Stuff Parents Need

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

Kitchen Paddles: The PERFECT Gadget for the DIY Pizza Maker (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Have I told you before that Tim is becoming quite skilled when it comes to working with dough? He has been using the no-knead bread recipe put out by the New York Times with great success. Additionally, he has found a simple DIY pizza dough recipe that tastes fantastic (we had many failures with pizza dough prior to finding this recipe). We make pizza about once every two weeks (although last week we made it twice in one week!). It is much cheaper to make than to buy, and it is SOOOOO yummy. Who doesn’t like pizza? I’m sure someone out there doesn’t, but I simply cannot relate. Hot cheese meets warm bread meets tangy sauce…yes, please!

Now we have a new gadget in our kitchen that is helping out with bread making, and especially with pizza making. It is called Kitchen Paddles, and they rock! The 1:58 video below shows how these work. Check it out!

What a clever design! The interlocking features really makes these paddles very useful, and helps you to get your pizza in and out of the oven with ease. It can also help with bread if you make it in the oven! Tim has been using them for a little while, and I asked him if he felt like they earned their keep in our kitchen, which is small (so we don’t allow gadgets that don’t work hard to live there!). He said that since we cook a lot of bread and pizza, we will certainly be using these regularly, and that they do make the task easier. They can even be used as a cutting board for fruits and veggies (and you can use the paddles to easily slide your chopped food into a bowl). Hooray!

If you are a homemade pizza family, I think Kitchen Paddles are a terrific option for you to make the job even more fun and stress-free. If you wish you were a pizza making family but just found it to be too difficult, maybe you just didn’t have the right tools for making pizza!

Kitchen Paddles are available for $19.95. At this price point, they also make an excellent and affordable gift for the novice chef in your life, or for the bride and groom! They are made from bamboo with is a renewable resource, and .50 of every purchase goes to a nonprofit called Action Against Hunger. I love that the website keeps a running total of its donations so that you KNOW they really are handing over the money!

Win it!: Hooray! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to get your very own set of beautiful Kitchen Paddles! The contest will run until April 13th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me anything about making pizza at home in your family. Ever tried it? How did it go? Do you have a favorite topping? Anything topic-related works for me.

My answer: my favorite pizza, hands-down, is pineapple. Even better if it has extra cheese!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Kitchen Paddles on Twitter
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current reviews, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary item for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Booster Chair for Toddlers: Kaboost Chair Booster!

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About 2 months ago, I realized that Darah was outgrowing her high chair. I honestly had given ZERO thought to what our plan was going to be post-high chair (I suppose I didn’t want to think about it, as it would be one big step away from life with a BABY in the house). Once I accepted the fact that Darah wasn’t going to want to be in a high chair much longer, I went online and started looking for booster seats.

Basically, I got really overwhelmed with the choices and was reminded of the process of picking out baby gear for the first time all over again (cue “deer in headlights” expression). I looked at many, MANY different types of booster seats, but I kept going back to one that I had seen in action at my best friend’s house, and that was unique from all the others.

booster chairs toddlers

It’s called Kaboost, and it isn’t a chair at all. It turns any chair you already have into a booster seat! Confused? Check out this video below (just 96 seconds long!) and it will show you how Kaboost works.

So the idea is that rather than having a booster chair, you have a chair booster!

Here’s what I really love about this product:

  • It comes fully assembled. Pull it out of the box and stick it on your chair. Done!
  • It is very portable. You can easily take it anywhere and have the appropriate seating for your little one.
  • It will last for a good long while with each child. The recommended age range is 2-6. Darah isn’t 2, yet, but she is already enjoying using it, and calls the chair with Kaboost under it, “my chair.”
  • It takes up so much less space in your house than a booster chair would. I love a product that can help you get the results you want with less material and without taking up much space.
  • It can expand quite a bit to fit pretty much any chair.
  • It actually improves the stability of a chair by widening its base, making it safer for a young child.

