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

Beauty Box 5 Coupon Code!

January 25, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included at no cost to you. All opinions are my own, as always. Stay tuned for the great Beauty Box 5 Coupon Code!

Ready to take a peek at what came in January’s Beauty Box 5? I was surprised and delighted to see not 5, but SIX products this month! Woo hoo!

So this edition was all about having fabulous hair and nails. I was excited because nails, in particular, is an area I avoid.

The polish that is included is one where different folks are going to get different colors. Mine was a lovely gray that is absolutely perfect for January. I’ve been wearing it every since it arrived!

The nail wraps were a bit of a disappointment because there are only 4 wraps included, and they are all different. They are meant to be accent nails. I don’t mind only having accents, but I would have like to have seen pairs of patterns so that I could have the same accent on each hand (make sense?). I put two different accents on my hands and I thought it just looked weird, honestly.

I did really enjoyed the keratin gloves. In a nutshell, they are plastic gloves loaded on the inside with a special lotion. Put them on right before catching up on your favorite episode of something on Netflix. My hands were super grateful for this extra love because this is the time of year when they get so dry that they crack. They are doing just fine right now!

I haven’t tried the other items, but I have them squirreled away to use as soon as I need them.

And now for what you’ve been waiting for: a Beauty Box 5 Coupon Code! If you are new to BB5, you can get your first month’s box for half price by using code HALFOFF. Enjoy! I think Beauty Box 5 is one of the best monthly subscription boxes on the market because it packs so much value into such a low price point. 🙂

Music Writing for Kids: Compose Yourself Teaches Composition

January 24, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Affiliate links included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have no relationship with the company who makes Compose Yourself.

One of the absolute coolest things my girls got for Christmas last year was something they didn’t ask for, and something that I didn’t even know existed. It’s an interactive music game for kids and it teaches music writing. It’s called Compose Yourself and in a nutshell, it is awesome.

Currently priced at just $14.99, your purchase gets you a set of 60 musical cards and a code that allows you to hear those cards played out online by an orchestra.

Children can create their own compositions by arranging 4, 8, 12 or 16 cards together. Each card actually has 4 different arrangements on it, as the bar of notes can be inverted or flipped upside-down. My girls totally loved hearing how the same 4 notes could sound when played in a different order. After they created their compositions, they would spend time flipping around different cards or switching out the order, realizing that by making these seemingly minor tweaks, they could have a dramatic effect on the overall feel of the piece.

After you have composed a piece to your satisfaction, you can share your piece via email or social networks (we shared 2 pieces on Facebook, already) and you can also download your piece to your computer to keep forever. If your child is currently studying an instrument, you can print sheet music so that your child can practice performing his or her works.

All this, once again, for just under $15. I think it is an incredible deal, and it’s at a price point that I like to hover around for birthday gifts for friends.

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Compose Yourself is not something we knew about, but we are SO glad that a family member did and picked it up for us. Now we are having so much fun exploring the world of music and writing our own music. Memory, language, social skills, creative thinking and expression are all positively impacted by the presence of music in a child’s life, and this has been one of the coolest ways we’ve seen to add music in a way that is interactive.

Cozy, Soft Bedding for Chilly Nights

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

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

Most of the country is in the midst of some serious winter weather right now. A friend of mine in Florida even told me that this week her daughter saw frost for the first time ever! Ha!!!

I’m not getting out of the house all that much so that I can stay warm inside, but that has led to a bit of cabin fever. Can you relate?

When I was looking through my latest Dollar General weekly email (do you get them?) I noticed a really unusual coupon offer: $2 off a set of sheets. Well, that was enough to get me to put on my coat and head over to Dollar General to check out their sheet sets. I had my 6-year-old in mind as I went, because this is the current state of her bedding:

Yes, it’s a hot mess! But for as hot as that mess was, she recently told me that she’s been getting cold at night. Oh no, that won’t do! So after I found super cute sheets for just $10.50 (they are $12.50 minus the $2 coupon…score!), I decided to check out their blankets. I hit the cozy, soft bedding jackpot, friends! Darah was SO thrilled to discover her new bedding after school.

