Category Archives: Home & Garden

March 14, 2016 · 9:17 pm

A Great Way To Entertain Outside Without Getting Burned!

So happy to be seeing some nice weather, spring really arrived because Sunday I saw my first Robin Red Breast! The trees are budding and the daffodils are coming up. I love watching all the birds that visit our home and feeders throughout the day. I think one of my favorite things to do is to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and my camera and spend some time with nature.

We love to be outdoors when the weather is nice. We are planning a lot of outdoor projects and enhancements to make our yard, deck, porch and gardens more of an outdoor oasis for family, friends and entertaining.

We will be re-staining our deck as soon as the weather is consistent enough for that. So once the deck is all revitalized we thought since it is so large, it would be nice to have a shady area since it gets a lot of sun.

That was when I started looking for a shade type gazebo awning. I found one I liked from Abba Patio and it was available right on Amazon. that was nice since I have Amazon Prime and it would be shipped to my house quickly and for free.

It is very nice quality and was not hard for my husband and I to put together. We set it up on the lawn since we have to stain the deck but we will update with photos when we have it set on the deck. The nice thing is you can secure it through the feet so you don’t have to worry about severe weather causing it to topple or get thrown around.

It is heavy-duty and the canvas top provides UV protection and is fade resistant. The light color works well to reflect heat and it provides a large enough space for a patio table and chairs or an outdoor seating group underneath. We are really looking forward to having everything set up on the deck and entertaining with our family and friends this spring and summer.

Product Features:

Beige polyester top-long lasting, fade resistant, easy to clean and 98% UV protection
Quick and easy set up with 2 or more people by easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions
Foot pads are installed to the canopy legs for added stability and easy access to secure anchor points
2-1/5 inch diameter powder coated steel leg tube resists chipping, peeling, rust and corrosion and provides increased stability
Heavy-duty bungee cord tightly secure the tarp cover to the fram

Check out the video below of how we assembled it and to see more of this great portable, tent gazebo by Abba Patio.

Would love to know what you have planned for your home and garden spring and summer projects. Let me know in the comments. Enjoy the season!

2 Comments

Filed under Home & Garden, Home Improvement, Outdoor, Review

Tagged as Abba Patio, Deck, Entertaining, garden, home, Improvements, Outdoor, Patio, Porch, Shade, Sun, UV Protection, Yard

March 7, 2016 · 12:15 am

How To Have Fun With Breakfast!

Do you love family breakfast time? A big weekend breakfast with pancakes, bacon, maple syrup and fresh squeezed orange juice sounds great doesn’t it? How about taking the fun factor up a notch with fun shaped pancakes. Think it sounds like a lot of work or is too hard? Well, you might be surprised to find out that it is not hard and it actually is a very fun process. It is so easy to make pancakes in fun shapes using the batter pen and fun silicone molds from Kitchen Khancepts.

The batter pen is easy to fill and easy to clean because both ends unscrew. Just fill it up with your favorite pancake batter and then squeeze it into the molds that you have placed in your pan or griddle. You can also use the pen for cake batter making it easy to fill cupcake molds. Everything is food safe materials and BPA Free. Take a look at our video below to see how it works.

You can find this great pancake set on Amazon and if you want to take a look just click on the link below. Let me know what you think.

Are You Looking For Outdoor Fun Ideas For Your Family?

We are moving into spring, the weather is warming up and soon the kids will be out of school for summer. Are you looking for fun outdoor things to do? How about camping? Even if it is in your own backyard, a family camping trip can be fun. You can start the night off with a fire in the fire pit, make s’mores, catch fireflies, have a sing a long and just talk and reconnect under the stars.

Kids have a blast camping out and you will make memories to last a lifetime. If you are looking for a nice 3 season tent for 2-3 people, you might want to take a look at the Semoo lightweight, waterproof, 3 Season Tent. This tent has a fun, vibrant orange color scheme. It is easy to set up. We put a tarp under ours. It comes packed in a duffel bag so that it is easy to transport.

