Category Archives: Holiday Gift Guide

November 30, 2016 · 5:21 pm

Functional Baskets That Add Beauty to any Decor! #HolidayGiftGuide #Giveaway

I love baskets, they lend such a warm and cozy touch to any room and they are incredibly useful. I like high quality baskets because they are made to last. The craftsmanship of the Peterboro Baskets Co. is something I really appreciate. I have several of their baskets and have collected them for more than a decade. One of my favorites that I always have people commenting about is my coffee basket as shown in this post. That basket is useful and so attractive. Peterboro makes their furniture quality baskets right here in the USA!

I love large baskets, the oversized picnic basket I recently ordered has a hinged wood lid and is perfect for storing a multitude of things. It is also a great picnic basket to take along when you have a big picnic lunch. I can’t wait for summer to use it for packing up our lunch and snacks when we go down to our dock on the lake. I can get everything we need in it and it is easy to carry.

It is also great to store books, toys, yarn, throws, magazines and more. It really works well to keep the things you want at your fingertips in a neat and organized way.

This basket is available in natural, driftwood, cherry or honey stain. I chose the honey and the color is beautiful. You can even make it really special by adding an optional small or large plaque to the front. That would be perfect for celebrating an engagement, wedding, anniversary or more.

Founded in 1854, Peterboro Basket Company is the oldest continuous manufacturer of baskets in the U.S.A. Every basket is one-of-a-kind due to the fact they are made by hand.

We think Peterboro baskets like this and others make great gifts and we are adding them to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings! If you would like to have a chance to win one just like this in the color of your choice, enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Giveaway:

Peterboro Baskets is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win an Oversized Picnic Basket in their color choice! Thank you to Peterboro Baskets for the review basket and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Peterboro Oversized Picnic Basket Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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17 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

Tagged as giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, mommyramblings, Peterboro Baskets, Picnic Basket, review

November 29, 2016 · 2:02 pm

Keep The Magic of Santa Alive For Your Child With A Package From Santa!

As a parent I love seeing the excitement in my little one’s eyes at Christmas. Recently I found PackageFromSanta.com and learned that I could have a package sent to my child from the North Pole! The package would be addressed to my child and be full of authentic, Santa Claus goodies that are sure to delight.

You even get a personalized phone call and personalized high quality video staring your child free with every package. There are 3 different packages to choose from! Check out my video of Luke opening his Package From Santa below:

You can learn more about how it works by viewing this video. Right now you can take 25% off your order when you use the promo code RED1816 at check out on PackageFromSanta.com. Hurry offer ends December 15th!

After Luke opened his package, we made the Coca and he looked everything over again. For the rest of the day he showed the stuff to everyone and he is especially proud that he has a piece of Santa’s Magic Suit. He has asked everyone to feel how soft and warm it is. He is really treasuring everything and cannot wait to spread the Reindeer food out on the lawn Christmas Eve!

Limited Time Free Bonus!
Keep your child behaving during the hectic (and sugar laden) days leading up to Christmas with a personalized, high-quality, printable 100% FREE Nice-List Guide from Santa Claus. Includes your child’s photo, name, and top 10 behaviors needed to stay on Santa’s Nice List! Personalize your child’s Nice-List Guide here www.freenicelistguide.com It only takes 60 seconds… nothing to buy, now or ever. 🙂 I am making these for my kids so they know how to stay on the Nice List!

You can follow PackageFromSanta.com on Facebook and Twitter. Let me know what you think of this, just leave me a comment.

This is a sponsored post and I received a product to facilitate my article.

2 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guide, Mommy Ramblings, Review

Tagged as Christmas, Free Stuff, Holiday Gift Guide, Mommy Ramblings, Package From Santa, Promo Code

November 28, 2016 · 8:09 pm

The Best Way To Cook A Hearty Beef Stew #EmileHenry #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

As soon as the cold weather hits, I immediately start thinking of stews and soups. They are such comfort foods that warm your body and heart. I cook for an army and found that some types of cookware were not good at cooking everything evenly without burning. That is when I discovered Flame ceramic last year when I used my Emile Henry round stewpot for the first time cooking Pasta Fagioli.

