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How Do You Kid-Proof the Scent of Your Vehicle? (Every Parent’s Dilemma!)

February 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 62 Comments

This post brought to you by PERK. All opinions are 100% mine.

All the parents out there know the truth: once you have a kid, you can kiss that new car smell you might have in your car goodbye. Kids are messy, and between diaper blowouts, spilled milk and old goldfish crackers stuck in the most unusual places, it is a real challenge for your car to not smell sort of unfortuante.

For the last week, I've been trying out a vent air freshener called PERK Vent Wraps. I'm not really a car air freshener gal. I find those pine trees dangling from the rear view mirror to be distracting, and certainly not attractive. But at a certain point, you've got to take action. For me, that point was when I opened my car door and realized that I didn't really want to get in based on the smell.

Yikes.

PERK is a refreshing alternative to traditional car air fresheners because it is a Vent Wrap. Look how discreet it is!

Since I'm not used to having fragrance in my car, I will say that on the first day of having the PERK wrap installed that I found the scent to be a little bit overpowering. But by day 2, I found it to be barely noticeable, but in a good way, because I also stopped noticing that unfortuante smell that my car has developed over time. So now my car not only DOESN'T smell icky, but it also smells quite nice, without overwhelming passengers in the car. Even Darah remarked about how she thought our car smelled good.

I've tried 3 different scents (fresh valley, clean laundry, and vanilla). I thought I would like vanilla the least, but it turns out that I like it the best. It's just a warm, comforting scent, perfect for this time of year. I'll probably be more interested in the other scents once spring arrives and I'm craving very fresh scents.

PERK Vent Wraps come in packs of 4, with each vent wrap being good for about 2 weeks. So each pack can help keep your car smelling great for about 60 days! If you are tired of conventional air fresheners, or if you are like me and don't use them, but are realizing that you probably should, then PERK is something you should check out! You can also Like PERK on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and to hear about special promotions (there's a $1 off coupon there right now!).

Win it!: Hooray! I get to give away a 6 month supply of PERK to one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader!

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

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Building Words with Word Construction (Giveaway!)

February 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 33 Comments

Darah is starting to read, and she enjoys spending time looking at letters and figuring out how they might sound when they have been put together. I’ve been on the hunt for games for early readers, and of course, I found one at Learning Resources.

Learning Resources is one of our favorite places to find educational activities that also foster the imagination and are lots of fun for kids. We were sent Word Construction, a new game for 2014.

Word Construction comes with 6 bolts that can each hold up to four nuts, and the nuts have the letters on them. You simply turn the letters, and make new words. It’s really fun for kids to see how swapping out just one letter can create an entirely different word.

My only complaint about the product is that the nuts seem a bit difficult to get onto the bolts. There is a special groove that needs to be properly aligned in order for them to slide on and off easily. My 4 1/2 year old definitely struggles to successfully do this herself. With that said, I also witnessed my 21-month-old do it herself. Just a heads up that it may not be an easy task for every kid.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share with you the first word my daughter proudly built. She was all smiles (and blissfully unaware) as she showed me this:

Thanks a lot, kid.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win Word Constrution.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the page.
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Vaska Baby: My “Pure-fect” Laundry Detergent (Giveaway!)

February 9, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 132 Comments

by Alanna Peters

This baby of mine is due in less than 2 short weeks and I’ve been busy as can be preparing the nursery and washing baby clothes. (Even though this is my second baby, it still blows my mind how TINY newborn size clothes are!!!) As I started prepping the baby laundry I realized I didn’t have any baby laundry detergent on hand. Then, out of the blue, Vaska reached out to me and voila – problem solved! I received a sample of their new Vaska Baby laundry detergent, and let me tell you, I LOVE it.

