Your Santa Story - Personalized DVD Giveaway

I'm not celebrating Christmas early.  I feel like I've given that disclaimer a lot lately.  Instead, I'm getting my preparations started, and I'm sharing my information now so you can enjoy some of the fun I'm discovering, as well.  Another item I discovered for Christmas this year that I absolutely fell in love with is Your Santa Story.  Santa is magic, and this is proof!

Your Santa Story is a new service that helps keep the magic alive.  And in our house, we are going to start to need to do all we can to keep the magic alive.  We attend public school, and Mister Man is in third grade this year... and Little Miss has some friends in second grade with plenty of older siblings.  I can't wait for them to watch our DVD Christmas morning.

What is it?  It's a personalized Santa story for your family and your family alone.  For that reason, there are limited quantities available, as Santa has to video each on individually.  The DVDs are then FedExed to your house to ensure you have them in plenty of time before the big morning.  The DVDs are easy to make by answering a few questions online, and the script read by Santa is a perfect fit for your family, from names of your pets to a special message for each child from Santa.

I love that there are so many neat touches included to make it even more real.  I love that Santa can create a DVD specifically for families with members in the military or ASL or Spanish-speaking.  And for those serving in the military away from home?  A second version of the DVD will be emailed to the loved on serving so they can experience the magic, too.  Because Little Miss is in a Spanish immersion program, we chose to have our DVD include Spanish language in Santa's message to her - and it was amazing, a little more scripted and less natural sounding, but amazing nonetheless.

The questions on the form to personalize the DVD are easy to answer and straightforward.  There is a maximum of five children, and I know a few families with more than six.  I would love to see that increased just a little.  I appreciate that when filling in names, you are asked to provide the pronunciation of the names to ensure everything is right - another of those touches I was mentioning.  Santa also directs a short message to each child.  For us, he congratulated Mister Man on his tae kwon do promotion and noted that he was in a new school this year.  Little Miss's message includes a comment about her hard work at gymnastics and her Halloween costume - because Santa knows these things!

Santa of course knows about our pets - and you can specify what they are, so anyone who has a hermit crab isn't stuck with no option to choose.  Again, the limit is five pets, but most people have no more than five.  I hope.  You also clarify you family's traditions - do you leave food for Santa or his reindeer?  If so, what is it?  And of course, you specify where the last gift will be left for your kids to go hunting once the DVD ends - another magical surprise.

Once you've completed these few fields, you have the opportunity to review the script for your DVD to ensure that what you wrote makes sense and flows properly.  If there are any corrections (I had to make a couple), it's easy to go back and edit the fields.  Each DVD is $29.95, and shipping is a flat rate of $5.95.

When our package arrived, it included not just the DVD but Santa's sleigh license (a super cute touch) and a brochure with cut out cards including three different scenarios.

I will admit that it took me a moment to figure out the scenarios.  As part of the DVD creation, you choose where the last present will be located for your kids to find after they've watched the DVD (ours will be under our bed, for example), and I initially thought that was what these scenarios referred to.  It finally dawned on me that these cards are to let children know that there is a DVD waiting for them, not that this referred to the last present's hiding place.  I am planning to cut out the thank you for the cookies note to place on the empty cookie plate and put our DVD in the mailbox.

As Santa suggested, we did watch our DVD.  We have an amazing Santa, and his Spanish was impeccable.  His beard was real, he looked like Santa, and it was a "real" set, not some screen.  The video is just over three minutes long, and the first minute or so is a generic introduction of Santa's life -  the barn with the reindeer and Santa petting them and so forth.  That part was a little slow for me, but I know the wee ones will be fascinated.  The rest of it with our personal message?  It was beyond cool.  I almost want to show the wee ones the video now, but I can't spoil the surprise.  How am I going to wait another almost two months?



Tell me this isn't one of the coolest things ever?  Once it's over, we'll be putting the DVD into a memory box so we can pull it out in years to come.  And next year?  We were told that the same Santa(s) will be there and that families will receive the same Santa next year to ensure continuity.  Brilliant, no?

I know you want one.  If you celebrate Christmas, how can you not?  I will admit that I would have added my husband as one of my "kids" and had a special message to him (and maybe me) had I thought of it.  That would only add to the fun, right?  So guess what.  I have one code for a free Your Santa Story DVD to give away.  Remember, there are a limited quantity of DVDs that can be made this year, so if you win, get yours made quickly so you don't miss out!  And if you don't win?  Order soon!  This is one surprise that definitely won't work if you procrastinate.

