review - Stuff Parents Need

Best Natural Laundry Detergent: Charlie’s Soap

February 4, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 290 Comments

Yesterday we talked about the fact that Darah is holding nothing back when it comes to putting anything and everything in her mouth. Today I wanted to talk about one thing she is especially fond of chewing on: her sleeves. I suspect that this is not something unique to my baby. My child is a big fan of her pacifier, but lately I’ve noticed that she will frequently take out her binky in favor of chewing on her sleeves.

Natural Laundry Detergent to the Rescue!

As I watch her gnaw away, I feel very relieved to know that her clothes are not full of icky and dangerous chemicals. This brings me to our next Planet Earth is My Valentine review and giveaway! Lately I’ve been using the best natural laundry detergent called Charlie’s Soap. From their website, “Our Laundry Powder is a revolutionary approach to laundry care. It does not cover up stains and odors with scents and brighteners – it really cleans. It is made with a unique blend of biodegradable coconut-based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda.”

I have had the privilege of trying their laundry products in both the powder and the liquid form. The powder form requires 1 tablespoon per load…that’s it!!! One bag retails for $15.50, and it will do 80 loads of laundry. That’s just 19 cents per load for a soap that will clean your clothes beautifully and not harm our environment in the process. That’s a downright bargain, folks! If you prefer liquid, know that you only need to use 1/8 of a cup per load. This reduces the amount of plastic that gets used on the bottles, because a little bit goes a long way.

Charlie’s Soap also carries an all-purpose cleaner. Now when they say, “all-purpose,” they REALLY mean it! The spray bottle itself says that it will clean anything from false teeth to diesel engines. On their site, they have a great breakdown of how to dilute the solution properly depending on what you are wanting to clean. Again, this product comes in a concentrated formula of 17 ounces, but it will last you a good long while. It retails for $13.35, but you can also buy it by the gallon for $21.67!

I really love how well these soap products have worked in my own home. I also really loved that the products came in recycled cardboard. This company is really showing that it cares about the environment! But what I love most of all about Charlie’s Soap is the fact that the people who make and sell it have a real sense of humor. On the laundry products, they write that there is really nothing better than the scent of honestly clean clothing. They state, “If you want flowers, go pick some.” Ha! That really is a good point, though, that sometimes these perfumes added to our detergents are only there to cover up the fact that our clothes didn’t get REALLY clean. With Charlie’s Soap, you don’t have to wonder. You know!

Buy It: Charlie’s Soap is so confident that you will love their natural laundry powder products, that if you don’t, they’ll refund your money (but not gladly!)….hey, at least they are honest about it! I love that!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed: Congratulations to #196!

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Choose Non Toxic Cleaning Products: Ecostore USA

February 4, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 264 Comments

Over the weekend Darah made an interesting discovery. She figured out that she had full control over this funny thing inside her mouth called a tongue! She loves to practice sticking her tongue out and making noises while her tongue is out. It is absolutely precious. You can imagine, though, that the drool factor just went up a notch in our home!

Another change that this has brought on is her interest in licking anything with which she comes in contact! This has really given me pause to think about what I am using to clean around the house. I’ve been wanting to “go green” with my cleaning supplies, but now I truly feel as though a fire has been lit under my behind. Darah will not hesitate to put her mouth on the floor, the carpet, the table…anything! I really need to make sure that she is not at risk for ingesting anything toxic, and one way I will do that is to choose non-toxic cleaning products.

This brings me to my next review for the Planet Earth is My Valentine series! One suggestion I have for showing love to the little ones in your home, and even showing love to your home itself, is to kick those chemical-laden cleaning products to the curb! A company that can help you do that is ecostore USA. The idea behind this company is simple: create products with NO NASTY CHEMICALS!

The super friendly folks at ecostore USA sent me two household products to try: the auto dish powder and the toilet cleaner. I was really impressed with the ingredients of the dish powder. They are as follows:

Ingredients

Palm and coconut based non-ionic surfactants
Silicates and carbonates including sodium meta silicate (simple mineral salts)
Citrates and natural citrus oil
Cellulose (plant based)
Fatty acid derivatives

That’s it! And you know what? My dishes have been coming out just as clean as when I use more commercial (and more toxic) products that you find in grocery stores. This product sells for $12.00, which may seem like a lot, but listen to what ecostore USA has to say about their prices: “Ecostore USA knows that it can be expensive to buy natural or organic products, but we’ve found a way around this by safely super-concentrating each formulation. This means that a little really does go a long, long way. The result is saving money by significantly cutting down on cost per use.” Since very little is used per load of dishes, this container will last our home a good long while! I also like the fact that purchasing concentrated products cuts down on your waste in terms of the number of containers that you purchase, too!

