Stuff Parents Need

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

EcoMom.com Review: My Customer Service Experience

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I’ve had people ask me if I ever buy anything anymore, since I’m always reviewing products for this blog.

Yes, absolutely. And I often become a repeat customer for some of the places that I review, because I have such positive experiences with them. Maybe there are some review bloggers out there who rarely make purchases any more, but I think the vast majority of us are still out there shopping!

EcoMom.com

One company I have bought from and will buy from again is EcoMom. I wanted to tell you about my experience shopping with them over the holidays, because they demonstrated superior customer service, and I think they deserve some kudos!

The week of Thanksgiving, EcoMom had an AWESOME sale. Everything on their site was 33% off, and you got free shipping for orders of $50 or more. They also randomly drew 4 sales each day, and gave those customers their orders for free, regardless of how much they ordered. Pretty amazing, huh? I definitely wanted in on that!

I shopped and created a wish list that had over $200 worth of stuff on it. While the discount would have knocked quite a bit off that final bill, it was still more than I could pay. So over a few days I whittled it down until it was much closer to $50. But when I went to place my order, I was sad to see that about 2/3 of the stuff I wanted was out of stock. I was SUPER bummed out, because I had carefully selected some fabulous things for Darah and for upcoming baby showers. I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to take advantage of the sale if I couldn’t place my order that day.

So, not being one to give up so easily, I contacted customer service and asked if there was a way for me to place my order. I explained that I’d be willing to wait for items to come back in stock, even if it meant I wouldn’t get them by Christmas. EcoMom got back to me right away and made it happen so that I could get all my goodies at the sale price. They also kept me up to date on when items were arriving, and I had everything in my hands within 2 weeks. I was beyond impressed. They even offered to ship items to me as they arrived, which of course would have cut into their profits by them having to pay shipping fees multiple times. I declined that offer, but was blown away that they offered that up as an option.

What I learned from that experience is that EcoMom is VERY serious about offering the best in the way of customer service. I will most definitely be shopping with them again in the future because I felt appreciated and I felt that my business was valuable to them, even though my order wasn’t very large. Well done, EcoMom!

Win it!: EcoMom knows that I love them, and they wanted to send some love back to my readers in return! So I have a $15 credit to their store up for grabs! The contest will run until February 16th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me what you would purchase using the credit if you won!
My answer: I’d upgrade Darah’s potty to this one!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like EcoMom on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product in exchange for hosting this giveaway. My customer service story is uniquely my own!

Bite Me: One Seriously Funny Cookbook

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When it comes to creating meals, I don’t mind doing it. Yeah, that’s about as much passion as you are going to get from me about the joy of cooking. Sometimes it can be relaxing, and in those rare moments when I create a dish that tastes great, I do feel like I accomplished something. But my kitchen philosophy is that I want to spend as little time in there as possible and hopefully still get good results. That’s why I plan all our weekly menus and help with prep, but Tim is our executive chef the vast majority of the time. I have the vision, and he has the skills needed to make it happen. Ha!

So isn’t it funny, then, that I LOVE to read cookbooks? Yes! If you were to look up my library check out record over the past 5 years, I bet 60% of what I read has been cookbooks. I tend to avoid the fancy ones that require you to spend the greater part of a day whispering sweet nothings to your ingredients in the hopes that they will defy science (and gravity) and come together to form something unbelievably amazing. Invite me over for dinner if you enjoy cooking this way, as I’m more than happy to eat it. But as for making it? Meh.

Bite Me

bite me funny cookbook Today I’m bringing you a cookbook that I could swear was written just for me. Bite Me is, as far as cookbooks go, one of the very best reads EVER! It is chock-full of witty banter, sarcasm that makes you giggle and an approach to cooking that throws the gloves off and just gets down and dirty. You do your best and then you get the heck out of dodge! That’s my cooking style, to a T! I’m interested in those “different” recipes, but I want a cookbook that won’t make me feel like an idiot if I don’t nail it. I honestly feel like I have a girlfriend with me in the kitchen, talking me through the recipe while also reminding me to not take it so seriously. I’ll raise my glass to that!

