On Mean Girls, Mosquitoes, and Reclaiming the Backyard (Giveaway!)

May 31, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 18 Comments

Special thanks to Arrow Exterminators for providing a complimentary pest control session for my review, as well as for a giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So last week my favorite pest control company on the planet rolled up to my front door to help me handle a little problem I was having with the neighborhood mean girls. You know the ones…

I’m talking about mosquitoes. And not any and all mosquitoes, my friends. Just the girls!!! The service professional that Arrow sent out was a certified entomologist (that’s a fancy way of saying “bug genius”) and he told me that not all mosquitoes bite, and that the ones that do bite are always the females. The males are actually pollinators, just like bees! Say what?! In fact, when Arrow comes out to treat a property, they will not spray flowering plants as that is where the boy mosquitoes like to hang out. As for the girls? They aren’t interested in nectar. They are on an all-blood diet. And they REALLY REALLY REALLY like my blood. That makes them officially uninvited to my backyard.

Arrow Exterminators offers a service where they will treat your property once a month during mosquito season, and the session is super quick. My yard (which is on the small side) was completely treated with 3 gallons of chemicals that are ONLY harmful to mosquitoes in 15 minutes flat. I noticed that they sprayed in some interesting spots, including along the siding of the house (evidently a place where the “mean girls” really love to hang out) and on lower-lying branches. The treatment was quick, but also quite thorough!

Last summer I wrote a helpful post all about how to get rid of mosquitoes. Definitely go back and give that a good read. I just did and it reminded me to make a few changes in the backyard right away (I’m looking at you, weird, overgrown plant by our back deck). But for immediate relief, definitely get in touch with your nearest Arrow Exterminators location and schedule a treatment. Remember to cut your grass just before your appointment, and schedule it for a day that will be dry and ideally not very windy. Those are the ideal conditions for optimal application! 🙂 You also need to let the product dry for 4 hours before getting back out there to play. The product lasts for approximately a month before its effects have worn off and a new application is needed.

Since we had our yard treated, we have been outside to play and even to eat a few meals on the back deck. Not one time have I been bitten, and trust me when I say if there is a mosquito within a 1000 foot radius of me, she will find me and bite me. But there’s a force field around my house keeping all those mean girls out for the next 4 weeks. Thank you, Arrow Exterminators for helping me reclaim my yard! 🙂

Win it! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader who lives in an Arrow Exterminators service area (found in Alabama, Arizona, Flordia, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas) will win a complimentary mosquito treatment service!

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

My New (Lemondropper) Business Cards (And an Exclusive Discount!)

May 28, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Affiliate links included (I only promote what I use and love!).

So my new business cards came in last week from Minted. They are SO ridiculously cute that I just had to show you.

They are square! And they came in this cute little box that will keep them safe and sound in my purse. I’ll be using these when I am promoting essential oils, which I am growing more and more passionate about by the day. The line of people in this business I’m a part of are called the lemon droppers, and what better way to show some pride in my team than with some lemon-y fresh business cards!

My phone number is actually on the card, but I made it invisible for the picture (gotta retain just a tiny shred of privacy!).

I loved these so much that I asked Minted to pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top offer my readers an exclusive discount on business cards for a few days, and I got what I asked for! If you like this design, or if this just gives you an idea of how BEAUTIFUL your business cards could be with Minted (and oh my…you won’t believe how many beautiful options they have!), then go check out the Minted Business Cards section, pick something out, and use code SP15NEED at checkout from now until midnight on 5/31 to score 15% off!

Let me know what you get so I can squeal with you over your pretty new cards! 🙂

Honest Company Sunscreen Review: An Honest Assessment

May 25, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

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

Tomorrow’s Memorial Day, which means even though it isn’t technically summer yet, it might as well be (at least here in the South where we’ve already experience a few 90 degree days!).

If you haven’t already restocked your sunscreen for the season, now is the time. And if you are looking for eco-friendly and baby-safe options, I want to highly recommend Honest Sunscreen.

I’ve tried this product out on both of my girls (ages 4 and 2) and found it to provide excellent coverage. If you crave that coconut smell with your sunscreen, you’ll be disappointed by this product as, frankly, it doesn’t really smell like anything. But for those of you who like fragrance-free products, this is a good one for you!

