Stuff Parents Need

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

Twitter Party with LifeLock Celebrating the New Movie Waiting for Lightning (12/13 at 1:30pm EST)

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LifeLock is having a Twitter party this Thursday at 10:30am PST, 13:0pm EST. And when LifeLock throws a Twitter party, they really do it right!!! There will be fun prizes and lots of great info about the upcoming movie Waiting for Lightning, which tells the story of extreme skateboarder Danny Way. There will be a signed skateboard up for grabs as one of the prizes, which would make an AMAZING gift for any extreme sport fan on your holiday shopping list!

RSVP here! http://bit.ly/DannyWayParty

Additionally, the LifeLock Facebook page has a contest going on that you can enter daily for a trip to 2 to LA to win a private screening of the film with Danny Way!

Here’s a trailer of the film if you haven’t yet heard about it:

So get yourself signed up for the Twitter party AND sign up for the sweepstakes. Someone is going to win big…shouldn’t it be you???

 

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

Do You Prefer Jars or Pouches for Baby Food? Great Reasons to Choose Both!

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Have you ever found yourself at the baby food aisle trying to decide if you should purchase jars or pouches? I definitely have, but I find that I reach for different options based on the reason why I’m getting the food. If I’m picking up something for Darah, I obviously go for pouches because she’s way too old for baby food, but she LOVES squeeze pouches of fruit and vegetable purees.

If I’m just trying to add variety to the meal options at home for Layah, I’ll go with the jars. They are less expensive than pouches so they provide a better value for times when I’ll just be feeding her in her high chair.

Earth’s Best has a great chart that breaks down some of the key differences between jars and pouches and the reasons why you might choose one over the other:

 

As Layah gets older, I’ll gravitate more toward the pouches because the self-feeding aspect of them is one of the biggest pluses. They are also fantastic to use on the road!

What about you? What percentage of solid food for your little ones comes from a jar vs. a pouch? Do you have a favorite brand of baby food for jars and/or pouches? I’d love to hear what you are buying!

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.

Come Hang Out with Me and #7GenBabyFest on Twitter! Chat and Win Great Prizes!!!

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This mama loves a good Twitter party. Especially one with helpful information AND sweet prizes. I’m going to one this Thursday at 1pm ET called #7GenBabyFest sponsored by Seventh Generation, one of my very favorite eco-friendly companies, and The Motherhood. I hope you will join me!

And just in case hanging out with yours truly is not reason enough to get yourself signed up, here’s some more info on why this Twitter party is going to be worth your time!

We are going to be talking about everything you need to know about product ingredients, scents, packaging and labels related to baby personal care products (things like lotion and shampoo). What ingredients should give you pause? Why should they give you pause? What about sensitive skin?

You can get additional details about the party and RSVP so that you are eligible for prizes (oh heck yes!) here: http://twtvite.com/7genbabyfest2

During the party there will be four gift baskets containing the ENTIRE line of Seventh Generation baby care and home care products (wowzers!). The final prize will be a baby massage class in the winner’s area! I want to win that SOOO bad!! Winners will be chosen randomly from among participants who respond correctly to the trivia questions.

I hope you’ll come hang out with me this Thursday at 1pm ET on Twitter. Just follow the hashtag #7GenBabyFest and follow the hosts,  @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann. See you there?

 

I also wanted to mention that whether you attend the party or not, there’s another great Seventh Generation contest happening really soon. Starting December 14th, take an Instagram photo to illustrate how you practice natural parenting and tag @SeventhGeneration and use the hashtag #7GenBabyFest. There will be 7 winners each day for 3 days and they will each receive a Seventh Generation Baby gift basket. EEEE!!!

This post has been compensated through my involvement with The Motherhood. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Real World Folding Geometric Shapes from Learning Resources

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Here’s what I remember about my 8th grade geometry class: I hated it.

Here’s what I don’t remember: pretty much everything I was taught.

I had such an aversion to math growing up, and it is something I want to work very hard not to pass on to my daughters. I want math concepts to be part of their learning process early on. I’ve also learned from Montessori education that the more hands-on opportunities we can give our children to interact with math, the better suited they will be to tackle the harder concepts down the line. This is particularly true for geometry and understanding shapes in a 3 dimensional way, instead of simply in the abstract or on paper.

That’s why I was really excited to see Learning Resources offer the Real World Folding Geometric Shapes.

The set includes 3 dimensional versions of 8 common shapes:

  • cube
  • cylinder
  • hexagonal prism
  • rectangular prism
  • triangular prism
  • square pyramid
  • triangular pyramid

It also comes with 24 cut out designs that can fit inside the shapes to help children identify where these shapes can be found in everyday life. You can also cut out your own designs to put inside the shapes. Being able to see and touch a shape in this way is extremely important to muscle memory, and when that is instilled in your child at a young age, it will help tremendously by the time geometry class comes up in middle school. To be able to break a 3 dimensional shape down into something flat also helps a lot with understanding symmetry.

