Create Your Own Zootopia Adventures

June 11, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received these products free to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine alone.

If you didn’t get a chance to see Disney’s new hit Zootopia in theaters, you’re in luck because it’s now out on DVD! We were thrilled to get ours, so we could rewatch our favorite pals face quite the adventure together. Plus, now you can Create Your Own Zootopia Adventures with the movie AND some awesome Zootopia toys!

If you recall, we really loved Zootopia when we got to see it in theaters – in fact, it’s my new favorite animated film (see why here). I even got to sit down with the directors – such a fun time chatting about the film! My kids were hilarious after the movie, including their favorite moments in their play. I can’t recall how many times I’d hear them yell ‘blood, blood, guts’ and I’d peak in to see them acting out just like Judy. Quite theatrical, to say the least! Now they have some fun toys to assist with their adventures, and it’s a blast hearing them include lines and jokes from the movie.

Judy’s Police Cruiser is the perfect size for my rambunxious boys, and they love letting her drive around in it. As the wheels turn, the front lights flash – of course this is the kids’ favorite feature!

The back turns into a little jail cell to help her catch any bandits while out on patrol.

They’ve already talked about saving up to nab the other character figures that can go along with it. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Mr. Big!

I don’t think my Iron Man will let go of Nick Wilde for awhile – at least he’s playing with him as they use their imaginations and not JUST squeezing him for the sounds over and over again.

I love the phrases they included – ‘Officer Toot Toot’ got quite a laugh from the kids!

I’m curious what fun phrases Officer Judy Hopps has!

Don’t forget, you can now nab the DVD! Here’s the basic idea of the film, if you haven’t seen it yet: “From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes a comedy-adventure set in the modern mammal metropolis ofZootopia. Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia’s police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case – even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.”

I sincerely LOVE this fun, adventurous, sweet video full of humor, friendship and mysterious plots!

Teach Kids About Emotions and Moods

May 26, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received the Make a Mood magnutto junior to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine alone.

You know those times when your kid goes from happy-go-lucky and full of smiles, then suddenly their on the floor screaming and yelling because they’re so angry? I try to be patient when that happens, reminding myself that even as adults we sometimes struggle with our feelings – kids don’t even understand them completely, so of course they’ll get frustrated, too. There’s many fun ways to Teach Kids About Emotions and Moods, one being the magnutto junior ‘Make a Mood’ set!

We’ve used our ‘Today I’m Feeling…’ Inside Out themed printable before, and it was great – but it didn’t give them a chance to really INTERACT with their feelings. The Magnutto Make a Mood set helps them really think through the different emotions in a fun, playful way. Because who doesn’t love making faces with magnets? The box comes with two magnet sheets, and the majority of the pieces popped out SUPER easy. The few smaller ones (like the thin eyebrows) needed a little more patience, but even my kids could handle it just fine. There’s also an ‘inspiration sheet’ to give ideas on how you can use different pieces – but overall just let your kids use their own ideas!

The box itself is the magnet board, and you can flip the ‘canvas’ are then set it in the two notches on the side…

The dozens of magnetic pieces are easily stored underneath, which I find super convenient.

I did really like that the pieces weren’t all hard and stiff – but soft and ‘foamy’ almost. I think that’s better for the younger kids anyway. You can let your kiddo SHOW you how they’re feeling, then talk about it together. Sometimes visual works much easier with young kids. Heck, visual works a lot better with ME even!

You can use the included topics card for thought started while discussing emotions with your child…

Not only can this help your child learn more of their emotions and what can cause them, but also how to handle them. It’s also a great bonding time, especially if you share YOUR emotions with them – then they can feel it’s more okay to have those emotions.

Want more magnetic fun? Magnutto has THREE sets just released in April: Make a Mood, Make a Pet, and Make a Dino. The owner designed this with his two special needs children in mind, so you know special care and thought went into the development. You can check them all out on the Magnutto website – then get your magnet fun on!

