Stuff Parents Need

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

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!

Let MagicKitchen.com Take Some Work Off Your “To Do” List!

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I work from home. It is not uncommon for people to somehow miss the “work” part of “work from home” and assume that my agenda every day consists of little more than changing diapers, making my baby laugh, and shuffling my preschooler to and from school.

WRONG! I also have to manage this blog, and though I’m currently taking a break, I’m also often teaching a college course on world religions online.

And frankly, even if I didn’t have those two jobs on my plate, being a stay-at-home parent is also a boatload of work. I’m so completely embarrassed that I used to not understand why people who stayed at home with their kids didn’t have sparkling clean homes and very little stress.

Karma’s a you-know-what, that’s all I’m sayin’ about that.

Anyway, whether you are in the office from 9-5, juggling raising kids with working from your home, or devoting your time to the kiddos on a full-time basis, you need some help. We all need some help! I’m excited to share with you an option that really can save you quite a bit of time and that I think is worth every penny.

It’s called MagicKitchen.com, and it is a website FULL of healthy meals that are prepared by chefs, frozen and delivered to your doorstep. All you have to do is follow the simple re-heating instructions just before dinner, and you are all set.

What a lifesaver this is! And it totally beats heading over to the drive-thru for something that is really just junk. MagicKitchen.com has healthy options that you will most definitely want to eat! This makes it easier to feed your family something nutritious on those days when you just can’t be tied down to the kitchen for an hour.

We recently had a meal from MagicKitchen.com and it was good. Actually, it was REALLY GREAT. I was expecting it to be good. But I mean, frozen food is only going to be good, and never great. At least that’s what I assumed.

That pork tenderloin was SO moist. I wish I knew their secret for getting it so perfect. All I did was follow the reheating instructions, so I didn’t do any magic, I promise! It was seasoned beautifully. I ate more than I should have because it was just so darn delicious.

We also had a side of green beans. They were a gorgeous, bright green and still had a bit of firmness to them. I was quite surprised, as it is VERY easy to overcook green beans. The taste was fantastic.

And for dessert, we had a brownie. I should mention that this brownie was bigger than my whole hand. We cut it into fourths! All you had to do was let this thaw. But I thought it was AMAZING heated up in the microwave just a little bit. Yummy!

MagicKitchen.com offers meal bundles, special diet menus, and various a la carte options. There’s something for every taste preference and budget. And I can tell you, the taste is exceptional. This would be an unbelievably awesome gift to give to brand new parents, or even to parents who are just in the trenches, slogging away at this season of life where chaos is king.

If you’d like to request a catalog to learn more about all their options, click here to request one. You won’t regret it!

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

Strolling Through the Holidays Stroller GIVEAWAY!!

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Would you like to go strolling with your loved one this Holiday Season?

The Blogging Mamas Network and KiddyUSA have come together to bring you a great giveaway for the brand new KiddyUSA City ‘n Move Stroller!

This stroller is the perfect companion – it’s Lightweight {at only 21 lbs}, Comfortable for Mom/Dad and Child, and Maneuvers Easily.

The Kiddy brand, based in Germany, is synonymous with innovation and style when it comes to children’s car seats and strollers and now the brand has launched in the US.

The KiddyUSA City ‘n Move comes in 7 fantastic colors {Winner will choose their Favorite!} and accommodates children 6 months to 55 pounds!

To see even more of the City ‘n Move Stroller, including detailed pictures and favorite features, read the KiddyUSA City ‘n Move Stroller Review by Lindsey from So Easy Being Green.

The KiddyUSA City ‘n Move Stroller is available at a variety of retailers.  The City ‘n Move retails for $219.99 and will be available on Amazon very soon!

:GIVEAWAY:

This giveaway is open to US residents, 18+ only.  Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 30th.

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter Form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  Special thanks to Hosts According to Jenny, So Easy Being Green, Leetle Baby, and other Strollin’ Bloggers!  Event bloggers are not responsible for Sponsor Prize Shipment.

 

Helping Santa Bring Magic to 3 Little Girls: #DisneyPrincessWMT

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With a 3 year old in the house, we are in the throes of the princess craze. This is an issue that I felt nervous about up until just a few months ago. I never liked receiving “Daddy’s little princess” onesies or anything that was overly sparkly or blingy or that had crowns all over it. I thought that perhaps if I curbed the amount of such things in our home that my daughter might not go ga-ga for princesses.