I was excited to try the toilet cleaner because I have yet to find an environmentally-friendly product designed for cleaning toilet bowls. I feel a twinge of guilt each time I use my current product because I know that what I’m putting into the water system just to get my toilet bowl shining is bad stuff. From their website, “Because Ecostore USA’s Toilet Cleaner uses NO NASTY CHEMICALS, your toilet will not only be fresh and clean but safe for Earth’s waterways as well. Conventional products have released toxins, dyes and synthetic perfumes into toilets for years causing water degradation. Created with your environment in mind, this product is extraordinary.” I completely agree! Once again, I have found this product to clean just as quickly and effectively as the stuff I was using before, and now I have zero guilt! The product retails for $8.00.

In addition to these and other great eco-friendly household products, ecostore USA also carries a terrific line of soaps, baby care items, and even a line of products for your pets, all with NO NASTY CHEMICALS!

Buy It! If you have been thinking about going green with your cleaning products or your personal care products, ecostore USA is a great product line to try. Give them a try today!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to #123!

Win It! Ecostore USA wants Stuff Parents Need readers to have the chance to win! Woo hoo! They are giving away one $25 credit to their site so that you can green your home! The contest will run until February 14th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure that your email address is either in your profile or in your comment.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Visit ecostore USA and tell me about the product in their line that you need the very most in your home.

Additional entries:

1. Subscribe to my blog via email or reader (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Google friend connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

3. Listen to the ecostore podcast and tell me something you learned!

4. Enter any other current giveaway on my site and come back here to tell me you did

5. Fan ecostore USA on Facebook

6. Follow ecostore USA on Twitter

7. Tweet about this giveaway

8. Add my button to your blog and leave me a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Ethical Fashion for the Expecting Mom: Miravos Maternity and Nursing Wear

February 1, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 124 Comments

Announcing my first Planet Earth is My Valentine giveaway! I was recently contacted by Miravos, an eco-friendly clothing line (made in the U.S.A.!) that offers ethical fashion in the form of swanky clothing for pregnant and nursing mothers. I know….”swanky” doesn’t usually describe these types of clothing! Take a look, though, and you’ll see that they are offering some really cute pieces! Check out this fabulous Chelsea Top in a stunning shade of purple, or the sexy-chic Hudson dress, which actually looks good on the expecting mom, too!

All of the clothes from Miravos are made from bamboo, which is gentle on the environment, and which has natural anti-bacterial properties in its fibers. Bamboo is also a really soft fiber, which makes it very comfortable to wear!

Buy It!
If you are currently pregnant and looking for an “investment piece” that will carry you through your nursing months, consider what Miravos has to offer! If you are already nursing and are sick of your terribly ugly nursing tops (and we all have them) then treat yourself to something fabulous today!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations #37!

Win It!
Miravos would like to offer one uber-lucky Stuff Parents Need expecting or nursing mom a Chrystie 3/4 sleeve shirt! This is a top that will go from the playground to the office with ease. I wish I could enter my own contests! 🙂 The contest will run until February 14th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Miravos. Come back here and tell me your very favorite ethical fashion piece that they sell.

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Make a purchase at Miravos (5 entries, so leave 5 comments)
3. Enter any other “Planet Earth is My Valentine” giveaway and tell me you did.
4. Sign up for the Miravos newsletter (include your email address that you used to sign up)
5. Follow me on Google friend connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
6. Tweet about this giveaway

Disclosure: I received no product for this giveaway, nor did I receive any compensation.

How to Remove Yellow Stains in Baby Clothing

January 27, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 361 Comments

Every new parent knows that laundry is the source of much stress and anguish. The pile of dirty laundry keeps growing despite your best efforts to throw clothes in the washer on a daily basis. The extra money you are spending on detergents is impacting your grocery budget. The yellow stains (from formula or breast milk) are your arch nemesis, and you are defeated by them constantly. I had no idea how to remove yellow stains like these. It was a mess!