That round stewpot is one of my favorite cooking pieces so I was thrilled to try out the oval 6.3 qt stewpot for my beef stew. You can see a video of me preparing this stew below:

The benefits of Flame ceramic is that it provides for slow, even cooking which brings out the flavors in your food. The lid is designed to make sure the flavored condensation circulates inside thanks to the dots underneath. The stewpots are made to be used on all types of stove tops, even induction with the addition of an induction disk. They also work in the oven and are dishwasher safe for easy clean up. Their color remains as beautiful and vibrant as ever through all that!

All Emile Henry products are made in France and come with a ten year warranty! We love the Emile Henry Stewpot so much we are adding it to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings.

We also have a giveaway below where you can enter for your chance to win an Emile Henry Oval 6.3 qt Stewpot! Be sure and enter our giveaway for a Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker and Butter Pot!

Giveaway:

Emile Henry is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a 6.3 QT. Emile Henry Stewpot! Thank you to Emile Henry for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Emile Henry 6.3 QT Stewpot Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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56 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Cooking, Gift, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Home, Kitchen, Review

Tagged as #HolidayGiftGuide, Beef Stew, Cooking Video, Emile Henry, French Cookware, giveaway, Kitchen, mommyramblings, Stewpot

November 26, 2016 · 2:42 pm

The Perfect Gift For The New Baby! #HolidayGiftGuide

If you have a baby on your Holiday Gift List, I have an adorable gift suggestion for you! I recently connected with a company called Estella in NYC that has the sweetest organic gifts for baby. Sets that include a hat, lovey security blanket and soft rattle are available in a number of different designs.

I really like the MTA Set since my daughter works with the MTA and this is adorable for any MTA baby!

I also like the Whale Set. See my video unboxing of this great set below:

This set is organic and perfect for summer or water-loving babies. The whale rattle is a winner of the Mom’s Choice Award and The National Parenting Seal of Approval. Everything is handmade n Peru with GOTS certified organic cotton. The rattle is stuffed with polyester filling.

Blanket measures 14″ X 14″. Rattle measure 4”l X 2”w. Hat fits 0-6 months. All machine washable on gentle, dry flat. Gift giving is easy because these sets ship in a gift box.

We are happy to offer our readers a special discount code that will allow you to get 35% off your orders when you shop at Estella now through December 30th. Use Promo Code MR35Off when you checkout! We are also adding these Estella Baby Gift Sets to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of these adorable sets!

A Building Kit That Teaches Kids About Engineering! #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

My kids are very interested in building things, when I saw the Survive the Quake Engineering Kit, I knew they would love it. I was not wrong, this great kit puts their building skills to the ultimate test. They need to build structures that will survive an earthquake!

Building on the earthquake simulator that simulates quakes in 5 levels of intensity they have to think about what kind of structures will remain standing despite the shaking. The kit comes with 30 plastic building blocks in a variety of shapes and sizes.

I really like all the information that is in the activity book. It talks about engineers who design buildings to withstand earthquakes, the reason earthquakes occur and more.

I think this would be a great kit to have in a classroom as well. My kids really like this and they quickly learned the best way to build buildings that could withstand even a level 5 simulated earthquake.

See our video below:

We like this set so much we are adding it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2016 Holiday Gift Guide. If you think this looks good, you can enter to win one of these kits below.

Giveaway:

Lakeshore Learning is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Survive the Quake Engineering Kit! Thank you to Lakeshore Learning for the review kit and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Survive the Quake Engineering Kit Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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9 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Gift, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

Tagged as Christmas, Engineering, Engineering Kit, Gifts, Holiday Gift Guide #Giveaway, kids, Lakeshore Learning, mommyramblings, Survive the Quake, toys

November 25, 2016 · 9:35 pm

Helpful Tips To Rid Your Home of Nasty Allergens

If you wake up with a running or stuffy nose, have a dry cough, sneeze often, suffer from itchy or watery eyes, the culprit causing your allergies may be your home. Dust, pollen, pet dander, mold and more can be found in most homes. Here are some tips for a cleaner, healthier home.

Get rid of wall to wall carpeting and padding and replace with hardwood, tile or other impervious flooring. Carpeting is a magnet for just about every allergen, walking across them sends releases those allergens back into the air. If it is not possible to get rid of all your carpeting or if you have to do it little by little, start with the bedrooms.

Double up on the door mats, have one outside and right inside the door to minimize the chance of introducing irritants into your home. It is also a good idea to remove your street shoes at the door and encourage your guests to do the same.

