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

How to Have a Low Country Boil for Just Your Family

March 16, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

his is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Aidells®. The opinions and text are all mine.

In the fall of last year I experienced my very first low country boil. I’m not sure what rock I had been hiding under for 35 years, but the whole experience of sausage, shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob, all laid out on sheets of newspaper for the crowd to come feast upon was completely new to me.

And I thought it was super fun, super delicious, and likely something I would never replicate since I rarely need to feed a crowd.

So when Aidells® reached out and asked me to create a fun recipe using one of their sausages, my mind went straight to their andouille and I started thinking about that yummy low country boil again. How could I get those awesome flavors onto my plate again, but in a way that made sense for a weeknight meal at home?

The light bulb went off for me when I realized I could make the sausage, shrimp and corn a topping for baked potatoes. Perfect!

To make this deceptively simple recipe, start with a trip to Publix for the right ingredients. You will need the following:

1 5lb bag of baking potatoes
1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package Aidells® Cajun Style Andouille
1 15 oz bag frozen corn
1 Tbsp seasoning of choice (for example: Old Bay, Lawrys)

The very first thing you need to do is decide how you’d like to cook your potatoes. I prefer to cook mine in a slow cooker. To do this, wrap each potato in aluminum foil, add 1/3 cup of water to the slow cooker, and turn it on high for 3 hours. If you don’t have that much time to cook your potatoes, you can opt for cooking them in the oven for 45 minutes, or so. And if you are lucky enough to have one of those potato bags available, you can get your potatoes cooked in a handful of minutes in the microwave.

Begin the process by opening up your package of Aidells® Cajun Style Andoillle and cutting each sausage in half length-wise, and then once again in half length-wise, and then cutting into bite-size pieces. These sausages are already fully cooked, but we are going to go ahead and throw them in a pan that has 1 Tbsp olive oil in it and cook them over medium heat for 1 minute.

After 1 minute of cooking, it’s time to add the frozen corn, the spices and 1/4 cup of water to the mix. Stir this mixture and then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 3 minutes.

While the sausage and corn are cooking together, cut your shrimp into bite-size pieces. I purchased medium shrimp and cut each one into 3 pieces. Once they are cut and the corn and sausage have cooked together for 3 minutes, go ahead and add your shrimp. Give it a good stir and cover the lid again for 2 minutes, and then take the lid off and keep cooking for another 2 minutes until the shrimp is nice and pink and the water at the bottom is largely evaporated (no worries if there is still a bit of liquid left over…you can use a slotted spoon to remove everything).

At this point, you are ready to add your toppings to your baked potatoes. If you had access to the extra large baking potatoes (the type they serve at steakhouses) then you should be able to add this topping in between the potato halves. I couldn’t find potatoes that big at Publix, so I had to go with smaller baking potatoes, and I found that just slicing them in half and placing the low country boil topping on the top of each half worked best.

Y’all. It tastes AWESOME! The Aidells cajun sausage brings some serious flavor to the dish. Even my husband, who is not a big shrimp fan, had 2 helpings and commented on how much he loved the flavors. I really appreciated how truly easy it was put recreate the flavors of a low country boil without much mess. I also like how filling it is, too!

This was what I came up with for a fun new way to use Aidells® Cajun Style Andouille. You might have some other ideas you’d like to try! And Publix doesn’t just carry the Cajun flavor, either. You can find the other following products there, too:

Aidells® Chicken & Apple (also available in minis)
Aidells® Italian Style
Aidells® Pineapple Bacon (also available in minis)
Aidells® Spicy Mango & Jalapeno
Aidells® Roasted Garlic & Gruyere Cheese Smoked Sausage

Organic:

Aidells® Organic Spinach & Feta
Aidells® Organic Chicken & Apple

Aidells is a perfect choice for my family because they do not contain nitrites and they have no added hormones. The sauces are hand-crafted in small batches, and contain real ingredients that you can pronounce and would want to eat!

Please let me know if you try this “small crowd” take on a low country boil. I’d love to hear what you think!

Special Sale

Don’t miss out on the special sale for Aidells products at Publix. From 3/17-3/25 you can pick up 2 packages in your choice of flavors for $10!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Aidells®. The opinions and text are all mine.

