Build-A-Bear Workshop

I think that the perfect gift no matter what holiday is a great stuffed animal. It has the ability to bring comfort. It has the ability to spark the imagination. And it is just so soft and cuddly. And when kids get a chance to be in the action, it makes the stuffed item so much more special. Being able to walk in, pick out your favorite, pick out his/her heart, be the one pushing the lever for the stuffing, bathing, dressing, and naming the stuffed animal makes it even better.

Build-A-Bear Workshop gives you all that, and more. When you are done bathing, dressing, and getting to know your little creation, you get to name it and adopt it. I will admit, I love watching the kids faces when they were taken into Build-A-Bear. It is a memory they still talk about today.

I was sent a $25 gift certificate to head over to Build-A-Bear Workshop and make my own furry little friend. The process is super easy. The animals range in price from $10 to $22. You pick your favorite. Then you decide if you want a voice box in it. After that, you stuff the bear, place it's heart in, bath, dress, and name. I have to say now, I was in a hurry, and did not do the adoption part. It was one of those days. But I do know from talking to one of the ladies working in there, that when you go through the adoption you get a code so that you can go on Build-A-Bear online and play with your friend virtually. Sounds pretty cool, right?!

You can find a Build-A-Bear workshop in most malls. If you do not have one near you, you can also order a furry friend online. You can also find lots of clothing and accessories on the website as well.

Follow along with Build-A-Bear on Twitter, or like on Facebook, to keep up with sales, new animals, and more!

Playmobil Advent Calendar

The PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar is an innovative and inexpensive way to build excitement during the 24 days leading up to Christmas, and allows children ages four and up to continue playing with their new playsets long after the holiday season comes to an end (each day reveals a new toy and by Christmas the child has a complete playset).

New for 2010 are PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendars with Pony Ranch and Dragon’s Land themes. With a total of five different play worlds in all, each advent calendar is as unique as the imagination of the child who plays with it.  Please click on the following link to see all of the 2010 themes: http://bit.ly/dbv7iP

Advent Calendars from PLAYMOBIL retail for $18.99 and are available at specialty retailers nationwide.  

We were sent one of the Playmobil Advent Calendars to review, and I was really happy with the surprise package on my doorstep. I had seriously wanted to do an advent calendar this year, and this is a great way to introduce the kidlets to one.  Unlike the traditional advent calendar, where you get a piece of candy or a little trinket from the opened window, you get a little Playmobil piece to go with the city scape. The one we were sent was the Advent Calendar "Police". Each spot contains a little person, pieces for the person, pieces for the city (like a toilet!), and when you have all your pieces are out, you can open up the cityscape and play! I foresee a lot of fun opening this advent calendar during the holidays.

Wild Dill

Have you ever come across one of those sites where you can find all kinds of goodies and you just want to sit there and oogle the site all day? Well that is exactly what happened when I came across Wild Dill. All thanks to Facebook for having their little ad up while I was on.

You will find clothing, toys, art supplies, and gifts all on the Wild Dill website. And making the products even better is the fact that they are organic, eco-friendly, and even fair trade. They use bamboo and soy for most of the products that are sold on the site. The art supplies are all made from soy, which means if your monkey eats the glue, it'll be okay.

We were sent some of the art supplies that are sold on Wild Dill made by Clementine Art. As soon as the box was opened, we had to unroll paper and get to painting. I don't know a kiddo alive who doesn't like art in some form or another. Many children who have sensory issues and can't take the feel of the paint on the fingers, still love to look at beautiful pictures painted by other kids. And many children who can't enjoy the visual beauty of a painting, still enjoy feeling their fingers in the wet paint. Art is just one of those things that can soothe a soul and help you find joy in your day!

The Clementine Art Natural Rock Crayons were a big hit as well in the monkie house. The kids all oohed and ahhed over the way cool crayon rocks. Which kinda looked like little nuts.

