Stuff Parents Need

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

Madame Alexander My First Baby Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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This was the Christmas morning that my little girl received her first baby doll. She has several dolls that she already plays with and loves, but until now, none of them were babies. I thought it was important for her to have a baby to play with, feed, swaddle and love on as she prepares for her little sister’s arrival in early May. I wanted to make sure she had something just her size and also soft and easy to love on.

The perfect doll came from Madame Alexander, which may really surprise you. When I think of this company, I think of exquisite collector’s items that are lovely to look at but that are NOT for playing with.

As it turns out, Madame Alexander has an extensive selection of dolls, some of which are meant to be played and played with. This doll is from the My First Baby line and is part of the Sweet Baby Nursery collection. She is the Itty Bitty Ballerina doll, and she is such a perfect choice for Darah because she is wearing a tutu, which is currently Darah’s favorite thing to wear (sometimes even to bed).

There are quite a few things that stand out to me about this doll. First, the size is just right for a toddler. I have seen other baby dolls on the shelves that are so huge that they would completely overwhelm a two or three year old who might want to hold them. This one can easily be toted around.

Second, I love that the doll is mostly soft. This makes her more inviting to play with. I can tell you that even as an adult, it’s hard to resist the urge to give her a good cuddle and squeeze! She also is washable, which is good when her mommy is a toddler!

Third, I love that having a doll like this promotes creative play and practice. There will be times when the new baby arrives that Darah may find some comfort in being able to hold and care for her doll while mommy or daddy are doing the same for baby sister. Her practice on the doll will also come in handy to increase her confidence in helping out with the real baby in the house.

Overall, I’d say the Madame Alexander baby dolls are a great find, and I’m so glad to have one!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an Itty Bitty Ballerina doll from Madame Alexander!

 

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Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Over the holidays we found some wonderful uses for shredded coconut. This is not the same as coconut flakes, which is what you typically find on store shelves. This stuff has been finely shredded…it looks like snow flakes, almost! Since this was a different way of using coconut, I wasn’t exactly sure if I’d know what to do with it. But as it turns out, I LOVE it!

First, we added it to pancakes and oatmeal. In both cases, it adds delicious flavor but doesn’t add a different texture that might not be appealing, which would happen if y

ou used flakes, instead. Second, I got to make coconut macaroons for the first time in my life, and thanks to a recipe on the Tropical Traditions website, my first batch turned out great and I was able to share them at a holiday party.

Our shredded coconut is the Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut, and just as we have been with every other product we have tried from this company, we are very impressed with the quality. I feel like I have a wonderful new “secret ingredient” in my pantry and I’m looking forward to discovering many different ways to add a bit of coconut to my cooking and bring new flavors to our table.


Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need will win a one gallon tub of Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut!

 

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Socks4Life Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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You may have recently experienced the tricky business of trying to completely fill up a stocking for Christmas. I can’t tell you how many times I have been certain that I had plenty of stuff to put in a stocking, only to find it still half empty after I’d put in all the goodies (on Christmas Eve…too late to do anything about it!). But over the last few years I’ve learned an important trick to plumping up those stockings…add socks!

This year, Tim’s stocking was stuffed to the max, thanks in large part to some really nice socks from Socks4Life. This is an online only company based in Indianapolis that offers a fantastic selection of high quality socks, the lowest possible prices and stellar customer service.

For just over $25, I was able to get Tim 2 different sets of socks that he needed and was happy to open on Christmas morning. The first set was a 3 pack of men’s argyle dress socks. I thought the price for these was terrific: $8.95! Tim also received a 2 pack of merino wool thermal socks that are perfect for being outside in the cold weather. It looks as though they have run out of the style I got him, and it is no wonder, since the 2 pack was marked 48% off and was just $14.95.

I have found Socks4Life to be a great resources for men’s, women’s and kids’ socks. They offer free shipping for orders over $50, a 30 day money-back guarantee, and I can tell you from experience that they fulfill your order lightning fast after it has been placed. I also discovered that they have a lot of terrific articles that are worth exploring. I particularly enjoyed the article on the Rules of Wearing Dress Socks. It helped de-mystify those footies, which I have never understoof how to wear until now! Definitely check out their posts; you’ll learn a thing or two!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a $25 gift certificate to Socks4Life.com! Your feet are going to thank you!

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Howard B. Wigglebottom Books Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’ve come across a very interesting line of books that promotes effective listening, communication, and and overall sense of inner peace for children. They are put out by a non-profit organization called We Do Listen, and they star a funny bunny named Howard B. Wigglebottom. In each story, Howard learns some very important lessons, and in the process helps your kids learn them, as well!

