Stuff Parents Need

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

Flip & Tumble Shopping Tote: Reusable Bags You Will Actually Use

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I’ll admit it, I feel a little bit smug every week when I go to the grocery store, because I’ve made it a habit to bring my reusable grocery bags with me. It has taken a while for it to become a habit, but now, stopping at my trunk and pulling out bags is pretty much automatic for me after I pull in to the grocery store parking lot.

For some reason, though, this habit only works at the grocery store. I don’t remember to grab bags when I’m headed inside to Target, or TJ Maxx, or to any of the other stores that I frequent. Weird, huh? Maybe part of the reason, at least when I go into some stores, is that I’m not 100% certain that I’ll be buying anything.

I once tried to put a reusable bag inside my purse. Uh, yeah, that lasted for about 1 minute before I threw it back out. The handles were getting caught on stuff and the bag took up a surprising amount of room!

But hear ye! Hear ye! There’s a bag out there that is absolutely PERFECT for those “what if” moments that I have when being out and about. Check out the Flip & Tumble 24-7 bags. Not only are the colors bold and beautiful, but the bag is SO user-friendly. It has an elastic pouch design that enables you to turn the bag into a small ball (roughly the size of a tennis ball) in about 8 seconds. I’m the type of person who can’t fold a map to save her life, but getting this bag into the pouch was very intuitive, even for me, and it really was super fast.

Because it can become such a small object, it can actually go in your purse or your diaper bag. I’ve been carrying mine around with me for about 2 weeks, now, and it has been used repeatedly! And I can tell you that had I not had this bag, I would have used plastic bags in those moments, because I wasn’t remembering to bring in my canvas bags. Flip & Tumble saves the day!

I also like how lightweight the fabric is. This means that it isn’t adding much weight, at all, to my purse. Just because it is lightweight, though, doesn’t mean it can’t carry some weight! At one point, I turned the bag into a makeshift diaper bag for Darah, and it held clothes, toys, food and diapers with no problems.

flip tumble shopping tote Win it!: I have a Flip & Tumble bag with your name on it! (Well, at least for one of you). That’s right, one lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader is going to get the Pea Green bag, and you are going to love it!!! The contest will run until August 6th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will be contacted and will have 48 hours to claim the 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: Two things. First, you must subscribe to my blog via email, RSS or Google Friend connect (and let me know which way you subscribe). Second, tell me your favorite color bag!

Additional entries:
1. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
2. “Like” Flip & Tumble on Facebook
3. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
4. If you are a blogger (posted something in the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.
5. Tell me if you currently use reusable bags, and if you don’t, why not?

Be sure to check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

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

Affordable and Fashionable Sunglasses (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I normally avoid buying sunglasses, for a few reasons. First, I lose them. Often. Second, losing them is really painful when the sunglasses cost $40. I’ve had this experience a few times, and then I just gave up on getting more.

I know that $40 glasses are hardly expensive, and that people can (and do!) shell out $100 or even more for their stunner shades. But not me. $40 is my limit, because that seems to be the price range where I can still find cute shades. Anything below that can get pretty dicey.

But I’m wrong! Have you heard about Sunglass Warehouse? They have VERY current sunglasses for men and women, and not a single pair is over $20. Seriously! I was so surprised when I started browsing their collection. They have so many styles that are, shall we say, inspired by designer looks and for half of what I thought I had to fork over for anything decent.

Now I’m back to wearing sunglasses! I still need to work on not losing them, but should it happen, it won’t be quite as painful. Since I normally like to try on sunglasses before making a purchase, I really like that Sunglass Warehouse has a section of their site dedicated to choosing sunglasses for your face shape. I’m currently sporting these over-the-top shades in brown and cream. And you know what? I LOVE THEM. They can take my boring, thrown together “mom” look that I so often sport and make me suddenly look and feel just a tad bit FABULOUS. Simply put, they are fun. And for $13.56, they bring a whole lot of flair to my wardrobe for just a little bit of green.

