Stuff Parents Need

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

$150 Paypal Giveaway! Woo Hoo!

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I always love to bring you guys chances for cold, hard cash! Good luck!

Today could be your lucky day! I Heart Giveaways and The Coffee Chic present a brand new giveaway where you can get a chance to win $150 Paypal Cash.

The rules are easy! All you need to do is to enter on the rafflecopter widget below to earn entries. Make sure to provide the correct details. Good luck!

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This event is co-hosted by Zoes Printable Coupons, Stay a Stay at Home Mom and Chic Foodies.

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Our #CouchCritics Adventure: The Lorax Review!

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Over the weekend we treated ourselves to a family movie night. These Friday night fun fests are becoming one of Darah’s favorite activities, and now that she is old enough to sit through an entire movie, I have to say that I’m finding them to be enjoyable, as well. This is really the only time I’m able to watch a movie start to finish!

The Lorax just came out this week on DVD and we were able to snag a copy thanks to a nearby Blockbuster Express kiosk. Rentals there are just $2 for the first night, and $1 for every night thereafter. Three cheers for a movie I can actually afford! 🙂 By the way, I’d strongly recommend that you follow Blockbuster Express on Twitter and Facebook. They keep you in the loop about the newest releases and promotions. I got a free rental code just for signing up on their site, so all I’m saying is that they take care of their customers! 🙂

We had a big adventure going to get our movie and our snacks. I’ve included a few highlights for you below. Check out all the fun on my Google+ album! And watch out for the snake! 😉

 

Gotta love the lower fee for subsequent rental days! I also appreciate that you can buy a movie if you love it!

This mobile feature saved the day for us, as The Lorax was already checked out at our first stop.

It was SO EASY to create a theme with this movie. We payed homage to the Lorax by eating orange food!

It was really tough to get a picture of Darah during the movie because she could not tear her eyes away to give me a smile!

The whole family cheered when the one who speaks for the trees made his grand entrance (and grand, it was!).

I’m sharing my review of the movie on the #CouchCritics website, but I can’t just leave you guys hangin’, so here’s a portion of my review for you!

“While The Lorax used quite a few tropes in the story line, as well as techniques that, in my opinion, are getting quite tired (like the slow motion action sequence), I didn’t sit down to watch it for its cinematic innovations. I watched it so that my daughter and I could further explore a story she already knows and loves. And in that respect, the movie was wonderful. I did think it was cast well, and was pleasantly surprised to hear Betty White’s voice as the helpful and hip grandmother.

I thought one of the most visually stunning (and humorous!) scenes in the entire move was “the river” scene. My daughter was on the edge of her seat watching the adventure unfold, and I was left pondering over the limits one should go to in pursuit of the greater good (is it ok to literally send someone down the river when they are harming your community?).”

Parents, this is a really good choice for a family movie night. It’s a great story on so many levels, and you can really have fun with it by incorporating special themed snacks for your event. You can go all out by searching Pinterest for ideas, or you can just keep it simple like we did, and go for all things orange. Darah talked about how much fun she had watching the movie with us on Friday night as soon as she was out of bed Saturday morning. We made a memory together and it didn’t cost much money to make it happen. And now we have SO  much more to discuss when we read The Lorax at bed time.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

The Queen on Leave: 5 Dream Vacation Ideas for Hardworking Moms

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I hope you enjoy this fun guest post! Isn’t it nice to dream?!

One of the most demanding yet fulfilling job a woman can ever have is that of a mother. Being a mother means you are responsible for another human being who is dependent on you for almost everything. This is a job that calls for you beyond the work hours—even the most stressful job cannot be at par.

Yes, motherhood is a never ending job for a typical hardworking mom. All mothers would gladly have an extra pair of hands in order to perform all the duties in the house.

Regardless whether mom has a day job or is just your regular homemaker, it cannot be denied that she needs to take a break from her routine so she can keep up with her responsibilities to her husband and children. Most moms work hard to earn a living or take care of her growing brood full time. Chores at home is never-ending that’s why it is just fitting to reward her with a luxury vacation she must have dreamt of all her life. A thoughtful and generous husband should give his wife a luxury vacation as a birthday or anniversary gift.

