giveaway - Stuff Parents Need

Social Kiddos: Business Cards for Kids and Moms! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

March 2, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 33 Comments

When I attended the Blissdom conference last month, I learned a bazillion different things! One very important thing that I learned was the power of a business card. They are SOOOO useful! I’m currently going back through the ones I collected from other bloggers, and as I look at each card, memories of our conversations are triggered and I feel more of a connection with the person. It is very possible that I could have completely forgotten that I even met some of these people without having these business cards to remind me, and to encourage me to reach out and connect with them again.

Since that time, there have been at least 6 different occasions when I wished that I had a card to hand to someone I met here in Chattanooga, because I knew it would increase the chances of our talking to each other later down the road. I’ve also just become much more interested in networking with others and less intimidated by the process. It’s who you know, baby!

As a work-at-home mom, still relatively new to this city, I’m starting to really crave developing more friendships with other moms. Guess what? I’ve got to put myself out there more! I’ve had some good chats with other ladies during different events, but they never go anywhere. How to fix this???

Social Kiddos is the answer! This is a genius new product from Kiddo Tags (a company I have bragged about before). These are basically business cards for mom and baby together. They are much more playful and much less business-y, though, I promise! These stickers, which are adhered to card stock to create the card, itself, give the name of the child and the parent, as well as contact information. The cards I selected are to the right…super cute, no? I have found them to be such an awesome tool when it comes to making new mommy friends and scheduling some play dates! I love that my card just goes ahead and says, “Let’s Play!” for me so that the mom knows I really would love to get together.

If you have school-aged children who want to invite friends over to play, you can also send these to school with them so they can hand them out!

Buy it!: Social Kiddos aren’t available just yet, but will be very soon!

Not to fret, though, because right now you can

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a set of Social Kiddos set, complete with 24 stickers, 14 card stock, mini marker and gorgeous leather card holder! You are going to LOVE it! The contest will run until March 12th 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 how you make friends with other parents! Any tips? 🙂

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Kiddo Tags on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email.

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

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

Best Outlet Covers EVER! Kid-E-Cover (GIVEAWAY!!!)

March 1, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 43 Comments

What do you use to keep your little ones away from the outlets in your house?

We use these, and we DON’T like them. The problem isn’t that they don’t work. They do. In fact, they work so well that it is a giant pain to get them out every time we need to use an outlet (typically when we are doing our vacuuming). Then when I take one out to temporarily use the outlet, I have to remember to put it back, or not absentmindedly set it down somewhere. You can probably guess that I have done that quite a few times, leaving outlets exposed and providing Darah with something that could be a choking hazard. It aggravates me on a weekly basis.

I’m totally thrilled to see that there is a better solution for those “high traffic” outlets in your home. Check out the Kid-E-Cover by Elicole.

These cover your entire outlet, and have a default setting of covering the outlet plugs. In order to expose the outlet, you need to slide back the little pull things on the side and insert your plug while still holding it. It is not hard to do (though it doesn’t slide without some effort!), but the fact that you have to continue pulling on the lever to get your plug in really does make it beyond the abilities of toddlers to figure out. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE that as soon as you take out your plug, the outlet is immediately covered again. There’s nothing to remember! Hooray!

The Kid-E-Cover is a bit more expensive than the plugs we are currently using, but they are leaps and bounds better in terms of their overall quality. While I couldn’t personally afford to cover every single outlet in my house with a Kid-E-Cover, I will most definitely be buying more of these for all those high traffic plugs in my house. They are completely and totally worth it! I also have these bookmarked as an awesome baby shower gift idea.

Buy it!: The Kid-E-Cover is availble at the Elicole website and is currently on sale for $15.00 for a package of 5. If you are looking for a quality babyproofing product, you cannot go wrong with this. I very strongly recommend it!

Win it!: One Stuff Parents Need reader will score a 5 pack of Kid-E-Covers! Sweet! The contest will run until March 11th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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: Do you have a child safety product that you love? One that you loathe? Tell me all about it!

