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.

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!

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-Symoné’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!

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.

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.

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.

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 Pet, Littlest 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.