ALEX Toys- Fun and Interesting Art and Craft Products for Your Little Picasso #GiftGuide

December 19, 2012 by 4 Comments

dec 16 012

My son had a great time with his new Magic Tracer. This is a really interesting art toy- it allows the child to trace a picture without tracing paper. They can use the images included, or put in others that they choose. It comes with 5 sheets of paper and 5 images (as well as 4 mini-colored pencils). It retails for $16.95, and is also really easy to take along to a restaurant or travel with and keep the little ones occupied. I know I am never without a coloring book and crayons- this is a fun alternative.

Alex also has tons of other products- including (of course) some of the highest quality paint and kid’s art paper available. For a child who loves art, ALEX Toys will be your new favorite website. Available in convenient 6 packs, choose your favorite combinations and indulge your child’s inner Matisse.

dec 16 234ALEX Toys is joining the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) in celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day on November 10, 2012. Neighborhood Toy Store Day helps local communities celebrate the joy and wonder of shopping locally while supporting the local [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids Tagged With: , , , ,

Peppa Pig Toys #GiftGuide

December 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My son loves Peppa Pig, the adorable cartoon originally created in the UK. Last year, the award-winning, animated series for pre-k kids jumped across the pond, much to the to delight of U.S. kids. Your children can tune in on Nick Jr.

The main character is a pig named Peppa, who likes to get into all sorts of things. The show follows the daily routines of Peppa, her brother George, as well as Mommy Pig and Daddy Pig. The episodes tend to feature everyday, relater activities like attending playgroup and being with friends, going to the playground, swimming, visiting with grandparents, playing in mud puddles and doing all sorts of fun stuff.

Little Man was super excited when his Peppa Pig toys got here- he asked me if we could “call England to say thank you”, LOL. They arrived just moments before we were on our way out the door for a weekend trip to CT, so guess who came with us? You got that right….Peppa Pig, in stuffed version, is really cute. She is soft and fuzzy, and snorts! (Don’t worry- she has an on/off button for sleep time, no waking up to pig noises!)
We love the “Muddy Puddles” DVD. It has tons of Peppa-sodes, ready to keep your little fan entertained [Read more…]
Filed Under: kids Tagged With: ,

2 Red Hens Toy Nanny Review #GiftGuide

December 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When you have a baby, you know that you always have items that you have to bring along. And, if you’re like me, you also have to bring your own blanket or playmat, so they have something to play on, and aren’t on someone’s ‘dirty’ floor or what not. I was lucky enough to be able to review the Toy Nanny, a bag to carry everything in, as well as the playmat you need for your baby to play on!

About the Toy Nanny:

The most ingenious creation to hit the baby world since disposable diapers! This cozy floor blanket quickly and easily cinches up into a smart toy tote for on-the-go moms. Transporting toys from grandma’s, to play dates, to the back yard has never been easier.

QUICK FACTS:

  • 8 mesh pockets
  • Soft, velour interior
  • Water resistant backing
  • Machine Washable
  • Converts into a tote
~It is available in 5 vintage-inspired patterns: Chevron Stripes, Grey Damask, Peacock Mum, Pink Lemonade, and Owl Dots
****The Toy Nanny has been so popular, that it recently was even [Read more…]
Filed Under: baby, review Tagged With: , , , , ,

Discovery Kids World Map #GiftGuide

December 10, 2012 by 7 Comments

Do you have a big open wall that is just asking for a brightly colored educational wall hanging? Maybe a play room or your child’s bedroom where there is something missing. Let me propose a map! Maps are a staple in our play room. As of now, I think there are four of them up, ranging from maps of the world to maps of the United States. There has been a frightening turn in the education of children recently. So many kids do not know even basic geography. Quite a few kids that I know, and adults for that matter, for some reason, have no idea how to read a map. Could this be because GPS’s have made them obsolete? I certainly hope not. There are studies released semi-regularly showing how poor our map skills are. But the scariest ‘study’ is to ask your kids, do they know what state they live [Read more…]

Filed Under: education, kids Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tollytots My First Disney Princess and HUGE PRIZE PACK Review and Giveaway #GiftGuide @Tollytots

December 3, 2012 by 81 Comments

This is a co-review by Samantha and Danielle. Danielle reviewed the Disney doll, and Samantha reviewed the toys she saw at Tollytot’s Playdate in the city, which some of you may remember from previous posts. Thank you, and please feel free to enter this fantastic giveaway 🙂

With an 8 month old and a 2 year old, I definitely need some tools under my sleeve to help them put themselves to sleep. Luckily, both of my girls are pretty good at putting themselves to sleep! Ava has just recently learned this skill, and I can definitely say that My first Disney Princess Lights & Lullaby Bedtime Baby Aurora has made Ava’s job much easier.

