Stuff Parents Need

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

Make Donating to Thrift Stores Easy: Reisenthel Shopper XL Review and GIVEWAY!!!

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Raise your hand if you have too much stuff in your house that you don’t need and that brings your precious little joy to hang on to. If you didn’t raise your hand, please consider doing a guest post here on how you live that way. Totally serious.

For the rest of us, we all know that we need to let go of some stuff so that we can make our house feel a bit less junky and a lot more peaceful. For a while I had a pile of donations kept in a basket in our laundry room/office. The problem with that method was that Darah would get into it and take things out and tote them all over the house. So basically, it was pointless! Also, since the pile of stuff I needed continued to take up so much space in my house, it didn’t really feel like I had made much of a difference in terms of de-cluttering.

So I came up with a new method for thrift store donations. Wanna hear my trick?

I put everything in the trunk of my car.

This immediately gets everything out of sight. Which I absolutely LOVE! If I’m ever on the fence about donating something, I can also put it in the trunk and there it will be if I change my mind. Let me tell you, I have put HUNDREDS of things in my trunk at this point, and I have yet to go back in and retrieve anything!

The other great thing about putting your donations in the trunk is that when you are out and about running errands and are going by the place where you donate things, you are always ready to drop some stuff off.

Now, my “put it in the trunk” strategy did have one critical flaw. As my donations grew, the pile became more and more out of control until it became too cumbersome for me to use my trunk for anything else. Boo. I realized that even my donations needed some organization. Here’s my before shot (don’t judge!).


And here’s my after shot. See if you can spy a super duper fabulous bag in the picture!

All of my grocery bags are over to the far right, and everything else but the stroller in the back are things to be donated. I’ve got the Reisenthel XL Shopping Tote which now serves as my donation bag. It is super cute, no? It’s also super big (26.8 ” X 17.9″) and super strong! It is the perfect bag to keep my trunk from getting too crazy. Plus, when it is full (like in the picture), that’s my cue to get my behind over to the thrift store and drop everything off.

This bag is also just the right size for holding sports or swim gear, which are other things that tend to stay in the trunk and make everything look a bit messy.

Reisenthel is a company that has been creating awesome reusable bags, carriers and home decor items for 40 years. That means that they were making reusable bags pretty much before anyone else! Their shoppers and tote are very popular in Europe and are making quite a splash here in the U.S. as well. The shopper I reviewed retails for $29.99 and can be purchased at Touch of Europe.

My BFF can attest to just how beautiful the bags are, as she was visiting when mine arrived. We used it to load up everything we needed for a day trip out with the girls, and after watching it in use, she said, “Are you going to give one of those away? Because they are awesome!”

Why yes, I am!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Reisenthel XL Shopping Tote (sponsor will choose the pattern). Awesome! The contest will run until July 27th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Check out the super impressive selection of Reisenthel products and tell me about another one that you really love. You are going to flip when you see all the pretty!My answer: I really want a carrybag for trips to the farmer’s market!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Reisenthel on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by email or RSS
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my site.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary bag for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Lock Down the Perfect Gift: Master Lock Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Back in 2006, I got a grill for Tim. It was nothing glamorous, but it was his. It was one of those very basic models – a good “first grill.”

The grill sat on the side of our house for a few days, tucked away behind our garbage can. And then it was time to take the garbage to the road, so the grill was no longer hidden.

That’s when it was stolen. Tim never even got the chance to use it. 🙁

That incident is the main reason why all of our porches since that time have remained completely empty. I haven’t put out any furniture, any large potted plants, and certainly not any grills. I realized that if it can easily be moved, it can easily be stolen.

I was really excited to learn about a product that Master Lock puts out that is actually perfect for things that you’d like to leave outdoors, but that you’d also like to make sure stay where you put them.

These are Adjustable Locking Cables, and they are so useful! The cords are extremely flexible and the locking mechanism is adjustable so that if you need to use your lock to help hold something tightly in place (like a ladder), it can do that!

Other features are as follows:

  • 3/8″ (10mm) braided steel cable for superior cut resistance.
  • Cable end threads through places other cables cannot.
  • Rekeyable wafer cylinder for maximum pick resistance. Can be keyed-alike to any standard M1 key cut.
  • Rust resistant lock and vinyl coated cable for superior weather and scratch resistance.
  • Velcro strap holds excess cable for compact storage.