Curtail the curtains and drapes. Opt for blinds or shades instead because they trap fewer allergens than window treatments made from fabric. If you must have curtains or drapes, make sure to get ones that are machine washable and wash them often. Vacuum blinds and shades once a week with a brush attachment, wash them regularly with warm water and soap especially if you keep the windows open often.

Many are allergic to mold and with over 100,000 different species of mold in the world it is hard to get away from. Mold loves damp places that is why it is so prevalent in bathrooms. Make sure you dry surfaces of standing water and make sure your bathroom has adequate ventilation. Replace caulk around sinks, tubs and showers to prevent water seeping in and encouraging mold growth behind the walls.

Check under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, make sure there are no leaks or drips that will be a breeding ground for mold. Also check for rodent droppings another allergen.

Use a vacuum with a Hepa Filter to vacuum floor surfaces, mattresses and upholstered furniture. After that, vacuum with a UV-C Light Vacuum like the Verilux CleanWave Sanitizing Portable Vacuum.

Vacuuming with this can leave your home surfaces 99.9% germ and allergen free! The ultraviolet light technology is built into the vacuum and can eliminate dust mites, bed bugs, bacteria, mold, allergens, flea eggs and more that are lurking in your home.

This portable vacuum comes with a brush and crevice tool attachment. This is a great way to clean your home and destroy germs and viruses like MRSA, H1N1 and more without the use of harsh, harmful chemicals.

Vacuum bedding, mattresses, furniture. floors, rugs and more. Eliminate odors by killing odor producing bacteria. If you are looking to buy a new mattress like the Leesa Mattress make sure you keep it clean from the start with these methods.

The 400 watt motor and cyclonic action ensure maximum power and suction, and easy empty, bagless design and 2-stage micro-allergy filtration prevent recirculation of pollutants.

Using the same UV sanitizing technology that’s been used for over 30 years in hospitals, food processing facilities and water treatment plants, CleanWave’s germ reducing light can penetrate a micro-organism’s cell membrane damaging the DNA, preventing growth and killing the organism.

Check out my video here of how easy it is to use.

I love that I can take this anywhere, it is easy to operate and has a safety feature that automatically turns the light off if it is not on a flat surface. It is easy to empty and gives me peace of mind. We have allergies in our house and using this vacuum is making a difference.

Verilux is sponsoring a giveaway (giveaway is over) on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Verilux, CleanWave Portable UV Vacuum. Thank you to Verilux for the review CleanWave UV Vacuum and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Verilux CleanWave Sanitizing Portable Vacuum Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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23 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Home, Home & Garden

Tagged as CleanWave, giveaway, Mommy Ramblings, review, Sanitizing, UV Light, Vacuum, Verilux, YouTube

November 21, 2016 · 8:14 pm

How To Make Your Own Spreadable Butter

In our house we use real butter. I used to use spreads that I thought were healthier but surprise, butter is not bad for us! So ever since, it has been real butter. The only bad part was that it was not spreadable. I started buying spreadable butter but that costs a lot more for very little and with our big family, we were flying through those small tubs. Looking for a solution, I learned that butter does not need to be kept in the refrigerator to stay fresh. That’s right, when you use a butter pot, you can have nice spreadable butter anytime you want without paying extra for those tubs in the supermarket.

If you are wondering what a butter pot is, it is a pot that has a lid that you pack the butter into and then you add cold water to the base. You leave it out on the counter at room temperature and all you have to do is change the water every 3-4 days and replace the butter as needed.

The French have been storing their butter like this for years. The water creates an airtight seal that will keep butter fresh for up to 30 days but you know what, it never lasts that long without refilling in our house!

Watch my video of the process below:

Would you like a chance to win an Emile & Henry Butter Pot like mine? I thought you would, just enter below! We think this makes a great gift and have added it to Mommy Ramblings’ Holiday Gift Guide.

Giveaway:

Emile & Henry is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win an Emile & Henry Butter Pot in their choice of color (subject to availability). Thank you to Emile & Henry for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Emile & Henry Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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20 Comments

Filed under Baking, Cooking, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide

Tagged as #HolidayGiftGuide, Butter, Butter Jar, giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Mommy Ramblings, Spreadable

November 20, 2016 · 5:01 pm

My Secret For Baking Perfect Bread Loaves Every Time!

