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

The Best All Natural Kids Shampoo According to My Children

February 7, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I’ve been using non-toxic shampoos for my girls since they were infants. Having kids was the turning point in my life where I finally started looking critically at the types of products my family was using and just what those ingredients might be doing to our bodies. We have had some really great experiences with several different brands of natural kids shampoo over the years.

But here’s the thing: my kids need their shampoo and conditioner to be able to deal with the types of things that we find caked in their hair on the regular (honey is the top contender, followed by dirt and paint). I’ve got some products on hand that really seem more geared toward babies, and frankly, towards not being quite as dirty.

I’ve also sampled some fantastic brands that can hang with the dirt, but can’t really hang with my “real world” budget. I don’t have $30 to spend on shampoo for myself, let alone for my little ones.

And this, my friend, is why I was so happy to learn about Fresh Monster. This made in the USA brand reached out to me with news of their affordable toxin-free haircare for kids and I agreed to take a look at their products.

We initially tried out the 2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner on the girls’ hair and used the shampoo & body wash on their bodies. I noticed the amount of suds right away, and was surprised by those, as most non-toxic haircare products don’t suds much at all. But a quick glance over the ingredient list and I stopped worrying, as it was completely free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, dyes, or synthetic fragrances.

But the lack of synthetic fragrances didn’t keep the products from smell fantastic! Darah and Layah both commented on the smell (and seemed to agree that the ocean splash scent was the best, though for the record I really loved the coconut, too).

Fresh Monster totally got the girls squeaky clean! And I really love the friendly price point ($7.99…but on sale right now on Amazon for less!). You can find them on Amazon as well as at retailers nationwide (though I’m bummed not to see a store finder on their website so I can’t offer any specifics on your nearest location).

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Amazon Prime Streaming Music: Currently FREE!

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

Affiliate links included at no cost to you. I’m a happy Amazon Prime Streaming Music customer!

If you have an Amazon Prime account already, you may not be aware of an AMAZING perk of your membership: Amazon Prime Music.

I think Amazon Prime Music is a super nice benefit of Prime membership that so many people forget about altogether, which is why I wanted to bring it up today. It can be an absolutely fantastic resource for parents! We have dance parties in the house for our girls on our TV and on our Amazon Echo. The girls know how to ask Alexa for their favorite My Little Pony album! 🙂 We also have added to our library several dozen great children’s artists whose music is available to listen to, absolutely free.

If you aren’t an Amazon Prime member but would sure love access to a humongous library of music that you can listen to, completely ad-free, then you need to know about the 30 day FREE TRIAL that Amazon just launched for Prime Music.

Free trials are not to be feared; simply make a note in your calendar for 29 days from now so that you know you need to make a decision about if the service is worth it or not to you. If it isn’t, then canceling is simple!

But I think it WILL be worth it, because the number of places where you can access your Prime Music account is

Fire tablets (except Kindle Fire 1st Generation)
Amazon Fire TV
Fire TV Stick
Amazon Echo
Fire phone
Amazon Music app for iOS (iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch)
Amazon Music app for Android (version 4.0 and above)
Amazon Music app for PC & Mac
Amazon.com website

And if you are not on wi-fi for part of the day but you’d still love to listen to your favorite music, Prime members can download Prime Music onto your device for offline playback. This is especially nice at places like the gym or on a car ride. Prime Music offers curated playlists that are very enjoyable and the ability to customize your own playlists, as well.

And of course, if you decide to pay for the services ($99/year), you also get free two-day shipping, Prime Video and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

So if you already have Prime but never use Prime Music, take a moment to check it out. And if you have neither, then there’s never been a better time to test the waters (for free!).

Fun Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids from Peaceable Kingdom

February 3, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Peaceable Kingdom for sending along these fun Valentines cards for kids for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Are you looking for fun Valentines cards for kids that are a little different from what you’ll find at your nearest drugstore? I am loving the 3 different types of Valentines we are using from Peaceable Kingdom this year. They are a little different and so cute!

