Samantha, Author at Have Sippy Will Travel

Weight Loss Update!!!

April 23, 2011 by Samantha 10 Comments

Just another little update- as of today, I am down 20 LBS!!!
WHOOO-HOOO!!!!
I took that “New Year, New YOU” to heart 🙂

I will be sharing some more fun weight loss products with you this week- but it has ALL been done with diet and exercise! No fancy diet plans, either. Plus, a 3 year old who steals all “fun” food off my plate, LOL.

I’m excited to share some of my new finds with you if you are also trying to slim down or get healthy.
It’s time for that summer slim down, and I need all the help I can get, LOL.
Peace and love to you, bloggy buddies!
~Samantha

Filed Under: fitness, health

Beautiful Blue Eyes

April 23, 2011 by Samantha 8 Comments

I love this book. It is just the sweetest thing, it will really melt you. The prose is beautiful, and flows melodically. It is a favorite of mine to read to Little at bedtime. Marianne Richmond just says the most insightful and thoughtful things, that maybe we don’t think to say a lot, or often enough. The author, who also wrote If I Could Keep You Little, began writing in an interesting way- she was diagnosed with a brain tumor (thankfully benign), the cause of numerous epileptic seizures through her childhood. During her five-week recovery period, Marianne created hand-painted thank you cards for her many well-wishers. With Jim’s, her new boyfriend, and friend’s encouragement, she decided to launch her own greeting card business, Marianne Richmond Studios, Inc. As distribution for her cards increased, she decided to try her hand at writing a book, honoring her biggest fan, her now-husband Jim, with The Gift of an Angel.

Maybe it is because of this that she has such a gift with words, and that the words she chooses to say, in the way that they are used, are so amazing. I have to say that I was touched as a mother. This beautiful book would be perfect for your blue-eyed child, as a reminder that you love and adore them- even when we are too tired to find the right words to tell your little one. We may not always know the right words to say to our babies- what can we do. Long days, so much to do- sometimes, we are just not able to find the right words. This is why I am grateful when I find something as lovely and well-written as Beautiful Blue Eyes. Thank you, Ms. Richmond, for writing down the words that I want to say when I can’t remember how to say them.

Thank you for this beautiful book.

Mommies of Blue-Eyed babies- this one is a keeper. But if your baby is brown eyed- it’s ok, she already wrote one for them 🙂 (I have not read that one!) There are plans for a Green-Eyed book as well.

You can purchase the book, and other books by Marianne Richmond here.

Happy Reading, and have a sweet, snuggely story time! 🙂

Disclosure- we received a copy of this book to review- all opinions are my own 🙂

Filed Under: kids, review

Did you ever notice….

April 23, 2011 by Samantha 3 Comments

That when you are really busy- everyone is calling you. Phone is ringing off the hook! But when you really, desperately want to talk to someone, no one is home?
Sigh. Such is life!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Best Mothers Day Cards Are The Ones You Make

April 23, 2011 by Samantha 1 Comment

Filed Under: holidays

Madagascar LIVE- so super fabulous!

April 22, 2011 by Samantha 9 Comments

OUT OF THE ZOO AND ONTO THE STAGE! OUT OF THE ZOO AND ONTO THE STAGE!!!

“All of your favorite crack-a-lackin friends from Madagascar are out of the zoo and onto the stage in Madagascar Live – a wild new musical adventure based on the blockbuster DreamWorks film. Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they escape from their home at New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This celebration of friendship is brought vividly to life by imaginative sets and costumes, action-packed adventure and spectacular new songs that will inspire you to MOVE IT MOVE IT in the aisles. Get ready to go wile at MADAGASCAR LIVE!”

My Little Man is such a fan of this movie, and now after seeing it LIVE at Radio City Music Hall in NYC, I am too! I am sitting here, bouncing and singing “I like to move it, move it”, and my preschoolers have been dancing around with us since we got home! Everybody up! Everybody down! LOL…. it’s stuck in my head! AHHHHH!!!!!
I had high expectations going in, and boy, let me tell you, they were met!
Little Man is in love with Gloria, the hippo, above all others. And seeing her dance and sing right before his eyes was just the bees knees!

