review - Stuff Parents Need

What to Expect at a LEGOLAND Destination: Atlanta Edition

July 30, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Thanks to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta for hosting my family for a visit. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

A few weeks ago my crew headed down to Atlanta to visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center there. Did you know that there are multiple LEGO parks of various types (from discovery centers to water parks to theme parks?). Definitely check out the listing because even if you don’t live near Atlanta, you still might have a LEGOLAND of some sort within striking distance.

Location: A Surprising Spot!

I was quite confused when the GPS directions on my phone led us to a mall parking lot as we were trying to reach the Discovery Center. We decided to go ahead and drive the outside perimeter of the mall just in case it was there. And it was! I think I was expecting LEGOLAND Discovery Center to be in a stand alone building, and not inside a mall, though in hindsight the location makes perfect sense. Lots of families are already visiting this place, so a trip to LEGOLAND as part of a day at the mall could be fun for folks.

Self-Guided…Mostly

Almost the entire center is self-guided, so you can go wherever you like as you see fit (that doesn’t mean you won’t find lines, though!). But the very first part of the experience is guided, and I think that’s by design so that too many people don’t enter the play areas at one time. You are guided through a room where you get to “make” a LEGO (and honestly, any kid older than 6 is going to realize that you aren’t actually doing anything in this room, but it’s still a really cute concept). Every child is given a complimentary LEGO with the logo of the center on it. I think that’s a really cool souvenir to add to the LEGO collections back home.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Rides

There are two rides in the center. The first is a “gentle thrills” ride called Kindgom Quest where parties of 4 get in a cart and go from scene to scene (some animation on the screen, some “live”) shooting your laser guns at targets. My almost 5-year-old was borderline terrified the whole time, yet my 2-year-old thought it was awesome. And it was my personal favorite part of the whole place; had my oldest not protested I would have ridden it twice or maybe even three times. Totally fun!

The other ride is called Merlin’s Apprentice. It is very similar in concept to Dumbo at Disney World, only you have to pedal within your cart to keep your pod up in the air. That definitely added an element of fun to it. The line was LONG for this one; I think we waited 30 minutes for it (which is 3 eternities to a 4-year-old). The experience of waiting in line like that has me freaking out a bit about our upcoming Disney trip. But I digress…

LEGO Miniland

This is the part of the center where I would have liked to have spent more time. If you have older kids, this will hold their attention (but it is lost on toddlers, I promise). They have recreated many popular sights of the city of Atlanta, all using LEGO pieces (over 1 million!). It is totally awesome and well worth 20 to 30 minutes of your time.

Watch the Movie!

There is a 4D movie theater tucked into the back corner of the center. Definitely go see this! It’s maybe 20 minutes long, and you get sprinkled with water and even experience some snow fall right in the theater. It was a bit loud for a 2-year-old, but she still said that she liked it afterwards. My older daughter still talks about it a few weeks later.

Play Areas for the Littles

They did have an area, right next to the place where you can sit down and eat, with jumbo blocks, a slide, and cute LEGO animal statues. This is a really good spot for toddlers to play in, especially while older siblings ride Merlin’s Apprentice.

LEGO Friends

Ok, honestly, this might have been the most disappointing part of the entire center for me. Darah’s just now starting to get into LEGO Friends (she still mostly uses LEGO Duplos with her sister). And I know that there is some controversy around the whole concept, since stuff shouldn’t need to be pink or purple and have hearts on it for girls to want to play with it, or for parents to be willing to buy it for their girls. But I like a lot of the Friends kits that they offer; they aren’t violent, either explicitly or implicitly, as some of the other LEGO sets can be. Anyway, I was excited to see this area, only to be very disappointed by how it actually looked. There were several building stations that looked like a hot mess. The main purpose of this area, according to the brochure, was to build a microphone that you could then use to do karaoke. There were no examples of microphones anywhere to be seen, so absolutely nobody in the area was doing that. And as for the karaoke machine, it was busted. It worked only if someone was constantly, and I do mean CONSTANTLY, tapping the screen to help the highlighted lyrics move along. It was rough, you guys.

We Went on Saturday

To be fair to LEGOLAND, we arrived around 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday. That place was pretty well packed, and I imagine that it had been for several hours. I know what my living room looks like after just 2 kids have been playing with LEGOs, so it may not be fair for me to expect that LEGOLAND, which has thousands and thousands of LEGO pieces all over the place, and hundreds and hundreds of kids playing with them, would look pristine. It’s just something to keep in mind when you visit. I’d advise against going on a weekend if you can possibly swing it. Or get there right when it opens so that you can experience the building areas of the center before they have been destroyed.

