Friday, November 11, 2011

Pumpkin Pie Dough

Here is a fun, seasonal dough to make with the kids.  Be warned, it does not taste as good as it smells!

Duration: 20 minutes
Makes: 2 cups

Materials:
  • 5 and a 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 cups salt
  • 8 teaspoons cream of tarter
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1 ounce pumpkin pie spice
  • orange food coloring
  • 4 cups water

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together over low heat.
2. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes
3. Remove from heat.  When cool, knead.


Get this and more ideas from the The Everything Toddler Activities Book: Games And Projects That Entertain And Educate.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

FyrFlyz Review


Looking for a great stocking stuffer this holiday that is fun for kids and adults alike?  Here is the perfect toy for the 8 and up crowd.  FyrFlyz Light Up Toy is a multi-colored LED light that spins while attached to a string.  With a little practice and creativity, FyrFlyz can help you create lighted patterns and tricks to create your own light show.

"FyrFlyz is an easy to use, precision balance lighted toy designed to spin on its axis. Simply by swinging two strings and applying tension or allowing slack, you can create a continuous movement of multi-color light shapes (figure eights, rings, etc.).  Here's how FyrFlyz work: grab one small plastic handle in each hand and spin the FyrFlyz in large loops so the string gets twisted. Next, using the handles, pull the strings apart to spin the FyrFlyz in the opposite direction. Now, bring the handles closer and pull apart to spin large loops and create different tricks and shapes like Shooting Stars, Saturn Rings, Sun Blasts and Flywheels."

FyrFlyz is another one of those simple and brilliantly made toys that is so much fun to play with.  It is amazing how such a neat toy can bring hours of fun while kids work on expanding their imagination trying to create new light patterns.  I love that this a compact toy that you can carry with you and pull out whenever you want.  It is sure to keep your child busy, as long as there is adequate room to swing the toy around. 

These toys are really fun to use in the dark too.  I can see us playing with these over the summer at barbecues, waiting for fireworks to start, or while roasting marshmallows.   They seem to be made very well and the lights are nice and bright.

FyrFlyz is a must have for the holiday season.  With the small price tag of about $8.99, how can you go wrong?  One FyrFlyz includes batteries, on/off switch, LED lights, and safety grip handles.  Recommended for ages 8 and up.  It retails for about $8.99.

More tips and tricks can be found at http://www.fyrflyz.com/.





I-Star Entertainment provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

We LOVE Melissa & Doug in our house.  Every product available is so well made that it is obvious to see that they will stand the test of time and toddlers!  I add to Masons' collection of Melissa and Doug every year.  He has oodles of puzzles and most recently put up his Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magnetic Responsibility Chart.  This year for Christmas, I am looking to add the Melissa & Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks Set

So, here is something cool!  Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

JAKKS Pacific Set to Auction Celebrity Cabbage Patch Kids for Charity

Did you know November is National Adoption Awareness month?  JAKKS Pacific is launching a 10-day online auction on eBay of celebrity look alike Cabbage Patch Kids.

Celebrities including Steven Tyler, Al Roker, Katherine Heigl, Kristin Chenoweth and Raven Symone are recreated as unique, one-of-a kind Cabbage Patch Kids that will be auctioned on eBay with proceeds benefiting Children’s Action Network (CAN), a national adoption awareness organization dedicated to finding homes for children in the U.S. who are in foster care. 

Distinctive features of the Celebrity Kids include Steven Tyler’s rocker inspired outfit and mic stand; Al Roker’s signature glasses and tailored suit; Katherine Heigl’s favorite red carpet couture; Kristin Chenoweth’s royal blue ball gown; and Raven-SymonĂ©’s trendy romper and blinged out platform heels. JAKKS Pacific worked closely with each celebrity to make sure their one-of-a-kind Kid embodied their individual look and personality. Each Celebrity Kid, will also come with its own autographed birth certificate.

All proceeds of the Steven Tyler, Al Roker, and Raven Symone Celebrity Kids will benefit CAN, while Kristin Chenoweth and Katherine Heigl are donating 50% of funds to CAN and the other 50% to Maddie’s Corner and the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, respectively.  So, head on over to eBay and check it out!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Fireworks Light Show In My Room by Uncle Milton Review


Here is some fun from Uncle Milton to get your holiday started!  Although it is going to be a long winter, you and your children can enjoy the fun of a 4th of July fireworks show in your own home all year long!  Introducing Uncle Milton Fireworks Light Show In My Room.  This is very simple, but brilliantly made, handheld device that projects images of fireworks onto walls or ceilings.  Included to make the experience more authentic are booming sound effects.  And, you can easily change up the fireworks display by simply rotating a disc to choose the image you want.

This is also a great toy to have on hand for bedtime or those rainy day indoor picnics.  Mason and I love to have indoor picnics in the family room and what better what to end any picnic than with fireworks?   It works best in a dark room so you can fully appreciate the colors in the fireworks display, but even in not ideal conditions, Mason loved all the colors and the booming sounds.  After showing Mason how to pump the launcher and pull the trigger, he was easily able to create his own fireworks.  What you will see is a firework bursting and expanding on the wall or ceiling, accompanied by a realistic sound effect, including the fizzling sound at the end when the firework disappears.

This toy does require 3 AAA batteries, which are not included.  Although Fireworks Light Show in My Room is recommended for ages 6, I think this could be appropriate for a child as young as 4 (with parental supervision of course).   It retails for about $34.99.

Note: There is a warning on the toy not to look directly into the beam of light.  Doing so can cause serious and irreparable eye damage.




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