The pictures are gorgeous (and sometimes a bit scandalous! Oooh!) and as for the recipes, themselves, what I have tried so far has been quite good. I did try one recipe that proved too difficult for me to accomplish when I was in an especially lazy mood, and honestly, I could just hear the authors saying to me, “Eh! Who cares? Take what you like from this recipe and screw the rest!” And that’s exactly what I did! 🙂

Buy it!: Bite Me is on sale right now for $16.47 (regularly $24.95) from Amazon and makes the perfect gift for anyone who, like me, thinks cookbooks are novels. And this one is seriously juicy!
Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One Stuff Parents Need reader is about to have WAY more fun in the kitchen! You will get a Bite Me cookbook, shopping bag and Bite Me hat! Woo hoo! The contest will run until February 15th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me which recipe listed on the Bite Me website is making your mouth water?

My answer: The chunky white chocolate cranberry cookies are on my list to make. YUM!!!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Bite Me on Facebook (and get ready to laugh even more! Their posts are funny!)
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the side bar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Kathryn the Grape: Just Like Magic

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Don’t you just love finding fun new books to read to your children? We go to the library at least twice a month and check out the latest and greatest, as well as older books that withstand the test of time (well, at least the stories do…some of the actual books at the library do need to be replaced!).

kathryn the grape Anyway, today I’m bringing you a delightful story about magic, specifically the magic that is within every person (your inner strength!). Kathryn the Grape: Just Like Magicrecently hit the scene, and it is such a great story! The pictures of this 40 page book are bright and beautiful, which makes it all the more fun to read. It tells the story of a girl named Kathryn and her magical butterfly friend, Maggie. They have lots of adventures together, and learn about being strong, helpful and fearless when it comes to tough things like making new friends.

One of my very favorite things about this book is the great deal of thought that went into it. The website for this book has an awesome section that tells you all about the symbolism behind each character, which helps the parent tease all all the wonderful things the book has to teach to your child!

I also like that $1 from each book that is sold goes to the Kathryn the Grape Foundation, which supports various nonprofits dedicated to education, empowerment and sustainability!

I have a feeling that Kathryn the Grape is going to be having many more adventures in books that will be coming out later. I can’t wait to see what awaits her, next!

Buy it!: If you are looking for a little bit of magic as part of your bedtime story routine, check out Kathryn the Grape – Just Like Magic! The book is available for $16.99 and comes autographed by the authors and the illustrator!!!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get their own copy of this magical story! The contest will run until February 14th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me the book in your child’s collection that seems to be on “instant replay” lately!

My answer: Darah loves for us to read Elmo Says, typically at least 67 times a day. For real.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Kathryn the Grape on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Doll Blankets: The Perfect Doll Accessory!

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This Christmas Darah got her first doll. It was carefully and lovingly selected by her Grammy. The doll is really beautiful and special. Would you like to see it? Of course! The doll is April, and she is by the German designer Kathe Kruse. Isn’t she super-cute???

Ok, now that I’ve gone on and on about this doll, it’s time to tell you about a very special accessory she just got for her doll: a coordinating doll blanket so that she can have her special doll go “night night.”The blanket came from Rhonda, the brains behind a shop I’ve featured before called Lil’ Bit Sassy.

Rhonda wrote a post on her blog asking for new ideas for her shop. The ideas she liked the best would get that item sent to them for free! Now, you know I love a good contest, so I put on my thinking cap and decided that one thing I’d love to have for little d is a blanket for her doll. Rhonda loved the idea, and as we talked more, decided that she wanted to make something that would coordinate with the particular doll I had in mind. She turned my good idea (doll blankets) into a great idea (customized doll blankets)!

doll blanket doll accessory And here you see Darah putting her new blanket to good use with April. It’s so interesting, because so far, this blanket is really reserved for April, in Darah’s mind. I think she notices that they look so great together! 🙂

Buy it!: Rhonda is really enjoying making these new doll blankets for her shop. She has several for sale now, and she’d also love to work with you create a custom doll blanket with just the right colors for your needs! All her blankets are reversible and ridiculously cute! They are priced at $15.00. While you are at Lil’ Bit Sassy, take a look around. I bet you’ll find something else you need!

