Stuff Parents Need

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

Options for Relieving Back Pain, Including a Termpurpedic Mattress

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Remember when we were young and didn’t really have any chronic pains in our bodies? Those were good times, my friends. But if you are like me, then there’s at least some part of your body that is hurting at any given time. For me, that pain is quite often in my upper back. Tim is awesome, and gives me a back rub several times each week, but that only provides temporary relief. My back is where I carry all of my stress, and unfortunately, I’m the type of person who is prone to be stressed out. So that means my back is ALWAYS hurting. A few relief techniques I’ll discuss in this post are chiropractic medicine and tempurpedic mattress.

My BFF recently told me in a phone conversation that she’s been having back pain that won’t go away for about 3 weeks. One suggestions I had for her was to go to a chiropractor and see if the treatments offered by one could be of help. I’ve personally had mixed results using chiropractic medicine, but once I found a chiropractor that I felt I could trust, and who didn’t feel like a car salesman, I became more pleased with the results I was getting. Who treats you just as important as how you are being treated when it comes to chiropractic medicine, in my opinion.

My friend also mentioned that she and her husband had been shopping for a new mattress for a few months, and she suspected that her mattress might be part of the problem. She said that after doing lots and lots of research, they are planning on purchasing a tempurpedic mattress. I was really intrigued by this, because I’ve heard these mattresses are great, but have dismissed them due to their expense.

Well, it turns out that the cost of tempurpedic mattresses is not as high as they used to be. They have become more competitive in price with other mattresses. So that’s definitely a plus. Second, tempurpedic mattresses are far less likely than a mattress with springs in it to start sagging. As someone who currently sleeps on a 8 year old mattress that definitely sags, this has piqued my interest in this type of mattress for when we finally replace ours in a few years. If a mattress will last a few years longer, that makes it worth a little bit more money, in my opinion.

I will be really interested to hear if my friend sees any improvements in her back pain, and if she feels that those improvements are due to chiropractic treatments, her tempurpedic mattress, or a combination of the two.

This post brought to you by healthyback.com. All thoughts and opinions listed here are strictly my own.

Cate and Levi People Puppet Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Our new house is just across the street from the downtown fire station. Tim and I took the upstairs bedroom that was the closest to the station, deciding that we’d prefer to be the ones listening to late night sirens over the girls.

On our very first night in the house, we were awakened by sirens no less than 5 times. Totally serious. It was AWFUL! I’m very pleased to report, however, that this was a freak incident, the likes of which we have not experienced again. Hopefully nights like that one will be very rare and we won’t see our proximity to the fire station as a big negative of our location.

Darah loves her room, but she does wish that she had the view of the fire station, herself. In her mind, being neighbors with fire fighters is nothing short of spectacular. We love to stroll over and visit with the fire trucks. She also loves to watch them leave the station with their sirens on. She quotes a book she loves and says, “Firefighters to the rescue!” as they leave. She also loves to see the fire trucks “getting a bath” every week. I think firefighters are one of those occupations that children admire early on, and Darah is certainly no exception.

When I learned that Cate & Levi, the makers of some of the most beautiful and well-constructed puppets and other handmade items in the world, started a new line of People Puppets, I had to check out the fireman puppet! He is a most welcome addition to Darah’s toy collection, and he is frequently used to play fire station at our house.

The fireman, just like every other Cate & Levi product, is made from reclaimed materials. It is upcycling at its most beautiful! So every handmade creation has its own unique look. Darah’s fireman is unique, and won’t look exactly the same as someone else’s fireman. I love that! I have given the fireman a very careful inspection, and he is put together SO well. He will not be falling apart any time soon! I also just love that sweaters that may have been destined for a landfill have been repurposed to make toys for children that are safe and built to last. The sweaters that the products are made from have all been sent to an eco-friendly cleaner prior to being used, as well. So there are no harsh chemicals on the Cate & Levi products!

