Stuff Parents Need

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

Giving Art as a Gift! Have You Ever Done It?

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Giving someone a surprise is SO MUCH FUN. That’s just one of the reasons that I love being a blogger who gives products away all the time. I have a blast sending out those good news emails to the lucky winners. I get to have a Santa Claus moment several times each week!

I also really enjoy getting the opportunity to give a gift to people in my life for no particular reason. Personally, I find those unexpected gifts to be some of the most memorable.

Recently, I had the opportunity to give a gift to my blog assistant, Alanna. I’ve mentioned Alanna before, and I’d like to take another moment to highlight all the great work she does for this site. She works tirelessly behind the scenes to promote all these fantastic giveaways we have, and her posts on various contest sites and on Facebook and Twitter are the reason so many of you found your way to this corner of the blogosphere.

Alanna takes care of most of the parts of running this blog that tend to wear me out (indeed, like any type of work, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine!). Honestly, if I didn’t have her help, I likely would have burned out and quit blogging a long time ago (GASP!). But because of her help, I am still very joyful about blogging and it is something that I look forward to doing (almost) every single day!

So yeah, Alanna is an important person in the life of this blog! And I wanted to give her a gift to express my gratitude. So I asked her to hop over to one of my favorite online shopping destinations, , and pick out the perfect piece for her home.

She was so thrilled! She and her husband combed through the site and selected the perfect piece for their home. I didn’t want to pick out the art for her, because I think that art is a really personal thing, and it can be difficult to capture someone else’s style rather than simply picking out what you personally like.

Here’s Alanna’s precious daughter enjoying the process of unwrapping their art. This is a familiar scene to me, as Darah LOVES to play with all that bubble wrap, too!

And here’s the piece, which is on birchwood (it is such a cool look!) hanging on their wall!

I really had fun seeing what they chose. I think the piece is absolutely stunning, yet it is something I’ve never even noticed on Gallery Direct before, as I tend to search for art with cooler colors (blues, greens, yellows and grays). Did you catch that? You can search for art by color on Gallery Direct. That’s one of my favorite features of the site!

If you love the idea of giving a piece of art as a gift, but would much rather completely surprise the recipient with a finished piece, you might also want to consider uploading a photo (those are easier to get your hands on thanks to Facebook, Flickr and Instagram!) and have it turned into a work of art to hang in the home. And right now, all gallery wraps of photo uploads are 50% off! Woo hoo!!!! I’m actually going to be getting a wedding picture put on canvas for my sister and her husband as their Christmas present this year (they got married in May).

I’m so happy that I was able to give Alanna a piece of art to hang in her home. I think it is a very special type of gift, and it definitely inspires me to start paying closer attention to the artistic style of my friends and family so that I might be able to gift some art to them in the future! I’d love to hear if you have any tips for choosing art as a gift for someone else…it can be tricky! 

Disclosure: I serve as a blog ambassador for Gallery Direct. Product samples are provided as part of the program. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Helping Kids Truly Understand Shapes: Shape Sorting Presents GIVEAWAY!!

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One of the key things that I have learned about effective learning methods since Darah started at a Montessori school is the importance of being able to move away from learning in the abstract. For example, when it comes to learning shapes, simply studying flash cards of circles, triangles and squares is not sufficient for a mind to fully grasp and commit a shape to memory. The shapes need to be understood in the context of every day life.

That’s one of the reasons that I’m really enjoying a game available at Learning Resources called Shape Sorting Presents. This game comes with 6 boxes, each a different shape, and 90 cards with everyday objects that represent one of the 6 shapes. Each box has a slot at the top so that children can drop the cards into them.

Darah really enjoys sorting objects right now, so this game is perfect for her. I would have told you before we got this game that she had already mastered her shapes, and that is true in their abstract form, but now that we are looking at every day objects and thinking about their shapes, I see that we have more work to do. I’m so glad we have this game, because it is helping her think about objects and shapes in a different way than she had before, and I know that by doing this, she is starting to truly understand what makes a shape (straight lines or not, even sides or not, etc.). She can also see shapes now even when the object isn’t 100% like a shape drawing (a throw pillow with fringe, for example, is still in a square shape).

As Darah masters these skills a bit more, we’ll still be able to use this game to do things like go on shape hunts in the house and find objects that match with the cards.

I recommend Shape Sorting Presents as an excellent resource for your home or for a pre-k or kindergarten classroom! Since there are 6 boxes, more than 1 child can play at once. This retails for $32.99 and can be purchased at Learning Resources online.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win Shape Sorting Presents from Learning Resources.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. 

My Favorite New Baby Gear Product: The First Year’s Deluxe Reclining Feeding Seat (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I’ve been swooning over a new product in our home. Would you believe that little Layah, at just 3 months old, has been in a high chair for a month now?

