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

Making Summer Road Trip Plans? NOW Is the Time to Get Your New Tires

April 13, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

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

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I’ve got summer plans on the brain right now. I’m looking up fun things to do in the Phoenix area, and I’m also hoping to take my crew to the panhandle of Florida to enjoy those white sandy beaches!

You might be making your own summer plans, too. One of the items that you should definitely have on your list to take care of before hitting the road is making sure your tires are in good, working order. How’s the tread looking? It might be time to trade them out, and if so, the timing couldn’t be better because right now is the Cooper Tire Spring Event.

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Cooper Tires has a great set of tires for every vehicle and for every budget. If you have an SUV or CUV, you’ll want to check out the Discoverer SRX, which has been noted as a best-in-class product. This particular type of tire comes in 30 sizes, so it fits a very wide selection of models. One of the things that makes it unique is the Wear Square, which is a visual tread life indicator, and is exclusive to this type of tire. There are six points of reference around the tire, and as the tire is worn, the shape will gradually change from a square to an exclamation point when the tread is low and it is time to replace them. Pretty clever, no? The squares can also signal uneven tire wear and possible wheel alignment issues. In addition, the Discoverer SRX comes with a 65,000-mile Tread Wear Protection Warranty, as well as a 45-Day Road Test guarantee. Cooper Tires is confident that you will love these tires, but they want you to feel confident that you will love them, too, which is why these guarantees and warranties are in place.

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And no matter what type of vehicle you have, from now through April 15th customers at Cooper Tires are eligible to receive a prepaid Visa card worth up to $70 when purchasing a new set of four qualifying Cooper Tires. That can help you pay for gas for your road trip, and that $70 will actually go further than you might think because new tires = better gas mileage! You could also use the Visa gift card to help with the grocery tab when you arrive at your destination (we always make a trip to the grocery store while on vacation, do you?).

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Even if your summer plans just involve relaxing in your own hometown, the winter we all just experienced was likely VERY harsh on your tires, so you should still take a close look at them and perhaps head in to your nearest Cooper Tires (here’s the Dealer Locator if you aren’t sure where to go!) to see if you can get a great set of tires for a great value.

Got a Mess on Your Hands? Of Course You Do, So Stock and Save (Giveaway!)

April 13, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 128 Comments

The Walmart gift cards and information have been provided by P&G. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. All messes are those of my little toilet-paper hogging resident artists.

If you have little ones in your house, then I’m guessing that you also have toilet paper hogs running amuck. The truth about how much toilet paper one needs during a typical potty session is a matter of much debate around here. My children seem to have reached a very different conclusion than mine, and so, I find myself running out of toilet paper frequently.

Fortunately for me, Walmart is currently running a Stock and Save event on a variety of great P&G products, including the Charmin rolls that equate to 72 standard rolls of toilet paper. Boom! Now through April 30th you can find some great savings at your nearest Walmart on all of the following products:

Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent
Tide Simply Clean and Fresh Liquid Laundry Detergent
Charmin Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong Toilet Paper
Bounty Mega Roll Select-A-Size Paper Towels
Luvs Super Absorbent Diapers
Pampers Swaddlers Huge Pack
Tampax Pearl Plastic, Super Absorbency
Always Ultra Thin Long Super Unscented Pads
Always Discreet Maximum Underwear
Always Discreet Moderate Regular Length Pads

I also made a point to get some Tide and some Bounty on account of all the art happenings around here. We’ve been working on a new art center for the girls (post forthcoming!) and the good news is that their art supplies are getting used a whole heck of a lot more! The bad news is that there more mess to clean up after all those creative sessions.

Big messes are no problem, now! I should have enough paper towels to last me through the summer, and my girls will be home more often than not over those months, so that’s really saying something!

So before your next big mess or your next toilet paper emergency, be sure to head over to Walmart to get stocked up on great products for a great price. Your future self will thank you!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a $25 Walmart gift card! Woo hoo!