I’m very impressed with the aesthetic of Cate & Levi toys, as well as the thoughtfulness behind each creation. If you are looking for something truly special for your little one or for a gift, please check out Cate & Levi products. They have puppets, stuffed animals, pillow pals and change purses, just to name a few of their product categories! The People Puppets retail for $30.00.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Cate and Levi People Puppet of your choice!

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Guest Post: Themed Events for Special Baby Showers

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Please enjoy this guest post sponsored by Showermybaby. As a non-crafty person, I’m so glad to know that you can now easily purchase everything you need to put together a cute, themed shower!

Today’s baby showers are trending towards the themed shower instead of the traditional green and yellow of yesterday. The expectant parents are picking a theme to be passed on to the host or hostess of the shower that matches the new baby’s special entrance into the family. Whether the theme is based around the colours of the nursery, gauged to the expected boy or girl, or simply a humorous party for celebration, showermybaby has decorations that will assure the party will be extraordinary for that special new baby-to-be. Everything is available for baby shower decorations needed to complete well-rounded theme.

If you thought the tradition of yesterday is not for the new baby, you can pick from jungle theme, bumble bees, angels and special colour theme packages, making putting together the perfect baby shower a snap. Baby showers are a time for excitement and love, a time for welcoming the newest addition to the family. These showers can be of any style from humour to personal taste, but always a time for family and friends to welcome the baby and start a lifetime of memories.

For that special gift, you can purchase from a huge number of baby shower gifts that will show your special feelings for the new addition. If you would like to shower the new baby with an organic gift or special gift basket, you can find it online and know you will be giving a meaningful and special gift. If, as the shower guest, you would like to purchase a more practical gift, you can find that new stroller or those special shoes from a wide selection of colours and styles. If the keepsake or personalised gift is extra special, you might want to look at a complete line of themed sets to make memories for years to come.

What was the theme of the cutest shower you’ve ever attended? Any decorations, food items or games that particularly stood out to you? 

mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ Nursing Pillow Review

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Breastfeeding, on the whole, is a very simple and cost effective way to feed your growing baby. But in my experience, you do need to purchase a few accessories to make the work a whole lot easier. One thing I think every nursing mom could benefit from is a nursing pillow. I had one with my first and knew that I was going to want one with my second, as well. Without one, in my experience, you find yourself in positions that are bad for your posture and bad for nursing, which lead to a whole lot of other problems. A great nursing pillow can eliminate many of those issues.

With Layah, we are using the mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™. It’s a great upgrade from our first nursing pillow, as it has some features that make it oh so very useful.

First and foremost, the pillow has two different levels of firmness. One side is more firm for nursing. I LOVE this feature. The pillow is not so firm as to be uncomfortable, but it keeps baby more elevated while feeding, whereas other pillows I have tried before can be so soft and squishy that the baby is not ideally positioned. Here you you will see Layah and me during a middle of the night feeding. It’s really nice to not have to get out of bed and go over to the rocking chair at 4am! 

The other side of the pillow is softer, and that makes it great for the baby to lounge on during awake time. We like to use this side when we are showing Layah her black and white flash cards or doing some baby massage on her legs and feet.

Second, mombo has a vibrator inside the pillow that you can turn on, and this is SO nice for times when baby is just a little bit fussy and in need of extra soothing. What a clever idea!

I also think the line of covers that mombo offers are really cute; I appreciate the variety. Overall, we are really impressed with this pillow and I would highly recommend it to other expecting families!

mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ retails for $29.99 and covers can be purchased for $19.99 at places like Babies R Us.

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

Guest Post: The Increase of Online Shopping for Parents

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Please enjoy this guest post, sponsored by Born Gifted, a wonderful store based across the pond but easily accessible online! 


It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest maternity and kids wear corporations have publicized that they are closing one of three stores in the UK and getting rid of 800 jobs. The executive chairman stated that the business is at an all time low due to the increase in customers shopping online. Online vendors have been eating up the profit which is putting a damper on stores that sell baby items. Even though there will be fewer stores, this national chain is planning on diving head first into the remaining stores in order to get business back up to speed.

