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

The Useless Item You Purchase 150 Times a Year (and How to Stop Buying It)

June 1, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Scott Tube-Free. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

For over 100 years, people have been purchasing an item that is completely purposeless, and they have purchased it hundreds of times, every single year. That useless purchase is the inner cardboard core of a toilet paper roll. We buy it because that’s how toilet paper is sold, and toilet paper is sold that way because it’s always been sold that way. Neither the seller nor the consumer have given much thought to the matter, and as a result, roughly 17 BILLION cardboard tubes are used in the United States alone, every single year.

Now that you know, what options do you have as a consumer? No worries, this is not a post about making your own toilet paper at home! Fortunately for us all, you can find Scott Tube-Free in your nearest store. Scott realized that it could reduce its environmental impact in a way that is so easy for the consumer, because the toilet paper rolls can maintain their shape just fine without that tube.

Looking for a crazy easy way to lighten your environmental footprint? The average family uses 150 rolls per year, so by switching to Scott Tube-Free, you are keeping lots of tubes out of the landfills. And just imagine the impact we can all collectively have if we start saying no to those cardboard tubes! Here’s a (totally HILARIOUS) video done by a popular YouTube prankster that gives you a visual of how many tubes Americans go through in just 2 minutes. It’s wild!

If you want to find your nearest store that offers this fantastic new product on theScott Tube-Free website. While you are there, get the Scott Tube-Free coupon coupon to save a little green while going green!

FLASH Sale of My Absolute Favorite Resource for Household Management (97% Off!!!)

June 1, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt ·

SO thrilled to be sharing this info! Affiliate links are included. I have purchased this bundle myself and give it my full endorsement. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and think you will be, too!

Does being a mom and household manager ever feel a little too hard?

If you’re like me, I bet you wish your home felt more put together and peaceful, you kept up with housework better, you were more consistent about serving healthy, homemade meals and you weren’t running ragged so much of the time.

Because these families of ours? They matter more than anything else. Our job is so important, and we really want to do it right. But so often, we end up feeling discouraged and even like we’re failing.

Maybe you wonder how you can keep up with it all and still have the energy and intentionality to be the kind of mom, wife and woman you want to be.

Now, I know as well as you do that homemaking is never going to be stress-free (though it sure sounds nice). But what if you had more (and better) tools to help make it stress-less?

That’s why I’m excited to tell you about something very special happening right now called The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2016 flash sale.

It was created to give you a plethora of amazing, high-quality resources to take some of the stress, overwhelm and difficulty out of homemaking and mothering.

To make you feel like you’re winning more often.

And to bolster you in the work you’re doing, because every awesome, hard-working mom deserves a little help sometimes.

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle includes 93 hand-picked eBooks, eCourses, and printables, on topics that matter to moms such as:

organization, routines & creating a cozy home
recipes, grocery shopping and meal planning
budgeting and saving money
motherhood (no matter what age your kids are)
cultivating a strong marriage
faith (for you & your kids)
and even self-care (like exercise, weight loss, life planning and coloring books!)
and much more…

You have a full year to download the eBooks and printables and take the online eCourses, and everything you’ve downloaded becomes part of your permanent library, so you can go back to it whenever you need it.

Plus, it comes with these FREE bonus offers from companies who know what homemakers need and want. Some are 100% free; other are yours for the cost of shipping only. You’ll get:

FREE Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap, Mrs. Meyer’s Multi Surface Spray, Grove Collaborative Spray Bottle, Grove Collaborative Scrubber Sponges and FREE 60-day VIP trial with FREE shipping from Grove Collaborative ($30 value)
FREE Online Class from Craftsy ($29.99-$69.99 value)
FREE SPOT Treatment for Acne & Eczema OR a $15 Gift Certificate from Bloom Naturals ($15 value)
FREE 90-Day Pro Membership to ListPlanIt.com ($30)

It’s available for just 2 days – from now until Thursday, June 2^nd, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. That’s why the Ultimate Bundles team can offer so much, because they only have permission to sell it for such a short period of time.

The total value is an astonishing $1000+ (plus over $300 in bonuses), but you get it for just $29.97. That’s 97% off what it would cost to buy everything individually!

If you think getting all those homemaking & mothering helps for less than $30 sounds like a steal, then make sure to go HERE to see exactly what it includes and grab yours before this deal ends!

