Xtreme Customz by Ridemakerz Party from MommyParties #XtremeCustomzParty

This weekend, we gathered the kids together for an Xtreme Customz by Ridemakerz Party.  This is a review post of the toys sent to me for free to share with my friends.

The boys picked out their cars and got right to work in building them and playing!

The cars were fairly easy to put together. The only thing kids needed help was to make sure that the chassis went on in the right direction. Once all the pieces were taken out of the package, most of the cars only took about 5 minutes to put together.

Here's the assembled Batman car that was my daughter's favorite too. 

The Xtreme Customz  cars are 1:48 scale size.  The car parts are interchangeable and they have a 4-mode adjustable chassis so you can customize the way you cruise (race, lifted, jacked and off-road - with just the push of a button). Isn't that so cool !!!

I had a couple 10 year olds who too  enjoyed putting together and playing with the cars. Also, the girls at the party loved the cool cars. The 5 year olds really enjoyed playing with their new cars.

All the kids left with wish lists for their upcoming birthdays etc. I think all the kids and their moms had a GREAT time with their cool cars today. The spider man car was a favorite amongst many boys as it shoots a white stick like thing and everyone thought that was so cool!

We had some fun games, car race and yummy snacks including these car cookies!

These cars were fun, engaging and overall cool.  The kids loved the different designs and the fact that the parts interchange.  I would definitely recommend them.  They are available for purchase at Target and Toys R Us.  Thank you for this fantastic opportunity!!
Disclosure: I was sent toys for review purpose, all opinions are my own and unbiased.

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Culturelle® Kids Probiotics

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Culturelle® Kids Probiotics. Continue reading to find out how you can win a sample of Kids Probiotcs.

 Do your kids get sick with every season change? Well it does happen at our house. Here, I am susceptible too especially now with all the flowers blooming and new pollen kicking up my allergies. It is awful to see my little girl feeling so bad. And I hate hate to not being able to go out just because of the pollen. So, we have developed some simple things that we do regularly to keep our health up so we all can enjoy each day outdoors inspite of the pollen and other stuff. 

• Wash hands: It’s hard to get the kids to do this initially, but once you make it a routine, they will get used to it. The key is you doing it with them. It’s important to use soap and scrub long enough. We can  try singing “Happy Birthday” to wash long enough or use a little timer, which ever excites your kids. We also change our hand towels out daily to avoid germs. Make sure you do this every time you come back from outside play, wash your face too and change your cloths to get rid of the pollens.
• Eat healthy: My girl is great at eating vegetables especially while I am chopping them ;). But she’ll still pick chocolates over vegetables any time. We love our green smoothies with an apple in it. We drink plain cold water, no juice or soda in our household  . 
• Probiotics: You’ve probably heard the saying “All disease begins in the gut” and we take probiotics to support our immunity and gut health. We also consume fermented foods but adding in a high quality probiotic has made a big difference in digestive health for us. Ever since I tried Culturelle Kids Probiotics, we have got hooked to it. It is an easy way to include good bacteria into their tummies. 
• Warm Baths: We do warm baths with epsom salts or magnesium and a sprinkle of powdered ginger to help alleviate muscle aches. Peppermint tea also works for head/muscle aches associated with an illness.

For children over the age of one, Culturelle® Kids Probiotic Packets contain a flavorless powder that dissolves easily in liquids. For children three years and older, Culturelle® Kids Probiotic Chewables are easy to take, taste great and are sugar, dairy and gluten-free.

When someone does get ill, it sometimes brings an infection that needs antibiotics. That’s another time I employ Culturelle Kids Probiotics, to add good bacteria back in to the digestive system.

Giveaway: is now closed and the winner is Cindy Jones, Congratulations!!!! 