(Giveaway!) Check Out The Most Beautiful Baby Doll Basket Carrier

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

Thanks to Magic Cabin for sending along the baby doll basket carrier for review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.

Lately I’ve noticed that my youngest child, who is getting close to 4, is very happy any time she gets to partake in imaginative play. She particularly seems to enjoy getting to pretend she is taking care of something, which means that we play doctor/vet a lot, and sometimes we play mommy (or daddy! She loves to be just like her daddy!).

And yet, she hasn’t seemed particularly attached to her baby doll. But I wondered if a baby doll basket carrier might make a difference. She likes to move around quite a bit when she plays, so perhaps this would get her more interested.

Friends, this sweet little fabric moses basket is HER JAM. She has been playing with her doll (named Sweetie) every single day for the past week, and I think she loves it so much because she can take Sweetie everywhere with her. Sweetie has run errands with us, gone outside to play several times, and even sleeps next to Layah in her bed, all in her little baby basket.

Magic Cabin is the exlusive provider of this sweet baby basket. It is thoughtfully designed and definitely is a hit with my child. She loves the colors and patterns and the textures, too. Look at what soft little space for a doll!

The removable mattress pad and pillow, as well as the side tie cover make it easy to fit dolls or stuffed animals of varying sizes. And I think having the entire thing made of fabric just makes it all the more appealing to a child. It’s very lightweight, very soft, and very easy to tote around. And tote it around, litle Layah does!

What a sweet gift this would make for any upcoming occasions you have this spring. It is currently available for $44.98 in blue floral or pink floral patterns. And if you use code 24MARCH at checkout, you can save 10% off orders of $80 or more, plus get free shipping

Win it!:

One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win this sweet little baby basket!
Magic Cabin Baby Doll Basket Giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the right sidebar of the blog.

Organic Food with Online Delivery: Thrive Market Vs. Vitacost

March 11, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Referral links included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My goal is to help you save as much money as possible!

A little over a month ago, I had a reader leave a comment on a popular Thrive Market review post that I have that really left me stumped. She was asking if Thrive Market was honestly that much better in its pricing than Vitacost. I knew very little about this online retailer, other than the fact that they sold supplements. I had no idea that they offered a wide array of organic food with online delivery.

So I took it upon myself to do a cost comparison during my most recent Thrive Market order. You can see exactly what I purchased and hear pricing information in this video.

Thrive Market came out ahead with my particular order. I purchased 12 different types of items, and Thrive Market’s prices were better for 8 of those items. Sometimes they only bested Vitacost by a little over a quarter, and sometimes they bested Vitacost by several dollars. I believe that if you plan on purchasing a significant amount of groceries online from a retailer each month (at least $100) then you will come out ahead by getting the Thrive Market membership (which is $59) instead of just purchasing everything from Vitacost.

If your shopping is going to be a bit more sporadic, though, it might be a wash. But that’s honestly the case any time you join a membership organization. You need to be prepared to USE that membership to get its value. If you purchase a Costco membership and shop there twice during the year, you likely won’t get your money’s worth.

But with all of that said, now that I have seen how competitive Vitacost can be, I’m going to check their website before placing my next Thrive Market order. Since I order Annie’s mac and cheese pretty much every time I order from Thrive Market, I might just place a large order for it with Vitacost and save that bit of money. I’ve also learned to look carefully at spices and extracts, since Vitacost might have the upper hand there, too.

What about you? I’d love to hear where you buy organic groceries online, and if you have an opinion on the Thrive Market Vs. Vitacost issue. If you haven’t tried either, you can go through my link to save 15% on your first Thrive Market order (you can try out their service for 30 days before committing to the membership) or you can save $10 on your first Vitacost order.

You might also enjoy reading my more detailed review of Thrive Market!

Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Ice Cream: Iced Coffee Style

March 11, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Special thanks to Dunkin’ Donuts for making awesome iced coffee, and for partnering with me on today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

What I’m about to tell you is going to sound like some sort of fantasy, but it’s true you guys. It’s true.

