Tommee Tippee- Review and Contest! Great Bottles and Cups for your kiddos!

Tommee Tippee makes some pretty cool sippy cups!  I like all the options they have.  My son can now drink from a cup, but when we are in a car or at the Pre-K, I am ALL about the sippy cup, too messy otherwise!  Tommee Tippee has options from baby’s first bottle all the way through sport’s sippers, which I appreciate.  I was sent a variety to review, and the timing was great!  I don’t know if you saw all my Hurricane Irene photos, but we sure lost a lot of our sippy cups in the flood   🙁  

I was honestly a little nervous trying a new brand.  My son is a little picky about his cups- he likes Nuby the best, but will tolorate Advent and one sort of Playtex.  Only one kind, though.  However, he took to the Tomme Tippee Explora cups– No Problem, and he likes them as much as his Nuby cups- which is a BIG DEAL for a kid like him.  I prefer the Tommee Tippee, because he can’t chew off the top like he does with Nuby.  We also tried the Explora Lil Sipee and Spill Proof Straw Cup, and he likes them as well- he prefers sippies to straw cups, but he will drink out of them, which is something.  LOL. 

They don’t leak, but they do screw on tightly and are sometimes a bit hard to get off.  I’m guessing that’s the trade off, LOL.  The straw ones leak a tiny bit, about the same as other straw cups.  I love that they are BPA free- and of course I would not have given them to him if they had BPAs in them,  so this is a major deal.  I know that most moms feel the same way as I do at this point.

They have other mealtime products as well, such as Explora Section Plates.  Little Man is rather enjoying himself in this photo, since he gets to eat as his own private table, LOL- our kitchen and dining room are not usable at the moment (Again, thanks Irene), so he eats (like the rest of us) in the one “good” room- but he alone gets a table, LOL.  The rest of us are stuck with trays.  He thinks he’s the king- new cups and plates, AND the only one in a chair and table.  Life is good, LOL.

I am told by a friend who is trying out the new Tommee Tippee baby bottles that they flow nicely and she has not had any problems with them, that they are (like the cups and plates) dishwasher safe on the top rack, and that her baby uses them with no problem.  The bottles come in several sizes,


so that you can choose what is best for your baby.  There is even a Hygiene Cap for travel! 

One of you lucky readers can win any one of the products mentioned above from Tommee Tippee (who are just starting to be sold in the USA!)
You can also easily buy Tommee Tippee at  www.babiesrus.com/tommeetippee or in stores now! 

There is also a new site, The Day Baby Was Born, that you can check out as well!.  So cute! 

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
(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)
-Like Tommee Tippee on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommeetippeenorthamerica (not mandatory and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway) 

– Follow Tomme Tippee on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tommeetippee_na
#Win Tommee Tippee- Review and #Contest! Fab Bottles and Sippy Cups http://tinyurl.com/3w9rj2r  #kids #baby #giveaway  @TommeeTippee_NA @haveSippy


– Check out Tommee Tippee’s new site for moms-to-be and tell me something you loved: www.thedaybabywasborn.com

-“Like” me on Facebook -feel free to give me some comment love!  🙂  This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.
+2 entries

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

– Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win Tommee Tippee- Review and #Contest! Fab Bottles and Sippy Cups http://tinyurl.com/3w9rj2r  #kids #baby #giveaway  @TommeeTippee_NA @haveSippy 


*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

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

3 Princes and a Princess 2Closer to LucyHave Sippy Will Travel, and The Thrifty Things.  You can Follow GFC, Twitter, or Facebook- each is worth an entry.  

– Email a friend about this contest, with a CC to me at  kangabunnie@gmail.com
(you get an extra entry if they enter, too!)

 -Add my button to your blog, and leave me the link so I can find it

– Follow me on “Networked Blogs”

– blog about this giveaway, and link back to this contest (leave me the URL in comment, please) 

-Add me to your blogroll, with a link back to me

– Vote for me on “We’re On The Fence!”  (Just Click the Button to the left that says “We’re On the Fence” until it confirms you voted for your’s truly!)   *Can be done daily 

– enter another one of my giveaways 

– Like this post on Facebook, Stumble it, or hit G+1 button  (each is worth one entry) 

OOO, so many ways to win! Good luck! 