Bringing their profit up to a positive point might be a moot point. Online merchants seem to have more bargains and easier access to baby items any time of the day or day of the week. The astonishing aspect in all this is the fact that such a HUGE chain is publically acknowledging that online websites can offer more items with just the click of a button, and at better prices as well. In addition to great prices and the shopping convenience of the internet, there is a wider range of products to purchase and this is something a local store (even a national chain!) just can’t hope to compete with.

Oftentimes it is possible to find free shipping straight to your doorstep which makes it even a better deal all the way around. Parents can order during football practice via their smartphones or whilst grabbing a quick bite to eat as baby naps. This in turn frees up time that can be spent with those little ones. For busy parents this allows time to shop hassle-free rather than trying to manage an infant in a pram or watch a toddler pulling items off the shelf. Consumers also love that with the click of the mouse they can compare items online and evaluate them based on other customer reviews. Stress free shopping is what parents need and something rarely found in local shops.

Bio: Born Gifted believes that online shopping should be convenient and stress free. As a leading online merchant for everything ‘baby,’ here you will find gifts for all occasions. Click here to find out more.

What about you? Do you prefer to shop online or to hit the brick and mortar stores? I’m most definitely an online shopper, as this allows me to shop at odd hours or during brief moments of quiet in my home. Bonus: no schelpping around a diaper bag! 

Easy and Thrifty Baby Shower and Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

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Hello!  My name is Allison and I’m the one woman show (though my hubz has been helping out a lot lately and deserves credit 🙂 ) behind a little Etsy shop called hoop~da~loop.  You can find it at hoopdaloop.etsy.com.  I specialize in unique shower and party decorations, especially the custom kind and today wanted to talk to you about some easy ways to decorate for a baby shower, birthday party or other such event on the cheap!  I know that many of you are mommas-to-be, current mommas, or at least know a momma and because of that, attend lots of baby showers and birthday parties for little ones.  With hoop~da~loop, I find that most of my customers are moms or friends of moms looking for party decorations that don’t cost an arm and a leg, but add a pop of whimsical fun and color and thus, I’ve done lots of research on some great ways to decorate.

A couple of tips for you on decorating for your next party:

1)    Try as much DIY as possible!  You may not think you are crafty, but find a good tutorial on the internet (and there are lots!) and you can make decorations for little of nothing really easily.  Two of my favorite resources, pinterest.com (just search ideas for party decorations and you get about a million) and Oh Happy Day!  (ohhappyday.com), a blog full of tons of ideas (some easy, some harder) that add tons of unique décor to your next event.

2)    Look for “printables.”  I am new to the “printables” world, but I am amazed at the number of free and extremely cute banners, invitations, cupcake toppers, favor boxes, etc that you can print off of the internet for free.  Just buy some cardstock and grab your scissors (decorative edged scissors will make it easier to make a festive and fun border and can be found at your local craft store for $3 or less) and start printing.  Printables are an easy internet search away or check out blogs like Oh Happy Day! (http://ohhappyday.com/category/free-printables/) for some great ones!  When searching online, try using keywords like “printable baby shower invitations” or “printable birthday party decorations.”  You will be amazed at the choices!

3)    Less is more!  I love parties that are simple and fun.  I think it’s very false that you need to spend a big hunk of money to make a party special. Decorations don’t need to be a big fuss or costly to create a great atmosphere. To save, try using or reusing what you already own and then think about how you can make a few decorations go a long way!  For example, use white tablecloths (that you probably already own), solid bold color napkins and paper plates, and grab a hole punch and some construction or scrapbook paper and punch other bold color confetti to sprinkle in the middle of the tables.  So cute and so simple!  You can even add some balloons or garland you can find in my shop if you want.  Creating a white background allows your decorations to really pop.

4)    If all of this DIY sounds a little too time consuming, check out etsy.com.  There are lots of artists that are more than willing to create custom work for you, sometimes for no extra charge (like in hoopdaloop.etsy.com).  Because almost everything is handmade, you can send us your invitations or inspiration pictures so we can create the perfect party, invitations and all!

