review - Stuff Parents Need

Saffron Road: All Natural Halal Cuisine (Giveaway!)

April 22, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 80 Comments

Little by little, we are purging our home of products with enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, and many other things that have ben proven again and again to be poor choices for our bodies.

And that means that as a general rule, I’m currently avoiding the frozen food section altogether (except for frozen meat). Honestly, this part is really hard for me, because I can’t help but feel as though I am giving up more of my time by giving up convenience foods. I simply have to make more from scratch now.

Saffron Road

When I was recently told about the company Saffron Road, you can imagine how eager I was to try them out. Saffron Road has an entire line of frozen entrees that are all-natural, halal packaged, and many of their options are also gluten-free. I went over to my local Whole Foods to check out their selection. All of their choices were ethnic-inspired, and that means that they were things I couldn’t easily replicate at home. That is my favorite type of frozen entree to buy!

What is Halal?

Before I go further, some of you may be wondering what it means for food to be “halal prepared.” This is a meat preparation method as set out in the Qur’an for Muslim adherents. Muslims are not to eat pork or animal blood, and they are only to eat animals that have been properly cared for during their lives, and slaughtered in a manner to minimize pain and suffering. While I am not Muslim, I can certainly respect this idea. While I noticed that Saffron Road prices seemed a little high for the amount of food in each box, I understand that when you purchase these products, you are also paying for the ethical treatment of the animals and special preparation techniques.

A few nights ago, Tim and I thoroughly enjoyed two dishes from Saffron Road.

We shared our food with each other so we could both enjoy the Chicken Birayni and the Lemongrass Basil Chicken. They were both very flavorful and delicious. I thought the Chicken Birayni has the best visual appeal.

But it was the Lemongrass Basil Chicken that really stole the show in terms of its complex and delicious flavors. It is the dish I will be purchasing again, for sure.

In addition to an entire line of frozen foods, Saffron Road also offers single-serving simmer sauces, broths and savory snacks. I’m interested in picking up these crunchy chickpeas as an afternoon snack for Darah.

Saffron Road is a great find for anyone who craves really delicious and convenient frozen food offerings, minus all those gross preservatives, high sodium content, and questionable preparation practices. I thought the dishes tasted remarkably similar to restaurant food, which makes them a really nice treat for those days when you don’t feel like cooking, and are even too tired to go out to eat! Click here to find your nearest Saffron Road retailer.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will receive 5 free product coupons from Saffron Road!

Be sure to enter to win my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
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I received complimentary coupons for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Octonauts: Ready for Action, Captain!

April 20, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Until we attended an Octonauts-themed birthday party earlier this year, my family was completely unaware of the team of creatures that lives underwater and enjoys lots of fun adventures together in the quest to explore, rescue and protect. The main characters are Captain Barnacles Bear, Kwazii Kitten, Peso Penguin and Shellington Sea Otter.

Since our introduction, we have become fans! Since we don’t have cable, we are sticking to online resources for octonauts videos and octonauts coloring pages. We recetnly received for review some REALLY fun Octonauts toys that I wanted to share with you. If you have an adventure-loving child, then Octonauts might be a perfect fit for imaginary play.

Great Gift Ideas for Preschoolers

Darah has been playing with her Octonauts in the area under her loft bed. We have lights strung up there and a blue rug to give the space an “under the sea” vibe, since Darah plays mermaids all the time. The Octonauts and their underwater adventures fit right in there!

First and foremost, please check out the Octopod Playset. After Tim put it together, I commented that this is the type of toy that kids always clamored over when we were growing up. Basically this is the Octonauts version of the Barbie dreamhouse. It is their underwater home, and when Darah plays with it, she uses it as the home base for the Octonauts creatures. This is where they bring back the treasures and other discoveries they have made while playing in the ocean (also known as the floor of her room) and it is where the Octonauts sleep at night.

We’ve also been playing quite a bit with the special Kwazii and Slime Eel Playset. There are several special sets like this one offered, and I think it is a great idea to buy at least one so that you can have extra figures to play with around the octopod. Darah is particularly fond of the net that came in this set, as well as the treasure chest.

The Octonauts Gup C Playset is designed to be put in water, which is good, because it seems to be a very popular choice for both girls during bath time. One of my favorite features is the fact that you can look through the Gup C to the “ocean” floor and check out what is below. Very fun!!!

While all the toys are getting played with on a regular basis, the one getting the very most use is the Octo-Compass. It has several different buttons that can be pushed in order to hear catch phrases that are often said on the show, like, “Sound the Octo-alert!” and “Shiver me whiskers!” If Darah is playing Octo-nauts, then having her Octo-Compass on hand is a must.

Do you have an Octonauts fan in your house? Or maybe just a child who loves the ocean and adventure? The Octonauts toys that have recently been released are certainly a lot of fun, and I’d recommend them for kids aged 3-7.