My answer: You already heard about my outlet plug nemesis. In our old hose we used a safety gate at the base of our stairs and it was quite effective!

Additional entries:
1. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Rare bonus entry: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by 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.

Black and White Patterns for Infant Visual Stimulation

February 28, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 32 Comments

Have you ever seen a new product idea that made so much sense that you kicked yourself for not coming up with the idea on your own? That’s exactly how I felt when I learned about Bright Baby Tees. This is an organic clothing line that uses only non-toxic inks. This is wonderful, of course, but that’s not what makes it so brilliant. It’s what is on the shirts that is so smart and unique!

Bright Baby Tees have designs that promote infant visual stimulation. Babies, and especially newborns and young infants, are drawn to particular colors, shapes and patterns (black, white and red for the first few months). When Darah was a tiny little things we had shapes and patterns in these colors up all over our house, and we go on daily tours to check them out. She would stare at them each with such intensity! Bright Baby Tees has taken those colors and designs that babies love to look at and put them on clothing!

Why is this so brilliant? Newborns and young infants spend lots and lots of time being held by their parents, grandparents and other caregivers. Just imagine how great it would be if there was always something of interest for them to gaze at during awake time!

I think these make fantastic gifts for new moms and dads. In those first few weeks after you have a baby, you are definitely not getting all dressed up for the day. This is a good way to get you out of your pajamas but keep you in something very comfortable! I know I would feel motivated to put it on because I would know that my child would enjoy looking at it! Seriously….why didn’t I think of this?!

And don’t forget to pick up our favorite book for infant visual stimulation, as well. It is so great to bring out during tummy time!

Buy it!: Bright Baby Tees are available online with prices starting at $18.00. If you order 3 or more shirts, shipping is free!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Bright Baby Tees shirt! The contest will run until March 10th 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 what your child enjoyed looking at when s/he was very tiny. If you are currently expecting your first, what types of products do you have or want for the first few months, in terms of visual stimulation?

My answer: As I mentioned in the post, we had black, white and red images up everywhere in our house. One of Darah’s favorites was in our room, right where she could stare at in while we burped her after feeding her.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Bright Baby Tees on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS

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

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Billy Kelly: The Perfect Music for the Crazy Time of Day!

February 27, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 36 Comments

Do your kids have a “zany” time of day? A time when they are at their goofiest and just need to run and scream and laugh? For Darah, that time is the second dad gets home from work. She is usually a little bit hungry and tired, which means that she can easily have a meltdown. But we’ve found that she can also very easily turn into a complete giggle monster, so we try to steer her in that direction.

And now we have the music to accompany this time of day! The album is called The Family Garden from recording artist Billy Kelly. It is the musical personification of wacky! 🙂 It is also quite hilarious. One critic wrote, “Imagine if Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote lyrics for all-ages music played by an acoustic Weezer. I cannot recall a funnier, more intelligently conceived debut family record.”

I would say that this album is pure laid-back fun. It’s not for nap time or for the very first part of the day, but is best listened to when you kid is already warmed up and ready to roll!

The Family Garden is $12.00, has a 37 minute run time (which is pretty much perfect!) and releases April 5. We are certainly enjoying running around and laughing while it plays in our home, and I know you will, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your own copy of Billy Kelly’s The Family Garden! The contest will run until March 9th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the 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 strategy you have for helping your kids get through their crazy time of day!

My answer: We have a park right down the street (thank goodness!). Since the weather has been nicer, Darah has been asking to go to the park every day once dad gets home. Even she knows that she needs to run around!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Bily Kelly on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary cd for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
This post is part of the All About Parenting blog carnival on kids and music. Follow that link to read more from parents and parenting experts across the blogosphere.”