Yes, friends, that happens to be the world’s coziest blanket. I was sold the moment I touched it, and once I realized that I was creating a whole new bedding look for my daughter for $30, I was feeling pretty darn smug. It was totally worth braving the cold to get something so fabulous, and at such a great price, no less.

Dollar General may not be on your radar as the place to go for awesome home essentials like bedding, but hopefully I’ve helped change that for you. You can certainly Save on home essentials with Dollar General! Be sure to take advantage of the unique DG Digital Coupons you can get on the website, too. By creating a free account, you can download all the coupons you want before you hit the store. At checkout, you simply provide the phone number you used to sign up, and all applicable coupons will be automatically applied. There’s nothing to clip!

Want more fun ideas for ways to give your home an upgrade for less? Follow Dollar General on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Kids Disco Ball: Have You Seen These?

January 20, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included at no cost to you. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

One of the gifts my girls received this Christmas (from a super savvy aunt) was a kids disco ball. It’s actually called an LED magic ball light but we just think of it as a disco ball because of the overall light effects. This kids disco ball requires an outlet and it puts of such fun color combinations and patterns. We just put it on the ground for our dance parties, but the cord is long enough that you could elevate it a bit more, thought not much (it’s maybe 3 1/2 feet in length). It also has the ability to be mounted on the wall if you’d like this to be a more permanent fixture in a room. Personally, we prefer to be able to tote it around (or even take it with us to a friend’s house!).

My girls love to turn it on along with some music and just party. It’s a hit during play dates, too. I think this is a super cool birthday gift option. The price point is reasonable (seems to hover around $16) and it is something that will probably be enjoyed far longer than the average toy.

Here’s a peek at what the kids disco ball looks like when it’s turned on.

We love it and I wanted to highlight it because it’s honestly something I’ve never seen in another child’s house, nor have I noticed it on the shelves at toy stores, and yet it is a really big winner to my girls so I thought it was worth sharing!

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Online Cooking Classes for Beginners: What I Tried (and Want to Try!)

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

Affiliate links included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions on online cooking classes for beginners are my own, as always.

Last year, completely on my own, I took an online cooking class for beginners through Craftsy. I REALLY wanted to learn how to make great stir fry, and all of my attempts (using a saute pan) were huge fails. So I dove in to a class called The Art of Stir Frying. And though I had heard really great things about Craftsy classes, I was still afraid that it was going to be a waste of money. You guys, it was GREAT! I learned several necessary techniques for success, and I realized the mistakes I was making that were preventing me from getting the results I wanted (over-crowding the pan, not letting it get hot enough, using the wrong type of oil…just to name a few mistakes!).

The videos were clear and easy to follow. I also LOVED that you could ask questions on the sidebar of the videos and that your instructor would answer them, usually within 24 hours. Sometimes people who had already taken the class asked questions I was thinking and they had already been answered, which was awesome.

And best of all, I can access the class as often as I want. It is mine to watch again and again! I have repeated some of the lessons to help me improve my skills with the wok (yes, I bought a wok…the teacher gave GREAT advice on which woks to look for and thankfully her top pick was a very affordable wok!).

So in light of my success with beginner cooking classes on Craftsy, I wanted to point out some of the ones on my wish list for 2016. I especially want to point them out because all of the new classes are 50% off this weekend! Woo hoo!

So here are my personal picks for best online cooking classes for the year:

1. Make the Most of Your Pressure Cooker I got a pressure cooker last year and learned a few ways to use it, but I’m still not comfortable with it and would love to change that!

2. Baking with the Gluten-Free Girl

While there are no allergies in my family, the more I learn about wheat, the more I start to think that less is definitely more. Last year I started purchasing gluten-free flours, and now I need to learn how to use them!

3. Slow Cooker Savvy

I absolutely LOVE using my slow cooker, but I tend to make the same type of dish with is (I go very meat and potatoes). I’d like to get more creative!

4. Complete Knife Skills

I have improved in this area, but I’d still call my skills clumsy. This class is especially appealing because IT’S FREE!!! Definitely jump on this one, friends!