Please remember, while Facebook rules prohibit me from requiring a “like” for an entry, know that your likes help increase the odds of more great giveaways just like this one, so they really do matter! 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Pretty To-Do Lists Inspired By Cities Around the World

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

Products provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

This Type-A, list-making girl is in heaven right now. Just look at what I’m filling my note drawer with for 2015 (why yes, I do have an entire drawer dedicated to supplies needed to make lists and notes…is this not normal???)

This is just part of the Post-it World of Color collection. Aren’t they just lovely? I’m quite smitten with the New York colors, actually. I thought Helsinki would be much more up my alley (and I DO love that collection, too) but once I unwrapped the New York set, I realized how vibrant the set was and just how drawn I was to it. I have visited New York enough times to know that it isn’t the place for me to live, for sure, but maybe this (small) city girl can still enjoy some of the colors captured in NYC right here in my Chattanooga home!

I wanted to show you this collection because I think these would make very fun, very thrifty gifts for a girlfriend or even for a little treat for yourself. Other cities you might find in the collection when you go looking for them today (because I know you want them…I’m not judging!) include Marrakesh, Rio de Janeiro, Bora Bora, Jaipur and Marseille. They are all absolutely gorgeous and they come in a variety of sizes so you can get exactly what you want in the color collection that speaks to you or that reminds you of a friend.

Panda Express Chinese Spare Ribs: My Thoughts After Trying This New Menu Item (Giveaway!)

April 9, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 116 Comments

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

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So as you know, Panda Express has launched a menu item that marries together my two favorite types of cuisine: Chinese food and barbecue. The Panda Express Chinese Spare Ribs are only available for a limited time, which obviously meant that I needed to go try them out RIGHTTHISVERYSECOND. I gathered my crew for the earliest possible time we could all get together (5-year-olds can have surprisingly busy schedules, you know) and we made our way over.

When we arrived at Panda Express, we realized that we were not the only ones “in the know” about this totally awesome new menu item. There were 7 people in line ahead of us! Then I looked over at the “online order” pickup area…just one incredible smart individual stood there, picking up his order (which was no doubt full of those Chinese Spare Ribs). Learn from my mistake, friends, and Order Online the next time you want to go to Panda Express. Even if you want to dine in, it will save you some time and ensure that you don’t have to watch 4 of the 7 people in front of you order exactly what you want and break out into a sweat, fearful that your culinary dreams will not be fulfilled.

I may have REALLY wanted to try those ribs. Just sayin’.

But there was no cause for concern, as Panda Express had anticipated the mad rush of people who would fall in love with this item. They had plenty of Chinese Spare Ribs on hand, and I got to place my order. It took some serious restraint to photograph them before eating them, as they smelled just as good as they looked.

The flavors were totally awesome (it’s a marinade of sesame oil, mirin, red chil bean paste, garlic and red peppers) and the meat was very tender, thanks to the 5 hour slow-cooking process.

Tim ordered the Chinese Spare Ribs, too, because OBVIOUSLY that is the item that cannot be denied on the menu right now! We got teriyaki chicken for the girls, and they liked it, but very quickly started asking to try the Chinese Spare Ribs, which honestly surprised me. And of course, they liked it, too! Even Nathan from WannaBite.com has great things to say about these yummy ribs!

If you want to find out more about Panda Express dishes, visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to check out their Pinterest page for some great DIY ideas!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a $25 gift card to Panda Express so that you can treat your family to some seriously yummy food! To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me why you are excited to try out the new Panda Express Chinese Spare Ribs. Good luck! The contest ends at 11:59pm ET on April 22nd. A winner will be drawn from eligible entries (don’t forget to leave your email address so you can be contacted!). Open to residents of the United States 18 and over. Limit one entrant per household, please. Stuff Parents Need is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Ruby Falls: Great Things to Do in Chattanooga

April 8, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Tickets provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chattanooga peeps, I need to tell you something, local to local: you are under-selling Ruby Falls! I have lived here 4 1/2 years and until last week, my family had never journeyed the 3 miles (seriously…that’s it) from our house to Ruby Falls. In our defense, part of the reason is because we were waiting to have visitors from out of town who really wanted to go. But the other reason? Because more than one person locally had said, “It’s just a waterfall. A pretty one, but just a waterfall.”

