Stuff Parents Need

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

Blanket + Stuffed Animal = Best Toy EVER! Snuggle Paws Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · Leave a Comment

You should see my child’s stuffed animal collection. It doesn’t yet rival what I had going on at the peak of my stuffed animal frenzy (I think I had close to 200 plush friends by the time I was 10). But given the fact that Darah is only 2, I’m going to go ahead and declare her collection OUT OF CONTROL. I know that I’m the enabler in this situation, and it’s because I empathize with her love for all things snuggly. Stuffed animals are her VERY favorite thing to play with, you see. She takes her animals for walks in her stroller, reads them stories and bounces on the bed with them.

The only thing that comes even close to being enjoyed as much by Darah would be blankets. Yup, blankets. Give this kid a blanket AND a stuffed animal, and she will nearly pass out from the joy of it. Not kidding. She’ll play uninterrupted for quite a long time, usually putting her various stuffed animals to “night night” and rocking them. It’s ridiculously sweet.

So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered Snuggle Paws, which are stuffed animals that come with a child-size blanket. Thank you for making the PERFECT toy for my child! Not only is the concept excellent, but the execution is outstanding. This toy is TOTALLY worthy of its name. It is the softest, snuggliest little critter that you’ll ever meet. the stuffed animal can easily function as a pillow when traveling. And the blanket! Oh!!!! It feels like cuddling up with some clouds (or at least what I imagine that might feel like!).

Snuggle Paws animals come with a handle on top (super plush, it does NOT interfere with the child’s ability or desire to play with the animal) and velcro paws that can hold the rolled-up blanket. This makes it an excellent travel companion. You’d better believe it will be going with us this Christmas when we fly to California. If Darah isn’t feeling sleepy on the plane, don’t think I won’t break out that awesome blanket, either!

I’m guessing by now that you realize I’m totally ga-ga over this product. It certainly does seem as though it was made with my child in mind. Perhaps it was made for your little one, too?

Win it!: One lucky person will will your very own Snuggle Paws!
[Read more…]

When Does a Toddler Get a Pillow? BobbleRoos Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · Leave a Comment

One of my very favorite things about getting ready for Darah’s arrival was picking out her baby bedding. You guys, I spent HOURS…really probably dozens of hours combing through all the beautiful bedding options, searching in vain for coupons to make the sets I loved more affordable, and then finally biting the bullet and getting the very first set I fell in love with when I started my search. It was a splurge, but it was something special for my little girl. I just HAD to have it.

And then I learned that most of that beautiful bedding was dangerous for a baby. The bumpers were a suffocation risk, and the beautiful quilt was a huge no-no to put in the crib, as it, too, posed a suffocation risk. Sigh…

One thing her set didn’t even include due to its risk factor was a pillow (Why not? They threw in everything else that was dangerous!). Pillows are unsafe for the same reason that stuffed animals are unsafe; anything that can get in between a baby’s mouth and the air it needs to breathe is especially dangerous until the baby is able to easily roll itself in different directions. For Darah, that wasn’t until about 5 months, but even then, I didn’t let a pillow or stuffed animals in the crib.

She did start to doze off with a little lovey in hand around 8 months of age, and then she met her beloved bunny, who she started to snuggle with at nap time. But she still didn’t have a pillow.

In fact, she didn’t have a pillow until after she turned 2 years old, at which point I finally wondered if she might be more comfortable with something under her head! I was noticing that her bunny was starting to serve as a make-shift pillow, so maybe that meant she was ready for the real deal.

I turned to my dear friend Google to find out when most people start allowing their children to sleep with pillows. Wow, the answers varied quite widely! One piece of advice was to give your child a pillow whenever they make the transition to a bigger bed. Other people said to do it as soon as they started to become wiggle worms at night time, moving around to many different positions to try to get more comfortable. There were parents who gave a pillow to a child just after turning 1, and there were others who didn’t offer a pillow until much later, perhaps closer to 3. So as with many things related to parenting, the question of when to give your child a pillow is one with many different answers, and it is best to use your own best judgment based on the needs of your child.

