Thursday, December 9, 2010

Dinosaur Train- Dinosaurs in the Snow DVD

By now you know we love PBS Kids and the wonderfully entertaining shows they have. One of our newer favorites is Dinosaur Train----Dinos+Trains=Happy Toddler!!!! Add in there the fact that the show is created by Jim Henson, you now have happy parents!



Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow follows Buddy and his dino family on a trip to the North Pole.  Your children will love riding along with Buddy as he learns all about the North Pole.  The show presents Life Science in an age-appropriate manner so children can understand and not feel confused or overwhelmed and I love that!

The DVD runs 120 minutes long and includes several other episodes such as Night Train and Fossil Fred- 8 total episodes.  The DVD also has an interactive game, coloring pages, a Dinosaur Reference Guide, and information for parents.




PBS graciously provided us with a copy of this DVD to help facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own.

Mickey Mote + DVD Play Set

 
By now, I thought I had seen it all until the "Mickey Mote" arrived at my door----the hottest new Disney toy for Preschoolers! The Mickey Mote is a child-sized remote control that allows children to interact with their favorite characters!!!




Our Mickey Mote came with Handy Manny: Big Construction Job - DVD with Mickey Mote
and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Numbers Roundup - DVD with Mickey Mote.  The remote itself is really cool- chunky and colorful.

There are three modes- Level 1, 2, and 3.  Level 1 allows children to answer simple questions about the show--like colors, shapes and sizes. Level 2 presents children with more challenging higher level questions. Level 3 allows children to sit back and relax, it's an auto-play mode.

I tried this out on my preschool aged cousin while my daughter "tried" to help.  I have to say, both girls loved it! It was easy to figure out after a quick read of the instructions and the girls had a lot of fun answering the questions (my daughter yells YELLOW and TWO for everything though hahahah)!

The Disney shows we know and love are entertaining and educational, but for us, this took it to the next level. As a mom and a teacher, I approve!






Thanks so much to Disney who provided us with a Mickey  Mote and two DVDs to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Disney's The Search for Santa Paws

It's here, it's really here! The 2010 Christmas Season is upon us!!!!! What better way to get in the spirit than to snuggle up with family and watch Christmas movies old and new? My daughter is finally old enough that we can sit and watch some of my favorites from when I was a child, AND we can discover new favorites to be enjoyed year after year! Today, I want to tell you about a new movie, a fresh release, hot off the press!


I know what you're thinking- Disney + Christmas and you cannot get much better than that, and I whole-heartedly agree! This is a truly endearing film that is available on DVD and Blu-Ray (we love the Blu-Ray option!) and runs about 88 minutes.

As stated in the movie:


“Someone once told me that the spirit of Christmas is embodied in the hearts of children, untouched as of yet by the doubts, fears and disappointments of the adult world.”
--Santa Claus in “The Search for Santa Paws


 How true, how true. This movie does address some very real issues (Santa gets into an accident in the beginning, and the orphans in the story are going through some very hard times), but if you watch it with your children, you will be able to answer any questions or concerns that arise from them.  

The movie reminds me of one of my favorite childhood films, Annie (maybe it's the orphan angle?).  

Anyway, in the begining, Santa gets into an accident and suffers from amnesia.  From there a whole story unfolds that ultimately tells us the story of Paws and how he became such a huge part of the North Pole!  The movie is the prequal to the  2009 movie Santa Buddies.  

How I loved re-living the wonderment of the Christmas Season through my daughter's eyes, and let's face it, any movie that stars Santa and a gorgeous fluffy dog----I'm there!


Guess what? I have a special coupon for you---$10 off the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack!



Thank you to Disney for allowing us to preview this film to help facilitate this review!  All opinions are our own.


Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Mrs. McVeigh's Magnificent Manners Show DVD


Have you heard of Mrs. McVeigh's Life Camp yet? As a crazily-busy mom, there are several things that need to happen every day in order for our house to keep running- one of them is time management, another, organization.

The mission of Elise McVeigh's Life Camp is to "help moms and their families find a balance in their lives".  They offer seminars, workshops, and have their own DVDs.  We had the opportunity to review The Mrs. McVeigh's Magnificent Manners Show DVD.  While my daughter is still a bit young for this (they're aimed at children 3-10), I really enjoyed watching it and seeing the mini lessons presented in such a fun manner!

From their website: 

Love the webisodes with the wacky Professor "Mannered" and Mrs. McVeigh? Now you can see them on a full length (approximately 30 minute) DVD! Your child will learn meeting and greeting, resturaunt manners, table manners, how to set a table, how to write a thankyou note and more. Mrs. McVeigh uses the same techinques she has used in her manners classes that has worked for thousand of children. This DVD is so entertaining that your child won't even notice that he is learning how to have magnificent manners. 

