Stuff Parents Need

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

Photogator: A New Way to Display Cards and Photos

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Is there someone in your life who loves to get cool little gadgets that solve problems or make improvements to existing solutions you might have? Are you that type of person? Either way, I’ve got a cool product to show you!

Introducing the Photogator Stand, a sleek and subtle way to beautifully display cards and photos in your home. Think back to this past holiday season. Were holiday cards cluttering up your refrigerator? Were they all displayed on the mantle or a table, but would fall over and cause a domino effect if someone rushed past them? Were they just taped to the wall so that they could be seen, but the display was not exactly lovely to behold? Hopefully you didn’t put push-pins into your walls, but if you did, then you most definitely need to get yourself some Photogator Stands!
We were able to use our Photogator Stand to hold a holiday card this year, and I thought it was just perfect. It held the card upright, made it so that we were able to look at the card with ease, and honestly, you didn’t really notice the stand it was on.

That’s the perfect type of card holder, in my book, because the point is to look at the card, not at what is holding it (see the picture to the right to get an idea of a card holder that takes away from the cards, in my humble opinion).

What I also like about the stand is that it isn’t just useful at the holidays. You can display birthday cards, wedding invitations, graduation announcements, and even beloved pictures! I plan on using it for pictures of Darah that I just love and want to look at, but that I don’t have the time and/or energy to put in a frame. It’s like an instant frame, and the picture is super easy to switch out. Love it!
The Photogator Stand will sit on any flat surface, and it has curved slots. It also has a wider center slot for thicker card stock.
These are perfect for year-round use, but if you only want them out a certain times of the year, they are stackable, which makes them super easy to store. That’s yet another great design feature of this product.

Buy it!: Photogator would love to offer SPN readers a 10% discount on your purchase. Just use code SPN10 at checkout (the code is good until 01/31). These make wonderful gifts for co-workers, friends and relatives, alike! It’s one of those “anyone would like this” type of gifts! Definitely a good thing to keep tucked away in the gift closet! You can get a pack of 10 for $14.99 ($13.50 with the discount!).

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

The TRUE Story of the 3 Little Pigs

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A few weeks ago we were talking about the fabulous dvds that Scholastic has been putting out. In the comments, several of you said that you are also really interested in one of their new releases. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures.

Good news! I’m about to tell you about it! true story of the three little pigs
Let’s start with the title story. It is narrated by Paul Giamati (lead actor from Sideways and other great movies). It is a HILARIOUS story, told from the perspective of the wolf. Basically, he says he was totally framed. It’s a riot.
But wait! There’s more! This dvd contains four other stories, one of which is narrated by Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State) and one which is narrated by….wait for it…..MANDY PATINKIN!!!! Where do I even begin with all the things this fabulous man has been in??? The obvious place, I suppose, is with his role in The Princess Bride. He was Inigo Montoya.
Scholastic knows that it is best for the parents to stay in the room with their children when watching any type of video. And they make that so easy to do when they use such wonderful narrators. Once again, well done, Scholastic! I love watching these stories just as much as Darah does!
Buy it!: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures is available for just $14.95 (actually much less than that on Amazon right now!). I highly recommend it!
Edit: This giveaway is closed.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will be taking home Scholastic’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Antics! The contest will run until January 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond 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 a famous person you’d love to see Scholastic use as a narrator.
My answer: I love Dolly Parton’s voice, so that would be fun!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list(found on the left sidebar…just scroll down a little bit)

2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.

Oliver Twist Meets Chiquita Banana (Giveaway with 5 Winners!!!)

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Lovely readers, I have such a funny story for you today. It is all about a mommy fail at daycare, and it happened to yours truly.

Darah comes home with notes at the end of the day every time she goes to her Parent’s Day Out program. They tell me about how her day went, and there’s room for the teacher to leave me any special notes. One day in November, I didn’t look over the note while we were still in the school because I was in a hurry. I pulled it out of her diaper bag when we got home, though, and read the following: “Darah often begs for other children’s bananas. If you like, you could send one with her from time to time. She seems to REALLY enjoy eating!”

Let’s break that down for a second.

First, “often begs” was said. Not, “sometimes asks for” or “seems to want.” OFTEN. BEGS. Can’t you just picture my little Oliver Twist with her hands outstretched and that pitiful look on her face??

Second, I love the super polite way that her teachers said, “Hey, lady. Give the child some dang bananas!” I swear I buy them for her. But I try to only go to the grocery store once every 2 weeks. This is a very effective way to save some money, but it is a very ineffective way to make sure our home is fully stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, especially bananas.

You better believe that child had a banana the next time she went to class. And she’s had one almost every time since then.