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Learning Resources Twisty Droppers Water Droppers (Giveaway!)

April 19, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 52 Comments

While I am feeling very sad, in some ways, that my baby is turning one in a few weeks, I’m also feeling REALLY excited.

Mostly because I know what her “big” present is. Since Layah isn’t a reader of mine, I can spill the beans here: she’s getting a water table! Layah takes her play VERY seriously, and I know that we are going to spend hours and hours on the back porch splashing in the water while big sister runs around in the yard.

I’ve already got the perfect accessory for the water table, and it is also great in the tub! Learning Resources Twisty Droppers are very affordable (just $12.99 for 4 droppers). They are sturdy (Layah has been chewing on them, so I know for a fact that they hold up well!). And they are FUN!

Kids love to play with water, and they also love to move water from one vessel to another. The Twisty Droppers provide a means through which they can have a lot of fun and also work on several different skills and competencies, including developing fine motor skills, strengthening hand muscles and learning cause and effect. While Layah doesn’ t yet have the hand coordination skills to use the droppers as they are intended, Darah does, and when she plays with them in the tub or at the table doing a water lesson, I can see her really concentrating hard. She LOVES watching how the water goes up the dropper, and then back down. The twisty effect really helps kids pay close attention to what is going on inside the dropper.

I think this toy is a winner. And if you don’t need all 4 droppers for your kids, they make fantastic gifts. What a cute item to put on top of a birthday present as part of the wrapping!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of Twisty Droppers!
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Be sure to enter my other contests, found on the sidebar of my page.

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

How Keeping an Editorial Calendar Is Changing How I Blog

April 18, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I have been writing, at least a little bit, pretty much every single day since I started this blog in September 2009. When I started the blog, I had pages and pages of topic ideas written down and I couldn’t wait to start writing about them. As opportunities to partner with brands increased, my blog calendar filled up, and I have been operating at what feels like warp speed for at least the past 3 years.

But I have been posting like a mad woman without any sort of a clear plan about what I’m doing. My blog calendar has been completely at the mercy of sponsors, and not only is that not very fun for me as the blog writer, it also doesn’t make good business sense! I have all these fun ideas for blog posts that never see the light of day, and as a result, my readers don’t get to know me quite as well. I’m also often missing the boat, seeing things go viral on Pinterest or StumbleUpon that I had already thought of and planned to write about “one day.”

Since I have been using The Blogging Planner, I have been able to step back and actually think more long-term about the type of posts I want to write and figure out how to work them in. Believe it or not, I’ve already got a full editorial calendar for OCTOBER. Don’t believe me? Just take a look!

I decided that I’m going to participate in the “31 Days” series this year and offer great recipe round-ups every day of the month. While I don’t yet have everything written, the topics are already planned. That increases the odds that I’ll actually go through with the idea tremendously. I can also work on the posts between now and then little by little, and not be overwhelmed come October. And don’t worry, there will still be plenty of reviews and giveaways that month! 🙂

Thanks to having this planner, and thanks to advice I have received from other successful bloggers to plan my calendar out a year in advance, I’m now starting to make room for all those post ideas that are swirling around in my head, but that I haven’t been able to write in the past because I’ve given away all of my time and post slots to sponsors.

Stuff Parents Need, at its heart, is a review and giveaway blog. I have no intentions of changing that. I LOVE to tell readers about cool new products on the market. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE to give away prizes! But I have other interesting things to share, too, and I am absolutely thrilled that I’m starting to give those post ideas room in my calendar.

I’m still writing like a mad woman these days. But I’ve got a much clearer vision of where I’m headed, and I feel SO good about being able to offer my readers a really good mix of product-focused posts and other interesting content. I have learned so much about “blogging for stuff” over the past 3 1/2 years, and The Blogging Planner has helped me to finally take the reigns of my blog instead of handing them over to everyone else. What a game-changer it has been for me!

If you are a blogger, how do you plan out what you are going to write about? Do you keep an editorial calendar? Do you struggle to find opportunities to write about the topics YOU want to write about?

I received a complimentary planner for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Where I’m Aging the Most and How I’m Fighting It With Olay

April 17, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Want to see where aging is rearing its wrinkly little head the most for me right now? Here it is:

Can you see how I’ve got what looks almost like stretch marks under my chin? That’s because the skin right there is starting to get a bit looser on me and show signs of wrinkling.

Which is totally not cool.

For the past month, I’ve been using a great product from Olay that is helping me to hone in on trouble spots like this one for some serious repair work. It is called Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Intensive Repair Treatment, and it has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots in eight weeks. I’m 4 weeks in, and I am seeing a little bit of improvement. The special ingredient found in this product is Niacinamide. Here’s a picture I took of the bottle so you can know what you are looking for. While it is a rather small tube, the amount I have squeezed out in the picture is all I need for the day. I apply this underneath my moisturizer.

