Stuff Parents Need

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

Hosting an #IcedCoffee Party with Ease: International Delight to the Rescue!

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As I have mentioned before on my blog, Tim and I are being intentional this year about planting some roots in our new hometown. We are making a conscious effort to make some new friends. Part of that process includes inviting people over to your house to hang out.

I’ll be the first to tell you that this can be a daunting idea, especially if your house tends to be messy, like ours does. Who has the energy to spend cleaning everything up so that you won’t be embarrassed to have folks over? I’m very ashamed to admit how many times I have NOT invited people over to my house for that very reason. What a missed opportunity!

This year, I refuse to let a messy house be an excuse. Cluttered or not, I’m inviting people over! I thought one of the best ways to get the most bang for my buck would be to invite several people over at once. I’d only have to clean once but I’d get to spend time with several folks, that way! Also, hosting several people at once allows you to be a connector, and introduce your friends to each other. I think most people are open to the idea of meeting new potential friends, and are grateful when opportunities arise to meet others in comfortable settings.

So I decided to invite a handful of women over who I know and who have toddlers. Tim agreed to keep an eye on all the kiddos so that the moms could actually have conversations with each other, and our littles got the chance to play and have fun. I decided to make the event an iced coffee party, and as part of the event, I showcased a brand new product from International Delight that I’m absolutely bonkers over. Introducing International Delight Iced Coffee!

You can pick up these cartons, ready to drink, in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Mine was located next to the chocolate milk. To see my entire shopping trip for the party, click here!

Preparing for the party was really quite easy. I wanted to give the party a Valentine’s theme, but in a way that is manageable for me (as I am NOT crafty). So I picked up some fun Valentine’s Day confetti, heart shaped straws for the coffee, and some large conversation hearts for decoration. I also made use of some candles I already owned and some coffee beans to come up with a cute decor item on the cheap!

Aren’t coffee beans a really cute and appropriate way to decorate for such an event? I didn’t come up with the idea myself, but have seen it before on a blog (no idea where or when). Thanks goodness that there are creative people out there to give me ideas!

I then put together a few food options for the event. Since it was being held from 9:30-11am, there was no need to go too overboard on food. Sara Lee helped me out by making the strawberry shortcake for me, and I also put together a fruit and cheese tray (SO much cheaper to put together yourself, I promise!).

The real star of the show, though (as well as the biggest time saver!) was the International Delight Iced Coffee. Yes, you can make your own iced coffee at home, but it takes a really long time, because you have to brew it and then get it nice and chilled. And then you need to purchase or make your own additional syrups for flavor and also some sort of milk or cream. Or you can just pick up one of these cartons and you are ready to go! At my store, these retail for just under $4, and they serve 8. That’s a smokin’ hot deal as compared to running by McDonald’s for a quick iced coffee! And in this instance, I really loved that I had nothing to brew and chill in advance. It was SO easy!

I really enjoyed introducing some of the great women I have met here in Chattanooga to each other, and it was so nice to just eat something yummy, sip on something delicious and have a nice chat. One of my guests wasn’t really an iced coffee drinker, but she did remark that she thought the product was clever and a great idea for all the iced coffee fans out there. Another guest commented that she would absolutely be buying this product because she LOVES iced coffee, and International Delight takes all the work out of making it at home for yourself. Another guest stated that she liked it, but that she wished that there was a bit more information available about the ingredients (what is “coffee extract” that is listed high up on the ingredients list? It’s a good question!).

As for me, I would like to know more about the caffeine content. Since I’m expecting, I need to really watch my intake, and this stuff is so yummy that I could easily over do it! I will also say that this product is quite sweet. I think it most easily compares to the iced coffees available at McDonald’s. It comes in 3 flavors: original, mocha and vanilla. I found the original to be the least sweet, and it is my personal preference to combine that flavor with either mocha or vanilla to get something that isn’t quite as sweet as the flavored varieties on their own.