I was recently approached by Chiquita to see if I would like to become a Chiquita Mom, and help them spread the word about the tremendous value that bananas have in terms of vitamins, minerals and of course, great taste (unless you are my sister-in-law, who cannot stand even the smell of bananas…oh well, more for the rest of us!).

So I checked out their site, because I wanted to know more about what a Chiquita mom is, in their view. “She’s a mother who wants to spend as much time with her family as possible, so having a variety of healthy, easy meal and snack solutions makes her job easier. She is busy and needs a healthy energy boost throughout the day because coffee and energy drinks just won’t do.” Check and check! Let’s rock and roll, Chiquita!

I wanted to tell you a bit more about why bananas are awesome, just in case they aren’t a fruit you are normally buying for your children and yourself. First, bananas are full of three kinds of natural sugar: glucose, fructose and sucrose as well as a significant amount of fiber, making them an ideal source of energy to give you that wake-up call in the morning and pick me up int he afternoon. I remember my doctor telling me that bananas were the absolute perfect food to eat when you hit that 2-3pm slump at work. I switched out my Dr. Pepper for a banana and found that I got better results! 🙂

Second, bananas have more digestible complex carbohydrates than any other fruit, which are essential for energy because your body burns carbohydrate energy more easily than from protein or fat calories. If your kid is like mine, and bounces off the walls (have I mentioned that Darah has turned up her energy level 1,000% in the past week???) then you need to give him or her a banana!

Finally, why Chiquita bananas? Well, Chiquita bananas are of the top quality sold. So you can shop with confidence, first and foremost. Second, Chiquita is a company that really values educating and supporting moms and dads out there who are trying to do the best for their kids, including giving them food that is healthy and tasty. I love when a company is actively trying to bring awareness to its customers! Yay, Chiquita!

Win it!: 5lucky Stuff Parents Need readers are going to get a fabulous Chiquita Mom kit that contains the following:

  • Chiquita Mom’s Flip Book(contains really helpful info!)
  • Chiquita Banana Recipe Cards
  • Chiquita Moms Grocery Tote Bag
  • Chiquita Moms Freezer Bags
  • A coupon for FREE Chiquita Bananas

The contest will run until January 23rd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using 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: Tell me one thing you learned from the Chiquita Moms website. It’s a cool resource!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Chiquita Banana on Facebook and tell them Stuff Parents Need sent you over!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on GFC (find it on the right side of my page..sign up is easy!)

Disclosure: I received the same kit that is being given away for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

I Don’t Like Hot Food but I Do Love TABASCO

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This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

I often tell people that I have a British palette. By that, I mean that I can’t really handle much in the way of spiciness. I have rejected certain brands of “mild” salsa for being too hot. Seriously.

tabasco recipe So why in the world would I, of all people, be writing about TABASCO® Original Red? Because believe it or not, I use it rather frequently in my cooking. No joke!

I know people who keep their bottles of TABASCO® Original Red on their kitchen counters. I actually knew people in college who would bring a bottle with them to the campus dining halls. It’s no wonder that so many people have been fans for as long as they can remember: TABASCO Original Red has been around since 1868. Clearly they are doing something right!

I actually never even dared to try TABASCO until I noticed that so many dishes I really wanted to try called for just a little splash of it. I finally caved and bought some, and I’m so glad that I did! Depending on the dish I’m making, I’ll sometimes use half the amount of TABASCO called for, or on occasion I’ll go for the full amount. What I have discovered is that TABASCO Original Red can add tremendous flavor to a dish, and that flavor isn’t just heat. I think there are some versions of hot sauce out there that are just that: HOT. TABASCO Original Red really enhances the flavors that are already present in a dish, and I find that adding it it improves the taste of many of our soups and casseroles. You know how sometimes you are working on some food, and you taste it, and realize that it needs something, but you aren’t quite sure what it is? It just might be a splash of TABASCO Original Red!

Tabasco Recipe

I really appreciate that TABASCO Original Red sauce comes out very slowly. This gives me confidence when cooking with it that I won’t easily over-do it. I’ve actually got a great traditional African food recipe on my blog that I shared with you last year, and it has just a splash (1/8 tsp!) of TABASCO in it. It is delicious, and perfect for a cold day! It’s called Rice with African Peanut Sauce. Check it out and give it a try!

tabasco recipe Since it is almost time for the Super Bowl, TABASCO has a terrific Game Day party menu page with some great recipe ideas. I’m loving all their ideas for improving a simple cheese pizza and will most definitely be trying the caramelized onion pizza idea!
Please let me know if you are TABASCO fan. Do you cook with it? Do you eat it like any other condiment? Do you have any suggestions for how to use it? And also, be sure to print out the coupon on the TABASCO site!