Dunkin’ Donuts has paired up with Baskin-Robbins to include 3 of their most beloved flavors of ice cream (Pistachio, Butter Pecan and Cookie Dough) into all hot and iced coffee and espresso beverages.

You can get these awesome beverages throughout the spring, but you know I had to get in on that action right away.

I went for Pistachio iced coffee, and what a sweet treat it was, friends! There are over 15,000 ways you can order your coffee and lattees at Dunkin’ Donuts (!!!) and don’t forget about the permanent flavor options, like mocha, caramel, blueberry, cinnamon, coconut, french vanilla, hazelnut, raspberry and toasted almond (that’s not even the whole list!). But before they are gone, you should be sure that you try some combination that includes these yummy Baskin-Robbins flavors. I have plans to head back to Dunkin’ Donuts tomorrow for the Cookie Dough. I should note here that one of the things I love about my readers is that they won’t judge me if I can’t wait until tomorrow to go, which is becoming a very real possibility the longer I stare at the iced coffee photo above…

Anyway, whenever I head back, be it tomorrow or in 10 minutes, I can quickly order a wide variety of options, including breakfast items (available all-day!). I love the innovation that are present in the offerings at Dunkin’ Donuts. This company is always striving to offer lots of choices that will taste great and offer value. This makes it the perfect place to visit in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of daily life. No matter what time of day or night you need some breakfast, a fantastic iced coffee, or some other pick-me-up, Dunkin’ Donuts is ready for you with something to satisfy your cravings.

And don’t forget to use the DD app! By paying through your app you can earn rewards. I got a free drink (any size!) offer the second I signed up as a thank you. That’s what I’m talking about!

15 Awesome Things to Do on Bed Rest

March 10, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links may be included at no cost to you. All opinions are my own, as always!

If you are about to lose your ever loving mind and have stumbled on this post out of desperation while looking for things to do on bed rest, I really hope I can help you out! I was put on bed rest for the last 3 weeks of my last pregnancy and got through it thanks to some of the tips I’ll be listing below. Hang in there, sister. We’ll find something fun for you!

1. Tame the Pinterest Beast

This tip is not about your blowing up your Pinterest boards with new content. In truth, I bet you’ve already done that! Now I want you to go back through your pins with a critical eye. What have you pinned in the past that doesn’t appeal to you anymore? Which recipes are absolutely gorgeous but have a zero percent chance of ever being made by you? Maybe you have 40 pins about a nursery design that you ultimately didn’t choose. Now’s the time to let it all go so that your Pinterest boards will only have things that you really and truly want to explore further. You might even find a project or two that you actually can complete while on bed rest, so win/win! And if we aren’t friends on Pinterest yet, why the heck not? Check out my pregnancy board, for sure!

2. Enter Sweepstakes

Before I was a blogger, I used to enter sweepstakes as a hobby. I’d spend 20-30 minutes per day entering contests. Mostly I won small things, but I did once win a trip for two to Peru (yes, it was AWESOME!). I never had much time for that pursuit after having a baby, but I returned to the hobby while on bed rest. And guess what? I got a phone call the day after I delivered my baby that I had won the grand prize in a local contest. The prize? A brand new crib (it was this beautiful 4-in-1 crib)!!! Here’s a post I wrote about my 5 favorite places to enter sweepstakes.

3. Get Your Groceries Delivered

Hopefully you are lucky (like me) and live in an area with a grocery delivery service (such as Pea Pod or Shipt). I use Shipt and I can order everything I need through the app or through the website. I can even shop from what’s on sale at Publix to keep my costs down. They charge a little bit higher prices than what you will pay in the store, but it is SOOOOOO worth it! 🙂 Go through my link above and you’ll get $10 off your bill. You don’t have to have cash on hand for a tip, or anything; you do it all through the app. The delivery person brings your groceries into your kitchen for you, too. Love it so much!

And as for the staples that are shelf-stable, definitely check out Thrive Market (see my review that I did on my own here) or VitaCost. For toiletries, cleaning products and personal care (not to mention diapers!), Honest Company is the way to go (I have done DOZENS of product reviews on my own that you can see here) and for beauty products, I really love Honest Beauty. All of these companies allow you to shop from your computer and will have what you need delivered within a week. You will appreciate them now and you will continue to appreciate them when you have that little bundle in your arms, and a trip to the store sounds like pretty much the worst thing ever.

