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

Fun Activities for Dads to Do with Kids: Cooper & Kid Box Review

May 15, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Cooper & Kid for sending along a box for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We aren’t strangers to monthly subscription boxes around here. We’ve tried out a few dozen different types over the year, and find them to mostly be very enjoyable little boxes of fun. Cooper & Kid is a subscription box with fun activities for children, but this one is a bit different from other ones we have tried out because it is designed specifically for dads to do with their kids.

We were sent a spy kit to test out. Since it wasn’t for me to play with, I had to observe the process of Tim and the girls playing with the kit, and I noticed a few things that were particularly awesome, and a few things that were challenging.

Awesome Factor#1: EXCELLENT Design

The spy kit is very thoughtfully put together, and completely loaded with fun activities (I counted 5 different things to do) so that dads and their kids can explore the theme of the kit from many different angles.

Awesome Factor #2: Imagination Rules

You need to get ready to bring your pretending A-game, and I find that dads tend to be particularly excellent at this facet of play. There also seems to be an emphasis on adventure, which is another aspect of the kit that is probably going to draw the dads in a bit more than with other kits, which tend to be more craft-like in nature.

Awesome Factor #3: Great Memories

I know my girls will remember playing spies with their daddy for a long time to come. They play together all the time, but this was a new game for them! I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Now for what was challenging. Honestly, it was just one main thing: getting my husband to take the time to use the kit at all! Before I go on, I want to be clear: Tim plays with his girls all the time. They shriek when daddy walks in the door because he almost immediately starts playing monster with him (and if he doesn’t then they beg him to get started!). But I think the idea of having to read through a kit of products and ideas and then carry out those tasks was a little overwhelming for him, and so it took him over a month to do it, and it took me starting to nag him about it, which is never something I like to do.

Once the kit was played with, he said it was a great kit and very enjoyable and that he would do another one. But it was a hurdle to get him to try it, and even then he only got through 2 of the 5 activities! Obviously not everyone is going to have this same issue, but it gave me some pause about whether we were the best fit to become subscribers, personally. But with that said, the kits are designed to go out every 3 months, so that does leave plenty of time for dads to work though all the activities with their kiddos before the next kit arrives.

The Cooper & Kid kit can be purchased as a subscription, with the price being $65/kit. You will be set up to be billed every 3 months, but you can cancel at any time if the kit isn’t a good fit for you.

How to Give (Practical) Magic Lessons to Your Children

May 14, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Disney Junior. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

Do your children ever ask you to teach them magic? Mine do all the time, and it might have something to do with the fact that they believe I’m a fairy (#sorrynotsorry about that one). But lest anyone think that I’m teaching them to jump from high places to see if they can fly (who, me?), please know that my magic lessons are usually more practical in nature. Practical magic, you see, is such a great talent to cultivate within your children, because it can serve them well for their entire lives.

I’d love to show you some magic lessons you can teach your children right now, seeking inspiration from Disney, which is the source of some of the most joyful magic out there!

The Magic of Resilient Self-Confidence (Creating Inner Super Strength)

I believe with all of my heart that one of the most important things you can instill in your children is self-confidence. By helping your little ones learn to believe in themselves, you are helping them develop the type of strength that can see them through a lifetime of challenges, big and small.

One of the tricks I have learned as I work on this with my kids is to avoid praising them for innate qualities (such as, “You are so pretty! You are so smart!”). Sure, that will provide them with some confidence, but it lacks the super strength factor you really need: resilience! To cultivate this magical power, focus on praising the hard work and effort your kids put into things (for example, “I noticed you working hard on that lesson. It was a tough one, but you did not give up! Way to go!”). When your child realizes that what they need to persevere in this work is already inside of them, they will glow from the inside out. Confidence that is magical includes resilience!

