YooHoos- Cute Gifts for Christmas, Holidays, or Anytime! #Win Yours Here

YooHoo and Friends have some of the cutest and most reasonably priced toys out there- not to mention so cute that I want them as much as my son does half the time! LOL

New for Christmas!

YooHoo & Friends are the furry, fun-filled characters created based upon “rare and endangered animals” in their natural habitats from all over the world to deliver the awakening message on the nature protection. These big-eyed, colorful bushy tailed creatures are too cute for words, and is it any wonder that kids clamor for them?

As most of you know, we had a TON of YooHoos before idiot Hurricane Irene- but now we are down to these and the Frankenstein one that I just bought him. He loves these cute, cuddly, fun toys that make adorable sounds when you squeeze them. You and your child can find out about each of these adorable animals and what they are based on by clicking on them. The games on the YooHoo website are really cute for kids, Pre-K and up.

There are two very easy options for shopping as well- you can find a store that sells them in your area HERE by entering your info, or you can shop online here
I called a local store, and they still have both the Thanksgiving and Christmas ones in stock, so guess where I am sending daddy tonight? Mwah-haha….

One of you will win a random YooHoo from Aurora! Here is how to enter-

Mandatory entry

You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.
-Become a Fan of YooHoos on Facebook – Facebook is in no way sponsoring this contest- never required, always appreciated! You can also tell them what your favorite toy is.
+2 entries
– Follow YooHoos on Twitter and Tweet about this contest- can be done daily-
#Win @YooHooFriends Stuffed #Toys- GIVEAWAY!!! http://tinyurl.com/72ml3ds @HaveSippy

Hasbro- Play Doh, Littlest Pet Shop, and Transformers! #Win yours here! Holly Jolly Gift Guuide


Halloween is over now- its time for the dentist bill! Just kidding, LOL. How about instead of dreading a trip to the dentist and playing with power tools, we try something a little different. Play Doh has a new Doctor Drill N Fill Playset. The playset has everything your little ones need to be a dentist except the degree. Included is a powered drill, toothbrush, mirror, braces and of course a head which opens up to act as your patient. I like how this playset lets kids have fun with the dentist and also gives adult a little fun too. Our dentist wears what looks like a paper napkin over his mouth when doing dental work, so when Little Man plays with the set he has to have a napkin tied around his ears in order to be the doctor.


Littlest Pet Shop is at it again. Keeping their little critters cute and collectible yet still fresh and new. This time it is with Littlest Pet Shop Walkables. Walkables are little critters who will actually walk as the animals do, when they are on a flat surface. These ae pretty neat and I have to admit Little Man really likes walking his little pet dog like Mommy and Daddy do with our dog. I especially like how the new walkables fit in with the previous Littlest Pet Shop playsets and creatures- keep the fun coming!

Have you ever given your little ones a transformer toy only to be asked 5 minutes later, “Can you turn this into the car?” and then, “Can you turn this into the robot?” and back again. OK- yes, this is super, super annoying- more for me then for Daddy I think, LOL. All the while trying to show them how to do it themselves but their little fingers just don’t want to listen just yet, but their little minds are full of creative juices and play time is full of more and more transforms. Hasbro has heard your woes and are introducing a new line of transformers. The Rescue Bots.The Rescue bots are the same Transformer’s we all know, Optimus, Bumblebee and the crew in easy to transform, chunkier versions just perfect for little hands. These are perfect for your little guy or girl who want to get into Transformers but simply can’t do the transforming part yet. The transformations still change from vehicle to robot, but these are a bit simpler in design, but not in fun.

Mandatory entry

You [Read more…]

Saving for Your Soul: Taking Your Dream Vacation

Whether you’re plugging away at a corporate job, slinging burgers, or hauling bags of concrete it won’t be long before you start to feel like a cog in the machine. Even a job that is exciting, challenge, and changeable is bound to come with headaches like demanding bosses, corporate politics, backstabbing coworkers, and clients who just can’t be pleased. It is a rare job that leaves you relaxed, satisfied, and wanting for nothing at the end of the day. And the situation can feel even worse if you haven’t had a vacation lately. So if you’re tired of taking a day trip here and there and what you’re longing for is a bonafide vacation, here are a few ways to save up for the trip of a lifetime.
  1. Leave the kids at home. You knew what you were signing up for when you decided to start a family; kids require a lot of attention. But that doesn’t mean every vacation has to be for the whole family. If you can manage to pawn the kids off on your parents or other relatives for a few days, you’ll save about half on your vacation right off the bat. Plus, it couldn’t hurt to have a few days of fun and romance with your honey to rekindle the spark that can sometimes get smothered by work, kids, and life in general.
  2. Travel off-season.You know the summer months and the holidays are not only the busiest travel time; they’re also the most expensive. So look for off-season deals during months when travel is low. You’ll find great prices on hotels, airline tickets, and every other aspect of the tourist trade and you won’t have to fight the madding crowd. Also, getting time off may be easier when no one else at the office is planning a trip, and working through the holidays when everyone [Read more…]

#Win a Douglas Cuddle Toy Here! SO CUTE!!!

As you can tell from my previous post on Douglas Cuddle Toys, we really enjoyed them! Little Man just had the opportunity to choose another from the Douglas website- and after agonizing, her chose a plush dog, the Johann Red Dachshund. Little loves his new puppy, as you can plainly see!

