Samantha, Author at Have Sippy Will Travel

Night Night Book

June 30, 2011 by Samantha 6 Comments

Just go to sleep!
OK we all know that doesn’t work…Be nice if it did though, ay?
The Night Night Book is a new book written by Marianne Richmond about going to bed. It is a rhythmic, soothing read which could help get your little ones to change from bouncing around the room to snuggling into bed and getting ready for the light, fluffy clouds of sleep. What I enjoyed about this book is the rhyming scheme. Most of these books get to a point where the rhyming doesn’t really work out too well, and you have to mispronounce or make up nonsense words, a la Dr. Seuss. Just because you are a doctor doesn’t mean you can make a word to rhyme with xylophone. 😛
This book is well illustrated and is easy to read and of course memorize- as your child will most definitely want to hear it at least a few times.
The author not only writes children books, but books for all ages and milestones in life. And even some little ‘books’ for our life events, greeting cards. 🙂 Even some gifts to give with the greeting cards, jewelery.
Happy reading, and sweet dreams!

Filed Under: kids, review

Cars 2 Prize pack! Win it!

June 29, 2011 by Samantha 317 Comments

The new Cars movie came out not too long ago. And of course with a new Cars movie, comes a new line

of toys! Just being released to let your little ones pretend to be McQueen zipping around the track going mano-a caro against Francesco. There are even some kick butt tracks with all kinds of nifty features- keep an eye out for those! Little Man loves the cars themselves. They talk and light up along with what is being said to imitate moving mouths near the headlights. All the new characters are here and even a few of our old favorites with new paint jobs. (Well, you can’t have the same paint job in a new movie, can you? LOL)

I have tried to keep this post as un-spoilery as possible. If I did ruin some point in the movie for you I apologize. It’s hard to review the cars without reviewing Cars 2! LOL But if you have not seen it yet, I don’t want to mess it up on you.

Little Man loves them! He brings them everywhere- along with one of the cages from a deep-sea diving set we have- he keeps caging Francesco for being mean. (Should I worry? Haha)

The kids at the Pre-K fight over who gets to play with them, it is hard to keep them from fighting over them. So, it is an exercise in sharing! LOL

You can purchase Cars 2 die-cast Cars for 4.99, and the Lights & Sounds die-cast collection for 7.99 each available at local retailers nationwide!

You can also win them here!

(For clarity- I am not sure if you are winning all 5 lights and sounds figures, the same three I got, just one- or any combo therein! But- no matter what you win- you sure can’t lose with these fun toys!)

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.

-Tell me something else that strikes your fancy from the Mattel Cars 2 line 🙂 (links help!)

-“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 Cars 2 Prize pack! Win it! http://t.co/20ktsiB @HaveSippy #Cars2
*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– 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 received the above product for review. All opinions are my own and are honest- 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 July 7, 2011.

Filed Under: giveaway, kids, review

Day Out With Thomas

June 29, 2011 by Samantha 16 Comments

Day Out With Thomas was a cute way to spend the day with your kids. You should be warned about the long, long lines that you will encounter, and be prepared for them at every turn. I was not expecting that at all! Many kids were crying and fidgety, and it was very frustrating as a parent to have to spend an hour on line to see Sir Top and Hat. We never did get the photo with Thomas 🙁
I was truly shocked by the lines, lines to park, to get on the bus to get to the train station, to get on to the train, then finding a seat? Good luck getting some together! The train will move, seated or not- so quick like a bunny- find a seat and sit in it! Lines for photos, for rides in the hand carts, etc…WOW a lot of lines. I just didn’t expect it! It was like an amusement park on a Saturday.
That said, I am glad we went, because Little Man was elated to see “The Real” Thomas the Tank Engine. He almost wet himself with joy every time the little blue engine came by. Of course, there were toys and souvenirs everywhere, for the Thomas enthusiasts. There was also a scavenger hunt- where you could stamp your map at each of 4 locations, and collect a prize at the end.
I think this is something worth doing at least once if you have a Thomas fan. Just be ready! And bring lots of water, something for them to play with on lines, and lots of sunblock and a hat for all.
Want to go? Check and see if Day Out With Thomas is coming to an area near you soon. It suns through Nov. 2011!

Have Fun!

Disclosure- we received tickets to this event in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine, yours may differ.

Filed Under: family, kids, travel

Win Dinosaur Train Volcano Vally

June 29, 2011 by Samantha 274 Comments

ON THE ROAD TO SUMMERTIME ADVENTURE WITH DINOSAUR TRAIN!

Did You Know That July Is National Recreation and Parks Month?

