Stuff Parents Need

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

Gourmet Gift Baskets Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m all about simple DIY projects that make fabulous gifts. One thing that is not too hard to do, for example, is to put together a cute gift basket for someone. Even if you don’t know the person very well, you can still put together something fabulous for not much money. All you have to do is the following:

1. Scour thrift stores and yard sales until you find the perfect basket

2. Buy lots of different cute products that look nice together but that are each different and unique. In the case of food, this may mean buying products that come with individual packets and only using one of two of them. If you want something gourmet and different, this will mean a special trip to the most posh market in your area (in my case, that’s a 20 minute drive by interstate each way).

3. Make the arrangement visually appealing. You need tiers in your gift basket, as well as an overall sense of symmetry. This is a bit complicated, since every item in your basket will be different. If I were doing this, I’d probably spend at least half an hour on it, as I would fail numerous times!

4. Get some of that clear gift wrap (where do you buy that?!)

5. Find a large bow that is cute! If you are like me, you don’t have one, so you’ll need to go buy one.

6. Deliver the goodies to the recipient (unless they don’t live in your town, in which case proceed to steps 7 and 8).

7. Find a box that is big enough for the gift basket.

8. Pay a stupid amount of money to mail it.

Ok, all done! Whew!

What’s that, you say? That doesn’t sound easy AT ALL???? Yeah, I’m with you. I actually think it can be easy, but it can also be REALLY hard! And sometimes you realize that you need a nice gift next week and you have ZERO time to get your craft on! That’s where Gourmetgiftbaskets.com comes in! They have a fantastic selection of gift baskets for most any person and any occasion. Here’s the one we received:


When it arrived, I thought, “This is too pretty to eat!” And then I looked at all the yummy, gourmet goodies inside. My next thought was, “Where are the scissors so I can break into this thing?!” At least I had enough discipline to snap a shot before I started munching away. Every single item in the basket was delicious, and there were many yummy treats that were totally new to me, which was fun.

The gift basket I reviewed retails for $59.99. I totally hear you…that’s not very cheap! But that’s exactly why I broke down what it would take for you to make this yourself. Sometimes it is really and truly worth the money to let a professional handle it all for you. I’d estimate that for me to re-create this basket with similar items would take me several hours and at least 2/3 of the cost of the gift basket I could buy here. That means that the price is totally worth it in my book!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the same gourmet gift basket I received! Yum! The contest will run until July 6th 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: Gourmetgiftbaskets.com wants to be friends on Facebook! All you have to do is like them, then come back here and tell me you did so!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Post a note on Gourmetgiftbasket.com’s Facebook wall about your favorite gift basket.
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 homepage.

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

Build a Dream Playhouse Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’ve been wanting to get a playhouse of some sort for Darah, but I’ve been running into a few key problems.
1. They are expensive
2. The more affordable (though still quite expensive) options are made of plastic. Ick.
3. They take up a huge amount of space
4. We are short on space, as our home is only 1100 square feet

I love this work as a product review blogger, because it is just SO cool to find a product that addresses every single one of these problems. And that company is called Build a Dream Playhouses. Take a look!

Your eyes do not deceive you, these playhouses are made of cardboard! This makes them MUCH more affordable and more eco-friendly than their plastic counterparts. While I know kids can be rough on their toys, I will tell you that in the 3 weeks that we have had this product, we’ve had absolutely no problems with anything being torn or broken.

The Build a Dream Playhouses come ready to be colored, which I think is a really nice touch. This gives kids the opportunity to give their playhouses a custom look. I will say that I think it would be nice to sell a pre-colored version of their products for anyone who would like their playhouse to look a bit more polished.

I’ve made a video to show you how Build a Dream Playhouses address the space issue. Check it out and prepared to be amazed!

Uh, yeah. Tim just put it away in 12 seconds. It is so flat that we just slide it under the couch for storage. LOVE THIS!!! Putting it back together is just as easy.

Darah is absolutely delighted with her castle. Mom and dad are delighted with not sacrificing space in our house in order to give Darah something really fun to that will inspire hours of imaginative play. Plain and simple, Build a Dream Playhouses rock my world.

Buy it!: Build a Dream Playhouses start at just $39.95. The castle we reviewed retails for $59.95. All items can be purchased in the Build a Dream Playhouses shop.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the Build a Dream Playhouse of your choice! The contest will run until July 5th 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 for all the Facebook fans! You MUST like Build a Dream on Facebook AND like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook, and then come back here and leave a comment that you did so.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Build a Dream on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS/email

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.

