Wordvilt

Not Wordfeud, but Wordvilt. It’s a new game and you don’t need your telephone our iPad. It’s a board game, and I’m sure you will have a lot of fun playing it.

Satin Sleepers

Satin Sleepers, where you can buy beautiful pillowcases made from Satin. It’s better for your hair and skin I you sleep on a Satin pillowcase.

Il Sapone

Il Sapone, where you can buy all kinds of soap.

Olli & Jeujeu

Olli and Jeujeu, two best friends. The one is big and sweet, the other is little and smart. Together they are great. Online you can buy all kind of items with Olli and Jeujeu. From clothing to puzzles.

Flowee

Soms kom je online dingen tegen waarvan je denkt, dat moet fijn zijn. Dat gevoel had ik ook bij de Flowee. Zeker in de drukke December maand is het fijn om iets te hebben wat je meer energie geeft en zelfs wat stress weghaalt. Flowee is een trendy acupressuurmat die je op verschillende manieren kunt gebruiken. Zo kun je op de Flowee gaan liggen, wat heerlijk ontspannend zal werken. Op de Flowee zitten ‘lotuspuntjes‘ die er voor zorgen dat de zenuwuiteinden en de bloedsomloop van het lichaam worden gestimuleerd. De Flowee is eigenlijk een moderne versie van de bekende spijkerbedden uit India. Nou moet ik zeggen dat ik denk dat zo’n spijkerbed niet echt lekker ligt en dat een Flowee er dan een stuk aantrekkelijker uitziet. De Flowee matten zijn uniek in Nederland en pas sinds begin dit jaar verkrijgbaar. De mat is verkrijgbaar in drie prachtige kleuren en eventueel kun je er ook een mooie dragtas bij kopen. Handig voor als je hem bijvoorbeeld mee wilt nemen op vakantie. Ben je wel toe aan een beetje ontspanning, of heb je vaak last van je nek? Dan is de Flowee echt wat voor jou. Heerlijk ontspannen beginnen aan een nieuwe dag.

Speciaal voor de lezers van Hip & Hot mogen we een Flowee weggeven. Om kans te maken op deze geweldige prijs moet je even via dit formulier antwoord geven op de volgende vraag: Hoeveel lotusbloempjes zitten er op een Flowee? Deze actie loopt tot 13 januari 2012.

Wil je al graag een Flowee bestellen, gebruik dan code 88 en betaal geen 55 maar 49 euro.

Uki

His name is Uki, and he’s a cute yellow creature. You can watch him and his friends when the go on adventure, now on DVD. It’s fun to watch with little children.

Pit bags

I think everyone knows the pit bags. You know, those nice bags full of wheat pits, coleseed or cherry stones. I have one at home, it looks a little dull, just a blue bag, nothing nice to it. At Pittenzak they have a better choice, like bags with a nice design on it, that make them a lot more appealing. So, what do you use  pit bags for anyway? Well, you can use it to get rid of pain, either warm or cold. So if you have a sore back, put the pit bag in the microwave for a while to heat it up and put it on the sore spot. Because of the warmth of the bag your muscles relax and the pain eases. And if you suffer from migraine for example, you can put the cold pit bag on your head. They also have special bags for babies. It’s light weight and can be machine washed.

On behalf of Pittenzak we can give away a Hij & Zij package. What do you have to do for it? Well, fill out this form to answer the following question: For how long does a pit bag stay warm? This competition lasts until October the 20th of 2011.

StressChecker

Sometimes I am incredibly busy: a job in teaching, the blog Hip & Hot, the developing of our Hip & Hot iPad magazine and managing my family. Touch cookie! I have days that are quite ‘zen’, but also days that I almost forget to breathe. On those days I feel pretty stressed out. But I don’t know if I really am. Or is it more that it’s hectic and busy? Nowadays you can check yourself with the StressChecker. When I read the press release about this handy device I thought: seeing is believing. So I asked for a test model. I received a disk and a heartrate monitor by mail, it’s a small device with a usp plug for your computer. That alone gave me some stress, because I am not so good at installing things on the computer. But as they said, it was super easy. Put the disk in your laptop and everything installs almost by itself. The explanation was logical. Just fill out your info and you can start measuring. You have to put the monitor on your ear with a clip. That’s the only downside on this StressChecker I could think of, I had to take out my earrings to get a good signal of my heart rate. And sit still, that as well. Because moving means losing it. And than you have to start over. During some minutes your heart rate is measured. Only after 3 measures you get your definite results. It wasn’t that bad, I seemed to be in good shape. And that while I measured during a pretty stressy period. In case your results aren’t that good, the StressChecker also gives good advises. My conclusion: a useful device for those who have their stressy moments. You can measure your stress level easily and keep track of it. Also a nice gift to give to those with a burn-out or a joke for someone with a stressy job. You can get your StressChecker at Wellvit.

