Stuff Parents Need

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

Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Bath time is a nightly ritual for Darah. She starts using sign language to ask for her bath around 4pm, even though bath time is right around 6pm. She loves it so much! Darah is very playful in the tub, and really enjoys splashing around, playing with tub toys and, knock on wood, getting her hair and body washed (we lucked out on that one!).

earth mama baby shampoo Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company that offers a splendid line of bath products for mamas and babies, all made from organic ingredients. I’ve tried their Happy Mama Body Wash (with a smell that even the pregnant ladies can appreciate!). For the past month, we’ve also been using their new Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash.

First and foremost, this soap works. Darah gets cleaned from head to toe with it, and it takes care of all the food and dirt that somehow manages to cling to her throughout the day.

Second, the smell is FANTASTIC! Some people avoid scented soaps for their babies because those smells are created using harsh chemicals. Not so with this product. It is scented with organic vanilla and organic orange oils. It smells like a creamsicle! I’ve tried several different bath products over the years (I really should say hundreds…I’m a junkie) and Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash is easily in my top 5 as far as smell goes.

Third, the pump formula is extremely convenient when we are bathing Darah. We can easily squirt out some foam right onto her body or her head and we don’t accidentally get too much product, as we sometimes do with more traditional bottles.

We love this product and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants the best for themselves and for baby, but who would love to have something scented on hand.

Buy it!: If you’d like to try the Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, you are smart to do so. And getting for a discount is even smarter! use code Itsablog20 for 20% off! The 5.3 oz bottle is $10.95 and they offer a 34 ounce refill, as well!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need read will win a bottle of Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash! The contest will run until January 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 and Canada. Limit one entrant per person, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one product in your home that you want to replace with something less toxic, but haven’t yet. Why haven’t you?

My answer: I still have a closet shelf full of body washes that contain ingredients I have since learned are not so good for me or the environment. The frugal gal in me is reluctant to pitch them/donate them, though, since they are already paid for! But I’m not replacing them with other similar products. When they are gone, they are gone! And they are never used on Darah.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Earth Mama Angel Baby on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email

Be sure to check out 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.

Visit Me at Vanderbilt Wife!

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Hello, readers!

Today I am the guest blogger at Vanderbilt Wife, and I’m talking about how I successfully line dry clothes, even during the winter months! Come check out the post, leave a comment and if you are looking for a new blog to check out, I enthusiastically recommend this one. Jessie just welcomed her second child a few weeks ago and writes great posts about adjusting to life at home with a kid (or 2!). I really enjoy reading her perspective, and I bet you will, too!

Every Girl is Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Dressed Man

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Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl is crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.
-ZZ Top

Does anyone else remember that song? I’ve always loved it, for some reason. Maybe that’s because I really have always loved when men are all dressed up. Tim’s a very casual guy. His preference is to be in jeans and a sweater (I can relate to this feeling!). Perhaps that’s why when he puts on a tie, it really is something special. He’ll usually wear a tie to work just once a week or so. I always think he looks exceptionally nice on those days.Tim is also the kind of guy who wears clothes until they are absolutely shot. I appreciate that about him, and I wish I was as disciplined. But I get tired of my clothes after just a few seasons. We recently went through his tie collection and actually got rid of several ties, many of which he has had since college (12 years ago). After he honestly assessed which ties he did and didn’t like, his “keep” pile was really quite pitiful. I knew it was time for a new tie to join the few that remained.I’ll just be honest, I always hit the thrift stores to see if I can find any great ties for a song. I’ve done it before with success, or at least I thought I had. Those thrift store finds from the past were all in Tim’s “discard” pile, as it turns out! I knew So I decided not to go that route again. I also knew that going to a department store and spending $40+ dollars wasn’t going to happen, either.

