Stuff Parents Need

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

Make a Statement with Poli-Baby Onesies: GIVEAWAY!!

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Every single time I go to the gym (which is the only time I watch live television), I am bombarded with campaign commercials. In case you are living under a rock, it’s a presidential election year, which means that voters are paying closer attention to what is happening in politics and are getting ready to voice their opinions with their votes.

Don’t let your little one be left out of the discourse! Poli-Baby is a site created by siblings Sarah and David that offers onesies with political messages, though perhaps the specific messages have more to do with the world of babies than the world of American politics.

I appreciate the dose of humor, as politics in America can be, well, just so infuriating! The economy is in the toilet, for example, but at least I can smile at Layah’s cute onesie that states “It’s a Teddy Bear Market.”

And I really love the National Rattle Association onesie, too! I also love that this company uses onesies that are made in America, and eco-friendly water based inks.

We all have different political views, and even though certain viewpoints make absolutely no sense to me, I celebrate the fact that we are each entitled to them. That’s part of what makes America such a great place. We have the freedom to believe what makes sense to us, and to engage each other in discussion in an attempt to find some compromise.

Let your baby start to take part in the conversation, even if it starts with reforming day care instead of health care. Gotta start somewhere!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will get the political onesie of their choice from Poli-Baby!

EDIT: Rafflecopter is currently having some technical difficulties with the giveaway code. If you don’t see the entry form but only see a link, click on the link and it should take you to the form. So sorry for the inconvenience! 

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.

Guest Post: 7 Free Games On The Android For Your Kids

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Looking for a few more ideas to keep the kids entertained during the final days of summer? This post brought to you by the Cartoon Network offers some suggestions! 

There are many different free games for kids available on Android phones and tablets. These games range from educational tools through to programs that are simply fun and easy to use, and might even provide parents with some lasting entertainment. Downloaded and checked for security, these free games have gained popularity as more widely marketed family friendly apps, or as ones that have been more specifically targeted at children. From iStory Books to perennial favourite Angry Birds, and including games like Deep Trip and Airport Mania, the following list represents some of the best free online games for kids currently available, all of which can be downloaded for Android:

1 – iStory Books

A good educational app that is also entertaining, iStory Books takes well loved fairy tales and other stories, and puts them into an easy to read format that is ideal for younger stories. Voice narration, and the chance to listen to stories in different languages, also means that iStory Books are great for multilingual children, or those starting to learn another language.

2 – Angry Birds

Popular the world over, Angry Birds does have some educational value in terms of its physics, but is mostly about the simple fun of firing birds with a slingshot. Easy to use, and accessible to a number of platforms, Angry Birds is suitable for all. The game can also be found in a number of different versions, which include Angry Birds In Space.

3 – Solo Lite

A virtual guitar player, Solo Lite is available as a free demo version. The virtual acoustic and electric guitars on the app allow children to play music and experiment with different songs and composing techniques. The demo version is enough to keep children entertained.

4 – Basketball Lite

A simple basketball game for all ages, Basketball Lite is designed around a number of levels, all using variations on a hoop dunking and dribbling game. Different levels and difficulty settings make this a good game for older children.

5 – How to Make Paper Airplanes

An ideal complement to different crafts projects, How to Make Paper Airplane is an app that teaches children the steps to put together paper airplanes. Best suited for older children, the step by step guides are tailored for different ability levels, with planes including Concorde and the Space Shuttle.

6 – Deep Trip

A game that allows the player to control an eel as he ascends through a number of obstacles to the surface, Deep Trip is similar to many other games with the same basic format – dodge targets and use skill to steer your character to the end of the game. A good way to pass the time for different age groups.

7 – Airport Mania

A useful game for children interested in playing organisational apps, Airport Mania allows you to take control of a mini airport, with the responsibility of making sure that airplanes leave and arrive at the airport on time. With its simple graphics and gameplay, Airport Mania is best for younger children.

Author Bio: Liam Ohm is a regular blogger on tech and app websites. If your kids love apps and gaming as much as mine do then check out online games for kids at the Cartoon Network website, you might find you enjoy the games just as much as them!

What to Do When Traditional Careers Don’t Fit Your Life Anymore

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Today I’m going to share a little bit about my professional journey since becoming a mother. It is only my experience, and isn’t an attempt to speak for all mothers. We all feel differently!

Before I had my first child, I enjoyed a career in higher education. It was extremely rewarding to work so closely with college students and help them as they discerned their vocational goals. It was very demanding, but I had the time to give to them.