DISCLOSURE: I received the above product for this post.  All opinions are mine, yours may differ.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.  Open to US shipping addresses only.  Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above.  Sponsor is responsible for providing and mailing prize. Ends Oct. 31, 2011
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Blog Hop With Lucy and Sam @ClosertoLucy

Let’s link up…Everyone is welcome (family friendly of course), there are no real rules except you follow your hostesses Have Sippy Will Travel and Closer to Lucy

If you’re new…leave a comment after linking up so I can return the follow. If you aren’t new and know one of us isn’t following leave a comment (we wanna follow you too), and if your not new and just wanna link up…MUAH!

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Coupons and Savings- Lets Save some Money!

The following is a guest post by Outside the Box Mom:

In the first half of this year, U.S. consumers redeemed 1.75 billion coupons for a savings of $2 billion, according to NCH Marketing Sevices. That’s an 18 percent increase from the same period in 2009, when packaged goods companies began stepping up discounts to spur demand, the Deerfield, Illinois- based firm said. – Providence Business New, September 28, 2011

We are starting a new series about how many moms and families are saving money on groceries, entertainment, and other necessary items, by using coupons.

The series will cover:

  1. Goals/Why Use Coupons
  2. Reasons you may not shop with coupons
  3. Attitude
  4. Coupon Types
  5. Coupon Sources
  6. Organizing Coupons
  7. Shopping Lists
  8. Where to Shop
  9. Sales Cycles
  10. Stockpiling
  11. Smart Strategies

As with any new project, you must have S. M. A. R. T. goals:

Specific: I would like to decrease my grocery bill by 5%.

Measurable: I know that I spend $100 per week on my bill. So, I would like to reduce it to $95 per week (5% savings).

Attainable: It is not realistic to save 90% on your first grocery shopping trip with coupons. 5% is a very realistic beginning goal.

Relevant: I have to be willing to work toward this goal, as part of a bigger overall strategy.

Time bound: I would like to decrease my grocery bill by 5%, this week.

Some families would like to decrease their grocery budget to help save for a family vacation. Some need to cut spending to have funds for other items in the family budget. Your reasons are unique to you and will become important to remember as you begin this journey.

This will be an interactive series, which will feature answers to your questions. So, ask away!

Photo Credit

Outside The Box Mom features quick, easy, time-saving tips and solutions to help busy, working moms find balance, easy meals, deals, and time for moms. Follow her on Twitter.

It’s getting cooler outside- Warm Up at CoCo Key Water Resorts! @DiscoverOhio #tourism


The weather is getting cooler- now is the PERFECT time to get away to CoCo Key Water Resorts!  You can play the day away at this Cincinnati, Ohio indoor water park, where no matter what the weather is outside, inside- It’s always Florida!

Find thousands of gallons of warm water at your fingertips as you enter this beautiful resort, with several room options to choose from when you plan your stay.  After you check in, make sure you check out the Shark Slam and Gator Gush, as well as several other body or raft water slides that will have you seeing summer (even if it’s snowing outside!)

The lack of long lines, having to pay to park, or drive to a separate location is already worth the trip.  CoCo, the adorable mascot, is sure to delight especially your younger park-goers (I know my son just HAD to have a stuffed CoCo, available in the souvenir shop for under $8!).  What child won’t be thrilled with a snorkeling parrot pal?

There are water slides and areas for the very small to the young at heart, and everyone in between.  There are slides and rides that everyone can enjoy, and your entire family will have a great time playing at CoCo Keys Water Resort.  (Life jackets are provided, so you can play without worrying!)

Mom and Dad can grab a drink at the Wet Rooster Bar, and the whole family can grab dinner at A&W or Pizza Hut.  There is also a restaurant at the hotel, and there is a buffet breakfast available.  You can plan your child’s birthday party at CoCo Key- not only is there the waterpark, but also a fun arcade available.
(For guests as well, of course!)

If you feel the need for a more little summer fun now that it’s a bit too cold for the pool- don’t fret!  Just give CoCo Keys a call, and book your reservation today.
Happy Swimming!

You can follow CoCo Keys on Facebook as well! 

