Stuff Parents Need - Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

SoftBums: Amazing AI2 Diaper

September 7, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Today I’m bringing you a diaper from SoftBums that is making me re-think AI2 diapers. AI2 dipes, in general, have fallen out of favor with me. But if you’ll check out my video review, you’ll see just why SoftBums have made me an AI2 believer once again.

On the whole, I’d say that this diaper is brilliant, and it is one that I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone who is looking to start cloth diapering or add a winning diaper to their stash. One size fits 6-35 pounds, and all without a snap system. Amazing!

Buy it!: SoftBums can be purchased on Amazon and the Echo Dry Touch Basic Pack is $36.95, and comes with 1 shell, 3 long inserts and 1 mini-insert. The inserts cover so well that you really could use the shell multiple times before washing it! It makes 3 full diapers, which equals about $12/diaper. Not bad!

Win it!: Are you flipping out with excitement? You should be, because one of you is going to WIN a Softbums One-Size Cloth Diaper Basics Pack in your choice of color!!!! The contest will run until September 17th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their 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 reason why you are intrigued by SoftBums and who the diaper would be for (you don’t have to list the child’s name, just if they are a son, daughter, niece, nephew, etc.).

Additional entries:
1. Follow SoftBums on Twitter
3. “Like” SoftBums on Facebook
4. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
5. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
6. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
7. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my home page).

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

Baby Short on Hair? No Slippy Clippy to the Rescue!

September 5, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 91 Comments

I always enjoy dressing up Darah. But at this age, I’m finding that putting her in dresses can be a bit of a hardship for her. It is really difficult to crawl around in a dress!

It turns out, though, that there’s a really easy way to dress her up, without having to actually put a dress on her! I can just put a bow in her hair!

Oh wait. Darah doesn’t really have much hair. So nevermind.

Only not really! You see, there’s a company out there who made products with little girls like mine (i.e. those short on hair) in mind. Check out the No Slippy Hair Clippy! These products are specially designed to STAY PUT, even if there isn’t too much to hang on to!
We were sent two of their headbands and I am just over the moon about them! First up is the simple and sweet Grace headband in white. White goes with pretty much everything, which makes this piece so versatile. I love it.

Second, we received the Reagan in shocking pink. Darah really liked to try to pull this off her head, until I took her to the mirror to show her the pretty headband. I kid you not, she smiled and clapped when she saw it. She totally knew that she looked like a million bucks!

These headbands are so awesome because they make her look instantly dressed up, even if she’s in a simple white onesie. Like I mentioned earlier, I love dressing Darah up, but the truth is, it just isn’t always practical. My mom and I have been in disagreements before because she can’t understand why I don’t put Darah in ruffly dresses, even when we are just going to the store. From my perspective, that is just dumb! More power to you if you choose to do that, but I just don’t have the time or the energy. Now I can just put one of these headbands on her and she looks fabulous. I love style that is effortless!

Buy it!: No Slippy Hair Clippy has an AMAZING selection of headbands, bows, flowers and clippettes for your little one, and the prices are right! Check out the online shop today and just try to resist!

Win it!: Here’s your chance to win a $25 shopping spree to hairclippy.com! Your little one is about to be gorgeous!!! The contest will run until 11:59pm EST on September 15th when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their 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: No Slippy Hair Clippy wants to hang out with you online, so they request that you either “like” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!

Additional entries:
1. “Like” No Slippy Hair Clippy on Facebook (if that wasn’t your mandatory entry)
2. Follow No Slippy Hair Clippy on Twitter (if that wasn’t your mandatory entry)
3. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
4. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
5. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
6. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (located on the sidebar of my home page).

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

Healthy Gourmet Snacks: Sahale Snacks

September 3, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 253 Comments

Are you a snacker? I am a HUGE snacker…to a fault, I suppose. There was a time in my life when I was eating really well, but eating often, and that was the most effective way I ever found to lose weight. I would eat a little something every 30 minutes throughout the day. No joke! Maybe I should write a book about it and call it the 30 minute diet. I’d make millions… but I’m guessing there’s already a weight-loss book out there that champions that exact strategy. Now I’m curious and will have to peruse the diet section the next time I’m in a book store!