So, are you ready to try to win one?  First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Thursday November 22 at 7pm CST (yikes, that's Thanksgiving!). I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me - what is your favorite Santa tradition?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: Make the magic of Santa come alive with a personalized DVD giveaway from @YourSantaStory and @HonestAndTruly. http://bit.ly/Uyy8xd (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) Earn one additional entry by liking Honest & Truly! on Facebook. (Yay, it's legal again, so long as you know you have to leave a comment here to enter and that simply liking me isn't the entry, along with acknowledging the fact that Facebook has nothing to do with this giveaway whatsoever.
5) Earn an additional entry by putting me in your Google Plus circle. Am I already in your G+ circle? No problem - just leave a comment letting me know that you've added me or already have me there.
Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a Your Santa Story DVD personalized to my family to facilitate this review.  I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

Gutzy Gear Giveaway - The New Cool In School

August is Little Miss's birthday party, and we're still in the midst of the big birthday party part of life.  I love those parties - seeing all the happy smiling faces and hearing the giggles - but the goody bags kill me.  I sort of hate them.  They're generally filled with candy we can't (don't) eat and little cheap toys that we throw away.  This year?  We used Gutzy Gear as our goody bags.

So wait, you haven't heard of Gutzy Gear yet?  Oh, you're missing out.  Gutzy Gear are straps that wrap around the straps on your backpacks or bags or anything along those lines.  They then have patches in hundreds of patterns that Velcro onto the Gutzy straps.

The patches have all sorts of different personality with awesome names (as the wee ones pointed out to me) from Chip and Quench (a walking cookie and glass of milk) to Bones and Head Honcho (fun looking "dude" and pirate-y skull and crossbones patches) to Little Miss's favorite Kernel and Cheesy (a popcorn box and animated slice of pizza).  There are two series releases of Gutzy patches so far, plus character patches of Marvel super heroes, SpongeBob Square Pants, and more.

The patches are sold in packages of 2 for $4.99 apiece at stores ranging from WalMart to Target and specialty toy stores, as well as online at the Gutzy Gear site.  The backpack straps are $9.99 and come with two strap covers and two Gutzy patches.

There are so many patches to choose from that it's hard to decide what you like best.  Fortunately, part of the fun of Gutzy Gear is that they are designed to be traded with friends.  Remember growing up and how sticker album and trading stickers?  I spent more recesses and play dates doing that, and so did all my friends.

When the kids walked into the party, it was obvious that they'd never seen Gutzy Gear before.  The looks on their faces as they walked into the party and saw the table piled with the Gutzy Gear was priceless.

Knowing that these are primarily second graders, I didn't want the free for all I knew was bound to happen.  Instead of having the children rush the table (save me) or handing children a patch and having them ask for a different one, we played Gutzy games for them.  The favorite was a version of bingo.

The kids each had a GUTZY card with images of the various Gutzy characters in the boxes.  As I called out the Gutzies, the kids used the snacks to cover their cards.

As each child "won" at GUTZY (I had two kids tell me that the game was GUTZY and not bingo - smart cookies!), they were allowed to head to the table to choose a strap and patch pack.  Watching them agonize over the decisions was adorable.  Fortunately, everyone ended up with something they enjoyed - and a delicious snack to eat after they finished the game.

I loved how the kids were so excited to receive their Gutzy Gear as a goodie bag.  Some who had siblings who weren't there begged to take one home for them.  Given their covetous looks, I was doubtful that they were actually going to make it to the siblings, but I agreed.  And to my surprise, not only did I see one of the siblings in school on Tuesday wearing the Gutzy straps, but he stopped to talk about the straps with Mister Man and point out that they had the same ones and how perfect that he had a smiley face with braces since he was about to get braces, too.

Now this?  This is a goody bag I can deal with.  The wee ones were so excited to put them on their backpacks, and Gutzy Gear is flooding our school.  The only "problem" is that the wee ones want more Gutzy patches.  I know what to tell people when they ask what Mister Man wants to his birthday.  And both the wee ones will get some in their stockings, I'm sure.  It's such a fun way to express personality.