The Magic of Independence (Creating the Ability to Fly)

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received about how to parent is to remember that parenting is one giant exercise in letting go. Whatever your parenting philosophy might be, and however different it might be than mine (it most certainly is…parenting philosophies are as different as snowflakes!), I can say with confidence that you are doing something right if you are equipping your children to be independent. Fostering independence is one of the things I love the most about the path of education we chose for our kids (Montessori). Even as a preschooler, Layah has a large degree of autonomy in the classroom, and the freedom (and responsibility) to select her own lessons throughout the day, as well as to select where she completes them. The rug is an important element in the classroom, because it allows the children to create learning spaces for themselves most anywhere. I’ve noticed Layah continues to create these little spaces for herself at home, too. She’ll use a blanket or a beach towel like the Disney Minnie Mouse Bows and Dots Beach Towel and then set about her “lesson.”

For me, blankets and towels found throughout the house don’t make me feel frustrated at the clutter, but proud of what they symbolize: my little one carving out her own space, and taking control of her own learning. I can practically see the pixie dust flying around her, because independence is some serious magic!

The Magic of Hospitality (Creating the Happiest Place on Earth)

We are just days away from hosting my beloved mother-in-law (the girls’ Grammio) for a month, and we are also a few weeks away from hosting additional family members for a short visit, too. We are delighted to have the chance to be with our family! I’m trying to take the opportunity to teach my girls about what a magical gift it is to provide hospitality.

Layah is especially hoping to have a sleepover in her room with her cousin Ella, who is closest in age to Layah. I’m showing her how she can help Ella feel welcome and comfortable in her space during her visit. By having a special bedding kit like the Disney Minnie Mouse Bow Power 4-piece Toddler Bedding Set set aside for company, she can easily create a beautiful space for her guests so they can feel special and comfy.

The Magic of Mommy’s Love (Creating Instant Time Travel)

I don’t think anyone on earth wants time travel to become possible more than mothers. The mere thought of having the chance to rock my babies one more time causes my eyes to get watery and my heart to ache. Why can’t these little ones slow down??? But babies don’t keep, as the saying goes. Even so, a mother’s love is forever. I always want my girls to know that they will always, ALWAYS be my babies. Should life get scary and hard, and they need a moment to curl up with mama and feel shielded from their worries, I’ll be right there, faster than lightning. They can turn back time, even if only for a minute or two, and I will be there with hugs, kisses and cuddles. Always and forever.

The adorable Disney Junior Minnie Mouse items featured in the post today were all purchased on Walmart.com (online purchasing feels like a super power to me, sometimes because I don’t have to go to the store!). I thought they served as a fun reminder of a place where magic is very real, indeed! I hope you are feeling a little more inspired to teach a bit of practical magic to your kiddos the next time they ask to learn how to fly. With the right guidance, they can soar so high!

When Netflix Helped Me Fight the Good Fight (Responsibility Real Talk)

May 13, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’m a Netflix Stream Team member and receive complimentary streaming service. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Over the weekend my youngest turned 4 and had her first “friends invited” birthday party. She had quite a specific vision for her celebration: she wanted a red and blue dog party! My little one is ALL about dogs. She probably has 25 puppy stuffed animals of various sizes (including 2 that are larger than her). And I should mention that the pets in our home include 2 cats and 0 dogs.

I think part of her strategy for asking for a dog party was to try to get a real live puppy. After all, what would be a more appropriate gift at a dog-themed party than a dog?

Smart kid! Smarter mama, though. 😉

One of the strategies that I used to help my daughter better understand why a puppy would NOT be invited to live with us was to sit her down with some Netflix and to sit myself down right beside her.

We watched the first episode of VeggieTales in the House because it was all about responsibility, and more specifically, about getting a dog! (Spoiler alert!)Unlike countless books and videos where a child requests a dog and gets one, this episode ends with the kiddos realizing that they are not actually ready for all the responsibility.

It was the perfect thing to watch with my daughter because we had a nice talk after it was over about why it isn’t time for us to get a dog, and also about what she can do if she wants to get to spend time with dogs (visit dogs at the animal shelter, for example).

I know it’s SO tempting to walk away once your kids sit down to some Netflix, but there’s also some great opportunities to have really good talks with your kids after episodes, especially ones that have valuable lessons in them, like VeggieTales in the House. Check it out with your child this month on Netflix!

