on the site? Let me know!!! 

OMGuac Your Lunch and Win Big!!!

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Thanks to Wholly Guacamole for partnering with Stuff Parents Need to get the word out about this contest! 

Wholly Guacamole….you’ve tried it, right? I buy it regularly at the store. It is such a smooth, creamy, delicious treat, and it tastes SO fresh!

If you are already a fan, or even if you need a little nudge to give Wholly Guacamole a try, I’ve got good news for you. The brand has recently launched the OMGuac One Lunch, Two Ways promotion and photo contest, and you are definitely going to want to enter, because the prizes are SWEET!!!

guacamole contest

Check out the Wholly Guacamole site for some great ideas to help make your kids lunches (and your work lunches!) OMGuac-tastic! Once you are inspired and have a fun lunch idea ready, register for a chance to win  a $100 gift card with FREE Wholly Guacamole products! There are 3 winners every week through September 27!!! And don’t miss the $1.00 off coupon for any Wholly product while you are on the site. For complete contest details and rules, visit Eatwholly.com/omg.