Before Darah was born, we did 2 loads of laundry each week. Oh how I long for those days! Now we do anywhere between 4 and 7 loads of laundry each week for our family of 3. I remember doing a load of baby clothes for the very first time back in August. I was absolutely horrified that Darah’s precious little onesies were coming out of the wash with yellow stains set in them after being worn only once. This was well before the introduction of serious poo or of solid foods, too! Fortunately, my mother-in-law came to visit a week after the birth and she taught me how to make sure that all the stains in our laundry came out

What is her secret? It’s simple….Biz
Biz is a stain fighter that is aavailable in liquid or powder form. It can be applied directly to clothes to pre-treat them, or just added to your load of laundry along with your detergent. It has been around for over 40 years, and now I know why: because IT WORKS.

>How does it work? Well, I can’t get into all the scientific details with you, but the trick isn’t bleach or phosphates, because Biz doesn’t contain either of those. It does contain natural enzymes, though, and that makes it one heck of a stain fighter. Those enzymes break down the proteins that make up all those nasty stains; they basically don’t stand a chance!

I add Biz to every single load of laundry that I do in my house (it is safe for colors as well as whites and it works well on delicates). Here’s my personal method:1. Add regular laundry detergent and 1 scoop of Biz into the washing machine (I typically use about 1/4 of a cup of Biz for each load).
2. Add water and clothes to the machine.

3. When the washer begins to agitate, let it run for 1-2 minutes, and then stop the machine.

4. Let laundry soak for as long as possible (anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours, with longer soaks being best).

5. Turn the machine back on and let it finish the cycle.6. Open the machine to find TOTALLY clean clothes. Woo hoo!

Variation: My mother-in-law soaks her clothes in Biz alone, and then adds regular detergent when she starts the washing machine back up. She also has great results with her method. I do it differently because I often forget to add the detergent with this method!

You may think that soaking laundry for 8 hours isn’t practical, and it definitely isn’t for every load. But if you get in the habit of starting a load before you go to bed and finishing it when you wake up, or of starting a load before you head out the door for work and finishing it up when you get home, you’ll find it to be very doable, at least for some of your laundry!

Did you notice that my routine doesn’t include spraying down the stains with something like Shout? That’s because Biz does the work for me; I don’t have to seek out the stains! I have had success with removing blood, butter, sweat, all sorts of baby stains (I think you know what I mean!), food and juice (think raspberry Kool-Aid!). The truth is that since I started using Biz in August, I have not had a single stain set in on our clothes. Not one!!!

I can’t promise you that Biz will remove that year old wine stain from your cashmere sweater, but that’s because I’ve never tried this combo. Here are a few quotes from other satisfied customers who HAVE had success getting out some really old stains:

“I’ve been an antique dealer for as long as Biz has been in existence. I bought some of the ugliest lots of linens that came clean with overnight soaking. Victorian whites were blinding. I had other dealers crying for my ‘secret formula.’ I’ve tried newer products as they come into (and disappeared from) the marketplace, and always return to Biz.”

“I cannot believe what an incredible product BIZ is. My daughter-in-law brought over a box and asked if I could get a formula stain out of a red and white onesie that someone gave her. The stain was over a year old. I made a paste and it lifted the stain. Unbelievable!”

Edit: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to #250!

Why Name Labels for Children are CRITICAL at Daycare

January 27, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 70 Comments

I wrote a few months ago about some things that I learned during Darah’s first week of daycare. One of the things I realized was that I needed name labels for children on everything that belonged to my daughter. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that custom name labels existed, so I took permanent magic marker to her bottles and her bottle caps. Within a week, the permanent (yeah right) marker had washed right off! I really wasn’t interested in having to write her name on her bottles every single week. So I did what I always do…I searched for a solution. Surely there was a mom out there who had come up with a way to label stuff for kids!
Yes, indeed, there is a mom out there who has done exactly that. Meet Kristin, the owner of the fabulous Etsy shop MyTwoBabes! Kristin is a mother to twins, so she knows how easy it can be for items that belong to your babies to get mixed up, misplaced or sent home with the wrong child. She put her 8 years of experience in the graphic design field to work and has created some truly incredible labels that are just perfect for daycare, school or most any other place where your stuff just might not make it back into your hands without having your name label on it!

