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

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.

Ask the Earth’s Best Dietitian Your Questions Now!

January 27, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

I’m so excited to be continuing my work with Earth’s Best over the next 6 months. My children enjoy their products and I believe that this company is working hard to provide the very best, nutritionally, to our children.

That’s why I was impressed (though not at all surprised) to hear that Earth’s Best has a medical advisory board in place to provide ongoing counsel about nutritional needs for babies, toddlers and children and to help develop products that will best meet the needs of growing bodies!

Kate Geagan is a registered dietitian for Earth’s Best, as well as a nationally known nutrition expert. She has been a Nutrition Contributor for Pregnancy Magazine, she authored the book Go Green Get Lean and she’s made several appearances on the Dr. Oz Show.

Get Your Questions Answered

In February, Kate will be answering a handful of questions from Earth’s Best Preferred Bloggers! I would love to know if you have any questions for Kate. Here are some examples to get you thinking: “What is the best food to serve my toddler first thing in the morning?” or, “If I can’t afford to provide all organic food for my family, what is the most important thing to choose?” Leave your questions in the comments and I’ll pass them on!

Here’s my question for Kate:

I just purchased 4 cans of Earth’s Best organic formula for my almost 9 month old. It was EXPENSIVE (all formula is pricey, but organic is even higher)! Can you remind me what the important differences are between organic and non-organic formulas? Does it really make a difference?

Coming Soon: Switch to Cloth Giveaway Event!

January 26, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Blog readers who love (or are curious about) cloth get ready!

Bloggers, join in!

Dates: February 14th to March 14th

Hosted by SAHM of Drama Queens & a Prince, My Cloth Diaper Stash, A Year With Mom and Dad,Mommy of One and Counting and Adventures of Mommyhood. The prize is an amazing cloth diaper prize package featuring over $250 in cloth diapers and supplies.

Red Barn Cloth Diapers

Irresistibly Green

ChunkabuTT Creations

Willow with Love

Free Twitter or Pinterest for promoting sign-ups ($5 without post)
Additional links $1.00 each (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)
Follow Host Page $5

Please send as a gift or if sending as a regular transfer be sure to cover the transfer fee on Paypal
(i.e. you purchase 2 links totaling $2, make sure you cover Paypal’s fee of $0.36 – fees are 2.9% of money sent plus $0.30), if you are unsure of the fee cost before sending money you can emailkarine@sahmofdramaqueens.com.

3 Ways to Protect Your Identity During a Move

January 26, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

In the 10 1/2 years that we’ve been married, Tim and I have lived in 8 different homes spanning 5 different cities in 3 different states.

Every time we move, we swear we’ll never do it again. But obviously we are kidding ourselves!

I’m not going to share with you my best tips for packing up your home, for finding a great moving service, or for discovering a diamond in the rough when looking for homes to purchase or rent, though I have experience with all of those endeavors. Today I want to talk about one thing you might not be considering as you plan a move:

protecting your identity as you change addresses.

I’ve got LOADS of experience with getting our addresses changed, as well as with dealing with all the mail that previous residents get forwarded to us because they didn’t properly change their addresses. I want to share my top 3 tips for keeping your private information private as you move.

1. Fill out change of address forms with the post office BEFORE you move! Many people do this after they are “settled” at their new locations. That is a fantastic way to lose a bunch of your mail and leave it exposed for whoever happens to live in your home after you (or for passersby who are looking for some mail to steal….and I swear that happens as I have had mail stolen from my box before!). You can schedule the date you want your forwarding service to take effect, so it doesn’t have to be done AFTER you have moved, I promise!

2. Do not assume that the post office will let everyone who sends you mail know that you have moved. They will not!!!! The only way places that send you mail will learn is if the post office returns some of the mail to the sender after your forwarding service has expired. They don’t always do that, and even if they do, you will then be dealing with delays. For example, if your credit card bill is mailed to you and then returned back to the sender without your new address listed, the credit card company won’t know how to contact you and before you know it, your bill is late. It is your responsibility to notify all of your contacts (everyone from the utility companies where you may have outstanding bills from the old address to your favorite magazines) of your new address. It is CRITICALLY important that you notify any of your creditors (banks, credit card companies, etc.). Just imagine if your bank sent your new credit or debit card to your old address and it got into the wrong hands (and by the way, any hands that aren’t yours are the wrong hands!).

3. Try to get to know the new residents, if possible. I have met the people who currently live in the house where we last lived, and good thing, because UPS and FedEx have dropped off several packages to them since we left. Those would have been lost forever if they didn’t know how to contact me. You can always send a note through the mail to the new residents simply giving your forwarding address and your email address or your phone number in case they want to get in touch with you about any mail that has arrived.