The tent has a large front door with a screen window and the back of the tent features a screen window too! There are interior pockets on the left and right side of the interior of the tent. These pockets are great to hold your wallet, smartphone or smaller items.

Check out our video below to see all the great details. If you want to take a closer look there is a link at the end of the post to the Amazon listing.

I hope you and your family have some great adventures this summer.

Are You Storing Your Essential Oils Properly?

I love essential oils and my stash was getting a bit out of control. I needed a place to store it all so the search for a quality essential oil bag started. I recently ordered a Gogobag Essential Oil Case and I am so happy! It is a nice hard shell case with dual zipper closure and carry handle.

It holds 30 bottles of 10ml and 15ml oils according to the manufacturer’s description but it also held 5ml bottles. I love that it holds so many bottles so I can easily store it anywhere and it is effortless now for me to take my oils anywhere. Great when we are traveling too. The cases are black and available with either blue, green or pink accent coloring.

Check out my video below to see more great details about this Gogobag Essential Oil Case.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments. I will do my best to answer any questions and respond to your comments.

I was able to purchase this case at a discount in return for leaving an honest an unbiased product review. As always my words and views are 100% my own.

Do You Know What Everyone is Screaming About? #Giveaway

Can you hear the screaming? You can’t? Listen close, hear it now? Can you hear me screaming? I am, and I think you are too. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! See, I knew you would hear the screams. Who doesn’t love cold, creamy, delicious ice cream? Sorry to the lactose intolerant, you might want to stop reading now. Oh wait, you can stay, what I am going to talk about works for more than ice cream. It works for sorbet, gelato, sherbet, ice milk, lemon ice and more. You can have sorbet right? No dairy in there. See, feel better? Okay, so let’s get this ice cream truck on the road shall we?

So whether you are serving ice cream or any other frozen delicacy, you need something to serve it with. Let’s talk about ice cream scoops for a minute. How about something functional and fabulous. A scoop with unparalleled style and performance. One that is attractively boxed and presented, you just might say it’s the whole package.

The Belle-V Kitchen Ice Cream Scoop is a work of art! A weighted sculpted handle that is balanced to feel perfect in your hand along with an angled head that works with the natural rolling action of your wrist. This team work between your wrist and the angled head gives you the leverage you need to cut through the hardest ice cream like a hot knife through butter. The spade shaped head lets you get right into those hard-to-reach corners of ice cream containers.

Built to last this scoop is crafted from stainless steel for strength and durability. Each Belle-V Kitchen ice cream scoop is unique because they are hand polished. Storage pouch and box are included with each scoop. To keep your scoop looking great all you need to do is hand wash with nice, warm, soapy water and dry with a soft cloth.

We love this scoop and it has become our go-to ice cream scoop. My husband and kids don’t go a night without ice cream. They are active and fit so it is their dessert of choice in the evening. Needless to say our scoop gets its own evening workout and rises to the challenge again and again. This scoop goes the extra gallon and never lets us down. They even have a left-handed scoop too and I think we need it with 3 left-handers in our family of 7!

Giveaway

Belle-V Kitchen is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Right Handed Belle-V Kitchen Ice Cream Scoop. Thank you to Belle-V Kitchen for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Belle-V Kitchen Ice Cream Scoop Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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14 Comments

Filed under Coupon, Giveaway, Home, Home & Garden, Kickstarter, Kitchen, Review

Tagged as Belle-V, Design, functions, giveaway, Ice Cream, Kitchen, sorbet

· 2:27 am

Things To Consider When Choosing An Essential Oil Diffuser #Giveaway

I love using essential oil diffusers in my home. They are so beneficial in numerous ways. I love the aromatherapy effects that the diffused oil produces. There are so many diffusers on the market and you may be confused with all the choices. Like anything you have the subjective factors like one’s taste and preferences. Some like diffusers that have multiple LED light options, others do not, some like larger diffusers, others prefer smaller ones, some like the gently bubbling sounds and others are bothered by the sound. You also need to consider where you want to place it in your home or office.