Now put that ladle down, toss that apron, and gear up for a dream vacation you’ll never forget.

Sing like Gwyneth Paltrow at a Cruise Ship Vacation
Is it your deepest desire to imitate Rose DeWitt Bukater in the world-class, blockbuster film, Titanic? Set forth on a cruise ship vacation! Going on a cruise ship is actually on top of the bucket list for some mothers. After all, who would not want to sail from port to port and have the time of their lives relaxing and taking a break from her usual routines? Depending on what her dream destination is, she could go for a Mediterranean or a Caribbean cruise and go on board famous cruise ships such as the Queen Mary 2, Allure of the Seas, Norwegian Epic and Carnival Magic.

Go Wild on an African Safari Getaway
The activities that mothers embarking on an African Safari can do are numerous. She can conquer her fear of the “King of the Jungle” and feed the lions up close in a Tanzania safari. She can also join activities held at game reserves. Other activities she can enjoy: boarding a hot air ballooning and riding horseback.

Feel like a Kid at Disneyland
Admit it; as a little girl, you once dreamt to become that beautiful princess, waiting for her prince to come and save her from the evil clutches of her stepmother. Relive the dream and feel like a kid once more when you come visit a Disneyland near you. Disneyland, as the happiest place on earth, can only give pleasant memories. A lot of mothers would prefer Disneyland as she can bring her whole family with her. Some of the activities that moms can enjoy with their kids include: the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, and Splash Mountain, to name a few. There is no need to cramp as many activities in one day as there are several hotels nearby where she can rest with her family and enjoy Disneyland at a much more leisurely pace.

New Snow Destination: Antarctica
Say goodbye to France, Austria and Canada. There’s a  new skiing spot in… Wait. Antarctica? Yes! Ever since the 1960’s, there’s an increasing count of tourists coming from all over the world in Antarctica. It’s a different adventure experience; more than often, cruise ships offer travels to Antarctica for a week or two. There are just so many activities that you can do in Antarctica like getting cozy with thousands of penguins, kayaking, camping, going on a Zodiac cruise and swimming in Deception Bay.

Tropical Getaway in the Philippines
Last but not the least— if you’re planning to get a tan, where else would you find white sands and the most affordable accommodations than that in the Philippines? The Philippines boasts a tremendous lineage of beaches and other tourist spots.  Having 7,107 islands could only mean one thing —miles and miles of pristine white beaches— so choosing one beach destination would be very difficult as one option tends to be as good as the next one.
If you want to relax and party at the same time, you can go to Boracay and enjoy what that tiny island has to offer. They deserve to edge out on the Santorini and Bali, named as the 2012 World’s Best Island by Travel + Leisure magazine. Been to that island already? You can always visit Palawan and its wondrous underground river which has been included in the list of New 7 Wonders Of The World. If surfing is on the agenda, she can always go to Siargao. Other noteworthy tropical getaways that must be considered are Camiguin, Bantayan, Malapascua and Sarangani Bay.

The kind of vacation selected doesn’t really matter. What is important is that the “queen” is having the time of her life. The purpose of this vacation is for her to de-stress and unwind from her daily responsibilities. But the best thing that family members can do to their mothers is to help with her regular work load so she doesn’t get stressed out and instead have enough time to spend on other things with their family.

This is a guest post by Ruth Mendez, an outreach manager for www.andbeyondafrica.com. If you are planning for an African safari escape, then visit our website today! Or Follow me on twitter @fruthfulness

Eco-Friendly Dishwashing Detergent In Tablet Form: Ecover Review

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I’ll be the first to tell you that I love dishwashing detergent that comes in tablet form. I think you know what I’m talking about: individual packets that you just pop into the detergent section. It’s mess-free and usually works REALLY well.

