IMAGINE – Build – Play

Mario™ Vs Piranha Plant Building Set:

Bring Mario™ Kart™ Wii to life! Build Mario™ in his Sprinter Kart and race past the Piranha Plant from the Mario™ Circuit Track. The set includes the parts to build Mario™, a Sprinter Kart with a super-fast, battery-powered motor, a Piranha Plant obstacle and 2 collectible items from the game: a Mushroom and a Green Turtle Shell! Also includes 6 pieces of buildable, interconnectable track – combine this set with other sets from the Mario™ Kart™ Wii Series to build even bigger tracks! Ages 6+

Features…

• Build Mario™ in his Sprinter Kart
• Moving Piranha Plant Obstacle
• Super-fast, battery powered motor for kart
• 2 collectible items: Mushroom and a Green Turtle Shell
• 6 pieces of buildable track
• Ages 6+

Retails for $29.99

Stig’s Attack Copter/off Roader Building

The Challenge: Build an attack copter with foam missile launcher and then set it off on a mission to seek and destroy the off-roader that you just created! Vehicles have Stig and pilot figures and copter comes with three foam darts for maximum firepower! Models combine to create a mega-assault vehicle for more intense action! A label sheet to customize your builds, targets to practice your aim, and a full set of step-by-step building instructions are also included. Ages 7+

• Build Copter and Off-Roader, then combine into Mega-Assault Vehicle!
• Copter missile launcher shoots three foam darts!
• Stig and pilot figures
• Customize your creations with cool labels
• 270+ pieces
• Ages 7+

Retails for $29.99

My take:  I of course knew as soon as they spied Mario he would have to be the first one to be built.  My boys are 4 and 6 and easily put this product together.  I love how they used teamwork and problem solving skills to build this set.  I also love the hand-eye coordination used for them to try to capture Mario via the Piranha Plant.

The boys needed help building the attack copter and the off roader but had a great time customizing each with stickers.  I love how interactive this product is- they each took turn launching the missile (love how they are foam so they don’t sting when they hit you) and evading the missile with the off roader.

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

This month the Guidecraft Educators were fortunate enough to review 6 different sorting food trays:

Sorting Food Trays display well-balanced meals in fun, puzzle-like configurations. Chunky, raised pieces are easy to grasp and stand on their own for dramatic play. Helps develop shape-recognition and fine-motor skills while encouraging imaginative play. Ages 2+. Tray size: 11″ x 14″ each.

Breakfast Sorting Food Tray:

Lunch Sorting Food Tray:

Dinner Sorting Food Tray:

Italian Sorting Food Tray:

Mexican Sorting Food Tray:

Japanese Sorting Food Tray:

Each of these puzzles retails between $20-$22.00;

My take:  My kids love to play with these puzzles especially when I am making dinner. I love to see how their imaginations soar when they try to figure out the ingredients needed to make each piece of food.  The Mexican, Italian and Japanese sorting trays are the biggest hits and I love how it opens them up to different foods especially Japanese which we have never tried.

Each sorting food tray is sturdy, durable, well made and brightly colored!

Want to win these 6 great Sorting Food Trays?  Head over to Teach Preschool for your chance to win!

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

Job Site Machines bring the job site to you with motorized Cat machines. Each machine features classic Cat styles with working lights, construction tunes, and foreman vocals, as well as motorized driving and other machine features.

Age: 3+     Available Styles: Dump Truck, Bulldozer, Wheel Loader and Excavator

Silverlicious loses her sweet tooth and can’t taste anything sweet anymore. You have to help her practice kindness, good manners and help others along the way. You can unlock magical butterflies, sparkle rides and fireworks. (I love that it teaches kindness!)

You can change Silverlicious outfit from Dress, Nightgown, and Fairy Catcher. She can wave her wand, open doors, and go on candy rides. She has to help her neighbors in Pinkville with quests and collect sweets.

Overall, if you buy any game for your kids, this whole series is the one to buy. It would def get 5 stars from this mom! My daughter could play this all night long if I let her, but with the simple manners it teaches; would that really be a bad thing? :- )

PS- There is also a Purplicious and Goldilicious book which I didn’t know about!

I received product for my review.

VTech offers parents peace-of-mind and makes it easy to navigate the baby monitor world with a new line of Safe & Sound Baby Monitors, featuring high-quality video performance, along with the best audio reception.  As a new entry into the baby monitor market, VTech packs in more features for the price, adding more value than what the current market is offering.

VTech Safe & Sound Full-Color Video and Audio Monitor

All-in-one adjustable table features both sand & water fun! Made in USA of US and imported parts. Umbrella made in China.

