Sippy Cup Product Review

For the most part, the majority of sippy cups claim to be spill proof. 

We've tried all of the above...literally!  *winks*  And ya know what? 

They all leak! 

All over the car seat or car floor, in the crib, the playroom rug, etc.

Totally by accident I stumbled upon a cup that lives up to it's advertising!

Mommy had finally had enough of bottles.  Granted they only came out at nap and bedtime, but it was time they were gone!  For two weeks I "prepped" my little girl that one day the bottles would have to go "bye bye."  That day came.  She hugged and kissed her night-night bottle and then was happy to accept her new Pooh sippy cup, to be used only at naps and for night-night.  (Whew!  Thank You, Jesus!)

Walking through the cup isle at Wal-Mart this was the only Pooh sippy I could find that day.  She's NOT "into" Dora or Disney Princesses so Pooh was my natural choice.  Leary of having ANOTHER leaky cup in her crib I watched this one carefully.  Miracle of miracles - not a drip spilled all night long! 

Lots of shaking and turning up-side-down and the like has gone into my opinion.  

So...stop spending your money on trying sippy cup after sippy cup....

 The Playtex Twist n' Click rises above all others!

You can buy this cup insulated or just regular plastic.  We have both.

So there you have my advise.  Cups are spendy.  Some kids are picky.  It costs a lot to keep trying and failing.  We have finally found one that makes Mommy and Baby happy!  (The price is still too high for little plastic cups I think, but they all are!)

If your kid prefers a straw, there is also that option available!  Neat!

Product Overview:
The Insulator - with the Twist 'n Click feature - simply twist the lid on the cup until you hear and feel the lid click closed, then you'll know the cup is 100% leak-proof. Designed For Baby:-Thin, tapered spout is ideal for little mouths-Insulated to keep drinks cool and fresh longer-Easy to activate - liquid flows easily when child sips-Stage 3-12+ months Designed For Mom:-Durable cup is 100% break proof-Lid is interchangeable with all Playtex Twist 'n Click cups-All parts are dishwasher safe-Patented spill-proof valve eliminates messes and is easy to clean 9 oz Cup

For the Disney Princess Insulated Cup...
<a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000026578452&pid=10694&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.overstockdrugstore.com%2Fpassthrough.php%3Furl%3Dproducts%2FPlaytex-Baby-The-Insulator-Twist-'n-Click-Spout-Cup%252CDisney-Princess%252C-9-oz.html%26prodid%3D10694%26cvsfhu%3D3130363934&usg=AFHzDLtydX67xpclVkuQr1Y6PsYTQqJ4Yg&pubid=21000000000391365"><img src="http://www.overstockdrugstore.com/product_images/j/078300057734.jpg%22/%3E%3C/a>

For the Disney Cars Insulated Cup...
<a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000026578452&pid=7543&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.overstockdrugstore.com%2Fpassthrough.php%3Furl%3Dproducts%2FPlaytex-The-Insulator-Twist-'n-Click-9-oz-Cup%252C-Disney-Cars.html%26prodid%3D7543%26cvsfhu%

**I was in no way compensated for this review.

My Stackable Mugs

I just love 'em!  They're classy yet whimsy. 

World Market carries this set.

 

They add just the pop of color I want in my kitchen - the walls and tiles are so neutral.

Sitting next to my husband's older version Keurig machine,

they hold exactly the right amount of coffee or tea!

The mugs were a gift that I was thrilled to received.

Do YOU have a favorite cup or mug?

My silence the past few days is due to the fact that I was out of town for a friend's wedding.  Several post ideas are floating in my head.  I'll be back soon!

Husband Clearance

Here's what happens when your husband stops by the grocery store...and wanders through the clearance isle.  Uh huh - 9 boxes of gluten free cookie mix.  Yes, they WERE 50% off.  But now what? 

My creative husband has discovered that sugar cookie dough makes for a marvelous cobbler topping, so that's what we're SUPPOSED to do with at least half of these boxes, so I'm told.  *smiles*  (You can use homemade, or the dough that comes pre-made in the tube!) 

So the top shelf in my pantry is now lined with these boxes.  A reminder of my man's thriftiness...just like all those canned goods on the OTHER side of the pantry.  *winks*

Kipper the Dog 2nd Birthday Party

Planning a feminine puppy party is no simple feat lemme tell ya!  Here's my best shot - and it was fun. 

(I have edited out my daughter's name in several of the pictures.  If there appears to be a "blank" spot in some of the decorating...there is...but only in the pic!)

Woof!



On the front door, this wreath welcomed our guests.  It took forever to curl that much ribbon, but I like the outcome. 



