Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Introducing Ragtime and Blues to Children: Randy Kaplan’s Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie CD (GIVEAWAY!)

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As adults, we know that it is healthy to break out of your comfort zone. Try a new workout (or try working out at all!), give a new type of cuisine a shot, or even make some new friends and not just stick to the friends you have known since high school. These are all good things to do!

Expanding your musical horizons is another great thing to do, but most of us don’t. I personally never listen to country music, even though I can objectively state that there is some excellent stuff out there. It’s just out of my personal comfort zone, so I avoid it. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that if I want Darah to have an adventurous and curious spirit, I’ve got to start doing a better job of role-modeling that behavior. And I need to do so not just with big things, but also with small, everyday things.

So I switched off the Glee Pandora channel (go ahead and judge if you are embarrassed by that statement…I’m totally NOT embarrassed and am super comfy in my teen pop Gleek skin). And I put on some ragtime and blues-inspired tunes, courtesy of children’s artist Randy Kaplan.

I wouldn’t even have known where to find something like this without his newest cd, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie. And I certainly wouldn’t have gone out looking for it on my own. So what a blessing it was to get to listen to it, anyway. Because despite my preconceived notions about the type of music I do and don’t like, I thought this cd was a great deal of fun.

Will it be on constant repeat in my house? No. But will it get a regular turn? Absolutely! Darah likes it because it is just so different, and I think that’s why I like it, too.

If you happen to be a blues and ragtime fan, already, this cd won’t be out of your comfort zone, but it will still be a fun way for your children to have their own songs in the same style as what mom and dad listen to. Either way, I think it is a really great addition to a music collection, and certainly a fine way to give a genre that might be unfamiliar to your children a chance. You can pick up Mr Diddie Wah Diddie for just $11.68 at Amazon right now.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

$150 Paypal Giveaway! Woo Hoo!

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I always love to bring you guys chances for cold, hard cash! Good luck!

Today could be your lucky day! I Heart Giveaways and The Coffee Chic present a brand new giveaway where you can get a chance to win $150 Paypal Cash.

The rules are easy! All you need to do is to enter on the rafflecopter widget below to earn entries. Make sure to provide the correct details. Good luck!

About the sponsors:

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Giveaway Scoop Homepage

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This event is co-hosted by Zoes Printable Coupons, Stay a Stay at Home Mom and Chic Foodies.

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Eco-Friendly Nail Polish Delivered Monthly: Julep Maven (Try it for A Penny and GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Have you noticed one of the latest bargain shopping trends lately? It takes the form of a subscription service with a company, where you get discounted and awesome goodies in the mail every month.

Today I want to introduce you to one that all the ladies who love having beautiful nails will love! It’s called Julep Maven, and through this subscription-based monthly program, you will receive some really beautiful and on-trend nail polish delivered right to your doorstep!

I recently received a Julep Maven Intro Box, and here’s what it looked like:


There are a few key things that really jumped out to me about these products.

1. The size of the polishes are PERFECT. When I purchase a full-size polish at a store, without fail, it always starts to separate and become unusable long before I have finished up the bottle. It’s rare for me to even make it half way through a bottle of polish before I have to pitch it. I am actually going to get to use up this polish, which is cool. Plus, these days I’m really into things that don’t take up much room, so that’s another bonus for the size.

2. Julep products are free of harmful toxins that are often found in nail polish. YOu won’t find formaldehyde, DPT, toluene, paraben or sodium laurel sulfate in this polish. My daughter has some eco-friendly nail polish, and I’ve been wanting to get some for myself. Now I have some in “big girl” colors!

3. Aren’t the colors really pretty? I have to tell you that if I went to the drugstore on my own, I probably wouldn’t have picked out any of these colors, more out of fear than anything else (I have like 6 different shade of mauve nail polish…clearly I have a small comfort zone). But now I’m so glad to have all of these colors! Lily (sizzling fuchsia creme) has been so much fun to wear. Charlotte (demure lavender creme) is my go-to polish for September as the colors in my wardrobe calm down a bit for fall. And Sasha (cantaloupe melon creme) is the breakout star. This is not a color that looks attractive when near my face, so I never wear it. But on my toes, it is SO cute! I love having that pop of color!