Visit Sponsor's Site

Tropical Traditions Rocks: From Skeptic to Big Fan

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If you’ve been reading blogs at all in the last year, you’ve likely seen at least one or two posts about the company Tropical Traditions. I’ve read several posts, and was initially completely skeptical of a company that could offer such a vast range of products.

But I kept reading reviews from bloggers whose opinions I trust. And my skepticism shifted to genuine curiosity. The products this company makes seem to get high praise again and again. I really wanted to see for myself if I agreed.

So now it is my turn to talk about Tropical Traditions. And after trying out one of their products for about a month, I can tell you that this skeptic is now a big fan.

 

I have personally never used coconut oil in my own kitchen. We are big fans of extra virgin olive oil, and use that for as much of our cooking, as possible. So when the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil arrived, my first question was what in the heck to do with it! Fortunately, Tropical Traditions anticipated this question and provided an answer. From their site, “There are many ways to use coconut oil and incorporate it into one’s diet. Since it is a stable cooking oil, one can simply replace unhealthy oils in their diet with coconut oil. Since it is a solid most of the time at room temperature or when refrigerated, it can be a butter or margarine substitute for spreads or for baking. Any recipe calling for butter, margarine, or any other oil can be substituted for coconut oil. It is popularly mixed in with “smoothies.” There are also hundreds of FREE recipes here that have been submitted by our customers over the years.”

We had a shrimp dish on our menu the week the product arrived, and I thought I’d try out the coconut oil with that dish. I thought perhaps it would give it a tropical flair like what I would taste at a place like Bahama Breeze (oh how I miss that restaurant since we moved!). OH. MY. WORD. You guys…it was DELICIOUS! The coconut flavor was present in the dish, but it really just complimented the food and didn’t overpower it at all.

The next day, I decided to use the spread as an alternative to butter on my toast. Also delicious! We then tried it with our popcorn that night (we hand crank our popcorn and use a mixture of butter and olive oil. The coconut oil replaced the butter. Tim wasn’t crazy about the overall taste, though he said he liked it just fine. I thought it was great, and took the popcorn in a slightly sweet direction. I think he prefers his popcorn to be more savory, whereas I’m always going to like something if it is sweet! So we were a house divided on that one.

Since I liked the coconut oil so much, I decided to do a bit of research on it. My mom had the impression that coconut oil would contribute to high cholesterol, so I did have a few concerns. The impression that I get is that it is that coconut oil is high in saturated fat, so I wouldn’t want to use it instead of something like extra virgin olive oil. However, if I’m using it to replace a different oil that is high in saturated fat (like butter), that’s the way to go. Tropical Traditions has a great link to some research if you want to read up on why replacing butter with coconut oil might make sense. After we did our homework, we have personally decided to replace butter with coconut oil in several of our dishes. And I’m now using it instead of butter on my toast and bagels.

Buy it! If you’ve never bought coconut oil before, the price tag might alarm you. It isn’t cheap. But the prices Tropical Traditions offers are competitive, and the quality of their oil is one of the very best; just ask all their loyal customers who rave about it! Plus, if you get on their email list, you’ll see that they regularly offer discounts on their oil (and other products). I’ve seen it for as much as half off! The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, which is the best of the best, retails for $37.50 for a quart. They offer a variety of sizes, though.

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: Joy of joys, here’s your chance to get your own jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions! The contest will run until January 22nd 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 another product Tropical Traditions offers that you’ve either tried or want to try.

My answer: I want to try their carpet cleaner. Darah is into blueberries right now, and you can imagine how our rugs feel about that!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Sign up for the Tropical Traditions newsletter (emails once a week…always a great sale happening!)
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email
3. Rare bonus entry opportunity: Follow both Tropical Traditions and Stuff Parents Need on Twitter for a third entry (leave your twitter id)

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

Disclosure: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

FREE PASTA FOR ONE YEAR!!!! (3 WINNERS!!!)

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PLEASE NOTE: ONLY OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE, AS THAT IS WHERE THIS PRODUCT IS SOLD. If you don’t live in these states but know someone who does, please pass the word on to them!

Ronco Pasta has officially launched their new Facebook page and they are celebrating this launch in a major way! Their site has easy, family and budget-friendly recipes (woo hoo!) and a “pasta locator” to help you find where you can buy Ronco products. Fans of their site will have access to cooking tips and discounts.

