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

Final Week for Reynolds Real Moms! I Need Your Vote Today! (Giveaway Reminder)

March 27, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Hi friends,

What a fun road it has been! I have had a blast working on the Reynolds Real Moms campaign and sharing lots of great tips and tricks that get me in and out of my kitchen FAST. I don’t want the journey to end, and that’s where you come in! Today (Wednesday) is THE LAST DAY for voting! Please take a moment and head over to the Reynolds Real Moms Facebook app and vote for me, Tiffany Merritt (bottom row, second from the left in the blue top). The voting button is on the left side of the screen once you are on my specific page. A thousand thank yous! I can’t do it without your support!

Here’s my final tip for you today, and it is a REALLY good one! Take a minute to see why you might need to change the way you store cheese in your home. I have, and I can really taste the difference!

Also remember that I’m currently hosting a giveaway for a 6 MONTH SUPPLY OF REYNOLDS PRODUCTS!!! Don’t miss out on it!

And if you are just tuning in to this whole project, here’s a recap of my tips and recipe ideas:

Baking Cookies with Parchment Paper

How to Cook a Whole Chicken

Baking Cups as Snack Holders

Meat, Potatoes and Dessert in 90 Seconds

Slow Cooker Liners are a Game-Changer!

Kid-Friendly Comfort Foods with No Cleanup

Customized Veggie Foil Packets

Perfect Pork Chops and Oven Rice

I am a Reynolds Real Moms finalist, and as such have received complimentary products. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. If I win this competition, there will be more opportunities for me to spread the Reynolds love (and offer Reynolds prizes!) to my readers. Will you take a moment today to vote for me? Thank you!

Baby Einstein Gift Basket Giveaway ($150 Value!)

March 26, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 114 Comments

As a huge fan of Baby Einstein products, I am so happy to be part of this fantastic group giveaway sponsored by Baby Gifts & Baskets! One very lucky winner is going to score one of these Baby Einstein gift baskets.

Options for inclusion in these delightful gift baskets include the discovery cards (my personal favorite), Baby Einstein books, stuffed animals, musical toys, bibs, bath items and much more! There are 10 designs from which you can choose, and honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the options! What an AMAZING baby shower gift this would be!!! See the rafflecopter form below and the giveaway rules after that for detailed information!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway. The mandatory entry is commenting on this post, but once that entry is completed, various other entry options will become available. Any option is acceptable, but the number of entries per person are limited to the number indicated in the contest form. Entries will be reviewed and duplicate or uncompleted entries will be removed.

NOTE – You must complete the specified entry task in order to be eligible to win the contest. If you hit the green entry button without completing the task, your entry will be thrown out (disqualified from winning the prize).

Giveaway sweepstakes is open to all residents of the 48 Contiguous States and only to those 18 or older!

Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive their choice of Baby Einstein gift basket from this page (valued at up to $150.)

Winner will be notified via e-mail so make sure you provide the correct address. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another replacement winner will be chosen.

Prize will be fulfilled by the contest sponsor http://www.baby-gifts-gift-baskets.com.

The full list of rules can be found here.

Sweepstakes ends at midnight EST on April 7, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by April 14, 2013.

Monkey Mat: Portable Play Mat for Everyone

March 26, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

When we go to the park, this is how we roll, now:

This awesome play mat, called the Monkey Mat is light as a feather (well, almost) and folds up to about the size of my hand, which means it very easily goes in the diaper bag or even in my purse. And it means that I have a clean, WATERPROOF surface to put Layah on wherever we may go.

This is a game changer, folks! I have absolutely no shame about putting this on the floor of a department store fitting room, in a fast food restaurant, or anywhere else I may need to be for a spell that isn’t exactly designed for babies. And pretty much no place is designed for babies. If you are in cramped quarters (like a dressing room) you can always fold it back in half so it doesn’t take up the whole floor.