I have never found an eco-friendly version of this type of detergent. That is, until now! For the past few weeks, we have been using the Ecover Zero automatic dishwasher tablets, and we’ve been really impressed! These tablets clean just as well as the tablet product I used before (Finish) and they also come with zero guilt! I didn’t feel good about using products that contained harsh chemicals, but I also really struggled to find eco-friendly detergents that actually worked well (the only one I had found prior to this post had to be ordered online and was pricey enough to keep me from placing another order).

So I’m really happy to see that Ecover’s tablet works really well, and I will definitely be buying it again. I also use Ecover’s stain gel in my laundry room, and since I’ve had good luck now with 2 of their products, I’ll be buying more things in their product line. I love that their products are perfume free and don’t contain any artificial fragrances. Everything is also biodegradable, and phosphate free.

I thought they were a relatively new company, but they’ve actually been around as long as me (since 1980!). I always love when a company like this has been around since before being green was the popular thing to do!

Ecover Zero automatic dishwasher tablets are currently on sale at Alice.com for a competitive $8.52 (that’s 26 loads, so roughly a month of dishes around my house). You can also look for your nearest local retailer here.

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

Eco-Friendly Nail Polish Delivered Monthly: Julep Maven (Try it for A Penny and GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Have you noticed one of the latest bargain shopping trends lately? It takes the form of a subscription service with a company, where you get discounted and awesome goodies in the mail every month.

Today I want to introduce you to one that all the ladies who love having beautiful nails will love! It’s called Julep Maven, and through this subscription-based monthly program, you will receive some really beautiful and on-trend nail polish delivered right to your doorstep!

I recently received a Julep Maven Intro Box, and here’s what it looked like:


There are a few key things that really jumped out to me about these products.

1. The size of the polishes are PERFECT. When I purchase a full-size polish at a store, without fail, it always starts to separate and become unusable long before I have finished up the bottle. It’s rare for me to even make it half way through a bottle of polish before I have to pitch it. I am actually going to get to use up this polish, which is cool. Plus, these days I’m really into things that don’t take up much room, so that’s another bonus for the size.

2. Julep products are free of harmful toxins that are often found in nail polish. YOu won’t find formaldehyde, DPT, toluene, paraben or sodium laurel sulfate in this polish. My daughter has some eco-friendly nail polish, and I’ve been wanting to get some for myself. Now I have some in “big girl” colors!

3. Aren’t the colors really pretty? I have to tell you that if I went to the drugstore on my own, I probably wouldn’t have picked out any of these colors, more out of fear than anything else (I have like 6 different shade of mauve nail polish…clearly I have a small comfort zone). But now I’m so glad to have all of these colors! Lily (sizzling fuchsia creme) has been so much fun to wear. Charlotte (demure lavender creme) is my go-to polish for September as the colors in my wardrobe calm down a bit for fall. And Sasha (cantaloupe melon creme) is the breakout star. This is not a color that looks attractive when near my face, so I never wear it. But on my toes, it is SO cute! I love having that pop of color!

This is me stealing a quiet moment this morning relaxing and sipping on some iced coffee during Layah’s nap.

I may have the nail painting skills of a six year old, but I still feel fabulous! 

4. A portion of sales from Julep Maven boxes go to various organizations that support women. I’m a sucker for a business that has a heart, people!

So, here’s how it works to join the Julep Maven program (or if you’d like to gift this to a girlfriend, which would be such a fun treat!). The monthly subscription is just $19.99 and it gets you a box every month that retails for $40. You also get 20% off and free shipping for anything you’d like to purchase in the Maven boutique. You get an email previewing your upcoming box on the 20th of each month. If you like it, do nothing and you will be charged on the 27th, and your box will ship that day. If you don’t like it or just need to skip the month, just log into your account and let Julep know. It’s just that simple! There’s no contract to sign and no commitment.

Plus, if you refer 2 friends to become Julep Mavens, you will earn a free month! That’s a pretty sweet deal just for spreading the love!