doll blanket doll accessory Win it!: Rhonda created this precious doll blanket just for this giveaway. One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to take it home. Hooray! The contest will run until February 13th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me which item in Rhonda’s shop is calling your name!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to Rhonda’s blog where you will hear all about her latest creations!
2. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary item because I won a contest. I offered to review the item because I LOVE it! 🙂

Best Canned Tomatoes and Tomato Products: Dei Fratelli (Review)

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best canned tomatoes

Raise your hand if you love tomatoes! Yeah, I see pretty much everyone raising their hands except for my BFF. And even she can respect a good tomato as long as it is cooked! I recently had the opportunity to try a company that makes tomato products and that has been around for over four generations, but is new to me: Dei Fratelli!

Dei Fratelli translates to mean, “of the brothers.” This company is family-focused from the inside out! The business is family owned and managed, and the products they make are keeping families together around the dinner table, eating delicious home cooked meals with just a little help from Dei Fratelli!

I have to say, I have been very impressed with what I have tasted so far, and as a result, have gone on the Dei Fratelli website to find out exactly where I can buy more! I do wish that they had an easier way to search for local places to shop (you have to call a number to find out where you can purchase). However, while I was there, I learned that I can shop online, which is the easiest option of all!

In addition to their fabulous selection of canned tomatoes (which we go through like crazy around here) they also have a pizza sauce that we have used and love (it doesn’t have the tin-y flavor that so many canned pizza sauces seem to have). I was also majorly impressed with their salsas. We received two jars, both medium in flavor. As you know, I have a hard time eating anything with much heat, but these salsas were perfect! There was a bit of a kick, but it was really quite slight. If you want your salsa HOT, then this might not be your best bet, but if you want your salsa to be full of flavor, this is a must try! I would absolutely buy this again, no question.

Overall, I give Dei Fratelli two thumbs up. I know I’ll be buying them again, for sure. The flavors are fresh and delicious!

What about you? Have you ever tried these products? Am I the only one who didn’t know about them???

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & Dei Fratelli who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Not-to-Miss iPad Apps for Toddlers!

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Today I’m bringing you some more awesome iPad apps that are geared toward 2-5 year olds (though Darah is already LOVING them at 18 months). Oscar’s Apps is a company with 3 apps and they rock! Let me tell you about the two we have been enjoying.

First is the Alphabet Song app. There are 3 ways to play this game, which involves popping bubbles with letters on them. First, you can pop the balloons that are laid out in alphabetical order. This is ideal for a younger child, like Darah, who still needs some help finding her letters. The second mode is that the balloons are all jumbled up, but the right balloon will be highlighted to help the child find it. The final mode is where the balloons are all jumbled and the right balloon will only be highlighted after the child has had a while to look for it on his/her own. Tim and I may or may not have been racing each other to see who has greater alphabet balloon popping skills. Just sayin’.
Second is 1-10 Balloons. The concept is very similar to the Alphabet Song. It involved balloons, and the three modes are pretty much the same. What I really love about this is that the person’s voice elevates a bit as the numbers go higher (which is what we do when we count to 10, if you have ever noticed!).
My understanding is that their third app, 1-20 Balloons, is exactly the same, it just has more numbers!
These apps are value-priced at .99 each, and are absolutely worth it. Check out this great video to see just how much toddlers love playing with them!

Disclosure: I received complimentary apps for review purposes through the Family Review Network. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Why Mom Bloggers Matter to Marketers: Let’s Discuss!

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As you may recall, last week I went to a conference held just for women bloggers. It was AWESOME!!! In honor of that amazing experience, I am bringing you a guest post today that is all about why mommy bloggers really matter to companies. If you are a fellow blogger or even if you are just an enthusiastic giveaway entrant, this article will give you insight into why all these blog reviews and giveaways exist in the first place! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts in the comments about what Lisa brings up here. Let’s chat!

 

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle …

Smart Marketers Clamor for Mommy Blogger Support

By Lisa Viselli

hand that rocks the cradle
It turns out that 19th Century American poet William Ross Wallace was ahead of his time. When he wrote, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” as an homage to motherhood as a powerful force for change, it’s doubtful he was thinking about product reviews and giveaways. But, here we are, nearly 150 years later, and his words stand the test of time as savvy marketers clamor for mommy blogger support.

