Shimmer Stars, Shiny Stuffed Friends

Snow is in the forecast, but cuddles are in order when you come back inside. How about having a fun snow day with an easy-clean-up “craft”.  And of course, winter recess is coming up.

  • Ready for a snow date with your fabulous furry friend? Snow is in the (h)air, so get your winter glam on this Valentine’s Day with Shimmer Stars, who love to make everything shimmer and glitter—including you! Use the included Shimmer Wand to decorate your Shimmer Star’s silky fur with tons of sparkly heart-shaped shimmers, then shimmerize your own hair for a cute, matching and romantic look.

Shimmer Stars (KD Kids)

Shimmer Stars are your fabulous furry friends who love to make everything shimmer and glitter — including you! Add sparkle to your world with the Shimmer Wand by using it to decorate your Shimmer Star’s silky fur with tons of sparkly shimmers, then shimmerize your own hair to match. Together We Shimmer!

The Shimmer Wand stores 200+ shimmers in different shapes and colors neatly inside the star. Shimmerizing is simple: select a shimmer and place it on the star, use the Shimmer Wand to pick it up and press the button to turn a boring patch of fur or hair into something shimmerific! Shimmers work on all hair types, attach easily and comb right out – no glue or mess! Shimmers are also reusable, so you can change up your look at any time.

Shimmer Stars also include fun wear & share fashion accessories: your pet’s tutu becomes a scrunchie, the collar can be worn as a bracelet and the hair bow can be shared. A headband with matching ears completes your look!

The set includes a Shimmer Stars pet, the Shimmer Wand tool, a headband with matching ears, three wear & share fashion accessories, a Glitter Comb and 200+ Shimmers. Choose from a unicorn, panda, cat or dog.

Ages 4+, MSRP $19.99, Available now at Target

The Importance of Plushies in Your Child’s Life

Kids are always curious about things and are constantly exploring new locations, ideas, and even identities. They absorb new things they discover and are proud of the simple achievements they manage to obtain. The toys and the materials they play with—educational or not—are a big help in their developmental stage. They are stimulants for creativity and imagination, and these help them as they grow older and face the world.

 

One of the favorite toys of kids around the globe are plushies, and they all come in different shapes, sizes, and personalities. These stuffed friends are seemingly always by their side day and night, even in sickness and health. They are like their guardian angels whenever they are scared and their special confidant in their daily lives, but there’s more to these adorable plushies than you think!

 

Despite their adorable appearance and their soft bodies, they actually have a rewarding benefit and can hone your kids’ personality and skills. Children spend the majority of their time communicating with their buddy, and it’s expected that they will form a special bond with that toy. While some simply cling to these adorable plushies, these toys play a vital role in the overall development of the child.

 

Surprising Benefits of Plushies

 

  1. The first step to independence. You might notice that kids without a plushie tend to be clingy or overly dependent on someone else, can’t initiate conversations sometimes, and tend to be aloof. Some kids look at their plushies as a guardian, and it actually helps them do tasks on their own and muster the courage to ask for help.

Plushies are like their small bodyguards when things feel scary, and it’s always nice to have someone to depend on for the simple relief and assurance that it will be okay. They view these adorable plushies as guardian angels ready to take them in whenever they fail or win—thus improving their sense of independence.

  1. A sense of comfort. Do you always understand what your toddlers want to say? What does “macaroni prince mumbo jumbo” mean, and why is it scary? Your children might be too young to express themselves, and even a parent can be utterly lost with their unique terminologies and logic.

But for them, their best friend plushie always knows what’s up, and they are always there to lean on. They tell them their secrets, and sometimes this helps them process what’s bothering them. Their plushie is their partner, and it hones their control over their emotions and their ability to express themselves. This is usually done through role play by themselves or with other friends.

 

  1. Developing their communication skills. They talk a lot with their stuffed buddies since they always seem to listen to their thoughts and rants. As they keep on doing this, they are slowly aware of their own voice and the sounds they make. They might even try to communicate more with you as they might even notice themselves that they improved. It will be a slow process of learning but it’s guaranteed to boost their confidence in talking and making friends. Kids who speak up what’s on their mind tends to be more successful and more sociable if developed properly.

 

  1. A sense of responsibility. Kids are naturally unruly and carefree, but having a plushie by their side gives them an urge to protect their toy. They treat their plushie as a family member and are sometimes closer to it than they are to their own family members. Since they treat their plushies as their guardian angels, they return the favor by protecting them and caring for them at all costs. They tend to do what they think is best for their plushies and treat them kindly whenever they can.

