Stuff Parents Need

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

Verilux SmartLight: See What Full-Spectrum Lighting Can Do for You! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Did you know that I write most of my blog posts between 4:30 and 6:00am each and every day? It’s true! Darah is an EXTREMELY early morning riser (5:30 is a very common wake up time for her, and always has been). In order to get any work done, I have to get up before she does in the morning. Fortunately, I’m also a morning person, so this schedule has been doable for me.
My husband is a different story. He’s not a morning OR a night person. Basically, if he had his way he would sleep 10 hours a night and take a 1-2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon. He’s just a big snoozer! Waking up is difficult for him and always has been. But we have something in our room that is helping him wake up more refreshed than anything else we’ve tried in the past.

It’s called the SmartLight and its from Verilux. First, let me tell you how we use the lamp, and then I’ll tell you other excellent uses for the lamp. We use it as Tim’s gentle alarm clock. No, it doesn’t have an actual alarm built into it, but when I get up at 4:30, I turn on the SmartLight, which is by Tim’s side of the bed. It produces a Natural Spectrum Daylight that shines in the room. This particular kind of lighting replicates key wavelengths of natural daylight which sends your body a message that artificial lighting simply can’t. Tim is usually out of bed within 20 minutes of the light coming on, and he isn’t grumpy. I’d call this a miracle, people.

The SmartLight is actually intended to be used as a lamp for people who might need to stay up at night studying, and who need some help concentrating while they read. Studies have found that people using the  Verilux SmartLight are able to read faster and with greater comprehension. They can also study longer without glare or eyestrain, which really helps maximize study time.

I can understand that this might sound a little far-fetched. I mean, how is a light going to make you read faster and understand more?! Well, there is over 50 years of research that has gone into this SmartLight, and they have really keyed in on the light the human eye most needs.

Verilux is a company that knows light and knows how to use it to better your everyday life. I have reviewed their CleanWave Sanitizing Wand in the past and continue to regularly use this product to battle germs in my house. I have been consistently impressed with the quality of the products and the research that goes into creating them. Verilux makes products that will last and that will produce results. In the case of the SmartLight, the bulb in the lamp is a very special one (not something you can pick up at your local drugstore or hardware store). But it is designed to last 10,000 hours, which is more than 10 times the life of a traditional bulb. When it does finally wear out, Verilux offers replacement bulbs, as well. The lamp also is made of a durable plastic, which means it can most likely see your child from elementary school through college without any problems.

One of the things I find the most exciting about this product, though, is the price point. It sells for $39.95, and I think that’s a steal for what this lamp can provide to you and your family.  I very highly recommend it for anyone who needs to “burn the midnight oil” but wants to do it in a more effective and efficient way! I also recommend it for anyone who struggles to get out of bed in the morning and needs a more gentle wake up method!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Verilux SmartLight!
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My Very Favorite Way to Buy Shoes: ShoeDazzle Review