Easy Fourth of July Recipe: Red, White and Blue Frozen Fruit Salad

May 31, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackBrighter #CollectiveBias

Last week I cut open my first watermelon of the year, and it totally served as my official summer kickoff. Now I’m filling up my Fourth of July Pinterest board and starting to get a game plan together for our family’s celebration this year. My personal style when it comes to holiday entertaining is to keep things simple and to emphasize fresh ingredients in my dishes that will be served.

One idea I had that would be a really fun combination of mouth-watering flavors and good-for-you ingredients was to make frozen fruit salad with a special guest star: Outshine Bars!

fourth of july food frozen fruit salad

I’ve been purchasing Outshine Bars at my local Walmart for several months, now. The flavor that got me completely hooked is Creamy Coconut. Oh what a yummy taste these have!

outshine bars creamy coconut

They are simply divine, friends. Have you spotted Outshine Bars in your local Walmart, yet?

outshine bars at walmart

More recently, I noticed that Outshine also offers a Fruit & Veggie Variety Pack. Sneak in a little veggie lovin’ during special treat time? Yes, please! I love that this brand has a commitment to providing awesome ingredients, like real juice and real fruit and veggies, and that these ingredients get top billing in the Outshine product line (rather than being way down the list after lots of artificial ingredients, as you often find with other brands). Outshine is also GMO-free in nearly half of its offerings, and the percentage of their non-GMO products will increase significantly by the end of this year. Furthermore, you will find no artificial colors or flavors and no high fructose corn syrup. This is completely in line with what I want to purchase for my family, as well as what I DON’T want to purchase!

outshine fruit & veggie bars

Ok, so let’s get down to business and make this yummy frozen fruit salad, shall we? Here’s what you will need for the recipe:

outshine frozen fruit salad

Outshine Fruit & Veggie Bars Variety Pack
Fresh fruit (preferably of the red and blue variety!)
- blackberries
- seedless watermelon
- cherries, pitted
- (other options include strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

Salad Dressing Options

Option 1:

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp honey

Option 2:

Outshine Creamy Coconut Bars, melted

The first step is to rinse all of your fruit and to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Try not to eat it all before you make the salad!

fresh fruit for fruit salad

Now it’s time to decide if you want to offer a “salad dressing” for this lovely salad. I used the yogurt and honey blend, simply because I want to keep those creamy coconut bars all to myself (#sorrynotsorry). But either option will be SO yum!

honey yogurt dressing

Now it’s time to cut up your Outshine Fruit & Veggie Bars! I used the Strawberry Rhubarb and the Blueberry Medley flavors since I want to stick with the red, white and blue theme, but obviously this recipe has endless possibilities for combinations of colors and flavors. Be sure to pop your bars and your fruit into the freezer as soon as you are done cutting everything so that you don’t get a melted mess on your hands!

When everything is frozen to your liking and you are ready to serve your yummy salad, remove it from the freezer and either offer the dressing on the side, or drizzle it over your salad for a nice burst of white in the midst of all that red and blue!

frozen fruit salad fourth of july recipes

I love how quickly it all comes together, giving you more time to enjoy your day with family and friends. Also? It tastes fantastic!

Sweepstakes!

Need a backyard refresh this summer? You’ve got a chance to win $5,000 to help you makeover your space (plus hundreds of daily summertime prizes you could win instantly), all thanks to Outshine! Simply text “snack brighter” to 30364 or enter here.

Want to give Outshine bars a taste test before committing to a box? You can find sampling demos at Walmart locations on 7/14. Check out this link to see if your nearest Walmart will be hosting a demo.

I’d love to hear if you are also crazy about Outshine Bars, and if you like this idea for a creative Fourth of July recipe that kids and adults alike will enjoy! Leave a comment below with your thoughts!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Tea Cookies (and Iced Beverages to Pair With Them!)

May 24, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Starbucks for sending along some seasonal flavors and products. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just in case you didn’t already know this about me, let me tell you now: I’m an iced coffee addict. I love iced coffee any time, all the time, ALWAYS. I never venture away from my beverage true love.

So I felt that I was having an out-of-body experience of sorts when, a few weeks ago, I ordered an iced chai latte at Starbucks instead of the usual. Even the barista gave me a raised eyebrow (yes, my barista knows me. What?).

I was sure it would be a huge mistake, but a valuable one, because it would remind me to appreciate what I already know I love and to never stray again!

