Stuff Parents Need

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

Skin Md Shielding Lotion: Seriously Amazing Stuff (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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When I was a young child I had pretty severe eczema. I have always been afraid that Darah would have the same problem, so I have been using lotion on her for a long time. This winter, she started developing a few dry skin patches on her legs and arms. When I asked my pediatrician about it, she said that it was eczema. NOOOOOO!!!!!! The patches were slight, and the doctor wasn’t really concerned, but I was! I still remember taking gross oatmeal baths and being in pain from how dry my skin was.

So I turned to a product that I had heard great things about online, Skin MD Shielding Lotion, to see if it could do a better job at combating severe dry skin than the other lotions I had been using.

You guys. Wow. Basically it got rid of her eczema in oh, about 24 hours. And it hasn’t come back. This lotion is an excellent choice for anyone who battles eczema or psoriasis. And even if you don’t, it is going to do some amazing things for your skin! When reading up on this product, I learned that it works by creating a natural barrier on top of the skin to protect it from outside irritants and chemicals (SO nice for sensitive skin) and this barrier also helps lock in the moisture and oils that are already in the skin so that it can stay hydrated.

There are many excellent properties of Skin MD, and there are also some things that this lotion DOESN’T contain:

  • no greasy residue
  • no fragrance
  • no parabens
  • no petrochemicals
  • no dyes

I also like that a little goes a long way this this product. You don’t have to slather it on to get the results you want. One bottle of lotion (priced at $18) will last you a long while, which makes it very VERY worth the price tag. It can beordered online or you can use their store locatorto find the place nearest you that carries the product.

I would very strongly recommend this to anyone as I personally witnessed it knock out our budding eczema problem overnight (literally).

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost you. 

Teaching Kids about Reflection (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I’ve talked before about how much children value rituals, and how much I have enjoyed creating special moments with Darah that help set the rhythm of our days. Today I am bringing you another product that helps create a time of thoughtful reflection just before bedtime. It is called Good Night Pad and it is from Knock Knock. I’d love to tell you all about it!

I love that it has a looped string on it, so that you can hang it up on the wall. This is a great way to ensure that it doesn’t get lost (very important in a busy toddler’s room!). I also find that it adds an element of reverence to the notepad. It is in a special place, where you have to make a point to go get it and to put it back.

While we are really enjoying talking about our day even at this young age, I think this notepad is especially good for school age children, perhaps those with some basic writing skills. They can work on filling out their own pad while mom or dad sit with them. It really is like a first attempt at journaling, and teaches children the importance of reflection.

I love that there’s a space to write about what you hope to dream about that night. I use to always try to plan out my dreams when I was a child, and you know what? Sometimes it worked! 🙂

I think this is a great way to add some quality time with your child into your day, and to inspire some great conversations and a time to reflect. The notepad is modestly priced at $8.00 for 40 sheets. It also comes with 60 stickers so that your child can decorate their pages!

Knock Knock has a very impressive selection of products for just about about occasion or recipient. Some of my favorites include the Pep Talk Nifty Note and the My Life in Graphs Journal (I think this would really appeal to Tim!).

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to snag the Good Night notepad from Knock Knock! Hooray! The contest will run until April 15th at 11:49pm 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 one other product offered by Knock Knock that you’d love to have!

My answer: One additional product that I really like is the Vouchers for Friends. What a wonderful gift idea!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Knock Knock 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: This post was written for Family Review Network & Knock Knock who provided the complimentary product for review & giveaway in exchange for my honest opinions.

Kitchen Paddles: The PERFECT Gadget for the DIY Pizza Maker (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Have I told you before that Tim is becoming quite skilled when it comes to working with dough? He has been using the no-knead bread recipe put out by the New York Times with great success. Additionally, he has found a simple DIY pizza dough recipe that tastes fantastic (we had many failures with pizza dough prior to finding this recipe). We make pizza about once every two weeks (although last week we made it twice in one week!). It is much cheaper to make than to buy, and it is SOOOOO yummy. Who doesn’t like pizza? I’m sure someone out there doesn’t, but I simply cannot relate. Hot cheese meets warm bread meets tangy sauce…yes, please!

Now we have a new gadget in our kitchen that is helping out with bread making, and especially with pizza making. It is called Kitchen Paddles, and they rock! The 1:58 video below shows how these work. Check it out!

