Stuff Parents Need

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

Menu Planning Got Even Easier (Lobotome GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Do you plan out the meals you are going to have in a typical week? I have been doing this for at least the past 5 years, and I find it to be an extremely effective way to save money at the grocery store, as well as to save my sanity at 5pm every day when I wonder what we should have for dinner.

So what does my menu typically look like? It is usually on a lined piece of paper, with the days of the week written down the left side of the page and the meal selections under each day. I try to leave room for my grocery list on the right side of the page. It gets the job done, but it looks really messy!

Lobotome is a company that has put out a notepad that will save me a bit of time each week when putting together my menu and shopping list. It is called Feed Me, and check out how it is set up. It makes perfect sense to me!

While I am finding the Feed Me notepad to be very easy to use, I do have a few suggestions for improvement:

  • I am personally used to using something that is 8 1/2 x 11, and while I don’t think I have to have something quite that big, I’d like to see the pad grow just a touch in size.
  • I’d like to see a magnet on the back of the pad so that it can go on the fridge. Alternatively, I’d like to see the back of each paper be sticky, so that the paper can be stuck on the fridge, the wall, or any place where it can be easily seen throughout the week.
  • I’d like to see Saturday and Sunday given separate categories. I plan meals for those days the same as I do for any other day of the week!

If you are just starting out with meal planning, or if you are a seasoned pro who would love to have a handy list to make it even faster, this is a nice choice! Lobotome also has a whole range of very cool notepads designed to help keep you sane in other aspects of your life. I’m really intrigued by the Pack Me notepad, for example, which is so helpful any time you need to go on a trip. I usually re-create the same basic packing list every time we go anywhere, which is stressful and inefficient. It would be great to just pull out this packing list and start checking things off! I also like the Sit Me notepad, which can help you quickly fill out important information for a babysitter, and help you get out the door and go have fun faster!

Buy it!: Lobotome notepads are available for $9.95 each, but they also have package deals such as the 10 pack of different notepads for just $59.95.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the notepad of your choice from Lobotome! Organization is on the way! Hooray! The contest will run until April 18th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which Lobotome notepad you need the most, and choose wisely, as the winner will get his/her selection for this entry!

My answer: I’d definitely want to get the Sit Me notepad next!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Lobotome 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.

Taking Better Care of my Teeth: Test Driving a New Mouthwash

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Everybody has one physical feature that stands out from the rest (in a positive way). EVERYBODY. For me, one of my best physical features (so I am told) is my smile. I have naturally straight teeth (for which my parents are eternally grateful) and they are also still reasonably white, especially considering the fact that I’m 30 and addicted to coffee. My teeth really are one of my very best assets.

Wanna hear something heartbreaking? My teeth are also sort of falling apart. They are extremely cavity-prone. It is very common for me to have 3-4 new cavities every time I go to the dentist. I’ve been told that the damage I’m paying for now likely happened as a child. I was actually asked if I lived in a city without fluoride (nope!). We’ve concluded together that the culprit is a combination of constantly drinking soda and kool-aid and just some bad genes. So as pretty as my teeth are, they are really in bad shape. I pay extra to get white fillings, and they have to be replaced after about 10 years. It’s a hot mess, folks.

While I can’t do much about the cavities that are the result of childhood damage, I can work hard now to keep myself from having more problems 10, 15 and 20 years from now. I take brushing and flossing seriously, and I have been told that including a quality mouthwash into my oral hygiene routine is also a good idea.

I just started trying out Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse (great product, bad name in my opinion…who can remember that?!).

Here’s why I’m excited about this particular mouthwash: it is designed to prevent plaque (which is a problem for me, particularly in between my teeth) and it keeps your teeth cleaner longer than brushing alone! So far, I’ve found the mouthwash to be invigorating, but also mild enough that I can swish it around in my mouth for 30 seconds. I NEVER make it through half a minute with other mouthwashes I have used before…they burn too much!

I’ll be back in a few weeks to give you a status report on how my mouth feels after using this product for a few weeks. What about you? Do you regularly use a mouthwash? Do you have any concerns about the overall health of your teeth and how to protect them?

I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Never Buy Travel Toothpaste Again: Toothpaste 2 Go (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Today I want to talk about airline travel, and specifically, the way I travel based on how airline travel currently works. Unless I’m flying Southwest (which still allows 2 checked bags FOR FREE!), I work VERY hard to fly with just my carry on luggage. Many airlines charge even for your first checked bag. If I’ve just spent close to $300 for a plane ticket, I’m unwilling, on principle, to fork over an additional $30 for bringing my stuff. And while that might sound really cheap, I am pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels this way, because have you noticed in the past few years that overhead compartments almost always get filled up before all the passengers are on the plane? It’s a bit of a nightmare, and causing the loading and unloading process to take a long time, as folks are having to go to the back of the plane to store (and retrieve) their luggage, even though they made be sitting in the middle of the plane. Basically, it’s a hot mess because nobody wants to pay the price to put their luggage under the plane.