Are there any shows you have recently watched with your kids that have spurred on some good conversations?

Multi-Purpose Ball Run: SmartMax Review

May 13, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

About a month ago, SmartMax sent us their Mega Ball Run for our girls to try out. At our local toy store, there is a different type of ball run (it’s a marble run) and my girls absolutely love to play with it. I thought this might be a fun take on the concept.

What I Love

My very favorite thing about this set is that children can use the pieces in such a wide variety of ways. In contrast to a more traditional marble run, which is only designed to created 3D designs, you can use SmartMax pieces to make designs that lay flat, as well. I love the ideas shown in the booklet for making all sorts of fun creatures and shapes. Layah has enjoyed building these, in particular.

I also love that the balls in this set are larger, and not as likely to be lost as marbles. They also don’t present the same choking hazard for little ones that marbles would.

And finally, I love that the shape of the components lends itself to quite a wide array of building possibilities. Unlike the ball run I had as a child, this one allows much more room for the imagination.

What I Don’t Love

When it comes to constructing 3D models, the sheer number of pieces needed is quite large (some of the examples provided we couldn’t make due to not having enough pieces, even with the 74 piece set) and the downside of the magnetic construction component is the fact that if you aren’t careful when touching your design, it can fall apart rather easily. It actually took me a while to get some photos of a fully constructed ball run for this very reason.

My 6 1/2 year old seems to be able to construct that more complicated designs, but not without a lot of falling apart happening in the process, which does sometimes cause her to simply give up. My youngest (just turned 4) is not able to construct the 3D stuff on her own, and that did surprise me because she loves to build with LEGOs, so it’s not simply a matter of a lack of practice with constructing things.

So overall, I think this is not the ideal fit for every kid, but it is a good option for younger kids, maybe right around 3, with a focus on the flat designs and getting used to how the set works. It’s also a good choice for a little one who would enjoy a ball run but who might have a younger sibling who doesn’t need to be around marbles. 74 pieces are included in the set, and additional sets are available for expansion. The set retails for $130 and you can find it (for a better price!) on Amazon.

Kid-Friendly Road Trip Munchies: The Best (Mostly) Organic Snacks for Kids

May 12, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Referral links may be included. If it’s being featured, it means we LOVE it! 🙂

This morning I was reviewing our summer calendar to get an idea of just how low key things might be over the next few months. I was a little surprised by what I saw, though! Our summer is going to be fun, but BUSY. It includes quite a few road trips for some fun family time together. We have several day trips planned, as well as a few plane trips. In all cases, though, there will be plenty of time together in the car, and that means that I need to get my snack strategy together.

I’m setting aside some great options right now, many of which I purchased from Thrive Market (details on how to get a sweet discount off your order at the end of the post), and a few that were sent to us and got rave reviews from my kiddos. So now I present some of my favorite (mostly) organic snacks for kids that are just perfect for all those summer road trips!

These are snacks that might be found in conventional grocery stores now (times have changed for the better!) or they may be items you’d have better luck finding online. Let’s break down what we are currently loving and will be joyfully snacking on all summer.

1. Pamela’s Whenever Bars (found at Thrive Market, also available on Amazon). To me these taste like super awesome breakfast cookies. Love that they are loaded with 180mg of Omega 3 fatty acids! Gluten-free, too. Very filling!

2. Organic Slammers (sent to us, find them at Target). Hands-down, these are my kids favorite squeezes. I love the inclusion of super foods!

3. Smithfield Ready, Snack, Go (sent to us, find at Walmart)! So these aren’t organic, but they get MAJOR points for being a completely different type of snack. This is a travel-ready roll up of meat and cheese. They have a nice variety of flavors from which to choose. Obviously this needs to not travel for too long without refrigeration, but I think it’s the perfect choice for 10 minutes into your trip when the first child announces s/he is hungry (you know it will happen). What a great way to get a little protein in, too.