About Lights & Lullaby Bedtime Baby Aurora

Naptime is a dream with this Lights and Lullaby Bedtime Baby Aurora doll. Made for hugging, this charming 12-inch doll has a soft, snuggly body that will soothe and comfort your little sleepyhead with a gently glowing light and magical music. Choose normal mode for lights and music or night-light mode for a soft light that automatically turns off after three minutes.

Normal Mode: You push the tummy once to activate lights, again to activate music, again to turn lights and music off. The doll will automatically enter sleep mode once music has looped four times.

Night Light Mode: Push the doll’s tummy to activate soft light, (the light will not change colors in night light mode). The light will remain on for 5 minutes, then light will turn off and doll will enter sleep mode. If you want to turn light off sooner, press doll’s tummy once.

My Thoughts:

This is definitely the go to doll for your younger children. Both of my daughters were huge fans of it, but I did intend for this doll to be more for the baby than for my older daughter.

Ava & Ella both greatly enjoy playing with baby. Ella is always playing with a baby, so Ava is very happy to have her own baby to play with. She also has quickly become attached the baby and likes to drag her along wherever we might be going.

I love how we can pick and choose which mode we want. We use one mode at nap time and one mode at bedtime to help her to better know which time it really is.

I think that this would be a great doll for any young girl you have on your list, I’m sure that they would love [Read more…]

Filed Under: baby, giveaway, kids, review, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

HexBug Warriors Battle Stadium #GiftGuide

November 29, 2012 by 7 Comments

Hexbugs Warriors

HexBugs have been swarming toy stores everywhere since 2007. These bugs have grown more complex with every iteration, and with this increase in complexity, the bugs have gotten realistic to the point that the larva series actually make some people turn away and squirm upon powering on. The larva move a lot like a maggot would, even turning away from you when you get close to it. Very cool and some absolutely ingenious designing and programming.

The HexBug line has taken a more battle oriented turn with their most recent Warriors line. These new bots start out as a HexBug Nano, then gives them a ‘few’ weapons, and [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids Tagged With: , ,

Shaun White Supply Co. Skateboards #GiftGuide

November 29, 2012 by 4 Comments

Tonight we will start with a bit of a cool parent lesson. There are three rules to being a cool parent.

Rule 1) Parents are never cool

Rule 2) Do not try to be cool

Rule 3) Parents are never cool

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, if you do want to impress your kids with your ‘coolness’, make them feel ‘cool’ instead of trying to show off your own self. That never works, does it? Hm. Instead of trying to act young and hip, get them fun gifts for the holidays that the kids would enjoy (and maybe was something you always wanted to try). Check out the new line of skateboards by Shaun White. These boards are made tough to last, and with all kinds of great designs to truly impress as well. Also there is an entire line of protectives, pads and helmets, to keep all those ‘cool’ bones from breaking. [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids Tagged With: ,

Trashpack #VideoGame and #Toys #Giftguide

November 28, 2012 by 4 Comments

Let’s have a real Trashy time! With the recent influx of small collectible rubber/plastic figures, there are a bunch geared toward our pink loving little ones. But as many of you know, there is another group of kids out there who love gross stuff. Anything gross or icky, preferably that has to do with something nasty. Trash packs are just the right toys for these kids, as long as they understand toys smaller then a quarter are NOT food and should not be eaten. The Trash Pack have new play sets and a 3DS game. One of the play sets is the Dunk ‘N Dumpster which acts as both a carrying case for the Trash Pack as well as an interactive play set where the Trashies can fling and play in a dumpster full of gross stuff, all plastic and stickers, including a gooey slime and numerous bugs. Little Man loves the [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids Tagged With: , ,