There’s a lot of peace of mind in knowing that your baby is protected from questionable objects or germs on the floor and that the floor is protected from your baby (two words: projectile vomit).

The blanket has light weights at each of the four corners. I can tell you from experience that they are not sufficient to keep a strong gust of wind from lifting the blanket, especially if you don’t have any adults sitting on it at the time. But for gentle winds, it does just great.

Honestly, this is a product I wish I had owned from the time Darah was a young infant. I can see it having SO many uses. And when Layah has outgrown the need to have her own protected space, the Monkey Mat will continue to have a full life in the trunk of our car, serving as picnic and playtime-at-the-park blanket. All while taking up precious little space!

What do you use for a mat when you are on the go? Do you just wing it like I used to do? I would most definitely recommend a Monkey Mat, especially because it can work for you and your family even long after the babies become big kids! Monkey Mats are available in pink, orange, blue and khaki (shown above) for $39.99 and can be purchased on the Monkey Mat website or on Amazon.

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Is Your Child Scared of the Dark? Tips to Overcome the Fear (Giveaway!)

March 25, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 114 Comments

Being scared of the dark is a very common thing for children (and let’s be real, for adults as well). There is something so disarming about not being able to see very well, and when you have a great imagination, as children often do, those shadows in the room can quickly become very VERY scary monsters. Here’s what has worked for us to nip our 3 1/2 year old’s fear in the bud.

1. Monsters have been officially banned from our city. This is one of our favorite stories to tell Darah before bed. It is an intricate tale Tim has spun, all about the time that Darah’s PaPa (that’s my dad) came to Chattanooga and fought off all of the monsters, and then banned them from ever returning. She gets a kick out of the story, and it gives her a lot of peace of mind to know that it just isn’t possible for monsters to be not only in her house, but anywhere in the whole city. After all, the Mole Kings of Lookout Mountain stay on guard to make sure no monsters sneak in (told you it was an intricate story!).

2. Name objects in the room with the lights on. This has been one of the most helpful things we’ve done, for sure! Darah seems especially frightened by the shadows cast in her closet, which doesn’t have a door on it to maximize space. We take just a moment to point out the items in her closet and exactly what they are so she can see them. Then we turn off the light and show her how it looks different. Then turn the light back on again and continue pointing out other “questionable” objects until she is satisfied. After we did this a few days in a row, she doesn’t ask for us to do this very often anymore. Highly effective!

3. Empower your child with a portable nightlight. Darah has been using the Munchkin Light My Way Light and absolutely loving it. Not only does it have cute owl design that is fun, but it also has a handle so she can tote it around. She not only has it in her bed at night time, but she also using it in her forts throughout the day or when she is pretending to explore underwater caverns like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Darah can turn on the light, which has a soft glow, any time she is feeling unsure. It seems to give her a lot of peace of mind, and empowers her to help herself feel better rather than relying on grownups to come in the room and reassure her. In short, it is a very powerful tool, and for the help it provides, it is a complete steal at $11.99 at Target and it is also available on Amazon.

If your little one is scared of the dark, I encourage you to give these tactics a try. They have helped us tremendously so that night time is no longer a cause for anxiety, and that is making everyone in the house rest a bit easier.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Munchkin Light My Way Light!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Baby Food Giveaway That Shows Off Your Adorable Child! #BabyFoodie

March 24, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Just between you and me, I have the world’s most beautiful children.

I imagine that you are politely nodding your head, all the while thinking, “You just haven’t seen MY kids, lady! They are DEFINITELY the world’s most beautiful children!”

Well, there’s my truth, and then there’s your truth, and then there’s the objective truth, which is this: we all have beautiful children! They have sweet little faces and precious little spirits and they should be shown off!

Earth’s Best is ready to help you to just that through a great baby food giveaway! I know you are already taking pictures of your kids on your smart phones. Are you also using Instagram? Here’s how you can take what you are already doing and turn it into a prize!

