Thanks, Mail Carrier

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Collapsible, Portable Fun for Kids Everywhere: Packable Pails {Review & Giveaway — 2 winners!}

With the start of the next school year already in sight, my family is looking forward to giving summer a proper sendoff with our upcoming beach vacation. The sun, the sand, the ability to alternate between relaxing on a lounge chair and splashing around with my kids in the water... nothing beats the beach!

Even better, from an early age both of my girls have loved the water and have a great time swimming and playing around in the waves. Unlike so many other activities, they stay very content when running in and out of the water, digging monstrous holes, building sandcastles, collecting seashells or more. All that is required is a bucket and a shovel and they are just as happy as I am!

But... that's all fine when we are visiting family who have those buckets and shovels to lend or are staying in a rental home or resort that have a shelf of beach necessities. But if not? Then what? Take up half the suitcase trying to stuff clothing into a bucket that is then (maybe) crammed in? Hope for a store within walking distance of your hotel that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for beach toys?

Nah. That's all a thing of the past now that there is a much easier solution: Packable Pails!

Full sized collapsible beach pails available in four vibrant colors, Packable Pails are the new must-have beach accessory for families everywhere. Why spend money on items that you're going to leave behind when your vacation ends when you can bring along this versatile, unique award-winning pail instead?

From the moment I was introduced to Packable Pails, there was no doubt in my mind that the concept was genius. These great pails can be used at home in the sandbox, to collect Easter eggs or to hunt down interesting rocks and then fold down in a snap for easy storage. And, as mentioned, when traveling they're a must due to only taking up a few inches of space!

I had to see them in person to see if they were truly as brilliant as I thought!

Right out of the packaging and the answer was a resounding YES, these were just as incredible as I had hoped.

When condensed, Packable Pails only measure about 2" high (two stack together to only 3" high!), which is easily laid at the bottom of a suitcase, tucked into a beach bag or simply stowed under the seat of the car.

But then, voilà!

Any child can easily hold onto the rim with one hand and push down on the bottom of the pail with the other...

...while simultaneously being amazed that a full sized bucket then appears.

How incredibly cool is it to be able to pop open your pail when you reach the beach?!

Big Sister E and Little Sister B have been enthralled with their Packable Pails ever since they arrived and can't wait to bring them on our upcoming vacation.

For now, however, they have put them to use in a wide variety of places around our home and at nearby locations and have had a blast — there just isn't a place that these pails can't go!

When it's time to leave, of course, packing up our Packable Pails has been just as easy. Flip them over and gently press on the bottom (and tuck in any folds that need straightening) and it all condenses right back into its flattened state. I love not needing to devote a large portion of a bag to carrying extra bulk!

Whether filled with sand, water, rocks, food (these are food safe and great for toting snacks), seashells, dirt, other toys, utilized as a reusable gift container or many, many more, Packable Pails are the one-of-a-kind beach bucket that save time, money and hassle at home or on vacation!

Packable Pails retail for $14.99 and are available now at PackablePails.com and in retail locations throughout the United States and Canada. You can also stay up-to-date on what is going on with this innovative company by connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Plus, thanks to the generosity of Packable Pails, two people will soon be fully prepared to head on their next trip to the beach without a worry about how to bring along the most iconic beach toy ever, because...

Two lucky people will win a Packable Pails gift set*!

*Gift set contains (1) Packable Pail in winner's choice of color, (1) shovel and (1) reusable tote bag.

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A big thank you to Packable Pails for providing two pails and shovels for me to review as well as a gift set for two lucky giveaway winners. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Kick Off Fall with High Quality Children's Shoes from Umi {Review & Giveaway}

As much as my kids love summer, knowing that they have less than a month until school starts has added an electricity to the air that can't be beat. Who will their teacher be? What new friends will be made? What compares to the feeling of a newly sharpened pencil and opening a crisp new notebook?

So, while my kids rejoice in being able to return to school for educational as well as entertainment reasons, I have been focusing on ensuring that their closets are ready for the change in schedule.

Instead of grabbing any old t-shirt and shorts, I'm making sure that both girls have clothes that actually fit (and aren't stained). And, instead of the sandals that they have been putting through the ringer all summer long, it's time for stylish footwear that is durable, dependable and stylish.