Summertime is here and what better way to spend the summer with family and friends than on an adventure to visit one of our national parks and/or recreation destinations. July is Park and Recreation Month in the U.S., and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Rock Your Park.” The National Park and Recreation Association wants you to show the country how parks and recreation make your life extraordinary! Whether it is visiting your local park, a playground, swimming pool, or taking a family trip to one of our national park treasures, celebrate our country’s love of the great outdoors this month! Visit the organization’s website to find out ways to get involved: http://www.nrpa.org/july

You can also turn your visit to the local park into a game by participating in the Dinosaur Train Geocache Challenge. Geocaching is a family friendly outdoor adventure that blends technology, gaming and environmental discovery. Each geocache features one of the dinosaurs found on the online Dinosaur Train Field Guide and contains educational information related to that dinosaur. So, perhaps pick your local park as a destination to hide your own Dinosaur Train container. To participate in the Dinosaur Train Geocache, visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/geocachingchallenge/

Buddy and his friends on the Dinosaur Train are always up for an adventure and exploring the world around them. Why not take them along on your adventure to the park or camping or on a family road trip with all-new fun and easy travel product for camping/outdoors, new games and fun to read books to pack on your adventure!

· New book from Reader’s Digest: Dinosaur Train Lift the Flap “Let’s Go To Volcano Valley” (SRP: $9.99). Ages 2+.

· New Dinosaur Train product for camping adventures Pacific Playtents (available in October) includes: the Dinosaur Train Station House Tent (SRP: $89.90); Dinosaur Train Dino Bones Dome Tent ($59.90); Dinosaur Train Dino Bones Tunnel ($59.90). Ages 3+.

· New Dinosaur Train soft sporting fun from Kelly Toy: Play All Ball (SRP: $1.99), Bat + Ball (SRP: $9.99), Golf (SRP: $14.99), Football (SRP: $6.99), Baseball Mitt set (SRP: $7.99) and more. Ages 3+.

· New Dinosaur Train 3-Wheel Scooter in colorful buddy and friends graphics, from VM Global. SRP$24.99. Ages 3+.

· New Dinosaur Train game from Patch Products: “Take “N” Play Anywhere™ Let’s Go for a Ride! Magnetic Playset. SRP: $14.99. Ages 3+

And, Buddy will also be spending time in the great outdoors in July. Tune in on July 4^th to Dinosaur Train on PBS KIDS (check local listings) in the adventurous episode “Buddy the Tracker.” In the episode, Buddy and Don are “footprint detectives” as they track and find creatures they know at the Big Pond. The plot thickens when they discover fossilized tracks that are millions of years old!

Although the summer vacation comes to an end in August, fun with Dinosaur Train continues! Get ready for an all-new season of Dinosaur Train this August with “Dinosaur Big City” on PBS Kids premieres August 22 and the DVD release of Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City on August 23 (SRP: $14.99).

You can win Volcano Vally!
About the book: Get ready to board the Dinosaur Train and meet some new friends! Buddy, the adorable preschooler Tyrannosaurus Rex, and this adoptive Pteranodon family are always on the move. Today, they are going to Volcano Valley. Along the way, the train is making stops at the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous stations to make dozens of dinosaur discoveries. With more than 40 flaps tolift, kids will want to explore Buddy’s world again and again!

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 Jim Henson on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway

#Win Dinosaur Train Volcano Vally http://t.co/jVtDVGM @HaveSippy @pbskids @hensonparents

– Follow PBS Kids on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway

#Win Dinosaur Train Volcano Vally http://t.co/jVtDVGM @HaveSippy @pbskids @hensonparents

– Like Jim Henson on Facebook

-Like PBS Kids on Facebook

-“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 Dinosaur Train Volcano Vally http://t.co/jVtDVGM @HaveSippy @pbskids @hensonparents
*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– 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 received no compensation for this post. All info is based on sponsor’s email. . 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 July 19, 2011.

Filed Under: giveaway, kids

Patti Pelican and The Gulf Oil Spill- Win it!

June 29, 2011 by Samantha 94 Comments

Louisiana and much of the Gulf coast had barely recovered from the 2005 devastation of Hurricane Katrina when the area was brought to its knees by the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history on April 20, 2010.
Patti Pelican and Sammy Seagull of the “Salty Seas Series” were caught in the wake of this latest tragedy. Patti Pelican and the Gulf Oil Spill tells their inspiring story of rescue and release by the dedicated men and women who fought valiantly and tirelessly to rescue endangered wildlife trapped in the oil along the coastal waterways.