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Back in May I was at a retreat for my local Junior League. I was sitting next to a very savvy lady who handled social media for our chapter last year (a role I stepped into for this year). During a break, I noticed that she had her iPad out and appeared to be doing some quick shoe shopping. Intrigued by her ability to shop so quickly, I asked her about the site she was on. She told me it was called ShoeDazzle, and it was a total lifesaver for her. I took a second to look at her shoes. They were GORGEOUS! So I asked to hear more!
shoe dazzle review Once I learned how it worked, I could hardly wait to get back home and get signed up! Let me give you the scoop.
First, you sign up for a membership to ShoeDazzle (which is free). You take a personal style inventory, so that ShoeDazzle gets a better sense for your personal preferences when it comes to shoes, handbags and jewelry. Then, a team of stylists actually puts together a showroom for you of their top picks for shoes, handbags and jewelry, all available on ShoeDazzle for that month, and all at the very affordable price of $39.95 each (and yes, that DOES include shipping!).
shoe dazzle review What if ShoeDazzle didn’t quite get it right? My experience indicates that there will be something in your showroom that you will flip over, but if you don’t like anything they picked out for you, simply request alternative selections. Perhaps you have a certain type of shoe you are looking for at the moment, or you need a sleek handbag in a particular color. Let them know what you are seeking, and give them just a few days, and you will be presented with alternative selections.
Are you hearing what I’m saying to you, people? ShoeDazzle does the weeding out for you, thus, saving you tons of time. And since new selections come out every single month, you can be sure that the products you purchase from ShoeDazzle will be right on trend, and maybe even a bit ahead of the trend (I honestly can’t remember the last time I had items in my wardrobe that were on the very front end of a trend!). And the price point is absolutely fabulous.
Once you place an order from ShoeDazzle, there is one thing you need to keep in mind: it is a monthly “club” that you have joined, and if you don’t tell ShoeDazzle between the 1st-5th of the month that you want to skip the month, you will be automatically charged for that month. You are sent a reminder that it is time to check out your new showroom at the beginning of the month, and I appreciate this, because that gives you reminder you need to log in and select “skip the month” if that’s what you want to do. Skipping is absolutely no problem, and there is not a limit on the number of times you can skip. If you forget to skip but you really don’t want any shoes, handbags or jewelry that month, your credit will hold for you for as long as you like. You don’t HAVE to spend it that month. But I can promise you that it will be hard not to, because the amount of cute that they have to offer is going to blow your mind!
I currently own 3 pair of ShoeDazzle shoes, and they are, without question, the most rockin’ items in my entire wardrobe. With my very first purchase, I was disappointed when I saw that one of my shoes appeared to be scuffed (before I had ever worn them). When I called customer service, they shipped me a new pair that day and just asked that I get the old pair back to them….return shipping is also FREE if you are dissatisfied for any reason. So it is truly risk-free!
One more thing: ShoeDazzle rewards you for shopping with them (as if being a member wasn’t already fun enough!). It’s called Style Points, and you get 100 points for every shoe purchased, and 200 points for every friend you refer to the program. Once you earn 1,000 points, you can redeem it for one credit to the store (a credit is worth $39.95). Pretty awesome, right?!
Join!: Friends, this is one group you most definitely want to join. I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a ShoeDazzle member. There’s nothing to lose (other than bad shoes and accessories, I suppose).
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one credit to ShoeDazzle! EEEEEE!!!!
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Tanner’s Tasty Paste Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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As toddlers start to exert their independence, parents often find themselves scratching their heads and desperately trying to figure out how to make necessities, like brushing your teeth, become appealing to kids once again. This is definitely something that Darah used to LOVE to do, and now she runs away, usually screaming, when we break out the toothbrush after her bath.
But I have found something that works. Get some toothpaste that tastes so yummy that your kid actually looks forward to getting to brush her teeth. Tall order? Absolutely. Impossible? Nope!
For my family, the solution has been Tanner’s Tasty Paste. Darah has been using Baby Bling, which is a fluoride-free toothpaste (perfect for the little ones who aren’t very good at spitting out their toothpaste after brushing). I’ve tasted this stuff, and it tastes like vanilla frosting. Not joking. It is GOOD. I’m amazed that something this yummy is actually cleaning your teeth!
Tanner’s Tasty Paste comes in two other flavors, as well: Banilla Bling (vanilla) and Cha Cha Chocolate. The latter is my absolute favorite. Are you surprised? If you are like me, you are probably thinking, “Chocolate toothpaste? Gross!” Only, I promise it isn’t! It tastes great! I think that’s because Tanner’s is a natural toothpaste company, so their products simply don’t taste like the major brands you find on most store shelves. In fact, they put a list of their ingredients on the website, and even explain the purpose of each ingredients. There’s nothing in their products that doesn’t serve a purpose!
A 4.2 ounce tube of Tanner’s Tasty Paste retails for $6.00 and can be purchased online. If you are wrestling with your kids every night to get them to brush their teeth, this may be the secret weapon you’ve been searching for!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the full line of Tanner’s Tasty Paste products. Woo  hoo!
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The Jimmies: Children’s Music That Rocks My Socks Off! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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As I learn more and more about children’s music, I have noticed that there are artists who like to stick to a particular sound, and there are also artists who like to show off all their varied musical influences by producing songs with very different sounds, all on one album.
Within that sub-group of musicians, I have also noticed that the majority of these artists do not necessarily excel when they try to be too many different things. They don’t necessarily fail, but rather, just produce ok music that seems a little wacky and all over the board.
The Jimmies, however, are a group that seems to have absolutely nailed this skill. If you were to randomly choose any song on their new cd, Practically Ridiculous, you would think that they were singing a song in their preferred style, and you would think that because they would be so good at it. Move to the next song, and you’ll be shocked to hear a completely different sound, though equally as good.
The Jimmies are a musical marvel, I think. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. They have been voted one of the Top 20 Best Kids Album of the Decade by AOL ParentDish, and The Jimmies find themselves on over 12 Best Album of the Year lists. Woo!
Practically Ridiculous will be available for purchase for $14.99 starting on September 20th. But I have a chance for you to win it right now! Woo hoo!
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Babar DVD Collection Review and GIVEWAY!!!