And then Darah was born. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with her for 11 weeks, and then she went to a day care center just across the street from where I worked. I visited her every day at lunch. And I cried on many of those walks to and from my office.

I was really and truly shocked at just how miserable I was.

A series of unfortunate events transpired over the first year of Darah’s life (random blood clot and hospital stay for my husband, interstate wreck for me and Darah, and the loss of a 4 day work week). We decided enough was enough and seized the opportunity for a fresh start in another city. I was going to get to stay at home full-time with my daughter and give her the time and attention she needed.

And after a while, I was really and truly shocked at just how miserable I was.

I was actually happier than when I was working full-time outside of the home, but I was still left feeling a bit empty, and as though certain parts of my brain were no longer being exercised. I also would look at my framed bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and feel pangs of guilt. We spent a small fortune on my brain, and continued to make monthly payments on that investment. I really didn’t like that I wasn’t making any financial contributions to the family. I think many stay-at-home moms struggle with this issue. The work of raising children is perhaps the most crucial work in the entire world, and yet, the pay is TERRIBLE (aside from those sweet, slobbery kisses, of course).

This is when I decided to get more serious with my blog work, and to start learning all I could about social media marketing so that I could turn a fun hobby into a source of income. While my blog isn’t a big income generator at this point, I am learning new things every day, I am keeping my skill set sharpened and adding new tools to it, and I’m having a really great time. When I do earn money with the blog, it feels SO GOOD! I love being able to help provide for my family while still being able to stay at home with my kids. It definitely takes a lot of discipline and a willingness to work at odd hours (I get up between 4 and 5 am most days to start work), but it is worth it!

I have also recently realized that I’m not so sure that I will ever go back to a traditional work environment. If I’m not able to grow my blog to the point where it can replace a traditional full-time income, I may have to get back in the rat race. But I feel very motivated to keep honing my skills and learning how to work smarter from home. My kids will both be in school all day long in just a few short years, but that doesn’t mean that my work is done as a parent, so I will likely still feel the tug to be at home for quite a few more years.

If you are like me and looking for ways to step out of the 9-5 grind, but also need and/or want to provide financially for your family, opportunities to work full-time or part-time from home are growing! I really love the website working mums, which is a premiere resource for our sisters across the pond. It has a really comprehensive list of LEGITIMATE (that’s the key!) flexible work opportunities.

Even though this site doesn’t list opportunities to work from home in the states, it does contain some sections that you should peruse if you are seeking a flexible work opportunity. Be sure to read their career advice posts as well as their career toolkit, which can help you put your best foot forward and help you think about all your options as you seek to more seamlessly blend family life with career aspirations. Definitely check them out.

I’d also really love to hear if any of my readers are currently pursuing opportunities that provide more flexibility in your schedules. What kind of work are you doing?

This post brought to you by our friends at http://www.workingmums.co.uk. 

Simple Toddler Fine Motor Skill Activity: Ribbon Weaving

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I got this idea from Pinterest (where else?), and more specifically, from a fellow Chattanooga blogger named Sara who posted this idea on a site where she is a contributor. Here’s the original weaving activity post for your reference.

This activity is so great for developing fine motor skills with toddler. Hand-eye coordination is strengthened, along with the pincer grasp, which is a pre-writing skill. I also have found that when Darah does this activity, she becomes a bit more quiet so that she can practice concentration. Additionally, it encourages creativity, as you can break from the traditional over/under pattern and let the child create whatever s/he likes with the ribbon. This is actually the route Darah and I are taking right now, and we’ll work on doing a staight line pattern a little later on.

So, what you need to do this activity is a cookie cooling rack and some ribbon. That’s it! Gotta love an activity that doesn’t require 45 different items!

I tied the ribbon to the edge of the cookie sheet and then showed Darah how to put the ribbon through a hole and pull it out the other side until it is taut. Then I showed her how to pull it back through from the other side, choosing any hole she liked.

The end result is a toddler masterpiece!

Your child might enjoy doing this activity alone, or might want you to do it with her. Darah likes to take turns with someone else, and one person chooses the holes on one side, and the other person chooses the holes on the other. Thus, this also becomes a team work activity! So many great lessons all rolled into one very simple game!

How I’m Getting the Stink Out of Laundry: Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator GIVEAWAY!!!