1. Download the Instagram app for your iPhone or Android if you don’t already have it (it is free and easy)

2. Take a picture of your baby eating their yummy Earth’s Best Organic meals

3. Choose an Instagram filter

3. Enter the hash tag #BabyFoodie in the comments section.

Earth’s Best will comment from their Instagram profile to let you know if you’ve been selected as the #BabyFoodie of the month.

Aside from bragging rights, the winner will have their photo featured on the Earth’s Best Facebook page (!) and will receive a 2 week supply of Earth’s Best products (worth $50). The winner will also receive a free 8×8 Shutterfly Photo Book.

You are already taking these adorable shots of your baby during meal time. Put them to work for you! 🙂

Good luck everyone!

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions express here are strictly my own.

The Perfect Easter Basket DVD: The Springtime Collection (Giveaway!)

March 23, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 69 Comments

Have you noticed a trend this year to move away from candy kids’ Easter baskets? I’m not jumping on that band wagon, but I do see the point and I am making some changes in the types of candy I am purchasing. I mean, the type that the Easter Bunny will be bringing. 😉

But I do like the idea of having some non-candy stuff in the basket, and if you are looking for a great DVD option, this is it! Scholastic has just released The Springtime Collection Featuring Max’s Chocolate Chicken. It is going to be released on March 26th and will retail for $24.95. It contains 13 stories over 3 discs and they are all winners!

Disc 1: MAX’S CHOCOLATE CHICKEN…AND MORE STORIES BY ROSEMARY WELLS – also includes “Max’s Christmas”, “Morris’s Disappearing Dog”, “Otto Runs for President”, “Max’s Christmas – Spanish Version”. (Max, by the way, is from Max and Ruby which is currently on Nick, Jr.)

Disc 2: THE RED HEN…AND MORE COOKING STORIES – also includes “Bread Comes to Life”, “How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?”, and “Arnie the Doughnut” (This is one of Darah’s VERY favorite Scholastic DVDs, by the way)

Disc 3: CHICKEN LITTLE…AND MORE ZANY ANIMAL STORIES – also includes “The Great White Man-Eating Shark”, “The Three-Legged Cat”, and “Dooby Dooby Moo”

Darah has asked to watch Max’s Chocolate Chicken multiple times, and it has gotten her very excited about the Easter Bunny’s upcoming visit! If your little one would love some new shows to watch, I highly recommend this set. It has almost 3 hours of quality content! It can be purchased on the Scholastic website or on Amazon.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of The Springtime Collection Featuring Max’s Chocolate Chicken!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Gotta pay for those Easter eggs!

4 Key Tips for Promoting Healthy Habits for Kids

March 22, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 12 Comments

Wednesday afternoon I participated in a very informative conference call with Michelle Dudash, a certified Cordon Bleu chef and author of the highly praised book, Clean Eating for Busy Families.

Michelle had SO many great tips for those of us looking to encourage healthy habits for kids and get more nutritious food into the tummies of our little ones. She also shared some news about the Walmart Foundation that REALLY impressed me. This nonprofit arm of Walmart has dedicated $2 BILLION in cash and in-kind donations through 2015 to help fight hunger in America. That is simply outstanding!

One of the ways that money is being spent is through a $6.7 million series of grants to 5 national nonprofits that are providing 250,000 Americans with access to school breakfasts and nutrition education programs.

During our conversation, Michelle shared some of her top tips for encouraging healthy eating habits in your family. Here are the ones that really stood out to me as things I need to implement:

Get Kids in the Kitchen!

Darah likes to help me prepare food, but as we all know, when little ones want to “help” it really just means more work for the head chef! However, studies have shown that children are more likely to eat food that they help prepare. I need to keep in mind that spending an extra 5-10 minutes on dinner because I had a little helper will pay dividends in the form of a peaceful meal with no whining and complaints such as, “This is yucky!”

You Can Prepare Breakfast Ahead of Time!