One (1) lucky reader will receive one box of Culturelle® Kids Probiotic Packets OR Culturelle® Kids Probiotic Chewables ($26.49 value)! Just leave your name and email address in the comment box and a winner will be picked randomly on 30th March 2013 Midnight EST.Culturelle® Kids Probiotics is a natural solution for better digestive and immune health. Not only does it support a child’s digestion, helping to reduce occasional digestive upset, but it also helps to boost digestion and overall digestive health.Considering that 70% of your immune system is in your digestive tract, a healthy and balanced digestive system plays a vital role in strengthening a child’s overall health and well-being.To learn more, check out the Culturelle® website now.And if you are interested in receiving $2.00 off your next Culturelle purchase, click here. (Offer expires April 30, 2013.)

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Personalised Story Books IandMyStory Review and Giveaway

Today's post is a review and giveaway of Personalised Story Books by 'I and My Story', a company based in India. Keep reading to find out how three of you can win a book too!

Just like all kids my daughter loves to be the center of attention!  She thinks the world revolves around her, and guess what?  She is right.  At least my world revolves around her, and I like to make her feel special with every chance I get. So, personalised gifts are popular in our house. And my daughter loves to read and loves to be read to. So, when I was given a chance to review Personalised Story books by I and My Story I was really excited. All the stories are written and illustrated by local Authors and illustrators in India. The books are printed on fine European Art paper, with a wipe able hard cover and are of A4 size. They have 8 lovely titles for you to choose from. These books are available for level one, lighter content (junior-needing reading help) and level 2. The flow of the stories remains same. Text and content is adapted for different age groups, illustrations and book size remains the same. The ordering process is easy too. Our books were ready to be shipped within 2 days of the order. We recieved our books very fast considering the fact that it was international shipping. 

I gave my daughter her new books to read when she got back from school. She picked them with great excitement and went to her room. What she didn’t know was the book had her name used throughout the book and also had her friends names. It also had her photo in the inside page. She started exploring the book and within seconds she came bolting into the living room full of excitement "Amma, look! this book has my photo in it. How did that happen? and how the heck does this book know my name! My name is in this book". It was funny and very cute. 

So, we sat down together and read both the books. When she heard her name, she got so excited and smiled from ear to ear. Then, she kept pointing to the little girl in the book, saying "Me!" She was thrilled to find her best friend's names in the book. 

Putti and I have spent countless hours since receiving these books, just looking at the beautiful illustrations and reading it over and over. This book has become a keepsake that will be cherished for years to come. She has read this to her animal friends too!

She has taken the books to her preschool to show it to her friends whose names were mentioned in the storybooks. The teacher told me they too were wide-eyed with wonder. They were equally thrilled to see their names in the books. They read the stories together and kept pointing to each others names in the book. 

The book itself got high marks from me, as it was made very well and will hold up to the rigors of being handled by a kid. The dedication on the inside page is very special.

 

I have always wanted to send these Personalised books to my nephews and nieces in India for their birthdays and other Holidays.  But, the high shipping costs always stopped me from that and I had to wait until we visited them which is not often. But, with 'I and My Story' which is India that problem is solved for me and for many other NRI's like me. Shipping charges all over India is just Rs 60/- , isnt that wonderful. I can’t wait to surprise Putti’s cousins with books of their own !

I’ve been so pleased with the I and My Story books that Ie recommend them to anyone looking for the perfect children’s gift. The books are a true keepsake that will be treasured in years to come and That’s why I’m excited to offer the giveaway below. And now for the giveaway!

Update: The winners of the giveaway are entry #46 Kim Vij, #70 Deepa and #2 Archana. Congratulations!! 
Three of you can win a copy each of ‘I and my Story’ books if you have an Indian Shipping address   And, once you win, you can choose the book title for your child, send his/her photo (optional), name/s, message and the personalized storybook will be delivered to you in India via the office of ‘I and My Story’. Just enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: If you are having trouble entering the Rafflecopter form leave a blog comment letting me know so and how many of the entries you have completed along with your email. 

Disclaimer: We were sent 2 books for free for review purpose. All opinions expressed are unbiased and my own. 

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Mega Bloks Barbie

We were selected to host a MommyParties event with MEGA BLOKS/Barbie and had so much fun with all the girls who came to our play date! Our Box contained all these goodies. 

