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

No More Music Reviews? Let’s Make This Exception (GIVEAWAY!!!)

February 1, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 50 Comments

So here’s the deal, folks: as a general rule, I’m not reviewing music CDs, anymore. Darah’s personal collection is pretty much out of control (seriously, she has an AMAZING assortment of songs at her fingertipes). So adding more music to her collection at this point is just saturating an already overflowing pool. Too much of a good thing makes it harder to enjoy, you know?

But more importantly, all of you lovely folks out there on the other side of the computer screen just seem, well….

NOT INTERESTED.

It’s cool. I get it. We’re all into different things. And we all have limited time to spare. The message I’m getting from you all is that music for kids just isn’t something you want to think too much about.

And I hear you.

BUT…..

Every once in a while I come across a CD that I think is so good that I can’t NOT talk about it. That’s what we have going on today, folks.

Ella Jenkins is the name of the artist I’m featuring. Ever heard of her? It is quite possible that you have, since this is her 33rd album.

Nope, not a typo.

Ella is in her eighties and has been recording music for, well…a really long time. She is called, “The First Lady of Children’s Music” and she is also believed to be one of the first African American women to have a TV show when she hosted a weekly children’s program broadcast in Chicago in the 1950s.

The woman is a living legend. And I really like her style. The songs on her latest album, Get Moving with Ella Jenkins make me think of old school Sesame Street vignettes. There’s talking and singing combined together. I love it! You can’t not get up and move to these pieces!

This CD is a true stand out. I highly recommend it to anyone…even folks who don’t think they are into children’s music! You can purchase the CD for 11.98 or download all the tracks directly for just $9.98.

Or you can

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Get Moving with Ella Jenkins!
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.

Solution Central at Best Buy: FREE Services to Help You Maximize Your Technology

January 31, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Last weekend I visited a store that I have not set foot inside of for probably 2 or 3 years.

I went to Best Buy.

Now, I haven’t been inside the store not because Best Buy made me mad or I have some horrible memory of a guy breaking up with me in the parking lot or anything else dramatic. It just doesn’t come up on my short list of places to visit. If pressed, I’d have to offer the following reasons why:

1. I seem to recall the stores being very busy but also very haphazard. Great customer service, but still intimidating if you were feeling a bit clueless about a particular gadget you were considering. Definitely an overwhelming place to go with kids.

2. I like and DO shop at their online store (I purchased the laptop I am using right this minute at BestBuy.com during the holidays of 2010). Like many other folks my age, shopping online is a very normal thing, and often, is preferable to having to make a trip to the store.

So when I walked into my local Best Buy this past weekend, I was rather shocked by what I saw. The layout was sleeker, easier to visually navigate (lower shelves, less busy-ness), and smack dab in the center of the store was a safe haven for anyone who needed a little bit of help.

The area had several employees stationed there, ready to answer any questions about products customers might be considering purchasing, or even about products that they already purchased.

I happened to be signed up for a free technology class that Best Buy offers on saving money by using your smart phone. I love my iPhone, but I do NOT love the monthly bill. I want to make sure my device is working as hard as possible for me to save money wherever I can.

Signing up for this class was very easy. There are several different class options, and there are also FREE one-on-one consultations offered to help you get your specific questions answered. Here are the steps to take!

Step 1 – visit www.geeksquad.com/scheduling

Step 2 – scroll down to ‘In-Store Solution Central Scheduling’

Step 3 – Click on the ‘Schedule a Reservation’ button

Step 4 – Enter your address or zip code for the available locations near you

Step 5 – Select the location you want

Step 6 – Select the reservation you want (either consultation or a class you want to attend)

Step 7 – Select date and time (very simple drop down options)

Step 8 – Provide your contact information (not only for registration, but you will be sent confirmation and reminder emails, which is so helpful if you are forgetful like me!)