Based on my experience with this product, I would very highly recommend it to other parents who are looking for the best product for children who are too big for the high chair but not big enough to comfortably sit at the table without a boost! Kaboost retails for $39.99 and comes in green, chocolate and natural. I found them online at Amazon and a ComfortFirst.com.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

5 Ideas for Girls Night In and $10 Opportunity! Guest Post

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Thanks to Jennifer, the author of this guest post, for the reminder that we need to spend time with our girlfriends but that doesn’t mean we have to blow our budgets! Be sure to check out the opportunity below to earn $10 the very first time you use WePay.com! Rock!


5 Ideas for Your Girls Night…In!

With the economy forcing a tighter budget on all of us these days, it’s unfortunately our social life that seems to take the hardest hit. Party planning or meeting up to spend time with the girls can be stressful nowadays, but thankfully, there are plenty of ways it can be done without breaking the bank.

You and your friends can take turns hosting your get-togethers at your homes. To help simplify the planning process, open a free account on WePay.com so all the girls can contribute their share of the funds for the festivities in one central place, and the host can collect money from everyone for all the party supplies.

Once that’s covered, check out these five great ideas for having a much-deserved day, or night, with your closest girlfriends. Now go out and have some fun preparing for some fun with friends!

Do It Yourself Spa Day

Why go to an expensive salon when you can do it all at home? Make your dress code comfy robes and slippers and decorate the room with soothing aromatherapy candles. Take turns giving each other facials and simple mani-pedis while listening to soothing music or watching a fun movie. Leave your stress at the door and just have fun pampering yourself and relaxing with friends.

Chick Flick Marathon

Stock up on microwave popcorn, sodas or cocktails, and some classic movie candy and curl up on the couch and get ready to screen some of the classics. Classic chick-flicks, that is! Get ready to laugh, cry, and spend some quality comfy time with your friends.

Wine Tasting Party

You may want to go for a theme in wine choices by either choosing all whites- Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio, or all reds- Merlot, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir. Either way, add some cheese, crackers, and maybe some fresh fruit like grapes, and voila! What a simple way to get together and have some fun!

Cupcakes and Cocktails

Instead of cocktails and appetizers, make it sweet with cocktails and cupcakes! Each guest can bring a plate of cupcakes- chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake, pumpkin and more. Cupcakes can be paired with different kinds of drinks just like wine and fish or meat. Keep the decorations fun and simple with some fresh flowers.

Champagne Brunch

Okay, so brunch isn’t exactly at night, but getting together and relaxing can be done any time! Set up a fabulous Mimosa bar with different kinds of juices like orange, mango, pineapple, peach, and then of course the champagne! Skip the sausage and gravy and keep your brunch menu healthy by going to the grocery store and loading up on fruit, yogurt, granola, and nuts.

What other ways can you think of to spend some fun yet inexpensive quality time with your friends? Whether it’s a girls’ night in, or a girl’s night out, WePay can help you make all the preparations easier.

This guest post was brought to you by WePay.com, the easiest way to collect money online. When they’re not enjoying a rare girl’s night in, moms use WePay to collect money for teacher gifts, fundraisers, PTA/PTO, Scouting Dues and more. If you’re sick of clip boards, strong boxes and messy spreadsheets, check us out at WePay.com for a time and money saving solution. Want $10? Sign up today and check out our referral program!

This post contains affiliate links

Awesome Biggest Loser GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m so excited to tell you about a huge giveaway that is being sponsored by The Biggest Loser (one of my favorite reality shows…makes me cry every time I watch it!) and Wholly Guacamole (my absolute favorite guacamole…makes me hungry every time I think about it!). It’s easy to enter, and I want to see Stuff Parents Need readers win!


Go to eatwholly.com/thebiggestloser and, in 200 words or less, tell them how you and your Battle Buddy inspire and support each other in your weight loss journey. A Battle Buddy is someone who helps keep you motivate (and that you also motivate) in the battle against the bulge!