Tis’ the season for hearty soups and stews and home-baked bread. I used to have issues baking bread, it just never came out right. Last year, I discovered that when I used a bread cloche I could make the most delicious artisan bread consistently. Baguettes were not a problem any more either and I was turning them out 3 at a time. They disappeared before they were even cool! So I was left with mastering baking the perfect bread loaf. I am happy to report I mastered that and no matter how many I make, they are perfect and delicious every time!

If you are looking for pointers, I can help. I will tell you that I do use bread flour, I add a little more sugar than my recipe calls for and make sure to use fresh, active dry yeast. The recipe I use is easy, it is actually the same recipe I use when I make my round bread in the Emile & Henry Bread Cloche. I do not change a thing, the only thing I do differently, is use the Emile & Henry Bread Loaf Baker.

This is the recipe I use:

3 cups of bread flour

1 cup of warm water (95 degrees F)

2 tsp of salt

2 tsp of granulated sugar

2 tsp of dried baker’s yeast

2 tbsp of milk

In a large bowl mix the bread flour, salt, sugar and dried yeast.

Pour in the warm water and knead for about 2-3 minutes.

Put the covered bowl in a warm place away from drafts to rise for 20 minutes. Uncover the dough and knead to remove the carbon dioxide, form the dough into a loaf. Grease the bread loaf pan with butter and flour and place the loaf of dough into the loaf dish. Cover with the top and let rise for another 45 minutes at room temperature.

Brush a little milk over the top at the end of the rise time and sprinkle with flour.

Bake in a preheated oven of 460 degrees F for 35 minutes and I remove it after a few minutes to a board.

Click on my video below to see me bake a loaf from start to finish.

We have a giveaway for this bread loaf baker and you can enter below. We will also be posting a giveaway for a Emile & Henry Butter Pot and Stewpot so make sure you follow us if you don’t want to miss it. We think Emile & Henry products make great gifts and we will be putting them on our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide.

Emile & Henry is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Emile & Henry Bread Loaf Baker . Thank you to Emile & Henry for my bread loaf baker and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Emile & Henry Bread Loaf Baker Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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29 Comments

Filed under Baking, Cooking, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

Tagged as baking, Baking Tips, Baking Tutorial, Bread Loaf Baker, cooking, Emile Henry, giveaway, Mommy Ramblings, mommyramblings

November 19, 2016 · 10:45 pm

Meet Your Teething Baby’s New Best Friend-Sammy The Squid #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Babies who are teething have a new best friend! Meet Sammy The Squid, his squeaks will have baby squealing with delight. The variety of textures and chewable parts will make Sammy a friend your baby will want around all the time.

This teething toy is part of the Brain Builders Collection from The People Toy Co. Sammy may seem a little pale but it is a good thing! There are no added colors for safety. The unique shape holds your baby’s attention, soothes sore gums and helps develop multiple senses.

Check out our video review of this teething toy below:

You can purchase this teether on Amazon. We like it so much we are adding it to Mommy Ramblings 2016 Holiday Gift Guide!

The People Toy Co. is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Sammy The Squid Teethng Toy! Thank you to The People Toy Co. for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Sammy The Squid Teether From The People Toy Co. Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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6 Comments

Filed under Baby, Baby Gear, Christmas, Gift, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

Tagged as Baby Products, giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Mommy Ramblings, People Toy Co, review, Sammy The Squid Teething Toy, Teething

· 10:07 pm

Perfect Rattle For The New Baby! #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Do you have a new baby or a new baby on your holiday list this year? If so, we are going to be featuring several toys from the People Toy Co. We will feature several toys from their Brain Builders Collection.

Check out the Feather Light Teething Rattle. It is very light, one end has soft surfaces for baby with a very soft rattle sound. It is not a sound that will startle baby at all.

The handle of the rattle is very narrow so that baby can hold it easily. It is a cute little butterfly on one end and the other end is a teether that is great as baby starts cutting teeth. The ridges and bumps on the teether help to soothe baby’s sore gums. You can purchase this rattle on Amazon.com.

Check out our video to see all the details.

Mommy Ramblings thinks this Feather Light Teether makes a great present for baby this holiday season so we are adding it to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide.

Giveaway

People Toy Co. is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Feather Light Teething Rattle. Thank you for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

People Toy Co. Feather Light Teething Rattle Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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6 Comments

Filed under Baby, Baby Gear, Gifts, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide

Tagged as Baby Gift, Baby Rattle, Butterfly Rattle, Feather Light Teething Rattle, giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, People Toy Co