Edushape Marbulous Marble Run Review

The Marbulous Marble Run from Edushape is a fun marble maze toy that will help your child's imagination zoom. This fun, action-packed marble track set is loaded with extra marbles so there is no need to purchase them separately. The sturdy colorful plastic tracks fit together a lot of different ways so that the child can build a different track pathway every time. It is so much fun loading the marbles and watching them twist, turn, and roll down the track. Develops fine motor skills, socialization, spatial relationship, logic & reasoning, hand-eye coordination, visual sensory development, creativity, imagination, and more. Includes 80 pieces and 20 marbles. Compatible with all Edushape Marble Runs and more! Appropriate for 4 years and up; $39.99

What Is Included:

• 80 Pieces: including bells, spinning pieces, bases, straights, tunnels, slides, shoots, etc. These are sturdy plastic and have vibrant colors.
• 20 Marbles: These are colorful glass cats-eye marbles.
• Instruction Booklet: has different designs that you can build from start to finish. These designs range from easy to hardest and more complex.

My daughters having fun with the Edushape Marbulous Marble Run.

What We Thought:
We loved this awesome marble run! The pieces fit together well and easily, even for my 6 year old. I loved that this set had marbles that already came with it because so many do not. The instruction booklet was mostly easy to understand and comes with pictures for each of the builds in it. Some of these builds were a little confusing because the pictures missed steps in between others, so you had to really try to understand the pictures well to get the pieces together like they had it in the booklet.  My kids loved putting the tunnels, shoots, slides, bases, etc. together mostly on their own to make the ultimate obstacle course for the marbles to shoot down and sometimes they would race marbles to see who would come to the bottom first. This is a great toy for them to play with together. Putting these pieces together they learned that some designs work better than others. I loved watching their faces as the marbles raced down the run and made it to the very end of the track! So priceless! My little engineers love this and so do I! It keeps them occupied and entertained.

I highly recommend the Edushape Marbulous Marble Run! I do not, however; recommend this to smaller children because of small pieces and choking hazards. It would make a great gift for a child 4 and up and is part of my Holiday Gift Guide!

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

ZOOB Glow Dinos: The Moving Mind Building Modeling System Review

I received ZOOB Glow Dinos free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

ZOOB, from Alex Brands, is a fantastic toy that is based on a natural and living system. It lets your child or inner child create neat jointed 3D structures, geodesic shapes, and organic formations. This toy is so versatile that you can construct unlimited designs and make them able to move. There are 5 separate pieces that snap, click or pop together 20 different ways to form joints that rotate, axles that spin, limbs that extend, and so much more! It is truly an interactive engineering experience. Sets are recommended for ages 6 and up. Let your imagination run wild!

The ZOOB Glow Dinos Kit has instructions with it to build 6 distinct dinosaurs. It comes with 250 pieces total, 239 classic colored ZOOB pieces and 11 glow-in-the-dark ZOOB pieces. Learn to put together Baby Raptor, Mega Raptor, Z-Rex, ZOOBasaurus, ZOOB-Dactyl, and Stegosaurus. It has a cardboard carrying case with a handle and Velcro closures that stores all the pieces neatly within it.

Teela playing with the ZOOB Glow Dinos.

When I got this out for my children to play with they were excited, as was I. We had seen this toy on the shelves on display at the store, but never before seen it in action. My daughter Teela, who is eight on the 15th of April, (this is an early birthday gift for her) started building a Baby Raptor. She had a bit of trouble on the very last section where the head and neck pieces came together, but up until that point the instructions were very clear to her.

My kids playing with the ZOOB Glow Dinos.

After she made her first dinosaur my other kids joined in the fun and started creating their own ideas. My boys have awesome engineering expertise that they have acquired from their father who is going to school right now for mechanical engineering and all my kids love building and construction toys. They were fascinated by this toy, played with the set for hours, and just kept building these really fantastical things. My husband also played with the ZOOB Glow Dinos pieces and gave the toy a huge thumbs up which is something amazing from him because he likes to be a critic.

You can build all kinds of extraordinary things with this set because of the amount of pieces that comes with it. Also, we absolutely love that some of the pieces glow-in-the-dark. It makes things like the Dino eyes so much more eerie when they are looking at you. I think this set would look so cool under a black-light. Even though this set is all about dinosaurs you can make just about anything you can imagine with it. The possibilities are limitless.

BUY IT
Right now you can purchase this toy for only $34.45 on Amazon.com! That is more than half the retail price of $79.99 that Alex Brands has it listed for!




Zoob Glow Dinos are also available at Discoverystores for $44.95.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Just Pretend Kids Tutu and Fairy Wings Review and Giveaway

Just Pretend Kids Monarch Butterfly Tutu and Fairy Wings in Wrap

I received this costume for free to facilitate this review. I was also given an opportunity to do a giveaway for my readers for free as well.

