LippyClip Review

Sponsored post containing affiliate links. All opinions within are my own. 

I used to struggle to find chapsticks in my purse as I often carry around way too many things. Now our family has the LippyClip!

Em sporting the Pink Leopard LippyClip

LippyClip is designed to perfectly hold standard-sized lip balm, such as Chapstick, Blistex, standard-sized Burt’s Bees, Carmex, etc.  Some squeeze-type lip balms will also fit, as well as any 0.15 oz lip balm. LippyClip was invented in 2012 by founder and CEO, Amy Gabriel. All LippyClips are made in the USA, by women working from home. We are a 100% women-owned and operated business. As you know, Realm of Vibes prides itself in working with women-owned, small businesses, so please check them out and refer to your friends and family!

Also offered is LippyClipKISS, which is a larger version to carry around bigger lip balms and essential oil rollers.

LippyClips are great gifts! They come ready to be wrapped or added to cellophane or a bag!

One of the best features of LippyClip is that there are so many solids & patterns to choose from! New products are released on Fridays. (Make sure to follow LippyClip on Instagram and Facebook.)

You can also shop sets of LippyClip, LippyClipKISS, and SaniClips. The SaniClip is perfectly designed to hold hand sanitizer. SaniClips are most commonly used on purse hardware and backpack pulls. However, every day we see new ways our customers choose to use the SaniClip, such as diaper bags, children’s backpacks, strollers, gym bags, belt loops, and more. Working in healthcare, and having small children, I always have my hand sanitzer with me and putting it in the SaniClip keeps it handy! (I also have one on my diaper bag!)

I have given teachers, therapists, co-workers, friends, and family LippyClips for birthdays, holidays, and gifts. As a winter gift, I got Em’s bus driver a LippyClip with buses on it, a Chapstick, and scratch-off lottery tickets in a cellophane bag.

LippyClip keeps your essentials nearby; I hook my LippyClip into my purse and I can always find it, especially in times when I need my chapstick most during the dry NJ winter months.

Do you have a LippyClip? Which pattern or solid would you pick? Who would you gift one to? Let me know in the comments!

UncommonGreen: Streets. Neighborhoods. Coordinates. Etched in glass.

“Where have you traveled?”

I love hearing about where other people have experienced. Were they able to get to all the touristy spots? Did they enjoy the food? Tell me everything…

I haven’t been many too many places, but a few places stick out in my mind. When UncommonGreen reached out to me about a blog post, I jumped at getting a pint glass with a city of my choice etched on it. Cool, huh?

About

UncommonGreen is a lifestyle brand founded in Boston, Massachusetts. They create custom maps on glassware (like coffee mugs, pint, wine and whiskey glasses), states printed on slate boards (think displaying cheese and fruit), prep boards for dicing and slicing, and decor (candles and bar towels). 

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Behind the Brand

UncommonGreen began in 2009 when designer Brian Johnson wanted to make everyday products that featured artistry paired with functionality, practicality, sustainability, and style. When his three college friends, Dave Reddy, Neil Angis, and Colin Woodworth came onboard, they decided to focus their vision on an innovative design. Creating exceptional goods with a conscience, UncommonGreen uses materials and packaging from the US, and employs Earth-friendly practices to create their unique form of art.

Experience

I ordered a pint glass with a map of New York City etched on it. I love traveling into the city to see a Broadway show, eat at a fancy restaurant, go to an exhibit at a museum, or go shopping. The city that never sleeps is a fun and exciting place. When I sit on my couch in the middle of my suburban NJ home, I get a wave of nostalgia from my teenage years into my twenties each sip I take out of UncommonGreen pint glass. I have many great memories in NYC and look forward to my next adventure in the Big Apple!

UncommonGreen makes a perfect gift for the person who has everything. If you have a family member or friend who has completed a marathon, why not get them a wine or pint class with the marathon route etched on it? What a great, celebratory gift!

