review - Stuff Parents Need

YumEarth Natural Candy: Gummy Bears, Sour Beans and Lollipops

April 4, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Did anyone else notice that this year there was a big push to fill Easter baskets with non-candy items? Not a bad idea for families who are trying to live a life with a bit less sugar in it. And if you are a toy company, it was a GENIUS idea.

But I just couldn’t commit to doing a candy-free Easter basket. The thought of it got me downright sad. So here’s what I did, instead:

Yes, that basket is LOADED DOWN with delicious treats, but they were all from YumEarth, a company that offers natural candy products without all the junk included. Here’s a list of some of the key things you may be watching out for and whether or not they are included in YumEarth products.

The organic gummy bears were a huge hit with Darah, as gummy bears are one of her favorite special treats. And everyone in the house really loved the sour jelly beans which really packed some serious flavor! I really like that both of these options come in 10 pack bags that are perfect for lunches. Darah will be attending a day long program 2 times each week over the summer, and will need to pack a lunch. These will make for the perfect end to her meals!

But perhaps the greatest find of all is the organic lollipops. On Amazon right now, you can get a bag which has over 40 lollipops in it for just $6.00. They taste fantastic, too!

So while we didn’t take the candy-free route this Easter, we did find some products that were much better for us than the stuff we might otherwise have purchased. And we’ll be buying them again once we run out!

Have you ever tried YumEarth candy products? What did you think about them?

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

Sneezing? Blurry Eyes? Best Buy Can Help With That, Too!

April 3, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Are you sneezing like crazy in your neck of the woods? I’m happy to report that whenever I’m inside my house these days, I’m feeling really good. But as soon as I step outside, the itchy nose, watery eyes, scratchy throat, sneezing and wheezing fun begins, usually in just the time it takes for me to get from my house to my car, which is about 10 seconds.

Yuck!

photo credit: bill barber via photopin cc

So why is the inside of my house a safe place for this allergy-prone gal? Because I have an air purifier, also known as my very best friend throughout the spring and the fall.

What’s that, you say? You don’t own one? Because they are on the pricey side?

Oh my friends. Let me help you out RIGHT NOW!!!! Best Buy, a store you already know and love, actually carries air purifiers (did you know that?!) and they want to help get your allergies under control and make it more affordable to do so! Right now they have a special Friends and Family coupon offer that I get to extend to my entire Stuff Parents Need family. It will take 20% off the price of any air purification product sold at Best Buy between now and April 15th! It is only valid in stores, so make sure you get it on your calendar to go in the next week and get some much needed relief.

I know air purifiers aren’t exactly the most glamorous purchase on earth, but as someone who lived without one for years and is now experiencing life with one, I wish so much that I purchased one sooner. I could have saved hundreds on allergy medication, not to mention boxes of tissue and lots of time spent feeling icky!

If your mortal enemy looks like mine (goldenrod, pictured above, is my kryptonite), then now is the time to get the very best weapon in the fight against allergies. Best Buy is a fantastic place to buy an air purifier. Don’t forget the 20% off coupon!

I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card in exchange for my time sharing this helpful information with you. All thoughts (and allergy woes) are mine alone!

Dress Up Idea: Take it Outside

April 3, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 53 Comments

If you combined being outside with playing dress up, you’d have, in mind of my daughter, the most perfect day possible. Chloe’s Closet, a delightful television program that features a little girl who discovers magical new worlds while playing dress up, combines these two elements. Check out the newest video from the program called Chloe’s Closet: Outdoor Explorer. In the DVD, many fun things happen, including investigating the cause of a dry river, travel to the jungle, and making things grow.

Chloe’s Closet has provided fun entertainment for my daughter, but more importantly, it has inspired dress up ideas that get us playing outside.

Chloe’s Closet: Outdoor Explorer is a terrific video choice as we head into Spring and then Summer and need to stretch our imaginations for more creative play and dress up ideas. Amazon has it value priced at just $8.99 right now with free shipping for Prime members! You can also purchase the video at NCircleEntertainment.com

edit: this giveaway is now closed

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Chloe’s Closet: Outdoor Explorer

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Bright Starts Count n’ Roll Buggie: First Birthday Gift Idea (Giveaway!)