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Ok, so my stinkiest laundry is definitly cloth diapers. Let’s just be open and honest about it…I’m washing material that has pee and poo on it. It doesn’t get much more stinky than that!

And I have a new washer and dryer set. I got the fancy front loaders that I’ve been oogling over for probably 6 years, now. They sure are nice.

Unless you have really stinky laundry.

And then they are sort of terrible. They use so little water that if your clothes really need to be rinsed very thoroughly over and over in order to get fully clean, you are hard-pressed to figure out the right “formula” for getting your laundry truly clean.

Every time I wash cloth diapers, I feel like a sorcerer, concocting an intricate spell the requires great concentration and a bit of luck to pull off.

I’ve added all sorts of different detergents and other potions to my routine, and I’ve tweaked the wash cycles, soil levels and spin speeds I use again and again. Just when I think I have it all figured out perfectly, the stink returns! It’s a never-ending battle.

But Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator has now been added to my routine. I did some online research to see if others have had success with this product. A few folks out there are reporting good results, but for the most part, I think people haven’t really tried it, yet. Nobody wants to be the one who goes first and have something mess up all her diapers!

Well, I stepped up to the plate and decided to just go for it. And I’m so glad I did! Febreze works by capturing the odors that are in the water during the wash and when your water leaves the machine, so do all those trapped odors!

Here’s my method:

I add 1/4 cup of Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator directly to the detergent section when I run my first quick rinse of the diapers. I add another 1/4 cup of the product along with my detergent when I do my long wash cycle. My diapers come out smelling nice and clean, and so far, they aren’t stinking as soon as they get soiled (which is a sign of a diaper that wasn’t fully clean). I can’t promise that my diapers will never stink, as I’ve only been using this for about a week, but so far, so good!

I also like that the scent of the product is very light, and won’t interfere with any other scents that may already be present in your detergent. I happen to prefer unscented detergents, but if you have a favorite product that smells delightful, Febreze will not interfere with that smell. In fact, your laundry may even smell better as the scented detergent doesn’t have to work as hard to mask odors!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Febreze odor eliminator kit!
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. 

Control the Drool Without the Dropcloth: Underbib Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m so excited to be sharing with you yet another clever invention by a mom! It’s called the Underbib and here’s why I love it.

All babies hit a period of of infancy when they become drool monsters. Layah is currently in this stage, and that means that we go through 3-5 bibs every single day. They all get SOAKED with drool! She hasn’t yet developed the ability to know how to swallow her saliva, so it all just comes running out of her mouth.

Bibs are plentiful around my house, so my problem isn’t with having enough. What irritates me is when I have her all dolled up in a really cute outfit, and then I have to cover the whole thing up with a bib that probably doesn’t even coordinate with the outfit.

I know, I know, there are bigger problems in life. But I’m telling you, this grinds my gears!

That’s why the UnderBib is so clever. It is a bib that is put on using magnets, and it is actually designed to go UNDER your baby’s outfit. That way, baby’s skin stays nice and dry and your cute outfit isn’t covered up! 

See the magnet clips around the top of her dress? The bib is actually under her dress! If your child also likes to try to take off her bib, the UnderBib can help with that, too. She won’t even know it’s there!

The bib is also able to be work on the outside of the outfit, if you’d prefer that the outfit not get any drool on it, either.

Super neat, right?! This is another one of those, “Why didn’t I think of that?” ideas.

The UnderBib is available for $14 or you can score a package of 2 for $25. Oder here!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an UnderBib!

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.

A Lesson in Gratitude for Sharing with #SpinbrushCFK

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You may remember that about a week ago I did some shopping for oral care supplies to donate to a local nonprofit organization as part of the #SpinbrushCFK Simple Service Project. I purchased several items at Walmart, and if you missed it, you can read all about my Champion for Kids shopping trip here.

We donated the oral care products to Room in the Inn, which is a transitional housing facility for women and their children who are experiencing homelessness. It was my aim to get Darah very involved in this project, and for this to be an opportunity to talk about sharing and gratitude. I started off by laying out all of the products we were going to donate for Darah to see (I’ll tell you about the aluminum foil, which likely seems out of place, later).

Darah was quick to notice the Arm & Hammer brushes that had stickers, and picked them up to give them hugs.

When I told Darah that we would be sharing these toothbrushes with other children, her face fell. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to keep these toothbrushes. I’m actually really glad that she felt that possessiveness take over, as it gave us the opportunity to really talk about sharing.