We were sent this amazing Mega Bloks - Barbie - Build 'n Style Luxury Mansion, a Mega Bloks - Barbie - Build 'n Style Pool Party, Mega Bloks - Barbie - Build 'n Style Fashion Stand and Mega Bloks - Barbie - Build 'n Style Ice Cream Cart. And my daughter could not wait for the party to play with her friends. As soon as the little guests arrived, they each were allowed to choose a take home Mega Bloks Barbie Build n Style kit. They all were so happy to get their own barbies!

Then most girls wanted to open their kits immediately and build them on their own. But we(me and other moms) soon realised that the accessories and pieces are extremely small as you can see below. Also kids needed some help from adults to help them follow the manual. It would be a great for a family time. Everyone in the family can chip in the fun. 

We wanted the girls to spend more time playing with the toys at the party. Maybe I should have set up the kits with my girl ahead for the party. Anyways, we decided to work in little teams, yay for team work and decide to put together one of each. The girls really loved following the instruction manual. Being pictorial helped them a lot and with their mom's help they did put together their toys. The luxury mansion and the pool party took more than an hour to put together, but in the end it was so much fun! 

Each Barbie doll comes apart completely in sections so you can her change hair styles, clothing and looks with ease. I also love that the bottom of each doll is made like a mega blok piece so it is easy to get them to stand. Each doll also comes with a little square platform so it can stand on its own on the table and you can move them around other places beyond just the mega blok flooring. 

I love all the details in each of the kit.  The luxury mansion has 8 rooms - a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room, patio, balcony, grand entrance and kitty room up above.  The rooms are movable so the girls can have more fun with that. The girls really loved playing together with their own barbie. They all took turns playing at the pool party. 

 Ken and Barbie stopped by for an yummy ice cream at the other Barbie's Ice Cream Cart!

 The girls really loved that the Barbie can actually hold the ice cream cones and that the scoops/ flavors can be changed and added as many times!

The girls really like the slide and diving board in the pool party. All the Barbies took a dive in the pool. You can really add water to make it extra fun. But, I reserved that for another day, maybe an outdoor playdate. Love all the fun options here like Grill some hot dogs on the BBQ, enjoy some cool drinks, eat Pizza on the pool deck with all your friends! The girls were really thrilled with the BBQ and kept saying "It's just like the real ones, the doors open too!!". The rotating chairs were a big hit too. All girls had a great time and loved their new toys. 

The Barbie Mega Bloks Luxury House retails for $69.99, the Pool Party retails for $39.99, and the Ice Cream Stand and Fashion Stands retail for $9.99 each.  They are available where ever Mega Bloks are sold. Thank you so much to Mega Bloks, MommyParties, and Mom Select for choosing us to host a Barbie Mega Bloks party!!

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Disclaimer: We received a Barbie Mega Bloks party pack in exchange to host a party with our friends and write a review.  All opinions expressed are our own, we were not paid or compensated in any other way. 
Affiliate links included.

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Pinypon Dolls Party

I had the chance to host a Pinypon party sponsored by MommyParties, with Putti and some of her friends.  Our Party pack was filled with:

• Pinypon Figures
• Pinypon Caravan
• Pinypon Coupons (so everyone could enjoy the Pinypon fun!)
• A BONUS:  Nenuco Newborn Dolls

 Pinyon is the newest line of customisable and collectible mini-dolls with a modular construction to hit the toy world in USA. What I loved about Pinypon is that dolls are interchangeable and the girls can swap outfits, accessories, hairstyles and facial expressions so they just don’t have one doll but many which makes for hours of creative play. I was amazed to each with 2 faces, one on front and another on back!

Well, the hardest part for girls who came to the party was selecting a doll. We did a scavenger hunt using pictures of the PinyPon dolls sent over with our box. Once the girls found a Pinypon photo they came over to the table to pick out their favorite.  Here are the proud girl with their dolls!

 Later on the girls had fun changing pieces with each other like tops and hair. We loved watching them decide what pieces they wanted. And the dolls don’t come with names so girls got creative in naming their dolls. Moms were thrilled to go home with coupons to help save a little as they added a few more "wants' to the ever growing Holiday wish lists!
The Pinypon Caravan has been a favorite with my girl. She immediately noticed the surfboard and the “indoor” shower with a real mirror, how cool is that! I also liked that the roof  turns into a boat and it also has a pool that actual water can go in and they can use a spray to wash the dolls up. 