Halloween is around the corner and the hunt for great costumes is on. Just Pretend Kids has an adorable collection of tutus, fairy wings, bodysuits, wands, headdresses, headbands, hairpieces, tights, legwarmers, and other accessories to complete the look that are a must have for any little girl. They also come in a range of different designs: from fruit to insects to flowers to mermaids to fairies, you have a great selection to pick from. They not only have those items, but they also have many other costumes like: furry animals, princesses, queens, mermaids, brides, witches, etc. Just Pretend Kids has infant romper costume sizes in 0-6 months to 6-12 months, toddler sizes in animal costumes for 1T-2T and 3T-4T, toddler sizes in fairy costumes for 2T-3T and 4T-5T; and kids sizes from size 2, 4, 6 and 8 in some costumes. They also have whole themed party boxes with a costume to match that come with everything you need to host a wonderful party - from invitations to tableware and decorations too.

My daughters love to dress up regardless of whether it is Halloween or not. They love to pretend that they are someone or something else. I think their imagination is wonderful. I love watching them play.

3 year old Zari wearing the tutu and wings.

We received the Monarch Butterfly Collection tutu and wings to try out and the packaging was well thought out. Inside the box the wings were separately wrapped inside their own bag so that they would not snag on anything. Then they were placed in a larger bag with the tutu. As soon as I opened the package and showed my daughters they wanted to try on the lovely costume.

The tutu and wings are perfect from the back.

The Monarch Butterfly Collection Tutu is a lovely bright orange tulle skirt with a black bow, orange butterfly, black pom pom, and orange polka dotted black ribbon embellishments. The skirt has an elastic waist so it fits both my daughters well. My daughters both had fun twirling in it.

6 year old Teela wearing the tutu and wings.

The Monarch Butterfly Collection Wings are the black and orange color of the Monarchs' and bejeweled with orange jewels and glitter. On closer inspection the black sparkly paint on the wings was a bit smudged on the left wing and some was where it wasn't supposed to be when you see them from the front. We had to adjust the bands that go around the girls' arms so that the wings would stay in place and fit better. My daughters were happy enough with these new wings though. With them their imagination took flight.

From the front you can see the black paint on the left wing.

You can get the whole Monarch Butterfly look with Just Pretend Kids. They have Monarch Butterfly Collection Boppy, Monarch Butterfly Collection Wand, Monarch Butterfly Wand, Monarch Butterfly Collection Tights, Monarch Butterfly Legwarmers, Monarch Butterfly Headpiece, Monarch Butterfly Collection Bodysuit, Monarch Butterfly Alex Bodysuit, Monarch Butterfly Ruffled Tutu, Monarch Butterfly Collection Tutu, and Monarch Butterfly Collection Wings.

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WIN IT
Prize: Win Just Pretend Kids Tutu and Fairy Wings (winners choice).

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and an opportunity to giveaway some free too. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Invent It Board Game

I would like to introduce y'all to a unique board game called Invent It. This game is great for anyone looking to plug into their creative, imaginative, inventive, nerdy or entrepreneurial side. It is great for homeschoolers, teachers, parents, families, children, or really anyone who likes to play board games. My husband's cousin, Ross, designed this game. Please go check it out on Kickstarter. Your support in backing this project will help with the production tremendously. Thanks!

"Unleash your inner genius with this unique game! Invent, build, draw & describe your invention with healthy competition, trivia & more!"

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER:  This is a shameless plug for my husband's cousin. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for posting this. I did, however; back the project myself and would love it if you would do the same. Thank you for your support.

#DisneySide List of Fun Uses for Cookie Cutters

This post has affiliate links in it. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Since I received these Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutters complementary for use with my #DisneySide @Home Celebration kit I have had a lot of people ask what are some fun and inventive ways to use the cookies cutters for. Here is what I came up with...

FOOD:

• Brownies
• Cookies
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• French toast
• French Macaroons
• Ice cream shapes on freezer paper and tray
• Ice cream sandwiches
• Finger sandwiches
• Grilled cheese
• PB&J
• Pizzas
• Shaped burgers for the grill
• Fried Eggs
• Chips out of tortillas for taco salad
• Jello Jigglers
• Watermelon
• Other melon
• Pineapple
• Popcorn or Rice Crispie or cereal treats
• Biscuits
• Beignets
• Raviolis
• Fondant to decorate a cake or cupcake
• Pie crust shapes
• Filled pastries
• Cheese and meat cutouts
• Shish kabobs
• Large cucumbers sliced and cut into shapes for a salad
• Lollipops
• Cakepops
• Fudge

#DisneySide Cookie Cutter Finger Sandwiches

CRAFTS:

• Template or stencil 
• Fabric fused or an iron on transfer onto other fabric
• Sponge Painting
• Play dough
• Modeling clay
• Halloween for hammering shapes out of jack o lanterns
• Decorations to hang on a Christmas tree, wreath, or garland
• Vinyl decals for a room or a Kitchen-aid mixer
• Party favor filled sewn pockets to put small things into for guests
• Paper Mickey bouquets on Pinterest
• Hairthings
• Decorate a Disney savings jar
• Decorate a Disney Autograph book
• Disney wine glasses
• Table centerpiece decoration
• Make a flashlight cover
• Invitation decorations
• Bunting or banner

I have also brought together other ideas from around the web on my #DisneySide Pinterest Page.


