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

The One Nursery Item You Should Research More Carefully

November 11, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Friends please enjoy this guest post from my younger sister, Laura, starring my super cute niece, Taralynn. Be sure to check out Laura’s new (and fabulous!) blog Southern Made Simple! Special thanks to Newton for providing an amazing product for review. All thoughts and opinions are Laura’s!

During this time last year, I was busy pinning my dream nursery on Pinterest. I was overwhelmed by all of the beautiful color schemes, nursery themes and gorgeous bedding options. After lots of research and narrowing down, I had a pretty solid vision of how my nursery was going to look. I remember searching for HOURS to find THE bedding that I wanted. I even had a checklist of requirements that it had to be, and I distinctly remember losing sleep over it one night. Crazy, right?! Needless to say, I was so relieved when I finally found the bedding that I was looking for.

While I don’t really regret spending that much time trying to find the perfect bedding, there is one major thing that I feel like I really dropped the ball on. I put all of 35 seconds into deciding what crib mattress I was going to use. The very thing that my daughter was going to spend the majority of her time on up until she’s a toddler got less than a minute of consideration. Not really knowing what my options were, I wound up purchasing a standard plastic-covered spring-filled mattress.

Sure, it seemed okay when it was being used, but I really didn’t know that what my baby was sleeping on could potentially be a hazard to her. It wasn’t until I learned about the Newton Crib Mattress that I found out what I should really be looking for when purchasing a crib mattress.

I’ve listed below a few features that one should consider when purchasing a crib mattress, and how Newton is on top of it’s game when it comes to providing your baby with a safe sleep environment.

Is the Mattress Breathable?

This one is crucial. Suffocation and overheating are believed to be two of the leading causes of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. Traditional crib mattresses are notorious for having a waterproof casing over them. While that sounds like it wouldn’t be such a bad thing, it’s actually not so great. The waterproofing (which usually isn’t truly waterproof anyway) actually prevents air circulation and can trap body heat and moisture. Not only does this contribute to the risk of suffocation, but it also can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria, thus welcoming the risk for infections and respiratory issues. No thank you!

My daughter is currently 6 months old. She still loves to be swaddled, but she is fully capable of rolling over while being swaddled. Before we received the Newton mattress, it would scare me to death to see my daughter on the baby monitor rolled over onto her tummy while sleeping in her crib. I’d have to rush in her nursery to either roll her onto her back (aka wake her up) or just make sure she was in a position where she could easily breathe. Because the Newton mattress has a Wovenaire core, I don’t worry at all!

So what is Wovenaire? That’s a great question! Wovenaire is a woven-like cushion material that sort of reminds me of a package of Ramen Noodles. By volume, it’s 90% air, making it extremely light and very breathable. The other 10% is made of food-grade polymer. This mattress feels almost just like a plush foam mattress, but without the harsh chemicals.

When our mattress arrived, i really wanted to put it’s breathability to the test. So what did I do? I face planted into it. I took a deep breath with my face pressed into the mattress, and I was beaming when I could breathe easily! Two thumbs up, Newton!

Is it Washable?

While a waterproof mattress may sound appealing, it’s actually not something you want to look for. What you need is a mattress that is washable. Newton is the only mattress on the market that is 100% washable. This mattress has a zipper cover that can easily be removed and tossed in the wash. While you can’t just throw the whole mattress in the wash (that would be SO awesome), you can put it in the shower. Other mattresses require you to spot clean only, but you could hose the Newton down completely if you really wanted to! Since there is no fabric filling on the inside, there is nothing for moisture to hold on to.

To dry, you simply shake or beat with a paddle-like object. You then lay the Newton on its side in a well ventilated area, and you can expect it to be dry within 2-6 hours. I can’t even imagine getting another mattress soaking wet and expecting it to be dry within 2-6 hours!

Does it Leave a Footprint?

Newton mattresses are Green Guard certified. Standard mattresses commonly have foam, latex, glue and springs in them, but the Newton doesn’t use any of these. It is free of toxic and gassing chemicals and is hypoallergenic. It’s also 100% recyclable! Newton refers to themselves as being the “new organic”, and I’m totally digging it!

Overall, we are more than happy with our Newton mattress. In fact, we’re downright ecstatic about it. My baby girl is all smiles! And to be completely honest here, I’m actually a tad bit jealous that I don’t have one on my own bed! I heard that they may be releasing an adult size soon, though. If that’s true, I know what’s going on my Christmas list next year!