I can speak to you about my preferences and taste. I love large volume diffusers. I adore the LED lights that change or remain fixed. To me they are very soothing and relaxing. I like a diffuser that has a very good mist output. I have found all that and more in my newest aroma ultrasonic diffuser from Aiho. You can see my video below.

This diffuser has awesome features. It has a huge 500 ml capacity! This diffuser will run for hours without needing to be refilled. Large volume diffusers like this are great to run overnight or all day without having to be refilled. There are 2 mist settings-low and high, the diffuser of course will run longer on low. The lights are so nice and can be set to change colors or stay fixed on one color. There are seven light colors but each one has 2 shades of intensity. The lights can also be turned off. There are timed run options starting at one hour and going up in increments. It also has a constant on until empty when the unit will shut itself automatically when the water tank is empty.

This diffuser has nice clear markings so you can add the amount of water you desire from 100 ml to 500 ml. It also has a gentle and soothing bubbling sound as the ultrasonic diffuser works to push the oil through the water volume and into the air. The cord on the plug is nice and long and allows you to have a lot of flexibility on the placement of the unit. I truly love this diffuser. If you are looking for a high-capacity diffuser with great LED lights, choice of mist speeds and run time options, you should check this out. It is available right on Amazon.

Save 20% Now!

Mommy Ramblings’ readers can save 20% now when you use this coupon code YY62AQCW when you purchase the diffuser on Amazon! Click HERE to Redeem!

Giveaway

Aiho is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own Aiho 500 ml Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser (Model AD-P1). Thank you to Aiho for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Aiho, Aromatherapy Essential Oil 500 ml Ultrasonic Diffuser Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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22 Comments

Filed under Giveaway, Health, Home, Home & Garden, Review

Tagged as Aiho, Aroma Diffuser, Aromatherapy, Diffuser, Essential Oils, giveaway, mommyramblings, review, Ultrasonic

February 7, 2016 · 5:23 pm

How To Give Your Dog A Bath Without Getting A Bath!

I have 3 white dogs, never realized just how crazy that was and no, it was not planned. They are definitely different shapes, sizes and breeds. We have a huge, muscular purebred American Bulldog, a medium West Highland White Terrier and a tiny Maltese. They all have extremely different coat types too. The bulldog has a short, straight coat that sheds. The Westie has a wiry non-shedding coat that does not have an undercoat. The Maltese has a thick double coat of silky non- shedding fur.

Living up in the mountains, we do not have a ready supply of dog groomers, nor do we have any mobile grooming vans. I take care of the grooming. We even put a huge farmhouse sink in our laundry room with an awesome faucet to bathe the two smaller and messier ones. I am very lucky because they like their baths and do not mind at all clipping, scissoring, brushing and combing.

The worst part of the bath is that dreaded shake. You know what I mean, the one that happens just as you are trying to find a towel. The one that leaves you wet from head to toe. Ugh, I hate that, but I have good news. I no longer have to search for the perfect towel. I have the perfect drying towel now and it is so super large and absorbent I can use it on both these hairy beasts and still use it for the bulldog without issue.

The e-cloth For Pets, Large Drying & Cleaning Towel is so large it absolutely surrounds my Maltese many times over. She loves that part after a bath where I wrap her in the towel and then dry her. By the time I take it off she is nearly dry. The bigger Westie who is always second for baths gets wrapped up after her and the towel still has so much absorption power that her wiry coat is barely damp after I am done. Whether you have one or multiple dogs this towel is a must. It will keep you dry, get your dogs dry and is built to last.