BLAZING TEAM Yo-Yo Skill Training

May 19, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received some #BlazingTeam toys to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t really do yo-yo as a kid – it was too difficult, and nobody else seemed that into it. Hubby, on the other hand, learned plenty of tricks like walk-the-dog and cradle – so he was thrilled to try out some new Hasbro toys from the BLAZING TEAM animated series with the kids. He took some time to help them start their BLAZING TEAM Yo-Yo Skill Training, and they can’t wait to work on their tricks to become ‘Masters of Yo Kwon Do’ like the BLAZING TEAM!

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These new Hasbro toys have FIVE levels – from Apprentice to Master. We got to test out some level ones and twos, which were perfect for the kids just starting out. Soon they’ll be moving up and needing more of a challenge, though! The level one was a perfect start – doesn’t just roll out easily, you have to flick it well, and it slides right back up. Thor had a blast with this!

The level ones even have a cool little figure on the end of the string – my first thought was ‘oh good, they won’t lose the end of the string now!’ I’m not quite sure if that was their purpose, or if they just look cooler, but I appreciate them either way.

The red one has changeable plates/cards for the yo-yo, which then change the SOUND it makes. Any toy that makes neat sounds while you use it ups the fun level, right?! It takes 2 AAA batteries.

My girl had a better time with the level two, and is slowly but surely mastering her skills. It’s funny how determined she gets!

Here’s the level 2 designs we got – and as you can see, they don’t have the changeable plates, figures on the string or make sound. Once you get up there in the levels, guess you don’t need them as much, right? My girl didn’t care, as she was into learning more tricks. But the younger kids, they were only interested in the ‘more active’ one 🙂

You can find a bunch of the new BLAZING TEAM toys and accessories from Hasbro at your local retailers, or find them on Amazon. We can’t wait to try out the higher levels – we’ll see if even I can do a trick or two as we master more yo-yo skills! You can also get inspiration, see trick videos and much more at Join BLAZING TEAM!

Why are LEGO® sets good for Kids?

January 13, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Our family is completely in love with LEGO^® sets. I don’t just mean a little bit – it’s the activity my kids ask for more often than most any other. We have huge totes and buckets full of pieces – the largest supply being from Hubby’s childhood! Yup, our love of these building blocks goes deep – it was his main thing growing up, and now he’s sharing it with his children. Plus, now we can enjoy LEGO^® Super Heroes at any age! You may be wondering ‘Why are LEGO® sets good for Kids?‘ Here’s the reasons I personally like best!Since we’re also major super hero fans, the LEGO^® Super Heroes: MARVEL^™ and LEGO^® Super Heroes: DC UNIVERSE^™sets are the PERFECT thing for this group of kiddos – and us adults, too! They bring characters from comic books and new movie releases to LEGO brick form, making great fun for all.

I really wish I’d gotten my family’s reactions on video when I pulled out the two sets we received. You can tell how my hubby and Black Widow responded in the picture above, at least! My boys were equally thrilled, and couldn’t wait to get started on the LEGO^® JUNIORS (Ages 4+) that was the perfect level for them. They had so much fun putting together Spiderman and his helicopter, then played for hours with him, Green Goblin and the rescue force dude that came in the set.

They didn’t even need much supervision because LEGO^® JUNIORS delivers fun, age-appropriate building sets with easy-to-follow building instructions, colorful photos and playful guidance to help to ensure a smooth transition to independent building. Quick start elements and modular bricks, such as walls and archways, facilitate easy builds—giving children out-of-the-box success.

Reason #1 to why are LEGO^®sets good for kids

Storytelling and creative play is inspired by a variety of iconic themes.

My kids LOVE coming up with stories inspired by their favorite super heroes with these sets! It’s so funny to hear them say things such as ‘I’ll get you Green Goblin’ and ‘spider web ahoy’! Hubby and I were grinning ear to ear, remember all the superhero games from when we were little. I’m so glad the love of super heroes is strong in my family!

Reason #2 why we love LEGO® sets for kids’ learning & growth

As children play, they grow confident in their ability to bring stories and ideas to life.

I let Black Widow do the Batman & Deathstroke LEGO^® Super Heroes (ages 5-12) set by herself, and it couldn’t be more perfect for her age range! With just very minor help here and there, she really felt good about herself once it was all done!

Reason #3 why you should let your kids play with LEGO®

Because LEGO^® Super Heroes is a perfect way to introduce the entire family to the land of make-believe & open-ended play. With something for every age, you are never too young or too much of an adult to build your own version of a superhero with LEGO bricks.