The Newton is available to purchase here, and is priced at $295 + free shipping. While this is certainly on the pricey end for crib mattresses, it is definitely hard to beat as far as safety is concerned. This company even offers a 100 night trial on their mattresses. If you aren’t completely pleased with your purchase, you can simply return at their expense for a full refund.

I hope that this encourages you to put a little more thought into your crib mattress than I did. Safe sleeping conditions are so important, and Newton definitely delivers peace of mind to parents that their babies are sleeping on the safest mattress on the market. I hope that when you are looking to purchase a mattress in the future, you consider some of the features I mentioned above and give Newton a look. I think you’ll be really pleased with what they have to offer!

Homemade Carpet Powder: Thrifty Gift Idea for Your Favorite Clean Freak

November 11, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links may be included. I only promote what I love!

I’ve been brainstorming thrifty homemade gift ideas that don’t require craft skills (since I completely lack those), and I’ve realized that I can make a TON of awesome stuff with my beloved essential oils and a few other key ingredients.

Earlier this year I made a homemade carpet powder for myself (I just kept the ingredients in a recycled parmesan cheese container!), but I didn’t think that would look too presentable as a gift. So I found this great stainless steel cup with a sprinkle top that is just perfect. Now I can make this as a gift for someone on my list who really loves to clean (I cannot relate to this feeling, but there really are people out there who love to clean!).

All you need is 1 cup of baking soda, and 8 drops of the Young Living essential oils blend called Purification. Mix the two ingredients together well (I used a fork) until the drops of oil are well dispersed. Pour the mixture into your cute container, add the lid, and tie a bow around it if you are giving it as a gift! Right now the container is $4.87 (prices do fluctuate on Amazon, though) and 1 cup of baking soda will cost you .50 (give or take). The price per drop of Purification at the wholesale price is 7.5 cents, so 8 drops will cost you 60 cents, making the entire gift cost $5.97. Not too shabby! You could also include instructions for how to re-create the recipe once their container runs out, and even send along a smaller vial of Purification so that they can make more with the oils.

So what is Purification? This is a proprietary blend of essential oils made by Young Living, and it contains citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, melaleuca alternifolia, lavandin and myrtle. It smells like clean in a bottle; so fresh and invigorating, yet not perfume-like at all. The essential oils in this blend are known for their purifying properties, so masking odors is definitely not what they do! They eliminate them! I sprinkle this mix on my carpets and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before I vacuum it up, and the end result is an absolutely fantastic smell in my home. I love it!

If you are new to Young Living and would love to get your hands on some Purification (which is $18.50 plus tax and shipping at the wholesale cost for 15 ml, which is 250 drops) I’d be happy to order some for you on my next monthly order! Reach out to me at stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll give you details. Young Living is a referral based business, so you have to work with someone who already purchases from the company in order to get started, yourself. And if you’d like to hear more about essential oils in general and why I decided to give them a try (as a skeptic, no less), check out my post on why I chose Young Living.

Creating a Balanced Meal that Is Time and Wallet-Friendly (It’s Possible!)

November 10, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Stouffer’s and The Motherhood for partnering with me for today’s post on balanced meals. As always, all thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

My budget is weighing heavily on my mind this time of year. I have a large extended that I buy gifts for (and it’s a joy to get to do…gifts are my love language) and this month I’m buying most of those gifts. I have some money set aside for Christmas, but I also need to get very resourceful with my monthly working budget, and figure out some ways to pinch pennies. One of the ways that I do that is by getting creative in the kitchen to use up as much food that’s already in the house as I can, since that food has already been purchased.

A few days ago, for example, I did our weekly grocery shopping, and I only bought milk, eggs, and fresh fruits and veggies that were on sale. Everything else we are going to be eating this week is coming from the fridge, freezer or pantry.

Most people are spending more than usual this month and next, so if this budget crunch rings true for you, I want to encourage you to think about your family’s meals in the coming weeks in a different way. With a bit of creativity, you can create a balanced meal that offers great nutrition and is really affordable (and you can clear out some space for those big holiday meals, too!). Let me show you what I did!