Anyway, back to snacking. It is very difficult for me not to snack, and it is really up to me to make sure that I have snacks around that are good for me. Whether it is carrot sticks or Oreos, I can assure you that I’ll be snackin’ on something throughout the day.
There’s a really great line of snack products that has come out that I want to tell you about. It is called Sahale Snacks. I would describe them as gourmet snacks made with nuts. From their site, “We use whole ingredients in their natural form – such as cashews, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, macadamia nuts, and peanuts — and combine them with naturally dried and preservative-free fruits, then add fabulous ingredients like organic orange blossom honey, lemongrass, balsamic vinegar, Moroccan harissa, or pure ground Madagascar vanilla beans.”

Are you feeling hungry yet?

I had the opportunity to try out a few of their products, and I loved every single one of them. They have such an amazing array of flavors, but perhaps my favorite was the Tuscon Almonds. They are made with Parmesan and herbs and they are divine! They are also unlike pretty much anything else out there on the market. Also noteworthy are the Southwest Cashews and Pomegranate Cashews.

Sahale Snacks are sinfully delicious and yet surprisingly good for you. They are definitely a great snack to have at home, at work or in the car. They are available nationwide, and to find out exactly where you can get some, go to their store locator page.

Where to Buy Sahale Snacks

I have found the best selection of Sahale Snacks on Amazon. I love that you can take advantage of prime shipping options and get your healthy gourmet snack fix with ease there. Stores, at least for me, tend to be more hit-or-miss with the stock they offer of Sahale Snacks.
Win it!: Sahale Snacks wants to see you snacking on nothing but the very best, so one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to score a gift pack from Sahale with the following full-sized products:

Glazed Cashews with Pomegranate + Vanilla
Glazed Almonds with Honey + Sea Salt
Sing Buri Nut Blend
Valdosta Nut Blend
Sahale Snacks apron

Amazing! The contest will run until September 13th at 7:59pm 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.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the flavor of Sahale Snacks that makes your mouth water the most!

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS, email or Google friend connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe more than one way)
2. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your Twitter ID)
4. Follow Sahale Snacks on Twitter
5. “Like” Sahale Snacks on Facebook
6. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other giveaways, located 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.

Bummis Easy Fit Diaper Review: The Best of Both Worlds

September 1, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

When I first started using cloth diapers, we were an AIO (All in One) household, all the way. We LOVED them. And I still do love them, at least somewhat.

They have two fatal flaws, however. First, they take forty forevers to dry. Boo hiss to that because I need to hurry up and get them back on Darah’s bottom! Second, in my experience, AIO diapers are the ones that stink the most. I mean that literally. I don’t know why, but my AIOs have to be stripped far more often than my pocket diapers. Has anyone else found that to be true?

So now I use more pocket diapers than AIO diapers. But I miss not having to stuff, and more importantly, not having to touch soiled inserts.

Bummis

Today I am bringing you a diaper that strikes a beautiful balance between the convenience of AIOs and the quick drying of pocket diapers. Check out the Bummis Easy Fit. I heart it in a major way. I made a video (while Darah was napping, sorry if it seems rushed and amateurish…because it was and it is!). Check it out to learn exactly what makes the Bummis so unique and so crush-worthy (is it weird to have a crush on a cloth diaper?…). Oh, and just ignore the fact that my floor is so dirty that the diaper is picking up bits of leaves…oops.

So yes, that semi-attached insert is a fantastic feature. If I were building a diaper stash right now, I’d want at least 3 of these bad boys. That’s a note to self for baby #2!

Buy it!: I was thrilled to see Bummis diapers for sale at my local Whole Foods, and you can also find them on Amazon. The price seems to be right around $23.95, which seems fair to me for the quality (bamboo) and the convenience.

Win it!: Bummis wants to give one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader the chance to win an Easy Fit diaper in your choice of color! Woo hoo! The contest will run until September 11th at 7:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is drawn. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me your favorite type of cloth diaper (AIO, pocket, prefold, hybrid, etc.) and why. If you don’t have a favorite type or don’t yet use them, tell me why this giveaway is of interest to you. I’m curious to hear!

Additional entries:

Additional entries:
1. Follow Bummis on Twitter
2. Subscribe to the Bummis blog
3. “Like” Bummis on Facebook
4. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
5. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
6. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
7. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my home page).

