Stuff Parents Need

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

Celebrate My Birthday With a Shabby Apple Dress! GIVEAWAY!!!

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Last year when I turned 31 I celebrated by giving away a fabulous Shabby Apple dress.

This year I’m turning 31 again, and I want to give away another dress in honor of the occasion! 🙂 And I have selected a dress that has soft, beautiful colors and a tasteful silhouette. It’s the Side Saddle dress, and it has a sophisticated look to it, without feeling “old” (because I am NOT old!!!).

Shabby Apple sent the same dress to me, and I’m not going to be wearing it on my birthday, but instead I am saving it for a VERY special birthday that is coming up in a few weeks. My memaw is celebrating her 90th birthday in September, and the extended family is having a HUGE party to celebrate. I selected this dress to wear because it reminds me of my grandmother’s beautiful blue eyes. The shape of the dress is also a bit of a throw back to her younger days, and I think she’s going to really like it. I’m even planning on doing my hair and makeup in a bit more vintage style…something she might have worn when she was 32, er…I mean 31!

Shabby Apple has one of the most beautiful and unique lines of women’s dresses that I’ve ever seen. If you are looking for something that you won’t easily find at the mall and that will make you feel like the beautiful woman you are, I highly recommend that you check out Shabby Apple.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the Side Saddle dress from Shabby Apple.
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaway, 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.

Guest Post: Baby Shower Gifts That Make a Difference for Mama

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Please enjoy this guest post brought to you by our friends at ASOS. These are fantastic baby shower gift ideas that might not be on your radar! 

After a baby shower, the expectant mom is surrounded by so many goodies for the baby – from cute booties to a top of the range stroller, a baby shower can really help you get prepared for a little one’s arrival. However, carrying a baby for nine months can take its toll on the mom, so it might be nice to get some gifts for her too. In particular, if it’s her first baby she’s going to go from having lots of time for herself to being dedicated 24/7 to a new little person. So why not get her some gifts to help her indulge herself in the last couple of months? Here are some gift ideas for expectant moms everywhere.

 

A new dress

Buying maternity clothes can often be an expensive pursuit, but are a good investment as they are cut to fit pregnant women – if you just buy bigger sized clothing, they won’t always fit properly. So why not get your friend a pretty maternity dress to help her feel fashionable and comfortable? There’s so much choice out there now, and it will be something she can treasure forever and she’ll be able to feel great amidst the swollen ankles and back pain!

 

Luxury pamper kit

Create her a pamper kit with all the essentials you need to indulge in some serious TLC. Get her some luxury bath oils along with a loofah, body moisturizer, a new fluffy towel and a new bathrobe. She will then be able to relax and rest with some long soaks in the tub – definitely what you need when you’re aching all over! The towels and robe will also be handy to take with her if she is giving birth in a hospital and needs to take a bag with her with all her essentials.

 

A good book and a selection of films

When you near the end of pregnancy, lots of rest is required. But even the thought of sitting bored stiff for hours on end is enough to drive most people crazy, so why not get something to occupy your expectant mom friend? Stock her up with some great books and the latest film releases to make sure she doesn’t go stir crazy! It will help take her mind off any pain she’s having in those last few weeks – and it may be the last time for a while that she’ll have any time to read books and watch films that don’t contain cartoon characters!

 

Even if your friend only gets a couple of things that are for her rather than the baby, I imagine she’ll still really appreciate it! She’s about to undertake a crazy, wonderful journey with her baby, which is one of the most exciting things you can do in life. But getting a chance in the last few months of pregnancy to take some time for herself will be a much needed relief in the long run.

Quickly Find the Best Apps for Kids with WeWantApps

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Please enjoy this guest post brought to you by WeWantApps. This is such an awesome tool for parents with smart phones! 