Will this product find a forever home in my house? YES! Will I be making us of it during future visits with friends? Absolutely. Having iced coffee ready to go in my fridge just makes it that much harder to come up with an excuse for  not having people over. And that’s a very good thing, indeed!

If you want to keep up with the latest news on this fabulous new product, follow International Delight on Twitter and Facebook!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

 

Tropical Traditions Organic Liquid Soaps (GIVEAWAY!!)

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It never ceases to amaze me just how many incredible uses there are for coconut oil! Tropical Traditions seems to have the inside scoop on all the best uses, and today I’m bringing you yet another outstanding product from their line.

We’ve been using Tropical Traditions Organic Liquid Soaps in our bathrooms and in our kitchen for the past few weeks, and the experience has been very positive. These are the foaming type of soaps, which are my personal favorite. I have to tell you, these soaps are SO creamy! They feel fabulous on the skin and don’t leave it dried out at all. I use the unscented version in Darah’s bathroom. We are using the tea tree scent in the kitchen, which is the perfect choice. And in our bathroom, we’ve got lavender. It smells AWESOME! I feel like I’m getting a mini-aromatherapy session every time I wash my hands!

Wanna hear something really interesting? Tropical traditions organic liquid soap is made with 100% organic coconut oil and NOTHING ELSE (except the essential oils in the scented varieties). What other foaming soaps on the market can boast the same high quality, non-toxic ingredient list? Nobody that I know of!

And as far as their effectiveness as soaps, they work great! No complaints here!

Buy it!: Tropical Traditions Organic Liquid Soaps are $9.50 for 8 ounces (but watch for their frequent sales!) and you can get a refill bottle of 32 ounces for $33.50

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Tropical Traditions Organic Liquid Soap in your choice of scent!

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Important News About Using Google Friend Connect (GFC) to Read Blogs

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Many of you may have noticed that I haven’t offered any extra entries in my giveaways for following me via Google Friend Connect (GFC). There’s a reason for that! Google has decided that any blog not using Blogger (I use WordPress) can no longer use GFC as of March 1st. They have neither confirmed nor denied if readers will still be able to see posts in their feeds from non-Blogger blogs. I’m betting that you won’t be able to see them, which really really stinks if you regularly check GFC to stay up to date with your favorite blogs.

I’m actually taking down GFC on my site in a few days, so it won’t be an option to follow me that way anymore. If GFC is your preferred way to follow Stuff Parents Need, I do have several alternatives to suggest so that you don’t miss any of my fabulous reviews and giveaways!

1. Please strongly consider subscribing to Stuff Parents Need, either via email (delivered to your inbox each day) or through Google Reader, which is a feedburner service. Click here to sign up via email and click here to sign up via feedburner (or RSS).

2. If you prefer to follow blogs without a subscription to each and every post, consider adding me to your circles at Google+. This is sort of like a Facebook alternative with some cool customization options. I put updates there about all my current posts, so you can easily skim through them and decide what is relevant to you. Click here to follow me on Google+.

3. If you are more old-school in your social media, I’m on Facebook, too! All my posts are highlighted there, as well. Click here to follow me on Facebook.

4. If you prefer Twitter as your way to follow along, that’s an option, as well! Click here to follow me on Twitter.

All of these methods get extra entries on giveaways, so it’s honestly a great idea to follow me all 4 ways! But as long as you are following me on at least one other platform, we won’t lose each other when the GFC switch-off happens.

(Maternity Monday) Stylish Burp Cloths by Ahmelie (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Here’s the deal: babies spit up. A lot. And when I say “spit up” I am not just talking about little dribbles of drool (although they do a heck of a lot of that, especially when teething). I’m talking about what should really be referred to as throwing up, but that’s just too gross to say all the time. They do this OFTEN, and if you aren’t prepared with the right equipment, your laundry basket is about to get seriously full. I learned from the wise parents who came before me that for several months of your life, you should plan on having a burp cloth over your shoulder pretty much at all times. Does it need to be something fancy? Of course not; absorbency is the real key. We used mostly basic pre-folds (so absorbent!) and some cut up towels.