So while I can’t say that I was completely blown away by LEGOLAND, I do think it is worth a visit for any family who uses LEGOs regularly. Tickets are free for those 2 and under, $17 for kids 3-12, and $19 for those 13 and up. But go online to buy your tickets in advance, because they offer really good discounts if you buy online! If you’re coming from out of town, I recommend having your car shipped to the area so that you can explore all the surrounding attractions in Atlanta; it can be cheaper than renting, according to FreightWaves, and you can fly or take public transit in and save yourself the long road trip!

Have you ever visited any of the LEGOLAND attractions? I’ve heard that the theme parks are unbelievably awesome! I’d love to hear about your experience!

A Practical Yet Totally Fun Subscription Box: Beauty Box 5

July 29, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Thanks to Beauty Box 5 for sending along a box for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Referral links may be included.

I’ve been subscribing to various monthly box services for a few years now. They are especially fun for me because gifts are one of my top love languages, and with a subscription box, you get fun surprises in the mail every month.

One area where I’ve been hesitant to try subscriptions, though, was with makeup. So many of the options I have seen carry too much high-end stuff, or too many boutique brands that I’ll never be able to buy again, either due to price or limited availability. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a makeup product that you can’t get your hands on again. Ok, there’s a lot in life that is worse than that, I suppose, but you understand what I’m getting at, right? 😉

Beauty Box 5

I was very drawn to Beauty Box 5 because they have a really nice mix of higher end, niche, and more widely available and wallet-friendly products to check out. That is a great fit for me, because at the end of the day, I am always going to buy a fair percentage of my makeup from places like Target. This mama can’t have all her beauty products from Sephora, sorry to say!

I did a Beauty Box 5 review video that I’d love for you to check out so you can see exactly what’s inside. I’ll share some more thoughts about the products after the video, so scroll down to finish the post!

Ok, so now that I’ve had a chance to try everything, I want to share a few more thoughts about the items!

Revlon mascara: LOVE! I was already using a Revlon mascara faithfully, and I’m every bit as pleased with this one.

HASK hair mask: I used it a week ago and didn’t like how my hair looked and felt after the first wash (maybe I didn’t wash it out enough?). But I’ve washed it a few times since then and I think my hair does feel quite soft. So in the end, it was a win.

Nicka K nail color: I’m not big into nail polish, in general. This one was fine, but nothing to write home about.

Body Drench lip gloss: I wasn’t excited about it when I opened it, but you know what? It is REALLY soft. I do like it!

H2O Plus shampoo: I haven’t used it yet so I honestly can’t comment. Sorry! I didn’t want to use it during the 2 weeks after using the hair mask. I’ll update this post after trying it if I have particularly strong feelings one way or the other.

Beauty Box 5 Cost

This is a really affordable subscription box, and one that I have requested as a birthday gift because I loved it so very much. You can get them for $12/month if you pay month-by-month, or for $30 billed quarterly (which is $10/box) or $99 billed annually ($8.25/box). Shipping is free! I think $8.25 per box is a total steal, but let me show you how to get the first box even cheaper!

COUPON ALERT!!!

I’ve got a smokin’ hot coupon for you guys! You can get 50% off your first box by using the code HALFOFF at checkout. Just imagine getting all the goodies I showed you in the video, or something similar in nature, delivered to your door, for less than the cost of a tube of mascara. Kind of a no-brainer, don’t you think?

I’d love to hear if you already are enjoying this subscription, or if you decide that you want to try it. I can’t wait for my next box!!

Honest Company Laundry Detergent Review: An Honest Assessment

July 27, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links included. I only promote what I personally use!

Today I’m showing off one of my favorite picks from the Honest Company Line: the Honest Laundry Detergent. It works GREAT and I love that it’s eco-friendly. I also love that a heavy item like this can show up on my doorstep and be taken off my shopping list when I run errands.

How to Get the Best Price

The retail price for the Honest Laundry Detergent is $12.95, and it will cover 70 loads in an HE machine, which is what I have. That means the retail cost is 18.5 cents/load. That’s on the pricey end, in my opinion. But you don’t have to pay $12.95! Instead, get the essentials bundle and pay just $7.20.You get 5 items in your bundle for $35.95, which makes each item in the bundle cost just $7.20. This is absolutely one to put in your bundle. The per load cost of the product just went down to 10 cents/load!