This is only a very small selection of the great online cooking classes for beginners offered by Craftsy. You can also find more advanced cooking tutorials, and great classes in other “craftsy” areas such as sewing and photography. Take a moment to check out their sale and see what you might want to learn this year.

Women’s Clothing on Clearance Online: How I Find it Constantly

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

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

Can you relate to having neither the time nor the inclination to go to the nearest mall? I have lived in Chattanooga for over 5 years, now, and I have been inside our mall (Tennessee’s largest) no more than 10 times, total. I LOVE to find women’s clothing on clearance, but I don’t have time to scour the racks in the stores.

Fortunately, I have learned some tricks for finding cheap women’s clothing stores online. I have a few very reliable websites that I use any time I’m looking for something to add to my wardrobe. Here’s my list of cheap women’s clothing websites. I hope they help you find a bargain!

1. Jane

This is a FANTASTIC site of curated daily deals from a large variety of small businesses all over the internet. Get signed up for their emails and you’ll get an email delivered to your inbox every single day with the latest great finds. They have home decor, accessories, jewelry, and of course, lots of women’s clothing on clearance. You can find killer deals (especially watch out for when stores offer grab bags of clothing for a MAJOR steal).

2. ThredUp

This store might just be my very favorite! It’s filled to the brim with gently used clothing. I think ThredUp does an EXCELLENT job of quality control; they make it clear if items have a tiny flaw, and if they have more than a tiny flaw, they just don’t sell them. They even run quality control over your items again before shipping them off. I’ve had a few items removed from my cart (and refunded) after they determined that they weren’t in good enough shape to sell, and I’ve had discounts applied when it was determined that the item had a tiny flaw and it wasn’t advertised as such. Additionally, it is now the case that you can make your returns for free as long as you receive store credit for your items. I LOVE this new(ish) feature because you used to have to pay for your returns, and for me, I was spending anywhere from $8-$15 each time. No more of that! Finally, they have an app that’s free and that I highly recommend, as they typically send out a 15% off coupon once a week, or so! I have found quite a large number of really beautiful pieces of clothing from ThredUp. It’s a must! I also have a post all about tips to help you have a successful shopping experience on ThredUp. When you refer friends, you also earn $10 in credit, by the way!

3. Schoola

Schoola is another used clothing site, and while I truly do love it (I order from them every other month or so), it is a bit more hit-or-miss than ThredUp. Their quality control is not as good. I’ve received items that were unwearable and that were classified as in “good” shape. The good news is that they have a very nice customer service department. They have always worked with me and made it right without hesitation when I have encountered a problem. They also have a really nice referral program allowing you to give your friends $20 to spend on the site free and clear (and when they spend that free money, you get $20 in your account!). Finally, Schoola has regular sales. It’s not uncommon to receive emails from them offering anywhere from 15-50% off prices. Wait for those sales and you will scoop up some MAJOR deals. They have clothes for moms, too, and I have had success ordering for myself, though most of my finds on this site are for my kids. I should also mention that 40% of every sale goes back to schools, and I think it’s awesome to not only get a really good deal, but to know that almost half of what you did spend is going to schools who could use the money.

4. My Cents of Style

This is another site to sign up for their emails. Twice a week you’ll get an email about flash sales they are having, and they are always really good! I have purchased accessories and shoes on this site for mega deals (including fun jewelry pieces that I’ve given as gifts to friends…I paid thrift store prices for brand new stuff!).

5. Stitch Fix

This final online store is admittedly a much trickier one if you are looking for bargain-basement pricing. Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. You have to commit to spending at least $20 when you receive a box of 5 items from them. That $20 “styling fee” gets credited to anything that you buy. If you buy nothing, you lose that fee. So you should feel prepared to buy 1 item, at a minimum. I am mentioning Stitch Fix because I believe it is useful to the bargain loving fashionista for two main reasons. First, it saves you TONS of time, especially if you are looking for something quite particular (such as a little black dress for a cocktail party). I think the time it saves you makes the price you pay for the clothes more of a bargain. Second, they have a generous referral program. If you love to share your great finds with others and if you have friends who might want to give Stitch Fix a try after hearing about your experience, you can hand over your referral link and you’ll earn $25 in Stitch Fix credit after your friend’s first fix ships. It would only take getting 4 friends to try them out before finding yourself with $100 in free clothing! Check out my full review here for more info.

