Nuby Flip-It Easy Grip Toddler Cup {Review}

Disclosure: Nuby sent us the Flip-It Easy Grip Cup to review.  All opinions expressed below are my own.
 

Summer is on the way, and with a two-year-old in our family, that means we have a lot of adventures ahead of us.  Trips to the park and the zoo, backyard playtime, and probably other fun stuff will come our way.  Lincoln only has one speed (running), so my job this summer is going to be keeping him hydrated! 

We had the chance to check out the Flip-It Easy Grip cup from Nuby, and it is a great addition to our sippy cup collection.  This cup features a super easy-to-use flip top cap, which makes it a perfect cup to take along on our adventures.  No worries about spills on the carseat or Lincoln's clothes - and if it happens to drop into a pile of dirt or something like that, the straw won't be contaminated.  I definitely am not going to have time to worry about rinsing off a sippy cup every time Lincoln lets it fall to the ground.

This no-spill cup design holds 10 ounces of liquid, which is just about right for my toddler.  If he has too much more than that, it's unlikely to stay cold by the time he can drink it all!  Lincoln loves the straw feature and is constantly wanting to play with the flip-top.  He's not as confident using a straw sippy (he tends to tip the cup upside down, thus sending all the liquid away from where the straw will find it), but I think he just needs more practice.  We'll definitely take care of that this summer! 

Nuby products are always BPA free, so my mind is at ease when Lincoln uses this (or any) Nuby cup. The Flip-It Easy Grip is a success at our house for sure!

You can find the Nuby Flip-Top Easy Grip at Buy Baby Direct, Diapers.com, and Amazon - as well as Walmart, TJ Maxx, DD's Discounts, and Baby Depot at Burlington.  Make sure you follow along with Nuby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram to keep up with all the latest products and promotions!

 I am writing this post as part of the NUBY Mommy Blogger Program.  I did not receive compensation for this post, although as part of the program I may receive items to sample or review.  All opinions are my own and are 100% honest.

Soft Scrub Advanced Surface Stainless Steel Cleaner {Review + Giveaway}

Disclosure: As a member of Purex Insiders, I was provided with sample Soft Scrub products for review.  All opinions expressed below are my own. 

I recently gave my kitchen counters a run for their money with Soft Scrub Total All-Purpose Cleanser and after that was successful, I knew I had to try out the Soft Scrub Advanced Surface formula as well.

I have been in need of a stainless steel cleaner for a very long time.  You see, back when our dishwasher died in 2009, I insisted that we get a stainless replacement.  The same thing happened with our fridge in 2010.  And then - two weeks ago - we said goodbye to our faithful old stove.  Let me just tell you that a stainless steel appliance was not in the budget this month, but since the other two were already in place....we didn't have much of a choice.

All of that to say: I have not yet had a cleaner specifically formulated for stainless.  Yes, you read that right.  Even though I've been the owner of a stainless steel appliance for five years, I have not had the proper means to clean it.  Can we chalk this one up to laziness?

Every surface in my house is touched by little hands every single day.  Most surfaces also have cars driven over them, applesauce splashed on them....and sometimes, they are even licked.  Gross.  I'm sure you get the point that I definitely need a cleaning option that is quick and easy - because I really need to be using it every couple of days. 

I received a bottle of Soft Scrub Advanced Care and was anxious to put it to the test on my stainless steel appliances.  This cleaner is a rinse-free gel that is formulated for granite and marble countertops, glass cooktops, and stainless steel.  I had some pretty serious doubts that I could just rub something onto the super messy surface of my dishwasher and have it wipe clean, but I gave it a shot.  And I have a before/after photo to share with you!

I couldn't get it to photograph perfectly (the lights and shadows were doing some weird things for me), but I think the difference is pretty obvious!  In just a few moments' time, I was able to squirt on some gel and polish away the fingerprints, drip stains, and crusty food that had adhered itself to my dishwasher.  It turned out shiny and (aside from the dents from my 2-year-old's choo-choo train) looks like new again!