One of the treasures you will typically find in my deep freeze is a frozen lasagna. I love the Stouffer’s Family-Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce, as this particular product has saved me on more than one occasion when we had company coming over and I didn’t have time to run to the grocery store before they arrived, or when my own family wanted a deeply satisfying meal (isn’t lasagna SO good?) and mama was just too short on time to make one.

I paired the Stouffer’s lasagna with brussels spouts and pulled together something fantastic (I promise! Don’t give up on brussels sprouts!).

Here’s what you’ll need if you want to give this colorful meal a try:

One Stouffer’s Family-Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce
16 ounces brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
1/2 package of bacon
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped (could substitute pecans or something else with a crunch)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (could substitute raisins)
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

While the oven is heating, go ahead and cut your brussels sprouts into fourths. Coat the sprouts with the olive oil, then place them on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes, stirring around after 10 minutes. You’ll want them to have spots of dark coloring on them.

While the sprouts are roasting, prepare your bacon to your liking. I personally also bake my bacon in the oven, so I just lay them out on a foil lined sheet and let them cook at the same time as the sprouts (they need about 17 minutes).

Once your sprouts and your bacon are cooked, it’s time to prepare your oven for the lasagna. Be sure to follow the package instructions (spoiler alert, they are SIMPLE!).

While the lasagna is cooking, you can build your salad by combining the sprouts with crumbled bacon and with the other toppings (as desired). Drizzle the salad with a bit more olive oil, if desired, as well as with the maple syrup, and then stir to combine well. This salad tastes great warm or cold.

When roasted, brussels sprouts becoming a magical vegetable that my kiddos DEVOUR! And as for the lasagna? My oldest, who professes to not like meat at all, ate it up in record time!

When all was said and done, I took 4 cleaned plates back into the kitchen and patted myself on the back for serving up something absolutely delicious and wholesome and that wasn’t a huge ordeal to put together, nor did it break the bank. And we had enough left over to feed us all one more time, which means less time that I was needed in the kitchen. That’s a big win for me! I love being able to combine delicious frozen entrees, like this lasagna from Stouffer’s, with some fresh sides to create a fantastic, balanced meal for my family. 🙂

Nestle (Stouffer’s parent company) has a great set of resources available that are all about helping you offer balanced meals to your family. The Balance Your Plate initiative aims to help you build nutritious, delicious and convenient meals for your family. Be sure to check it out!

Twitter Party!

I hope you will join me and my friends at Stouffer’s and The Motherhood on November 19th at 1pm ET for a Twitter party all about the Balance Your Plate Initiative. You’ll get some great tips for meal planning, being budget conscious and more! And of course, there will be prizes (FIVE $25 Visa gift cards, which will be SO nice for your holiday budget!)! RSVP here!

What are some of your “creative” meal ideas for when you need to make use of what you already have on hand while keeping a balanced plate in mind?

DIY Soothing Cream Using Essential Oils

November 9, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

I am a proud distributor of YL products. I’m also a VERY loyal customer! I use these oils on my own family and would love to introduce them to yours! All thoughts and opinions are my own; I do not speak on behalf of the company. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional, and I am in no way attempting to diagnose or prescribe treatments. Please get in touch with your doctor for medical-related questions. Affiliate links may be included.

I’m 35 now, and that means that sometimes my body hurts just because it’s decidedly middle-aged. I might be playing with the girls on the floor and crawl around on my hands and knees for a few minutes before realizing that my body does NOT want to do that anymore! Or I might get a rare moment of inspiration and hit the gym and go full blast on the treadmill and regret it once I realize that I’m not just going to be sore the next day, because I’m already sore the second I stop! Or I might reach for the remote and stretch my arms or my neck too far in the process. That’s the most embarrassing pain of all, my friends. 😉

I turn to my Young Living essential oils for relief when I encounter those discomforts that just go along with getting older. Today I want to show you a DIY soothing relief cream you can make with just 3 ingredients! The two essential oils I use are Copaiba and PanAway, and they both come in the premium starter kit, so this is something you can easily try even when you are brand new to Young Living!

To make this soothing cream, I take 1/2 cup of organic coconut oil (it’s best if it is at least somewhat solid and not in a liquid state) and using a hand mixer, I beat it for about 2 minutes, until it is quite fluffy and smooth.