Sports Themed Valentine Cards
If there are some little athletes in your child’s class, or if your kiddo loves sport, these are perfect! You get 4 different sports themes and fun stickers to go on the envelopes.

Scratch and Sniff Valentines

These speak to me, for sure! As a kid, I LOVED all things scratch ‘n sniff! 🙂 This set has 3 different designs, all cupcake-based.

Rainbow Valentines

These win the prize for the most unique Valentine’s cards, because they have a special type of material in the middle that produces a rainbow when it comes in contact with light. Awesome!!! The kids who receive these Valentines will play with them for a while rather than simply discarding them.

Peaceable Kingdom has a great selection of out-of-the-ordinary Valentine’s Day cards. Definitely check them out, as you still have time to get them ordered before your child’s party! 🙂

Discount Calico Critters: How I Find Them!

February 2, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 9 Comments

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. My goal is to save you as much money as possible on these adorable, expensive toys!

So my girls have been bitten by the Calico Critters bug, and I have to admit, so have I. These small animal figurines are so darn cute and fuzzy and fun to play with.

But they are not at all fun to buy. Seriously. A family of 4 little animals typically costs around $25, and the accessory stuff can go from $12-$200+. It adds up FAST, I promise. And that’s why I want to help you find discount calico critters and let you in on the strategy I have used successfully so far. It’s one most people wouldn’t consider because I’m shopping from a site where, at first glance, Calico Critters are way overpriced.

Friends, I’m buying cheap Calico Critters at Kohl’s. Let me show you my strategies!

Kohl’s seems to really like to have their Calico Critters on sale for Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off. It is critical that you are willing to purchase 2 items to take advantage of this discount. Why? Because almost all of Kohl’s Calico Critters have an inflated price to start with (for example, right now the Border Collie Family is $34.99 at Kohl’s and $24.99 at Target). But stick with me, because Target won’t have the best price once we are done!

So for this scenario, let’s buy the Border Collie Family and the Woodland Beaver Family. They are $34.99 each, minus $17.50 for the B1G1 half off sale. That puts our total to $52.49 for both sets. At Target, both sets would total $49.98, so we haven’t yet gotten the best price.

But here’s the magical thing about Kohl’s: they offer extra percentage off discounts FREQUENTLY! Sign up for emails from them to get notified of their extra sale offerings. It’s HIGHLY unusual for me to not have an extra 15-20% off offer in my inbox that is current.

I also have a Kohl’s charge card, and that’s because they offer some really nice perks to their charge card holders. For example, two different times in the past month, I have been offered an extra 30% off my entire purchase just by using my card. Now can you see where the savings start to happen at Kohl’s?

Additionally, I am a Kohl’s Yes 2 You rewards member (totally free…sort of like a store loyalty card that tracks your spending). Because I shop there regularly, most months I earn a $5 bonus credit to use on whatever the heck I want.

I also wait for opportunities to earn or redeem Kohl’s cash (seems that you earn Kohl’s cash more often than you don’t…it’s a very regular occurance!). They typically offer $10 in store credit for every $50 spent. Kohl’s cash is available to redeem for a specific amount of time, so you need to note it in your calendar because it’s like free money to shop with and it stinks to have it expire on you (been there, done that!).

Kohl’s also lets you stack coupons and offers. So I will go on a Calico Critters sale shopping spree by making use of the B1G1 half off, the $5 rewards, the Kohl’s cash (if I have it) and the extra % off offer (I try to wait for 20 or 30 percent for Calico Critters).

If you are new to Kohl’s and don’t have a $5 reward and don’t have Kohl’s cash, you still come out ahead by simply tacking on a 20% savings that you can get just about all the time. 20% off the $52.49 is $41.99, for example. If you have Kohl’s cash it goes down to $31.99. And if you have a $5 reward, you’ve just bought two Calico Critters families for $26.99.