4. Little Duck Organics (sent to us, find on Amazon). These are especially good if you have toddlers in tow, but even if you are past that season of life, grab some of those tiny fruits. They are SOOO yum! Definitely take a look at their wide variety of products. Something for everyone in the car, I promise.
5. Earth Balance PB Popps (purchased at Thrive Market, also on Amazon). We are total popcorn fanatics in my house, and also peanut butter lovers. So what’s not to love about the combo? This is a gluten-free, dairy free treat if you are looking to avoid either. The bag is resealable, but there’s no way you won’t rip through the whole bag in one shot, especially is everyone in the car wants a bite!

6. Back to Nature Mini Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Thrive Market, also on Amazon). Cookies are obviously going to be a big hit, and I especially like these because each child gets a bag, which will cut down on the arguing over who got to eat more cookies. I like Back to Nature because there’s no HFCS and because the company uses Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa, which means enjoying this yummy chocolate isn’t coming at a cost to the community where it is being grown.

7. Clif Kid Organic ZBars (Thrive Market, also on Amazon). We are going to be catching a very early morning flight on one of our trips this summer, which means breakfast that day is going to be weird. That’s when I’ll be reaching for these bars to help give my kiddos some great fuel for the start of their day. My husband also loved Clif bars as a teenager, so he feels brand loyal to them, and loved seeing that they have a line for kids, now.

8. Nutiva O’Coconut (sent to us, also on Amazon). This is one of my very favorite snacks EVAH. My kids will be lucky if they get to eat one of these with me in the same car, because I will want to hoard them, for sure. They taste like coconut macaroons, guys. Little chunks of heaven, I tell you!

So that’s what we are going to be packing up on our trips this summer. I hope I exposed you to some stuff that’s totally new to you. Pick a few out and give them a try and see what you think! And if you want to try shopping at Thrive Market online, feel free to use my referral link because that gives you 30 days of free shopping (there’s a yearly membership fee beyond that) AND 15% off your first order (that’s a pretty sweet discount off a grocery bill!). Go forth and get all the yummy snacks!

Break Free From the Mom Ponytail (Headband Braid Tutorial)

May 9, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

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

Today’s post is dedicated to the ladies out there who have fallen victim to the “mom ponytail.” I’m reaching out to you because I am one of you. For the vast majority of the time since my first child hit the scene nearly 7 years ago, I have been wearing my hair in a ponytail or a truly messy bun (which is totally different from the cute messy bun). For some reason, I bought into the myth that because my time was so limited, having cute hair was completely out of the question.

Sisters, this just isn’t true. And I’m not going to try to convince you to make it a daily practice to create beachy waves while your toddler sits on the floor next to you in the bathroom, digging through the cabinets and making a huge mess. But I do want to teach you something you can do in 3 minutes that will dress up your hair a little bit, give you a little confidence boost and get you to stop believing that the ponytail and messy bun are your only two hairstyle choices.

In addition to teaching you how to rock the headband braid, I also want to show you a simple way to give your hair color a boost without having to take the time (or spend the $$$) visiting a salon. For the past two weeks I’ve been exclusively using John Frieda Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ Products on my hair to boost the brightness of my brunette hair as we head into summer. If you want to take a more detailed look at how the line works, take a look at my first post to get the scoop. Here’s a quick look at how my color has subtly changed with a before and after shot. Subtle, but nice, I think!

For me, personally, once I saw a boost in my hair color, I got excited with the change and felt more open to trying out some new easy hairstyles, as well. So if you are in a funk with your ‘do, I suggest starting with the John Frieda products as the foundation, and then to move on to trying a new style. You can find the Brilliant Brunette® line at your nearest Walmart, and note that they have a Visibly Brighter™ line (I used the Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ Subtle Lightening Shampoo, Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ Subtle Lightening Conditioner and the Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ In-Shower Treatment) and a Visibly Deeper™ line, as well. And don’t forget, if you have trouble finding any of these products at Walmart (they are flying off the shelves!) you can always find them at Walmart.com, too.

Alright, so let’s learn how to rock this easy headband braid, shall we?