Which brings us to our last reason these are such great toys for kids:

Reason #4 to let your kids play with LEGO^® building sets

It really does bridge the gap between generations! We get the grandparents down playing with these guys, building and creating, using their imaginations for new stories and situations. They love it!

What special power does everyone in the family wish they had?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Holiday Gift Guide for Boys 2015

November 22, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received some of these products to help facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone. Some links are affiliate links.

I have three boys. THREE! Growing up in a family with all sisters, this is like a whole new adventure for me trying to figure them out. And although they like a lot of the same types of toys as my girl, they definitely have their favorites that set them apart. Today I’m sharing the hottest, most asked for items from their lists in our Holiday Gift Guide for Boys 2015!

You can also follow these links to check out our gift guides for: Girls, Star Wars Fans, and Families.

Operation Despicable Me Silly Skill Game

It’s the classic skill game of Operation, now with multitudes of minions! Stuart’s having a bad day and it’s up to you to fix him. Operate on Stuart to remove the unicorn fluff or fix his nutty noggin and his toxic tongue.

Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots High Tide Rescue Rig Playset

Your little hero can imagine sailing to the rescue with this easy-to-do Transformers Rescue Bot playset and figure. As they play with the High Tide Rescue Rig playset, kids can pretend that they’re at the sea headquarters for the Rescue Bots! With a push of a button the figure converts into a mini-sub for deep-sea rescue missions. Kids can imagine the capture cage locking down on malevolent mischief-makers. The playset’s hull opens to reveal the High Tide figure, ready for little hands to launch!

Playskool Mr. Potato Head Star Wars: Darth Tater Toy

Darth Tater, the Spud Lord of the Sith, is here to help your imagination run wild! Mix and match the different pieces to create all kinds of out-of-this-world looks!

LEGO Minecraft The Farm

Yield renewable resources with The Farm! You’ll need food to survive, so fence in the livestock and channel the flowing water to nurture the crops. Harvest pumpkins, wheat, sugar cane and carrots. Use the crafting table to create a pumpkin helmet or jack-o’-lantern. But watch out for the skeleton with his bow and arrow after nightfall!

Rubie’s Costume Avengers 2 Age of Ultron Deluxe Iron Man Mark 43 Costume

With S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded, the Tony Stark developed robot, Ultron, goes rogue and announces its plan to bring peace to earth by annihilating the entire human race! Now, the Avengers must assemble to combat the threat of Ultron and Rubie’s has the costumes to make it easy for you to join the fight!

Star Wars ™ Build-a-Bears

Classics like Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Boba Fett – as well as new ones such as Kylo Ren, BB-8 and Finn – will be a delight with kids!

Kid Galaxy RC Bump ‘n Chuck Bumper Cars

Bump…..and watch your opponent’s driver fly through the air! This Oppenheim Platinum 2008 Best Toy, includes 2 R/C bumper cars in futuristic style and colors. Hit your opponent’s car straight on or sideswipe it and watch his driver eject or “chuck” through the air activating cool sounds. Cars are designed with fans that really work giving the illusion of wind power and adding to the effect.

Playmation Marvel Avengers Starter Pack Gamma Gear

Control the adventures with wearable gear that lets users feel the battle and puts them at the center of the action. The Playmation Marvel Avengers Starter Pack comes with 4 locations and 25 missions out of the box so that players can jump right into the action! These Hulk-inspired Gamma Gear fists with motion-sensing technology put players in the Avengers action. Players can put on the Gamma Gear fists and use the motion-based controls to battle their way through missions with 3 ways to smash, plus dodging, running, jumping, and more. Players can feel like part of the battle as the Gamma Gear vibrates with every smash and activates awesome sound effects.

Good Dinosaur Roarin’ River Board Game

Arlo and Spot have been stranded far from home. Help them make their way down the river to safety! Follow the winding river paths; dodging obstacles along the way. As everyone moves farther down their chosen path the game progresses by laying down the next piece of the game board. But look out! The ROARIN’ RIVER is coming up from behind and might overtake you and your friends!