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Are you familiar with Babar? He’s a little elephant who leaves his family in the jungle, ventures into the city, and then brings what he learned about civilization back to his community for the greater good. Babar has been teaching important lessons and entertaining families since 1931!
Recently, two DVDs were released so that Babar would continue to be part of the lives of yet another generation of children. School Days is especially appropriate at this time of year, when many of our children are back in school environments. All 4 episodes on the disc focus on school, with lessons of acceptance, honesty and patience.
The second DVD is called Best Friends Forever. As I watched this disc with Darah I was reminded of a very important lesson: ALWAYS watch what you show to your children, and never assume that the lessons being taught don’t need any further explanation or discussion with a grown-up. There is one episode on this DVD, City Ways, that I found to be too violent for small children (a gun is shown, a grown up dies at the hands of violence, although you do not see the death). Additionally, as a city-dweller, I don’t appreciate the negative portrayal of life in the city, which I believe the episode offers. Keep in mind that these stories are very old, and such views of city life were much more common many decades ago. Still, we will be skipping that episode from here on out, and if Darah ever does want to watch it in the future, I need to be there with her to talk about what she is seeing, and to help her think critically about it.
Of the entire two disc series, that is the only episode that gave me any concern. Darah also seems quite interested in Babar and asks to “watch the elephant” on a regular basis. The DVDs run 90 minutes each and retail for $14.98. Amazon has them on sale right now for $9.99! If you were a fan of Babar growing up, this is a great way to share a cherished character with your little one. It’s fun to get to experience Babar’s adventures all over again!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the School Days and Best Friends Forever! Yay! New to Rafflecopter? Check out my tutorial before you get started.
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Home Air Freshener and Odor Eliminator: Pure Air Candle Review

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So here’s a story about a time when I didn’t follow my nose. Two weeks ago, I was making dinner for my family. It was taco night, so I pulled my ground turkey out of the fridge (we aren’t so much into ground beef). When I opened it up, I thought it smelled not so awesome. But I second-guessed myself and thought, “Eh, I bet raw meat always smells gross and I’m just not remembering.” So I threw the meat into the pan and cooked it. Then I added the taco seasoning to it, and since I thought it still didn’t smell fabulous, decided to give it a taste.