Sunglass Warehouse also offers a great selection of kids’ sunglasses! I saw several frames that would be so stinkin’ precious on any one of my nieces!

Buy it!: If you need some new sunglasses, Sunglass Warehouse is a terrific place to find the most up-to-date looks at bargain prices. Everything in the store is under $20! If you spend over $25, shipping is free!

Win it!: Thanks to the great folks at Sunglass Warehouse, one of you will be updating your look this summer with a new pair of sunglasses of your choice! The contest will run until August 4th at 7:5pm CST 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 and Canada. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me the pair of sunglasses you want if you win (and choose wisely, as you will get exactly what you pick out for your entry)!. Please include a link in your post.

Additional Entries:
1. Follow Sunglass Warehouse on Twitter
2. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
3. “Like” Sunglass Warehouse on Facebook
4. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
5. Subscribe to Sunglass Warehouse blog
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 in the past 3 months) put my button on your blog and leave a url so that I can find it.

Be sure to check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

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

 

Intergalactic Awesome from Recess Monkey

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I really love telling you all about great new bands that kids (and adults) will love. If you have avoided “children’s” music up to this point, I really want to encourage you to give it a try. While I’m sure there are plenty of not-so-great bands out there (just as in every genre of music), I have been seriously impressed with what I’ve been hearing over the past 5 of 6 months as I’ve explored different albums.
Today I’m bringing you the perfect album for your little space traveler. Check out The Final Funktier. It has been out since June 15th, and it is, (bad pun warning), OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! The 15 songs on the cd are all have to do with space and science in some way. I have several favorites, already, including Moon Boots, Black Hole in My Room and My Brother is a Satellite.

The sounds you will find here are upbeat and lots of fun. The entire album runs just 34 minutes, which can hold a young child’s attention all the way through. It is a fun journey, and you might find, like me, that you are a little bit sad when the ride is over. That’s such a good sign for cd, my friends!
The members of Recess Monkey have released 6 albums, and in their spare time, they all teach at the same school in Seattle. Isn’t that cool? How fun would it be for your elementary school teacher to be a rock star?! 🙂

Buy it!: If your little one needs some music to accompany him/her on trips to other galaxies, pick up The Final Funktier for $15 or you can buy is for under $12 on Amazon.

Win it!: Fasten your seat belts, one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is about to take off with your own copy of The Final Funktier! The contest will run until August 2nd at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via 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. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory entry: Tell me another album from Recess Monkey you’d like to own (search under the Store tab)

Additional entries:
1. “Like” Recess Monkey on Facebook
2. Follow Recess Monkey on Twitter
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 check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

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

Guest Post: The Baby and the Butterfly

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Today I have a guest post for you that offers a little bit of food for thought. I can relate to the conflict that parents have watching their little ones struggle to learn how to do something. I am still guilty of rarely letting Darah try to feed herself, and this story is a good reminder to me that I need to let her try it and get messy, or else she’ll never learn!

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Babies enter into the world utterly dependent on their caregivers. Long days, sleepless nights, and year upon year of loving, worrying, feeding, bathing, changing, soothing, and caring conditions us to help our children meet any need and overcome any challenge. The art of good parenting comes in knowing when to help our children grow strong by letting them struggle on their own.

The story of The Man and the Butterfly demonstrates the importance of helping wisely:

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

The man is driven by his compassion for the butterfly’s struggle and by his desire to make things easier for the emerging creature. But struggling through its restricting cocoon is the butterfly’s only way of forcing fluid from its body into its wings and it is only after this process is complete that a butterfly’s wings are prepared for flight. In his well-intentioned haste, the man bypassed one of nature’s most efficient and necessary processes, crippling the very life he meant to aid.

How do you feel when you watch your little one face struggles? It is so instinctual for parents to want to rush in and help (and certainly any health and safety-related situations call for immediate intervention) but how do you fight the urge to solve the kinds of challenges that are necessary for your child’s healthy emotional growth?