Playskool Heroes, Transformers Rescue Bots Figures, Set of 4

Set of four small Transformer Rescue Bots. Each is bagged separately. Note…these are action figures only and do not transform.

LEGO Superheroes Batman: Man-Bat Attack

As Nightwing patrols Gotham City in his glider, he spots Man-Bat planting some dynamite! Strap BatmanTM into the ultra-fast Batcopter, fire up the powerful engine and zoom over to help his friend foil Man-Bat’s attack on the city. And if Nightwing gets into trouble, lower the Batcopter’s working winch and hook and tow the glider to safety.

Laser Pegs 6-in-1 Monster Truck Building Set

Crush the competition with this powerful 6 in 1 Monster Truck kit from Laser Pegs! Get behind the wheel of some bad to the bone models like the Monster Truck, Pro Stock Puller, Rock Climber and many more. Can the competition see you coming? No. Then light up your creations with the exclusive Zippy Do power base so they can see you coming a mile away!

Star Wars Lego: The Padawan Menace

A routine Jedi Academy field trip is turned into a rip-roaring comic adventure in LEGOr Star Warsr: The Padawan Menace. Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the younglings, Ian, has secretly boarded his ship…and young Ian has a taste for adventure! Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it’s up to Yoda and the Droids to ensure that their young charges aren’t torn to bricks!

Welcome to the Symphony: A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra

Using one of the most famous works in classical music—Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony—here is the perfect way to introduce a young child to the world of classical music. This charming and interactive picture book with its panel of 19 sound buttons is like a ticket to a concert hall, taking readers on a journey from the exciting first moment when the musicians begin tuning up to the end of the first movement (attention newcomers: don’t clap yet!).

Play-Doh Star Wars Millennium Falcon Featuring Can-Heads

Let your imagination take you on an adventure to a galaxy far, far away! Cans are now part of the action as you re-create your own Play-Doh battles with classic Star Wars characters. Launch into epic galactic adventures with Star Wars Can-Heads and the Millennium Falcon to imagine your own interstellar battle against Darth Vader. Pop Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and the rest of this Rebel crew into their can-shaped seats for takeoff. Use the stampers, book-molds, and half-molds to create meteors, X-wing Starfighters, and much more. Place your creations at the back of the ship and press the satellite down to launch them!

Mega Bloks Despicable Me Fire Rescue

BEE-DO, BEE-DO, BEE-DO! Sound the alarm, there’s a red-hot emergency and you must send in the Fire Rescue by Mega Bloks Despicable Me. Crash through the wall, roll out the hose and grab the extinguisher to put out the fire in the office. You can build each collectible Minion with interchangeable fire fighting accessories. Switch around their eyes, hair, clothes, even arms and feet! Save the day and put out the fire without causing too much chaos!

Avengers: XPV Marvel-RC Hulk Smash Toy Vehicle

Hulk power in your hands! The RC Hulk Smash lets you control the Hulk’s vehicle with smashes, flips, spins and wheelies! Go through obstacles or knock them over with Hulk’s swinging arms. With Hulk’s awesome power, he can flip over against walls and do high speed wheelie spins.

Playskool Heroes Star Wars Galactic Heroes Millennium Falcon and Figures

Adventure awaits in a galaxy far, far away with the Galactic Heroes of Star Wars! Young Jedi can have big fun pretending to battle the Empire with the help of the Millennium Falcons crew Han Solo, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. Features include a push-activated blaster cannon, sensor dish, and ladder!

Marvel Super Hero Mashers Avengers Mash Pack

Build the ultimate Avengers mash-ups with this special edition Avengers Mash Pack! Captain America, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man figures are ready to rumble with Marvel’s Vision, and each figure has his signature costume and weapons. But you can mash it up and put an Iron Man head on a Captain America body, then give him a Hulk arm and a Thor hammer to swing! Swap parts from other Super Hero Mashers figures (sold separately) to create even more heroic mash-ups.

Fisher-Price Triple Hit Baseball

Batter-up. Three fun ways to play help kids learn to hit like a pro. Beginners hit from the tee. When they’re ready for a little more challenge, a simple adjustment converts this battery-powered trainer to pop-up pitch play for rookies: balls automatically pop-up from the base, one after another. And for pros, the trainer auto-pitches 3 balls from up to 10 feet away.

