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

Initial Necklace for a STEAL Today!

August 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I love Cents of Style, friends! And I especially love that every Friday, they slash the already low price of something fabulous. Today their initial necklace, which is one of their most popular necklaces ever, is marked down to $10.95 plus free shipping by using the code PENDANT. They have never been marked down this low before, so now’s the time to get them! What gorgeous gifts they would make for others, and while you are shopping, pick one up for yourself!

The initial necklace comes in two colors, black and turquoise, and in the 18 most popular letters. The letters are cursive and scrolling which gives the necklace a really nice unique look. The letters will come exactly as pictured, so make sure to look and get the one you like the best. The letters can represent a child’s name, last name, pet’s name, or favorite team. The possibilities are endless.

While you are shopping, don’t forget to check out Very Jane! They have SO much stuff today that I want. Two of my favorites are the beautiful washi tape for $1.99 and the vinyl mailbox decals for $14.99! Scoot on over…they sell out fast!

Affiliate links included. Thanks for your support!

Do You Need Life Insurance If You Stay At Home?

August 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

This post on life insurance is brought to you by Genworth and Brandfluential. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Tim and I recently had our annual meeting with our life insurance agent. We meet every year to review our current financial situation, our goals, any major life events on the horizon, and to make sure that our insurance coverage is sufficient to meet our needs should either Tim or I not live to see the next annual meeting. While the thought of this happening is very sad, indeed, I find that these meetings aren’t as much of a downer as you might imagine. They actually feel very reassuring in many ways, because we are taking just a little bit of time to make sure we are on track and covered in the event of the unthinkable. Because let me tell you, if my husband dies, the very last thing I want to be thinking about is how I’m going to keep paying our bills. And Tim feels the exact same way.

Life Insurance for Stay at Home Parents?

While I work from home and do generate income, it isn’t a full-time income. So does it really make sense for us to be spending money on a life insurance policy for me? Oh heck yes it does. Genworth has been a great resource for helping us stay educated on this issue. What we have realized is that if I pass away, while there may not be very much of a direct financial impact in terms of the loss of income, other losses will be very significant and require some cash inflow.

While my husband has a full-time job with benefits, do you really think he wants to report back to work the week after he buries his wife? Or two weeks after? Or two months after? Honestly, probably not. And who will be watching the girls? He’s going to want to be with his kids, loving on them, healing with them, and just trying to find any hints of normalcy that he can. In order to take a significant amount of time off of work and to eventually arrange for new care options for the girls, he is going to need some help. That’s where a life insurance policy comes into play. There’s a terrific article that outlines even more examples of why stay-at-home parents need life insurance.

Determine What You Need

I want to encourage you and your partner to take a little bit of time to meet with an insurance agent, or at least go online to get some help determining how much insurance you need to have for each of you in order for financial devastation to not be part of the aftermath of a loss. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by some of the rates you can find for policies that meet your needs, too. In my own personal opinion, the peace of mind these policies provide are well worth their monthly expense.

Come Visit Me At KaylaAimee.com and See My Stitch Fix Box!

August 15, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

So I ordered another Stitch Fix box. This one was very different from the first, and I’ll leave it at that.

Curious???? Come on over to KaylaAimee.com where I’m guest posting and check it out, then leave a comment over there telling me what you thought about the clothes!

Be Out There! FREE E-Book To Encourage Outdoor Play

August 15, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Thanks to National Wildlife Federation and The Motherhood for bringing me on for this sponsored campaign. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

I’m absolutely thrilled to announced that Be Out There, an e-book all about finding ways to make outdoor time with your kids happen more, has been published! This book has been crowdsourced by 15 different bloggers (including yours truly!), working in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation.

I’ve read the book. I’ve been inspired by the different ideas that were featured. I’m more fired up than ever about spending time outside with my family, and I think you will be too once you take a look at this beautiful book! And did I mention that it is FREE??? Can’t beat that! You can find my contributions to the book in the section all about outdoor time in everyday life. Here’s a little taste for ya!

Outdoor Time in Everyday Life

So here’s the deal: I grew up in South Alabama where the weather was sticky and hot for most of the year, and the bugs were plentiful. I never really enjoyed playing outside for those reasons, and have been a little jarred by the insistence on the part of my 3-year-old to go outside every single day.

