Stuff Parents Need

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

A Gift Suggestion for Younger Siblings: Something Personalized!

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In many ways, Layah is a significantly less expensive baby than Darah was. We haven’t had to purchase many items for her, largely due to the fact that she inherited all her big sister’s old stuff. From clothes to baby gear all the way down to stuffed animals, Layah is blessed with all that she needs from her big sis.

Or to look at it in a much more cynical way, she’s stuck with all the leftovers.

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But as family members have asked me for suggestions for Layah this Christmas, I have been a little bit stumped. And if I’m going to be completely honest with you, I have to tell you that I haven’t purchased much at all for her, either.

But then I had an idea: perhaps a really fun gift to give to younger siblings up to their eyeballs in hand-me-downs is something that is their very own. Something with their name on it. What a treat that would be! Goodness knows I received several things with Darah’s name on them (things that little Layah is happily using now). But when it is time to put together the “baby memento” boxes for each girl, do I really want to give Layah a blanket with Darah’s name on it and say to her, “Well, you used it, too.”? I don’t think so.

Personal Creations is a terrific destination for a plethora of personalized baby gifts. I had my eye on an activity mat for Layah because she spends a lot of time on the living room floor, crawling around and playing. I had been putting down regular baby blankets for her, but they were way too thin and always ended up bunched up in a pile.

This Baby Alphabet Quilt from Personal Creations is much sturdier, and oh my word is it cute!

I wanted to show you some of the detail up close. This mouse is just one of many examples of great detailing in this quilt. It is these kinds of features that will make this play mat a keepsake for Layah.

If you have a child on your Christmas list who is a younger sibling and mostly has hand-me-downs, consider getting them something extra special and personalized just for them. There will be no disputing whose memory box it will go into, and based on the quality of the product I reviewed, there’s also no doubt that items from Personal Creations will make the cut as mementos to hang on to long after the baby days are over!

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

The First App I Downloaded with My New Phone: Chug the Bug Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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We recently upgraded our phones from the ancient iPhone 3 to the iPhone 4s. We’re still one phone behind the cutting edge, but we’re ok with that. This latest upgrade was HUGE, though (hello, Siri!). And after a lengthy absence from the latest and greatest apps, I now feel back in the game.

There’s one app, in particular, that was first on my list to download. It’s from Kids Play Books and it is a 3D story app designed for kids ages pre-k to elementary. It’s called Chug the Bug: Chug Makes New Friends. 

Any parent with a smartphone knows that there is no shortage of apps for kids out there. That’s both really fun and also really overwhelming. How do you know which ones are worth the money? I personally tend to rely on recommendations from bloggers I trust. With that said, I am careful with the apps I recommend since I know people are counting on me to tell it like it is.

And to tell it like it is, I’d say that this app is a winner.

The illustrations are lovely, the 3D component is REALLY fun (for kids and adults, alike!). The story is appropriately interactive for younger kids (meaning that there are fun things to tap on, but not a ridiculous amount of things as I have seen on some apps…that draws you away from the story, in my opinion).

In the story, Chug heads off to school to learn a lot of great things, including what kind of bug he is! He befriends lots of other bugs (making this PERFECT for any kid who is into bugs!). They set off on an adventure together and have a few scary (but not too scary) moments along the way. The story demonstrates cooperation and problem solving at a level that will resonate with young kids.

In addition to the app which I reviewed and which retails for $4.99, Chug the Bug is also available as an e-book which can be read on an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or Kindle Fire and retails for just $2.99.

If you have an early reader in your home who loves new apps, I definitely think you should give this one a try. It’s unique, well-written, beautifully illustrated, and will provide lots of fun!

Win it!: FOUR Stuff Parents Need readers are going to win your choice of the app code or the ebook code for Chug the Bug!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Thanks to Kids Play Books for sponsoring this post and providing codes for the review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

 

Add Some Holiday Smiles to Your Shopping List: Affordable, Fun Stocking Stuffers

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If there’s one thing I’ve learned about having to take on the role of Santa Claus it’s that those stockings can really deceive you! I distinctly remember my very first Christmas married to Tim. We filled each other’s stockings, and we both came up WAY short! They looked so pitiful, and were probably about 1/3 full. Both of us thought we had enough to fill the stockings until we set about our tasks late on Christmas Eve. Oops!