• Sophisticated, fun styling
• Available in two color palettes to choose from
• 2 separate sides: one for water, the other for sand
• “Grow with me” legs raise unit 4″ (10.2 cm)
• Includes drain plug, one-piece plastic cover with molded-in roadways and elastic tie-downs, removable 40″ (101.6 cm) umbrella, and 7-piece accessory set (sand not included)
• Holds 10 lbs (4.5 kg) of sand & 3 gal (11.4 L) of water
• Minimal adult assembly required
• Featured on The Today Show! View clip

Play Tip: If your backyard does not have a lot of level ground, adjust two legs to the highest setting and two to the lowest setting

Retails for $69.99.

My take:

Set-up did not take long at all, here are a couple of pictures:

Now since it was raining the day we put the table together I was not about to add water or sand when the the table was sitting on my living room carpet.  No fear since the boys’ imagination took over- they started using the entire table as a racetrack and the fun continued for several hours.  The options are endless with Step2′s sand and water tables:  fill the entire table with sand, entire table with water, half sand/half water.  use macaroni, small balls, rice, shaving cream, legos, miniature cars/animals.  I could go on and on.  The best part- all of the above (minus the sand and water) can be used inside with relatively little clean-up required, especially if you put a cloth underneath the table.

Well the next day it was beautiful outside so we moved the sand and water table outside and the fun really began.  We first added the sand with the water quickly added next.  The boys spent hours playing with the boats and bridges and the sand shovel.

My favorites:  the adjustable aspect of the table- having extra tall boys it was so nice to see them able to stand fully upright while playing.  Since we are expecting a little one in July it is also great to know that when the baby is ready to play we can easily lower the table to a shorter height.  The umbrella is a huge plus in my eyes since we have no shaded trees in the backyard and the boys get overheated so easy with the strong afternoon sun.  The brightly colored umbrella just invites the children to come and play in its shade.  My two favorite aspects- the top (which is easily secured to the table) and the drains available in both sections of the table.  We did not have a top or drains with our last sand/water table and we often ended up with a big mess of stagnant water that needed to be dumped over which was never easy.

The only thing I would like to be changed is that I wished the bridges were connected to the table since I can see my boys easily losing them!

Here is my video review:

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Looking for great deals?   New Spring 2012 toys available on Step2.com are 10% off now through Sunday, March 18 with promo code S2SPRING12 at checkout.

In addition, “Weekend Deals” are available.  Each weekend we’re featuring one to two products on sale for 4 days only (a savings of up to 20% off). Deals will be announced on the Step2 Facebook page every Friday. This weekend’s deal is the LifeStyle Grand Walk-In Kitchen – just $188 ($70 off regular price) and the lowest price of the year! Just enter promo code S2GW312 at checkout through Monday, March 12.

*Please note that both deals are not valid on previous purchases, future exchanges, replacement parts, or Canada shipments.

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

We recently had the opportunity to review 3 great DVDs:

Barney:  I Love My Friends

Come join in the fun as Barney™ takes his friends on a super-dee-duper™ adventure that shows just what it means to be a friend. Princess Baby Bop™ has a royally good time when she sees that a key to being a friend is keeping promises. Riff™ goes to great lengths to make up for a big mistake and prove he’s a friend who sees things through. BJ™ feels left out when he’s not included in a drawing and learns the importance of being honest and expressing his feelings. With singing, dancing and lots of monkeying around, Barney brings kids on a friend-tastic adventure and shows that everything is more fun with friends!

Timmy Needs a Bath:

Enjoy some good clean fun with Timmy and his friends! Adventures with mud, glue and paint leave Timmy in some sticky situations. This clever little lamb uses his creativity to make tub-time fun and turn a paint fight into a masterfleece! Timmy cleans up and discovers the most fun of all is being with friends! Soak up the good times with Timmy…just don’t forget to wash behind your ears!

Episodes:

• “Timmy Needs A Bath”
• “Sticky Timmy”
• “Tidy Timmy”
• “Timmy Goes Camping”
• “Timmy The Artist”

DVD BONUS FEATURES:

• Timmy’s Tune #2 – Music Video
• Shaun the Sheep Bonus Episode: Supersize Timmy

Thomas and Friends Curious Cargo:

All aboard for a wild ride on the Island of Sodor as Thomas and his engine friends deliver some Curious Cargo-from giraffes and cows to birds and bunnies and more! Thomas meets a tall challenge while taking a giraffe to the Sodor Wildlife Center, Percy learns to be gentle with the animals of Sodor and Belle and Toby discover the importance of listening to others. Join Thomas on his wildest adventures yet!