They’re giving away tons of prizes including a trip for 2 to attend The Biggest Loser: Couples seasonfinale, a trip for 2 for a week’s stay at The Biggest LoserResort atFitness Ridge Malibu®and airfare allowance!And don’t forget to watch The Biggest Loser: Couples, Tuesdays 8/7c!

 

Click here to learn more!


If you win a prize, please tell me so that I can celebrate with you!!!

Disclosure: I did not receive a complimentary trip to the Biggest Loser finale (I WISH!) but I am entered to win a trip to the finale for posting this (if you don’t win I hope I do!). Additionally, I will receive some Wholly coupons to thank me for posting. Yum!


 

Andean Collection: GORGEOUS Fair-Trade Jewelry (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If I could imagine the perfect jewelry (talking about the type that doesn’t sparkle, here), I would say that it would be fashion-forward, eco-friendly and also fair-trade. I’ve seen many companies that hit two out of the three, but never one that I thought met all three requirements perfectly.

That is, until now.

Oh friends, get ready for some serious eye candy! Check out Andean Collection.

I love, love, LOVE jewelry that is big and bold, without being obnoxious. The colors and materials that The Andean Collection uses really draw me in, too, and I think that’s because they are truly inspired by what you find in nature. On their site, they talk about how they really try to merge the worlds of New York (where they are based) and the Andean regions of South American (where their artisan workshops are located) and the end results are truly gorgeous pieces that weave together urban and rural and nature with the modern world.

Andean Collection loves to provide quality pieces of jewelry for fashion-forward women, but it also has a greater purpose at heart. From their site, “Andean Collection was founded to bring sustainable change to impoverished communities in South America. We offer artisans the opportunity to participate in the global market while inspiring our customers with access to the elusive world of the rural Andes. We have a non-profit arm, Andean Project, to ensure that this change is productive and healthy and to address other poverty related social issues, all funded through our sales and private donations.”

So you see, this isn’t just about looking good. It’s also about helping individuals, families and even communities to participate in the global market place, be paid a fair wage, and thrive. I’ve found that the blog kept by Andean Collection gives you some wonderful insight into the work that is happening in South America. I’m really enjoying following along with the blog posts, and recommend it if you are looking for some good reads!

I was sent the Tagua bracelet in grape, and I have worn is numerous times, already! I love that this bracelet adds a lot of visual interest to my clothes without being over-the-top. And it is purple, but not in an obvious way, so I’m finding that I can pair it with many different colors! I’m absolutely loving it!

Buy it!: The Tagua bracelet is available for $26.00, and is sure to add a lot of style to any outfit! It is also the most popular item on their site, so word is getting out that this bracelet is FABULOUS! Also, be sure to check out their sale section for some really good buys on gorgeous stuff!

Win it!: One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Tagua bracelet, in your choice of color! Wow! The contest will run until April 11th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: The Andean Collection would love to be friends with you on Facebook, so please like them (and come back here and leave a comment that you did) for your mandatory entry! If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can subscribe to the Andean Collection newsletter for your mandatory entry (and if you do both, leave an extra comment telling me and you can get a bonus entry!)

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow The Andean Collection on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (find it on my sidebar)

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

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

The Skinny on Nutrisystem Food: Lunches

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If you missed my first post on Nutrisystem, be sure to check it out here (I give you my opinion about their frozen breakfast offerings!).

The frozen lunches I tried on my 10 Day Challenge were a mixed bag. Some were absolutely fantastic, and others were, well….not so much. See what I thought about each meal below!

Chicken Quesadilla (1.5 out of 5 stars). This was the greatest disappointment in the bunch. I assumed that it would be one of my very favorites, but I found the filling to be just a strange, mushy mess. I didn’t even finish it! Definitely leave this one on the Schwan’s truck if you place an order.

Steak and Cheese Melt (3 out of 5 stars). This was definitely not bad, but the filling was just a bit too brothy for my personal tastes. It isn’t something I would order again.

