Samantha, Author at Have Sippy Will Travel

Great Things to Do on a Weekend in Seattle

July 11, 2016 by Samantha 1 Comment

Seattle has quietly earned its pace as one of America’s premier cities, with a vibrant and thriving economy, a colorful and expanding arts scene, and some of the most beautiful natural vistas of anywhere in the country.

Whether you’re a newly-transplanted arrival hoping to find all the best that the city has to offer or an old-school Seattleite who’s looking for something new in a city that never runs out of surprises, there’s always plenty of fun things to do on a weekend in Seattle. If you’re looking for an adventure that’ll be fun for you or your whole family, here are some places you should check out.

Museum of Flight

The great thing about Seattle luxury real estate is that you’re always a short distance away from incredible and educational attractions like the Seattle Museum of Flight. Located just a short drive south of the city proper, the Museum of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world.

It contains some of the most breathtaking exhibits that will be enlightening and inspiring to any flight enthusiast and its famed Great Gallery will give you up-close views of some of the rarest aircraft on earth. Whether you want to see the early jets, look at military marvels, or take a walk through the very first presidential jet, the Museum of Flight will bring history alive for you and for your family.

Green Lake Park

One of the biggest advantages that Seattle has over other big cities is its natural beauty. While New Yorkers have to content themselves with the sad, shriveled trees that line their sidewalks on the commute to work, Seattleites get to have incredible access to world-class parks and nature areas. Green Lake Park is one of the best, with a beautiful placid lake in the middle and plenty of open-air cafes nearby.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Win a #TheSecretLifeofPets Prize Package for Your Pets!

July 11, 2016 by Samantha 35 Comments

Do you ever wonder what your pets do all day while you are at work or school (or out of the house in general)? Have you and your family seen the cute new movie “The Secret Life of Pets” yet? It’s out in theaters as of Friday, and it is just adorable. My son has been obsessed with it for a while now, but we all know how he is with animals.

One of you can win this adorable prize package for your own pets. Check it out, and good luck!

One of you can win the following;

Treat your favorite pets!

One (1) winner receives:

The SecretLife of Pets key chains, buttons, and tennis balls
Assortment of 3 products from Milk-Bone® and Pup-Peroni®

Open to US mailing addresses only

Prizing and samples courtesy of Universal Pictures and Big Heart Pet Brands

Don’t forget to adhere to FTC guidelines (disclosure within your post).

About the Products

Since 1908, Milk-Bone® brand has helped bring dogs and people together. Milk-Bone® believes dogs give us so much love that they deserve more than ordinary treats, they deserve treats with benefits. Today, Milk-Bone® gives you more than 20 different varieties of treats so you can show your best friend how much you care.

Pup-Peroni® brand celebrates the special one-of-a-kind connection we share with our four-legged best friends. We love Pups, and we want to give them tender treats in tasty flavors they’ll love. That’s why we make Pup-Peroni® dog snacks with more real beef* and a mouthwatering aroma that dogs simply can’t resist. Dogs Just Know®.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS – In Theaters Now!

For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.

Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.

Ends July 31, 2016. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: animals, giveaway, movie Tagged With: check in, pets

The Condado Plaza Hilton in Puerto Rico

July 8, 2016 by Samantha 8 Comments

Visiting the capital city of Puerto Rico, San Juan, is a must. There are many things to see and it has many things to offer any tourist. In the heart of it all is the Condado strip. It is a short walk to beaches, shopping and nightlife or to the colonial charms of Old San Juan. It is also where the Condado Plaza Hilton is located.

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Condado Plaza Hilton has the distinct privilege of being the only hotel to overlook the Atlantic Ocean and the tranquil Candado Lagoon. Constructed in 1963, Condado Plaza Hilton is a landmark hotel that features 571 Leo-Daly designed deluxe guest rooms and suites. Each room has a sleek contemporary design and many feature private balconies and gorgeous water views.
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While visiting Condado Plaza Hilton, there is dining for every taste and preference. With 8 restaurants, bars and lounges (including an award winning fine dining restaurant, Pikayo) you will want to try them all, and I can personally tell you the food is fantastic.