Are there any cheap women’s clothing stores online that I missed? I can think of quite a few other places, but I wanted to keep the list focused on the places where I have the best success finding quality stuff at a good price.

The New School of Italian: Carrabba’s Restaurant Menu Has New Offerings!

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

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

Have you taken a look at the Carrabba’s restaurant menu lately? If you are assuming that it will be filled with predictable classic Italian dishes, you might want to take a closer look, friend. My family visited our local Carrabba’s over the weekend and we discovered that Carrabba’s Italian Grill has over 20 fresh new menu items, all part of the New School of Italian. You can find these contemporary dishes at Carrabba’s restaurant locations all over the country starting right now.

Want a peek at some of their offerings? No problem! I took some pictures just for you, my friend! From the selection of appetizers, I want to heartily recommend the Prosciutto Arugula Wood-Fired Pizza. It’s 10-inches, so it’s perfect for a larger group to share.

And speaking of sharing, Carrabba’s also has a new small plates section. This reminds me of an Italian take on tapas, and you are most definitely going to want to get at least 2 things from this grouping to share around the table (most things seem perfect for groups of 4 to share).

We sampled the Grilled Asparagus with Prosciutto (HEAVEN!) and the Mozzerella Rustica. Both were quickly gobbled up by my crew. We also went for the Bruschette Siciliani and the flavors were so yummy and fresh!

Perhaps the hardest part of your visit to Carraba’s Italian Grill will be the decision you have to make about which entree to get. First, I suggest keeping the vibe very “family style” and getting several different entrees so that everyone can try different things. Here’s what we sampled!

The unexpected hero dish of the evening was the Chianti Chicken.

I thought the presentation was lovely, but it really just looked like a simple chicken dish, so I didn’t think it would wow me. But you know what? It was cooked to absolute PERFECTION (so often chicken is over-cooked) and the sauce and the salad with apple slices, grapes and hazelnuts was just ridiculous. I would order this again in a heartbeat, so make sure someone at your table orders this!

Another winner for the seafood fans is the Cioppino. This seafood stew will just take you to another level of life, friends. It’s SO good!

If you like salmon, this Salmon Cetriolini will blow you away. That’s a lemon cream sauce and as my daddy would say, the salmon is “set free” by it. Oh mercy it’s a fabulous take on salmon!

Finally (I know!)we also opted for the Linguine Positano, which has simple, but very fresh flavors in it (and can be ordered vegetarian or with chicken or shrimp). As expected, this dish went over really well with the kids.

And speaking of kids, one thing I noticed was how surprisingly kid-friendly Carrabba’s is. They have a four-page kid’s menu and activity booklet with lots of fun elements (mazes, seek-and-find), crayons, and each child gets a miniature ball of dough to play with, shape, and have baked if s/he so desires. Such a great idea!

Can you believe that after sampling all the dishes above (I didn’t even show you the awesome soups and salads!) that we ordered dessert? Yes, indeed! And complete and total mayhem broke out as soon as the sweets arrived. I snapped a photo at the scene!

Here’s a insider tip for you: do NOT miss out on the Brulee’ Ricotta cheesecake. I usually find cheesecakes to be underwhelming and just too much. This one was light and so very delicious. HUGE winner! :–)

My family had such a fun time together at Carrabba’s. We ate amazing food and we enjoyed the fun environment. I could see us going back there for a delicious meal any night of the week, or even for a fun weekend lunch. They have dishes that will suit most any mood you might have, whether you want to keep it light or totally indulge. And whether you are on a special date or just enjoying some family time, you’ll fit right in at Carrabba’s.

GIVEAWAY!

In celebration of the New School of Italian dishes at Carrabba’s, 1 MILLION DISHES will be given away to guests who register at www.Carrabbasgiveaway.com beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 11.