My preference would be to shop online, to get a good price, and for returns to be hassle-free. And yes, there’s a store where you can get all of this! Allow me to introduce you toABC Neckties. This site has an EXTENSIVE collection of ties (long ties and bow ties). You can search by price point, by color or even by style. If your guy happens to like wearing novelty ties, they can seriously hook you up. That’s not Tim’s style, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have a great selection for him, though.

I snagged a beautiful purple striped tie for Tim on this site. Before I committed to it, I checked out their return policy just in case he didn’t’ like it. You have 30 days to make a return or exchange, and you just have to contact the company to get a return form that you submit with your package. Pretty simple, really. They only charge $2.95 for shipping, and if you spend $30 or more, shipping is free. Nice!

When the tie arrived, I showed it to Tim and asked him what he thought. He REALLY liked it. He commented that he was surprised by the high quality of the tie, and he also thought the style looked really current. Most of his ties are some combination of navy, red and yellow, so a purple tie fills a pretty wide gap in color choices for him. He actually wore it to work the day after it arrived, because he was so happy to have a new tie (that he actually liked) in his collection.

I can tell you now that this tie is going to be one of the ones that sticks around for several years, and joins the ranks of those other handful of ties that have made the cut for Tim.

EDIT: You have GOT to check out this fabulous video series that ABC Neckties has out. They show you how to tie a tie 15 different ways! So cool!

Buy it! If you are looking for a new tie at a reasonable price, check out ABC Neckties. They also offer big and tall ties and boys’ ties! And if you agree with me that Tim’s new tie is fabulous, you can purchase one for $20!

Win it! One lucky reader will receive a $25 gift certificate to ABC Neckties! The contest will run until January 14th 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 and Canada. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me anything about your (or your man’s) tie collection. Is it out of control? Is it sparse? What kind of ties are we talking about here? Are there any you absolutely love or hate? Anything related to the topic works for me!

My answer: My husband still has the tie that he wore on our wedding day, and I hope he keeps it forever, even if it falls out of style. I smile so much whenever he wears it!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” ABC Neckties on Facebook and post on their wall that I sent you!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (you can find it on my sidebar…it’s super easy to sign up, I promise!)

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.

Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type Video

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If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I’m a HUGE fan of Scholastic Storybook Treasures. This company has done an outstanding job of bringing great stories to life on the big screen, all while preserving the integrity of the books and the learning opportunities that come along with reading.

If you are looking for some dvds for your little ones, but you don’t want them watching shows that don’t offer much in the way of education, or that promote shorter attention spans by switching camera angles every 2 seconds, Scholastic Storybook Treasures are what you’ve been looking for!

click clack moo cows that type video Today I’m bringing you another terrific option. Introducing Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type. I actually wasn’t familiar with this story before watching the video. It’s really funny, and is about cows who really get into some serious negotiating with the farmer about their work conditions.

When we sat down to watch it, I recognized the narrator in the first 2 seconds that he was talking: it was Randy Travis! Now, I can’t call myself a country music fan, but I have ALWAYS liked Randy Travis. I may or may not have squealed when I heard his voice. Just sayin’.

Click, Clack, Moo comes with 17 animal stories on 3 DVDs. It is so great! The stories on these dvds have won over 30 awards, so you know they have been carefully selected and deemed to be outstanding! A few of the stories also include a Spanish version. Que fantastico! They also have discussion questions to go along with the stories so that you and your child can work on reading comprehension! Love that! This is why I love the Scholastic dvds…it really isn’t about just sticking your kid in front of a cartoon. This is an interactive educational experience.

Buy it!: Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type has close to 4 hours of material in the collection, and is a great buy at $24.95!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type is coming to the home of one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! The contest will run until January 12th 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 Scholastic Storybook Treasure that you’d love to own (complete list can be found here, here and here)
My answer: I’d love to have Chicka, Chicka 1-2-3 so that we can work on counting!
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 check out the other current giveaways going on, 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 an affiliate link.

My Top Two Christmas Moments

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As we bid adieu to the holiday season of 2010, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my top two Christmas memories from the past. They both happened in the last decade, despite the fact that I’m otherwise totally thrilled to be saying good-bye to the first decade of this century.