Toasted Ham and Cheese (3.5 out of 5 stars). Really my only complaint about these hot pocket alternatives is that they were a bit on the dry side. Otherwise, I found them to have good flavor and to crisp nicely in the toaster oven. I’d say that these are worth a try.

Meatball Parmesan Melt (3.5 out of 5 stars). This was another dish that tasted a little bit too brothy, but even with that said, I found it to be tasty, and was genuinely surprised that this was a low calorie dish. If you like Meatballs, try this one out, for sure.

Roasted Veggie Pizza (4 out of 5 stars). The crust on this pizza is delicious. I don’t care for many of the vegetables on this pizza, but the crust was so good, I ate them, anyway. I think that is saying something!

Margherita Pizza (4 out of 5 stars). The pizza tasted fabulous. I will say that the amount of sauce on the pizza was almost laughable (see how it is just dotted on in the picture?). But, the taste was great, so maybe the lesson here is that you really don’t need very much sauce to achieve a great flavor.

Chicken Fajita Melt (5 out of 5 stars). This was definitely my favorite. The chicken pieces in the dish were wonderful. This really and truly reminded me of a hot pocket. It tasted downright indulgent. I would very strongly recommend this to anyone, dieting or not! It’s just that good!

Are you wondering how you go about ordering Nutrisystem food? There are several options! Check out Nutrisystem.com for several different plans they offer for men and women. Note that the prices they are offering for getting started with the program are the lowest they have been since 2003…8 years ago! If you’d prefer to just shop a la carte and give a few of their dishes a try, that is also an option; just click here. Food is typically delivered through Schwan’s.

In a few days, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on dinners from Nutrisystem. Yes, there were a few bombs, but there were also quite a few OUTSTANDING choices. Stay tuned! 🙂

Disclosure: I participated in a 10 day challenge with Nutrisystem and was provided with complimentary products in exchange for my honest opinions.

Popcorn and Chips Become One: Popcorners (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If you could merge together two of your favorite snacks into one, what would those be? Let your imagination run wild…it doesn’t have to be feasible!

For me, I would blend together ice cream and root beer into an instant float…ready at all times. Just pour, and enjoy!

For Tim, the answer would be to combine popcorn and tortilla chips. I swear that he could survive on just those two items along with some water for an entire week.

Maybe my fantasy treat doesn’t exist (I’ve actually seen attempts to capture this flavor, but I’m talking about having the true taste AND consistency of a float!), but it turns out, that Tim’s dream hybrid snack is real! It’s called Popcorners, and here’s Tim to tell you one big reason why it is such a hit with him:

I’d never really thought about the fact that the smell of popcorn travels far and wide, but it is so true! Popcorners is such a great way for Tim to get his daily popcorn fix at work, minus that popcorn smell. And as he mentioned, Popcorners is SO much better for you than microwave popcorn, which has a laundry list of unpronounceable chemicals in each bag. Yuck!

I like Popcorners because they are crisp and crunchy, just like a chip! I don’t feel so bad reaching for them to munch on, as opposed to something like Doritos. And their flavor selection is excellent! Popcorners comes in the following flavors:

  • white cheddar
  • kettle (my favorite)
  • butter
  • cheesy jalapeno (Tim’s favorite)
  • sea salt

Buy it!: Popcorners products are popping up all over the country, and perhaps are most easily found on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

In Which I Confess to Having a Beach Chair as Outdoor Furniture: Pier 1 to the Rescue!

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This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have a front or back porch, what furniture do you have there? If you have pictures of it online, I’d love to see them (leave a link in the comments!). Tim and I have lived in two homes over the past 4 years that have had wonderful spaces to put some outdoor furniture, but in the first house, we didn’t have one single thing out there, and really just never made use of that great space. In this house, we have a swing for Darah, a sandbox, and to go right along with it, a beach chair. Yeah, a beach chair. Writing that out just gave me pause…I bet the neighbors are less than thrilled with our outdoor furniture choice!