Sometimes struggles are exactly what our children need in order to grow strong and fly with their own competent wings. A childhood without challenges soothes our parenting minds but stunts our children’s ability to cope, persist, and persevere.

Signe Whitson is a licensed social worker and author of The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive Aggressive Behavior in Families, Schools, and Workplaces, 2nd, ed. 

Wahmies Large Diaper Wet Bag Review

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I’ve already told you about how crucial it is to have a wet bag if you are going to cloth diaper. The smell factor in your house goes down tremendously with one, I promise!

Currently, I’m keeping the dragon bag at home because it can hold 2 days worth of diapers at a time (and I’m currently washing diapers roughly every 48 hours). But that bag was a bit too large to take to daycare, so now I have a smaller bag to get her through the day.

Wahmies web bag in jungle print large diaper wet bag And once again, I found a company that makes SUPER cute bags! This company is called Wahmies. Wahmies is a company that is really well-known for their diaper pail liners, but they also have some other terrific products, including a one-size diaper (review and giveaway forthcoming!) and these great wet bags.

Wahmies wet bags are made with high quality cotton designer prints, and have a water-proof polyester laminated inner fabric. They are made in the USA!

I have a regular size bag (ARV $16.50), which measures13″ x 15″. It is just the right size to take to daycare, as it will hold 6-8 diapers. When we get home, I just transfer the day’s diapers from her Wahmies bag into her dragon bag. I let the bag air out overnight, and then I take it back to daycare the next day. I try to wash both of my wet bags every other day, just to keep them smelling their best. The Wahmies bag has held up just great in the wash, and the colors on the fabric have not bled.

I’m so pleased to have a bag this size as part of my cloth diapering arsenal. And I’m so glad that bag is from Wahmies. It is cute, very functional and keeps the stink at bay, which is exactly what a wet bag should do. Yay Wahmies!

Buy it!: Wahmies wet bags come in 2 sizes to meet different needs: the regular size retails for $16.50, and the all-day size, which measures 16″ x 20″ sells for $18.50. They also offer a small bag that is perfect for your cloth wipes! It measures 9″ x 9″and sells for $9.50.

Wahmies web bag in black and white print large diaper wet bag Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to get a regular size Fun Print Wet Bag in this simply precious cow print! The contest will run until July 31st at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to their winning email notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: You must follow my blog via email, RSS or Google Friend Connect and let me know which way you subscribe!

Additional entries:
1. Tell me your favorite item sold by Wahmies, and why you like it!
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 check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

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

 

The Best Reusable Snack Bags to Green Your Lunch

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Have you tried out reusable snack bags? If not, you totally should! This is one more great way to reduce the amount of plastic you use and throw away, and it is a great way to save some money!

As reusable bags for food become more popular, the options just get better and better (and cuter and cuter!). Today I’m bringing you a fabulous brand that I think has the best reusable snack bags called ReUsies. There is a poem on their website that is a playful, yet still serious reminder about why ceasing to use plastic bags is so important. It reads,
They stick to our fences

Alight in our trees

Drift down our sidewalks

And swirl into our seas

They’re a pollutant on which our sea creatures feed

They are plastic bags

Our urban tumbleweeds!

best reusable snack bags in pink and green ReUsies are 100% cotton bags on the outside, lined with leak-resistant nylon and secured with Velcro closures. They come in two sizes (sandwich and snack) and in a terrific variety of colors.

I have used our ReUsies reusable snack bags several times now, and I’m impressed with how well they hold their contents (I put Wheat Thins in my sandwich bag, and I fully expected some of them to fall out, but they didn’t!). I usually just throw them into the washing machine (because there’s ALWAYS a load going around here), but they can also be washed in the dishwasher after they have been washed a few times in the washing machine. You don’t want to put them in the dishwasher right away because they super hot water could cause the fabric to bleed if it has never been washed before.