Envirosax Bags for Kids Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Have you joined the forces of awesome yet and ditched plastic grocery bags? If not, I want to give you a big dose of encouragement to go for it. Come on in…the water’s fine! As with any new habit, it can be tricky in the beginning to remember to bring your bags. One tip I have is for your bags to live in the trunk of your car, NOT inside your house. That means they are one step closer to making it into the stores with you at all times!

There are all sorts of reusable bags on the market today and they are easy to get or buy. It’s common to get a free bag now when you go to conferences. Stores you frequent likely have bags available with their store logos on them for super cheap (around $1.00) and you can definitely find them in thrift stores if you spend a bit of time looking for them.

And one more thing: I have frequently had cashiers hesitate to put heavy items in my reusable bags because they assume that they won’t hold as much as a plastic bag. ON THE CONTRARY!!!! They hold up MUCH better than plastic. I have yet to have a reusable bag bust on me while carrying in my groceries. I can’t say the same for plastic.

If you aren’t so much into having bags with company logos on them, and want something that expresses your personality a bit more, I can’t think of a better company to try than Envirosax. These are reusable totes taken to the next level because they are SO STINKIN’ CUTE!!!

Envirosax will outfit you beautifully for any shopping trip. But they go beyond helping the moms and dads out there look smashing while shopping. They’ve got bags for the kiddos, too! We have been using the robot bag, and we are so in love with it! These bags have SO many uses. Darah has pretty much outgrown needing a diaper bag since she is potty trained. But that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have various supplies that we need to take with us if we are going on a big outing. I love that Envirosax are so versatile. They can hold up to 44 pounds of stuff (!!!), they fold up nice and tiny, they weigh pretty much nothing on their own and they stand out in a crowd. On a recent trip, we used this bag to hold all of Darah’s snacks for the drive and all her toys and books. When Darah gets older and can be my big helper when out grocery shopping, we’ll bring this bag along so that she will have something to carry that is all hers.

Buy it!: Envirosax start at $8.95 and are worth every penny and then some. You MUST check out all their print options…you’ll be blown away by the beauty!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a kids tote in your choice of print! The contest will run until July 4th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit on entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the kids tote you will choose if you win. Choose wisely, as the winner will get what s/he selects for this entry!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Envirosax 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. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

How to Make Mozzarella Cheese! For Real! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Can I just tell you guys how much I love you? The response to the automatic yogurt maker was HUGE, and that tells me something really important: YOU GET ME!!!

Some people might think that making yogurt is pointless or even a bit dorky. But not you, my friends. You are keenly aware of just how cool it is. After all, you aren’t making a recipe. You are creating a whole new food! So awesome! And if you are like me, then you can imagine doing away with all those plastic cups you have been recycling for years. No more…you can DIY! We have been making our own yogurt for weeks now, and I can tell you that it tastes better than what we were buying at the store and is much cheaper. Our automatic yogurt maker is now a beloved gadget in our kitchen.

how to make mozzarella cheese Because you guys rock SO hard, The New England Cheesemaking Supply Company is sponsoring another review and giveaway. This time, we are taking it up a notch and learning how to make cheese! Oh yes! I have a video that will show you how Tim and I made Mozzerella for the very first time using the 30 Minute Mozzerella & Ricotta Kit, which comes with (almost) everything you need to make 30 batches of cheese! (If you are reading this is an RSS feed, you need to click over to the blog to see the video).

Here are my overall thoughts about this kit:
1. Don’t expect to be making incredible cheese the first go around, and don’t expect to do it in 30 minutes. This is not hard, but I think there is a bit of an art to it, and that will just take some practice.
2. Like I said in the video, I think gloves would be good to add to the kit, as most of us don’t have unused gloves on hand.
3. Holy crap, we made cheese!!! Do you have any idea how smug you will feel to sit down to crackers and homemade cheese? Pretty darn smug!

I think that this is a VERY cool gift to give to anyone who likes to dabble in the kitchen or who just loves cheese and would be interested in this fun experiment. I think the price is right, too, at $24.95. This is a great kit to start out with, as I get the impression that ricotta and mozzarella are the easiest cheeses to make. Tim and I are thinking about spending a few months getting really good at making these cheeses, and then we might move on to something a bit more advanced.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your own 30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit! The contest will run until July 3rd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond 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 your favorite cheese!

My answer: I think my favorite cheese is Gruyere!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like New England Cheesemaking Supply Company 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.