I would advise you to purchase at least $75 worth of stuff if you can, because then you get free shipping which is important for cost savings, as well. You can always return a portion of your order back to the store with no hassle (I have done it dozens of times!).

I hope this helps those of you who are new to the game. This is a better strategy for folks who are buying more, and not just looking for an item here and there. I actually have a different strategy for folks who are already deep into Calico Critters and who might ony be buying one thing at a time, so stay tuned for that! 🙂

Other locations where you can find Calico Critters online include QVC, JCPenney and Amazon.

Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe for Busy Mornings: Monkey Business!

February 1, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

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

For me, the early morning is a really important time, as it helps me set the tone for the day. I wake up before everyone else in the house, and I do this intentionally, so that I can have some iced coffee in peace and quiet, look over my tasks for the day and prioritize them, and give some thought to the meals we will be eating that day. If I wake up at least 30 minutes before anyone else, I can prepare breakfast from scratch (muffins, for example) or get the ingredients laid out for a green smoothie.

But some days getting extra sleep wins and I find myself “sleeping in” until 5:30 or 6:00 when one of my little early birds wakes me up. On those days, there’s not as much time to give to meal prep, so I need something fast. But my girls have a full day of growing their brains ahead of them at school, so I still want to make sure that I give them a nutritious breakfast, even if it needs to come together quickly.

Today I want to share with you a chocolate oatmeal that you can make in about 3 minutes and that is enjoyed by the girls so much that they lick their bowls once they’ve eaten everything. We call it “monkey business oatmeal.” I hope you enjoy it!

The secret ingredient that really brings some great chocolate flavors is Carnation Breakfast Essentials®. If you struggle with pulling together nutritious breakfast offerings due to time, this is SUCH a great strategy to try! You can find Carnation Breakfast Essentials® in the cereal aisle of your nearest Walmart. By adding a packet to a cup of milk, you can make a better breakfast for your crew without having to take up any more of your time. Love it!

So let’s make this monkey business oatmeal, shall we?

Monkey Business Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Powder in chocolate
3/4 cup quick oats
1 cup milk
1/2 banana

(yield: 1 serving. Very easy recipe to double or triple, though!)

After you have your ingredients together, first add your Carnation Breakfast Essentials® to the cup of milk and stir to combine.

Now it’s time to add your drink mix to your oats (make sure they are in a microwave-safe bowl).

Give it a good stir and then microwave according to the directions on the quick oats (mine said to microwave for 2 minutes).

Once your oatmeal is cooked and cooled off just a bit, slice 1/2 of a banana into small slices and arrange around the bowl. Now your final product tastes great AND looks great!

I want to encourage you to try eating healthier breakfasts for 7 days with your family. This chocolate oatmeal recipe is a great start! If you have folks in your crew who are used to skipping breakfast altogether, and who you don’t think will be ready to sit down to a bowl of oatmeal, try the Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Ready-to-Drink bottles. You can hand one off to that member of your family before s/he heads out the door (and they also make a super yum after school snack, too!).

Having a healthier breakfast will provide lots of great rewards to your family, but if you need some additional incentives, the Carnation Breakfast Challenge has daily missions, and entrants can complete them to win great prizes! My family is going to be taking the challenge, and I feel confident that we can participate because we have great options for busy mornings, as well as for the mornings when mom has a bit more time to plan.

Ready to get started? Follow these easy steps:

1. Sign up at CarnationBreakfastChallenge.com.

2. Complete a simple yet fun breakfast mission for a chance to win. New prizes will be revealed every day!

3. Come back any day in February to complete missions and see new prizes. The prizes range from a Fitbit to a GoPro and other awesome stuff!

4. Head to your favorite store to purchase a Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Nutritional Product and upload your receipt for five extra entries per day.

Want some more inspiration for a breakfast makeover? Head to the Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Facebook page to get some ideas, and then remember to enter the contest!