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.

Get $30,000 and Change Lives

August 31, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Woodrow Wilson. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m extremely excited to have the chance to tell you about an amazing opportunity that is close to my heart. Until just a few weeks ago, my career field was education. I worked with amazing college students who gave 10 hours each week to the community as part of their scholarship for college. Many of my students worked in Memphis public schools, some of the worst out there. The schools we partnered with almost all made failing scores year after year. The need was so tremendous, especially for passionate teachers who really cared and who dared to set the bar high for their students. It was a joy to watch some of my students go on to become teachers in high need schools.

Perhaps you are thinking about becoming a teacher and making a difference? Maybe you are still in college and weighing your options, or maybe you are looking for a career change. If you have or are working towards a degree in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering or math) and you want to be a teacher, The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship www.wwteachingfellowship.org might be the right opportunity for you! If provides you with a $30,000 stipend to complete an intensive master’s degree program at one of fourteen universities across the nation. It also provides intensive support and mentoring in the classroom while you teach in high need areas for at least three years.

To apply for this round, you need to have an undergraduate degree by June 2011, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have a demonstrated commitment to the program and its goals.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship seeks to recruit, prepare and retain effective teachers for the students and schools who need them most. Are you one of the teachers they are looking for? If not, do you know someone who would make an amazing teacher? Please tell them about this opportunity!

Need more convincing? Watch this video!

Do you have a favorite memory of an inspirational teacher? I have had the good fortune to have had several teachers K-12 who believed in me and encouraged me to reach higher and higher. Not everyone is so lucky. I commend The Woodrow Wilson Fellowship program for working to put role models in every school.

Milson Road The Daily Portrait Review

August 31, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 116 Comments

There are a lot of things in life that I intend to do, but never quite get around to doing. For example, I had every intention of getting a copy of the newspaper from the day that Darah was born. I thought it would be a really cool thing for her to look through later, just to get a glimpse of what the world was like the day she was born. But I never did get that paper. You see, I was sort of in the hospital and kind of busy learning how to keep my newborn alive and well. So a paper run just didn’t happen. And in the haze of the first few weeks of Darah’s life, going by the Commercial Appeal office to buy one of their reserved copies just didn’t make it off the bottom of the to-do list. Oh well.

Milson Road

Milson Road The Daily Portrait Review Today I have a really special item to share with you. It is a keepsake item, and it makes a delightful gift to give at a christening, or a first birthday or really any time. It is sort of like a framed newspaper from the day your child is born, only better! It’s called The Daily Portrait, and it is made by the wonderful company Milson Road. They make these for many special occasions like graduations or anniversaries, but I want to focus on the ones designed to celebrate birthdays.

When you are ready to purchase The Daily Portrait for the special child in your life, the process is really very simple. They simply need a few key pieces of information about the child’s birth (date, time, location, weight and length and parents names) and a photo. They are then able to create a little news piece about the birth and that is included on the newsprint. The rest of the paper is filled with really cool tidbits about the world on that day, including headlines, popular movies and tv shows and famous people with the same birthday. It is so much fun to read!

I also really liked that you get to choose the background color, the mat color and the frame color. I liked this because I didn’t really want Darah’s frame to have pink in it. Pink would look great in her nursery now, but it may be something she wouldn’t like as she gets older. We kept everything classic looking so that it can easily come along for the ride as Darah’s room decor evolves over time, and it can even hang in her house when she has one of her own. I decided not to post a picture of our portrait because it has Darah’s full name on it. Sorry, just want to keep that private!

When I placed the order for our Daily Portrait, it arrived after roughly 2 weeks. As soon as the company was ready to print it, they sent me an electronic copy to review to make absolutely sure that everything looked great. I think that’s a very nice feature, because it would be so terrible to wait for a few weeks to get your special gift only to discover an error.

We love our Daily Portrait from Milson Road. This is a very special gift that I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for something that the recipient will truly treasure for years to come.

Buy it!: The Daily Portrait is available for purchase for $165 with free shipping included.

Edit: This giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: EEEEK! Milson Road wants one lucky Stuff Parents Need winner to win The Daily Portrait for yourself. So awesome!!! The contest will run until September 10th at 7:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their winning email 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 little bit about your favorite keepsake item. Who gave it to you?

