review - Stuff Parents Need

(Giveaway!) TOMY Inside-Out Plushes!!!!

June 24, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 134 Comments

Tim took the girls to the box office smash of the summer last weekend. Yes, I’m talking about Disney Pixar’s Inside Out! My little loves were jumping up and down with excitement to get to have a special movie date with their daddy. And just in case the movie had some scary scenes (and Tim said it did, by the way), they were rockin’ some brand new lovies. Check out the TOMY Disney Pixar Inside Out Talking Plush!

This is Joy!

And this is Sadness. The main characters in the movies are actually the emotions of a little girl named Riley. They are Riley’s advisors and guides throughout her daily life. Things get a little out of control for Joy, Riley’s chief emotion, when a cross-country move happens. Tim reported back that it’s a fantastic film with lots of great conversation starters about feelings. I can’t wait to see it on DVD!

The girl each gravitated toward a different plush, with Darah claiming Sadness and Layah claiming Joy. So it was absolutely hilarious to me when my husband texted this shot from the theater, as the girls are modeling the opposite behaviors of their dolls!

It turns out that little Layah didn’t want her own seat, but instead wanted to sit in her daddy’s lap the whole time. Which she did, all with a big smile on her face!

Here’s the entire line of TOMY’s plush figures for Inside Out. Aren’t they awesome?! From left to right you’ll see Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust and Fear.

These toys each talk and say several different phrases whern you squeeze on of their hands. They are so much fun and really help bring a great movie to life at home. They are available online for $19.99 each.

Win it!

One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win TWO fabulous Inside Out Talking Plushes by TOMY (fulfilled randomly, which makes for a fun surprise!).

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the right blog sidebar.

TOMY Inside Out Plush Toys (2 Prizes, 1 Winner!)

4 Ways to Clean Up the Air in Your House

June 24, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 35 Comments

Thanks to Airfree for providing a review sample and a giveaway item. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Since I work from home, I spend A LOT of time inside these four walls. My kids are also inside a lot since the summer temps have been too hot to safely play outside for over a week now, with no signs of cooling off in sight.

Do you ever wonder just how clean the air is inside your home? Chances are that it could use some improvement, and there are some pretty darn easy ways to clean up your air and breathe a little easier while inside.

1. Protect Your Bedding

Bed bugs and mites and all sorts of nasy things take up residence on our bodies, like it or not. And the bed is where many millions of them go to die, as well as to reproduce. UGH!!!! You can keep these microscopic critters from building up in your home and contributing to congestion by using mattress protectors and pillow protectors that are bug proof. They are easy to find, affordable, and very much worth it. Make sure you have them, friends!

2. Make Use of Technology

Technological innovations have been very impressive when it comes to devices you can put in your home to help rid the air of harmful particles. Airfree has the Onix 3000 that is well-suited for spaces up to 650 sq ft. It uses a little bit of heat in a concentrated area to destroy airborne allergens. You can feel the heat when you get very close to the machine, but you almost have to be touching it to feel it. I have not felt any difference at all in the temperature of a room when the Onix 3000 is on, just FYI. The air that is heated in the device is cooled back down before being released.

The Onix 3000 can help guard your home against bacteria, viruses, mildew, mold, dust mite allergens, pet allergens, pollen and tobacco odors. That’s some intense stuff it helps eliminate! All you do is plug the device in and it goes to work. It is completely silent, but does emit a blue light (it actually makes a great night light!).

As a default, our Airfree Onix 3000 sits in the room that serves as our primary entrance to the house, though I will also take it upstairs once a week to let it do its thing up there. 🙂

I LOVE that there are no filters to replace with this particular device. It’s also very lightweight (less than 5 lb) and compact, which makes it easy to make space for and to move around.

Want to learn more about how this awesome device works? Click here for details!

3. Ditch Your Chemical “Cleaners”

I totally get it…stuff that smells like bleach smells CLEAN! But friends, the truth is that you are just swapping one set of nasty airborne stuff (germs) for another (toxic chemicals). There are SO many natural alternatives that are effective without compromising your ability to take a deep breath (I’ve got detailed Honest Company reviews on my site; it’s our go-to brand!). If you can’t bear to give everything up at once, commit to making the switch to an eco-friendly (and lung-friendly) alternative as each of your cleaners gets used up.

