Tag: Bargains

That’s My Pet: Freshwater Fish

 

“Mom, Dad, can I have a pet?” Is this a familiar question in your house? It certainly is in mine, and we are in good company. It’s estimated that over 60% of American households have at least one pet.

In this new DealDash Blog series we will highlight different pets, give some basic facts about pet ownership, and hopefully help you make informed decisions about your new furry, feathered, or finned family member. Let’s get started!

Today’s pet is the Freshwater Fish. As a person who spent a few years working at a pet store, and also as a pet owner I would say one of the best pets to start a younger child out with is a freshwater fish aquarium. You can spend less than $40 to get a basic freshwater fish aquarium going with everything you need, or you can go as big and as fancy as you would like for more money.

 

There are a huge variety of different aquariums that you can get for your first set-up, most people find that the easiest thing to do is to get a kit that is already pre-assembled. However, if you would prefer to pick up the pieces yourself, here are the very basics that are recommended for a freshwater fish aquarium:

  • Fish tank or aquarium
  • Gravel
  • Light source
  • Filter
  • Water conditioner
  • Air pump with airstone
  • Thermometer
  • Fish food
  • Heater (perhaps not needed if you are getting goldfish)
  •  Plants, rocks, decorations (optional)

Other than those items everything else such as a background, live plant, or pirate chest decoration is completely and totally optional and can be added at a later time if you so choose.

The size and type of aquarium that you purchase can determine the type and quantity of fish that you choose to put in your new aquarium. When people first start out with keeping freshwater fish they usually go 1 of 3 ways – Betta fish in a tiny aquarium, community fish in a medium-sized aquarium, or goldfish in a medium to large aquarium. Of course, there are many many many more types of freshwater fish to choose from, but these are the most popular options for beginners.

 

My personal favorite of these 3 options is the community tank. Most people use a 10-29 gallon aquarium for their community tank, and stock it with fish such as Mollies, Guppies, Platys, Tetras, and algae eaters. There are SO many more community fish to choose from, but those are some of the most popular options that should be easy to find in your local pet store.

Setting up your aquarium can be a easy or complicated as you would like to make it, depending on what look you are trying to achieve. Here are the basic steps:

  • Put your aquarium on whatever surface that you will be keeping it on long term, be it an actual aquarium stand, a dresser, table, desk, etc.
  • Rinse your gravel and put it in the aquarium sloping it a little bit up towards the back
  • Treat your tap water with a water conditioner and add it to the aquarium, leaving a few inches unfilled at the top
  • Install your heater, filter, and thermometer
  • Add any decorations that you would like
  • Finish filling the water to the top
  • Plug in heater and filter
  • Wait 24-48 hours before adding any fish

 

As a general rule you can add about 1″ of (Full Grown fish length) per gallon of water. For instance if you have a 10 gallon aquarium you can add 10 fish that will be 1″ long when they are full grown. Don’t be fooled by the size the fish are when you buy them, make sure that you do your research to see how big your fish will be when they are full grown.

I hope that this article has helped you understand a little bit about setting up a freshwater fish aquarium. If you are in the market for an aquarium, pet store gift card, or any other pet-related items head on over to DealDash‘s “Other” section and see what they have up for bid today. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Baby Talk: What Should a New Mom Bring to the Hospital?

No matter if you are a first-time mom or a mom of many (or a dad or grandparent!) it’s smart to be prepared with a bag packed to take to the hospital when it’s time to deliver the new baby.

There are many things that you are going to need to pack into the bag to go to the hospital, but the very first thing that you are going to need is a bag, of course! I suggest using a duffle-style bag instead of a suitcase. I feel that a duffle bag is much easier to store when you don’t need it anymore, as well as being useful for many other things such as for sports/gym, trip to the beach, etc.

 

 

The first few things that I would advise you to pack in your hospital bag are some comfortable PJs or nightgown, robe, thick comfortable socks, and slippers. Of course the hospital will provide you a hospital gown to wear while you are there, but they are thin, scratchy, and uncomfortable. And besides that, you aren’t sick, you’re having a baby! There’s no reason why you can’t be cute and comfortable in your own clothing instead of the hospital-issued ones.

