Summer is Almost Here! Plan Your Disneyland Trip with Red Lion Hotel Anaheim!

May 14, 2013 By Natalie 10 Comments

It’s May and school will be wrapping up soon, it’s time to start thinking about summer family vacations!

Last October, my family and I were so fortunate to be guests at the Red Lion Hotel Anaheim. The hotel perfectly combined comfort and convenience even while being very budget conscious!

We have stayed as a family at many hotels, and Red’s Pasta Kitchen was hands down one of the best amenities we have encountered! They start each day with the Roaring Start Breakfast Buffet! All week it starts, for the early risers, at 6:30 a.m. and for us who (try to) sleep in, the breakfast buffet lasts until 9:30. And they have everything! We devoured the pancakes, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon and sausage. For those who prefer to have a lighter breakfast, the Roaring Start Breakfast Buffet also has bagels, breakfasts, cereals, yogurts and of course juices and coffee! All of this is just $9.95 per person. Our whole family was able to take a short elevator ride to breakfast and everyone thought it was a delicious experience!

Red’s Pasta Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner with a very comprehensive Italian menu. It blends scrumptious food with a VERY family friendly atmosphere. The staff was helpful, prompt and so friendly. The food was served hot and it tasted amazing. I splurged and had the fettuccine alfredo, my husband had a delicious steak meal and my kids all loved the traditional spaghetti with marinara sauce. We enjoyed a few meals at Red’s during our stay, and even took the left overs back to the room and kept them in the mini-fridge for a before-bed snack. Other nights we ordered room service and it was delivered fast and just as ordered-even with special requests!

After a long (HOT) day at Disneyland, my kids loved the outdoor pool and I enjoyed the gorgeous setting. My husband splashed in the heated pool-they are open until 9 pm, as I read a book in one of the comfortable chairs alongside the pool. It was perfect! Disneyland was fun, but you want a place to come back to that gives you a calming feeling-and this atmosphere definitely does!

On Friday and Saturday nights, the staff, including the night time manager, came out to the fire pits in the pool area and made ‘smores for the guests. This was just the perfect end to a long, fun day. Everyone employed at this hotel seem genuinely happy to be there and eager to make sure we were the same!

We did get quite a bit of exercising walking around Disneyland, but we wanted to also check out the Energy Zone Fitness Center. It offered both aerobic and weight training with a variety of machines: treadmills, elliptical machines, stair steppers, stationary bicycles and a weight training circuit. It was a great stress-relieving ending to a full day. My husband and I took turns working out when our little ones went to bed at their usual early hour. It was really a excellent experience to have all of this at one hotel!

The rooms were also fantastic. Check them out in this post-they thought of everything, down to the last comfortable detail!

We would highly recommend the Red Lion Hotel Anaheim for your summer Disneyland vacation! The hotel and the room were both superb, had very affordable rates, the staff was wonderful and knew everything Disneyland related and also the hotel offered many monthly specials you will want to check out!

A BIG thank you to Pam Scott, Cindy Hooper and all of the gracious Red Lion Anaheim Staff for hosting us! We loved every second of it!

Disclosure: We received a stay at the fabulous Red Lion Hotel Anaheim to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and 100% true.

Filed Under: Natalie, Red Lion Anaheim, review

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with Werther’s Sugar-Free Candy! #WerthersSugarFree

May 10, 2013 By Sippy Cup Mom 11 Comments

Thank you Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy for sponsoring this post.

I love when there are certain foods that bring back such great memories. It’s been years since I’ve had Werther’s Candies, but when I recently tried one again it brought me back about 15 years when I would be spending time with my Grandma, who always had a purse full of Werther’s Candies.

It was exactly how I remembered it – a delicious and rich caramel flavor that just melts in your mouth. But unlike the candies that I had years ago, I had tried the Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candies! That’s right, sugar free and just as delicious as the original!

I had twins about 2 months ago and I’m breastfeeding both of them. I’ve been actively watching my diet, trying to lose weight and make sure that I’m not eating too much sugar. I’ve actually completely cut out soda which is a huge thing for me. Before I was pregnant, I would drink several a day!

Unfortunately, while I was pregnant I got quite the sweet tooth. When I had the girls, I told myself that I had to cut the sweets out. Thanks to Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candies, I get my sweet fix without the sugar and all of the calories – each piece is only 8 calories! Now, while I’m working on the computer I grab Werther’s Candies instead of getting up for some ice cream or chocolate.

The Sugar-Free Werther’s Candies comes in four delicious varieties - Caramel Apple, Caramel Coffee, Caramel Cinnamon and Original Caramel. I’m in love with the original and the caramel apple! It’s just so good, you don’t even believe that it’s sugar free!

My Mom recently found out that she is diabetic and I know that she is going to be missing her sweets so I’m excited to bring her over some Werther’s Candies so she can satisfy her sweet tooth without having to worry.

If you’re looking for a candy that doesn’t contain the sugar, Werther’s Original Sugar-Free Candies is for you! Make sure to like them on Facebook to learn more!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: review

Personalize your iPhone Case with Get Uncommon {Giveaway!}

April 30, 2013 By Sippy Cup Mom 14 Comments

My son is in preschool and I absolutely love all of the artwork that he brings home. Most of it goes right onto our fridge and we recently have had to start taping his art onto the doors in our kitchen. I really do love it all, so it’s so hard to get rid of any of it. There are some of his creations that I just love and store in a special bin so I don’t lose them.

I’ve always thought I would love to somehow do something special with one of his projects – maybe turn it into a canvas print or on a necklace. I never thought about combining it with one of my must-items – an iPhone case!