Don’t find yourself in the same position this year! I have some gift ideas for you that are affordable and that will take up some space in those stockings.

Right now, Walmart has Colgate Holiday Packs for children that feature Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants. These combo packs feature a battery operated toothbrush and toothpaste, and if you buy the combo pack, you save $1 over purchasing the components separately. That’s $1 that can go right back into your pocket, or more realistically, right back into your stocking! 🙂

I searched high and low at my nearest Walmart and wanted to purchase both packs for Darah. She’s a big Dora fan and is a HUGE Spongebob fan. In fact, her Grammies (that’s my mom) recently got her a small tube of Colgate toothpaste with Spongebob on it, and she was the most enthusiastic I have EVER seen her be about oral care while she had that toothpaste. She would run into to the bathroom saying, “It’s Spongebob time!” when it was time to brush her teeth. When the tube was used up, she burst into tears (I swear!). If you’d like to follow along with my shopping adventure, click here.

While I found a good buy on Dora toothbrushes

And I found the Colgate toothpaste with Darah’s favorite characters on them

I didn’t find the holiday packs. And I went shopping two separate times to try to get them! Unfortunately, I also couldn’t find an employee who was willing to help me look (I found employees, just not willing-to-help employees). Hence this look on my face…

But I wasn’t leaving without some stocking stuffers for Darah, so I went for the Colgate value pack toothbrushes with Dora on them, and I got one of each of the Colgate toothpastes. She will be thrilled, I know it.

As you are wrapping up your shopping (or perhaps you are just ramping up your shopping!) remember these great products from Colgate. They are very practical, but also very fun. Isn’t it great to find a way for toothpaste and toothbrushes to become a special present?! And isn’t it also great to know that your stockings will be stuffed thanks to additions like this? Who know #HolidaySmiles could be this easy?

In addition to checking out the great Colgate Holiday Packs, also be sure to follow Colgate on Twitter and Facebook. That’s the very best way to hear about special promotions and discounts. I know I love a good coupon, myself, and I don’t want you to miss out any any, either!

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 Colgate. #CBias #HolidaySmiles #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Swaddlebees Simplex One Size Diaper Video Review

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If you are new to cloth diapering, I want to STRONGLY encourage you to get a few all-in-one (AIO) diapers. They work just like a disposable diaper, except of course for the part where you wash them. There’s nothing to stuff. It couldn’t be easier. With this type of diaper, I firmly believe that you will fall madly, deeply in love with cloth diapering.

But all-in-ones do have a major drawback, which is that they take FOREVER to dry. Throwing them in the dryer for more than a few minutes is a no-no because it could damage the outer part of the dryer. So you have to wait and wait and wait and wait. When I have to line dry inside, I find that it takes my AIO diapers a day and a half to get dry, whereas my other stuff is dry within 8-12 hours.

Swaddlebees One Size Simplex All In One Diapers has all the convenience of an AIO, but provides a few fantastic innovations so that the diaper becomes so much more than an AIO. This diaper is, in a word, RAD! Check out my video review to see what this diaper does that no other diaper on the market can offer. I think you’ll be impressed. Actually, I know you will.

Told you it was awesome! Basically, this diaper has combined elements of my 3 favorite diapers in my entire stash. So I guess you could say it has become the ultimate supreme diaper. Any cloth diapering parent knows that the order in which you use diapers in your stash when they are all clean tells you a lot about your preferences, and the Swaddlebees Simplex One Size gets used pretty much the second that it is dry. Poor thing never gets a break! That’s the price it just has to pay for rocking so hard. I super highly recommend this diaper. It is pricey at $25.95, but totally worth it. And that’s coming from a frugal gal!

