Stuff Parents Need

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

Tropical Relief from the Winter Blues from Del Monte (Giveaway!)

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The Del Monte products, information, gift pack, and gift card have been provided by Del Monte. But all thoughts and opinions are my own, as always! 

I know that not everyone in the entire country has snow piled up in their yard, but a good chunk of us do, myself included. We got 5 inches here in Chattanooga, an amount that is pretty debilitating to a city in the South. We’ve had snow quite a few times this winter, and let me tell you, the novelty of it has worn off. I’m OVER IT. And I can only imagine how those of you who got 12-18 inches (or more!) this week feel about it.

My kids have been stuck in the house quite a bit this week (we don’t own snow suits, so trips outside to play in the snow don’t last very long). I’ve blown through a lot of our stockpiled craft projects and coloring books and every imaginary game I can think of. My kids knew I was running out of ideas, so Darah suggested that we “play in the pantry.” Which really just means, “Let’s EAT ALL THE THINGS!”

Del Monte To the Rescue

Del Monte Mango-Pineapple Fruit Cup Snacks

Fortunately, there actually was something tucked away that brightened all of our spirits: a taste of the tropics from ! We’ve really enjoyed the Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup Snacks. I usually have these on hand for road trips, or for occasions when Darah begs to have a “packed lunch” like the kids who get to stay past noon at her school (true story…she feels deprived for not having her food presented to her in a lunch box). But if ever there was a time when we needed something tropical, it was this week!

del monte fruit burst squeezers

And when the snow does finally thaw and we get to head back out into civilization, I’ve got my purse stocked with Del Mont Fruit Burst Squeezers. It never fails that my kids tell me they are hungry as soon as we back out of our driveway, and I’m guessing some of you out there have the same experience with your kiddos. Have you seen the on the shelves? I found some at my local Walmart.

I like that both of these Del Monte products leave High Fructose Corn Syrup out of their recipes. They are a very easy way for me to get a serving of fruit in my kids’ tummies, and the girls think of them as special treats. Win/win!

And speaking of winning….

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 2 Del Monte VIP coupons for free products, as well as a $25 Walmart gift card!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How We Make Snack Time Fun: DIY Nibble Tray for Toddlers

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I read about the concept of a “nibble tray” for toddlers online about 2 years ago. I can’t recall the source, but no doubt it was a savvy mom blogger!

The basic idea of a nibble tray is to give young toddlers the freedom of choice in their snacking even from a very young age. A nibble tray is basically an ice cube tray filled with various snacks and left out for the child to enjoy throughout the day.

snack ideas for toddlers: snack tray

There are several reasons that the nibble tray has been something Darah and I both have enjoyed using throughout her toddlerhood.

First, setting out Darah’s snacks at the beginning of the day is a great tool for teaching self-discipline. Darah has come to understand that the snacks I put out for her are her snacks for the entire day. She can choose to eat them all at 8am or she can choose to eat them when she feels a bit hungry. It’s really up to her. Make no mistake, the child makes quick work of them whenever I include a few chocolate chips, but otherwise, she has learned not to eat all of her snack for the day first thing, as she has experienced the consequence of this choice (no snacks when she really wants one at 3pm, for example). But ultimately, the control she has over her snacking is a great thing for her independence.

Second, Darah really loves having variety, and she loves to examine all her different options and ask questions about anything that is new to her. This is a really great way to introduce new snack items and help her feel excited about them. Something that might get overlooked if put on a plate (celery sticks) suddenly seems interesting when sticking out of an ice cube tray. It’s true!

Third, I love not having to go get a snack for her 40 times a day when she asks for one. I simply point to her tray!

I highly recommend the nibble tray as a great way to introduce new foods and to help your child learn how to have control over their snack time throughout the day!

Quick and Healthy Lunch Ideas for Back to School!

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We have one more week until Darah goes back to school as an official pre-schooler! My eyes well up with tears at the mere thought of it!

Darah won’t be staying at school for lunch, so I don’t actually have to pack one for her, but I still have to have a lunch prepared for her when she gets home every day. I work as hard as I can on the blog and on grading work for my college class I teach, so I don’t really have much time to devote to preparing a lunch. I need to rely on more convenient options so that I can spend as much time as possible working before she gets home.

