Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

How I Used Art to Fix a Design Flaw in My Home (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I think almost every house has at least one feature (or lack of feature) that makes you wonder what on earth the architect was thinking. In the case of our new home, it seems that the designer did not think windows were very important. The north facing side of our house has only 1 small window, and the south facing side of our house has 0 windows. I knows those aren’t the directions that get a ton of light, but still, can’t we let a little bit in???

Our pantry in our kitchen is one place where it seems obvious to me that a window should be. There’s a blank space in the wall that is just the right size, and it would bring in so much natural light to the pantry and to the kitchen. It would make so much sense and look great. But this is real life, and just because a window would be a smart idea, that doesn’t mean that the funds exist to install one!

This is just one more way that art can be so awesome. You can use it to correct a design flaw in your home. I thought finding art to be my window was an idea so crazy that it just might work. So I headed to my #1 source for all things beautiful, Gallery Direct. The moment I saw Remoteness III it just clicked, and I knew I had found my new “view.”

Here are some shots of the installed piece.

(It’s really lovely, isn’t it?)

(This is the view from my kitchen table where I do much of my blog work. It’s directly across from the only window on this side of the house. I love it!)

I’m curious if you have a design flaw in your home that you think art could help correct? Perhaps you have an unfortunately placed fuse box or thermostat that needs to be hidden. Or perhaps you DO have a window in a room, but it is really off-center and throws everything off balance. Or maybe your home is just suffering from a case of empty wall syndrome. Whatever the problem, Gallery Direct is here to help!

Gallery Direct also has a 50,000 fans sweepstakes running on their Facebook page, so get entered over there to win a $500 art shopping spree!

ALSO….if you follow Gallery Direct on Pinterest and pin your favorite piece from the Gallery Direct website using the hashtag #gallerydirect, you’ll automatically be entered into their weekly Pin it to Win it drawing! One winner each week gets a $200 credit! AWESOME!! Here’s an example of how a pin it to win it entry should look: https://pinterest.com/pin/278308451942150520/

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a $200 credit to Gallery Direct! That can buy some AWESOME art, folks! Please note that the credit is for a one time use, so if you don’t use it all in one transaction, you lose it!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

I serve as a blog ambassador for Gallery Direct. Product samples are provided as part of the program. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Read & Sing with Hap Palmer Children’s DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Do you have a little one who is finally old enough for small doses of tv time? I remember that period of life. Frankly, part of me was excited to introduce the television because I was so desperate for something that could hold Darah’s attention for 5 solid minutes (and at first, that’s how long she would watch before wandering off!). On the flip side, I wanted to make sure that what she was watching wasn’t complete and total garbage. And finding quality programming for little ones can be surprisingly difficult!

As I type this, Darah is downstairs watching a DVD that I would highly recommend to parents of toddlers and preschoolers. It is from the celebrated children’s singer Hap Palmer, and it’s called Read & Sing with Hap Palmer, and it retails for $14.95.

Basically, this DVD is a collection of songs that are brought to live with illustrations and photographs (but not with live motion). I actually prefer still images for younger kids, as it doesn’t overwhelm them as quickly. The songs are catchy and the words are provided on the page, to help with sight reading and vocabulary skills.

Darah frequently asks to watch her “singing DVD” and I feel confident that Layah will enjoy watching this when she is old enough, as well. Since the DVD is broken up into 12 songs, it is easy to pause the program and take a break from watching television after just a few minutes.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Read & Sing with Hap Palmer!

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

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

AlternaVites Kids Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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We have a few strategies we are using in our home to teach Darah about pills. We want to teach her not to fear them, and we also want to teach her never to take them unless we have given them to her. Darah is actually in charge of putting mom and dad’s vitamins into our mouths and “supervising” while we swallow them. Every day I ask her if she should take one of my vitamins and she says, “No silly! These are not for me!” I really hope that lesson sticks!

Darah has gummy vitamins that she chews and enjoys. I hope that in time she will not have a problem swallowing pills. I was TERRIFIED of swallowing pills as a child, and even struggled with them quite a bit in my teenage years. It would have been so great if some more alternatives had existed.

