Stuff Parents Need

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

Raise Your Hand if You Need a Free Disney Vacation (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I have recently come to a depressing realization: I haven’t had a true vacation (meaning something OTHER than visiting friends and family) since 2008.

Let that sink in for a minute, people. 2008!!!!! For those of you who believe that we are still living in the 90s (I fully admit to that being the decade I’ll be stuck in forever), I wish to inform you that 2008 was 4 years ago.

No wonder I’m so dang burnt out these days. I’ve given myself no opportunities for true rejuvination. Must fix this problem ASAP!

And here’s the good news: I might be able to get my vacation paid for! Right now BodyLogicMD is sponsoring a giveaway for a 3 day/2 night trip to Disney World (also known as the most magical place on earth!) and accommodations at a Disney resort! Woo hoo! In addition to that fabulous grand prize that I want so bad I can hardly think straight, they are also giving 5 winners each $100 Visa cards. Hello, Christmas!

The sweepstakes is hosted at the BodyLogicMD website (click here!) AND I’ve got the widget below!!! As of the time of publishing this announcement, the contest had under 1,700 entries and it ends in 10 days. Winning a vacation is like finding a needle in a haystack, and the odds of being the lucky needle-finder for this contest seem pretty darn good! Get yourself entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to BodyLogicMD for sponsoring this post and the awesome giveaway. All thoughts, opinions, and lack of time to relax are mine alone. 

 

Building an Outfit with One Key New Piece: Next Clothing US Mummy Challenge Results!

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I was recently contacted by one of the most popular and fashionable brands of clothing in the UK, Next, to see if I was up for a fun challenge. They wanted me to take one article of clothing from their fall girl’s line and put together a complete outfit using that piece. It was up to me whether or not I wanted to buy new pieces to go with it or shop my daughter’s closet.

I definitely took the thrifty approach, and I have to say, I don’t think the end result could have possibly been better, even if I went to the mall with no budget!

In the video below, you will see the adorable outfit I built using the Stitchy Cat Button Through Hoody as the inspiration.

I found this challenge to be SO inspiring. I typically try to be frugalwhen putting together outfits for Darah, but I do splurge on the occasional brand new item of clothing, perhaps without as much strategic thought behind those purchases as I should have.  I realized when I put this outfit together just how much use I could get out of the jacket. By choosing something with a lot of fun colors in it, I opened up the possibilities for different pieces in her wardrobe that will coordinate well and give a “put together” look, even if the reality is that she is wearing 4 different brands from 4 different seasons at one time! By thinking strategically about which new pieces to invest in, I can really make those pieces work hard and be well worth the money spent on them!

The hoody we reviewed retails for $45 and considering the fact that it will be worn at least every other day throughout the fall and winter, I’d say the price is a steal!

If you are a bargain shopper like me, what criteria do you use for the items you are willing to pay a little bit more for? Quality? Design? Fills a gap in the wardrobe? I’d love to hear! 

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

 

Ever Wonder Where Earth’s Best Food is Grown?

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When I first became an ambassador for Earth’s Best, I asked if anyone had any questions about the brand that I could ask the company. One reader wanted to know where the fruits and veggies in Earth’s Best products came from. I thought that was an excellent question, and I went back to the company to get the answer. And now I have it for you!

There are four main farms/growers that supply much of the food found in Earth’s Best products. I’d like to introduce them to you so that you can see where your child’s food is grown!

All of these farms are providing Certified Organic produce, which means they contain no GMOS, potentially harmful pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides.
I am so delighted that Earth’s Best not only discloses, but proudly showcases their growers on their website. It really makes you feel more connected to your food when you can see the people who grew it!
Disclosure: 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 expressed here are strictly my own


LifeLock Ambassador and a Chance to Win BIG ($1,000)!


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Identify theft: I’m guessing this does not rank very high on the list of things you enjoy contemplating. If you are lucky enough to have not (yet) been a victim, then this may not seem like anything you need to spend your time worrying about. Your accounts seem secure with all their promised encryption. You aren’t in the habit of losing your purse or wallet. So what’s the worry?