After determining that Darah was ready, it was then time to figure out what type of pillow to get her. Does she really need a standard size pillow like what we have on our bed? That seemed ridiculous to me. One person online suggested getting an airline pillow. I liked the idea of a pillow that size, but where do you get an airline pillow? Those things are hard to find even on airplanes these days!

So, I began my search for a toddler pillow online, expecting to be overwhelmed with options. Not so! There aren’t nearly as many places as you might assume that have pillows especially designed for toddlers. But that’s no problem since there’s at least one place that offers an excellent product at an excellent price. Let me introduce you to BobbleRoos. This is a wonderful company that offers a whole host of practical gifts for babies and toddlers, but I want you to pay very close attention to their toddler pillows. They are the PERFECT size and shape (not too fluffy, not too flat). And they can be customized with many different soft and sweet fabrics. What I REALLY like is the fact that you can get your child’s name embroidered on the pillowcase, which makes it even more special. It also makes for a practical tough if your little one is going to preschool or kindergarten and needs to take his or her own pillow with him. There will be no mistaking which one belongs to your child!

When I first showed Darah her pillow, she knew it had her name on it, which she loved. She looked up at me and said, “This is Darah’s pillow!” And she sleeps with it every night in her crib. I know that it isn’t too fluffy to cause any worry, so I feel totally happy with the pillow I chose. I also know that even though this pillow is small, it can easily grow with Darah. It really is a great size travel pillow for car trips or plane rides.

So after all that research, I have concluded that there isn’t a standard answer for when to give your child a pillow (although absolutely nobody recommends one before the age of 1), nor is there a standard type suggested. But there is one place that offers a toddler pillowyou can buy with confidence, and that place is BobbleRoos! Pillows start at $16.50, and can be embroidered for an additional $6.95!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Toddler Pillow from Bobbleroos including personalization!
[Read more…]

Verilux SmartLight: See What Full-Spectrum Lighting Can Do for You! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 14 Comments

Did you know that I write most of my blog posts between 4:30 and 6:00am each and every day? It’s true! Darah is an EXTREMELY early morning riser (5:30 is a very common wake up time for her, and always has been). In order to get any work done, I have to get up before she does in the morning. Fortunately, I’m also a morning person, so this schedule has been doable for me.
My husband is a different story. He’s not a morning OR a night person. Basically, if he had his way he would sleep 10 hours a night and take a 1-2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon. He’s just a big snoozer! Waking up is difficult for him and always has been. But we have something in our room that is helping him wake up more refreshed than anything else we’ve tried in the past.

It’s called the SmartLight and its from Verilux. First, let me tell you how we use the lamp, and then I’ll tell you other excellent uses for the lamp. We use it as Tim’s gentle alarm clock. No, it doesn’t have an actual alarm built into it, but when I get up at 4:30, I turn on the SmartLight, which is by Tim’s side of the bed. It produces a Natural Spectrum Daylight that shines in the room. This particular kind of lighting replicates key wavelengths of natural daylight which sends your body a message that artificial lighting simply can’t. Tim is usually out of bed within 20 minutes of the light coming on, and he isn’t grumpy. I’d call this a miracle, people.

The SmartLight is actually intended to be used as a lamp for people who might need to stay up at night studying, and who need some help concentrating while they read. Studies have found that people using the  Verilux SmartLight are able to read faster and with greater comprehension. They can also study longer without glare or eyestrain, which really helps maximize study time.

I can understand that this might sound a little far-fetched. I mean, how is a light going to make you read faster and understand more?! Well, there is over 50 years of research that has gone into this SmartLight, and they have really keyed in on the light the human eye most needs.

Verilux is a company that knows light and knows how to use it to better your everyday life. I have reviewed their CleanWave Sanitizing Wand in the past and continue to regularly use this product to battle germs in my house. I have been consistently impressed with the quality of the products and the research that goes into creating them. Verilux makes products that will last and that will produce results. In the case of the SmartLight, the bulb in the lamp is a very special one (not something you can pick up at your local drugstore or hardware store). But it is designed to last 10,000 hours, which is more than 10 times the life of a traditional bulb. When it does finally wear out, Verilux offers replacement bulbs, as well. The lamp also is made of a durable plastic, which means it can most likely see your child from elementary school through college without any problems.