But like most moms, I don’t want my need to go for convenience to eclipse my desire to provide healthy food for my child.

Earth’s Best has got some great products that are absolutely perfect for the mid-day rush, and if you are packing a lunch, they work well in a lunch box, too!

Darah has been enjoying the Earth’s Best Sunny Day Snack Bars at lunch time and as an afternoon snack. They are naturally sweetened cereal bars filled with real fruit. They come in strawberry and apple flavors, and have Big Bird and Grover on them, which delights my little preschooler. I’m delighted by them because they are the right serving size for smaller tummies, and they provide big doses of calcium, iron, zinc and six B vitamins.

The other item in my pantry “lunch box” is Earth’s Best Kidz Organic Apple Sauce. Did you know that conventional apples are one of the “dirtiest” items of produce? The amount of chemicals from pesticides that is found on them is absolutely astounding. Going organic when it comes to apples is a very good idea, even if it is one of the only fruits for which you pay the higher price. I especially like having these individual servings of applesauce on hand for days when we might be out of fresh fruit. Darah can still get a serving of something healthy and delicious when I’m overdue for a trip to the store!

I do try to keep a specific box in my pantry for lunch staples that I can easily grab to help supplement the meal with minimal effort on my part. That is really essential so that I can be confident that I can pull lunch together for her in 5 minutes every day and not find myself spending 30 minutes of my work time in the kitchen scrambling to cook something. It’s a strategy that has served me well, and I highly recommend it!

Here are some other things I keep on hand for a healthy and quick lunch for Darah:

  • baby carrots and ranch dip
  • blueberries
  • strawberries
  • bananas
  • whole wheat crackers
  • slices or cubes of cheese
  • yogurt (I usually buy plain and mix in a little organic jam to sweeten it)
  • round and thin sandwich bread (it’s the perfect size for a younger child’s sandwich!)
  • peanut butter and graham crackers for a dose of protein
  • hummus

I’d love to hear what your go-to lunch and lunch box items are. Sometimes I get in a rut and love to be inspired by what other parents are doing! Please share (and remember…comments on this post earn you extra entries in the Earth’s Best giveaway I’ll hold in a few weeks)!

Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Snikiddy Snacks: So Good You’ll Swear It’s Junk Food (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Did your parents ever call snacks Snikiddy snacks? Mine did. They also called them Scooby snacks. Because of those memories, I’m particularly endeared to the product I’m featuring today.

When we were without power for 6 full days, I quickly realized that it is really important to have a good supplies of shelf-stable snacks on hand, not only for Tim and me, but also for Darah. Fortunately, Snikkidy products showed up on our doorstep on day one of the outage.

I’m going to be honest with you; Snikiddy products taste like honest to goodness junk food. You know, those savory and salty snacks that you love so much but that are SO bad for you. And yet, they deceive! These products are BAKED (you will NOT believe that when you taste them, I swear). They also have the following attributes:

  • no preservatives (woo hoo!)
  • gluten & wheat free
  • no corn syrup
  • 50% less fat than regular potato chips!
  • No trans fats
  • cholesterol free

Wanna hear the great flavors?

  • Barbecue
  • Southwest Cheddar
  • Sea Salt
  • Bold Buffalo
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Classic Ketchup
  • Original Seasoning

I promise you, you aren’t going to believe your taste buds when you try Snikiddy products. If you or someone you know just can’t seem to shake the potato chip (or Cheetos) habit, give Snikiddy a try. You’ll be so glad you did!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a 3 pack of Snikiddy products, a Snikiddy chip clip and an art kit! Awesome! The contest will run until June 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.

REMEMBER, YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER OF THIS BLOG VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZE. YOU CAN SIGN UP THROUGH MY SIDEBAR IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO, ALREADY.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one snack you enjoy that feels like a guilty pleasure, but really isn’t!

My answer: I do enjoy having a scoop of peanut butter from time to time, and I stick to the more natural stuff so that all I’m getting is good stuff!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Snikiddy 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.