The threat is so real, you guys. SO. REAL.


Hello, my name is Tiffany, and in the last 8 years I have been the victim of identify theft 5 DIFFERENT TIMES. FIVE!!!!!!


I’m delighted to be a new brand ambassador for LifeLock, a company that works RELENTLESSLY to help help provide identity theft protection to its members. You may be chuckling to yourself and thinking that I’m quite possibly the world’s worst choice for a partnership with LifeLock. But I think the fact that I seem to be a magnet for identity theft makes me the perfect ambassador. Every time I become a victim, I pick up a new practice that is supposed to greatly help reduce the chance that I’ll become a victim again. And every time, it proves to be insufficient.


I clearly need more vigilant and comprehensive protection. And if I need it, I’m guessing millions of other people just like me need it, too. I am really looking forward to sharing my experience as a LifeLock Ultimate member with you. And I’m REALLY looking forward to not having to cancel my credit card and fill out a bunch of paperwork about how I didn’t spend $600 at a Payless in Kansas (yeah, that happened…).


But for now, I want to tell you about a chance that you all have to win BIG with LifeLock!



		
		
			
			
		
	


Introducing the LifeLock for Life Sweepstakes on Facebook! This super fun sweepstakes just started on Tuesday, and it is going to run throughout 2013 so that you have MANY chances to win cool prizes. Every week you can go to the LifeLock Facebook page and answer 10 multiple choice questions that are all about helping to protect your identity (so you can learn something while you try to win!). Prizes are awarded weekly as well as monthly. The specific life events that LifeLock will focus its questions on will change every month. For September, it’s all about heading back to school!


And the prizes….they are AWESOME! This month LifeLock is giving away 4 Ultimate Memberships (ARV $275 each!) and one $1,000 Visa gift card! EEEEE!!!! That would cover Christmas at my house!


So head on over and “like” LifeLock on Facebook, visit the LifeLock for Life tab, and enter to win! I just played, and I learned a lot of things I didn’t know in just a few minutes!


 Disclosure: I am a compensated ambassador for this brand. All opinions (and unfortunately, all instances of identity theft) are my own. 


Best of the Best: Tiffany’s Favorite Products of 2010


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I got into blogging thanks to being a product review blog fan. And even though I’m now writing reviews most every day day of the week, I still make time to read other review blogs. I’m still a consumer, after all! And I often wonder what bloggers would say their VERY favorite products have been. So I thought I’d share some of my favs with you!


My blog started in the fall of 2009, but my consistent reviews began in 2010. Since that time, I have reviewed MANY different products and services, and I stand by what I wrote for all of them. If I saw a flaw in a product, I mentioned it in the post. If I didn’t like a product, I sent my concerns directly to the company.


All this is to say that I genuinely like every product that I blog about here at Stuff Parents Need. But I understand that sometimes when you read a whole lot of positive recommendations, it can be difficult to discern which products are SO UNBELIEVABLY ROCKSTAR AWESOME and which ones are just really cool.


So I’m ready to share with you my favorites! This month I’m highlighting the top 12 products I reviewed in 2010. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to narrow it down to 12 items. I reviewed some SUPER awesome stuff that year. But these are the items that got used the very most in my home. Here they are, along with a link to the original review, in no particular order:


1. Tupperware Quick Chef. I still use this gadget at least 3 times a week in my house!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/02/plastic-can-be-green-tupperware-review-2/


2. Beaba Babycook. I am chomping at the bit to break this bad boy out for Layah so I can make her some delicious homemade baby food, just as I did with Darah. The Babycook made it so easy.


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/03/100th-post-giveaway-celebration-beaba-babycook-2/


3. Mam Pacifiers. This is the only pacifier Darah would use. She just gave up hers on her third birthday a month ago. And little sister is loyal to them, too.