March 31, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 85 Comments

We have been truly having a ball, lately, with the Bright Starts Count n’ Roll Buggie. This is definitely a good first birthday gift idea! I’m going to let Layah show you exactly how it works in this super short video clip:

Layah will stay entertained by this toy for 10-15 minutes. Let me be real: I appreciate toys that can help me get a few minutes to get some work done! But even more importantly, I REALLY love it when a toy makes my daughter want to work on both her gross motor skills and her fine motor skills. She has worked hard over the last week to learn how to get the ball in the hole herself, and she gets better with every play session. It is a joy to observe! In my book, a learning toy is the best toy, and that is why the Bright Starts Count n’ Roll Buggie gets my stamp of approval.

I have even seen her find one of her balls in one room, and then walk into another room where her Count n’ Roll Buggie is and hunt it down so she can put the ball back in the hole. For a 10 1/2 month old, I think that is a pretty amazing task that she gives herself, and motivation comes from how much she loves to see her ladybug spin around. If you are seeking a first birthday gift idea, you can’t go wrong with this one!

I want to encourage you to follow Bright Starts on Facebook and on Twitter. You can hear about their latest fantastic toys, and you can also gain extra entries into giveaways, like the one below!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Bright Starts Count n’ Roll Buggie! !

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Bright Starts. I was provided the featured product fre of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Homegrown Collective Subscription Box Review (Giveaway!)

March 31, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 93 Comments

So this whole subscription box concept has really taken off, huh? I actually met a woman in my city a few days ago who is starting one up, and in the past month, I’ve probably read 15 different reviews for 15 different companies that offer this monthly gift service. Some of them are amazing. Many of them are just overpriced and not at all useful. But today I’ve got a real winner for you, at least I think so!

Check out Homegrown Collective. The concept behind this monthly box is to, “receive seasonally appropriate, professionally curated products that deliver the satisfaction of living a more self-sufficient & sustainable lifestyle to your doorstep each month.”

I recently received the February box from the company, and it was all about bees. We had all kinds of very interesting goodies to play with, including raw honey, bee pollen and beeswax, as well as essential oils and round tins for making our own lip salves. We even had a ball jar to use for adding rose hips to some of the honey so we could infuse it with a delicious special flavor. Darah asked to introduce you to the kit by way of a video. She is SO stinkin’ cute! Perhaps she needs to work on her product presentation a bit more, but still, I think we have a blogger (or perhaps a vlogger) in the making!

What I love about this kit is that the products are VERY useful, and that you have the opportunity to really learn something every month. I also think this box is EXTRA awesome for families with children, as children love to get to do experiments and to get to learn. Darah was a captive audience and a full participant in the process of making the lip balm and the rose hip infused honey. We talked a lot about the different products we were using and their purpose, as well as some of the extra things that we could do with them (the salve, for example, is good for diaper rash and minor scrapes in addition to being great for the lips!).

I would highly recommend the Homegrown Collective Box for families who are interested in sustainability, “do it yourself” remedies, natural solutions to problems, and opportunities to mix and create something yourself. You will find all of those needs met through this one service. Remember, summer will be here soon and it will be SO nice to have some really cool projects that you and your kids can work on together to help pass the time in a meaningful way. Note Darah’s butterfly wings in the picture. She doesn’t have a bee costume, but she thought this was a fair substitute.

Monthly subscription boxes are $39 plus $9 shipping. Or if you bump up to a 6 month subscription then shipping becomes free. If you do an entire year, you get free shipping AND one month totally free. Are you a little put off by the price? I can tell you from experience that everything in the box is VERY high quality and worth what you pay for it, but we all understand the need to choose wisely how we spend our hard earned money. Homegrown Collective would like to offer readers a special 10% discount off your purchase. Simply enter STUFF10 at checkout!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the April Homegrown Collective Box, which will feature an assortment of products to get you ready for gardening season!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Yummy Tummy Oatmeal for Kids Now Has Less Sugar and More Fiber

March 30, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

I always appreciate when a company tries to improve upon its creations, and strives to make a good product even better. That’s why I was really impressed to learn that Earth’s Best has reformulated one of my daughter’s favorite products, Yummy Tummy Oatmeal, so that it includes 25% more fiber and 25% less sugar than the older version. That really shows a dedication on the part of the company to providing an excellent source of nutrition to children. This oatmeal for kids is great in theory.

