Stuff Parents Need

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

Socks that Rock!

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One thing I ALWAYS love to find in my Christmas stocking is a fun pair of socks. Sure, I like basic black, gray and tan trouser socks, as those are workhorses in my wardrobe. But I also love to occasionally get a pair of truly fun socks. As I get older, I’ve started to gravitate more in the direction of unique but beautiful socks, as opposed to just plain wacky socks (though I must confess, my all time favorite pair of socks had monkeys in tutus on them!).

So what, exactly, does a “grown-up” funky/fun “socks that rock” sock look like? I’ve seen plenty of examples where designers definitely missed the mark, but today I’m bringing you one company that has nailed it. These socks are BEAUTIFUL!!!

socks that rock knee high I’m pleased to introduce you to Ozone Design. This company knows how to make socks that are simply delightful. What I love about socks is that they aren’t the centerpiece of your wardrobe. Oftentimes, they are barely visible. But when you get a glimpse of them, and they are this outstanding, that adds such a punch to your outfit. And even if nobody notices, YOU know that you are wearing something super cute!

I was sent a pair of short socks to try out, and I’m in love, people! These socks are the ones I reach for as soon as they are clean. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve worn them twice in a row before washing them because they are just that beautiful. Go ahead and judge. I understand. But I promise you, they really are that pretty! 🙂

Do you need a really creative gift idea for someone special? Ozone Socks has a sock of the month club. ROCK!!! For $130, your gift recipient will receive $250 of socks throughout the year. How fun is that?!

As you can see, these are not your everyday run of the mill socks. You would be devastated to lose one to the sock monster that lives in the dryer. And Ozone Socks knows this. That’s why you can contact them to get a replacement sock for half the price of a pair. Is that not the coolest thing you’ve ever heard?!

socks that rock Buy it!: Ozone has the right sock for you or for that super stylish person on your holiday shopping list. Give the gift of socks this year, and sit back and watch it become one of your recipient’s very favorite items under the tree! My top picks for the ladies are Garden Party and Bloomers, and for the gents, Dots-to-Dots!

Edit: This giveaway is closed.

Win it!: You guys are so lucky! Right now you’ve got a chance to win TWO pairs of socks (your choice!) from Ozone Socks! Your feet have never had it so good! The contest will run until December 21st 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: Go shopping at Ozone Socks and pick out the two pair you want! Choose wisely, as you’ll get what you request! I’d also love to hear what drew you to those particular socks.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Ozone Socks on Facebook (they often announce special discounts there!)
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 a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

B. Toys and the Fabulous Spinaroos! Gift Idea Not to Miss!

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For those of you out there with tiny little babies, I want to tell you two things:
1. Snuggle them as much as you possibly can. Everyone tells you they grow so fast, and everyone is dead on. Just two years ago we were settling into the realization that we were expecting, and now I have a tiny child (not baby) on my hands!

2. If you think your baby is fun now…..JUST. YOU. WAIT. I swear, Darah delights me with something new that she has learned or that she is able to do every single day. Play time is a blast now; it’s more fun than it was a month ago, it will be even more fun a month from now, and my head just about explodes when I think of the adventures we’ll be having in one short year. Kids are awesome!

B. Toys

Today I wanted to tell you about a toy company who really seems to have their fingers on the pulse of the joy that comes with being a kid (and being the parent of a kid!). I’d like to introduce B. toys to you. This is a line of toys that you will find at Target stores throughout the country, and they are, in a word, amazing!

The Chief Toymaker at B. (wouldn’t you love to have that job title?) says, “Everything we do at B. is part joy, part mischief, part serendipity.” Doesn’t that pretty much sum up what it means to be a kid???

B. Toys spinaroos B. toys has created a fabulous website that is truly engaging, and doesn’t simply serve as a info hub about their products (although you will find that information there, as well). They have gorgeous worlds made out of B. toys as well as my favorite section, the quote gallery. This is a place where you can read some hilarious (and sometimes poignant) quotes from children, and you have the opportunity to leave your own. You can design a custom quote and send it to your family and friends as an e-card or post it on Facebook. I love it!