Normally the classes have around 6 people in them, but I hit the jackpot, because I was the only one signed up for this particular class. That meant one-on-one attention! 🙂 The Geek Squad agent showed me a few apps that I already use and love (Groupon and Living Social) but then she introduced me to 4 other apps that I wasn’t using and that I got REALLY excited about trying. One of them will help me easily put together menus and grocery lists based not only on my families preferences, but also on what happens to be on sale that week. Talk about a HUGE money and time saver!

I was really impressed with the agent I worked with, and with the entire concept of Solution Central. Best Buy is working hard to ensure that customers don’t feel like their experience has ended after they have made their purchases. They want to make sure you really enjoy what you purchased, and sometimes that means that you need to have a place to go to get some of your questions answered.

Or, you might be plugging along just fine but not making optimal use of your technology, as in my case with the iPhone. Best Buy gave me some great tips to help me make my device work harder for me and make my life a little bit easier. Isn’t that part of its purpose, after all?

If you are looking to get more out of your technology, see what you can learn through Solution Central at Best Buy. There are many FREE services offered, and it isn’t even necessary for you to have made your technology purchase with Best Buy in order to make use of Solution Central (I purchased my iPhone at the AT&T store, for example).

If you need repair services, know that those are also available through Solution Central, though there is a cost for this type of service. My experience with the technology class, though, was very positive and there was absolutely NO talk of the paid services provided (so you aren’t given any sort of sales pitch while you are there). Current topics for the technology classes include the following:

Windows 8
What’s New with Apps
Different Operating Systems
How to Watch TV on you Phone

Definitely check out your nearest Solution Central at Best Buy to learn some great new tips and tricks or to get some help with questions you have about products you already own.

Just don’t be surprised if you find your significant other sneaking over to the Wii station for a quick game!

I have been compensated for my time conducting this review in the form of a Best Buy gift card. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Get Excited About Bedtime! Shushybye 3 DVD Set GIVEAWAY!!!

January 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 57 Comments

A year and a half ago, I did a review of Shushybye products (a book and a cd). I was not previously familiar with the characters of Shushybye, but Darah immediately enjoyed them and they prompted lots of great discussions about going to sleep and why getting plenty of rest is so very important.

I don’t think it is a complete coincidence to note, here, that Darah is an EXCELLENT sleeper. 🙂

Shushybye Baby recently debuted its new season of episodes on BabyFirst, which is a television destination focused on parent-child interactive entertainment. In celebration of the new season, they have released a 3 DVD collection of Shushybye Baby, which contains 26 episodes, 56 Shushybye music videos and a total of 60 original Shushybye songs! The set retails for $29.98 and can be ordered online.

I sat down to watch some of Shushybye Baby with Darah. It has an interesting mix of live characters both in and out of costume. Music is definitely a focus of the shows, and the theme often repeated is about getting ready and excited for bedtime. If you have a little one that puts up a fuss when it is time to end the day, Shushybye Baby might be a great choice for your next DVD to bring home. Darah asks to watch it frequently!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the Shushybye 3 DVD collection!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

iPad Mini Giveaway Coming Soon!

January 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Bloggers…get signed up for this giveaway if you want to help promote it!

Ohsoamelia will be hosting another HUGE giveaway as the $100 cash giveaway was such a success last month! Interested in participating in this awesome giveaway? Keep reading for more details! Participating will only cost you a minimum of $5 or can be free if you do a promotion post (like the one you are reading now!)

We are giving away an Ipad Mini! That’s right! One lucky reader will win an Ipad Mini 16gb in the colour of their choice!

Don’t want to participate? Don’t forget to come back February 15th and enter for your chance to win! 🙂

– Giveaway will run Feb 15th – March 15th

– Hosted By: Ohsoamelia

– Prize: Ipad Mini 16gb Wi-fi Colour of Choice!

– Open Worldwide

Plus, the blogger who refers the most amount of people gets $25 Free Paypal cash!

(To refer post this on your blog or tweet)

The listing order will be determined by the order of sign-up (if you hurry and sign-up, you’ll be closer to the top!).
* Entries will close once we have reached the prize total amount.