I received a daycare package from Kristin, which contains 30 size 1″x.25″ labels and 14 size 1.5″x1.5″ name labels for children. These labels have been working hard for a solid month for us, and I have not had a single one fall off or need to be replaced! They have been through the dishwasher and have been hand-washed, all without any problems. I have the smaller labels on her pacifiers, bowls, bottle caps and her spoons and I’ve put the round labels on her bottles. I haven’t lost anything that’s been labeled so far, while I had lost a few things prior to using these labels. I’m finding that the labels help my daycare providers out and are saving me money because I’m not having to replace lost items.

I really love that the daycare package comes with a large number of labels. As Darah grows into different bottles, pacifiers, cups and bowls, I’ll have labels on hand to use. I also really love the peace of mind I have knowing that nobody else is using her binky or her bottle on accident!

Name labels from MyTwoBabes are made with premium vinyl products with thermal printed names and color. The base of all labels are white and the color choices are sky blue, raspberry, apple green and lilac. There are also 4 cute font choices from which to choose.

Buy It! This fantastic label set is a steal at $9.00. We all know that just one nice bottle can cost more than that. Save yourself a whole lot of stress and pick up a set for your child today.

Edit: This Giveaway is now closed

Win It! One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is about to score a name labels for children daycare package of your very own! This contest will run until Friday, February5th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure your email address is either in your comment or in your profile or else I can’t let you know that you won!

How To Enter

Mandatory Entry: Check out the labels at MyTwoBabes and let me know the color and font you would choose for your daycare package. Choose wisely, because if you win, you will get what you picked!

Additional Entries:
1. Follow my blog on Google friend connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS
3. Follow Kristin’s blog!
4. Add Kristin’s button to your blog (found on her blog). You must leave a url where the button can be found!
5. Follow MyTwoBabes on Twitter

I received samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

How to Breastfeed in Public Without a Cover

January 26, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 77 Comments

As I have mentioned before, I am fortunate enough to be able to visit my 5 month old daughter every work day during lunch at her daycare. This gives me the opportunity to feed her myself and to have some special time with her in the middle of the day. I’ve also mentioned before that her daycare center does not have a private place where I can take her to nurse so I have to breastfeed in public. In December I was using a resource room. I think I fed her in that room 9 times, and I was only left uninterrupted 1 of those times. Seriously! There were even a few times when I had to use the room while other women who work there were cleaning and organizing in the room. Everyone has been very nice to me, but my need for privacy does not seem to trump their need to access the room.

This month I have just decided to nurse Darah in the room she stays in. If I have to make small talk with other adults while I’m feeding my baby, it might as well be with the women who are actually watching my daughter! I’ve tried a couple of things in an effort to be at least a little bit modest. I’ve tried using her swaddling blankets as a cover. This only works if she is too exhausted to pull them down. I’ve also tried using a nursing cover (the kind that goes over your head). Darah seems to be really annoyed by this contraption, and she frequently will stop nursing and try to move it out of her way. She just doesn’t like being covered, which makes sense, because she is never covered when I nurse her at home. The issue of how to breastfeed in public has been quite a challenge for me, to say the least.

So, what to do? There actually is a really cool solution to this dilemma! It’s called Baby Bond, and it is a nursing cover unlike any other that I’ve seen! Baby Bond is designed to provide mom with a bit of privacy, but it doesn’t cover up baby at all. It does require you to be a little bit more brave, as it is possible for you to be exposed if your little one suddenly stops nursing and throws her head back to talk to you (as mine sometimes does), but if you are prepared for that scenario, you can quickly move the fabric over your breast when that happens. The Baby Bond comes in 3 different styles. I was sent the Flex style to review. This is a really great product for me to use at daycare, as privacy is not an option and the nursing covers and blankets just aren’t cutting it. I wear the Baby Bond like a sash, and then just unbutton my shirt with the sash over me. I separate the two panels of fabric when Darah is in position and ready to eat. She covers up some of my breast, and the Baby Bond covers the rest. I am able to keep my shirt on to keep my belly and back covered. It’s great! Darah seems to like it, too, because she really does enjoy looking at me while she eats, and this doesn’t cover her up or obstruct her view of me in any way. Another terrific feature of the Baby Bond Flex nursing cover is the fact that it has a loop meant to hold the burp cloth that comes with it. This has been an absolute lifesaver for me. Before I had this product, I probably forgot to bring a burp cloth with me to nurse Darah at least 75% of the time. Now it is built in to my nursing cover so there’s nothing to forget. Leave it to a mom to think of such a great invention, and then add such a great bonus feature!