What a clever design! The interlocking features really makes these paddles very useful, and helps you to get your pizza in and out of the oven with ease. It can also help with bread if you make it in the oven! Tim has been using them for a little while, and I asked him if he felt like they earned their keep in our kitchen, which is small (so we don’t allow gadgets that don’t work hard to live there!). He said that since we cook a lot of bread and pizza, we will certainly be using these regularly, and that they do make the task easier. They can even be used as a cutting board for fruits and veggies (and you can use the paddles to easily slide your chopped food into a bowl). Hooray!

If you are a homemade pizza family, I think Kitchen Paddles are a terrific option for you to make the job even more fun and stress-free. If you wish you were a pizza making family but just found it to be too difficult, maybe you just didn’t have the right tools for making pizza!

Kitchen Paddles are available for $19.95. At this price point, they also make an excellent and affordable gift for the novice chef in your life, or for the bride and groom! They are made from bamboo with is a renewable resource, and .50 of every purchase goes to a nonprofit called Action Against Hunger. I love that the website keeps a running total of its donations so that you KNOW they really are handing over the money!

Win it!: Hooray! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to get your very own set of beautiful Kitchen Paddles! The contest will run until April 13th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using 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 anything about making pizza at home in your family. Ever tried it? How did it go? Do you have a favorite topping? Anything topic-related works for me.

My answer: my favorite pizza, hands-down, is pineapple. Even better if it has extra cheese!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Kitchen Paddles on Twitter
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current reviews, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary item for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Andean Collection: GORGEOUS Fair-Trade Jewelry (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If I could imagine the perfect jewelry (talking about the type that doesn’t sparkle, here), I would say that it would be fashion-forward, eco-friendly and also fair-trade. I’ve seen many companies that hit two out of the three, but never one that I thought met all three requirements perfectly.

That is, until now.

Oh friends, get ready for some serious eye candy! Check out Andean Collection.

I love, love, LOVE jewelry that is big and bold, without being obnoxious. The colors and materials that The Andean Collection uses really draw me in, too, and I think that’s because they are truly inspired by what you find in nature. On their site, they talk about how they really try to merge the worlds of New York (where they are based) and the Andean regions of South American (where their artisan workshops are located) and the end results are truly gorgeous pieces that weave together urban and rural and nature with the modern world.

Andean Collection loves to provide quality pieces of jewelry for fashion-forward women, but it also has a greater purpose at heart. From their site, “Andean Collection was founded to bring sustainable change to impoverished communities in South America. We offer artisans the opportunity to participate in the global market while inspiring our customers with access to the elusive world of the rural Andes. We have a non-profit arm, Andean Project, to ensure that this change is productive and healthy and to address other poverty related social issues, all funded through our sales and private donations.”

So you see, this isn’t just about looking good. It’s also about helping individuals, families and even communities to participate in the global market place, be paid a fair wage, and thrive. I’ve found that the blog kept by Andean Collection gives you some wonderful insight into the work that is happening in South America. I’m really enjoying following along with the blog posts, and recommend it if you are looking for some good reads!

I was sent the Tagua bracelet in grape, and I have worn is numerous times, already! I love that this bracelet adds a lot of visual interest to my clothes without being over-the-top. And it is purple, but not in an obvious way, so I’m finding that I can pair it with many different colors! I’m absolutely loving it!

Buy it!: The Tagua bracelet is available for $26.00, and is sure to add a lot of style to any outfit! It is also the most popular item on their site, so word is getting out that this bracelet is FABULOUS! Also, be sure to check out their sale section for some really good buys on gorgeous stuff!

Win it!: One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Tagua bracelet, in your choice of color! Wow! The contest will run until April 11th 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: The Andean Collection would love to be friends with you on Facebook, so please like them (and come back here and leave a comment that you did) for your mandatory entry! If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can subscribe to the Andean Collection newsletter for your mandatory entry (and if you do both, leave an extra comment telling me and you can get a bonus entry!)

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow The Andean Collection on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (find it on my sidebar)

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.

Popcorn and Chips Become One: Popcorners (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If you could merge together two of your favorite snacks into one, what would those be? Let your imagination run wild…it doesn’t have to be feasible!

For me, I would blend together ice cream and root beer into an instant float…ready at all times. Just pour, and enjoy!

For Tim, the answer would be to combine popcorn and tortilla chips. I swear that he could survive on just those two items along with some water for an entire week.

Maybe my fantasy treat doesn’t exist (I’ve actually seen attempts to capture this flavor, but I’m talking about having the true taste AND consistency of a float!), but it turns out, that Tim’s dream hybrid snack is real! It’s called Popcorners, and here’s Tim to tell you one big reason why it is such a hit with him:

I’d never really thought about the fact that the smell of popcorn travels far and wide, but it is so true! Popcorners is such a great way for Tim to get his daily popcorn fix at work, minus that popcorn smell. And as he mentioned, Popcorners is SO much better for you than microwave popcorn, which has a laundry list of unpronounceable chemicals in each bag. Yuck!

