Legos
Both of the boys love playing with legos, but one of my sons his a fanatic about them! Before he got a bunch of them for his birthday, I was busy trying to pre-plan ways in which I could keep them together and organized to avoid stepping on them in the middle of the night and losing sets before we even got started.
On any given day we can spend an hour or two sitting around the big bin of legos on the floor building an ice cream shop, a construction vehicle, or anything that their little minds can imagine. For their birthday, I got them the legos wheel set, so they could put wheels on anything, and got some of the basic brick sets. Growing up I didn’t have legos, mainly because it was considered mostly a boy’s toy I guess, but now I find myself enjoying digging through the lego bin with both of my boys.
The best part about having legos, is that there are no rules if you don’t want them. You can build an alien, or a house or whatever your mind can imagine, or you can try your skills at building one of the bazillion and very cool sets they have to offer. The boys both turned four, and they love the smaller legos vs the duplo sets, and the best part is they grow with your child. I love toys like that!
Check out my son working on his garage and ice cream store. I think for being 4 he is doing quite well!
Maukilo Great Toys To Make It A Merry Holiday *review and giveaway*
November 22, 2009 by Laurie
Filed under Contests, Product Reviews
It is that time of the year again where parents are in a scramble to find that perfect toy for their children. The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but along with all the merriment of it all, there is also a lot of stress. This year with many parents being budget conscious, you tend to want to find some of the hottest toys for 2009 but also toys, that your children will certainly be interested in for longer than five minutes. 
Each year I try and sit down and make a list of things that the boys seem interested in and start looking for things that sort of combine that interest with things that are going to last when they play. I ma a huge fan of wooden toys, and toys that are more educational. I still buy the boys some of the mass marketed toys but, I also like to get things that are a little more meaningful or have what I call higher quality play value.
One of my favorite places to visit for shopping is Maukilo. They are a great site that is owned by HABA, and if you know anything about HABA toys you will know that they make some of the greatest wooden toys. I have toys made by HABA that are still in perfect condition and can easily be passed on to another child and I love all of their brightly colored toys.
We were recently given the opportunity to pick one of the many wonderful toys that Maukilo has to offer. Amongst the great collection of HABA toys , they offer so many other choices. We were sent Rody the jumping horse and I could barely get the thing out of the box and inflated because the boys were literally bouncing with excitement to get on this thing. Rody is an inflated ride on horse which you can inflate more as your child grows. Balance and coordination are tested as kids enjoy hopping on their Rody. Made of latex-free vinyl, in Italy.
My twin 3 yr olds have boundless energy, and I can tell you that I am a huge fan of Rody. They hopped all over the house in this thing and it is perfect for expending all that pent up energy. I am thinking this is going to be excellent for the winter months when they are stuck inside! When I first looked at this inflatable horse, I couldn’t imagine how much fun they would have, but they had a blast on it, and now I am thinking I will have to get them another one so they don’t fight! Rody is a perfect gift to have under the tree and Maukilo is a great place to make that holiday magic happen.
**Rody the horse was provided to me free for review by Maukilo.com the opinions expressed here are that of my own**
As part of the gift giving season, and to introduce you to a wonderful site. DoubleBugs and Maukilo would like to give readers the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Maukilo.com to do a little holiday shopping for your child and light up their faces on Christmas morning.
This Contest Is Closed!
To Enter Here’s What You Gotta Do!
Visit Maukilo.com and tell me what you would like to buy with your $50 certificate and who you would like to give the toy to.
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Contest Starts November 22, 2009 and Ends December 15, 2009
GOOD LUCK!!!!
US Residents Only
Zhu Zhu Pets *Review and Giveaway*
September 8, 2009 by Laurie
Filed under Contests, Product Reviews
Hamsters are one of those pets that, I would never really want to have anywhere near my house. They remind me a lot of a mouse and I don’t find them particularly cute either. I can remember growing up and having friends that had hamsters and the horrendous smell that always came from them. Even though those cedar chips are supposed to help, cedar doesn’t smell good either.
Now there is a great solution to your kids wanting a hamster! Thanks to Mom Select, we were sent the cutest, most adorable, non smelly pets for the boys. Let me introduce you to Zhu Zhu Pets. They are fun interactive little hamsters that are sure to delight your child. They have all sorts of fun things for your hamsters and a whole habitat that you can get, so they can scamper around in it.
After we set up the entire habitat, the boys were very excited, when I pressed the little hidden button on their hamsters’ backs and let them go to do their thing. I was amazed at how well these things moved around, and the noises they make are so funny. At one point when their noses bumped each other, I swore I heard a kissing sound, so cute! They can drive off from the garage in a car, surf on a surf board, walk in their wheel, take a walk in their ball or take a nap. This is better than any toy that I had as a kid!
The set up process was a little time consuming and takes up a considerable amount of floor space. It isn’t something you would want to continually take apart and reassemble. The garage was a little on the flimsy side and the doors didn’t stay in place so I just taped the sides of the garage and that seemed to work. With all that being said I think in general is is a great toy and my boys have played with it almost every day. A small word of warning, don’t get the hamster anywhere near your hair because it will get caught in the wheel.
Zhu Zhu pets will be hitting the shelves this Fall and would make a perfect Christmas gift for a special someone who asks for that pet hamster. At least you know it will make them happy and no messy cages to clean out.
** Thank you to Mom Select for providing the entire Zhu Zhu Pets set up for review**
Would you like to win a lovable hamster and starter slide for your special little someone? DoubleBugs would like to give its readers the chance to win it!
Here’s all you gotta do!
