Sunday, January 29, 2012

Breyer Pet Sitter Review and Giveaway (CLOSED)



Breyer horses and accessories have been around since 1950.  It is easy to see how authentic and realistic this product is and still remains after all of these years.  Any little girl who loves horses will fall in love with this set! I love the high quality of the entire Breyer line of horses and accessories.

The Breyer Pet Sitter set was new in 2011. It is based on the premise of "What could be better than having a job you really love?"  The little girl included in the set is lucky enough to babysit a cute black and white pinto foal and her Beagle and cat friends. Caring for these animals takes a responsible person, but she is up the job with your help! The set includes a 1:12 scale foal, 6" articulated and fully clothed doll, Beagle dog, cat, foal blanket, water bowl, brush and ball.

The Pet Sitter Collection comes from the Classic line of Breyer products.  It is designed for authentic and imaginative play offering younger collectors realistic horses and excellent collectability.  This product is recommended for ages 4 and up and retails for $24.99.

Congratulations to Zoe W, winner of the Breyer Horse Giveaway!  The winner will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Want to win one of your own?  Fill out the form below for a chance to win!  The Giveaway will run from 9:00am EST on January 30, 2012 to 12:00 EST on February 6, 2012.  The winner will be notified via email.



Thanks to Reeves International, Inc. for providing the product above for review and giveaway.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

No Idea!

Thanks for the article from Jermaine Haynes

I had no idea that I could actually choose between energy providers when I moved to Texas a couple of months ago. We relocated from a rural town in South Georgia, where there was only one option for energy. A neighbor told me that I could log onto http://www.TexasElectricityProviders.com/ and check out the rates and service reviews. The rates were also less expensive than they were before the move. In Georgia, the deregulated the natural gas providers and in my town you could choose between two. I was happy to learn that you could shop electricity in Texas. I am a firm believer in healthy market competition ultimately being the best thing for consumers. I hate being a slave to one company, like I was to our cable provider in South Georgia. They had terrible customer service, but really had no reason to change its customer service because they were the only provider in a hundred mile radius! Now, I just have to figure out what I am going to do with the money that I am going to be saving!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Quite Impressive

Whenever I go to toy shows, I am always amazed by the quality of the displays.  I look forward to seeing the creativity, imaginative designs, and eye-appealing colors.  I think of all the preparation and time put in to the displays, from the trade show flooring, trade show carpet, to the logo mats.  It really is quite impressive!

Recently, my friend set up and designed a display of her own.  It was beautiful and I really wish I could be that creative.  I wonder where all of these designs come from and how do you come up with the ideas?  And, who can I call if I ever need to set up a display of my own?  Luckily, I won't have to worry about that, but I know I can always call Camelback Displays if I need help. 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Free Valentine's Day Printables


Ahh, love is in the air!  Here are some adorable free Valentine's Day printables to get you started!  Go ahead, print them out, and decorate your house. Have fun!

Click HERE for free Valentine's printables from HP

Click HERE for activity sheets for all ages for Valentine's Day from teachingheart.net

Click HERE for printables, coloring pages, bingo games, and more from About.com

Click HERE for cards, activities, worksheets, coloring sheet and more from 123printcards.com

Click HERE for Valentine's pictures and coloring pages from kaboose.com

Click HERE for Valentine's coloring pages, cards, crafts, games, poems, recipe, puzzles and more from DLTK-holiday.com

Click HERE for free printable cards, coloring pages, activity sheets, gifts, stickers, and decorations from familyfun.go.com.

Click HERE for free coloring pages and invitations from familyshoppingbag.com

Click HERE for free valentine printables, coupons, word search puzzles, an activity book, and cards from allfreeprintables.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Whac-A-Mole Arcade Game Review

YES!!!! I love the classic Whac-A-Mole game you will find in many of arcades, from theme parks to the Boardwalk.  Whac-A-Mole and Ski Ball were probably my two favorite games to play while growing up.  I still play them every chance I get when we are out and about!  When I saw the classic Whac-A-Mole Arcade Game, I knew I had to check it out.  I thought to myself, "This is a perfect game for kids and adults alike".  How can you go wrong?