Yoga By the Dozen Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Have you exposed your child to yoga? If not, I want to encourage you to do so. Kids seem to be naturally good at it (perhaps because they are flexible!). Kids are also so very good at being present, and fully in the moment. This is a key practice in yoga, and one that so many adults (myself included) struggle with every day.

You don’t have to be a yogi, yourself, in order to introduce your little ones to this fun activity. There is a truly excellent DVD out now called Yoga by the Dozen. This is a really great video that definitely captures Darah’s attention. It showcases a dozen fundamental poses to introduce you to the world of Yoga. What I love the very most about this video is that it has 12 small children in it. The intended audience is children from 2-6.

The kids in the video are so free-spirited (it doesn’t feel like they are actors or that they have over-trained for their yoga debuts). It feels VERY natural, and I think that’s a big part of why Darah tunes in to it.

The leader in the video, JoAnna, does a fantastic job of demonstrating all the different poses. I think it is really cool that she uses the official names of the poses. It’s amazing how quickly the little ones pick up on the names, even though they aren’t terms heard in everyday English.

What I also like about this video is that Darah and I can do it together. I certainly didn’t know all 12 of these poses when I first watched the video, and a few of them are a bit challenging for me, but it is fun to practice them alongside Darah. Overall, I find this to be an excellent bonding activity, as well as a great introduction to one of the most beneficial forms of exercise that I know!

Buy it!: Yoga By The Dozen is available for $17.99 and Stuff Parents Need readers can snag 15% off any purchase (excluding any kits) by using the code BLOG15. Be sure to check out their great shirts that help kids find their lungs, heart, kidneys and stomach, which are all used in yoga.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Yoga By The Dozen DVD. The contest will run until July 3rd 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 which of the 12 yoga poses you think your little one will like the best!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Yoga By The Dozen 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.

KidsSocks.com Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 78 Comments

Darah is a dress girl. To be honest, she isn’t yet at the age where she has too much say in the matter. I love to put her in dresses, and her aunt, who we inherit a majority of her clothes from, also likes for her daughter to wear cute little frocks. So I’d say 3/4 of her wardrobe is dresses.

This is AWESOME for the summer months when a dress just feels so much more comfy than pants. It also makes trip to the potty much easier. But Darah wears dresses in the fall and winter, too. All she needs is a good pair of tights, and the styles by Jefferies you see here are my top choice for this upcoming fall (it will be here before you know it!).Since Darah plays a great deal when wearing her tights, I am always on the lookout for good deals so that I can stock up. And I found a great site where I can buy all her tights, as well as any socks that she may need. It is called KidsSocks.com, and they sell an amazing variety of children’s socks! You can easily search by age, style or brand. I also love that they have a clearance section (lots of tights there right now!).

When I’m browsing for clothes for Darah, I rarely think about purchasing socks or tights. Frankly, it’s just more fun to look at the cute dresses! But when you realize you need more for your growing kid, you usually need them right away. KidsSocks.com offers free priority shipping for every order over $30, which means you can stock up and then get your order in just a few days’ time.

I appreciate the wide selection and the reasonable prices I see at KidsSocks.com. I most definitely recommend that you check it out!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one pair of socks or one pair of tights of your choice from KidsSocks.com! The contest will run until July 2nd 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 exactly what you’d get from Kidssocks.com if you win, and choose wisely, as the winner will get what s/he picks out for this entry!

My answer: I think these kids legwarmers are adorable!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like KidsSocks.com on Facebook
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 product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Time for a Business Card GIVEAWAY!!! Ends 06/25!

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If you have a blog or a business of any sort, business cards are really a MUST. I got my very first set of business cards just before my blogging conference this January. I brought 80 and I used every. last. one. I held off on getting more because I knew I was going to buy my own domain (stay tuned for info on the move over to Stuffparentsneed.com!). But now I’m about to get some more. In the past few months I have missed so many opportunities to take the networking I was doing one step further by handing over a business card. I honestly wish I had just ordered more because once you start looking for opportunities to connect with others, you’ll be truly amazed at how handy your business cards are (and how much business they can bring you!).

Another reason to go ahead and get some business cards if you haven’t already done so is because they aren’t at all expensive. UPrinting.com offers fantastic online printing services, including business card printing. Rates start as low as $20! You can customize your cards with any logo or color schemes that you like, or if you need some help in the design department, UPrinting offers die-cut business card templates. It couldn’t be easier!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the following from Uprinting:
  • 250 pcs Die Cut Business Cards
  • 1.75” x 3.5”, 2” x 3.5”, or 2” x 2”
  • 2.5” Diameter (Circle) Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded Single-Corner,Half-Circle Side, or Circle
  • 14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or13pt Cardstock Uncoated,
  • 6 Business Days Turnaround, *Free shipping

The contest will run until June 25th 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 18 years of age or older. Limit one entrant per household, please. If you have won the same item from UPrinting in the last 6 months, you are not eligible for this giveaway.