Christmas 2001: Tim and I were seniors in college. His family had recently moved from Arkansas to California, and he was going to be headed out that way for the first time. He asked if I would like to come with him. I’d never been further west than Arkansas, so heck yes I wanted to go!

Not gonna lie, though, once my parents said that I could go, I got a little suspicious. Why on earth would they let me spend my Christmas break away from home? I totally packed a special dress just in case a proposal was in store.

And it was. I’ll save that story for another time, but Tim did propose to me that Christmas morning while we were on a walk together (totally NOT wearing the special dress). Even though we were so young, we felt ready to commit to each other. And my friends, that was an EXCELLENT decision. I think about being proposed to every year at Christmas, and I’m thankful that Tim had the good sense to ask me to marry him, and that I had the good sense to say, “Yes!”

Christmas 2008: A sort of tough year was winding down for us. After MUCH discussion (and yeah, some arguing) we decided that we were both ready to start a family. But you see, you don’t necessarily get to start one just because you say you are ready. Turns out, getting pregnant can be kind of difficult! (Seriously, this shocked me to realize). We discovered we were pregnant in September, but miscarried just a week later. It was a very difficult thing to experience, though we probably wouldn’t have ever realized that we were pregnant if we hadn’t been watching like hawks.

But on Christmas morning we were home with my family and had news to share. In between my parents’ stockings we hid an ultrasound picture of our little Darah (who literally looked like a peanut at that point). We were 9 weeks along, and were cautiously optimistic that we were actually going to have a baby.

No big announcements for us this year, but we’ll see what future Christmas mornings have in store for us. It is certainly an auspicious day! 🙂

 

No More Lightswitch Hassle Thanks to Kidswitch

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Does your toddler LOVE turning the lights on and off? This is a great source of joy for little D. She’s at the point now where she says, “on” when she turns a light on (unfortunately, she also says “on” when she turns it off, but we’ll work on that!).

We have a guest bed in Darah’s room and when she is on that, she is able to reach the light switch on her own. But she most definitely can’t reach a light switch anywhere else in the house.

Light Switch Extender for Kids

There’s a product that has been on the market since 1995 that can help with this problem, though. It is called Kidswitch, and we recently had the opportunity to try it out.

 

Tim easily installed the Kidswitch in Darah’s bathroom in just a few minutes. I wanted to put it there because she is in the (really long) process of potty training, and it would be great for her to be able to turn the light on there all by herself. I also didn’t want to put it in her bedroom because it does glow in the dark, and I feared that this could keep Darah awake, at least until she gets used to it. On the flip side, I really love that it glows in the dark, because that makes it easier for little ones to find at night!

kids light switch extender
So how did it work? Well, the truth is, Darah still can’t reach it. I do wish that it was a bit longer so that younger toddlers could make use of it. But my guess is that she’ll easily be able to reach it by the time she is 2 (they really do grow like weeds!). While we wait, we aren’t going to uninstall it, as turning on and off the light for grownups is not any more difficult with the Kidswitch installed.

I think that once Darah is old enough to reach it, this will offer her a confidence boost and just one more way to exercise her independence (which as anyone with a toddler will tell you, is crucial). I would recommend this as a good product to have on hand for kids starting at age 2 (unless they are really tall!).

Buy it!: Kidswitch is available for purchase for several different types of light switches, with prices starting at just $8.95. You can buy multiple packs and save on the cost per Kidswitch, too! That means you can place them all over your house, or buy a few for your home and a few for a friend! Amazon has the best prices for this product, in my experience.

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. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.


Salon Shine Without The Cost: Aveeno Nourish!

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I have been using Aveeno products since I was a baby and suffered from eczema. I used to take oatmeal baths with their products! As an adult, I have used their face lotions and sunscreen products and have been very pleased with them. I have never tried any of their hair care products, though.