This is a subscription service, BUT it is the most flexible subscription service I have ever encountered…you don’t HAVE to get something every month…just call in and have your date changed to whatever you like. I have my bundles scheduled to come every 6 weeks, but I have called in and gotten them bumped back or moved forward, depending on my needs. They are easy breezy! And cancelling is just as easy, too.

You can also add another bottle on to your bundle for the month at a rate of 25% off (bundle subscribers get up to 3 more items of their choice for 25% off, which is a nice perk) and that brings it down to $9.71. I personally recommend adding 2 two your bundle of 5 at a time to get the best price and to get stocked up, unless you are new to Honest Company and want to try out a greater variety. I tend to stick the items that are already less than $7.20 retail into my add-on spots.

New to The Honest Company? Start Here!

The Honest Company offers some great freebies to folks who are thinking of joining, including free diapers, so definitely check out my post on Honest Company free samples. After that, you’ll want to see my running list of Honest Company product reviews so that you can learn which products to buy and which ones to pass on, as well as how to bundle them for maximum savings.

Tellus Science Museum: A Treasure and a Must-See in North Georgia

July 25, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Tellus Science Museum for hosting my family for a visit. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Last weekend, on our way down to Atlanta for the day, we made a stop at Tellus Science Museum, which is in Cartersville, Georgia, an hour to the south of Chattanooga on I-75, and roughly 45 minutes north of Atlanta (depending on where you are in Atlanta and what time of day it is!).

I have to tell you, from my perspective as someone not familiar with this part of the state, it just seems like this really awesome looking museum in the middle of nowhere! I don’t know anything about Cartersville, but I don’t get the vibe that it is a large city. The museum, though, is of a quality to rival those found in the largest cities in America.

It. is. AWESOME!!!!!

I fell in love hard and fast with this museum during our visit, and I plan to head back as often as I can. I’m even looking into their membership options. Yes, it is absolutely worth the 1 hour drive from Chattanooga, and there is enough to do there to warrant multiple visits throughout the year, just with their permanent collections. When you add all of their special events on top, then it’s a no-brainer.

Hands-On Fun for All Ages

So many of the exhibits at Tellus Science Museum are designed for visitors to interact with. Tim and I found ourselves doing experiments right alongside our kids. One of our very favorites was getting to make sound waves become visual thanks to some sand and a really cool contraption!

Tim and I were both in awe of the section of the museum devoted to all things space. We both agreed that we wanted to come back without the kids so that we could read all the great information throughout this section, in particular. Also? MOON ROCK!!!

We enjoyed a show at the planetarium (the show for the youngest kids happens at 11:30 every day, FYI), and got a kick out of seeing some impressive modes of transportation, from cars built in 1903 to the coolest helicopter I’ve ever personally seen (and I grew up next to Ft. Rucker where the Army’s helicopter pilots all get trained, so that’s saying something!).

The dinosaur exhibit was also really incredible. Lots of great skeletons on display that help kids realize just how large these creatures were. They even have fossilized dinosaur poop that you are allowed to touch, which of course, is awesome to the kids (and yeah, to me, too!).

Digging for Fossils and Gems: My Dreams Come True!

Perhaps my favorite part of the entire museum, though, was a small section tucked away down the hall past the transportation exhibit. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS AREA! In a smaller set of rooms you will find a fossil dig area that contains dinosaur bone casts that are stuck to the ground but that are so very fun to “discover” as you (uh, I mean, as KIDS) pretend to be paleontologists. But what’s even cooler than pretending to find a fossil is actually finding a fossil, and this section is loaded down with small, GENUINE fossils. Every child is allowed to take one home. I saw lots of cool tube thingies (sorry I don’t know the official names, couldn’t read most of the signs on account of watching the kids!), shells and teeth. It was really neat!

And one room over you’ll find my favorite part of the entire museum…a “panning” area with sand, water, shallow pans, and the promise that you can take home as many tiny little gems as you can fit in a bag they provide to you. You guys, I have ALWAYS wanted to get to do this. And I cannot tell you the amount of restraint I had to use to not completely take over and go nuts out there, beating all the kids around me to the most awesome jewels. It took some serious self-talk, let’s just put it that way.