Then I add 15 drops of PanAway, and 15 drops of Copaiba. I gently blend in the oils using a spoon, and then after it is mixed a bit that way, I use the hand mixer for another 30 seconds. I mix it in by hand first just to make sure that those precious essential oils don’t splatter right out of the bowl at the start of being mixed.

At this point, your mixture is ready to be used! I like to put it in these small cosmetic containers (this recipe will fill 3 jars of this size (1 ounce each), making this such a great DIY gift for someone else!). A rough estimate for the price per drop of Copaiba is 17 cents, and it’s 38 cents per drop for PanAway. So your essential oil costs for the entire project will only be $8.25, and the jars are $1 each, and the coconut oil price will vary depending on what you buy, but let’s just say it’s $1.00 of coconut oil. That means that each container will cost you just $4, which is a very nice price for such a helpful gift!

I’ve experimented with leaving the container at room temperature (in my house that’s somewhere in the low to mid ’70s) and putting it in the fridge. I personally prefer it at room temperature simply because the cream becomes harder and more like a balm when it is cold. But it could also be all the more refreshing that way to sore muscles. If your home tends to be over 80 degrees, which is the melting point for coconut oil, you may need to keep it in the fridge.

So let’s talk more about why these particular oils are a great choice for helping to support your recovery after strenuous activity, such as exercising (or in my case, remote control reaching). Copaiba is widely known to help support the body when it is experiencing some type of inflammation (which is a sure occurrence when you are experiencing those typical discomforts).

PanAway is actually a blend of oils (Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove and Peppermint). Wintergreen is so refreshing to tired muscles and offers that great support during times of inflammation. Helichrysum, a very precious oil, has been shown to be helpful. Clove is another oil that has been shown to offer a great deal of support to the body when discomfort is present. And peppermint is also known as a pain blocker. If you have never used either of these essential oil products, you are in for one heck of a treat. I have personally experienced tremendous results with both products, and I’m so excited to now have them blended together in an easy-to-use cream that I can just keep close at hand on my night stand or with my other lotions.

I think this is a fantastic DIY project for anyone who just purchased a premium starter kit with Young Living. If you are brand new to Young Living and would like some guidance, or have some questions I can help answer for you, please reach out, as I would love to serve as your support system! You can reach me at stuffparentsneed (at) gmail (dot) com.

Little Charmers DIY Stardust Potion

November 9, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

“Sparkle up, charmers!” If you aren’t familiar with this phrase, then you need to be introduced to Nick Jr.’s latest show, Little Charmers. The magical land of Charmville is the setting for the show, and the three main characters are Hazel, Lavender, and Posie. These girls are Charmers-in-Training, and in each episode you’ll find them practicing their magical powers (and of course, having a few mishaps along the way!).

My girls, ages 3 and 6, were instantly charmed by the show, and after watching an episode with them (there are a few free episodes online if you don’t have cable!), I really liked it, too! In my home, we LOVE to practice our own magic skills and make potions and pixie dust and those types of things, so watching a show about little ones practicing their magic was awesome! 🙂 But of course, the key messages aren’t about magic at all, but rather about friendship and teamwork and building self-confidence in the face of obstacles. These messages are SO welcome in my home right now, as we have a first grader who is learning not only to read, but also to spell and do addition, too. That’s a lot of really hard stuff! She needs examples of other kids failing at first, because that’s really how we grow…we have to get it wrong sometimes before we get it right!

After we got to know the Little Charmers by watching a few videos, it was time to start our own magical play time. We were sent a few of the great Little Charmers products that are out right now, including Posie’s Magic Wand, the Hazel Magic Doll and the Plush Pet Seven (Hazel’s sidekick).

Inspired by our fun new toys and by the magic in the show, we decided to work on our own special stardust potion!

I think having a super fun magic DIY project to go along with your Little Charmers toys is a great idea! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Little Charmers Stardust Potion.

1 small glass container with a lid (if you want to re-use the container later, make sure it has a wide mouth)
cotton balls
2 food coloring colors (I recommend these combos: red and blue, yellow and red, or yellow and blue)
silver glitter
water
smaller glasses (for mixing up your food coloring)
Little Charmers toys (optional, but they do enhance the experience!)

To begin, mix your food coloring in with 1/2 cup water in one of your small glasses. Add a full layer of cotton balls to your potion container, and then pour the colored water on top. Be sure to use your magic wand to cast a spell on your water before you add it!