But with that said, we also had a few “nice” burp cloths, and I was really glad to have those when we ventured from the house. If I actually made the time to look halfway decent when going somewhere, I didn’t want to spoil the whole thing by putting a cut up towel over my shoulder! So I do recommend that you get at least 3 nicer burp cloths. But don’t do what my mom did and get burp cloths that are so lovely (full of expensive lace, for example) that you would be upset if they actually got used. If the baby can’t actually spit up on them, then they are useless!

Ahmelie, one of my VERY favorite retailers, offers the perfect marriage of design and function with her burp cloth sets. I had the opportunity to review a set of 3 burp cloths from her line. These are made with 100% cotton cloth diapers, which are very absorbent! But they also have a beautiful piece of fabric added to the middle to make them look beautiful. I really like the size of these burp cloths; they are large enough to double as a changing pad, which makes them all the better. I LOVE when something can do double-duty for me in the diaper bag!

I can tell you as a customer of Ahmelie’s that her designs are simply gorgeous and her quality is outstanding. If your burp cloth stash is looking a little rough around the edges, or if you are looking for a really cute shower gift that will also be useful, I highly recommend these designer burp cloths.

Buy it!: The set of 3 burp cloths I reviewed retails for $17.00, which is a great price for something so darn cute! Ahmelie has a special offer for Stuff Parents Need customers. Use code STUFF10 at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase (good at www.ahmelie.etsy.com or at www.ahmelie.com).

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of 3 burp cloths from Ahmelie!

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Who Makes You Smile? This Contest Will! (Trip to NYC, $1,000 and Teeth Whitening!)

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You know I LOVE sharing great giveaways with my readers, and this one is certainly no exception. Up for grabs is the following:

  • All-expenses trip paid to NYC for 2
  • $1,000 in spending money so that you can have an absolute ball in the Big Apple
  • Teeth-whitening smile makeover so that all the pictures you take grinning from ear to ear on your trip will look amazing!

TopDentists.com is sponsoring this awesome contest, and they are also offering daily prizes for entrants for various fun whitening products. So get over there and get yourself entered right away!

Entering is super easy. All you have to do is upload a picture of yourself with someone who makes you smile and write a brief caption (140 characters or less, which is the size of a tweet!) about the photo. The top 5 submissions will be eligible for the grand prize. The votes will be tallied on March 16th. So get your friends and family to start voting for your shot!

Additionally, if you happen to live within 100 miles of the following locations, you are also eligible to win a regional prize, which consists of a teeth whitening treatment from a dentist (I’ve had one of these before and the results are GREAT!). The locations are as follows:

  • Troy, MI
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Aventura, FL
  • Austin, TX
  • Beverly Hills, CA

What do you have to lose except for a less-than-sparkling smile? Enter now! And if you win and happen to need someone to come with you on the trip, I’m available! 😉

This post is sponsored by TopDentists.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

CiCi’s Pizza: Best Restaurant for Families with Young Kids! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Since having Darah, I have radically changed my perspective about what is important in a restaurant setting. Pre-kids, I wanted something quiet, maybe even a little romantic in setting when going out to eat.

Now, I want a place that has sufficient high chairs, clean restrooms (ok, I always wanted that), changing tables in the restrooms, and a wait staff that knew how to accommodate the needs of little ones. For example, I love when a server proactively brings a drink with a lid for a child or when they bring extra napkins without me having to ask for them.

I also want to go to a place where other diners won’t be too fazed should my child decide to belt out “Part of Your World” halfway through the meal, or if she and daddy need to go on a scenic tour of the restaurant and explore everything.