Baby Toys for 6-12 Months: 25 Best Bets

January 30, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and none of these companies requested inclusion in this list of top baby toys for 6-12 months.

Thanks to having an abundance of nieces and nephews, as well as my own two little girls, I’ve been buying baby toys for almost 10 years now. And I have to tell you, I think buying for infants is the hardest! They don’t need all that much to entertain them, especially when they are newborns (mama will pretty much do!). But I do think that the needs of babies get a little more complex for the second half of their first year. With a bit of digging, you can actually find some pretty cool baby toys for ages 6-12 months. And to save you some time, I’ve done the digging for you so you can have a curated list of some of the top toys for babies in this age range.

1. B. Toulouse Magnetic Sketcher

You may be surprised by how babies can become interested in drawing at an early age. This sketch pad has a magnetic pencil and animal shaped stamps. Such a great way to work on grasping!

2. Baby Einstein Musical Activity Table

This is one of those classic toys that is great for little ones just learning to stand. And because it’s Baby Einstein, the music it plays is classical, and is more tolerable than what you will find with most other similar offerings. Trust me…the music matters, because you will be hearing A LOT of it!

3. Hide ‘n Squeak Eggs

This toy gets high praise for being entertaining to multiple ages. Little ones will have a good time exploring the objects, themselves, and toddlers will be able to use these as they begin to engage in pretend play.

4. Fisher Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo

Time to start learning some dance moves! Your baby will bob along to the beats played by this toy, and they can even record themselves singing or making noises. Super fun!

5. Step 2 Up & Down Roller Coaster

This toy is on the higher end, price-wise (which makes it a perfect group gift or grandparent gift!) but the fun factor here is HUGE. This item was in the room of the baby gym class I took my oldest to when she was a tiny thing, and it was by far her favorite thing. You will obviously need to assist younger ones with this, but once they are able to walk on their own, they can probably ride on their own! And this toy will last for a few years before being outgrown, too.

6. Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

Another classic toys that entertains for a surprisingly long time. It’s so great to watch those babies get better at stacking as they get older! My youngest played with this from the time she was about 6 months old until she was 2 1/2.

7. VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone

There’s a lot of debate out there about how old kids should be when they get their first phone. I’m voting for before age 1, for sure! Babies notice how attached their parents are to their phones, so they want one, too. This is a MUCH more cost effective way to give your little one his/her first phone. 🙂

8. Playskool Elefun Ball Popper

I can still here the squeals of delight. This toys was a HUGE hit with both of my girls. You put balls in and a few second later they pop back out, causing little ones to crawl and toddle after them. It also makes fun sounds the delight.

9. Baby Einstein Rock Light Guitar

Every little rock-n-roll baby needs a guitar! Start them young with this fun find.

10.Fisher Price Crib Soother

At this age, your baby will be doing the hard work of learning how to self soothe and put him/herself to sleep. This device gives a drowsy but not-yet-ready-to-sleep baby some gentle entertainment; push the button and watch the light show and listen to some soothing music!

11. Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set

I know a little one who was absolutely obsessed with balls as a baby. This set is easy for a baby to grab, and it comes with different sizes an textures, which is ideal for those developing tactile senses.

12. VTech Bubbles the Learning Whale

Music and bubbles join forces to make bath time so very fun! The suction cups work great, too!

13. Hape Pound and Tap Bench

Wooden toys have such amazing lasting power, and this brand produces such great quality. This is a 2-in-1 find because it has a pound and tap section (babies LOVE that) and a xylophone section that babies will enjoy and toddlers will love to pieces.

14. Hohner Baby Band

These music toys are simple enough for babies to play with, and they make fun sounds for toddlers to shake along to as they start further exploring dance and movement.

15. BRICA Magical Firefly Light Up Car Backseat Mirror

Not only does this mirror allow you to see your rear-facing baby in his/her seat, but it also plays lights and music to keep them entertained. So many babies don’t like riding in the car, and this does a nice job of calming and soothing and/or entertaining. The parent gets a remote in the front so they can turn it on for baby. So cool!