If you are unfamiliar with Vaska (like I was!), let me give you a quick introduction. Vaska was founded in Berkeley by a fashion designer who was searching for a detergent that was suitable for delicate fabrics, sensitive skin and the environment. She created this line of laundry products that are pure: they are 100% biodegradable, hypoallergenic, never tested on animals and are greywater safe. Their detergent does not contain pollutants, irritants, toxins, dyes, or binding agents which allows it to wash clean out of the fabric. Sounds pretty awesome, right?! Vaska even claims that their detergent is so pure, you could drink it (although I admit I wasn’t bold enough to put that claim to the test)! You can find out more about the company by visiting their website at www.vaskahome.com and on their Facebook page.

Vaska Baby is a new product from the company, just released in the last couple of months. It comes in the form of scent-free tablets that have no enzymes, phosphates or artificial dyes and thickeners which are often found in other leading baby detergents. The tablets leave behind no chemical residue, and my favorite part? The laundry comes out SOFT. Like, really, really soft. After the first load of laundry I figured it was a fluke so I tried it again, and then again, and again. And every time the laundry came out mind-numbingly soft. Then I thought maybe my water quality had changed so I ran a load of laundry with my usual chemical, dye, and scent-free laundry detergent, and that laundry came out totally normal. So once again I tried the Vaska, and what do you know, my clothes were impossibly soft again!

I am so in love with this detergent. Vaska Baby is my new go-to detergent for baby laundry and I can’t wait to try their regular detergent for the rest of my family! I hear they have a lovely lavender-scented version (my favorite!) that I really want to try. The Vaska product line includes Vaska Baby detergent tablets, Vaska liquid detergent (scent-free and lavender), a color-safe oxygen brightener, and a lavender-scented fabric softener. Prices range from $7.99-$12.99. If you are ready to buy some Vaska detergent for your family, check out their website to find a retail location near you. I will be purchasing the detergent at my local natural grocer or at Cost Plus World Market. (You can also find it online at drugstore.com, soap.com and vine.com.)

Also, if you are interested in trying Vaska, you might be interested in a sweepstakes that they are currently running. You could win a years worth of Vaska Perfect laundry detergent, plus a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift certificate to help create your perfect laundry room! Enter here: http://bit.ly/1hsT85M

For another chance to win, Stuff Parents Need has partnered up with Vaska to give away 2 bottles of Vaska Laundry Detergent – this ends up washing about 112 loads of laundry!

Win It: (2) 42 oz bottles of laundry detergent – winner’s choice of scent!

Be sure to enter our other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of this page.

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What’s In Your Mattress? Naturepedic 3″ Essentials Pillowtop Review (Giveaway!)

February 1, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 247 Comments

Do you realize that you spend 1/3 of your life in a bed, sleeping? That percentage dips a bit for the parents of young ones, I know (I promise they will sleep through the night one day!). But the point of that statistic is to remind us all that we spend a heck of a lot of time laying on our mattresses.

So selecting a quality mattress is actually REALLY important. Tim and I bought a really high quality mattress for ourselves a long time ago and I have never regretted that purchase. And we are about 2 years out from needing to buy another one. This time, I’m thinking about something that I hadn’t considered before when mattress shopping: what chemicals are in this product that I lay on night after night?

Naturepedic, a company that has become known as the standard setter for safe and healthy organic baby and children’s mattresses, recently reached out to me to do a review of one of their products, and to learn more about why chemical issues really need to be considered. I’m so glad they reached out, because now that I’ve done the research, I realize that I will be changing my criteria for mattress and bedding selection from here on out.

I think we’ve all been hearing the growing concern about chemicals and the possible effects that they are having on people, and in particular, on children. There are many researchers who see a connection between the dramatic increase in childhood disorders and toxic chemical exposures. But you don’t need to live near a toxic waste facility to be exposed to such dangerous chemicals. In fact, you are probably sleeping on them every night.

Babies and toddlers are spending 10-14 hours a day in their cribs, which is far more than the 8 that their parents are getting (if they are lucky!). Naturepedic knows that a child’s crib mattress is the object in their environment that they interact with the very most, and as such, it is absolutely critical to make sure it is safe. They have created organic mattresses and related accessories, such as mattress pads and mattress toppers. They are extremely comfortable, and extremely safe. You and your child can certainly rest easy knowing that health and safety have not been put on the line.