My family loves to have a hot breakfast. I try to accommodate that wish as much as possible, but there are certainly days when I just don’t have time. And truth be told, I usually reach for a box of cereal or a bag of bagels that is made with enriched flour. Michelle shared that she actually makes a batch of boiled eggs once a week and keeps them in her fridge. They are one of the very best sources of protein, and as compared to other protein sources, are also one of the least expensive. What a great idea! Reaching for an egg is even faster than reaching for a bagel!

Tips for Getting Through a “Food Funk”

I think we’ve all witnessed our kids clinging to a particular food for a few days or weeks or maybe even months. My oldest gets on a cracker kick that just can’t be stopped. Same goes for peanut butter. Michelle reminded us all that the child will move past those finicky habits eventually, but while we are waiting them out, we just need to make sure we are giving them the most nutritious options possible. For example, if you are making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. for one of your kids, be sure you have switched to whole wheat bread, a peanut butter with no sugar added, and a natural jelly. If your kid balks at that option, maybe they are ready to come out of that particular food funk! 🙂

Organic or No High Fructose Corn Syrup…Which to Choose?

I asked Michelle which one was the lesser of two evils…non-organic produce or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I asked this question because we have to watch our pennies in the store, and that means that I can’t fill my cart with every single thing I’d like to get for my family. I simply have to choose. Michelle gave some really helpful advice here. She said that nutritionally, there isn’t too much difference between organic and non-organic food, so while she recommends purchasing it whenever you can, she says to skip it if your budget just won’t allow for it.

As far as avoiding HFCS, Michelle is definitely in favor of doing so, but she said, “If a product is $1 more because it is made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, it doesn’t make a difference. Sugar is sugar!” I don’t think Michelle is saying not to worry about HFCS, because it really is a nasty ingredient, but rather, to be more concerned about sugar consumption altogether, whatever its form. Don’t be so quick to assume that you’ve purchased a “healthy” product just because the sugar in it isn’t HFCS. That’s a light bulb moment for me!

What questions would you love to ask someone like Michelle? And do you have any tips for encouraging healthy habits for kids? Please share! I think we could also use some helpful hints!

This is a sponsored conversation with The Motherhood. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Four Lessons I Learned in My First Two Years of Blogging for “Stuff”

March 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 21 Comments

It isn’t uncommon for me to get emails from readers asking about how I got started blogging, and what advice they would give to folks who want to become bloggers, particularly in the niche of product reviews and giveaways. I’d love to share a few of the lessons I have learned and some changes I have made recently that are having a positive impact on my bottom line (my income).

So without further ado, allow me to impart some wisdom!

Blogging is easy

If you want to blog, it is SO ridiculously easy to get one set up. If you have something to say and you want to share it with your friends, your family, or even the whole darn world, then what are you waiting for? Jump right in and start banging on that keyboard! The beautiful thing about owning a blog is that YOU OWN IT. You don’t have to meet any particular deadlines or answer to anyone or write content that you don’t like. There is so much freedom in that!

Blogging for more than 3 months is hard

Ok, so it is true that blogging is super easy and that you can do whatever you want with your site. But if one of your primary goals is to earn money with your site, that’s a whole other can of worms. Today I want to share a few things that learned in my first 2 years as a blogger that have helped me have staying power and are a huge part of the reason that I’m still going, and that I’m still growing.

What I wish I had known on day 1

When I started my blog in September 2009, I really felt as though I had SO much to share with everyone. After all, I had been a parent for 7 1/2 WEEKS….so I was pretty much an expert by that point, right?! I kid at myself now, but at the time, I really felt that way. And that’s totally fine. It’s all the motivation I needed to get started. But I also wanted a piece of that pie….the STUFF pie. I didn’t know that bloggers actually earned money, but I knew that they got a whole lot of free stuff. Sign me up, baby!