4. Shoes Off!

My family has gotten in the habit of taking our shoes off once we get in the house (we toss them in a simple wooden crate). It has made a HUGE difference in the amount of dirt that gets on our floors, so there’s definitely a visible difference. I know there’s a difference that my eyes can’t see, too. Also? the shoes are near that Onix 3000, so what lingers on them doesn’t stand a chance!

June 2015 Beauty Box 5 Review

June 24, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Box provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

It’s time for another Beauty Box 5 review! If you’ve missed my reviews of the most affordable beauty-based subscription box out there, then check out my archives:

July’s Beauty Box 5

November’s Beauty Box 5

December’s Beauty Box 5

January’s Beauty Box 5

February’s Beauty Box 5

March’s Beauty Box 5

April’s Beauty Box 5

May’s Beauty Box 5

Here’s the scoop on the June contents for you!

What was your favorite item in the box? Ready to give it a try? You can pay $12 for a box and go month-to-month, or just spring for the year for $99, which is just $8.75/box! Major bargain!

(Giveaway!) Bug Smarties: Insect-Repelling Children’s Clothing Line

June 23, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 79 Comments

Samples provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Last weekend my family got to experience one of the most incredible aspects of the part of the country where we live: the great outdoors!

Isn’t nature just incredible? So lush and green and quiet.

Well…almost quiet. The only sound you hear besides the water is the bugs. The kind that are super eager to bite you. Yuck.

That’s the down side to where I live: the South has more than it’s fair share of biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks. This is one of the reasons why I was never really much into spending a lot of time outside growing up. I also didn’t have surroundings like the one above, though.

Additionally, we certainly didn’t have Bug Smarties, which is the insect-repellent clothing line from One Step Ahead. Have you heard of it? This is an entire line of play-friendly clothing for kids with build-in insect protection. The clothing is lightweight and perfect for outside play.

When you consider that Lyme disease cases average about 300,000/year (!!!!) you have simply GOT to take preventative care seriously before you head out into the forest. These clothes can be washed roughly 70 times (which is the anticipated life span of an article of clothing, anyway) before losing their insect repellent capabilities.

I most definitely don’t want my children to have the same aversion to spending time outside as I did, and having a plan for preventing bug bites is a big part of that. My girls were very comfortable and happy in their Bug Smarties outfits, and I certainly felt more relaxed knowing that they were having a great experience and getting to see sights like this:

I’m happy to report that they didn’t have a single bite on themselves when the hike was over!

You can find the entire line of Bug Smarties apparel here, which comes in sizes 2T-7/8. I think you’ll find it to be very reaonsably priced!

Giveaway:

One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 1 in stock top and bottom of your choice from Bug Smarties!

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

Bug Smarties Outfit!

(Contest!) Giving the Rug the Boot: Mohawk SmartStrand Bound Carpet Review

June 22, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Special thanks to Mohawk for the complimentary bound carpet for test purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I purchased an area rug for our living room 8 years, 2 houses ago, and before we had the pitter patter of tiny feet in our home. As you might imagine, said rug has served its time, and we have been in need of something that fit better with our current home. Oh, and that didn’t have dried up Play-Doh and cranberry juice stains all over it, too.

But here’s the thing: we are still in the “I can’t have anything nice” season of life, since our children are only 3 and 5. Getting a new carpet now seems a bit premature, even though we are actually long overdue.

That’s where the beauty of Mohawk’s SmartStrand Forever Clean bound carpet comes into play. It’s not actually a rug, but carpet that you can have bound to your specifications (which makes it an AWESOME choice for odd-size rooms or even simply for your bottom line!).

This is the carpet of your dreams if you are a parent. You have GOT to see this video I was part of where we tested SmartStrand carpet by soaking it in concentrated Kool-Aid for 24 hours, giving it time to dry with the stain set. Oh yes, you are gonna want to see this!

