Stuff Parents Need

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

Lamaze Infant Development Toys Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Lamaze toys hold a very special place in my heart. We actually used a purple hippo Lamaze toy to help us announce our pregnancy with Darah.

We put the hippo, which we had picked up a a garage sale (it still looked in impeccable condition) and placed it out with our stockings on Christmas morning at my parents’ house. Our stockings are usually overflowing, so it isn’t usual for presents to be displayed all around them. I put the hippo in between my mom and dad’s stocking and put the ultrasound picture we had underneath it.

They actually didn’t figure out what was going on due to the baby toy, alone. My dad actually thought it was a toy for his dog! Ha! But the picture underneath helped them figure it out really quickly. That hippo is part of such a special memory.

It also became a toy for Darah, and is now a toy for Layah. And it is STILL in excellent shape. Lamaze toys, in my experience, really hold up well so they can be used by several different babies before they are ready to be retired.

Lamaze is a company that has partnered with child development experts to create toys that truly engage babies at developmentally appropriate levels. All of their packaging has color-coded age grades to make it easy for you to select the right products for your child’s changing needs.

Today I want to introduce a few of their products that were actually all featured on this What to Expect When You’re Expecting movie poster!

First up, meet Stretch the Giraffe. This fantastic toy has a lot of features that will engage your babies for months! The bright, colorful fabrics tend to attract attention, as do the ribbons, the clacking rings and the squeaks and crinkle sounds that are made when playing with the giraffe. Darah had a previous incarnation of this toy and she loved it. I know Layah will love her giraffe, too! Stretch retails for $14.99.

Next up, meet Hula Girl Travel Toy. She is meant to ride along on a stroller or carrier, and she moves right along with them! I love all the textures on this toy; it will be a big hit when Layah starts to grab things! It retails for $16.99.

Finally we have Octivity Time. This cute octopus is intended for babies 6 months and up, and has a mirror, a spinning starfish, clinky rings and other great features and textures for baby play. It retails for $19.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the 3 toys I reviewed in this post! Woo hoo!

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. 

Get Your Home Improvement On! $100 Lowe’s Gift Card GIVEAWAY!!

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In celebration of the launch of Sassy Media, a blogging resource community that I have joined and already totally love, I’m pleased to present a giveaway for $100 to Lowe’s! Canadian residents can also enter this giveaway, and one Canadian winner will be selected to win a $100 Ikea gift card.

The giveaway runs until July 24th. I could seriously use that gift card to Lowe’s, and I bet you could, too! Good luck to all!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Turn a Watermelon Into a Hedgehog: Carving Contest Announcement!

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Did you know that July is National Watermelon Month? It certainly is at our home…this is the month when we buy a watermelon at the grocery store almost every week!

The National Watermelon Promotion Board wants to help celebrate the season of this fruit (which is my second favorite fruit in the world…the first being mango). They are hosting a watermelon carving contest, and the grand prize winner is going to get $600! Woo hoo!

There are five different categories for entries, and one of those categories is Watermelon.org carvings. This site has dozens of different carvings with step-by-step instructions on how to make them! We decided to go this route since we’ve never carved a watermelon before and needed some direction.

We decided to make this cute little hedgehog (though I think he looks more like a porcupine, personally). Here’s the inspiration photo:

You can find the complete tutorial for this design here. Tim was the head carver for this project, and it took about 40 minutes from start to finish. I think that’s not bad, at all, considering that he had absolutely no previous experience with carving a watermelon! Even our pumpkin carvings every fall are nowhere close to this elaborate!

Here are some pictures from our carving adventure to show you how our hedgehog came to be.

First, slice just enough off the bottom so that it will sit flat and not roll.
Next,carve the watermelon so that it looks a bit like a convertible!
Now its time to add some flair. This is probably the most time-consuming step. You are adding prickly “hair” all around the edges.
Time to make the nose and ears! They get carved out from the top of the watermelon that was previously removed.
Blueberries are used for the tip of the nose and the eyes.
Now cut up all the watermelon chunks and add toothpicks to each piece. This makes it easy for folks to grab, and also gives the look of a hedgehog (I still think it’s a porcupine!).
We took the finished product to Darah’s school so that the 2 and 3 year olds there could enjoy it. It certainly gave them a lot of giggles!