darah and tiffany the week Stuff Parents Need launched

Darah and me the week Stuff Parents Need launched

Do you sometimes think the same thing? Its ok if you do. I’m being totally honest in sharing with you that I thought it. And I get asked all the time how I get so much “free stuff.” But here’s what I have learned: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE STUFF, at least not when it comes to blogging. Something is free if it is given to you and you have no obligation, either implicit or explicit, to do anything in return. I have never had a company send me something without a request to write about it. And blog posts DO NOT write themselves. They are hard work. When I write a post, I have to choose to not do something else, be it spend time with my kids, prepare a meal, have a meaningful conversation with my spouse, or even stare at the wall. I can’t do anything other than write. So I trade my time and my talents for the stuff. In many cases, the blogger is on the losing end of that trade. Several times early on, I traded away an hour or more of my time for a product that retailed for $6 or 7, and it may not have even been a product that I would have purchased on my own. I think this is why many product review and giveaway bloggers burn out…it seems like such a swag-tastic gig, but in reality, it is a whole lot of work for some stuff that you may or may not have wanted in the first place.

The other lesson I want to share with you today was one I learned at my first blogging conference. One of the keynote speakers said this to the audience:

Before I heard those words, I was so afraid of disappointing people who were reaching out to me to work together that I said yes to almost everything, even though in many cases, it would mean doing a lot of work for very little pay (and at that point, the pay was still only in products, not money). That is the single most important lesson I have learned as a blogger. I realized that I was headed down the road to blog burn out, and if I kept agreeing to arrangements that didn’t make any sense for me, I wouldn’t be a blogger much longer. Now I ask for what I need. And I often get it. I also often DON’T get it, and that is perfectly fine. I’m at peace letting those opportunities go to others, because I now realize that they were not good fits for me and that I would be frustrated as I performed the work agreed upon. That is SO liberating! And after learning this lesson, I also started to get brave about asking for money. And I’ll tell you more about how to do that in a future post! (And there’s a little bonus tip for you: leave your audience wanting more!).

I have a lot more to share with you about my journey as a product and review giveaway blogger, but for now, I want to share with you a tool I have been using for the past month and that has already resulted in some very positive changes in the way I run my business (and yes, my blog IS a business!). If you are a blogger or are thinking about starting a blog, you need The Blogging Planner.

I have tried for the past 3 years to fit my blog work into traditional planning calendars and it has never worked. What DOES work is having a calendar just for your blog! I am able to keep detailed to do lists, calendars of post dates, keep up with income generated (and invoices due…very important to know who still owes you money!). It also has dedicated space for brainstorming or ideas you might get while reading blogs are doing some professional development. There’s even a section for PR contacts to help you keep track of the folks you want to touch base with from time to time, just to make sure you are on their radars.

The Blogging Planner is the creation of two professional bloggers who created it after an exhaustive search for a planner that would work for a blog business. That search came up empty. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, and this is a fantastic one! I will absolutely FOR SURE 100% be purchasing another Blogging Planner when I have used mine up. It has given me a separate space for my work commitments, my goals and my dreams. It really is a mental game-changer for this stuff to not be on the same list as “fold the laundry.” Both are important. But one pays the bills, so in my book, it gets first dibs on my time. 🙂

The Blogging Planner can be started at any point in the year. It isn’t a January-December kind of thing. You fill in the calendar starting exactly when you want to start! So why not start right now??? I firmly believe this is a good investment for anyone who wants to monetize their blog or start out on the right foot as a new blogger and not give your your time away, as I did. You can purchase The Blogging Planner for $57.99. Yes, that’s a chunk of money, but a good planner is worth its weight in gold. And this is so much more than a good planner. Promise.

Next month I’ll let you take a peek inside my planner to see all the juicy details!

If you have any questions about The Blogging Planner, or about blogging in general, I’d love to hear them!

I received a complimentary planner for review purposes and am sharing my honest opinions here with you. The post contains affiliate links. I only sign up for affiliate programs when I’m NUTS about a product, so that should tell you something!