LifeLock is continuing their wonderful LifeLock for Life sweepstakes in 2013, and for January and February, the focus is on moving into a new home. I just went through all the questions and seasoned as I am at moving, I still learned a few helpful tips. AND…I’m entered to win a $1,000 Visa gift card! 🙂 Take a second to enter for yourself, too! There will also be 9 winners who will receive a year membership to LifeLock!

What about you? What are steps you take to make sure your personal information isn’t left at your old address when you move?

I am a compensated ambassador for LifeLock. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Shutterfly Offers Personalized Valentine’s Day Cards! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

January 25, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 75 Comments

Does anyone else out there remember the year in grade school when you switched from having 4 or 5 parties each year in the classroom to only having 1 or 2? For me, that year was 4th grade. It REALLY stunk. My teacher was a very matter-of-fact lady and informed us that we were too old to need parties all the time and that it was time to be more practical with our time.

We were 9, y’all.

What I missed most of all that year was the Valentine’s Day party. I used to give EXTREMELY careful thought to which person in my class received which Valentine from me. Let’s face it, I didn’t have any grown up responsibilities, so I could spend hours contemplating whether or not I wanted to ask someone to “be mine.” I would do the same thing with the conversation hearts I would give away. The message on them had to be just right! For someone who likes getting certain things in life perfect, Valentine’s Day was a real treat. Ha!

Fortunately for me, I had teachers after fourth grade who paid no attention to the “no extra parties” rule the principal made and let us have little celebrations for most every holiday, even if they weren’t elaborate and didn’t require the homeroom parent to coordinate it.

Now it is time for Darah to get started with her Valentine’s Day cards for her classmates. Did you know that there is a great alternative to those cards that everyone buys at big box stores? You can get something much more personalized (and WAY cuter) through Shutterfly! Check out how adorable this is!

In addition to bigger cards that are perfect to send to close friends and family, Shutterfly also offers the smaller 4×5 cards, which is what we will be handing out to classmates. I like that Shutterfly has over 50 new styles from which to choose, so there is something perfect for everyone. You can choose from 6×8, 5×7, 4×8, 5×5 or 4×5 to ensure you get just the right look for the right audience.

Shutterfly really has thought of everything when it comes to special occasions and potential photo gifts. I just learned that they have (the one I have now that I purchased through a Groupon totally stinks…gotta get a new one soon). I could get one with my girls on it, or even compile those special moments into a personalized photo album as a keepsake. And if you haven’t seen their , those are a must-see. They are really affordable and have a very sleek, professional look. They are absolutely perfect for an office! I’m thinking of doing that as a Valentine’s Day gift for daddy from his girls.

Whether you are looking for unique cards for a classroom party or for something more personalized for a loved one, Shutterfly has got you covered this Valentine’s Day.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the following gifts from Shutterfly:

50 – 4×5 Stationery Cards
1 – 5.5×5.5 Desktop Plaque

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will be receiving the same items as listed in the giveaway as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

First Finger Foods: Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs (GIVEAWAY!!!)

January 25, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 68 Comments

Layah has been demonstrating that pincer grasp that parents should watch for as an indicator that it is time to try solid foods. She’s also been seeming extra hungry lately, so I’ve been doing some thinking about what I want to offer her as those first foods she picks up and eats on her own.

I tried mango chopped into small pieces, but she spit it right back out! Mango is my favorite fruit, so I was personally offended by her response. 😉

I decided that I needed something less slippery to grasp and very easy to “chew” once in her mouth (after all, the poor thing only has 2 teeth!).

That’s when I remembered that I had some great puffs from Earth’s Best in the pantry. In fact, I had just received some Yogurt Puffs, which is a new product in the Earth’s Best line.

Before giving them the green light, I read the back of the package to see if it was recommended for infants. Based on the feeding information it provided, it seemed to pass the test, as Layah has been crawling for a while and shows an interest and picking things up and putting them into her mouth (especially things that AREN’T edible!).

I was also a bit worried about whether or not this product would be too sugary. So I tasted them. They definitely have a sweet taste, but it is very mild. I checked the ingredient label, and organic cane syrup is ingredient number 4. I decided that wasn’t so bad, and opted to offer her the blueberry yogurt puffs along with some veggie puffs.

I really like how quickly the puffs melt in your mouth. If you don’t have many teeth and if you are still learning how to chew food before swallowing it, this is very helpful! While I always sit with Layah while she is eating, I do not worry that she is going to choke on these puffs.

Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs are an excellent choice for a snack or even as part of a meal for your little one. I had forgotten that once babies are ready to start practicing feeding themselves that they can be quite entertained by the food on their trays. This provides me with a great opportunity to do a little bit of computer work or sorting through the mail while she plays with her food.