Step 1:

Part your hair on the side of your choice, and then pull out a section of hair about this size.

Step 2:

Braid the section of hair moving out to the side, and go all the way down, securing with a small rubber band (clear ones are ideal because they don’t add bulk or color).

Step 3:

Take a small section of hair in front of the braid and loop it through the first loop of the braid, going back.

Step 4:

Repeat this step with more loops of your hair until around the end of your eyebrow. If the pieces that you are looping back are getting in your way, you can temporarily secure them with a clip.

john frieda headband braid loop pull through

Step 5:

Now secure the ponytail in a hidden spot, if possible. I simply use a brunette bobby pin and tuck it back in my hair.

Step 6:

Give your hair a quick glance and make sure it’s too your liking, and then get on with your busy day!

If your hair is in a ponytail, take it out right now, and go spend 3 minutes trying out this fun headband braid. Your hair will still be out of your face, but you’ll look and feel more put together! And then put John Frieda Brilliant Brunette® Visibly Brighter™ or Visibly Deeper™ products on your list for your next trip to Walmart!

Let me know what you think of the product line and the hairstyle in the comments below.

Turning the Cameras Around on Moms With the Verizon HTC 10

May 6, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Verizon for partnering with me to make today’s post possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you were to search the photos on my phone, it’s safe to say that I would be absent from 99% of them. I’m more than happy to take hundreds (let’s be real, thousands) of pictures of my kids, my pets, and even my dinner, but turn the camera around and rock that selfie? I’ll pass. And I know SO many other mamas out there who are leaving themselves out of all the great memories they are capturing through photos, too.

That mess needs to stop. Mothers deserve to be celebrated AND documented. We need to start jumping into the frame when other folks are taking photos instead of trying to hide, and we need to make use of that rear-facing camera and learn to love the selfie.

Earlier today I visited my local Verizon smart store in Hixson, TN because I heard that just a few days ago Verizon introduced a new phone that has the absolute best selfie camera (rear-facing camera) out there. It’s called the HTC 10 and is is ONLY at Verizon until May 10th.

There SO many awesome features that the HTC 10 has, but I want to key in on a few of the ones that really got my attention as a mom.

1. That Camera!

The HTC 10 has an unprecedented 12 MP HTC UltraPixel rear-facing camera and a 5 MP front-facing camera. When I was checking out the phone I couldn’t help but notice the incredibly crisp picture quality. It was a thing of beauty, y’all (yes, even in selfie-mode! Glory!). The camera also includes super-fast focus and Optimal Image Stabilization (OIS) which helps with camera shake and with taking low-light selfies.

2. The Display is Like Woah

I did a comparison of the HTC 10 screen size to my current iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6S. While the entire phone isn’t much bigger than my iPhone 6, the screen is almost the same size as the 6S. I swooned when I saw that! Furthermore, the 5.2″ superLCD5, 2K display just looks phenomenal. 2K is a higher quality than full HD, which is what you will find on a lot of phones right now. As I was looking back and forth between this phone and my own, I swear I heard Beyoncé singing in my ear, “Let me upgrade ya.” 😉

3. It Can Hold ALL THE THINGS

How many times have you had to make the tough decision of which apps or which photos and videos to delete in order to free up a bit of space on your phone? The HTC 10 can eliminate this problem, because it has an expandable memory option through a microSD, which supports up to 2 TB of extra memory. Not familiar with a TB? That’s probably because you’ve never heard of a phone with the capacity for that much memory, and you may not have even heard of a computer with that much memory. 2 TB of memory is equal to 2,000 GB. If that ain’t a mic drop, I’m not sure what is.

The Verizon Experience

Have you visited a Verizon store lately? If not, you most definitely need to head in and check out the HTC 10. You’ll find friendly, knowledgeable staff who can help you get started on your journey to embrace the selfie the right way, with the best device for the job!

And while you are there, take a look around, because I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised by what you see. In my local Verizon smart store, I discovered section after section of amazing cutting edge technology.