5)  Or even better!  Win a party pack from hoopdaloop.etsy.com!  Enter below for a chance to win 3 ten foot garlands and two packs of confetti in your custom colors! It’s a great excuse to throw a party or decorate your little one’s room even if you weren’t planning on it 🙂

Don’t forget to reuse your decorations if possible!  Lots of my customers will buy garlands for a party and then hang them up in a baby’s nursery or kids room or even in the background of a photo shoot for their kiddos.  All great ways to keep saving and create whimsical one-of-a-kind decorations and photos!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the party pack mentioned in tip #5!

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MABU Newborn Cloth Diaper Kit Available at Walmart!

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Did you know that not everybody likes to shop online? I am so comfortable shopping this way that I sometimes forget that not everybody is! But it’s true. I don’t think my mother, for example, has ever purchased ANYTHING online. I make online purchases a few times each month! 🙂

Not wanting to make online purchases can definitely be a tough obstacle to overcome if you want to cloth diaper. Not very many cities have cloth diapers storefronts (we had one in Chattanooga, but it closed, I assume due to lack of sales…such a bummer). And the big box stores don’t carry cloth diapers. They are still carrying those horrific plastic pants that parents were using 20 and 30 years ago. Yuck!

Cloth Diapers at Walmart

That is, until now. There’s a company that has managed to get itself into select Walmart stores, and I’m so thrilled to see it! It makes cloth SO much more accessible to so many people! It’s called MABU Baby, and they have put together entire starter kits so that you can get started on your cloth diaper journey with ease.

So why did Walmart choose this particular line? MABU Baby has worked really hard to make their cloth diapers VERY affordable. Affordability is another hurdle for many people when starting with cloth. Yes, there’s no doubt that over time you will spend more on disposables than on cloth, but spending several hundred dollars to build your stash at the beginning is simply not doable for many people’s budgets, whereas $13 for a package of disposables this week IS doable.

The MABU Starter Kit comes with everything you need to try out a few different ways to cloth diaper, and it is priced right at $33.99 (as compared to $20-25 for one cloth diaper in many other brands).  cloth diapers walmart

  • 2 diaper outers
  • 2 snap-in pad holders,
  • 2 washable diaper pads
    plus
  • 2 disposable diaper pads and
  • 5 liners
With the MABU system you can try out full cloth diapering, and you can try out the hybrid method, where you re-use your shells, but have disposable diaper pads inside the shells. This second system is more expensive than going fully cloth, but it is a great way to transition from fully disposable to fully cloth if you need some time to adjust or if you are still feeling nervous about the extra laundry and want to minimize the amount you will have.
Our experience with the MABU system has been very positive so far. We have the newborn kit and the diapers fit Layah wonderfully. While MABU diapers lack some of the bells and whistles of more expensive cloth diapers, they still get the job done just fine. I think their greatest asset is their affordability, and I applaud Walmart for starting to carry this brand so that more people can discover the savings to be had by switching to cloth diapers.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an MABU stater kit in your choice of size! Sizing information found here: http://mabubaby.com/use-and-care/sizing-secure-fit

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A (Rare) Apple a Day Keeps You Looking Fairest of Them All (#EclosBeauty GIVEAWAY!!!)

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My skin is changing. While it is far from “wrinkly”, it has lost some of its youthful glow, for sure. Perhaps some of that is due to being tired since I’m in the midst of raising young kids, but I also think a lot of it is just the reality of getting older.

