Stuff Parents Need

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

Using Stickers and Coloring Books for Cultural Exploration! GIVEAWAY!!!

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Putumayo Kids, the makers of some of the most outstanding children’s cds that feature songs and artists from all over the world, has just come out with a new way to celebrate different cultures: stickers and coloring books! Woo hoo!

We had the opportunity to review one of their World Culture Coloring Books (they offer Africa, Latin America and Europe, and we were sent Europe). This coloring book is AWESOME, and that’s coming from a coloring book connoisseur (that would be me, coloring was one of my all-time favorite childhood activities). First and foremost, it is an oversized book, which might not make it as easy to travel with, but does make it so much more fun to color in at home. It measures 11.5″ x 14″ AND it is created with eco-friendly soy ink and used a printer that is Forest Stewardship Council Certified.

But the best part of all is that the pictures are FANTASTIC! The images are large enough that a younger child can feel comfortable trying to color, and a budding artist will get to make some really beautiful pictures that can be proudly displayed at home. All the while, there are so many opportunities to talk with your child about the different monuments, outfits and other features shown in the pictures. This retails for $9.95 and comes with 20 pages. It’s a great find, I think!

The second book we reviewed was their Latin America Sticker Collection.  But this is SO much more than a bunch of stickers. It comes with a book that is actually a fold-out landscape meant for you to create various scenes using your stickers (which are reusable). With over 120 stickers included in each book, the possibilities are endless! I really love this book, because it gets the child actively involved in the scene, creating a whole story related to the region of the world. These books retail for $11.95 and make a fantastic gift choice for the sticker (or geography!) enthusiast in your family.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a coloring book AND sticker book from Putumayo Kids! Awesome!

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Creative Changes Reusable Chore Charts Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Today I am reviewing a product that has been helping families get organized together since 1990. It’s called Creative Changes, and they offer a great selection of chore charts and other organizational aides that are specifically designed to get your children involved in helping with home management.

I specifically remember when my parents realized a parenting mistake they had been making and their attempts (which were largely in vain, I’m sad to say) to correct them. I was 10 and my brother was 12. And that’s how old we were when my parents decided that we should get involved in helping keep the house up. Yup….our very first chores were given to us that late in the game. It didn’t go over well. We had no idea why we would be needed to help with things like vacuuming and taking out the trash. That had ALWAYS been done for us.

The chore implementation never really did go smoothly. We started helping out more around the house, but not because my parents were able to successfully hand off any of the chores. We would do what they asked when they got too fed up and yelled for someone to do something NOW! That’s pretty much how it worked.

I definitely don’t want that to be how things go in my house. But if I don’t teach Darah from a young age that she has responsibilities as a member of the house, it will be all too easy for me to take the same path my parents took and just keep doing it all myself.

That’s why I’m glad for companies like Creative Changes and their chore charts that have been working for decades. While Darah is too young to use these charts, it has inspired me to already start talking with her about putting away toys when we are finished, and how cleaning up is an important element on choosing to play with something.

The Creative Changes charts are easy to stick on the refrigerator and make use of dry erase markers so you can re-use them again and again. They make use of pictures to help little ones know what their chores are on any given day. You can also use stickers to help kids get closer to their incentive (if you choose to use incentives as part of your chore assignments).

I will say that the Creative Changes website is in pretty desperate need of an overhaul. It looks very dated, and the commercial on the site looks straight out of 1990. I’d love to see this updated so that potential customers aren’t scared away. It’s fine for a product to be useful for so long, but the marketing techniques need to be changed to speak to new generations of parents! I’ve seen these products firsthand, and want to encourage you not to be dissuaded by the antique look of the site. The charts, themselves, are really helpful and worthwhile, I promise!

Buy it!: You can pick up the Rewarding Kids Responsibility Kit for just $24.95. I think it is money well-spent if you maintain the discipline to really implement it with your kids. You will get some much-needed help around the house, and your kids will start to take on more ownership and pride in how their home looks. They will also develop good habits that their future spouses will thank you for!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents is going to win the Rewarding Kids Responsibility Kit you see featured here! Yay!

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Best Eco-friendly Stain Remover and Hand Soap: Ecover!

