Stuff Parents Need

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

GREAT Outdoor Photographer in the Chattanooga Area: Monica Meade!

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Two weeks ago we had a great photo shoot at a local park with the fabulous Monica Meade. Monica is a teacher who lives in North Georgia, and she’s working hard on building a side business as a photographer. Her specialty is outdoor photography, and she absolutely loves taking pictures of babies and children.

We met Monica at a beautiful park in town. She brought a precious basket to put Layah in, and we brought some blankets and a few cute outfits. We also got Darah dressed up so that she could snap a few shots of the sisters together.

Since Monica is still working on building her portfolio, her prices are AWESOME! For $35, you get a one hour session with Monica, and a CD with all of your photos from the shoot. So there are no extra fees for ordering prints…you own all your pictures! That’s a HUGE money saver!

The photos from our shoot will be cherished by my family for the rest of our lives, and we got a great shot for Layah’s birth announcement, too! Here are some highlights from the shoot:

Be sure to follow Monica on Facebookso you can keep up with her great photo shoots. And if you live in the area and are in need of some cute photos for any occasion (newborn, birthday, graduation, holiday cards), definitely give her a call. You’ll be pleased with the results and THRILLED with the price!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary photo shoot for review purposes. All thoughts an opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

How I Made Birth Announcements During Layah’s Brief Nap: GIVEAWAY!!!

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After bemoaning on Facebook the fact that my second child is NOT a good napper, my cousin made a really good point. She said, “Good thing she wasn’t born first!” Amen to that! This might have convinced me to just have one child! Layah is such an amazing baby and I’m absolutely bursting with love for her, but she has fully embraced the name we gave her, and insists on LAYING on someone in order to lose consciousness.

Thanks to some helpful tips and tricks from friends, though, we have managed to have some success by using the swing during the afternoon (for some reason, she’s not ok with the swing in the morning).

Two days ago, during her afternoon nap (which lasted about 40 minutes) I created her birth announcements from start to finish. Seriously! How did I do it? I went to Photo Card Creations and used their easy to navigate website to walk me through the process.

One of the things I like about Photo Card Creations is that they have a really good selection of birth announcement options, but they don’t have HUNDREDS. There really is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and I just didn’t have time to wade through so many choices and then get all confused about which one I liked the best. I needed to be able to make a decision quickly. They had 39 different options, which still gave me plenty of choices, but I was able to make my pick in about 7 minutes.

Once I made my selection, I was able to tweak the font choice and even the size for the front, inside and back of the card, as well as customize exactly what was said. I think that the company might offer slightly too many font options, but this is coming from someone who needed to make a super quick decision.

I’m really pleased with the look of my cards, which are going to be shipping out lightning fast (they have a 1-3 day turnaround!). I’m glad for that, because my little one is already a month old, so it’s time to get these announcements out! While I won’t be sharing the exact birth announcement with you, as it has my daughter’s full name on it and I don’t share that on the blog. But here’s the basic layout I chose:

Cute, right?!

Photo Card Creations is a fantastic option for you if you are looking to make custom thank you cards, announcements, holiday cards or invitations. I need to get some birthday party invitations made for Darah’s 3rd celebration (and her first ever actual party), and I’m going to email the company to see if they’d consider making a card template that has an “Under the Sea” vibe. They are working really hard to add new designs, and are open to hearing suggested themes from their customers. I love that! Right now they are offering 10% off your order when you use the promo code 10NEW by June 14th!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a gift code for 25 free cards from Photo Card Creations!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaway, 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. 

Papa Crow Things That Roar CD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Summer is in full swing, now, so it’s time to update your music collection and give your kids some new music to listen to while they toddle around the house. I’ve got a great choice for you, today. Papa Crow is the stage name of a father named Jeff (he’s got 2 boys). His first album was released last year, and it’s called, Things That Roar!

Despite what the title might have you think, this isn’t an over-the-top rowdy sort of album. It’s actually quite laid back, which I find to be useful during the time right after dinner when it is time to start relaxing and unwinding a bit as we head toward bath time and all the night-night rituals.

This album has already made the Top 10 Albums of 2011 from Time out New York Kids, and Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child.

Darah is not the only one in the house enjoying this album. The track,”Welcome to the World” is such a great song to listen to with our new little bundle; so sweet and joyful. I’m making great memories dancing with Layah to it.

If you are looking for something fresh and new for your kids, but also want something that isn’t going to encourage them to bounce off the walls even more than they already do, then give Things That Roar a listen. I think you’ll find yourself humming along to it in no time!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Things That Roar!
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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

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

CHIAVIE: A Drink For Warrior Women

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When I was in early labor with Layah (all 3 times, because yeah, I went into labor 3 different times before she was actually born!), I stayed at home for the early part (only went to the hospital the final time, actually). There were many reasons why I wanted to do early labor at home, including the fact that I wanted to be able to eat and drink.