Which is why we know that to consistently find a wide selection of fashionable, comfortable and top-of-the-line styles for kids, we need to turn to none other than Umi!

Founded in 2004, Umi has been offering high quality, comfortable and stylish footwear ever since. Whether you are shopping for the rugged, outdoor look, something with glitz and glamour to dress up in or simple, stylish flats for everyday wear, Umi has boys' and girls' fashions to suit everyone's tastes.

Whether it is their innovative "umiCloud" technology (removable insoles made of thick, plush memory foam), their flexible soles, their room-to-grow or more, Umi truly is committed to providing comfort in each and every detail of their shoes. From baby to big kid, why would I want anything less for my children's growing feet?

Around here though, no matter what styles arrive, my kids are always immediately in love as soon as they open the boxes!

Also available in an array of patent and smooth leathers in both brights and darks, the Ria II are the perfect combination of dressy with casual for Big Sister E. Not to mention that I love the versatility of the styling and that these could be worn with such a variety of outfits (alone, with socks or with tights) for so many occasions!

The sturdy construction and reinforced contoured outsole give plenty of support, yet are just right for providing traction and comfort, while the cushioned leather footbed is the ultimate in comfort. Combine those with the genuine leather uppers and linings and the strong Velcro closure and it only takes a second or two to pop these on and off.

No matter if she is wearing the Ria II on the playground or while attending a wedding, Big Sister E is sure to stay plenty chic and classic without being too girly for her liking.

At the same time, I love that Little Sister B's Amery II shoes also take the standard Mary Jane styling but make it even more sporty with the athletic feel of a sneaker. Also available in a light blue color combination, these durable, cushioned, breathable shoes are so incredibly bright and fun for every young girl!

As well as the two-toned pinks throughout the design (which are balanced just right with the white of the flexible, man-made outsole), Little Sister B was especially drawn to the extra touches in the details throughout — the bright stitching, the breathable mesh and the splashes of pink creeping up from the bottom.

Overall, she is thrilled to be able to pull these on so easily (yay, Velcro!) with or without socks with jeans, shorts, pants, dresses, skirts and more!

As I had used Umi's convenient size chart and knew that their shoes are handcrafted to include room to grow and fit generously, I was pleased to see that these shoes are a perfect fit on both girls with just enough space that they'll be able to wear them all throughout the fall and well into the winter!

With sky-high standards for quality and a mission to please parents and be good to the earth, Umi shoes are a great purchase for expectant parents, babies, toddlers and all the way through big kids. Designed with children's feet in mind, there are new styles added every season that can keep your little one fashionable for years to come.

Although there is no shortage of children's shoes on the market, having ones that are well-made and designed just for growing feet can make a huge difference in your child's comfort. Why risk sending them off to school with footwear that might pinch, rub or leave their arches sore?

Check out the Umi website at UmiShoes.com to take a look at all of their incredible fashions for school, play, special occasions and more! You can also connect with all things Umi on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will get to include this great footwear in their child's wardrobe this fall as well, because...

One lucky person will win a $60 Umi gift card!

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A big thank you to Umi for providing shoes for me to review as well as a $60 gift card for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Monday, August 3, 2015

The Most Advanced 3-in-1 Cleaning System: Shark Steam & Spray Pro {Review}

Although I've found that keeping a house clean when there are children living there is difficult enough to do on its own, summertime seems to be a whole different situation altogether. Just when I felt as though I was coming to terms with needing to re-clean spaces daily during the school year, now I need to do them hourly after my two tornadoes have come through? No, thanks.

Fortunately my kids are old enough that they can be fully responsible for much of the mess themselves and I will happily turn over chores like washing dishes or cleaning the litter boxes to them without a second thought.

When it comes to our hardwood floors, however, taking care of them mainly falls as one of my duties. We banished the traditional mop and bucket ages ago (too slimy, drippy and gross) and those cleaning systems where you attach a disposable pad each time left me not too happy either with the replacement costs and poor quality.

Fortunately, thanks to Shark and their new Shark® Steam & Spray™ Pro, I have now found the best of all worlds. Our floors have never been more efficiently or easily cleaned!

Shark, already known as a steam cleaning technology pioneer, has once again transformed floor cleaning with the addition of the Shark Steam & Spray Pro to their line of innovative, high quality products.