My mother-in-law was with me on this visit, and once she realized that the Verizon store has so much more than cell phones available, she asked if they might have some portable speakers. Within minutes, we were over in the audio section looking at some beautiful speakers that she could pack and take with her on her travels. There was even a super nice speaker on sale for 50% off in celebration of Mother’s Day. She was sold!

Verizon stores are most definitely worth a look, and the HTC 10 phone is worth consideration for the special mom in your life (even if that’s you!). It’s time to get out from behind the camera and to start including yourself in your family photos. It’s time to embrace the selfie, mamas!

Now through Mother’s Day, the HTC 10 is $100 off with a new device payment activation! What are you waiting for?!

I Found a (Safe) Home for My (Thousands) of Digital Photos

May 2, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to The Motherhood and MiMedia for partnering with me to make today’s post possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only promote awesome, so get ready for a big helping of just that! 😉

Where are your photos stored? If you are like most people, the answer is some combination of the following: in physical photo albums, on your phone, on your computer, on a computer that’s dead and that you need to revive in order to collect those photos, on Facebook, on Instagram, on a cloud service of some sort, and on an external hard drive.

All of the above is true for where my photos live. This is nuts, because my photos are some of my most prized precious possession. Not only is there no rhyme or reason to where I’m storing stuff, but also in many cases, these photos are currently at risk. All I need to do is lose my phone, for example, and most of the photos I’ve taken for the past 9 months would be gone, just like that. Why am I “organizing” my treasures in such a haphazard, and frankly, dangerous manner?

The answer is because I haven’t known what else I can do. Until now.

For the past few weeks I’ve been using a new cloud storage service called MiMedia, and I finally feel as though I’ve found the right home for my digital files. I understand the platform, I trust the platform, and I am VERY pleased with the performance of this platform that is designed to house all of your digital files (photos, videos, documents, and even music).

One of the fun perks of getting my photos uploaded to this service is that I’m spending a lot of time rediscovering photos that were stored away but long forgotten. MiMedia has quickly and efficiently filed them away in chronological order for me. This makes it shockingly simple to take fun strolls down memory lane and find sweet pictures of my little ones when they were babies. Here’s a photo I just rediscovered over the weekend of my oldest, taken the first fall that we lived in Chattanooga. It was so fun to see this again!

MiMedia is also developing the ability to collapse similar photos. Sometimes I’ll take 5 or even 10 photos in very rapid succession. MiMedia will soon be able to recognize this and then collapse those together so that your viewing experience while browsing your photos isn’t compromised, but so that you can still easily closely examine those photos if you’d like. And on a related note, MiMedia will not upload duplicates, so no worries if you have the same photo stored in 2 or 3 different places now. There will just be one copy on MiMedia!

And since I do take a large number of photos, it was important to me to know that deleting photos from MiMedia is easy, and it is! If I upload 15 pictures of a recipe I made, which is not an uncommon thing for me to photograph as a blogger, I can easily delete 14 of them and just keep my favorite.

Another feature I love, love LOVE is how easy it is to share content privately. Sometimes I take the most adorable pictures of my kids, but I don’t want to put them on Facebook simply for privacy’s sake (especially if the kiddos aren’t fully clothed). Through MiMedia I have the ability to share with select persons. In many cases, they don’t even have to have an account to view what I have invited them to view. If they’d like to leave a comment on the photo, they will need an account but as you’ll learn about below, MiMedia has a free account version that will do the trick just fine! People you select can also get notifications any time you have new content to share. This is pretty much the best news ever for any friends and family (like grandparents) who might not live nearby but who love to keep up with you.

And speaking of comments, this is a feature I LOVE!!! You can capture the comments of friends and family on your photos right here on MiMedia so that they aren’t lost in the Facebook shuffle, only to be rediscovered when they pop up on your memories. Facial recognition is also on the horizon for MiMedia, so you could set up a filter, for example, so that any time a photo is uploaded of one of the grandkids, the grandparents get notified, and you don’t even have to remember to send them a link or even to tag the kids. Three cheers for making life easier, MiMedia!

