Buy It Right with Parent Tested Parent Approved

Especially in this economy, no one wants to spend money on a product only to find out that something's wrong with it, that it's falling apart, or — worst yet — that it's dangerous in some way. But, in this crazy information and new media age, where so-called product review sites and services are in abundance, how can we tell the best from the rest?

As a successful entrepreneur and new mom raising two young children, Sharon Vinderine was tired of wasting time on faulty or poorly made products, so she turned to her network of parenting friends and family members. "I knew that if other moms had given me their opinion, I would have known sooner rather than later that the product was lousy," Sharon said. And Parent Tested Parent Approved was born.

PARENTS SEEKING PARENTS

This desire for mother-to-mother wisdom and advice lead Sharon to launch Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) in 2007, after she had successfully created and produced a line of innovative bath products for parents and babies called The Kangaroo Towel. Her goal was simple: create a network of real parents (36,000 of them!) testing products, sharing their opinions with other parents to help them make educated decisions, and finally granting the product a (now-coveted) PTPA Seal of Approval only if they meet or exceed all expectations a parent may have.

The captain at the helm of PTPA, Sharon is passionate about steering families toward high-quality and high-value goods that will last — her "buy it right the first time" philosophy. And, as a retail industry veteran, Sharon knows how misleading the consumer market can sometimes be. "We're often guided in our purchases by how nicely something is packaged or how well it's marketed, but that is not indicative of its true value," Sharon said. "I felt there needed to be a resource that reached out to parents who didn't want to waste hard-earned dollars on products that served no value."

That resource, she believes, is the experience of other parents, which led Sharon to create PTPA's Seal of Approval as the "equivalent of calling up your best friend and hearing her rave about a new toy for her daughter."

APPROVED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

How does it feel to be a part of a company that truly saves families money and frustration? Sharon tells us, "I love knowing that through us and the evaluations that we give to manufacturers from our parent testers, parents are having their voices heard." The feedback her parent testers give about a product helps manufacturers to learn what parents truly want and how they can better create products that fill consumer needs.

In Sharon's mind, it's definitely also a plus that PTPA "can give away thousands of products for parents." There's no risk to the parent testers: when they're sent a product, they get to keep it; and when PTPA tests larger products like cribs or baby carriages, they try to fit the products with parents who have a real need in that area.

So, what are PTPA's best-value product recommendations for families and for Back to School? Read on for some great finds and personal favorites from Sharon, both in the affordable and the "always classic" categories.

UNDER $25 AND AWESOME

The Tooth Fairy Kit by Baby Tooth ($24.95, Amazon)
Losing a tooth can be a painful and traumatic experience for a young child, and there are several products on the market that try to mold that milestone into a positive one. Sharon loves this kit that "makes [the experience] fun, takes away the fear, and is a beautiful keepsake" for families to use to create memories.

Classic Photo Books by Snapfish ($19.99, Snapfish.com)
Keeping track of family photos and having the time to make albums for grandparents or posterity is not always an easy feat for busy modern parents. Snapfish is easy to use and lets Sharon "create beautiful customizable photo books in any theme I want," and they make wonderful gifts and family albums.

Kinesys Sunscreen ($18.99, Drugstore.com)
All moms give their children love, comfort, and SPF 30. This spray sunscreen makes at least the last part easy, thanks to "the fact that it is oil free and alcohol free, to the protection that it gives, to the tiny bottle sizes they offer."

Thought Spots ($14, Thought Spots)
If you can't be with your children all day every day, help them remember you love them by leaving these adorable, inspirational, and no-mess stickers where they’ll find them. Sharon loves to "leave them for my kids on their mirror or stick them to their lunchbox."

PRESENTS TO PASS DOWN

What does Sharon recommend if you're looking for an investment piece to last through generations of new parents? Remember that wonderful pieces don't always cost a lot of dough, and check out these recommendations for products your family will love for years to come.

DigiTells Read Along With Me ($29.95, DigiTells)
Create recordings of yourself (or Grammy, or a favorite babysitter) reading books and stories to your children with this genius system, which they can replay over and over again. We love that Sharon values books and reading with her children; if you start a tradition of reading, she believes it will become "the kind of thing your kids will want to do with their kids." (We couldn't agree more!)

Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon ($79, Amazon)
Simple, classic, well-made and well-loved for generations, Sharon says sometimes you just can't beat the classics. "This is the kind of a thing that lasts a long time," she says. Literally and in our hearts!

College Woodwork Furniture (varies, private retailers)
Sharon swears by the beauty and quality of these iconic pieces of furniture, raving that "there is NO cheap component added to these pieces," and that these cribs and bunk beds will last for many years or generations, unlike popular particle board and laminate choices that may be cheaper but also fall apart over even a short period of time.

To find out more about PTPA Media, PTPA parent product testers, and PTPA Seal of Approval products, go to PTPAMedia.com

Story: Copyright 2010, Shoestring LLC. Image: Courtesy of PTPA.