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/04/do-we-like-pacifiers-yes-mam-giveaway-2/


4. Playskool Activity Ball. Darah played with it for about a year and a half. Not bad for a baby toy!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/05/toys-that-grow-with-your-child-playskool-review-2/


5. Sodastream. I haven’t bought soda that comes in a can since we started using this. Enough said?


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/06/diy-soda-yes-sodastream-giveaway-2/


6. My First Yoga Book. Darah has been reading this several times a week since she first received it. It is very well-loved!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/12/yoga-an-awesome-toddler-activity-giveaway/


7. Softbums Omni Diaper. Just watch the video. I’m still blown away by this dipe.


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/10/softbums-launches-brand-new-diaper-ridiculously-huge-giveaway-including-an-ipad/


8. Cloth Wipes Solution from BareBebe (now Ali & Swan). Still using these fabulous stars to make wipe solution every few days! So easy!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/05/make-cleaning-up-after-your-kids-a-breeze-super-giveaway-2/


9. eBags Diaper Bag. We continue to love our diaper bag that isn’t a diaper bag. It’s holding up great still!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/08/the-ultimate-diaper-bag-giveaway-2/


10. Barbar Eco8000 Hair Dryer. Love how fast it dries. And I don’t miss all that radiation one bit!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/08/happy-birthdy-to-me-my-hair-dryer-is-radiation-free-awesome-discount-code-2/


11. Pediped Shoes. I’m all for paying as little as possible, but these shoes are worth twice the asking price. Promise.


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/10/shoes-for-the-shoe-hating-baby/


12. Rubbermaid Reveal Mop. Tim stepped on the handle while it was on the floor during our recent move. We purchased a new one within 24 hours. That’s how great it is!


http://stuffparentsneed.com/2010/11/my-favorite-mop-ever-giveaway/


 


So there you have it. My top picks of 2010! Next month I’ll feature my favorites from 2011!


Do you own any of the products that made my list? Are you as in love as I am? 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Good to Know: How to Remove Permanent Marker from Glass


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A month or so before Layah was born, I stumbled upon a really cute matted frame that would be perfect for a little girl’s nursery, or in this case, the proud daddy of a new baby. It was a great price at $2.00 (from my favorite local thrift store).


I brought it home and put one of Layah’s newborn photo shoot pics in the frame. It looked fantastic, with one exception. It had “$2.0o” written on the glass IN PERMANENT MARKER!



		
		how to remove permanent marker from glass
			
			
		
	


Since my store routinely writes directly on the glass of products, I made the assumption when I bought it that there was a way to get it off. It was a leap of faith, but I’m glad I took the risk, because now I know how to get permanent marker off of glass. And in about 1 minute, you will too!


First, the good news: it only takes a few seconds to get it off. It’s so simple!


Now for the bad news (at least for us crunchy folks): the chemical that takes it off is nail polish remover WITH acetone.



		
		remove marker from glass with nail polish remover with acetone
			
			
		
	


Look on the back of your remover to see if it contains acetone (should be the first ingredient). I usually avoid this stuff because it is terrible for the environment and not good for your nails, either. But I happened to have this bottle on hand because I hadn’t successfully found a way to dispose of it. Good thing, because now it has a purpose!


So at this point, you simply need to apply the remover to a cotton ball, just as if you were going to take polish off your nails. Apply to the area with the marker.



		
		use nail polish to remove permanent marker from glass
			
			
		
	


See how easy it is coming off?! Just a few seconds later I had this final result:



		
		how to get permanent marker off glass
			
			
		
	


 


Spotless! Now I won’t ever hesitate again to pick up something with permanent marker on the glass. For so long I left that stuff at the thrift store because I wasn’t sure if it would come off. Now I know!


Please note that this DIY advice is ONLY for removing permanent marker from glass. I can’t comment on how to get permanent marker off any other surface, except for how to remove permanent marker from skin!


This post may contain affiliate links. 






Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier: Pin it to Win it!


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You have probably received the advice before to put an open box of baking soda in your fridge to help keep odors at bay. I know I have tried this method several times, and I always end up with the same result, which is baking soda spilled all over my fridge due to the box getting knocked over. This is problematic for me because I’m the type of person who puts off cleaning out her fridge for as long as possible (hence needing some help deodorizing it!).



		
		
			
			
		
	Oransi is a company who has come up with a much better solution, in my opinion, to baking soda. It’s the Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier and it does NOT mask odors in the fridge. Rather, it kills bacteria that is forming, prevents mildew, sterilizes the fridge once every hour or so and neutralizes stale and foul odors. So basically, it takes whatever is causing your fridge to smell less-than-pleasant and annihilates it!


The Ionic Fridge Air Purifier is a compact machine that can easily get tucked into a fridge (even a really full one like mine). It runs very quietly (it’s on for about 5 minutes out of every 2 hours) and uses 2 AA batteries. They will need to be replaced after about 90 days (I highly recommend rechargeable batteries!). As for remembering when to replace the batteries, just replace them when you replace your water pitcher filter. That makes it easy!


This machine is definitely making a difference in my fridge. It’s not unusual for me to have leftovers of salmon, two or three wedges of cheese, and some fresh cabbage all sitting on the same shelf. So you can imagine the hard work this product has to do. And it’s working!!!


Win it!: Here’s your chance to win your own Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier! This giveaway is a bit different, because this is a Pin it to Win it contest. Ready? Set? Go!


a Rafflecopter giveaway




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


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


LG 42″ Smart TV Giveaway Coming in November! Bloggers Sign Up for FREE


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Hang with me, friends, because I’m going to be part of a team of bloggers giving away an LG Smart Magic Bigscreen TV this November. You’re welcome! If you are a blogger, here’s how you can join in on the big giveaway!




The LG Smart Magic Bigscreen Event is hosted by Mom Powered Media.


Prize: LG 42″ Smart 1080p Edge-Lit LED HDTV with Wi-Fi and Magic Remote


The event dates: 11/5 – 11/26


Sign up here for free!


Introducing Ragtime and Blues to Children: Randy Kaplan’s Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie CD (GIVEAWAY!)


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As adults, we know that it is healthy to break out of your comfort zone. Try a new workout (or try working out at all!), give a new type of cuisine a shot, or even make some new friends and not just stick to the friends you have known since high school. These are all good things to do!


Expanding your musical horizons is another great thing to do, but most of us don’t. I personally never listen to country music, even though I can objectively state that there is some excellent stuff out there. It’s just out of my personal comfort zone, so I avoid it. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that if I want Darah to have an adventurous and curious spirit, I’ve got to start doing a better job of role-modeling that behavior. And I need to do so not just with big things, but also with small, everyday things.



		
		
			
			
		
	So I switched off the Glee Pandora channel (go ahead and judge if you are embarrassed by that statement…I’m totally NOT embarrassed and am super comfy in my teen pop Gleek skin). And I put on some ragtime and blues-inspired tunes, courtesy of children’s artist Randy Kaplan.


I wouldn’t even have known where to find something like this without his newest cd, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie. And I certainly wouldn’t have gone out looking for it on my own. So what a blessing it was to get to listen to it, anyway. Because despite my preconceived notions about the type of music I do and don’t like, I thought this cd was a great deal of fun.


Will it be on constant repeat in my house? No. But will it get a regular turn? Absolutely! Darah likes it because it is just so different, and I think that’s why I like it, too.


If you happen to be a blues and ragtime fan, already, this cd won’t be out of your comfort zone, but it will still be a fun way for your children to have their own songs in the same style as what mom and dad listen to. Either way, I think it is a really great addition to a music collection, and certainly a fine way to give a genre that might be unfamiliar to your children a chance. You can pick up Mr Diddie Wah Diddie for just $11.68 at Amazon right now.


Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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


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