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Worry Woos- Say Hello To Wince! (Adorable Kids Toys and Books)

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to meet Wince, the newest of the Worry Woo monsters!  Wince, the monster of Worry, just can’t seem to stop thinking of all that he has to do, and this stops him from doing all that he needs and wants to.  Poor Wince!  The worst part is, that all of his worrying just feeds the bothersome WorryBug, who just gets larger and larger- until little Wince needs to enlist the help of some friends to figure out how to be rid of this pesky pest once and for all.

Surprise- it was also Wince’s birthday!  YAY!

The kids had a great time meeting Wince, and browsing all of the Worry Woo merchandise, created by Andi Green.  Each Worry Woo has it’s own adorable plush toy and story to go with it, helping children to embrace their emotions and learn how to deal productively with their feelings.  The kids all colored their own Woos, and put on temporary Tattoos and learned how to draw their own worrybug!

My kids had a great time at Wince’s party, as did the others there.  And if you want to wait until November, I have a special surprise for all of you as well!
In the meantime, Embrace YOUR inner Woo, and try not to feed the worrybug.
Sometimes I think these kids’ stories are REALLY meant for their parents, as well, LOL.
Happy Reading! (AND snuggling!) 

You can follow the Woo’s and Andi on Twitter and Facebook for tons of fun news  🙂 

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Hallo-Weekends @CedarPoint #Ohio @DiscoverOhio #Travel #tourism

Fun for Facebook Fans
as Cedar Point Climbs to a Million Likes

SANDUSKY, Ohio, – If you “like” Cedar Point on Facebook, the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort has some money-saving deals and lots of fun waiting for you on Sundays at the park through the end of October.

Beginning this Sunday, Oct. 9 and all Sundays through Oct. 30, Cedar Point will be hosting the Climbing to a Million contest when current and new Facebook fans of Cedar Point will be able to receive a $10 discount on admission to the park ($39.99 per person) by downloading and printing a special voucher from Facebook and redeeming it at Cedar Point on any Sunday in October.

There is even more fun and prizes to be had for Facebook fans on Sundays at the park. On all Sundays in October, all Facebook fans at Cedar Point will receive a specially designed Facebook sticker. If a Facebook fan is spotted by an official fan-finder (only on Sundays), those Facebook fans could win valuable prizes such as complimentary merchandise, food or front-of-the-line privileges on a favorite ride.

And when the park reaches one million fans (before or after the season), a special fan will win the Ultimate Opening Day Experience that includes complimentary tickets to the park on Opening Day 2012, the first ride of the season on your favorite ride, plus tours and more. Plus, all Facebook fans will be able to [Read more…]

Teaching is….. (Book Review)

Teaching Is…Impossible to sum up in a little book, but that is not to say this author didn’t do a bang-up job!
A sweet coffee table book, it is filled with the author Marjan Glavac’s personal experiences and parables of his own 30 year teaching career.  This is a quick read, meant to inspire teachers as well as explain to non-educators why teachers teach- for reasons such as “Having a student come up with a better way to solve a problem- even though you have taught the same lesson for five years.”

I have been having a rough go of it lately.  My house has been badly damaged by Irene and flooding, my dog has cancer, and my job is killing me.  I LOVE being a teacher, however- lately there are aspects of this particular job that are getting harder and harder to swallow.  With all that is going on, I was recently sorting through a pile of things hastily thrown into a box while we were trying to salvage things from the flood.  That is when I saw this book- it must have come right before I got home from Ohio to meet the storm, because I had not seen it.

As I sat there and flipped though it, it made me laugh, and made me think.  Being a teacher is a unique kind of job- it is a huge responsibility, yet so many parents and politicians want to place the burdens of the world on our shoulders, while reducing resources, materials, benefits, paychecks, and classroom aids- of course all the while INCREASING class size and requirements and expectations.

However- there are some of us that are still foolish enough to want to teach.  It is a big job to help mold children who will one day be the adults that run this country, and it amazes me every day that teachers are often the political and parental “whipping boy” so to speak.

It’s not about money- it’s the love of watching a kid UNDERSTAND what you are trying to tell them, keeping your class quiet because they WANT to hear you, and having a parent tell you (years later) that little Jimmy still talks about you.  No one does this job to get rich or become powerful, they only do it because they feel the need.  Are there bad apples?  Sure, everyplace has them.  But don’t let a few bad apples spoil the profession!  I had a few lousy teachers as well- but I had way more great ones.