The sets were awesome, I loved the subway scene! Perfect. And the boat scenes were done really well- super cute. Poor Melman! The whole thing was too just much for that poor giraffe, LOL. Those Penguins were up to their usual tricks, but found out that there is no place like home- and set out to find all their former zoo-mates. Alex the Lion and Marty the Zebra are best friends, but will they stay that way once they realize how the Food Chain works? Let me tell you, also- Maurice? That lemur can really bust a move (and was so amazing vocally- James Brown! Woot!) King Julian is my personal favorite, and it was so much fun to watch him live. We also got the chance to meet him backstage! Little was so excited- look at his cheesecake face, lol.

Before the show started, we got to see the Radio City Stage Door Tour,and it was on that tour that we were able to meet King Julian. We also met an actual Rockette! (Little Man informed me “Mom- she got big tall legs!”)   Yep, thanks darling!

It was also a lot of fun to hear about the design of Radio City Music Hall, see costumes, statues, and photos of the Rockettes from their start (NOT in NYC, believe it or not!) in 1932 all the way until today. This is also where we got to meet the Rockette pictured above!
Seeting King Julian in person was the most fun for most of the kids (and me!) and he was really nice, friendly, and funny! He gave the kids little penguins, and had them answer questions. He also taught them the “Move it, Movie it” dance, and told them not to “be snooty with the booty”, LOL…I laughed harder then Little did 🙂
The whole team at Radio City was sweet, friendly, helpful, and kind to the kids. They gave them bags with snacks, juice, toys (Little got GLORIA!!!) and King Julian signed a poster for him! Could they have been any sweeter?   They were also super energetic, God bless them, haha. In fact, they were so thoughtful- THEY EVEN SCHEDULED A BATHROOM BREAK!!!!   How awesome, right? This way, no one missed anything due to a Captain Pee-Pee Pants, LOL.

The creative team for “MADAGASCAR LIVE” includes: director, Gip Hoppe; assistant director and choreographer, Jenn Rapp; writer, Kevin Del Aguila and music/lyrics, Joel Someillan and George Noriega. The performers include Nigel Jamaal Clark (“Marty”), Rob Marnell (“Alex”), David Perlman (“Melman”), Aurelia Williams (“Gloria”), Drew Hirschfield, (“King Julian”), and Darren Lorenzo (“Maurice”). Assistant Director & Choreographer

“MADAGASCAR LIVE” will be performing 18 shows at Radio City Music Hall beginning April 15 through April 24. Tickets for the general public are on sale now by calling 866.858.0008, online or in-person at the Radio City Music Hall box office. For groups, please call 212.465.6080.

For more information about “MADAGASCAR LIVE,” visit www.madlive.com or on Facebook .
You can find more information about Radio City Music Hall on Facebook or Twitter, and make sure to check out their website! ( A few more Twitter Handles you may like! @MadagascarLive @MSGEconcerts @MSGnyc )

Disclosure- we received tickets to review the show, as well as the tour described- all opinions are my own 🙂

Filed Under: family, kids, review, theater

Little Green Books- review and contest

April 22, 2011 by Samantha 143 Comments

I really like the idea behind Little Green Books. They explain the importance of caring for the earth and it’s inhabitants to kids in a fun and friendly way. AND these adorable books are manufactured green- printed with soy in on recycled materials.
We used them all during Earth Week at the Pre-K, and will use them randomly throughout the year. Earth Day is every day, after all!

We reviewed
This is Our World
The Polar Bears Home
Easy to be Green
I Can Save The Ocean!

I also really liked the Easy To Be Green activity book- my Preschool class got a lot of fun out of it! The book gives ideas of ways kids can help the Earth, fun facts, coloring pages, etc. They had a lot of fun with it.

Here is some more info about Little Green Books!

This new series of books will get little ones excited about going green. From recycling and replanting to creating an awareness of endangered animals and much more, Little Green Books plant the seeds for earth-friendly living at an early age. Each book in this environmentally friendly line is made from recycled materials – proving our commitment to this worthy cause.

Little Green Books is a new eco-friendly series from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. As our mission statement above explains, each book in this series will be devoted to educating children about the benefits of being green.