Additionally, EVERY guest’s bill from now through March 6th will be treated to a 20% discount! WOAH!!!!

So be sure to enter for a free dish from Carrabba’s, and then take your family out for some delicious Italian food at Carrabba’s ASAP!

I Resolve to Watch Fun Stuff: New on Netflix January 2016

January 10, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’m a member of the Netflix Stream team and enjoy free streaming service. I have been a happy Netflix customer for 11 years, now and am thrilled to share about my experience.

I’m usually the type of person who makes New Year’s resolutions (more specifically, my family picks a word as a theme for our year). But we haven’t done it for 2016, and you know what? I’m totally fine with it.

2015 was tremendous in some ways (both Tim and I did some major “leaping” professionally…fitting, since that was our word). But it also was a downright AWFUL year, as we had a very unexpected death in our family that left us all reeling (and continues to do so, quite honestly).

When Tim and I started talking about our resolutions for the year, all we could come up with was, “Nobody we love die in 2016. That is all.” It’s a pretty low bar, but it’s also a bar we have no control over. And it’s also a pretty clear indicator that we need a chill year.

And what’s a chill year without some awesome Netflix, am I right? So let’s do a little family-friendly “Netflix and chill” this month and tune in to some great new content. Tons of new stuff is coming out this month on the streaming service, but here’s my own curated list of what I know my family will be watching:

New on Netflix January 2016

New Girl Season 4
Parks and Recreation Season 7 (coming 1/13)
American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success
Ice Age: The Meltdown
Pride and Prejudice
The Tale of Despereaux
Dragons: Race to the Edge Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Frozen Planet (coming 1/28)
Ever After High Dragon Games (Netflix Original) (coming 1/29)

Whatever your resolutions are for the year, I hope they include taking some time with your family to unwind with something awesome to watch on Netflix! Any shows or movies you think my crew should add to our list this month?

How to Travel with a Car Seat

January 9, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Friends I am just now returning from 20 days in beautiful southern California. My family had a grand (and long!) adventure in the desert for our winter break. We had great family time, great extended family time, and lots of new adventures (I’m looking at you, Joshua Tree National Park!).

It was wild and wonderful. I wouldn’t have believed that a place like this existed if I hadn’t seen it for myself. #joshuatree #wildwest #nofilter

A photo posted by Tiffany (@stuffparentsneed) on Jan 2, 2016 at 8:30pm PST

Before our trip, one of my big questions was how to travel with a car seat. I asked for and received a lot of advice on the subject, and now I want to share with you what my family chose to do. I want to emphasize that it’s cool if you make a different choice, as it turns out that most anything related to car seats can get some folks feeling pretty passionate, and I’m certainly not writing this post to tell you that traveling with a car seat can only be done one way. But I hope sharing our experience is helpful to you as you determine what is right for your family.

Bring Your Own Car Seats or Rent/Buy On Location?

If you are planning on renting a car at your destination, you certainly can rent a car seat, as well. We weren’t renting a car, but if we had, based on what I have heard from MANY different people, it’s best to avoid those car seats, as they are often low quality and might even be outdated.

If you are flying into a larger city or one with very popular kid-friendly attractions (such as Orlando) there are actually companies that will rent quality baby/kid accessories to you on site, including car seats, strollers, cribs, etc. This is something I would personally consider doing, but was not able to try at our destination this time around.

A third option someone suggested to me was simply to leave my car seats at home and buy cheap ones at my destination, leaving them as a donation before returning home. For me, that option seemed like too steep of a price to pay for not having to take my own seats, and I also didn’t like the idea of having my kids in lower quality car seats if I could help it. Just my opinion, though!

How to Travel with Car Seats by Plane

So we knew we would be taking our car seats with us. Now the question became how to get them transported. It’s important to note that you are legally allowed to bring your car seats onto the plane and install them in the seats. I think this option does provide the very best odds of your car seat being left in the most pristine condition because YOU will be the handler! Many people also feel that it is the safest ride for the kids. My personal opinion on that front is that when it comes safety in a plane, a car seat isn’t going to make much of a difference if something is seriously wrong. Totally cool if you disagree.