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Who on your Christmas list enjoys visiting mountains and canyons? Check out the topography rocks glasses where they could enjoy their favorite whiskey near the campfire and reminiscence about their vacation. One of these days I will visit the Grand Canyon!

Know a mathematicianUncommonGreen has a Math and Science glassware for Pi-fanatics, geneticists, chemists, and engineers. History buff? Read all the classics? Check out the History and Literature collection where you could get rocks glasses and candles with your favorite sayings.

Relive the cool summer breeze from your Nantucket honeymoon or the magic of Martinique in the moonlight. Every time you pick up a glass from UncommonGreen’s Island Collection you’ll be transported to a place you won’t want to leave.

You can travel the world, but there really is no place like home. The Hometown Collection enables customers to order custom glasses from ANY city, town or locale in the US! I would love to get another pint glass of Morristown, NJ etched on it; that is where my husband and I met back in December 2010.

UncommonGreen designs make unique, fun gifts and conversation starters. Reminisce your favorite trip with the intricately designed pieces from UncommonGreen this holiday season!

Namaste.

Follow UncommonGreenInstagram, TwitterPinterest and Facebook.

Disclosure: I received a pint glass from UncommonGreen complimentary for review purposes. All opinions within are my own. If you would like your product or service featured on Realm of Vibes, please contact realmofvibesdg@gmail.com 

That’s What I Do, I Drink & I Know Things

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Now I have the perfect rebuttal to my husband when he asks me what I am doing as I ferociously type on the computer. I’m going to hold up my new glass given to me by Integrity Bottles, that reads That’s What I Do, I Drink & I Know Things famously stated by Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones. He will quickly get the message that I am blogging away! (And I will ignore his eye roll.)

Integrity Bottles is where you can purchase drinkware and bottles with well-known quotations from Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Harry Potter. Integrity Bottles also has patriotic glasses, perfect for law enforcement and military members, and these beautiful crackle and bubble tribal sea turtle and heart glasses. Their drinkware list is extensive featuring beer, wine, whiskey, margarita and shot glasses, coffee mugs, pocket flasks, mason jars, Moscow mules, and tumblers. Wine, liquor, and water bottles also are for purchase. Price points start at $14 for a whiskey tumbler through $80, for a set of four stainless steel etched wine glasses.

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Pinot Noir & Dogs, what could be better?

I felt super sassy drinking my Pinot Noir in my new wine glass. I snapped a picture to show you my day to day chaos. Bailey, playing games asking me to go inside and outside every 15 seconds, and Heath, my sidekick… The saying, “That’s what I do, I drink and I know things” is so relevant to a dog loving blogger! (And kudos to Integrity Bottles for packaging the glass so well!)

There is truly something for everyone. Integrity Bottles screams GIFTS” as we all have that friend and/or family member that intently watches their beloved television series, who is in law enforcement and/or the military, or loves turtles, hearts, witty sayings and/or elegant designs.

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Game of Thrones Collection

I don’t know about you, but I anxiously await Game of Thrones premiere; I put a reminder in my phone and set the DVR, just in case I am running a few minutes late from my extracurricular activities. The Game of Thrones glasses by Integrity Bottles are bestsellers. There are so many options to choose from (lettering, glasses & sayings), bringing you full customization at your fingertips. Some of my GoT favorites:

God of Tits & Whiskey (perfect for your female friend that enjoys Jack or Johnnie)

Mother of Dragons (great gift for your bestie who has kids)

Hold the Door

Kingslayer

King in the North

Winter is Coming

You Know Nothing Jon Snow (I say this when people don’t “get it”)

I’m Not a Princess, I’m a Khaleesi

And mine, That’s What I Do, I Drink & I Know Things (blog and wine, baby!)

So, how does Integrity Bottles create such masterpieces? The wording is sand carved by hand with a powerful sandblaster into the drinkware to create a smooth, crisp design. Sandblasting is permanent and will not fade, or disappear in the dishwasher, unlike other glass designs. (It is best if you hand wash the black enameled glasses.) There are no chemicals used during sandblasting.