Here’s looking at you, Marjan Glavac, for telling it like it is, so clearly and so simply!
Great gift for any teacher, keep this on your radar for end of year or Christmas gifts for sure  🙂

Marjan Glavac is a firm believer that: “there are no boundaries for the journeys of the mind” and that every student, parent and teacher is capable of achieving great journeys. 
He is the creator of the highly regarded online teacher’s resource www.thebusyeducator.com.

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#Win a Spooktacular Dinosaur Train Contest

CELEBRATE A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN WITH THE JIM HENSON COMPANY’S HIT PBS KIDS SERIES DINOSAUR TRAIN AND SID THE SCIENCE KID!

Dinosaur Train is pulling into the station with some great new costumes for your kiddos!  With a costume in the Buddy or Tiny style, your child can be his favorite dino for Halloween (or anytime, really).  My son has taken Halloween to new levels this year, wearing his old bat costume just about every day for over a month.  Sigh.  Now that Tiny is here, he has swapped it out for a new flying creature- a pteranodon!  Tiny, pal of  Buddy and one of the stars of Dinosaur Train on PBS, also has wings, feet that go over shoes, and a headpiece- what more can a kid want?  It has been two days, and there is precious little I can do to peel my son out of the costume so I can wash it (and him!)

It is holding up pretty well- I made a “No sleeping in the costume” rule so I can wash it.  I am also happy to report that the tail and wings still allow you to strap your child safely into the car seat, LOL.  I didn’t think it would happen- but hey, it worked!   YAY Dinosaur Train Costumes, LOL
For two FULL days of 6:30 am to 7:30 PM (sans a nap)wear, plus a round in the washing machine, I think it looks pretty good, ay?
He loves, loves, loves his costume.  I know this will end up at year round use at the Pre-K as well, LOL.  Really fun costumes have a way of doing that!

Halloween is right around the corner, and The Jim Henson Company has all the right ingredients for a spooky fun holiday!    Get ready for the festivities to begin in October with: 

  • All New Episodes from Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid scheduled to air on PBS Kids®
  • Halloween Costumes to Make at Home Designed by The Famous Jim Henson Creature Shop
  • Dinosaur Train Halloween Costumes from California Costume Collections Available for Purchase
  • “The Spooky Scavenger Hunt” New Book Available from Grosset & Dunlap 

ALL NEW TELEVISION SPECIALS OF DINOSAUR TRAIN  & SID THE SCIENCE KID:
Dinosaur Train NEW EPISODE Haunted Roundhouse/Big Pond Pumpkin Patch premiere 10/20 on PBS Kids (check local listings)
Repeats- 10/24, 10/28, 10/30 , 10/31

In Haunted Roundhouse, dad takes the kids on a special Night Train to Troodon Town, where the Troodons have decorated their Roundhouse into a “haunted house” for a spooky party. The kids end up meeting a strange new nocturnal creature – a mammal named Vlad Volaticotherium, who was hiding in the roundhouse trying to get some sleep.  And in Big Pond Pumpkin Patch, the Pteranodon family learns more about the customs of their neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, when they are invited for the first time to accompany them to the Big Pond to celebrate “Gourd Day” – a kind of Mesozoic Halloween. The kids see their first pumpkins, and Larry Lambeosaurus even shows our family how to hollow them out and carve faces into them.

Sid the Science Kid NEW EPISODE Spooky Science Special premieres 10/17 on PBS Kids (check local listings)
Show Repeats- 10/25, 10/28, 10/30, 10/31 

In Halloween Spooky Science Special, it’s Halloween time and Sid and his friends have dressed up in the spookiest and scariest costumes possible.  Sid is a bat with big fangs.  May is a spooky black cat.  Gabriela is a furry, yucky spider.  And Gerald is a super spooky skeleton that goes boo!  Susie (dressed as a silly mad scientist) loves their costumes, and helps the kids discover that Halloween can be spooky and scientific!  The kids investigate how bats are helpful creatures that catch mosquitoes, spiders are expert engineer web builders, cats are leaping aerial acrobats, and skeletons help hold up our body frames!  At the Halloween party, the kids also investigate how to make icky, gooey green slime.  Susie then ends the day with a special “Halloween Parade” song so the kids can march around and show off their spooky and scientific costumes!   

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES TO BUY OR MAKE!
Dinosaur Train Halloween Costumes for Purchase, from California Costume Collections.