This board game version of Whac-A-Mole is slated for 1-2 players.  Although the moles don't pop out like in the original arcade game, the heads of the moles do light up to indicate when to whac the mole.  One side of the game has moles wearing red hats and the other side is wearing green hats.  The center mole has both color lights (green and red), so both players have to decide when to whac the center mole.  You can earn bonus points when you smack the middle mole too.

The moles will taunt you as you play the game, making it even more fun!  The game is timed, so you can play against the clock or against a friend.  Be careful though - you only want to hit the illuminated moles that match your mallet's color, or you will lose points.  The player who can hit the most moles before time runs out wins!!

Included in the Whac-A-Mole Arcade game are:
  • 1 electronic arcade game 
  • 2 plastic mallets

I can easily say this game was a "hit" with Mason.  He loved whacking the moles with the mallet!  I love that I didn't have to worry about him breaking the game, since it was made to be hit.  The game has been durable enough to stand up to the hardest whacks of a 2 year old.  Although it is recommended for ages 4 and up, at almost 3, Mason could easily understand that when the moles light up, you hit them. 

I also love that this game is great for hand - eye coordination and motor skills for Mason, as well as letting him blow off some energy.  I admit, it is a bit of a stress reliever for me too. 

The mallets are a soft hollow plastic, so they will not break into a million pieces. It's designed well, and is a whole lot of fun for the kids!  It is a basic game that Mason can play by himself or with someone else.  It is also great for travel if you want to bring it to a play date or a friend's house.  Overall, it is a very sturdy game the you will be able to enjoy for a long time. 

Whac-A-Mole is recommended for ages 4 and up and retails for about $19.99.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Dinosaur Food (No-bake Cookie Recipe)

Over the last few months, Mason has really begun to play with his dinosaurs alot.  He runs around the house chasing me and making roaring sounds in the hopes that I will chase him back.  He can do this for hours! 

While running around, Mason works up an appetite.  He likes to help me prepare his snacks and meals, well, as much as he can.  Since everyone knows that kids love to cook, and Mason is no exception, I try to find easy recipes that he can help with and this one fits the bill perfectly!  This is a fun, simple and quick recipe that toddlers can make by themselves (mostly) and encourages their fascination in dinosaurs.  Even better, the ingredients are typically found in most pantries.

Yields:  2-3 dozen
Ingredients:
  • 1/8 cup dirt (cocoa)
  • 1/4 cup swamp water (milk)
  • 1 cup crushed bones (sugar)
  • 1 cup dino fat (butter)
  • 1 cup grass (uncooked oatmeal)
  • 1/4 cup squashed bugs (peanut butter)


    Directions:
    1. Mix dirt, swamp water, crushed bones, and fat in a saucepan.  Cook 5-10 minutes.  
    2. Remove from heat and stir in grass and squashed bugs. 
    3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. 
    4. Let cool and eat. 



     



    Above is the original recipe.  Like many recipes I try, I tweaked this one.  Below are the changes I made.  I think I will still experiment with this, but so far, Mason has eaten 3 cookies, so I would say he likes them!
    • Try 1/2 cup butter instead of 1 cup
    • Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and call it "Muddy Water"
    • Use 1/2 cup peanut butter instead of 1/4 cup peanut butter
    • And add at least 2 cups oatmeal.  The cookies did form, but were too runny to hold like a cookie and eat. 
    • I also rolled them in some powdered sugar and told Mason it was crushed Dinosaur Teeth.  This helped to absorb any excess liquid and keep the form.


      I did put them in the fridge for keeping. Mason ate these cookies refrigerated and at room temp. They are gooey and very yummy. A definite to make again!

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