Bed & Breakfast Binneninn

We where invited to stay a night in Metslawier. That’s nearby Dokkum. It’s a great place to stay as a start off point for daytrips, like the insect museum, a hike on the wadden, a visit to the seal shelter Pieterburen. It’s always nice to find a fantastic place to stay. In Metslawier, at Bed & Breakfast Binneninn. We enjoyed the hip rooms, the great hot tub, the playroom for kids and the hospitality and care taking of our host and hostess. We where truly pampered. After we unpacked, Sterre discovered her bedstee (like a bed in a closet), Yuren discovered the rocking horse and we admired the kitchen and dining room, we drove to Dokkum to eat something. We were well advised and found a great place to eat. When we came back they fired up the hot tub already. So, we changed into our bathingsuits and plunched into the hot tub. We loved it! They gave us the perfect holiday feeling. If we would have brought our baby alarm we would have stayed in the hot tub for a while with a glass of wine, while the kids where sleeping. It felt so romantic, with a beautiful sky full of stars. We felt a little drowsy when we went to bed.  We slept in the big bed, Yuren in the camping bed and Sterre in her authentic bedstee.

And we slept like babies. In the morning we showered in our hip and huge bathroom and when we got dressed and we enjoyed our delicious breakfast that was waiting for us in the kitchen. Full of local products and all biological. Jummy! We felt truly sorry that we had to leave after one night. If you have plans to leave for a weekend any time soon. I can definitely recommend  Binnenin in Friesland! Check their webpage for pictures and information at Binnenin.

Zomerzoen playhouse

It’s not always easy to get your kids to play outside. You might have a big back yard, but it’s not o.k. to put swings and a plastic slide in it anymore nowadays. And the sun faded plastic doesn’t really match your flowers anyway. Zomerzoen has a great solution to this! Great playhouses for your backgarden. They have a couple of types. You can choose from a post office, police station, pastry house, a hoist for pancakes and a lot more. They are all great! Your kids will never be tired of playing with it. Like for example the Pipowagen! This one even has it’s own mailbox! You can decorate it the way you (or, basicly the kids) want.

All the playhouses are waterproof, so even when it’s pooring, the kids can still play outside! Just give them a suitcase full of nice snacks and drinks and some stuff to play with and they will have so much fun. And it’s even possible to camp in them during summertime, together with some friends. That’s so much better than putting a tent in your garden. So, you got to have the playhouses from Zomerzoen!

Holland Fabric House

I am in love with fabrics, ribbons, buttons etc. When I saw hollandfabrickhouse.com for the fist time I was happy immediately just by seeing their homepage. They way they use the fabrics inspired me to make a look-a-like cushion, pimp an old frame and make a bag out of all kinds of fabrics. You can make so many things with all these different fabrics! They even have a page full of inspiring images, for those who are interested in the latest decoration trends. Also great if you are looking for a gift for your friends! You can go to her flickr account to get a quick and easy overview of all the different products and materials!

Hollandfabrichouse also sells handmade products on Etsy, you can find their happy and beautifully finished products here. Perfect if you are not good with the sewingmachine, but do want to have these hip fabrics!

On behalf of Hollandfrabrichouse we can give away this assorted package of fabrics with a value of 24,25 euros. If you would like to win this package, please answer the following question: What’s your favorite fabric out of the unique imported fabrics from Japan and the USA? Please fill out this form and who knows you’re our winner. This competition lasts until April 2nd, 2011.

Hip & Hippie

There is a lot to tell about these special candles from the USA. First of all because I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that a beautiful charm was hidden under the lid. A gift within a gift, so to say. Wonderful! Second of all the candles burn for 70 to 120 hours and are produced in an ecological friendly way. They are not tested on animals and the paper that they used is colored with a natural pigment and are full of seads of wild flowers. The package has been chosen with care. The glasses are beautiful and can be recycled. The entire package can be reused or can be composted. You can even grow beautiful flowers with it! This is how it works: put the paper in some water for a night. Cover it with a thin layer of potting soil and keep it humid until the sprouts appear. After 1 to 2 weeks the flowers wil start to grow. You can also put them in your garden or a flower pot. Just make sure the soil wil stay humid until the sprouts appear. And last of all: they smell great! And I tested them… Admit it, it’s the best gift for your grandma, mother, friend or someone else! So many gifts in 1 candle!

