NICKELODEON AND NORDSTROM DEBUT PLUSH PETER RABBIT TOYS

June 11, 2014 by 1 Comment
Disclosure- I received the below  in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please see “Disclose” tab for more info.
My son, as well all know, loves his stuffed animals more then just about anything. Since he enjoys the Peter Rabbit TV show, he was excited to receive the new plush toy inspired by the show. Super soft, cuddly, and with it’s own backpack (just like the show), it’s the perfect nap and bedtime toy for any fan of bunnies or Peter Rabbit- the show or the books.  If your little one has not read the books, now is the perfect time to introduce them.
Nickelodeon and Nordstrom hop into spring with the debut of a new specialty plush toy line inspired by the Nickelodeon preschool series Peter Rabbit.  Along with the GUND plush, two brand-new books, “The Start of Spring and Peter” and “Friends Sticker Activity Book” published by Penguin will also be accessible to customers.  Peter Rabbit featured products will be available online and nationwide in nearly 100 Nordstrom stores in U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Miami, among others.

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Keeping Kids Occupied in the Kitchen

June 7, 2014 by 3 Comments

 

Got little kids?  We all know that making meals can be one of the hardest time of the day- both because the kids want all your attention, all the time, and because keeping kids clean and participating in meals is never an easy task.

One of the best ways to keep kids busy in the kitchen is to give them something to keep them occupied- if you are cooking, why not let them “help”?  You could give them a real pot and put some water and etc in it, but that can be messy.  If you have smaller kids, you can give them pretend food to “cook” with at the kitchen table while you make dinner at the counter or next to them.  There are some great and realistic sets available now, made in felt, ceramic, plastic, and wood.

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Melissa and Doug make many varieties, in both wood and felt. You can choose not only the set(s) that you prefer, but the material as well.  Some of the sets include a sandwich making set, which will keep kids entertained with the variety of items they can make.  The pieces (available in felt or wood sets) are stuck together with either bits of velcro, or the felt sticks to itself.  It comes with a wooden knife (that isn’t sharp, of course) and items like bread, rolls, lunchmeat, pickles, hamburger, and more.  To make sure your child gets their pretend fruits and veggies into their diet (and maybe encourage eating them in real life and at mealtimes) check out the Cutting Fruit Set.  The food makes a fun “crunch” noise when kids “cut” it with the included wooden knife.  Included are seven pieces of various fruits that can be sliced into seventeen pieces.  Of course, putting them together (or mixing them up into their own creations) is just as much fun as making the fruit salad for dessert. The sets come in their own wooden storage crates, for $20 on http://www.melissaanddoug.com
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Fun New Summer Toys For Kids

June 6, 2014 by 3 Comments

Any parent knows that bedtime is not always fun.  A soft companion can help- even more so if it lights up.  The Cloud B Twinkling Firefly Frog is perfect for bedtime, even for bigger kids, since they can control it’s light, sound, and of course snuggle time. The “Fireflies” twinkle and glow in the frog’s stomach, just like a warm July night.  Kids can be comforted not only by the soft shimmer of the frog, but also it’s softness and lullaby melody.  If your child prefers, it also plays rain with crickets sounds.  Your child can also control the volume, so he or she can drift off to dreamland in the style that suits them best.

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Fireflies twinkle in Frog’s belly to create a magical glow that helps ease fear of the dark. This cuddly friend is perfect for enchanted playtime and helps children transition into nighttime. Twinkling Firefly Frog also plays a choice of two soothing sounds: rain with crickets, or lullaby melody.  The Twinkling Firefly Frog comes with a 45 minute sleep times, and needs 3 AAA batteries (which are included) and last a long time.  Available for $35 at http://cloudb.com and many stores both big and small.

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Adora Nursery Time Babies come in a one piece newborn outfit and with a doll carrier. Larger then many baby dolls, they weigh 2 pounds 7 ounces, and have life-like features, soft “skin”, and a bag weighted bottom, which gives them the life-like feel. They have a baby powder scent, which gives them that newborn smell.  You can choose from several skin tones for this doll as well.

The bag/bed/carrier that came along with the baby doll was another favorite feature of the doll, since it makes it easy to “play mommy”. It also makes it easy to take baby everywhere you go.  This sweet and realistic looking doll and is sure to thrill any child and let them enjoy role playing.  Available for $80 at http://www.adoradolls.com and specialty stores.

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The adorable Fuzzy Wuggs Hand Puppets from Manhattan Toy Company are just as sweet as can be, and a great addition for your puppet box.  These monsters are anything but scary, and would be perfect for a bother and sister to play with together, or any child who likes to be “equal opportunity”, LOL.  Another option(s) would be a dad and a daughter puppet, or a mom and son.  So many options for these fuzzy friends!  Easy to manipulate even for the smallest of hands, these are “simple” puppets with only a sleeve for the arm and hand and a mouth to maneuver.  This makes them great for young kids who are just building their dexterity and motor skills, as well as puppet enthusiasts of any age.  Puppets are a great way for creative play and to use your imagination, as well as to get quality playtime with your kids (and watch how their minds work).  Coming in the Orange “Boylie” and the Pink “”Girlie” (complete with mufti-colored braids) you can get one or both for a set.  $24 from http://www.manhattantoy.com and stores like The Learning Express.
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Blessed Friends Prayer Dolls

June 3, 2014 by 5 Comments

Disclosure: The below was provided for me in order to 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.