B. toys cares deeply about providing quality toys that will encourage individuality and creative play They also care about the environment, packaging their products in environmentally-friendly material. They even have some toys whose packaging reverses to become wrapping paper. That is genius, people. Now that you see that B. is a company with the heart of a playful child and the mindfulness of a wise sage, let me tell you about the toys themselves! We had the opportunity to try out the Spinaroos, which are Bristle Blocks in modern colors and funky designs. Some of the blocks have twisty bases so that your creations can move in a circle. They are ick-free, containing no BPA, phthalates or lead. They are PERFECT for chubby little hands that are working hard on hand-eye coordination and gripping. They are recommended for children ages 2-6. At 16 months, Darah is already a big fan, so I think you can give these to a child under 2.

b. toys spinaroos They are easy to connect together, which gives Darah a boost of confidence as she tries to build things (though her favorite thing to do is tear apart what mommy and daddy made!). This is going to be one toy set that will get years and years of play, no doubt about it. I absolutely love the Spinaroos set, and I’ll definitely be looking for other B. during my next Target trip. They seem to be high quality, and I really like the vibe of their company.

So how about you? Have you purchased any B. toys, yet? What do you think of the toys they have shown on their site? Do you have a funny/cute quote to share with them?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Love Dr. Seuss? There’s an App for That!

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As much as I can’t stand the monthly bill for having two iPhones, we sure do use the heck out of them! I love being able to glance at my email when I’m out and about, get directions when I get lost (which is pretty much all the time), take pictures of Darah on the spot or, you know, actually call someone and have a chat.

And then there are the apps. Apps are just the coolest thing, you guys! And there’s an entire world of apps designed with the little ones in mind. You know, the ones who are going to play with your phone, regardless. So you might as well have something on there that they’ll like. It might prevent them from sending text messages to random people in Botswana. Might...

Oceanhouse Media is a company that offers a goldmine of apps for children. Seriously, their stuff is AWESOME! Looking for a Dr. Seuss book to put on your iPhone? Look no further! I recently had the opportunity to try out Dr. Seuss’ ABC and it is a hit, for sure. She already has this book, so she’s familiar with it. We must have the abridged version (did you know that they do that with some Seuss books???) because the app has more detail to it than our book. You can have the book read to you, you can listen to the book but be in charge of turning the pages yourself, of you can read on your own. This means that the app will grow with your child as s/he becomes more advanced! dr. seuss app

Oceanhouse Media also has many other very cool Seuss apps that look great, like Green Eggs and Ham, The Foot Book and Yertle the Turtle! And don’t even get me started on their apps of The Little Critter!

Buy it!: I personally think that Dr. Seuss’ ABC app is an excellent buy at $3.99 because it will entertain your little one for hours and hours over the course of a few years!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to snag a free download of Dr. Seuss’ ABC. The contest will run until December 19th 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 your very favorite Dr. Seuss book! My personal favorite is Fox in Socks!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Oceanhouse Media 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 free download in exchange for my honest opinion!

Most Affordable and Fun Gift Ideas for Toddlers from Playskool!

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Last year I made some gift suggestions for babies and toddlers that might be on your list. I focused on toys that were stimulating, fun and affordable from Playskool. I think they are still great gift suggestions if you want to go check out that post.

Then in May I told you about a toy from Playskool that had quickly become a favorite. I am pleased to tell you that 7 months later, this is STILLone of Darah’s favorite toys. As anyone with a young toddler knows, 7 months is the equivalent of two lifetimes in terms of the amount of growth and development that can be happening. The toys that were stimulating at 8 or 9 months will likely not hold the same interest at 16 months. And yet, this toy is still much loved and played with! Well done, Playskool!

If you are still looking for a fun toy for your young toddler, I do have another suggestion from Playskool. Are you familiar with wheel pals? Oh my, they are precious! I talked about them last year, but this year that have these fabulous WHhel pals Animal Tracks you can buy to go with them. On Christmas morning, this will be one of the gifts that Santa will have all set up and on display for Darah (or at least that’s what an elf told me). It is basically a cute and creative track for your wheel pals, and it comes with 2 theme-appropriate wheel pals for playing fun. This is really car racing 101 and Tim is beside himself about getting to start “playing cars” with Darah! I love that this will promote some great interactive play, minus all the bells and whistles (literally).

