home Archives - Page 29 of 36 - Have Sippy Will Travel

Portable North Pole

December 2, 2013 by Samantha 12 Comments

Disclosure: I am a Portable North Pole Christmas Magic Ambassador. I received compensation and complementary Portable North Pole products in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas time is upon us, and this time of year is not only stressful for parents but also for kids. The all seeing big guy in a red and white suit is especially watchful right now, so best behavior is mandatory! But what if this best behavior isn’t working out? Instead of an upswing, is there a quick down swing in attitude and attentiveness?

Why not reaffirm the good behavior with a Santa phone call and video? It’s cute and fun.

Check out Portable North Pole for some quality personalized items for Christmas, including their wonderful Premium Video. The video features Santa and his elves as they go through your child’s year and gives them a naughty or nice recommendation as well as some personal details about what they have tried hard on this year and their achievements of the last 12 months. Little Man really loved the recap of the year and the personalized pictures included in the video. His favorite part was when Santa saw his artwork and complemented him on it. The Little Guy had a smile bigger then the sun. The video is downloadable or stream-able, so even when the internet goes down the video can still be seen. I would definitely suggest saving it, no one likes a choppy Santa. I personally love how they ask for a proper pronunciation of your child’s name. With the number of unique names around currently, it is nice to see this special touch.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: holidays, home, review Tagged With: holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013, holidays, Portable North Pole, santa

Vicks Humidifier

November 25, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

The temperature is dropping and with school now well into the swing of things that means one thing, colds and the flu are on the way. Sniffles and headaches are bound to happen, if not count yourself incredibly lucky. In our house when a cold or flu hits, it goes round and round until everyone has had it, sometimes more then once unfortunately. To help remedy the situation as with most, preparation is key.

To prep for flu season we are taking a look at the Vicks Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier. The humidifier is hold 1.2 gallons of water and can run for 30 hours per filling. The mist that comes out is cool to the touch so it is perfect for a bedroom over night. One of the other nifty features is the scent pad. The scent pad lets you add a smell to the mist which comes out. There is also a way to control the intensity of the scent. There are slots for 2 pads, so on those extra stuffy nights, two can be used at the same time. But the option is always there to use one or no pads as well. The pads are especially good for congestion. Instead of a long night of coughing and nose blowing, with the help of these pads a more restful sleep is at hand. The mist itself is controlled by knob which lets you control how much mist comes out as well. The mist will stop when the water is empty, but I would not suggest letting that happen- and with the ability of the humidifier to run for 30 hours, running it overnight won’t be a problem.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: health, home, review Tagged With: cold and flu, health, vicks humidifier

Febreeze Holiday Scents

November 21, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks and Febreze. All opinions are my own and honest.

Our senses are one of the most base ways we interact with out environment. And as such, our senses are often bring up happy memories. Baking pie brings up memories of a Great-Grandparents from years long past or fresh cut pine reminds us of Christmas.

Febreeze is here with their holiday scents to help bring about those joyful holiday memories and create new ones for your little ones. Some of their seasonal scents are Cranberry Spice and Winter Frost. Both of these are available in alternating scent dual NOTICEables which can last up more then 30 days. These dual packs work on the simple idea that a person can get used to one smell relatively easily, but when a smell changes to another it takes longer, so a nice smell alternating with another makes for a longer lasting nice scent to the air. During the holiday season it is all about giving the senses some extra cheer. Be it colorful lights, the familiar sounds of relatives cooking in the kitchen (and fighting in the living room), or the smell of spiced cranberries, the senses are brought to life during the holiday season and Febreeze NOITCEables is here to help.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: holidays, home, review Tagged With: air fresheners, fabreeze, Febreeze Holiday Scents, holiday air fresheners, holiday scents

Arts and Crafts With Kids: Top 5 Soap Making Tips

November 13, 2013 by Samantha 2 Comments

As a parent, if there’s one thing that you know about your kids, it’s the fact that they are always looking for something new and exciting to do. And while sometimes it can be fun to take them to a toy store, let them play video games or go to the movies, have you ever thought about teaching them some arts & crafts? It’s also something they can enjoy doing, plus it teaches them skills that they can have as they grow into adults.