Swaddlebees Simplex One Size

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Swaddlebees One Size Simplex diaper! Yay! Yay! Yay!!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Disney Princess Bicycles Light Up Our Life and Inspire Us to Give! #DisneyPrincessWMT

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A few weeks ago Darah and I had a special assignment from Santa Claus: we were to go to Walmart and purchase 3 Disney Princess bicycles for 3 little girls in Chattanooga. Santa knew that his sleigh would be too full to bring those items, so he asked us to pick them up on his behalf. If you missed our shopping adventure, click here to see what fun we had! We used the Royal Ball app throughout the store to unlock fun features and make shopping even more fun.

But even honorary elves on assignment for Santa can run into problems. The bicycles we sought were nowhere to be found! We opted for the Fisher-Price Little People Princess Song Palaces, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was letting Santa down.

After we got home, I hopped onto Walmart.com and found the elusive bicycles. I purchased 3 of them. They were priced nicely at just $58 each and shipping to my house was completely FREE!

So then I went about my business. A mere two days later…out on the front porch I heard such a clatter, I sprang from my computer to see what was the matter!

The bicycles had arrived 48 hours after I ordered them. It almost made me wonder if Santa, himself, brought them over on a test ride. I couldn’t believe how fast that was! More rapid than eagles, indeed!

Santa wanted us to purchase these bicycles so that we could donate them to Angel Tree. While it would have been fun to give Darah whatever her heart desired (and her heart desires pretty much anything that has Disney Princesses on it), an important part of the holiday season I want Darah to understand is the true joy of giving. Darah doesn’t understand the pain of a mother who simply cannot afford to get her children anything for Christmas, and I can at least try to imagine that heartache. That’s what motivates me to give these bicycles away. I’m hoping to give Darah her motivation simply by explaining to her how wonderful it is when people share with her, and how fun it is when people take turns giving and receiving. It is our turn to give. And how awesome is it to be given a special assignment from Santa, too?!

What Darah doesn’t know is that one of the little girls Santa has these bicycles in mind for is her. Oh, I could burst into tears at the thought of Christmas morning and this bicycle being under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree! And those tears I manage to hold back definitely break loose and come rolling down when I think about the two little girls somewhere in Chattanooga who will find the exact same thing Christmas morning. Sharing really is its own gift!

We left the Angel Tree bicycles in their boxes for now, and will be putting them together just before it is time to deliver them. The third bicycle is Darah’s. It was her idea to get some pictures of herself on the bicycle. She suggested that we send them to Santa so that he could see that she did what he asked, and so that he could see how wonderful she looked on the bicycle, just in case he wanted to bring one to her, too. Great idea, sweetie!

Darah thinks that we have already delivered this bike to its intended recipient, but it’s really just up in our attic! Hee hee!

I think this bicycle is a great choice for little girls between 2-5 who are just learning to ride. The training wheels can come off. There are even some additional features that we didn’t put on the bike yet so that they can be surprise elements on Christmas morning. These include a basket that can hold a doll and streamers for the handlebar.

We have additionally purchased a Disney Princess bike helmet to go under the tree. I also have the Cinderella Blu-Ray/DVD on my shopping list. It’s the final item I hope to purchase for Darah. She’s never seen Cinderella and I just know she’ll flip out over Gus Gus!

Are there any Disney Princess items destined for a place under your Christmas tree this year? Feeling overwhelmed with all the options? Check out what other bloggers have selected for their little princesses and get some great ideas!

Finally, can I encourage you to buy two of the item your child most desires this year and give the second one away? You will be bringing joy beyond measure to another family!

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 Disney Consumer Products, Inc  #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

 

We Used ModernGreetings.Com for Our Holiday Cards (and We’re Thrilled!) (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Last year at this time I was still battling severe nausea with my pregnancy, and so I just let go of the idea of having holiday cards altogether.

This year I knew I wanted to get a nice picture taken of the family. I booked a local photographer so that we could get a nice family picture. The photographer rescheduled on me. And then 1 1/2 hours before our photo shoot, she completely cancelled. Without an offer to reschedule. And she referred me to another photographer was mostly booked and who charged about 3 times what she charged.

Gee, thanks.