Playskool is a brand that we can count on to encourage creativity, curiosity and lots of laughs. If you love this brand, too, consider liking them on Facebook so that you can stay up to date with all the latest Playskool news (and giveaways!).

Buy it!: Wheel Pals Animal Tracks retail for $14.99. Additional wheel pals can be purchased starting at just $1.99 each, making this an affordable collection!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

 

Rockin’ Green Detergent Review

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I need to tell you something about using cloth diapers: sometimes it is hard. I don’t think it is hard to prep the diapers for use, and I don’t think it is that hard to wash them (though it is time consuming, and therefore, can be annoying). What I’m talking about, in particular, are the times when your diapers start to smell really bad and you can’t seem to get rid of the smell. This is also known as having a case of “the stinkies.”

There are almost as many remedies for the stinkies as there are different brands of cloth diapers. Many of them contradict each other. For example: one method will say to break out a little bit of bleach, and another method will say, “Whatever you do, DON’T use bleach!” It seems that what works for one cloth diaper family doesn’t for the next. I think a lot of it has to do with what kind of water you have, actually. The solution for folks with soft water is just going to be different than for those with hard water or even in-between water (I have that “in between” water here).

Rockin’ Green Review

Rockin' Green reviews Rockin’ Green is a cloth diaper detergent company that has become quite popular, largely due to the fact that it makes different detergents for those different water types. The vast majority of people who have used it rave about how well it works. I’ve been curious to try it out, and recently had the opportunity.

Most of my diapers come out pretty clean after going through a cold and then hot wash. But I have one brand of diapers that just STINK, despite everything I have tried (and I tried a lot of different things, folks). Those are my BumGenius AIO diapers. They used to be my favorites, but lately, they have become the diapers I turn to last, because they stink after Darah has been wearing them for maybe 45 minutes. I know they have buildup on them, but nothing I have done will shake it. I thought this would be the ultimate test for Rockin’ Green.

So what was the result? Well, it worked! But it didn’t work right away. It took about 6 washes with Rockin’ Green before the diapers truly became stink free. I continued to use the diapers all along (how else would I know if it worked?) and I didn’t notice any difference after the very first wash, but after every other wash, the smell seemed to lessen. By round 6, Rockin’ Green had TKO’d the stinkies! Yes, it took a while, but it was worth it! To be fair, I think those diapers had a whole lot of stinky going on, and Rockin’ Green could only fight so hard during each wash!

Rockin’ Green also suggests during a third rinse of the diapers, which is not something I had tried before. I have some guilt about the amount of water I use with cloth diapers, but I have integrated the third rinse into my wash routine once a week for now.

I was pleased with the result, and I did end up purchasing a bag of Rockin’ Green to have on hand. It worked for me when nothing else did, and that made it something totally worth the price, which it a bit on the steep side for me. I suspect I may never have a case of the stinkies again, but if I do, Rockin’ Green will take care of it, I’m certain.

Buy it!: Rockin’ Green is available from their site, and from a variety of sites online! Detergents for soft and “regular” water are $12.95 for a 45/90 load size, and $15.85 for the hard water formula.

Win it!: Awwww yeah! Rockin’ Green is bringing one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader one 45/90 bag of detergent in your choice of formula and scent! The contest will run until December 17th 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 what kind of water you have where you live? If you don’t know, check out the map on Rockin’ Green’s site to learn! Have you had to do anything special with your laundry cleaning routine due to your water? My answer: I’ve never noticed anything special needing to be done with my clothes until I started using cloth diapers. The buildup they got did require something specially formulated for our water, it seems.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Rockin’ Green on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via email or RSS
3. Bonus opportunity: tweet about this giveaway and post the tweet url here (just one extra entry total)

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

Disclosure: I received sample packets for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Tupperware Whip ‘N Prep Chef Review

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I’ve told you before about the joys of owning Tupperware products. While Tupperware might make you think of old school house parties and the avocado and goldenrod containers your mother or grandmother used to own, you should also know that Tupperware continues to innovate and put amazing products that work hard for you and that will last and last in the kitchen.