One of the things I find the most exciting about this product, though, is the price point. It sells for $39.95, and I think that’s a steal for what this lamp can provide to you and your family.  I very highly recommend it for anyone who needs to “burn the midnight oil” but wants to do it in a more effective and efficient way! I also recommend it for anyone who struggles to get out of bed in the morning and needs a more gentle wake up method!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Verilux SmartLight!
[Read more…]

A New (FREE!) Babysitter Finder: SittersSearch.com!

· by · 3 Comments

For a while, we had a “mother’s helper” coming over every week or so to help us out with Darah. This was an excellent arrangement for us, since we would be staying in the house while the babysitting happened, and could be on hand if the sitter needed any advice or assistance. A mother’s helper is someone just getting started as a babysitter, so they typically are in their early teens. Alas, school is back in session, as are all those wonderful extra-curricular activities, so we’ve got to find a new arrangement for the school year. We have a wonderful babysitter who is more expensive than our mother’s helper was (because she’s in college), but she can probably only help out once a month or so due to her really full schedule.

So, we are back to the drawing board to find a babysitter. There’s a fairly new online service that can help connect you as a parent in need with members of your community who would like to work as a sitter or nanny. When you fill out a profile, you can give as much detailed information about your situation as you like, and you can look for anything from the occasional weekend sitter to a full-time live in nanny!You can also choose your required experience level. I know some people want babysitters who are in college or have even finished college, while others are fine with someone who isn’t yet finished with high school.

But I haven’t told you the best part, yet: IT’S FREE!!!!! And this is not a situation where it is free to sign up but you have to pay to be able to contact the sitters. Nope….EVERYTHING is free! That keeps more money in your pocket, or rather, in the babysitter’s pocket, since you are about to hire one!

SittersSearch.com is still a fairly new kid on the block. I was a little bummed out to see that there aren’t yet any registered babysitters in my area. But, I am not discouraged! Once the word gets out, I think the resumes will start to come in for this sitter service, and I’ve opted to received notification once a week of any new sitters in my area who have joined the site. So I don’t even have to log in every few days to check; SittersSearch will let me know when there is something to see!

If you are looking for a babysitting opportunity for yourself, definitely register on this site. Since it is still new, you will likely be one of just a handful of sitters in your area, and that means that you’ll be REALLY attractive right off the bat once someone who is looking for a sitter in your area finds you! And if you know anyone in Chattanooga looking for a babysitting gig, tell them to get registered, as I’m already registered and looking for some help!

This post is brought to you by SittersSearch.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