Fortunately, there are some really great products on the market that can help your skin looks so much better than it would if left on its own. For the past week, I have been using various products from éclos Skin Care. They have an Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter kit that gives you the opportunity to try out the following products from their line:

  • Facial Cleanser Skin Prep
  • Cellular Activator Face Serum
  • Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
  • Restorative Eye Cream
  • Instant Radiance Facial Scrub
  • Skin Renewal Clay Mask
  • Bonus: eclos Terry Cloth Head Band

I really love being able to try out several products at once without having to invest in each and every product. This kit retails for $19.99 and gives you the chance to see which products you love the very most. For me, the Instant Radiance Facial Scrub has been a stand-out. It is very warm when you apply it to your face (which feels SO good) and it has a nice “grit” to it, though that quickly disappears as you rub it onto your face. You are eventually left with a really nice foamy lather. I would definitely purchase this product in its full-size and recommend it to others.

I am also particularly drawn to the Cellular Activator Face serum, which you apply to a clean face before you apply your moisturizer. It contains apple stem cells that have been extracted from rare Swiss apples and that studies have shown to have a tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, which means your skin will behave more like younger skin. I don’t have anything quite like this in my skin care aresenal, and it would be something I’d like to have in its full-size, for sure.

I’ve been using the products for a week, and I have a before and after shot to show you. My “before” shot is actually me in the hospital right after having Layah. I started using them the day I had her! 🙂 The after shot is me without makeup one week later.

 

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I’m actually wearing makeup in the first shot (don’t judge me for putting on makeup right before having a baby!) and the second one I’m not wearing a stitch of anything. But you can see the shine on my face (and I have VERY dry skin, so that isn’t oil). I do believe the products work!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the same kit I received to try out! To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me which product in the kit you are most excited to try! Giveaway ends at 12:01am on 5/24.

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

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Baby Name Wizard Subscription Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When I was pregnant with Darah, I came up with her name long before we even knew that she was a girl. I was completely confident in my choice for her first name. Her middle name did take us a while longer, but we had it all settled by the time I was 7 months pregnant.

This time around, we settled on Layah at 38 weeks pregnant. Talk about a nail-biter! I do believe that we over-thought the process, and I also think that naming your second child, particularly of the same gender as the first, is just a lot harder!

I started out quite optimistic, having roughly 25 girl names on my list. I got that list thanks to the book, The Baby Name Wizard. This is a book that I HIGHLY recommend. It is so different from your typical name book because it divides names up into categories. Some categories will resonate with you and you might find 5 or 6 names from that list that you love, while other categories you will find yourself skipping right over because you don’t like how any of them sound. It’s a much smarter approach to thinking about names, and it just really made a lot of sense to me. It certainly got us off to a good start when we were first thinking about names.

And then I made the mistake of over-analyzing each and every name, picking them apart until I found flaws. So I was left with nothing!

But then I got some additional help. I got an expert subscription to babynamewizard.com. This online resource takes the information found in the book to an entirely new level. It has a tremendous database that you can access and that can help you find the right name match for your child, based on particular preferences or dislikes that you have (for example, are you drawn to Irish names? Do you NOT want the name to start with a particular letter? Do you want a name that is popular or more rare?). This database gave me an entirely new crop of names to consider, and I really loved that I was able to save anything I liked online so that I could go back and look at it later.

I also really liked that for each name, there was a place for people to leave comments about the name. For example, people would leave comments about how much they enjoy (or don’t enjoy) having that particular name and why, or why they chose that particular name for their child. Reading that insight was extremely helpful, as it caused some names to rise further up our list, and others to fall off of it.

But the very best resource of all for me was the forums. There’s a section where you can post your baby name dilemmas and ask for advice, and we did just that! We didn’t mind sharing out list of possibilities with people who weren’t personally invested in what we name our child, so their feedback was more objective. What we discovered is that the name at the top of our list was preferred by ABSOLUTELY NOBODY. And there was one name that stood out quite a bit from the rest. In the end, we didn’t go with the online crowd favorite as her first name, but gave it to her as her middle name, because we realized based on feedback that a name we thought might be perceived as incredibly weak actually wasn’t, and in fact, was seen as quite strong by many. We really needed fresh perspectives on our names, and we definitely got it on this site. I can’t say enough what a big help it was.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a nine month expert subscription to The Baby Name Wizard!

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