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!

Disney's The Search for Santa Paws!!!!

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.

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.

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.

My Take Along Farm Set by Playmobil

By now, you guys know I love Playmobil, and if you have EVER visited Baby in the Kitchen, you KNOW I love visiting my local farms with my family to purchase produce. Playmobil's My Take Along Farm Set perfectly supports what I teach my sweet daughter --farms are awesome!

The set contains 61 pieces and is geared for children ages 4+. Everything folds neatly in a beautiful red barn. Both boys and girls will have a wonderful time playing with the four figurines, all the animals and tools, and in and around the barn!

I have said it before and I will say it again, sometimes it really is nice to get back to much simpler days- when toys were not electronic and this is no exception---I LOVE IT!

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 our own.

Pinkalicious-Junior Scrabble

Who doesn't love Scrabble? I sure do and I loved returning to my childhood while playing this awesome game.  This is Pinkalicious-Junior Scrabble, so it can be played the "regular way" (crossword-style word game), or there is a more supported version for younger players who are just getting comfortable with reading and spelling- LOVE THAT!

So you have a timeless classic game that supports learners young and old, and then....it gets splashed with PINK! And it has images from the Pinkalicious stories!!!!!  No my friends, it does not get cuter than this!  I cannot wait to play this with my daughter. Kudos to Pinkalicious and Fundex for teaming up to create a very cool (and educational) product.

Thank you to Pinkalicious for providing us with this game to help facilitate the review. 

All opinions are our own.

Playmobil Transport Set #4041 Conveyor Belt with Mini Excavator

When I was a little girl I LOVED Playmobil. All the nostalgia comes flooding back the second I see their signature font or their signature little figurines. The people are about 3 inches tall, bend at the waist, and  are dressed in a uniform or costume that matches the type of playset they come with. Playmobil toys are the quintessential detailed, creative, imaginative play toy.

I had the pleasure of reviewing the Conveyor Belt with Mini Excavator and all I can say is WOW!  The excavator looks just like the one my Uncle Chuck would bring to our farm each year to help mom and dad in the field! On special occasions, we got to take a ride through the field with Uncle Chuck on the excavator and we always felt SO COOL!

The conveyor belt is extremely detailed and allows for hours of fun hauling boulders up and down (they are included).  The set also comes with two figurines, several tools, and nine boulders.

This is part of the Transport set, all of which can be found on Playmobil's website.

A huge thank you to Playmobil  for providing this set to us to help facilitate the review! All opinions are 100% our own.

Mega Bloks Ultimate Action Dragon Destroyer

Earlier, I gave you some background on Dragons Universe....a world where it's man vs. beast, or specifically, human soldiers battling against alient-like dragons! YIKES!  Kids love this kind of stuff, and they will LOVE the detailed toys that are in the Dragons Universe collection.

I had the opportunity to check out the Mega Bloks Ultimate Action Dragon Destroyer which includes two dragons, a ship, a removable dragon blaster with electronic battle sounds and light fx!!!  There are built-in flight controllers, which makes this "pretend" play seem pretty dang real!!!!

I cannot get over how cool and intricate these toys are. In my last post I mentioned that my 24-four-year old brother would love these, and as I was writing up my review (and playing away!!!), my husband could not help but become interested, too! He commented that he wished he had these to play with as a kid!

Megabrands provided us with a sample of this product to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

Mega Bloks Thomas Adventure on Misty Island

Are you looking for an amazingly fun gift this holiday season that won't break the bank but really presents as a "big" present? I can help you with that. If you know any little people who are about 2-4 years old, more than likely you know someone who is a fan of trains. More specifically, you know someone who is a fan of THOMAS!!!

Mega Bloks has partnered with Thomas to bring to you Mega Bloks Thomas Adventure on Misty Island, a 101 piece set for 3+ year olds.  This set contains buildable Thomas and James trains, tunnels, barricades, canyons, tracks, and of course enough pieces to build a tall mountain that both Thomas and James can ride up, down and around!!!

Forget about stretching the train track as far as the eyes can see, this set challenges children to go higher and higher, with neat accessories to make their experience very life life (or just like the show!).  My daughter and niece LOVE trains and are so smitten with this set! They love building the track and making Thomas and James go-go-go!!!

This is a really innovative set and the added dimension of height takes it to a new level of coolness!

You do not want to miss out on this one, pick one up today!

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

Color Blanks

Do you have any guesses as to what the above photos may be?
I will give you a hint: Anything you want them to be!

What?  

This insanely cute line of toys by Rose Art is called Color Blanks!

Rose Art sells 10 different models including monsters, pets, and shapes.  Each figurine is completely blank and comes with tools to encourage creativity from children aged 6+.  Each box contains 1 figurine, 1oz. of clay, 3 mini permanent markers, and 1 sticker sheet.  The possibilities are endless and kids will have so much fun planning and creating.

These make great gifts and are great activities to complete at a party or sleepover!  

Ridiculously sweet, huh?!

Megabrands graciously provided us with sample Color Blanks to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

Pinkalicious Goldilicious Unicorn Plush

I am REALLY excited to tell you about our next item on the 2010 Holiday Gift Guide.  For all the precious little girls in your life----I present to you, Goldilicious!!!! A 12" tall, soft, plush, beautiful unicorn with long flowing mane and tail, a removable tutu, and a sparkling pink sewn-on necklace!