 

 

The hospital will also provide a hat, blanket, and tiny gown for your baby to wear. These items are great keepsakes, and very serviceable for your baby to wear while you are there. You might want to pack a special outfit for them to wear to leave the hospital, though, especially if you know the grandparents will be waiting with the camera to take a bunch of pictures.

Speaking of pictures, it’s a great idea to bring a digital camera and camcorder to the hospital with you. Most people have cell phones to take pictures and video, but I find that the quality is just not as good as  a full-sized digital camera and/or camcorder can provide. Trust me, you will take tons of pictures and video, and you will want to cherish these memories forever.

 

 

You may or may not want to bring your own toiletries. The hospital will provide them for you, but they are definitely not high quality, and I was very glad that I packed my own toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, lip balm, and deodorant. If your baby’s father is going to be staying the night with you at the hospital be sure that he packs toiletries, too!

 

After reading this article I hope that you have a better idea of what types of things that a new mom should be bringing to the hospital when she gives birth. How about starting your hospital bag shopping on DealDash? They have all types of items in many different categories there, check out the Toys, Kids, & Baby section to find some awesome products. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

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Baby Talk: Dinner Time!

Figuring out when to switch your baby from milk or formula and puréed baby food to table foods can be a tricky thing. With the right information and tools you can make the transition easily and keep your baby happy and healthy.

If you were to ask your pediatrician, she or he would probably recommend that you begin to transition your baby from jarred (or homemade) baby food to table foods around 9 months of age. The goal is to have your baby mostly eating table foods rather than formula and baby foods by the time they hit their first birthday. Of course, every child is different, some get their teeth sooner or later than others do, and some children are more food-motivated than their peers. The idea isn’t to force your baby into something they aren’t ready for – the goal is a healthy baby who is happy to eat a variety of foods.

 

The transition from baby food to table food can be a bit of an adjustment for some children and their parents. Some babies are happy to eat the jarred baby food, and some (like my daughter!) just couldn’t wait to eat table foods and would grab at just about anything on a plate that she could get her sticky little hands on. A fear that many parents have is the fear of their child choking. It instills a bit of terror in the hearts of many Moms and Dads everywhere. Here is a list of foods that can help ease the transition and help keep everyone happy.

1- Fresh fruit. Peeled and cut up into small pieces fresh fruit makes a great first table food. Apples and pears are great hand foods for your child to handle as long as they are cut up into small pieces. These are delicious and totally healthy, too.

2- Vegetables. Steamed and cut up into small pieces vegetables are a big hit with a lot of kids. Some other veggies to try are mashed regular or sweet potatoes, sweet potato french fries  baked in the oven, steamed broccoli or green beans, and just about every kid loves peas, fresh or even frozen.

3- Carbs. Toast, waffles, pancakes, bagels, pasta… All tasty, and just about all kids love them. These will probably be big hits at first as the flavors won’t be too over powering.

4- Breakfast foods. In addition to the carbs mentioned above, other breakfast foods such as cereal (dry or wet), scrambled eggs, and even tiny pieces of bacon can be a tasty treat for your little one.

If you’re still a bit wary of making a plate of table food for your baby and turning them loose, there are some different products made to make the transition easier for you and your little one. Here are some of the most popular options:

Baby Food Grinder: You can grind softer foods like bananas, pasta, steamed veggies, avocado.  Put a small amount of anything that you are eating into the grinder and  turn the arm and it is ground up and ready for your little one to eat.  Because it  grinds the foods into such small particles there is little worry of your little one choking.

Mash and Serve Bowl: You can mash foods like potatoes, beans, steamed veggies, fruits, eggs. You mash the food and serve your child right from the bowl, eliminating dirtying up and extra dish.

Fresh Food Feeder: You can put just about anything from fresh fruits to meat into the mesh bag and let your child feed themselves. This is also great when they are teething, you can put frozen fruit into it to help with teething pains.

 

After reading this article I hope that you have a better idea of when and how to switch your baby over to table foods. If you are in need of anything for your baby, including kitchen items check out DealDash. Try the Toys, Kids, & Baby section to see what awesome baby products they have coming up. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

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The Early Bird Gets the Good Deal on DealDash

 

I am similar to most people on DealDash, I think – we all love to shop! And one of the most satisfying shopping experiences that a person can have is to be completely done with all of their Christmas shopping by the end of November.