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Ecover is an eco-friendly household product company. You’ve likely heard of them, as they have been around for 30 years, working hard to perfect the power of their products without compromising their gentle footprint on nature.

eco friendly stain remover My family has been working hard to switch out all our household products for green alternatives. One area where I haven’t known how to go green, though, was with stain removers for clothing. I thought my only options were to use harsh chemicals. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try Ecover’s eco-friendly stain remover! I’ve found it to be effective on lifting stains (including berry stains, which Darah gets frequently). It’s also made from plant-based products, so it has very minimal impact on aquatic life, which is much more than I can say for the stain removers I typically turn to. I will definitely be purchasing this product again.

Another area that I haven’t really given much thought to is hand soap. I know some soaps are more harsh than others, but I thought that on the whole, soap was soap, and it wasn’t very full of chemicals. Ecover’s eco-friendly hand soap is suitable for sensitive skin and contains only natural fragrances (the fragrance piece is where many of those yucky chemicals sneak into soaps). I love that it contains aloe vera to help sooth skin and lavender essential oils for a nice, light scent.

One of my very favorite things about Ecover is how easy it is to find locally! They have a list of places where you can purchase it, and it is very likely that you will have one of these stores near you. If not, no worries! Ecover has a great online store through Alice.com. Check it out; I think you’ll be REALLY impressed with their price points! The stain remover is $4.13 and the hand soap is just $4.54. At these prices, you might as well try out several things at once! I know I am planning on purchasing their dish washing detergent in the near future.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the stain remover and the hand soap to try for yourself! Woo hoo!

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Darah’s Favorite Musician Writes Children’s Books! Caspar Babypants Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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bunny rabbit in the sunlight I’ve told you before that even though Darah might have one of the greatest collections of children’s music of any kid I know, she still has a favorite artist (how did she choose?! So many great choices!). Her favorite is Caspar Babypants, otherwise known as  Chris Ballew from a band we grownups may recall, The Presidents of the United States. She knows MANY of his songs by heart and loves to giggle, sing and dance when we play his music.

And now she loves to read his books! Chris and his wife, Kate Endle (an EXTREMELY talented artist) have created two beautifully written and illustrated books for kids. The first one is a board book, called Bunny Rabbit in the Sunlight. Darah loves the cover artwork of the bunny, because he looks just like her beloved bunny. The book has a great tempo to it, and you can imagine it being sung like a song. It’s all about different creatures enjoying all the different types of light (morning light, candle light, twilight, etc.). The pictures are truly gorgeous and we read this frequently.

my woodland wish But the book we read every single day is My Woodland Wish. This is a larger picture book, and the art inside is very cool paper collage. It’s all about a kid who is aware of all the wonderful wildlife that exists right outside her back door, and how she longs to get to play with all those creatures. The book even comes with a free MP3 of the book being performed as a song by Casper Babypants. It is absolutely beautiful, and Darah quickly picked up on the fact that there’s a clever ladybug waiting to be found on every page of the book. That is a mission she takes VERY seriously when reading.

There’s no doubt that Chris Ballew can write beautiful music. And now I see without a doubt that Kate Endle can draw captivating images. What a magical thing occurs when the two put their talents together for children’s literature. I highly recommend both books to be added to your child’s library! We’re so glad they are part of ours!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your choice of book from Kate and Chris! Woo hoo!

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Bringing Fine Italian Dining to Your Table: Twomato Sauce Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I remember the latest season of Master Chef, which I watched online. One of the contestants was an Italian man who specialized in fresh Italian cuisine. I remember being struck by how often his dishes had minimal ingredients, and yet how completely blown away the judges would be by the taste.  He would always say that excellent food doesn’t have to be complicated, which is something very easy to forget when you watch professional chefs pull out all the stops to impress the judges.

Such is the case for a company that makes flavorful, healthy tomato sauce that you can buy to use in your own kitchen. The company is called Twomato, and my family had the chance to try their Tomato and Basil pasta sauce along with 1lb of spaghetti that they also made (you can add it to your order for $4). OH MY GOODNESS. This stuff tasted SOOOO fresh! Want to know why? It’s because the company makes the sauces in micro-batches to ensure that what you get hasn’t been sitting around for months waiting to be consumed. It also has no preservatives and no artificial flavors. Additionally, each jar contains 7-10 servings of vegetables! I thought the sauce tasted like something you could get at a fine Italian restaurant (think more upscale than Olive Garden). This company knows how to choose the ingredients it uses very wisely in order to create that exceptional taste that you never really knew you were missing out on until you get to try something like this.