I like that this is water resistant (for roughly 40 minutes..don’t forget to reapply!). And I like that my whole family can use it, and we don’t have to bring 1 container of sunscreen for the kids and a separate container for the adults. Everyone gets to use this eco-friendly, people-friendly product!

How to Get the Best Price

The retail price for this 3 ounce container is $13.95. That’s pricey, y’all. The way to get a decent price is to get an Honest Essentials Bundle. You can get any 5 products on their list for $35.95, which brings your per-item price down to $7.20. If you don’t already have a subscription bundle, I’d encourage you to get one for the summer, at least, and to put sunscreen and the bug spray on your bundles each month until the “live outdoors” season is over! Don’t forget that you can push back your next shipment date as often as you like (I’ve put them on hold for 2 months before with no penalties and no hassle!).

What Else Should I Get?

Need some other suggestions for your bundle? I am compiling a list of reviews of all the products I have tried from Honest.com, and you can see my Honest Company reviews here. I tell you what the best deals are for the bundles, and which products you should pass on altogether! And, of course, I tell you how to maximize your freebies from Honest Company, too. I’m looking out for you! 🙂

Daily Flash Sale Site: BuyBabyDeals.com (Giveaway!)

May 25, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 56 Comments

It wasn’t all that long ago that places like Groupon, Zulily, and even Amazon weren’t even in existence. And honestly? I don’t even know how I’d shop without those places, anymore. They make regular appearances on my credit card statement, and I’m fine with that, because shopping online saves me time, and shopping with those fun daily deal sites saves me money.

Today I’m featuring a new daily deal site that is perfect for parents of young children. It’s called BuyBabyDeals.com and it features amazing deals (up to 80% off!) that would be of interest to moms and to little ones from newborn up to age 10.

How it Works

Every day starting at 7 am (PST) one amazing deal is launched and is live until it is sold out, or until the following deal launches the next day. Additionally, Buy Baby Deals offers secret subscriber 2 hour flash sales for anyone who subscribes to their newsletter ( sign up on the homepage!)

Examples of BuyBabyDeals.com Items

BuyBabyDeals.com sent us a few products that they recently featured and that they thought our two girls would enjoy. I was very pleased to see Piggy Paint in our package, as we LOVE this eco-friendly nail polish brand. The color is In the Flesh and makes for an understated but sweet look. After painting the girls’ toes with it, I want to do my own. It’s a great color!

We were also sent some adorable hair clippies. These are just perfect for Layah, whose hair is always in her face, but she pulls bows out of her hair with ease. These are a bit tougher to pull out. Hooray!

For their lunch boxes, we were sent a Bumkins reusable bag. Perfect for a PB&J. Hold the plastic, please! 🙂

Perhaps my favorite item in the package was the Park It! sticker. I have already taught Darah to place her hand on the gas tank square on the side of the car any time she is exits the car or is waiting to be put in the car. It is on her side of the car, so that works out nicely. This sticker (it’s a magnet, actually) gives children a great visual for where to place their hands while they are waiting for their grown ups. It keeps them focused on staying put and not wandering away in busy parking lots. I’m going to place this on Layah’s side of the car to start training her immediately!

And one final example of the cute things you might find on BuyBabyDeals.com is some adorable jewelry. We were sent this Strawberry Shortcake necklace.

The website does, of course, have items that might be of interest to the little dudes out there, too, so don’t feel discouraged if you have a little boy and love great deals. BuyBabyDeals.com is right for you, too! I very highly recommend that you subscribe to their site so that you are the first to know about their hot new deals, and so that you get to take advantage of the subscriber-only flash sales!

What I love about BuyBabyDeals.com is that they provide a great way to get introduced to some really cool brands that you may not have heard of before, but that you will love and at a price that you will REALLY love! I’m so thankful for the introduction, and I’m happy to help spread the word. Get yourself subscribed, stat!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the exact same package I received, with all of the above products! This has a retail value of $50!

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

Silikids in My Kitchen (Giveaway!!!)