Nature, Luxury and Value Join Forces: Happy Me Skincare

February 26, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 83 Comments

Today I’m going to introduce you to a skincare company that I had never even heard of until about a month ago, and whose tagline really caught my attention. The line is called Happy Me Skincare, and their motto is, “combining nature, luxury and value for happy results.” Those are definitely 3 words you don’t see together very often!

I had the opportunity to try out their anti-aging products. This is the first time I have ever used products that were specifically designed to make my neck, chest and hands look better. I was very excited to get started, because as I have turned the corner and am now in my 30s, I’m realizing that my skin is already getting tired, and it needs some help to restore its youthful glow!

Happy Me Skincare’s products seem to be working quite nicely. It is a bit of an adjustment to add 3 additional products to my morning regimen, but I think my efforts are going to pay off. My hands and my neck and chest do feel very smooth, and I like knowing that they have spf 30 protection on when I wear these products. That’s just another incentive for me to make them part of my daily routine.

I will say that I don’t find the smell of these products to be fabulous. They contain ingredients that sound divine: apple fruit extract, sweet almond extract and rosewood oil. But I find the end result to be borderline medicinal (like a very mild sports cream, almost). Fortunately, the smell doesn’t linger at all, and I don’t notice it after about 10 seconds.

The third product in their anti-aging line that I’ve been using is the Pore & Fine Line Protector and Primer. I’ve always wanted to use a primer for my makeup, but just never forked over the cash to buy any! My only point of comparison is using no primer, and my makeup definitely stays put much better with this product. It goes on very light and silky…it’s a strange sensation, really. This product does help create a smooth look, and that’s a very good thing!

So overall, I’d say that these are products worth trying out, especially if you are looking for a little help slowing down the clock for your skin but you don’t want to spend mega dollars. At 30, I already regret that I didn’t take better care of my skin in my twenties, so don’t put it off if you are like me and just assume that you will always be as cute as you are now! 😉

Buy it!: Happy Me Skincare products are available at Drugstore.com and will be available at CVS.com soon!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get the same anti-aging kit that I received from Happy Me Skincare! That’s a $45 value! The contest will run until March 8th 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 what you do now to care for your skin. Do you have a particular product that you use? Are you looking for something new and effective to try?

My answer: You’ve heard about all the new products that I’ve been trying. I’m really excited about finding greener options as that is something I had been seeking out but not having too much luck finding in the stores. The internet saves the day! 🙂

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Happy Me Skincare on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the side bar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Thank You Notes for Children

February 25, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 53 Comments

Confession: writing thank you notes is something I typically enjoy. The process of hand writing something to someone and thinking about them as I write is such a rare treat these days, so I usually don’t mind doing it at all. I do remember that after my high school graduation and my wedding, though, it did get a little rough. Writing 3 thank you notes is much different than writing 30 or 50! What about you? Do you love or loathe writing notes?

Whether I’m writing 1 or 100, I would still say the process is fun for me. I especially enjoy picking out stationery to use, and today I am bringing you something extra special that I have NEVER seen before.

Thank You Notes for Children

Introducing The Knotted Note. This company offers beautiful cards that also come with a gorgeous ribbon and an antiqued charm or button attached. They are really beautiful, and they take getting a handwritten note in the mail to the next level!

In particular, I’d like to highlight the children’s thank you notes that Erin, the mompreneur behind The Knotted Note has created. They are just perfect for a child who can do some basic writing, but who might still be overwhelmed by having to write an entire thank you note alone. They are fill-in-the-blank, but still leave room for a child to write something personal about why they are enjoying their gifts. We received the Cute as a Button notes, and guess what? They ARE cute as a button!

I can’t say enough how very special these notes are. I would say that their quality is comparable to professionally done wedding announcements. Erin included a note to me in my package on The Knotted Note stationery, and even though I don’t personally know her, I kept the card because it made me feel so special to receive it because it was so beautiful. I’m a purger, so that’s really saying something if I’ll hang on to a note like that!