I’d really like to get something different, but at 30 years of age, I have never ever shopped for this type of furniture, so I’m a little bit intimidated by the process. Fortunately, Pier 1 is a store that can make the process very easy. I’ve looked over their collection for this year, and I really don’t see how you could go wrong, whatever you choose!

Here are some of the pieces that I’m personally drawn to, and would love to see on my front porch.

Swingasan Chair. We had something VERY similar to this when I was growing up, and I absolutely adored it. I actually wish my parents had held on to it so that I could have it. It’s so great to see that now I could go out and buy one! They are SOOOOO much fun to sit in, especially for kids!

Outdoor Ciudad Armless Chair. Doesn’t this just look awesome? I could see myself getty really comfy in this chair, reading my blogs on my iPad while little D plays in her sandbox. I’m sure my neighbors would like it much more than my beach chair, too!

Outdoor Perched Bird Chair. While this piece doesn’t look as kid-friendly to me, it is 100% my style. I actually like it so much that I would bring this chair indoors, I think! That’s another great thing about Pier 1’s outdoor pieces; many are actually outdoor/indoor, which expands their functionality even further!

If you are like me, and don’t really have much money to spend on outdoor updates, Pier 1 still has some great products that can help you spruce up your porch a bit without breaking the bank. All of their outdoor furniture seems reasonably priced, in my opinion, but if you need to spend as little as possible, go for updating your welcome mat or adding some fresh new cushions to your chairs. Those options will go a long way towards reviving your space for the spring and summer! They also have some wonderful outdoor decor options! One of my top picks is this beautiful pot; just $15!

Pier 1 seems to be a perfect choice when looking to update your outdoor living spaces, whether you want a furniture overhaul or just one or two new pieces to add some charm. There are some upcoming Tweet Ups happening for Pier 1, so if you live in Atlanta mark your calendars for  April 5, and NYC is having one on April 20th. Here’s some additional information on the Pier 1 Tweetups.

Visit Sponsor's Site

Like a Big Bottle of Tears: Biotrue Contact Lens Solution Review

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Today I want to tell you about a product that is perfect for all the contact lens wearers in the audience. I’m (sort of) reviewing a product called Biotrue. Let me explain the “sort of” part. I signed up for this campaign because I do need vision correction, and at my recent trip to the eye doctor, she told me that I had dry eyes and needed to find some eye drops (this is evidently a VERY common problem for anyone who spends a significant amount of time in front of the computer, just an FYI). I thought that Biotrue might be used as such, in addition to being useful as a contact lens solution.

So, I was wrong about that. Thankfully, on the FAQ page of their website, they note this (which made me feel less silly…I guess I’m not the only person who thought it could be used this way). I should have checked that section before signing up (lesson learned!), and sadly, I do not wear contacts. So all this is to say that I have not personally used this product.

However, I have been reading up on it, and it really does sound fantastic! In fact, I watched a video review by Vanderbilt Wife, and I thought her testimonial about how this product literally revitalized her warped lenses was awesome. Check it out if you have a second!

Ok, so what makes Biotrue better than all the other dozens of contact lens solutions on the market? Well, it goes beyond cleaning your contacts! It contains a lubricant that is found naturally in your eyes, which means getting your contacts in is going to be much less irritating.

Second, the pH of this product matches that of healthy tears! On their site, I found a statistic that 81% of people who tried this product said it felt like their natural tears. So, you could try to catch your own tears and save them up in a bottle, or you could just get some Biotrue. Up to you, but I’m thinking that the latter might be the way to go!

Finally, it keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active, which means that it is helping your eyes to not get dried out while your contacts are in. I would imagine that this is a very good thing, indeed!

Biotrue is available pretty much everywhere, which sure is convenient. And there’s a $1.00 off coupon that you can use when you purchase it. Hooray!

“I conducted this review while participating in a Mom Central Consulting blog tour on behalf of Bausch + Lomb Biotrue. I received a Biotrue sample and a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”