But let me tell you how her love for princesses, and Disney Princesses in particular, came to life. Last year one of my nieces requested The Little Mermaid on DVD for Christmas. As you probably know, you can’t buy this DVD new in a store, as it is locked away in the Disney Vault. Ebay is one of your best bets. I ordered a used copy online, and when it arrived I wanted to make sure it worked before I wrapped it up. And I let Darah watch it with me. I thought it would be fun to share with her my favorite Disney movie.

And the rest, my friends, is history.

Ariel is her favorite (which I sort of love since Ariel is also my favorite). She can find Ariel most anywhere (some of my favorite locations where she has managed to find her include Home Depot, a convenience store at 5am on Thanksgiving morning, and the curio cabinet at her Grammy’s house).

There are still many Disney movies that she hasn’t yet seen, but she is starting to learn more about more about each princess, and she is adding to her list the movies she has seen. Beauty and the Beast was recently playing at a friend’s birthday party in the background (it was a princess theme). She plopped right down and watched the whole thing, and she had the cutest expression on her face the entire time.

I have learned over the past year since to lean into this season of life, rather than try to prevent it from happening. Every Disney Princess has some amazing qualities that I try to highlight so that the focus isn’t on being pretty. We’ve been playing, “under the sea” for a year now, and the focus of that game is to go on a brave adventure, just like Ariel, who isn’t afraid to take a risk. We also pretend that our hair glows like Rapunzel (#2 on her list of favorite princesses) and use that power to heal others when they are not well, demonstrating kindness and empathy. Tiana never ever gives up, even when the odds aren’t in her favor. She has a tenacity from which we all can learn.

If you have a Disney Princess fan in your home, be sure to download the Royal Ball app (download here for apple and here for android), which is totally free and lots of fun. We downloaded it before heading to Walmart to be big helpers for Santa Claus. Through this app, you can get yourself ready for a royal ball by building your own outfit (gown, necklace, shoes, tiara) and making your own custom carriage. Once you arrive at the ball, you use your phone to dance at the ball. It’s really cool, because you get to see the ballroom as if you were in it, and as you dance or look up or down, the screen moves with you. I will fully admit to taking this app on a few spins through the living room, myself!

I highly recommend that you download this app before you head to a store that will have some Disney Princess signage, as there are pictures on these signs that will unlock additional dresses.

I also really love that you can bring a bonus carriage to life right in the store when you snap a photo of the Cinderella Blu-Ray DVD. Basically, this app can make a trip to Walmart so much more fun for any Disney Princess fan. And if you are doing a little holiday shopping, it can also keep your little ones distracted while you take some stuff over to the layaway department! 🙂

On our most recent shopping adventure, we were being special helpers for Santa Claus. He asked us to get 3 Disney Princess bicycles for 3 little girls in Chattanooga. His sleigh was getting very full, and having these bikes already here would sure help him out! Darah was excited to be summoned for such a special task and took her role quite seriously! If you’d like to follow along with our entire shopping experience, check out my Google+ album.

Sadly, the store was completely out of Disney Princess bicycles. Santa isn’t the only one who wants to be gifting these this year, it seems! We went with a back up plan and purchased 3 Fisher-Price Little People Princess Song Palaces. I bought every single one they had on the shelves. Looks like Disney Princes stuff is really hot!  I like that this particular item is safe for princess fans as young as 18 months, and it has lots of different places for imaginative play. It even has some fun sound effects to add to the magic!

You may be wondering why I wanted to buy 3 items and why we were being special helpers to Santa. Well, 2 of the items we purchased are going to go to the Angel Tree. As a mom, I know what it is like to have your child ask for a very special toy for Christmas. And I can imagine how hard it must be to know that getting a gift like that isn’t a possibility. Darah asked for a bike this year, and I am going to get one for her (she doesn’t know that little girl #3 we are shopping for is her!). I want to pay it forward and get the same bike for 2 other 3 or 4 year olds in my community who have the same wish as Darah, but whose parents can’t afford it on their own.

After I got home, I decided that as cute as the Little People Princess Songs Palace is, I really had my heart set on getting the bikes, so I went to Walmart.com and ordered 3 of them there. Shipping to my house was completely free, which was awesome! I’ll be doing another post in a few weeks and I’ll be sure to show you the bicycles in detail! They arrived at my house 2 days after I ordered them (totally serious) so I’ve already had a sneak peek! Can’t wait to show them to you!