We have been reading Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen. The title is pretty self-explanatory! What I especially like about this book is that at the end of the story, there is a review section that goes over some basic strategies for developing your listening skills. There is also a section at the end that gives parents questions that can be asked along with every page in the book. That really helps expand the opportunities for learning and discussion! I thought that was a great idea and was really pleased to see it.

We Do Listenhas a wonderful assortment of books for various life lessons. They also have animated versions of their books that are ABSOLUTELY FREE on their website! And they have songs and other activities. Truly, this website is an excellent resource for parents and kids, and I want to strongly encourage you to check it out!

Buy it!: Howard B. Wigglebottom books are available at HUGE discounts right now. The book we reviewed is marked down to $6.00, and you can purchase all 10 of their books for just $50.00. What a steal!!!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the book of your choice from the Howard B. Wigglebottom line!

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Wiggles It’s Always Christmas With You DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Want to see something we saved for our holiday travels this year so that Darah could enjoy something fresh and new? For the first time in seven years, The Wiggles have released a holiday DVD, and Darah has had a front row seat from the airplane to view it! In It’s Always Christmas With You, the colorful singing group and their friends travel across three different continents and get to celebrate all the ways that the holidays are marked in different cultures. There are 14 original new tunes (parents of Wiggles fans will be grateful for the new material!). It runs 110 minutes, which is perfect for the car or a plane ride, and it is very affordably priced at just $9.99.

If you need a last minute stocking stuffer or something new to pull out during your travels, run over to Walmart, Kmart or Toys R Us, where you can find this great DVD.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of The Wiggles’ It’s Always Christmas With You!

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Cool Gear Go Gear Travel Tubes Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Traveling with kids is hectic, even if you are an excellent planner. Over the past few years I have come to really appreciate products that help us get on the road or up in the air with just a little bit less stress. If those products can also save us money in addition to our sanity, that’s a big bonus.

Today I’m featuring the latest and greatest product from Cool Gear. It’s called Go Gear Travel Tubes and now that I own these, I’m pretty sure I’ll never have to buy travel-sized shampoo, conditioner or lotion ever again. EVER! This set of 3 TSA-friendly tubes are BPA-free, and they are also very flexible and VERY easy to pour your products into (YAY!!!!).

I know that empty bottles designed for travel have been around for a long while, but these are definitely the best I’ve ever had. Ones I’ve purchased in the past have cracked over time, and have also been really annoying to fill or have tops that couldn’t really be relied on not to leak. These are all non-issues with the travel tubes.

Another thing I really like about these tubes is the fact that you can choose if you want to get a set where all 3 tubes are the same size, or if you want a set where each tube is a different size. I personally prefer the set with different sizes, as when I’m traveling, I use more shampoo than conditioner, and even less lotion. It’s great to have those products only take up as much space as is needed, rather than having 3 large bottles.

The color scheme of the bottles is an early 90s throw back, which may strike you as fun. I’d prefer something a little less loud, but on the up side, the bottles are easy to spot in your luggage and hard to miss when you are packing up to go back home.

Buy it!: Go Gear Travel Tubes are available for $10.99 for the variety pack or $12.99 for the one size pack. These make the perfect gift for the jet setter in your life!

 

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Pandora One Review: Worth the Money?

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Please tell me that you listen to music through Pandora, and perhaps through Pandora One, the subscription service. If you don’t, let me take a moment to change your world forever and for awesome. Pandora is a streaming online radio service that enables you to create specific stations based on your own interest. You tell it what you like and it will bring you music that you are sure to love. If Pandora ever gets it wrong, just tell it, and it will note your dislikes and adjust your station accordingly. It is pure genius and it has introduced me to so many wonderful artists and songs that I might not have otherwise ever heard.

pandora logo for pandora one

Tim and I have been listening to great music on Pandora for at least 3 years now, and maybe even longer. We’ve gotten members of our family into it, too. I enjoy that it’s music that can go with me anywhere I have an internet connection. There are some stations that Tim and I both enjoy listening to, like our favorite Christmas station and our Glee station. But we also each have our own personal favorites that we listen to when we are apart from one another. As I type this, Tim is likely listening to Balkan Beat Box Radio (??)…yeah, not my jam. Meanwhile, I’ve got my Ben Folds station rockin’ out.

Since we’ve been pretty darn serious with Pandora for a while, we’ve decided to take our relationship to the next level, and purchase a premium subscription, known as Pandora One. It costs $36/year, and prior to now, I haven’t been willing to fork over the money. I reasoned that I didn’t mind the occasional commercials that would play on my stations.

pandora one subscription: worth it?