The tagline for MiMedia is “the personal cloud you’ve always wanted.” After using the service for a few weeks, I would say that they are true to their word! At a recent online briefing, I listened to CEO Chris Giordano talk about why he as a parent with a digital mess on his hands created MiMedia and what his vision is for it moving forward. I can say with confidence that the people behind MiMedia get what’s wrong with digital storage now, and they get how to fix it, and they get the importance of continuing to listen to what would make it even better, and to innovating again and again. Already MiMedia is an amazing tool, and it’s only going to get better.

There are SO many great things about MiMedia, and I’m leaving out several things in the hopes that I don’t lose you by writing a novella here, but I’ve just got to tell you one more super cool thing: MiMedia is device agnostic! That means that if you’ve got an Android or an iPhone, a Mac or a PC (or like us, a combination) it doesn’t matter! MiMedia can work with whatever you’ve got! It also means you can access your photos (and other files) from any device, too. You are not locking yourself or those you share with into one format, which is awesome.

How to Get Started

If you’d like to test the waters with MiMedia before making a commitment, you can try the free package (not free for a certain amount of time, but honest-to-goodness FREE), which includes 10GB of storage. This is enough to store some combination of the following:

2,500 photos
125 videos
2,000 songs
10,000 documents

The Basic plan, which is what I have, comes with 500GB of space can costs $85 annually (or you can go monthly for $7.99). That amount of storage can hold some combination of the following:

125,000 photos (!!!)
6,250 videos
100,000 songs
500,000 documents

We have used up about 1/3 of the storage but we still have a fair chunk of uploading left to go from all our various sources. We are definitely going for the Plus plan next. It’s only $15 more a year at $100 annually (or $9.99/month) and you get 1TB of space, which is pretty much INSANE! That can hold some combination of the following:

250,000 photos
12,500 videos
200,000 songs
1,000,000 documents

Additionally, MiMedia is offering a very special perk to my readers who want to try MiMedia at any level. Use code THEMOTHERHOOD2016 at checkout for VIP treatment. Anyone who uses this code is going to get special promotions, information on contests (storage space giveaways!) and exclusive access to try new features through an opt-in program as MiMedia continues to grow and evolve, day by day.

Babies and Toddlers at Legoland – At what age is it worth buying a pass?

April 30, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

by Alanna Peters

The first time I ever went to Legoland, Samantha was about 3 months old. I knew we wouldn’t be buying passes anytime soon but, since I was fortunate enough to use a friend’s guest pass, it was a great opportunity for me to see what Legoland was all about. Even after that visit though, I really had no idea at what age it would start being fun for her. We ended up going back again on another guest pass when she was somewhere around 15 months old. That was it, guys. We ended up staying all day long and absolutely loved it! She could only go on a couple of rides but, between those rides, the play areas and the water park, we had a blast. I took her occasionally over the next couple years, whenever friends had guest passes to share with us. I think a pass would have been a great purchase at that age but sadly it wasn’t in our budget yet.

Then I had a second baby. Again, I figured we would eventually get Legoland passes but I still had no idea when since I was still in the fog of adjusting to life with two kids. We tried it again when Katrina was a newborn. That’s when things really got tricky! Samantha wasn’t big enough to go on many rides by herself and I couldn’t go on them with her because I had an infant that couldn’t ride. I ended up sitting in the middle of the Land of Adventure area while Samantha rode the same two rides over and over again, all by herself. (Of course she didn’t mind…but it wasn’t fun for me and didn’t seem worth the money. And that only worked out for us because it wasn’t a busy day at the park.) The water park was definitely the highlight of that trip. Again, I couldn’t go on any slides with her and she couldn’t swim on her own, but the wading area was perfect for her to splash and play in while I wore Katrina in a wrap. It was still very stressful for me though since I wasn’t fully free to dive after Samantha in the case an emergency should happen. I decided it still wasn’t the time for us to get passes.