Buddy is the main character on the hit TV series, Dinosaur Train.  This colorful costume includes the orange colored T-Rex jumpsuit, Buddy the dinosaur hood, and the shoe covers to match the costume. Available for toddlers ages 3-4, and children between the ages of 4-6. SRP: $34.99 – 39.99.
  Dinosaur Train Costume – Tiny   

Tiny is one of the main characters on the hit TV series, Dinosaur Train.  This colorful costume includes the green colored Pteranodon jumpsuit, Tiny the dinosaur hood, and green shoe covers to match the costume.  Available for toddlers ages 3-4, and children between the ages of 4-6.

Each Dinosaur Train costume is made up of soft fabric to enhance a child’s comfort while wearing them. The costumes are also created in vibrant colors and realistic design patterns to make your toddler look and feel like a dinosaur train character. SRP $34.99 – 39.99.


Additionally, for those who are feeling a little adventurous, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop — the folks who brought you Elmo and Miss Piggy, among many others — have created a Buddy costume that can be made at home! 

For sew and no sew options, click this link: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/costume

And to see a video of the sew version, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANroqbPing

And click this link to find out how you can make your own Sid the Science Kid Halloween Costume! http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/halloween.html
OTHER SERIOUSLY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN FUN!

For a little scary Dinosaur Train Halloween Fun – enjoy reading The Spooky Scavenger Hunt” from Grosset & Dunlap in which Mr. Pteranodon takes Buddy and Tiny on a nighttime trip to the Big Pond for a spooky nature walk! Mr. Pteranodon and the conductor insist they can’t be scared, but when the conductor’s mom jumps out at them, everyone gets a good scare! This simple storybook is perfect for read-aloud fun!  Ages 4 – 8; SRP $3.99.  

Now, Sid and his friends Gerald, May and Gabriela can come along while your child is trick-or-treating with this spooky candy bag that can be personalized with a youngster’s name. To collect your favorite candy and goodies, check out the Sid the Science Kid Happy Halloween Black Trick-or-Treat Bag. available for $14.99 at the following link.
From the world-renowned Jim Henson Company, the hit DINOSAUR TRAIN series is seen in over 13 million households every month. The series encourages scientific thinking and other skills as it teaches children about natural science, natural history and paleontology. DINOSAUR TRAIN’s second season will focus on exploring the outdoors and natural phenomena, and will feature “Big Dinosaur Week” and a special based on the fan favorite “Dinosaurs A to Z” song.
Here are some ways to connect with Dinosaur Train and the Jim Henson Company-

www.pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain
www.pbskids.org/parents
www.henson.com

 

 One of you can Win this cute book!
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.  In  your comment, please.

 Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

– Follow The Jim Henson Company on Facebook www.facebook.com/hensoncompany This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.  
– Follow the Jim Henson Co on Twitter –www.twitter.com/hensonparents

-Follow PBS Kids On Facebook – www.facebook.com/pbskids
This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.  

-Follow PBS Kids On Twitter-  www.twitter.com/pbskids

-“Like” me on Facebook -feel free to give me some comment love!  🙂  This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway. 
+2 entries

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

Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win The DINOSAUR TRAIN: Dinosaur Big City DVD http://t.co/X60UMiA @HaveSippy @hensonparents @pbskids #birthdaybash
 
*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– Follow any of the Collective Media Magic Spooktacular 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 entry. 

– Email a friend about this contest, with a CC to me at  kangabunnie@gmail.com
(you get an extra entry if they enter, too!)

 -Add my button to your blog, and leave me the link so I can find it

– Follow me on “Networked Blogs”

– blog about this giveaway, and link back to this contest (leave me the URL in comment, please)

-Add me to your blogroll, with a link back to me

– Vote for me on “We’re On The Fence!”  (Just Click the Button to the left that says “We’re On the Fence” until it confirms you voted for your’s truly!)   *Can be done daily

– enter another one of my giveaways

– comment on a non-giveaway post

– Like this post on Facebook, Stumble it, or hit G+1 button  (each is worth one entry)

OOO, so many ways to win! Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: I will  receive the above products  for review . I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.  Open to US shipping addresses only.  Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above.  Sponsor is responsible for providing and mailing prize. Ends Oct 23, 2011.

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