4. Treat Yourself (to a GOOD maternity pillow!)

Oh heavens if you don’t have a good best rest pillow by now, then you are simply going to HAVE to get one! They are worth every single penny and then some because they will make a huge difference in your comfort level. For day time use, Amazon has a really excellent selection of bed rest pillows (the type to use while sitting up). They are affordable and much better than trying to bunch up random pillows behind your back. But when you are ready to nap or sleep for the night, you need something different. If your budget allows for it, go for a U-shaped pillow, like the Snoogle. It is a total game-changer and I can’t say enough great things about it. If you have a more limited budget (or just less room!) then a wedge pillow will at least help support your growing belly.

5. Podcast Time!

Go ahead and get hooked on podcasts, because this is a habit that will serve you well while you are breastfeeding later on. You can do some of that sifting work right now by subscribing to a lot of different things, and weeding out the content that didn’t work for you. Also pose the questions to your friends on social media to find out what they are listening to! Podcasts are free and easy to download on your phone. Typical podcast length can range from 15 minutes to an hour, so the commitment time isn’t as intense as audio books. My top picks: This American Life, StarTalk, Elise Gets Crafty, and Being Boss.

6. Coloring Book Time!

Coloring books for adults have absolutely exploded in the last two years. Take advantage of the great offerings out there by getting yourself some color pencils with gorgeous pigments and a book or two that has the types of patterns you like. Target has some cute stuff, and of course, Amazon does too!

7. Spend Time With Your (Words With) Friends

If ever there was a time to engage in some online games on Facebook with friends, that time is NOW. Several of my friends all over the world played Words with Friends with me while I was on bedrest. Sometimes we’d go 12 hours or more in between plays, but I had so many different games going that it kept me occupied. It was a simple way that people who cared about me could offer me some support

8. Pamper Your Computer with a Deep Cleaning

Another area of your life that probably requires some attention is your computer. Now is the absolute PERECT time to go through your files and delete like crazy. It’s a spring cleaning for your hard drive and it will help your computer run faster for you.

Now is also a great time to make a decision about how to organize and store your photos. You will have THOUSANDS of photos of your child in the very near future, so you might want to figure out where to safely store them (and the answer is NOT on your hard drive). I’m still trying to figure this out for myself, so I don’t have a specific recommendation for you just yet (I’ll come back and edit it when I find the best fit for our family!).

9. Audio Books from the Library

My public library has the ability to make requests online for all the available materials there. Someone will locate the book for you and bring it to the front of the library to hold for you. It’s AWESOME! Take advantage of this offering if it is available, and have friends go collect your materials for you. And be sure to take advantage of the audio book collections! This is such a great way to get your read on without wearing our your tired eyes. Sometimes you need to rest but not sleep. Audio books are the absolute perfect thing to do during that time, because you only need to use your ears. You’d be surprised by how many books you can plow through this way, so definitely try it, and do it the free way! Cracker Barrel also has an audio book lending program if you happen to live near one and can send someone over there for you to switch out your aduio books. I think you pay a small monthly fee.

10. Explore Cloth Diapering (You Know You’re Curious!)

If you spend any time on Pinterest or mom-focused blogs, you have surely been exposed to cloth diapering on some level. Why not take a moment to learn just a little bit about it? It’s more than fine to decide that it’s not a good choice for your family, but you might just find that it’s a surprisingly simple way to go that will save you BIG bucks! I’ve got a post that can help get you started on understanding all the different types of cloth diapers out there. I’m a big advocate of convenience, by the way, so for my family that meant part-time cloth diapering. No judging or finger-wagging from me!

11. Finally Watch the Show Everyone Else But You Already Watched

Everybody’s got at least one show that many of their friends couldn’t stop talking about but that, for whatever reason, you just never got around to watching (or it didn’t make the best first impression so you jumped ship). For me, that was How I Met Your Mother. I watch the first 2 episodes when it was new and just thought it was dumb. But I returned to it thanks to Netflix streaming and frankly, having nothing better to do while on bed rest. I still think the first season was just ok, but it turns out, the series as a whole was fantastic.

