Need Great Stocking Stuffers?

If you are looking for great stocking stuffers for your family, or gifts that are easy give and will please any child, check out these new PBS DVDS, perfect for the holidays.

NYC Estonian and TTP 082

WILD KRATTS: WILDEST ANIMAL ADVENTURES (set)

What better way to learn about cool creatures and science than to go on an around the world adventure with Martin and Chris Kratt! In this new set, featuring 20 episodes full of adventure, mystery and laugh-out-loud-comedy, kids will learn about natural history and witness many never-before seen wildlife moments. From discovering the secret of the Draco lizard’s gliding abilities in “Flight of the Draco,” to digging up the answer to the mystery of why worms come above ground when it rains in “Mystery of the Squirmy Wormy,” all the “WILD KRATTS” episodes in this set will have kids learning and having fun. “Wild Kratts: Wildest Animal Adventures” will be available on DVD September 3. The run time of the set is approximately 555 minutes on 5 discs, and its SRP is $39.99. More than 10.5M households tune in to watch “WILD KRATTS” each month!

“WILD KRATTS” transforms Martin and Chris Kratt into animated versions of themselves, allowing the real-life zoologists to visit wild animals in their little-seen habitats and to showcase key science concepts along the way. Geared toward kids ages 6 to 8, each episode of “WILD KRATTS” presents age-appropriate science inspired by the natural abilities of animals.

CAILLOU: LET’S GO SLEDDING

New discoveries and exciting adventures abound in “Caillou: Let’s Go Sledding,” available on DVD October 8. In this outstanding new DVD, featuring nine adventures, Caillou teaches kids about patience, recognizing limits and the benefits of practice. Kids will love watching Caillou as he uses a cardboard box as a toboggan, imagines himself building the biggest snowman in the world, and overcomes his fear of an unusual animal. More than 4.5M households tune in to “CAILLOU” each month. The run time of this DVD is approximately 50 minutes, and the DVD SRP is $9.99.

“CAILLOU” is designed for preschoolers and focuses on role-playing and “make-believe.” Thanks to his vivid imagination, ordinary, everyday events quickly become exciting adventures where Caillou can play “make-believe.” By imagining they are someone else, children can often accomplish extraordinary things.

DINOSAUR TRAIN: WE ARE A DINOSAUR FAMILY

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to reinforce the importance of family. In the new DVD “Dinosaur Train: We are a Dinosaur Family,” available October 8, eight adventures feature prehistoric family fun at its best – the Pteranodon kids visit with their grandma and grandpa, Buddy, Tiny and Mr. Pteranodon join a few other dinos for a dad’s day out, and Buddy and the Pteranodon kids look for flowers to give to mom on her special Mother’s Day. More than 11M households tune in to watch “Dinosaur Train” each month! “Dinosaur Train” is produced by The Jim Henson Company. The run time of this DVD is approximately 100 minutes, and the DVD SRP is $9.99.
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Valley Of The Dolls

 

Got a special girl at home?  Maybe a niece or granddaughter who you are soon to be shopping for.  So many girls love dolls- but there is more to the genre then the cuddly babydoll or Barbie. Take a look at some of the most interesting dolls available today.

Doc Mc Stuffins, star of her own TV show of the same name, has a bevvy of adorable toys for your tot to play with.

The “Doc Is In Clinic” is a fantastic playhouse that comes with all that you need to play- right away.  You don’t need to go buy more “things” for the set, it’s ready as soon as you open it.  Decorate the house/clinic with included stickers, place the furniture about, and get to work treating sick stuffed toys, STAT!  Comes with Doc, 2 “stuffed” (plastic) toys that talk when used with the clinic table, and all the furnishings for Doc’s room as well as her Doctor’s area. Retails at about$50.

doc mc stuffins houseThe “Magic Talkin’ Doc and Friends” playset has larger toys for smaller hands, or for kids who like their toys a little bigger then action figures.  This set comes with Doc, her doctor’s bag and instruments, as well as check up table and Stuffie and Lambie.  Doc, Stuffie and Lambie talk and sing.  Retails for about $45.

doc mc stuffins

The Doctor’s Dress Up Set provides everything your child will need to pretend she is Doc herself.  From the white coat to sparkly headband and even the striped shirt underneath (which I thought was quite thorough), as well as “doctor essentials” like a stethoscope and name tag- this is a great doctor kit for girls and a great way to dress up as her favorite doctor.  Retails at about $20.
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Magna Color – Awesome 3D Creativity Station

Disclosure: The MagnaColor from Creative Magic was provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.
MagnaColor

With all the technology we have, sometimes I fear that the kids are losing their creativity. However, that is not the case with the Magna Color 3D. With the Magna Color, kids are able to be creative and make their own creations. After they have created their creations, if you have a Smart Phone or Tablet, you can then create an Augmented Reality Aquarium.

About Magna Color:

The Magna Color 3D’s newest draw, scan, and play format is priced at $24.99 and is great for kids 4 and up. The Magna Color App for iPad is free and very user-friendly.

Your child can use the Magna Color pens to draw along the Magic App stencils. Parents then can download the free Magna Color App into their iPad. You can then launch the colorful marine designs and watch as the fish jump off the screen.