My Very Favorite Way to Buy Shoes: ShoeDazzle Review

· by · Leave a Comment

Back in May I was at a retreat for my local Junior League. I was sitting next to a very savvy lady who handled social media for our chapter last year (a role I stepped into for this year). During a break, I noticed that she had her iPad out and appeared to be doing some quick shoe shopping. Intrigued by her ability to shop so quickly, I asked her about the site she was on. She told me it was called ShoeDazzle, and it was a total lifesaver for her. I took a second to look at her shoes. They were GORGEOUS! So I asked to hear more!
shoe dazzle review Once I learned how it worked, I could hardly wait to get back home and get signed up! Let me give you the scoop.
First, you sign up for a membership to ShoeDazzle (which is free). You take a personal style inventory, so that ShoeDazzle gets a better sense for your personal preferences when it comes to shoes, handbags and jewelry. Then, a team of stylists actually puts together a showroom for you of their top picks for shoes, handbags and jewelry, all available on ShoeDazzle for that month, and all at the very affordable price of $39.95 each (and yes, that DOES include shipping!).
shoe dazzle review What if ShoeDazzle didn’t quite get it right? My experience indicates that there will be something in your showroom that you will flip over, but if you don’t like anything they picked out for you, simply request alternative selections. Perhaps you have a certain type of shoe you are looking for at the moment, or you need a sleek handbag in a particular color. Let them know what you are seeking, and give them just a few days, and you will be presented with alternative selections.
Are you hearing what I’m saying to you, people? ShoeDazzle does the weeding out for you, thus, saving you tons of time. And since new selections come out every single month, you can be sure that the products you purchase from ShoeDazzle will be right on trend, and maybe even a bit ahead of the trend (I honestly can’t remember the last time I had items in my wardrobe that were on the very front end of a trend!). And the price point is absolutely fabulous.
Once you place an order from ShoeDazzle, there is one thing you need to keep in mind: it is a monthly “club” that you have joined, and if you don’t tell ShoeDazzle between the 1st-5th of the month that you want to skip the month, you will be automatically charged for that month. You are sent a reminder that it is time to check out your new showroom at the beginning of the month, and I appreciate this, because that gives you reminder you need to log in and select “skip the month” if that’s what you want to do. Skipping is absolutely no problem, and there is not a limit on the number of times you can skip. If you forget to skip but you really don’t want any shoes, handbags or jewelry that month, your credit will hold for you for as long as you like. You don’t HAVE to spend it that month. But I can promise you that it will be hard not to, because the amount of cute that they have to offer is going to blow your mind!
I currently own 3 pair of ShoeDazzle shoes, and they are, without question, the most rockin’ items in my entire wardrobe. With my very first purchase, I was disappointed when I saw that one of my shoes appeared to be scuffed (before I had ever worn them). When I called customer service, they shipped me a new pair that day and just asked that I get the old pair back to them….return shipping is also FREE if you are dissatisfied for any reason. So it is truly risk-free!
One more thing: ShoeDazzle rewards you for shopping with them (as if being a member wasn’t already fun enough!). It’s called Style Points, and you get 100 points for every shoe purchased, and 200 points for every friend you refer to the program. Once you earn 1,000 points, you can redeem it for one credit to the store (a credit is worth $39.95). Pretty awesome, right?!
Join!: Friends, this is one group you most definitely want to join. I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a ShoeDazzle member. There’s nothing to lose (other than bad shoes and accessories, I suppose).
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one credit to ShoeDazzle! EEEEEE!!!!
[Read more…]

Tanner’s Tasty Paste Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · Leave a Comment

As toddlers start to exert their independence, parents often find themselves scratching their heads and desperately trying to figure out how to make necessities, like brushing your teeth, become appealing to kids once again. This is definitely something that Darah used to LOVE to do, and now she runs away, usually screaming, when we break out the toothbrush after her bath.
But I have found something that works. Get some toothpaste that tastes so yummy that your kid actually looks forward to getting to brush her teeth. Tall order? Absolutely. Impossible? Nope!
For my family, the solution has been Tanner’s Tasty Paste. Darah has been using Baby Bling, which is a fluoride-free toothpaste (perfect for the little ones who aren’t very good at spitting out their toothpaste after brushing). I’ve tasted this stuff, and it tastes like vanilla frosting. Not joking. It is GOOD. I’m amazed that something this yummy is actually cleaning your teeth!
Tanner’s Tasty Paste comes in two other flavors, as well: Banilla Bling (vanilla) and Cha Cha Chocolate. The latter is my absolute favorite. Are you surprised? If you are like me, you are probably thinking, “Chocolate toothpaste? Gross!” Only, I promise it isn’t! It tastes great! I think that’s because Tanner’s is a natural toothpaste company, so their products simply don’t taste like the major brands you find on most store shelves. In fact, they put a list of their ingredients on the website, and even explain the purpose of each ingredients. There’s nothing in their products that doesn’t serve a purpose!
A 4.2 ounce tube of Tanner’s Tasty Paste retails for $6.00 and can be purchased online. If you are wrestling with your kids every night to get them to brush their teeth, this may be the secret weapon you’ve been searching for!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the full line of Tanner’s Tasty Paste products. Woo  hoo!
[Read more…]

The Jimmies: Children’s Music That Rocks My Socks Off! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · Leave a Comment