Only I loved that iced chai latte. Oh man. I fell for it hard. It tasted like spiced heaven, and I knew on the spot that I would have to tell my beloved iced coffee that she had a new sister wife. I can’t be without either, friends.

So honestly, it’s a daily struggle to determine if I’m going to go for a chai latte or coffee, but one thing that is NOT a struggle is knowing what to eat while I drink. I recently made Gluten-Free Cinnamon Tea Cookies, based on a recipe from Padma Lakshmi, and they are just the most perfect accompaniment to a chai latte AND they taste great with iced coffee, too!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Tea Cookies

(adapted from Padma Lakshmi’s Cinnamon Tea Cookies Recipe)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup cane sugar
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in a bowl and mix.
In another bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla, beating together until smooth.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix together until well combined.
Using your hands, make small balls about 1 inch in diameter with the dough. Place these balls on 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, 12 balls per sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just medium brown. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (but there’s no way they will stick around that long!).

So yummy, y’all. And if you aren’t on a first name basis with your Starbucks barista like I am, but still want to savor these great flavors, head to the store and pick up some Tazo Chai K-cups. You will be so glad you did (and it only takes a little patience to turn a hot latte into an iced one!).

Other great iced beverages this summer from Starbucks include individual sized iced coffees and some yummy iced mango green tea. And don’t forget about the carafe sized iced coffees and espressos in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

So what cold beverages are you loving this time of year? Anything else you think I should take the leap and try the next time I head to Starbucks?

My Favorite Resource for Combating Summer Learning Loss: Summer Bridge Activities

May 23, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by Carson–Dellosa as part of an Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Late last week we had the last day of first grade for my oldest child, Darah, and we pretty much immediately left after that event for our big family vacation. So for us, summer has officially begun!

Darah’s report card came home with her with some specific and helpful suggestions from her teacher about topics to give some extra attention to over the summer to help prevent that dreaded summer slide (a term referring to learning loss that can occur over extended breaks from school).

I’m really grateful for her suggestions, and it gave me a good start, but it wasn’t enough for me to feel as though I had a clear action plan. Searching Pinterest gave me TONS of ideas, but as a result, left me feeling completely overwhelmed about which activities to choose while also making sure that my daughter gets to simply be a kid and relax a bit. I have a really hard time finding that middle ground between overly scheduled days and total bedlam. Just me?

Oh, but friends, I have a FANTASTIC resource for you if you are looking for some help with your children as they leave one grade and prepare for the next. Carson-Dellosa (whose workbooks I simply adore) has just released Summer Bridge Activities workbooks and they are just exactly what I’ve been looking for to provide specific activities, a generous quantity of activities, yet not so much work that your child feels as though s/he is in summer school.

Check out what’s inside!

This book is broken into 3 sections (to go with the roughly 3 months of summer break) and each section has 20 lessons, for a total of 60 lessons to work on, little by little, over the entire summer. You can expect daily lessons to take roughly 15 minutes.

I love that each section covers a wide range of topics and skills (in fact, there’s an awesome chart that shows you which skills are being practiced for each lesson).

The learning activity pages seem appropriately challenging for a child who has gone through first grade, so the material shouldn’t be brand new, but it also isn’t basic (in other words, it’s not a review of the stuff your child was learning during the first few weeks of the school year).

I also am really impressed with all of the bonus learning opportunities. The book suggests various outdoor learning experiences, science experiments and social studies exercises. There’s even more great material that can be found online for free! And don’t forget about the suggested reading list, as well. I’ve already started requesting some of these titles from our local library. 🙂

Friends, I’m no stranger to workbooks. I’ve purchased dozens of them for extra enrichment. This summer bridge workbook is, without question, the most thorough and thoughtfully composed workbook I’ve ever seen. I very highly recommend it and I will most definitely be purchasing them in years to come for my girls. And right now you can score 25% off the price of Summer Bridge workbooks by using code SBA25 at checkout.

I feel so much less stressed about figuring out what I need to have Darah work on over the summer thanks to the resources available through Carson-Dellosa.

Have you started thinking about what you can be doing at home to help prevent summer learning loss? Any tips for the rest of us?

Oribel Portaplay Updates for Toddlers

May 23, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Friends, please enjoy today’s guest post from my sister, Laura. She’s got a fabulous product to highlight today!

Back in November, I shared about a fabulous little activity center called the Oribel Portaplay Convertible Activity Center. (You can read more about it here). In short, it’s an awesome play table that grows with your child from ages 5 months all the way to 5 years!