This is me stealing a quiet moment this morning relaxing and sipping on some iced coffee during Layah’s nap.

I may have the nail painting skills of a six year old, but I still feel fabulous! 

4. A portion of sales from Julep Maven boxes go to various organizations that support women. I’m a sucker for a business that has a heart, people!

So, here’s how it works to join the Julep Maven program (or if you’d like to gift this to a girlfriend, which would be such a fun treat!). The monthly subscription is just $19.99 and it gets you a box every month that retails for $40. You also get 20% off and free shipping for anything you’d like to purchase in the Maven boutique. You get an email previewing your upcoming box on the 20th of each month. If you like it, do nothing and you will be charged on the 27th, and your box will ship that day. If you don’t like it or just need to skip the month, just log into your account and let Julep know. It’s just that simple! There’s no contract to sign and no commitment.

Plus, if you refer 2 friends to become Julep Mavens, you will earn a free month! That’s a pretty sweet deal just for spreading the love!

Want to try it? Right now you can for ONE PENNY!!! That’s right, if you use the code MAVENINTRO at checkout, your first box is just one penny. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that, right? Well, I guess better than one penny would be totally free, so here’s a chance to win, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Julep Maven Intro Box! (If you are having trouble seeing the Rafflecopter form, just click on the Rafflecopter link below and it will take you to the form! Easy Peasy!)

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

The Doll with a Heart is Back! Raggedy Ann GIVEAWAY!!!

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I had a Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy doll when I was growing up. I remember how excited my mother was to give them to me, because she had very small Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, herself, when she was growing up.

But she was so convinced about how very special they were, that she didn’t really let me play with them. They sat in a curio cabinet for me to look at but not touch. Isn’t that silly? Sort of defeats the purpose of a doll, in my opinion.

Even though I couldn’t play with those particular dolls, I still really liked them. So I was very excited to hear that Aurora has a brand new Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy line. I thought it would be fun for Darah and Layah to have a doll, though I would be sure that this one wouldn’t sit behind glass!

I think this version of Raggedy Ann is really cute, and also soft and cuddly. She seems so happy and positively eager to play with children. I like her vintage feel, but remembering how my doll looked, she is also a bit updated.

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls are available in 4 different sizes and range from $10-$35 each, depending on the size. We reviewed the 16″ doll and she retails for $25. There will also be some special holiday styles coming out later in the year, so be on the lookout for those!

If you’d like to introduce your child to a beloved friend from your own past, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are ready to join your family!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy doll (your choice!).
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Whimsical Art for Homes with Children (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If you look around my house, it takes all of 1 second to realize I have kids. Toys and lessons and stuffed animals and blankets are found in pretty much every room of the house.

But if you were to look strictly at the walls of my house, it would not be as apparent that children live here (aside from our wall of family pictures). We could definitely do a better job of incorporating more free-spirited and fun pieces of art in our home; pieces that will delight children.

I was delighted when Nidhi Chanani, a well-respected artist from San Francisco, contacted me to see if I’d like to check out her work. She makes art that most anyone would enjoy, but I think she has a very special knack for pieces that will speak to children.

Darah and I spent about 15 minutes admiring Nidhi’s work, and Darah kept coming back to the print of the bear taking a shower. It made her giggle, and she said she’d love to look at it while she takes her baths. So now this print is in our bathroom for Darah to enjoy, and it certainly makes me smile to see it, too.

 

There were so many great prints from which to choose on Nidhi’s site. Here are the two honorable mentions for Darah:

I mean….how cute are these pieces?! I’ve definitely got Nidhi’s Etsy site bookmarked to return to when it is time for Layah to graduate to a “big girl” room from the nursery.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win Everyday Love Volume 2 (a 124 page art book for children!)