Quickly removes and locks away dirt, mud and bacteria
Absorbs twice as much moisture as a conventional towel and dries four times more quickly
Soft to touch and encourages pets to cuddle into
Guaranteed for 300 machine washes
size: 59.1″ x 31.5″

e-cloth is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win the e-cloth Large Pet Drying & Cleaning Towel. Thank you to e-cloth for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

e-cloth For Pets, Large Drying & Cleaning Towel Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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6 Comments

Filed under Giveaway, Home, Home & Garden, Pets, Review

Tagged as Bath, dog, Drying & Cleaning Towel, e-cloth, giveaway, Grooming, Mommy Ramblings, Pet

January 29, 2016 · 3:04 pm

Our Plan For More Family Movie Nights! #DataAndAMovie

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #DataAndAMovie #CollectiveBias

With a husband, 5 kids and an insanely busy life, I truly do not know how I would do all I do without technology. Our family is seriously “connected”. I love what technology has done for us, the doors it has opened, the lives we can touch and the lives that can touch us because of it. I can earn a living without leaving my home, no commute to some cubicle in corporate America. I have the ability to build my own dream and put my ideas in motion. The possibilities are truly endless. Technology not only opened those doors but it helps us all stay connected and on track. Smartphones are a given but with them we need a great data plan. What good is having a Smartphone if you are getting charged out the you-know-what whenever you use or go over you data plan.

I was at Walmart the other day and saw the newly lunched Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan. This is a great new service plan that features Unlimited Talk, Text & Data; 10GB 4G LTE. Oh and to further sweeten the deal this new plan includes one free VUDU move per month per line. All of that for only $49.88 a month! With a family like mine that can mean 5 free VUDU movies every month! Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this INFORMATION or your local Walmart for current pricing.

Our son Ethan has been bugging us for a phone and frankly it is something we have been considering as he is getting more involved with extracurricular activities and playing on sports teams. As he gets older, there will be more sports and activities. It will make Mom and Dad feel better knowing we have a way to let him know if we are running late or a way he can call or text us with anything. When I was at Walmart and saw the great price they had on the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, I picked it up. It was an amazing deal!

The phone is great, touch screen is very responsive, call sound is clear and crisp, phone is large enough to view recipes or photos in a good resolution. Music sounds great, could not be happier with it.

With all that data, I can do more and save more! When I am out shopping one of my favorite apps is Price Match. That app lets me scan the UPC code of any product and in seconds tells me who has the cheapest price. Since most stores match prices, that app alone has saved me hundreds of dollars. It really helps to have a plan like this because I use my phone so much.

I am always texting my husband a list of things to pick up at the store, texting my older kids, checking the weather when traveling, looking up phone numbers, finding restaurants or stores when traveling and on vacation and so much more! There are so many uses for data and so a plan like this is so awesome! The free VUDU movies, they are the icing on the data cake! A time to unwind and sit down for a family movie night is always a good plan. Oh and one rule-phones off!

We love the time to disconnect from our phones and spend that time connecting with each other and sharing a special movie together. We make a night of it with popcorn and movie theater candy. Hey I have even been checking out some great movie night treats on this Samsung Galaxy Grand via a Food App.

Let me know if you are going to check out this great plan. If you do, feel free to let me know about any great movies you watched. With 5 free movies a month I can use those recommendations!

1 Comment

Filed under #FamilyMobile, Home, Home & Garden, Life, Life Stages, Movies, Review, Rewards, Shoppertunity, Shopping, Special Offers

Tagged as #DataAndAMovie, #FamilyMobile, Data, Family Mobile Plus Plan, Family Movie Night, Free Movies, Samsung Galaxy Grand, Smart Phone, smartphone, Talk, Text, VUDU, walmart

December 16, 2015 · 7:59 pm

Best Housewarming Gift Ideas to Make You the Best Guest in the Party

Attending housewarming parties is always fun and exciting. You share the excitement of the family, couple, or perhaps a single person (who is most likely rich for buying a house for himself). It is a joyous celebration! And you surely do not want to come empty-handed. It just does not feel right even though the couple might probably include in the invitation that no gifts needed. You know that’s just being polite. In reality, they would love to receive gifts, especially good ones. Well, do not be blinded by the word good. Good does not necessarily mean expensive. So there is no need to panic or worry.