For more information and to sign up CLICK >>>> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFJHanZxMGltVHd4LUhNS3pTajd5Q2c6MQ

Win a Case of Sulfate-Free Shampoo! (ARV $264)

January 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 17 Comments

sfreemoist-2T Did you know that I have ditched traditional shampoos and conditioners in favor of more natural products? It is true! My hair looks healthier and doesn’t feel as dirty quite as fast since making the switch. I use a handmade baking soda rinse and apple cider vinegar rinse, and I also use some organic shampoos and conditioners. No sulfates for my hair or my water, thank you very much!

That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to Healthy Hair Plus’ Sfree Moisture Shampoo. I think this is a particularly exciting product because it addresses my chief complaint about using more natural hair products: my hair can feel REALLY dry sometimes after using them.

This shampoo is also designed to be loved by sensitive scalps AND for chemically treated hair. So basically, it is the perfect shampoo. Just sayin’.

Would you like to win a bottle of Sfree Moisture Shampoo?

How about a CASE?????
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win it!: One lucky person is going to win 12 bottles of Healthy Hair Plus Sfree Moisture Shampoo! Here is the product page: :

Good luck, everyone!

Thanks to Healthy Hair Plus for sponsoring this giveaway post. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Mom Cave Design Ideas Inspired By….Wait For It…La-Z-Boy!

January 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

When we found out we were expecting a second child, we knew that our adorable 2 bedroom home in downtown Chattanooga would have to be let go for something with a little bit more room. The problem was that we LOVED the part of town we lived in so much. Our location is a huge part of why we are having so much fun in this city, and why we are as happy as we are. Tim is just a 5 minute bike ride from his work, which means a super short commute, and most days he has lunch at home with the family.

Unfortunately, most 3 and 4 bedroom houses in our area are CRAZY expensive. So when we found a 4 bedroom home in the right location for an affordable price, we decided to jump on it, even though we weren’t getting much more in the way of square feet.

The house we live in now is all bedrooms. The kitchen/dining room/living room is all one open space, and it is a small space, at that. Every other room in the house is either a bathroom or a bedroom. The good news is that our girls each have their own room and we have a bedroom available for guests. The bad news is that the guest room has to work REALLY hard for us and serve MANY different purposes.

Here are some pictures of the guest room, which doubles as a home office and triples as a play room for the girls.

Notice how my laptop is on the bed. I actually do most of my work for my blog on a bed, for goodness sake!

The door is the back entrance, and the one we use the very most. Entering the house through this triple identity room is very strange, indeed! I would love to have something much more welcoming and inviting. I’d also REALLY like to have a space that has a more polished and put together look. How I would love to have a sleeker desk and a meeting area (sofa and coffee table)!

But here’s the problem: the bed really is a must. We do have company from out of town several times a year, and they need a comfortable place to stay. So I’ve been thinking about getting a pull out sofa with a queen bed. Now, I actually slept on a bed like this for my junior year of college, and I’m going to tell you, IT WAS AWFUL! I slept with a bar digging into my back. Good think I was only 20 years old at the time, so my poor body could take it. But it is my in-laws who will be sleeping on this bed the most, so an uncomfortable mattress just won’t do.

I headed to La-Z-Boy to get some inspiration for a room makeover, a “mom cave” if you will. Are you surprised that I went to La-Z-Boy? Nobody is more surprised than me! Can I show you what comes to mind for me when I think of this brand? This:

I think of ridiculously huge, overstuffed recliners for men. Period. And I have to say, they do still sell these types of chairs if that is what you are seeking.

But did you know they also have chairs that look like this???

Swoon!!! I would never in a million years would have guessed that this was from La-Z-Boy, but I saw it with my own eyes in the store on a recent trip.

They also sell more than recliners. La-Z-Boy has a very impressive selection of sofas, including sleeper sofas. I went looking for one and was really nervous that the only options would be horribly uncomfortable. But La-Z-Boy has some innovative mattress options that I’m so excited to show you!

