Mom Life in the PNW

Inn at Nye Beach Boutique Hotel in Newport, Oregon

Inn at Nye Beach Boutique Hotel in Newport, Oregon

This past weekend, my husband and I decided to head down to Newport, Oregon to visit family and stay at the Inn at Nye Beach Boutique Hotel.  It is a bit of a drive (almost 3 hours), but it’s totally worth it!

Inn at Nye Beach Boutique Hotel

 

Inn at Nye Beach is operated by VIP Hospitality (VIPH), a hotel management and development company with 75+ years of combined hospitality industry experience. Their Mission is to provide the most comfortable, memorable, and fun-filled stays for their guests by providing exceptional service and picture-perfect settings. To them, every one of their guests is a VIP and they strive extremely hard to deliver on this promise.

 

They’re also initiating green practices

 

The Inn At Nye Beach proudly features:

  • Energy Star appliances
  • Low-energy compact fluorescent lighting
  • Water saving showers and dual-option water saving toilets
  • Tear-down materials from the old cottages were recycled/reused
  • Renewable and/or recycled materials were used to build and furnish the hotel
  • Recycled structural steel wood-clad doors and window frames
  • The certified renewable-forest wood used throughout
  • Low volatile-organic-component (VOC) paints
  • Integra Fabrics from recycled post-consumer products
  • Sustainable furniture manufactured locally
  • Solar-generated electricity by Solar Ki
  • On-demand, tankless hot water heaters
  • “Smart Space” empty room energy-saving technology by Echoflex

 

My Review:

 

Upon arrival at Inn at Nye Beach, we immediately noticed the small parking garage, which consists of about 11 spaces give or take. It takes tricky maneuvering getting in and out of there, but don’t most parking garages? I highly recommend parking on the street in front of the hotel or in one of the 5 spots inside the parking area that isn’t connected to the parking garage if they’re available. An SUV or a truck WILL NOT work in the garage.

After we finished parking, we headed toward the front of the building to find the check-in office, which is located on the far left where the outside seating area is. I liked that they had that little area, but I think it would be nice to something like that in the back of the hotel, so you get nice views of the ocean while you’re relaxing and conversing with your friends or loved ones.

 

Check-in was an absolute breeze. Chelsea asked if I was the one doing the blog post, and then she took our credit card for potential incidentals, gave us our room key and off we went.

When I previously talked to the manager of the hotel, I was told I was getting a Deluxe King Fireplace Studio comped room, and much to our surprise, we were put in a 1 bedroom king suite. I wasn’t expecting such a big room, so that was nice of him.

inn at nye beach

The first thing we did was check out the bed. Super comfy, not firm, not too plush, just right to satisfy both my husband and my wants. He likes beds more firm, and I like mine plusher. So it was a great middle ground for both of us.

inn at nye beach

I was completely awed by the bathroom. It’s really nice and has ample space for 2 people to move around and take care of business.  Everything has been updated in here and it looks nice. The colors are definitely beachy feeling.

 

inn at nye beach

I loved the rain style shower head. It had great water pressure and felt relaxing. I’ve noticed in some hotels that water pressure is not always created equal. It sucks having to stay in there for an extra hour because you can’t get the conditioner out of your hair. So that was a plus! I also loved the fact that they had a soap dispenser inside of the shower. I brought my own hygiene products, but if I had known they had this installed, I probably would have left my stuff at home.

The tub and everything in the bathroom was clean. I used to work in housekeeping in a hotel before so I notice these things. If I see one little hair, I know it’s not cleaned good enough, and I didn’t see that here thankfully.

inn at nye beach

The sitting area was great, but we didn’t really use it much until the last night since we were off visiting family most of our stay. I did put the fireplace on and watched a bit of TV before bed, which was relaxing.

The following morning, I decided I was going to order breakfast in since they don’t have a breakfast room or an on-site restaurant. (would love to see either of those added in the future). Inn at Nye provides an in-room menu for Cafe Stephanie where you can order your breakfast directly to your room without paying a delivery charge. The choices were limited, but we both found something we liked. It only took about 10-15 minutes after we called for it to arrive at our room, which was prompt service if I say so myself.

inn at nye beach

The King Suite room has a small kitchen area with a sink, a small microwave, small fridge, a french press, mugs, water glasses, wine glasses, wine bottle opener, ice bucket, plates, silverware, etc.