Mommy Blogger Trends
A recent report from eMarketer predicts the number of mommy bloggers in the U.S. will reach 4.4 million in 2014. Say it with me … four point four MILLION. When you consider how many people subscribe to each of these blogs and then factor in the Kevin Bacon effect, it’s easy to understand why companies, big and small, are eager to market their products and services using this influential medium.

Powerful Marketing Strategies
Enter product reviews and giveaways. There is an overwhelming number of baby, toddler, kid and teen brands on the market today, and consumers are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages daily. Marketers are constantly on the lookout for new ways to rise about the noise, and targeting influential mommy bloggers with a loyal following has become a popular approach.

Product Reviews
Product reviews have always played an important role in purchase decision, but when you combine a thoughtful review with a recommendation from a trusted source, the likelihood to try a new product increases dramatically. In particular, social is especially important to product reviews for two reasons:

  1. Most buyers use the Internet to research a product before making a purchase. So, if I’m seeking information on “new Disney princess dolls” for my daughter, the search engines return a variety of sites, including online communities and mommy blogs that include that phrase. Disney still leads the pack, but now it’s got company.
  1. Google recently changed its top-secret algorithm so, in addition to returning highly targeted links, it also returns product review pages alongside search results. This has made companies keenly aware of the need for plentiful, preferably positive, reviews.

Product Giveaways
Moms have always had a great deal of purchasing power in the home so it makes sense that companies have showered them with freebies. Now, in the digital age, marketers have taken their tactic one step further, realizing that they can tap into the tremendous online followings that some mommy bloggers enjoy by extending their offers for free samples or other goods.

Enlightened marketers view giveaways as an investment, not an expense or lost revenue. Of course, companies need to be smart about how to deploy scarce resources to have the largest impact on revenue. This explains why we’re seeing so many analysis tools enter the market claiming to quantify the most relevant and authoritative voices in the blogosphere. But, the fact remains that companies that do their homework and promote giveaways with targeted mommy blogs often enjoy measurable increases in exposure, web traffic and revenue.

Moms as a Force Majeure
The opportunity to forge meaningful relationships with an army of moms who can introduce, talk about and maybe even recommend a product to their readership is the stuff of geeky marketer dreams. Considering the increasing influence that mommy bloggers are enjoying, perhaps we could update the title of Mr. Wallace’s poem to “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the online world?” Just a thought.

Lisa Viselli is a freelance copywriter and owner of Michigan-based Write Brained. She provides somewhat informative, mildly entertaining musings on marketing and other such geekery. www.writebrainedco.com

Glass Straws Made in the USA: The Perfect Eco-Friendly Gift

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Friends, pull up a chair. Bring your favorite beverage to the computer and sit for a spell. I have a super cool item that you probably never knew existed.

Glass Straws (Made in the USA)

glass straws made in the USA

photo credit: prideandvegudice via photopin cc

 glass straws are BEAUTIFUL, practical, super eco-friendly, and you don’t know it yet, but you want one. Promise.

Glass Dharma is the name of the company that is working hard to kick plastic straws to the curb by introducing glass straws for you to use, re-use and truly enjoy. The owner of the company has been a glass blower for over 10 years, and he sees these glass straws as a wonderful way to really cut back on plastic use. I know what you are thinking: are straws really that big of a plastic problem, Tiffany??? Well, on the Glass Dharma website, they share this interesting tidbit: “As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY!” You know that the vast majority of those meals came with drinks, which means they came with straws. And that’s just McDonald’s, folks! So, yeah, plastic straws kind of are a big problem.

Many of you have already made the switch to bringing your own bags to the grocery store (woo hoo!). Putting a glass straw in your bag is really quite easy to do. And no, they won’t break! Glass Dharma has a guarantee against breakage! Should they break, however, for ANY reason, you may return the straw for repair or replacement!

In addition to their green factor, which I love, I also just find these straws to be gorgeous and fun. Who knew that a straw could be luxurious? I swear to you, my DIY iced coffees taste better out of straws, and that’s probably because it makes me think of having a Starbucks drink, only without the price tag! I like to freeze my straws, as well, so that they are extra cold for my drinks (if you try this, make sure they aren’t in the liquid while freezing, though!). My Glass Dharma straws add to my iced coffee experience!