Features and benefits that you would look for in a mattress for your baby or child such as waterproofing and hypoallergenic design are still present, even without all those nasty chemicals. Naturepedic is the perfect marriage of practical design, comfort, and safety. Naturepedic carries the most awards and endorsements of any children’s mattress company, as well as the best warranty in the industry. Furthermore, Naturepedic products are proudly made in the USA. You are supporting the U.S. economy and U.S. jobs with your purchase!

We have really enjoyed having the 3″ Essentials Pillowtop sent to us for review. I have noticed a very sharp incline in mom and dad climbing up into Darah’s bed to read a story with her. She has the most comfortable mattress in the entire house, now! We also love the fact that if we ever have company over, we can pull off the pillowtop to temporarily use as a mattress for someone else. That makes the addition of the pillowtop all the more practical for us, as we do have regular out-of-town visitors.

The 3″ Essentials Pillowtop is made of organic cotton, organic wool, and PLA batting. It even has premium encased coils, which are wrapped in a lightweight yet durable polyester fabric. Most pillowtops are full of latex and polyurethane, but not this one!

I’m actually strongly considering purchasing the queen size for our bed in the event that an organic mattress just isn’t in the cards for us the next time we buy. This would provide a great, organic barrier between us and our mattress. And bonus: it would make any mattress SOOO comfy! 🙂

Win it!: Ready for your chance to win the twin size 3″ Essentials Pillowtop from Naurepedic? Let’s do this!

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

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The Build-A-Bear Experience (Giveaway!!!)

January 28, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 80 Comments

Since my oldest is just shy of 4 1/2, and since she absolutely adores stuffed animals (which we call loveys), I’ve been thinking that the time has arrived for us to get our first introduction to Build-a-Bear. The folks there treated us to the Build-a-Bear experience, and I wanted to show those of you who have never been exactly what it is like (because if you are like me, you are curious!).

When you arrive at Build-a-Bear, you are greeted with an entire wall of plush figures, just waiting to be stuffed. They come in a variety of price points, which I noticed ran from $16-$25. They do also have smaller plush animals that are already stuffed for $10, just fyi.

Darah picked a pink elephant and Layah chose a lion. Then we headed over to the stuffing section, and Darah got to press on the peddle while the sales associate stuffed each creature and chatted with the girls. I couldn’t help but notice how great the associates at the Chattanooga location were with kids!

After you get your animal stuffed, and before it is sewn up, you get to place a heart inside of it. This was a very sweet moment, and Layah really got into it!

Once the stuffed animals are all sewn up, it is time to take a bath (which is really just blasts of air). There are brushes available for making your lovey look nice and clean.

And now that your stuffed animal is created and clean, it is time to get dressed! This is a VERY fun part of the experience, but let me give a gentle warning to parents that this is also the part of the experience that can get quite pricey. You don’t have to pick out an outfit at all if you don’t want, but the choices are really hard to resist.

We took Layah’s lovey, which she named Rawr, over to the “dressing room” and tried out an outrageous number. It was a hit!

Darah found a Valentine outfit for her elephant (which she also named Valentine). And she also carefully selected a pair of shoes. High heels! 🙂

And no outfit is complete without some adorable hair bows. Valentine even got a hair bow on her tail! Rawr couldn’t be left out of the hair bow fest, either.

Build-A-Bear strikes me as an absolutely PERFECT place for a grandparent to take a grandchild for an extra special date, or for any other special occasion that warrants a celebration. What I really liked about the concept, though, is that children are encouraged to bring their loveys back into the store. They are welcome to give them baths again, and to check out all the great new accessories. They can even play dress up with their animals there, and they aren’t under any obligation to make another purchase. After all, we go to the mall and try on clothes, why shouldn’t our Build-A-Bears? 🙂

And while dressing your animal from head to toe can add up, you can also spread out those purchases over time. Perhaps you buy a tutu on one visit, and a pair of shoes on the next, and build up a wardrobe slowly. The creatures are so lovely on their own that even without their costumes, they are completely lovable.