You guys. DO NOT BELIEVE THESE LIES!!!! I’m sure local folks were well-meaning, but they were so very, very wrong. Maybe they’ve been to Ruby Falls over a dozen times and the beauty of it is just starting to get lost on them? I honestly have no idea. But in a way, I’m really glad that I had low expectations because I was completely dazzled by the tour (which lasts a bit over an hour…yes, there’s that much to see!).

You begin your journey about 260 feet below ground and you make a very easy 1/2 mile walk through seemingly endless beauty and wonder. These formations are older than you can possibly even fathom (the oldest formation has been dated back 500 million years!). Everywhere you look you see things that are breathtaking and so very unique. There are dozens of formations that get special recognition because they look like things we might recognize above ground (a beehive, an elephant’s foot, or even bacon!).

My only complaint about the tour was that it went so fast! I had to zip past so many things that I would have loved to have stopped to admire for a longer period of time. Can you blame me? Look at this awesomeness!

Alas, we had to stay on the move for most of the trip, as we were walking a half a mile into the mountain so that we could see the most incredible part of an already amazing cave: Ruby Falls. And here we did get to pause for quite a stretch of time and simply take it in. This picture below is a bit blurry due to the low lighting conditions, but it perfectly captures how you might feel when you see the falls.

It was a sight unlike anything I’ve ever seen underground, that’s for sure. Just look!!!

It’s grand, friends. And it’s worth the trip all by itself. But you need to realize that a trip to Ruby Falls is so much more than a waterfall. And after seeing it once, I can tell you for certain that once is not enough. There’s so much to see, and what there is to see is so very special that it should be seen more than once. I know we’ll be back!

If you have never been to Ruby Falls, whether you like a few miles away from it like me or on the other side of the world, I vote that you put it on your bucket list. And if you’ve been before, make arrangements to go again. I’ll bet you see something you never noticed before!

And while you are on Lookout Mountain, you might consider checking out another famous attraction: Rock City. Check out my review so you can see what it’s like to visit with young kids!

Have you been to Ruby Falls? Tell me all about your trip!

Drill Set Meets Lite Brite: The New Favorite Toy in the House

April 7, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Product provided for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

It can tough to choose “good” toys for your kids. I’m talking about the ones that will get played with again and again and again. Sometimes you are SURE you have hit the nail on the head, only to find your selection quickly at the bottom of the toy chest, languishing (I’m looking at YOU, Elsa doll…). I even find myself surprised from time to time with the toys that become the biggest hits. Perhaps a gift was received that I didn’t choose and wouldn’t have chosen for the girls, and yet they go nuts over it.

Well, today I’ve got a toy that I suspected would be well-loved at my house, but that has even surpassed the degree of popularity I thought it would have. Let me introduce you to THE HOTTEST TOY in our home right now (and for the past few weeks!).

This is the Design & Drill Brightworks from Educational Insights (ARV $39.99). I think of it as the perfect marriage between the Lite Brite our generation grew up using and a drill set. It comes with a drill gun that kids can easily change the setting on (forward or reverse) as well as the drill head. My youngest, who is just about to turn 3, is positively smitten with this set. She will sit for 15 minutes at a time working very hard on creating a design that she likes with the various color screws.

The set actually comes with a booklet that shows different pattern examples that kids can try out, but so far my girls prefer to do their own thing The fact that it lights up just adds another element of fun.

I love this toy because it helps develop hand-eye coordination and it encourages creativity, as well as increases a child’s comfort level with using tools.