As I learn more and more about children’s music, I have noticed that there are artists who like to stick to a particular sound, and there are also artists who like to show off all their varied musical influences by producing songs with very different sounds, all on one album.
Within that sub-group of musicians, I have also noticed that the majority of these artists do not necessarily excel when they try to be too many different things. They don’t necessarily fail, but rather, just produce ok music that seems a little wacky and all over the board.
The Jimmies, however, are a group that seems to have absolutely nailed this skill. If you were to randomly choose any song on their new cd, Practically Ridiculous, you would think that they were singing a song in their preferred style, and you would think that because they would be so good at it. Move to the next song, and you’ll be shocked to hear a completely different sound, though equally as good.
The Jimmies are a musical marvel, I think. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. They have been voted one of the Top 20 Best Kids Album of the Decade by AOL ParentDish, and The Jimmies find themselves on over 12 Best Album of the Year lists. Woo!
Practically Ridiculous will be available for purchase for $14.99 starting on September 20th. But I have a chance for you to win it right now! Woo hoo!
[Read more…]

Babar DVD Collection Review and GIVEWAY!!!

· by · Leave a Comment

Are you familiar with Babar? He’s a little elephant who leaves his family in the jungle, ventures into the city, and then brings what he learned about civilization back to his community for the greater good. Babar has been teaching important lessons and entertaining families since 1931!
Recently, two DVDs were released so that Babar would continue to be part of the lives of yet another generation of children. School Days is especially appropriate at this time of year, when many of our children are back in school environments. All 4 episodes on the disc focus on school, with lessons of acceptance, honesty and patience.
The second DVD is called Best Friends Forever. As I watched this disc with Darah I was reminded of a very important lesson: ALWAYS watch what you show to your children, and never assume that the lessons being taught don’t need any further explanation or discussion with a grown-up. There is one episode on this DVD, City Ways, that I found to be too violent for small children (a gun is shown, a grown up dies at the hands of violence, although you do not see the death). Additionally, as a city-dweller, I don’t appreciate the negative portrayal of life in the city, which I believe the episode offers. Keep in mind that these stories are very old, and such views of city life were much more common many decades ago. Still, we will be skipping that episode from here on out, and if Darah ever does want to watch it in the future, I need to be there with her to talk about what she is seeing, and to help her think critically about it.
Of the entire two disc series, that is the only episode that gave me any concern. Darah also seems quite interested in Babar and asks to “watch the elephant” on a regular basis. The DVDs run 90 minutes each and retail for $14.98. Amazon has them on sale right now for $9.99! If you were a fan of Babar growing up, this is a great way to share a cherished character with your little one. It’s fun to get to experience Babar’s adventures all over again!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the School Days and Best Friends Forever! Yay! New to Rafflecopter? Check out my tutorial before you get started.
[Read more…]

Find the Best Gifts at the Best Prices, Always! Become.com

· by · Leave a Comment

Have you already started on your holiday shopping list? I have 24 people on my list that I shop for (woah!), so if I don’t shop all year, I really do find myself in a pickle by the time the weather turns cold.
Some of the folks on my list are already taken care of (except for the actual wrapping part!). But there are others that require more digging around to get that perfect gift.
If you are doing some internet sleuthing to find the perfect present for someone (maybe even yourself!), then let me once again recommend Become.com, which is an online price comparison site. It helps you find the very best item you need or want for the very best price.
Perhaps you want to go all out and give your parents who love to watch weekend sports AND who love sitting on their porch an outdoor tv enclosure. That’s definitely something you are going to want to comparison shop for, as the price AND the quality do vary widely.
Maybe you are shopping for a practical problem-solver, and want to find a non slip stair tread. It turns out, there are some options that aren’t ugly at all, and Become.com can show them all to you in one convenient place. I actually could use one of these for our back porch steps, which get really slick when it rains. I’m pleased to see some really affordable prices thanks to this website’s comparison shopping!
Or, maybe you want to give a gift that I actually did receive (and loved!) one Christmas: comfortable bar stools. If you have a space in your home that can accommodate a bar stool, I believe you will never regret getting them! We loved ours and miss them dearly now that we live somewhere without an island or a bar in our house. The selection you’ll find on this site is great! You can shop by price point or even by color, which can help you find your perfect stool faster!
As you start to look for holiday gifts, or even if you are like me and are already in the thick of it, remember to do your comparison shopping through Become.com so that you can be sure you’ve found the very best price!

This post brought to you by Become.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.