While you wait for the big bicycle reveal, be sure to check out lots of different ways that other shoppers have had a blast with Disney Princess items, and get some great ideas for parties, games and gifts! And don’t forget to follow Disney on Twitter. I’m really enjoying following them and getting little doses of joy and sunshine from Walt and those who have followed him in my Twitter feed!

Do you have any Disney Princess items on your holiday shopping list this year? I’d love to hear about them!!! Santa is going to have a Rapunzel doll in his sack to leave for Darah on Christmas Eve! 🙂

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.

A Truly Portable Activity Seat: Go-Pod Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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At 6 months old, Layah is one heck of a busy body. Darah, at this age, was perfectly content to sit in a spot on the floor and play with toys for quite a long time. She didn’t crawl until she was almost 10 months old. Honestly, it was awesome.

Layah, on the other hand, has no interest in sitting still. She is already crawling all over the the place. She’s got to be on the move, which means mama’s got to be paying super close attention at all times.

And if I don’t stay on top of her, accidents do happen. Why yes, as a matter of fact, she has already fallen off the bed! I was gone but a moment and I left her far from the edge. But she’s a quick one. When that happened, I knew I needed to start taking extra precautions with her. She needs some restrictive space that doesn’t make her FEEL tied down.

She has a jumperoo, which she loves to play in, but which Tim and I don’t love, simply because it takes up SO MUCH SPACE!! We have a small house, and our downstairs living room/dining room/kitchen area really isn’t very big. So to have a jumperoo in the middle of the floor every day creates a space problem.

But now we are using a very clever invention called the Go-Pod, and I think it rocks! It is an ultra lightweight portable activity seat. First let me show you what it looks like when it is not in use.

That is a thing of beauty, my friends! It folds up like a camping chair! Which means it can get tucked away in the corner, or in a closet, or even under the bed. Cue the angels singing!!!

And here’s what it looks like with little Layah inside of it.

While it lacks the ability for babies to bounce or to turn in it, it is still a very comfortable seat and Layah is quite happy every time I put her in it. I absolutely LOVE the mat that is on the bottom. It protects the floor from my kid! And it provides a nice surface for her feet if I ever set this up on the hardwood floor.

In this picture you will see that there are some attachment devices on the Go-Pod. These are great because you can connect toys to them for play time.

The Go-Pod by KidCo is very well designed. It only weighs 7 pounds and comes with a storage bag, which makes travel with it a breeze. Additionally, it has 4 heights so that it can grow with your baby. It is ideal for babies from 4 months until they start walking. Setting the Go-Pod up takes all of 3 seconds. There is a lock button you can easily hear when it clicks in place so that you know it is safe to put your baby in it. There are also drink and snack holders for your little one in case you want them to eat or drink a little something while you buzz around the house taking care of whatever needs to be done (in my case, the kitchen is in CONSTANT need of attention).

There is no way in this world that I would have been able to take Layah’s jumperoo down to Alabama for Christmas this year. But the Go-Pod is on the packing list! We can even take this with us for visits with friends. It gives us a place to easily put the baby that she will enjoy and where we know she will be safe. After all, not every house has been child-proofed!

Buy it!: Need one of these for your home? You can find a list of local as well as online retailers here. The Go-Pod retails for $49.99.

Win it!: Just in time for holiday travel, one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Go-Pod!

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. 

My Holiday Shopping Strategy and My Best Tips for Keeping Your Credit Card Info Safe

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You may have already heard me mention on Twitter and Facebook that I have 25 people on my Christmas shopping list. I have a lot of siblings, in-laws, and a TON of nieces (and one sweet little nephew, too!). I have a 6 page list where I keep track of the gifts I have purchased, as I shop all year long so that I can afford to get fun and interesting gifts for everyone.

My goal every year is to be completely finished with my shopping by Thanksgiving.

I rarely meet this goal.

But I almost NEVER subject myself to Black Friday. I don’t think it is fun at all. I think it is stressful and a little bit sad, as it just seems to be a day of grabbing as much stuff as you can before someone else grabs it. No thanks.

But Cyber Monday? Now that’s a different story! I think I like it because I can’t see with my own eyes how many other people are shopping, and somehow that makes it easier to accept. Also, my work day starts around 4am, and if I can get some shopping done in the wee small hours of the morning, that’s ideal for me! No need to get out of my yoga pants!

Oh who am I kidding; I still wear my yoga pants when I go to the store…

Whether you are hitting the stores for those tempting holiday deals or just going online to get what you need (or both, which is what most Americans are doing now), you will likely be making use of your credit and/or debit cards. They are so convenient and in the short run feel much safer than cash, but each shopping experience you have with them is also another opportunity for identity theft.