This mattress has an air mattress for the top section. It inflates in about 20 seconds (I watched it…couldn’t believe it until I saw it!). And it has a button on it so that the person sleeping on it can let small amounts of air out to adjust the mattress to their liking. It also deflates in a matter of seconds so that you can quickly and easily put the mattress away when your company has gone. Also, the bed is designed with the under-rails to be recessed, so they aren’t sticking up and into you when you sleep. That, my friends, is amazing!!!!!

I actually laid down on the mattress, and while it doesn’t feel like a regular mattress, it DOES feel like a nice air mattress, and NOT like a sleeper sofa mattress. I would have no trouble sleeping on it for several nights in a row and I would feel good about having my in-laws sleep on it, too.

Here’s a shot of the mattress just a few seconds after the deflate button was released. So cool!

I had a really good experience in the store shopping and was provided with excellent customer service. Before I was overwhelmed with all the style options for a sleeper-sofa, the salesman got to know my taste preferences a little better by asking me some questions. He quickly honed in on the fact that I didn’t like huge pieces of furniture, and directed me to a brand new sofa in their line called the Diana. It is only 77 inches long but still contains a queen bed, which is amazing!

Unfortunately, the store didn’t have a Diana sofa on the showroom floor, but he showed me information on it in the catalog. I really liked it! I was also able to check out more details when I got home and looked in the online catalog.

Then we headed over to the fabric selections. This is where shopping in the store really makes all the difference. You can browse through their HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of fabric options online (very fun, by the way) but nothing compares to being able to see and touch everything up close and in person!

I may have squealed when we got to this part of the store. And I may have frightened the sales associate. Just a little…

I went straight for the blues and fell in love at least 6 times before something in particular caught my eye…

I pulled what I liked the very best for the pillows, and then we started talking about the sofa covering, itself (sort of backwards, I know, but that’s how my mind works!). Bob, the associate, told me about their recycled leather options, which are SO perfect for families. Leather cleans SO easily, in my experience, so it holds up better over time when you have kids in the house. But it can be terribly expensive! With recycled leather, you get the same look that you want with a much lower price tag. Plus, I’m a sucker for recycled stuff because it just feels like the more responsible choice!

Bob showed me the fabric I selected against the metal colored recycled leather. Once again, I may have squealed. But this time, Bob was prepared. 🙂

J ‘adore!

Once I had my sofa selected for the room, I headed over to one of my favorite online hangouts, Pinterest, and created a Mom Cave Inspiration board where I can put together other things I want to include in my mom cave. While it still has to function as a guest room, a play space and an office, that really doesn’t mean that it has to look so random. The room can still have a put together, intentional feel. Now that I have seen what La-Z-Boy can offer in the way of sleeper sofas, I believe that there is hope for this room, after all!

I would love for you to check out my board and let me know what you think! And if you love Pinterest as much as I do, then you’ll be excited to hear that La-Z-Boy is currently holding a Pinterest contest! It runs from January 28th through February 11th and you’d better believe I’m going to enter it! You should, too!

And I have one more AMAZING thing to share with you: La-Z-Boy offers FREE in-home design consultations to their customers. As much fun as I had putting together my Pinterest board of ideas for my room, I also have to admit that it was hard trying to determine what would go with what. If I purchase this sofa from La-Z-Boy, their design consultant will COME TO MY HOUSE (!) and take measurements to make sure everything will fit BEFORE the order is placed, and help me find other pieces I want for the room that will fit within my budget. This is an excellent way to make sure that what you think will look good actually will look good, and it is a way for you to discover pieces you may never have found without some help! It is also a humongous time saver. I was pretty much blown away when I learned that this service is complimentary. That makes this sofa I have my eye on go from being a very good price to a complete and total STEAL. 🙂

Did you have any idea that you could get such beautiful things from La-Z-Boy! I certainly didn’t know until I checked it out for myself!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. #MomCave #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Try This: DIY Valentine’s Day Fabric Door Wreath

January 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I am tickled pink to be bringing you guys an awesome crafty post today! I don’t have a crafty bone in my body, but fellow blogger Elisebet from My Life: A Work in Progress does, and she has put together this awesome tutorial for you. Enjoy!!!