A variation on this idea is to finally revisit a series that you absolutely loved but haven’t watched in quite some time. Last year I slowly worked back through Friends, and I’m currently re-watching The Office. Think of a show that just rocked so hard for you and enjoy it all over again!

12. Select Important Cards for the Year
Go ahead and choose the birth announcement style you want, as well as the holiday card. You’ll be so glad to have that decision made! If you send out a holiday letter, work on it now (I always write out each month and try to remember a few notables for each month…not everything makes the final cut, but it helps me remember when I’m doing the write up). My favorite place for those special cards? Definitely Minted.com.

13. Invite Friends Over
You really need to not lose connection with your friends. There will be plenty of time for that after the baby arrives, I promise. Take the leap and invite friends over to hang out with you, even if all you can do is sit on the bed and talk. It will be good for you to have a little face time with people you love, I promise.

14. Research Something That Piques Your Curiosity
We all have things that we’d love to learn more about, but have never quite found the time to devote to the endeavor. Well sister, now’s the time. Maybe you have been curious about essential oils since everyone and their mama is going cray over them. Perhaps you want to figure out that whole nail wrap thing or practice your nail art skills. Heck, maybe you just want to learn how to properly whip and nae nae since you never could get the hang of it last summer (you’ll get major extra points from me for mastering this dance while seated!). Take some time to think for a bit about stuff you’d like to learn, and then get crackin’.

15. Accept Help
If someone offers to help you in some way during bed rest, take them up on the offer. Someone might be able to watch older children for you while you rest, or they might offer to come tidy up for you, or even send over a cleaning crew. Now is not the time to let your pride stand in your way, friend. Say yes, thank you! Sometimes people genuinely don’t know what you need, so they give that blanket, “let me know if I can help!” I promise you, most people mean it when they say that, so don’t hesitate to go back to them with a few specific ideas. Make a list of some practical things that might make life a little easier right now. The next time someone says, “How can I help?” you’ll know what to say!

I’d love to hear any other ideas you have for passing the time in a productive and/or enjoyable way while on bed rest!

Cat on a Leash?! Taking the Right Steps for a Happier Cat and a Happier Home

March 8, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Fresh Step at Target. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

How many nights of a cat jumping on your face does it take to break a person? For me, the answer was 22.

After just over 3 weeks of having my sleep cycle totally jacked up by our new cat, Gus, I acknowledged my total lack of understanding about how to correct his behavior, and proceeded to Google the heck out of the problem and watch several videos from various cat whisperers.

What I learned is that our cat, simply put, is BORED. The girls play with him all the time (or at least it seems that way), but he needs more. He was a stray before he took up residence at the House of M, so perhaps he is used to more sights, sounds and smells than we can cram into our 1300 square feet of space.

My husband and I talked over what we could do to provide more enrichment in Gus’ life and in so doing, get back to getting enough sleep to function properly each day. And that is when inspiration struck.

What this cat needed was a leash. We read about leash training a cat online (something I HIGHLY recommend you research before attempting). Most cats can be trained for a leash, but cats have such varied and particular personalities that you really have to consider before taking this route. We read that the process of simply getting used to the harness could take a month or more, and that’s before even stepping a single paw outside on the leash.

Gus seems to be a leash outlier in his feelings about it. He gladly let us put the harness on him and didn’t struggle with it or try to get it off. And so…about 10 minutes after putting it on him, we found ourselves outside!

Gus was in heaven getting to be outside, and that really does make sense given that for at least some period of time, he lived outside 24/7. We live in an urban environment near a busy street, and for that reason among others, we don’t want Gus to be an indoor/outdoor cat in the traditional sense of the meaning. But by training him on a leash, we can give him that enrichment he craves and keep him safe at the same time. Also? It turns out that a cat on a leash gets other people’s attention, and makes them smile! We’ve been doing outside time for a few days, now, and we can already tell a difference in Gus’ behavior in the middle of the night. He seems more chill and content than he has been. It’s definitely a work in progress and everything we read online says that it will take time for him to develop a new rhythm in his own body, and to learn that night time is when the people sleep and when the people need to be left alone. But giving him the stimulation he needs to get all his energy out is a step in the right direction.