I’ve been using my Tupperware Quick Chef for many months now, and that is one tool in my cupboards that rarely sleeps. I typically use it 2-3 times each week for various chopping tasks. It works like a dream, and is especially great for any time that Darah is napping. It’s as quiet as a mouse, but as effective as a food processor!

Quick Chef has a little cousin I want you to meet. Check out the Whip N Prep Chef. From their site, “This amazing product whips egg whites, creams, sauces, dressings, light batters and desserts in record time without the need for electricity. A simple turn of the handle is all it takes.”

The day mine arrived, I made some pudding. Tim and I had really been craving something chocolate, but didn’t have any chocolate in the house. Once we read up on all the great things the Whip ‘N Prep Chef could do, inspiration hit: we’d make our own pudding! We added some cocoa to it to give it a chocolate taste. It wasn’t as good as real chocolate pudding, but it definitely satisfied our cravings. And you know what else? It was ridiculously easy to make. We turned our mix into a beautiful pudding in about 30 seconds using the Whip ‘N Prep Chef. It also comes with a lid for storage, so we just kept the pudding in the container we mixed it together in. Brilliant!

As the holidays approach, I’ve been using the Whip ‘N Prep Chef for all sorts of yummy dishes and treats. We love to make Eggs Benedict and this will whip that sauce up lickety split! I know I’ll be using this great gadget for years to come, and since it is Tupperware, which means the quality is unsurpassed, I look forward to giving it to Darah one day for her own kitchen.

Buy it!: The Whip ‘N Prep Chef is perfect for the cook on your list (including yourself!). You will be amazed by just how often you reach for this workhorse! Best of all, the only “electricity” this needs comes from you! This item retails for $52.50 and will still be whipping up awesomeness 20 years from now, I believe! They also have a ton of other great products! What’s on my holiday wish list? This Hamburger Press Set! I love Turkey burgers but I hate making the patties! This would help a lot!

Win it!: Yes, indeed! Tupperware has a treat for you, my fabulous readers! One of you is going to score a Tupperware Whip ‘N Prep Chef! This will be a fantastic gift under the tree for someone, or better yet, just put it right to work in your own kitchen! The contest will run until December 16th 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 own anything by Tupperware? If so, what? Do you love it? If you don’t own any Tupperware, tell me one thing they make that you would like to own (besides the Whip ‘N Prep).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Sign up for the Tupperware newsletter (toward the bottom of the page). You’ll get the inside scoop on upcoming specials!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (see the right side of my page to sign up).

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

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed her are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Mudpuppy: Amazing Toys and Gifts, Rockin’ Prices

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Friends, I’m just tickled about the company I have the pleasure of introducing you to today! Galison/Mudpuppy is a company that offers truly beautiful products. The Galison division of the company was founded in 1979, specifically to work with museums in bringing famous and beautiful works of art into people’s homes via paper products such as notecards, greeting cards, journals, etc.

The Mudpuppy division of the company started in 1992, specializing in puzzles. Since that time, they have expanded to also include educational games, toys and stationery for youngsters. It was the Mudpuppy line that initially got my attention. I had been looking for block puzzles for Darah, but I wanted some that had great designs and that were made of eco-friendly material (and eco-friendly inks). That’s what Mudpuppy offers! Don’t you just love this robot block puzzle! So cool!!! It features 9 blocks that can create 6 different puzzles, all of different cartoon robots!

This is going to provide hours of entertainment for Tim, I mean Darah! 🙂

I really love the various toys and games that Mudpuppy has to offer. Look at how many of their products have won awards! I also love that the toys are simple, yet inspire a lot of creative play. They don’t look like everything else you find in big box stores, so they offer something for the shopper who wants to get an unexpected surprise for a child, as well.

