Stuff Parents Need

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

Brighten Up Your Kitchen with Dexas Products: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 166 Comments

Since we have joined a community supported agriculture (CSA) program and are now getting loaded down with fresh veggies every week, I’m spending a lot of time with my new cutting boards from Dexas. I have three new boards that are just perfect for what I need, and having more than one gives me the opportunity to have a little helper in my kitchen. Darah ALWAYS chooses the apple cutting board, and asks me to choose the tomato cutting board. I’m happy to oblige, because I think the tomato is so cute! Both of these designs are absolutely perfect for the petite chefs you may have in your house. Even though Darah isn’t getting to cut the veggies at this point, I always put some on her board to inspect and to scrub for me. We talk about what each veggie is, the color it is, and I show her what it looks like on the inside. We also talk about which parts we can eat, and which parts we need to compost. She’s getting a great education while I get lunch or dinner ready!

If we are making something that needs to go in the oven, I reach for my amazing silicone grippers (called nib mini-mitts). I love how little space these take up in my kitchen. In fact, they just sit on top of my range for easy access, and that way they don’t take up any drawer space at all! They do a great job of keeping the heat off my fingers as I take stuff out of the oven.

But perhaps one of my very favorite products in their new line are these fabulous ice cube trays. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Why get excited over ice cube trays?” Well, let me tell you! First of all, our freezer doesn’t have an ice maker, so ice cube trays are the only way this girl gets any ice at home. But those traditional long trays just take up too much real estate inside the freezer (we have the smallest standard size fridge. Boo.). These ice cube trays are in the shape of a square! Brilliant. But here’s what is even better: the cube trays are deep, so you get big, fat ice cubes instead of those wimpy ones that usually come from the longer trays. Less space, more ice! ROCK!! They will be for sale at Target in just a few weeks!

If your kitchen could use a pop of color and a bit more fun, especially as a way to get your kids to step up and be your sous chefs, then Dexas products definitely have something to offer you! You can find their great line of products at Amazon and Bed, Bath and Beyond. For a complete listing of retailers, click here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win those amazing ice cube trays and TWO cute cutting boards (one tomato and one watermelon!). ARV $40!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Natural Sunscreen: Beyond Coastal Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 137 Comments

About a month ago I was at the zoo with a friend. We had a “sighting” while we were there. As we were checking out the macaw exhibit, something through the bushes caught our eye. It was something unusual and unexpected just beyond the greenery.

Was it some sort of animal, escaped from its cage? No, silly. It was WAY cooler than that!

It was….

wait for it….

A WATER PARK!

(Image from rain-drop.com)

Yes, true story, there’s a water park in my city and my friend and I had no clue it existed. It’s part of our public pool system. It costs just $3 to go. What an amazing find! We literally spied it while we were strolling around at the zoo, and we vowed to figure out what it was and get ourselves over there.

I should also mention that this place is a 6 minute drive from my house. Life is good, people!

On Mondays between 5-7 pm they offer family night. Everyone in your family can get in for just $5 total! I also like the timeframe for two reasons. First, it’s just after work for Tim, so the whole family can go. There’s no way I could handle both littles by myself!

The second reason I like the timeframe is because this is after the peak sun hours. Since melanoma runs in Tim’s family, it is especially important that we limit our exposure to the sun during those hours.

But even though the rays are not at their most powerful from 5-7, you can definitely still get sunburned. So we lather on the sunscreen before we head over there, and usually reapply once after we’ve been there an hour.

Lately we’ve been using these great products from Beyond Coastal. These products are natural, so icky and questionable chemicals are nowhere to be found in the entire line. Love that! I have never enjoyed having one set of sunscreens for Darah and a different set for us. We should all be using the same stuff! I’m guessing if ingredients aren’t good for Darah, they probably aren’t good for the grownups, either. The Beyond Coastal line is great for everyone.

I have enjoyed trying all the products in the line, but I think my very favorite is the face stick, which is SO easy to apply on squirmy and impatient toddlers. I like the thick, quick application!

As you head into the summer months, be sure that you are well-stocked with sunscreen, and skip the stuff with nasty additives and go straight for the good stuff, like Beyond Coastal!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will will a Beyond Coastal prize pack (pictured below)! ARV $36!

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. 