Little Green Books will cover a variety of subjects, teaching children about the dangers of global warming, the benefits of recycling, what they can do to help endangered animals, and much more. In I Can Save The Earth!, children can follow Max the Little Green Monster on his journey as he goes from being a litterbug to loving the earth. And in The Polar Bears’ Home, children can learn about the polar bears’ habitat and how it has become a victim of global warming. On a lighter note, The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle details the journey of a plastic bottle, from a blob of crude oil to a plastic bottle to a fleece sweatshirt! Told in diary form, this humorous tale is sure to give readers a laugh while stressing the significance of the recycling process.

What sets our books apart from other “green” books is that in addition to the themes, the manufacturing of these books is also environmentally friendly. Our books are printed on recycled materials with vegetable or soy inks. This initiative will continue as the series progresses, from storybooks to cloth books to novelty board books. A unique, innovative new series, Little Green Books plant the seeds of eco-friendly consciousness at an early age so that we can grow a generation of earth-friendly readers.

Nice, right? I know that was a large blurb- but I liked it, so….so I put it there, LOL.
They also have this great Parent and Teacher page that helps you share Earth Friendly information and topics with children. They also have fun activities, pages, postcards, etc that you can download for free to do with the kids in your life. I used them quite a bit this week!

5 of you lucky ducks will win the exact same set of books that I reviewed here.
Love it? Love it.
Ok, so….
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.

– Sign up for Simon and Schuster’s newsletter

-“Like” me on Facebook
+2 entries

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

– Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win Little Green Books- review and contest http://t.co/jaYAwZL @haveSippy #kids #books #green

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

– 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!)

– enter another one of my giveaways

– comment on a non-giveaway post

– Follow Parent Palace via GFC

– Subscribe to Parent Palace via email

– Follow me on “Networked Blogs”

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 May 15, 2011.

Filed Under: family, giveaway, kids, review

Green Toys- an Earth Day Contest

April 22, 2011 by Samantha 214 Comments

I had the great opportunity to visit Green Toys at the NY Toy Fair a few months ago. So when I was contacted to do a giveaway of one of their fun toys for Earth Day- I was really excited!
I like toys (and companies!) on a mission!
So, what does Green Toys believe?
“We believe the world would be a much better place if everyone said “please” and “thank you”, cell phones didn’t ring during movies, and all toys were fun, safe, and made from environmentally friendly materials. Since it’s probably no use holding our breath for those first two, we’re concentrating on the toys.
Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet.”

LOVE IT!
While I didn’t see this particular toy at Toy Fair, I did see lots of others, and they were both fun and safe. I love the bright colors, the sturdy-ness, and the knowledge that even if your kid plays tough, these toys will play back! What I like best is knowing they are safe for my kids and that they are made with good decisions for the planet. GO MORALS! These classic toys made tough for today’s kids, are also made to last. Since you can hand it down, you won’ t need to keep buying more, more, more! Yay for less consumption. So, I’d say Green Toys covers the 3 Earth Day “R’s”

Reduce- toxins, emissions, fossil fuel use
Reuse- you can hand it down
Recycle- made from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials.

One of you will win this great Flatbed & Race Car, pictured above.

Flatbed & Race Car

MSRP $30

ages 1+

www.greentoys.com

Gentlemen (and ladies) start your environmentally responsible engines! The Green Toys™ Flatbed Truck with Race Car is on the move. This sturdy blue truck hauls our sleek red hot rod on its back, and has a flatbed that tilts up to allow the car to roll off. These eco-conscious vehicles are made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. No BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings.
For ages 1 and up

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.

– Follow Green Toys on Twitter and tweet about this contest
#WIN #toys Green Toys- an Earth Day Contest http://t.co/eq6qO5Z @greentoysinc @HaveSippy #green

– Like Green Toys on FaceBook – I’d love you to tell them Have Sippy Will Travel Sent you! Never required, always appreciated!

-“Like” me on Facebook
+2 entries

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

– Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#WIN #toys Green Toys- an Earth Day Contest http://t.co/eq6qO5Z @greentoysinc @HaveSippy #green

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”- I just added it, LOL

– 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!)

– enter another one of my giveaways

– comment on a non-giveaway post

OOO, so many ways to win! Good luck!

Filed Under: giveaway, kids