I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!

I SO love that you can get this carpet in a bound form because that means you can try this out without having to necessarily replace your wall-to-wall carpeting (although if it’s time for that, isn’t this stuff AWESOME?!)

Since we went for a 6×9 bound carpet, we wanted to have a bit of a pattern in it so that it would look a little more decorative. Mohawk has DOZENS of really beautiful patterns, and we ultimately chose Natural Glory in the color Highland Mist (one of 24 color options for this particular pattern). Here it is!

This is in the central room of our house: where the living room meets the dining room meets the kitchen. I actually call it Grand Central Station on account of all the foot traffic through this area! Any carpet we put here has really got to be ready for some serious action. And in the past week that we have had it, allow me to show you just a few examples of how my girls have put this carpet to the test, even after being (politely) lectured about how we needed to be extra careful with it.

The girls put down their stamping activity ON the carpet one evening when I called them to the dinner table.

After mid-morning snack. How does one even leave bunny grahams uneaten? The world is full of mystery, friends.

The scene after my youngest asked if she could color. Coloring seemed SO harmless, you guys. But as I prepped lunch she dumped out her crayons and walked all over them. 🙁

And yet, despite these instances of carelessness on the part of my kids (as well as an incident where half of a fresh strawberry was SQUISHED into the carpet) it still looks like this:

Nice and clean and new! I know, I know…it’s only been a week. But I’m not panicking about the stains that are ahead of us, and I’m not worried that this carpet is going to have a short tenure in our home. I think it’s here for the long haul and will survive this season of life, and even be with us during the next season. The “parents just don’t understand!” season, as I have been told.

Mohawk’s SmartStrand Forever Clean carpet is the ONLY capret with built-in stain and soil resistance that will NEVER wear or wash off. In most instances you will be able to get your messes out with water or a little mild detergent (in the video above we ONLY used water!). We absolutely LOVE our Mohawk bound carpet and wouldn’t hesitate to get another one.

You can purchase SmartStrand Forever Clean carpet in any size, or in wall-to-wall by getting in touch wit your local independ Mohawk retailer (find them here).

And don’t forget to connect with Mohawks on social media to keep up to date on their latest promotions, innovations, inspirations and contests! Follow them on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest, Instagram and Google+.

Contest!

You lucky ducks! From now until July 10th, Mohawk is running the My Dream Floor contest, and you an enter to win $4,000 toward a purchase of Mohawk’s ArmorMax hardwood or laminate (Oh yeah! They do more than carpet!). It’s a SUPER simple entry where you pick the flooring you like best (get ready to drool!) and enter your basic contact info. Takes just a few seconds! Someone is going to win…why shouldn’t it be YOU?!

(Giveaway!) How To Store Big Collections of Smaller Toys

June 11, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Product sample provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Isn’t it funny how the smallest toys can create the biggest messes, sometimes? In our home, LEGOS are a primary culprit, as are smaller stuffed animals (each one is tiny, but I bet we have 60 of them between the two girls!).

If your child has a larger collection of a particular line of smaller toys (DUPLO, Barbies, Ninja Turtles, etc.) then you have likely been investigating toy storage options. We’ve been trying out the toy storage bag from Bow Tiger and I think it has some good advantages!

We have been using the 60 inch storage bag, as I think that is a great size for siblings to use (it also comes in 40 inch or 20 inch, and in red or blue, as pictured below). Check out how big the play area is!

When I first unfolded the Bow Tiger toy storage holder, I was a little surprised by how lightweight and thin the material was. For this reason, I wouldn’t use it on a rough surface like concrete, but would instead limit it to indoor play. On the plus side, the light material makes it much easier for young kids to move around on their own, and that has been a good thing, as I have seen the kids drag out their bag of DUPLO blocks all on their own (and put them away, too!).