The cake was ordered from an awesome local bakery.  Unfortunately, there was a mix-up about the colors so when the cake arrived I was shocked to see coloring more along the "neon" lines than pale or pastel!  And instead of pale teal, there was blue!  *sigh*  It still tasted great. 

And the coloring ended up working just fine with the entry table...



The "Doggie Bags" were the take home favors for the kids.  Here's what was in 'em...

I put my daughter's picture at the front of a cellophane bag with the other goodies behind.  "With love and thanks" was written on the picture (designed quickly in Power Point and printed at Wal-Mart) and made for a great "Thank You" card.  (Stickers, bracelet, Fruit Leather and dog bone candy were included in the Doggie Bag.  Bone Cup and Bubbles were given out separately.)

Stretch Island Fruit Leather is kept on hand in my pantry.  We get it at Costco.  The dog bone individually packaged candies and stickers were from Oriental Trading Co. with the dog bone cups bought off of Amazon. 

The take home treat for the adults came in the form of this fun lollipop!  Also thanks to Oriental Trading Co.  Instead of using a letter for a monogram, I had them print the number "2" with her name underneath.  They turned out exactly as I had imagined.

The printable water bottle labels cost about $20.00 for 100 of 'em and they're not even water proof!  My husband actually had the idea of using the wider ribbon instead!  Cheaper AND it held up to the sweating bottles.  I whipped out my scissors and a glue gun and these were done quickly!





I affixed a floral wreath upside down, to the light fixture over our dining room table.  Then, hung this sign above the food!  Target had these great dry erase (double sided!) boards and strips in their dollar bin.

Pink and white marshmallows nod to the outer space "Bleeper People" from the Kipper show.  Iced shortbread cookies are one of my all-time favorites!

Who can resist puppy chow?  Yummy goodness.

Having big, awkward bags of chips just tossed on a table can be tacky at a "nice" party.  The table was quite full and didn't exactly have room for more bowls.  Instead, this basket housed the rolled-down chip bags nicely.

Strangely, I stumbled upon this nifty idea!  I made a magnet board full of pictures of our daughter - birth to 2 years.  The cut-out flowers I hot glued on the back of a basic round magnet (found at any craft store) and just "stuck" the magnet in the middle of the baking cup!  Just the little touch of color and creativity I was looking for.  (I also made a couple baking cup garlands which are not shown.)

Because we have chosen to be gluten, sugar and dairy free...all the time for our daughter, and some of the time for me...it's hard to find a "cake" she can eat!  (Last year we left out the whole "get all messy with the cake" thing and instead she had half of an avocado with a birthday candle.  *grins*) 

This year, I discovered and apple cinnamon muffin mix that fit our "standards."  She was thrilled to have her own special cake - with blueberries and strawberries on top. 

Thanks for celebrating our daughter's 2nd birthday with us!  Glad you could come. 

We have been blessed.

*All printables were designed by WithLoveGreetings found over at Etsy.  She was so easy to work with and helped me out with a last minute invite!

What Could It Be? And a Sneak Peek.

We are refinishing a Goodwill find.  Hopefully it will be done in just a couple of weeks - there are two pieces, one is ready for staining.  Even our daughter decided she should help out...after all, it IS for HER!  *smiles*  Now, it's a family project.

Here's a sneak peek from the birthday party post which is coming soon.  (Still editing out names, etc.)

This Is The Way We Post

Above you see a picture of the boxes which recently were mailed from my home.  Nothing uniform about 'em.  In fact, I think my husband was quite embarrassed hauling the potty chair box into the Post Office!  But hey, those boxes are what we had on hand.  And we got a good laugh out of it.  (The potty box was headed to a family with three little ones, so I knew they would understand.)

This is the way my in-laws have ALWAYS mailed things...letters, boxes...you name it!  (This box was covered front AND back.)  My husband's side of the family has a few avid stamp collectors who well, collect great stamps!  Imagine my surprise when I opened up one of my magazines (Which one?  Uhm...Country Living maybe?) and saw them suggest the same thing!

Oh and a note to the Postal Service - not ONE of the stamps had been cancelled on the above pictured package.  NOW what am I supposed to do?  Re-use them or trash em?  Moral dilemma.  *smiles*

My daughter's birthday invitation last year was mailed out in a similar fashion...

So, this is the way we post things around here.  It's good to take a common task, such as mailing a letter, and add a twist to make it fun!  Be silly by using a diaper box to mail something to your brother or stick a page full of 2 cent stamps on an envelope.  Yes, there are times to be very tasteful and send packages full of tactfulness.  But hey...lighten up a little and enjoy a basic task for a change.