If your child has a tough time taking pills, or if you feel they are simply too young to try, check out alternaVites Kids. These are vitamin packets in powder form, and I personally sampled them and they taste great! They sort of remind me of Fun Dip like you’d get at the movie theater!

AlternaVites Kids are recommended for ages 4 and up, so Darah is still too young to personally use them. But I could see these as being really handy for road trips or even overnight trips to a friend’s house (btw I’m REALLY looking forward to when those start!). I wouldn’t have to burden the adult with supervising her while swallowing her vitamin pill.

I’m also a fan of alternaVites Kids because they contain no aspartame, no HFCS, no artificial colors or flavors, and it is specially formulated to not contain any major food allergens such as eggs, milk, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy fish and shellfish. Basically, alternaVites Kids covered all the bases to make sure your little one can get his or her multivitamin with ease!

Buy it!: I’m excited to let you know know that all Stuff Parents Need readers can get a 20% discount off their order at alternatives.com by entering the code mom20 at checkout!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a one month supply of alternaVites Kids!

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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.

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper Review: One of the Best!

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I’ve been hearing about FuzziBunz diapers ever since I started using cloth back in early 2010. They are a very popular brand, and I usually find that when a brand is so well-known, it is because it works so well.

That’s why I was super excited to see FuzziBunz on the list of diapers I received with my cloth diaper rental. FuzziBunz had a great line of Perfect Size diapers, and they were absolutely critical to have in the newborn stage. Even know with an almost 5 month old (WHAT?! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!), I still appreciate the fit of a sized diaper.

With my newborn stash, I noticed that the FuzziBunz diapers were the ones I reached for first from clean pile. They consistently worked and they looked super cute. So I reached out to FuzziBunz to see if they wanted to be featured on Stuff Parents Need, and they said yes!

If you are on the fence about whether or not to try this line, I want to encourage you to buy FuzziBunz cloth diapers. I really don’t believe that you will regret your purchase for a moment! You also don’t have to go through an independent cloth diaper boutique if you don’t want to, as customers can now shop directly at the FuzziBunz website! I think that is a smart option, because in the unlikely event that there is an issue with the diaper, you can easily go straight to the manufacturer.

Speaking of customer service, this is something that FuzziBunz is known to be exceptionally awesome at providing. A few months ago I listened to a podcast that had the CEO of the company on it, and she was such a down-to-earth person. Listening to her, it was obvious that her primary focus was on making the best cloth diaper available, and not strictly on her bottom line. She said that she had been discouraged from making a product that could be used so many times (and then re-sold!) before it wore out. But she felt that’s what a cloth diaper should be able to do, and she’s sticking with that instead of creating a product that will have to be replaced after just one child. BRAVO!!!

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper

I love the fact that the Perfect Size diapers have 14 color options! We went for cotton candy this time around. I mostly avoided gender-specific diaper colors for Darah since I wanted to re-use them for baby #2, but since I think she’s our last and she’s also a girl, I’m loosening up and embracing the pink!

Here’s a pic of the diaper and the insert. The insert is nice and thick (and absorbent!), yet the diaper is actually quite trim! I would actually like to purchase some additional FuzziBunz inserts because I’m so fond of them.

FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers

Layah is modeling the size M, which fits her chunky 16 pound frame now and will fit her up to 30 pounds. I’m going to get a lot of mileage out of this diaper, I think!

FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers

Here’s the size chart for the Perfect Size diapers, if you were wondering which size would be best for your little one!

fuzzibunz size chart

What about you? Have you tried this brand of cloth? Were you as impressed as I was? 

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

Fall Safety Reminders and Master Lock GIVEAWAY!!!

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Darah has been asking me recently why the sun isn’t awake yet when she is getting ready for school. There’s no denying that the sun is coming up later and later every day. It’s just that time of year! And once daylight saving hits in a few weeks, it will be dark SO EARLY! Fall and Winter are on their way!