I have a newfound love for holiday door wreaths. To be honest, I never cared about holiday decorations (especially on the OUTSIDE of the house) until I started staying at home with my son. The home is my domain. Yes, it’s usually a messy domain, 🙁 but my recent domestication has me embracing sewing and crafts as my new hobbies. One thing I learned very quickly, you can usually make something much cheaper yourself, rather than buying it.

See this cute door wreath? It cost me about $7 to make.

Valentine’s Day Fabric Door Wreath:

Supplies-

1/4 yard of red fleece
1/4 yard of pink fleece
1/4 yard of white fleece
18″ wreath
ornament of your choice (optional)
3 hair pins (or ornament hooks or paper clips)
yarn, extra fabric, or rope (at least a 15’5″ strip)

Notes: I purchased a straw wreath on sale for less than $2.50 from a local craft store. The fleece was 50% off from a fabric store. Fleece is an appropriate fabric for this project, because it does not unravel when cut, so it doesn’t need to be serged or zig zagged stitched on the edges like other fabrics.

Step 1- You need a long thin strip of fabric or rope or yarn to be the base of the garland (approximately 15′ 5″). If you don’t have anything long enough, you can tie strips together.

I started with a 5′ strip from an old fleece blanket. When I came to the end of it, I just cut more and tied the strips together. Whatever you decide to use, make sure you tie the end into a knot, so your fleece “bows” don’t slip off.

What I started with.

Step 2- Cut your fleece fabric into thin 6″ strips…about 1/2″ wide.

12″ strips Cut the 12″ strips in half, ending with 6″ strips.

Step 3- Tie your 6″ strips one by one around your garland base. I did one red strip followed by a white strip and then a pink strip. I recommend tying the strip loosely first; push the knot down against the previous bows; then tighten.

Tie loose knot Push knot down against other bows, then pull tight.

Step 4- Continue until you’ve used up your fleece strips. Your garland needs to be somewhere around 15 1/2′ to cover an 18″ wreath. If you purchase a larger wreath, buy 1/2 yard of fleece instead of 1/4 yard.

Make sure you knot the end of your garland.

Knot the end of the garland.

Finished fabric garland

Step 5- Wrap garland around wreath. Use hairpins to secure both ends of the wreath to the garland.

(I left the plastic on my straw wreath. I’ll use it again for a spring wreath in a couple of months.)

Use hairpin to secure fabric garland to wreath.

Push hairpin in all the way.

Step 6- Attach ornament to bottom of wreath with hairpin (optional).

Secure ornament to bottom of wreath with hairpin (optional).

Step 7- Tie a piece of fabric, yarn, or rope around the top of the wreath. Use that to secure your wreath to door hook or wreath hanger.

Step 8- Hang, fluff, and admire!

A note about this DIY Valentine’s Day door wreath: Yes, it’s time-consuming (but easy!) to make the fabric garland for the wreath, but well worth it in the end (I think!). I suggest spreading out this project over a couple or few days. If you have a favorite TV show in the evenings, you could work on the garland then. I found it strangely therapeutic to tie my little fabric “bows.” As well, you can remove the garland to store until next year and then reuse the wreath for another holiday. The fabric garland is also washable (provided the knots are tight) on the gentle cycle, hang to dry. There are a lot of possibilities for this fabric wreath, making your money and time well spent!

About the author:

Elisebet is an Army reservist, Navy wife, former English teacher, and mommy to a squirmy, mobile 8-month old baby boy. With a background in writing, journalism, and public affairs, she now enjoys blogging at My Life: A Work in Progress about parenting, motherhood, baby, family, food, life, cloth diapers, eco-friendly products, product reviews, giveaways, and more.

Free Access to over 300 Children’s Books! And an IPad Mini GIVEAWAY!!!