You want this layer of cotton balls to be wet but not completely soaked. Now add a layer of silver glitter. And now it’s time to add a second layer of cotton balls on top. You don’t want any of the first color layer to be soaking through this second layer.

Now it’s time to mix 1/2 cup of water with your second food color choice. Repeat the process of putting a magic spell on your water before pouring it over the cotton balls. Hazel does a great job at this if you want to have her help. Don’t forget to add the glitter, too!

Depending on how tall your container is, you may need to repeat this process a third time. The end result should look something like stardust (especially if you use your imagination a bit!). The colors will slowly mix together, giving you a really beautiful result.

We’re having a lot of fun watching Little Charmers and playing with the Little Charmers toys. I think they are the perfect holiday gift! Visit the Little Charmers website to make this holiday season magical!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Celebrating the DVD Release of Inside Out with a Simple Feelings Headquarters

November 5, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

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

Over the summer my husband took our girls to the movies to see the highly praised film, Inside Out, while I stayed at home to take advantage of a quiet Saturday afternoon and get some work done.

Not going to that movie turned out to be one of my big regrets of the summer, because my girls AND my husband, Tim, simply could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. Over the next few months Tim would draw on situations that happened in the movie when coaching the girls through emotional struggles. I was so thrilled to see what a great learning tool a movie could actually be. And I was definitely jealous that I couldn’t make use of it since I hadn’t seen it.

So I marked my calendar for the Inside Out DVD release date, which was November 3rd, and high-tailed it to Walmart that day so that we could watch the movie as a family, and also so that we could create our own Feelings Headquarters at home. If you didn’t realize that the DVD is out and you need to go high-tail it to your Walmart, no worries. I’ll wait for you! 😉

Headquarters is a really important part of the story, as that is where the feelings live, and where they take turns getting to play center stage. I thought it would be great to create our own little space in Layah’s room where the girls could hang out with the various emotions and also where we could talk about how we are feeling. Joy and Sadness have been with us since this summer, and when we went to Walmart a few days ago, we scooped up Fear and Anger as well (they were sold out of Disgust, so now she’s on our Christmas wish list!).

And of course, I snagged the DVD I’ve been waiting for months to see. I noticed that Walmart has 3 different DVD options (standard, Blu-Ray, and Blu-Ray 3D). You might even notice that Inside Out has its own cute display area!

While we were at the store, my girls tried to convince me to buy Bing Bong, as well, but since I hadn’t yet seen the movie, I had no clue what his importance was in the film, and so I refused. My girls, being clever little things, fashioned their own Bing Bong, complete with a sack full of “core memories!”

Now that mommy has seen the movie (and cried profusely during a certain scene starring Bing Bong) he’s been put on the wish list right next to Disgust.

If you haven’t seen the movie, friends, I am going to have to insist that you do. I don’t mean to be pushy, but this is honestly one of the best family movies I’ve seen in years. The story is truly engaging to people of all ages (I get bored VERY easily at movies and I didn’t budge from my couch throughout the entire thing). The opportunities for discussion are plentiful. And of course, the characters are just plain fun.

And it’s so easy to keep the feelings talk going by carving out a little headquarters in your child’s room. We used a simple chalkboard sign and some chalk markers, along with the licensed TOMY Toys that we have and some improvised products to round things out.

Just this morning my oldest was playing in this corner of the room and said, “Mom! Come and see how I’m feeling this morning!” and I found her holding both Joy and Sadness. She was happy to be going to school, but a little sad because she realized that she didn’t eat enough breakfast. We remedied that situation before she headed out the door, of course. But that was just such a cool moment, seeing my girl literally embracing her emotions, and recognizing that her feelings can be complex.

Have you seen Inside Out? I’d love to hear what you thought about it! And if you are looking for an awesome gift to give to a family with kids this holiday season, I think you’ll have a winner on your hands if you pick up Inside Out and some TOMY Toys from your nearest Walmart.

(Giveaway!) The Thrill of the Draw: Introducing a Child to Archery with the Right Equipment

November 5, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 88 Comments

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

A few weeks ago I sat my 6-year-old down in front of the computer and asked for her to become a designer. Specifically, I needed her to design a bow and arrow that she would like to have as her very own. Darah, at this point, knew absolutely nothing about the sport of archery, but she had a wonderful time playing around on the Genesis Bows website and using the Genesis Build-a-Bow section to create one by herself.