Visit the Zhu Zhu Pet site and tell me which hamster you love and what else you might like to have, and come back here and leave me a comment.
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Contest Starts September 8. 2009 and Ends October 1, 2009
Good Luck!
Baby Toys Ebeanstalk And Your Child’s Development
Since having the boys, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of choices that I never really payed too much attention to before. I have always been concerned about their development and have been fairly selective in the toys that I choose, because I want them to get the most benefit from them. To me there are junk toys and toys that actually teach them something. I am a firm believer that not everything has to talk or be battery operated to be of learning value either. I love places to shop that offer me information on selections based on appropriate age and development and gives parent a wealth of valuable resources, because we can use all the help possible.
Ebeanstalk is dedicated to a baby’s development. And they select the best baby toys matched to a baby’s development. To see great information on how a baby grows up, check out the info on their baby toys page.
Picking toys for a baby is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some quick baby facts:
- Toys for a newborn baby: A newborn baby is briefly looking at objects and attempting to imitate facial expressions. They can follow objects with their eyes and usually quiet down, when they are picked up.
- Toys for a three month old: They will enjoy ?frolic play’, reaching for objects and will repeat enjoyable activities. Believe it or not, they will respond to ?no’ (about half the time) and will start babbling.
- Toys for a six month old: They’ll search for hidden objects (object permanence). They’ll reach for themselves in the mirror, play peekaboo, crumple paper, roll from their stomach to their back and even respond to their name.
- Toys for a nine month old: They are pushing toy cars, playing pat-a-cake and looking for hidden sounds. The baby toys they are playing with are also getting more fun.
You can see how children’s play changes so drastically from month to month and year to year. Play is such a valuable tool in encouraging their development that you want them to get the most out of it and get the most out of the money you are spending on toys. Ebeanstalk offers you all of these things in one place which makes it a great resource for parents and a great place to shop for your child.
There is a 15% discount on any first purchase at ebeanstalk — TGS345 — just enter the code at the shopping cart and give the perfect gift tailored for your special little someone!
Little Jet Set Makes Travel Simple Review and Giveaway
March 30, 2009 by Laurie
Filed under Contests, Product Reviews
Little Jet Set is one of my all time favorite places for traveling with kids, because it has so many resources all in one place. I ran across Little Jet Jet for the first time when I was going to be traveling across the country with two eleven month olds, and found so many things that I could use. The fact that we were taking a major trip with my boys coupled with the fact that I was a first time parent, I was desperate to find things to entertain the boys as well as maintain my sanity.
Little Jet Set offers a wide range of things for your child’s travel. And it is really nicely organized. Not only that they offer some valuable links to some really nice resources. I found a wealth of information, when I was busy trying to determine if the boys car seats were going to fit on an airplane.
We were recently given the opportunity to review the Vehicles Maze Puzzle, by Melissa and Doug and the I Get Around Travel Activity Set. Both of the boys were naturally excited to try what I pulled out of the box. The Vehicle Maze puzzle was a big hit because both of them go coo coo over cars of any kind. This puzzle is great for road trips, because it has no loose pieces so nothing gets lost. This is perfect for long road trips. Each vehicle has a specific place along the maze like the police car goes to the station, and the school bus goes to the school. My two simple love it and I don’t have to chase after lost pieces.
Vehicle Maze Puzzle $16.99
This innovative wooden puzzle includes nine colorful vehicle pieces that slide around a colorful town scene on slotted tracks. Uniquely designed sliding pieces move freely around the puzzle, but can’t be removed or lost! Perfect for car trips or airplane rides. This great activity encourages eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Dimensions: 13.2 in. x 10.7 in. x 1.1 in. Age 3+
The “I Get Around Travel Activity Set.” is one of my favorites and it is such a cute idea for young kids. I am an avid scrapbooker so this is a great way to get your kids involved, and they can create their own memories. The boys had a blast with all the fun stickers, and even though they didn’t quite grasp the concept, it is a great way to spend time with your child, and helping them recall the favorite moments in their trip. This would be great for vacations at the end of a busy day. It is a great way to give them an activity and to wind down from such a busy day. I love anything that encourage cognitive skills, as well as creativity. The boys loved choosing from all the fun stickers.
I Get Around Activity Set $39.95
This gift set, available only at LittleJetSet.com, is perfect for kids who are going places — in everyday life, on special trips and in their imaginations. Each set includes: an “i get around” board book, which tells the story of Rover, and all the ways this hound gets around with his animal friends and what he does at the end of an active day; a spiral bound journal and scrapbook where little ones can express themselves with stickers, drawings and words as they experience the world around them; and 6 packs of repositionable stickers (Rover, action words, objects, feelings and senses, alphabet and special places). Comes packaged in a Little Jet Set logo tote – perfect for gift giving.
- Comes with rhyming 32-page board book, 60-page journal and 6 packs of stickers (2 sheets each)
- Written and illustrated by Deb Miner
- Age 3+
I highly recommend Little Jet Set if you are traveling with young kids and are looking for some fun activities to help keep them occupied. At least you have all of the best ideas in one place.
Little Jet Jet and DoubleBugs would like to give its readers the chance to win and “I Get Around Travel Activity Set” of their very own!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Here’s What You Gotta Do!
- Visit Little Jet Set and tell me what you like, and also leave me one of your favorite travel tips.
- Winners are chosen at random via Random.org.
- If Winner Does Not Respond Within 2 Days the prize is forfeited and donated!
For Additional Entries (please leave as an additional comment):
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Contest Starts March 30, 2009 and Ends Wednesday April 22, 2009
Good Luck!!!