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!!!

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Woo hoo! Need a boost to get started with your holiday shopping? Here we go!!!

Welcome to the Adios August Amazon Gift Code Twitter Giveaway hosted by MamaNYC!  A great group of bloggers have teamed together to celebrate the end of August with an Amazon Gift Code giveaway! All you have to do is follow our Twitter accounts in order to gain entries in this giveaway!

One lucky winner is going to receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Code! This giveaway will run from August 29th through September 16th, which should give you more than enough time to hop down the Rafflecopter and follow all of our Twitter accounts.  This event is open to entrants worldwide; Winner will have 48 hours to confirm prize. If you see our event button – no need to enter again! We are all using the SAME Rafflecopter, so your entries are only needed on one of our blogs. Good Luck!
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My DIY Applesauce Disaster and An Earth’s Best GIVEAWAY!!!

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Time for an embarrassing story about myself! Grab the popcorn and plop down…this one is a doozy!

A few years ago when we lived in Memphis, we had an apple tree in our front yard. It was an adorable little thing, and it made quite a few apples in the fall of 2009. At the time, Darah was just 2 months old, or so. I saw those apples and thought, “Oh my gosh! I can make and freeze some organic apple sauce for my daughter…and for FREE!!!” I put on my Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart/Crunchy Granola Mama crown and sash and marched out to that front yard with my bowl, returning inside with quite the harvest. I was about to ROCK THIS DIY SO HARD.

I found a recipe online…it looked simple enough, and I gathered all my ingredients. Darah observed from her bouncer, fascinated, I’m sure, to see her mom making something from scratch. I followed all of the steps and before long, I had something in my large pot the very strongly resembled apple sauce. And there was a ton of it. Oh man, I was going to enough apple sauce to last Darah for several months! So exciting!

As I continued along with the process, I got to the step where I needed to add some vinegar. I added it in, and immediately thought, “Eww, vinegar stinks even more than I thought it did. Hmm…well, whatever, I’m sure the smell will dissipate soon.” And about 2 minutes later it still smelled TERRIBLE. I gave it a couple of big sniffs and thought, “I don’t know…something’s a bit….off.”

Now remember, I had a 2 month old. I was a first time mom. I was running on baby grins and games of pat a cake, and was DEFINITELY sleep-deprived. So my old noggin’ wasn’t exactly in its sharpest state.

Finally, after inhaling this noxious odor for several minutes, it occured to me to review my ingredients on the counter.

And that’s when I realized that I put AMMONIA in my huge vat of organic apple sauce. Yeah I did. I added poison to my child’s food. And then I sniffed it. And sniffed it again. It’s a miracle I didn’t eat it, myself. If I had been more sleep-deprived, I may have just kept on cooking and freezed it. Who knows?

I totally cried when I realized that I ruined every single apple I had been waiting a few months to pick. And then I laughed so hard that I cried again.

Thank goodness this isn’t the only way to get organic apple sauce! I skip making it myself now (I just can’t be trusted, friends!) and rely on the quality and goodness of Earth’s Best Organic Apple Sauce. It only has ingredients I know and trust, and it comes in the perfect size containers for Darah’s snack time, or as part of her lunch. I have gladly relinquished my ill-fitting crown as chief cooking DIY diva and given Earth’s Best the title. It’s quality I can count on!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win Tiffany’s homemade apple sauce! Just kidding! You will win an Organic Apple Sauce prize pack from Earth’s Best!

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

Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Learning Math with Manipulatives! Hand 2 Mind Hands-On Teaching Guide Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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If there’s one thing that Darah’s Montessori education so far has taught me, it’s that learning needs to be multi-dimensional. All the senses need to be incorporated when learning a concept, and the more tactile stimulation a child can get while engaging in a lesson, the better.

Hand 2 Mind is a company that firmly believes in learning by doing, and they have created some outstanding resources to help teachers and parents promote academic success and true learning, not memorizing.

