Tag Archives: mommyramblings

Coffee Filter Flowers – Hydrangeas and Peonies – DIY Video Tutorial

Who would ever guess that basket coffee filters could be transformed into the most realistic, beautiful hydrangeas and peonies? They certainly can, it is so amazing and you will swear they are real.

You will need:

  1. Coffee Filters 
  2. Floral Tape
  3. Floral Wire
  4. Chenille Sticks
  5. Food Coloring 
  6. Scissors
  7. Pencils 

In the video below, I will take you step by step through the entire process. You are in good hands, so let’s get started by pushing the play button.

Please tag me on Instagram to show me your creations. #MommyRamblingsBlog


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Filed under Craft Tutorials, Crafts, Home

Check Out These New PJ Mask Toys & Apparel In Stores Now! Plus Free Printable Activity Sheets!

My kids love that I am an Official PJ Masks Blogger because they get to test out the newest toys and apparel with me. Recently we received their favorite sampling of PJ Masks merchandise ever! They were amazed when the saw the box had the PJ Mask Headquarters Playset! This huge playset was easy to put together and my son Ethan did it almost all by himself. My kids have been having a blast with this set that includes Catboy and his Cat Car! The PJ Picture Player when activated says fun phrases and plays the show’s theme song. The zip-line, hanging rings, pop out hatches and working elevator help get the super heroes to their quest fast! The winding ramp is so much fun and the Cat Car speeds down over and over with the help of my boys.

They also loved the PJ Masks Vehicles which all came with the matching PJ Masks action figure. They got Owlette, Cat Boy and Gekko along with their trusty vehicles that they were able to use with the Headquarters Playset. The vehicles have room to fit all 3 action figures in one so they can head off together on missions.

Last but not least, they both received a set of PJ Masks Sleepwear that had their favorite crime fighting bedtime super heroes on them. They loved these so much they didn’t want to take them off on a lazy weekend morning and wore them almost all day since we were snowed in.

 

Now our gift to you-These PJ Masks Holiday Tips and Fun Activity Sheets! Enjoy them with your kids today!

Holiday Tips 2016

Holiday 2016 Card Activity Sheet

Holiday 2016 Ornament Activity Sheet

What do you think of the new items. I would love to hear your thoughts, please tell me in the comments.


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Filed under Gifts, PJ Masks

Elephant Yoga Exercise Ball For Babies-#Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Designed as part of the Brain Builder Series from the People Toy Company, the Baby Yoga Exercise Ball is for babies 4 Months and up. The ball encourages your baby to push and pull using their hands and feet. The soft belt can be attached  to your child’s leg, using your child’s natural desire to play and catch with their feet to help develop muscle coordination.  The soothing rustling sounds will stimulate their ears as they perform their baby yoga poses. Baby will be able to stretch out their muscles and help achieve Zen.

See my video review below:

This fun baby toy is colorful, keeps baby limber and flexible and is easy for your baby to grasp. The adorable elephant design is pleasing to baby and the ball is soft and washable to keep it safe and hygienic. We are adding the Elephant Yoga Exercise Ball to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings! You can enter the giveaway below for your chance to win one.

Giveaway

People Toy Co. is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win an Elephant Baby Yoga Exercise Ball! Thank you to the People Toy Co. for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

People Toy Co. Elephant Yoga Exercise Ball Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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

Things To Consider When Choosing A Toilet

I cannot tell you how long my husband has been suggesting we get a TOTO toilet. Truth be told, he has gone beyond suggesting and was well into the nagging phase when we began talking about the renovation of our powder room.

I have seen TOTO toilets in many of the upscale resorts we stayed in this summer like the Mirror Lake Inn. Seeing them used like this was another indication they must be superior quality. So I decided to look further into them.

Their website is very easy to navigate and you will find so many styles and designs to browse. They have a special tool called My TOTO that allows you to view, save, compare, and share products for multiple design projects. You can learn about a product’s features and specifications, save it to a folder for future reference, compare its features and price and even share your favorites with friends and family through social media.

The first thing you need to figure out is whether you want a one-piece or two-piece toilet. A two-piece toilet is generally lighter than a one piece toilet since the tank is separate.  This can help if you have to carry it up to the second or higher level in your home.

One piece toilets can usually fit in tighter spaces and they are easier to clean than two-piece toilets. They also tend to have less issues than two-piece toilets. One-piece toilets generally have a higher price point than two-piece toilets.

TOTO also has a third choice, wall-hung, which opens up bathroom space but you need to have an in-wall tank system.

Your style will be the next choice you will need to make. For residential use, you can choose from modern, transitional or classic styles. Other choices you will need to make are whether you want an elongated or round bowl shape, flush rate, flushing system and color.