Ronco knows that Stuff Parents Need readers value quality and convenience, which makes them a perfect match for your cooking needs. They are offering 3 of you (yes!!!) FREE PASTA FOR ONE YEAR* Never before have I been more jealous that I cannot enter my own giveaway, folks. This one is SUCH a doozy!

The contest will run until January 20th at 11:59pm EST when winners will be selected via Random.org. The winners will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. Limit one entrant per household, please.

How do you enter? It’s SOOOO simple! You just need to do two things (must do both to enter)

1. Like Ronco Pasta on Facebook and post on their wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you.

2. Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook.

Once you have done both things, please come back here and leave a comment that you did. Winners will be drawn from the blog comments, so don’t forget to do that!

EDIT: You get one entry for liking us both on facebook, so your entry would look like this: I like Ronco and Stuff Parents Need on Facebook. To get more than one entry, you have to be a blogger and post about this giveaway on your site. Make sense?

If you are a blogger, I’d like to offer a rare bonus entry opportunity. Please post about this giveaway on your blog to help get the word out and you are eligible for 2 extra entries.

*Based on a family of four. Delivered via free product coupons.

Disclosure: I received no compensation or free products in exchange for this post. I’m a Ronco customer, and I believe you will love their products if you have never tried them before.

Oompa Toys and the Alphabet Matcher Review

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Oompa Toys

Christmas has come and gone. It was a crazy event for little Darah, who was basically assaulted with presents! Don’t get me wrong; we are extremely grateful for the generosity of our family and friends. But Darah is going to be re-discovering her toys all year long as we have put most of them away, and on the suggestion of my BFF, will be pulling them out one at a time on “rainy days” when we could use something new and exciting.

The toys that got put away first were the annoying ones. Anything that made noise is just not in rotation for now. I can see where some of these toys do have their place (Darah does continue to LOVE her battery-operated drums), but overall, I think all the noisy toys are just that: noise. oompa toys logo
That’s why I’m drawn to the online toy store, Oompa. Their tag line is, “NO BATTERIES. NO BLINKING LIGHTS. NO CARTOON-THEMED TOYS. PERIOD.” The founder, mompreneur Milanie Cleere, started Oompa because, “I felt there was something unnatural about surrounding my daughter with so many disposable toys. I wondered if she dreamt of copyrighted characters or if her first words would be ‘Dora’ or ‘Mickey’. I wondered if she would ever learn to use her imagination. She did, after all, play with toys that with the push of a single button did and said everything for her.”

But finding a good selection of toys that were designed to last and that weren’t covered with characters from television wasn’t exactly easy. She finally found what she was looking for in Europe, where they seem to know what they are doing when it comes to making high quality toys that inspire creative play.

While I was researching Oompa, I was especially impressed with the statement they make about how they ensure that they pick truly safe toys to sell. Their process includes extensive interviews with company representatives and annual onsite tours of manufacturing facilities where the toys they offer are made. That’s some serious quality control, and as a parent, does give me some confidence that the toys at Oompa are totally safe.

alphabet toys for kids Speaking of the toys at Oompa, let me tell you about the one we got to try out. It is the Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher. Basically it works like this: “A child twists the rings on the toy to choose a letter, then attempts to find the five objects on the ring that start with that letter! Alphabet It contains three extra sets of rings, covering 24 letters and 120 images!” It is recommended for children ages 3 and up, but Darah is already enjoying it now. While she can’t yet match up images and letters, she can name some of the pictures and some of the letters independently. And she really likes moving the rings around.

One thing I really like about the Twisterz Alphabet Matcher is that it is really portable (especially if you aren’t bringing along the extra rings). It can very easily fit in a diaper bag or a purse. I think it is going to be an especially helpful toy to have on long car rides, as it can occupy a child for quite some time, all without making obnoxious noises that the driver has to endure!

The other thing I like about this toy is that it engages a child in so many different ways. As your child plays with the Alphabet Matcher, s/he will work on motor skills, logic, problem solving and spelling.

My first experience with Oompa was a very positive one. Now I’ve got my eye on the Caterpillar Box as a second birthday gift idea for little D!

Buy it!: Oompa offers a tremendous variety of toys for your little one, so you should definitely check them out. The Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher
is available for $18.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get your very own Alphabet Matcher, courtesy of Oompa! The contest will run until January 19th 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: Tell me an item that Oompa Toys sells that is really catching your eye. Their selection is HUGE, so just look in the What’s New section!