Best of all, right now you can get a free rare Gutzy patch when you buy any Gutzy product in stores from now until September 30, 2012.  You simply send the receipt and the completed free Gutzy Gear redemption form.  Best of all, you can do it once per week per person.  I can't wait to see what Gutzies we get after the wee ones choose their next patches and I go buy them!

There is also a Gutzy Gear contest right now with over 100 gift cards to Toys 'r Us being given away.  Between now and September 7, your kids just need to show how they "go gutzy" in a photo.  Upload the photo to the Gutzy Gear Facebook page.  It isn't just the backpack you can personalize with the Gutzy Gear straps.  Get creative.  Is it your soccer goal?  Maybe Gutzy goes on your desk at school.  Figure it out, and best of luck to you!

Excited to start the year off with something fun?  I have three prize packs to give away that include a starter Gutzy Gear set and three patch packs of your choice.  So what do you have to do to win? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday September 10 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me - what's your favorite collectible from childhood?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Win the coolest new school trend from @GutzyGear and @honestandtruly - starter pack and 3 patch packs. 3 winners! http://bit.ly/NrUiUE" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) Earn one additional entry by liking Honest & Truly! on Facebook. (Yay, it's legal again, so long as you know you have to leave a comment here to enter and that simply liking me isn't the entry, along with acknowledging the fact that Facebook has nothing to do with this giveaway whatsoever.
5) Earn an additional entry by putting me in your Google Plus circle. Am I already in your G+ circle? No problem - just leave a comment letting me know that you've added me or already have me there.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Mommy Party box of Gutzy Gear to share with my friends.  I was not compensated as part of this campaign.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Glad Feeds My Family During BlogHer

I'm headed out to BlogHer in New York, and I have to admit, my expectations for what happens at home while I'm gone always sinks. And not by just a little.  The math pages the wee ones are supposed to do I know won't be looked at.  There will be clothes strewn about the house, both dirty and clean somehow.  And who knows what my husband will be feeding them, but I always come home to plenty of restaurant charges on my credit card.

This time around, I am doing my best to counteract this just a little bit.  I got sneaky and prepared food for everyone.  I stocked up on the lunchmeat.  I made more zucchini bread than any family should have in the house at one time.  And Glad sent me the fixings for some chicken enchiladas.

I'm not going to say that my husband is lazy, but if the food isn't prepped for him, the likelihood that it gets used isn't that great.  In fact, I can almost guarantee that the two mangos that were just about ripe when I leave will be still sitting in the fruit bowl, just more ripe.  Rather than rely on my husband to put everything together for the enchiladas, I did it for him.  I didn't just buy the rotisserie chicken; I removed the meat from the carcass and cut it up for him.  I put all the ingredients he'll need into a pile on the kitchen counter with the recipe stacked nearby - the corn tortillas, peppers, and enchilada sauce provided by MomSelect and Glad, as well as the onion and spices I'm providing.  The cut up chicken went into a Glad Ware container that will keep the meat fresh until he is ready to use it, with the cheese and salsa sitting right next to it in the fridge, so my husband can't possibly miss it, right?

Ok, this is my husband.  He may miss it, and there might be a phone call coming my way.  That said, I feel a whole lot better that I've got some meals prepped for him.  Even if they don't do their homework or keep the house clean, there's a chance that they're eating the way I would want them to.  

And once he's cooked the meal and there are leftovers - and in our house, it seems like there are always leftovers - he'll have the storage containers to put them in, as Glad included 2 large containers for us that go from fridge to freezer.  My personal favorite part is that the containers now resist cracking when you have them in the freezer and they - oh, I don't know - fall out.  I have more than one storage container I've lost that way.

But the Glad Ware containers have gotten better. Know what's really cool now? They're BPA free. I can feel more confident storing my leftovers in these containers without worrying that BPA will be leaching into their foods. I'm still not going to microwave anything in plastic, but the storage issue goes away.

Oh. And did I mention that Glad is a Labels for Education partner? Yep, that code gets cut out and returned to school, and that's another five points towards something on a teacher wish list!

So what do you do to try to keep your family healthy when you aren't around?