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My son doesn’t always love bedtime.  If your kids are anything like that (gasp! Kids that resist sleep? I know, that’s incredibly rare) then you know that anything that helps get them to bed is a good thing.  We have a routine here, and always have.  I always recommend that parents develop and stick with one, so kids know what is coming and are less likely to resist.  Ours includes bath time, lavender lotion, bedtime stories, his favorite song, and bedtime prayers. As a kid who loves his stuffed animals, this adorable Prayer Bear is a welcome addition to his bed.  Not only is is cute and soft, but it also says a bedtime prayer when you press it’s stomach.
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Getting Crafty

June 2, 2014 by 3 Comments

 

With summer upon us, parents will be looking for fun ways to fill the days home from school.  If you have a crafty or creative kid, check out some of these jewelry making kits.

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One of our favorite companies, B. Toys, makes 2 sizes of pop on jewelry in it’s own Pop Arty storage container.  Snap it on, pop it off, create your latest fashion piece.  In either 300 or 500 piece sets, you get an assortment of beads, bracelets, rings, and more for your designs.  The beads come in a wide range of colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and with different ends- some have only holes, some have two “nubs” for connecting, some with one hole and one connector.  Build one design, wear it, and then disassemble it and to match your next outfit- or your mom’s.  No mess with this project, as it has no glue, glitter, or molding required and comes with it’s own take along storage unit.

For kids three years and up, $15-$30 at stores like Target and Amazon.com.

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This kit is great for slightly older kids who are able to use molds and more complex patterns.  Children can make their own beads in one or more colors, even accent them with glitter or included gems, and set them to dry.  When they do, they can add them to the included silver bracelet, add charms, and have a very personalized bracelet.  Two bracelets are included, as well as charms and the dough for molds, which makes a fantastic project for best friends or sisters to do on a rainy day.

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Another fun find from Alex Toys is Bling Bangles- which is good for kids ages six and up, but I think tweens will really enjoy.  The kit comes with six metal bangle bracelets (just like mom’s!), 6 floss colors, and 6 gemstone strips in different sizes. Easy to make, children can add the desired “bling” of gems to the bangle and wrap the colored floss around the bracelet, and voila!  Done.
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Filed Under: evergreen, kids, review, toys

Gazillion Bubbles Typhoon 2.0

May 30, 2014 by 3 Comments

Disclosure: The Gazillion Bubbles Typhoon 2.0 was provided for me in order to 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. 
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With summer here, I find it impossible to stay inside the house. We seem to be outside doing a variety of things every day. My girls especially love to play with bubbles. I’m not going to lie, there are times when my hand gets hurt or I get dizzy from being the bubble distributor :). I was so excited to receive this awesome product. The Gazillion Bubbles Typhoon 2.0 has been a new favorite toy in our family.

About the Gazillion Bubbles Typhoon 2.0:

You can now create a gazillion bubbles instantly with this awesome product. With no pump and no wait time, you will be able to create tones of bubbles within the blink of an eye! The awesome product blows more than 5,000 bubbles per minute. You only have to replace the solution top with the auto feed cap, insert the bottle to fill the machine with the bubbles, push the button and watch in amazement as a Typhoon of colorful bubbles shoots out!

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Snuggle Up With a Good Doll

May 29, 2014 by 4 Comments

With Father’s Day just a few weeks out, what better topic than dolls. Wait, dads and dolls? Absolutely. Any man (or woman!) who’s got a daughter—and wants to connect with her—really needs to know his way around the world of dolls, since that’s where many girls spend a lot of their time. It’s an amazing way to say, “I love you.” Here are some of our favorites.

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Adora Nursery Time (Adora Dolls)
Adora babies are incredibly lifelike. They’re a little lighter than most babies, but their skin is super soft, their little noses and toes and fingers are irresistible, and they even smell like real babies. Great for dad to show his daughter how tiny and adorable she was as a baby, but also very effective if that little girl is preparing to be a big sister. Nursery Time babies are dressed in a onesie and come with a nice doll carrier. Ages 3 and up. About $79.99.

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Dorothy and Toto (Bandai)
In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a new Oz movie coming out. “Legends of Oz,” is based on one of the sequels written by L. Frank Baum, the guy who wrote the original. The first dolls in the series feature Dorothy (alone or with her ever-loyal pup, Toto). Other characters will be along soon. Dad and daughter can go back to Oz to help Dorothy and her friends, and he can even talk about life in the “old” Oz. Ages 3 and up. About $22.99.

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Bubbly Mermaid (Lalaloopsy)
Who says you can’t bring a doll into the bathtub? Ocean Seabreeze and Pearly Seafoam are mermaids, which is more than enough to get most kids interested. But what makes them unique is their hair, which is made of bubbles. Just pour in some shampoo or bubble bath, give your mermaid a squeeze¸ and watch her turn into Rapunzel of the Sea. Both come with their very own water-squirting pet octopus. For a little dry-land fun, use diluted dish soap instead. Ages 3 and up. About $29.99. http://www.lalaloopsy.com/
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Muppets Puppets and Singing Kermit

May 21, 2014 by 3 Comments

Disclosure: The below 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.

As I am sure you know, Kermit and the crew of the Muppet show have recently graced the silver screen again for the movie Muppets Most Wanted.  As with most movies, to go along with its release were a plethora of toys including puppets of the Muppets and a talking/ singing Kermit the Frog.

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First we will look at the puppets.  These puppets are from FAO.  First of all realize these puppets are for small/medium hands if you have big hands don’t get these puppets and grab some fluffy gloves instead.  The puppets are built well and come in a few styles, they are Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Animal.  All of which look great and are fun to play with.  Our personal favorites are Gonzo and Fozzie bear.  But it is nice to see more then just Kermit and Miss Piggy as puppets so you can put on your own Muppet show, minus all the celebrities plus some cuter kids.
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