Mommy Ramblings

November 30, 2016 · 11:31 pm

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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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12 Comments

Filed under Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review

Tagged as amazon, eBay, giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, mommyramblings, pets, Postal Scale, review, Scale, Selling, Shipping, Shipping Scale, Smart Weigh, Weighing

· 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 · 2:25 pm

A New App to Help With Depression Management

“This post was developed in partnership with Pfizer as part of an Influencer Activation for InfluenceCentral.”

I know many people who struggle with depression. It can be very difficult for them to even complete the smallest tasks and in the worst stages to even get out of bed. It is very hard to watch someone you care about go through this because you know that they have so much good to contribute to the world.Thankfully we are now very aware of depression and understand that there is help available.

Millions in the United States suffer from depression and 1 in 15 adults have reported experiencing one major depressive episode in any given year. People can feel overwhelmed, alone and hopeless when dealing with their depression. Treatment for depression often includes a number of approaches such as talk therapy, medication, peer support, and a personal wellness plan.

However, even with all that, it can be hard for some patients to stick with their treatment plan. The results of a recent survey found that 70% of patients being treated for depression or another mental health disorder would appreciate some type of mobile tracker to monitor their moods, treatment,progress and more. The good news is that with all the advances in technology there are tools that can help patients as they manage their depression.

Recently, I was selected to test an app developed by Pfizer called the Moodivator. Pfizer consulted with psychiatrists to create this helpful tool that goes along with a patient’s treatment to provide motivation in a simple, effective and mobile way. The Moodivator lets patients track their mood,set goals, establish routines and more that may assist them and complement their treatment. The app is easy to navigate and use, you can see a video about it HERE.

The app is free and can be downloaded for iPhones at the Apple App Store. I downloaded it recently and was amazed at how easy it was to begin using. I liked that you could easily enter your mood and then add details of why you feel that way. You can also set goals for yourself. They can be things that you need to achieve that day or long-term goals.

You are able to enter and keep track of important work, personal or family tasks as well. There is also a reason that you enter for your goal so that you can remember why it is so important to achieve. Having an app like this on my smartphone makes it easy to see how this can really help someone who is taking baby steps to make positive changes and get more out of life.

If patients use the app consistently it can provide great insight to them about why they feel certain ways and perhaps notice a pattern that can even be shared with their care givers if they choose. The mood tracker is a simple sliding scale so it is easy to adjust and record mood changes throughout the day. They may notice that they experience sadness at a certain time every day and may find it is triggered by the same thing every time. That knowledge can help them identify and eliminate triggers that will help them break that cycle

“The Moodivator app is not a treatment for depression and does not take the place of your doctor’scare or advice. This app also includes information about a prescription treatment option for depression.”

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 27, 2016 · 12:26 am

Handmade Stuffed Animals Made From Reclaimed Wool in Canada #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Have you ever felt a stuffed animal so soft you could not stop yourself from touching it over and over? If you have not, you have not been up close and personal with a Cate and Levi’s Stuffed Animal. We recently welcomed a Cate and Levi Handmade Stuffed Bunny into our family. Our bunny is one of a kind because they are all handmade of premium reclaimed wool i Canada, no two are the same! The fun thing is that you never know what your bunny will look like until you open the package. I love the color/pattern combo we were sent.

This bunny reminds me of a bunny my daughter has had since she was very little. I can see how a child would love a bunny like this for life and how it would find its way to a college dorm room just as my oldest daughter’s bunny did. My little kids love this and I do too. It also makes a lovely room accent. We love it so much we are adding it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2016 Holiday Gift Guide.

This bunny is no small fry, it is approximately 22″ in height. The bunny can be hand or machine washed and you can machine dry on low.

Check out my video review of this adorable bunny:

Cate and Levi is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a Cate and Levi Handmade Stuffed Bunny! Thank you to Cate and Levi for the review bunny and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Cate and Levi Handmade Stuffed Bunny Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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7 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Gift, Giveaway, kids, Review, Toys

Tagged as Canada, Cate and Levi, Gifts, giveaway, Handmade Stuffed Bunny, Holiday Gift Guide, Mommy Ramblings, review, toys

November 26, 2016 · 4:40 pm

Update on Our Powder Room Renovation-See Our Vanity Choice!

We have 2 new renovation projects underway. Our kitchen and the renovation of our powder room with a new vanity, lighted mirror cabinet, new toilet and new paint. We made our decision on the vanity and medicine cabinet and want to share our choice with you.

We are happy to be working with Strasser Woodenworks and love their selection of bathroom vanities, vanity tops and medicine cabinets. We chose the 34.5″ height vanity in the Montlake Collection. For our door style we chose the miter and for our finish we picked satin white.

The vanity size is 48″ and we went with a 49″ pearl white quartz top with rectangular sink. We ordered the top to be customized for a one hole faucet.

For the medicine cabinet we went with the traditional tri-view with the matching miter door style in the satin white finish. We chose the model with the LED light bar.

I think this is going to look great and really update the space nicely and give us a so much more useful storage space. Stay tuned to see the progress of this new project and for the update on the toilet and faucet we chose for this bathroom.

If you are looking for a new vanity, check out Strasser Woodenworks. I have been working with Peter and he has been very helpful through the process. Strasser has over 10,000 combinations of door styles, finishes, knobs, pulls, granite, quartz and vitreous china tops.

Everything is made in the USA to order! It takes about 2 weeks for the vanity and medicine cabinet to be built using hardwoods sourced in the USA and Canada. They build with quality hardware and their soft close hinges are the highest quality and durable. Their cabinets are built with hardware not glued!

Strasser Woodenworks products come with a warranty to be free of defects in workmanship, materials and finish failure for as long as you own the product. That makes me feel really good! You can stay in the loop with Strasser Woodenworks on Facebook, Google +, Pinterest and Houzz.

Let me know what you think of our choice by leaving a comment here. I would love to know what you think.

9 Comments

Filed under Curb Appeal, Home, Home & Garden, Home Improvement

Tagged as Bathroom, Curb Appeal, curbappeal, home improvement, Strasser Woodenworks, Vanity

· 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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