I resisted for a while, but have come to realize that getting outside is a really great thing for my children’s overall development. And if I adhere to a few key principles, it actually is a lot of fun for me, too. Here are my tips for making outdoor time a joy instead of a chore.

1. Get out at the right time. While the weather in East Tennessee isn’t as hot and humid as my hometown, it’s still quite warm by lunch. And the mosquitos are rampant here. So we do most of our outside play early in the day before the bugs are hungry and while the temperatures are still pleasant.

2. Take off your shoes. My girls, for some reason, will run more and wear bigger smiles on their faces while they play if their shoes are off. It makes for a great sensory experience and just seems a little wild to them, I suppose. What an effortless way to crank up the fun!

bubbles in the water 3. Set the stage for independent play. There are some really inexpensive items you can have on hand that will get children engaged in play for a long time. If you have a kiddie pool or a water table, add some dish soap and watch those bubbles fly. Bring a mirror outside for a new perspective on things (kids LOVE to watch themselves!). Grab a few pieces of sidewalk chalk and let the kids create some art of their own. It doesn’t take fancy toys to keep children occupied. Just something a little out of the ordinary.

4. Find nature in your own backyard. Grab a magnifying glass or any sort of bug catcher and turn a negative (lots of bugs in the yard) into a positive (lots of specimens to inspect!). I have had some great conversations with my oldest about insects thanks to our bug viewer. She used to be scared of bugs, but now she is very intrigued by them! Fairies are a big deal in my home right now, so hunting for mushrooms is also a new favorite game. Darah spends a lot of time scouring the yard for these fairy hangouts.

5. Equip yourself to work and play. Since I work from home, I often wrestle with balancing work obligations with spending time with my family. Rather than sticking the girls in front of the television, I can also take them outside and accomplish some work. Whether it is firing up the grill for dinner while they play, or bringing my laptop outside to answer emails, if I have provided the girls with a few interesting options for outdoor play, they will keep themselves entertained while mommy checks something off her “to do” list. That’s a win-win in my book! You can even enlist the help of your kids in some outdoor chores. Put a broom in their hands and let them sweep the walkway, or have them help with some weeding in the garden.

Those are some of my ideas, and the book is LOADED with even more great tips from other bloggers! Please do give it a read, and while you are at it, I’d like to encourage you to take the Be Out There pledge to spend more time outside!

Now, stop reading this post and go spend a little time in the great outdoors! 🙂

My Top Back-to-School Fashion Picks for Preschool Girls

August 14, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Affiliate links included. Thank you for supporting Vanessa, who we sponsor through Compassion, International with the help of your purchases!

Preschool Fashion for Girls

Have you got the first day of school outfit picked out yet? Are you already back in school (some of you are!!!). Darah heads back to school in just over a week, and we’ve got her day 1 outfit all picked out! But to be completely honest with you, I don’t have anything picked out beyond that! Since I need to get it together and finish up my shopping, I thought I’d share with you what I’m loving the most from my favorite shops! Just click on the pictures to be taken straight to the page on the company websites!

Gymboree

You’ll get to see this ADORABLE outfit on Darah in about a week and a half (and there will be a sweet giveaway! Can’t wait!!!). The knee high socks that go with it are a must. CUTEST. THING. EVER.

Tea Collection

One of the things I love the very most about Tea is that their pieces play well together. You can buy a few key pieces and create several different outfit combinations. The fantastic flight set captured my heart this season.

Update! Get it while it’s discounted! From Thursday, August 15th through Sunday, August 18th, Tea Collection is rewarding you with more savings when you buy more during the Back to School Savings event. Save 10% off your purchase of 3 items with promo code BACKPACK3. Get 15% off if you buy 4 pieces with promo code PENCIL4. Keep a whopping 20% from your purchase of 5 items with promo code RULER5! Get your kids ready with shirts, pants, dresses, or entire outfits. The sale only applies to full-priced items, and excludes Patagonia. When it comes to Back-to-School shopping, this is your chance to get a lot for a little! Happy shopping =) !

Crazy 8

For the budding artist (and what preschooler isn’t one?) we have this delightful Love 2 Paint dress. Lovin’ all the great accessories that you can get with it, too. And the price (just click to see…you’ll be glad you did!).

P.S. Crazy 8 is having a killer sale this weekend. I’ll be there, and you should be, too!