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Gourmet Popped Corn Review

This snack is all natural, gluten free, and has brown rise syrup as a main ingredient. These three characteristics of a snack might turn away most snackers, But I dare you to try some popped corn by G.H.Cretors and tell me it isn’t some of the best popped corn you have aver tasted.

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G.H Cretors has been making popped corn since 1885. In this time period a lot has changed, but the quality of their popped corn stayed the same. For five generations, they have been cooking caramel in copper pots, exactly measuring the right time to add the best cheddar cheese, and also roasting their own nuts.

G.H Cretors has a history in popcorn dating back to 1885 when Great Grandpa Cretors invented the popcorn machine in 1885. In this time period a lot has changed, but following in their family’s footsteps, G.H. Cretors makes their popped corn the good old fashioned way, by hand in copper kettles. They also exactly measure the right time to add the best real cheddar cheese, which is also melted in copper kettles.
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Anytime is Thomas Time

HIT Entertainment has asked me to help promote the “Anytime is Thomas Time” sweepstakes. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of HIT Entertainment.

Want a perfect gift for that special child in your life?  Check out the latest from Thomas the Tank Engine!

Thomas the Train has been around for a long time. He has been delighting pre-schoolers and young kids on TV with Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends since the late 70’s so many of use share what we enjoyed as children with our own. My son  thinks anytime is Thomas Time, and he really enjoys the Day Out With Thomas that comes through our local train station every year.

thomas the tank

Day Out With Thomas is a fun, family activity where kids can do interactive activities with their favorite tank engine and even meet Sir Toppum Hatt, who runs Thomas’ station. It’s amazing to see kid’s eyes light up when their favorite book and TV characters comes to life right in front of them. My son always has a blast.

Thomas The Tank Engine is a perfect way to let your little one enjoy wholesome,  educational entertainment that delights both boys and girls.

There are so many times when Thomas the Tank Engine can come into your child’s life. Anywhere from story-time to learning time and even nap time with his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine toys and games, so really, any time is Thomas time.
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Kitchen Helper by GuideCraft

Disclosure: The Kitchen Helper by GuideCraft was provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.
GuideCraftKitchenHelper

With 2 little girls, who think they always need to help mommy out, we often run into problems in the kitchen. They always want to try and be on the counter or up on chairs, and then I have a hard time getting stuff done because I’m always so worried about them falling. With the Kitchen Helper by GuideCraft they can now easily help me out in the kitchen, and I don’t have to spend time worrying about them.

About Kitchen Helper by GuideCraft:

The GuideCraft Kitchen Helper gives a safe, stable platform for kids to be able to beat eggs, peel potatoes, and many more options. If your child enjoys helping you in the kitchen in any way, the Kitchen Helper is definitely for you. The platform gets most kids right up to the counter so that they can watch or even help out. The Kitchen Helper has fun cutouts, wipe-off marker board, and a chalkboard.

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Zoku Mini Pops – Great for Homemade Treats

 

Disclosure: The Mini Pops from Zoku was provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

zoku Mini Pops

Who doesn’t love a good popcicles or other wonderful frozen goodies? Zoku has a wide variety of products to help you make some of your own goodies. I was lucky enough to be able to try out the Mini Pop Molds.

About Zoku:

Zoku is dedicated to providing unique products for the home. They are a collective of creative individuals who create things that will make their lives better through intelligent design and engineering. The Quick Pop Maker was their first product introduction. They now have a wide variety of products available.

  • Quick Pop
  • Slow Pop
  • Slush & Shake

About Mini Pop Molds:

The Mini Pop Molds let you create nine mini pops. There is no need to run under warm water to release. When the pops are frozen, you only have to pull out your mini pop and enjoy!
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Fun Things to Bring on a Camping Trip

Once you have the tent and sleeping bags covered, you will want to turn your attention to other camping items that will help makes your trip a success.

Here are some of my current favorite take alongs.

 flashlight for kids

Kids Flashlights

One of the first things you will want to think about is lighting. When it gets dark, your kids will not likely be thrilled with that. Lanterns around the tent (and inside as you get ready for bed) as well as flashlights are going to be not only needed, but a huge comfort to your little campers.

 camping lantern

Camping Lanterns

Children will love the HABA Terra Kids Lantern, and so will mom and dad. Kids never remember to turn off lights (or toys) and this won’t be a problem with this lantern, since it requires no batteries and charges when the child winds up it’s attached crank. They can keep their light shining all night long (or at least until they fall asleep) with the HABA lantern. It also features very bight, easy to see by LED lights, a compass (perfect for little explorers) and a padded handle with neoprene cover, attachable karabiner, and alarm whistle for safety, and is extremely well built and sturdy.

For more, please see http://www.afterschool.com

 camping with kids

For exploring and nighttime, Melissa and Doug have a kid-friendly flashlight that will make any child smile. The Bibi Bee Kid’s Flashlight will be an instant hit, and will chase away any fears of darkness. It has a cute handle just right for little hands, and a happy face that can scare away nighttime monsters. It takes AA batteries, which to access require you to press down a tab and also remove a small Phillips screw so that you can you unscrew the cap. These are preventatives to keep the child from opening the flashlight and removing the batteries.
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