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!
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!!!
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!!!
As an Official PJ Masks Blogger, I am really excited to share some new products in the PJ Masks Line. My kids love PJ Masks and if yours do too, you will love these new products. See my video below for the reveal of these newest wonders.
The PJ Masks Collectible Figure Set is available at Toys “R” Us and includes Catboy, Owlette, Gekko, Luna Girl and Romeo. All figures are in dynamic action poses so your kids will be able to act out creative scenes with the characters.
The PJ Masks Night Sight Game by Wonder Forge is fun for kids and adults to play. I played this with my sons and what I liked best is that we are playing as a team to stop the mischievous Romeo from stealing the city’s toys.
My boys are very competitive so this team game of us against Romeo was a welcome change to the distress that happens when you have one winner. This game also has fun masks that let us see the hidden toy pictures. This is a fun memory team game that would make a great gift.
For creative fun the PJ Masks Crayola Color and Sticker Book. There are so many great 2 sided coloring sheets as well as sheets of stickers. My kids love to color so these are perfect for times when they want to just sit down and spend some time creating their own masterpieces.
Having a budding reader the Ready To Read Book, Time To Be A Hero lets kids join their favorite heroes as they work together to save the day in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read based on PJ Masks, the hit preschool series airing on Disney Junior!
Comment and let me know what you think of the new arrivals.
Tis’ the season for books about the true meaning of the season. I have been sharing several books with you that do this and I have another I want to share today. Christmas Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist combines both prose and poetry perfectly as it tells the story of Jesus’ birth. It is written for children ages 4-8 years old but I think children of any age will appreciate this book.
There is a pop up letter that goes along with each story. There is a space on the letter that you can write the name of a child on. The book has seven stories starting with Isaiah’s prophecy and ending with the visit of the wise men.
It is a lovely book that we like reading together in the weeks leading to Christmas. My kids like to unfold the letter from the page at the end of each story. This would make a nice gift to give to a special child or grandchild to remind them of the real reason for this splendid season.
The letters are written as if they were written by God especially for your child. God’s Perfect Promise Bible verse accompanies each story. This book will help children remember the love, promises and hope God offers to all of us. You can find this book on Amazon.
Enter our giveaway below for a chance to win your own hardcover copy of this special book!
Giveaway:
Christmas Love Letters From God Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Open to US residents.
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
This is a sponsored post and I will be compensated as part of the Blog Meets Brand Network. As always my words and views are 100% my own.
The holidays are upon us, I love Christmas, especially seeing it through my children’s eyes. I look forward to decorating our home inside and out every year. This year will be different, a few weeks ago a leak in our kitchen wreaked havoc on our lives that will change the way we celebrate this season. Our entire kitchen and basement has to be demoed and all of our belongings are being packed up and put in storage.
It will be a long process. We live in a rural location so there are no hotels nearby. The insurance company paid for a travel trailer to be put on site for us to live while our house is being repaired. This means that we will not be able to decorate the way we usually do. I want to make the holiday season special for my kids but most of my decorations have been packed and brought to a location to be cleaned. Anyway, we are making the best of things and that is why when I was approached with the opportunity to work with Boscov’s on their holiday home tour, it was a big blessing.
Recently, we all headed off to Boscov’s and rode the escalator straight up to the Holiday Shop. My kids’ eyes were as wide as my husband’s and mine. There were so many beautifully decorated trees and displays.
A member of the helpful staffed named Linda told me she decorated all the trees and many of the displays. There were indoor decorations, outdoor decorations, ornaments, village houses and so much more. The first thing that caught our eye was the Santa in Sleigh with Reindeer outdoor display.
I laughed because it was the same one from the movie Christmas Vacation. My husband said it was a great idea since we can still decorate the outside of our home. We also picked up a vintage looking outdoor lighted Snowman with Pipe.
I found some cute little cardinal and bluebird shelf sitters and a “Have Faith” block sculpture with a cardinal that coordinated. Cardinals are very special for me so I knew these were going home with me.
Then I found 2 Annalee dolls I loved, a mouse ornament and a mouse standing figure.
Next, I picked up a tablecloth and headed off to find a ceramic tree that is reminiscent of the vintage kind I remember as a kid. I had to decide between green and white and went with the white.The pictures don’t do it justice. I also picked up a beautiful Lenox silver-plated Christmas tree ornament and a train for our village.
They had so many nice ornaments, we picked out several that we really liked for our tree.
Soon we were ready to go and load our purchases in the car.
Here is a video of my Boscov’s haul:
The tree makes a cute little display with the other ornaments in the travel trailer.
I did get to at least try my tablecloth on my kitchen table before they took it away. I love the vintage look of this tablecloth.
The train is so detailed and will look awesome when we add a few of our village houses. Our village will be smaller this year but it will still be festive.
The outdoor decorations are very nice and with the new fallen snow they look just fabulous.
The kids really love everything and I guess this all goes to show us that home is where the heart is, especially at Christmas!
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!!!
“This review was made possible by iConnect and Luvs. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine.”
When we are first time parents we tend to go overboard with our parenting. With the second baby, we are more relaxed and we understand that life is not scripted. We don’t have to buy the most expensive diapers, in fact, we learn that more expensive does not mean better. Luvs recently introduced the new and improved Luvs Ultra Leakguard Diapers with NightLock Plus™. These diapers are softer and more absorbent than ever before, with large stretch tabs for easy fastening, ultra-leakage protection and a money-back guarantee, Luvs provide high-quality features for less cost than premium brands.
Join the Luvs and iConnect team on November 29, 2016 at 9:00-10:00 PM EST for a Twitter Party to learn about the new and improved Luvs Ultra Leakguard Diapers with NightLock Plus™ and win lots of great prizes, too! RSVP HERE!
You may or may not be surprised by the results of a form poll of moms across the country that Luvs conducted. The purpose was to take a look at what parenting is really like and uncover what moms value the most. The survey found that:
Nearly 2 in 3 moms have never taken a day completely for themselves
81% of moms would prefer an entire day off from housework than dinner with their celebrity crush.
87% of moms agree that the first time their child slept through the night was one of their best parenting times yet.
Even a short spurt of “me” time goes a long way! A quarter of moms surveyed stated that they felt an uninterrupted shower was more relaxing than a day at the spa
Other major moments moms value more now than before they became parents include sleeping past sunrise, watching television and movies that aren’t cartoons and having an uninterrupted phone conversation.
To make the Luvs value even sweeter, Luvs is offering a money-saving $1 print-at-home coupon! Click HERE to access a Luvs coupon for $1 off any one diaper pack except travel or trial packs. Coupon can be used at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are sold.
Would you like to enter a giveaway to win a $25 Amex Gift Card and a pack of the new Luvs NightLock Diapers? I thought you would! Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck!!! Open to US residents.
Giveaway: Feel free to host a giveaway for a $25 AmEx gift card and a pack of the new Luvs NightLock Diapers
$25 Amex Gift Card and Pack of Luvs NightLock Diapers Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
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Are you looking for that perfect gift for the grandparents, you husband or wife? Maybe you have that great photo from your summer vacation you want to do something special with. If so you should check out CanvasOnSale because you can get a free 12 x 8 Canvas for FREE, that is right F-R-E-E! I am off to order mine now.
All you need to do is click on HERE and then upload your favorite picture, choose 12″ X 8″ and enter the voucher code from the website in the basket. Keep it for yourself or present it to your loved ones.
Once you have ordered your free canvas you can share this with your friends and family on the internet, so they can get a free canvas print too. Let me know if you order yours and what you think of this special offer.
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!!!
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