Yes, Genesis Bows offers custom designs and they make the process so easy that a 6-year-old with no knowledge of archery can build a bow online. This was such a great way to introduce my child to this sport and to pique her curiosity as we waited for the bow to arrive (which, by the way, took less than a week!). We ordered the kit so that we could also have the arrows we needed, an arm guard and a really nice target for practice.

We talked some about Merida and about Robin Hood, as those are the most famous archers in her world (while an older child might be drawn into the sport thanks to Katniss Everdeen). She was quite excited to give it a try.

Breaking in the bow turned into a family affair, as we all wanted to learn together about how the Genesis Mini Darah selected worked with her arrows. Dad watched some Genesis Archery on YouTube to better understand some basic techniques, and he got to shoot the very first arrow. The speed and intensity of it definitely scared Darah a bit, as she realized just how powerful her bow really was. Honestly, we were all a bit taken aback by it. A Genesis Bow is the real deal! She actually shed a few tears because once she realized the power of her bow, she felt intimidated by it because she is a beginner. So we plopped down in the grass and had a talk about what makes archery so wonderful for kids, even from their very first time shooting a bow and arrow.

Benefits of Archery

Over 13,000 schools in the United States have picked up on the great skills kids can aquire through archery. The Genesis Original is the official bow of the National Archery in the Schools program, and is being used to help millions of kids build confidence, practice focusing, develop discipline, improve hand-eye coordination, enhance balance, and also value being outdoors in nature. We also explained to Darah that archery takes practice just like anything else in life, and that by following some basic safety rules, she can feel comfortable with her bow and arrow.

As a family, we set some rules about practice time and about where observers should stand during practice sessions. We also adjusted the bow so that she could more easily pull it back on her own. Once she felt comfortable with the safety of others and herself, and comfortable with her bow, I was floored to watch my child go from scared and uncomfortable to positively glowing with pride. Friends, this transformation seemed to happen in mere seconds. I will never forget this moment!

As you think about holiday gifts for your kids this year, I want to encourage you to think about a Genesis Bow. Children can’t outgrow the Genesis Original because there is no specific draw length. So it is a gift that can be played with for years and years, and that grownups can play with, too! You might also be introducing your child to a sport that will bring them a lot of joy, and that will certainly help them develop important life skills. And if your child does become truly passionate about archery, you can feel confident now that his or her introductory bow was of the highest quality and fit correctly, so that bad habits aren’t formed with an ill-fitting bow.

Win it!: Oh my word!!!! Genesis is giving away a build-a-bow voucher to one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! Enter for your chance to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Spiced Holiday Drink with 7UP TEN: A Quick, Elegant Beverage!

November 3, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

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

Friends, as you start to collect ideas for your Thanksgiving feast this year, please don’t forget the drinks! It’s an area I often overlook because sophisticated drinks tend to take quite a bit of time to pull together, not to mention the fact that I’ll be ingesting plenty of calories on Thanksgiving Day, so I’d rather limit the calories I add by way of a drink.

Do you feel similarly? If so, I want to encourage you to think about offering a different option this year to your guests (or if you are a guest, offering to take this on for the host and hostess!). I have created a special mocktail that I think is just perfect for Thanksgiving. It will wow your crowd without taking much of your time, and it’s free of alcohol! Additionally, since I’m using a TEN™ soda variety (which only have 10 calories per serving) you can trust that nobody will get too full from the drink alone.

Holiday Spiced 7UP TEN® Drink

Serves: 4 (easily can be doubled or tripled, though!)

Ingredients:

(1) 2-liter bottle 7UP TEN®
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 small container whole star anise
1 small container whole pink peppercorns
2 lemons
several sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions:

Heat 4 star anise and a heaping tablespoon of pink peppercorns over medium-high heat in a small saucepan for 3 minutes, stirring often. Use some of your broken star anise for this part of the recipe and save your fully intact pieces for later!

Now reduce the heat to medium and add the water to the pan and allow the water to reduce roughly by half. This took 5 minutes for me.

Remove the liquid from the heat and then remove the peppercorns and star anise either with a strainer or a slotted spoon. Now add the honey and stir until the honey is completely mixed with the water. This took about 30 seconds for me.

Once the honey and water are well combined, pour the simple syrup you just made into a container, and add a sprig of thyme to it.