In my opinions, these are fantastic stocking stuffer or special occasion gifts. It may not be on someone’s wish list, but once you try them, you will really love them and want to buy them for all your friends! I know I do!

And of course, it’s worth noting that Glass Dharma proucts are proudly made in the USA (Fort Bragg, California, to be precise).

Buy it!: Glass Dharma offers a wide range of straws, from simple to adorned, from super slim to just right for smoothies! My personal favorite is the Beautiful Bend straw! Prices start at $6.50 and go up to $12.00. They also offer different glass straw sets! Glass Dharma straws area available for purchase on Amazon!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: One lucky winner will receive $25.00 to spend at Glass Dharma! The contest will run until February 11th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Tell me which straw you like the best and why!

My answer: I already told you I like the Beautiful Bend straw, and I like the wider version, because we love smoothies around here!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Glass Dharma on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 

Crazy Story Alert: A Raccoon Fell Through Our Ceiling

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This post brought to you by Victor Pest. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Sit back for a minute. You are definitely going to want to hear this story. About 6 years ago, Tim and I were living in a fabulous older home in Memphis. We did not own it, but we tried hard to take care of the property to the best of our ability and knowledge (we were 24 at the time, so I can’t say that we “knew it all”).

One thing we realized was that this home had a rodent problem. We could hear quite large animals in the ceiling of our second floor. We expressed our concern to the landlord, and stated that we really didn’t think the problem was mice, rats, or even squirrels. Whatever was in our ceilings was LARGE!!! Now, even if the animals in question had just been mice, that doesn’t mean the situation wouldn’t have been serious. But I think our landlord assumed that it was something smaller, and decided not to really worry about it. BAD IDEA. So one night, at about 11:30pm, Tim and I were in bed watching a movie on the laptop (oh for the days when we could stay up late watching movies…). Suddenly, we heard a loud crashing noise one room over. This was a guest room in our house, on the second floor. It couldn’t have been a burglar, therefore. But we knew it was something crazy and weird. We go to the door, and I kid you not, PAWS come out, wrap around the door, and start shaking it!!!!! Yes, a raccoon had literally fallen from our ceiling. OMG. WHAT?!?! Thank goodness the door to that room had been shut, or else we would have had a loose raccoon running around in our house. As it was, s/he was running around like crazy in that guest room, and we could only imagine the destruction happening in there.

We did find a company who would come out and trap the raccoon without killing it. I’ll never forget that man. What bravery he had to go into that room, not really knowing what he would be facing. And when we saw the raccoon, we could not believe it. Seriously, it must have weighed 20 pounds. It was HUGE!!!!

And guess what else was huge? The hole in our ceiling!!! What a mess, huh? The landlord certainly wished he had taken a more proactive approach and dealt with the problem before it got so crazy. I really don’t understand why he didn’t. Pests like this can chew through your wiring and cause all kinds ]of crazy damage. The story is hilarious, to be sure, but only because we didn’t own the property. I really shudder to think about the damage caused and how much it cost to get it all fixed. So if you are hearing any strange noises in your walls or in your ceiling, I implore you not to ignore them.

Victor is a company that can help you with rodent control. They set the industry standard 100 years ago with the invention of their spring-based mouse trap. They offer a full line of products that will get the job done, while also being safe for kids and your pets. They are also non-toxic!

Preview
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Different people have different opinions on the best approach to take with rodent control. To kill or not to kill? I’m more on the “not to kill” side of the fence, personally. Fortunately, Victor has a Protect Your Space Combo Kit for $99.99 (plus free shipping) that includes 
(1) Victor® Sonic PestChaser® Heavy Duty Sonic, (2) Victor® Sonic Mini PestChaser® Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent, and (2) Victor® Electronic Mouse Trap. The Pest Chaser uses sounds only audible to rodents that will have them running from your house! Awesome! It keeps those rodents away so that you don’t have to even make the tough decision about whether or not to kill them.

So what about you? Have you had to deal with any crazy rodent issues in your home? What’s your approach to controlling or preventing this problem? Have you tried any Victor products?

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