But the real test is how Darah responds to it. Does she still love it????

You tell me!

If you are searching for oatmeal for kids that keeps the sugar in check and has a high dose of fiber, this is it!

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions express here are strictly my own.

Our TV Power Consumption is in Check Thanks to Smart Strip

March 28, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Do you have an area of your house that has a lot of energy hogging items plugged in? For us, our TV power consumption is a problem, not because we use it all the time, but because it is plugged in all the time. Most folks do have places like that, where they have many things plugged in, but those things are not in constant use.

And so they get a power strip, both out of necessity to have more plugs available, and because they tell themselves that they will be able to turn everything off easily and save electricity that way.

But they never do turn everything off, do they? I can tell you that we don’t! But we have a reason! In our living room, we’d love to unplug our television, Wii, speakers and DVD player, but if we were to do so, we’d also be unplugging our router which keeps us connected to the internet. For people my age, cutting that off would be like cutting off the oxygen supply in the house. I’m only sort of kidding.

Cutting Our TV Power Consumption

This is why I LOVE the Smart Strip SCG3, as it is specifically designed for areas where most things can be “unplugged” for much of the day, but at least 1 thing needs to remain plugged in at all times. You can actually do that with this strip all with the push of a button. Check this out:

We are plugging in our television to the control outlet. This is where you want to put the primary device that you want to be able to “unplug” without actually unplugging it.

We are putting our router in the constant hot outlet. This is where you want to put things that should never be unplugged. Perhaps in some homes this would be where the computer tower plug goes.

And we are putting all of our television accessories in the green outlet. This space is for anything that is fine to be without power any time the control outlet is without power.

The demonstration light bulbs I have show you where the power is going when everything is turned on here. Everyone is getting the juice!

Now see what happens when I “unplug” the control panel:

With one simple flip of the switch, I’ll be able to have my TV, Wii, DVD player and speaker system stop draining power, yet have my router keep going. This is SO nice!!!!

If you have run into the same problem as me, where you thought a power strip could help you save energy only to discover that you have to leave it on all the time because of one or two items that need to be on at all times, this is the answer! The device retails for $29.95 but can also be purchased on Amazon for $24.60 and will likely pay for itself in a year thanks to all the standby energy you stop using! Bits Limited, the company behind this smart strip, has an entire line of surge protectors “with brains.” There’s something there for everyone, so be sure to check them out!

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

How I Deal with Common Allergies at Home: Luma Comfort Air Purifier Giveaway

March 27, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 155 Comments

Spring used to be my favorite season of the year. Growing up, I didn’t suffer from common allergies or even from food allergies. I was so lucky! I could fully enjoy the trees budding and flowers blooming. But after I moved away from the South for 2 years to get my graduate degree, when I returned, I seemed to be allergic to all kinds of stuff. Did you know that changing your geographic location can actually trigger the onset of allergic reactions?

While I know many parents are concerned with and pay careful attention to food allergies, I want to talk about airborne allergies today, as one of the toughest times of the year for allergy sufferers is about to commence: Spring. Here’s a list of the most common airborne allergies that might be causing problems for you this Spring or any time of year or that might be causing problems for your kids.

Common Allergies

pollen
dust mites
animal dander
mold

I happen to live in a part of the country that has the honor of being ranked #5 on the list of worst cities in the U.S. for allergy sufferers. The pollen count is sky high for most of the Spring and Fall. For someone who is now allergic to SEVERAL types of trees and grass, this is a problem for me! My husband also suffers from seasonal allergies, and it seems that our youngest is also affected by what’s in the air.

How to Combat Allergies

This season, though, I’m prepared for battle. I have the Luma Comfort AP170W PureClean Air Purifier and I know for a fact that it is making a difference. How do I know? It’s simple, really. On the days when I have it running, I feel great. On the days when I have it unplugged (usually due to an overly curious baby who wants to press all the buttons) I get a stuffy nose. Maybe it isn’t the most scientific approach, but the difference is quite noticeable to me!

