Stuff Parents Need

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

Go! Go! Sports Girls Doll Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Darah is really into playing with dolls. She loves to comb their hair, put them to sleep and have tea parties with them. I want to make sure that as her imagination develops she thinks beyond playing dress up and lets her dolls do all kinds of awesome things outside of stereotypical “doll” behavior.

Go! Go! Sports Girls is a fun line of dolls that are on the market that show girls as enthusiastic participants in a wide variety of sports. I never ventured beyond dance as a child (though don’t get me wrong, dance can most definitely be a sport and an intense form of exercise!). I want Darah to know her options go far beyond dance, though. We tried to get her the Anna soccer doll, but they were completely sold out! So we opted for the Suzi swim doll, since we want to enroll Darah in swim lessons this summer. We hope this doll will inspire some great conversations about learning how to swim and how once you know how to swim, it can actually become a fun hobby or even a competitive sport. Darah’s Aunt Leslie swam competitively for many years, so she’s got a role model in the field, already!

Go! Go! Sports Girls Dolls currently showcase the following sports, with even more in the works for later:

  • golf
  • soccer
  • running
  • tennis
  • gymnastics
  • dance
  • softball
  • swimming
  • basketball

I know Darah is going to enjoy playing with Suzi, and I’m excited to see what underwater adventures they have together in the coming months! I’ve still got my eye on the soccer doll for next year, though, as Darah loves to run so much, so we think soccer might be a good fit for her!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Go! Go! Sports Doll of your choice!
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(Maternity Monday) LilyPadz: Discreet, Unique, Reusable Breast Pads (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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This may sound really strange, but the issue of breast pads is one of the reasons why I decided to start blogging in the first place. I was so struck by the vast difference in quality of different products on the market and I wasted quite a bit of money trying to find something that wasn’t bulky and just all-around awful to wear. I really wanted to share my thoughts on the topic with other women (and I had a million other blog post topics, as well). And so, a post on disposable breast pad comparison was one of my first!

Since that time, I’ve learned SO much about all the different options out there for breastfeeding women. We aren’t limited to what we can find in the aisles of Target, ladies! And just like I now know that reusable diapers are an awesome option for babies, I’ve been intrigued by reusable options for breast pads, as well. Anything I can do to save some money and be a bit more eco-friendly is worth checking out!

Today I’m featuring a breast pad that is really and truly unlike anything else on the market, and after having seen it for myself up close and personal, I simply must sing its praises. I will be recommending LilyPadz to every single expecting and breastfeeding mama I know, for sure!

LilyPadz are reusable breast pads, but they are not made of any sort of cloth. They are made of silicone, which as you know, does NOT absorb any liquid. Scratching your head about how in the heck this could work as a breast pad? They are actually designed to keep your breasts from leaking at all in between feedings! AMAZING! They have a slightly tacky side that, when applied correctly, keeps pressure on the nipple and keeps you leak free until it is time to remove them and feed the baby. Now, I don’t think they can work a miracle and keep you leak-free for 8 hours when you have a newborn, or anything, but when used properly, women report great success with them.

I do think that this will not be the product I use for the first few weeks of breastfeeding, as I recall that being a time when my milk was sort of out of control. It was also a time when I needed to make frequent use of lanolin products. While you can use lanolin with LilyPadz, you are advised to use it sparingly and be extra careful to wash them well each day. I think that I’ll just turn to these once my hormones get a bit more under control and breastfeeding becomes slightly more predictable.

While I can’t yet speak to their effectiveness at preventing leaks, I have practiced applying LilyPadz and I can say that they are easy to apply. I’m also happy to report that they are SUPER DUPER THIN. Like, so thin I couldn’t really believe it. I may have actually squealed a little bit at the thought of getting to wear something so discreet this time around. Joy of joys!

LilyPadz do require an oil-cutting soap to be used on the pads daily in order to keep the tacky side working properly. I received a starter kit, which is what I would recommend to anyone interested in this product. It comes with one pair of LilyPadz, one bottle of LilyWash (a silicone cleanser) and one box of LilyWipes, which are great to use if you are away from home and need to clean the pads.