Here are some best housewarming gift ideas that will make you the best guest at the party.

Customized welcome mat – living in a new home can be surreal. And often, house owners feel very sentimental and particular. They want everything to be meaningful and special. Giving them a customized welcome mat will surely be a great idea. Make sure to include something that will represent the family or probably their names on it.
Custom address stamp – couples or new house owners usually send out tons of thank you notes or cards to inform people of their new address. A custom address stamp will be very helpful for them. Also, it’s just too cute! They’ll love it without a doubt.
Personalized cutting board – it is common to give kitchenware or appliances for housewarming parties however, if you want to be remembered, make sure to come up with unique idea. How about a personalized cutting board? Include a humorous message that will remind them of you. Most moms who love to cook are particular about cutting boards – so this is a winning idea indeed.
Fire extinguisher – make sure to extend your care for their new home. Giving them a fire extinguisher will help them prepare for emergency cases. This is a very important thing but most house owners tend to overlook its importance. So be the one to remind them how important it is to have fire extinguisher in the house.
Customized Christmas ornament – Christmas holiday is just around the corner. Come up with a customized Christmas ornament that they can display on their new house.
Scented candles – they surely want to keep the house smelling fresh and fragrant all the time. Giving scented candles will be good gift idea to keep their house a comfortable haven.
Cookbook – for newly married couple, a cookbook gift will be nice. It will assist the wife to cook delicious foods for the husband and the entire family. Make sure to choose a really good cookbook. If you have personal recipes you want to share then you should compile everything and come up with a personalized cookbook.

The hosts of the party will definitely love these gifts. They will definitely think that they made the right choice inviting you to the housewarming party.

Thinking of buying your own house? Australia is perfect country to raise a family. Lend Lease’s house and land packages in Adelaide are wonderful with great neighborhood and nearby parks and walking trails for outdoor activities. Who knows, you might be the next host of a housewarming party.

The following is a sponsored guest post and the views expressed do not necessarily express the views or ideas of Mommy Ramblings.

1 Comment

Filed under Home, Home & Garden, sponsored guest post

Tagged as #Sponsored, Buying, Gift, Guest, Guest Post, house, Housewarming, New Home, party, Real Estate

December 2, 2015 · 2:17 pm

Joyous Christmas Stories To Leave You Renewed With Holiday Spirit! #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

The Christmas season is so busy that we often rush through it flustered, sometimes or often frustrated at our long to-do list and we miss the time to be still. You know what I mean, unwind with a cup of tea and relax, maybe read a short uplifting story. We think we have no time to do that but it can actually help us refocus and be more productive than continuing to run around like a chicken with our head cut off. If taking a brief rest sounds good and you would like to curl up with a great book of uplifting and inspirational Christmas stories, I can recommend a great book.

Chicken Soup for the Soul, Merry Christmas is filled with 101 Joyous Holiday Stories! There is a forward by St. Nick himself!

Inside you will find story after story of family bonding, holiday hijinks, then joy of giving, community spirit, family and religious traditions. Some will make you laugh out loud, others will cause you to get a little teary eyed. All the stories will leave you smiling and with an eagerness to share the holidays with new ideas, a new perspective and enthusiasm for this magical time of the year.

You will find stories from Thanksgiving through New Year’s and even some of Hanukkah in this book that has something for everyone. We think this book is a great gift this Holiday Season so you will find it on Mommy Ramblings 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Three lucky blog reader will win a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Merry Christmas. Thank you to Chicken Soup for the Soul for the review book and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Merry Christmas Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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5 Comments

Filed under Books, Christmas, Faith, Family, Giveaway, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guide, Home & Garden

Tagged as #HolidayGiftGuide, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Gift, Giveway, Inspiration, Joyous, Merry Christmas, Mommy Ramblings, Stories