The Luma Comfort AP170W is an air purifier that is designed for any personal space up to 170 square feet. I have it placed in the guest room, which may sound odd at first, but here’s why: This back room, which also serves as my office, is also the back entry to our house, and the one we use when entering and exiting. Therefore, it is through this room that all those nasty common allergies are getting into our house. I love having the air purifier there as it traps them before they have the chance to go any further. Most people cannot afford to have an air purifier in every room, so if you need to be strategic about where you place yours, then I personally think putting it in the same room as the main entry to your house is smart.

If you are all allergy sufferer, and you don’t yet own an air purifier, I want to strongly encourage you to consider getting one this year. My Luma Comfor AP170W is making a very big difference in how my family feels right now, and so we aren’t having to rely on a lot of medicine to get us through the season. It is very light weight at only 8.8 pounds, so if I wanted to move it to another room for an air cleaning session, that would be no problem.

It is also marketed as “whisper quiet,” and while I would disagree with that, it does provide white noise that does not distract me at all while I am working. I would even go as far as to say that I find the sound it produces (sort of like an air conditioner) to be soothing.

Another thing I like about this particular air purifier is that it also eliminates odors in the air. My purifier is strategically placed near the door to the kitchen to help with food smells. The cat’s litter box is also in the bathroom that is connected to this guest room/office, and the air purifier helps keep those smells in check, too. It is SO nice!

I like the touch screen controls, though I do wish they were located on the side of the device. They are actually optimally placed for convenience, unless you have a curious baby or toddler, as I do. In my case, they are all too easy for little hands to push, which is why I sometimes have to unplug the air purifier in order to keep my baby from messing with it. Maybe they need a child-proof version? 😉

The most important reason of all that I would recommend this product from LumaComfort.com, though, is because it is highly effective at what it is supposed to do, which is to remove airborne particles. It nabs 99% of them through a 5 step filtration process. It contains a high quality HEPA filer and a filter life indicator to let you know when it is time to change it for optimal effectiveness. It even has a programmable timer if you only want the air purifier to run at certain times of the day or night.

The air outside might be difficult to breathe, but the air inside my home is much healthier for me and my family, and that is a really big deal to me. I’m very pleased with the effectiveness (not to mention the sleek, lightweight design) of the Luma Comfort AP170W, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is suffering from airborne allergies. It is currently on sale at Amazon for $179.99 and it is worth the money. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t like to spend it!

Win it!: One VERY lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Luma Comfort AP170W Air Purifier, just like the one I reviewed!

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 strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

photo credit for first photo: A Guy Taking Pictures via photopin cc

Monkey Mat: Portable Play Mat for Everyone

March 26, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

When we go to the park, this is how we roll, now:

This awesome play mat, called the Monkey Mat is light as a feather (well, almost) and folds up to about the size of my hand, which means it very easily goes in the diaper bag or even in my purse. And it means that I have a clean, WATERPROOF surface to put Layah on wherever we may go.

This is a game changer, folks! I have absolutely no shame about putting this on the floor of a department store fitting room, in a fast food restaurant, or anywhere else I may need to be for a spell that isn’t exactly designed for babies. And pretty much no place is designed for babies. If you are in cramped quarters (like a dressing room) you can always fold it back in half so it doesn’t take up the whole floor.

There’s a lot of peace of mind in knowing that your baby is protected from questionable objects or germs on the floor and that the floor is protected from your baby (two words: projectile vomit).

The blanket has light weights at each of the four corners. I can tell you from experience that they are not sufficient to keep a strong gust of wind from lifting the blanket, especially if you don’t have any adults sitting on it at the time. But for gentle winds, it does just great.

Honestly, this is a product I wish I had owned from the time Darah was a young infant. I can see it having SO many uses. And when Layah has outgrown the need to have her own protected space, the Monkey Mat will continue to have a full life in the trunk of our car, serving as picnic and playtime-at-the-park blanket. All while taking up precious little space!

What do you use for a mat when you are on the go? Do you just wing it like I used to do? I would most definitely recommend a Monkey Mat, especially because it can work for you and your family even long after the babies become big kids! Monkey Mats are available in pink, orange, blue and khaki (shown above) for $39.99 and can be purchased on the Monkey Mat website or on Amazon.

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