 

  1. Inspiring them to make more friends. Kids with plushies are actually more confident in making friends and confidently talk to them without any hesitation. They gather ideas and courage from the role plays they do with their plushies, recreate scenarios, and experiment with them in their head—and sometimes down to the last detail! While their attempts at speaking may not be perfect, the kids actually want to try harder and strive for success.

 

  1. Helping them understand their emotions. Since kids recreate scenarios and have pretend conversations in their head, it also gives them an idea of why they feel that way and what they need to do to feel better. While their solution doesn’t really make sense to you, it helps them act on what they feel will make things better. It gives them options on what they could do to help themselves, and they slowly learn how to open up.

 

You can also encourage them by asking their plushie questions, such as an emotion associated with your child. Ask the doll why she’s happy or sad, and the child will tell you the scenarios that made them happy and sad. It will give you a better understanding of what your child might be going through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute and Cuddly, Prefect for Easter or Passover

Soft and snuggly is what bedtime (and even just cuddle up time) is all about. There are some new cute critters that we thought you would enjoy for your den, check these out- they are perfect for Easter or Passover.

petsies stuffed animals

If you have pets at home, your family will be thrilled by Petsies. where you and your kids can custom design a stuffed animal to look just like your furry family member. Choose from a wide selection of colors, combinations, ear types, tails, even tongues. The plush version of your pet will arrive at your door in a few weeks, but there is actually more. While you wait, you will get emails on the progress it is making-  what point it’s at, asking you to check photos of progress to see what you think, and more. Here is an example-

“CONGRATS! Our lead designer has just reviewed and approved your picture for Petsification. This designer also transferred your photo into our special Petsies plush coding machine, so that we can create the best plush representation of your pet. Next steps: Two more designers will work on picking fabrics and crafting the shape of each individual piece of plush that goes into your design.

Thank you again for letting us plushify your pet! The Petsies Design Team”

petsies toy

We looked forward to our updates, and when we got the email with shipping notification, the wait was on. My son stalked the delivery man, and was completely thrilled with the outcome of the plus twin of his pup, Teddy.

Get yours at https://www.mypetsies.com  Right now there is even a sale going on, so the time is good.

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While we are on the topic of customization, the same company that offers Petsies offers you Budsies, which again was a HUGE hit in this house. Your child or children can bring almost any drawing to life by sending in a photo of a creation of their own design, which Budsies then expertly makes a plush toy out of. It’s super impressive, and the process is a lot of fun for the kids. Have them choose their favorite character that they would like to see as a toy, and send it into the Budsies team. Give it descriptions, choose colors and design options, and even give explanations to make sure that your creation is really understood as you wanted it to be. Again, the email updates are fun and we looked forward to updates-

“Congrats – our lead designer has just reviewed and approved your design(s)! This designer also translated your design into our special internal Budsies plush coding. Next steps: Two more designers will work on picking fabrics and crafting the shape of each individual piece of plush that goes into your design. Thank you again for letting us plushify your design! The Budsies Design Team”

His favorite part was one of the last emails, which send a photo, front and back, of what the toy would really look like- the actual toy they were sending. Seeing his creation as a real plush was very exciting, and he was even more thrilled when it got to the door. These are super fun, very unique and a great way to spend some fun family time before the toy even gets to you. You can take a look at https://www.budsies.com .

llama unicorn

A fun, no fuss toy thats easy to pick up and would be great to put in any Easter Basket or as a Passover gift is this adorable Little Daydream the Stuffed Pink Llamacorn Mini Flopsie by Aurora . Super adorable, comes in quite a few sizes (smallest is only $4.99) and very trendy right now, this little llama has it all. Super soft, shiny, glittery horn and hooves, a unicorn horn, and did we mention it’s a llama? Everyone’s favorite ungulates are extremely popular right now, and this little guy embraces a lot of the toy trends of 2019, making it a great choice for pretty much any kid who loves stuffed animals.

Adorable Moosh-Moosh Stuffed Toys #GiftGuide

smoosh toys

Do you know someone who loves soft, squishy toys? My son (and my partner) both loft pillow-like toys, especially when they are super soft on the outside. They would be great gifts this holiday season. If you know any kid (or kid at heart) who likes to collect stuffed toys, these are sure to be a hit.