A Few Recommendations

I do have a few thoughts on how the product can be improved for the future. My primary suggestion is simply to include batteries, as both the drill board and the drill require batteries (of different sizes) before the toy can be used. I’d rather pay a few more dollars and have it ready to go than to have to make a special trip to the store.

I’d also like to see the set come with a bag of some sort for the screws. I think a little drawstring bag will do the trick. I am having to use a plastic bag that seals, and that’s a little bit tricky for my youngest to get into and to use for putting the screws away.

Despite the areas where improvements could be made, I would still very strongly recommend this toy based on the amount of play time it seems to get. My girls reach for it every single day without fail, and I’m impressed by how long it captures their attention. Great job, Educational Insights!

I’d love to hear what the hottest toy is in your house right now! Leave me a comment to let me know!

Honest Company Mouthwash Review: An Honest Assessment

April 6, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Affiliate links included. I enjoy promoting Honest Company products because I use them in my own home!

I’m so excited to be telling you about Honest Mouthwash, because this has quickly become one of my favorite items from the entire Honest Company catalog.

I actually put off trying it for quite a while because in my experience in the past, I’ve never been terribly impressed with more eco-friendly mouthwashes. Frankly, they’ve all just seemed weak, for lack of a better term. Maybe I just got too used to that “knock you back” feeling that Listerine offers!

So when I tried The Honest Company’s mouthwash, I expected it to taste super mild and for my mouth to not really feel any cleaner. And I’m so happy to tell you that I was wrong! Honest Mouthwash has a very minty flavor and scent, and while it doesn’t leave you feeling uncomfortable and like your mouth is on fire the way Listerine does toward the end of your swooshing, there’s definitely a kick here, which I so appreciate.

Reading over the ingredients, I’m very impressed with what I see: aloe, ginger, green tea extract and witch hazel all make the list. There are no artificial flavors or dyes, and you know the same is not true for those bright blue and green bottles other brands offer. This is a really high quality product that leaves out all those questionable chemicals while still getting the job done. I very highly recommend it.

How to Buy Honest Mouthwash

Since it comes in at $9.95, this is an item to purchase in a bundle instead of on it’s own. Buy getting a bundle, you’ll bring the price down to just $7.20. That may still seem a little high for mouthwash to you, but my opinion is that it’s definitely worth it. This particular product makes a frequent appearance in my monthly orders! Heck, you can even buy more than 1 at a time if you want to get stocked up for a while in your home. Remember, changing the date of your bundle (including setting it back several weeks) is super simple to do. I LOVE being a bundle subscriber because I get the savings and I don’t even have to order monthly. Honest Company also lets you know when your order date is coming up just in case you want to make any changes to what’s headed your way or push the date back. They aren’t interested in surprising you or tricking you into getting more products. And I honestly love that!

If you are brand new to The Honest Company, start by getting some free stuff! I’ve got information on how to get your totally free trials of products. And I’ve also got a detailed listing of Honest Company reviews so that if and when you want to order a bundle, you can hear from a happy subscriber what to buy, what to pass on, and exactly how to build your cart for maximum savings!

Monday Finds: Bracelet Steal at Cents of Style Today!

April 6, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included. I only promote what I love!

Hi friends!

This bracelet bargain showed up in my email inbox this morning and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. It’s a rope and bead bracelet and I’m flipping out over how cute it is. I love that mixture of fancy and super casual! I would (and WILL! Heck yes I’m buying it!) pair this bracelet with all sorts of things, as I think you can dress it up or down. I bought the green one. Which one will you get? At $6.95 with FREE shipping, how can you resist? Use coupon code ROPEBRACELET at checkout to get this price.

And since we are doing a little shopping together this morning, I might as well show you the other thing I snagged: washi tape for our craft area! I’m doing a little work on building up the space in our home for artistic expression, and this washi tape will fit right in!

What are you shopping for today, friends?