Have you endlessly scrolled through hundreds of Apps in order to find the best Apps for your kids?  Having experienced this problem ourselves, we came up with the idea for developing WeWantApps! It’s a great new FREE App for your iPhone and iPad and it helps parents find the best Apps for their children quickly and easily. Download now FOR FREE under:http://itunes.apple.com/app/id539933442

It’s designed especially for parents of young children (0-14 years old) and allows them to easily find trustworthy apps suitable for their children. WeWantApps! was setup with a user friendly interface in mind so you can easily select criteria like the age of your child, the App category, language, platform and price and by simply hitting “Search!” the App will display the results of the relevant Apps that you were looking for. Each App has been independently approved for their appropriate child-friendly content and for reaching our quality standard requirements by our dedicated and qualified team so you can be assured each and every App is truly outstanding.

With this in mind we also look to inspire parents by our daily app recommendation! This in-App recommendation is handpicked by our team so that parents will easily find the best Apps out there. The cool features don’t end there! The best thing is that you can even share your favorite Apps with other parents and see what’s most popular among them! Mark the Apps you like, view the Apps liked by others and follow users with similar interests!

We put a lot of love and effort into WeWantApps! and we truly believe it will soon be one of your most trusted and central Apps.

 

The Gruffalo’s Child Book and DVD Review

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The Gruffalo’s Childis the sequel to one of our very favorite stories, The Gruffalo. If you aren’t familiar with it, The Gruffalo is the story of a very clever mouse who outwits his would-be predators by telling a story of his friend, The Gruffalo (a terrible beast). In the original story, he comes face-to-face with a real Gruffalo, and manages to outwit him, too!

The Gruffalo’s Child is about the daughter of the Gruffalo. She hears all about “The Big Bad Mouse” in the woods, and decides that she wants to see him for herself. She finds all the woodland creatures who appear in the first book, and does, in fact, find the Big Bad Mouse eventually. It is such a delightful book. And the DVD version is sensational. We absolutely LOVE it! It is narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, which automatically makes it fabulous to listen to.

I will say that if you have a sensitive young child, to watch it yourself before showing it to them. My four year old niece did get scared when the snake made his appearance in the film.

The DVD runs 40 minutes and also has bonus features that provide a behind-the-scenes look at the movie. It retails for $9.99 and is currently on sale for $8.99. I think that’s an awesome deal for such a great story.  The book is available through Amazon for just $6.99.

Edit: This giveaway is now closed. 

Win it! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of The Gruffalo’s Child book AND DVD!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

The Importance of Essential Fatty Acids for Babies: Nordic Naturals Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When Layah had her 2 month check-up, the doctor asked me what I was doing to make sure she had enough vitamin D. I gave her a blank stare, because I had no idea that my breast milk wasn’t producing everything that she needed. That was not something I had been told with Darah, and it wasn’t something I had read online. I probably would have been very dismissive of her question to me except that I had found her to be very pro-breastfeeding in every conversation we had. Since I knew she fully supported and recommended breastfeeding, I decided to take her question seriously and do a little bit of research on the topic.

And what I found is that research does show that breastmilk doesn’t have the levels of vitamin D that a baby needs for healthy growth. Many women make sure that their babies get a little bit of sunlight each day to up the vitamin D levels. But it has been really hot all summer and spending time outside sweating and swatting mosquitos isn’t exactly high on my to-do list. So I knew I needed another option.

A product was recommended to me that is sold by a major formula company and is readily available in major retail stores. I bought it, but I didn’t feel excited about it. I wanted to find something from a smaller business that was more eco-friendly and more natural.

What I found was something better than I even imagined! I discovered the company Nordic Naturals, and began using the Baby’s DHA product, which does contain vitamin D3, but also contains fish oil, which has been shown to improve cognitive development in children. Unlike vitamin D, which the body is able to produce, essential fatty acids must be obtained from diet or supplementation. EPA and DHA are the two most important essential fatty acids, and they play a role in immune and nervous system support, as well as normal brain and eye function.