What did you buy for your child’s first day back at school this year? Or are you in uniforms?

Put Your Most Fashionable Foot Forward with K. Bell Socks

August 14, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Isn’t it interesting how your own personal style can change over time? My taste in socks is a great example. When I was a teenager, one of my favorite accessories was my striped pair of socks that had individual slots for my toes. Crazy, I know. But I loved those things! And I loved any sort of zany print on my socks. I seem to recall a pair with monkeys dressed in tutus. I wore those things out!!!

If these shark socks had been around when I was 15, I would have put them on in a hot second. It is fun to see that novelty socks haven’t gone anywhere, even though I don’t personally wear them, anymore (but more power to you if you do!).

Let me tell you what socks I hated when I was a teenager: the really short “no show” socks. As someone who thought “more is more” when it comes to socks, I thought they were absolutely pointless! And now…they are the sock I love the very most! They are so soft and comfortable!

But my past and my present are melding together right now. The more practical socks that I choose now don’t have to be boring! K. Bell has some great selections, from the super practical black or white short socks, to bold, bright colors and patterns. What a fun way to bring together an understated style and a funky design to make super cute socks! That’s pretty much perfect for me! 🙂

6 PACK OF SOCKS FOR KIDS

But what I especially excited about is that K. Bell has just launched special 6 packs of socks for kids. These are a MUST for the new school season. They are also a great way to bring a pop of color and style to an outfit. Darah is LOVING her socks from K. Bell. She especially loves when we can match our socks and wear the same color on the same day. Even little Layah asks to put these socks on all the time. They are obviously miles too big for her, but she just wants to be involved in the sock wearing fun!

K. Bell 6 packs of socks are available for kids in sizes 7.5 – 13. And the price is definitely right, at just $8.99 per pack! K. Bell sent us two 6 packs for Darah to enjoy, and I think that is perfect amount to get you all set for the school year. I was also sent two packs…one with fun bright colors, and the other with blacks and whites. I’m reaching for both sets constantly! I’m impressed with the quality of K. Bell socks and the price point. I highly recommend them!

What kind of socks do you like to wear? Are you a novelty sock person? Very practical? Somewhere in between?

Healthy Snacks for Work

August 13, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I know, I know…this post should be all about great lunch ideas for kids, since we’re in the midst of the back-to-school season. But I didn’t want the parents to feel left out! Whether your work space is on a factory floor, behind a desk, or in the driver’s seat of a vehicle (Carpool line! Hello!), you need something to snack on while you are working hard, too! So I created a list of some of the healthy snacks I have stocked my pantry with for the grownups when break time rolls around. Some of the snacks were recently provided for review and I fell in love, and others are products my family discovered a while back! Affiliate links below.

Best Healthy Snacks for Work

FiberOne 90 Calorie Brownie. These are a total favorite of mine. So yummy. So friendly on the waistline! So satisfying!

Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas. The wasabi flavor will WAKE. YOU. UP!!! And either way you go, these are tasty little treats, packed with flavor.

KIND bars. Have you tried these??? You guys. SOOOOO good! And they really help me to stop grazing once I have one. Very filling and did I mention that they are REALLY good? These are new to me, and I’m a little bit bitter that I didn’t know about them sooner. Just sayin’.

PopCorners. I so rarely get to enjoy these because Tim always takes them to work. As I recall, though, they are REALLY good! 🙂 Definitely be sure to try the barbecue flavor!.

Balance Mini Energy Bars. I love the taste of these bars, but even more, I love the size! I’m working in New York this week, and I’m spending a lot of time creating cooking demonstration videos. I’m surrounded by food all day, and yet, there is very little opportunity to eat! I put a handful of these bars in my purse so that I could have something to eat that would give me a boost!

Lovely Candies. These seriously taste like homemade candies you could only get from a loving grandmother. I don’t know how that got that all wrapped into little squares of wax paper, but they did. Consciously made. Gluten-free. A must try!

Van’s Crackers and Bars. I wrote about Van’s crackers earlier in the summer, and we recently had some new flavors and just adored them, as well. They also have cranberry almond bars that will REALLY help curb some hunger pains when you need to power through until dinner. Love this brand!!! Everything is gluten-free, as well!

Those are some of my suggestions that maybe weren’t already on your shopping list! I’d love to hear what you snack on while you get through your work day. Anything you just can’t live without? Any new finds? Let’s hear it!