That probably sounds like a silly reason for staying at the house, but being able to stay hydrated and get the energy my body really NEEDS during labor is important. And once you go to the hospital, NO MORE FOOD. And for most hospitals, only ice chips are allowed! Given the fact that my labor with Darah was 19 hours long, I wasn’t interested in being starving in addition to being exhausted from labor.

And I had a carefully selected drink in my refrigerator to help give me a major energy boost. This drink is not specifically designed for women in labor, by any means, but it’s definitely useful for when you are about to do the hardest work of your life!It’s called CHIA\VIE, and it is an all natural blend of chia seeds and fruit. Chia seeds are relatively new to me, but since discovering them, I’ve learned that they are one of the greatest superfoods in the entire world. The CHIA\VIE bottles state that a handful of chia seeds used to sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day. Woah!

Each drink has 2 servings of fruit and no sugar added. It also doesn’t require refrigeration. This was great, as it enabled me to take the drink with me to the hospital (why yes, I did sneak in a drink for myself!). I found the taste to be quite pleasant, and I’m certain that this drink helped me have the energy I needed to sustain the 24 hour labor. Yeah, you read that right…24 hours! So much for the idea that your second delivery will be much quicker than your first!

Each drink also has 2000 mg of Omega 3, as well as 600 mg of Omega 6 and 88 mg of Omega 9. If you are currently breastfeeding, know that the boost of Omega-3s in your system is a wonderful thing for you and your baby, as it promotes brain and heart health for both of you! Even if you aren’t currently pregnant or breastfeeding, if you are a mother than you are a warrior woman in your day-to-day life, of that I am certain! I love the idea of turning to the food source that warriors used to help sustain you!

Go to the CHIA\VIE website to find your nearest retailer!

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

 

Put Some Yum in Your Tum: Quaker Soft Baked Bars

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a nursing mama, I am HUNGRY quite frequently throughout the day. I need to keep some fuel in my tank throughout the day to make sure I don't get so hungry that I go eat half a bag of peanut m&m's (not that I've ever done that, especially not just last week, ahem). 

Quaker has just come out with a new product that perfectly meets my need for something yummy and sweet, but also nutritious. They are calledQuaker Soft Baked Bar. Each bar has 140 calories (so not too bad), 5g of fiber (always important to get your daily fiber intake, ladies!), and 6g of protein (something I definitely need more of in my diet). QSBB Yum Image high res.jpg

Not only are these bars a wholesome food, they also are delicious! With flavors like cinnamon pecan bread and banana nut bread, how can you resist? I know I personally make an excellent banana bread, but I've never heard of cinnamon pecan bread, so that would be the flavor I'd be the very most eager to try. It sounds yummy (I'm a big cinnamon fan!). It has even been suggested that you heat up your soft baked bar in the microwave for a warm and satisfying treat. I love that idea! 

Another way to eat these bars is as a breakfast snack. Maybe you are typically so busy in the morning that you skip breakfast altogether. I personally NEVER skip breakfast, but I have definitely experienced that extreme time crunch in the mornings that make finding something nutritious and balanced to eat a bit difficult. It would be great to have these bars in my pantry for those hairy days. 

I also wouldn't mind offering these to Darah as an afternoon snack. I could see the two of us splitting a bar! 

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Why a Single Electric Breast Pump is My Choice: Tommee Tippee Breast Pump Review

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With Darah, I had a double electric breast pump. This was really necessary for me as I was working full-time, and needed the quickest way possible to pump while at work.

This time around, I work from home. I can breastfeed or pump any time I’d like! I’m choosing to breastfeed almost exclusively, which means that I’m not building up a supply of breast milk in the freezer as quickly as I did the first time around. But I’m still slowly working on that, and I’m going slowly because I’ve learned that if I’m pumping a lot in addition to always feeding the baby, I’m going to send my body the message that I need MORE milk, and then I’ll be producing more milk. Since Layah already seems to be a bit of a chunk putting on weight at a healthy but rapid clip, making even more milk is not something I really need to be doing at the moment.

The best times for me to pump are on those occasions where Layah doesn’t really eat a full “meal” at one feeding. Sometimes she just wants to drink from one breast and then go back to sleep. Other times she wants both breasts, but she feeds so quickly that I know she’s left a fair amount of milk behind. Those are the times when it’s great to break out my Tommee Tippee Single Electric Breast Pump System. The single electric pump is better for me than a double pump because I’m not having to pump to replace what a baby would be doing during a feeding. I simply need to collect a small amount, and often just from one breast. 

