Happy Nappers – Review and G!VEAWAY

March 2, 2012 by 3 Comments

Its a bear, its a house, its a loud stuffy (LOL)- It’s happy napper! Long gone are the days of something only having one function. A TV that is also a computer! A video game console that doubles as a movie rental service. What’s next? How about a stuffed animal that doubles as a house for the critter and also a pillow.
Happy Nappers are great fun for kids. An adult can appreciate the cute idea and interesting concept, but to really love them you need to be a kid. Kids love ringing the doorbell and hearing the snoring and laughing bear. Little Man loves it and as far as he is concerned it is the funniest thing he’s heard in a long time.


The napper himself is very soft and [Read more…]

Filed Under: giveaway, kids, review

BBQ Blitz Game Review

March 2, 2012 by 5 Comments

Why wait for summer when you can BBQ now? Maybe not outside if there is snow on the ground where you live but definitely in your living room.

BBQ Blitz! is a fast action patty matching, burger-building fun filled game from Educational Insights. It was a ‘BIG’hit and a game we will play again and again!

I played it with my grandchildren and it worked perfectly because the age level is for 4+ and required 2-4 players.

The bottom of the box is the pre-made grill. Arrange your burgers and buns on the grill, pass out the plates and spatulas to the players and your ready to start ‘flipp’n those burgers’

The race is on and now each player needs to keep flipp’n burgers until they see the design of the burger that matches the picture on their plate.

It is a fast paced matching game that produces a lot of giggles and determination to be the one that finishes first. The winner is the one that gets his top buns on all four correctly matched burgers before the others.
It [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, review

Novica- Shop Around the World (and do good, too!) Win a $50 Gift Card

March 1, 2012 by 28 Comments

Have Sippy Will Travel- and you can, too! Even from the comfort of your own living room, you can choose fabulous artisan crafts and pieces from all over the world and have them delivered to your doorstep. I love to decorate my home with things I find on my travels- but even if you are not a world traveler, you can fake the funk with Novica, in association with National Geographic.

Add some culture to your rooms, wardrobe, or accessories with the fun finds at Novica. There is a broad range of artisan quality, unique, and beautiful jewelry that you will just adore. Check out the beautiful prasiolite necklace shown here- easy to dress up or dress down.

This would be perfect to have for yourself for that special occasion, or to give as a gift.

Onto home decor- not only is it lovely to look at and would look brilliant in your home, but each artist illustrates the details of how the item was created and where in the global community the artwork is made and being shipped from. It’s a human connection in an otherwise intimate object.

This vase with images of the Maya city of Tikal on it brings to mind far of places and spaces, legends of long ago, adventures to be had- and plane tickets you know you want to book. In the meantime- it is also shipped (as are all other products) with an artisan story card to tell you all about the amazing artist who crafted this.

You will also find colorful clothing such as this beautiful batik sarong–

which can be worn in many ways- no two will ever look the [Read more…]

Filed Under: giveaway, review

@Natures_Sleep Dog Bed

March 1, 2012 by 19 Comments

Have you ever taken a cat nap on a dog bed? Or maybe curled up on a pillow by the fire place and thought, “Wow, my for legged companion has the right idea.” This new pet bed by Nature’s Sleep will definitely have you questioning whether you want to sleep with your snoring significant other or curl up at the foot of the bed and have the dog sleep up there. (For me? I’m thinking the dog is the better bet….)

yeah, she didn’t love having her photo done! LOL

Nature’s Sleep have a history of making some of the finest beds, mattresses, and pillows known to man. These sleep products are for the most part washable, anti-microbial, anti-dust mite, anti-bacterial and allergen resistant.. They are also creating pet beds of the same materials as their human counterparts.

We will go from the bottom up to describe them- number one, the bottom is skid resistant. No longer will your pooch take a flying dive into their bed and bonk their head [Read more…]

Filed Under: review

#W!N iplay Winter Wear- perfect for your mini-me!