The Clementine Art Natural Glue surprised me quiet a bit. It actually works. I wasn't expecting it to work as good as my trusty Elmer's, but I got pleasantly surprised when we tried it out. It holds papers tight, and dries pretty quickly. The drying time did seem to be a little longer than with regular glue, but it wasn't so bad that I would say it was a negative to purchasing the natural glue.

You can also find markers and modeling clay from Clementine Art. Wouldn't this make a lovely gift basket idea for your art lover? Just add some sketch paper, paint paper, and other little art supplies and you have a creative minds best gift EVAH! Check out Wild Dill for all the great products that they offer. You can follow them on Facebook to keep up with sales, new products, and discount codes.

Speaking of discount codes...Use code 15off when you make a purchase at Wild Dill and receive 15% off your total purchase!

Check out the Flickr set for our Wild Dill paint fun!

Super Sipperz!

My daughter, Savanna, has an obsession with straws. She has yet to meet a straw she hasn't wanted to try. So when I was approached about reviewing the Super Sipperz! I jumped at it. Just for her. These are regular bendy straws in a variety of colors. But what makes them really nifty is the connectors that allow you make really wacky designs out of all of the straws.

The girls immediately went and started building stuff. MacKenzie the architect tried putting 5 drinks in a row and building a bridge that all of the kids could sit at and drink from. They figured out really quick that root beer, orange Fanta, and lemonade really don't mix that well. Because that is exactly what happened. The drinks all mixed together and they had some funky flavored stuff coming out of their straws.

 If you have super imaginative kids, or well even not that imaginative kids, then you might want to add these to the stockings. They are reasonably priced at $9.99 for one 80 piece set and then just an additional $5 for a second set for a total of 160 pieces! Each set contains straws, connectors, a mesh storage bag, and a 60 day money back guarantee. Plus the fun you can't buy from watching your kids eyes light up while building. Oh, and the set also contains one set of tubes to make glasses out of the straws.

Check out this really cool video on the Super Sipperz! website. I love the little girl lounging by the pool with straws leading to her drink. LOL For straws you can build with, these are definitely pretty cool!

EcoMom

EcoMom is one of those sites that you can go to for EVERYTHING. Literally. They have organic food, toys, clothing, and even a forum to talk to other eco-conscience parents out there. They literally have everything. You might remember the review I held not to long ago for their organic snacks, in particular their Revolution Foods graham cracker snacks and fruit squeeze pouches. Both of which were a hit.  

Well, like I said before...EcoMom has it all. So when I was thinking of a great site to include in this here Gift Guide, I knew I wanted to have them as a partner. If you are looking for something for mom, dad, or the kids you are sure to find something that they will love. And when it comes to little girls, well they have the perfect gift...

Every little girl at some point wants a dollhouse. Last Christmas I ended up driving two hours to find one (which is now being used as a book case). I paid way too much for it and the quality was not that great. Which is why it is a bookcase now. The girls really loved it, but when the pieces all started to break we just had to re-purpose it. Savanna has already added a new dollhouse her to her wish list this year! But I want to make sure that the dollhouse that she receives from old St. Nick is durable this go round. If you are short on space, you should really try the Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Mini Dollhouse. It measures 13.13"x10.63"x6.13", which makes it perfect for table top play. And the fold up design allows it to store easily and quickly. It comes with a total of 11 pieces of furniture and 2 little people. Cost for the Melissa and Doug dollhouse is $60 on EcoMom and you get free shipping with it as well.This particular dollhouse is for ages 3+.

I am a huge M&D fan and EcoMom has so many of their products for really good prices that I know I will be shopping there a lot. LOL

Another of my favorites from EcoMom, and one I am sure all little boys would want, it the Crafty Kids Shuttle. They also have a little cottage for the girlies.

You can keep up with all that is happening on EcoMom by following along on Twitter, or liking them on Facebook.