OMG. Rancid meat. Cooked rancid meat with taco seasoning on it. That’s what it was. My nose tried to warn me, but I refused to listen! After I spit out the bite in my mouth and then pitched that night’s dinner into the trash can, I was left with an olfactory reminder of my mistake. The kitchen and dining room totally reeked, and now that it had been confirmed that the smell was bad meat, it made me sick to my stomach.

home air freshener pure air candles That’s when I remembered that I had recently been sent the Pure Air candles from David Oreck. These candles claim to eliminate odors, not mask them. I knew that rancid meat smell would really put them to the test! I brought in the candle, lit it, and left the room for about 5 minutes. When I came back in, the smell was mostly gone. After an additional 5 minutes, it was completely gone. And that’s with the gross cooked meat still sitting in the kitchen garbage can. Yeah!
If these candles can stamp out that nasty smell, I think they can tackle pretty much anything. I was very impressed! I also like the fact that these are made with a non-toxic odor eating vegetable compound blend, so it isn’t releasing chemicals that are unsafe to breathe.
Buy it!: Right now is an EXCELLENT time to buy these candles. They are trying to get the word out and get people excited to try them, so they are offering a Buy 1 get 2 free deal! Woo hoo! Purchase the 22 oz jar candle for $34.95 and you’ll receive two 11.6 oz candles absolutely free. These make excellent gifts, but you should definitely keep one for your own home!

Edit: this giveaway is closed
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Pure Air candle for yourself! Yay!

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Monster Vapor

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As Darah has developed her own likes (ice cream, fire trucks) and dislikes (spinach, flies), she has also developed her own fears. I do not always understand them, but that doesn’t make her fear any less real.

Here are the things that I know scare my two year old:

  • Smoke Alarms
  • Balloons

We are seeing a bit of an improvement in her fear of balloons (slowly but surely), but the smoke alarm issue is one we deal with every single day. We find ourselves having conversations about how the sound is scary, and why a smoke alarm goes off, and how there’s no smoke in the house and isn’t that wonderful?, and how smoke alarms want to protect us. Some days she seems to make peace with them and move on with life, and other days, she seems almost completely fixated on them.

If you child battles with a fear of something that causes him/her anxiety, you may want to consider getting some Bravery in a Bottle. These products have been developed by a very savvy stay-at-home mom named Nancy to help children cope with four very common fears: monsters, storms, needing courage (for things like doctor’s appointments) and homesickness.

From Nancy, “Children tend to feel small and often powerless.  The world can seem big, frightening, and confusing.  Vivid imaginations contribute to their fears.  The symbol for the things children find scary and feel might harm them, manifests itself in the form of “monsters.”

The best way to solve childhood fears is to give children the feeling of control and power over what is frightening to them.  An excellent way to overcome these fears is to tell the child a story about a protective monster that watches over them.  In addition, a picture of a friendly monster – like our awesome logo Winston – is superb in helping them frighten away the “bad” monsters.

Aromatherapy sprays with essential oils create an actual soothing effect.  Give them “bravery in a bottle”.  Empowering children is key to overcoming their fears.”

We received the organic Winston plush. I will NEVER forget the day he came in the mail, because Darah’s reaction to him was absolutely priceless. When I opened the box for her and let her look inside, she said, “Oooh! An owl! (Winston has large eyes, so I’m guessing that’s why she thought he was an owl). I explained that he was actually a very helpful monster, to which she replied, “He’s my best friend!” Then she gave him a big hug, and hopped (literally…like a rabbit) from the dining room where we opened the package to her room, where she introduced him to bunny. On the way, she declared that he was, “So cool!”

So yeah, Darah was pretty smitten with her little monster! I’ve encouraged Darah to give Winston a sniff when she is feeling a little bit scared (he is infused with Monster Vapor) and that does seem to help a bit. I would recommend ordering a bottle of the Monster Vapor along with the plush so that you can freshly scent Winston when he is needed.

I really like that Nancy has created a friend to help chase away those scared feelings, and that she has also created blends of something very natural, essential oils, to help children calm down a bit. It’s very hard to be logical, after all, when you can’t calm down! The oils that are included in each product are listed so that you know what’s in there, too.

Buy it!: Bravery in a Bottle products are all available online. The scent-infused plush we reviewed retails for $15.99 and the essential oil sprays are $12.00 each.