Want to try it? Right now you can for ONE PENNY!!! That’s right, if you use the code MAVENINTRO at checkout, your first box is just one penny. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that, right? Well, I guess better than one penny would be totally free, so here’s a chance to win, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Julep Maven Intro Box! (If you are having trouble seeing the Rafflecopter form, just click on the Rafflecopter link below and it will take you to the form! Easy Peasy!)

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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. 

What I’m Learning about Fitness: It Really Starts on the Inside!

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I have been working on improving my overall health and fitness for the last 8 weeks. I have an almost 4 month old now, and I gained a bit more weight with her than I did with the first. There are two reasons for that extra weight gain, I think:

1. I was on bed rest for the last 3 weeks of the pregnancy.

2. I wasn’t as active during my second pregnancy as I was during my first.

I didn’t gain an obscene amount of weight, but it was definitely more than I wanted. But I wasn’t super worried, because I had good luck getting the baby weight off thanks to breastfeeding the first time around.

Well, the second time around, even though breastfeeding is going even better than it did the first time, My weight is coming off S-L-O-W-L-Y. People warned me that it might happen that way the second time, but I didn’t want to believe them. Unfortunately, it’s true.

But I’ve also learned that I can’t really blame my condition on the baby, entirely. I haven’t had healthy eating and exercise habits in FOREVER (I’m not sure if I’ve ever had healthy eating habits in my entire 32 years, to tell you the truth!).

And over the last 10 years or so, I’ve very slowly put on extra pound here and there, and I’ve had to admit out loud for the first time that I’m no longer just 10 or 15 pounds from a really healthy weight. I’ve got much more work to do than I had been telling myself.

So that’s the bad news.

But the good news is that I’ve been working on improving my health with a two-fold system. Yes, I’m working on getting regular exercise and improving my diet, as most people know those are both key ingredients for success.

But I’m also doing something I have never done before when trying to lose weight: I’m working on what’s happening inside my brain! I’m digging much deeper to try to identify the real source of my unhealthy habits, and what the message is that my brain is telling itself about what kind of a life I deserve. As much as I like to think I have positive self esteem, I’ve definitely uncovered some weak areas, and some places where deep down, I don’t think I’m capable of being physically fit.

What nonsense!!!

One of the tools that has really been helping me a great deal is an ebook I’ve been reading called 8 Weeks to Wellness. It’s put out by a fitness coach named Tatiana Abend. She and I have been communicating via email, and I can tell you first hand that she has a deep passion for helping people achieve their fitness goals from the inside-out. It’s a unique and powerful approach, and her week-by-week guide has gone a long way toward helping me chart a course for success. I feel as though I am standing on a solid foundation. Because I can now articulate exactly what I want to do and exactly why I want to do it, the implementation part of getting fit is significantly easier! I think we all can say from experience that having a specific goal is always better than a generic one. Tatiana’s book really helped me map out a vision of the future that I really want, and that makes me excited to work for it!

(These are my new Zumba shoes Tim got me for my birthday. I adore them, and I adore Zumba! Who knew?!)

If you are looking for some help getting truly motivated (beyond that momentary blip you feel when you see a number on the scale you don’t like), Tatiana can definitely help you. She has a variety of classes that she teaches in conjunction with the University of Vermont (online! available to anyone!) that really go deeper into the issues that stand in the way between you and a healthy life.

If you’d like to learn more about Tatiana’s Body Vision Health Coaching, definitely check out her comprehensive website. She has a free membership option that gives you access to some awesome resource. There’s absolutely nothing to lose!

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

 

 

 

 

The Doll with a Heart is Back! Raggedy Ann GIVEAWAY!!!

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I had a Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy doll when I was growing up. I remember how excited my mother was to give them to me, because she had very small Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, herself, when she was growing up.

But she was so convinced about how very special they were, that she didn’t really let me play with them. They sat in a curio cabinet for me to look at but not touch. Isn’t that silly? Sort of defeats the purpose of a doll, in my opinion.

Even though I couldn’t play with those particular dolls, I still really liked them. So I was very excited to hear that Aurora has a brand new Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy line. I thought it would be fun for Darah and Layah to have a doll, though I would be sure that this one wouldn’t sit behind glass!