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: This post is in conjunction with Disney Parks and MomSelect. I received a party pack complimentary to throw a #DisneySide @Home Celebration to promote Disney's new campaign "Show Your #DisneySide". My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I was not asked to do this post nor did I receive any other compensation for this post. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. This post has affiliate links in it. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Preschool Rocks Curriculum Bundle Educents Deal and Sand & Water Sensory Activities Review

My girls, Zari and Teela, playing with water in the Sensory Table.

We received products free from Educents to facilitate this review.

Right now Educents is having a deal for the Preschool Rocks Curriculum Bundle! Get 19 Downloadable Products (982 pages) for only $29.99 (regularly $106)! That's a discount of 71%!

If you are doing Preschool with your little ones you should really check out this bundle on Educents for the awesome savings! These instant downloads cover letters, sounds, numbers, counting, colors, shapes, phonemic awareness, math, literacy, and much more! You will get printables, games, centers, and interactive activities you are sure to love! This is great for preschool teachers, homeschooling parents, and/or parents looking for supplemental activities.

I got to download the Sand and Water “Sensory” Table Task Cards and More by The Fun Factory for this review for free. These activities encourage imagination, observation, exploration, discovery, higher level thinking, problem-solving skills, building vocabulary, scaffolding learning, and small motor building. Retail price of $5 and 25 pages are included.

When Tatiana was still with us we received the Sand & Water Table we have now from a wonderful donor and now good friend of ours. Because Tatiana was blind she needed sensory activities to desensitize her of less desirable touch sensations: like gooey, sandy, or wet things. She was a bit tactally hypersensitive, but finally got to love bath time, eating yogurt, and the beach. It was a process of trial and error with the Sensory Table, but we are so very glad we had it to help her. I also made up a website of activities for totally blind babies, toddlers, and children while she was still alive to share what things worked well for my daughter.

The activities and ideas in the Sand and Water “Sensory” Table Task Cards and More are great to help you think of more ways than just water and sand to use with the "Sensory" Table. Some of the activity cards are categorized according to season, holiday or theme. I love themed activities and think that they are wonderful in teaching because they make learning more fun. These cards can be easily printed onto card stock and laminated for use over and over again with the table. We loved the hands-on ideas of filling the table with things to find and match with words or letter. The table could be used much like one of those eye spy games. We also loved the ideas of using small brooms/dustpans and mops so the littles can clean up their own messes when they are made. They also had ideas on what to use if you don't have a commercial sensory table. My kids love playing with the sand & water sensory table. It is great because you can use it so many ways. It is so versatile. You can also use it both indoors and outdoors too. I can't wait when the weather gets nice so that I can fully incorporate these into my homeschool lessons!

Downloadable Files Included in the Preschool Rocks Curriculum Bundle

• A Dab of Learning
• ABC and 123
• ABC Necklaces
• Frogs & Toads Letter Matching Game
• Getting Ready for Kindergarten
• I Can Read the Alphabet
• Kitty Cat Numeration & Ordering
• Letter Books
• Math Game and Math Centers
• Mega Sorting Bundle
• My Personal Information
• Name that Shape Geometry Games with Shapes
• Preschool Math
• Real or Not Real
• Rhyming Mega Bundle
• Sand & Water Sensory Table
• Time to Rhyme

Go get this deal at Educents now and save up to 71%! Click on the Educents button below and find the Preschool Rocks Curriculum Bundle deal! Hurry! It is only here for a limited time!


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and promo. Affiliate links may be present in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Green Toys Airplane Review

Green Toys make eco-friendly toys and tableware that are made from recycled plastic milk containers. This plastic is high-density polyethylene (or HDPE) and considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around. Their products have no Phthalates, BPA, PVC, melamine or external coatings with lead paint. Green Toys are made in the USA in California where they have very strict toy safety and environmental laws. They are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. This packaging is easy to open without having wrap rage.

They have play vehicles, outdoor toys, kitchen play, building toys, and tableware. I received a Green Toys Airplane free to review on my blog. My 10 year old son took to this plane right away. He loved it the moment he laid eyes on it. This airplane has a single seat for a small pilot. My son could fit a single Lego man, Playmobil person, Fisher Price Imaginext person or something similar in size in the cockpit. This made it even more fun for him as he could have fun taking his little toy people for rides in his new eco-friendly flyer all around the house. The plane's propeller spins manually and it has two-wheels that also spin for landing gear. The wings and tail are rounded to make it more safe. My girls love the plane too and can grasp it easily for a great take off even with their small hands.

Dimensions: 9"L x 9"W x 4"H.
Recommended for ages 1 and up.

"Like" Green Toys on Facebook HERE. Follow Green Toys on Twitter HERE.