Goliath Games

Board games are always a big hit with my kids. They absolutely love the different games that come out, and even the classics are a big hit. One of our favorite companies has quickly become Goliath Games. They have such a fun assortment of games that span all age levels that it is easy to find a new game to place under the tree. I have been on the hunt for games out of the box for the twins. We did Hungry Hungry Hippo, and while it is a big hit, it is stationary and they get bored. So when we were sent Mad Mouse to try out I was thrilled to see that the mouse moves! The cute little blue mouse darts around and the goal is to catch the mouse by the tail with little cat paws. When you catch the mouse you get cheese. Whoever gets the most cheese wins. Easy peasy! The twins actually screeched in delight over chasing this thing. Mad Mouse comes with 4 of the cat paws, the electronic mouse, 9 pieces of cheese, and requires 2 AA batteries. The cost for Mad Mouse is $30.99. You can purchase it on Goliath games website, Amazon, and several other sites. Check for all the places to purchase HERE.

We were also sent Pop the Pig to try out. This was definitely up Braden and Savanna's alley. This is a great game for learning to count and estimation. Why? Well because the players have to guess how many bites it will take the pig to eat the burger. With every time you push on piggies head, his tummy grows. Just don't push too many times, or the tummy pops. Think of the first time you saw a Jack in the Box. And the reaction to "POP! Goes the weasel" That would be Colton's reaction every.single.time that Braden made the stomach pop. Which was every.single.time it was his turn! Pop the Pig is for ages 4+ and it is great fun. It comes with 1 Pop the Pig and 16 burgers. The cost is $24.99 (it is on sale right now!).

Along with these two games there are many more games available through Goliath Games. Check them all out and see which is your favorite!

VeggieTales: It's a meaningful life

I am a huge VeggieTales fan. Have been for YEARS. I mean really, who doesn't like veggies talking to them?! I think my fandom stems from annoying the crap out of my friend Arin during a youth trip. I spent hours singing "Oh where is my hair brush". Which led to years later, her actually giving me a hair brush for Christmas. LOL. Good times.

Not only are the tunes catchy but the morals and the stories are something I have no issue with my kids watching and being exposed to over and over and over again. Which we have. Tons of times. Larry the Cucumber is a big hit my house. My favorite thing about this VeggieTales movie is that I can reiterate something I try really hard to teach the kids. That no matter what, you should always understand your own worth and importance  to be content with what they do have rather than worrying about what others have. It is a hard lesson. Especially in this age of entitlement that we are living through. The old values of be thankful for the things we have is gone. Everyone wants bigger and better. Ugh that is so another post, one I actually have written and think I will post along with this review. Watch for it.

Back to the talking tomato.

It's a meaningful life has a brand new song set. It even has Steven Curtis Chapman on there. Some of the Bonus Features include:

• Directors’ Audio Commentary
• Art Gallery
• Parents Guide presented by Family Life
• “Goodnight Junior” Silly Songs Sing-Along
• Visit a Train Museum with Larry
• Behind The Music of It’s a Meaningful Life—An Interview with Steven Curtis Chapman
• “Meant To Be” Music Video 

The video run time on this particular movie is 48 minutes. You can purchase it at most major stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon and even online at BigIdea.com. This would make a great stocking stuffer or if you are like me and have this thing about giving a new movie each holiday season, this is your next perfect pick!

Webkinz Jr.

If you didn't know by now, my kids are all big stuffed animal fans. One of our favorite stuffed animals is Webkinz. The girls were introduced to Webkinz thanks to a friend of mine named Terri. Her daughter was collecting them, and when my girlies found out about them it started a frenzy. They have collected the cards, the animals, the bracelet/necklaces/charms, and everything else that goes with Webkinz. Of course the boys wanted to get in on the action and be able to play online with their own Webkinz. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when we were introduced to Webkinz Jr.

Webkinz Jr. are a larger version of the small Webkinz. Each one is a cute cuddly bundle of fur and stuff. And like the original Webkinz, Webkinz Jr. has its own virtual world where your little one can take care of their pet. The differences in the websites isn't too big. While Webkinz has a website that is more geared towards kids who can read and can do more interactive stuff, Webkinz Jr. offers your little ones in the 3-6 age range the ability to play games, feed their pets, decorate their little homes, and many of the other things that the original site allows for the older kids, it is just easier for the littler ones to be understand. Braden loves playing on Webkinz Jr. Getting on daily to take care of his pet and play some games is one of his favorite demands.