Baby’s DHA is a liquid product made by Nordic Naturals for babies 5-35 pounds, and it retails for $15.95. It can easily be added to formula or food, or simply be administered alone. It is made from arctic cod liver oil. And it has added vitamin D3, which is what I was originally seeking. The company has a variety of products in liquid, soft gel, gummy form and even powder, so that you can help your child get DHA and EPA.

In addition to having an extensive line of EFA products, Nordic Naturals also carries some great multi-vitamins for children. Darah has been enjoying the Nordic Berries, which retail for $22.95 for 120 gummies. To be perfectly honest with you, Tim and I have also been enjoying the Nordic Berries. They are SO yummy! In addition to being tasty little sweet and sour treats, I appreciate that these gummies have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, as well. Children from age 2 through 102 can enjoy these. They contain 100% of the daily value for most essential nutrients.

Overall, I’m really impressed with the quality of products provided by this company, and I would highly recommend them. We’ll be back for more Nordic Berries and Baby’s DHA as soon as we run out!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the same two products I reviewed, Baby’s DHA and Nordic Berries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

How We Make Snack Time Fun: DIY Nibble Tray for Toddlers

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I read about the concept of a “nibble tray” for toddlers online about 2 years ago. I can’t recall the source, but no doubt it was a savvy mom blogger!

The basic idea of a nibble tray is to give young toddlers the freedom of choice in their snacking even from a very young age. A nibble tray is basically an ice cube tray filled with various snacks and left out for the child to enjoy throughout the day.

snack ideas for toddlers: snack tray

There are several reasons that the nibble tray has been something Darah and I both have enjoyed using throughout her toddlerhood.

First, setting out Darah’s snacks at the beginning of the day is a great tool for teaching self-discipline. Darah has come to understand that the snacks I put out for her are her snacks for the entire day. She can choose to eat them all at 8am or she can choose to eat them when she feels a bit hungry. It’s really up to her. Make no mistake, the child makes quick work of them whenever I include a few chocolate chips, but otherwise, she has learned not to eat all of her snack for the day first thing, as she has experienced the consequence of this choice (no snacks when she really wants one at 3pm, for example). But ultimately, the control she has over her snacking is a great thing for her independence.

Second, Darah really loves having variety, and she loves to examine all her different options and ask questions about anything that is new to her. This is a really great way to introduce new snack items and help her feel excited about them. Something that might get overlooked if put on a plate (celery sticks) suddenly seems interesting when sticking out of an ice cube tray. It’s true!

Third, I love not having to go get a snack for her 40 times a day when she asks for one. I simply point to her tray!

I highly recommend the nibble tray as a great way to introduce new foods and to help your child learn how to have control over their snack time throughout the day!

Let’s Lose the Baby Weight Together! Mommy Group Forming September 5th!

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Special thanks to Christi Williams for sponsoring and writing this post. Please check out her moving story, and think about if you are ready to get fit with other mommies!

If you are a new mommy like me, you might also be learning that shedding pounds isn’t as easy as it used to be. Pregnancy (at least for me) stretched, pulled, and expanded things that I never dreamed possible. There are many beautiful things and miracles that pregnancy and a baby bring to our lives. There is nothing more perfect than holding that sweet baby in your arms, filling your heart with more love and joy than one can imagine. The miracle that my little boy has become in my life is worth every pound and inch I have obtained along the way. However with that being said, losing those extra pounds has become a priority for me and for my son. The healthier I am, the better mom I can be for him.