Until now!
aveeno shampoo nourish shine
Aveeno has come out with an entire line of products called Nourish, and while I’ve only been using the products for a few days now, I can already tell a noticeable difference with my hair.

The last time I visited a hair stylist, she told me that I had coarse hair that needed some pretty serious moisturizing products to help it be more manageable. She said that was part of the reason why my hair was also on the frizzy side…it was parched! Naturally she had some quite expensive products on her shelf that she was more than happy to recommend to me. She used them on me during my visit, and yes, they worked, but I passed. It was all I could do to afford the haircut, folks!

I honestly feel as though this line from Aveeno is giving me the same results I experienced at the salon, but for a fraction of the cost. While they are still on the pricey side for me (hey, I’m cheap) I would definitely buy these again if I found them on sale and/or had a coupon. The products I used are the Nourish + Moisturize shampoo and conditioner and the Nourish + Style Smoothing Shine Creme. They all worked beautifully together to give my hair a silky (but not weighed-down) feel and lots of great shine.

Patric Melville Before I wrap up the post, I wanted to leave you with a style tip for you from celebrity hair stylist Patric Melville, who is an Aveeno Hair Consultant. He taught me something about the right way to wash hair. Read on!

“Always prep your hairstyle with a proper wash. Remember to comb any tangles out before you wet it and use warm water to open the cuticles of the hair and to wash all the oil and dirt off. Then, you only need a dollop of shampoo to rub your hands together and apply to your scalp. Take note that you should put the shampoo on your scalp and not at the ends of your hair. Rinse your hair with cold water afterwards to close the cuticles and add to the shine of your hair.” I didn’t know this trick about cold water but I’m totally putting it to use now!

Buy it!: Aveeno Nourish products are available at stores nationwide and start around $6.50 each. They will be available in February 2010, so keep an eye out for them! And there’s a coupon available to print now, so don’t miss it!

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. 

Yoga for Children: Easier Than You Think (With a Little Help!)

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Tim and I put a rather unusual thing on our baby registry when we were expecting: a child-size yoga mat. Are we yoga maniacs? Not by a long-shot. We really wish we did yoga more than we do now. We used to do yoga together most every morning, and it was an amazing way to start the day. While our discipline stinks at the moment, our heart is definitely in the right place, and we are prepared with a mat for little D so that she can join us!

When Darah was an infant I did a little bit of yoga with her, especially moves that would help with her digestion. But as she has become a toddler, I’ve been completely floundering about how to introduce some basic moves to her.

Yoga for Children

Fortunately, there’s a wonderful woman out there who anticipated my confusion at this stage (and the confusion of thousands of other parents with similar desires). Abbie Davies has created a book called My First Yoga.

yoga post for children

From the site, “This award winning book uses kid friendly vocabulary and vibrant illustrations to lead readers through a series of easy to follow yoga poses. Learn to become a strong dog, quiet turtle and proud lion – stretching mind and body to improve focus, balance and concentration.”

My review can be summed up in one word, “HOORAY!” This book is absolutely PERFECT! Darah likes to look through the book and talk about the sounds that each animal makes, and she has been working on a few of the poses, because she likes to imitate what she sees the children in the book doing. While there are a few poses that she isn’t going to be able to do for a little while, there are several in there that she can try out now, at just 16 months old. Her very favorite, at the moment, is the butterfly.

yoga for toddlers
This also provides a terrific activity for the two of us to do together. And while Darah is trying out the different poses, I’m getting a good stretch or two in there for myself. BLISS!

Abbie has a great video of one of her classes on Youtube, if you’d like to check it out. It shows just how interested young kids are in yoga, and how much fun they can have learning different poses!

I’m absolutely thrilled to have this book, and now my dream is coming true of having yoga be something that I share with my daughter on a daily basis. I know it is good for her, and it is also so good for me. She seems to really enjoy the challenge of the poses and also has a lot of fun whenever we do our poses. She laughs and smiles, and also really concentrates from time to time. It’s awesome to watch!