So anyway, because I cram my world in a carry-on, I have to abide by the rules for liquids (these rules don’t apply to checked baggage). The limit for liquids and gels is 3 oz. Wanna know how big the average tube of toothpaste is? 7.8 oz. So more than double what is allowed. Once I tried to bring a full tube of toothpaste that actually had less than an ounce of product left in it. I had to pitch it! The rule is that if the container can hold more than 3 ounces it cannot come on the plane, even if it obviously doesn’t have more than 3 ounces of product inside. So occasionally I have to buy the travel sized toothpastes, and it makes me mad to have to do it! I should probably reserve my anger for things that aren’t quite this petty, but it is true! It just feels like such a waste to me. Anytime I have a travel toothpaste at my home, I guard it with my life, because I want to go as long as possible before having to buy another one.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that when I heard about a product called Toothpaste 2 Go, I was really and truly THRILLED. Melissa is a stay-at-home-mom who invented a solution that I’ve often thought about, but never had any idea how to make happen. Basically, Toothpaste 2 Go is a toothpaste transfer device that enables you to transfer toothpaste from your larger tube into a smaller one! The smaller tube is refillable. No more travel size toothpaste purchases!!!!

The video below shows you all the great features of Toothpaste 2 Go (if you strictly want to see how you transfer the toothpaste, start at 1:50)

Pretty awesome, right?! Toothpaste 2 Go starter packs are available for $7.99 each, and you can buy additional toothpaste tubes for $4 (you’ll get 3 more tubes). Everyone in your house can have their own travel tube of toothpaste! Melissa wants to offer you a 10% off coupon to use toward your purchase, as well. Just use code FRIENDS10. Also, free shipping is offered for any purchase over $15! These also make excellent stocking stuffers or gifts for the people out there like me, who love gadgets that keep money in their pockets!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Toothpaste 2 Go starter kit! The contest will run until April 17th 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: What feature of the Toothpaste 2 Go transfer system do you like the most?
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Toothpaste 2 Go on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

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

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.

And the Crowd Goes Wild: Nutrisystem Frozen Desserts

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So far I’ve told you all about my experience trying out Nutrisystem’s frozen breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I have saved the best for last, because today I’m telling you about their desserts.

During my 10 day challenge, I tried the following items:

  • Caramel Swirl Sundae
  • Fudge Swirl Sundae
  • Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Orange Creme Bar
  • Creamy Fudge Bar

In my previous posts, I gave every item a star rating. There’s just no need to do that in this post because EVERY. SINGLE. DESSERT. WAS. AWESOME!!!!

Each dessert on the list above tasted indulgent, sweet, creamy and just great. AND…they all hover right around 100 calories! Nutrisystem, you have totally outdone yourself with the desserts. I just can’t recommend them highly enough for anyone out there with a sweet tooth but who wants to watch their calorie intake.

So in conclusion, here are some of my basic thoughts about Nutrisystem after trying it out for 10 days.
1. It was SO nice to not have to cook! Nutrisystem certainly offers a very convenient approach to making healthy eating choices, since there’s no real cooking involved for you, and once you place your order, the food is even delivered to your house. When you are pressed for time (and who out there isn’t?) that is a plus.

2. With that said, some thought needs to go into what other items you will have on hand to add to your meals, as the Nutrisystem food by itself doesn’t provide you with enough fuel to get you through the day. I didn’t have a good plan in place for this, and as a result, I didn’t actually lose weight.

3. Going along with that point, it is always important to remember that diet alone is not the key to achieving a healthier lifestyle. Exercise and in many cases doing a bit of deep digging into your personal thoughts and feelings are all necessary components for lasting change. I like that Nutrisystem has created an extensive online community to help out in all those areas.

4. I only tried a sampling of the food that Nutrisystem has available. I would be very curious to try out some of their non-frozen options, as well. While not everything I tried was a winner, many things were quite tasty, so I would be willing to try out more of their food in the future! And the desserts have an open invitation to come live in my freezer!

Disclosure: I participated in a 10 day challenge with Nutrisystem and received complimentary products in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.

Cisco Valet: The Surprisingly Simple Wireless Router

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Do you have wireless internet in your home? If not, I want to encourage you to start saving up some money to get a wireless router. Being able to watch instant Netflix downloads on my iPad while taking a bath is a game changer in life, people! 🙂 If you do, have you ever given much thought to your router? If you are like me, the answer is no. Tim is in charge of the technology in our home (I know that sounds like some seriously stereotypical gender roles being played out, but it is what it is…I’m just not that interested in how stuff works, as long as it works!). I never really thought about our router at all….until it DIED. Just up and died, people. Didn’t give us any advanced warning. It just bit the dust one morning and there I was, without wireless internet service. I’m embarrassed to admit how hard that day was, but it was BAD!