I have no excuses now - this kitchen cleaner is so easy to use that I simply have to keep up with this task.  Shiny stainless steel appliances make me happy - so now that I can keep them fingerprint free, I think my kitchen may be a better place overall.  Make sure you connect with Soft Scrub on Facebook for all of the latest product updates!

Giveaway

Three Director Jewels readers will win a Free Product Coupon from Soft Scrub.  This giveaway will end on May 19 at 11:59pm CST.  This giveaway is open to US readers only.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)!  Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well.  All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want!  Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Soft Scrub for providing my review sample and the giveaway prizes!  I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own.  For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Girl

Thomas is Coming to Midland Railway and We Can't Wait!

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, I will receive tickets to the event for my family. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

Oh.my.goodness.  Thomas the Tank Engine is coming to the Midland Railway, which is a short drive from Kansas City.  If you told me about this a few years ago, I would have given you a blank stare, but these days I am pretty familiar with Thomas and his friends - and I have a little boy who is going to totally freak out with excitement when he sees this "CHOO-CHOO!" live and in person!

Here's the scoop:

A Larger than Life Train for the Ride of Their Life.  Thomas the Tank Engine is coming to the Midland Railway on May 31 - June 2 and June 7 - 9. This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, star of the popular Thomas & Friends series. Children will take a ride along with their favorite engine friend on his latest adventure and participate in Thomas-themed activities including:

* A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine
* Meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway
* A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets
* Storytelling
* Video viewing and much more


Thomas the Tank Engine is coming to the Midland Railway on May 31 - June 2 and June 7 - 9. You can purchase tickets now.

I can't wait to see the look on Lincoln's face when he sees Thomas!  I also am having a great time imagining the meltdown when it is time to get OFF the train...oh dear.

As stated above, my family received tickets to the event to facilitate my review.  All opinions are my own.

Bickey and Roars - Oh Noooooo!

This boy.

He is growing and changing a lot lately.

He's finally figured out that communication is a good thing.  He isn't speaking in sentences yet - and he only strings words together every now and then.  But that's okay - I can tell he is making definite language progress.

Here are my favorite words right now.

-"Nummies!!!!"  All food is referred to as "nummy" or "nummies."  Unless it's something he doesn't like.  Then it's "ucky."

-"Oh nooooo."  He's starting to say this more often when something is broken or out of place or just not suiting his pleasure - and it cracks me up. 

-"Mama?"  In the last week or so, he's actually started calling me with a question in his tone. "Mama?"  Ie, mama, where are you? mama, can I have this? etc.  Warms my heart.

-"Beeee-ar!"  This is his word for Winnie the Pooh.  I've heard him actually say Pooh, so I don't know why he continues to refer to him as "bear."

-Animal Sounds.  He will tell the sounds when prompted by the animal's name.  He knows the standards like dog, cat, pig, sheep...  And then there are some that just crack me up. 

"Lincoln, what's a wolf say?"
"Ooooooooooo!"
"What's a bee say?"
"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
"What's a police car say?"
"Whee-oooo, whee-oooo!"

For a long time, he also said that a cow said "poo" but currently when asked about cows, he makes some sort of gibberish noise and moves on.

I like to ask him about dinosaurs, lions, and tigers all in a row, just to hear him say "ROOOOOOOAR!"

-"Bickey."  This one is phasing out as he's started to actually say "Mickey" and sometimes "Mickey. Mouse!"  Usually this surfaces when I've decided that three episodes of Clubhouse is enough and turn off the computer.  Cue serious wailing: "Bickeeeeeeey!"

-He calls all letters and numbers and symbols "twos."  If you show him the alphabet, he will point at each letter and say "twos! twos!"  Except for B.  For some reason, he knows that letter.

-Similarly, he doesn't really seem to "get" colors yet, but occasionally he will shout out "geen!" and usually the item is actually green, so I think he might understand.

-"Pete-zies!"  This is the word for pizza.  Adorable.

-And of course, I would be silly if I didn't mention the 29184082 times a day I hear him shout "TRUCK!" "CAR!" "CHOO-CHOO!" "BUS!" "PANE! (plane)"  The boy loves his vehicles.

I'm linking up with Growing Up Geeky today for Toddle Along Tuesday!  Hop over to check out more adorable things our little ones say!