Mr. Potato Head Marvel Mixable Mashable Heroes Super Hero Collector Pack

It’s a 4-pack of superheroes, mashed up spud style! Little hands can mix and mash the fun of Mr. Potato Head with Marvel parts to create Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Iron Man taters. The 2-inch figures make it easy to put the potato bodies on the character bases and then add arms and a helmet! The parts are interchangeable, so they can build a Spider-Man tater with Captain America arms or an Iron Man base.

Marvel Matching Game

The classic game of picture matching now features Marvel Super Heroes! Flip over brightly colored tiles featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America and many more Marvel heroic friends and villains. Pick up the most pairs to win!

Hot Wheels Marvel Avengers Die-Cast Vehicle (5-Pack)

Hot Wheels Marvel Avengers Die-Cast Vehicle 5-Pack: Inspired by your favorite characters from Marvel Avengers!

Holiday Gift Guide for Girls 2015

November 21, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received some products to help facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone. Some links are affiliate links.

Christmas is in less than five weeks – FIVE WEEKS, people! Since we still have tons of stuff in boxes from our move, it’s a bit of an understatement to say I’m panicking just a little. If you’re like me and need a bit of help figuring out some fabulous gifts, don’t you worry – we’re sharing our favorite toys, games and movies for the year for the next few days, broken up into groups. Let’s start it off with our Holiday Gift Guide for Girls 2015!

You can also follow these links to check out our gift guides for: Boys, Star Wars Fans, and Families.

DohVinci Anywhere Art Studio Easel & Storage Case Set

Let your creativity pop with a unique make-and-display art experience that just might get you hooked. Brought to you by the makers of Play-Doh modeling compound, DohVinci design kits let you decorate and personalize your world in so many colorful ways. It’s super easy for almost anyone to do! Just use the innovative air-dry design compound and Styler tool to create dimensional designs with bold 3D lines.

DohVinci Spotlight Spin Studio

Let your creativity take center stage with the Spotlight Spin Studio! Now your DohVinci designs can enter all-new dimensions with this unique design-and-display turntable. To get started, load a Deco Pop tube into the Styler and place a flat or 3D project on the motorized spinning platform. While designing, shine the stable white light onto your project as you squeeze the Styler to create bold 3D lines, swirls, and anything else you can imagine. You can also spin by hand for a freestyle experience. When you’re ready to display your designs, choose from 4 colorful and flashing light styles to feature your masterpiece in a spectacular lightshow! With 2 vase projects, 3 flat projects, a Styler tool, and 6 Deco Pop tubes (including 2 Blendables colors), this super studio comes with everything you need to turn arts-and-crafts time into a dazzling experience!

DohVinci Deco Pop Complete Refill Collection

Get more colors for your 3-D designs with the Complete Refill Collection! The 12 Deco Pop tubes in this pack come in bright colors, and they work with the DohVinci Styler (sold separately).

Nerf Rebelle Agent Bow Blaster Pink Deco

Your performance will be top-notch when you launch your arrows at targets up to 85 feet away with real bow action. When you insert one of the 3 arrows and press the sight trigger, the electronic sight lines up your shot for pinpoint accuracy. But you can also make your mark as a spy, because each arrow contains a secret message that can only be decoded with the included decoder. Give the decoder to a friend so you can send coded messages in plain sight of your opponents!

ALEX Toys Spa Hair Chalk Salon Craft Kit

Show off your true colors with the Hair Chalk Salon. Add temporary streaks of color using the colorful chalk pens on your hair. Create a fashion statement using the special tools to add beads and finish your designer hair do.

Disney Imagicademy Storymation Studio Stop Motion Movie Kit

You make the movies the Imagacademy from Disney. Get creative with the characters, backgrounds, clay and costume molds. Download the free and easy-to-use Storymation Studio animation app and make your own animated masterpiece inspired by your favorite Disney films.

Littlest Pet Shop Jet

When the pets travel around the world, they do it in style! This cool vehicle comes with more than 165 pieces to make every ride an exciting one. Jet converts and opens up into an extended play area; it also features a translucent, opening canopy where you can hang accessories and decorate it with Deco Bits pieces. Other fun features include an opening cockpit and a rear area for storage for pets who want to take a nap! Jet also includes 3 hanging swings, a slide, and a pet feeder. Comes with 4 exclusive pets.