LilyPadz are a fabulous product, and I would highly recommend them to anyone! You can purchase a starter kit for $36.95, and can purchase them online here or check out the store locator for your nearest retail option.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a LilyPadz starter kit!

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Naturally Fresh Deodorant Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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If you have been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I made the switch to natural deodorants a long time ago. I did this in two stages. First, I made the switch from antiperspirants to deodorants. It took my body a few months to get adjusted, but I swear, after a while I started to perspire less and then it was really no big deal to wear deodorant.

Then I moved over to natural products. I just don’t feel good about the aluminum found in most products, and the natural stuff has been proven to be completely safe. It is true that some natural products are more effective than others, but even with the least effective products, I find that I just need one more swipe toward the end of the day to get me through.

Really, my only complaint about making the switch has been that the natural products are more expensive. Until now, that is! I’ve been trying out a great line called Naturally Fresh that is available at every Walmart store for just $3.99! There are a variety of applications and scents, but I’ve been trying the unscented formula in a roll-on and have been VERY impressed. There’s no need to re-apply toward the end of the day with this product and the protection it provides is great!

Naturally Fresh products are made with all natural ingredients that eliminate odor causing bacteria. Their products are hypoallergenic, non-staining and contain NO aluminum.

Tim has been trying their spray mist version (he doesn’t like roll-on deodorant because his arm pit hair catches on it. Ouch!). The spray mist is purified water and pharmaceutical grade mineral salts. These are wonderful for Tim, who is part of the 10 percent of the population who suffers from rashes and irritations when he uses conventional deodorants. Plus, it really works and keeps him smelling great!

If you prefer to have a scented deodorant, Naturally Fresh does offer four exotic scents:

  • ocean breeze
  • lavender
  • papaya fusion
  • tropical breeze

 

All of their products are completely free of the following ingredients that you might find in more conventional anti-perspirants and deodorants:
  • parabens – a preservative found in breast cancer tumors
  • propylene glocol – also used in tobacco and petro
    chemical products
  • phatlates – banned in Europe and outher countries as toxins
  • harmful aluminum letals – clog pores and enter blood streams

I’m quite pleased with Naturally Fresh and will be purchasing it in the future, for sure!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a roll-on and spray deodorant just like I received for review!

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Magic Cabin Adirondack Side Table Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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At Darah’s school, work is completed on small child-sized tables that are placed throughout the room. Children are not assigned to a table, but are free to choose any free spot to sit in for each lesson they work on throughout the day. They feel comfortable freely moving about the classroom because everything there is on a scale that works well for 2 year olds. The chairs, the tables, the shelves, the sink….everything is just the right size for the kids!

This really got Tim and me to start thinking about how our own house is set up, and how monstrously huge many items must seem to Darah. While it isn’t practical for us to give her miniature versions of everything, we thought that if she had a table of her own, where she could easily seat herself for activities throughout the day, she might really enjoy that and get a lot of use out of it. We were definitely right!

To find a quality wooden table, we turned to Magic Cabin. If you aren’t already familiar with this site, definitely bookmark it, because they have a WONDERFUL selection of quality toys and accessories for kids. It’s impossible for me to browse the site without finding at least 10 things that would be amazing to own and that would promote learning, laughter and the use of imagination.

We received the side table from the child’s Adirondack collection that Magic cabin has and decided that it was the perfect size for a small table (a bigger table might be more useful to some, but we have a small house, so we took that into consideration when making our choice). The table arrived in a flat box and needed some basic assembly. It actually made for a fun project that Tim and Darah worked on together (she LOVES to “fix things” with her daddy!). It was all put together in 10 minutes. We actually decided to remove one of the wooden pieces on one side to make it easier for Darah’s legs to fit under the table. It now sits in our kitchen/dining room, right up against the wall and by her pictures of bones, which is something she is currently really into.

As soon as her table was ready, she asked if she could eat meals at her table and do lessons there. She actually refused to sit with us at the “big” table for 3 days and had all her meals at her own place! Now she’s back with us for meals, but snacks and lessons are still happening at her table. It’s great to see her confidently approach a space that she knows is her own. I’ve also seen an increase in her playing with her lessons that we have on a nearby shelf. That makes sense, because now she has a place to take them and work on just like she does at school.