I’m guessing you are a big confused.

First let me make sure nobody thinks that she is eating solids, yet. Nope, not at all, and she won’t until she shows sings for readiness (I’m guessing that will be around 5 or 6 months old).

But she absolutely has a place at our table. And she LOVES to sit right there with us at meal time. We are really enjoying it, too. So how can she sit in a high chair when she can’t even sit up on her own?

Well, she’s got The First Years Deluxe Reclining Feeding Seat. It is designed to hold little ones from birth all the way through four years of age! It literally grows with your child, which gives it so much bang for the buck. Layah is currently in the most reclined position which is quite comfy for her, and she is safely strapped in using the five-point harness. We don’t yet put the tray on when she’s in there, and that leaves her more free to move her arms and legs around.

This chair has 5 positions (2 height adjustments and 3 tray positions). Additionally, it converts into a booster chair for older tots.

Also, this feeding chair takes up SIGNIFICANTLY less room than a traditional high chair. This is such a nice feature in our home, which is extremely tight on space in our eating area. All we had to do was give up one of our chairs around the table and strap the feeding chair on it. We are most definitely going to be selling the old high chair we have tucked away and will be using this system until she outgrows a booster.

Want to hear the best part? This feeding chair is just $39.99! That’s over $60 less than we paid for Darah’s high chair, and we are going to get SO much more use out of this one! It honestly never occurred to me to put a young infant in an elevated chair with the rest of us at meal times, but we all really enjoy it; it makes Layah feel even more a part of what we do together as a family.

The First Years Deluxe Reclining Feeding Seat is currently on sale at Amazon and can also be found online at Babies ‘R Us. I’m absolutely delighted with this product and would strongly recommend it as an affordable and very convenient alternative to a traditional high chair.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win The First Years Deluxe Reclining Feeding Chair!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. 

 

Time to Win a Dyson Vacuum!!!

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Woo hoo! I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while. Good luck, everyone!!!

Mom Powered Media proudly presents the Dyson DC24 Giveaway

 

Dyson “The Ball” DC24 Vacuum

Impress yourself with your beautiful floors when you use the Dyson DC24 All-Floors Lightweight Upright Vacuum. Ultra lightweight and compact makes vacuuming with this machine effortless. The Dyson “Ball” technology turns the vacuum on a dime with no loss of suction, combined with the patented Root Cyclone technology makes this one extreme powerhouse of clean.

Dyson “The Ball” DC24 All-Floors Lightweight Upright Vacuum Includes:

  • Bristle brush
  • Product manual

Product Features:

  • Clear hygienic dust collection bin – empty the bin with a push of a button
  • Lifetime washable HEPA filter – requires no maintenance and lasts for the life of the vacuum
  • Fingertip brush control – turn brushbar on and off at the touch of a button
  • Motorized brushbar – powerful bristles remove dirt and pet hair from carpets
  • On-board tool storage – brush, stair and crevice tools store right on your vacuum so they’re always on hand
  • Reversible wand – for dual usage
  • On-board tool storage – brush, stair and crevice tools store right on your vacuum so they’re always on hand
  • Certified Asthma and Allergy Friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

ABOUT DYSON

Many vacuums use filters to trap dirt, which can cause clogs and suction problems. But Dyson, maker of the world’s first cyclonic bagless vacuum, features technology that uses centrifugal force to separate dirt out of the airflow, so the vacuum doesn’t clog. Dyson proves no loss of suction using the IEC 60312 Cl 2.9 test standard. As the only vacuum to be certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and featuring Clean Exhaust Air, it’s easy to see why Dyson is an excellent choice for all your floor surfaces.

Silk Duvet from Nordic Comfort: Review and GIVEAWAY ($414 VALUE!!!)

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I have a down comforter on my bed. I’ve had it since Tim and I got married, and I absolutely adore it. It is SOOO comfortable and I typically sleep very well with it.

Except for during the summer. My beloved comforter usually has to come off the bed for the hottest months of the year because if left on, I often wake up in the middle of the night sweating. Yuck!

I’ve recently had the opportunity to try out a new kind of comforter that uses a special silk fiber called SilkFX and it breathes so beautifully that sweating at night, even in August, is a non-issue! And you’ll still be kept toasty warm in January, too!

Nordic Comfort is the company behind this revolutionary new fiber, and it provides even more benefits than traditional silk duvets. The fiber is still 100% natural, but it has been refined to reach its maximum potential. It can absorb more moisture, better regulate the temperature, and it does a great job of rejecting dust mites and bed bacteria.