But then again, this really is pretty cute, huh?

Win it!: I’ve got a $25 gift certificate to Build-A-Bear for one lucky reader! Woo hoo!

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

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Fashion Find: Wood Watch from Jord (Giveaway!!!)

January 27, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 108 Comments

Oh friends, do I have some seriously beautiful arm candy for you to admire today. I was recently introduced to the watch brand Jord, and they specialize in wood watches. They sent me one for review, and I’ve been in awe of it ever since it arrived. Take a look!

This is the Ely Series in Maple. Let’s get the price out of the way, first. This retails for $129. I think that is a REALLY good price for such a unique and beautiful accessory. Tim is very taken with it and said that he is really surprised that it doesn’t cost double the retail price because it is so beautiful. That’s saying something, because Tim usually thinks everything costs (or should cost) about half of what it actually does!

The watch has a single action locking clasp, and a really pretty design on the back of the watch face. Isn’t it just spectacular?

I also wanted you to have a sense for how the watch looked on a person. It is a smaller build, but I wouldn’t personally call it petite.

I’ve been pairing it with a bracelet designed to look like polished rocks. I thought it looked cool worn with another piece that was a bit flashier, but still made one think of natural elements.

Have you ever seen a wood watch? I’d be curious to hear how you’d style it! Check out the entire line of wooden watches from Jord. They are just incredible.

And because the folks at Jord are so SO awesome, I get to give away a watch just like the one I reviewed to a lucky reader! Let’s do this! Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an Ely Series Maple wood watch from Jord (ARV $129!).

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

On Stress, Sleep, and Remembering to Take Your Pills (Giveaway!)

January 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 61 Comments

Do you ever have trouble sleeping due to stress? Welcome to adult life…it is one of the true (but really lame) hallmarks! The other big marker of being an adult that I’ve been experiencing lately is forgetting things. SEVERAL times a day I take myself to various parts of the house and upon arriving have to ask myself, “Why am I here?” Most of the time I can remember after thinking about it for a moment, but sometimes I can’t! It makes me feel old and definitely off my game.

Sainthood Herbs recently sent me some products aimed to address both issues, and I wanted to tell you about them just in case either (or both!) might be something you could use.

Stress & Sleep pills are designed to help reduce stress by inducing relaxation. They are not intended to be a nightly sleep aid, but to be used with occasional sleeping difficulties. Most nights I am able to fall asleep in a matter of minutes (I’m very lucky, I know!) but if I have been working on strategy for the blog, or am trying to figure out how to approach a story angle, I can really struggle to fall asleep as my brain keeps trying to work out problems. It happened to me just last night, actually, and that’s when I reached for the Stress & Sleep bottle to get a little assistance.

Mental Agility pills are designed to boost your cognitive performance by improving working memory and supporting attention. It also contributes to healthy cognitive function. I personally have noticed a positive difference in my ability to concentrate when I take these pills. The trouble is that I keep forgetting to take them! I want to get into the habit of having one with breakfast every week day, and at present, I only remember once or twice a week to take them. And yes, I think it is hilarious that I can’t remember to take my mental agility pills. If ever there was a sign that I need them, that’s it!

I haven’t been using these pills long enough or consistently enough to vouch for their effectiveness, other than anecdotally. But if you are seeking some help with powering up or powering down, they really might be worth a try.

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win a bottle of pills featured here (1 will win Stress & Sleep, 1 will win Mental Agility).

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways on the sidebar of my page.

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Sonic and Wholly Guacamole: The Perfect Pair for a Morning Date (Giveaway!)

January 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 191 Comments

Thanks to Wholly Guacamole for providing products for review and giveaway. All thoughts are my own, as always.

A few days ago Tim and I had a date. At 6am. On a weekday.

Welcome to life with kids. You take your time together however you can get it! My in-laws have been in town, and they watched the girls for us while we snuck away to accomplish the very romantic task of getting milk and toilet paper and all the groceries we’d need for the week.

But to my credit, I did have something planned that would be a bit unexpected and fun: we were headed to Sonic for breakfast.