Mandatory entry:
Tell me what you will use the business cards for (if you have a business or a blog, tell me a little about it or send me a web link…I’d love to see!).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like UPrinting 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.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive business cards for hosting. For more information about business cards, please visit UPrinting online printing services.

 

Aqueduck Review: Bring the Water to Your Child (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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My dirty little secret
I’m about to admit something very embarrassing. Here goes…

Sometimes, after Darah has gone potty, I will skip washing her hands.

I know. GROSS!!!! And I’m setting a terrible example by not being consistent with her about it. I’d guess that until recently, I’d probably skip it about 1/3 of the time. I always wash my hands (I’m the one doing the wiping at this point!) but as for her, it’s just easier to skip sometimes.

I don’t skip it because I don’t think it is important, or because I want to save water. I skip it because it is SUCH a pain to hoist her up and over to where she can reach the water. Lame excuse, I know, but I’m just being totally honest here.

Help is on the way!
And thankfully, there’s at least one other mom out there who understood my frustrations, and she did something about it. She created the Aqueduck, which is a genius little device that is easily added to any faucet to help bring the water to your children instead of the other way around. Check it out!
Why it rocks

  • First, the Aqueduck attaches to your faucet in all of 2 seconds. Easy! And since it can be taken on or off so easily, it can travel with you if you are going on a trip.
  • Second, this has caused Darah to become very interested in getting her hands washed. That means that even if gross mom over here tries to skip a hand washing session and shave off a few seconds from the potty trip, Darah won’t be having any of that. 🙂
  • Third, it really does work (as you can see!). I have a step stool in front of the sink, and she can totally reach the water now thanks to Aqueduck.

Buy it!: The Aqueduck is available for $12.99 and is available at several online retailers (including Amazon). I highly recommend it!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your own Aqueduck in your choice of aqua or pink! The contest will run until June 30th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to 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 something that you know you should be teaching your kids to do, but that you don’t do 100% of the time.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Aqueduck 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 through The Family Review Network. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Sandra Boynton and Beatrix Potter Apps (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 25 Comments

I think it is fair to say that I have seen my fair share of apps for children. At last count, I think we had around 25 apps on the iPad that were just for Darah. I’ve seen a few bad apps (poor design, not much fun, etc.) and I’ve seen LOTS of high quality apps that engage the reader and help little ones learn while they play.

But I’ve NEVER seen apps like what is being put out by Loud Crow Interactive. They have put out 2 Sandra Boynton classics (The Going to Bed Book and Moo Baa La La La). They also have The Tail of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter.

I’m almost at a loss for words for how to describe the technology used to bring these books to life. For the Beatrix Potter books, you should know that they are quite long (which is a good thing for little ones who are ready for a longer story). And page after page has the gorgeous illustrations we’ve come to expect from a Beatrix Potter tale. Only these apps have other features you might not be expecting. For example, the characters on many pages can be touched and dragged to make the slide, tilt or spring. Additionally, there are objects that pop out of the page to give a 3-D effect (no glasses needed!). When Tim and I first read through one of these books, we both erupted in applause when we got to the end. DEAD SERIOUS. Has a children’s app ever made to cheer out loud? Didn’t think so…

Here’s a video that shows you what the app is like:

The Sandra Boynton books also have the ability to click and drag some of the characters. And they have other really precious features. One of my favorites is a moment when lots of animals are crowded around a sink, brushing teeth. You can turn on the hot water and watch the page fill up with steam, which you can then wipe off. Ha! One thing I appreciate about these apps is that they bring a new life to the Boynton books, which most parents really love, but grow tired of after time (not because they aren’t wonderful, but after reading a board book 200 times, you get a little bored, yourself!).

Buy it!: All of these books are available through iTunes. Start at the Loud Crow site to learn more about each option. Pricing starts at just $1.99 for the iPhone, and goes up to $4.99 for the PopOut books on the iPad (SO worth it, by the way).

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one Beatrix Potter app and one Sandra Boynton app of your choice! Woo hoo! The contest will run until June 29th 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 which two apps you would like to win, and choose wisely, as you will get what you select!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Loud Crow Interactive 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 complimentary apps for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.