Littlest Pet Shop Collector Party Pack Doll

Littlest Pet Shop empowers girls to “Be Who You Want to Be”! With loads of quirky, cute pets and style sets, girls can create an incredible collection that shows off their unique style. Join Blythe and her pet friends on the Littlest Pet Shop television show. And now girls can create their very own Littlest Pet Shop world with Style Sets, Scene Style Sets, Themed Play Packs, and lots of cute, colorful pets. It’s an easy-to-build system that lets girls create, decorate, style, and collect to tell their own unique stories.

Candy Craft Chocolate Pen Exclusive Bonus Kit with Extra Molds and Refills

Draw one-of-a-kind delicious shapes made with real confectioners chocolate. Write messages that melt in your mouth. Fill special candy molds with an incredible level of detail and design. The motorized chocolate pen dispenses real chocolate that hardens in minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator Choose your color The kit includes pink, blue, brown and white chocolate. Cleanup is easy The melted chocolate never touches the pen, and partially used tubes are easy to store

VTech Flipsies Eva’s Tree House and Vet Center

Eva dreams of becoming a veterinarian! Flipsies Eva’s Tree House and Vet Center is a 2-in-1 playset that transforms from a tree house where she can hang out with her friends to a vet center where she can take care of her pony Hazel and other animals! Collect Eva’s friends, and they can switch clothes, wigs and accessories for more fun styles (each sold separately). Press the charm on Eva’s necklace to see it light-up and to experience her friendly personality. Place Eva on the two MagicPoint locations on her playset or other MagicPoint locations on Flipsies playsets (each sold separately) and she’ll respond with playful phrases unique to her own personality. Let your dreams shine with Flipsies!

Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad Pink

Kids can draw like a pro with the Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad, featuring over 35 pieces to inspire the imagination. Using the included fashion- and horse-themed tracing sheets, or the hundreds of downloadable online images, children ages six and older can draw creative scenes with crisp, clean lines. The kit includes a graphite pencil and colored pencils for drawing, illustrating, and coloring.

The Sleepover Party Game

Break out the sleeping bags and leave the lights on. It’s a sleepover party and we’re staying up late! Spin the Spinner and attempt to complete one of over 200 act it, work it, or party challenges.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games Movie

Now, in the new animated film My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games, Canterlot High meets its rival school, Crystal Prep Academy, in a competition that’s a long-standing tradition: The Friendship Games, a series of exciting events that includes archery, motocross, and rollerskating! Sunset Shimmer is tasked with keeping magic out of the games to keep things fair while she and her friends compete against Crystal Prep’s top students led by someone with an equal amount of interest in Equestrian magic: this world’s Twilight Sparkle.

My Little Pony Cutie Mark Magic Canterlot Castle Playset

There’s a party for every pony at the Canterlot Castle playset! Your Princess Celestia and Spike the Dragon figures are the hosts of the best parties around at their castle. This tower of My Little Pony fun is 3 stories tall and it has a real working elevator to bring all the ponies (sold separately) to the second and third floors. Or any pony can trot right up the front steps to the throne! The castle is full of codes that you can scan (device not included) to unlock fun in the My Little Pony Friendship Celebration app! With furniture and decoration accessories to make the castle your own, this playset has everything you need for royal pony adventures on every floor!

Disney Descendants Head Hints Game

Heads up! It’s the game of clues, secrets, and silly stunts! Maleficent is up to her evil ways, and she’s mixed things up right before Ben’s coronation! In this fun Head Hints game, your job is to put on your crowns and work as a team to defeat her. Can you guess what mystery character you are? If you can all guess 12 Mystery cards before 4 Maleficent cards show up, everyone’s a winner!

Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven, Purple

The all-time favorite toy oven from Easy-Bake has a stylish look and modern features perfect for today’s creative bakers. It’s the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven. This oven comes with the tools young bakers need to make their own delicious treats. Make bite-size, yummy chocolate chip cookies with the included mix, and so much more with a sweet and savory variety of kits and refill packs for the Easy Bake Ultimate Oven (each sold separately).