Now that Tim has a lock like this, he is MUCH more likely to have a grill in his future. It wasn’t an option at all before. This is also great if you don’t have a hidden place like a garage or a shed to store your lawnmower or weed eater. It can even serve as a bike lock!

Master Lock is a really great resource for gifts, whether you need an adjustable lock or something different. They are the world’s largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security solutions. Because they are such a popular supplier of such products, you can find them pretty much anywhere. Check out the list of stores where Master Lock is sold!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the Adjustable Locking Cables we reviewed (ARV $28.70). The contest will run until July 26th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one other product from Master Lock that you’d like to have.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Master Lock on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

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

Music for Kids: Putumayo Kids World Party Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Is your little one in need of a fun new YouTube video and song? Here’s a great one!
This is from the fantastically fun new album from Putumayo Kids called Kids World Party. We have really been enjoying dancing around the house to it! It has a wide variety of artists from all over the globe, and it brings home a really terrific selection of different musical styles and sounds.

Here’s a list of the artists and their home countries:
Pakita (France)
Solanna (US)
Famara (Switzerland)
PALO! (Cuba)
Asheba (Trinidad/Tobago)
Sharon Katz and the Peace Train (South Africa)
Tom Freund and Friends (US)
Lucky Ali (India)
Will Street (Canada)
Monedita de Oro (Mexico)
Balentes (Italy)
Eric Bibb (US)
A portion (50 cents) of each album sold goes back to Amnesty International, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary and in support of its work to promote and protect human rights worldwide. I also loved that that packaging for the cd uses no plastic. Way to go on both of these matters, Putumayo Kids!
Buy it!: Kids World Party was released on June 28th and is available for $14.98. If you are looking to bring a global experience to your living room, look no further!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag your own copy of Kids World Party! The contest will run until July 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Have a little listen to the tracks on this cd (you’ll be so glad you did!) and tell me which one you really like!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Putumayo Kids on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow GIVEAWAY

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Yesterday you saw my review of the fabulous Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow (aka the pillow of my dreams). Well now you have a chance to win one for yourself! Woo Hoo!

The contest will run until July 23rd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the continental U.S. (sorry Alaska and Hawaii!).
Mandatory entry: This contest is open to all of my email and RSS subscribers! If you haven’t subscribed yet, now you’ve got a good reason to do so! If you have already subscribed, great! Just let me know in the comments for your first entry.
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Show a little love to Savvy Rest by liking them on Facebook. Come back here and tell me you did.
2. Blogger love: While you are on Facebook, show a little love to Stuff Parents Need and like my page. Come back here and tell me you did (or already do!)
Rare bonus entry: Follow Savvy Rest on Twitter
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for the review I provided. The opinions I expressed are strictly my own.

Baby’s First 100 Days Review and GIVEAWAY

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Anyone who has ever had a baby can confirm that the old saying is true: baby’s don’t come with instruction manuals! Fortunately, millions of parents have come before us, and over that times, we’ve learned quite a lot about newborn development, and what is normal, and what should raise concern.

Baby’s First 100 Days is a new book that has just come out, and I like it for a few main reasons.
1. It is brief. When you are in the throws of learning how to feed your child (breast or bottle), learning to diaper, and falling madly in love while learning how to survive on no sleep, it can be a little overwhelming to have to flip through a book the size of an encyclopedia to find the information you seek. This book is 84 pages long and has a very handy table of contents. It will fit on your night stand right next to your diaper cream and breast pads. Just sayin’.

2. It has pictures! When you are a first time parent, sometimes a book will describe newborn behavior, but you won’t know for sure if what they are describing is what your baby is doing. Having a picture that shows what they are talking about is enormously helpful! When you are brand new to parenting, you have no idea what a grimmacing face might look like, or a proper swaddle. Pictures really do help.

I would recommend Baby’s First 100 Days as a baby shower gift for a first time mom and dad. I don’t think it is necessary for anyone who has already had a baby once before. I will be passing my copy along to a childhood friend of mine who just had her first baby 6 days ago. I hope she will find it to be helpful!

