Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however, I did receive this product for review. All opinions are honest and are my own. The boys love playing on the iPad, but we don't want them to have too much screen time so we limit their iPad access to a couple of times a week. They have to take turns and I usually tell them that they have to play educational games first. I noticed that when my five year old was playing the Kangaroo Island games, he kept playing them. He didn't switch to the less educational games after the allotted time. He was having fun and learning at the same time.
There are six games in the Kangaroo Island Photo Classifying App, giving children options when playing. My boys love being able to make choices and switch to different games. My three and five year olds both said their favorite game is the painting game otherwise known as Koala Canvas. In the game they help Cole the Koala identify the correct items in a category while painting a picture.
In the Kangaroo Island Photo Classifying App, children learn to name and classify 336 items in 15 different categories:
- Animals
- Bathroom
- Clothing
- Colors
- Foods
- Furniture
- Instruments
- Kitchen
| - Lowercase Letters
- Uppercase Letters
- Numbers 1-20
- Shapes
- Tools
- Toys
- Transportation
| The boys are learning so much while playing these games. They asked me questions about lowercase and uppercase letters while playing and started to recognize the differences on their own. You can see my five year old playing one of the classifying games in the video below. Notice how the game corrects him by making him try again when he puts something in the wrong category. The boys have really enjoyed playing these games and will for a long time. This app is designed for Pre-K and up and is for Apple iPad only. You can learn more about the Kangaroo Island Photo Classifying App at Super Duper Publications.Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however, I did receive this product for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.
We recently went on a long car trip to spend time with family so I selected several audio books at the library. "Unbroken" was the first CD I put in the player and I was hooked. This is the story of Louis Zamperini and his experience in the Pacific in World War II.
Book Description:
"On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown."
We were so moved and captivated by this book. My husband and I both enjoyed it and could not wait for the next installment each time we had to drive. We really enjoyed the voice of Edward Herrmann who read the book. We were hooked early on in the story.
My husband and I drove separately for the last leg of our journey because he stayed behind for a conference. I heard the whole story on my way home, but my husband did not. He asked me about it and I said, "You will want to listen to it for yourself." He finished it today while cleaning out the garage. I walked through the garage and said, "Are you crying?". He said, "I'm teary eyed."
This is a story of unimaginable hardships, strength, courage, and triumph. I gained even more respect for the men and women who sacrificed so much for their countries and freedom in World War II and all of the wars following.
Celebrate your freedom today, Memorial Day. Honor those who fought for it and thank them. Remember those who gave their lives for it.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post nor did I receive product for review.
We were blessed to receive Ophelie and her Chicks from Lilliputiens of Belgium for review. HABA, a German toy manufacturer, also distributes some wonderful European brands of toys in the U.S., and they just added Lilliputiens to their exclusive line here. My almost two year old loves his new toy. Actually, I have seen his older brothers playing with it too. "Lilliputiens is based in Belgium and its toys are made by hand with care in Asia. The toys, patterns, fabrics, characters, are all 100% its own creations, designed by a team of five young and trend-conscious moms who ensure that in a world full of little wonders, every toy has its own fun story."
Ophelie and her chicks have been entertaining my little guy with finger puppet fun, hide the chicks in the egg, hide the egg in Ophelie, throw the egg like a ball, and many more creative games. The chicks all make different sounds which adds to the fun. One of them makes the cutest little chick sound. Ophelie has become a favorite toy and one that we will enjoy for a long time.
This Lilliputien toy is well made. In fact, one our chicks took a leap through an open window and had an unfortunate landing in a mud puddle. She came out squeaky clean and all in one piece after a bath in the washing machine. Her squeaker still worked too. Daddy even got in on the fun. Ophelie is also a hand puppet and her chicks are little finger puppets. You can see my son playing with Ophelie and her chicks in the video above.
Kidorable has a line of soft. thick, 100% cotton hooded towels that are possibly the softest and cutest towels around. I received the space hero towel for review and l love it. It comes packaged ready to gift. Wouldn't this make a great birthday present? Such a cute design and there are so many from which to choose. One of my favorite features is this handy hanging flap in the corner of the towel. I also love the snap. This is especially nice for the younger kids who have trouble holding a towel around themselves after a bath or swimming. The designs are so cute and well made. The space saucer and rocket are made out of soft fleece and stitched in place. I love the bright playful colors. Our new Kidorable hooded towel has become a fast favorite for snuggly warmth after bath-time and it will be well loved this summer on pool outings too. My readers can get 20% off their entire order when they purchase impossibly cute and soft cotton hooded towels. Just use code STAYDRY22 at checkout on www.kidorable.com through May 31st. Disclosure: I received product for review. Any opinions are honest and are my own.
Motorworks from Manhattan Toy developed a line of toy cars with interchangeable parts that will provide hours of fun. No batteries needed, only your child's imagination. Our boys were thrilled to receive their new Motorworks cars and accessories kit. I let them pick them out themselves. They were so excited when the box arrived and couldn't wait to open it. A proud new car owner. The boys busy at work changing the accessories on their new cars. They chose: - "STS Stealth Police Cruiser" from the Speed Series.
- "STX Patriot Dragster" from the Extreme Series
- Ground Effects wheels and trim
The MOTORWORKS Collection includes three different trim levels; the Street Series, Speed Series and Extreme Series. The accessory pieces are interchangeable across all three series and snap easily into the beech wood bodies.