Darice 80-Piece Deluxe Art Set

Studio 71 deluxe art set overflows with color and creativity. For the serious artist. Set includes 24 color pencils, 24 oil pastels, 24 watercolor cakes, 2 paint brushes, 2 drawing pencils, pencil sharpener, kneaded eraser and sanding blocks. Provides an artist with a wide range of materials in a compact, portable wood case with handle.

Unlimited Toy Rental for Christmas

November 18, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a free trial membership to Pley to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine alone.

Can’t decide what to get our kids or grandkids this holiday season? Not only are we sharing some AMAZING gift guides later this week to give you the hottest ideas, but here’s an idea that doesn’t make you choose at all – how about an Unlimited Toy Rental for Christmas?!

With the gift of a monthly subscription to Pley.com, your kiddos can choose different sets all month long! Imagine not having to store dozens of toys or spending hundreds a year on toys just to have them play with them once or twice then shove them aside for something new. Once you sign up, you can create your own ‘Pley List’ of toys your child(ren) would be most interested in, then go through and select some you’re wanting soon. There’s more than 400+ toys to choose from, such as simple-to-ultra-complex LEGO sets, hot robotic toys like BB-8 or Dash, or even Knex sets. We can’t wait to try some of their exclusive LEGO sets!

When you get your first kit, it comes in a nifty box – perfect for holding all your loose pieces in! It also includes a mesh baggie that holds and kit and manual, a bracelet (as you’re going around picking up pieces you can stick them to this instead of in your hand), and nifty tool that helps taking apart the kits. There’s also a sealable baggie that’s already paid for and addressed so you can pop all the pieces, tool and bracelet back in there to send it back!

My kids were THRILLED to get their first set, and had a blast working together to build it – even Hubby really enjoyed himself!

It was so nice seeing their sense of accomplishment when it was all complete and ready for playtime!

When they were done, we took apart the set, placed everything in the bag, sealed it, and away it went in the mail. As soon as Pley gets the notification that it’s on the way back to them, they send you an email so you can select the next set to come your way!

With memberships starting at just $19.99 a month for a 6-month, you can receive, return, and repeat all month long! The Builder and Master plan offers unlimited toys per month. Children keep the toy as long as they wish, then place everything in the return package. Drop it in any US postal mailbox. Shipping is free (LOVE this part!!!) with all memberships.

Which playset from Pley.com would YOUR kiddos pick first?

Moff Band and Interactive App

September 2, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a free Moff Band to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine alone. Contains affiliate links.

I’m definitely not the strictest mom when it comes to tablets, apps and my kids. I’m pretty cautious though – not only about how much time they spend on the devices, but also WHAT they’re doing on there. Whenever we think about adding another game or learning app, we read tons of reviews (if it doesn’t have many, we don’t download it), ask people if they know about it – and sometimes it STILL doesn’t pass. Our iPad only has about 5 games on it – and one is for this super fun Moff Band and Interactive App!

I learned about the Moff Band at Blogger Bash this summer, and knew my kiddos would love it! It works via bluetooth with the free iOS app, allowing you to access a bunch of sound effects to play around with. You can even set the controls how you want, which wrist you prefer to have it on, along with a specific user profile.

They then slap on the Moff Band, scroll through the dozens of sounds, pick one, then just move around and that sound plays!

I love the variety they have – from hot dogs grilling, to fishing pole lines, to fireworks, motorcycles and even animals. Plus, they’re adding more all of the time!

Once you’re in a specific sound – say, guitars – you can just hit the little button on the band to scroll through the varieties of that sound. Even my 4-year-old does this like a pro!

I love that it’s an app that brings out the creativity in my kids and sparks play – like selecting the motorcycle and running around the playroom while the motor goes, or strumming a guitar……

…or yanking down on a train whistle!

Another thing I love about this, other than it encourages MOVEMENT – not exactly common in apps – is that it brings my kids TOGETHER to play and use their imaginations as a group. This isn’t something that happens all that often with my kiddos – but I sure love seeing them gather around to help select new sounds, and decide how they’re going to play with that one.

You can nab the Moff Band for just $54.99 on Amazon – and YES, it’s available with Amazon Prime!
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