You will remember Goldilicious from the Pinkalicious series of books and I guarantee your little girl will feel so special owning her very own unicorn (I know mine does).  Along with her Pinkalicious plush, this sweet unicorn rarely catches a break from my daughter.  She calls her Pink's Horsie and allows her dolls to take turns taking a ride (I have even caught Ava riding Goldilicious around)!!!!

The unicorn itself is really well-made and is soft enough to sleep with!  Whether it's Pinkalicious and Goldilicious, or Ava and Goldilicious, there are fun times to be had--nothing can stand in their way!

Read more about Pinkalicious on her official website here!

A huge thank you to Jakks and Pinkalicious for providing us with a Goldilicious Unicorn Plush Toy to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

Pinkalicious 3-in-1 Card Game

I am loving the classic games that are spun with something extra special, like Pinkalicious artwork and themes!

We got to check out the 3-in-1 Card Game set that features Cupcake Snack, Golden Wands, and Princess Purple. Each game is filled with artwork by Victoria Kann, authur of the wildly popular serious, Pinkalicious.

The Cupcake Snack game is based on the classic game of Slap Jack, Golden Wands is based on the classic game of Crazy 8's, and Princess Purple is based on the classic game of Old Maid.

Though Ava is too young to play these right now, I am really excited to be able to teach her these wonderful games when she is ready.

I actually had to read the directions on each of these games before playing because it has honestly been way too long since I have played them. It was nice to put down the computer and just have some good old-fashioned fun!!!


These are small enough that they would make wonderful stocking stuffers!

Read more about Pinkalicious on her official website here!

Thank you to Pinkalicious for providing us with the Pinkalicious 3-in-1 Card Game to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

Mega Bloks Deluxe Dual-Blast Dragon Hunter

Have you heard about Dragons Universe yet? If not, sit back and be prepared to be impressed!  Dragons Universe is about another world where it is man vs. beast.  In this imaginary world that is immune to time and space, the soliders battle alien-like dragons called Predavors.

Intrigued yet?

Made by Mega Bloks for children aged 6-15, this 151-piece Dual-Blast Dragon Hunter set will surely excite the boys on your list this holiday season.  The set includes a fully buildable Dragon Hunter and a Predavor Dragon!

Equipped with missile launchers that really fire, a flight controller that facilitates real flight, lights and real flight sounds, this toy is a must-have for all little boys this year. My brother (at 24 years old) would STILL love this toy!

For more information about Dragon Universe and Mega Bloks, click here.

Mega Bloks graciously provided us with a Dual-Blast Dragon Hunter
to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

UNO: Pinkalicious

Everybody loves a classic game- especially a classic card game. UNO and I go way back. It's a wonderful game that the whole family can enjoy.

It is recommended for ages 7+ and 2-10 people can play at a time.

UNO is perfect for boys and girls, though this set will appeal more to girls- it's PINKALICIOUS-themed!!!! So fun! Not only are the cards all Pinkalicious-themed, they come in a beautiful, durable tin for easy transport!

We especially love to take UNO to the beach, on trips that involve flying, to holiday dinners with lots of family members- it's easy to throw into my purse and provides hours of laughter and fun!

I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough to learn this fun game, but for now I'm having fun playing UNO with my little cousins!!!

Read more about Pinkalicious on her official website here!

Pinkalicious provided us with the game Uno to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own.

Mega Bloks Pull Along Musical Pirate Ship

This toy is SO neat. There are many great toys out there, but so often they seem to fit in the same old mold. If there is one thing little kids (especially little boys) love, it's PIRATE SHIPS!

Take the coolness of a pirate ship, add in the fact that it's big, colorful, and chunky (perfect for little hands), add in the even greater fact that it is MUSICAL---you have a win-win toy! My daughter absolutely loves this toy and pulls it all over the house.

The Pirate Ship set contains 20 pieces and makes for hours of fun imaginative play!  Each time the boat is pulled, a sweet little pirate song plays, which encourages those new walkers to keep testing out their skills!!

The set also includes a pirate, two sharks, a monkey, a canon, and a working trapdoor!!!

It's really nice to see something so cool available to the little guys!

Thank you to Mega Bloks
for providing us with a Pull Along Musical Ship to help facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% our own.

Pinkalicious Cloth Doll

A few weeks ago, I told you about the sweetness that is Pinkalicious.  Pinkalicious is a lovable little girl who stars in a series of stories for children and young readers.

Books are WONDERFUL and help children learn and grow in so many ways, but how much fun would it be to have a doll of Pinkalicious--to take to the playground, to sleep with at night, and to play and imagine with!

Thankfully, the good people of Pinkalicious felt the same way. This review is of the Pinkalicious 18" soft doll, available online and at Walmart.  The doll wears a crown, holds a princess wand, and of course, wears her iconic fairy princess dress.

To be perfectly honest, my daughter is CRAZY for this doll!!! She takes her Granny's house, to babysitting, she sleeps with her at night, and she feeds her in her pretend kitchen. Pinkalicious is quite familiar with a day in Ava's life and has been a very good little companion.

People compliment Ava on her "beautiful little doll" everywhere we go.  On Saturday, we met up with a photographer for our family photo shoot, and the photographer said, "Oh, cute, Pinkalicious!" Turns out her niece also loves Pinkalicious and also hangs out with her all the time.

This doll is a doll after my own heart, it's everything I would have wanted as a little pink- she's fun, she's cute, and she's PINK!!!!

Read more about Pinkalicious on her official website here!

Pinkalicious provided us with a cloth doll to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own. No monetary compensation was received.