BUY IT
You can buy the Green Toys Airplane on the Green Toys Website for $14.99. Comes in two colors: Blue and Red. (We received the blue version.)

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Green Toys for sending me product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Green Toys Salad Set Review

Green Toys make eco-friendly toys and tableware that are made from recycled plastic milk containers. This plastic is high-density polyethylene (or HDPE) and considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around. Their products have no Phthalates, BPA, PVC, melamine or external coatings with lead paint. Green Toys are made in the USA in California where they have very strict toy safety and environmental laws. They are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. This packaging is easy to open without having wrap rage.

They have play vehicles, outdoor toys, kitchen play, building toys, and tableware. I received a Green Toys Salad Set free to review on my blog for my Holiday Gift Guide. The Green Toys Salad Set includes a serving bowl, salad plate, 2 serving utensils, 3 lettuce leaves, 3 sets of cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 2 red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and fold-your-own oil & vinegar and salt & pepper (total of 16 pieces).

When I received it I was surprised that the salt & pepper, olive oil & vinegar were made of a flat sheet of cardboard and had to be put together with their tabs to form a 3dimentional toy. I thought that these were a bit difficult to put together and they had no instructions with them to help with construction. I guess I didn't see in their description that they were "fold-your-own". These are also not too practical for children to play with as they are easily crushed because they are hallow inside. Also if your child puts things in their mouths these will soon be goners. I do not see them lasting for very long. They are very cute though when folded into their shapes and my daughters seemed to still like them even though it frustrated them a little when one came apart or crushed under their little grips.

The serving bowl, salad plate, 2 serving utensils, 3 lettuce leaves, 3 sets of cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 2 red peppers, onions and mushrooms were high grade plastic and very durable. These meet FDA food contact standards and are also dishwasher safe. These are interchangeable and compatible with the other kitchen sets from Green Toys. These are also stackable as they each have a fit together design.

My girls love to pretend they are cooking in their play kitchen. They constantly bring me pretend dishes they have created to "try out and taste". They loved this set. I love how the toy teaches good eating habits. So many play food sets these days have foods in them that aren't that healthy. I think teaching good habits when children are young is best. This salad is the epitome of "green". If you want your kids to eat their greens and also think green get the Green Toys Salad Set!

Bowl: 7-1/4" diameter at top, 3" at base, 2-3/4" H
Utensils: 7" L
Plate: 6-1/8" diameter
Pieces: approximately 3" W

Suggested for ages 2 years and up.

Closing thoughts: I still believe the Green Toys Salad Set is worth the purchase price even with the cardboard pieces. The pros of this toy definitely outweigh the cons. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

"Like" Green Toys on Facebook HERE. Follow Green Toys on Twitter HERE.

BUY IT
You can buy the Green Toys Salad Set on the Green Toys Website for $19.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Green Toys for sending me product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Holiday Gift Guide 2011 A Toy Garden Multicolored Beeswax Candle Making Kit Review and Giveaway

A Toy Garden has a lovely selection of open ended, natural, creative and fun toys that are mostly Fair Trade and Made in the USA for children and their families. I love Waldorf and Montessori inspired toys and products because you can definitely see the great quality of craftsmanship and love that is put into these products. This family run webstore has beautiful products that help foster creativity, imagination, play, fun, together time, pretend play and learning.

I received the Multicolored Beeswax Candle Making Kit for free to review on my blog. This Make It Yourself Candle Kit has everything to make 12 or more beeswax candles! It includes 12 8x8 inch sheets of high quality 100% honeycombed beeswax in 12 different beautiful colors, 4 yards of cotton wick and instructions. My oldest 3 children loved making these candles. They created them using cookie cutters we had to cut shapes out of the sheets of wax and then melt them onto other sheets after they were rolled up with the wick inside. They had so much fun creating and decorating these. I helped them cut out the shapes and carefully punch them out of the cookie cutters. They used our hairdryer to slightly heat the wax so that it would roll up easier as directed and it worked very well. My children and I were very pleased with the results. These were so enjoyable to make together.

WIN IT:
Sonya at A Toy Garden is generously giving one lucky reader a chance to win another Multicolored Beeswax Candle Making Kit.

Mandatory:
Go to the A Toy Garden website and tell me what other product you love.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the right sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and A Toy Garden in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the right) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, Google+ or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on my regular (not giveaway) posts. Let me know which one. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon #WIN A Toy Garden Multicolored Beeswax Candle Making Kit http://bit.ly/tHmp7C (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like A Toy Garden on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday January 13, 2012 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to A Toy Garden for sending me a Multicolored Beeswax Candle Making Kit for free and another to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Holiday Gift Guide 2011 UncommonGoods Review and $50 Giveaway

UncommonGoods is a unique online store with some very unusual items (some handmade) that you don't find in every day shopping usually. Their products make great gifts for the holiday and Christmas season! They also have some really interesting facts or what they call "Uncommon Knowledge" posted around their website and feature some of the artists and designers of their handmade goods in highlights on some of the pages on their website and their print catalog. They are committed to the environment and print their catalogs on recycled paper and there is also products in their store that are made of recycled materials. In their Better to Give Program they donate a portion of each order to your choice of non-profit organizations: American Forests, AmeriCares, City Harvest, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

I know my husband and most other men are the hardest to shop for during the holidays, but UncommonGoods has a selection of great gifts for him on their website that he would love. They also have this great guitar pick punch that I thought was very cool for someone that plays guitar. My favorite section on their website is the gifts for kids because I love shopping for my children. This is where I found the two gifts for them that I got for free to review on my blog. I got the Periodic Table Building Blocks and the Pita Pockets Lunch.