 The Nenuco Newborn Doll is a basic baby doll that encourage lots of imaginative and nurturing play. It has a soft body with squeezable plastic head, arms, and legs. They come with pretend bottles and a potty. The doll blows blows bubbles when its arms are pressed. 

Pinypon dolls are now available nationwide at Target & Toys“R”Us.  Connect with Pinypon on Facebook and Twitter.  Connect with Nenuco via Facebook and Twitter. 

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Disclosure: As a member of MomSelect, we were given some toys for review purpose and share with friends. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and unbiased. 

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Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

Melissa & Doug has a Terrific Twenty List Holiday Gifts to help you with your holiday shopping for kids this year. Check out their list! They also are having a Giveaway everyday from November 6th running until November 26 th on their facebook fan page. 

 Melissa & Doug are making toys over 24 years. We have many of their toys at home that my little girl loves. The Terrific Twenty Holiday Gift list compiles the “best of the best” toys with items for every child in all age range. Including arts and crafts, wooden favorites, educational toys, classic toys for toddlers, and more. This is a great place to start as you kick off your holiday shopping! 

AND To celebrate, they're having a 20 Days of Terrific Twenty Giveaway on their Facebook page! Every day they'll be giving away one item from their Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans.  Like Melissa and Doug on Facebook and find today's post with the giveaway and follow the simple directions to be entered to win a toy. Here are some examples of the toys given away:

What are you waiting for go check out what you can win. Good Luck! 

Melissa & Doug is also generously giving one of my readers ONE Toy of the winner's choice from their Terrific Twenty list! Enter the Rafflecopter widget below and GOOD LUCK! Giveaway Ends 11/16/12 midnight EST.  GIVE IS NOW CLOSED
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Note: If you are having trouble entering the Rafflecopter form leave a blog comment letting me know so and how many of the entries you have completed along with your email. 

Want to increase your chances of winning?  Check out these other Blogs hosting Melissa and Doug giveaways:

• Reading Confetti
• Living Life Intentionally 
• Glittering Muffins 
• Royal Baloo
• Crafty Moms Share
• School Time Snippets
• KC Edventures
• True Aim
• This Reading Mama
• Creative Learning Fun
• In Lieu of Preschool
• No Twiddle Twaddle
• Toddler Approved
• Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk

Disclaimer: I will receive a Melissa and Doug toy in exchange for running this giveaway. But all opinions above are completely my own. I never recommend any product my family doesn’t truly love.

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DIY Reversible Fall & Halloween Bunting

Create unique, inexpensive and Reversible Fall & Halloween Bunting for your home with this simple DIY tutorial using Stencils from Martha Stewart Crafts and dollar store craft foams. This bunting will look amazing on your table, mantle, walls etc and is cheap to make. And since it is reversible, you can change it according to the mood of you or your guests to either Fall or Halloween(BOO) to show. All you have to do is just flip it over. 

I love buntings, banners and garlands. They are an inexpensive way to add a festive look to the house and decorate for the party or any occasion. So far, I have only made buntings with paper, coffee filters and/ or cardstock like the Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Banner, Coffee Filter Sun bunting, Birthday Banner using phone book pages, Paper Leaf Banner etc. I would love to make a cloth bunting when I own a sewing machine. This time, I used craft foam sheets and I had no idea I would end up making it a reversible one!
Materials Required: 

• Craft Foam from Dollar Store( mine were 4"X6")
• Foam Brush
• Craft Paint in Fall/ Halloween Colors
• Ribbon or Twine
• 2 Wooden dowels
• Vase filled with lentils
• Martha Stewart Holiday II Adhesive Stencils
• Martha Stewart Glass Adhesive Stencils- Condensed Sans Alphabet
• Martha Stewart Holiday Icons Laser-cut Stencils
• Martha Stewart Bristle Brushes

The Adhesive stencils are great for using on curved surfaces like vases, bottles, and pottery. Plus, they're repositionable and removable for precise placement.  First, stick the adhesive oval dotted stencil on a sheet of craft foam. Using a brush, paint on top of the stencil. Peel the stencil off while the paint is still wet. Then stick on the alphabet stencil in the center of the oval. Now paint over it with contrasting color, do not use a lot of paint. Make sure not to paint beyond the outer edge of the stencil.  