In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a 2 pack of large Glad Freezer Ware containers, along with some of the ingredients to make chicken enchiladas while I was attending BlogHer.  I was not compensated, but I have been entered to win a gift card.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Review: Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Set

I had ten children in my house again yesterday - on purpose, mind you. We had received a giant box filled with Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Sets, and we were having a party! And today? The wee ones are still playing with the pieces we didn't give away to attendees.

I had a feeling the Toy Story 3 party was going to be a success. The wee ones love Toy Story. The two Toy Story rides at Disney are their favorites. We go on them over and over again. And when they got to choose a nightly movie when we were in Florida in August? Every. Single. Night. They chose Toy Story.

I'll be honest that I haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, but of course my parents bought the movie the day it came out, so they've seen it ... a few times. I actually know a fair amount about the movie from all that I've heard, and the Action Links Stunt sets are based on scenes from the movie, which is pretty cool.

As I started putting the toys together before the party, the wee ones brought the boxes to me "in order" - because they knew exactly what happened first, second, third, etc. Needless to say, I put together the very massive junkyard set first. The instructions have no words, just pictures and arrows pointing. I personally could have used some words. That or some more sleep. My biggest pet peeve with the stunt sets was the boxes. They are pyramidal, which means there's no way to open them and get the insides out without destroying the box. I hate having to work hard to open toys.

(Note, this is not a funky angled shot - the box is shaped this way)

It took me awhile to get the hang of putting the sets together, but I did get all five that we were sent together within about forty-five minutes. They were put in order of the movie, but the cool thing about the Action Links Stunt sets is that you can set them up in any order and with one set or with all of them. That means you can invest as little or as much money - and effort - in playing with the toys, as you want.

Once I got it all set up, it was actually pretty impressive. Fortunately, the connecting parts for each piece of the set allows you to turn it in almost a complete circle, so you can set up the set(s) to fit just about any space or room configuration.

The stunt sets come with the figures that were key in that part of the movie, so there is plenty to play with, something I appreciate. All too often, you have to buy separate figures for the toys. There are also supplemental Buddy Packs with two figures from Toy Story 3 - and there is just about every combination you can think of available. The wee ones would probably have been happy just playing with the Buddy Packs, but ohhhh did the Action Links Stunt sets add to the fun!

With ten children playing, it was hard to get the full domino effect totally set up before someone would accidentally (or on purpose) set off one piece of it or another. That was ... mildly frustrating to some of the children because we never did get it to go from start to finish. Had there only been two or three children (which there are now!), it would have worked far better.

That said, everyone at the party had a blast, I think. I'd made cardboard sheriff stars to decorate once the kids got bored with the Toy Story 3 figures. We never did more than pass them out when the kids walked in (Mister Man proudly ran to the table and handed one to each child as they arrived). I did manage to feed a few of them snacks, but I think that's more because of the time and the fact that they were so hyped up!

The end result? I wish that the triggers were less sensitive so that setup were easier. And it would be nice if the instructions were more clear. And there were a couple elements that were a little touchy - the conveyor belt on the junkyard didn't always wind well, and the claw from the junkyard sometimes dropped early so that it missed the next trigger point. But the wee ones? This is the only toy they want to play with now. They played with it after the party until they went to bed, and it's the only thing they've touched today.

I think I know what Santa might be bringing!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with the toys for the Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt set party by MomSelect and Mattel for ten children, of which the vast majority were given to away to party attendees. I received no compensation, and all opionions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Little Wonder Book

When I was a child, my mom purchased several personalized books for me. They were generally Sesame Street or another book with a "Michelle" who was mentioned but never - or rarely - pictured who was the star of the book helping to track down a missing pigeon or involved in some other mystery. The fact that I can remember the story of the detective Michelle and the missing pigeon for the Great Pigeon Race is a testament to how much I loved having a book that was "about me."

Today, books like this are still sold, and we recently experienced one that is far more personalized than any I'd seen previously. Not only was Mister Man's name in the book, but I was able to write a personalized message to him that was printed at the beginning of the book and we also designed the look of the Mister Man character.

Yep, we designed it. For the Little Wonders books, you go online to create your star. There are characters for both boys and girls, and you select the appropriate face shape, skin tone, hair style, dimples, freckles, eye color and shape, etc.

Granted, when Mister Man and I designed his character together, he started out creating a ... unique looking fellow. After playing with it for a bit, we decided to make his character look like him. It obviously isn't exact but to be able to have a boy with light brown hair with hazel eyes really makes it perfect for him.