I was able to do this last year with a little help from DealDash, but this year it’s going to be even easier. I’ll let you guys in on a little secret…Starting Monday August 10th DealDash is running their “Early Christmas Gift Sale” promotion! It runs all week, and includes discounted bids as well as 2x Highest Bidder time!

Since you have a couple of days until this promotion starts maybe you should start thinking about what your friends and family might like for Christmas this year. I have 2 small kids (and 1 on the way!) so I am pretty in tune with what the infant-to-elementary school age is interested in, and I have been doing my research on the best gifts for this year. Here is a quick run-down of what I think are some of the most entertaining things that your kids or grand kids would love to get as a gift:

Baby to Toddler

 

Babies and toddlers absolutely LOVE stuffed animals- and even better than plain stuffed animals are ones that sing, talk, and make other noises when you press their buttons. However, my daughter has a few of these from her younger days, and they are still cuddly even though they are basically stuffed robots.

 

Preschooler

My daughter is now preschool-aged, and some of her favorite things are Minnie Mouse, her kid’s laptop, and her tablet. She also loves outdoor water toys and dolls that she can dress up, too.

 

 

Grade K-3

My son falls into this category, and some of his favorite things are robots, radio-controlled (RC) cars & trucks, and of course his bike! He tells me that Doc McStuffins is popular with the girls in his class.

 

 

Grade 4-6

Most of the kids in upper elementary grades are growing out of toys by this age, but I can definitely think of a few things they might enjoy, such as a Remote Helicopter/drone, an iTunes gift card, or if you’re feeling really generous an iPad mini would bring a smile to just about any kid’s face!

 

Hopefully I have given you a few ideas that got you into the gift-giving spirit. All of these things and way more can be found on DealDash, mostly in the Toys, Kids, & Baby section. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

Baby Talk: Let’s Talk Strollers!

How do you know what type of stroller to buy? Well, it depends what you need it for, of course! There are many different types of strollers depending on your needs and budget. Let’s talk strollers!

In this article we will go over some of the most popular types of strollers and when and where you would use them.  Included in this article is the Full Size Stroller Travel System, the Jogging Stroller, and the Lightweight Foldable Stroller. All of these strollers can be very useful, and serve specific purposes.Safety 1st SleekRide™Premier Travel System, Sail Away

The first type of stroller we will talk about is the Travel System, which includes a Full Size stroller. The travel system consists of a Full Size stroller, a “baby bucket” baby carrying system which doubles as a car seat, and a car seat base. The Full Size stroller usually has more “options” than any of the other strollers that we are going to talk about. These strollers almost always have at the bare minimum dual cup holders, place for your keys/wallet, and a large travel basket underneath. The Full Size stroller also usually has front and rear brakes. In addition to the Full Size stroller the Travel System also includes the baby bucket, which is a portable car seat with a handle you can use to carry the baby or transfer it from stroller to car. The Travel System also includes a car seat base, which attaches into your car and your baby bucket snaps into it easily. These sets are typically more expensive than just a stroller because of the multiple pieces.

Schwinn Turismo Double Jogging Stroller, Gray & Blue

Another very popular stroller is the jogging stroller. They are built on a sturdy base and have 3 wheels in a triangular pattern. They typically are more rugged and can stand more abuse than a regular stroller. They are used for jogging, walking, hiking, and other athletic pursuits. Jogging strollers usually have a place to put your water bottle, keys, etc.  The Jogging Stroller has a much better turning radius and you can use it to go in and out of crowds without accidentally running over anyone’s feet. Jogging Strollers have been picking up in popularity lately, everyone wants to be healthy!

The Lightweight Foldable Stroller is a great stroller to have. I have gotten more use of out this particular stroller than all of my other ones combined. They are so easy to just fold up and carry with you, stick them in a trunk, or some of them even have a strap so you can wear it on your back when you aren’t using it. Some of the nicer ones even have baskets underneath and cup holders.

After reading this article I hope that you have a better idea of what type of stroller that would be best for your child and family. All of these strollers have their own specific uses, and I myself own all of them, and use them in different situations. Good luck in finding your ideal stroller! How about starting your stroller search on DealDash? They have all types of strollers there, check out the Toys, Kids, & Baby section and see when the next stroller auction is coming up. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

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