Thursday, November 3, 2011

TransFormers Dark of the Moon Cyberverse: Autobot Ark


Any Transformer fans out there?  I know in my house we watch the movie every time it is on TV.  My husband also loves to make the typical robot "transforming" sound whenever he gets a chance!  And of course he is teaching Mason how to "transform" the Transformers with appropriate shape shifting sounds.

We have been having so much fun playing with Hasbro's Transformers Dark of The Moon Cyberverse Ark Set.  Since I love toys that are all-inclusive, this is on my list of great toys for this year.  This set transforms into a Moonbase, which is pretty much the whole play set.  With fewer steps to transform the toy, this is a great starter set, especially if you have younger children. 

The Autobot Ark is just about ready to be played with right out of the box.   It transforms pretty easily as all you really have to do is pull on each wing to get it to changes shape pretty much by itself.  The ship flips and pulls out easily to transform into a space station, which turns the ship into the command base or the Ark.     

Once the Autobot Ark is transformed, there is a jail for holding Decepticons, a repair bay, a launch ramp for the lunar rover, and guns for defense.  Mason loved the lights and the cool rocket sounds the Ark made!  Since I always worry about little pieces, I was glad to see that there are not too many little pieces to find all over the house.

Included in this set is a small Transformer that changes from robot to lunar rover. I like that it came with a Transformer so Mason was able to start playing with the set immediately. The Transformer can be made into a lunar rover vehicle in a few short moves. Although it is for ages 5 and up, with help Mason was able to get it to transform with some help. This transformer is not as complicated as some of the other sets I have seen my Nephew, Luke, play with.


Overall, the TransFormers Dark of the Moon Cyberverse: Autobot Ark easy to use, lightweight for moving, and is pretty durable.  The plastic seems like it will stand the test up to little hands and rough play.  It does require 2 AA batteries, which are not included.   I also love toys that foster imaginative play and the set lends itself to just that. With all the attention to detail, there are endless possibilities of play.  I also love the educational value of this play set as it allows the child to use their imagination, and transforming the play set helps to develop eye and hand coordination.

 



Hasbro provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Middle

This guest post from Hong Alexander

I have never seen a show that embodies the true verve of the American family as much as The Middle. Two working class parents and three children in suburban Indiana? It doesn’t really get any more American than that. The parents struggle to meet deadlines, put food on the table, drive their kids to activities, maintain some semblance of a social life, and nourish their marriage. That…is a lot to do. The thought of it actually stresses me out a little bit. And yet it’s amazing—they do it with aplomb. They do it with a sense of humor…I don’t understand it. I mean, sure there are episodes where the obstacles seem almost insurmountable, and Frankie (the mom) is a bit of a neurotic mess, but it all gets sorted out by the end of the thirty minutes. While I don’t think the resolutions are always realistic, I do think it’s fun to watch people who are doing the same things we’re all doing every day, but who somehow find a way to make it much, much more interesting. Tune in to The Middle the next time you see it on direct tv unionsville. I think you’ll love it.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Littlest Pet Shop Walkables by Hasbro Review


Here come some of the cutest toys I have reviewed for the 2011 Holiday Season!  With the help of my Niece, Anna, I discovered just how much fun playing with the new Littlest Pet Shop Walkables.  In case you are not familiar with the Littlest Pet Shop, the Walkables are the first of the motorized Littlest Pet Shop characters you can collect that move by themselves.

Anna and I had a blast making these Pets walk all over the floor.  They are so easy to play with too.  All you have to do is take them out of the box and push a button to see your pet set in motion to walk!  If you can remember back to the days of a wind up toy, it kind of reminded me of that, but there is no winding on these toys.  These toys are battery powered and can be replaced when the batteries run out.  The Pets do come with 2 batteries included, which is a nice feature. 

We were lucky enough to play with the Littlest Pet Shop Walkables Seal Figure and the Littlest Pet Shop Walkables Spider Figure.  Anna was already a fan of the Littlest Pet Shop, so she instantly fell in love with these Walkables.  We tried all different surface types to see where the Walkables would "walk" best and found that a smooth surface really is the best place.  Some Pets get around by moving their legs and others use wheels to "walk" around.  Already on her Santa list are the Littlest Pet Shop Playsets so she can have even more fun.

Other Littlest Pet Shop Walkables are available and include the Ferret Pet, the Baby Tiger Pet,  the Dog Pet, the Snail Pet, the Hermit Crab Pet, the Cat Pet, the Fish Pet, the Inchworm or Caterpillar Pet, the Dragonfly PetLittlest Pet Shop Treehouse Playset that includes a Chipmunk Walkable Pet, Walking Butterfly Playset, Walking Pets Themed Pack - Walking Dog Playset and so much more!  Pets also come with instructions to help you get going.  Each Walkable and playset is sold separately.  The Walkables are recommended for ages 4 and up and retail starting at about $8.99 each.






Hasbro provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.