Take making soap, for example. Not only is it a relatively easy thing for them to learn how to do but homemade soap is cheaper, it has less chemicals than commercial brands and it can also get their bodies cleaner (because it doesn’t leave behind residue). So, if this is something that you think you would like to try with your kids, we have a few soap-making tips for you below:

Look online for some recipes. The first thing that we recommend that you do is go online to look for some recipes that you would like to try. If you go to your favorite search engine and put “homemade soap recipes” in the search field, you will see that you can make everything from lemon and coconut soap to pumpkin and even chocolate soap. The options really are endless.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: crafts, home, natural Tagged With: Arts and Crafts With Kids, make your own soap, Soap Making

Heading South for the Winter?

October 5, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

The Northern part of the USA has plenty of it’s residents head south for the winter. The lack of snow and perfect weather would be hard to pass up if you are able. However, you can’t just get up and go- leaving really is not that easy. Being away from home for months takes time and preparation. There are many things that can go wrong while you are thousands of miles away and can’t easily deal with them.

So what’s a snowbird to do? Luckily, I was able to speak with HomeZada founder Elizabeth Dodson for some helpful hints on getting ready to migrate.

Tips For Snowbirds

Samantha- What is the most important thing for people to know as they pack up for warmer temperatures this winter?

Elizabeth- Some of the most important things to remember are checking the gutters so they do not over flow while away, remember to turn off electricity and or cable/ internet/phone or at least turn the heater down to 50 or 60 degrees. Be sure all pipes turned off so they do not burst and filters are clean so they do not catch on fire or freeze while away.

S- How much time and preparation is needed to make sure your home and belongings are ready to be dormant for months?

ED- At least a month to a month and a half in advance is needed to prep for the months away. This is to ensure everything is taken care of an appointments are made if someone needs to come to fix anything before leaving.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: home Tagged With: Heading South for the Winter, keeping the home safe, prepping your house, wintering down south, winterizing

Luxury Feather Bed from DownLinens

October 3, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

Disclosure- The product reviewed and the content for this post was sourced from DownLinens, online resources, and my own opinions. Thoughts are my own and honest. For more, see the “I Disclose” tab.

A nice, warm,soft bed has to be one of the best ways to end a Fall day. Nothing quite ends a long and stressful day like crawling under the sheets and drifting to sleep.

Luckily enough, Down Linens has some wonderful bedding to help bring about that good night’s sleep we all desire. One such accessory is the Luxury Feather Bed, from DownLinens.com. The Feather bed consists of a two inch layer of soft feathers topped with an incredibly soft down fill. The combination makes for one of the softest beds I have ever slept in. I especially like the combination of a firm mattress with the soft feather bed on top of it. This gives not only the comfort and softness of the feather bed, but also the feel of a firm mattress as well.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: home Tagged With: downlinens bedding, feather bed, feather bedding

Let’s Get Cooking With Our Kids

August 31, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

It’s always good to get kids to help with household chores, and giving children a good basic knowledge of cooking, kitchen skills, and know how is not only important for later in life but also a fun way to bond. Get some fun and interesting (and easy) kitchen wares in stock, and make dinner as well as lifelong memories. (Kids will also have a great sense of pride when the food is presented,)

Let’s start with the basics- pots and pans. Keep it eco-freindly and safe for the kids by using products that are non-toxic. Some easy to find, and easy on the wallet (but still safe and high quality) choices are the Green Pan and Twiztt collections. You can get all the basics that you need online or in stores near you. Voted “Best in Europe”, the Green Pan is ceramic, non toxic, and contributes to your healthy and sustainable lifestyle. It’s non-stick Thermolon is heat resistant, which means that if you overheat your pan, even up to 450/850, no toxic fumes will be released and the coating will not blister or peel. The food slides off easily (please follow directions, this is not a traditional non-stick pan) while not adding unwanted chemicals to your food. It is easy to clean and store.

For more, go to http://www.green-pan.us or a local Target store.

Twiztt by Joan Lunden was created with the consumer’s safety in mind- simple, afforadable, and healthy. With no nasty chemicals, this product is truly organic. Made with Thermolon healthy ceramic non-stick coating, it is easy to cook with and not create a mess. These are food kits with simplicity in mind, each set comes with all you need to make a meal with ease. For example, The “Cook, Cut, and Serve” set is complete with stainless steel lid with adjustable steam release knob, melamine bowl for table top presentation. It also keeps food warm and functions as safe pot holder, as well as doubles as serving & mixing bowl. This set also arrives with an easy to clean and sustainable bamboo chopping boar which fits on the melamine bowl, for easy food collection and preperation. All but the cutting board are dishwasher safe.
[Read more…]