We have one signature glass to give away. Of course you have to do something for a beautiful gift like this. We would like to know: from what part of the USA do the Hip & Hippie sisters come from? Please give us the answer by filling out this form and who knows you might be our happy winner. This competition lasts until February 26th, 2011.

Besides there is a nice campain at the Woonstylewinkel. You will receive a free Votive glass that burns for 18 hours if you order Hip & Hippie candles until February 15th. You only need to fill out you found them through Hip & Hot. 

Hip Headphone

Inspiring, raw and most of all For Real, that is what Rocking Residence is all about. The Street gear label Rocking Residence comes with two models headphones on the international market: WOOH! & BOLD. Rocking Residence headphones are the result of a creative travel through Street art, fashion, muzic and dans. The result is the ultimed lifestyle headphone!

Start the new year completely relaxed!

I can hear you think: how? Because of the December stress and maybe the entire year, relaxing seems to be both esssential and impossible. Fortunately there will always be some wizkids that find something to that. From Scandinavia, the hotspot for beautiful design and hip inventions comes Nails of Bliss. When I received the mailing, I briefly read about relaxation and a bed of nails and I couldn’t imagine it. But it caught my attention. I wanted to try it out. The  Nails of Bliss seem to be a mat with a nice black cover.  The upperside is covered with little plastic spines. The idea is that you roll up a towel , put that underneath the  Nails of Bliss and then lay on it. It’s best directly on your skin, but you can also keep on a thin t-shirt. That’s how I started, it was a little too much to lay on it just like that. It takes some getting used to. But it’s like they say, your skin and body get used to the feeling. It’s like acu-pressure.  At first my back started to itch like crazy, but that slowly stopped. And honestly, after 15 minutes laying on the nails I feel relaxed. If used daily it only gets better. Besides your back you can use it for other bodyparts, like the soles of your feet. I tried it already, but personally, I don’t like it that much. Apparently you have to build it up slowly. However, I am convinced of the function and happy with my Nails of Bliss!  Besides the relaxation it forces you to do nothing for 15 minutes a day. So: start the new year relaxed? Buy Nails of Bliss! Also a nice present to put under the christmas tree

Want to know more about Nails of Bliss? Use this link. If you order at Wellvit and choose the red-white one,  20% of the profits go to Serious Request!

Doctor Feelgood massage company

Ik kwam binnen bij Doctor Feelgood in Amsterdam en werd verrast door het stijlvolle, rustgevende interieur. Na een kopje kruidenthee en een korte introductie, waarbij ik kon aangeven of ik klachten had, vertrok ik met een “pro-therapist” de trap af. Ik werd geleid naar een klein, sfeervol kamertje. Met brandende kaarsjes, heerlijke geuren en relaxte muziek. Het was net of de tijd er stil stond. Een geweldig rustgevende massage kon beginnen. Ik lag heel comfortabel met lekkere zachte handdoeken op en onder me. De massage was een combinatie van verschillende technieken, zoals oa een hotstonemassage. Compleet relaxed en ontspannen stond ik na een uur weer boven, alwaar ik nogmaals een lekker kopje kruidenthee dronk om mee af te sluiten. Ik voelde me goed. Heel goed zelfs! En dat merkte ik nog na een paar dagen. Dit was overduidelijk voor herhaling vatbaar! Wat ik zo mooi vind bij doctorfeelgood, is dat de massagebanken een speciale uitsparing hebben voor je zwangere buik (je kunt dus òòk heerlijk gaan ontspannen als de laatste loodjes je teveel worden) of voor je borsten, als die bijvoorbeeld groot zijn of pijnlijk vanwege zwangerschap/borstvoeding. Dat had ik eerder moeten weten…

Namens Doctor Feelgood mag ik 3 leuke rompertjes weggeven. Laat ons weten via dit formulier uit welke 3 verschillende massage-therapeuten je kunt kiezen en je maakt kans om zo’n leuk rompertje thuisgestuurd te krijgen. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Als je voor 1 oktober besluit een keertje heerlijk te gaan relaxen bij doctorfeelgood (aanrader!) en je vermeldt bij je reservering dat je via Hip & Hot getipt bent, dan krijg je 10 euro korting op je massage. Nog een extra tip: ga op zondag, dan parkeer je gratis in de nabije omgeving!

Foto’s: Kasia Gatkowska