Such a restaurant is not so easy to find, and honestly, that’s why we don’t go out to eat very often! But there are a few places we have discovered that fit the bill. One of the very best options, in my personal opinion, is CiCi’s Pizza.

If you have never had the pleasure of dining at a CiCi’s restaurant, you really are in for a treat. The fun begins as soon as you step into the restaurant. You can see not only the register, but also the entire cooking area right when you walk in, and EVERY employee stops and says, “Welcome to CiCi’s!” as soon as you walk in. It’s such a cool thing! You then proceed to order. I highly recommend the all-you-care-to-eat buffet, which is just $5.49 per person (the exact price may vary by location). Kids 3 and under are FREE! That is a price point that families on a budget can actually afford, and the food is awesome! They are constantly putting out new, hot pizzas to enjoy, and they also have a salad bar and some dessert pizzas. Yummy!

If your kids are a little bit older, they will enjoy hanging out in the game room that most every CiCi’s has. Be sure to bring some quarters so that they can play some games!

I also wanted to let you know about a GREAT promotion CiCi’s is currently running. Right now you can call in and order 3 medium pizzas for $9.99 (takeout). Let me make sure you understand what I’m saying. The price isn’t $9.99 per pizza, as you might expect. It’s $9.99 FOR ALL 3 PIZZAS!!!!! You can select 3 one-topping pizzas, or you can also choose from nine CiCi’s speciality pizzas, wuch as the Kansas City BBQ, Buffalo Chicken or my family’s personal favorite, the Spinach Alfredo pizza. I seriously just paused while writing this to put our nearest CiCi’s pizza phone number in my cell…we are TOTALLY calling this number later today and ordering some pizza!

Also, take a second to get yourself signed up for CiCi’s Pizza Perks. This is an email program where specials such as this get delivered right to your inbox so you never miss out!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win 2 free buffet coupons on CiCi’s so that you and your family can experience the fun waiting to be had at CiCi’s Pizza!

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Hunk Ta Bunk Ta Greatest Hits cd (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Today I’m featuring a children’s artist who is new to me, but she’s been cranking out award-winning music since 1992! Her name is Katherine Dines and her band is called Hunk Ta Bunk Ta. If you are also new to this band, I’ve got great news…there’s a new cd that can help you get to know the band by featuring the very best hits from their albums! It’s called Hunk Ta Bunk Ta Hits and it has 15 songs that fans over the years have treasured the very most. That means that every song on the album is toe-tapping, very catchy and just plain delightful!

I think the sound of this group is a bit folksy, with lyrics that are easy to follow and sing along with, which I really appreciate for younger kids. I would definitely recommend it as a great cd that is stuffed with fun music your little one is likely to love!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Hunk Ta Bunk Ta Hits!

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This Week’s Pork Challenge: Boneless Pork Loin Chops #Publix4Pork

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Last week I told you about the “Good and Good for You” Challenge that I’m participating in, where I’m trying out different cuts of pork each week in different tasty and healthy dishes that are easy to prepare. Last week we tried pork tenderloin and made pork sliders. They were a HUGE hit; we were all disappointed when all the leftovers were gone!

This week we were challenged to try a recipe that might be good for “game day” (I hear that there’s a football game on this weekend that is sort of a big deal…). Thanks to Porkbeinspired.com (an AWESOME resource for great pork recipes) I found the perfect dish! P.F. Chang’s look out, because we made our own pork lettuce wraps this week!

Here’s the recipe!

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Satay Pork Strips


Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
4 boneless top loin pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Vegetable oil cooking sprayMarinade: 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
1 tablespoon garlic , minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperWraps: 

3 large heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1 English cucumber, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
2 ounces bean thread (Asian cellophane noodles), soaked for 15 minutes in hot water, and then drained
16 sprigs fresh cilantro

Sauces: 

1/4 cup corn syrup
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup prepared Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup prepared Thai peanut sauce

Place chops in large self-sealing plastic bag; combine marinade ingredients in small bowl and pour over chops. Seal bag and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Prepare medium-hot fire in charcoal grill or preheat gas grill to medium high. Arrange coals or burners so there is medium-low zone for finishing chops.