Speaking of the inventor, let me tell you a little bit about why Missy created this product. She says, “My determination to incorporate breastfeeding into my lifestyle meant nursing in public everywhere. It also taught me a lot about myself. I discovered that refusing to cover my baby’s head while nursing did not leave many options. I did not feel attractive when I lifted my shirt to nurse because I found myself slouching forward and it revealed my postnatal stomach and back. I also felt that by exposing my breasts, the intimacy shared between my husband and me was somehow compromised… I wanted to keep some things just for us.” I can certainly relate to all of these feelings, as they have caused me to really shy away from breastfeeding in public, which totally stinks. I also want to highlight the fact that Missy is a business owner with a heart for others. She regularly donates her products to various organizations and individuals who have need for them. I am always impressed with a business that gives to others on a regular basis. Check out some of recent donations here. Baby Bond also comes in two other styles. The Original cover is similar to the flex, but has a built in burp cloth. The Couture can be worn like a belly band or a nursing cover. This makes it a terrific option for moms of newborns who need the coverage a belly band can offer, and who need to nurse so often that they shouldn’t even take off their nursing cover!
The only difficulty I have had with the Baby Bond has nothing to do with the product, and everything to do with my wardrobe. It is designed to be worn with shirts that allow you to nurse from the top down (button up shirts or nursing shirts). A good chunk of my work wardrobe requires me to pull up my shirt, so on days when Darah is at daycare, I have to strategically plan what I’m going to wear if I want to use the Baby Bond. Hopefully you are smarter than me and already have a wardrobe that is more conducive to nursing!

Buy It! Baby Bond is available at a variety of online and retail outlets, and you can also buy it on the Baby Bond website! This product provides the means for you to nurse anywhere, anytime without sacrificing that important eye contact with your baby. It’s also great for those squirmy babies like mine who refused to be covered up! Get yours for $35 today.

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to #30!

Win it! Missy and Baby Bond want to give Stuff Parents Need readers the chance breastfeed in public once again and to win a Baby Bond cover! This contest will run until Thursday, February 4th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my winning notification email. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure that your email address is either listed in your profile or listed in your entry.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which Baby Bond nursing cover (including the color and size) would work best for you. Choose wisely, as you will win what you select!

Additional Entries:

1. Follow my blog on Google friend connect (find it on my sidebar) (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

2. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS

3. Add my button to your blog

4. Become a Fan of Baby Bond Nursing on Facebook

5. Follow Baby Bond Nursing on Twitter

I was provided with a sample for product review purposes. The views expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Babies and Drooling: Our Favorite Drool Bibs

January 17, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 90 Comments

You know the saying, “Drool Happens?” (ok, that’s not EXACTLY how the saying goes…). Let me tell you, babies and drooling go together like toddlers and tantrums! Drool really does happen when you have an infant. All day. Every day. And from what I’ve heard, what we’re experiencing right now is a cakewalk compared to the drool we’ll be seeing when she starts teething. Oh joy…

Darah drools so much that she has what her pediatrician calls a “drool patch.” This is a patch of super dry skin in the middle of her chest. It is due to the fact that we can’t seem to keep her clothes fully dry in that one spot. Yikes! She is too big for those teeny tiny bibs that babies start out with, and the toddler bibs just seem ridiculous to put on her when she isn’t even eating. They cover up her often adorable outfits, and as silly as it is, I just can’t stand that! So recently I went on a mission in search of some kind of product that was meant to help protect drooling babies and their would-be drool patches, all without stealing the spotlight from the cute outfit of the day (or cute outfit of the hour, in some cases). I found it!