I know you want to go check out how the skin under your chin is looking, so go ahead. I’ll wait for you. 🙂

Back? Ok. I’m also using the Olay Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream. It has Pro-Retinol, which used to be considered too harsh for use for many skin types. But Olay has gentler formulas that are much more compatible. I tend to have sensitive skin, and I haven’t had any problems whatsoever with reactions or anything like that.

My only complaint about the eye cream is the dispenser method. You just use your finger to get out the desired amount of product. With eye cream you need VERY little, and I always get too much this way. I wish it was in a tube like the other product! But at just $6.99 on Amaon right now (regularly $12.99), I suppose I can afford to use a bit more than is necessary.

Those are the new products I’ve been using in the past month. What about you? Are you a huge Olay fan like me? What are you currently using on your skin, and do you love it, or want to find something different?

And the most important question of all: do you have wrinkly skin under your chin like me??? 🙂

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts, opinions and wrinkles shown here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Vitamin D for Infants: Supplements Help Meet Daily Needs (Giveaway!)

April 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 49 Comments

At Layah’s 2 week check up, the pediatrician recommended we begin giving her doses of vitamin D. She told me that breastfed babies tended to be deficient in vitamin D, as a high percentage of moms are also deficient in it. A supplement is needed from birth onwards.

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised by this news. I had just had a baby 2 years and 9 months prior, and my previous pediatrician had made absolutely no mention of this to me.

I’m not sure if my old doctor was a little out of the loop, but I do know that only recently a study came out showing that breastfeeding mothers would need 10 times the daily recommended amount of vitamin D in their systems to be able to pass on a sufficient amount of it through their breastmilk.

Yeah, pretty much nobody is getting 10 times the daily recommended intake of vitamin D. Certainly not me!

Why is vitamin D important?

Vitamin D is a major player in the normal development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. So not getting enough vitamin D, even as an infant, can have an impact on you for the rest of your life! Vitamin D is made in the skin that has been exposed to direct sunlight. In today’s age, most of us stay indoors for the majority of the day, and when we do spend a significant amount of time outside, we usually have on sunscreen. That’s the right thing to do for overall health, but the negative consequence is that sunscreen (as well as clothing, glass windows and shade) block the skin’s ability to produce its own vitamin D. Since infants tend to have more sensitive skin, exposing them to direct sunlight is not recommended.

Babies who are breastfed or partially breastfed, or who use formula but get less than 1000 mL of fortified formula each day need to get 400 IU of vitamin D each day according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. That’s exactly what you will get in one tiny drop from Baby Ddrops!

Baby Ddrops contains only vitamin D in a type of fat that is naturally found in breast milk. There is no gluten, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no sugar, etc. Baby Ddrops don’t even need to be refrigerated and they are very easy to use. Simply add one drop directly on your breasts, or to a bottle or food. You are set for the whole day!

One bottle of Baby Ddrops contains 90 doses, so it will last for 3 full months.

We have been using Baby Ddrops for a month now, and have nothing but great things to say about it. I usually add it to Layah’s morning bottle (she is mostly formula fed at this point, but also breastfeeds briefly twice each day). If I forget to add it to her bottle, I just add it to her baby food for lunch. It stays right on my countertop with our other vitamins so it is easy to remember.

Buy it: If you have an infant at home who isn’t exclusively formula fed, I’d like to recommend that you try Baby Ddrops as a resource for the vitamin D you need to provide as a supplement. It is available directly from Amazon and the current price listed is $16.29, which makes each daily supplement of vitamin D just 18 cents!

Win it!: TWO lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win 1 bottle of BabyDdrops!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are stritly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Bamboo Sheet Set Giveaway (ARV $154-$205!)

April 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 50 Comments

Have you had the opportunity to try sleeping on bamboo fibers, yet? It is grown without pesticides and if you’ve ever had bamboo growing in your yard, then you know that it is renewable at a VERY rapid rate. It is also an enxcellent choice for anyone with sensitive skin as it is hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial.

In addition to bamboo sheet sets, Ettitude has a vast selection of , duvet covers, , pillows, mattress protectors, and towels to name a few. Ettitude was founded on the simple idea that all home and family essentials should not only be practical but also be unquestionably safe, Eco friendly, beautiful, and convenient.

Our Favorite Features of the Ettitude :

Available in six beautiful colors (white, sand, coffee, gray, aubergine, blue nights)
Equivalent to around 1000 thread count in cotton, luxuriously soft and silky!
Naturally antibacterial, great for sensitive skin and allergies
Wicks sweat away from body, cool in the summer, warm in the winter
Made from bamboo, a pesticide free, sustainable, and rapidly renewable resource
100% biodegradable
Oeko-Tex Standard 100
Easy care – cool wash, line dry

Purchase: You can purchase Ettitude Organic Bamboo sheet sets directly on their website.