Sorry to be a joy kill, but as you know I’ve been a victim MANY times, and a few of those times happened around the holidays, when I was using my credit card quite liberally.

I have a few tips to help you stay safe this holiday season. These are tips and tricks I have picked up over the years and I hope they help you.

Shopping in a store

1. DO NOT get your credit card out of your wallet until it is time to pay. Many people have it out and on the counter or in their hands while they wait for the total bill. In this day and age, security cameras and cell phones can easily get a picture of your credit card numbers and the name on the card. I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. Don’t get would-be picture takers the chance!

Shopping online

1. If you are like me you do price comparisons online before making a purchase. Sometimes a lesser known store might have a better deal than some of the online giants like Amazon. I’ve seen it! BUT….if the best deal is coming from a store or site you’ve never heard of, please take an extra moment to do a web search on the company and see if there are any complaints out there. You need to make sure that you are shopping with a reputable retailer before handing over your credit card information. Checking out the store with the Better Business Bureau is also a good idea and it only takes a few seconds. This strategy has kept me from handing over my credit card information to businesses that turned out to be shady on more than one occasion.

2. Keep your internet security software up to date to help you catch anything fishy (or should I say phishy?).

Holiday donations

1. I never make donations to organizations over the phone, because I don’t know if the person who is calling me really is from the organization in question, or if they are just claiming to be from the organization. Unfortunately this is a popular way to get people to hand over their credit card info, along with their addresses. Instead of donating this way, go directly to the organization you support online and donate through their site.

I hope my tips will help you play it safe this holiday season! For more helpful hints and tips (and for chances to win GREAT prizes, like a $1,000 Visa card!) remember to play the LifeLock for Life game online. It’s one of my favorite weekly games to play as it teaches me something new every time!

Do you have any tips for keeping your personal information safe while shopping and making donations this holiday season?

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

Cozy Earth Bamboo Twin Comforter GIVEAWAY ($320 Value!)!!!

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Your child spends about 3,650 hours sleeping in their bed each year. Conventional fabrics used to make comforters and blankets contain all kinds of chemicals, pesticides, and even highly toxic fire retardants. It is so important to invest in natural, non-toxic bedding for their well being when possible. Wouldn’t you agree it is more important than the latest toys, gadgets, or entertainment? That’s why the generous folks at Cozy Earth are giving one of you a chance to win this twin size bamboo comforter!

The Cozy Earth Bamboo comforter is hand-crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. It naturally regulates temperature and is perfect for hot and cold sleepers. The shell and the filling naturally wick away moisture from the body, reducing humidity that causes you to be hot or cold. Made from Eco-friendly bamboo, it is a healthy alternative to down, polyester, or conventionally grown cotton. You can read the full review of the Cozy Earth Bamboo Comforter over at Eco-Babyz and see some photos!

 

Our Favorite Features: 
  • Naturally anti-microbial, anti-fungal
  • Inhospitable to bed bugs and dust mites
  • Fabric stays white and doesn’t ‘yellow’ or ‘grey’ over time
  • Regulates temperature
  • Made of Eco-friendly bamboo
  • Luxurious, sleek, and silky feel
Purchase: The Cozy Earth Bamboo Twin Comforter retails for $319.99, you can purchase it on the Cozy Earth website. Every purchase supports a charity!
Win One! Cozy Earth is blessing one of you with a Twin Bamboo Comforter for you or your child.

 

Special thanks to Eco-Babyz and So Easy Being Green for hosting this giveaway. Huge thanks to all participating bloggers as well! Giveaway ends December 13th at 12:01 am, open to US residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Thank you!





Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this publication. Eco-Babyz, So Easy Being Green, and Cozy Earth Bamboo Twin Comforter Giveaway Event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. 

 

Test Your Thanksgiving Knowledge (Fun and Quick Infographic!)

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I’m at the point in the day where I need a 5 minute break. I just put the baby down for a nap, I’m about to brew a pot of coffee for my afternoon shift, and I’m going to enjoy some thin mints I just purchased at Walgreens.

Pull up a seat and join me for my coffee break! And while you are at it, enjoy this really cute and interesting Thanksgiving facts infographic. I learned some really fascinating stuff!

Learn interesting Thanksgiving facts and travel statistics in this Thanksgiving infographic.
Provided by Nationwide Bank