Recently, Oribel reached out to me with exciting news that they’ve just released two awesome little attachments/accessories to go with the Portaplay to help extend the functionality of the table and increase play time. Children will now be able to take a break from standing with the new Portaplay Child Stools, which pair very nicely with the new Portaplay Art Paper Roll Dispenser. Talk about a match made in heaven!

oribel

It wasn’t that long ago that I caught myself wishing that the Portaplay had some sort of stool to sit on. My daughter lost interest in sitting inside the activity center and is now much more interested in running around and playing with all of the attachments. I knew it wouldn’t be long before she’d start to want to sit down and play with her toys at her play table, so the stools really came in at a great time! Assembly took all of 5 seconds to do, which was such a relief for me. They snap and lock into place, and they’re supposed to easily snap out to put away, but unfortunately I found it pretty difficult to do.

Oribel4

I would have loved to have seen the same lock button, adjustability and folding technology used on the legs of the activity center being used on these stools. The Portaplay itself is extremely portable (hence the name), but I find that the stools are not nearly as portable because they do not easily break down. They are very lightweight, hold up to 77 lbs and are designed to comfortably fit children up to 5 years of age. However, since the legs don’t come in adjustable heights I sort of have a hard time picturing a 5 year old sitting comfortably at the table with these stools. The table does get higher, so maybe a 5 year old could actually fit comfortable after all.

Oribel1

For now, these little stools have been a hit with my daughter and seat her almost perfectly (she’s still just a tad too short and her feet don’t quite reach the floor). The stools come in a set of two and are available to purchase for $39.90.

I was equally excited to try out the art paper roll dispenser. I loved art as a child, and I hope to encourage my daughter to always be creative and imaginative as she gets older. Coloring and doodling is a great place to start!

Oribel2

There were very thorough details and instructions printed on the box, which is very thoughtful! Luckily, installing the paper dispenser is very much intuitive and easy to do. It snaps right into place just like the toys that come with the Portaplay system do. Simply slide the paper under the arm to help keep it in place and you’re ready to go!

Oribel3

To pair with the art paper roll dispenser, I would LOVE to see another attachment that would function as a crayon or colored pencil caddy. I really feel like something like that would be helpful in keeping the crayons off the floor and out of the way when kids are busy creating their masterpieces.

You can purchase the art paper roll dispenser here for just $29.90! I’m a little unclear as to if you can purchase paper refills without buying the whole dispenser, but hopefully that is something that will be available to purchase soon!

My daughter has used the activity center every single day since she was just 5 months old. It continues to impress and prove it’s functionality in so many ways, and has provided hours of entertainment for my daughter. It’s something that will definitely stick around for a very long time and will go through future children to come!

oribel6

To see other amazing products from the creative minds at Oribel, just hop on over to their website and take a look! You can even snag a discount code just for signing up as an Oribel member!

A Quick Tip for a Fully Charged Vacation Day

May 22, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Greetings from beautiful Sanibel Island, friends! My family is having the best time hunting for shells, exploring the island, and just relaxing on our big summer vacation. I’m actually getting to do some reading on my Kindle (which happens approximately once a year), and of course, I’m loving taking some great photos of my kids just being kids and being fully immersed in play on the beach.

Verizon sent me a device I had not thought to bring along with me, but that I’m so very glad to have, now. We are using the Mophie Powerstation 3X, and it’s a portable charger that can work with a wide variety of devices. It can keep your phones and your tablets powered up through the day so you don’t have to quit reading that ebook you were enjoying, or quit taking photos because your phone battery can’t hang.

I’m noticing that my phone battery is struggling a bit more than usual down here, and I think it’s because the wireless signals are weaker on the shore, so the phone is working harder to keep me connected. I’m loving having a portable charger because without it, I wouldn’t make it through the whole day without having to head back to our condo to plug my phone back in. That’s just not something I want to have to do while on vacation!

Before you head out on your next family trip, be sure to add a portable charger to your packing list. Your nearest Verizon store has a huge selection of the latest and greatest portable chargers that will help you be fully charged and ready to go, day after day.

LEGOLAND Discount Alert!

May 19, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I know many of our Stuff Parents Need readers are fans of discounts and saving money, am I right?! (You can definitely count me within those ranks. :)) A couple weeks ago I posted about how much my girls and I love LEGOLAND^®California. If any of you have been considering making the trip, have I got some exciting news for you!