It is important for us grownups to remember that we are also heading into the two biggest seasons for burglaries. I know the topic isn’t tons of fun to think about, but trust me, it is so much better to think about your family safety and security plan and to beef it up in a few areas now, than to play Monday-morning quarterback after your things have already been stolen. It’s also important to make sure that every family member is on the same page about expectations for things like children’s weeknight and weekend curfews, and if your children are old enough to ever be home alone, what processes your child might need to go through when they get home (locking the doors right away, sending mom/dad a text message that they arrived, not answering the door, etc.).

While the weather outside is still nice, take a bit of time to do any home improvement projects that can help with overall safety matters. Make sure your front and back porch lights are in good working order, and note if they provide sufficient lighting. Think about if additional lighting might help deter would-be intruders from targeting your home. Also be sure to prune your hedges and make sure that your house number can very clearly be seen.

If you haven’t already put your outdoor grill and any other outdoor pieces that could theoretically be picked up and moved on lock down, I can’t stress enough how important this is (remember my post about how our weed eater was stolen? ). Master Lock has a 3 pack of red, blue and green cable locks that we are definitely loving and that we would recommend to anyone. I especially like that they are keyed alike for easier access (on the part of the owner, NOT on the part of the person who wishes they could steal it!). I love that there are several ties to go around, so every child, for example, could have their own secure bike lock, and can get in the habit of locking it up every day. Should a key get lost during this learning process, it is also not as big of a deal, since the remaining keys will also work.

Finally, take a moment to write down some ICE (in case of emergency) information for you kids to keep in their backpacks or wallets. Most people do not have phone numbers memorized since our phones do that for us. If your child ever needs to get in touch with you and doesn’t have his or her cell phone on hand, this could be a problem! This simple step will only take a minute or two but could make it so much easier for your child to reach you when needed.

What are you doing this season to make your home and its contents more secure?

Giveaway! One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of cable locks!

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

I am a member of the Master Lock Live Secure Safety Squad, and as such, I receive complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own, however. 

The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series GIVEAWAY (ARV $79.95)!!!

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Do you remember The Magic School bus books, which of course launched the wildly popular tv series? Get ready to feel old, because The Magic School Bus is celebrating its 25th anniversary! The books actually first were published by Scholastic in 1986. The tv series premiered in 1994. I remember watching The Magic School bus with kids I would babysit. Even as a teenager, I always learned something when I watched an episode!

If you aren’t familiar with the series, you are in for a treat! It’s all about the world’s coolest teacher, Ms. Freizzle, who takes her students on AMAZING travels all over the world in her magic school bus. Each episode is chock-full of educational content that captivates children, as they are learning in the mist of a major adventure!

Scholastic Video is pleased to announce the release of The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series. This set has every single episode from the series available for your viewing (and learning!) pleasure. You probably already know from experience that this show is awesome, but if you need some convincing, just know that it has won the following awards:

  • Daytime Emmy®
  • Six CINE Golden Eagles
  • National Educational Media Network Gold Apple
  • Parents’ Choice Gold Medal for Excellence in Children’s Programming

The complete series has 8 dvds with 52 episodes, and extensive guides for parents and kids that help enhance the learning experience with more experiments and other ideas you can do together. There are also some fun activity sheets you can download right now! Click here and scroll down to middle part of the right section of the page. This set is so popular that it is currently on backorder! It will ship as soon as new stock is in, and it is listed at $79.95.

There are also two 3 packs (each featuring 12 episodes) for $24.95 as well as four single episode dvds for $12.95. But c’mon, don’t you really just want to have them all?!?

Here’s your chance!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series! EEEE!!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

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

Heinz Cleaning Vinegar Helped My Coffee Get It’s Groove Back!

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Between the rise of Pinterest, the hipness of green cleaning, and the increased appreciation for being thrifty, this really is vinegar’s time to shine. It has SO many purposes and my goodness, what a bargain it is!