Providing three ways to clean hard floor surfaces within one cleaning system, this user-friendly device can provide spotless hard floor surfaces in the face of quick, light cleaning all the way down to tougher, stuck-on stains and greasy floor messes. Is there anyone that wouldn't want a device made to clean and sanitize, whether their floor needs a quick clean, a general whole house clean or a deep floor clean?

The three distinct ways to clean include:

Steam-Only Mode – turn tap water into steam for a deep clean with no residue.

Steam & Spray Mode – steam combines with the Shark Hard Floor Cleanser for a high level clean to remove stuck-on dirt, grease and stains.

Spray-Only Mode – swap in the lightweight, battery-powered head for a quick clean-up.

When the Shark Steam & Spray Pro arrived in its own compact box...

...I pulled out the parts and was pleased to find that assembly was going to be extremely easy and only take a matter of seconds.

Sure enough, in less than a minute I had the handle snapped into place and the batteries (included!) installed. As my floor can pretty much always use a deep clean, I opted to start with the Steam & Spray mop head and quickly popped it into place.

All that was left to do was attach a cleaning pad (either the multi-layer washable cleaning pad to lift and lock away tough messes or the SaniFiber disposable pad that is great for germy messes), fill the water tank using the handy flask provided, and insert the cleanser bottle right into the front.

Basically with no work at all I had this innovative machine powered up and ready to go!

Putting this unique steam mop to work was just as easy. As the entire thing is lightweight and has a 20ft power cord it can be lifted and carried with one hand to nearly any part of the house — someone like me just needs to decide which floor is in most dire need of cleaning.

Then simply plug it in and, due to the Automatic Electronic Steam Control, there is no need to adjust any dials or knobs to try to get the correct amount of wetness onto your floor. Shark takes care of it all for you and the Steam & Spray Pro starts the steam when you release the head back and stops it when you stand it back up. Easy peasy!

When using the steam only function, this incredible mop deep cleans wood and hard floors with ordinary tap water that then cleans 99.9% of household bacteria.

Just the knowledge that it doesn't take any more effort on my part to deep clean and sanitize all of the hard floor surfaces we have in the house gives me peace of mind, particularly as we seem to have illnesses around here no matter if it is cold and flu season or not.

For bigger messes and to remove tough dirt, the Steam & Spray function combines the steam with Shark's powerful, biodegradable Hard Floor Cleanser for a higher level of cleaning.

Just press the spray button (conveniently located right on the upper handle) and the nozzle efficiently targets and covers your stains. There are even bright LED lights that show exactly where you are spraying so that you don't miss a spot!

Whether used with or without the the spray, I have been extremely happy with the way that the Shark Steam & Spray Pro has performed from start to finish. The swivel-steering makes for easy maneuverability; there is an upright feature (allowing the mop to stand on its own) for easy storage; and it really only takes a pass or two to loosen, lift and lock in dirt.

The sparkling clean result is exactly what I want to see to know that this is providing a superior deep clean!

Just because I no longer have crawling babies living in my house, that doesn't at all mean that my kids aren't constantly down on the floor, so I love the relaxation that comes with being able to grab the Steam & Spray Pro (with or without a cord!) to help power through the job.

In fact, it only takes a matter of seconds to swap in the lightweight, battery-powered head to transform this into a cordless spray mop that is perfect for quick clean ups. We're talking versatility that is so easy to use that my kids just might find themselves in charge of mopping full time pretty soon!

With an MSRP of $119, the Shark Steam & Spray Pro is one investment that anyone and everyone can feel good using in their home as this high quality product answers all the needs of the consumer — whether as a quick clean-up tool or for extra power for deep cleaning and sanitizing — to achieve spotless hard floor surfaces.

Forget having to stress or struggle when complete floor cleaning is this convenient... not to mention the relief knowing that it will do all of the work while still being safe around kids and pets. I love being able to grab this quickly in Spray Mode to do everyday cleanups while also being able to reach for it in Steam Mode as a weekly spot and mess remover or Steam & Spray Mode for the big-time, stuck-on grime. If you have hard floors you need this!

To find out much more about the Shark Steam & Spray Pro, the power it has to handle the job, its three distinct ways to clean, and more, visit SharkClean.com and connect with Shark on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Other than the Shar Steam & Spray Pro that I was provided by Shark in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion about this product.