Win It! Ettitude is generously blessing one winner with an Organic Pure Bamboo sheet set in your choice of size (twin, full, queen, king, or California king)!

Special thanks to AnaB Social for hosting this giveaway. Huge thanks to Ettitude and all the fabulous participating bloggers as well! Giveaway ends May 14th at 11:59 pm, open to residents WORLDWIDE, ages 18+. See detailed terms and conditions on entry form. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below (see directions on how to enter here). Thank you!

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Disclaimer: AnaB Social and all participating event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Ronco Hidden Veggie Pasta: One Year Supply Giveaway!

April 15, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 71 Comments

I am constantly trying to find ways to work more veggies into our meals. In the summer months, when lots of vegetables are in abundance at our local farmer’s market, the task isn’t so tough. There’s enough variety available to keep us from being too bored. But at other times of the year, I definitely DO get bored and I struggle. Also, to be frank, sometimes I just want to eat carbs and sugar and skip over the green stuff. Just sayin’.

But I have good news for the carbs fans out there who need a little more veg in their lives. Ronco has just released Hidden Veggie pasta. Every 4 oz. serving of the pasta has a full serving of veggies in it. I’ve tried it. I LOVE it. And I think you will, too! I recently made a SUPER easy recipe for some thai noodles and my family loved it!

I simply cut up some broccoli and some red bell peppers, and then I made my own peanut sauces (no recipe needed: just mix a littl soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, green onions and peanut butter until you get the flavor you like!).

Then all I did was to cook the pasta noodles according to package directions. I added the broccoli into the noodles that were cooking for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. You could also steam them in the microwave. I just went the easiest route!

Then I mixed all the ingredients together in a large serving dish. It wasn’t the prettiest dish I have ever made, but it tasted fantastic, and in addition to that broccoli and red bell pepper, the noodles also had veggies in them, which made this dish a new healthy favorite!

I found the flavor of the noodles themselves to be quite mild and versatile, so I think you won’t have any trouble coming up with recipe ideas. But Ronco also has some great Hidden Veggie recipe ideas on their site.

Ronco products are sold in the following cities and surrounding areas: Memphis, Birmingham, Little Rock, Mobile and Nashville. If you live in those areas, then you are in luck because I’ve got a fantastic giveaway for you!

Win it!: One lucky reader will win a 1 year supply of Ronco Hidden Veggies! This will be in the form of 24 foupons for 1 free package of Ronco Hidden Veggies pasta, so if you don’t live where it is sold, I wouldn’t recommend entering this particular giveaway.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
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I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

3 Earths Best Products I Buy on Amazon Regularly

April 14, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

I’ve been blogging faithfully about Earth’s Best products on my site for about 10 months, now. But I’ve been a loyal customer to the brand since I became a mom, and since the day that I realized we needed to supplement breastfeeding with some formula. I always love to hear about what products other moms are loyal to and how they find the best deals for them, so I thought I’d share with you 3 products from Earth’s Best that I order through Amazon.

My Earth’s Best Amazon Shopping List

1. Earth’s Best Formula. I actually buy the Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula with Iron and the Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Infant Formula. I usually dump one can of each into a very large mixing bowl and combine the two powders, then put them back into their canisters all mixed up together. That is just what Layah seems to like best. Be sure to pay careful attention to the prices Amazon lists for each canister of formula. Right now, for example, it is cheaper to purchase the formula with iron 1 canister at a time than as a 4 pack, but it is cheaper to purchase the sensitivity formula as a 4 pack than 1 canister at a time. It makes no sense to me, but it must to Amazon!

2. Certain jarred foods. Recently I ordered the Earth’s Best Organic 2nd Gourmet Meals, Variety Pack. They offer a variety pack of 12, which includes Chicken Mango Risotto, Creamy Chicken Apple Compote, Sweet Pea and Turkey Wild Rice, and Tender Beef Spinach. Layah definitely loves to eat meat, and this way I know she’s getting organic goodness. And the price is right, at $10.99 for a pack of 12, shipped to my door!

3. Certain pouch foods. I always check out Amazon for the very best price they offer on Earth’s Best pouches. Right now they have a 12 pack of Earth’s Best Pear, Apricot, Barley Pouches for$14.08 for a pack of 12, which makes each pouch just $1.17. That’s a good price for an organic squeeze pouch, in my book! We often like to make our own squeeze pouches, but I have these on hand for an extra special treat, too.

That’s what I’m buying on Amazon from Earth’s Best. What about you? Do you have any favorites from the brand? Or is there anything else for baby that you love to order on Amazon? Please share!

I am an Earth’s Best Preferred Blogger, and as such, receive complimentary products as a thank you for posting. I really do purchase these items on Amazon on my own, though! This post contains affiliate links.