In addition to this wonderful book, Abbie also offers Activity Blasts that can come straight to your inbox with poses and activity ideas for you to do with your child. I just signed up, and can’t wait to get those emails!

Buy it!: My First Yoga is available at many different places online, including Amazon.com for $11.69 and is worth every penny!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.  
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 


Piggy Paint Review and Giveaway!

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Today I’ve got a fun post for you: it’s a throw-back to a year ago, when I reviewed Piggy Paint nail polish. Since that time, Darah and I have developed a ritual every Friday where we both get our toes painted (she especially likes having her toes painted while she sits on her potty. Ha!). I purchased Dragon Tears for her and put it in her stocking this year; it is going to be so cute on her little piggy toes! Since I last posted they have added a Project Earth collection, with bold colors that will especially delight tweens! Check them out!

So without further ado, here’s my original review as well as a giveaway!

I have been looking forward to painting my baby girl’s toes pretty much since I found out I was having a girl. My mom would frequently paint my toes when I was little, and it was good bonding time for us. And of course, I always had the cutest toes of anyone my age. I was really eager to get my hands on my baby’s little piggy toes and turn them pink. Thankfully, I had the sense to pause before breaking out my own nail polish to find out if it would be safe for her. Turns out…not so much. Nail polish and nail polish remover are actually rather toxic, and can contain formaldehyde, acetone, toulene, ethyl acetate and other crazy stuff that I can’t even pronounce. While Darah isn’t putting her toes in her mouth just yet, it is only a matter of time before that is happening, and I don’t want her ingesting any of those chemicals.

Thanks to some other bloggers, though, I learned about Piggy Paint, a company that creates non-toxic polishes and polish removers with our little girls (and their safety) in mind. It is made in the USA and invented by a genius stay-at-home mom (doesn’t it seem like the very best products are created by moms?!) I was given the opportunity to try out Girls Rule on Darah. I actually gave my mother the honors of painting her toes first when they came for a visit a few weeks ago. I have to say, applying polish to squirmy baby toes is tough, but Darah and Grammy both had a really good time together during the process! I used the nail polish remover that they sent to wipe off those smears; easy peasy. The polish remover didn’t have that nasty chemical smell that you typically find in polish removers, which was really nice. The next time I put polish on Darah’s toes I will have a hair dryer on hand to help expedite the drying process. It isn’t that Piggy Paint takes any longer to dry than other polishes, but rather that Darah is a baby on the move! The women at the daycare center noticed her polished toes the day after they were done and raved about how cute she was. I’m not gonna lie, I beamed with pride at my little cutie that day!

I also brought the polish with me to California, because all of the cousins on my husband’s side of the family were together for the first time ever. I simply could not wait to get to paint my nieces’ toes! I was only able to paint the toes of the 3 year old, Anna, but she was very eager to get her toes painted. She sat very still throughout the process, and even helped me blow on her toes to help them dry. She showed off her pretty pink toenails to everyone in the house that day. Getting to paint her nails is a precious memory that I will keep with me forever.

The polish does require touch ups every few days, but that just provides you with another opportunity to have quiet, quality time with your little one!

 

Buy It: If you have a little girl and you want to paint her toes, please don’t go to your polish collection. Get her something that you can be confident won’t hurt her. Piggy Paint is the perfect choice, and the color selection is very nice. Now through February 28th, you can score 10% off your purchase by using the coupon code STUFF10L at checkout. You can even put that towards sale items! Also, if you spend $35 or more, domestic shipping is FREE!

Win It: One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to score a $15 credit to Piggy Paint! This contest will run until January 6th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory Entry: Visit Piggy Paint and tell me your very favorite color polish.

Additional Entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Piggy Paint on Facebook and post on their wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you!
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

rare bonus entry option: If you are a blogger, add my button to your blog roll for 2 more entries! (be sure to leave the link so I can see it!)

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