Patti Pelican and her critter friends live in the gulf of Mexico. As I am sure many of you have assumed, Patti soon gets swept up in the Gulf oil spill. This book gives a first hand account of the oil spill. Every destructive, disgusting detail. This book goes from the happy go lucky animals to the horrible oil spill, to what a critter has to go through in order to get clean and healthy. Will Patty and friends be ok? How can we possibly make things right again when we permanently change an ecosystem for the worse?

This was a great conversation starter with the kids and my Pre-K class on why this happened, and what can be done to help the environment, not just now- but also in the future. Reducing use of fossil fuels and having our country become more “green” can only be a good thing. The kids had a lot of questions, and made a lot of good points.

Check out Salty Seas and understand the situation from another point of view.

When buying your book on-line, have author Lynda autograph your copy and dedicate it to your child or friend 🙂

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.

– Like Salty Seas and Friends on Facebook– this is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.

-“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 Cars 2 Sorry Sliders game http://t.co/s72v3BD @HaveSippy
*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– 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: A product sample was provided for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed in this post are my own. 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 July 18, 2011.

Filed Under: kids, review

Alexa

June 29, 2011 by Samantha 7 Comments

Ahhh! I just checked, and now that I have a new domain, I have no ratings on Alexa! If any of you would be so kind as to go review me on Alexa, feel free to take 5 extra entries into any giveaway that you would like 🙂
(there is also a button on the side that links to me right on the Alexa site!)

Thanks!
~Samantha

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Hearts for Hearts Girls Dolls

June 28, 2011 by Samantha 6 Comments

The authentically dressed and lifelike dolls each represent a girl who is working to change her community in ways that are unique to her home country. Included with each doll are a friendship bracelet and a story booklet that explains how these multicultural girls live and contribute to their families, communities, and culture. Each doll also comes with a special code that unlocks a free membership to the kid-safe Hearts For Hearts Girls website, which features:

Additional information about each of the Hearts For Hearts Girls and the countries in which they live
Educational activities and lively games that are fun and rich in culture
Intriguing stories about real girls who are making a difference
While all girls are welcome to visit the site, the code unlocks access to additional features, including a larger array of games and a “myHeart” page

Additionally, through a partnership with World Vision3, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Hearts For Hearts Girls doll is donated to programs that support girls in that doll´s country. Whether it´s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the United States, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

Help to make a difference one doll at a time by being among the first to preview a doll from the Hearts For Hearts Girls line before they are available in retailers this fall! In addition, you and your readers can visit http://bit.ly/ShopH4HG and enter the coupon code “DUXNT4S1” to receive $3.00 towards the purchase of a Hearts for Hearts Girl doll today!

Meet the six Hearts For Hearts Girls:

Meet Consuelo from Mexico City. Colorful and warm, Consuelo provides aid to hungry children who are homeless and live on the streets near her parents´ bakery.
Meet Lilian of Belarus. Determined Lilian provides aid to girls whose parents must find work in the big city and are forced to leave their children with orphanages.
Meet Dell from the heart of Kentucky´s Appalachian Mountains. Dell creates music and knitwear to share with others in need of warm clothing.
Meet Rahel of Ethiopia. Rahel, who dreams of becoming a doctor so that she can make a real difference for people in her region, journeys with her family into the wilderness of Ethiopia to help bring back aid to her community.
Meet Tipi from Laos. Based on a real girl who shares her art and storytelling with others through dancing, drawing, and puppetry, Tipi leads her school in a mural contest in hopes of winning much-needed books for her class.
Meet Nahji who hails from Assam, India. Brave Nahji breaks tradition to bring courage and education to the girls who work in the tea fields of India.

We received Tipi- she is from Laos, and based on a real child who is trying to make the world a better place. Tipi is an artist who wants to bring books to her school by helping them win a contest. You can read all about her on the website.
Most of you know that I am a tried and true hippie-chick, and that I spent years volunteering overseas, and and am active now locally. I truly feel that you need to walk the walk, and be the change you want to see in the world. I try hard to pass this on to my kids, and to the kids in my classes. It is really refreshing to see a product that is not only well made, but helps kids learn about others, other cultures, and learn empathy and social responsibility. Kids love to play with dolls, this expresses their loving and caring natures. This will take that one step further- and teach them about other cultures and helping others.

(Your purchase will also help children- doesn’t that help you decide which doll to buy?)
You can follow Hearts For Hearts Girls on Facebook to keep up with all their news.
These are nice, pretty, well made dolls- but more then that- they are for a good cause, and they will educate your kids in several arenas. For me? Best dolls ever.

Disclosure: The Hearts For Hearts Girls doll, information, and coupon have been provided by Playmates Toys through MyBlogSpark.

Filed Under: education, kids, review