Win it!: One of you will win a bottle of Monster Vapor! Woo hoo! [Read more…]

Scholastic’s Curious George and The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

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It’s a new month, and that means it is time for some new releases from Scholastic! Woo hoo! I ALWAYS get excited when I get an email about what is coming out, and this month was no exception.

First, as we all know, we are commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 11 tragedy this month. As adults, we all remember where we were on that fateful day. I was a senior in college. I can actually see that day on campus very clearly still, because it is so burned in memory. But how do we explain the event to our children who weren’t even alive at the time? Scholastic has released a Caldecott Award winning book by Mordecai Gerstin that can help children understand what the World  Trade Towers looked like, and that highlights a really memorable story from their history. It is the story of Pehilippe Petit, a French man who walked a tightrope between the towers in 1974, at a time when they were the world’s tallest buildings, and it is called, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. It is narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal, and offers a great way to share a positive memory about the towers and the bravery of a single man. What a great story to reference when teaching your children about September 11th later on, and the bravery of all of those people inside the buildings. This disc has 4 stories of inspiration and retails for $14.95.

The second release this month tips its hat to National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is September. It features Curious George, also known as Jorge El Curioso! The title is Jorge El Monito Ciclista. This set has 19 stories in 3 DVDs, and they are all in Spanish as well as English. This is an excellent choice for any child who is working on learning Spanish, as you can hear it in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, Spanish with English subtitles, or English with Spanish subtitles. Yes, you can even watch it in English with English subtitles, which also makes it an excellent choice for any children who are Spanish speakers but are learning English. This set is available for $24.95.

Buy it!: Both sets are available for purchase now on the New Kideo website!

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win one of the titles I reviewed today! Yay! New to Rafflecopter? Click here for a tutorial! [Read more…]

Natural Stress Relief: Rescue Remedy Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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There’s a saying about the experience of raising children that states, “The days are long but the years are short.” SO true! My little one is blossoming in front of me, and try as I may, I can’t hold on and keep her as a baby. She’s nowhere close to that, anymore. She’s 100% toddler, and every now and again, I even get a glimpse of the kid she will soon be!

But let me tell you, it is easy to lose sight of just how quickly this is going by in the day-to-day practice of being home with a toddler. There have definitely been days when I have stared at the clock and begged it to move faster so that Tim would be home sooner and I could get a break from my whiny child. And it seems that every day when Darah goes down for her nap, I stare at my “to do” list and get completely overwhelmed. I’m the type to put 8 hours worth of work on my list, knowing full well that I only have 1 1/2 hours to actually do the work. Sigh…

When I sit down with that list, I also grab a Rescue Remedy product to help me calm down at the start of my work time. Rescue Remedy is a natural remedy made from flower essences that is designed to relieve stress. It has been around since the 1930s, which means that several generations of people have benefited from it.

Rescue Remedy sent me 3 different products to try. First, I tried the Rescue Pastilles. This is actually my very favorite item. It is an alcohol-free, sugar-free gummy lozenge in a really cue tin. The flavor is orange/elderflower. I find it to be delightful and helpful at getting me to calm down.

Next, I tried the Rescue Gum. This is perfect for keeping in your purse. It has the same flavors as the pastilles (orange and elderflower). The gum has a liquid center which makes it fantastically fun to chew. I love the idea that you can have gum on hand that will help you relax.

Finally, I tried the Rescue Spray. Two quick sprays of this product on your tongue provide one full dose of Rescue Remedy. This is something I keep by my bed. For some reason, I’ve been having bad dreams lately, and when I wake up from those, I can give myself a dose of Rescue Remedy immediately and then get back to sleep.

I feel comfortable using Rescue Remedy because it uses only all-natural ingredients. I also like that it has been around for so long. When a company’s product doesn’t work, they don’t get to stick around for so long!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the same Rescue Remedy gift set I reviewed!
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