Webkinz Jr are available in a variety of animals, 18 to be exact. The cost for one Webkinz Jr is around $20.00 at most retailers. You have your choice of everything from bunnies to giraffes. And of course there are a couple of monkeys as well! You can purchase them at most major toy outlets (Toys R' Us, Amazon, Babies R' Us). Be sure to get yours and put it back for Christmas!

My Pillow Pet

Named one of Toys R' Us Fabulous 15 this is one hot toy this year. And what is awesome is it is not a toy at all. It is a pillow. It is a wonderful companion for some imaginary fun. It is a security item for when your little one is sleeping away on their first sleep over. It is so many things. We have two of the folding stuffed animals now and are waiting on number three to arrive. I can't tell you how much all of my children, and even mommy, loves these adorable stuffed animals.The kids all fuss over who gets to use them to sleep on. It is so funny to watch. Of course if it gets to bad I step in and decide that mom needs it in her bed.

Don't be fooled by those pesky mall people who have set up stands selling the "bed pets" that look from a distance just like the My Pillow Pet. One sure fire way of making sure you are buying the real deal is by looking for the pillow pet tag. I managed to do a recon mission at our local mall and asked a few questions. I was shocked that the lady there selling them wanted me to believe that they were the exact same thing as seen on tv. I picked one up and tried to get a feel for it. While the knock-offs are soft, they have a different feel to the "fur" and the fluffiness is not there like with the real Pillow Pets.

With the holiday season fast approaching, you might want to grab one for traveling if you are visiting family. The Pillow Pet would make a great car pillow. At a cost of $19.95 for the first one and $15.95 for up to 5 additional ones, you will be getting something your child will cherish for a long time to come. It will get lots of use out of it, and will most definitely have a special spot on the bed. With 20 different pets to choose from there is sure to be a winner for your home. Be sure to purchase your Pillow Pet early though. Last year they sold out of inventory before Christmas.

K'Nex

One of my boys favorite toys this year has definitely been K'Nex. With a wide range of licensed products like Sesame Street and and Nascar you will be sure to find one that will pique your little one's imagination. And isn't that really the best gift you can give your kids for Christmas? The ability to let their imagination run wild without the aid of a television?

With Braden getting older we have moved up into the smaller pieces that make even more intricate designs. Like the Pirate Adventure 20 Modeling Set. This set is pretty awesome. Even with the gazillion itty bitty pieces it contains. Please keep in mind that with this set, if you have really young kids in the house, you will want to keep this out of reach. If not only for your sanity in having to find all the pieces, but for the sake of not letting little bit choke on the pieces. This is a 5+ kit and I would venture to even say it is for MATURE 5 year olds. Braden has done remarkably well with the set, but I do have to stay on him about picking up all the pieces when he is done playing with it. The building set gives you pictures of 20 different models you can build with the pieces included. The cost for the Pirate Adventure set is $25.99.

We were also sent a couple of other sets to review and let you know whether they are something you might want to add to your Christmas shopping list. One of them was the K'Nex Big Building Tub. This was an instant HIT! Not just with the twins but with Braden as well. It contains 50 pieces that are perfect for little hands that are learning to build and put the pieces together. Complete with eyes, arms, and all the connectors you could need to make 11 different models. Plus whatever else your little monkey can dream up. This building set is geared for kids ages 3+. I would even go and say that with parent supervision and parent play help 18 months + could play and enjoy this set. Did I mention that the tub is totally durable? It has been stood upon, sat on, and tossed. Yet it still retains all its shape. Easily stackable so if you purchase other tub sets you can store them all together! The price for the Big Building Tub is $20.99.