You can find all sorts of Douglas Toys just in time for the holidays by checking out their website. We have quite a few Douglas at this time, from dragons to guinea pigs to dogs- and Little just loves them! I bought him one of the plush horses while we were on a trip this summer, he named it “Kentucky”.

Douglas Cuddle Toys are not only cute, cuddly, and soft, but they are also affordable. Kentucky the horse was only $7.99, which I think is completely reasonable. They have sweet and adorable faces, and I have never had an issue with tears or ripping. My son wants “Santa” to bring him a Douglas plush cat (like Zesty) so we will see what we can do. Kamikaze likes the girls toy purses that they have, so we may have to look into those as well.

This is from Toy Fair 2011 this past year- and I am so excited to see what they have in store for 2012- I already signed up for Toy Fair 2012 🙂 How cute is all this sea creature stuff? We bought all the seahorses, and a few others as well.

MORE GOOD NEWS! If you are a Fan of Douglas on Facebook, you can get FREE SHIPPING! CHeck out the details-

FREE SHIPPING!! our facebook fans get it first!
FREE SHIPPING on orders of $35 or more. use promo code HOLIDAYFREE at checkout.
*Offer ends 11/18.

One of you lucky ducks will be able to win a Douglas Playtivity set- and here is how to enter!
Mandatory entry

You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.

Please let me know which Toy (by name and link) that you like best- not mentioned above.

Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

-Become a Fan of Douglas Cuddle Toys on Facebook – Facebook is in no way sponsoring this contest- never required, always appreciated! You can also tell them what your favorite toy is.
+2 entries

-Follow Douglas Cuddle Toys on Twitter and [Read more…]

Hop Around! 3 in 1

Welcome to 3 hops in one- At the bottom you will find 3 separate Links. One for Twitter, Facebook, NetworkedBlogs.

Make new friends & gain followers. Please follow host @lifesandcastle @Nightowlmama [Read more…]

World Vision- Build a Better Tomorrow with Meaningful Holiday Presents- And W!N Yours Here

Take a quick look at: World Vision Donations. The beauty of these gifts is they have two for one benefits, 1) they are meaningful and affordable gifts and 2) the proceeds make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty in the US and around the world. I particularly like the Thai Turquoise bracelet. Really pretty and it actually helps families and children around the world. I have to say it is nice to give others gifts of objects and something they can cherish, but it is also nice to give them a donation in their name to their favorite charity. This lets you give both in one. A great idea.

These could make great gifts for those hard to please friends and family members. (Even if the gift sits on a shelf it is still helping someone in need. We all have those family members that nothing pleases, LOL.)

At World Vision there are also options to donate in some else’s name as well. These donations could be in the form of animals for those in other countries in need. Instead of simply giving an impoverished family a loaf of bread, you can donate a goat. How could a goat be a source of food for more then one or two meals? Goats are good for milk, yogurt and cheese. Not only as a source of nutrients but also as an added source of income for families who could sell dairy products at local markets. The price of a donating a goat is $75, not much when you think of it terms of household items. For the price of a stack of dvd’s that will collect dust you can help a family survive, giving them a much needed helping hand in order for them to help themselves. If you’d like some more info, take a look:

3 of you will win this cute little Goat- but I hope WAY more of you will want to shop with World Vision this year!

Mandatory entry
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

Follow World Vision on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-
#Shop and #Win @WorldVisionUSA Help Families in [Read more…]

How to Survive a Family Holiday Road Trip

With the holiday seasons approaching, you may find yourself dreading the annual family road trip,
and with good reason! Cranky children, demanding pets, spouses or partners who refuse to drive,
dangerous roads, cantankerous cars, and waiting at the end are in-laws you might not be in the mood to
see after hours on the road with your very own Wild Bunch. Not to fear, however! Here are a few tips
to surviving what could become this year’s holiday roadside massacre:

Remember the Boy Scouts. That means be prepared! As your sainted grandmother probably said, “An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” This is especially true with road trips of any kind, but
particularly those revolving around the holiday season, which are often fraught with extra-special
stressful goodies. Emulate Santa Claus: make a list of everything you need (or think you’ll need)
and check it twice (or even thrice). This means planning activities, making sure everything is packed,
knowing directions if you need to (print them out on Mapquest if you don’t have a GPS), and having
your car detailed before you drive it into the great blue yonder. How does your spare tire look? Better
get it checked.

Keep the Kids Amused. If your car isn’t equipped with DVD players, you may want to invest in the
portable kind. With headphones. Especially if you have more than one kid, they’ll be less likely to get
on each other’s nerves (and yours) if they can keep their movies or music separate. You might also
make [Read more…]

#Win Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Movie

The final face-off between good and evil is finally upon us as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is released on DVD November 11, 2011, just in time for the holidays! Join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they do battle against Voldemort in the epic conclusion to the film series everyone is talking about!


Mandatory entry
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

Take The Harry Potter Trivia Quiz! Included in the widget are two different quizzes- one for you and one for your child! Do either one, and tell me which one most “fits” you 🙂

-“Like” me on Facebook.
Facebook is in no way sponsoring this contest.

+2 entries

-Subscribe to Have Sippy Will Travel by email, and confirm subscription
+3 entries

Follow me on Twitter ( you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win Harry Potter #Dvd #Movie http://tinyurl.com/6qfbcga #kids #family @HaveSippy


Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– Follow any of the Collective Media Magic event Bloggers’ sites!

3 Princes and a Princess 2, Closer to Lucy, Have Sippy Will Travel, and The Thrifty Things. You can Follow GFC, Twitter, or Facebook- each is worth an [Read more…]