The kit also comes with great activity suggestions (far more than I would have come up with on my own!). I think this is a marvelous learning aid and I highly recommend it, especially if you think you might have some trouble bringing the world of math to life on your own like I do. The kit is available for $36.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the Real World Folding Geometric Shapes set from Learning Resources.

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

My Own Personal Coffee Shop: #Torani Syrups at Home!

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I’ve been shouting the praises of brewing coffee at home for years now. It is a HUGE money saver. It doesn’t really take much time, either. In my case, I like iced coffee, so it does require a bit more advanced thinking to get the drink sufficiently cold. But still, it is worth it.

But there is one thing I have never been able to sufficiently replicate (despite making DIY versions!). That is the delicious flavored syrups that you can get at coffee shops or even added to a McDonald’s iced coffee. They are super yum, and that has always been a clear point of distinction between coffee made at home and coffee bought at the store.

But did you know that you can actually get those delicious Torani syrups to use at home? Oh yes, indeed!

What you are seeing in this picture are my two new Torani syrups, in Hazlenut and Pumpkin Pie, that I have been enjoying. I took this picture in our front yard. In the background of the photo is one of the most popular coffee shops in our entire city. I live just that close to it! To say it is a temptation would be an understatement.

But now I not only save money brewing my own drinks, but I get to add that special splash of great flavor at home, too. This is no longer reserved for coffee shop treats, and I love that! You can find Torani syrups at great retailers like World Market and Walmart!

This post has been sponsored by SheSpeaks and Torani. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

How I Stole Some Time For Me and Loved It: PEOPLE Magazine!

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Today is a VERY exciting day for me, friends.

Today is the day I get to take a serious break from life and flip through the pages of a magazine that has been tempting me for several days now.

Over the weekend I went to Walgreens. It was a bummer of a visit. I had to buy pricey prescriptions for my sick family and  big box of disposable diapers because I was told the medicine would make the daughter’s poop, well…extra gross. And since I was sick, too, I needed a break from cloth diaper laundry. When you don’t ever buy diapers, it can really shock your system to have to pay for them!

Anyway, my shopping cart was full of stuff I didn’t really want to buy. The imbalance was too much to bear. I knew I needed a special treat for myself! Here’s what I found:

A magazine that isn’t about parenting or saving money?! What an indulgence!!!

I’ve had this issue of PEOPLE Magazine sitting on my night stand since Saturday. I swear Brad Pitt has been whispering sweet nothings to me every time I see it, beckoning me to take 5 and have a read. But I just couldn’t. I had way to much to do before my in-laws arrived from a 4 month stint in Europe.

They arrived Tuesday night. And they were both SICK! Food poisoning was the likely culprit.

Oh, I felt so bad for them! They both tried really hard on Wednesday to play with Darah and spend time with me and with Tim, but they were still feeling terrible, so they also needed to sleep a lot. My magazine would have to wait one more day.

But no longer. This morning I woke up early just to get to relax. Can any other moms out there relate to that situation?! Ha!

I’m tucked away in the upstairs bathroom, and honestly, I’m having THE BEST TIME EVER right now reading my PEOPLE Magazine. Why do I usually only read PEOPLE Magazine at the doctor’s office? It is a great read. And it’s quick, too!

Here are the parts of the magazine I loved the very most.

1. The section about which shows are worth watching, and which aren’t. Two shows I’m currently loving got high praise here (Nashville and The Mindy Project). I was surprised that one of my new favorites, The New Normal, was listed as one to stop watching. But come to think of it, I watched the latest episode on Hulu last night while Layah was refusing to sleep, and it was really boring. They may be on to something!

2. The Brad Pitt interview. Brad Pitt, to me, is someone you don’t realize you have a crush on until you find yourself turning directly to his article before you read anything else in the whole magazine. Guilty as charged.

3. Affordable gift ideas. I’ve become a big fan of the Elf eye makeup palette I recently bought, and I’m super excited to see that they are offering 14 nail polishes for $10! Come home to mama!!!

Waking up early to read PEOPLE Magazine was completely worth it. I learned some interesting stuff, got all caught up with Mr. Pitt, and found some great stocking stuffer ideas for myself (let’s be real…I stuff my own stocking).

Do you need a little you time? If so, PEOPLE Magazine is the ideal read, I guarantee it!

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own http://cmp.ly/3/KqtZiE.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!

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This year for the holidays we are doing something VERY fun. I’ve created a Christmas Countdown paper chain, with one link for every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every link has a special holiday activity for us to do. It has been a terrific way for us to get a daily dose of Christmas without getting completely overwhelmed.

Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!

A few of the days on the chain are listed as “holiday movie” time. The one Darah asks for every time is The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!. This 60 minute DVD is really quite cute (and I say that as someone who isn’t especially fond of The Cat in the Hat!). The Cat, Nick and Sally have a very fun Christmas party, and take the Thinga-ma-jigger on a trip around the world to help a lost reindeer get home in time for the big event. Along the way they make all sorts of new friends and, of course, have a lot of fun.

If your are looking for something new to watch this holiday season, or for something that might have more appeal to younger kids, this is a great choice. You can find this DVD at Target, Walmart, Kmart and Toys R Us for just $9.99.