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For the animal lover…

I would strongly recommend creating an account with Integrity Bottles. They have a customer rewards program in which you can earn points to use on your purchases (simple things like adding your birthday, liking them on Facebook, sharing their website on Twitter, and following them on Instagram @integritybottles). Integrity Bottles appreciates your business; they really strive to make your experience on and off their website pleasurable. (As I gaze at my beautifully etched wine glass…I really DO know things!

Integrity Bottles is run by military veterans and former law enforcement. Their motto, Etched with Honor, spoke to me as I am a police officer’s wife, and I too, value integrity and honor in all my life endeavors. I thank Jamie, their Creative Designer and Master Blaster, and Zachary, her loving and supportive husband, for giving Realm of Vibes the opportunity to feature your product!

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Crackle Wine Glass with Sea Turtle

For our loyal readers and customers, use coupon code IntegrityVibes at checkout from Integrity Bottles. You will get 10% off all products. The coupon code can only be used once and has no expiration date.

Disclosure: Integrity Bottles sent me a beautiful etched stemless wine glass complimentary for a featured review on Realm of Vibes and post on social media outlets. All opinions within are authentic and honest. Have you considered featuring your business or service on Realm of Vibes? Please visit my Collaborate page or e-mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com for more details. Namaste.

Color Vibe

 

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When I was interning as an occupational therapy student in TBI (traumatic brain injury), I had an extremely difficult client who wouldn’t engage in conversation, never mind participate in any of the activities I presented to him. He became increasingly agitated and would smack himself, pound his fists on the table, and shout obscenities at me, disturbing the other therapists and clients. In school, they don’t teach you how to handle these types of situations. Your CI (Clinical Instructor) wants you to think on your feet and watch you adapt to a plethora of uncomfortable, unpredictable situations. They want to see how you keep control of your patient and the dilemma, and observe how you handle stress and aggravation. Fortunately, in this situation, my childhood hobby came into handy.

I knew my client liked Star Wars, so I printed out a few coloring sheets on the computer. I walked over to him, placed a coloring sheet and a box of crayons on the table in front of him, and sat down a few feet away. He looked at me and screamed, “I AIN’T DOIN’ THAT, STUPID!” I defeatedly replied, “Okay.”, and I started coloring my own sheet. After a few minutes, I saw him reach for a crayon. He colored the entire sheet, quietly, without outbursts. Everyone in the room was shocked. I remember one therapist gave me a thumbs up.  I finally got him to engage in a task and act appropriately for thirty minutes. When he finished with the first sheet, he asked me if I had any others. Mission accomplished.

Now, as an occupational therapist, I keep a few coloring books on hand in the therapy gym. I have learned more about my clients when they are coloring and having a bad day than I have trying to get them to do other activities of daily living (ADLs are the basis of OT including dressing, toileting, grooming, hygiene, bed mobility, medication, and home management). Sometimes, as they are coloring, I can get to the bottom of why my client is feeling a certain way, and what may be causing them to have a bad stint in the gym. Life, as we all know, certainly does happen, and sometimes we need to do something relaxing before we jump into more difficult tasks.

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work in progress

If you don’t already know, coloring has numerous therapeutic benefits. When my anxiety creeps up, I whip out this small coloring book, 12 Crayola twistable colored pencils, pour myself a nice big cup of coffee, and start coloring. Coloring calms me down, helps me to de-stress, unwind, and unplug. It’s tactile, and I get to choose my color and sheet, which gives me control. I am happy when my page is finished. I don’t stress if I color outside the lines. I could care less if I doodle in the background. Sometimes, I use one or two colors and sometimes I use all twelve. It is creative, quiet, and fun.

As silly as it may sound, coloring is my coping mechanism and a great way for me to self-soothe. It is cheaper than therapy, healthier than a glass of wine, and allows me to retreat to my own personal paradise.

After all, broken crayons still color.

Namaste.

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