May 21, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 60 Comments

by Alanna Peters

I received complimentary product to test and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve known for a long time that plastic contains toxins so I always try to avoid plastic products with BPA. Because of this I’ve been slowly replacing all plastics in our kitchen with glass, wood, or metal. I’ve also been aware of silicone for a long time (thank you, Sir Mix-a-Lot!) but I never really knew anything about it. Now, thanks to Silikids, silicone has a place in my kitchen!

So, what IS silicone?

First on my list, silicone is BPA-free! It’s also free of PVC and other toxic chemicals. It has no pores so it does not harbor bacteria or fungus. It can be boiled for sterilization, and it does not fade or scratch. Silicone is hypo allergenic. Silicone doesn’t decompose, but you can recycle it at specialty recycling facilities. (And if you can’t find one, send it to Silikids and they’ll take care of it for you!)

What is Silikids?

Silikids is a company that designs and manufactures silicone products for children. They aim to make glassware kid-friendly! It was founded by Giuliana Schwab and Stacey Feeley who wanted to create safe, functional, easy-to-clean products for children.

I was sent a Siliskin Top and Siliskin Glasses to try. My 4-yr-old is extremely messy and I was excited to try the Siliskin Top for those times when we dine out at restaurants. The silicone top is made to stretch and fit over regular glasses, turning them into a temporary sippy-cup. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find ANY conventional glasses that the top would fit! Every time we dined out we were given a cup with a very wide mouth. This image shows the closest I got. 🙁 The Siliskin Tops do fit with the Siliskin Glasses though, so we will be using that combo with my youngest daughter once she is ready for a sippy cup!

But, the Siliskin Glasses are awesome! I love the fun design of the silicone sleeve and I want to get them in every color. My daughter has gotten to be really good with drinking from a glass without a lid. The 6-oz glasses are the perfect size for her and the silicone sleeve makes the glass not only hard to damage, but also easy to grip! They are fashionable and functional and I love having them in my kitchen. I can tell that they are going to last us a long time. (I should also mention that they are dishwasher-friendly and super easy to clean. Yay! The sleeve is removable but it’s not necessary to remove them for everyday washing.)

Silkikids also offers sippy cups, map placemats, bowls, spoons, and bibs. Their products are very well-made and very nicely designed. (And design is a big deal to me, which you know if you’ve been reading for a while! Even their packaging is very pretty, in my opinion.) If you have a little one at home and are striving to maintain a clean, stylish eating environment, you’ll want to check out Silikids!

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If you are interested in buying any of the Silikids products, check out their website for links on where to buy. Or, try your luck and enter to WIN a set of Silikids Glasses! They come two in a package and are valued at $12.95 a set. For more information and visuals on how the product works check out their YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YCIoEfqrms

You can also follow Silikids online:

Facebook
Twitter

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So Cute It Hurts! Shockingly Affordable Kids Clothing from Shrimp & Grits Kids (Giveaway!!!)

May 20, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 94 Comments

Thanks to Shrimp & Grits Kids for providing review and giveaway products! All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I love the story of the founding of Shrimp & Grits Kids, a clothing company based out of South Carolina. After Megan Hewitt had her first child, she wanted to do what any Southern mama would do…fill the closets with smocked, embroidered, monogrammed, and all-around adorable clothing.

But guess what? That stuff is CRAZY expensive!!! My own mother has come home from garage sales before, beaming with pride at the smocked dresses she picked up there, still paying $15-$20 (for used clothing!). Megan decided to learn how to make these beautiful creations herself to bring the costs down. Only, i turns out that smocking, embroidering and monogramming all require expensive equipment, LOTS of time, and enough materials to make the final creations cost pretty much the same as what you are charged in a store.

What to do??? Well, this savvy lady searched high and low and finally found a manufacturer that could create the designs she was seeking, and by cutting out the middle man, she could save quite a bit of money. And so, Shrimp & Grits Kids was born!

Inspired by the South Carolina coast and culture, Megan’s designs are too cute for words (well, almost…I’m a blogger, so I always have SOMETHING to say!). While my personal taste in clothing for my kids leans not quite as preppy as most of her collection, I was instantly in love with the Serendipity line. This is pretty much exactly how I’d love to dress my kids, and the style reminds me a lot of the looks I see in the boutiques here in town (the only thing missing was the boutique price tags!).

Darah is wearing the Clementine top, which is currently on sale for just $20.77! I’d buy it again if we didn’t already own it!! This is one of her very favorite tops, and it is pretty much getting worn as soon as it finishes drying after being washed. It is going to be a summer staple, for sure.

It’s a little big in the back, but Darah is quite petite, and the tie in the back makes the size no problem. You can just cinch it!

Layah is wearing the Cora top. I just adore the colors in this one! And when the girls wear them on the same day, I DIE. Cause of death: heart melted. This one is also just $20.77 right now. Jump on it!

In fact THE ENTIRE STORE IS 33% OFF RIGHT NOW!!! If you are drawn to the Serendipity collection, or if your style is a bit more traditional, have a look around. You are going to be thrilled with what you see and with the prices, especially during the sale! I mean, just look at the cuteness!

And I should mention that they do have clothes for boys; you’ll have to forgive me for not featuring them…it’s all girl, all the time around here!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need is going to win the top of your choice from Shrimp & Grits Kids!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

The cutest little wetsuit you’ll ever see! A Konfidence Babywarma review.

May 16, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 83 Comments

by Alanna Peters

A complimentary Konfidence Babywarma was provided for this post (thank you!) but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Summer is definitely on the way and, for those of us who live in certain areas of the country, it is getting HOT! (A little TOO hot for us in San Diego. 🙁 These fires are scary!) One of the best ways to stay cool in hot weather is at the pool or at the beach. My oldest daughter has gotten to be quite a fish after a couple years of swim lessons and I’m excited to start my little one in the water soon too! We are at swim lessons almost every week of the year and LOVE it.

Our swim lesson pool is heated to a balmy bath tub temperature, which litle baby loves. However, the outdoor pool we played in yesterday was a bit on the cool side. It felt great to the kids and adults in our 95-degree weather but my baby wasn’t digging it! I figured it would be the perfect time to test out our new Babywarma wetsuit from Konfidence to help keep her a little warmer while in the water.

Konfidence is a European company that designs premium protective swim gear for babies, infants and children. They also have sun protective clothing, wetsuits, and more for children up to 14 years. They’ve won numerous awards for their products and are now available in the US!

We were sent a Konfidence Babywarma to try. The Strawberry design we received is adorable! I love that it’s cute and sweet but not too girly. I can only handle so much pink and purple! (My oldest daughter would strongly disagree with me on that one.) I was very impressed with the quality of the Babywarma. The material is a soft but sturdy neoprene wetsuit material and is very well-made. I especially love that every opening on the suit has a Velcro closure so there is no part of the suit that ever has to go over baby’s head. I just put her inside like an envelope and sealed her up! The closures also make it easily adjustable for different lengths and widths. (We received the 0-6 month size Babywarma which fit my 3-month-old perfectly.) She only seemed OKAY with the suit on, but I couldn’t tell if it was the wetsuit or the cool water that she was unsure of! We did have a good time floating around after a while. (And yes, her tongue is ALWAYS sticking out of her mouth.)

The Babywarma Swimsuit is designed to keep baby warm in the water. It is soft and snug and secure and provides 100% sun protection for covered areas. It also makes baby easy to hold onto in the water! The Velcro tabs allow the suit to be opened completely flat for quick drying and the bottom flap allows for easy diaper changes. The Babywarma comes in sizes 0-6, 6-12 and 12-24 months, and is available in Blue Polka Dot, Strawberry, Clownfish, Fuschia and Nautical Blue.
Want to find out more about Konfidence? You can follow them online at the following links:

www.konfidence-usa.com
Facebook
Twitter
They also have a fun video on YouTube!

Konfidence products are now available at buybuy BABY stores and online at buybuybaby.com. The Babywarma retails for $29.99, which I think is a fair price for a great product! Or, you can enter for a chance to WIN a Babywarma Wetsuit!

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Honest Company Bug Spray Review: An Honest Assessment

May 15, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

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

Today I’m excited to be showing off one of my absolute favorite Honest Company products for the summer season: Honest Bug Spray.

This product contains citronella, cedar, rosemary and peppermint essential oils (and you know how I feel about essential oils!). It smells REALLY good…unless you are a bug, in which case it smells repulsive.

I put this product to the ultimate test a few weeks ago when my family did some hiking in a heavily wooded area in eastern Tennessee. We had no bites of any sort on us after our walk, which made me really happy, and proved to me that this stuff is the real deal. I’m going to order a second one for my next bundle for sure!

How to Buy Honest Bug Spray for the Best Price

Ok, so this product retails for $12.95 on the website. This makes it an EXCELLENT choice for part of your essentials bundle (refresher: the bundle is an auto-ship program that allows you to choose any 5 things in a category for $35.95…as long as you pick things that retail for more than $7.20 each, this is a great deal!). You can also make it one of your +3 items that you can tack on to a bundle, which are offered for 25% off, and that would make the price $9.71. That’s not as good as $7.20, but if you wanted more than 1 bug spray at a time, that’s still better than the retail price!

But First, Get Stuff for Free!

If you have never ordered from The Honest Company before, you need to get your freebies before you do anything else! 🙂 Here’s the rundown on how to get Honest Company freebies as a new sign up. After that, check out my growing list of Honest Company reviews to help you figure out how to order the best products for the best price (as not everything I have tried as been awesome, and there are several products listed as bundle options that actually retail for less than $7.20…don’t fall for that trick!).

My First Citrus Lane Box: Our Thoughts

May 13, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Complimentary box provided for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. Affiliate links may be included. I only promote what I use and love!

I’m no stranger to subscription boxes, and for the most part, I find them to be little bundles of joy delivered straight to my doorstep. They are a great way to try products that I may not have heard of yet, or that might be a bit out of my price range but offered through a box service at a discounted price.

I decided to give Citrus Lane a try primarily because I was VERY impressed with how customized their boxes are. These are fun little boxes designed for children from the newborn stage, all the way up to preschool level. The company learns the exact age and gender of your child, and sends developmentally appropriate products. I appreciate this level of customization, as I have experienced other subscription boxes that weren’t as targeted, and therefore included products that were either too juvenile or too advanced for my child. Citrus Lane does a great job of hitting the mark!

Here’s what our box looked like:

The first item that got Layah’s attention was the Petit Collage beginner puzzle. She has played with this several times now, as she really enjoys putting things together (Legos, puzzles, etc.). It is cute, and spot-on for where she’s at developmentally. It definitely made for a fun new toy this month!

The other big highlight for her was the eco-kids play dough. It wasn’t quite as soft as the more popular version of the product, but since Layah has a tendency to taste whatever she makes with her dough, I was glad to see that this option was made with natural and organic ingredients.

The Medella citrus lotion that was included was a surprise for me, and I wasn’t too sure if Layah would like it. But as it turns out, she LOVES having me put lotion on her and do a massage. So that was a surprise hit, as well!

I honestly could take or leave the medi-buddy. It is a travel-sized first aid kit (though really it just has band-aids, some sterilizing wipes, a bit of ointment, and some stickers). I suppose this is a smart thing to keep in the car, though I’d rather just keep it in a zip-loc bag, as I’m not one for having this kind of thing take up more space than is necessary. Just my two cents, though!

Citrus Lane Subscription Box Prices (and a Coupon!)

Ok, so here’s how the subscription prices break down. You can purchase 1 month, 3 months or 6 months. You get the best per box price if you commit to 6 months. 1 month is $29/month. 3 months is $24/month. 6 months is $21/month. Each box will contain 4-5 products, and you will also be offered discounts if you would like to purchase more of any product you try in the box. Each box will have a retail value of at least $29.

In addition to receiving the great box of goodies, you also have access to other great resources on the Citrus Lane website. The Citrus Lane parent community is also a very nice resource, having over 300,000 mom and dad members that can engage with each other on parenting challenges and questions. The site also has some great editorial content and fun contests.

Take $10 Off!

If you’d like to try Citrus Lane for the first time, you can take $10 off any subscription using the code TAKETEN at checkout. Let me know how you like your first box if you decide to go for it!

Have you tried Citrus Lane yet? I’m curious to hear about your experience!