And here’s a benefit that all parents will love: SilkFX is MACHINE WASHABLE!!!! This is such a huge selling point for me! I go to the dry cleaners MAYBE once a year, so having a duvet that needs to be taken there to get cleaned is not attractive. Being able to throw it in my washing machine when something gets spilled on it (hello, I have kids in this house…it’s gonna happen!) is a major plus.

Here’s another benefit of using a silk duvet over other materials: it helps with allergy problems! There are all sorts of microscopic bugs and bacteria that LOVE to hang out on our beds and sheets, and if you suffer from allergies (like I do), your bed might actually be making you sick! Silk is a naturally anti-allergic material and all those nasty germs and allergens DO NOT LIKE IT! So by having a silk duvet, you are helping your body stay healthy! It never occurred to me that my bedding might be contributing to my bad allergy problems, but it actually makes a lot of sense, as it is fairly common for me to wake up congested, and then feel fine a few hours later.

Darah is the lucky person in the house to have a silk duvet from Nordic Comfort. She’s been snuggling up with the twin Superior Silk duvet, and she loves it! I have actually spent a bit of time with her lately in her bed (she just gave up her pacifier at night time and has needed some extra comforting). A few days ago, I accidentally fell asleep in her room with her, and when I woke up under the comforter, I have to say that I felt REALLY comfortable. Not too warm, not too cold. JUST RIGHT! She has the year round version of the silk duvet, and it is absolutely perfect for the weather here in Tennessee, which is mild for most of the year.

I’m really glad I fell asleep under the duvet, because now I want one for my room. When you consider the allergy benefits, the washability, and the temperature control it provides, I can see this positively contributing to my overall quality of life.

I’ll be honest with you, these are pricey. The silk duvet in a twin size is 199 euros, which is roughly $244. The duvets are also shipped from Europe, and the shipping fees run 49 euros, which is roughly $60. So we’re talking about spending $300 for a twin duvet. No doubt about it, that is steep.

BUT

Based on my experience with the product so far, I believe that it will last for MANY years and provide exceptional comfort as well as exceptional protection from allergens and bed bugs. Remember that you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping…this is an area where investing in quality pays off. I am starting to save my pennies so that I can get a Superior Silk duvet for my bed. It might take a little while to get the funds together, but as someone who is currently waking up really hot and who frequently has an unexplainable runny nose in the mornings, I know it will be worth it!

Take a moment to check out the great selection of silk duvets and maybe add one to your holiday wish list. I’ve got one at the top of mine, for sure!

Win it!: And now for the really fun part: one of you is about to win a FULL SIZE Superior Silk Year Round duvet from Nordic Comfort! It has a retail value, including the shipping cost, of $414!!!!!

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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. 

Win a Year’s Supply of Organic Candy RIGHT NOW!!!

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Candy, Candy Candy! Who doesn’t love Candy! But have you tried organic candy? What would you do if you could have some delicious all-natural candy right at your doorstep? Introducing YumEarth!

YumEarth is a brand of candy produced by YummyEarth. Everything YummyEarth makes is certified organic or all natural, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and has no chemical colors, artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. This is why they are the #1 organic company in America! The company was founded by two dads to share healthier treats with their kids and are proud to share that each serving provides 100% of daily vitamin C. It has been called “The Best Lollipop I’ve ever tasted” by Today Show Food Editor Phil Lempert, YumEarth Organics Lollipops come in eight mouthwatering flavors: Very Very Cherry, Too Berry Blueberry, Strawberry Smash, Sour Apple Tart, Pomegranate Pucker, Razzmatazz Berry, Mango Tango and Wet-Face Watermelon. Featured as the “Snack of the Day” on the Rachael Ray Show, YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears have the quintessential texture of a traditional gummy bear with unique mouthwatering flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Strawberry Smash and Sour Apple Tart.

YumEarth Candy is now available at Target! That’s right, you have the option of buying the candy online or at your local store! Check this list to see YumEarth Candy is available at a Target near you. To celebrate the release of YumEarth Candy at Target, YummyEarth is sponsoring a giveaway of a YEAR’S WORTH OF CANDY to one lucky winner!

Enter on the rafflecopter form below! This giveaway is open to the US only. You are entering to 12 bags of YUMEARTH ORGANICS LOLLIPOPS and 12 bags of GUMMY BEARS. Must be 18+ to enter. Giveaway closes on August 21 at 11:59pm est. Only one person per household/IP address may enter. You only need to enter the giveaway on one of our blogs. Good luck!

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Make a Statement with Poli-Baby Onesies: GIVEAWAY!!

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Every single time I go to the gym (which is the only time I watch live television), I am bombarded with campaign commercials. In case you are living under a rock, it’s a presidential election year, which means that voters are paying closer attention to what is happening in politics and are getting ready to voice their opinions with their votes.