January 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Less is More….Except for Books

As you probably know if you have been reading my blog for a while, my house is on the small side. We have 1400 square feet for a family of 4. That means that we have to put our stuff under scrutiny every once in a while to make sure it doesn’t get completely out of control. I make a trip to my favorite thrift store about once a month to drop off several bags of donations.

Darah has already learned how to be very practical when looking at her stuff. This is an ability that I’m quite proud to be instilling in her. I remember pitching huge fits when my parents would try to get me to let go of toys long forgotten. I want Darah to be able to let go and move on, and even to be glad to share with others.

But there’s one are where I’m not a ruthless weeder, and that is with her books. She has well over 150 and I’m perfectly fine with that. I want her to always have stories at her fingertips, very easily accessible, and I want her to see the joy in reading not just one book each night, but several. Darah is even enjoying getting to read her old board books again now that they are in her little sister’s room.

Meeting Kids in Their (Digital) Space

As much as I love for Darah’s book shelf to be overflowing, I also need to think about how her generation is going to learn and grow. E-readers are going to be the norm in her school in just a few years. Hard copies of books will be a bit of a novelty! Since Darah is already extremely savvy with how to use an iPad, I’m excited to have found a way to bring a whole library of books her way on the device.

Let me introduce you to Bookboard. This site makes it easy to read with your child, and as she learns how, for your child to read on her own. Bookboard has an extensive collection of online chapter and picture books designed for kids from pre-reading all the way to age 12. While the site is still in its early stages, already it has over 300 books available, and it is growing every day.

I just signed up for an account for Darah, and it was extremely easy. Even though I have a first generation iPad, which is not ideal for Bookboard, it still works well enough that I will be using the site. Bookboard is a very engaging way for Darah and I to spend time together reading. The books are more interactive in a digital format. Bookboard is also a great way for us to try out some chapter books, which Darah is starting to enjoy.

Perhaps what I love the most about Bookboard, though, is the fact that children can be encouraged to strive to read more difficult books. As you complete books, other books will become unlocked and available. The more you read, the more choices you have for what to read next! Parents are easily able to log in and see what progress their kids have made reading, and this is an especially nice feature if you can’t always been with your child during story time. You can even share your child’s accomplishments as they unlock new books with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!

Here’s a quick video that shows more about how Bookboard works. It’s totally worth the 90 seconds, I promise!

GIVEAWAY!

And now for the REALLY good news: anyone who signs up for Bookboard between now and February 11th and reads a book will be entered into a drawing for an iPad mini (which, of course, you can use to read books on Bookboard!). When you sign up, you’ll receive one month of completely free access to Bookboard (along with access to those 300+ books). There’s nothing at all to lose except for some great literary adventures with your kids. Rules and details for the giveaway can be found at Bookboard.com.

This post is sponsored by Bookboard. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Veggie Tales Movie: Lettuce Love One Another Review

January 28, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 111 Comments

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Veggie Tales has released a fantastic new DVD that features 3 stories focused on how we can be examples of love to one another. It’s called Lettuce Love One Another. There are 3 great stories in the collection, along with 5 short vignettes where Bob the Tomato shares scriptures the discuss the importance of showing love through sharing, forgiving, praying, helping and giving.

I have found the stories to be great platforms for discussion with Darah about what it means to be kind to others. I definitely recommend watching these episodes with your kids so that you can be on hand to talk about what they are seeing and learning. Fortunately, Veggie Tales makes it easy to watch because each episode is so funny! Lettuce Love One Another is priced very nicely on Amazon right now…just $9.99!

In addition to having a fantastic new DVD out, Veggie Tales also has a FANTASTIC website that I want to suggest you check out. It is chock full of games for your kids to play, as well as coloring pages to print out and stories to read. Darah has enjoyed poking around with me there, and I definitely recommend that you show it to your little ones on your next rainy day!

Edit: This giveaway is closed

Win it! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Lettuce Love One Another from Veggie Tales!
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.