Before I explain why I am calling on all mommies, let me tell you a little about myself. I have always been into health and fitness. However, it wasn’t a consistent thing in my life until 6.5 years ago when I lost my 52 year old mother to Colon Cancer. Before her untimely death, I worked out as I wanted and would go on health kicks. However, one bad food choice would send me off the wagon. I was never really “overweight” during those times but I definitely did my fair share of the yo-yo dieting. I decided after my mom passed, that I needed a lifestyle change and not just a quick fix to look great for some event I was planning to attend. I wanted to be fit and healthy all the time. My mother lived a very stressful life working two-three jobs at a time to take care of us. My father was not present in our lives, leaving her very little time to care for herself. I feel that years of stress, a poor diet, and lack of exercise were a huge contributor to the cause of her illness as Colon Cancer does not run in our family. My mother made many sacrifices in her life but her health didn’t have to be one of them. My mother had such incredible strength and I hope to be the mother to my new son that she was for me. However, there is one thing I want to do differently than her and that is I want to be healthy. At the end of her life, her biggest regret was not having more time with us. I wish I could grant her that wish. I can’t bring her back, but I can choose to be the kind of mother that makes healthy choices giving me the energy I need to life to the fullest with my family. This is the point that I made a permanent decision to “have a good diet” and not to just “be on a diet.”  I also started working out 6 days a week with at home workouts. Working out from home was the easiest way for me to fit it into my very busy schedule.

So why am I reaching out to other mommies? I am reaching out to you because after losing my twin sons in July of 2011, I wanted to follow my passion of helping others.  My heart and my world were shattered after their premature birth. I could have easily thrown in the towel and let it ruin me. About a month after their passing, I got back on the health track and was able to lose the 45lbs I gained in just under 5 months. Working out helped me to overcome the daily grief I was feeling. I decided that it was time to quit being scared to leave my corporate job and follow my passion of helping others and my passion for fitness. I decided to become a fitness coach. I wanted to do something that would make my twin sons and my mother proud of me. Since August of 2011, I have helped many people to lose weight, improve their energy and lives, and boost their confidence. To be able to help others overcome their inner battles and struggles with their weight has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Transforming the lives of others has made me truly happy and made be a better person.

And so my story continues and the third part of the story is a very happy one. In December of 2011, we became pregnant again with another sweet baby boy. On July 25th, 2012, the sweetest boy, Cooper Williams was born making me the happiest mommy in the world. During this pregnancy, I was unable to work out, leaving me with 50lbs to lose. I am inviting and calling on mommies all over the country to join me in shedding baby weight. With a well planned diet, I have already been able to lose 25lbs in just under 4 weeks. I want to help you do the same!
I am working to return to my fit state and become a fit mommy we all dream of so I can chase Cooper around for many years to come. To help myself and mommies like me, I have created a group called “My Fit Mommy.” I am calling on all mommies to join me in a revolution to get healthy for our little ones. On September 5th, 2012, I am starting a weight loss challenge group full of mommies. It will be an online based group filled with accountability, support, and motivation. I will be providing daily coaching to all the mommies that join. As a new mommy, I am quickly learning how hard it can be to work, take care of the little one, find time for other family and friends, keep the house in order, plan a good diet, get enough sleep, and still make time to eat right and workout. I have created the mommy group to create a huge network of support to us mommies that want to be healthy. I really look forward to a group of like minded ladies with the same goal to be healthier. I will be right alongside of you the entire time doing a plan as well. The group isn’t just about working out and eating right. It will be a place for us moms to help out one another and offer advice on managing life and being a mommy. How fun is it to have a group of women coming together to sweat together and keep each other on track? I feel that I can help so many mommies meet their goals as I have already fought the battle of losing baby weight once and it is a battle I won. I want use my own experience to help all mommies all over to be fit and healthy.

So how does it all work? The idea here is to sign you up with a program catered to you and your goals that you can do at home. I have created a questionnaire to help to get to know each of the mommies on an individual basis. I will then set up a call where we can discuss your goals. I will help you to choose a program that will best help you meet your goals. The program will be one that you can enjoy and stick with.  We will find a workout schedule that you can manage and fit into your life. I will plan and incorporate a diet that is manageable for you to maintain forever, not just for a few weeks. I want to teach you how to make smarter choices for a lifestyle change. I will also be creating meal plans that come along with grocery lists and recipes to make your life easier. The hardest part of eating right is planning and I am doing that for you.