So despite my advanced planning, in mid-October I was left in a complete scramble trying to figure out what to do. I felt sad because I really wanted to send Christmas cards out, and even more than that I wanted a decent looking picture of my family. My mom made an excellent suggestion to see if a friend of mine might be willing to snap a few photos. Jessie from Vanderbilt Wife was SO sweet to take a few minutes directly after her daughter’s fantastic princess-themed birthday party to take some pictures of my crew, and they turned out just lovely.

The next day (Sunday), I uploaded my favorite photo to the ModernGreetings.com website, and I picked out several different cards that I liked and then inserted the picture to see what looked the very best. It was very easy to do, and in the end, I went with something very different but that I loved. I chose a square card that had a beautiful text greeting on one side and on the back side had the photo. I thought it looked really neat.

I placed my order that afternoon. The cards were in my hands by Wednesday. WOW!!! I couldn’t get over the rapid service! They were printed and prepared for delivery the same day I ordered them (on a Sunday!).

Want to see what they look like??? The photo I took of them below was in natural light, and the result is a more muted look than what they look like in person. In person, the colors are rich and vibrant!

 

My mother has already received her card and she called and bragged about how beautiful the colors were on the card. I have to agree with her. The cards looks great and I’m quite proud to be sending them out. I have been very pleased with ModernGreetings.com, and I want to recommend them to you if you are still looking for a holiday card provider. They have TONS of options for color scheme and design. And of course, they offer so much more than holiday cards!

Speaking of which…

Win it!: Every single Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a hard cover photo book ($30 value!). Yes, you are already a winner!

All you have to do is submit your email address to this link and you will receive a code for the book. Seriously! I signed up, too. What a perfect holiday gift this will make for someone!!! Why is ModernGreetings.com doing this? They are so certain that you will be pleased with the product you receive that they believe you will give them your business down the road. And I think they are right!

I received a complimentary set of holiday cards for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

A Must-Have Stocking Stuffer for Kids: SAFESKIN Antibacterial Gel (Coupon and GIVEAWAY!!!)

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As much as parents would love to shield their children from pain, that’s just not the way life is set up. Kids are going to get their feelings hurt, experience loss and grieving, and get LOTS of experience feeling frustrated when they don’t get their way. Good thing moms and dads have endless supplies of hugs and kisses on hand!

Kids are also going to scraped up on a regular basis. I’m often surprised at how resilient Darah can be, and I try not to react strongly when she falls, but wait and see how she is feeling. More often than not, she dusts herself off and keeps playing. But sometimes the skin gets broken and she sees blood. That’s when she turns to me with wide eyes that well up with tears. And that’s when I know it’s time for Dr. Mom to report for duty.

Lately we’ve had exceptionally good luck and haven’t had any scrapes or cuts, but I know it won’t be long! When it happens, I’m reaching for SAFESKIN, which is a new kids antibacterial gel. This product safely creates a barrier on cuts and scrapes for up to 48 hours to give them a chance to heal without nasty germs finding their way inside. It is non-greasy so that a bandage can easily be applied on top.

This is an excellent stocking stuffer for your little one, as you can be sure that a scraped knee or elbow will be part of life in 2013! I also happen to have a coupon for you, because we could all use some help making stuffing those stockings a bit easier on our wallets!

You can find SAFESKIN at select Walmart locations.

You can also win a tube right now!

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. 

Finding the Perfect Gift (and the Perfect Cookies for Santa!): #HolidayGuide Made Easy

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I’ve mentioned before that I have 25 people to buy for on my guest list. TWENTY FIVE!!! Just when I start to get a little grouchy about having to do this much shopping I step back and remember two important things:

1. Giving gifts is my love language. It is a joy to be able to give.

2. What amazing gifts I have been given simply by having each and every one of these people in my life. I am overwhelmed by how awesome they each are.

It’s good to take a moment to remember those things, because then it keeps me from being a Grinch and turns me into more of a Santa, feeling downright jolly about the task ahead of me.

Yesterday morning we had our fourth intensive wrapping session. We wrapped and labeled gifts for about 2 hours. And I spent a good deal of time pouring over the list for everyone and determining who I was finished shopping for, and who was left. I then wrote down each person’s name and a budget for each person on a separate list, along with some initial gift ideas I have. This list will live in my purse and go with me everywhere until every last name is crossed off! My hope is to be done by Thanksgiving, but I predict a serious shopping session on Cyber Monday to finish things off.