The Periodic Table Building Blocks are awesome for homeschooling! I got them for my boys and as soon as they opened them they were looking up YouTube videos about each scientific element and learning about them. They also like taking some of the ones they know about and combining them to try and make new elements or see what would happen if combined. These are great for teaching chemistry. My younger children loved stacking them to build sky scraper towers and knocking them over. They come in a set of 20 brightly colored basswood blocks that contain the entire periodic table. The six sides contain a unique element's name, atomic number and symbol in bright blue, purple, green, red, orange or pink. Handmade in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Pita Pockets Lunch I got for my daughter Teela because she loves to pretend play in her little fold up kitchen. I had never seen this set of play food before and was thrilled to have found it at UncommonGoods. I try to get play food for her that doesn't have fast food or unhealthy choices in it. This set is wonderful because it is all healthy. My daughter loves to mix and match the contents of the felt pita pockets stuffed with soft felt slices of lettuce and cheese, and wooden tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and green peppers!

WIN IT:
Rocky at UncommonGoods is generously giving one lucky reader a chance to win a $50 Gift Card to use in their store.

Mandatory:
Go to the UncommonGoods website and tell me which product(s) you would pick if you won.

Additional entries:
1. Tweet a link to the UncommonGoods gifts for him page, here.

2. Sign up for the UncommonGoods email list.

3. Vote on a product with the UncommonGoods voting tool ** Note – Please only post comments pertaining to the products.

4. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

5. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the right sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

7. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and UncommonGoods in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

8. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

9. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the right) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

10. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

11. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

12. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

13. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, Google+ or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

14. Comment on my regular (not giveaway) posts. Let me know which one. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

15. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

16. Tweet this: @finamoon: @uncommongoods #WIN A UncommonGoods $50 Gift Card http://bit.ly/tP8Bm6 (Daily Extras are Available)

17. Fan/Like UncommonGoods on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

18. Follow UncommonGoods on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday January 13, 2012 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to UncommonGoods for sending me products for free and a gift card to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Costume Supercenter Disney's Infant Snow White Ballerina Costume Review

Halloween is coming up really soon and the hunt for great costumes is on. The Costume Supercenter is a great website to find a wide assortment of costumes. They have everything from silly to scary to pretty to anything else imaginable. They have baby costumes all the way to adult in a wide range of sizes to try to accommodate just about everyone. These costumes aren't just great for Halloween. They are also great for: dress up, pretend play, other costume parties, etc.

My daughter Zari was needing a costume this year because the hand-me-down baby bee costume had been overdone in my family and I didn't have any other good ones in her size. I went searching for a cute costume to go with my other daughter, Teela's Belle from Beauty and the Beast costume that we had already. Teela decided she was going to wear it this year because she had now grown into it and because she loves the Disney Princesses. So I stumbled upon the Disney's Infant Snow White Ballerina Costume at Costume Supercenter that was so adorable that I had to have it for Zari! I got a size 12-18 months. When the costume came in the mail one of the bows and flowers had fallen off the sleeve, but all I did was sew it back on...good as new. If something like this happens to you with one of their costumes don't forget that they have free shipping on all exchanges! In the pictures you can see I forgot to flip the collar up like Snow White's actually was. The Snow White jewel in the center of the bodice kept pulling the neck down too and I kept on having to fix it for the pictures. The ric rac and red roses are so cute and set the bodice off gorgeously. I love the sparkling yellow glitter tulle on the ballerina skirt part of the gown. I also liked the fact that the skirt wasn't see through because of an under layer of yellow satiny material. The blue ribbons on the sleeves are a nice touch too. In my opinion it is the cutest of all the Disney Princess costumes for babies that they have. All in all this costume is sure to please anyone who wants their little one to look like a pretty princess.

BUY IT:
The prices for costumes range from $9.99 on up and they have free shipping on exchanges. Their shipping prices are also fairly reasonable. The Disney's Infant Snow White Ballerina Costume is $24.99 on the Costume Supercenter website. They have a number of great Snow White Halloween costumes to choose from along with all sorts of others.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Costume Supercenter for providing me with the Disney's Infant Snow White Ballerina Costume for free to test and review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Wordless Wednesday Teela's Beco Baby Doll Carrier

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesdays, click on the Mister Linky image, enter your name and URL in the form, and press Enter. Please also leave comments on this post! I love reading them!