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A year later, Samantha was turning 5 and Katrina was about 15 months old. I had a feeling this would be our year! We ended up buying Samantha (and me) passes for her 5th birthday and it has been WELL worth the money. We used the monthly pay option which is AWESOME, so we paid the down payment and were then able to split up the cost of the pass on a monthly basis. It has worked great for us, being on a limited budget!

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So, what do we do at LEGOLAND?

My kids are pretty tall and, at age 5, Samantha was definitely tall enough to go on several rides by herself. Katrina was also big enough to go on a few rides too! And of course, the water park was a huge hit for everyone all summer long.

Samantha is now tall enough to ride most of the rides at Legoland. Unfortunately, Katrina can’t ride all of those rides or, if she can, we would need an additional adult (or taller friend) in order to ride with us. It’s great when we have Daddy with us so we have one adult per kid, or at least one adult to stay with Katrina while the other goes with Samantha on a ride. Now that Katrina has hit the 36″ mark she is able to ride more rides, but we still have the limitation of sticking to rides that allow two kids per adult. Once Samantha hits 48″ she will be able to ride most rides on her own so our world of ride options will grow exponentially!

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There are still plenty of things for us to do in the meantime though. Here are some of our favorite attractions that we visit on a regular basis when it’s just me and the girls. We still regularly ride the all ages rides, and keep adding more as the girls get taller! We tend to start at the Explorer Island side of the park and move around clockwise. The attractions for the smaller kids are concentrated on this side, and as you get around to the other side you find more and more rides for bigger kids. There are definitely attractions for all ages spread throughout the park though!

All Ages (No height restriction to ride with an adult):
Fairy Tale Brook
Coast Cruise
Cargo Ace (Must be able to walk)
Mia’s Riding Camp Carousel

Preschool (36″+ can ride alone):
Beetle Bounce
Dune Raiders
Cargo Ace
Royal Joust

Our Favorite 34″+ Rides That Require One Adult (or Bigger Sibling) Per Child:
Safari Trek
Coastersaurus

My girls also love the play areas. Not only are there no size restrictions, but there are also no lines. Win/win!

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1) The DUPLO Playtown is a big hit with the little ones. It’s the first play area we get to so we often stop there for quite a while. It happens to be right next door to Heartlake City (mentioned below).
2) There is also the Dig Those Dinos area in Explorer Island for digging fossils…if you don’t mind sand. (Not my jam.)
3) Now that Samantha is a little bigger, she loves the Hideaway at Castle Hill. (Katrina and I love climbing on the wooden bridges and going through tunnels, too!)
4) Our other favorite is the Pharaoh’s Revenge in the Land of Adventure. The little kids love loading the cannons with foam balls and the big kids love blasting them while climbing through the play structure.

On warm days there are also splash play areas. And let’s not forget about the shows! I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve sat through the LEGO Friends show at Heartlake City. “Best friends forever, forever and ever…” anyone with me?!

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We also love the SeaLife Aquarium for quick morning visits when I’m not in the mood for walking around the entire park, but I want to take the kids out for something fun. We usually breeze through it pretty quickly so I can get on with my day, but the kids feel satisfied that we got our adventure for the day.

There are SO many other attractions than what are listed here – these are just our personal favorites! Check out the Legoland website for a full list of activities. I guarantee you’ll find something that your toddler (or big kid!) is interested in!

So to answer my initial question, at what age do I recommend buying a pass (or even making a one-time visit!)? It really depends on your budget and what you are hoping to get out of it, but I would say somewhere between 15 months and 2 years old is a great time for a first visit. If you live close enough to visit often a pass is great because you can go play for an hour or two and not feel like you aren’t getting your money’s worth. We’ve had our full-day Legoland marathons but I honestly love our quick end-of-the-day one-hour visits even more.

We are super excited to check out the new NINJAGO World, which opens on May 5th. And don’t even get me started on the Legoland Waterpark. I cannot WAIT for some warm summer weather! I’ll save our waterpark adventures for another post. Stay tuned, friends!

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I am a LEGOLAND blogger. I received complimentary admission in exchange for my honest opinion.