Did you know that Sonic has a whole breakfast menu? Our Sonic is open at 6am on weekdays, and when we rolled up at 7am, there was a good amount of traffic there. I guess we were a little late to get the memo that Sonic can take care of your breakfast needs!

Anyway, Sonic and Wholly Guacamole recently reached out to me to inform me of their partnership on two new breakfast items, and invited me to come have a taste. When we pulled into our spot, we immediately saw the ad on the menu for the two new items!

I got out my awesome Sonic gift card (They are reloadable! Such a great thing to keep in your car!). And we placed our order while gearing up for the sunrise. It was SO nice to not have to make breakfast for a change.

Tim ordered the Salsa Verde Breakfast Burrito, which has lots of yummy things like eggs, onions, melted cheddar, and surprisingly, some tater tots (really good!). It also has a bit of Wholly Avocado in there, which really brings all the flavors together. I had a bite, and it was yummy. Tim wasn’t very inclined to share more than that, though!

I went with the Salsa Verde Breakfast Toaster. Now I’ll tell you, it certainly isn’t a “light” breakfast. But if you need something to really fill you up, this is a good choice. I was very full until lunch, and that almost never happens with me.

Sonic was so smart to partner up with Wholly Guacamole. I am a loyal buyer of their guacamole that you can find in stores (in the produce section). They use high pressure cold water rather than heat and chemicals, and that’s how they are able to offer products free of preservatives and additives!. Their stuff tastes so unbelievably fresh, too! Definitely give them a try the next time you are grocery shopping. And if you go early in the morning, like I do, stop by Sonic to take care of your breakfast, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a fun prize package from Sonic and Wholly brand. It will contain the following

a $20 SONIC Gift Card so you can enjoy quite a few of the breakfast items!
A SONIC backpack filled with SONIC goodies
Five vouchers for a FREE Wholly Guacamole brand product redeemable at your local grocery store.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
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Dive into 2014 with the Octonauts! (Giveaway!)

January 1, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 61 Comments

Special thanks to NCircle Entertainment for providing copies of Here Come the Octonauts for Review and Giveaway. All opinions expressed here are my own, as always.

Sound the Octo-alert! Welcome to 2014, friends! It’s a new year, just brimming with the possibilities of new adventures. If you’ve got little ones who love the Octonauts, then get ready for some serious fun in the Gup-B, because Here Come the Octonauts is available for the very first time on DVD starting January 7th. Woo hoo! You can pick it up at Walmart and many other retailers and grocery stores nationwide.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the Octonauts crew, let me introduce you!

(image source: Cartoonbrew.com)

KWAZII KITTEN

A daredevil orange kitten with a mysterious pirate past. He loves excitement and travelling to exotic places.

CAPTAIN BARNACLES BEAR

A brave polar bear extraordinaire and the leader of the Octonauts crew. He’s always the first to rush in and help whenever there’s a problem.

PESO PENGUIN

PESO PENGUIN is the medic for the team. He’s an expert at bandaging and always carries his medical kit with him in case of emergencies. He’s not too fond of scary things, but if a creature is hurt or in danger, he can be the bravest Octonaut of all!

These are just a few of the delightful creatures you will find in this fun underwater adventure. We learned about Octonauts last January, and they have become such a hit with my kids that they made the “best of the best” list for 2013!

You can find Octonauts on weekday mornings on the Disney Channel’s Junior block. But if you are like me and don’t have cable, then the DVD is definitely the way to go! The series has been nominated for an International EMMY Award, and has received nominations for Best Animate Preschool Show in 2011 and 2013.

To get the Octonauts party started, check out some of these great free activities you can print or do online!

First up, be sure to color and collect all of the Octonatus Octo-Crew Cards at DisneyJunior.com.
Octonauts.com also has a maze, hide and seek, and great coloring activities!
NCircle Entertainment also has a great selection of activities to check out.
And finally, in 2013 I actually compiled a large list of free Octonauts printable coloring pages, so definitely check that out!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Here Come the Octonauts on DVD!

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

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