Ebeanstalk Alex Color & Cuddle Washable Bear Review

Looking for toys for your kids can be overwhelming! Ebeanstalk is a toy website that can help you sort through the madness. They have a team of moms that have picked out the some of the best to provide great baby toys, toys for 1 year olds, toys for 2 year olds, and toys for all other ages! Ebeanstalk also has a panel of child experts that have matched each toy to the specific age of your child, so you know that your child is getting the most out of playtime!

I received the Alex Color & Cuddle Washable Bear from Ebeanstalk to test and review. This toy is a soft bear that can be drawn on with markers, washed and drawn on again. It has preprinted patterns to color in and includes four washable markers with easy washing instructions.

I see the charm in a toy that also can be colored on to a child, but be warned that you should make sure that your child is old enough to understand that other toys or items should not be colored on unless specifically designed to be colored on. I would also recommend supervision for younger kids with this toy so they will not draw on other things with the markers. Although not quite a blank canvas because of the preprinted designs this bear is still a lot of fun to doodle on and it helps fuel creativity and imagination. The colors of the markers weren't really as bright as the pictures, but still worked well for coloring with on the bear. Because the bear is washable, your child will enjoy decorating the bear over and over again. It also can be a learning tool about colors and shapes. My daughter Teela had a lot of fun coloring this bear with the help and supervision of her older brother Jaedan and I. She loved how there were so many different ways to color it and after it was washed it was ready to color all over again.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Ebeanstalk for sending me an Alex Color & Cuddle Washable Bear and information about the toy for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Subscribe to KIWI Magazine and Get a Free Gift

KIWI is one of my favorite magazines. I am currently a member of their Parent Advisory Board, but even if I wasn't I would proudly say that I am a dedicated reader. I love KIWI!

KIWI is dedicated to helping parents raise their children the healthiest way possible. They introduce families to the latest in natural and organic living and show us how to practice this lifestyle on an everyday basis.

Since I am big on natural parenting I support this magazine 100%. Since I am a blogging Mama I love searching for products that are good for my family and yours and promoting them here. This magazine has everything about parenting naturally and organically. From delicious healthy recipes to how to greenly entertain your guests this holiday season.

Right now KIWI is having a wonderful deal, but only while supplies last!

Take your pick of:
* A Free Beco Mini Doll Carrier for your little one ($29 value) with code BECOMN

or * A Free Organic Chocolate caramel crunch and coffee set from Equal Exchange ($11 value) with code EQLEXC

or * A Free SCI Fidelity music CD, Keller Williams KIDS (music for kids under 10)($13 value) with code SCIFCD

...with your paid subscription or when you pay for a gift subscription for someone else. Note this deal is only for US households and only good while supplies last. Click HERE to participate.

I chose the Beco Mini Doll Carrier for my daughter Teela and her dolls. This promotes babywearing and imaginative pretend play. I hope I got the subscription soon enough to get one because it says that I will not be notified in advance of my order if they run out of supplies. This is going to be a fantastic after Christmas present!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am a member of the Parent Advisory Board for KIWI Magazine and a subscriber I wanted to share this deal I couldn't pass up on. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Costume Supercenter Review

Halloween is coming up really soon and the hunt for great costumes is on. The Costume Supercenter is a great website to find a wide assortment of costumes. They have everything from silly to scary to pretty to anything else imaginable. They have baby costumes all the way to adult in a wide range of sizes to try to accommodate just about everyone.

My daughter Teela loves playing dress-up and imaginative pretend play. I believe this is an important part of learning that I love to nurture while my children are young. I was able to test and review the Plum Pixie Toddler Costume off of the Costume Supercenter website for my daughter Teela for free. It is sized to fit from 2T-4T so she still has a lot of growing room in it. It is a beautiful shade of plum purple and comes with gossamer wings, a wand and flowered headpiece. These accessories are an added extra bonus because you usually have to purchase them separately. Both wand and dainty flowered headpiece have ribbons cascading from them. The purple wings have reddish glitter swirls on them instead of the golden glitter ones shown in the picture on the site. The dress itself is made of a two-tone chiffon with a velour bodice and chiffon sleeves. The dress that we received has only white flowers decorating it even though the picture and description says that the the bottom of the dress and neckline are adorned with both white and purple flowers. Even with the discrepancies the costume was lovely and I was very happy with it. The whole ensemble is the perfect thing for playing dress up, attending a fairy fair or ball, or any Halloween festivities.

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BUY IT:
The prices for costumes range from $9.99 on up and they have free shipping on exchanges. Their shipping prices are also fairly reasonable.