In my home, we use vinegar as part or our cleaning arsenal primarily because it is a way to have chemical-free cleaning, but we are also drawn to it because of its cost-effectiveness. Vinegar is part of a cleaning solution for our mop.

 

We also use it as part of a conditioning rinse for our hair in lieu of store-bought products. And yes, it really does work well!

(Looks like our bottle could use some deep cleaning with vinegar!)

And we use it in our dishwasher as a rinse aid.

Until recently, I thought that all vinegar was the same, and so why not buy the absolute cheapest vinegar I could find? After all, isn’t being thrifty part of the point, here?! Heinz has recently come out with Cleaning Vinegar, which is specially formulated for the types of jobs I mentioned above, along with lots and lots of other cleaning possibilities. You can learn all about my shopping adventure and my close look at all the different vinegar products I found at Walmart here.

When inspecting the vinegar labels, I did notice that the #HeinzVinegar offers a higher concentration of vinegar (6% instead of 5%, which is a 20% increase). That means that this really is specially formulated for better cleaning results, and that this isn’t just clever packaging. Heinz Cleaning Vinegar really is different from everything else available on the shelves.

While I was reading the label, I saw the recommendation listed to use vinegar to clean coffeemakers. Evidently vinegar can remove mineral build up that occurs over time.

how to improve the taste of coffee

I was very intrigued by this, as I use my coffee maker about 5 days a week to make my beloved iced coffees. I was very curious to see if I could taste any difference after cleaning my coffeemaker, so I did an experiment. I made coffee as usual and set aside a glass for myself. Then I followed the instructions for cleaning the coffeemaker, which included using full strength vinegar and doing a brew cycle with it, followed by two brew cycles with plain water to rinse.

The water after the vinegar “brew.” It was definitely a little discolored!

Then I made a pot of coffee and I used the exact same coffee, same filter, same sweetener, and the same milk. I even used the same glass and the same straw! 🙂 The coffee on the left is the “pre-vinegar” coffee and the coffee on the right is the “post-vinegar” coffee.

I was expecting, at best, to taste a very slight difference. But that’s not the result I got. The result was…well…sort of MIND BLOWING! The best way I know to describe the taste difference would be that the coffee on the left tasted like my tastebuds were wearing sunglasses, and the coffee on the right tasted like my tastebuds were basking in sunshine. The difference was so extreme that I threw out my old coffee (and you guys, I’m not one to waste precious coffee. EVER.).

I actually did a little dance in my kitchen as I sipped on my new coffee. It tasted SOOO yum! And then I got my planner out and made a note to clean my coffeemaker once a month with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar.

How can Heinz Cleaning Vinegar help you find cleaning solutions that work for your family? Did you know that natural cleaning could be so effective?

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and HEINZ #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Parenting Tip: Get One Truly Great Pair of Shoes for Each Size

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We all know that buying shoes for kids can be a frustrating experience. They grow out of them so quickly that it can seem quite ridiculous to spend much on them. I totally understand that sentiment, and I have definitely opted for “as cheap as possible” shoes for Darah before. What’s the point in spending $40 on shoes that will be too small in 6 months?

Well, I also happen to know, deep down, that there is something to be said for getting the highest quality shoes possible for those little growing feet. After all, I had the child who refused to wear shoes until she absolutely had to, and even then, she would only wear one brand because that was the brand that felt good on her feet. You see, toddlers don’t buy the “fashion hurts” philosophy that so many grownups yield to in life. If it doesn’t feel good, they don’t want to wear it, plain and simple. A $7 pair of shoes is a waste of $7 if your child doesn’t want to wear the shoes. I’ve had several “bargain” pairs of shoes that Darah wore less than 5 times, and not because her feet grew that fast. And consistently throughout her growth, she has been interested in the shoes that offered more support to her feet. She doesn’t know the name brands, and even if she did, she doesn’t yet care about labels. She simply wants to wear what feels good.

Without fail, Pediped shoes ALWAYS feel good to her. That’s why pediped is the one quality shoe that I am willing to spend a bit more money on for Darah. I know that they are put together well enough that Layah will also be able to wear them, which doubles the lifetime usage we’ll see out of them. Most of Darah’s cheaper shoes haven’t made the cut to be passed on.