Moosh-Moosh is an adorable new, marshmallow-soft, squishy stuffed animal/pillow. You can use it as either or both (we do). You can find them in the aisles of Michaels Stores or CVS,  Moosh-Moosh comes in quite a few sizes and options. More than three million cuddly characters have been sold since they first came out this year. Cuddle, snuggle, squish or stack these cuties, they are fun to collect as well. Moosh-Moosh makes the perfect December present for stocking stuffers, dreidel game prizes or an under-the-tree surprise.

You can get these soft plushies in a palm-size 4”Clip-on ($5.99) to a huggable 7” Regular ($9.99) to the ultimate 10” Large ($14.99).

Shop for over 72 styles online at Moosh-Moosh.com . You will have a hard time choosing just one, but as with all things, they are better with friends.  These have been hot sellers at neighborhood Staples, JOANN Stores, AC Moore, and Party City, as well as select Hudson News airport stores.

 

Companies that Care- GOOD DEEDS

Behind the Moosh-Moosh logo is a caring company that donates plush buddies as need arises. A Kindergarten teacher in the Washington, DC area was looking for an educator discount to buy her 28 students plushies for reading circle. Imagine her surprise when Sean Price, VP of Business Development and Marketing for parent company MMG Brands, shipped her two dozen soft friends.

A bigger shout out came from Omaha, Nebraska, home of Elliott’s Hoedown for ATCP. After learning about the A-T Children’s Project, MMG Brands donated $11,000 worth of toys! The Midwest charity creates awareness for A-T (a rare, inherited disease that affects several organs and systems, including the nervous and the immune systems) and funnels donations to Johns Hopkins’ A-T clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.

Snuggling up With Cuddly Characters

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own and honest. For more information, please see “I Disclose”.

My son is a cuddle monster, and he loves his stuffed animals.  In fact, I often joke that he likes to “Scrooge McDuck” in his pile of fluffy toys, making a huge pile and rolling around in it.  It’s how he sleeps.  It’s the oddest thing….but I guess we all have our “thing”, don’t we?

Recently, he found some video game stuffed toys that he loves. First there are the Nintendo Plush, which are not only cute, but also fun to play with and act out the games your child loves best.  Perfect for the collector or kids, they come in all sorts of characters, new and old, and even the more obscure.  Some of them even make the well knows Nintendo game sounds, like the coin bling, and the Koopa Troopa “hit” sound.  I’d try to spell those sounds for you, but I’m not willing to take the hate mail from fans (haha).  Find your child’s favorites (or your own) like Kirby, Mario, the coin box (really!) Koopa Troopa, Cat Toad or regular Toad- you can find most characters.  Visit any store that sells toys and pick yours up- prices vary, most are under $10.

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Collectors or kids will love the collectable Pokemon toys to commemorate Pokemon’s 20th anniversary. Every month until December 2016, one retailer-exclusive Mythical Pokémon will be released. These extremely rare Pokémon will be released as 8” plush in a very special crushed velvet material, as well as  2” pearlescent-finished figures that come with their own pearlescent-finished Poké Balls. There will also be various limited-edition Pikachu products all year long, but you gotta catch ’em all- because when they are gone, that’s it!  Visit http://tomycollections.com/ to see what Pokemon is being released each month and at what retailer. Prices vary.

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Precious Moments might not be out of a video game, but they are sweet and snuggely. They are perfect for even the smallest stuffed animal lovers, with a new 17-piece Precious Baby line just for your littlest cuddle bunnies. Now available through Aurora World (who you know we love, and make some of our favorite stuffed toys), the baby toys include a blanket puppet, wind up musical toys, plush rattles, toys that recite prayers (in either English or Spanish), and your traditional plush toys. Most toys are from $12-24.  You can visite www.auroragift.com for these and even more baby items, as well as stuffed animals for older children.

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Stackins Stackable Friends for the Holidays @funrise_toys #Stackins

Have you heard of Stackins Stackable Friends™ ?  They are really adorable, and would make the cutest stocking stuffers this Christmas, or gift for any child who loves cute stuffed toys.

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Stackins Stackable Friends™ is a collectible line of stackable plush animals with adorable facial features, available in two sizes, small and medium. These plush pets are perfect for stacking in play rooms, trading, sharing with friends or snuggling!