I think our hedgehog looks absolutely adorable. I don’t think we are going to walk away with that grand prize, but we sure did have fun in the attempt. Maybe you will be the big winner! But to have a shot at it, you’ve got to enter! Check out all the details about the watermelon carving contest and get to work on a fun design!

Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary watermelon in the mail (what a crazy thing to get via FedEx!), cookie cutters, a carving tool and a watermelon cutting board to help facilitate our carving fun. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Be a Smart Tourist This Summer!

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Are your summer plans taking you out of your home town and to a place where you’ll be a tourist?

Are you REALLY hoping to avoid looking like a tourist?

There’s definitely a lot to be said for blending in to your surroundings, whether you are visiting Paris, Texas or Paris, France. Nobody likes to stick out like a sore thumb, and if you are visiting a larger city, it’s important to remember that there are people who make their living by pickpocketing or stealing your belongings when you put them down for just a second. So you don’t want to draw attention to yourself and become their next target.

(the vineyards of Versailles, November 2007)

When I visited Europe, for example, I was advised to avoid wearing jeans and especially avoid wearing sneakers. I packed every pair of black pants I owned and managed to find some black flats that had surprisingly good arch support so that I could walk a lot in them.

But who am I kidding? I doubt I passed for a native European for even a second! What is probably more likely, though, is that most folks failed to notice me at all. I blended in just enough.

I also got the advice to NEVER EVER EVER wear a backpack. That’s a dead giveaway that you are a tourist. I managed to carry what I needed in my purse during that trip, but I also didn’t have any kids at that point in time.

If you asked me now to do some serious traveling without a backpack to carry all my kids’ accouterments, I’d tell you to forget about it. It just isn’t possible!

If you are like me, and you know that your cover will likely be blown by having to carry around a backpack as you see the sights at your vacation destination, there’s still a way that you can quickly get the targets off your back from would-be thieves. PLEASE get a lock for your backpack! I’m a fan of this one from Master Lock, and it retails for just $6.71. That’s precious little to pay for peace of mind! It has a combination lock so you don’t have to fumble with keys. And if someone is thinking about trying to steal or get into your backpack, once they see that lock, they’ll move on to easier prey.

That doesn’t mean you should be foolish and leave your backpack laying around, though! Try not to take it off your body until you are back at your lodging, safe and sound.

While you may not pass for a native of whatever locale you choose to visit this summer, you can still be a smart tourist that will likely be left alone by the folks who want to steal your stuff.

Disclosure: I’m a member of the Live Secure Master Lock Safety Squad. As part of my participation in this program, I do receive complimentary products for review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

On the Rocks: Sparq Stones Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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So here’s the thing: I LOVE LOVE LOVE iced coffee. I usually make it at home to save a bit of money, and I’m usually so impatient to try it that I try to add all my ice to the drink before it has sufficiently cooled down.

The result is watered down coffee. Which is something I DON’T love love love.

I’ve been trying something really fun and different to keep my cold drinks cold but not watery. I’m putting stones in my drinks. And especially in Darah’s drinks.

Yeah, stones. You know…rocks.

Confused by my randomness? Afraid I’ve gone off my rocker? That’s entirely possible, but it has nothing to do with cooling down beverages with stones.

Check out Sparq Stones. Now, these are actually designed to be used with whiskey. Which I’m fresh out of (no, not because I drank it all this morning, silly). But some of you out there might like to throw back an occasional whiskey Mad Man-style, and it is my understanding that whiskey is a drink best served cold (just like revenge!). But watered down whiskey is kind of gross.

Throw a few of these super cool stones in the drink, and problem solved!

I will say that these are not the solution for my iced coffee drinks, as I like to consume Big Gulp sizes in one sitting. The stones don’t get as cold as ice, and so they are ideal for smaller amounts of liquid.

That’s what makes them really fun for toddlers! Maybe it’s odd to serve a child water in a whiskey glass with whiskey stones, but I darn sure do it, and she loves it! 🙂

Also, if you like your coffee hot, these stones can be heated up to help keep your java nice and toasty! Pretty cool, huh?

Sparq Whiskey/Coffee Stones can be purchased here for $19.50

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of 9 Sparq Whiskey/Coffee Stones!
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. 