At this time you should also add roughly 1 Tbsp of lemon juice to the mixture.

Give it a good stir and allow it to cool down for a few minutes. Remove the sprig of thyme prior to serving.

To the bottom of each glass, add 2 Tbsp of the honey mixture. Then add a few ice cubes, and fill the remainder of the way with 7UP TEN®. Garnish each drink with a slice of lemon on the rim, a sprinkle of pink peppercorns, 1 whole star anise, and a few sprigs of thyme.

Isn’t it festive?! And if the adults at your gathering would strongly prefer an alcoholic beverage, a dash of whiskey will compliment the drink quite well, I assure you. 😉

I hope you love the great taste of this spiced holiday drink, and I hope the crowd you serve it to is dazzled by its beauty, and overjoyed by its humble calorie count thanks to 7UP TEN®. Cheers!

Coupon Alert!

Great news, friends! Now you can save $1 on TWO (2) 2-Liter bottles of 7UP TEN®, A&W TEN®, Canada Dry TEN®, RC TEN®, Squirt TEN™, or Sunkist® TEN™ You can find the savings here. A great place to pick them up is your nearest Walmart. I found several TEN products on the shelves when I was there earlier this week.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite TEN recipe and check out these awesome beverage recipes to get more great ideas. Which one would you most like to serve at your holiday gathering?

Setting the Right Foundation: Why Dress for Success Rocks

October 31, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Vanity FairLingerie. I received product samples to facilitate my review and compensation to thank me for my participation. #WomenWhoDo

Today I want to ask you to sit and think for just a minute or two about your work (meaning what you do to provide for your family). Your work might be to manage the household and raise your amazing children, or it might be to work in a corporate setting with long office hours, or it might be part-time or seasonal employment. Or you might even ben one of the millions of women currently seeking an opportunity.

For me, my work is a messy but beautiful tangle of online influencing and offline parenting and household management. I LOVE my work, and I am SO grateful for all of the mentors and role models I have had from my very first job as a cashier at Captain D’s all the way through my time in student affairs in a college setting. I can think of people every step along the way who helped prepare me for the enormous amount of time management, creativity and quick thinking it takes to be my own boss. I put those lessons I have learned through them to work every single day.

Setting the Foundation for Women

Dress for Success^® is a nonprofit that seeks to help women attain economic independence by providing a network of support and career development tools to help women find those same type of role models and mentors that I remember having so that they can thrive in work and in their life. Dress for Success is popularly known as the nonprofit that donates interview attire to women before they go to an interview, but they offer so much more than clothing! They offer a foundation for these women!

I recently learned that 70% of the women that Dress for Success serves are mothers, raising between 2-3 children, on average. These women share a lot in common with me (and probably with you, too!). But they are lacking in economic security, which is such a critical piece to attain for peace of mind from day-to-day and month-to-month. Dress for Success not only helps women feel confident during the interview, but they also have an employment retention program to help ensure that the women attain the skills they need in order to keep their jobs. Additionally they work with women to ensure that they will be eligible for promotions down the line so that they can reach their professional goals and attain the personal fulfillment they are seeking, as well.

Each and every woman has gifts and talents that are uniquely her own and that she can offer in a work setting that will allow her to shine AND that will give the company an excellent return on their investment in her. Dress for Success knows this, and is doing a tremendous job helping these women shine bright in the interview and beyond so that independence ceases to be a dream and instead becomes reality.

I’m so thrilled that Vanity Fair has also taken note of the important work Dress for Success is doing, and that they have committed to providing a piece of the foundation for women in the program, by way of donating a high quality, comfortable Vanity Fair bras to program participants.

Last month, when the promotion was just starting, I purchased two bras, received two bras for free (!) and also learned that two bras were being donated to the Dress for Success program, which means that two women out there are getting that same great foundational support from Vanity Fair that I love putting on at the start of my work days.

And there is still time for you to participate, too! Now through November 8th, you can make a B1G1G1 purchase on the Vanity Fair website. Simply add two bras to your cart and then enter to code VFB1G1G1 at checkout and you’ll get one of those bras for free and also earmark a bra for donation on your behalf!

You know how much your work means to you, so please consider supporting Dress for Success so that more women can experience that great combination of economic independence and personal fulfillment by offering their skills (and growing their skills!) in the work place.