In addition to thank you notes, The Knotted Note offers a variety of invitations (the baby shower invitations are SOOOOO cute!), personalized stationery and even holiday cards!

Buy it!: If you or your child are in need of some really nice note cards, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a purchase from The Knotted Note. Hands down, these are some of the most beautiful notes I have EVER seen. All products can be purchased online. The thank you notes I reviewed are $25.95 for 12 notes and envelopes.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a dozen knotted notes in your choice of style! Woo hoo!!!!! The contest will run until March 7th 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: I want to knowwhat design you would choose if you won, and choose wisely, as the winner will get what s/he puts down for this entry!

My answer: If I could get another set of notes from The Knotted Note, I’d get the owl personalized stationery!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” The Knotted Note on Facebook (she posts all her giveaways on there so you can find multiple chances to win!)
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 home page.

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

Custom Ink Stamps: PJ Greetings

February 24, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 73 Comments

Thanks to Darah’s involvement in play gym, where the children get their hands stamped at the end of the session, we have been introduced to the world of stamps and just how much fun they can be. I think that Darah may find a few stamps in her Easter basket this year, and those will be great to use any time we are drawing and coloring.

Custom Ink Stamps

Darah also has a new stamp that is a bit more special. It is from PJ Greetings, and it is a stamp with her name on it. We LOVE it! The image to the right gives you a sense for what it looks like, but I’m not keen on sharing Darah’s last name here, so you won’t be able to see the actual stamp (sorry!). We asked for it to just have her name on the top and bottom (no address since we are renting our current home and won’t be here forever). And we had it done in purple. Customizing the stamp was a total breeze!

I am NOT a crafty person, but I have still found several uses for Darah’s stamp, so far. I received notice of two Valentine’s parties that Darah would be attending, and found myself needing to make around 20 Valentines. I didn’t want to go purchase Valentine cards, and thought that we could turn the task into a project (*gulp*). I got out some index cards and wrote, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” on them (0riginal, I know). I then found two sets of stickers that Darah would put on the cards to make them more fun. I had some Disney stickers and I also had some stickers with pink roses on them. I helped her remove the stickers, and then just let her put them where she wanted. Most of them were on top of the card message, but I didn’t care, and I suspect the 1 year old recipients didn’t care, either! Then we got out the crayons and Darah colored a bit on each card. Finally, we turned the card’s over and wrote each child’s name on them, and then wrote from: and put Dararh’s new stamp there. The stamp looked fantastic!

I have also used the stamp as a “seal” on the back of a letter. Darah has some personalized cards, and we used one to send a note to a brand new cousin. The stamp on the back of the card looked great! I also plan to use the stamp to mark on the inside of some of her favorite books. I won’t mark on all of them because she probably isn’t going to keep all of her childhood books all of her life, and it will be nice to pass on those books to other people. As Darah gets older, the stamp will come in handy for times when she brings books to school or over to a friend’s house, though.

PJ Greetings is unlike any other stamp store I know of. Their stamp selection is HUGE and the possibilities for customization are almost endless. They have over 300 designs and 8 ink choices. These make an awesome housewarming gift for the family who just bought a new home. They are also wonderful for anyone who likes to make things and/or give gifts. The stamps can also be address labels and “property of” labels. Definitely peruse their options and see what you could use a PJ Greetings stamp for in your home.

Each stamp comes packaged in a pink organza bag with a stamped gift tag, so they come ready to go to that birthday party! Proofs of the stamp are emailed to the customer, and once you give them your stamp of approval (ha ha) they will typically ship within 2 days, so the turnaround, especially for the item being customized, is quite fast!

Buy it!: Most of the customized stamps at PJ Greetings are $39.95, and have enough ink in them to be used over 30,000 times, which is 3 times the amount of most other stamps. If you think strategically, you can create a stamp that will grow with your child and that can be used for years! Also….I have a coupon code for 20% off your purchase! Just use code TOMOSON at checkout! Hooray!