 

My First Collection Volume 3 Featuring Chicken Little: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I am LOVING the My First Collection series from Scholastic Video. If you aren’t familiar with it, these are stories designed for toddlers and preschoolers. The stories are short and sweet, and also age appropriate. They have a lot of great stories that were previously unfamiliar to me, so that’s made watching them with Darah all the more fun.

But in Volume 3 of their My First Collection series, Scholastic does have a very familiar charcter: Chicken Little. Darah thinks he is an absolute riot!

Volume 3 actually contains 3 dvds. One is all about zany animal stories. Another is all about funny animal stories (Scardy Squirrel being our personal favorite). The third DVD is all about dogs. Darah especially loves the Angus film, which is not a cartoon but a live action film with an adorable and mischievous Scottie dog.

The entire set contains 12 different stories, along with bonus interview footage and read-along subtitles to help promote word recognition and literacy skills. The set is $24.95 and is a great value, in my opinion! Scholastic has yet to disappoint us with a DVD, and once again, they have produced an excellent collection that is right on target for the suggested age range!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win My First Collection Volume 3 from Scholastic!

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. 

Natural Relief for Baby: Gentle Naturals Review

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Our first child suffered from cradle cap until she was about 18 months old. I was so surprised that this condition could last as long as it did. We had a special brush that we would use on her head regularly to help get rid of the scales, but it never got rid of them all. I even tried olive oil once. Uh, yeah….she had a greasy head for the next 4 or 5 days as I tried every day to get it out of her baby fine hair.

Eventually I just gave up and let it run its course. And I vowed I’d find a solution to have on hand for baby #2 so that we wouldn’t have to go through the same scenario again.

Gentle Naturals is a homeopathic line of products that have found their way into our medicine cabinet, and their product called Cradle Cap Care is all ready to go! We’ve already seen a bit of cradle cap on Layah, but Tim was able to brush it all out. The second it comes back (and it WILL come back), we are armed and ready! This product retails for $7.99, and I’m very pleased to hear that it is a non-greasy formula. There will be no repeat of what we experienced with Darah!

We also have their Homeopathic Teething Drops. Layah is already drooling all the time, so the teething pain will be here before you know it. This product helps relieve sore gums and irritability and can safely be used as soon as she turns 4 months old. It retails for $5.49, which is SO worth is when you have a teething baby!

Finally, we have the Eczema Relief Baby Wash. I suffered from eczema when I was a child, so I’m really happy to have something on hand if I suspect Layah has it, as well. I remember taking oatmeal baths to try to help with it; they always felt so weird! While we haven’t yet had to use this product with Layah, I imagine the lavender and chamomile in the product smells and feels better than the oatmeal baths I used to take! This product retails for $5.49.

The Gentle Naturals line has treatments not only for the conditions mentioned above, but also for colic, stomach discomfort, and dry skin. The entire line is dermatologist tested and contains ingredients like chamomile, shea butter, coconut butter, aloe and ginger.

Gentle Naturals products can be found at many major retailers, including Walmart and Walgreens. You can also find the products online at places like Amazon, Diapers.com and Drugstore.com.

 Disclosure: I’m participating in a review campaign with Family Review Network, and I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

A Blogger Who Has Inspired Me!

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This post is meant to be a big pat on the bag and cyber high-five for Lindsey from So Easy Being Green. Lindsey and I have never met in real life, but we have been bloggy friends since before she even became a blogger!

It has really been a treat to watch her blog grow and evolve. I’ve also really enjoyed having someone to swap ideas with as our blogs have grown.

But that’s not why I’m giving her a shout out today (although she totally rocks, in general, and is worthy to be celebrated just for being her!).

I want to bring attention to Lindsey because this weekend she ran her first race.

(photo from soeasybeinggreen-blog.com)

Five weeks ago she started training. At that point it was a big step in her training when a few days in she ran for 5 minutes straight. She worked her way up to this day and ran 4 miles without stopping. She also met her goal to get it finished in under an hour.

As someone who once tried the couch to 5k program (which I quit after 2 days) I know that what she did took a whole lot of commitment and determination. I felt completely overjoyed to hear of her success, and it rekindled something within me. Just because I gave up on something once before doesn’t mean it is out of reach for me. I can take it one day at a time, just like Lindsey did!