Because these two rooms are so immensely popular, you are asked to limit your time there to 10 minutes. I think we did 10 minutes or so in each section, as it was full but not ridiculously crowded, so we could linger a bit longer. Both of the girls absolutely loved these two sections, too. This was “hands on” fun taken to a whole new level. And I want to mention that there is no extra charge for visiting these rooms. It’s included with your admission ticket!

After we got our own special gems, we headed to the gems and minerals exhibit, our last stop of the day. The collection is breath-taking, to say the least. And I was also excited to see some amber, complete with a trapped fly. How cool is that?!

Tellus Museum was nothing short of outstanding, and I would very strongly encourage anyone within driving distance to make the trip at some point soon. The museum is open every day from 10-5 (except major holidays) and admission is $14 for adults and $10 for children 3-17). It is most definitely worth the ticket price. They have a cafe on site so you can grab lunch or a snack there, and they also have picnic pavilions outside if you want to bring your own. If you live in the Chattanooga or Atlanta areas and can visit more frequently, consider the family membership, which is just $95. Two visits by a family of four would cover that cost, which makes it a great buy!

Starbucks Giveaway: That’s the Way to Start the Day! :-)

July 18, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 147 Comments

Thanks to Starbucks for sending goodies along for review and for sponsoring a sweet Starbucks giveaway! All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

In the recent podcast I took part in with Sarah, (go check it out! It’s a fun one!), one of the things we touched on was finding time in the day, every day, to do at least one thing for yourself. Parents tend to put themselves last because, understandably, our needs seem less urgent, and we have enough discipline and maturity to wait a bit longer than our kids do. But friends, the danger in this logic is that we always put our needs and wants in the spot on the to-do list that never gets crossed off. And if we don’t give ourselves a little bit of TLC, we will start to wither, and we’ll eventually break. For me that looks like a crying meltdown in front of my husband followed by two hours locked in my room by myself with the entire carton of ice cream and whatever I can find on Netflix to help me totally zone out.

Been there? Or some version of there? Yeah…we all have.

I think having a good cry every so often is totally healthy, but what’s even healthier is keeping yourself from getting to that breaking point in the first place. And I think what it means to do that will look different for everyone. For me, it means finding realistic ways to treat myself. I’m not going to be able to afford a weekly pedicure (both in terms of costs and in terms of time), but I can afford to treat myself to premium coffee.

starbucks giveaway 2

And I’m not talking about heading out to Starbucks every day, either (once again, my wallet and my schedule are both not able to accommodate that!). Instead, Starbucks is right at home with me. Iced coffees are one of my favorite things EVER, and that means that I need to do them right and make them with truly delicious coffee. It doesn’t really get much better than Starbucks, and I can brew it at home and keep my costs reasonable. If you LOVE coffee like I do, treat yourself to a really beautiful tumbler and to quality coffee, like Starbucks, that you can brew from home. Your taste buds will be so grateful, and if you are anything like me, everyone in the house wins when mama gets her good coffee. 🙂

Lately I’ve been enjoying Pike Place Roast from Starbucks. It’s a medium roast and it has some subtle flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts. Basically, it’s terrific! I need a dark roast to get me going in the morning, but Pike Place is my second cup of coffee choice (which happens around 10am). I will brew it in the tumbler immediately after making my first cup, and that gives it time to cool down a bit before I’m ready to pour ice over it.

starbucks giveaway

So whether you prefer your coffee hot or iced, I bet you super duper love it when it’s free! Want to win some? Let’s do this!!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a lovely To-Go Tumbler just like the one pictured above, as well ask a K-Cup Pike Place pack. YUM!!!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Banana Pudding with TruMoo

July 17, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 126 Comments

This post brought to you by TruMoo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yesterday I made a special treat for you all! I decided to make a banana pudding, but I wanted to make it even better than a traditional banana pudding.

I know what you are thinking: “Banana pudding does not need any improvements, Tiffany!” I hear you. Banana pudding is totally amazing. But CHOCOLATE Banana pudding is even more amazing, promise. I made mine with TruMoo Chocolate Milk. Have you seen it in stores? I’m a big fan, especially since it’s got no artificial growth hormones. Check out TruMoo for more information

And even though it doesn’t look super duper chocolately in its finished form, the color has been diluted with whipped topping and condensed milk. But there’s also chocolate pudding made with TruMoo chocolate milk, which basically makes it double chocolate pudding. So I’m thinking right about now you’d like to learn the recipe, yes? Ok, let’s do it!