This pump system is simpler than the double-electric system I had before, and once again, I’m pleased with that change. It has just 3 settings for its pumping strength. As your baby’s suck increases over time, you can change the setting on your pump, as well. At this point, the first setting is still working great for me.

I’ve also found the silicone cup that goes around your breast to be more comfortable than what I had previously. After reading my manual, I learned that the product actually sends out massaging ripples to better mimic a baby’s feeding.

The kit also comes with bottles for feeding and a storage container for your milk, as well. It’s really nice to have all of these items included in one set; makes an excellent gift for an expecting mom, I think!

If you feel as though you would need a double electric pump in your situation, Tommee Tippee has you covered! They have just come out with the Double Electric Breast Pump System! Both products can be purchased at Babies R Us and Target, and the Single Electric Breast Pump System I’ve reviewed retails for $46.99.

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

 

Spike Seasoning Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When your food needs some extra flavor, do you normally reach for the table salt? I know I used to, but now I’ve got a few new alternatives sitting on my dining room table that make really great alternatives to salt. They are called Spike Seasonings, and Dr. Oz has recommended them to folks looking to improve their overall health and cut back on sodium intake. 

I actually noticed when my in-laws were visiting me in May that they reached for seasonings other than salt on a regular basis, and I realized that I’d never really even thought of doing that. I’ve been missing out on some great flavor options, as it turns out! Spike Seasonings provide many different ways to give your food a kick and to introduce some delicious tastes to your dinner plate.

I personally have really been enjoying the Vegit spice, which contains some interesting stuff like beet root powder and orange peel. The taste is excellent, too! I really like that on the Spike website, you can see exactly what spices are in each bottle. The Original seasoning has 39 different spices! Wow!

Spike Seasonings include 10 different great seasoning products, all reasonably priced at just $2.99 each. You can purchase them here!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win 4 bottles of Spike Seasonings (Original, Hot ‘n Spicy, Salt Free and Vegit).

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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. 

Bluapple Saves Your Produce: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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For the last 3 1/2 weeks of my pregnancy, I was on bed rest. One of the key areas that was affected was our ability to get dinner on the table. Fortunately, we had friends and church members step in to help us out, and we had very little cooking that we needed to do.

Unfortunately, I went to the grocery store the day before I got put on bed rest, so I had crisper drawers full of produce that were more or less forgotten about. About 2 weeks after I bought some romaine lettuce, I went downstairs just to throw it away, because I remembered that it was in there, and I just knew it was stinking up the entire refridgerator.

Much to my surprise, I discovered some lettuce that looked as though it had been purchased 2 or 3 days earlier, not 2 weeks before. I give all the credit to the Bluapple, which has a home in my crisper drawer and works very hard to keep all our produce fresh.


Here’s a basic rundown of why your produce goes bad so fast, and how the Bluapple helps out. Produce makes ethylene gas, which has the function of promoting uniform ripening. But when concentrated in a crisper drawer, the result is often that food over-ripens quickly, leaving you literally throwing away your money.

The Bluapple absorbs ethylene gas for up to 3 months in a crisper drawer, and helps keep your produce fresh much longer. It is definitely working in my crisper drawer, and it will work in yours, too!

You can purchase a set of Blueapples for $9.95 and a 12 month refill kit can also be purchased for $9.95.

Win it!: THREE lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will win a set of Bluapples!

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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.

Rubbermaid Clean & Dry Plunger Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m going to go ahead and guess that when you think about a plunger, two words that do NOT come to mind are CLEAN and DRY. Plunging your toilet is a messy affair, and I don’t know about you, but I’m always confused about how best to clean the plunger after using it. Do I rinse it off in the tub (ew!)? Take it to the bathroom sink (double ew!)? Just put it back on the floor (triple ew!)? I typically rinse it, but is running water over it really enough to get rid of the nasty germs clinging to it? I seriously doubt it.

Rubbermaid, in all its clever-ness, has come out with a revolutionary new plunger that removes all of these problems while still effectively handling your plumbing issues. It’s called the Clean & Dry Plunger and it actually repels water from its surface, leaving you with a clean plunger after use (can you believe it?!). The special coating on the product is good for thousands of uses, too.

It is important to remember that oil from human hands can degrade the coating, so remember to always hold the plunger by the handle, only!

So…does all this sound just a bit too good to be true? Are you thinking that there’s no way it would really and truly repel liquids? Well then, check out this 18 second video and prepare to be amazed!

The Clean & Dry Plunger is available online for $12.99. The online shop also has a resource where you can find your nearest retail seller, as well!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Rubbermaid Clean & Dry Plunger!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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