Lindsey, like me, has 2 small children. And she’s a blogger. And a wife. And a woman with her own interests. Making time for fitness is REALLY hard to do in the midst of this season of life. But she did it. And she’s glowing!

I am SO inspired. Way to go, Lindsey!

Collective Bias and Good Call (remember that amazing iphone docking station I reviewed that is the latest and greatest iPhone innovation and is just $80?) have come together in celebration of moms who inspire others, and are offering up 10 of their #GoodCall sets to nominated women, and I am officially throwing Lindsey’s name in the hat! She deserves it!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content was created for Collective Bias™ and GoFusion but is a non-compensated post.  If Lindsey wins the set, I also win a set, but that’s totally not why I wrote this. I wrote it because she rocks my socks off! #CBias #SocialFabric 

8 Top iPhone Apps for Monitoring Your Spending

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Please enjoy this guest post brought to you by We Know Money. As an iphone user, it gave me some really good ideas for apps I need to get! 

iPhones give users a unified platform to handle many of their day-to-day tasks. For those who wish to track their expenses, the iPhone has several options that allow users to quickly and easily store records of their spending. Some of these apps offer advanced features, helping users to gauge the big picture of their spending habits. This collection of apps from We Know Money will reduce the amount of time users have to spent manually calculating their expenses and may help users discover areas in which they can save money.

1) ExpenseTracker

ExpenseTracker, which costs $2.99, offers an easy-to-use app for managing one’s personal finances. Its simple interface allows users to input new expenses and even allows users to add income with the same interface. ExpenseTracker features informative and attractive bar graphs and pie charts that allow users to visualise their spending habits.

2) DebtMinder

The DebtMinder debt tracker, costing $1.99, is a tool to help users manage the task of paying off their debt. Its interface allows users to enter several types of debt categories, such as car loans, student loans and credit cards and charts their progress as these debts are paid. Advanced planning tools make it easy for users to judge their progress, and a tool calculates how much interest the user has avoided with their progress.

3) CashFlow Free

CashFlow Free, a free app, is a comprehensive personal finance app that tracks both spending and assets. Its interface is focused on providing instant updates to its user’s financial assets, and the interface shows the user’s balance at the bottom of the screen at all times. With analysis tools including a pie chart that shows how much the user spends on various categories of expenses, CashFlow can help users determine if their spending habits are appropriate or excessive.

4) DebtTracker Pro

DebtTracker Pro, which costs $1.99, is designed to help users track their progress in paying off multiple lines of debt. An overview screen shows users their total debt, and the ability to sort by debt amounts helps users prioritise their payments. Another screen displays how much of a particular line of credit is available and provides calculations of the monthly interest that credit lines will accrue.

5) Balance

Balance, a free app, is an expense tracking app that tracks its user’s cash, checking account balance and savings account balance. Its interface is designed to resemble a traditional, paper chequebook register, allowing users who are used to managing their balance the old-fashioned way to easily adapt. Balance is a great app for helping friends or family members who are reluctant to use newer technologies change their financial tracking activities to a digital device.

6) Spend Free

Spend Free, a free app, allows user to budget their available funds for various categories of spending. Colour-coding gives users a quick-to-read screen showing how much money is available for categories such as food, gadgets, gas and movies. As the funds are depleted, the green background becomes yellow as that particular budget shrinks and red if the user has overspent in that category. Another screen tracks spending by day, week and month and gives users a graphical representation of their changing spending habits.

7) Mint.com Personal Finance

Mint.com Personal Finance, a free iPhone and iPad app, may be the most popular personal finance app on Apple devices. With the ability to track incoming money and spending, Mint.com allows users to track their budgets with a clean, attractive interface. Mint.com can automatically login to banks and other financing websites, giving users automatic updates to their financial reserves. Mint.com allows the budgeting and tracking of several categories of spending, such as DVD rentals, fast food purchases and groceries. The app can also provide low balance alerts and financial budgeting tips.

8) Pageonce

Pageonce, a free app for the iPhone and iPad, is a personal finance app targeting bill payments and other expenses. Pageonce tracks its user’s balance, upcoming bills and spending while providing alerts about upcoming due dates. Its interface tracks when the bill was last paid and the user’s overall debt and investments. Pageonce even has a feature to track the user’s credit rating over time. With a thirty-cent upgrade, users can use Pageonce to automatically pay their bills from an account of their choosing.