So, the time came to shop for a new router. What does it matter? Aren’t they all more or less the same? NO, NO, NO, MY FRIEND! I learned about a wireless router called Cisco Valet, and I totally dig it (which is saying something for someone who usually couldn’t care less!).

Tim installed this for us, as he is our resident tech geek. Honestly, I wish I had just done it myself, because it was designed for people like me, who are usually very intimidated by this type of thing, to be able to do.

In fact, just a few minutes after Tim got started with the process, I heard him say to himself, “It cannot be this easy.” I went in the room to check on him, and he turned to me and said, “It’s installed! That was ridiculously easy. I’m shocked!”

The Cisco Valet comes with a USB that you plug into your computer. There are a few steps that you follow, and the program just walks you through them. Tim said it was a piece of cake, and unlike anything he has ever seen before in the world of routers. It basically blew his mind!

So other than the rock awesome set up, there are a few other features that make this router stand out from the crowd. For example, there are enhanced parental controls on this website. You can block certain websites for certain devices in your house. Let’s say that you don’t want your 12 year old to be able to watch Netflix instant movies unsupervised in his room. So you block that site from his computer without having to also block it from your own. Or, let’s say that your child LOVES to play games online…maybe a little too much. You can set limits for computer time each day so that when the time is up on a certain computer, access to the internet if blocked for the rest of the day. Pretty sweet, right?

There’s also a separate guest network available, which means that when you have company, you don’t have to give them your network password to log in. This makes getting online less of a hassle.

Last but certainly not least, it has a sleek design. Our old router was dark, bulky and just ugly. This little puppy seamlessly blends in with its surroundings. So nice!

Buy it!: The Cisco Valet Wireless Router is every bit as easy to use as it claims, and it has added value with its specific features for guests and computer time monitoring. I think this is an EXCELLENT router and very highly recommend it! The Cisco Valet is available for $89.99 (right in line with what other routers that aren’t nearly as awesome cost) and comes with free shipping and 90 days to make a return just in case you don’t think it is that awesome (but you will, promise).

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

Dinner with Nutrisystem: Part 3 of my 10 Day Challenge

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Be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 of my 10 Day Challenge with Nutrisystem to get the scoop of breakfast and lunch offerings (and my honest opinions about what is and isn’t worth eating!).

Now we turn our attention to dinner. I have to say, overall, the dinners surprised me in a positive way. For the most part, all the dishes I tried had the look of traditional tv dinners…which I typically do not like at all. So I was seriously nervous about eating these, fearing that they would all be awful. Here’s what I thought about each of the dishes I tried (and remember, Nutrisystem’s dinner offerings are far more extensive than what I’ve listed here!).

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells: Honestly? My review is “ick.” I give this 1.5 out of 5 stars. I found the shells to be chewy, the sauce to be too acidic and the meal to just leave me feeling totally unsatisfied.

Ravioli Formaggio: 2 out of 5 stars. This is just a slightly better version of the dish above.

Glazed Chicken Tenders: 2.5 out of 5 stars. The chicken was boring, but the side of green beans with almonds was surprisingly delicious. If you like chicken and green beans, I think this one is worth trying.

Salisbury Steak with Macaroni and Cheese: 3 out of 5 stars. The macaroni was super bland. I’ll be honest: I added salt to it to try to improve the flavor, and that only helped marginally. I gave the mac and cheese to my toddler, who liked it just fine. The steak, on the other hand, was very flavorful and quite tasty. I would definitely eat the steak again!

Roast Turkey Medallions: 3.5 out of 5 stars. I wouldn’t call this dish especially memorable, but I liked it just fine. I thought the flavor was good and the mixed veggies tasted pretty good. I’d recommend trying this one out!

Asian Style Beef: 3.5 out of 5 stars. I feel the same way about this dish as I do the Roast Turkey Medallions. Everything tasted good. Not excellent, but definitely not bad. I would order it again. It’s a great choice for when you are craving Chinese food!

Turkey Pepperoni Pizza: 4 out of 5 stars. As noted in my lunch posts, I think the Nutrisystem pizzas are quite good. This one was no exception. The crust and the flavor were both excellent. This one is a definite winner.

Chicken Alfredo: 4.5 out of 5 stars. This one took me by surprise. Chicken Alfredo, in general, is a dish I only like “ok” and I always think of it as exceptionally heavy. I was very curious about how Nutrisystem was going to approach this dish and make it healthy while still having it even resemble its inspiration. Wow, they NAILED it! It wasn’t that gross kind of heavy, but I’m telling you, it definitely tasted indulgent. I actually went back and re-read the nutrition information, because I was so sure that it was going to be loaded with calories. Nope! It’s 260 calories, but tastes like 600.

I’ve got one more post coming up for you, and it is all about the desserts. I have many, MANY wonderful things to say about the Nutrisystem desserts, so stay tuned!

Disclosure: I participated in a 10 day challenge from Nutrisystem and received complimentary products in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.