Episodes Include:

• Thomas’ Tall Friend
• Percy’s New Friends
• Toby and Bash
• Big Belle

Bonus Features:

• Find What Doesn’t Belong Game
• Determination Song Karaoke Music Video
• Exclusive Activities & Fun with Driver Perkins
• Buzzy Bees Bonus Episode

My take:  As always Timmy Time is the favorite with my boys.  I love how they giggle at the escapades of Timmy and his friends and the valuable lessons of friends and honesty that is learned with each episode.  Thomas came in at a close second this time with Curious Cargo with the addition of the giraffe and Thomas’ newest friend Belle.   Barney has some really great lessons on friendship.

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

The boys decided on utilizing the Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs in their own original recipe.  When asked what they wanted included they stated: bread, cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and pizza.  Not having alot of time on my hands since the party was in full swing their answers were music to my ears.  I quickly found the ingredients:

The only thing I forgot to photograph was the adding of the pizza seasoning.  Since I wanted to make sure the bread was fully cooked I cooked them first using the recommended heat and time.  Then I added the Spaghetti and Meatballs, pizza seasoning, and mozzarella cheese and baked until the cheese melted.

The party’s take:  Some (my boys especially) loved it gobbling up their portions and asking for more while others preferred certain aspects…the meatballs or the spaghetti or just the cheese.  Either way it was a super quick recipe that was easy to plan and make and perfect to serve for the younger guests.

Need some more recipe ideas involving Chef Boyardee products?  Please visit http://www.chefboyardee.com/recipes.

Want a chance to win free groceries for a year?

• Enter the Make it Boyardeelicious Recipe Contest on the Chef Boyardee Facebook page for a chance to win a grand prize of free groceries for a year.
• Now through March 11, 2012, submit an original recipe that uses Chef Boyardee as an ingredient. Upload a photo of the recipe, and share why your family loves it.
• Each week, a winner will be chosen based on creativity, all-family appeal, ease of preparation, and palatable appeal by an expert panel of judges.
• The weekly winner receives a $500 prize as well as $75 in Chef coupons. If you don’t win in one week, you can re-enter again the next week!
• Each of the top ten finalists from all the accumulated weeks will have the chance to win the grand prize of free groceries for a year. The winner will be chosen based on a combined score of taste points and voting.
• The voting period lasts March 26-April 8, 2012. Voters get entered into a daily sweepstakes for the chance to win $100. Share it on Facebook and get an extra sweepstakes entry.

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I wrote this review while participating in a In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating

The benefits of art and craft for kids are many but we can sum up the major benefits as following:

Art and craft helps build up physical co-ordination among kids: Activities like painting, drawing, coloring, cutting, joining and gluing things together to form a new object improve motor coordination in children.

Creativity: Indulging in art and craft activities is a way of allowing children to express themselves other than words and actions.

Sense of achievement and feeling of satisfaction: Kids are often proud of the things which they have finished on their own. Hence, upon completing an art piece, they feel a sense of satisfaction. It also builds up their confidence.

Spending time together: Art and craft activities are community activities. Children enjoy participating in painting competitions along with their friends. You can also organize these activities at home and teach your kids how to work closely with family members.

Improve concentration: Children involve in art and craft activities learn to concentrate on one thing at a time. These activities inculcates perseverance in them. They also learn to ignore failures.

Enhance planning skills: It is impossible to complete an art and craft activity without proper planning. Therefore indulging in these activities means learning to plan things well in advance.

Retails for $120.00

My take:  Since we just celebrated both of the boys’ birthday this past weekend, I planned ahead and we put together this easel as soon as it arrived.  Here is a picture of all the pieces taken directly out of the box:

Simple setup:

Flipping ability:

Mom’s perspective:  I really loved the bright primary colors and how easily both of the boys were able to reach the entire height of the easel.  We have used the easel for multiple activities:  painting, dry erase marking, coloring with crayons and sticking all of our magnets on it.  I love the quick easy clean-up and the ability to flip the easel from one side to the other for quick turnaround for a new activity when they are getting tired of one side.  My only wish….that long slots were included for chalk since the boys always break them when throwing the chalk into the plastic cups we bought.

Physical therapist’s perspective:  Bright colors that draw the children into the defined area of play, how the easel promotes erect posture and multiple opportunities for hand-eye coordination activities.

Want a chance to win a Guidecraft’s 4-in-1 Flipping Floor Easel?  Head over to Katie’s (Little Ones) Learning Lounge!!

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

Description

The Amp Performance No-Back Booster will let your child stand out! The dual cup holders will keep drinks and snacks close. The sleek design and cool colors will allow your child to express their individuality while you know they are safe. Everybody wins. Designed to safely secure your child from 40 to 100 lbs.