Now that I know exactly WHO I’m shopping for, I can more easily search for ideas about WHAT to get these fine folks. Party Blu Prints has JUST (as in maybe an hour ago!) released a fantastic holiday gift guide and I want to share with you some ideas it has generated for me!

First up, the gents. Guys are the hardest to shop for, in my experience. I was really excited to see the OtterBox case featured in this #HolidayGuide. Just last week Tim and I broke down and replaced our ancient iPhone 3s with the iPhone 4S. What a difference that upgrade made! And since we have young kids, protecting the phone is a must. My own independent research indicated that the OtterBox was the very best case, and that research is validated by this gift guide. I’ll take one in black, please. Oh yes, this is going under the tree!

Next, I’m looking for a small gift for my mother-in-law. When I saw Nivea lotion in the gift guide, I was reminded of the test I recently conducted where I compared bargain-priced Nivea lotion to my favorite moisturizer. I was genuinely surprised to see that Nivea had much better lasting power. My mother-in-law lives in a desert climate, so a moisturizer that REALLY works is a necessity. This will fit the bill just perfectly.

I’m also looking for a hostess gift for a holiday party we’ll be attending. The holiday e-guide reminded me that a gift doesn’t have to be store-bought to be fabulous. There’s a great recipe for homemade sangria. That happens to be one of my very favorite adult beverages, so giving it as a gift will make it extra special. And it will be extra EXTRA special if my gift gets served at the party! 😉

Finally, I’m looking for some ideas for fun ways to entertain guests in my own home for the holidays. During the first two weeks of December, we will have several family members coming at various times to stay and visit with us. I want our home to be very inviting and festive, but I also have to be realistic about what I can do on my own and what might require some outside help. When I saw the Pepperidge Farm Candy Cane cookies in the guide, I knew that they were going straight on my shopping list.

Pepperidge Farm is something I very much associate with the holidays. Santa Claus always expected this brand to be on the plate we left out for him on Christmas Eve. We made sure to grant his wish every year, in the hopes that he would grant ours! I love that the Milano line has a mini cookie which will be perfect to keep on the kitchen counter for snacking on-the-go. And the fact that it has a candy cane flavor is just too perfect.

I noticed in the guide that these cookies are exclusive to Target. My closest Target is 25 minutes away, so I don’t go all that often. But I’m making a special trip this afternoon to go get those holiday cookies! In addition to having them on hand for guests, I also need a few weeks to taste-test them and make sure they are the right choice for Santa. Mothers have so many tough jobs, and this is just another one of them. But I’ll do it out of love and dedication to my family. 😉

Are you working on your holiday gifts list and figuring out exactly  how much shopping remains? Definitely flip through the Party Blu Prints holiday e-guide. You’ll get some great ideas for gifts to buy, gifts to make, and tips to remember to keep the next few weeks festive, fun and light on the stress.

After I’m back home with my Pepperidge Farm cookies this afternoon, I may just whip up the mocktail recipe in the guide. Anyone case to join me? 🙂

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.

Black Friday LifeLock Twitter Party: Prizes Include $400 Best Buy Gift Card!

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LifeLock knows that many MANY of you are getting really excited about all the great deals that will be available on Black Friday. If you are going to be out early in the day and will be home resting your weary feet (and your tired credit cards!) in the afternoon, then you need to join the LifeLock Black Friday Twitter party, which will be happening that day at 6pm EST (3pm PST). It will be a great opportunity to learn some really important tips about keeping your identity safe throughout your shopping frenzy and beyond.

And there will be prizes. Lots of prizes. Including a $400 gift card to Best Buy!

Want to attend? Of course you do!

You don’t even have to leave this page to get signed up, either. Here’s the form to RSVP right here. You have to RSVP to be eligible for the prizes, so be sure to do it! If you can’t see the entire form at once, just scroll down on it (I checked to make sure you can do that!). If it gives you any grief, just to go to the RSVP page.  Ok, enough talking from me…I’ve got to get myself signed up, too! See you there!