16. Joovy Tricycoo

This is a PERFECT first birthday present! You can buy it for a younger age, too, as it has support arms to keep the baby in. Once they are ready, you can take those support arms off so they can ride on their own. The parent steering capabilty on this one is awesome, too!

17. Lamaze Clip and Go Animals

There are lots of different animals to choose from, and they tend to be universal favorites with babies. They are great sensory toys and for my kids, at least, were buddies in the car and the stroller.

18. Fisher Price Learn with Lights Piano

It’s a loud, crazy toy (fair warning) but the lights and music it plays sure do seem to be popular with the little ones. This is another toy that will be popular for quite some time before baby moves on. Since it’s small, it travels well, too.

19. Step 2 Whisper Ride Buggy

Here’s another toy that will be loved, not just for a season, but for years! This is actually a super fun alternative to a stroller if you are headed to a public event.

20. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Click’n Remote

Similar to phones, babies also see their parents clutching to remote controls, so they want one, too! End all that channel changing by replacing the real remote with this one, as parents report it taking several months before babies realize they aren’t still controling the TV. 🙂

21. Munchkin Nursery Projector & Sound System

While this isn’t exactly a toy, it is a sound machine that your baby will adore. It has several settings with timers (you can even set it to stay on all night!). As babies get older, they will start to interact with the different sounds and songs that can be played. And the projector is such a fun treat, as it puts images on the wall or ceiling.

22. Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether

When they are in that “grabby” stage (starting right around 6 months) this toy is a winner. It’s easy to grab and it makes really fun rattle sounds. It’s also designed for chewing, which is important for a little teether!

23. My Busy Town

This is the PERFECT toy right for that time when your baby is learning how to stand unassisted. This toy entices them to stand up and play!

24. Nuby Teether Beads

Very affordable, and babies absolutely LOVE them. The 6-12 month span is very slobbery thanks to all those teeth coming in, and this soothes so well!

25. Little Tikes Swing

Last but certainly not least, this one is an absolute MUST, friends. There is nothing more precious than the giggles and laughs from a baby in a swing. We had ours installed on our front porch, which was a much easier distance than to the park!

I have stared at the Amazon screen many, MANY times trying to figure out which baby toys for 6-12 months to go for, so I hope this saves you some time, because everything on this list is vetted as a winner! Be sure to check out the list of best toys for 12-18 month olds, as well!

Honest Beauty Product Reviews: Deep Hydration Cream

January 28, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links included at no cost to you. Honest Beauty product reviews are based on my own purchases and my own experiences. Honest Beauty did not request these reviews.

If you have dry skin, I think you are going to absolutely LOVE this product from Honest Beauty. Definitely get your hands on the Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream. Because it is from Honest Beauty, you can trust that the ingredients have been thoroughly vetted to be honestly good for your skin and good for the environment. This particular cream has ingredients such as chamomile, calendula, radish seed oil and boabab fruit. Pretty neat, right? And my skin feel and looks great when I use it.

It does take a few minutes to soak in, so if you typically apply your makeup just a minute or two after applying your moisturizer, then you might want to save this as your night time cream. But if you can give it about 10 minutes to get soaked in before applying your makeup, then it’s great as a daytime cream, as well.

How to Pay Less

Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream has a retail price of $34, which is not unheard of for high quality moisturizers, but still stings the pocket book (at least it does mine!). You can pay MUCH less than that by signing up for Honest Beauty Bundles. You can select any 3 products from a very large offering, including this cream, and the total is $50.00. That makes your per item cost just $16.67, which is less than half the retail cost. If you fall madly in love with the product you could stock up and get 3 in one bundle for a steal, but I’ve been so pleased with what I’ve tried so far from this brand that I’d recommend that you try out a few other new products.