 It is my firm belief that all children (and adults), should observe table manners, and know how to write a thank you note---and that is something I see lacking often!!!!


Like the sound of this DVD? Win one by leaving a comment below!! Winner will be notified by email after midnight on 12/4.




Thank you to Elise McVeigh's Life Camp for providing us with a review copy and giveaway copy. All opinions are our own.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Tellurian Baby Products: Baby Oil, 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash, Shampoo, Body Wash, Lotion, Diaper Cream

Have you heard the awesome news- Tellurian Naturals has launched a baby line of natural products!!!  Tellurian Naturals was created by Jane Leeves (of Frasier fame!) and Ron Lewis (founder of Cosmetic Technologies) and the name means "pertaining to the Earth".  Jane and Ron have teamed up to create line of natural body care that is both people and Earth friendly.
I am really excited about their latest venture--a Baby Line!!!

I had the pleasure of reviewing the Baby Oil, 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash, Shampoo, Body Wash, Lotion, Diaper Cream and I must tell you I am VERY happy with the results.

Baby Oil: I tested the Unscented, Scented, and Soothing-Calming varieties. The oil was a nice consistency- not too watery, not too oily, not too thick!  Both the scented and soothing-calming oils smelled DELICIOUS.  The scents are light, airy, soothing, and not overwhelming at all.  You have to take a good inhale to smell it when you open the bottle---there is no nasty wall of perfume waiting to pummel your nasal passages, just sweet and simple goodness!

Lotion: I tested the regular lotion and use it everyday on Ava. The lotion has a very faint, warm scent and leaves skin feeling nice and moisturized!  I love the consistency, I think it's just right for baby---not too thick! I don't know about your kid, but mine is a wild lady and does not lay long for any type of lotion rubdown. She giggles, squirms and rolls away!  I find that with this lotion, I am able to get it all rubbed in quick enough- before she's gallavanting down the hall.


Diaper Cream: The diaper cream is nice and thick and treats diaper rash really well. The main ingredient is Zinc Oxide, and then contains soothing and protecting emollients to help baby heal.

Body Wash: This tearless body wash is mild enough to use on babies and smells really good. Again, the smell is not overwhelming, it's really sweet and simple.  I love that it comes in a bottle with a pump.  When you are juggling a toddler, a wash cloth, and a slippery bottle of body wash, the bottle always seems to go flying into the tub!  Not so with Tellurian Baby! It sits nicely on the tub and makes washing much less stressful (for mommy!).

Shampoo: The shampoo had more of the same goodness- tearless, gentle, mild scented, and even has ingredients that help shine and condition hair! 


2-in-1 Shampoo and Body Wash: You already know what I am going to say---it's awesome. There's a pump to make bathing easy, and you can use it on the body and hair which is very convenient for those quick bathtimes!

Body Wash: The Body Wash is more goodness, soapy but not too soapy, yummy-smelling, but not overwhelming. It's mild enough to be tearless and comes in a pump bottle which I probably will never ever be able to buy a normal bottle again because I love this so much!!!!!


These products are not tested on animals and are manufactured in an organic factory!  Check out the website for more information regarding specific ingredients and to purchase.





Thank you to Tellurian Baby who provided us with samples to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Heavy Duty Dump Truck by Playmobil

I don't know any little boys that don't love construction vehicles- dump trucks, diggers, bulldozers, you name it, they love it. They love filling dump trucks with toys and dump, dump, dumping them all over the place!

The Heavy Duty Dump Truck by Playmobil is very realistic. It's detailed and will thrill any young boy.  The set comes with a truck, a construction worker, four boulders, a ladder and a toolbox, complete with five tools!

This is a part of the Construction line by Playmobil and can be played with alone, or with one of the many other awesome toys Playmobil has to offer.




Thank you to Playmobil for providing us with a sample to help facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

My Take Along Princess Fantasy Set by Playmobil

Though I can hang with the best of them, I am a girly-girl to the core. I love pink, I love fluffy skirts (not on me haha), I love pretty jewelry, cute shoes and beautiful bags! I am pretty sure we are just born that way because my mom was NOT super girly and she always giggled and said, "Where did you come from?"

I always wondered if I would end up having a daughter who was a total tomboy and so far she is not. She is a carbon copy of me! She loves dress up, loves purses, loves her baby dolls, and loves pretty dresses (girl after my own heart!!!).

Imagine our excitement when the My Take Along Princess Fantasy Set arrived at our house!
The carrying case looks like a beautiful treasure chest and holds 147 pieces of fantasy goodness!!

Your daughter will have tons of fun with the king, queen, prince and princess figurines, and with all of the tiny pieces that help put the finishing touches in any princess's life!



For more information or to find more products by Playmobil, visit their site here.





Playmobil graciously provided us with a sample to help facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% our own.