I think this version of Raggedy Ann is really cute, and also soft and cuddly. She seems so happy and positively eager to play with children. I like her vintage feel, but remembering how my doll looked, she is also a bit updated.

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls are available in 4 different sizes and range from $10-$35 each, depending on the size. We reviewed the 16″ doll and she retails for $25. There will also be some special holiday styles coming out later in the year, so be on the lookout for those!

If you’d like to introduce your child to a beloved friend from your own past, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are ready to join your family!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy doll (your choice!).
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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. 

How We Let Our Guard Down Once and Lost Our Weed-eater

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You guys, I’ll be the first person to tell you that a life lived in fear is not one worth living. It’s not healthy to constantly be looking over your shoulder and to be certain that you are about to be a victim of a natural disaster, a random accident, or even an intentional act of crime. Statistically, the odds are that you AREN’T.

But there IS something to be said for keeping your wits about you, and being very consistent with protecting yourself and your property. A few weeks ago, when we were scrubbing and sealing our back deck, we made a misstep, and it cost us.

Our weed-eater had been on our back deck, just by our door. We had to move it in order to beautify the deck. Well, for one night, Tim moved everything from the deck into the back yard, itself. That was all it took for someone who had obviously been watching our stuff all summer to take action. I suppose that stepping onto our deck was not something they were willing to do, but once the item they wanted was just in the yard, it seemed easy enough to steal.

And steal it, they did.

I cannot begin to tell you how mad Tim was at himself for his mistake.  He was actually confused at first because he really thought he had brought the weed-eater inside. He had every intention of doing so. But he’s a human. He makes mistakes. And this time, he forgot to take that important step.

I think the scariest thing for me is the realization that someone had been watching our stuff every single day, waiting for their one opportunity. This reminds me of the time that my best friend had her car stolen the one time she forgot to lock her car doors. That meant that someone had been casing her car every single night, waiting for it to be just a little bit easier to steal. Same situation here (though I guess I’m glad we lost a weed-eater, and not a car!).

The lesson I hope you learn from this is NOT that you should be scared, or that you should never even have anything in your front or back yard, but that you should assume that folks who are up to no good are paying a bit of attention, and are waiting for you to be careless. One way to keep thieves at bay is to lock up your stuff. Our big and beautiful grill wasn’t touched, for example, because it is locked to our deck with a Master Lock device. We had it locked even when it was in the yard (just kept it right next to the deck). I’m imagining the thief thinking he was about to have two awesome items, and being really bummed when he saw that Master Lock device around the grill. I only wish we had a lock around that weed-eater, too.

So pay closer attention to what you are leaving laying around this fall. I’m not trying to sound creepy, but I promise you, someone else is watching and waiting for their chance. Don’t make it easy for them.

Disclosure: 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. 

Whimsical Art for Homes with Children (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If you look around my house, it takes all of 1 second to realize I have kids. Toys and lessons and stuffed animals and blankets are found in pretty much every room of the house.

But if you were to look strictly at the walls of my house, it would not be as apparent that children live here (aside from our wall of family pictures). We could definitely do a better job of incorporating more free-spirited and fun pieces of art in our home; pieces that will delight children.

I was delighted when Nidhi Chanani, a well-respected artist from San Francisco, contacted me to see if I’d like to check out her work. She makes art that most anyone would enjoy, but I think she has a very special knack for pieces that will speak to children.

Darah and I spent about 15 minutes admiring Nidhi’s work, and Darah kept coming back to the print of the bear taking a shower. It made her giggle, and she said she’d love to look at it while she takes her baths. So now this print is in our bathroom for Darah to enjoy, and it certainly makes me smile to see it, too.

 

There were so many great prints from which to choose on Nidhi’s site. Here are the two honorable mentions for Darah:

I mean….how cute are these pieces?! I’ve definitely got Nidhi’s Etsy site bookmarked to return to when it is time for Layah to graduate to a “big girl” room from the nursery.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win Everyday Love Volume 2 (a 124 page art book for children!)

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.