I like Popcorners because they are crisp and crunchy, just like a chip! I don’t feel so bad reaching for them to munch on, as opposed to something like Doritos. And their flavor selection is excellent! Popcorners comes in the following flavors:

  • white cheddar
  • kettle (my favorite)
  • butter
  • cheesy jalapeno (Tim’s favorite)
  • sea salt

Buy it!: Popcorners products are popping up all over the country, and perhaps are most easily found on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

Horton Hears a Who! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Oceanhouse Media has done it again!!! Horton Hears a Who! is available for download, and it is not to miss!

Horton Hears a Who! is a delightful story about an elephant who discovers an entire world that lives on a speck of dust! Horton works very hard to keep the tiny town of Who-ville safe from harm.

This and other books from Oceanhouse Media can be read 3 ways:

  • * “Read to Me” — listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read
  • * “Read it Myself” — read the book in its traditional form
  • * “Auto Play” — plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children!

These books are AMAZING! At $4.99, they might cost a little bit more than your average app, but they are also SO MUCH MORE than your average app. They are full books brought to life and I can tell you from experience that they are thoroughly enjoyed by little ones! What I love is that they cost about half of what you might pay for a Dr. Seuss book in the store, and you can store them all on your phone or iPad…that helps lighten the load, significantly, whether you are stepping out for a few errands or hitting the road for a week.

I also want to say that because we have great apps like Horton Hears a Who! for Darah to enjoy, she has really started to take a bit of ownership over the iPad (whether we like it, or not). At 19 months old, she already knows how to turn it on and find her favorite app and get it started. It is incredible to watch!

Buy it!: Horton Hears a Who! is available for $4.99, and is 100% worth it! While you are at Oceanhouse Media, be sure to not what the app of the week is, as that one is always on sale! Sweet!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your very own download of Horton Hears a Who!. The contest will run until April 9th 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 worldwide! Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one other book that Oceanhouse Media offers that you’d like to download for your child or yourself!

My answer: The New Potty (a Little Critter) book just caught my attention. Actually, I just bought it because it was on sale for .99!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Oceanhouse Media on Twitter
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 download for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Update on Our Financial Journey: Part 2 (YNAB Review)

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Hello friends!

Today I’m excited to give you the second installment of our financial journey that we’ve been taking, using the budgeting software You Need a Budget (YNAB). If you missed out on part 1, you can check out our YNAB review (there’s a video so you can see and hear me!).

Since that time, a lot of things have happened for us, and you’ll just have to watch this quick video to get the scoop(And sorry that I said it was April in the video…I guess my brain is a few days ahead of schedule)!

Did YNAB, itself, make this happen? Of course not! WE made it happen. But YNAB definitely gave us the tools to set goals and realize our potential to reduce debt and to enhance our quality of life. YNAB rocks, folks!

I’ll be updating you once more, in a few months, and you’ll have a chance to win the software for yourself, then. But if you are considering making the purchase, PLEASE don’t wait for the giveaway…look at we have accomplished in just a few months using it!!!! It is $59.95, SOOOO worth it!

I’d also love to hear from you in the comments a bit about your financial life. Do you keep a budget? Have any tips or tricks for saving and debt reduction? Looking for any advice or have questions for me? I’d love to hear from you!

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Mixing Up Animals! JUMBIES (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Isn’t the imagination of a child so awesome? I’ve been reading about how the brain of a 6 year old child is just so very alive, with trillions upon trillions of connections (we lose a lot of those connections as we age, just in the interest of efficiency). But even though a young one may not be the most efficient thinker, s/he is often a much more creative thinker, making connections between things that an adult might not ever make! The end results are often hilarious and even inspiring.

Today I’m featuring a company that brings that imaginative spirit of a child to life through plush toys called JUMBIES. JUMBIES are delightful creatures that combine two animals into one! In our house, for example, we now have a Blabbit (blue bird and rabbit) and a Leopird (leopard and bird). I actually remember as a child trying to imagine new creatures that were combinations of existing ones, but of course, I can’t remember any of them now! In any case, they probably weren’t quite as creative as JUMBIES! Check out our new additions (note the toe rings that Darah gave to the Leopird!).