I asked her to think about the times when she has gone to someone’s house to play, and how wonderful it was when they shared with her. I also asked her to think about all the times that mommy has come home from the thrift store with new treasures, all because someone else donated them to share. I told her how thankful I was that people share with us all the time, and she said that she was thankful, too.

Then I told her that part of loving other people is to share with them whenever you are able. We had the opportunity that day to share with other people, and isn’t that so wonderful? At this point, she really got excited about sharing, and it made my heart melt. If Tim and I can raise children with compassionate hearts, we will have left the greatest legacy.

So we got in the car and went to Room in the Inn. Upon our arrival, Darah immediately spotted the playground!

We then headed inside and met with Mary, the administrative assistant and former client. She had an amazing story to share and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit with her.

 

Then I asked Darah to unpack all the things we brought to share.

The products I selected were based on a conversation I had with the staff at Room in the Inn before I went shopping. I called to see which oral care products they needed the most, and I’m so glad I did, because the answer surprised me. They said they actually had an over-abundance of toothpaste, adult toothbrushes and dental floss, but that they had nothing for children. They also mentioned to me that they could really use some aluminum foil, so I picked some up for them while I was shopping (check out how I found a really good buy on aluminum foil in my Google+ shop link!).

Before you make an in-kind donation, you might want to give the site a call to make sure you are getting what they really need the most. The answer may surprise you, and your call will definitely ensure that your donation gets put to use!

I want to encourage you to check out the Champions for Kids nonprofit and think about small act you can do to help better your community. You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook, too.  And if you liked those fabulous toothbrushes with the stickers, get connected with Spinbrush and Arm&Hammer via Facebook and Twitter, too!

Disclosure: 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 Champions For Kids #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Master Lock dialSpeed Electronic Combination Lock GIVEAWAY!!!

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Just in time for back-to-school (and back-to-lockers for many kids!), Master Lock has brought forth an innovation in combination lock security. It is my pleasure to introduce you to dialSpeed Electronic Combination Lock.

Electronic combination lock…what the heck, right?! Well, there are lots of handy dandy things this cutting edge product can do!

It offers an electronic interface which makes it quicker and easier to use than a standard combination lock.

It comes with a resettable primary code and the option of creating 3 additional guest codes. If you share a locker space with someone at the gym, for example, you can both access the locker without having to memorize the same code! That’s especially cool if the code you use happens to be used elsewhere for you.

There is also a permanent backup master code at masterlockvault.com for your device. This means that as long as you can get online, you won’t be locked out forever if you forget your code!

This lock comes with a CR2032 battery that has an estimated 5 year life span before it needs to be replaced. There’s also a low battery reminder so that you aren’t ever surprised to find a dead bolt (snort! snort!) on your hands.

I just got my dialSpeed in the mail, and it looks pretty darn slick! I’m impressed with this new way of approaching how to work a combination lock. I think the generation of kids currently in high school would really love it, too! It speaks to their electronic sensibilities!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a dialSpeed from Master Lock!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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. 

 

Back to School Boost for Moms Ebook Sale! Great Reading, SUPER Cheap!

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It’s almost time for the kids to be back in school, and that means that there’s about to be even less time to do even more things. Just typing that made me anxious!!!

But several bloggers have teamed together to offer some of their best tips and tricks that can help you get prepared. There are 5 ebooks up for sale in one bundle unit and the price has been slashed, because this time of year we need all the extra funds we can get for that school supply list!

For just $10, you’ll get the following 5 ebooks:

  • Tell Your Time
  • The No Brainer Wardrobe
  • Cupcakes! 12 Months of Happiness
  • Feast in 15
  • Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule
These 5 ebooks will help you ensure the important things in life don’t fall through the cracks, teach you how to shop in the most successful way for your wardrobe, answer some questions you likely have about how to make the perfect cupcake for that party that your child will be having a school later on, teach you how to speed cook your dinner, and give you a step-by-step guide to make a cleaning routine that actually works for your family!
If you purchased all 5 of these books separately, it would cost $28.95. These are all popular ebooks that have received high praise from reviewers. I have personally read a few of them and have benefitted from them!
If you’ve got just a few more days to squeeze in some summer reading, you’ll get the best bang for your buck and the best results for your investment of time with this bundle. It’s only available August 1-8, though, so hurry up and order here!
Disclosure: This posts contain affiliate links. I wouldn’t promote this if I didn’t know that it was a killer deal, though!