Buy it!: Baby’s First 100 Days is available from Amazon for $7.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Baby’s First 100 Days. The contest will run until July 21st at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Share a tip that you would give to a brand new parent

My answer: We purchased the sound of a heart beating in utero from iTunes for 1.00. Best dollar we spent! When Darah was a newborn, she preferred to have that playing on repeat while she snoozed during the day. I highly recommend it!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Cedar Fort Books on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Hanes Toddler Underwear Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Darah has fully owned her underwear collection. She loves the ritual of picking out her new underwear from her basket. I’ve noticed that she likes having a variety of solids and prints, and she really does choose whatever suits her mood.

She spends most of the mornings that we are at home in just a top and her undies. She seems to prefer this most casual attire, and I don’t mind. It’s warm inside the house, and if she’s more comfortable that way, then that’s fine with me!

We just received some new underwear from Hanes, and I’m excited to tell you about them. These are the Hanes Tagless Toddler Girls 100% Cotton Briefs. They come in a package of 6 for $6.50, which is an excellent buy! And as you read in their name, they are TAGLESS!!! This is a very nice feature for comfort. The only drawback is that it does make learning how to put on your underwear a little bit trickier. All the tag information is on the underwear, but because it isn’t on a tag, it’s a little bit harder for a young one to find. You’ll just have to determine if it is more important to have an easily identified tag or to have a toddler who doesn’t complain of something scratching him/her! I really think what you need just depends on your child.

One other fantastic feature of this toddler underwear is that it is guaranteed not to ride up! No wedgies for your little one! I have definitely found this to be true for Darah, and that’s one reason I’d give this underwear a big endorsement.

If you have a toddler boy, Hanes also has a line of tagless underwear for boys, too!

The sizing for the underwear is 2/3T or 4T. I was very concerned that a 2/3T would be enormous on Darah, but I haven’t found that to be the case. They are a little bit big, but we’ve had no problems with them drooping or falling off. Basically, she just has a bit of room to grow, which is nice for the budget!

I would definitely recommend Hanes as a great resource for toddler underwear at affordable prices! Here’s a list of retailers that carry Hanes!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your choice of toddler underwear for girls or boys! The contest will run until July 20th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me another product in the infant and toddler line that you’d like to have for your child (choose from underwear, socks, t-shirts and sweats).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Hanes on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (found on sidebar)

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

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

Mezzetta Review and GIVEAWAY (and $25,000 Contest Announcement!)

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It’s hot. H-O-T! And do you agree with me that when the weather is like this that the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven, or really even your stove?! Summer meals in my house incorporate many more fresh ingredients, and we also turn to meal ideas that take little to no cooking.
And that means that we eat a lot of sandwiches over the summer!
We don’t eat sandwiches often during the rest of the year, so it’s fine for us to have a sandwich season in our house. But Even though the “season” just lasts a few months, I can get bored with my sandwich options after just a few weeks. I get stuck in a rut and find myself eating the same boring things over and over again, just because I don’t know what else to do, nor do I have any cool ingredients on hand.
But not anymore! Today I’m featuring some products that really need to go on your next grocery list, because they are probably not things that you think to include, but if you have them, they can revolutionize your sandwiches (promise!).
Mezzetta is a family-owned business that has been operating since 1935 and is based in Napa Valley, and they are the leading producer of glass-packed peppers, olives and specialty foods in the United States! They offer a wide-variety of products that you can read about here.
I’ll pause while you wipe the drool off your mouth…
All better? Ok.

We were sent a few products that are especially useful for taking your sandwich from, “Meh” to “MEZZETTA!!!” 😉 You guys, I had NO idea what a humongous difference a little swipe of pesto on a sandwich would make. It’s a huge game-changer! Or have you ever thought of trying roasted red bell pepper strips on your boring turkey sandwich? Oh yes, it’s not boring, anymore! And don’t even get me started on the power of sundried tomatoes. Oh. my. word. Divine!!!!
These are things I’ve seen before in fancy-pants sandwich shops. Occasionally, I’ll spring the $8 for one of those sandwiches. But why? You can totally make this stuff at home for a fraction of the price! You just need a little help from Mezzetta!