The Right Step is the Fresh Step

One other change we made about a month ago was to start using Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ Litter. We have 2 cats in our small home and when we first got Gus, the impact a second cat had on how our home smelled was immediately noticeable, and definitely not in a good way.

We have been really impressed with how well this product works. The litter box smell is virtually undetectable (odors aren’t masked…they are eliminated!) and the clumping of the litter makes scooping really easy. It also makes the litter last longer, overall, since you don’t get that horrible messy bottom layer of soaked litter like you do with many other brands. I also like that this is a lower dust formula (vs the previous formula) which means that it is a better choice for the health of our cats.

Target Savings!

Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ Litter is Available at Target and there’s never been a better time to head over that way to pick some up. From 3/6-3/12 you can get a $5 Target gift card when you buy 2 boxes.

Is your cat in need of some additional resources to be happy and fulfilled? Are you in need of a change in your cat routine to make your home happier? I hope I’ve given you some ideas today to help you on both fronts! 🙂 I’d love to see your photos of your cat rockin’ out (be it on a leash or however they find their kitty bliss) and I’d love to see pics of how Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ is making everyone at home happier, too!

Intentional Snacking (and a Sinless Chocolate Cheesecake Fondue Recipe!)

March 8, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Fiber One through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Fiber One’s® Cheesecake Bars, all opinions are my own.

Friends, today I want to talk about a problem I have had for as long as I can remember: I do a lot of mindless snacking. Do you know what I’m talking about? Where you stand in your pantry or at your kitchen counter and just eat whatever might be easy to grab without even thinking?

This problem seems to have gotten much worse after having kids. If I’m fixing them a snack I tend to “tax” whatever I’m making for them by eating a bit of it, myself, even if it’s something I am not craving at all (like graham crackers), and even if I’m not actually hungry.

I seem to snack on things simply because they are there. Do you ever do this?

The Power of Intentional Snacking

I want to share with you the strategy I have used with the greatest success in combating this bad habit: intentional snacking. I plan out my snacks so that they are fairly frequent (I’m a grazer by nature and if I try to rebel against that completely, I always fail). I also plan at least one snack during the day that knocks my socks off and that totally feels worth the wait.

For example:

Pretty amazing, right?! This has quickly become one of my absolute favorite things to enjoy during my early afternoon quiet time, or during that 3pm slump when I need a little boost to power me through the last part of the day before dinner.

Are you wondering how on earth a chocolate fondue with cheesecake bites can be sinless? And are you wondering how this comes together without an extensive amount of time in the kitchen? It’s all about the ingredients, baby!

The cheesecake bites from Fiber One certainly don’t taste sinless, but in addition to tasting great, they are also loaded with 20% of your daily fiber needs. They also keep your calories in check, with just 150 calories per bar.

I pair this up with a vegan faux chocolate fondue made from the following ingredients:

1 avocado
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
(optional) 1 tbsp almond milk

(makes 4 servings of chocolate fondue)

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl (it takes all of 30 seconds to do) and then slice up your Fiber One Cheesecake bar into 8 pieces and you’ve got the most amazing snack EVER. It’s certainly worth saying no to a handful of cheese crackers, a few bites of pretzels and other random things you’ll come across throughout the day. If I know that I have this waiting for me, my ability to stop eating everything in sight mindlessly improves drastically.

I get that nice energy boost from the avocado that I need to finish off the day and I get to enjoy the great flavor of the cheesecake bites. I don’t worry in the slightest that I’m spoiling my dinner, either.

I hope you’ll give intentional snacking a try and really treat yourself to this indulgent (yet sinless!) snack! You can find Fiber One Cheesecake bars at grocery stores nationwide. For more great snack ideas, follow Fiber One on Facebook.

Hate Germs? Meet The Subscription Box of Your Dreams

March 7, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Squix for passing along sample products. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I always love getting to show you fun new subscription boxes. This one caught my attention because the focus is on a topic other than beauty, fashion or kids. This one is all about keeping yourself and your home nice and clean.