Twomato homemade pasta sauces are definitely more expensive than what you can pick up at the grocery store, but the taste is in an entirely different league. Jars start at $12.99 and are beautifully packaged so they make fantastic gifts. Or, pick some up for a truly fabulous date night at home. It will be cheaper than the best restaurant in town, and every bit as good!

Win it!:  One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a jar of Twomato sauce in tomato & basil and a package of spaghetti so that you can have one of the best home cooked meals of your life!

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Rock ‘N Learn Alphabet Exercise Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Today I’m bringing you my third review of a DVD from the Rock ‘N Learn series. Be sure to check out my other reviews of Letter Sounds and Colors, Shapes and Counting. If you are unfamiliar with the company behind these great DVDs, I definitely want to encourage you to check out the Rock ‘N Learn website. You will be very impressed with the depth and breadth of subject material they cover for children as a compliment to what they are learning at school, or even as a tool to help prepare them for going to school!

The video I reviewed this month is called Alphabet Exercise. This one definitely proves the point that a video doesn’t have to be a hit with a grown up in order to be of interest to a child (I think Barney proves that point over and over in his videos!). Alphabet Exercise, from my perspective, is a bit strange. It has a man dressed up (coat and tails) who does various silly exercises that relate to each letter of the alphabet. I found his costume choice to be so unusual that I really had a hard time getting past it! Who exercises in formal dress??? 🙂 Also, his pants are too long. I know that seems like the weirdest thing to focus on, but all I could think about when watching the video was, “Someone needs to hem his pants!”
Fortunately, Darah did not seem too worried about the man’s outfit. She was much more focused on the letters on the screen and repeating them back, as well as on trying to mimic the various funny moves the man was making. And really, that’s the whole point! I will say that the moves were all things that a 2 year old could at least attempt (although some were too advanced for her to master at this point). But any pre-school or kindergartner would be appropriately challenged by the moves. It’s a great way for kids to work out a little extra energy, and I know that as the weather turns colder and going outside to play becomes more difficult, this video will be a great alternative so that Darah can still get some exercise.

Buy it!: Alphabet Exercise is available on DVD for $19.99 and can be purchased on the Rock ‘N Learn website. You can also save 25% off your entire purchase on the site by using the code JQ7711. Yay!

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

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Freschetta Aims to Raise $50,000 for Breast Cancer Research (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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All this month when you buy a specially-marked  Freschetta pizza (look for the ones with the pink ribbons!) you can help raise money for breast cancer research. Your box will have a special code on it that you can submit to http://www.proudtosupportpink.com/ and that will earmark $1 to be donated! Woo hoo! Maybe $1 doesn’t seem like much, but every single dollar counts, AND Freschetta is hoping to send $50,000 dollars. That can really have a powerful impact on research and make a difference in finding a cure!

Additionally, each week Freschetta is giving away 50 iPod Shuffles to lucky winners on their site! Woo hoo! They are also giving 50 iPod shuffles to one of four selected Cancer Centers for patients receiving treatment. What a wonderful way to help those patients relax and take their minds off things!
So, to recap, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to the store and buy a specially-marked Freschetta pizza (if you don’t already know how wonderful they taste, you can just come back and thank me after you try them!).

2. Enter the code on your pizza box at http://www.proudtosupportpink.com/.

3. Enter to win the iPod Shuffles while you are there and spread the word to your family and friends so that they can help with the fundraising effort, as well.

 

And of course, I have an opportunity for you to win, too! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a coupon for a FREE Freschetta pizza and two sets of pink earbuds, one for you, and one to give to a friend. Woo hoo! [Read more…]

The Highest Quality Vanilla: Nielsen-Massey (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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For a really long time, I thought vanilla extract was the same regardless of what you spent on it, and I would just go for the cheapest stuff in the store (which still wasn’t all that cheap!). I learned as a young adult that vanilla from Mexico was some of the best in the world, and after purchasing some on a trip there, I had to admit that there was a substantial difference in the quality of my final product when using the “real” stuff versus the junk I’d been using my entire life. But the problem with getting vanilla from Mexico was just that…you had to go to Mexico to buy it! Needless to say, I’ve been out of that stuff for a few years, and just assumed that high quality vanilla was out of reach for me.