Again, the first group is forming and I am reserving slots for the September 5th start date. I will add new groups every month. I am really looking forward to this group and all the benefits of a group of mommies coming together to improve their health. So if you are a new mommy or a mommy veteran that wants to improve your health and get the accountability and support you need to do it, please contact me ASAP to get further details on how to join. Please contact me by email at Christi@christiwilliamsfitness.com.You can also join me on Facebook and start getting motivated right away!

Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you. I look forward to embarking on our new journey together as Fit Mommies!!

“Motivation is what gets you started, Habit is what keeps you going” – Jim Rohn

Coming Soon: $150 Paypal Cash Giveaway!!

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Am I the only one feeling a sting in my checking account after the back-to-school frenzy? Didn’t think so! And that’s why I’m taking part in this group giveaway. I want one of my readers to win big! Stay tuned…it’s coming soon!

Here is another FREE event for bloggers worldwide!

Participate in I Heart Giveaways and The Coffee Chic‘s upcoming $150 Paypal Cash Giveaway.

One winner will get a chance to win $150 Cash sponsored by Giveaway Scoop!

All you need to do is to make an announcement about the FREE sign-up on your blog. This is a good way to gain more followers on your Facebook page. Co-hosting spots are also available! Click here or on the banner above to sign-up.

Barker Creek Magnetic Kidphonics Activity Set Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Darah is showing some clears signs of readiness for learning to read. One of the clearest signs is that she is growing increasingly frustrated when she sits down to read that she can’t actually read the words. Tim and I read to her every day, but I can tell that she wishes she could read to herself. She often points to letters she recognizes on the page, or points to certain words and asks what they say.

Darah’s teachers have also reported back to us that she seems particularly interested in the language lessons in the classroom, and spends a great deal of time working on her letter sounds. We’ve been working on having similar lessons in our house so that she can continue working on something that interests her so much, and so that she can make strides on the path to reading.

Barker Creek is a website that has many award-winning educational products that are ideal for the classroom and for home. I took a bit of time recently to flip through their catalog. I was extremely impressed by the comprehensive selection of products that teachers and homeschooling parents would love to see in their classrooms. Even if you don’t fit into either category, they still have TONS of stuff that can provide educational enrichment to your child!

Want to see what we’ve been enjoying from Barker Creek?

Check out the Magnetic Kidphonics Activity Set, currently available for $49.99. It comes with the following elements:

  • magnetic a-z pictures (one picture for each letter in the alphabet)
  • magnetic uppercase letters
  • magnetic lowercase letters
  • magnetic Kidboard
We have both really enjoyed sitting down together to work on matching pictures with letter sounds. What we do is pick out a picture, then identify the letter sound it begins with and search for that sound. We don’t put the focus on the name of the letter, but instead, on the sound it makes, as I have learned that reading readiness skills are enhanced by looking at letters and thinking of their sounds even before thinking of their official names.
Darah really loves the Kidboard, and being able to make her own charts of pictures and corresponding letter sounds. Here you will see her latest completed board!
In addition to the letters and pictures, we also received the Learning Magnets Numbers and Math Signs set. This is going to be useful for several years, and we’ll be able to practice number identification, and later on addition, subtraction, division and multiplication! This set is available for $9.99.
We also received the Magnetic Kidmath Critter Counter Set, available for $9.99. I LOVE these magnets, as they make the abstract concept of math very tangible, using bugs as examples of quantities. Montessori education states that students are going to really learn a concept once it becomes tangible, and can be understood using all the senses. I believe these magnets are a step in that direction!

I highly recommend these tools for helping with reading and math readiness. My child is enjoying them and really seems to focus when she has her magnets and her Kidboard out for a lesson. I will also say that the quality of the magnets is quite good! I’d love to hear what you all are doing (or did in the past) to help your children learn to read and learn about math. 

Don’t miss out on the weekly web-only specials at Barker Creek. They offer a variety of products at 50% off every week. Woo hoo!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the Magnetic Kidphonics Activity Set!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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