Upon check-in, they ask if you drink coffee or tea and give you a packet of fresh ground coffee from Portland Roasting Coffee and/or loose leaf tea by Steven Smith Teamaker. I don’t drink coffee without flavored creamer, so I didn’t end up using the coffee.

inn at nye beach

The patio area is perfect for standing out on and looking through the complimentary binoculars that are in the room. Might not see anything right now, but perhaps the summertime is better suited to spot grey whales, dolphins, seals, etc.

inn at nye beach

a lovely day to be at the beach

If you’re coming to Newport, Oregon and haven’t had a chance to stay at Inn at Nye Beach, I highly recommend checking them out if you want pleasant ocean views. Our stay was magnificent. Everything was clean & comfortable and the views were beautiful. There’s a reason they have an excellent rating on TripAdvisor.

 

Inn at Nye Beach, Newport

Inn at Nye Beach rated “excellent” by 124 travelers
TripAdvisor

Disclosure: My husband and I were given a complimentary weekend stay at Inn at Nye Beach to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

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Best Buy: Where you Can Catch It All Now!

Best Buy: Where you Can Catch It All Now!

Some of you may be big fans of the current NCAA March Madness games that have been going on as of late. I know when we’re watching NFL, we always have the laptop open, my tablet on, sometimes even our phones so we can stay up to date on other games to see where everyone stands. There’s always multiple games on at the same time and this makes it easy for us to catch it all so we don’t miss a thing! I’m just glad we live in a world where we’re so technologically advanced. Back in the day, we had 1 bulky TV and we could only watch 1 program. How did we survive? LOL I have no clue!

 

CatchItAll_Twitter_Image_Post

Best Buy makes it easy for you to catch it all now with their smart HDTVs, cellphones, tablets, laptops and more! Head over to their website and check out how you can stay connected with multi-screen madness.

The one device that I cannot go without is probably my tablet. I usually have this near me at all times, especially if I am downstairs watching TV, that way I can stay connected with family, friends, and my blog. It’s less bulky than my laptop and it works fast and efficiently. Except when I need to type up a blog post, then I switch to the laptop. But if I am just replying to a comment or concern, then tablet it is! My family and friends know I probably won’t answer my cell phone since I hate typing on the small screen with the tiny buttons and actually talking on it. I definitely need to start liking the phone more, but maybe once I upgrade from my dinosaur to a smart phone, I’ll enjoy it a bit more. But until then, my tablet is my go to for most of my needs.

What is your go to device to stay connected?

 

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Zaycon Foods: Providing Families with Farm Fresh Milk

Zaycon Foods: Providing Families with Farm Fresh Milk

zaycon milk review

I had worked with Zaycon Foods before and they gave me a chance to work with them again, but instead of trying out their chicken, I got to try their farm fresh milk. Normally my husband and I drink the store bought 2% milk since that’s what we’ve been used to over the years. So as you can imagine, tasting farm fresh milk was going to be a new experience for us.

We noticed upon removal of the seal that there was a thick layer on top, but that was easily removed by putting the cap back on and giving it a good shake. When we tasted it, it kind of reminded me of the powdered milk taste or what I remember of it as a kid. It’s thick, and almost has sort of a sweet taste. I am not sure I am particularly fond of the taste, but I did mix it with breakfast smoothies to help alter that. My 3 and 5-year-old nieces enjoyed it without complaints and even asked for this over juice or kool-aid, which was surprising to us.

If you are born and raised on farm fresh milk, then you probably won’t have any problems drinking this milk that comes from a small family farm in Spokane, Washington, but if you’re used to store-bought milk for most if not all your life, then it might be a weird transition, but a healthy one that I’m willing to make.

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Make Your Own Soda With SodaStream Source

Make Your Own Soda With SodaStream Source

One of the things I can’t live without is flavored drinks and that includes soda pop. I love the crisp, refreshing taste that plain  ol’ water just can’t give me. With products like the SodaStream, they make it easy for you to make your own carbonated flavored drinks in the comfort of your home cheaply and with better ingredients than regular soda.

What is the SodaStream Source?

A beautiful design. Simplicity. Convenience. Every time you use it, you are making the planet a cleaner place to live. Powered by a reusable CO2 canister, the refined mechanics of the all-new SodaStream Source make the entire top surface responsive to touch to quickly transform water into soda. An LED display indicates three levels of fizziness for precise carbonation with every use, while a new snap-lock bottle mechanism makes the Source even easier to use.

sodastream source

My Review:

When the SodaStream arrived, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to set up. No cords to mess with, just a carbonator to screw in the back, then you’re on your way to making your own refreshing, bubbly beverages!