The other option is to check your car seat, and there are actually 2 different ways to do this, as well. First, you can check it along with your other luggage. We flew Southwest and on this particular airline, your car seats don’t count toward your checked baggage allotment, and there is no fee. I cannot vouch for other airlines, so always check with them first, but my overall understanding is that car seats and strollers are checked complimentary.

You can also take your car seat to the gate and then request a gate check. Some folks like to do this to cut down on the amount of handling the car seat endures. Again, I think this is a very smart option.

But we chose to check the car seats at the start of our journey along with our other bags, even knowing that it wasn’t the best possible option for our car seats. Why oh why did we choose this option, then?!

It’s simple, really. We were 2 parents with 2 small kids and 8 pieces of luggage. We were tired and couldn’t really fathom hauling 2 car seats (each weighing close to 30 pounds!) and our children through the airport.

Car Seat Storage Bags

If you are going to check your car seat, then you definitely need some type of car seat storage bag. We did not consider this until the night before our trip (oops). Our first thought was to go for garbage bags and packing tape. Let me spare you some time here: FAIL! Doesn’t work!!! Then we learned that Southwest Airlines offers bags on site for $15! We were delighted to discover that one bag was actually big enough to hold both of our car seats. They are reusable bags, but I can tell you after one round trip, our bag is straining, so I don’t think they are as high of a quality as what you might find online. But if you are down to the wire like we were, they certainly work. You’ll have to check with other airlines to see if they have similar offerings if you aren’t flying Southwest.

So why do you need a bag at all? Because your car seat has straps, first and foremost, that can easily get caught in conveyor belts during the trip it is going to take from baggage drop off to your plane and back. Additionally, those conveyor belts are FILTHY, so if you want your car seat to not get terribly dirty, you’ll want to keep it covered.

The Risk: Lost Luggage

Perhaps the biggest risk you take by checking your car seats is that they will get lost. And on our trip home, that very thing happened to us. Fortunately, they were quickly located (in Chicago…we were in Nashville), but unfortunately, we had no car seats for our drive back home. Southwest Airlines had loaner car seats that we were able to use. They were totally clean and had 5-point-harnesses, which was important to me. But they weighed less than half of what our car seats weigh, which was a key sign to me that they didn’t offer the degree of protection I would want. I felt really bad about this, but we took the loaners and made it home safely, and then had our beloved car seats back 24 hours later. In the future I will look into roll away carts that some people use to pull their car seats through the airport. And hopefully the next time we travel we won’t have quite as many bags, either, so the decision to gate check the car seats will likely be what I will pick next time.

I hope I’ve given you a clear picture of some of the pros and cons. Obviously, you’ve got to decide what’s right for your family and your particular circumstance. Maybe a trek through the airport with a car seat is totally not a big deal to you. Or maybe you need your travel to be as hassle-free as humanly possible.

The Most Important Decision

Ultimately, the choice of how to travel with your car seats isn’t as important as the question of which car seat to choose for your day-to-day life. Diono sent us the Radian RXT for Layah, and I can say without hesitation that I wish I had been using this convertible car seat with her since the day I brought her home from the hospital. It is designed to go from birth through the end of your need for any type of car seat (!!!!!!!). This short video highlights the amazing features that will wow any parent who is tired of having to purchase car seat after car seat for their growing kiddos.

Here’s a quick run-down of some of the most awesome features of the Diono Radian RXT:

Full steel frame and aluminum reinforced sides for unmatched safety
Comfortably seats rear-facing children from 5-45 lbs, forward-facing children from 20 – 80 lbs in a 5-point harness, then converts to a booster for children up to 120 lbs.
Unique SuperLATCH system that makes installation easy
It also fits 3 across in most mid-size vehicles, folds flat for travel and is FAA certified
Booster mode from 50 – 120 lbs (40 to 57 inches)
NCAP crash tested, the industry benchmark for verifying child seat performance in severe accident conditions

The Diono Radian RXT convertible car seat is a huge hit with our daughter. She’s comfortable with how it feels, and I’m very comfortable with how it performs.