My iPhone is with me at all times and when I had the chance to create my very own personalized iPhone case displaying my son’s artwork thanks to Get Uncommon, I jumped at the chance!

With Uncommon, the power of creativity is in your hands. You can make your case truly uncommon by uploading a personal image or choosing artwork from their Galleries. Their exclusive 3D TATT® (Thermo-Active Transdermal Technology) printing process transfers the ink deep into the case’s surface–much like a tattoo to ensure long-lasting vibrant designs.

If you’re like me, you’ve got a ton of special artwork from your little one too. I went through all of Hayden’s art and found a fun one and then set off to make my uncommon iPhone case.

It’s really easy to get started on the Get Uncommon website. All you have to do is click on the Customize button and then upload a favorite picture or in my case, my son’s artwork! You can choose to see the artwork on a variety of different cases from iPhones to iPods and iPads.

Once I selected that I have an iPhone 4S, I could choose from a few different cases. Then, I was able to see the artwork on the back of the case. I moved it around to the perfect place and even had the option to add text. Once you have everything in the perfect spot, you order the case and it arrives in just a few days!

The quality of the Get Uncommon case is fantastic! Very durable, but not too bulky. I love how bright and clear the bumblebee turned out and every time I get my phone out, I smile.

Check out this sweet video and get inspired to make a case for yourself or a loved one from Get Uncommon! This would be such a unique gift – perfect for Mother’s Day!

Win a $50 Gift Card to Get Uncommon to make your own personalized case!

Enter the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends May 3rd.

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Disclosure: I received the above product for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, review

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Princess Twilight Sparkle Coming 4/30! {Review & Giveaway}

April 24, 2013 By Natalie 38 Comments

My daughter absolutely squealed with excitement when she say the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Princess Twilight Sparkle dvd! This newest dvd is a set of five episodes. Shhh… but Princess Twilight sparkle finally becomes a real princess! After watching this sweet little My Little Pony story, your princess can sing along with the bonus material and bring the coloring sheets to life with their own creativity!

I loved My Little Pony growing up and was so happy when all my children fell in love too! In these episodes, Twilight arrives in Ponyville and has learned Princess Celestria’s most valuable lesson which is the meaning of true friendship. In this world of cartoon characters being so negative to each other, I loved that this dvd promoted this important message: value your friendships!

My three kids (ages 2, 4 and 6) sat enraptured on the couch watching Twilight complete her challenges to earn her princess wings along with all the responsibilities that go along with being a princess. Adventures come along in Twilight’s journey and my kids were thoroughly entertained by the beautiful animation and the fun story line. I really appreciated the morals that the dvd taught along the way.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Princess Twilight Sparkle Episodes Include:

Games Ponies Play
Magical Mystery Cure
Mmmystery of the Friendship Express
Magic Duel
Lesson Zero

Bonus Features:

Sing-Along

Coloring Sheet

One Sippy Cup Mom reader will be able to share the Magic of My Little Pony Princess Twilight Sparkle! Enter below to win!
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Filed Under: DVD, Giveaways, Natalie, review

Sound the Octo-Alert: Octonauts Toys are Now Available at Toys R Us!

April 19, 2013 By Sippy Cup Mom 15 Comments

Explore. Rescue. Protect. Octonauts!

Fisher Price has recognized how much children love Disney Junior’s Octonauts and have released a collection of toys available at Toys R Us aimed for preschoolers!

If you don’t know who the Octonauts are, you are missing out! The Octonauts airs on Disney Junior and is a team of eight underwater heroes led by Captain Barnacles! They explore the ocean, rescue creatures who need help and protect their habitats!

As an Octonauts ambassador, we recently received two of the toys from the Octonauts collection and it did not disappoint My son absolutely loves them and plays with them every day.

Octonauts Octopod Playset

The Octopod is the Octonauts homebase and designed to look like an Octopus! This fun playset includes everything you need to recreate your favorite Octonauts episode!

It includes Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, a mini GUP-A, 3 creatures to save and protect, 4 rescue tools and an Octo-Alert that clips on to both the Octopod or your little one!

Kwazii in the Octopod

Sound the Octo-Alert!

Hayden absolutely loved the Octopod and spends the majority of his time playing with it. He recently had a friend over who actually gasped when he saw it and they had so much fun playing with it. It’s big enough that more than one child can have fun exploring and rescuing sea creatures in need.

The only time I was able to get them away from the Octonauts toys during their play date was to actually put Octonauts on the TV!

The Octopod Playset retails for $39.99 at Toys R Us.

Octonauts GUP-A Mission Vehicle

The GUP-A Mission Vehicle is also a big favorite in our household! The vehicle comes with Captain Barnacles and with this, you can rescue the angler fish it comes with, along with three rescue tools!

Hayden loved when he discovered that you could crank the propeller in the back and off it went on our floors! It has some really good speed too! And for even more fun, you can bring the GUP-A Mission Vehicle in the bath with you! Once in the water, the Gup A’s headlights and antenna will change color just like in the show! Best of all, the pieces all store inside the vehicle so they don’t get scattered and lost (like so many other toys do!).

The GUP-A Mission Vehicle retails for $19.99 at Toys R Us.

We are such big fans of the Octonauts show and I’m so excited to see that there is this collection of toys available. They really let my son use his imagination and he has gotten lost in the toys for hours as he creates adventures with the Octonauts crew.

You can head over to the Toys R Us website to see the whole collection of Octonauts toys or head to the store! They offer up more vehicles and the rest of the team so you can really recreate an Octonaut adventure! We have already visited our local Toys R Us to pick up more toys to add to what we already have!