Besides the amazing food choices, there is plenty to do while visiting the resort. Enjoy the protected cove-like beach, perfect for kayacking in the Condado Lagoon, or enjoy snorkeling at the underwater artificial, indigenous-themed reef trail. There are plenty of watersports available in the Condado Lagoon. Besides kayaks and snorkeling, there are also stand up paddle boards, boats and floats available- some in the lagoon, some in the cove. With a reservation, you can get lessons for wind surfing and kayaking.

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If you are looking for water fun but do not want to be in the ocean, swim in one of the 4 outdoor pools. These include an activity pool with a waterslide and swim-up bar, a lap/lounge pool overlooking the Condado Lagoon, a toddler’s pool, and the only saltwater pool in Puerto Rico. The pools are beautiful and wonderfully clean, you will want to stay in them all day. There is even a rooftop pool, which is pretty neat.

20151213_094938 One of the pools also has a really fun castle themed waterslide, that kids and adults can both use. My son really loved it. There is a swim up bar as well, where you can get adult or “virgin” drinks to cool off in the hot sun should you want to.

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If you are looking for something a little different to do with the kids, look into the ScoutAbout children’s activity program. Kids love scavenger hunts, and this will take their vacation to a whole new level of adventure. Throughout the hotel, little scavengers can find hidden Points of Discovery. Kids read the map and explore different areas, then they receive a color-coded ScoutAbout Band. If they collect them all, the kids can join the Wall of Fame.

For reservations or further information about The Condado Plaza Hilton, call 787-721-1000 or visit http://www.condadoplaza.com

Rooftop pool at the hotel

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family travel, islands, puerto rico, travel

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U

July 8, 2016 by Samantha 1 Comment

Disclosure- this item was sent for review. Have Sippy Will Travel is a Nintendo Kid Ambassador. All opinions are our own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose”.

Have you ever wondered who was faster? Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario with star power? How about who is better at table tennis Yoshi or Eggman? These questions and more could be answered with your won quick wits and faster thumbs in the new Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This game pits familiar Nintendo and Sega characters against each other in Summer Olympic events. There are 17 events available, including full team sports: like soccer, Beach Volleyball, and Rugby Sevens. This game was also released for the Nintendo 3DS but this version includes 4 x 100m Relay, Rhythmic Gymnastics (Clubs), Triple Jump and Rugby Sevens.

We like how each event is a separate event, with a ton of details and attention put into it. This is less a series of mini games and more of a series of different events. Each event is polished and fun to play, especially the Duel Events with add in themed obstacles and items from the Mario™ and Sonic universes for even more fun.

This game is great fun for gamers of all ages and bridges the gap nicely between younger players and older ones. There is one draw back to this game. The laughter and fun will keep going and the day will melt away into a giggling, competitive afternoon.

As a small tid bit, this is the first time the console version of a Mario Olympics game is available the same year as the Olympics games themselves.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the Wii Uis available now across the country and retails for $59.99.

Filed Under: electronics, entertainment, gaming Tagged With: Nintendo, video games

Why it’s Important to Get Your Kids to Eat Right

July 8, 2016 by Samantha 3 Comments

You need to make the right decisions now that your kids are in their formative years. It’s important to ensure that you influence them in the right way. And one of the ways to do this is to get them eating right as soon as you can.

Sets a Good Example

As the parent, it is important to set a good example to your children. They learn from you, and you don’t want them to pick up bad habits. Consider what your kids are going to learn and pick up at home. They will be influenced by things like bad language and the attitude you have toward things. But, they will also be influenced by eating habits. Junk food and unhealthy snacks set a bad example for the kids and could lead to them becoming unfit and obese. Healthy eating will promote a positive example, and they will naturally adopt more healthy eating habits.

Helps Them Work Towards Positive Body Image

You have to understand how important it is for your children to be comfortable with who they are. They need to develop a positive body image from a young age. This is going to help them with self-esteem and confidence. It will make them feel good about themselves and make good decisions when they become older. Developing a healthy body image is something that can be nurtured through positive eating habits. The healthier they are eating, the more likely they are to stay fit and healthy. This promotes the benefits and positivity of fitness. And they will take this into later life and develop a positive body image.