Sodastream carbonator

 It requires cold water to achieve the best results possible. Then you insert the bottle and push it in to lock it in place.

sodastream sourcesodastream source

Once you’ve got it locked in place, you press the top down and do however many pumps given by directions on the flavored SodaStream mix bottles. Cola requires 6 pumps or until the top indicator drop icons are lit up.  This achieves the best results since Cola is one of those sodas that needs a lot of fizz in order to taste great. I’ve found any less than that and it tastes flat. Also, the flavored Cola provided by SodaStream doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola, but more like RC Cola which is a mix between Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

P1000706sodastream source light

Next, you fill up the cap with your flavored mix and SLOWLY pour it into the carbonated water bottle. I made the mistake of not following directions and ended up with an overflow of sticky soda on my counter. You may not have to do it with drinks that you don’t make as carbonated as Cola, but be careful on the Cola or your results will be this:

sodastream overflow

OOPS!

The thing I really like about the SodaStream is that I am prepared for a party or whenever someone randomly stops by. That means I don’t have to go run to the store to get some soda or juice, I can just fill the 1 liter bottle up and let them decide on what flavoring they want. I also love that SodaStream has options for adult beverages. I tried the cosmopolitan and it was pretty good carbonated. Maybe a little too sweet, but I’ll try adding some lemon-lime to it next time to give it a little tartness. And who doesn’t love the fact that it is economically cheaper to purchase these SodaStream mixes and make your own pop/soda at home? Per liter, you’re spending an average of $.35, where as if you purchase 2 liter of soda, you’re spending over a $1.00 in most stores. It’s also healthier for you too, in moderation that is, since it contains no high fructose corn syrup which is found in high amounts of regular soda.

I did find that if you don’t give it enough of a pump for maximum carbonation, the entire bottle you just made goes flat, and quite quickly. So push the button until you hear a loud buzz sound. If you don’t hear these, you’re probably going to have flat drinks and no one likes flat soda!

Overall, I love my new SodaStream Source and I see it coming in handy for years to come.

Disclosure: I received the SodaStream Source Kit to facilitate this review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Moms Who Have Trouble Breastfeeding: Try BARE Bottle.

My daughter was born back in October. Everything was going great until we went back to the hospital 4 days later and found out she had lost 11.5% of her birth weight. That meant she was not getting enough breast milk from me while breastfeeding. I had a feeling she wasn’t because she would cry after she was done feeding like she was hungry still. The pediatrician advised me that Aislin needed to supplement with formula. I was devastated because I thought my dreams of breastfeeding were over.

 Over the next couple of months I worked with a lactation specialist and the pediatrician who tried to get my supply up. I tried all kinds of herbs, teas, eating foods high in fat, pumping, and even prescriptions without much of an increase. I was getting 1 oz out of both breasts after pumping for 45 min. Even though they both cheered me along, I knew I was one of the mothers out there that had a low milk supply and couldn’t feed my daughter exclusively with just my milk. 

By the time she was 2.5 months, she had weaned herself and my supply was drastically disappearing. I could barely get anything with a pump, which led me to search for a bottle I could use where she wouldn’t get confused between my breast and a bottle, and I came across the BARE® air-free baby bottle. The concept looked great because it was air-free and mimics a normal breast. The breast isn’t filled with air, so why should a bottle be? Because it is air-free, it slows down bacteria growth and oxidation. The nipple is short and realistic and even retracted up and down like the breast does naturally. I think part of the reason she weaned besides my low supply, was because she was getting a bottle too, and she didn’t have to work as hard at getting the milk out. My hopes were to get her to latch back onto the breast. As excited as I was when I got this bottle, Aislin seemed be accustomed to the bottle she was feeding with and I couldn’t get her to latch onto this bottle either. The nipple was short, and required a breast-like latch and she was having an issue with getting a good enough latch. I think for some babies that have been breastfeeding longer, it would work. I really don’t have anything negative to say about it. It’s a sturdy bottle, easy to clean and attractive. I think it would help in our situation if the nipple was a little bigger. But, I am still on the hunt for something suitable while I try to conquer my breastfeeding issues.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from BARE®. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.