Ingredients

for chocolate pudding

1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups TruMoo chocolate milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Other Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package of vanilla wafers, crushed
4 medium bananas, sliced to desired thinness

To make the chocolate pudding:

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add TruMoo Chocolate milk, roughly 1/2 cup at a time and stir until well combined after each addition.

Once all the milk is added, bring to a gentle boil (still over medium heat).

Let the mixture boil gently while constantly stirring for about 2 minutes. Then add the butter and vanilla and remove from the heat. Allow to cool down to room temperature (this will take 20 minutes or so, and goes faster if you give it a stir every few minutes).

Next add the condensed milk to the chocolate pudding mixture. Stir it well until it is throughly combined.

Now it’s time to fold in the whipped topping!

The finished mixture should look something like this:

The next part of the recipe was totally my favorite because it involves getting out your aggression. Poor vanilla wafers never saw it coming. Crush as many as you think reasonable at a time, but I can tell you that putting the entire bag of wafers in a quart bag at one time is over shooting. Just trust me on that one ;-).

I guess I should explain why the wafers are crushed instead of getting artfully arranged. Well, for starters, I don’t “artfully arrange” anything well as you’ll see in a second when you see the final product. But more importantly, I honestly think banana pudding is better this way because the crumbly goodness of the wafers is much more evenly distributed. Try it and let me know if you agree!

Ok, so back to the recipe. It’s time to get your layer on! Start with a layer of crushed wafers, followed by a layer of bananas.

Now add a layer of that awesome pudding you just made! I got a total of 4 layers of wafers/bananas and 3 layers of pudding. This isn’t an exact science, so it’s ok if yours doesn’t turn out like mine. And most likely, yours will definitely turn out prettier than mine! Layers are just not my thing, y’all.

So while it isn’t the most beautiful pudding in the world, it can hold its own in the taste department, and I think a lot of that has to do with the inclusion of TruMoo Chocolate Milk! I hope you will give the recipe a try; my crew has been thoroughly enjoying it as a special treat after dinner (and yeah, after lunch, too. Can you blame us?!).

Want more ideas for how to use TruMoo to make super yummy recipes like this one? Check out TruMoo on Facebook and join the community there to get more ideas, and to even hear about great promotions.

A Simple Hack for Your Keys (and $60 in Free Nail Polish, Too!)

July 16, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Affiliate links included. I use and love Julep polishes, and only promote what I love!

How much time do you spend fiddling around with your keys each time you leave your house and come back in? It used to be quite a bit of time for me, until I started doing this:

All you need to do is put a swipe of your favorite nail polish (my favorite polishes are from Julep), preferably a fun, bright color, and give it time to dry before using it. The polish will stay on quite a while (and you can just paint over it when it starts to chip…I had purple polish on this key a while ago until I switched to this pretty minty shade). And the best part is, I know which key to grab instantly. It saves me anywhere from 10-20 seconds, multiple times a day. That adds up fast, friends! So reclaim those lost seconds by painting your most frequently used keys right now.

$60 Welcome Box from Julep FREE for New Mavens!

And if you are lacking in fun polish colors, today is your lucky day! New Maven subscribers can get the new 4-piece Summer nights welcome box with these beautiful 3 colors, as well as a bonus beauty gift (the beauty gift item will be a surprise, as stock varies). It is yours FOR FREE when you sign up to be a maven.

The Julep Maven subscription box is the perfect way to treat yourself to new nail color and beauty products each month. Just a few of the perks you get as a Maven subscriber include:

A fully customizable box of limited-run nail colors and beauty innovations delivered to your door each month
$40+ of full-size products in every box for just $19.99 per month when you choose the multi-month payment option (or $24.99 if you chose the monthly payment option)
Free shipping and 20% off on julep.com every day

The Summer Nights Welcome Box is here for a limited time and is a great value! Don’t forget to use the code SIZZLE to get your own Summer Nights Welcome Box for FREE – you just pay $2.99 for shipping. And don’t miss the sale they are having right now, too (up to 75% off!).

Honest Company Diapers Bundle Review: An Honest Assessment

July 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Referral links included. I only promote what I use and love!

Throughout 2014, we have used the Honest Company Diapers & Wipes Bundle on a few different times for various reasons. While we primarily cloth diaper, we had occasions where we were headed out of town (and we choose not to cloth diaper on the road) and we also just had occasions where life was hectic, and taking that extra bit of laundry off our plates provided some much-needed relief.