My feet have been grateful that during a DUPLO session the kids seem to keep almost all of the blocks within the circle. I think even they realize that this makes for super easy cleanup. Speaking of which, here’s what the bag looks like when you pull on its strings:

We have a taller box-like storage bin that has been housing the blocks. The box takes up less space in the house, plain and simple, and so at first I thought I was going to prefer the box. But after having this toy storage bag for a week, I have noticed something very important: my girls seem to want to play with their blocks much more often now that they are in this bag. I’m not sure if it’s because they don’t have to dump everything out of the box first (and therefore, have to put all the blocks back into the box later) or what, but the difference is significant. Aesthetically and space-wise, it’s not my favorite, but it is very effective at ensuring that my girls actually play with the toys that they have, and that’s worth something!

How do you currently store these types of toys that tend to scatter during play? Are you looking for a new storaage idea?

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Bow Tiger Toy Storage Bag (ARV $70!).

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

Bow Tiger Toy Storage Giveaway

M is For Monster Subscription Box for Pre-Readers

June 10, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Sample box provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone. Affiliate links may be included.

Today I want to show you a subscription box service that is absolutely perfect for you pre-reader. By pre-reader, I mean kids who are starting to work on identifying letters and/or letter sounds, but who aren’t yet writing or putting letters together to read words.

This makes the M is for Monster subscription box not quite the right fit for my oldest, who just finished kindergarten, but spot on perfect for my youngest, who just turned 3.

The box comes with a list of activities included (as well as supplementary resources if you want to dig a little deeper. I really love that extra thrown in there!). And the activities are grouped together by the suggested week. Each week is like it’s own little present to unwrap. This might be one of my very favorite things about the box…you get to experience the joy of seeing something new every single week instead of all at once! That’s just perfect for a preschooler!

I have kept our goodies under wraps so that Layah can have the full box experience each week, but here’s a peek from M is For Monster at the entire contents of the May box, which should give you an idea of the types of things you might find in any monthly box.

We started with week 2 (I know…OUT OF ORDER!) because I really wanted to read that book and because it included scratch ‘n sniff stickers, which is something I loved as a kid but that I’ve completely forgotten about and have never purchased for my girls. They were loved very much! 🙂 I also noticed that they happened to be from Peaceable Kingdom, which is a brand I recognize as having very high quality products.

We also had a lot of fun with the strawberry beach ball, though we quickly realized that it should be played with OUTSIDE. 😉

M is For Monster boxes deliver very high quality, and very thoughtfully curated activities for pre-readers.

The downside? M is For Monster is on the pricey end for kids’ subscription boxes. A single box is $42.95. You can save a bit by doing a month-to-month subscription for $38.95 (which you can cancel at any time). And I did notice a coupon on their website for getting 50% off your first box (I think you have to sign up for their newsletter).

This is the type of subscription that you would probably only want for 6 months, or so, and that may be why they don’t offer a set number of months for an additional discount.

Bottom line: I think it is very much worth a try, especially with that 50% off coupon!

I’d love to hear if you’ve tried this box, or if you have tried any other subscription boxes that you particularly love!

Homespun Fun, Delivered Monthly: Blossom Box Review

May 30, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Boxes provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

The subscription box market seems to be getting just a little crowded, especially when it comes to kid-friendly offerings. That means that buyers, like me, can be a bit ore choosy about what they select when looking for something fun for the kiddos.

I want to give a very strong recommendation for Blossom Box! While I don’t think it is the right subscription box for every single kid out there (and frankly, what subscription box would be?), I DO think it is a really great fit for kids ages 6-10 who love to use their imaginations, and who are intrigued by nature.

Blossom Box has a vibe to it that is different from any other subscription box I have yet encountered. It feels very homespun, and I mean that in a good way! Let’s take a closer look.

Here’s a look at the contents of April’s box, which was all about birds. Notice the natural materials included, such as bird feathers and bird seed. Even the individual projects come in these brown paper bags that give the entire box a natural feel.

May’s box is all about storytelling, with wooden figures and blocks as part of the offerings. Side note: I also noticed that the color pencils included were Crayola, which I definitely appreciated, because that’s one area where you get what you pay for with art supplies, so go for Crayola! 🙂

I found the May box to be too difficult for my youngest to get to play with as it involved some intricate cutting and sewing (to be fair, she just turned 3 a few weeks ago) and I even found it to be a bit of a stretch for my 5-year-old. So I’m tucking these activities away and will pull them out again next year when I think she’ll be more ready for them.