Funding the Schools You Love While Outfitting the Kids You Love: Schoola

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

Special thanks to Schoola for partnering with me on today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

News flash: keeping your kids smartly outfitted is EXPENSIVE. They keep wearing out and ruining their clothes with all their arts, crafts and backyard ninja shenanigans. and even if they manage to keep an outfit from being ruined, they’ve outgrown it before wearing it very much. Either way, you find yourself right back at the store (or in my case, online) to buy more.

And you know what else is expensive? SCHOOL! My kids are in Montessori school, so that’s a tuition check we have to write every month. But even if your kids are in public school, you likely are experiencing near constant fundraisers and requests for help to provide money to the schools that really need some extra financial support in order to provide children with quality programming, especially in the arts and in physical education (two areas that seem to get cut first when the budgets get too tight).

Schoola is an online shop that has brought these two pain points, paying for clothes and paying for a quality education, together in a way that helps parents make progress on both fronts. At Schoola you will find gently used children’s clothes for sale, and 40% of each and every sale goes to fund school programs. And the schools that benefit are all over the country! In fact, the person who donates the clothing gets to choose exactly which school will benefit from the donation.

One of the things I really loved about shopping at Schoola was that I, as the shopper, got to see exactly which school was going to get a donation thanks to my purchase, and exactly how much money that school was going to receive. I was invited to see what I could snag for $50 on the site, and I got quite a haul! Additionally, my purchases helped eleven different schools! Also? The prices were totally reasonable!

Want to hear the rundown on the entire haul I got? Of course you do! Shopping with others is SO fun! So here ya go! I’d love to hear what you think about my purchases!

Here’s more information (via a heartstrings-tugging video) on how Schoola works and why it is so badly needed:

How Schools Get Clothing to Schoola

Schoola makes it EASY to donate clothing. Unlike consignment sales you don’t have to do any tagging yourself (that’s a HUGE timesaver!). And unlike donating to a thrift store, you don’t have to itemize everything. You don’t even have to travel to the post office or pay the shipping charge! All you have to do is collect the clothes you want to send, put them in a bag with a pre-paid shipping label and let Schoola handle the sorting, the pricing, the listing, and the shipping to the people who buy the clothes. It couldn’t be easier!

Schoola Flyer 2 Reduced Individual parents can request bags and send in their items, but one of the best ways to get a large amount of inventory on the Schoola site that will benefit your school is to hold a clothing drive. You can advertise the opportunity through your PTA and have select drop off dates. Bringing everyone together at once to gather donations will increase the amount of merchandise on the website that benefits your school, and that will increase the chances that your school will get a check in the near future from Schoola!

How Schools Get Money from Schoola

Schoola issues checks once a quarter to schools who have met the minimum payout threshold, which is just $20! If a school has earned money but it is less than the minimum payout amount, that money simply rolls over to the following quarter. I absolutely LOVE that the payout is very reasonable. I’m sure we have all experienced how far savvy teachers and administrators can stretch money. Even $20 can get more paintbrushes, or be put toward securing new sports equipment or musical instruments. Additionally, all registered participants who have a particular school registered as the school they want their proceeds to go to will get a notification when a check is on the way to that school. Parents and other friends of the school can get the good news directly from Schoola that their donations made a difference!

Extra Credit Week!

It’s Extra Credit Week at Schoola, and that means GREAT things for the school you’d like to support! Even if you haven’t yet donated clothing to help out your school, this week you can start helping your school earn money just by shopping. For every purchase, the donor’s school receive 40% of the proceeds, just like always, but during Extra Credit Week, an additional 10% will go to the shopper’s school, too! That makes this the perfect week to stock up on the clothes your kids might need for spring and summer. If you have space to store out of season clothes, you might as well even look for some fall and winter pieces, too! Everyone wins when you shop at Schoola…especially during Extra Credit Week! Hop to it, friends! If your school isn’t yet registered, be sure to get them registered before you go on your shopping spree so that they can earn that extra credit!