 

Decorating a Baby’s Nursery: Getting Past The Usual Suspects

· by · Leave a Comment

I spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS trying to figure out what I wanted Darah’s nursery to look like. Oh for the days when I had that kind of free time! Anyway, I was ADAMENT that her room would not look like every other little girl nursery out there, all pink and princessy and filled with stuff you’d expect to see, like Winnie the Pooh and other Disney characters. Not that there’s anything wrong with Disney characters. Some of my best friends are Disney characters!

Anyway, the irony wasn’t lost on me when after spending the better part of 3 months searching, I landed on a bedding scheme that was…wait for it….PINK. Yup, pink. The most stereotypical girl nursery color in the world.

But at least the design was unique. It was cherry blossoms and birds, and I did have a lot of fun incorporating those design elements into other facets of the room.

With Layah, I just didn’t have time do all that exhaustive research. And since she was baby number 2, I also didn’t really have the resources to start completely from scratch. She inherited many things from Darah’s room, which left me, once again, with a pink nursery.

But this time, I knew where to go to get her something really striking and different for her walls. Flowers, hearts, balloons, sparkles and any of the other usual suspects weren’t invited. I decided to go upscale and get my baby a gorgeous piece of framed art for her room.

Since the color scheme was already decided for me, I simply did a search for art by color at Gallery Direct. After sorting through many different options, I landed on this beautiful piece:

This is Spring Orchard II by Kim Coulter. Doesn’t it look amazing as a framed canvas? I enjoy looking at it while I nurse Layah in the rocking chair. It’s so peaceful and pretty, yet still unexpected in a nursery. I love it.

If you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary for your baby’s room, why not bring in some beautiful art work? Gallery Direct has thousands of striking options, and their prices are really reasonable for the high quality product you receive.

Disclosure: I serve as a blog ambassador for Gallery Direct. Product samples are provided as part of the program. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Yo Gabba Gabba DVD and Book GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 97 Comments

Let me just say, for the record, that Yo Gabba Gabba confuses me a little bit. I’ve watched a few episodes with Darah, who was completely hooked on the characters from the moment she first saw them on television. I find them to be bright, cheerful, energetic, and, to be perfectly honest, kind of weird.

But here’s the thing when it comes to children’s entertainment: within reason, it doesn’t matter if I think something is sort of strange. If Darah is enjoying it, that’s the main point. Now, of course, I will always monitor what she watches to make sure it isn’t violent, offensive or something that will completely turn her brain into mush. Yo Gabba Gabba passes my tests in all those departments.

In fact, we’ve been reading the book, “It’s Ok Try Again” that features the Yo Gabba Gabba characters, and Darah has been applying the lesson! When she is struggling with something, I have heard her say out loud to herself, “Try again!” And she’s said it to her dad when she saw him having trouble with something. Pretty cool, huh?

She’s also requested the new DVD, “Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There’s a Party in My City!” She is allowed a bit of video time every afternoon when her nap time is over, and this DVD has helped her get moving once again. It’s got a lot of songs that encourage your little one to get on their feet and sing and dance. It’s a full-length concert that was filled live, which I think is pretty fun. It definitely gives me a good idea of what it would be like to take Darah to see the group perform. The DVD runs 110 minutes and is available for just $12.99. You can find it at major retailers such as Walmart, Kmart, Target and Toys R Us. It can also be found online!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of the DVD There’s a Party in my City AND a copy of the book, “It’s Ok Try Again.”
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 thoughs and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

For All Your Bow Needs: Klippie Klub!

· by · Leave a Comment

Darah was fortunate enough to receive another Klippie Klub box this past month. If you don’t remember from my first post, Klippie Klub from Itzy Bitzy Designs is a very affordable way to get an excellent assortment of high quality bows for your daughter each and every month. Subscribers get a 70% discount off the retail price of the bows. Yeah, you read that right, 70%!!!!