Finally, I’m very impressed with their prices. Almost all of the items in the Mudpuppy line are under $20 (and quite a few are under $10!), making it so much easier to get a super cool gift for a super hot price!

I see SEVERAL things that I’ve got my eye on for Darah as she gets just a wee bit older. Some of my top picks for toddler Christmas presents this year are the Let’s Go Camping sticker set ($8), the Opposites Ring Flash Cards ($12) and the Into Space Playing Cards ($6).

But I’m not done, yet, folks! Going over to the Galison line, I see MANY things that would be perfect hostess gifts or great for your girlfriends! Look at these beautiful file folders ($8.50). I am majorly digging this blue memo pad (on sale for $5.00!). The possibilities are really endless, and you could check several people off your holiday shopping list at this site, for sure!

Buy it!: Mudpuppy wants to offer you a 15% discount on any order! Just enter coupon code ZZZ2 at checkout! This can be used for any item on the site, including items in the Galison line! This could make for some killer deals on super cute stuff!!!

Edit: This giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get a block puzzle of your choice! Woo hoo! The contest will run until December 15th 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 what your favorite puzzle is and why it is the perfect gift for the little one you have in mind. My answer: We chose the robot puzzle because Tim loves robots and hopes that Darah will develop an interest in science and technology, along with a great imagination!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Galison/Mudpuppy on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need using Google Friend Connect (look on the sidebar of the main page…promise it is easy!)

Bonus entry: If you make a purchase, you get an extra entry to the contest! Just leave a comment with the email address you used at checkout. Don’t forget to use the coupon code! 🙂

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. This post contains affiliate links. 

Making Food Prep for a Toddler Easy (Cookbook Review)

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Lately I’ve really been a rut when it comes to feeding Darah. She’s got some chompers now, and her taste buds are certainly ready for more flavors than they were a few months ago. But I’m finding that the food we are eating can be really hit or miss with her. I also am more diligent with her about making sure she has all the nutrients she needs. I can’t say that the meals I prepare for myself are as balanced. Just being honest about that.

When I was preparing baby food for Darah, I was on top of my game. I made so many delightful recipes for her and then pureed them to perfection in my Beaba babycook. To be honest with you, I’m still making baby food for her, though it isn’t nearly as smooth, now. Sometimes I feel guilty that I’m not giving her as many “big girl” food options as I should!

Food for Toddlers

E food for toddlers nter So Easy Toddler Food. This is a 48 page book designed for folks like me, who have toddlers running around demanding food (Darah’s a bottomless pit, have I mentioned that?) but are struggling to find healthy meals that are just right for those with a few (but not too many!) teeth!
Check out the recipe list!

Breakfasts

  • Best Ever Granola
  • Mango Bagel
  • Banana Strawberry Smoothie
  • Breakfast Burrito

Lunches

  • Pineapple Kabobs
  • Apple Kabobs
  • Sunshine Wrap
  • Lunchmeat Roll Ups
  • Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Egg Salad
  • Stuffed Eggs
  • White Bean & Cheddar Dip

Dinners

  • Macaroni with Ham and Peas
  • Quesadilla
  • Shroomy Stroganoff
  • Tuna Casserole
  • Homemade Pizza

Salads

  • Avocado & Orange Salad
  • Creamy Cuke Salad
  • Sweet Tomato Salad

Sides

  • Broccoli & Rice Casserole
  • Cinnamon Apple Slices
  • Frosted Zucchini
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Pink Potatoes
  • Sand Castle Couscous
  • Maple Carrots

Soups

  • Black Bean Soup
  • Creamy Cauliflower Soup
  • Tropical Summer Soup
  • Cream of Asparagus Soup

Desserts

  • Banana Bread
  • Berries N’ Banana Cream
  • Orange Frosty
  • Smooth & Creamy Popsicles
  • Frozen Banana Pops

I’m pleased to say that I have found this book to be a great resource for the types of foods that I know I need to be making. The recipes are also quick and easy, overall. I need that, too! It also includes some tips for dealing with picky eaters, and pictures of all the food (thank you!).