Last, but definitely not least to Colton, was the Space Adventure Talking Elmo. I have to admit, I have not heard it talk. It is suppose to say two phrases, but when it is built Colton will not let anyone near it. I think we will have to build  personal shelf for Elmo. LOL This building set contains 31 pieces and is very easy to assemble. It comes complete with Elmo and his moon rover. Your little monkey will spend hours exploring his room, er moon, with this set. The Space Adventure Talking Elmo building set costs $24.99.

Not only is K'Nex a brand you can trust to give you durable long lasting toys, it is a brand that truly believes in giving back. We were sent duplicates of all the above items to send to Toys For Tots this year! How awesome is that. While I know my readers would have loved a giveaway, I also know you can appreciate helping kids in need. While we all sit around our trees there are so many out there who don't get anything under theirs. Shoot they are lucky if they have a tree. Having been in their situation and wondering where the heck Christmas was coming I strive to even harder to make sure others have a little. So I am thrilled to let you know that K'Nex is a brand that gives back to the community. A brand that I can stand behind for all the RIGHT reasons! And you can as well.

Melissa and Doug Puzzles, Puzzles, Puzzles!

I am a HUGE Melissa & Doug fan. Their wooden toys are my favorites and they outlast my terrors sweet angles. Not only are the toys durable, but they offer such a great way to learn that I can never turn one down when I find it on sale. I have to admit though, that I hadn't been hooked on Melissa & Doug until after I had the twins. One of the girls from my owl twin moms group told me about the products and was raving about them so much that I had to check them out.

After being in business for 20 years and coming a long ways from their first wooden toy (The Fuzzy Farm Puzzle), Melissa & Doug now offers wooden puzzles, doll houses, room decor, art supplies, and everything in between!

My favorite puzzles are the Alphabet puzzles. We were sent the Alphabet Sound Puzzle, which I am using with the boys homeschooling work each day. It helps to add a little fun into the learning process. Each letter is set to say the letter and something that starts with that letter when you place the matching puzzle piece into the board. Another nifty fact with the Alphabet Sound Puzzle is that each piece is the same color as the picture in the puzzle board. Just another way to help your little one catch on to which one goes where. And since the puzzle pieces are chunky, it makes it easy for preschoolers to be able to handle the pieces easily.

I also love love love the floor puzzles that you can get from Melissa & Doug. There is a floor puzzle theme for all the kiddos tastes. Savanna is definitely a girly girl so I opted to go with the Fairy Tale Castle Floor Puzzle for them to review. This puzzle gets put together DAILY. The pieces are big so I don't have to worry about them being lost all over the house. It is easy and quick, which allows Savanna plenty of time to complete the puzzle before she is distracted, and it is just so darn pretty to look at. I keep thinking I may get one of those puzzle mats and glue the pieces down and frame it. It contains 48 pieces and measures a whooping 2'x3' when you have it put together.

And while we are on the topic of puzzles and incorporating them into homeschooling...If you are trying to help your little one learn to read, then be sure to check out the See and Spell wooden toy in the Melissa & Doug classic toys. This has been an AMAZING tool for Savanna as well as Braden and the twins. With Savanna's disabilty (specifically her working memory doesn't work right, so she has to be very visual with her learning style) this has made it much easier to work with her learning to read proficiently. It also is making it easier for the boys to learn as well. They can see exactly what they are spelling as they spell it. See the letters they are placing in each spot. I am loving this toy.

Each of these toys would make an excellent Christmas gift for your little ones. And they also would make a wonderful addition to any home classroom (or a gift for your preschoolers/kindergartners classroom!). Check out all the great quality eco-friendly toys available at Melissa & Doug.

Learning Curve's Dinosaur Train

I am a big believer in PBS and the shows that they put out for kids to watch. One of our favorites by far is Dinosaur Train. I don't know many little boys who don't love learning about dinosaurs, and most little girls are secretly enthralled by the big animals as well!