Don’t let your little one be left out of the discourse! Poli-Baby is a site created by siblings Sarah and David that offers onesies with political messages, though perhaps the specific messages have more to do with the world of babies than the world of American politics.

I appreciate the dose of humor, as politics in America can be, well, just so infuriating! The economy is in the toilet, for example, but at least I can smile at Layah’s cute onesie that states “It’s a Teddy Bear Market.”

And I really love the National Rattle Association onesie, too! I also love that this company uses onesies that are made in America, and eco-friendly water based inks.

We all have different political views, and even though certain viewpoints make absolutely no sense to me, I celebrate the fact that we are each entitled to them. That’s part of what makes America such a great place. We have the freedom to believe what makes sense to us, and to engage each other in discussion in an attempt to find some compromise.

Let your baby start to take part in the conversation, even if it starts with reforming day care instead of health care. Gotta start somewhere!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will get the political onesie of their choice from Poli-Baby!

EDIT: Rafflecopter is currently having some technical difficulties with the giveaway code. If you don’t see the entry form but only see a link, click on the link and it should take you to the form. So sorry for the inconvenience! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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.

How I’m Getting the Stink Out of Laundry: Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator GIVEAWAY!!!

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Ok, so my stinkiest laundry is definitly cloth diapers. Let’s just be open and honest about it…I’m washing material that has pee and poo on it. It doesn’t get much more stinky than that!

And I have a new washer and dryer set. I got the fancy front loaders that I’ve been oogling over for probably 6 years, now. They sure are nice.

Unless you have really stinky laundry.

And then they are sort of terrible. They use so little water that if your clothes really need to be rinsed very thoroughly over and over in order to get fully clean, you are hard-pressed to figure out the right “formula” for getting your laundry truly clean.

Every time I wash cloth diapers, I feel like a sorcerer, concocting an intricate spell the requires great concentration and a bit of luck to pull off.

I’ve added all sorts of different detergents and other potions to my routine, and I’ve tweaked the wash cycles, soil levels and spin speeds I use again and again. Just when I think I have it all figured out perfectly, the stink returns! It’s a never-ending battle.

But Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator has now been added to my routine. I did some online research to see if others have had success with this product. A few folks out there are reporting good results, but for the most part, I think people haven’t really tried it, yet. Nobody wants to be the one who goes first and have something mess up all her diapers!

Well, I stepped up to the plate and decided to just go for it. And I’m so glad I did! Febreze works by capturing the odors that are in the water during the wash and when your water leaves the machine, so do all those trapped odors!

Here’s my method:

I add 1/4 cup of Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator directly to the detergent section when I run my first quick rinse of the diapers. I add another 1/4 cup of the product along with my detergent when I do my long wash cycle. My diapers come out smelling nice and clean, and so far, they aren’t stinking as soon as they get soiled (which is a sign of a diaper that wasn’t fully clean). I can’t promise that my diapers will never stink, as I’ve only been using this for about a week, but so far, so good!

I also like that the scent of the product is very light, and won’t interfere with any other scents that may already be present in your detergent. I happen to prefer unscented detergents, but if you have a favorite product that smells delightful, Febreze will not interfere with that smell. In fact, your laundry may even smell better as the scented detergent doesn’t have to work as hard to mask odors!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Febreze odor eliminator kit!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Control the Drool Without the Dropcloth: Underbib Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m so excited to be sharing with you yet another clever invention by a mom! It’s called the Underbib and here’s why I love it.

All babies hit a period of of infancy when they become drool monsters. Layah is currently in this stage, and that means that we go through 3-5 bibs every single day. They all get SOAKED with drool! She hasn’t yet developed the ability to know how to swallow her saliva, so it all just comes running out of her mouth.

Bibs are plentiful around my house, so my problem isn’t with having enough. What irritates me is when I have her all dolled up in a really cute outfit, and then I have to cover the whole thing up with a bib that probably doesn’t even coordinate with the outfit.

I know, I know, there are bigger problems in life. But I’m telling you, this grinds my gears!

That’s why the UnderBib is so clever. It is a bib that is put on using magnets, and it is actually designed to go UNDER your baby’s outfit. That way, baby’s skin stays nice and dry and your cute outfit isn’t covered up! 

See the magnet clips around the top of her dress? The bib is actually under her dress! If your child also likes to try to take off her bib, the UnderBib can help with that, too. She won’t even know it’s there!

The bib is also able to be work on the outside of the outfit, if you’d prefer that the outfit not get any drool on it, either.

Super neat, right?! This is another one of those, “Why didn’t I think of that?” ideas.

The UnderBib is available for $14 or you can score a package of 2 for $25. Oder here!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an UnderBib!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.