Buy it!: Do you have a toddler at home and have run out of meal ideas for him/her? Do you know someone with a toddler? This is a great book choice! So Easy Toddler Food retails for $8.95 and can be purchased through Amazon.

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.

Cleaning Stinky Shoes with Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator

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What was your very first job? Mine was being a cashier at Captain D’s. I only worked there for 4 months while I saved up some money to be in a really big regional pageant (that’s a topic for an entirely different post, my friends…). Anyway, I’m really glad that I had that job, awful as it was. It taught me to, among other things, pursue the very best education I could, be kind to those who work SO HARD to provide services that are easy to take for granted, and to understand that money is attached to earnings (so how bad did I really want that $50 sweater from Express, given that it would take me about 12 hours of tiring work to be able to afford it?).

One thing I didn’t learn while working at Captain D’s, though, was what in the world to do about my work laundry. You guys, I always smelled AWFUL after a day, or even a couple hours of work. I smelled like fish batter, malt vinegar and sweat. UGH!!! Detergent worked ok for a while, but there came a point, after being there just a few months, when that smell would just linger in the clothes, wash after wash. At least it was a uniform and not the same clothes I wore to school!

But now there is a product on the market that is designed to seriously kick the butt of your most offensive laundry odors. Let me introduce you to Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator! I had the opportunity to try it out, recently, and I’m excited to tell you about what I discovered.

First, though, I wanted to share with you a bit about what I learned about the product’s “green” factor, since I’m actively trying to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals I use. The primary active ingredient in Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator is derived from naturally occur starch (corn starch ) by treatment with enzymes. It is readily biodegradable. High purity water and a small amount of ethanol make the product liquid. This accounts for over 98% of the formula. The remaining ingredients are fragrance and preservatives which are approved for use in cosmetics and personal care products.”

While it isn’t the most green laundry product in the world, it seems to be very mild on the scale of how yucky something like this can be for the environment, so I personally feel at peace about using it.

Cleaning Stinky Shoes

how to clean stinky shoes So now let me tell you how I used it. I did something a bit unorthodox. I soaked my favorite pair of shoes in it! Seriously! I have a pair of purple flats that I got for $3.00 from Wal-Mart (I’ve mentioned them once or twice before!). They are super comfy, really cute and I absolutely adore them. I wear them almost every single day.

And that’s the problem, folks. As much as I like to think that my feet smell like roses, at the end of the day, they are feet. And feet smell. ESPECIALLY if you keep putting them in the same shoes without giving those shoes a breather, so to speak. For so long I have hated taking off my purple shoes because they are so comfy, but lately I’ve hated taking them off because they stink so bad! (Oh my gosh, can you see me blushing through the computer screen???).

So in a desperate attempt to save my beloved shoes, I filled up my bathroom sink with water, added some Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator, and let them soak for 30 minutes. I gently swooshed the around a bit, but that’s really it, because I didn’t want to risk hurting the shoes in any way (remember, I LOVE these stinkin’ shoes!).

The result: I’d say the stink factor was reduced by about 50%. This wasn’t what I was hoping for, but to be fair, this product is designed for fabric, which my shoes are not, and they just sat in the water for 30 minutes and weren’t agitated or anything like that. So really, a 50% improvement isn’t so bad.

I also used this stuff on Darah’s bedding after she had a leaky diaper incident. It took care of that smell 100%! And the rumor going around the blogosphere is that Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator can also get rid of the stinkies with cloth diapers. I’ve been a little nervous to try it myself, but I think I just might in the future!

Buy it!:Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator is available at major retailers including your nearest Wal-Mart!

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag a coupon for a free 1.5L bottle of Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator. The contest will run until December 13th 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 about something in your house that you’ve done battle with to eliminate foul odors. Did you win or are you currently being defeated? Aside from my shoes (I can’t believe I told you guys about that!), we occasionally have to take our trash cans outside and give them a good soak with a little bit of bleach. Seems to work ok, although I always get nervous using bleach because it is such a harsh chemical.

Additional entries:

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.