But the birds box was a huge hit with both of my kids! They loved making edible art for the birds with the birdseed.

We even took a few of the crafts with us on vacation, and made our own bird sculpture while we were there. It may not be the more realistic looking bird I’ve ever seen, but Layah sure was proud of her creation! She molded the clay just the way she wanted, and applied each and every feather herself.

And we also enjoyed trying out painting with feathers as our paintbrushes. The girls used both sides of the feathers and made some really cool paintings. We even had plenty of the tempera paint powder left over to save for future art projects, which was awesome!

I was very impressed with the art projects offered in the Blossom boxes. I can tell that a great deal of thought has gone into them, and the projects tend to use materials that are a bit different from what I’ve seen in other craft boxes. I do think they are a bit too advanced for your average preschooler, but that’s just my own opinion. I think this is a GREAT choice for an elementary school kid who loves art and nature. They come together beautifully in this monthly box.

Blossom Box is available for $19.95/month plus shipping (which is $4.95 per box). You can sign up month by month and cancel at any time, or you can purchase 3 month, 6 month and 12 month subscriptions for a discount, though with every plan, the shipping charge is added (my opinion? just wrap the shipping charge into the price of the kit and be done with it!).

Best believe this will be on our Christmas wish list this year! We loved it! 🙂

Coupon!

I’ve got a coupon code for anyone who wants to sign up for an ongoing subscription with Blossom Box. Use BLOOM at checkout and you’ll save 50% on your first box. Yay!

Summer Styles for Your Littles to Love

May 26, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Complimentary outfit provided for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I continue to love the looks put out by FabKids, and my children continue to reach for their FabKids clothes first whenever they are clean and hung up in the closet. This company seems to have mastered the art of combining fun styles that kids love with comfort that they also crave since they are busy playing throughout the day and need clothes that can keep up!

This month I have two major loves from FabKids. First, is our new outfit selection for the month, which is the Summer Stripe Tutu dress paired with navy leggings.

This dress is reminiscent of one of our all-time FabKids favorites, which Darah wore on her first day of kindergarten and many MANY times after that.

We’ve already washed the dress at least 3 times (due to it being constantly picked!) and it holds up just fine in the washer. The colors are also just so vibrant and fun; it’s really such a great piece!

And the navy leggings are a great pairing for cooler days or for times when your child might be rocking the playground equipment and need a bit more coverage. Neutrals like that will pair with tons of other stuff in her wardrobe, which will make them a great item to have in her collection.

The other thing I am continuing to love is what I call the “fire dress” that I featured last month. I loved it so much, in fact, that I ordered it for each of my nieces on my husband’s side of the family during our recent gathering together for my father-in-law’s memorial service. We live scattered all over the world, so we only get together as a big group every other year. Such an occasion warranted some matching dresses! 🙂

Aren’t they cuties? Let me tell you, it was worth every single penny, because all of the girls ADORED their dresses and spent the better part of the day twirling around in them! 🙂

New to FabKids?

If you aren’t familiar with FabKids, you should definitely check it out (when you sign up through me you get 2 outfits for the price of 1 plus free shipping on your first order!). This is an outfit of the month club and it is SUPER easy and flexible, so no worries about getting locked into something you don’t really want. You get new outfit selections (which are plentiful!) on the first of the month and you have until the 5th of the month to either choose an outfit (outfits are mostly $29.95…some are $34.95) or to skip the month. Skipping is EASY…just a few clicks! Trust me, I have skipped quite a few times, myself!

If you forget to log in and skip you will be charged on the 6th and will simply have an outfit credit on file to use any time you like. So you won’t be shipped something that isn’t right for your child as a default. I love that!

Only once have I been disappointed with an outfit purchase, and FabKids very quickly fixed the problem for me with absolutely no hassle. Otherwise, FabKids outfits are pretty much instant hits around here!

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