Let me introduce you to a clever mom by the name of Lindsay who operates The Emmaline on Etsy. Lindsay sells a wide variety of really fabulous items such as toddler bibs, changing pads, and burp cloths. The most ingenious creations on the site, though, are her drool catching bibs. Notice that this bib looks a lot like a bandana, providing protection exactly where it is needed, which is front and center!

Lindsay was kind enough to send one of her drool catching bibs for Darah to try out. Here she is at Christmas time. She is technically wearing her bib inside out at the moment, which is another thing I love about these bibs…they are reversible! They are cotton print on one side, and a solid minky fabric on the back. This makes them soft for baby, and easy to coordinate with an outfit. The bib is also beautifully sewn together and has held up very well to frequent (and I do mean frequent) washings at our house for the past few weeks. So many of my other bibs have started unraveling at the seams, but I can tell that this bib is going to go the distance for us, and will also be around for baby #2 (which will happen MUCH later. Nobody get too excited).

Buy It! The drool catching bib is a really cute and super useful product, in my opinion, and it is majorly cool because it is invented by a mom! If you have a drooling baby at your house, this is one purchase you won’t regret.

Win It!
Stuff Parents Need readers are just so lucky! You have a chance to win your very own drool catching bib in your choice of patterns right now! This contest will run until Sunday, January 24th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure your email address is either in your comment or in your profile or else I can’t let you know that you won!

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Tell me your very favorite pattern that the drool catching bib comes in.

Additional Entries:

1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
2. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
3. Add my button to your blog (2 entries, so leave 2 comments and leave a url to your site)
4. Follow Lindsay on Twitter(2 entries, so leave 2 comments and leave your twitter id)

5. Follow Lindsay’s blog

6. Heart The Emmaline on Etsy

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

Make Ahead Meals for the Weeknight Rush (Cookbook Giveaway!)

January 8, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 189 Comments

Do you have a major problem getting weeknight meals on the table? Since Darah has joined our family, this has been a real struggle for us. I work hard to carefully plan out our meals for the week (this helps us keep our grocery bill in check), but it is really hard to find meals that come together almost effortlessly, which is exactly what we need every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night. I’ve learned that cooking dishes that freeze well is a really good option to help out on those nights. I try to cook a little bit extra on the weekends, and then on those whirlwind weeknights, I just have to heat up one of those make ahead meals from the freezer. Slow Cooker meals are also a good option, but I haven’t found very many good recipes for the slow cooker, unfortunately.

I was really excited to get to check out the e-book version of Jane Doiron’s Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms cookbook. This book contains 140 different dishes that are easy to prepare the day you want to serve them, the day before, or even up to 3 months before you plan on eating them! Jane tells you which ones are the best for the freezer, which ones reheat beautifully if you want to enjoy them now but make enough for leftovers, and which ones you can prepare up to 24 hours in advance.

Last week, while I had the time off from work, I picked out several recipes from her cookbook and stocked up our freezer with some delicious breads, muffins and main dishes. Here’s what I made:

Banana Nut Bread
Cinnamon Bread
Apple Zucchini Bread
Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins
Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Sloppy Joes

I tasted every single thing that I made before tucking it away in the freezer. Honestly, it all tasted delicious! I made an extra apple zucchini bread for a friend who just had a baby this week because it contains so many great ingredients for a nursing mom. The chimichangas came together really easily, and they tasted fantastic. I know that these will become a weeknight staple around our house. The sloppy joes were also outstanding; one of the best versions I have ever had, truth be told. I’ll actually be bringing you the recipe this Sunday, so stay tuned!

A few of the make ahead meals listed in the book that I haven’t tried yet seem to be a little more elaborate, but that makes them ideal for when you are having company over. I hate being preoccupied in the kitchen when I have guests, but I also like to offer food that is at least a little bit special. These recipes will allow me to do just that, by giving me instructions on how to put together everything in advance.

One of my very favorite things about this cookbook is that Jane offers an e-book version! I recently weeded out my cookbook collection, because 75% of what I had was just taking up space and collecting dust. I love that this cookbook is just on my computer. I can simply print off the recipes I love the most, and that’s a huge space saver!