One thing I like about JUMBIES is that they have created a really fun website so that for a child, getting one is a true experience. You can log on to the site to read the story of how JUMBIES came to be (it is very cute, and involves some busy storks crashing into each other). There are also JUMBIES cartoons on the site, which are short and fun to watch. Finally, the site offers free downloadable coloring pages featuring their animals. All of these elements make for a wonderful way to introduce a child to the JUMBIES and encourage them to come up with their own jumbled animals! This also serves as the perfect way to get a child familiar with the animals before you do something extra fun, like hide one in the house and go on an expedition to find a JUMBIE! 🙂

JUMBIES can be found all over the U.S., though their market is a little bit limited. They have a list of stores where JUMBIES are sold, but there aren’t any retailers in my entire state, so buying JUMBIES online is really the only option for me. Fortunately, there is a store online (but I do think they need to work on making it a little bit easier to find…I missed it when originally looking for it!). Each plush is available for $7.95, which is a great buy!

Win it!: If you don’t have a JUMBIES retailer near you, then this contest is not to miss! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win two JUMBIES! Woo hoo! The contest will run until April 7th 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: Like JUMBIES on Facebook and post your favorite JUMBIE on their wall! Then come back here to tell me you did! (This will clue you in to other giveaways they have, too!)

My answer: Zelephant is my very favorite! What a cutie he is!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow JUMBIES on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

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

Tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids

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For several months after we arrived in Chattanooga, Darah and I would go grocery shopping together once a week. It was a fun time for Darah to go see a lot of new things and for us to talk about different foods. Aside from lugging the groceries in the house by myself, it was an overall pleasant experience!

But then, three things changed.

First, I started trying really hard to only grocery shop every two weeks. I found that this strategy saves us a bit of money as it gives me fewer opportunities for impulse purchases. The downside, of course, is that shopping for two weeks worth of groceries takes more time.

Second, Darah has started to exert her independence much more. She is a squirmy worm who wants to run around in the store, not have to sit in the cart. Naturally, this does not work so well for me if I’m also trying to buy groceries!

Third, Darah now notices all those cartoon characters and bright colors put on packages that are at eye level for her. I never realized how many packages in the stores are truly made for kids until now. Curse you, food manufacturers! It makes shopping much more of a chore when I am constantly having to tell Darah, “no” as she points to a million things and reaches for them.

So, in truth, our shopping trips together are on hiatus. I’m working now on getting my bearings with how to manage Darah while we are in the house, and then I’ll turn my attention to the store trips. My goal is to have us shopping together again in about 3 months.

canvas totes for grocery shopping with kids And when we go, I have something new that I am going to try that I think will help her feel more engaged in the process: she will have her own children’s canvas totes. Check out this fabulous set from Cloud B. The designs on the bag are some of the Cloud B. animals that are so popular. But even if your child doesn’t own any of these products, the bags are still absolutely darling! Darah has seen them already and quite likes them!

When Darah and I resume our shopping trips, one of my goals will be to make her feel as though she is really part of the experience, not just forced to tag along and stay quiet. She will have her own bags that I will have the checker put just a few things in, and I will ask Darah to help me put those bags in the car and get those bags out of the car. She can also help me unload them in the kitchen. She wants to be involved in the process, and even though for a little while this will take more time than it saves, it will make things so much more fun for her!

Toddlers also highly value having something that is theirs (oh yes, Darah has totally picked up on the word, “MINE!”). So anytime that you can make a big deal out of the fact that they have something just for them, it can get them pretty excited.

As Darah gets a little bit older, these bags can also be a great starting point for a conversation about being resourceful and not wasteful. As a family, we already use canvas bags for our grocery shopping, which I am sure Darah has noticed. We can talk about why we use them, and I will feel proud to know that Darah has had her own canvas shopping bags for as long as she can remember! This is one of the very best ways to get her in the habit of turning to reusable bags when going out to make a purchase.

In addition to being terrific tools to help turn dreading shopping trips into something fun, the Cloud B. totes also make fabulous eco-friendly gift bags. They are surprisingly large, and definitely sturdy. I was honestly expecting something rather flimsy for the price, but these bags are real quality!

Buy it!: These reusable bags from Cloud B. are a total steal at $9.95 for the set of 3. I very highly recommend them!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of Cloud B. reusable bags! The contest will run until March 28th 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 anything about taking your children shopping with you! If it is fun, what makes it so? If it is awful, why?

My answer: At this particular moment in my life, I’ve switched to doing grocery shopping early Sunday morning. Sometimes I leave Darah at home with Tim, and sometimes we all go as a family. Darah enjoys going to the store, but her patience runs thin because I typically buy a lot during each trip. What do you think about the strategy I’m going to use with the canvas bags?

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Cloud B. on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (found on my sidebar)

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.