Or…

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Conducting a Trial Run for Santa’s Cookies: We Have a Winner! #HolidayGuide

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When I was growing up, it was an annual tradition to leave out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. My older brother and I were convinced that the quality of the cookie would have a direct influence on the quality of presents Santa would leave.

So we always insisted that we had something from Pepperidge Farm to leave him. Those cookies were considered EXTREMELY indulgent and were saved for the most special occasions in our home. I’m not quite sure why, since they are readily available at grocery stores! But they were super duper special treats. And that’s exactly why we wanted them for Santa every year. We would beg and plead, but looking back on it now, I can’t imagine that my parents felt disappointed in our request. After all, they were the ones who got to sample the goodies after we went to bed on Christmas Eve!

The tradition continues in my house. Darah knows that Santa has a lot of work to do on Christmas Eve, and that it is polite to leave him a little snack. I didn’t give a second thought to the brand of holiday cookie I, er, I mean, Santa would be enjoying that evening. Naturally it would be the super special Pepperidge Farm brand.

But which cookie to select? Well, the Party Blu Prints Holiday E-Guide gave me my answer! Target has an exclusive Pepperidge Farm cookie for the holidays!

We headed straight to Target after seeing this scrumptiousness featured above. I knew I needed to try these out for myself and see if they would make the cut as the perfect cookies for Santa.

After a bit of searching, we found the cookies in the holiday snack section (NOT in the regular cookie section).

We then headed back to the house and really got into the holiday spirit. Earlier that morning I created a Christmas Countdown paper chain for Darah. Each link had a fun, Christmas-y activity to complete. We opened the first one to see what we were going to to that day.

Hooray! We were going to buy a tree and decorate it!

After a quick trip over to Ace Hardware for a tree, we got down our ornaments, put on the Christmas music, and got to work. And I supplied the refreshments with ease by putting those delicious cookies on the Santa plate. All part of the trial run, of course. Choosing Santa’s cookie is VERY serious business and we had to make sure every element made sense.

They passed the test for looking nice on the official Santa cookie plate. Now for the taste test. I’ll let you decide what we must have thought about the cookies, because here’s what I found when I reached into the Milano Minis bag just 15 minutes after first opening it:

Saddest part of my day, folks. But then I remembered that Target will be carrying these throughout the holidays. Next time, I’ll buy 3 or 4 bags (seriously) and will probably have to write “Hands off!” on one bag so that poor Santa will get his fill Christmas Eve!

The Milano Mini Candy Cane cookies from Pepperidge Farm were a most excellent suggestion from the Party Blu Prints #HolidayGuide. Have you gotten a chance to look at it, yet? It gave me several good ideas for my holiday shopping. Suggestions are practical, affordable and fun!

Do you leave special holiday gifts for Santa, be it cookies, or a note, or anything else? Any other fun Christmas Eve traditions? I’d love to hear!

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 Pepperidge Farm #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Master Lock Vault: Safe, Secure Online Storage (dialSpeed GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Are you finished with your holiday shopping yet? I think I might be, actually!

Which probably means that I’ll realize something important is missing about an hour before the Christmas Eve service and find myself at Walmart panicking with throngs of other people. Ha!

I actually just crossed an important hurdle related to the holiday season for me, and that is paying a credit card bill. My bills for November and December are usually pretty rough since Christmas purchases are all over them. They are painful to pay, and I’m happy to report that November’s has been paid. While I was online paying it, Darah asked me what I was doing. My response, “Mommy’s slaying a dragon, sweetie.” It sort of felt that way!

As I was going over my statement, though, it occurred to me that I’m definitely not very organized. I don’t have all of my receipts in one place where I could go back and double check purchase amounts. I was going off memory alone.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Master Lock has a virtual “safe deposit box” called the Master Lock Vault. It is a safe place online where you can store important documents, digital receipts, and passwords for various online accounts.

Oh don’t get me started about losing online passwords. You would simply not believe how many times I have had to change my iTunes password. I finally have changed it to something so bizarre and different from everything else I use. But now I have a place where I can keep it and other passwords and know that they are completely safe. The vault has 256-bit encryption, 24/7 monitoring and authentication controls. They also have an app to pair with it so that you can access the information you need safely from your smartphone.

Did I mention that the basic plan for Master Lock Vault is FREE??!! Yes, indeed!

In addition to having all the great features listed above AND being free, the Vault also can be used in conjunction with Master Lock’s sleek dialSpeed (which I reviewed back in August). If you don’t remember, the dialSpeed is the first electronic combination lock to have connectivity online.

I’ve been so impressed with the dialSpeed that I’m actually giving one to my brother-in-law this Christmas. It makes an awesome gift for anyone who values safety and security, and who also loves the cutting edge of technology.

Whether you own a dialSpeed or not, the Master Lock Vault is something I strongly want to encourage you to check out. If you need a safe place online to store some documents and passwords, look no further!

Win it!: One Lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a dialSpeed lock! Woo hoo!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I am a member of the Master Lock Live Secure Safety Squad, and as such, I receive complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own, however.