Additional entries:
1. Follow Milson Road on Twitter
2. “Like” Milson Road on Facebook
3. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
4. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
5. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
6. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my home page).

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

Reusable Bags for Kids

August 31, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 152 Comments

Brandi, the brains behind an Etsy shop I love (Pannaz), has brought us several super cute products over the past few months, including her reusable nursing pads, her custom soft-soled shoes, and her amazing pillowcase dresses. She has outdone herself once again! Check out these adorable reusable bags!

reusable bags for kids in sesame street print Darah will be toting these to Parent’s Day out for the next few years, and they will also be going with her to preschool and kindergarten! The velcro is sturdy, but not too difficult for little hands to open.

I am especially keen on the size and shape of the snack bags Brandi makes. They are short, but also long, which means they will hold things like string cheese very well. They are also the perfect container for some grapes or the ever-popular goldfish. The sandwich bag can hold…you guessed it…a sandwich! It is also perfect for pretzels, potato chips, large crackers or carrot sticks.

Darah with reusable bags for kids The very first day I used them, I had some milk spill on to the bag while we were en route to daycare. I was so sure that the snacks I had put inside would be wet, but they were completely dry! I was surprised, and so pleased!

There are many great reusable bags on the market these days, and the ones Brandi sells at Pannaz are truly perfect for your little ones. The fabric is adorable, the size is just right and they keep messes at bay with their waterproof inner lining. I’ve also washed them several times and they are holding up just beautifully. I’d recommend these to anyone who is sending sending a child to daycare or school with a packed lunch.

Buy it! Pannaz has a few different styles to choose from, but if you are looking for certain colors or patterns, just send Brandi a convo and she can work with you to create a custom set. The sandwich and snack bag combo set is a reasonable $12.00!

Edit: This giveaway is now closed

Win it!: Just in time for the new school year, one lucky reader is going to snag a matching sandwich and snack bag in your choice of available fabrics. Yipee! The contest will run until September 11th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be drawn 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 drawn. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me about snacks in your house. What does your family munch on in between meals?

Additional entries:
1. “Like” Pannaz on Facebook
2. Add Pannaz to your Etsy favorites
3. Suggest something for Brandi to make and offer in her shop.
4. . Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via email, RSS or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
5. If you are a blogger (must have written a post in the last 3 months) add my button to your blog roll and send me a link so that I can see it
6. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
7. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my main page).

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Meredith LeVande What Are the Odds?

August 30, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 43 Comments

Meredith LeVande, you have 2 new fans. First, and foremost, is Darah. She loves your fun and funky tunes; they make her giggle. Second, I am totally a fan of yours, now! I think your lyrics are clever and quirky and your tunes are oh so easy to hum along to. You’ve even inspired me to work on telling Darah all about numbers now, thanks to your album’s flagship song, What Are the Odds?!

I’m a little bit late to the Meredith LeVande party. She released her first album, Monkey Monkey Music, 5 years ago, and has been devoting herself to, “putting the child back into children’s music” ever since.

Meredith performs for children in intimate settings all around NYC. If you aren’t a resident of the city that never sleeps, though, that’s ok! Meredith would love to give you a private concert in your own home, courtesy of her cds!

From the press release, “With the new Monkey Monkey Music CD, What Are the Odds?, Meredith has created something remarkable, finding the middle road between baby songs and pop band songs where kids’ lyrics are simply added to music that would otherwise be played for adults. Meredith’s music is not only child-friendly, it’s truly child appropriate, developed with the healthy growth of the young child in mind.”

What Are the Odds? was released today. Hooray!!! You can buy the album now for $14.99.

or….

Edit: This giveaway is closed
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader will win a copy of What Are the Odds? What are the odds that you’ll win?….not good if you don’t enter!!!! The contest will run until September 10th at 7:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before it is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory entry: Tell me anything odd…your favorite odd number (and why), a time when you beat the odds, your oddest craving, anything odd (and family friendly) will do!

Additional entries:
1. “Like” Meredith LeVande on Facebook
2. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
3. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
4. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
5. If you are a blogger (posted something within the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways (listed on the sidebar of my home page)

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