And cleanup is totally easy. Since the puffs are dry, I’m not dealing with nasty spills on the floor once feeding time is over. The vacuum can take care of the debris in just a few seconds.

Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs come in two flavors: blueberry and peach. The blueberry is excellent and I’m looking forward to trying out the peach. I definitely recommend them as a great option for snack time, for self-feeding practice, and for travel, as they are highly portable. Plus, they are a good source of Iron, Zinc, six different B vitamins, A & E Vitamins and Calcium. And of course, they are made with organic ingredients. What’s not to love?

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs in Blueberry and Peach!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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.

In the Windy City with Reynolds

January 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I wanted to let all you fantastic readers know that I’m Chicago for a few days with Reynolds (you know, the makers of the world’s best aluminum foil?). I’m a finalist in their search for Reynolds Real Moms!

I’m filming some short videos with them (tomorrow morning, actually!) and will be getting to know some other fantastic bloggers who are also finalists, as well.

In the near future I’ll be featuring some great tips and tricks to help get you in and out of the kitchen in a flash (because that’s how I like to do it!). I will be needing your votes so that I can go from being a finalist to being one of the 5 official Reynolds Real Moms. And with that title comes lots of prizes for you, my readers! So stay tuned for more information! Things here will be quiet for a few days. Can’t wait to show you all what I’ve been up to!

If you want to follow the happenings on Twitter, we’re tweeting using #ReynoldsRealMoms.

Hot at Night? How a Pillow Kept Me from Sweating

January 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 304 Comments

I usually sleep with 2-3 pillows. I think it feels terrible to sleep with just one! Anyone else feel that way, as well? I’ve been sleeping this way for years and years (as long as I can remember, actually). I’ve always thought that it was a more comfortable way to sleep, and so I have resisted changing that.

But Tim believes it is one of the reasons that my neck always hurts. I chalk my neck pain up to just getting older. But if I really think about it, I’ve had neck pain for probably 5 years or so. Hmmm….

In addition to my neck pain, I sometimes deal with getting hot while sleeping. We use down comforters, which are SOOO comfortable. But here in the South, temperatures can fluctuate and it can get warm at the drop of a hat. For example, last weekend a warm front came through and we had 2 days where temperatures were in the 70s.

In January!!!

But guess what? I slept like a baby rather than waking up sweating and hot. It’s all because of a new pillow I’m using (just one pillow, not three!). And you guys. I am in love. Big time. As in, I want to marry this pillow.

Comfort Revolution has a Hydraluxe Cooling Bed Pillow that combines memory foam and a refreshing gel layer that helps keep your head and neck nice and cool. If you ever deal with night sweats, this pillow will make them ancient history!

I’ve never slept on any sort of memory foam before. Basically the pillow cradles your head to give you great support. It feels nothing short of amazing. And as for the cooling gel, I was actually worried that it would feel uncomfortable this time of year. Would it leave me feeling cold? Because I don’t want to feel cold at night! But no, that was not my experience at all. It felt nice and cool, but not cold. It made me feel very relaxed and comfortable.

Tim also really likes the pillow. I usually wake up a few hours before him every day to start my work day. I have noticed that he makes use of my new Comfort Revolution pillow between my wake up time and his wake up time. Honestly, I don’t blame him Just look at the difference between our two pillows! His pillow is lumpy and the cotton inside isn’t evenly distributed.

The Hydraluxe Pillow by Comfort Revolution is a bit of an investment, costing $79.99 for a standard pillow (though it is currently on mega sale for $43 on Amazon! Eee!). I’m not one to spend a lot of money on much of anything. But after sleeping on this pillow for a week, I can say with confidence that I will NEVER be going back to cheap, crappy pillows. I have already put my old pillows in a donation pile and I am going to save up to get another one of these pillows for Tim. He deserves to get as good of a night’s sleep as I am currently getting.

Did I mention that my neck pain is greatly reduced? I don’t think 5 years of neck pain will disappear overnight, but I have noticed a significant improvement, which makes me SOOO happy!

I also think this would be a great pillow for anyone who lives in warmer climates. My in-laws live in the desert in Southern California. They should most definitely have this pillow. I actually think they should consider getting the Gel Pad for the entire bed. What an amazing difference that would make for sleep when the temperature is consistently in the 90s or higher, even at night!

I highly HIGHLY recommend this pillow for anyone who has trouble being comfortable at night, either due to being hot at night or due to having terrible pillows. It makes such a huge difference in how you feel throughout the day if you have had a great night of sleep. Between Layah starting to sleep through the night and replacing my pillow heap with this one, I feel like a different person.