Overall, I found ReUsies bags to be super cute, beautifully stitched, roomy and well-designed to hold their contents. Sandwich bags can be purchased for $8.75 and snack bags are $6.95. Also, ReUsies is having a special deal where if you buy 3 or more bags, shipping is free!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader will win a sandwich and snack bag set in your choice of fabric! The contest will run until July 29th at 7:59pm CST 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 the ReUsies fabric you love the most (and choose wisely, as you will get what you select for this entry).

Additional entries:
1. Follow ReUsies on Twitter
2. “Like” ReUsies on Facebook
3. Subscriber to the ReUsies blog
4. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
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 complimentary reusable snack bag products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. 

Eatsmart Digital Bathroom Scale Extra Large Backlight Silver Review

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I try not to get too stressed out about my weight. I just have a lot of other things going on in my life that require more attention than noticing if I’ve gained or lost a pound in the last 24 hours. I used to pretty much only weigh myself when I went to doctor’s visits. During pregnancy, though, I became much more interested in/fascinated by my expanding waistline. We had a scale that I would use at home. It was one of those manual scales, because those fancy digital scales were just out of our price range. Unfortunately, the budget scale we bought would seriously give me a different weight every time I stepped on the scale. And I don’t mean that it would give me a different weight every 5 days; my weight would be different every 5 minutes! It would be off by anywhere from 1-7 pounds. Seriously! So basically, it was useless.

Eatsmart Digital Bathroom Scale Extra Large Backlight Silver

I realize that checking in with your weight, maybe once each week or so, is actually a pretty healthy thing to do. I just had the opportunity to try out something different, and I’m so excited to share it with you. Check out the EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale. This scale has so many wonderful features!

eatsmart digital bathroom scale extra large backlight silver First, using it is a breeze. Simply step on the scale and it will give you your weight in about 2 seconds on its 3.5″ LCD panel. It runs on 4 AAA batteries, which are included with the scale.

Second, it is consistent! I stepped on the scale and got my weight (which I WON’T be sharing, thank you very much!). Amazingly, it gave me the same weight when I tried it again a few seconds and a few minutes later. Hooray!

The third thing I like about this scale is that it is pretty. A pretty bathroom scale?! YES! I love that it is made largely from glass, because it will blend in, rather than stick out like a sore thumb (which is exactly what my old scale did). Because it looks so nice, I don’t feel the need to put it away in between uses.

Finally, I have to say that the price is something very lovable! It is only $24.95, which is a rockin’ price for such a nice looking, accurate scale. I am totally sold on this scale, which has a manual scale price tag and a very expensive scale look! That’s perfect!


eatsmart digital bath scale EatSmart also has a really interesting product called the Nutrition Scale. It has a database of 1,000 whole foods, and you can put those foods on the scale to get calories, carbs, fiber, sodium, fats, vitamin k and six other nutrients. The Nutrition Scale and the Digital Bathroom Scale are made by a father and son team in New Jersey who had the goal of educating people as to what they were consuming from a nutritional standpoint so they could live better lives. As they worked with people on nutrition education, they also developed kitchen scales to help people with effective portion control. This is a company that really cares about helping people live healthier lives, and they are also working hard on keeping their prices competitive!
Buy it!: The EatSmart products can be purchased at Amazon.com or on the EatSmart website. If you need some help staying healthy, check out what they have to offer today!

EDIT: This giveaway is CLOSED.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Digital Bathroom Scale. Your bathroom is about to look even more fabulous, and now you’ll have an accurate measurement of your weight! The contest will run until July 27th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via 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. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me your very favorite product from the EatSmart line of products and why you’d like to own it.

Additional Entries:
1. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
2. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
3. Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe multiple ways)
4. 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 check out all the other current giveaways, listed on the sidebar of my main page!