If you are feeling inspired by these sandwich savers, then listen closely: you can turn your culinary wizardry into $25,000! From now through September 5th, you can submit your best jazzed-up sandwich idea and be entered to win! They also have some excellent sandwich ideas from celebrity chefs on the site, so be sure to stop by. Someone is going to win this money….why shouldn’t it be you???
Buy it!: If your local grocer is wise to the deliciousness of Mezzetta, you should be able to find these products on your next trip to the store. But if not, never fear! Mezzetta products are available online! they are worth buying, for sure, and you can even pick up a few extra jars of products as these make excellent hostess gifts to bring along to your next dinner party.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a gift basket from Mezzetta (sponsor’s choice!). The contest will run until July 18th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: This contest is open to all my email an RSS subscribers! All you have to do is subscribe (or already be subscribed) and tell you me do so in the comments for your first entry.
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Mezzetta on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
Rare bonus entry: Tell me which Mezzetta product you want to try!
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the page.
Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Homeopathic Topical Pain Relief: Tropicin Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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The more I read about homeopathic remedies for various illnesses, the more interested I have become in having them in my house as the items we turn to first. I recently learned about a fantastic line of topical treatments that are homeopathic in nature. The brand is Topricin, and today I’m introducing you to 3 products in their line.

From their site, “Topricin is the nation’s leading natural therapeutic topical treatment. It is FDA regulated formula that brings together 11 homeopathic bio medicines that work synergistically to relieve pain associated with a wide range of ailments abd injuries, including: fibromyalgia, arthritis, lower back and shoulder pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and trauma and sports injuries.”

I love when a product can address such a wide variety of issues, and when there are no known side effects for using the product, as is the case for Topricin!

First, for the little ones we have Topricin Junior. This product can deal with a whole host of issues, including injuries, bruises, sprains, cramps and muscle aches (growing pains!), bug bites, minor burns and eczema. Isn’t that amazing? In addition, 5% of sales for this cream go back to Pediatric Cancer Care, a non-profit organization.

Next, I’d like to introduce you to the original Topricin. This product is safe for all skin types and even for pregnant women! It is meant to alleviate pain. I’ve used it on sore muscles and found it to be effective! I’d like to get some for my mom, who suffers from fibromyalgia, to see if she experiences any relief with the product. It seems from the reviews that others with this condition are report Topricin to be very helpful.

Finally, we received Topricin Foot Therapy Cream. I have not had the opportunity to try it out, yet, but I am prone to leg cramps when I get stressed out, so I’m really glad to have this on hand for when it happens . It can also help alleviate pain associated with sprains and sports-related injuries.

Topricin products provide relief in about 15-20 minutes from the time of application, and the relief lasts 4-6 hours. I think these products are extremely useful for a whole host of reasons, and deserve a spot in your medicine cabinet. Find your nearest Topricin retailer here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a 3 pack of Topricin products! The contest will run until July 16th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Poke around the Topricin website and tell me something you learned (don’t miss the informational videos in the resources section!).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Topricin on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

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

Baby Bites Review and GIVEAWAY

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I just finished reading a FANTASTIC book that should be in the home of anyone with a baby or toddler. It’s called Baby Bites, and it is written by Bridget Swinney, a Registered Dietitian. It is chock-full of really good information that parents need to think about when getting their babies started on solid foods. It even has tips and tricks for those of us with picky eaters on our hands.

While Darah eats table food at this point, I still got a lot of really good ideas about foods to expose her to, and what her daily diet needs to have in it. I’m doing a decent job, but after reading this book, I see some areas where I’m missing the mark and need to be a bit more intentional. The book didn’t make me feel guilty about these shortcomings, but rather, left me feeling more empowered to take control of making sure Darah is surrounded with healthy foods and healthy messages about our relationship with food.

Baby Bites is available from Amazon for just $10.40 and is well worth it! I highly recommend this read!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Baby Bites. The contest will run until July 15th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the most interesting food that your child loved as a baby or toddler

My answer: Darah, just like her mother, felt passionately about mangoes from her very first bite. She would literally shake in anticipation of getting to eat a bite of pureed mango!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to Bridget’s blog
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

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