The Plum Pixie Toddler Costume is $26.99 on the Costume Supercenter website. They also have the same costume in a child size for $23.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Costume Supercenter for providing me with the Plum Pixie Toddler Costume for free to test and review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

ImagiPLAY Review and Giveaway

I love eco-friendly products! My favorites are simple toys made that let my children's imagination soar. ImagiPLAY has wonderful toys, the majority of which are made of rubberwood. The rubberwood that ImagiPLAY uses comes from rubber trees that are done with their rubber producing, harvested, then made into toys and other things with its splinter free hardwood. Other rubber trees are planted and the earth-friendly cycle goes on. Others of their toys are made with wood from managed forests. ImagiPLAY also has its factories close to the places where its craftsmen live so that many can walk or ride their bikes to work each day.

I was given the chance to test and review the Tumblin Tree EcoBalancing Game for free. The great thing about this game is that everyone can play with it in my family. It is such a fun game! You take turns adding leaves and branches to make the tree grow. The leaves and branches are placed onto a unsteady, uncooperative trunk. A player who causes any part of the tree to tumble must pick up the felled pieces. The object of the game is to be the first to get rid of all your pieces. Trunk can be adjusted to increase or decrease difficulty, making this fun for many ages. It is recommended for ages 6+, but my daughter Teela who is only 2 and a half enjoyed it tremendously and had no trouble placing the leaves or branches on the trunk. It is made from all natural, managed-forest basswood. I love the simplicity of this game. My kids love it because it challenges them when the trunk is adjusted to an increased wobbly setting. I also love that it brings the family together to play and can accommodate 1 to 6 players.

BUY IT:
Use the coupon code Play420 to receive a 20% discount from ImagiPLAY. (U.S. Only).

WIN IT:
Tammi at ImagiPLAY has has generously offered another Tumblin Tree EcoBalancing Game to one of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the ImagiPLAY website and tell me by commenting on this post what other item(s) you would love to have.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (2 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and ImagiPLAY in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

6. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

7. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog giveaway linky and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

8. Post this on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, and/or StumbleUpon. (2 extra entries for each)

9. Comment on one of my regular (not giveaway) posts. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

10. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

11. Tweet this: @finamoon: @imagiplay WIN An ImagiPLAY Tumblin Tree EcoBalancing Game #giveaway http://bit.ly/bxeIkc (Daily Extras are Available)

12. Fan/Like ImagiPLAY on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

13. Follow ImagiPLAY on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Friday October 1, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ImagiPLAY for providing me with the Tumblin Tree EcoBalancing Game for free to try out and review. This giveaway is also provided free from ImagiPLAY. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Coursing Around Review

Coursing Around is a great way to get your children active and off the couch. This awesome book comes with 15 fun filled outdoor sidewalk chalk activities to get your child moving. From jumping, skipping, hopping, running, and more! Create sidewalk chalk obstacle courses for your child to go through and learn: teamwork, increased motor skills, endurance, creativity, overall fitness level, social skills, listening skills, following directions, to share, to take turns, etc. Your younger children will also learn shapes, numbers, colors, and letters. This is a great homeschooling tool for recess and outdoor play! Just find a safe place outside to draw the courses and prepare for the fitness fun to begin!

My boys had a blast drawing with the chalk and doing the courses. They also loved making up their own courses and they got pretty creative. I like how this book kept my boys engaged in doing physical fitness and gets them outside. It is also very entertaining to watch the kids do these. Coursing Around is a great way to helping educate kids about the importance of staying active and keeping outdoor play alive in this day and age where TV and video games prevail.

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Buy IT:
For $14.95 + tax you can buy the Coursing Around book with 2 pieces of chalk included.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ChicExecs, a company which was created to promote small business campaigns, I was able to let you know about this product. Coursing Around provided me with the Coursing Around book and chalk set for free to try and review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

CSN Stores Review and Giveaway

As I said before in my teaser post, I have been given the chance to review and giveaway a toy from ToysandGamesOnline, a CSN Store. There are many toys and games on this website that are great for development, learning, exploration and creativity.

CSN Stores has over 200 other stores too ranging from housewares to pet stores online. So, there probably isn't anything you won't be able to find there and if you can't find it now they are always adding stores to their website so you might just find it down the road.

I received the Cutting Food Box Play Set by Melissa & Doug for free to review from CSN Stores and since I received it around Teela's birthday party in April I decided it would be a great gift to give her then. I wanted to add on to Teela's first set of wooden food from Melissa & Doug, the Wooden Food Groups set, and have a bit more variety with the fruits and veggies. This new set also does something that the first set didn't. It lets Teela cut the wooden food into "pre-sliced" sections with a wooden knife and makes a nice "crunching" sound as she slices them because of the Velcro that are holding them together. I can teach her part, whole and fractions at a very early age and she can have fun putting the sections back together with the Velcro. She likes to put them back together in funny ways :p This Cutting Food Box Play Set is very safe and Teela can pretend to cook and cut without any owies. The set comes with 31 pieces including: smooth sanded and nicely painted play food made of solid wood and non toxic paints (sliced bread, loaf of bread, green pepper, tomato, watermelon, carrot, apple and cucumber) a cutting board, a crate to put it all into and a wooden knife to slice the play food. This set is recommended for ages 3 and up, but my 2 year old daughter, Teela, was ready for it and was having fun learning to slice the play foods.