We are extremely pleased with the quality of this table and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something similar. We would also recommend Magic Cabin as a great resources for children’s playthings. Definitely check them out; you won’t be disappointed! They are having a post-holiday sale, so you just might find something for a steal!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win this fantastic Adirondack side table from Magic Cabin! Woo hoo!

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Madame Alexander My First Baby Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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This was the Christmas morning that my little girl received her first baby doll. She has several dolls that she already plays with and loves, but until now, none of them were babies. I thought it was important for her to have a baby to play with, feed, swaddle and love on as she prepares for her little sister’s arrival in early May. I wanted to make sure she had something just her size and also soft and easy to love on.

The perfect doll came from Madame Alexander, which may really surprise you. When I think of this company, I think of exquisite collector’s items that are lovely to look at but that are NOT for playing with.

As it turns out, Madame Alexander has an extensive selection of dolls, some of which are meant to be played and played with. This doll is from the My First Baby line and is part of the Sweet Baby Nursery collection. She is the Itty Bitty Ballerina doll, and she is such a perfect choice for Darah because she is wearing a tutu, which is currently Darah’s favorite thing to wear (sometimes even to bed).

There are quite a few things that stand out to me about this doll. First, the size is just right for a toddler. I have seen other baby dolls on the shelves that are so huge that they would completely overwhelm a two or three year old who might want to hold them. This one can easily be toted around.

Second, I love that the doll is mostly soft. This makes her more inviting to play with. I can tell you that even as an adult, it’s hard to resist the urge to give her a good cuddle and squeeze! She also is washable, which is good when her mommy is a toddler!

Third, I love that having a doll like this promotes creative play and practice. There will be times when the new baby arrives that Darah may find some comfort in being able to hold and care for her doll while mommy or daddy are doing the same for baby sister. Her practice on the doll will also come in handy to increase her confidence in helping out with the real baby in the house.

Overall, I’d say the Madame Alexander baby dolls are a great find, and I’m so glad to have one!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an Itty Bitty Ballerina doll from Madame Alexander!

 

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Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Over the holidays we found some wonderful uses for shredded coconut. This is not the same as coconut flakes, which is what you typically find on store shelves. This stuff has been finely shredded…it looks like snow flakes, almost! Since this was a different way of using coconut, I wasn’t exactly sure if I’d know what to do with it. But as it turns out, I LOVE it!

First, we added it to pancakes and oatmeal. In both cases, it adds delicious flavor but doesn’t add a different texture that might not be appealing, which would happen if y

ou used flakes, instead. Second, I got to make coconut macaroons for the first time in my life, and thanks to a recipe on the Tropical Traditions website, my first batch turned out great and I was able to share them at a holiday party.

Our shredded coconut is the Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut, and just as we have been with every other product we have tried from this company, we are very impressed with the quality. I feel like I have a wonderful new “secret ingredient” in my pantry and I’m looking forward to discovering many different ways to add a bit of coconut to my cooking and bring new flavors to our table.


Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need will win a one gallon tub of Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut!

 

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Maternity Monday: Mimijumi Bottle Review

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As we prepare for baby #2, one thing I’m starting to give some thought to is my breastfeeding strategy. With Darah, breastfeeding was a bit of a struggle. I went back to work full-time after 3 months of leave and pumped in my office. I also went to see her at lunch time at her daycare to feed her then. I also took Fenugreek (even though it made me smell like maple syrup, true story). Even with these accommodations, I had supply issues and Darah quickly started to prefer the bottle to the breast. She weaned herself at 10 months, which was sooner than I hoped, but it was what she truly wanted.

I’m proud of the work she and I did to breastfeed. It was hard and we tried our very best. I have to tell you, though, that I’m hoping for even greater success this go around. Hopefully the fact that I will be home full-time will make a positive difference. I’m also hoping to try to keep my overall stress level lower (that may be wishful thinking since there will be two little ones around!). She shouldn’t need a bottle nearly as often, so hopefully that will help, too.

With that said, I also remember one of the big psychological difficulties for me with breastfeeding, and that was how chained I felt to the house and to my infant, especially in the first few months. I couldn’t leave the house for more than 1 1/2 hours without her in the beginning, which was barely enough time to buy groceries, let alone get to do anything remotely leisurely like wander the aisles of Target (don’t act like you don’t enjoy doing that in your time away from the kids!). So I know that I do want to use bottles from time to time and use my pump to build up a milk bank in our freezer.