It’s Healthy for Them

The best thing about wasting right is that it’s good for you. It’s going to be great for your children, and their health, to get them eating the right things. You need to look at companies that are producing healthier food alternatives. For instance, you might decide to learn about Hampton Creek on Instagram. They are a company that produces eggless mayonnaise, among other things. These healthy alternatives are a great way to keep kids excited about the prospect of going healthy with their eating habits.

Leads to Other Positive Steps

The good think about healthy eating is that it encourages the kids to make other positive steps. They will understand the importance of looking after themselves, and this will lead on to other steps such as fitness and rest. You need to set these positive benchmarked for your children when they are developing. And you have to equip them with the necessary tools involved to take other positive steps at points in their life. That’s why you have to make sure you encourage healthy eating in the home as much as you possibly can.

As a parent, it is crucial to try to make sure your kids are following the advice you give them. It’s up to you to try to set good examples for them at a young age. These can help to shape their experiences and decisions they make as adults. So, you need to make sure you get them eating right as soon as you can.

Filed Under: family, food, kids Tagged With: check in

Fighting is Fun in Tankwars.io

July 5, 2016 by Samantha 1 Comment

If you liked playing Agar.io, you probably also enjoyed Slither.io. After those two, you might’ve tried Wings.io and Boattle.io. But, is that enough .io games? After playing Tankwars.io, I don’t think so.

Tankwars.io is a new type of .io game, one that provides a much deeper, more immersive experience. The current alpha stage includes one game mode—KingDM, an ongoing deathmatch between anyone brave enough to compete. The leader (i.e. the King) gets a strength boost to further dominate the desert. It sounds simple enough, but there’s much more to Tank Wars than meets the eye.

Special abilities are among the most important features of the game. In Tankwars.io, players mustn’t resort to firing the same supply of ammo in every direction. Instead, you can plant mines across the battlefield. Deadly explosives are effective, but they’re not the only special ability at your disposal. The Air Strafe calls a computer-controlled plane to decimate a certain section of the war zone. This is extremely useful when being cornered by multiple tanks (or if you simply want to wreak havoc on others). Other special abilities are defensive, like the Shield, which surrounds your tank with a glowing force field. Your bullets can get out, but no one else’s ammo can get in.

The gameplay in Tankwars.io feels different from similar titles. In games like Agar.io and Slither.io, any player can die instantly at any time, even from one small mistake. In Tank Wars, each tank has a fair amount of armor and health, so it takes longer to destroy each other. Longer life cycles tend to result in less frustration. In this matter, Tankwars.io feels more like a worthy RTS than a free browser game.

It is also important to note that the graphics in Tank Wars are rather exceptional. Compared to every other game in its class, Tank Wars is the clear winner for visuals. Every part of the terrain is highly detailed, from war-torn parts of the desert to 3D caves that double as barriers. When a tank blows up, the fiery destruction is beautiful. There are also colored markers to highlight your tank and outline enemy vehicles. These markers can be dramatically customized by size, color, and transparency. If you don’t like the way they look, you can tweak them until they’re perfect.

Even though it is still in a relatively early stage of development, Tank Wars is a very promising game. Yes, you might notice an occasional glitch during gameplay. But, all of these kinks are being ironed out, with under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes released every day. At this stage of the game, Tankwars.io surpasses many of its competitors. When fully developed, the additional modes will add to the already deeply satisfying gaming experience.

Some games are fads, exploding in popularity and disappearing after a brief amount of time in the limelight. Already, the buzz surrounding Tank Wars feels different. This is a good game today, and it’s only going to get better tomorrow.

Filed Under: technology Tagged With: app, apps, check in, review

Smarter home with a smarter phone service Ooma #HelloOomaSavings #ooma

July 5, 2016 by Samantha 1 Comment

Smart homes are all the rage right now. Having your lights connected to your thermostat, microwave and coffee maker can make you house run a little smoother and futuristic. With a few knobs and pulleys, breakfast can be made using a skateboard a chicken some eggs and a rubber glove. Kidding!

But in all seriousness smart houses are getting more and more complex and more interesting. Today we looked at the home phone plan known as Ooma. Ooma works in a unique way, you but the unit itself, $99.99. Then after words all you have to pay is a one time phone number port fee and monthly taxes and fess and such adding up to less then $10 in most areas, even less then $5 in others.