Why Dollar General Is On My Errand List Today

August 11, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

This morning I have a few things that I need to pick up at a big box store. On the way to that store, there is a Dollar General. Today I’m going to be stopping at that Dollar General to pick up some items that I likely could also find at the big box store, but that I can save big on by shopping here!

KRAFT products have made their way into Dollar General stores, and the prices are smokin’ hot!

KRAFT for School Lunch Prep

The KRAFT line is particularly helpful as we head back into the school year and I have to start thinking about school lunches, as well as meal and snack ideas that are easy and delicious. On my shopping list today are the following:

Maxwell House K-cups. They aren’t an iced coffee version, but these will be perfect for my afternoon coffee, which I can make about an hour in advance and get cooled down enough by the time I’m ready to drink it. Refueling for the second half of the day is critical for this working mama!
PLANTERS nuts. Dollar General has a terrific selection of this line, and nuts provide a BIG energy boost. I love including them in Darah’s lunch to help her power through her day. They are also a healthy snack option for me (much better to reach for some almonds when hunger strikes than some chocolate chips!).
CAPRI SUN Big Pouch. This will be the last year that Darah still comes home at lunch. But she LOVES getting to have a packed lunch when she gets home. It is hilarious! CAPRI SUN products are one of her favorite things to find in her lunch box, so it is time to get stocked up!
A.1. Dry Rub. I have really come to realize that a good rub can make even the cheapest cuts of meat come alive with flavor. That’s good for my wallet! And bonus, these types of recipes usually do really well in the slow cooker (which is nearly effortless) or on the grill (I do the marinating and leave the cooking up to Tim!). Either way, it is easy for me! 🙂

Additionally, I’m going to check out the KOOL-AID LIQUID product, which is brand new, and available at Dollar General. I’m not sure yet if I’m going to buy it, but I am feeling tempted on account of the yummy sounding Frosty Strawberry Pops recipe I saw on the Dollar General site and that uses the product. I’ll decide if I want to go for it after I see it in person! You can find this recipe, as well as information on all KRAFT products at Dollar General online.

The Price is Right

I mentioned earlier that the deals were smokin’ hot at Dollar General on KRAFT products. Right now, if you buy any 2 KRAFT items you can save extra with their special coupons. New deals are happening all the time, so be sure to check the website regularly and download your coupons!

What are you purchasing for school lunches this year? Did you know that you can find KRAFT items at Dollar General? Be sure to go check them out and make lunch and snack prep easier for yourself!

Philly Cream Cheese Cannoli Dip Recipe

August 11, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 21 Comments

I have joined forces with Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese to create what I believe to be the ULTIMATE snack. It is simple. It is super yummy. It is really pretty. And it’s also quite inexpensive! I’m so excited to show you how to make a snack that will have EVERYONE talking!

So, are you ready for the awesome? Let’s do it!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cannoli Dip

1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese spread

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 Tbsp plain yogurt

15 oz Ricotta cheese

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour heavy whipping cream into a bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form (2-3 minutes). Set aside roughly half the mixture into a separate, smaller bowl.

To the remaining mixture add philly soft cream cheese. Mix well to combine. To make the mixing process easier, I recommend cutting the cream cheese into 8 sections. At the same time that you add the cream cheese, also add the plain yogurt.

Next, fold in the ricotta cheese. Then fold in the remaining half of the heavy whipping cream.

Now it’s time to sweeten it up! Add the 2/3 cup powdered sugar and gently fold it in. Your dip will start to look a bit glossier (and it will start to taste like the inside of a cannoli, too!).

How about some color? Fold in those delicious mini chocolate chips! Don’t use the larger chips…it will be too overwhelming when you take a bite.

To serve, sprinkle the top of your dip with more chocolate chips, and dust with a bit of powdered sugar. The perfect dipping instruments, in my opinion, are strawberries and graham crackers!

I made this recently while Tim and the girls were outside doing some chores. They were all thrilled to find this waiting for them when they came back in. It looks super fancy, but honestly, it was quite simple to put together. And the taste? Lean in a little closer and I’ll scoop some for you…

How cruel of me! I bet you could ALMOST taste it, though! Head on out to your nearest grocery store and get started making this delectable snack. You will have a new favorite dish to bring to parties and potlucks, as well as a go-to snack for your family!