February 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The weather sure has been crazy this year, and our favorite (or not so much) groundhog Punxsutawney Phil says six more weeks of winter. What’s a momma to do?
Get some really cute, really warm and dry winter gear 🙂

How about iplay outerwear? You trust iplay for your summer and baby feeding needs- why not try the outerwear? We just tried out the waterproof insulated snow bibs and they are really easy to get on and off (a mommy-must- because you know as soon as [Read more…]

Filed Under: clothes and shoes, giveaway, kids, review

Think Geek’s Newest Awesome!

February 28, 2012 by 15 Comments

This edition of Think Geek’s awesome is full of stuff for the ‘big kids’. Be they fans of fuzzy critters from the 80’s or beverages with a modern flair, even a little madness. Think Geek always has all your new favorites, reviewed by daddy.

First we start with Fizzgig. Some of you may be asking what a Fizzgig is, well it is a cute little critter full of razor sharp teeth from the classic film Dark Crystal. For a child of the 80’s this is perfect. He is small and cute and his head flaps open to reveal a ton of teeth all waiting to chomp you. But its OK if Kira is around, he’ll behave himself. Fizzgig is a soft plush about the size of a basketball, and there is a spot of Velcro to keep his mouth closed when no chomping. He is high quality and safe for nap time. No hard pieces except his big yellow eyes.

For the ladies out there we have a little bit of madness with the mad hatter and the original crazy ‘dame’ Alice. Check out this shirt. It is a deep purple color with the timeless scene where Alice first meets the Cheshire Cat. Or rather first meets his smile. The shirt is for women and is fit for them. It’s [Read more…]

Filed Under: review

Fiddler on the Roof– an amazing show

February 27, 2012 by 12 Comments

Fiddler on the Roof was all that it promised to be. This classic piece of theater was a pleasure to watch and was thoroughly enjoyed. The music of Jerry Bock’s and Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics, along with Joseph Stein’s book (based on “Tevye and his Daughters” by Sholem Aleichem) are joined together to create one of the most enduring and well known works of theater to date.

The leading character, milkman Tevye, struggles with himself, talks to God, and tries to deal with the changes in the world around him. A kind-hearted man, he wants to do well by those around him and be an honest person. Living in the Russian village of Anatevka with his wife and five daughters, Tevye (please read the rest of my article below)
[Read more…]

Filed Under: entertainment, family, review, theater

Frozen Planet- a World Beyond Imagination (DVD)

February 26, 2012 by 18 Comments

Every so often there comes a movie or TV show that must be seen in HD in order to fully appreciated the scope and magnitude of the medium. One of those presentations is Frozen Planet.

Frozen Planet was created by the same individuals who made Planet Earth and The Blue Planet. These documentaries focus on the magnitude and beauty of the Earth and its animal inhabitants. Frozen Planet emphasis our Arctic and Antarctic regions. Those areas which are quickly changing and melting into something different.

This series acts as a historical record of the animals and ecology of the coldest places on the planet. These areas are home to many animals who live in an area that is so inhospitable to human life, we can only go there for short times, and certain times of the year. The waters of the Arctic are so cold that even in insulated wet suits, humans can only go in for an hour at a time, to prevent permanent damage from occurring to them.

The series itself is intense. Even on a non – HD screen it is something to behold. The sweeping landscapes with mountains of ice and stone towering over a polar bear looking for a mate. The most minute of creatures living around volcanic fissures in the deepest of oceans, where an entire ecosystem thrives off of a small crack in the Earth’s crust.

This series is epic and scope and also in the attention to detail brought to it. I enjoy the behind the scenes footage included with each episode. It is easy to forget how difficult it must be to get these stunning shots. Be it of killer whales popping up to get a look at the surface or the view from underneath a constantly shifting glacier.

The series if broken up into seven parts. One is the introduction episode, then come the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These are followed by The Last Frontier which focuses on human activity in the regions. [Read more…]

Filed Under: education, movie, review