My one suggestion for the next book that Jane puts out (no pressure, Jane!) would be to include more freeze ahead recipes. Several of the recipes in the book were ideal for making ahead by 1 day. In my particular situation, I have several days in a row where I can’t do any cooking at all (even prep work). More meals that can be frozen is what my family needs.

Buy It!

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon for$16.15!! This is a great price for a cookbook that will save you time and money, folks.

Win it!

Jane wants to offer Stuff Parents Need readers the opportunity to win their very own copy of her book. Yes!!! This contest will run until Sunday, January 17th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Check out the table of contents of Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms and tell me the recipe you would make first if you won!

Additional Entries:

1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
2. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
3. Add my button to your blog (2 entries, so leave 2 comments and leave a url to your site)
4. Sign up for Jane’s newsletter(2 entries, so leave 2 comments and the email address you used when signing up)

5. Follow Jane’s blog

6. Put Jane’s blog button on your site (2 entries, so leave 2 comments and a url to your site)

I was provided with this cookbook for review purposes. The opinions listed here are strictly my own.

Toe Painting Fun with Natural Nail Polish for Kids

January 1, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 163 Comments

I have been looking forward to painting my baby girl’s toes pretty much since I found out I was having a girl. My mom would frequently paint my toes when I was little, and it was good bonding time for us. And of course, I always had the cutest toes of anyone my age. I was really eager to get my hands on my baby’s little piggy toes and turn them pink. Thankfully, I had the sense to pause before breaking out my own nail polish to find out if it would be safe for her. Turns out…not so much. Nail polish and nail polish remover are actually rather toxic, and can contain formaldehyde, acetone, toulene, ethyl acetate and other crazy stuff that I can’t even pronounce. While Darah isn’t putting her toes in her mouth just yet, it is only a matter of time before that is happening, and I don’t want her ingesting any of those chemicals. Thus, the hunt was on for a natural nail polish for kids.

Thanks to some other bloggers, though, I learned about Piggy Paint, a company that creates non-toxic nail polish for kids and polish removers with our little girls (and their safety) in mind

4 month old having toes painted with non-toxic nail polish for kids

. It is made in the USA and invented by a genius stay-at-home mom (doesn’t it seem like the very best products are created by moms?!) I was given the opportunity to try out Girls Rule on Darah. I actually gave my mother the honors of painting her toes first when they came for a visit a few weeks ago. I have to say, applying polish to squirmy baby toes is tough, but Darah and Grammy both had a really good time together during the process! I used the nail polish remover that they sent to wipe off those smears; easy peasy. The polish remover didn’t have that nasty chemical smell that you typically find in polish removers, which was really nice. The next time I put polish on Darah’s toes I will have a hair dryer on hand to help expedite the drying process. It isn’t that Piggy Paint takes any longer to dry than other polishes, but rather that Darah is a baby on the move! The women at the daycare center noticed her polished toes the day after they were done and raved about how cute she was. I’m not gonna lie, I beamed with pride at my little cutie that day!

I also brought the polish with me to California, because all of the cousins on my husband’s side of the family were together for the first time ever. I simply could not wait to get to paint my nieces’ toes! I was only able to paint the toes of the 3 year old, Anna, but she was very eager to get her toes painted. She sat very still throughout the process, and even helped me blow on her toes to help them dry. She showed off her pretty pink toenails to everyone in the house that day. Getting to paint her nails is a precious memory that I will keep with me forever.

The polish does require touch ups every few days, but that just provides you with another opportunity to have quiet, quality time with your little one!

Buy It: If you have a little girl and you want to paint her toes, please don’t go to you

r polish collection. Get her bn-toxic nail polish for kids that you can be confident won’t hurt her. Piggy Paint is the perfect choice, and the color selection is very nice.

Win It: One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to score a $15 credit to Piggy Paint! This contest will run until January 9th at 7:59pm CSTwhen a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory Entry: Visit Piggy Paint and tell me your very favorite color polish.

Additional Entries:
1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
2. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
3. Become a fan of Piggy Paint on Facebook (leave your username)
4. Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter (leave your username)
5. Add my button to your blog (2 entries, so leave 2 comments and leave a url to your site)
6. Make a Piggy Paint purchase (5 entries, so leave 5 comments and include the email address you used when purchasing)

Disclosure: I received polish and polish remover for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are solely my own.