Right now there is an exclusive offer on RetailMeNot (if you haven’t heard of them yet, you need to – but that’s a whole post in itself!) for LEGOLAND. You can save $25 and get the 2nd day FREE when you buy a LEGOLAND^® California/LEGOLAND Water Park Hopper ticket! Head on over to RetailMeNot and snag this discount while you can. It’s only available for a limited time!

5 Healthy Snacks You Might Not Be Eating (But Definitely Should!) When Pregnant

May 17, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I think it’s so fascinating how much the experience of pregnancy varies from woman to woman, and even from pregnancy to pregnancy for the same woman. For me, my relationship with food was quite entertaining. I craved things I had never even liked before (sushi) and was SO repulsed by things that had previously made me happy (cereal).

But for the first trimester in both cases, I was doing good to keep my prenatal vitamin down and to sip on some ginger ale and crackers. If you are reading this and are expecting, I hope that you are one of the lucky ones who doesn’t experience morning (all day) sickness, and that if you did experience it, that you are past that point and can start thinking about (and even enjoying) food again.

And that’s what we are going to talk about today! I’ve got 5 snacks that you should have at the ready right now, but that you might actually not have thought to try. Here’s a breakdown of what they are and why they are the perfect choices for you while your body is growing a baby.

1. Pumpkin seeds

A little over a half a cup of pumpkin seeds will get you your daily needed intake of iron, a mineral your body needs more of during pregnancy. You may not want to eat quite that many pumpkin seeds every day of your life, but they are a powerhouse portable snack, so I highly recommend keeping a resealable bag in your purse to reach for any time you start to feel a little hungry.

2. Cheese

Cheese is such a great way to work in some of that Vitamin D your body needs right now (that and a few minutes of basking in the sun each day!). What I love about cheese is the sheer variety, which can accommodate so many different cravings you might be having. You can go sharp, mild or even pungent, just depending on what strikes your fancy. Take a stroll around the cheese case at your local market and pick out 1 or 2 cheeses to keep on hand for slicing up as a quick snack.

3. Seaweed

For many of you, this might be the weirdest recommendation on the list. Seaweed? Um, where do you even buy that, and why would you pay money for such a thing?

I understand the suspicion, but in certain parts of the world, dried seaweed has been a popular snack for a really long time. And guess what? It’s a CRAZY good source of iodine, which your body really needs right now because it promotes normal brain development of the baby. I found my dried seaweed online, and I personally pair it with something else because I gotta keep it real…it tastes like the ocean. But you will be hard-pressed to find a better source of iodine that can travel with you away from the house or be ready at a moment’s notice.

4. Spinach smoothies

Ladies, one cup of spinach is all it takes to get the folic acid you need each day (folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects in utero). If you are like me, it’s a pipe dream to say you’ll eat a spinach salad every day. Girl, no you won’t! 😉 But I have had really REALLY good success making spinach-based smoothies. The basic recipe is to blend together 1 cup of spinach and 1 cup of water (or you could do almond milk). After blending those two things together really well, then add any other fruits you like and blend again. I absolutely love my spinach smoothies! Worth a try, for sure.

5. Viactiv Calcium Chews

First, you need to know that Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews have a mild, yet utterly delicious flavor. Flavor matters when you are pregnant, as I vividly recall! These are super yum (caramel is my personal favorite, but I enjoy them both). Second, and more importantly, you should know that most prenatal vitamins only contain 20-30% of the calcium you need when pregnant. And your body is quite resourceful, you see. It will get the calcium it needs for the baby, even if it means pulling calcium out of your bones! And this is going to cause problems for you later, so it’s best to make sure you are loaded down with enough calcium. Just two Viactiv chews will provide you with 100% of your daily need, and it tastes so delicious, so everybody wins! This is a MUCH better option than those horse pills of calcium that I tried (and failed) to take while pregnant.

Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available in milk chocolate and caramel flavors at major retailers including CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart, as well as supermarkets nationwide. Print this coupon to save $2 on your next in-store purchase of Viactiv. And definitely check out the Viactiv Facebook page, as that’s a terrific way to keep up with promotions and to get helpful tips!

Learn more about Viactiv at www.Viactiv.com.

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv (#BeActiv) that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv products for my own personal use. This post is not intended to address or diagnose any medical conditions. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please speak with your healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns.