Stitch Fix Review #3: Personal Stylist Service, How I Love Thee!

September 24, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 10 Comments

Did you miss my first two stitch fix reviews? (Referral links ahead) To get you caught up, here’s where you can find my introduction to having a personal stylist, and then you can check out my second stitch fix review. Two very different boxes, but happy results both times!

The moment I felt the slightest breeze of cool in the air, I hopped online and requested a box from Stitch Fix. Remember, this is not a clothing subscription service where you hand over your credit card information and get charged monthly, but you just order a box whenever you are in need of some new apparel. You can even make special requests (for example: perhaps you are going on vacation, or have a wedding to attend, or need extra sharp to wear while giving a presentation at work). Whatever your styling needs or preferences, just let your stylist know and she’ll take care of you!

I requested some casual-yet-cute pieces for fall in a mild weather climate. I also asked for one LBD (little black dress) for upcoming holiday cocktail parties. Here’s what arrived!

This was the least expensive piece in my box (remember, you can set a general price range, starting with, “the cheaper the better”, which of course is how I roll). This sweater was the perfect color, a very soft material, a reasonable price, and looked great on me if I stood up straight, sucked in my stomach and stopped breathing. Even though it was a size large, I could tell the second I pulled it out of the box that it wouldn’t fit. Bummer! Final verdict: RETURNED.

Well now, isn’t this cute? Stitch Fix totally nailed the style that looks nice on me (fit and flare…kind of throw back ’50s style). And I goofed on the price tag in the photo (yikes!). It was an even more reasonable $68. Tim absolutely loved the dress. And I really WANTED to love the dress. It was exactly right, except for one thing: SO MUCH CLEAVAGE! I think many women with similar size tops would feel perfectly comfortable in this dress with this amount of cleavage for something like a cocktail party, and I tried to convince myself that I could, too. But I noticed that I just kept fidgeting with the dress and thinking about if I looked decent or decidedly indecent, and so, with a twinge of regret, it went back in the box. Final verdict: RETURNED.

This top is SOOOOO me! I’m actually not a huge floral print fan, but I love things that are soft and feminine, and I feel like I’m wearing a Monet painting when I have this top on. And yes, I’m totally the type of person who would WANT to wear a Monet painting! I also like the pickup in the sleeves. It is just a lovely top that I feel lovely in. Final verdict: KEPT.

I can’t tell you the last time I purchased a pair of $88 pants, you guys. The last pants I purchased were some rad polka-dot jeans for $12.50 at Target. And the most expensive pair of pants in my wardrobe are my $68 turquoise pants from Stitch Fix box #1. These are supposed to be “ankle biters” meaning that they look kind of short and are kind of tight around the ankles. Except here’s the thing: I’m just barely over 5 feet tall! So these didn’t hit me the way they should, and they were (for me) kind of crazy expensive. BUT….oh my goodness they are soft, they fit great, and they are such a pretty color. They go great with my new favorite top (see above) and since they are meant to be short, by giving them a little cuff flipped under, they actually fit me really well, without having to take them to be altered! So final verdict: KEPT.

I thought this top was really cute, and just right for fall. But it also didn’t breathe well at all, so I felt a little sweaty in it. And y’all, I don’t sweat. I glisten, but only when absolutely necessary. Also, the pattern, while totally on-trend, just didn’t give me warm fuzzies the way my floral top did. I did like the top, but honestly, once I decided to keep those Kensie jeans, I knew I needed to make another sacrifice. Final verdict: RETURNED.

So what do you think about my choices? Tim thinks that LBD will be the one that got away. What would you have picked? And have you tried Stitch Fix yet? Treat yourself to just one and you’ll see how very “worth it” Stitch Fix is!

I’m linked up to Wordless Wednesday, today, if you want to find more cool outfits!

Things I Never Thought I’d Say: “This Cat Litter Smells Great!”

September 23, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by Sam’s Club. All opinions are 100% mine.

“This cat litter smells great!” said no one, ever.

The litter box just is what it is: a box that sits in our house, and has cat pee and poo in it. Super “on their game” cat owners clean out the litter box every single day to help keep it from smelling terrible, and to keep their feline friends super happy.

As for us, we are a bit more, shall we say, “relaxed” about how often the litter gets changed. We try to keep a regular schedule, but cleaning it out daily just isn’t happening for us in the midst of all the other chaos of life. Hattie, our 11 year old cat, is also really great about letting us know when we have waited too long. She’ll do really helpful things to clue us in, like poop on our bed. Thanks, Hattie!

Everyone in the house, therefore, is pretty darn excited about the dynamic duo that has just come together to make a litter that does, in fact, smell great! Introducing Tidy Cats with Glade Tough Odor Solutions. You can find this product in twin packs (for a great price!) at Sam’s Club. We are members there, so I’ve just added this to my shopping list for our next trip! Check out the video below to learn more about just how Glade and Tidy Cats are taking care of business and keeping litter box odors at bay!

What do you think about this combination? Have you tried Tidy Cats® with Glade™ Tough 
Odor Solutions, yet?

Greek Yogurt Meets Nutrition Bar: ZonePerfect (Giveaway!)

September 23, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 114 Comments

Greek yogurt is all the rage, and it is no wonder why: it is thick, rich and nutritionally dense. I remember the first time I ever tried it…I was pretty blown away by the difference between greek yogurt and the watery yogurt I was used to!

Greek Yogurt Nutrition Bars

(Special thanks to ZonePerfect for providing product for review. Affiliate links may be included).

ZonePerfect has recently launched a line of nutrition bars that combine the delicious creaminess of Greek Yogurt with other protein-rich ingredients to provide a nutrition bar that can really give you a boost when you need one. I’ve been eating a ZonePerfect Greek Yogurt bar every morning when I get up (between 3 and 4am). I used to try to not eat breakfast until the family was up around 5:30, but then I read that my body needs some fuel within 30 minutes of waking up, whether I get up at midnight, 3 am, or 9 am (I honestly can’t even imagine sleeping in until 9am….I think the last time I did that was college).

ZonePerfect bars have been EXACTLY what my body has needed to get going. They are delicious and leave me satisfied until breakfast time rolls around, and even then I find that I’m not craving a huge breakfast.

ZonePerfect bars also make a great snack to combat that mid-afternoon slump so many of us experience. They come in 3 fantastic flavors: vanilla berry, raspberry and chocolate (my personal favorite!). You can find them at your nearest local grocery store or you can order them on Amazon.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 15 ZonePerfect Greek Yogurt bars (5 in each flavor)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Orthaheel from Sole Provisions: Fashionable Shoes That Help Your Feet

September 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Raise your hand if your feet hurt! When I think back to the shoes I used to wear (3 1/2 inch high heels were standard) all day at work, I can’t believe I put my poor feet through so much anguish. My current shoe wardrobe is MUCH more relaxed. This is for two main reasons: 1. I rarely need to get too dressed up, so heels just don’t get used much. 2. Even if I did, my feet start begging for mercy within the first hour of wearing anything that is uncomfortable.

Orthaheel

I’m good with having a more casual look these days. But there are times when I need to look a bit more polished. That’s why I’m so happy to have discovered Sole Provisions, an online retailer dedicated to providing the best footwear that looks good and treats your feet with care. The store sent me a pair of Orthaheel shoes to try out, and I think that they are one of the most functional items in my entire wardrobe.

This is the Orthaheel Chloe shoe in black. It is an adorable black wedge and it is SOOOOOOO comfortable. It honestly feels like a massage for my feet when I wear these shoes. My feet are being supported and cared for, even while they work hard for me. I keep looking for excuses to wear these, and I’m happy to say that it is easy to do. These wedges look cute dressed up or down, which means that this wedge is a major staple in my closet now! And isn’t the blue inside of the shoe super cute, too?

Sole Provisions is a place that takes all the guesswork out of shoe comfort for you. They only carry brands that help support and care for your feet, rather than mistreat them! They offer free priority shipping on their purchases, and if you purchase a regular price ite, free returns are also offered. This allows you to try out your shoes risk-free!

If your feet are tired of living the saying, “no pain, no gain” then check out what Sole Provisions has to offer. You just may find the perfect pair for you!

28 Cloth Diaper Reviews for The Cloth Diaper Confused!

September 19, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 14 Comments

I still can’t believe that my family’s journey with cloth diapering will be over in just a handful of months. What a ride it has been, and an unexpected one at that.

We have 2 children, and when we were pregnant with the first, cloth diapering wasn’t on our radar AT ALL. My best friend used hybrid diapers and suggested I look into them, but I didn’t pay too much attention. And since my BFF lived far away from me and I didn’t get to actually see the diapers, I had no idea just how great they really were.

One thing I distinctly remember about getting into cloth diapering, however, was how completely overwhelming it is. There are (seemingly) a dozen different types of diapers, all of which have their own language of terminology, and dozens upon dozens of different brands. How do you know which cloth diaper is best?

The short answer is, you don’t! What works best for one baby won’t necessarily work as well for the next. But I promise you, you WILL get the hang of it. And when you find something you love, hold on to it!

I always loved reading about the experiences other parents had with different diapers, and reading those reviews helped me find some of my very favorites, as well. Here are all 28 cloth diaper reviews I have done over the past 4 years. I hope you will find them useful as you wade through all the information out there and make your decisions about which brands and types to use when building your stash. By no means is this an exhaustive list of available options, but I think you will find some brands that are very popular, as well as some lesser known brands that are also great finds!

Why we started using cloth

Newborn Cloth Diapering

Cloth Diaper Rental

Mabu Cloth Diaper Kit

All-in-One (AIO) Diapers

All-in-Two (AI2) Diapers

Pocket Diapers

Prefold and Cover Diapers

Holden’s Landing

Real Nappies

Hybrid Diapers (also called Two-in-One)

Flip Diapers

Charlie Banana

Overnight Diapers

Ecobubs

Buttons Diapers

Fleece Cover from Twinkletoes

Potty Training Information/Products

Super Undies

Early Potty Training

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. The fact that you want to cloth diaper means you are on the right track, even if you are feeling a bit lost! 🙂

Grilled Cheese Recipes: Delicious Idea for Crazy School Nights

September 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

In our home, grilled cheese recipes are what we turn to on the craziest of school nights, which is usually Wednesdays. While we are all home by 4:45pm, I have been in the car 4 different times taking each girl to school and picking each girl up (separate trips), and we’ve gone to ballet, and we’ve gone to the farmer’s market to pick up our CSA share. Wednesday is also supposed to be one of my big “work” days on the blog, which means I minimize the amount of time I spend cooking so that I can get more work done. And on Wednesdays, Tim is usually home for 10-15 minutes before he heads out the door to a weekly evening meeting he has.

So we are doing pretty good if we even manage to get some bread and cheese out for a quick, hot sandwich! I was recently inspired by a recipe Pillsbury offers for grilled cheese using Grands! Biscuits (sounds kind of crazy, right?). I took that recipe as a starting point, and made a few additions so that I could create a “grown up” grilled cheese sandwich that feels fancy and special, but that comes together lightning fast!

The ingredients I gathered consisted of Grands! Biscuits (I chose homestyle flavor, but I think some of the other variations would also work well), prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, sharp cheddar cheese (I loved the sharp cheese with this, but mozzarella is perhaps the more obvious choice), and pesto.

I veered from the Pillsbury instructions in that I used grape seed oil in the pan (higher flash point…less likely to burn) and I set my pan on med-low heat, and cooked them for 2 minutes on each side instead of 3. I think the temperature setting your use and the amount of time you let the biscuits cook really will depend on your cookware and your stove…they are all a little bit different!

Since I was trying out this dish over the weekend, I was also able to make a tomato soup to go along with it. Tomato soup, in my experience, freezes really well, so make a big batch for your family and freeze it. That way, syou can pull it out before those crazy week days when you know cooking won’t be an option.

I thought this was a delicious, indulgent take on the grilled cheese sandwich. Even though it was totally easy to prepare, it really did feel like a special meal. I’m going to make it again for my family next Wednesday, for sure! I think it will cause us all to pause, even if only for a few minutes, and really enjoy our food together.

Pillsbury has a lot of great recipe ideas using Grands! Biscuits. Check out the recipe booklet they offer for free and let me know what recipe you think you’ll try first with your family on a busy week night!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills. Compensation was provided by General Mills via Clever Girls Collective.

Online Books for Kids: We Love Bookboard (Try it FREE!)

September 14, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

I am a member of Bookboard’s Blog Ambassador program. I am compensated, from time to time, with free products and monetary payments. Any views expressed in this post are completely my own.

We have a new nightly ritual in our home that involves reading several online books for kids. After we put Layah down for the night, Darah and I find the iPad and plop down to read anywhere from 1 to 4 books we have never read before. We don’t have a huge stack of library books to keep track of, and we aren’t spending a small fortune at a bookstore, either. Everything we need is on Bookboard.

Bookboard is a children’s digital subscription library for the tablet. If you own a tablet, and if you have a child in your life, then this is something I want to VERY STRONGLY encourage you to try out. In fact, Bookboard offers free trial subscriptions (you don’t give them your credit card, so there’s no way they can charge you, I promise!).We actually did the free trial first, and I was really impressed that it didn’t end until we had read 14 books. That’s a ton of books that we got to read for free!

I have SO many things that I want to share with you about Bookboard. When you find something that is this effective (Darah BEGS to read more and more and more when we use Bookboard!) and that is this affordable (start with the free trial, and if you get hooked like we did, go for the 6 month subscription, which is only $4.99/month for all-you-can-read books! Bookboard has a HUGE assortment of books designed for children ages infant up to 12. The library of options you see is based on your child’s age and when appropriate, reading level.

Bookboard also encourages children to keep reading by unlocking new books for their library after the children read 2-3 other books. This is exactly why Darah wants to read more…unlocking a new book is pretty serious motivation for that kid!

In the coming months, I’m going to share with you some of our favorite reads through a curated collection of titles, and I’m also going to share with you more details on how the program works. But for now, I want to encourage anyone reading this with a tablet to check out the free trial. And then PLEASE come back and share your thoughts with me on the service and how your child or grandchild is liking it, or any questions you might have for the creators of this amazing service.

Out of the “School Lunch” Box Ideas

September 11, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Are you already in a bit of a lunch box rut, like I am? School has been back in session for 3 weeks now, and I’m running out of ideas, fast! Don’t fret…I actually have a few fun posts this week on the topic of different school lunch ideas, and today I’m happy to share two new finds with you, courtesy of CrispRoot and lunchskins2.

Cassava Chips

So first up, I’ve got a VERY unique take on the classic potato chip. Cassava root (which you might have heard called yuca root) is a vegetable that is not very popular in the United States (yet!) but that is VERY popular in many parts of the world…and for good reason! It has twice the fiber of potatoes! The innovative company CrispRoot has turned this vegetable superstar into a crisp chip that has 30% LESS fat than a standard potato chip. That’s what I’m talking about! Everyone in my family, including Darah, has enjoyed munching on these yummy chips. They come in 4 fun flavors: original, thai ginger, bbq bliss, and our favorite, sea salt! Want to try them for your next lunch? Click here to find your nearest retailer, or you can get them on Amazon.

lunchskins2

And since even the small bags of CrispRoot chips are too big for a 4-year-old, I’ve been tucking them away in lunchskins2 reusable sandwich and snack bags. These are such an economical, eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags, and they are MUCH cuter, too! They come in coordinating sets and can be found at Target. Their sizes are generous; here I’ve fit 1/2 of a banana in the snack bag and a whole bagel sandwich in the larger bag (though I’d cut it in half for serving to Darah…but a whole sandwich can definitely fit!). You can pick up these awesome, adorable bags at Target in a wide variety of prints!

These are just two suggestions I have for switching up the routine a bit during the lunch hour. What are you munchin’ on these days? Any cool new finds?

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: The Ultimate Date Night Experience

September 10, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is a national restaurant chain unlike any other. Here you will have an elevated dining experience, and not simply a meal. I’ve had quite a few friends tell me that they considered it to be the perfect choice for a special occasion.

Chattanooga recently welcomed Ruth’s Chris Steak House to the community, and I had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful meal with just my husband at the restaurant. I’d love to share my experience with you. Even if you don’t live in the area and won’t be visiting this particular restaurant in the forseeable future, I think this will give you a good sense for what the Ruth’s Chris dining experience is like!

Why A “Ruth’s Chris Night” Was Needed

First I want to explain to you why such a special date night was in order for Tim and me. We weren’t celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, but we WERE celebrating surviving Layah doing what she does best: make some serious mischief. The day of our date, she broke my favorite pair of glasses, and learned how to open a nail polish bottle by herself, ruining the bathroom rug and her very best dress, which she had on for the first time that day, before mommy realized what was happening. And might I also mention that the day before she took her diaper off and flung it across the room…and it was a DIRTY diaper. Poo in my hair. I don’t think I need to say more…

So yeah, as we were pulling away from the house, this is how I was feeling:

When we arrived we were greeted with complimentary valet parking (which is something you will find for dinner service at every Ruth’s Chris restaurant). We were then ushered in to a gorgeous dining room and presented with our menus. Which looked like this!

How fancy! The menu was presented on an iPad! Additionally, we were given traditional menus. I actually found myself using both. I wanted to unplug from technology on my date, so I reached for the traditional menu first. But then I realized that the iPad version offered beautiful photos of the food and drinks, as well as wine pairing suggestions with the entrees. I couldn’t resist, so I started using the iPad, as well. What I loved the most about the iPad menu was the fact that you could mark anything you wanted to consider and then look at your narrowed down selections more closely. You could even email your selections to yourself if you wanted (and I did!). What a fun way to keep a memory of your special date and all that awesome food and drink you enjoyed!

And just in case you were wondering, you DON’T use the iPad to actually order your food. You are still receiving absolutely outstanding customer service from your wait staff. Between the regular menu, the iPad, and our server offering her thoughts on the selections, I felt that we made some very well-informed choices.

I also appreciated the fact that we were encouraged to take our time, and order anything we wanted as we were ready. So we ordered our cocktails and then just enjoyed a few minutes of relaxed conversation (yes, we actually got to talk without being interrupted by our children! It was glorious!) before even thinking about dinner.

We had a delightful time enjoying our cocktails, some delicious bread and an appetizer that was simply a joy to eat! I try to keep an eye out for dishes that I can’t easily replicate at home, and veal ravioli is definitely in that category!

We had a fair amount of time in between the appetizer and the entrée portion of the meal, which meant we got to go around the restaurant and explore. It really was a beautiful building; I loved all the decorating they did using wine bottles. Very clever!

Before too long, though, our entrees were headed our way. I got the mixed grill option (our server called it “a tour of Ruth’s Chris”) and Tim got the New York Strip. They were simply stunning, and still sizzling from the 1,000 degree oven (!).

We also each selected a side (side dishes come separate from the main course at Ruth’s Chris). I went for the asparagus with hollandaise and Tim went for the au gratin potatoes. The portions are very generous and meant to be shared, which is really nice!

Finally, it was time for dessert. We went with the warm apple crumb tart and only go through about 1/3 of it because we were so full!

Thankfully, all of our leftovers were able to come home with us, beautifully packaged in sleek black boxes (I felt fancy just eating the leftovers!). What an experience it was to dine at Ruth’s Chris Steak House! I definitely would call it a special occasion restaurant, but I would also say that sometimes “we survived the week” is reason enough to treat yourself to something this wonderful.

Have you ever dined at Ruth’s Chris? What did you order?

If you live in the Chattanooga area, don’t forget to follow the new restaurant on Twitter (@RuthsChrisCHA).