My answer: This bird puzzle. Darah really loves birds right now, and it coordinates with her room! Perfect!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Oompa on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary item for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Ma Mi Skincare Review

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Today I’m bringing you a skincare line designed just for us moms, that has the following great features:

  • True anti-aging properties at an affordable price
  • Natural, high quality ingredients with no wasteful fillers
  • Uses a high percentage of active ingredients
  • Safe, toxin-free, and paraben-free
  • Clinically-formulated by doctors

Sounds pretty good, right? Well it IS pretty good, too! Introducing Ma Mi Skincare. I was really drawn to the approach this company has to creating products. From their site, “With Ma Mi, your skin receives everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t; our products contain pure, highly concentrated active ingredients that produce quick, visible results.”

Aren’t you always surprised by the ENORMOUS list of “inactive” ingredients in face care products? If you’ve never noticed, take a moment to read some of the boxes and labels. There’s a whole lot of stuff you can’t pronounce that is going on your skin, and for what?! Ma Mi Skincare keeps that list as small as possible, and what’s on that list is pronounceable!

I was sent two cleansers to review. I have been using the Reawaken Cleanser, which is for normal to dry skin. I LOVE the foam pump dispenser, which makes it perfect for use in the shower. I’m finding it to be a gentle but effective cleanser. I also really like that it has a built-in toner. I never really use toners, but I always feel kind of bad that I don’t. Problem solved here, folks! And the rose hip seed oil in the product gives it a really nice, but mild, fragrance.

The other cleanser I received is the Revitalize Cleanser, for normal to oily skin. I handed this over to Tim to use. You see, even though this skin care line is geared toward women, I’m sure it will do just as great of a job on a man’s skin. And in my book, a man who takes care of his skin is a smart one! He also happened to be running out of the face wash he was currently using, so the timing was great for him. His report back to me is that so far, he likes it, “just fine.” When I asked him to elaborate, he said that it worked, and he didn’t really know what else to say about it. So there you have it; perhaps this is some insight into why there aren’t very many men out there who write product reviews. 😉

Buy it!: Ma Mi Skincare products are more expensive than some of the stuff in the drugstores, but are far more affordable than what you typically find in department or specialty stores. The cleansers I reviewed are available for just $14.00. BONUS: SPN readers can score 25% off their total purchase using the code gomami at checkout! Sweet! That really gives you an opportunity to have specialty skincare at a drugstore price!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will be bringing home a the cleanser of your choice! The contest will run until January 18th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using 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: Tell me one other product in the Ma Mi Skincare line that intrigues you. Also tell me if you would prefer the Reawaken (normal to dry) or Revitalize (normal to oily) cleanser if you win.

My answer: Would love to try the Nightshift Eye Serum!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Ma Mi Skincare on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email

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.  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 & giveawayDisclosure.

Kix Cereal: My Former Enemy

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True story: when I was a child we had a “punishment” cereal. Or at least that’s what I remember (I’m sure my mom would swear that this is not true). It was a cereal we would get if my older brother and I had been on bad behavior.

kix cereal box That cereal was Kix.

You see, reading the labels on cereal boxes wasn’t something my parents were all that interested in doing. They pretty much let us eat whatever we wanted. “Kid” cereal was no exception. Even fruit loops were a bit of a downer to eat as compared with Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles, which were some of our favorites.

Kix was just wretched. It wasn’t a cool color. It didn’t have marshmallows. I’m pretty sure it didn’t even come with a toy. And…it wasn’t coated in 4 layers of sugar. Gross, right?

I’m happy to report that I’ve made some progress in my own thinking about cereals. I’m slowly weaning myself off those sugary cereals and paying much more attention to the nutritional content of my morning meal. But Kix was still off my radar until recently, when I was asked to check it out and see what I thought about it. I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to come face-to-face with a childhood enemy!

Wonder of all wonders, I’m amazed to be reporting back to you that Kix is quite tasty! I tried their regular cereal as well as their Honey Kix. One guess about which one I liked best. 😉 But even the original was really good. After reading the label, I made the call that Kix is something I would give to Darah as a snack, or when she’s older, as cold cereal.

It will most definitely NOT be served as punishment. In our house, Kix has been kid tested and mother approved!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 
Win it!: Kix wants to give one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader one seriously fun prize pack (shown above). The prize comes with two boxes of Kix cereal as well as a floor puzzle, ring flash cards, a sippy cup (Darah’s new favorite, by the way) and a snack bowl. Take that, cereal box toys from the 1980s!

The contest will run until January 20th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using 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: Tell me what your favorite breakfast thing to eat is (either now or as a child) and if there was any breakfast food you didn’t like as a kid.
My answer: cereal is still my favorite breakfast, although I do seriously love blueberry pancakes. And I hated (and still hate) Cream of Wheat. If my mom had poured Kix over it I might have actually passed out from disgust.

Additional entries:
1. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Kix through MyBlogSpark in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.