Kudos to these double duty games. These are the board games that get played with my kids at the dining room table, and that we still play once the girls are in bed. I like to think of it as a two for one deal; you put out money and shelf space for one board game and end up with both a game you can play with your children and a game you can play with other adults. Some of … [Read more...]
Playmobil for Toddlers & Preschoolers? Check out Playmobil 1.2.3
Okay guys, favourite toy time. What is one toy that you would absolutely recommend for preschoolers? One your kids love (or loved). One that you felt good about them playing with. One that you would buy as a gift for children in the 18-month to 4 years old range? For me, the answer is Playmobile 1.2.3. What is Playmobil 1.2.3? Playmobil 1.2.3 is the junior Playmobil line. … [Read more...]
Sphero’s BB-8 Ain’t So Great, Here’s Why You Might Not Want to Buy This One
Back in November my husband bought himself a Sphero BB-8 app-enabled droid. He picked it up off of Amazon.com. At $150USD it wasn't exactly a cheap purchase, but he had some Amazon credit saved up, so it was sort of free. I mean I could have talked him into using the credit for something less frivolous, but it's nice to splurge sometimes, right? I knew my husband had been … [Read more...]
New Robot Adorableness from Fisher Price: Bright Beats Dance and Move BeatBo {#PlayAdvocate Giveaway}
Check out this adorable new robot toy from Fisher Price: Bright Beats Dance and Move BeatBo. Fisher Price never fails to surprise and delight, Is this not the cutest toy ever? It's designed for infants ages 9-36 months. If my girls were a little younger this would be a Must Have for under the tree this year. (As it stands the 5 year old caught sight of this little fellow … [Read more...]
Amazing “Athletic” Superhero Dolls I Can’t Wait to Hand My Kids….
File this one under Mattel dolls I really want to give my girls... Check out these beauties: Here's why they rock: * Look at their feet. They are all wearing sneakers or kick butt boots, no silly high heels here. * Look at their outfits. They are modestly clad in super hero uniforms that would actual be practical for, you know, being a super hero. * Look at their … [Read more...]
Second Chances, with Ever After High
I wrote last week about how I was surprised to discover that despite my normally iffy feelings about fashion dolls in general, I find myself quite liking Ever After High. And how fitting that I should give these cute characters another chance to impress me, when one of the main themes found throughout the storyline that accompanies the dolls is second chances. Raven Queen is … [Read more...]
The one where I explain my ambivalent feelings for Barbie, and surprisingly fall for Ever After High…
I'm pretty sure you're aware of this if you've been following my blog for any period of time, I'm a sucker for a good book. What you probably don't know, because I've never really talked about it, is I'm not really crazy about fashion dolls. I mean Barbie type dolls, or Monster High Dolls, or heaven forfend those Bratz dolls. Don't like 'em. Not one bit. On the other hand I … [Read more...]
Listen Lego, We Need to Talk…. As Your Friend I Really Need to Tell You a Few Things
Listen Lego, we need to talk. We've known each other for a long time, right? What's it been, maybe 36 years now? I feel, as your friend, that I have to sit you down and explain some things to you. And I'm only saying this because I love you, I mean I really truly love you. But I think maybe you've been hanging out with the wrong people, Lego. I don't know who the heck you've … [Read more...]
Hot Wheels, Happy Face
Link up and share your Wordless Wednesday posts... … [Read more...]
Hot Wheels, Second Generation Crush
I remember loving Hot Wheels as a kid. In particular I remember this one car which I took with me everywhere, a shiny green Volkswagen Beetle. I loved that little car. It slept on my bed next to my pillow, and it travelled with me in the pocket of my jeans. It went missing one day. I got home from a long day of adventuring and realized my beloved Bug wasn't with me. I remember … [Read more...]
Nerd Blocks Jr. Boy vs Girl Subscription Box Showdown
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you may have noticed I am in to plenty of "nerdy" things. Superheroes, Star Wars, comic books, video games, board games. roleplaying, retro toys, Atari, Nintendo, 80s cartoons, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, you name it.... I dig nerd-type stuff. So of course when I first heard of a subscription box for nerds I was intrigued. It's … [Read more...]
Do Your Kids Mix Toy Types or Do They Play with One Set at a Time?
My children mix their toys. This is pretty darn normal right? I mean the Hot Wheels cars end up at tea parties with favourite stuffed dolls, the building bricks form tracks, vehicles and homes for all manner of beasties, and the Fisher Price Little People end up EVERYWHERE. My kids don't care that one set is meant for Imaginext guys and another is meant for Little People. … [Read more...]
Making Memories with Thomas & Friends
For me I can't think about Easter without thinking of Thomas and his friends. My daughter got her first Thomas track set as an Easter gift when when was two years old. I remember how she was so small that she fit inside the little wooden figure-eight, as she sat crossed legged on the floor. That set was the first of many Thomas pieces that the girls have gotten over the … [Read more...]
The One Where I Admit to Eavesdropping on My Kids…
All my girls need is each other and a handful of trustworthy toys. The kind I know won't fall apart when they inevitably sit on them or smash them together. For us many of those toys, the ones I trust my kids with and the ones they spend entire days playing with, are Mattel brands like Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, and Thomas & Friends. Which is why when Mattel approached me … [Read more...]
Fisher-Price Little People Animal Friends Farm {Detailed Review on this Newest Version of the Fisher-Price Barn}
Fisher-Price Little People is one of those brands I trust to be not just fun but also super durable. No matter how rough and tumble my kids get, these toys survive it all. Which means Little People play sets we received six or seven years ago are still in decent shape and getting played with regularly. Though the box says ages 1-5 I've found that my older kid still enjoys … [Read more...]