WIN IT:
James from the CSN Promo Team has has generously offered a Cutting Food Box Play Set by Melissa & Doug to one of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the CSN Stores website and tell me by commenting on this post what other item you would love to get AND leave the link to it in your post (Do Both or Be Disqualified!).

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by email and let me know. (2 extra entries)

2. Become my fan/like on facebook and write that you are entering this giveaway on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and CSN Stores in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

6. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra)

7. Add me on Twitter and Tweet this: @finamoon: @CSNStores WIN A Cutting Food Box Play Set by Melissa & Doug #giveaway http://bit.ly/bvIkHt (Daily Extras are Available)

8. Fan CSN Stores on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

9. Follow CSN Stores on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. This contest ends on Friday June 25, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada Only!!

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to CSN Stores for sending me a free Cutting Food Box Play Set by Melissa & Doug to test and review. This giveaway is also provided free from CSN Stores. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Magic Cabin Review and Giveaway

The innocence of a child is a beautiful thing. I love to watch my youngest daughter play. She loves to pretend. I would love to protect and preserve that innocence as long as possible. I think children these days are growing up too quickly. Their are too many toys and games out their that simply take away from good-old-fashioned make believe. I love Waldorf and Montessori approach to teaching and learning because it helps the child learn the world as they should learn it. I have always loved simple, natural things.

Magic Cabin started in 1989 as a small business by stay-at-home mom, Sara McDonald, selling beautiful handcrafted natural-fiber Waldorf-style dolls and kits to make the dolls yourself. Inspired by the enchanting cabin she lived in she named her new company Magic Cabin Dolls. Now Magic Cabin carries a number of different treasures for children. You can also still buy the Magic Cabin Dolls or the kits to make one yourself. I love their selection of toys because it instills open-ended, creative, imaginative play in children. Magic Cabin toys are kid powered and don't require batteries or electricity. In my opinion these are the best kind of toys. Magic Cabin is helping to preserve a child's innocence from becoming extinct. They have a number of products that they have selected from manufacturers that have the same standards and they also have some exclusive items to their shop. Their selections are both beautiful and enchanting, sturdy and safe, and best of all, FUN!

I received the Apple House Play Set and the Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Groups for free from Magic Cabin to test and review. I picked these items out from their online store. The Apple House Play Set a.k.a the Tree House Playset is just darling and my kids needed new set of play food because their cheap plastic set was suffering. I wanted some wooden play food and when I saw this set I thought it would be a great starter set.

The Apple House Play Set is a zip-up fabric apple tree house with fabric forest critters living inside. There are 6 total forest critters: a bunny, hedgehog, fox, moose, raccoon, and red squirrel. The tree house is two stories with a hole inside in which the animals can pop up and down through. It also has a little Velcro door in the bottom and two windows in the top on either side that opens and shuts for the woodland creatures to frolic in and out without unzipping the top. When unzipped the front top of the tree unfolds into a playmat that is whimsically embroidered with a outdoor woody scene. The smaller tree in the scene also has a pocket to put small treasures in if desired. The entire playset can be carried with the padded handle. I am in love with zip-up fabric houses and books like this one that can travel well because then the fun can be taken on long car/plane rides easily and the child will be entertained the whole way to the destination. Teela spent hours playing with this and is learning the names of the animals.

The Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Groups set has play food from all 4 food groups. I really like the set because there isn't any junk food in it and they are durable. As with all Melissa & Doug toys, I have confidence that they are safe and are quality made. This set of wooden play food is great for pretend play and comes with twenty wooden fruits, veggies, dairy, grains and meat. It also has four crates for sorting, stacking and storage. Teela was enjoying playing with them in her Playskool Fold 'n Roll Kitchen that we got second hand off Craigslist and I was trying to teach her which food goes into what food group. I love wooden toys! This wooden food set is great for having a well-balanced meal for your child's play kitchen. My only wish is that it had a green veggie and an apple in the set as well.

Magic Cabin has a Gift Certificate Sweepstakes where every month they give away a $100 gift certificate to their store. ENTER HERE. They also have a clearance sale where you can save up to 50% on select items HERE!

WIN SOMETHING HERE:
Lynn from Magic Cabin has generously offered a Apple House Play Set ($40 value) to give away to one of my readers!

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Magic Cabin website and tell me what other product not listed here you are interested in and why.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by email and let me know. (2 extra entries)

2. Become my fan on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Magic Cabin in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

6. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra)

7. Follow me on twitter and retweet this: @finamoon WIN: Magic Cabin Apple House Play Set #giveaway http://bit.ly/c1oH7F
(Daily Extras are Available)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. Comment on one of my other posts and tell me which one. (2 extra entries per post)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed by email, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Friday February 26, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to U.S. Only!!

DISCLAIMER: I received products from Magic Cabin free of charge. All information about the products I received from testing the products and information from the Magic Cabin website. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.