I knew, I wanted was a skirted toilet. If you are not sure what that is, it means that the trapway is covered, is so much easier to clean and has a smoother appearance. I also wanted a classic design, elongated bowl and powerful flushing system.

I was able to find exactly what I wanted in the Eco Guinevere. This is a uniquely sculpted one-piece toilet with a 1.28 GPF and elongated bowl. It also features  TOTO’s highly efficient Tornado flushing system, which uses a powerful combination of gravity and centrifugal force and CeFiONtect, an extraordinarily smooth, ion-barrier surface to help the bowl stay cleaner longer. I also chose the brushed nickel trip lever.

Eco Guinevere® One-Piece Toilet

Let me know what you think of our choice and I will be posting something else we picked for our toilet. Something that is pretty special! However, you will just have to wait to hear all about it. Feel free to take some guesses and leave them in the comments.

Special thanks to TOTO for all their help and for providing us with this exceptional toilet for our project. As always all my words and opinions are 100% my own.

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Filed under Curb Appeal, Home, Home Improvement

New Twist on Classic Christmas Stories-#ISEEME #Giveaway

The Christmas season is upon us and it is speeding by. I feel like time is moving so fast! I look for any opportunity to slow it down for some quality moments with my family when I can get them. I like to incorporate fun family traditions that will help us all get in the holiday spirit even on our most hectic days.

We love the 12 Days of Christmas. We love singing it and we love reading it! When I saw that I See Me! had a version of it that could be personalized for our family, I had to have it!

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It is such a beautiful book and has our names, friend’s and pet’s names throughout the book. My youngest kids love finding everyone’s name.

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They have a huge selection of all kinds of Christmas Books that can be personalized as well as other books and gifts that are perfect for holiday gift giving. We have added, I See Me! to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings.

Check out their website now, they have some great specials going on!

Would you like a chance to win a Personalized Book from I See Me! ? If so, enter the giveaway below.

Giveaway:

I See Me! is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win a Personalized I See Me! Book of their choice (subject to availability)! Thank you to I See Me! for the review book and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

I See Me! Personalized Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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Filed under Books, Christmas, Family Fun, Gifts, Giveaway, kids

The Smart Weigh To Ship Your Packages! #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Tis’ the season for sending packages. When you are shipping packages and want to print your labels at home, it is important that you weigh them accurately. If your package weight is off, you will either pay more or risk the package being sent back or sent to your recipient with fees owed.

sending-packages

Some people rely on bathroom scales but they are not made to weigh packages. They also can be highly inaccurate. Do you earn extra income selling on eBay or Amazon? If so, you really need to have something better than a bathroom scale.

I want to share a scale I found to be perfect for all my shipping needs. It is the the Smart Weigh USPS UPS Digital Postal Scale.

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This scale is heavy duty and has a weight capacity of 440 lbs. It features a high quality stainless steel platform and has an easy to read LCD display. This scale is great for home or office use.

 This scale has some very nice features, use the TARE option to consecutively weigh multiple items, the PCS function accurately gives you a count of items that weigh the same. This scale operates on a 9 Volt battery that is included but it also has a USB cord to use as an additional power source. The scale can display the weight in kg/g/lb/lb:oz and comes with a 2 year warranty.

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I was very impressed with this scale, I weighed a variety of items including my kids and my husband, a new vacuum, a 10 lb bag of sugar and more. It was highly accurate and I like that you don’t have to lean over to see the reading. The display is able to be placed eye level or on a counter so that it is easy to read and not obscured by a package.

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I have the protective film on still, it is beautiful stainless steel underneath. The OCD is telling me to leave it on so it stays nice. lol

It is easy to operate and has a beautiful gleaming stainless steel platform. We really like the versatility of the USB cable and the high weight capacity. It is really nice to have a shipping scale with a large weight capacity like that. I can even weigh my dogs on it! We think this scale makes a great gift and are adding it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2016 Holiday Gift Guide!

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Would you like a chance to win one just like this? If so, enter below through the Rafflecopter widget. Check out all the Smart Weigh products, they have scales for everything!

Giveaway:

Better Basics is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win a Smart Weigh USPS UPS Digital Postal Scale. Thank you to Better Basics for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Smart Weigh USPS UPS Digital Postal Scale Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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Filed under Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

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!

peterboro-log

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.

picnic-basket

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.

peterboro-picnic

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.

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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.

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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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Filed under Christmas, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

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. emile-henry-pot-9

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!

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

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! quake

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. quake-1

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.quake-book

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.

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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-logo

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

Read Christmas Love Letters From God with Your Children #Giveaway #FlyBy

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.

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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.

love-letters-from-god

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!!!

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Filed under Books, Christmas, Gifts, Giveaway, Holiday