That’s right, it’s the subscription box that all the clean freaks out there have been dreaming about! 😉

This is Squix, and it’s a website that offers a la carte shopping of the latest and greatest in cleaning products, as well as a subscription box opportunity that is customizeable based on your particular cleaning needs.

In my case, I’m all about planet-friendly cleaning products, so Squix sent me some samples of some of their offerings. I’m definitely not a clean freak by any stretch, but I have to admit that it was pretty darn fun to get a box of new-to-me products to use in my home.

I was able to immediatley put the wood floor cleaner to use in my shark. I love that the formula was concentrated so that excess water and weight wasn’t being shipped all over the country. I just added my own to the mix. I also like concentrated formulas because they take up less space in my small home.

The Babyganics sanitizing wipes will come in handy for me in the car, even though I’m passed the baby season of my life. I’m still deep in the “messy kid” season, though, so these will be in our console for unforseen messes. There are 20 in the package; I predict they will be used up within 3 months. 🙂

I also especially liked the e-cloth, which is designed to use with stainless steel and with only water. I need to research how to use this one a bit more, as my first once over with my dishwasher resulted in only “sort of” clean results. I’m intrigued by the product, though, so I’m not ready to give up, yet!

A QBox, which is the Squix subscription box, is $21.98/month and could be a really fun way to get your cleaning product needs met without having to buy the items at the store. This is especially true in my case, where I probably wouldn’t be able to find some of these products at mass retailers, even with the increasing popularity of planet-friendly cleaning products. This is a great way to bring all the cool new stuff out there straight to my front door.

Take the short quiz from Squix to determine your QBox style and then give it a try (the first box is 50% off!). You’ll get 3 Squix products plus a surprise gift, and you can cancel at any time.

An Honest Assessment: Prenatal Vitamins Review (Not Pregnant? That’s Ok!)

March 5, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Referral links to Honest Company prenatal vitamins included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I have always had crappy nails, plain and simple. They break easily. I bite them. The cuticles are a mess. It’s just not an area of strength for me at all. Except for when I was pregnant.

When I was pregnant, I had strong, gorgeous nails.

I finally realized that my prenatal vitamins were helping my nails get what they needed to be improved. This got me thinking about whether or not I could continue taking my prenatal vitamins after my pregnancy. Please keep in mind that I’m not talking about prescription medication, as I am not a doctor and can’t really go there. And I’m only speaking about my own experience and conclusions. You should research the issue on your own, as well.

But what I found was that occasionally taking prenatal vitamins when not pregnant isn’t really a bad idea at all.

I have been using Honest Company Prenatal Vitamins for a few key reasons. First, I absolutely adore Honest Company and the thought they put into each and every product. The ingredients in these vitamins are things that I can feel completely confident about putting into my body, and if I were pregnant, that I could feel great about passing along to my growing baby. No nasty chemical synthetic junk in here.

Since I am NOT pregnant and don’t plan to be pregnant, though, why would I keep taking a prenatal vitamin instead of a regular multi-vitamin? I will tell you that I don’t exclusively take a prenatal vitamin, and my opinion is that if you aren’t pregnant, you shouldn’t either. But I do take them once or twice a week and I think the ingredients are great for my body in those occasional doses. I also believe that they are helping my nails (and my hair)!

Additionally, if you are still of child bearing age and are in a relationship such that pregnancy is a possibility, even if it is a very slight possibility, it’s not a bad idea to have that extra folic acid and iron in your system. Surprises happen people, that’s all I’m saying. 🙂

And finally, if you aren’t pregnant anymore but you are still breastfeeding, it’s a good idea to continue on with your prenatal vitamins regularly. Always follow the doctor’s advice on that one, but everything I’ve read seems to indicate that this is a good idea.

If you have some leftover non-prescription prenatal vitamins and are wondering if you should use them up, or if you are shopping for vitamins and you are curious about some of the benefits of prenatal vitamins even if you aren’t pregnant, I recommend checking out what The Honest Company has to offer. I also recommend reading up on your own, as you will find that pregnant women do have different nutritional needs than women who aren’t pregnant, so there’s something to be said for not taking prenatal vitamins every single day if you aren’t pregnant. I hope that helps!

Want more reviews of Honest Company products? Check out my growing list!