Win it!: One Stuff Parents Need reader will get a custom stamp of your choice from PJ Greetings! The contest will run until March 6th 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: PJ Greetings wants to be friends on Facebook, so please “like” them for your first entry!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Since you already liked PJ Greetings on Facebook, post your favorite stamp design on their Facebook wall and come back here to tell me you did for your next entry! Woo hoo!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need by Google Friend Connect

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the side bar of my home page.

Creating Rituals With Your Children (Earth Mama Angel Baby GIVEAWAY!!!)

February 21, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 67 Comments

Darah and I have created some rituals that we do on a daily or weekly basis, and these rituals are very important to us both. They help us bond, they help us gauge the time of day and they provide us with something special that is just for us two.

One example is that every Friday we paint our toes. First I paint Darah’s with her Piggy Paint, and then I paint my own. She selects the colors for us both to wear. She takes this event VERY seriously. Another ritual that we have is her nap ritual. There’s an order to putting this kid down, and I won’t go into all the details, but one crucial step is that she must be kissed in between when she is picked up and when she is laid down in her crib. She is quite aware of this, and puckers her lips, even if she is in melt down mode. And it is such an important moment for me, because even if I am at my wits end with her (which is sometimes the case by nap time) we have a moment where I am very quickly reminded that she is my little love and my world.

Over the last few weeks we have developed a new ritual: lotion time. We’ve been using the Angel Baby Lotion from Earth Mama Angel Baby and Darah is a HUGE fan of it. When I squirt out the lotion, I have to make a certain noise that I just can’t seem to write down (it’s more of a noise than a sound, I think), and Darah does it, too. Then we smell the lotion on my hands. She loves the smell, which is the same smell as the Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash that we reviewed last month (orange and vanilla…yum!). Then I apply it to her legs and then her arms. Darah likes to talk about how it is, “cool, cool” (meaning that is is cold). And then she takes the pump and pretends to put lotion on her Elmo, Grover and Bunny. That’s pretty much how the ritual goes. Oh yeah, and we do this during morning potty time, and sometimes during potty time right before bed. But ALWAYS during potty time. Sheesh! Little ones really value structure and predictability. The first time I put lotion on her, she was on the potty. And I suppose I did what I listed out above. And the rest is history. Darah remembered it all for the next time!

The Angel Baby Lotion is doing a great job of keeping Darah’s skin moisturized during the dry winter months. Before we go this, I was really at a loss about what to do. I could tell she needed lotion, but I didn’t feel comfortable about putting any of my products on her…there were just too many chemicals that I couldn’t even pronounce! This is not a worry I have with Earth Mama Angel Baby products. I know they use the very best and safest ingredients!

Buy it!: Earth Mama Angel Baby skincare products are all currently 25% off, which makes this lotion just $8.21. Woo hoo!

How to Clean Your Computer Screen Safely

February 20, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 46 Comments

A while back I reviewed a great product that answerd the question of how to clean glasses and keep them scratch-free. I love my Brilliant Lenses cleaner and would recommend it to anyone. That’s why I was delighted to have the opportunity to review another product by the same company.

Check out the Brilliant Screen Cleaning Wipes. These wipes are specifically designed for products like your cell phones and computers. Have you taken a close look at yours lately? They are most likely totally gross. I know mine were! The wipes come in a package of 5, and this is what I cleaned with 1 wipe:

One large desktop computer screen
One large laptop computer screen
One iPad screen
Two iPhone screens

That’s 5 things! And every single item on that list was D-I-R-T-Y! They got cleaned a week ago and they are all still nice and shiny. I estimate that a package of Brilliant Screen Cleaning Wipes, which is just $3.99, will last me 5-7 months. Not so bad for all the use I can get out of one wipe!

Brilliant Screen Cleaning Wipes can easily and safely remove dust, dirt, finger prints and makeup while leaving behind SR-8, which is an invisible, durable barrier that will protect the screen from scratching and help guard against re-soiling.