When ready to grill, remove chops from marinade (discarding marinade). Spray grill grate with vegetable oil spray. Grill pork directly over medium-high fire until seared, 3-4 minutes per side. Slide chops to cooler part of grill, cover, and continue to grill until pork registers 145 degrees F. when checked with an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While pork is marinating, arrange stack of large lettuce leaves attractively on large serving platter. Place carrots, cucumber, bean thread, and cilantro leaves in small dishes and arrange on serving platter.

In small serving bowl or ramekin, mix together corn syrup, minced cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Place sweet chili sauce and peanut sauce in small serving bowls or ramekins.

Cut pork into thin slices. Lay 3 medium-sized leaves of lettuce on serving platter and arrange pork on lettuce.

To assemble, let each guest place a lettuce leaf on an appetizer plate. Arrange 2 slices of pork on top of the lettuce. Mound a bit of carrot, cucumber, and bean thread over top. Add a couple cilantro leaves and drizzle one of the sauces over top. Fold over the lettuce to form a roll and enjoy!

Serves 8 as an appetizer.

 

While there are several elements to the dish, they do come together very easily. We further simplified things by using our George Foreman grill to cook the chops. Easy!

So what makes this a great game day alternative to hot dogs, nachos, or even ribs (which, incidentally, are on sale this week at Publix through the 8th if you want to go that route!)? This is a much leaner cut of meat, which cuts back on your calorie intake. The other ingredients in the dish are also, corn syrup aside, healthy, too. But the fun factor if 100% there. These are so much fun to make and so satisfying to eat. They will fill you just like something heavier would, but without the stomachache that would follow a big plate of chili cheese fries! They are also 100% full of flavor, which will definitely make them a crowd favorite.

I will tell you that I honestly never realized you could to anything with pork chops besides just make pork chops. So I never bought them. I was so wrong, though! There are TONS of creative recipes out there (Pinterest, anyone?!) and now that we’ve tried this cut of meat, it is on my radar to pick up in the future. It is a healthy choice for my family with endless possibilities for preparation.

If you’d like to learn more about making healthy eating choices by using pork, be sure to follow Pork Be Inspired on Facebook as well as Twitter for great tips, as well as contest info!

Disclosure: I am participation in this campaign in conjunction with The Motherhood, and am being compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.


PediaCare New Dosing Features

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I want to highly recommend that you check out this video (just under 4 minutes) that can tell you about the updates to acetaminophen products. It’s important to get updated on what’s been changing with these products so that you can know best how to treat them when they get sick. The video also has some really good tips for how to get kids to take their medicine! Here’s a link to the new dosage chart, as well.

I have been trying out PediaCare’s Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever with Darah (we had a recent cold circulate in the house). And I LOVE the new dispenser method. Darah prefers to take her medicine with a syringe, and we used to spend a LOT of time trying to get her medicine out in the proper dosage (we’d often get air pockets over get too much medicine out, and then put too much back in…such a pain!). The flow restriction that the products now have has ensured that we get it right the first time!

I also LOVE that they have a dosage based on weight. It’s really important to read that label carefully! I’m really glad to see on the infant products that it doesn’t just say, “ask a doctor.” That used to drive me nuts! Now you have a better idea for the proper dosage. But do make sure you know the weight of your child…no guessing!

I also like that PediaCare products are dye free, so that’s one less harmful thing for my kids to be ingesting.

The PediaCare Infants Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever is intended for ages 0-36 months and retails for $6.99 for a 2 ounce bottle. PediaCare Children’s Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever is intended for ages 2-11 and is $7.59 for a 4 ounce bottle.

Edit: This giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one bottle of PediaCare Infants Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever and one bottle of PediaCare Children’s Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever (ARV of both is $14.58).

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