Claire’s newest furry friends include Dottie the Ladybug, Shiner the Mouse, Ivy the Blue Owl and Bouquet the Skunk   (pictured top to bottom).

Funrise is supporting the launch via an interactive Stackins microsite with videos, games and product information. Stackins animated webisodes will follow the fun antics of these furry friends and can be viewed on the brand’s YouTube Channel.

Stackins Stackable Friends™ are also available at Walmart stores nationwide.

Stackins Stackable Friends is Funrise Toys’ latest toy line featuring a collectible line of adorable animal-themed plush toys. Stackins Stackable Friends are currently available at Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R’ Us retail stores nationwide.

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Just in time for Christmas and the holidays are these newest, tiny Stackins!

Stackins Pictured: (Left to Right) Shiner The Mouse, Sparkles The Unicorn, Fawna The Deer, Rosie The Robin

I know a little boy that will love getting these adorable holiday themed Stackins in his stocking- time to get them while the getting is good and there are still some left.

Happy holiday shopping to you and yours- let me know how you like these cuties!

The BIRTHDAYKINS and The HUGGALOONS from Digiplush

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My son likes toys that he can play with on his tablet- while I don’t think there needs to be an app for every toy, a few here and there are cute.  This one celebrates your birthday with you, which is adorable.  For his birthday month, he tried out a BirthdayKins and Hugaloons toy, which he can cuddle as well as use to unlock premium parts and features in an otherwise free app.  My son’s favorite part of the game is making birthday cakes and knocking down pinatas- he also likes that it remembers when his birthday is.  It’s cute.

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The first brand launching under the new Digiplush venture is “BirthdayLand.” Everyone celebrates a birthday, and yet this unique special day has never been supported by characters or a mythology similar to other major holidays.  Until now.  Each time a child blows out a candle, their wish drifts up to BirthdayLand, the place where their wishes comes true.  According to the BirthdayLand legend, everything that makes a birthday celebration special comes from BirthdayLand, from the candles on a cake to the paper wrapped around birthday presents.  The adorable characters of BirthdayLand, the Birthdaykins and the Huggaloons, will be the first physical products to market.  They are currently available at Toys”R”Us.

pic5The Birthdaykins are delightful birthday-themed plush toys that retail for $12.99.  They are the cute characters in BirthdayLand, the place where birthday wishes come true.  The Birthdaykins are also featured in the BirthdayLand app, which is filled with fun-tastic birthday-related games and activities.  The purchase any of the Birthdaykins includes a code that unlocks premium features inside the BirthdayLand app.  The app is a free download in the iTunes store, Google Play and Amazon Apps.

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The Huggaloons are soft, lovable plush toys that resemble balloon animals that retail for $16.99. They are the special guides in BirthdayLand, the place where birthday wishes come true.  The Huggaloons are also featured in the BirthdayLand app, which is filled with fun-tastic birthday-related games and activities.  The purchase any of the Huggaloons includes a code that unlocks premium features inside the BirthdayLand app.  The app is a free download in the iTunes store, Google Play and Amazon Apps.

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The BirthdayLand app is a free download and features two free activities.  Additional free games and activities within the app can be unlocked using a code displayed on signage in Toys”R”Us stores.  The Birthdayland plush toys, The Birthdaykins and the Huggaloons, also feature secret codes that unlock two additional games within the app. The free download includes:

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  • “Balloon Pop” – spell words by finding letters inside floating balloons and placing them correctly in the word below.
  • “Birthday Countdown Clock” – countdown birthdays for up to 5 different family members, friends or pets — whoever has a birthday to remember and celebrate.

The remaining games and activities are unlocked by using the special code that comes with the purchase of a BirthdayLand toy, or by entering the special code printed on the in-store BirthdayLand display, both available at Toys”R”Us locations.

The app is appropriate for children ages 3-7.   www.birthdayland.com

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Guess How Much I Love You (new line of toys)

My little boy loves his stuffed animals.  He also loves the book, “Guess How Much I Love You”, which we have been reading to him since he was a baby.  The modern classic, which was written in 1994 by British author Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram has sold more then 28 million copies- so if you have read it to your little love, you are not alone.

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My son has prints of the storybook on his wall in his bedroom, he loves the story so.  He and I often tell each other we love each other to the moon and back, and he likes to stretch his arms to see if they will go wider then mine.  When Kids Preferred came out with the new line of toys from the beloved book, he was thrilled.
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