If you’ve made the jump from traditional cable to a DVR service, then you know that commercials weren’t so bad until you experienced life without them. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!!! My music just keeps playing and playing with no interruptions, and I adore it, people! Tim is really enjoying it, too.

But here’s another great feature that I didn’t even know was coming with my premium subscription: unlimited skipping! You see, sometimes you might be a bit tired of a certain song that is playing, or just not be in the mood for it. You don’t dislike the song, you just want to skip it. So you do, which is fine. With a free subscription, though, you can only skip so many songs each hour. I almost always hit my limit because I’m fickle with my music. But much to my surprise and delight, you can skip to your heart’s content with Pandora One! If I had realized this, I would have gotten the subscription sooner!

EDIT: NEW INFORMATION! A free Pandora account permits 6 skips per hour per station, for up to 12 total skips per day across all stations. Upgrading to a Pandora One premium account removes the daily skip limit, although the 6 skips per hour per station limit remains  in place. Sorry that I had this wrong at the original posting date.

Finally, Pandora One offers a desktop client which is nice to have on your computer. It allows you to pull up Pandora without having to go through your browser, getting you to your music with less hassle. pandora one gift subscription

As we get ready to ring in a new year, let Pandora help with your celebrations. They will have a special New Year’s Eve party station full of upbeat celebration-inspired hits. No need to sort through your music and create a playlist! Just search for 2011 New Years Eve Party on Pandora and get ready to celebrate!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Pandora One subscription! Woo hoo!

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Rock ‘N Learn NEW Letter Sounds DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Back in August I did a review of the great DVD Letter Sounds from Rock ‘N Learn. Darah has been watching the DVD all fall and really enjoying it.

The company Rock ‘N Learn has a strong commitment  to providing high quality educational materials that will entertain and teach children at the same time. They decided that their award winning DVD was due for an upgrade, so they released a NEW Letter Sounds just a short while back. We’ve watched it, and it really is totally new, and yet, still awesome!

Letter Sounds gets your children ready for reading by focusing on the sounds of the different letters. Knowing your alphabet is great, but it doesn’t get you too far once it is time to read. You’ve got to know how to put those letters to work through sounds and blends. Letter Sounds focuses on just that!

Buy it!: Right now you can score 25% off your entire purchase at www.rocknlearn.com by using the code JQ7711 (contiguous U.S. residents only). That brings the price of this DVD down to $15. You’ll be blown away by their selection of great titles and subjects, I promise!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the DVD or CD of your choice from Rock ‘N Learn!

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Maternity Monday: Noodle and Boo Lotion Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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One thing I wish I had taken the time to do more often with Darah when she was a baby was infant massage. There’s so much research out there indicating that this is such a great bonding activity for baby and parent. I was always so worried about whether or not she was cold that I didn’t massage her as often as I would have liked. I’m going to be more intentional about giving my little one lots of touch and ski-to-skin contact this time around.

I know this is a great thing for babies, and it is also a great thing for toddlers! Darah likes to “do lotion” after her bath or really most any time that I mention it as an option. She’s actually not an overly touchy child, but she loves a massage!

I try to make sure that I have high quality, hypo-allergenic and all natural products to put on her skin, and I’ll be even more diligent about that with the baby in its first year. Right now we are testing a product that we are really enjoying. It’s called Super Soft Lotion by Noodle & Boo. It smells fantastic; like a baby! It’s made with sweet almond oil and contains natural antioxidants. I find that it moisturizes Darah’s skin without leaving a greasy residue. I appreciate that because in the winter months, I do want to get her dressed quickly after her lotion time, and I don’t worry that this lotion will get all over her clothes.

Noodle & Boo products are made to be used on newborns and babies with sensitive skin, so there is no need to worry about potential reactions. Their baby skin care products are also formulated to comply with some of the most stringent consumer production standards in the entire world (those set by the European Union and Japan). I appreciate that a U.S.-based company goes above and beyond what our own country’s regulations require. That shows a true dedication to providing the very best and safest products possible.

One other great thing about Noodle & Boo is that they aspire to help children in need by donating a significant portion of their profits to different children’s charities. I love an organization that really gives back.

Noodle & Boo has a fantastic line of products that you and your baby are sure to enjoy. I highly recommend the baby lotion as a gift for your little one, or as an extra special baby shower gift.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will win a Noodle & Boo Super Soft Lotion!
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