The 20/20 Experience: Mother/Daughter Bonding with Justin Timberlake

March 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I have a vivid memory of the day that the New Kids on the Block album Step by Step was released. I happened to be at my Memaw’s house that day, along with my cousin Erin. We were both 9 at the time. When we explained to my Memaw what an EXTREMELY important day it was and how we would need to be taken to Walmart to get it, it made perfect sense to her to offer to buy just one tape for us to share.

TO SHARE, PEOPLE. Which makes absolutely NO sense to star struck 9 year old girls who have been told repeatedly by their Magic 8 balls that they will be marrying Jordan Knight.

And that is when World War III launched between my cousin and I. We spent the entire afternoon locked in separate bedrooms and sliding angry notes under the door to each other making our impassioned cases about why we should be the ones to get to take the tape that would be purchased home. We honestly fought over that tape like it was our one and only chance to own it. And ultimately, our grandmother broke down and bought two, but not without giving us an earful first. I actually still feel guilty about that, because she was living on a fixed income and those tapes were $10 each.

When I heard that Justin Timberlake, one of Darah’s favorite artists on the radio, had a new CD coming out, I wanted to make the experience much more fun for her, and teach her to celebrate great music and make an event out of buying it. This is her first non-children’s music CD, and honestly, it may be one of her last. Purchasing CDs is sort of going the way of the buffalo, isn’t it?

So, in honor of “Suit and Tie,” a song that Darah really enjoys hearing on the way to school, we put on some ties and headed over to Walmart. If you want to see our full shopping experience, check out my Google + album.

Now, I have to tell you, I haven’t purchased a CD from a store since about 2007. So I really didn’t know what the music department of the store was going to look like. Tons of CDs? Very few? Only new stuff? Mostly old stuff? But I thought that I would for sure see a display devoted entirely to The 20/20 Experience by Justin Timberlake. After all, he’s an amazing artist worthy of celebrating! Also, Walmart was running an insane special on the CD at the time (details on that, later) so I thought I’d find lots of signage and lots of CDs available.

Sadly, that is not what I found at all. When I realized there was no display, I asked the associate if The 20/20 Experience was available, and she plucked it off the shelf for me. Darah was not the least bit disappointed with this lack of fanfare in the music section, but I was pretty bummed out. This gem of an album was just thrown into the mix with Pearl Jam and Poison albums from almost 20 years ago. Oh you think I’m kidding? See for yourself!

Even though JT was denied the red carpet treatment at Walmart, we celebrated ourselves. We actually picked up a white dress shirt for Tim so he could sport his “Suit and Tie” this week. And Darah rocked a stylish hat in a nod to Justin’s swagger.

Finally, it was time to pay for the album so we could get in the car and listen to it! And here’s what we saw when it rang up:

That’s right, people! Walmart is selling The 20/20 Experience this week for $7.00. Can I just point out that this price, for a CD, is 30% cheaper than what my dear Memaw paid for a NKOTB tape 23 years ago. That is absolutely insane! If you can’t make it to the store this week, you can also order the album online.

Since I purchased the album, I claimed rights to pick the first song. I was dying to hear “Mirrors” again, as I had only heard it once when Justin performed it on Saturday Night Live. It was even better than I remembered! Here I am totally singing my heart out on the drive home. I thought Darah was rocking out with me at the moment, but the picture shows her true feelings:

She changed her tune, though, when I put Suit and Tie on (and by the way, the radio version of the song is a better choice for young ears…lesson learned).

Over the last 2 days, I have listened to the entire album while driving various places in the car. You guys…IT IS GOOD!!! Like, really REALLY GOOD. It is so worth the $7.00! It is even worth 9 year olds engaging in an all-day standoff over, but at this price, there’s just no need.

I’m really glad that I was able to make purchasing The 20/20 Experience a true experience for my daughter. And for me! I’ll remember this for the rest of my life! And Darah will probably remember how embarrassing her mom is for the rest of her life, too.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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 #JT2020 #cbias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are stricly my own.