I aim to have a pair of pedipeds for Darah to wear for every size, if I can. Check out my video review of Darah’s brand new shoes from the Flex line of pediped shoes. These are PERFECT for preschoolers with lots of energy to run and play!

Additionally, pediped has just launched a line of cold weather boots. At Darah’s school, having time outside to play is valued very strongly, to the point where if it isn’t raining or snowing, the kids WILL have outside time. Even if it is REALLY REALLY cold! So dressing appropriately is a must. These pediped boots are designed to keep toes nice and toasty in really cold conditions.

Pediped also has a new athletic line available. They are very smartly designed, including being machine washable. Check out what Major League Baseball player Tom Glavine has to say about them by clicking here!

You’ll find over 80 new styles of pediped shoes to fit every child and most every occasion, all without sacrificing quality and a great fit. You can stay in the loop about new styles, great sales, and special promotions by becoming a pediped Insider! Visit the pediped website and enter your email address. It’s that easy!

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

Move Over Mary Kay: Mia Mariu Makeup Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’ve been out of the traditional 9-5 work force for over 2 years now. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one for me, personally. I recognize just how privileged I am to have had that option, and even though my days at home are not all cupcakes and rainbows, the good far outweighs the bad for me.

However, my husband’s income alone is not sufficient for us to thrive, so I have to find various ways of working from home to help out with our bills. I know I’m not alone in that situation, and I always love to showcase valid and valuable opportunities for women to earn money in a flexible environment. That’s why I’m excited to show you Mia Mariu cosmetics today!

Mia Mariu is a health and beauty company based in Dallas and headed up by a savvy woman who understands the needs of her representatives, as well as the ins and outs of what it takes to produce a high quality product that women will love. If you are seeking an opportunity to earn income and if you enjoy using great makeup, take a moment to learn more about the Maia Mariu opportunity. I’m amazed that you can get started with the company for just $125! That’s a very low entry threshold! And I love that you aren’t required to keep stock on hand.

I’ve been trying out three different products from the line, and I’m excited to tell you about them! First up, I’ve really been enjoying the Mineral Liquid Foundation. I am a HUGE fan of mineral makeup (as the Mia website states, “cut the shine, reduce the pores, wow the public.” That pretty much sums it up! Getting the coverage just right for a powder mineral foundation can be somewhat tricky, though, so I really like liquid options that still give that awesome finish that I get from powder versions. This product retails for $25, which falls in line with what you might spend at a department store counter (maybe a bit less). I will say that it sets quickly, so be purposeful when you apply it! The coverage is absolutely outstanding.

I also reviewed the Loose Mineral Shadow Liner. This product can be applied dry as a shadow, or wet as a liner. I have actually been getting much more adventurous lately with the way I wear eye shadow, and I’ve been learning tips and tricks from bloggers (who else?) about ways to play with color. I’m having a blast with that process, and I’m also coming to REALLY appreciate a quality shadow that won’t disappear in just a few hours. This product retails for $14. I don’t have the right brush to use the shadow as a liner, but its now on my Christmas wish list!

Finally, I’ve been using and LOVING the Anti-Aging Brightening Serum. I’ve talked before about how my skin really is starting to lose that youthful glow now that I’m decidedly in my 30s (I was really wavering about doing 31 over again this year, but eventually had to concede and move forward). I like that this product targets age spots, works on overall glow (which is where I’m seeing the biggest difference) and also works on lines and wrinkles. Talk about a useful product! It retails for $38 and I would recommend it to anyone who is noticing that perhaps they don’t look as young as they feel!

In summary, I’d say that Mia Mariu offers high quality makeup and skincare and a wonderful business opportunity. Most definitely check them out! And even if you aren’t interested in becoming a representative, find one in your area to support and enjoy the great stuff they have to offer!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win all three products that I reviewed! That’s a combined retail value of $77!

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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 my own.