But I want to be VERY careful about the bottle this little one gets to use. I want it to be as close to the breast as possible, and I’ve found a company that has worked really hard to mimic that experience and to actually help prolong the breastfeeding experience, not take over for it.

The company is called Mimijumi, and they are based out of Nashville (shout out!). I received the “Very Hungry” baby bottle (which holds 8 oz), and I’m really impressed with the look of it. To be frank, it looks like a breast! But if you think about it, that’s a very good thing. It’s one important piece of avoiding nipple confusion.

Even more important than how the bottle looks, though, is how it works. The baby must latch onto the nipple of the bottle as they would latch onto a breast, or else it won’t express any milk!  I cannot help but think that one piece of our struggle to find complete success with breastfeeding Darah was that she knew feeding from her bottle was easier. I’m so excited to have the Mimijumi bottle on hand now, and to hear that it doesn’t let babies escape the work of eating just because they are using a bottle!

Mimijumi bottles are BPA free, easy to clean and just have a one piece nipple (our other bottles have 50,000 parts….at least that’s what it always felt like!). They also have a non-skid base. All-around, this is a genius design and I hope that it will be a truly ally in our breastfeeding journey!  The bottle I reviewed retails for $14.99 and can be purchased here.

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

Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule SALE!

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Do you struggle to keep your house clean? It can be so hard to balance daily cleaning tasks, especially when you have young children at home. Cleaning is never fun and, as a parent, I’d rather be playing with my daughter than cleaning the house. Unfortunately, things eventually start piling up until the household chores become overwhelming.

As some of you may remember, last year I found a great resource for tips on maintaining a clean home. For the past year we have been using the schedule that we put together using the  step-by-step guide found at I Dream of Clean. Christine has put together a great book called Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule which contains a master list of almost every imaginable household chore along with tips to complete them faster. She also includes calendar templates along with a guide to creating a plan that is tailor made for your family. The book is short – a quick, easy read. I was very impressed with this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone who has a hard time keeping things organized around the house! Take a look at my blog post from last year to read my thoughts on the book.

If Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule sounds like something that would be a good fit for your family, I have some great news for you. From January 1-7, 2012, the Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule ebook will be 50% off!!! Just stop by I Dream of Clean and use the Promo Code: CleanNewYear2012. At a price this low, you’ve got no excuse not to work on that New Years’ resolution to keep your house clean!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Kiss My Face Peace Soap Review

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Kiss My Face has long been one of my very favorite products for finding high quality, natural personal care products. They have just released a FABULOUS new product that is useful pretty much beyond anything else you’ve got in your cabinets (other than vinegar, perhaps).

It’s called Peace Soap, and it is 100% natural all purpose pure castille soap. This stuff can clean anything from your head to your toes, as well as most anything in your home! Floors, pots and pans, even your camping gear can get cleaned by this stuff. Talk about multi-purpose!

I know what you might be thinking: why on earth would I wash my hair with something that can be used to wash my clothes? Well, it has jojoba in it which seals in moisture, as well as coconut and olive oil with both relieve dryness in your skin. While you are lathering up in the shower, use it as a shave gel, too!

I simply adore products like this that are designed to get the job – any job- done for you. In our small house, cabinet space is at a premium, so any product that will do this many jobs is going to have a welcome place in our home for a long time to come.

It also makes for an excellent product to take with you when you are traveling, or even if you are headed into the great outdoors to go camping. One product will handle all the mess! Thankfully, Kiss My Face realized how handy this would be for times away from home, and has made Peace Soap available in a travel size. It is available for $2.99 and is 3.4 oz (that’s still legal to go in a carry on when flying!). You can find Peace Soap at various locations (check out their store locator). Look for it in the following delightful scents:

  • grassy mint
  • lemongrass clary sage
  • lavender mandarin
  • pomegranate acai

One final note about these soaps: 10% of profits support Seeds of Peace, bringing together teens from countries of conflict to foster a new generation of leaders. Does that totally rock, or what?!

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