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

Tommee Tippee Review of Products

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We just had the opportunity to review a few products from the Explora line by Tommee Tippee. Have you heard of this company? They were new to me, but I’m happy to have been introduced to them, because their Explora has some products that we need now and will need over the next year or so.

The Explora line contains, “Progressively staged products, promoting easier transitions from first sips & tastes to freedom in independent feeding & drinking.” First, we tried out the Spill-proof Waterbottle, designed for ages 18months and up. So….I think the age guideline is to be followed, because Darah just can’t get the hang out of drinking from a straw. I actually don’t do a very good job of giving her a sippy cup to practice on, so that could be part of the problem. Even though she isn’t old enough to use this, yet, I did put the “no-spill” promise to the test. And it didn’t spill or even leak, one little bit. Thumbs up! Darah’s current “spill-free” sippy cup leaks like nobody’s business!

Next, we tried the weaning bowl, which is intended to be used with the Easi-mat. I’m not really clear on why these products are sold separately (maybe you only need one mat but several bowls?). This is a very helpful combo of products. The bowl is microwave safe AND BPA free. Hooray! I still can’t believe how challenging it can be to find small bowls that meet both criteria. But the easi-mat is the real gem, folks. This thing will stick to most any flat surface, and when you attach the weaning bowl to it, that bowl isn’t going anywhere. This comes in VERY handy when toddlers try to throw their bowls (and try, they will!). It even has a lid so that you can keep curious little hands out of the food. Darah LOVES to grab at her food, which is why I have had to keep it off her tray, before. Now we can make more progress toward her interacting more with her food. Thank you, Tommee Tippee!

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Mom Bloggers Club and Tommee Tippee to facilitate my Tommee Tippee review. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. 

Bow-Nanza! (Super Awesome GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Edit: This giveaway is CLOSED.

Did you know that I have a younger sister? Her name is Laura, and she’s 10 years younger than me! She’s getting ready to start her junior year in college, and she’s already striking out with her own business. I’m so proud of her, and today, I’m going to tell you all about her shop.

Laura owns Ribbons of Faith on Etsy, and her specialty is hair bows! Laura has always been a crafty person (I can remember her doing craft projects when she was just a toddler!). She said that she noticed little girls in her church always wearing bows that perfectly matched their outfits. Inspiration struck, and she started making them herself.

Laura has clippies that come on alligator clips, and she also makes bows that come on french clips. I think her prices are extremely reasonable and her creations are simple, yet totally adorable. Her bows start at $3.50 and her clippy sets are $4.00.

Win it!: I believe in my little sister. She is creative by nature, and she puts love into every bow she makes. I want to see her business take off! To celebrate the opening of her shop, we are going to have a special giveaway on Stuff Parents Need! One lucky reader will win 1 hair bow AND one clippie set of your choice! Hooray! The contest will run until July 26th at 7:59pm when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Limit one entrant per household, please. Open to residents of the United States.

How to win: There are several ways to enter, but I want to point out one very special way. For every bow or clippy set you purchase, you will get 10 entries. If you purchase multiple bows or clippy sets, you will get 10 entries for each set! For example, if you purchase 2 bows and 1 clippy set, you will get 30 EXTRA ENTRIES!!! Also, the first 5 people to place an order with Laura will get an additional 5 entries, total (Laura will let me know who those folks are, and I will add those bonus comments on your behalf).

Mandatory entry: Tell me which bow and clippy set you like the very best. If they are still available at the end of the giveaway, you will win them (and if not, you’ll get to pick out something new).

Additional entries:
1. MAKE A PURCHASE. As I mentioned earlier, you will get 10 entries for every bow you purchase. The first 5 orders that come in will get an extra 5 entries total on top of that. That’s a good deal, folks!
2. Follow Ribbons of Faith on Twitter
3. “Like” Ribbons of Faith on Facebook
4. Add Ribbons of Faith to your Etsy favorites

That’s all! Nothing but love for the sponsor on this one, folks!