 Peel the alphabet stencil off to reveal your finished painting. I love how neat it looks, thanks to the awesome stencils which really helps non-artist people like me.

 Repeat these steps above for as many craft foam sheets as needed and make it to spell 'F.A.L.L' or anything you fancy. If using the same stencil multiple times, be sure to wipe off any excess paint on the stencil before placing it onto a new position. Here are all the letters of my bunting.

 Next, place the laser cut stencil on the craft foam and paint over it using a sponge brush. I would suggest taping the stencil down to avoid it from moving/slipping. I used foam brush to paint because I love the texture it adds. I painted 2 maple leaves, which will be ends of the bunting.

 After it dried, I noticed that the craft foam does not become wrinkled like paper/card stock which is what I have used for buntings so far. So, I thought maybe I can paint the back of the foam to make a Two-In-One (reversible) bunting. So I flipped the foam sheets over and painted them in a similar manner, this time used the letters 'BOO', a Bat, Jack-O-Lantern and a Cat stencil.  This time for the oval, I chose alternate color paints for the dots.

 To assemble the bunting, punch holes at the top corner of each foam sheet. Then tie one to another with a piece of ribbon or twine. Ta-Da! Your bunting is all ready to go on the wall or mantle. We do not have a mantle in our apartment, so here it is on the wall.

 You could just flip it over to show the 'Halloween' part when required or place it on the table to enjoy seeing both the sides. I simply tied the ends of the bunting to a wooden dowel and placed them inside a tall vase filed with lentils. Paired with my simple DIY Fall Jar lanterns, it became a festive center piece for my table. The fun is that people from one end of the table will see the 'Fall' bunting while those on the opposite side can see the 'BOO'  Halloween part. Love these Jar Lanterns? Check out my DIY Fall Jar Lanterns created with Martha Stewart Crafts stencils.

 

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Connect with Plaid  on Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest. 
Check out all other awesome projects using Martha Stewart Crafts below:
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Disclaimer :  I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid Crafts and Blueprint Social. The ideas and opinions in this post are my own.

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LeapFrog Animal Adventure Learning Table #Review #LFAnimalAdv #spon

Thank you LeapFrog for sponsoring this review. For more information about the LeapFrog Animal Adventure Learning Table, please visit their website. 

We were sent a LeapFrog Animal Adventure Learning Table for review.  Once I opened the box, I was so happy to see that it required no assembly- you just snap the legs in.  And if your kiddo isn't standing yet, they can just play on the floor. I love how the Leap Frog Animal Adventure Learning Table teaches lots of skills like numbers, shapes, colors, ABC's, opposites, motor skills and animals. The table contains over 100 songs and learning responses, so it will take your child a while to discover everything the table can do. He has been playing with it for a week and I still don't think we have heard everything.

Features:

• More than 100 songs and activities keep babies and toddlers busy– from sitting, to standing and cruising!
• Seven activity-packed stations and two learning modes offer little ones lots of ways to develop key motor, cognitive and social skills.
• Little learners tap the drum in the middle of the table to see it light up and learn about colors, shapes and cause and effect.
• The Animal Adventure Learning Table is appropriate for children ages 6 to 36 months. Legs are removable for conversion from sitting to standing play. It literally grows with your child.
• Parents can connect to the online LeapFrog® Learning Path for customized learning insights and ideas to expand the learning.

This little boy at 13 months, had the most fun banging on the drum, making music and watching the different shapes light up. 

 The LeapFrog Animal Adventure Learning Table uses 3 AA batteries, and has a suggested retail price of $39.99. It’s available at most major retailers of toys.
Disclosure - I was selected for this review as a member of Clever Girls Collective and received free product from LeapFrog to review. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #LFAnimalAdventures #spon

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