Our boys love changing the accessories. They are easy to change and well made. The pieces are sturdy and fit easily together. STX Patriot Dragster See how easy it is to change the look of a Motorworks vehicle. Here is a quick video of my son playing with the STS Stealth Police Cruiser. Our boys love their new Motorworks toy cars. You can enter to win one too. Win a vehicle package plus one accessory pack (total retail value $18.98 to $31.98, depending on selection, winner’s choice). U.S.-only giveaway Enter on the rafflecopter form. Disclosure: I received products for review purposes, however, any opinions are honest and are my own.
Dial introduced a new line of kids body and hair wash and we were lucky enough to get to try Dial Kids Peachy Clean. There are two versions: Dial Kids Peachy Clean is for ages 2+ and Dial Kids Watery Melon and Berry Cool are for ages 6+. Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash was developed with pediatric dermatologists. - Tear free
- Hypoallergenic
- No artificial dyes or added parabens
- Ph balanced
Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash is holding a facebook contest. You can win a free bottle of body and hair wash or the grand prize of $1000. You can also win a free bottle of Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash here. Enter on the rafflecopter form. Disclosure: The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.
I received the infinite scarf to review in black and beige. I like the beige color the best. In fact, I love the color. It is neutral and goes with almost everything and it has a subtle shine. The infinite scarf is versatile in that it stretches to the size of a tube dress and then back down to a scarf again just by stretching the fabric. In this picture, I am wearing it as a warmer. I stretched the tube out and slipped it over my head. It is really easy to do and goes back to a regular scarf by pulling and stretching it long again. This would have been really warm under a coat, but I wanted you to see the scarf in the picture. As soon as we walked out the door to take the picture, a snow storm came through and it was really cold. You can watch a video on the infinite scarf site to see all the ways to wear it. You can wear it in 20+ ways including as a muffler, jacket, sweater, shawl, vest, warmer, hood, cowl, kerchief, cape, stole, tube top, skirt, halter top, strapless dress, and off the shoulder. I wasn't adventurous enough to wear it in all of these versatile styles, but I do like wearing it as a scarf. It is really soft and machine washable which is always a plus. Check out the infinite scarf site for more info. You can get two infinite scarves for the price of one with coupon code "CODE101". Disclosure: I received products for review purposes. All opinions are honest and are my own.
If you have been reading my blog for very long, you know I am a fan of Purex. Purex sent a bottle of new Purex Glitter for me to try. It has the same great cleaning power of regular Purex with the addition of glitter. "Purex Glitter detergent contains 100% natural glitter that embeds into your clothes. While Purex Glitter detergent guarantees to leave your clothes looking as glamorous as a pair of diamond earrings, you can rest assured that this unique detergent will leave no mess. Any glitter that does not leave the wash with your clothes is flushed out during the spin cycle." We thought this detergent was so much fun. The boys couldn't believe the sparkle it left on their clothes. They wanted to wash everything in this detergent so the whole house would sparkle. And they love taking a bath now that we have sparkly towels. Look for new Purex Glitter and add some fun to your laundry routine.
Disclosure: Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Glitter detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.
It's refreshing to discover a line of toys that promotes imagination and discovery. There are no beeps and whistles on these toys. The only sounds you'll hear are the sounds your children make as they use their imaginations to create and role-play and discover. Manhattan Toy has a new and exciting "imagine i CAN" line that includes 28 arts and crafts, do-it-yourself, games, and role-play and puppet kits. There is something for everyone and at an affordable price too. I think these toys would be great birthday gifts and if you plan ahead for Christmas like I do, many of these would be perfect stocking stuffers. Plus, most of them come in tins which are handy for storage or travel. My oldest was excited to receive the create & color space alien. He loves to craft and create so this was perfect for him. This kit comes with pre-punched pieces that come together to create an alien. It also includes markers and googly eyes. He loved the googly eyes. He was so excited to put the eyes on the alien. There is also a space scene inside the box to encourage imaginative play. We also received a fun game called cheese chase. The boys enjoyed playing this game because it was simple enough that they could play together without any adult assistance and challenging enough that it was fun. I like that the game pieces are well made wooden pieces and that they store easily in the provided tin. I played this game with my three year old too. He loves it. He asked to play it several times today. In addition, we received an awesome finger paint set. The boys love the creative tools and the paint is thick and easy to use. It also cleans up easily. Plus it comes in a cool storage tin. Watch the boys at work with the art tools and paint in this video. We have been having so much fun playing with our "imagine i CAN" toys from Manhattan Toy and are excited to offer a giveaway. One lucky reader will win an "imagine i CAN" toy of his or her choice. Enter on the rafflecopter form. Disclosure: I received products for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.
I received a bottle of Purex with Crystals laundry detergent to review and have been using it for a couple of weeks. Honestly, the scent is nice, but it is a little strong for me. I love the cleaning power, (it gets tough dirt stains out easily) but I will stick with my homemade laundry detergent or Purex Free and Clear. If I have to buy detergent because I don't have time to make it, Purex Free and Clear is my favorite. Although the scent is too much for me, I did appreciate the strong scent when laundering bedding after my son got sick the other night. If you are cleaning up after sick kids, this detergent is for you. Plus, it has great cleaning power with DirtLift Action. "In 2013, the entire family of Purex detergents will have the power of DirtLift Action which works deep into clothes to get out dirt." Enter to win the Experience the Enchantment Sweepstakes featuring Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance! One lucky winner will receive $1,000 and a year of FREE Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener, while 500 second place winners get to try this powerful, fresh detergent for FREE! In addition, you can enter to win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex with Crystals in my giveaway. (3 Winners) Enter on the rafflecopter form. Disclosure: Purex provided me with a sample of Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.
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