I have been perusing the Hands-On Standards Deluxe Edition Grades PreK-K book and have been creating some supplemental lessons for Darah at home all about math. Math is a subject I feared as a child and adolescent, and that fear continues in me even as an adult. I do not want the same fate for Darah at all, so I want to get past my own fears and make sure we talk about math and “do” math frequently at home!

This assessment book is perfectly designed for teachers, or for homeschooling parents or even for parents who just need some ideas for ways to teach match concepts without being abstract. I am REALLY enjoying reading this. Pinterest projects are great for getting some cool teaching ideas, but this is a very comprehensive booklet that teaches concepts that it never would have occurred to me to attempt or to know how to communicate, and in very tangible ways.

I love that this book also demonstrates the research that is backing this approach to learning. I’m a data-driven parent, which means I want to know why certain ideas in parenting and in educating our children should be considered. What studies have been performed to prove that these methods are effective? This booklet shows you, and I really love that.

While specific manipulative objects are recommended in the book, and can also be purchased through Hand 2 Mind, you aren’t restricted to these specific items. With a little bit of advanced planning, you can find excellent substitutes for what is shown in each lesson by looking around your house or planning a quick trip to the dollar store or the craft supply store. This book has 57 different lessons that teach the following concepts:

  • Count up and back
  • Identify sets of numbers
  • 1-to-1 correspondence
  • Ordinal numbers
  • Basic addition
  • Identify basic shapes in the real world
  • Sort objects by 1 or 2 attributes
  • Gather and record data
  • Order objects by height or length
  • Compare relative sizes of containers

I am extremely impressed with this book and I know it is going to go a long way toward helping me make sure that math is something we do and love, not something we fear. I would highly recommend hand2mind.com for their helpful kits and books designed to ensure your children stay engaged in learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. The book I reviewed retails for $49.95.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of the Hands-On Standards, Deluxe Edition Grades PreK-K book!

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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Clear the Clutter in Your Pantry with YouCopia SpiceStack

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When we recently moved, we were faced with a much smaller kitchen (about half the size of our old kitchen, and about 25% as large as the kitchen we had in Memphis!). We did, however, get a walk-in pantry out of the deal. It required a great deal of thought and organization to figure out how to best store all of our dry goods and our appliances.

My mother-in-law worked VERY hard to put together a pantry system that made sense.  One of the things she spent a lot of time working on was spice storage She kept our most-used spices in the kitchen where we could easily access them. The spices that get less frequently used went in the pantry. While she was cleaning and organizing this area, she made some interesting discoveries. Most notable was the fact that I had SIX containers of nutmeg. Yeah, SIX!

We cook a lot in my house, and we like to try different things. So that means that we have A LOT of spices! And since we have a lot of spices, they are tricky to organize. The nutmeg overload is a perfect example of how many times in the last 2 years I have looked for nutmeg, declared that we had none, and bought some more. I know that I did a serious cleaning out of our spices before we left Memphis, so all this nutmeg overage occurred since we moved to Chattanooga.

What a waste of money and of cabinet/pantry space! My mother-in-law did an excellent job of getting the spices more in order, but I have to admit, I have seen our spice section teetering on the edge of disorganization again. It’s just so hard to keep everything looking nice and its hard to easily find everything when you have to layer your spices on a rack, putting some on top of others, and some things behind other things.

how to organize spices

But now our pantry has the SpiceStack from YouCopia, and now that I see how great having one is, I want two! I love how easy it is to grab the spice I need. The SpiceStack gives every spice its own specific home, and it comes with labels so that you won’t forget what goes where. You also can just read the labels and not have to open every shelf on the hunt for the spice you need. While this SpiceStack holds 18 different spices (or more if you have those short spice containers and want to double up), it comes with 48 pre-labeled labels and 48 blank labels, so you have many opportunities to switch up the spices you store!

The SpiceStack gives my pantry a more organized look and feel, and I highly recommend it anyone who groans every time they have to hunt through their spices while cooking. It retails for $27.99 and can be found on Amazon.

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.