In our house we use a Voice over IP phone line which is similar to Ooma but ends up costing quite a bit more then it, $40-$45 per month compared to Oooma’s $7.

This ends up saving us ,pre then $400 per year. This adds up quickly and is a nice to actually have some money tucked away.

Ooma can also interface with your smart home devices including Amazon Echo, Nest, Phillip Hue and LIFX smart light bulbs, and others, making your home safer and more convenient than before. Some exampled of what Ooma can do with your smart home are:
Receive a call when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected with the option to connect to local emergency services.
Initiate a call or check messages with Amazon Echo’s Alexa voice assistant.
Automatically turn on call forwarding when you leave home.
Get incoming calls and voicemail notiﬁcations on an Apple Watch or Android Wear Watch.
Get alerted of incoming phone call or voicemails visually with lights and know if it’s someone you know (Green) vs. someone you don’t (Red).

What most surprised us is the quality of the phone calls and the service provided to a bare minimum of charges. For simply taxes and fees you can receive:

Free U.S. Calling: Only pay taxes and fees, no long-term contract required.
#1 rated home phone service for ﬁve years in a row by leading consumer research publication
Superior voice quality and reliability
Caller ID and call-waiting
Free Ooma-to-Ooma calling anywhere in world
30-day money-back guarantee and extendable 1-year warranty with live customer support
911 Calling and Text Alerts
Free Mobile App
15 minute, easy set-up
One-time $39.99 transfer fee to keep home phone number or choose your own number in most any available area code for free
My Ooma online portal: Play messages, check call logs and control preferences online, from anywhere

There is also a Premiere service which better help with smart home integration as well as some more nifty bells and whistles, costing $9.99/month.
Block telemarketers and other unwanted calls with personal, community and expanded blacklists
Free calling to Canada
Instant Second Line
Voicemail-to-email forwarding
Ring your home and mobile simultaneously
Call forwarding
Anonymous call blocking
Enhanced caller ID
Smart Home integrations (except Amazon Echo, which is part of Basic service)

Filed Under: home Tagged With: home, phone, review

Hershey Park and Pepsi – Made for Summer #Hersheypark #PepsiAtThePark #ad

July 5, 2016 by Samantha 2 Comments

Disclosure- I received free tickets to the park in order to facilitate this review. This is a sponsored post in cooperation with Pepsi. All opinions are my own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose”.

As the hot Summer days roll in it is time for trips to the amusement park. And the sweetest place on Earth is of course Hershey Park in nearby Hershey, Pa.

The first greeting when getting close to Hershey is the sweet smell in the air. The melt in your mouth chocolate flavor of a Hershey Kiss on the breeze lets you know you have arrived. Hershey Park is open from 10 am to 10 pm, and there is a lot to pack into that time frame.

From the park itself to Hershey Gardens and of course Hershey’s Chocolate World and The Hershey Store Museum on Chocolate Avenue, there is a lot to see. It was more then we could do in a day, that’s for certain. Your day might begin in the morning with a stroll in the 23-acre botanical garden that includes a Children’s Garden and seasonal Butterfly House. The theme park itself is huge. Hershey park is one of the most fun amusement parks around with 13 roller coasters and over 30 family friendly rides (as well as a new water park area, “The Boardwalk”), you’ll find a favorite among the group.

There are special rides for the younger members of your family who want to join in on the fun but can’t handle the thrills of bigger rides. Throughout the park, there are also a plethora of refueling stations from of Pepsi products and promotions, like the creative and refreshing Pepsi Spire. This is the innovative digital beverage fountain, to inspire consumers to raise the flavor of their favorite Pepsi beverages with totally customizable creations. Pepsi Spire is a sleek, innovative beverage fountain that puts hundreds of drink combinations at people’s fingertips. Pepsi Spire can pour up to three flavor shots simultaneously (think: lemon, vanilla, cherry and more), with fan-favorite beverages, like Mountain Dew, Pepsi or Brisk Iced Tea.

Pepsi can be found everywhere in the park as new Pepsimojis, Pepsi emoji statues that coincide with the brand new global PepsiMoji campaign inviting consumers to #SayItWithPepsi – We’d love to see you #SayitWithPepsi as well by snapping some photos of the fun installations (tagged with #sayitwithpepsi).