What You Get in an Honest Company Diapers & Wipes Bundle

You will receive 6 packages of diapers, with the number of diapers per pack depending on your size:

newborn: 40 (240 diaper total)
size 1: 44 (264 diapers total)
size 2: 40 (240 diapers total)
size 3: 34 (204 diapers total)
size 4: 29 (174 diapers total)
size 5: 25 (150 diapers total)
size 6: 22 (132 diapers total)

Additionally, you receive 4 packages of Honest Company wipes, with 72 wipes per package. Since you are a bundle subscriber, you also get to add up to 3 Honest company items to your order at a 25% discount. I highly recommend taking advantage of this feature as part of your bundle, as it is a particularly nice way to get some of their less expensive items that you might not want to include in your essentials bundle for an even better price.

Pro Tip: Training Pants Available!

One thing I didn’t realize when I first started using the subscription service is that you can actually get training pants as part of your bundle. You can get anywhere from 1-6 packages, depending on your needs. I absolutely LOVE that feature! Perhaps you are working on potty training during the day but haven’t tackled it at night and need maybe 2 packages for night time for the month. No problem!

So…How Much?

A month’s supply of diapers (and/or training pants) and wipes is going to set you back $79.95. But you know as well as I do that using disposable diapers is an expensive endeavor, so the price tag shouldn’t be too shocking. Here are other key things to keep in mind about what you are getting with that hard-earned money:

1. You are getting eco-friendly products made with sustainable materials and no chlorine processing.

2. They are also free of harsh additives, latex, and questionable chemicals, making them a safer option for your baby.

3. The month’s supply of diapers is shipped straight to your door, eliminating those late night emergency drugstore runs. Shipping is free, too!

4. The prints. Oh my word, y’all. The prints!!!!! There are no disposable diapers on the market that can even come remotely close to being as cute as the prints offered by Honest Company. And several of their designs switch out seasonally, so there’s always something new and fun to try! If you want cute disposable diapers, this is the way to go. And yes, there are prints for boys, too!

5. These diapers work. We have used them during the day as well as at night and have NEVER had a leak or a blow out. Now that’s saying something!

So I will say this: if you want the least expensive diapers you can possibly get, these will not be your best bet. Couponing and watching for sales will net you cheaper diapers. But if you have concerns about the chemicals found in most of those products, or if you are concerned about the environmental impact, but you need an alternative to cloth diapering for whatever variety of reasons, then you should very carefully consider subscribing for an Honest Company Diapers & Wipes bundle. I think you’ll be very pleased with your hassle-free, totally awesome and adorable diaper experience.

New to The Honest Company? Start Here!

Upcoming Birthday Parties? Hideaway Pets Are a Great (and Affordable) Gift Idea!

July 14, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to HideAway Pets for sending Big Doggy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I don’t know about you, but birthday party high season for us seems to be the summer and early fall. Every member of our immediate family has a birthday between the beginning of May and the end of August. So basically the “Happy Birthday!” banner just hangs in the living room for 4 months . Good thing it’s cute! I also make frequent use of a good birthday supplies site online. In order for everyone to feel truly special on their day, I try to tailor some of the party supplies we have on hand to their specific interests.

If you’ve got birthday parties on your calendar over the next few months, I’ve got a fun gift idea for any child who loves stuffed animals. Check out HideAway Pets. They remind me just a bit of Popples from back in the day in that they can curl up and hide away when not in use, turning themselves into a pillow.

Each animal is 15″, which makes them large enough to really love on, but not so big that they become a nuisance. Layah received the Siberian Husky pup from the lot and she is quite attached to him. She calls him, “Big Doggy” (creative naming abilities are a work in progress over here…the most precious loveys in the house are named bunny and doggy. Sigh…).

We are HUGE stuffed animal fans at my house, so HideAway Pets are just perfect for my kids. And at $19.99, I think they make a fun gift idea for any child who likes stuffed animals. Since they curl up so easily, they are great for travel because you have a stuffed pal and pillow all in one. Love it when a product multi-tasks!

You can learn more about HideAway Pets and hear about promotions and giveaways by following the company on Facebook and Twitter! You can also find these lovable pets to purchase at Walmart, Target, KMart, and Toys R Us. Which one do you think your kids would like the best?