If you sign up for the Krazy package, here’s what you get:

  • Over 70% savings
  • Free Klippie Klutch (value $20.00)
  • 1st Kit Free (value $40.00) (only pay $4.99 S&H)
  • Free Shipping
  • $15.99 per month
  • Retail Value $40.00
  • Commitment: purchase 6 monthly kits
If you’d like to go for the Kasual package, you’d get the following:
  • Over 50% savings
  • $18.99 per month
  • Retail Value $40.00
  • Free Shipping
  • No Commitment

I can tell you after receiving products for 2 months, though, that the quality is outstanding. These bows do NOT fall apart easily. So if you are feeling unsure about making a 6 month commitment since you haven’t personally seen the products yet, my personal advice is to go for it, because I certainly have been impressed with what I’ve seen!

Not only does Itzy Bitzy Designs send you great bows at a great value, they also are supporting efforts to get the word out about Treacher Collins, a condition that has affected the lives of the CEO’s family. Your money spent with this company is also going to a greater good, which I absolutely love!

So, do you want to see what came in this month’s package?

It was a celebration of colors that newborns love to see, which was timely for us. Everything was black and red, and we even had a bit of gray thrown into the mix. These are all VERY useful colors, and were a welcome addition to Darah’s collection, which until now was a bit heavy on pinks.

I highly recommend joining this program if you have a little girl who loves to wear bows. In 6 months, you’ll have a delightful and comprehensive selection of bows that should last you for years!

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

 

Are you Committing These Two Twitter Sins?

· by · Leave a Comment

I’ll be the first to tell you that I have a LOT to learn about how to be a “good” Twitter user. I don’t engage with others as much as I should. I don’t spread the love and retweet very often. And I rarely have something super witty to share that others would want to retweet.

I’m definitely no Twitter expert.

With that said, I want to share with you two things I look for when deciding whether or not to follow someone. If you are missing these two components, there’s a 99.9% chance that I WON’T follow you, even if you followed me.

1. The very first thing i look for is a little bio. You’ve got an allowance of 140 characters to tell me who the heck you are. If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you are effectively telling me that you are nobody. “Nobody” just doesn’t sound that interesting. Sorry.

2. The second thing I look for is a picture. See this little egg? If that’s your profile picture, you’ve told me that you have no face. That makes me sad for you. And as much as I strive to be an equal opportunity Twitter follower, I just don’t follow people without faces. Sorry.

If you are feeling shy about putting your beautiful face on the world wide web, please be advised that it is only a marginal improvement to post your favorite celebrity/decadent dessert/historical landmark/cute, fluffy animal as your picture. Twitter is a social platform, and if I’m going to be social with you, I need to see you!

Fixing both problems is SUPER easy. Just go to the “edit your profile” button which you’ll see in the top right corner of your personal twitter page (not twitter.com, but twitter.com/whateveryourtwitterhandleis). See my example below.

Click on that button, and then easily upload a photo and say a little something about yourself in the bio section. Done! Now sit back and watch as more and more people start to follow you!

Doing these two things won’t guarantee that everyone will want to follow you, but it gives you a fighting chance, I promise!

Shower Time Revolution for Nursing Moms: The Shower Hug (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 48 Comments

There’s a product I have been using on a very regular basis since about 2 weeks before Layah was born. It has been helping me SO much with feeling comfortable in those weeks before and the weeks after having a baby.It’s called a Shower Hug, and at first glance, it may not really seem to be that phenomenal of a product. But hang with me and I’ll explain!

This is a terry velour wrap that goes around your breasts in the shower. It is meant to be a protective barrier between your chest and the shower spray, which can suddenly feel VERY uncomfortable when your breasts are sore or engorged. Additionally, it acts as a warm compress which is extremely soothing and does help to ease engorgement.

Now, for me, engorgement only lasted 3 days. The Shower Hug provided enough comfort in those 3 days that I would say it is worth it just for that period, but I can also tell you that it has several uses after this phase of breastfeeding ends.

First and foremost, if you are going to be breastfeeding, you will learn that you are supposed to avoid using soap on your nipples and areolas, as they can actually dry you out and impede breastfeeding. I am still using the Shower Hug when I get in the shower to keep suds from my soap bar and from shampoo away from that area. But at the same time, the Shower Hug does get wet, so I don’t feel as though I’m not rinsing that area off well.

I also really enjoy getting to take hot baths again, and when I am taking a hot bath, I dip the Shower Hug in the hot water and then wear it while I soak. Our tub is on the small side, so it is impossible for me to fill it up to the point where my chest is submerged. The Shower Hug gives me that same feeling, though!