Learning Curve is bringing the Dinosaur Train fun right into your home with their new line of Dinosaur Train toys. Directly inspired by the familiar sights, sounds and iconic characters of the popular preschool series from The Jim Henson Company seen daily on PBS KIDS® (check local listings), the new Dinosaur Train product line brings dinosaur play to life like never before. With many of the items available for under $20, the innovative preschool product line includes interactive dinosaur action figures, collectible dinosaurs, plush, train sets, and electronic learning aids. To get a first hand look at the line, I also wanted to send you 3 really cute and funny videos Learning Curve created that feature children interacting with the new toys and the product designers talking about how the items were created.

What makes these toys great is the smart talk technology that has been integrated into each of the toys. The innovative preschool product line includes interactive dinosaur action figures, collectible dinosaurs, plush and train sets, and is available at major retailers across the country. With the Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures your little one will spend lots of time playing and learning about his favorite dinos from the show. In addition to being able to recognize and respond to other Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures, each character is fully articulated and is packed with one-of-a-kind dinosaur features, including a minimum of 40 dinosaur sounds, facts and character phrases. With multiple activation touch points that trigger a signature dinosaur feature, such as stomping or chomping, Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures provide hours of interactive and imaginative fun all by themselves or alongside the other dinosaur friends in Learning Curve’s line.

In addition to the Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures, key items in the Dinosaur Train line making their debut at retailers nationwide include Dinosaur Train Dinosaur and Train Car 2-packs, a detailed collectible dinosaur figure and a train car decorated to match the specific character; and Lights and Sounds Dinosaur Train, a colorful prehistoric train set that expands to fit additional dinosaur friends and their special train cars.

We were actually sent  two of the Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures to play around with. Tiny is my favorite from the show and she is pterodactyl. She has over 40 phrases and sounds that she makes/says. The other one was Buddy. Buddy is the misplaced T-Rex being raised by a family of pterodactyl's (Tiny is his sister). Like Tiny he says over 40 phrases/sounds. It is really cool getting them together and letting them interactwith each other. This is alone will keep em enthralled for a good few bit! Talk about a lot of giggling going on in my living room when they started playing with. All most as much as when we went and checked them out online to see all the items in the line. Connor and Colton have taken over the ones we were sent, so I can definitely see having to get at least one more for Braden. My daughters actually pouted because they didn't get them!

Check out Learning Curve's complete Dinosaur Train line of toys on their website. You can locate a place to purchase the items, watch cool videos showing you more about how the InterAction line works, and get a giggle out of your little one by playing around with the Games and More section!

Learning Curve Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway

Great products for little minds seem to be abundant in the toy industry. But finding a company that has toys that have been parent tested, parent approved, and that offers a range of toys from infant to preschooler is a harder job. Thankfully we have Learning Curve to turn to!

Learning Curve offers developmental toys that engage children, and provide parents with peace of mind, knowing their children are being inspired and enlightened by safe and quality playthings. And our care, safety, feeding and soothing products provide you with solutions to day-to-day needs at mealtime, bedtime, at home and on-the-go..

One of the newest additions is the new Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway. This wooden railway set is perfect for introducing your little one to the joys of trains. The age specified for the products are 18 months+. My boys being 3 and 5 are a bit older than that, but they still had a blast putting the pieces together and building the railroad. We were sent the Early Engineers Roundabout Station Set to review, and I will have to say that my first thought was that this was going to be super easy for the boys to put together and take apart on their own. It is. 

The Early Engineers line offers young train lovers their first stop in wooden train play. Chunky vehicles, sturdy tracktiles, and simple destinations are just right for little hands. And, since Early Engineers is compatible with any Thomas Wooden Railway products, the journey continues as your toddler grows

The Roundabout Station Set includes Tracktile, Maithwaite Station, Thomas, crossing gate, spinning cargo and two track connectors. It can easily be added to with the other pieces in the Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway line. I do plan on purchasing more of these for Christmas for the boys. It makes a great item that they can all share and play with together. Especially when we get a couple of more train pieces and some more track to add! At a cost of $24.99 it isn't too bad a deal for the brand you are buying and the durability of the product. I can really see this toy lasting for a while around here. 






You can purchase all your Learning Curve products from www.learningcurve.com or you can find a store located near you by visiting the Where to Buy page on the website.