Bundling is super easy and super relaxed: you get a notification when you bundle is close to being shipped just in case you want to log in to your account, make changes, and even push back the date when it will be shipped (I just logged in a few minutes ago and pushed my order date back by a month). If you want to cancel, you do have to call in, but my experience with The Honest Company has been that they don’t give you any hassle about canceling, which is a relief.

Before you sign up for your first bundle, though, check out my post on the Honest Beauty trial offer to see if it’s right for you.

What is Shave Oil? A Closer Look

January 27, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Referral links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last year I started buying my husband shave oil from The Honest Company. When I gave him his first bottle he said, “What is shave oil?” and I said, “………”

I knew it was meant for shaving (obviously) and so did he, but I think what he was really asking is how it works and why he should let go of his beloved shaving cream and give this a try, instead.

So I did a little research to better understand what shave oil is and how it actually works. What I have learned is based only on Honest Company products and I can’t offer any comments on other brands, simply because this is all we have tried.

If you want to learn more about Honest Company and why I’m such a big fan of the company, check out my extensive list of reviews of Honest Company.

Shave oil is basically a blend of organic botanicals and oils that lubricates the skin so that you can get a very close, smooth shave without dulling your blade. The ingredients are also designed to help prevent irritation caused by the razor, and to soothe the skin.

My husband said that ditching the foam took a little getting used to (sort of like making the switch to more natural shampoos and losing all those suds) but that he has been really pleased with the quality of his shaves and with how his blade is responding. I haven’t noticed razor burn on him since he switched to this shave oil, either.

He also commented that he is surprised by how little of the product he needs. I’m honestly relieved to hear that, because the bottle is only 2.2 ounces big, and the retail price is almost $16. But he uses the same bottle for a few months before needing a new one. He would go through his bottles of shaving cream at a much faster rate.

Best Shave Oil at the Best Price

This is most definitely an item that you should purchase in a bundle at Honest Company (you get to select from a HUGE number of items…any 5 for just $35.95). The per item cost when you do a bundle is just $7.20, so you save quite a bit on this item! It’s one of the very best deals in the bundle option, so I typically pick one up every other time I place a bundle, and now my husband has 3 extra so he’ll be good for over a year. 🙂

Stained Glass Stickers: A Great Craft Activity for Kids!

January 27, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links to stained glass stickers may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We have owned two of the Melissa & Doug Stained Glass Stickers sets both we received as gifts from family members). I have been so impressed with their quality and their appeal to kids that I wanted to show them to you in case you aren’t familiar with them.

What you receive is a wooden framed plastic panel with a grooved design on it, peel and stick stickers that are numbered (actually the paper behind the stickers are numbered, but you get the idea) and a number guide that matches the photo. You place the number guide directly behind the “glass” picture so all the numbers line up, and that helps you know which number sticker goes where.

The stickers have a gem-like quality about them and they are translucent, so the light shines through them as though they were stained glass. The wooden frame also has hanger on it so that it can very easily be displayed anywhere (though it looks its best on a window). This makes it a really excellent craft for your kids to give to grandparents or aunts and uncles as a handmade gift.

I think the variety of stained glass templates for kids that Melissa & Doug offers is really fun. We’ve done the hummingbird and the dolphin, and I plan to order the owl next.
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The listed recommended age for this activity is 5-12, but I can tell you from experience the my 3-year-old, who loves to spend time on arts and crafts, was able to complete one of these with a little help from mom. She finished it in 3 sessions and was immensely proud of her final product. I don’t think every 3-year-old would like it, but those who already spend a lot of time on art projects probably would.

For an older child (closer to 12) there don’t seem to be as many options. I would go for one of the larger designs, such as the dragon.

We have really enjoyed these stained glass stickers. It’s a mess-free activity with a really beautiful end result, and it gives your child an opportunity to work on their concentration and fine motor skills. Most of the stained glass templates are around $10, which makes them an affordable gift option, too.