The Shower Hug is also useful to me during the night when I really don’t want to wear a nursing bra to bed, but I know I can’t sleep with nothing on or else I wake up with wet sheets! I can wrap my Shower Hug around me and put in breast pads. It is really nice to take a break from something with straps.

The Shower Hug comes in white with pink trim, white with blue trim or natural with sage trim. It is proudly made in the USA. It is available here for $29.95.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Shower Hug!

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. 

How About Some CASH?! $25 GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · Leave a Comment

SharpShade is in the middle of applying for a Grant with Chase Bank. In order to qualify for the grant, they need to receive 250 votes from people (online). The Moms Do it Better Community is coming together to help them get these votes.

Voting only takes 15 SECONDS! Here’s how:

– Go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com

– in the bottom right corner of that page click the “log in with facebook” link

– Type sharpshades in the search engine (don’t worry about the city/state we will pop up)

– Click the vote button next to them.

To help them out we’re doing a flash giveaway for $25 PayPal OR Amazon (winner’s choice!) Thanks for helping and good luck! This giveaway is open worldwide so as long as you can vote you can win! GOOD LUCK, Stuff Parents Need readers! I hope one of you wins!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

How I Revolutionized My Inbox: UnRoll.me

· by · 3 Comments

I pride myself on keeping my inbox from getting out of control. I actually think of my email inbox as kudzu, which is a vine-type weed that grows at an unbelievably fast rate and will cover EVERYTHING if you give it the chance. You must stay on top of it in order to keep it under control. So yeah, my personal email is like kudzu! (image from theresilientearth.com)

The week before Layah was born, I started to be not quite as disciplined about getting through my emails each day. Frankly, I just had other things that needed my attention more. And then I went to the hospital for a few days to have her, followed by a few days back at home where I didn’t even open my account at all.

You can imagine what happened when I finally did check my email. It was OUT.OF.CONTROL. And 5 weeks later, I hadn’t recovered, and was still fighting a losing battle with my kudzu email. Here’s a screen shot of my unread email from a few days ago:

Yeah…395 unread messages. It was making me sick to my stomach, and was actually causing me to not want to check my email at all, which of course, only makes the problem bigger. Just when I was thinking that I would hate my email account for the rest of my life, I heard about UnRoll.me, which is a FREE online service that will categorize all of your email subscriptions for you and help you unsubscribe with ease, as well as keep all your subscription emails in just one daily digest. 

Ok, so then I got signed up for UnRoll.me. You just need to give them your email address and permission to access some of your info. Then you sit back and wait while they compile all your subscriptions. I had to wait about 5 minutes for the system to compile all my data. Here’s the tally:

Yeah….I had 79 email subscriptions. GOODNESS! UnRoll.me had them all organized for my review, and they were even categorized into groups like deals and rewards, social, education, entertainment, etc. It was so cool!

And then it went from being cool to being BLOW YOUR MIND AMAZING. Because in about 3 minutes. Yes, 3 MINUTES I unsubscribed to 44 things. YEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!

This is work that I had been putting off, and if I had unsubscribed to all of these things in one sitting, even if I was super focused, it would have taken me at least an hour. And I probably would have hesitated a bit more and decided not to unsubscribe as many. But seeing just how many different types of emails I was getting gave me the strength to slash and burn!

Here’s the other cool thing that UnRoll.me does. For all those subscriptions that you’d like to keep, it gives you the option of getting them all rolled up into one email. You can take any of the subscriptions out that you’d like if there are some that you want to make absolutely certain you don’t miss. I took a few out that were important (stuff from my bank, for example). But the rest all come to me at one time, rather than throughout the day and night. UnRoll.me sends them my way every morning, so I know just when to expect them. It ROCKS! Now my inbox looks like this (note how few emails I get in a day now!):

 

The only problem I had with using UnRoll.me was that I didn’t have success getting it to work in Chrome. Every time I tried to choose my email type, it would start me over in the process. It worked flawlessly in Firefox, so I’m guessing it is just some little kink that needs to be worked out. I’m telling you this just in case you have any trouble with it. If so, don’t give up, just try a different browser!

Go forth, my friends, and revolutionize your inbox. Find the solution to your kudzu-like emails and tame them forever! You’ll be so glad you did.

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™ #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.