And then I slapped myself for being so silly. In this day and age, you are not limited to what you can physically purchase in a store (duh!), and furthermore, I don’t think American bakers are content to have inferior products when the overall difference in quality is so obvious. There had to be a company out there that sold in the United States AND that created only the finest quality vanilla.

Yes, of course there is. It’s called Nielsen-Massey, and if you start doing research online about vanilla, you will see that this company sets the standard. I had the opportunity to try a type of vanilla product I’d never before heard of, and that’s because Nielsen-Massey has the proprietary rights to it. It’s called Madagascar Pure Vanilla Powder, and it is a VERY cool thing for a baking enthusiast to have in her pantry. It can be sprinkled on something as a topping (we’ve used it on french toast and it was TO DIE FOR!), or you can also add it to baking mixes that might be sensitive to color, and adding that dark vanilla extract might detract from the look you are trying to achieve. Clever, no?

Nielsen-Massey also has an extensive collection of other vanilla products, sure to make any at-home cook drool. Since I’m not too knowledgeable about all the different types of vanilla, I really appreciate that the company has a page dedicated to which type of vanilla to use for various purposes. That eliminates the guess work to ensure that you get the product that best meets your needs.

I also had the opportunity to review the cookbook A Century of Flavor, which celebrates 100 years of Nielsen-Massey as a company and gives you the most tantalizing recipe ideas using their products (from sweet to savory!). You can check out some of their recipes directly from their site, including this Crisp Vanilla Butter Cookie that I will be making, and then devouring, in the next week or so.

Buy it!: While Nielsen-Massey doesn’t offer an online store, they can help you find a local retailer, as well as mail order and internet ordering options from retailers. Bad vanilla doesn’t have to happen to you anymore! Get the good stuff, and taste the difference. You’ll never go back to the grocery store junk, I promise!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder! Woo hoo!

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(NEW POST!) Kidorable Makes Kid Towels To Grow With Your Child! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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When Darah was a baby, she had the CUTEST collection of towels. Lots of adorable hooded and super soft things; it was so much fun to wrap her in all that cuteness.

Unfortunately, it seems that whoever makes most of the baby towels in this world borrowed notes from the people who make most of the swaddling blankets, and that means that they are WAY TOO SMALL. Darah never was a big baby, but she still outgrew her towels by the time she was just over a year old. RIDICULOUS!

Kidorable, the makers of those insanely cute umbrellas, rain jackets and rain boots, also has a line of kid towels, only they sized them right! You can purchase a small which they will tell you up front will last you until about age 2 (that’s an improvement over most other small towels!), or you can go with a toddler size, which should get you from 3-6.

We checked out the Lucky Cat towel, and it is AWESOME! I can tell now that it will last for several years, both because of its size, and also because of the overall quality of the towel. Yes, the price is higher than what you might pay for a kid’s towel at a big box store, but you are going to get something that will last longer and be twice as cute.

Kidorable towels also come packaged beautifully, in a cute plastic container that only needs to be plopped in a gift bag in order to be ready to go for a birthday party! I love when companies go the distance with every detail, because it makes me much more likely to turn to them for gift-giving occasions. I despise wrapping gifts, and I have a bit of a complex about my packages always looking so unfortunate (and they really do…I almost couldn’t be worse at wrapping). Kidorable makes it easy for your present to shine! 🙂

I also love that the Kidorable website will show you every other product they offer in the same theme that you are considering. For example, the Lucky Cat theme can also be found on an umbrella, jacket, boots, backpack and hangers. It’s easy to put together a really fun collection for someone over time!

Buy it!: Kidorable towels are available in 10 fabulous styles (don’t miss the fireman! SOOO cute!) for $33.00.

Win it!: Oh goody! I get to host a giveaway for the product that put Kidorable on the map….their umbrellas!!!!

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