There are two different kinds of books - soft cover and hardcover. The hardcover is $29.99, while the soft cover is $12.99, plus shipping and handling. You could also do a digital download for $4.99.

Once the book arrived, I couldn't wait to show it to Mister Man. As he saw what was inside the box, his face lit up. He and the book disappeared for a good half hour before I tracked him down and turned on the video camera.

Of course now I can't figure out how to make the video upright - anyone who can tell me how to make it so you don't get a crick in your neck watching this wins my undying gratitude.







And of course... you can't make a video without the outtakes!





I loved that the book wasn't short or skimpy and had a pretty decent story to it that draws you in rather than just relying on the fact that the book has a child's name in it to be the attraction. It is a pretty decent quality binding and book, so I'm not worried that it will fall apart anytime soon, as this is definitely one that we'll keep forever.

Love the idea? Order yours by December 10 to ensure that it arrives in time for the holidays. Or you could be the lucky reader to win your choice of hardcover either Little Boy Wonder or Little Girl Wonder.

So what do you have to do to win a personalized book like this? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday December 6 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What was your favorite book as a child?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Personalize a book for the special child in your life - giveaway from @honestandtruly here: http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-little-wonder-book" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Little Boy Lightning book from MomSelect for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Hexbugs Party!

Yesterday, we had some of the wee ones’ friends over to play. We received a set of Hexbug Nanos (hereafter primarily referred to as Hexbugs) from MomSelect to host a party, and oh did we have fun. In fact, the wee ones played with them until bedtime last night, and the first question this morning (before they were even dressed) was when they could play with the Hexbugs again. Mean Mommy, I made them wait until after school after they’d put away their backpacks.

I’d heard of Hexbugs before. Our local Learning Express carries them, and I’ve seen them dancing in little containers in the store. I’d somewhat written them off though, figuring they were a short term entertainment and something that would quickly get lost. For those who aren’t familiar with them, Hexbugs are a little battery-operated creature that looks something like a large computer chip with tentacles. Kinda. They vibrate when turned on and move all around, including being able to flip themselves back over when turned on their backs.

The Hexbugs world is much larger than I’d anticipated, however. To start, they come in little test tube containers reminiscent of the bug in The Matrix. I had a lot of trouble opening some containers, while Little Miss was easily able to open others – the tops of the tubes just pop off, but the stickers around the edges was stuck to that top a little more on some, apparently. Once you get the test tubes open, there is also a code to an online world in addition to the bug itself. We haven’t yet explored online, but we will soon, especially since it includes learning about science. I’ve heard good things about it from some of the moms who were there yesterday.

Once we got the bugs out, we quickly learned that they won’t work on carpeting, but any other surface appears to be fair game. One friend placed his Hexbugs in the tray of our easel where they happily skittered around; ditto with Little Miss who made an obstacle course in the wagon that contains our building blocks. The Hexbugs now have “habitats” that they can explore. The white octagons connect easily with each other and the trail pieces (curved, straight, and spiral). The wee ones and their friends were easily able to assemble a massive obstacle course that took up the entire room. With the spirals and some of the other pieces, you can have the Hexbugs move from one level to another, adding a new dimension of fun to the games – in addition to simply having a raised habitat using the pegs that insert into any piece. We only had one child who had difficulty figuring out how to use the pegs, and he was able to figure it out once I showed him.

The habitats also have special bridges and other more unique connectors and parts to them that add to the variety of play. While they may not be necessary to enjoy the bugs, they are a nice addition to the sets. The bridge battle set allowed bugs to enter the center “arena” and try to knock each other off the bridge, with the surviving bug being dubbed the winner. This can also be used simply as a bridge byway by changing the direction the entry doors are set. There was a bit of discussion at the end of the party about who would get to take these home. There is also a stop and go door for the bugs to go through. That was one part that confused me a bit, as the stop side doesn’t keep the bugs from going through – at least it didn’t the way we figured out how to put it together.

I like these toys because they don’t require a ton of assembly and work on my part, making them a toy that encourages independence in the wee ones. I’ve had other toys that take me an hour or more to put together and get ready. I assembled a decent obstacle course (without reading the instructions that weren’t very descriptive to begin with – one little nit) in under twenty minutes. While the bugs can “fight” that hasn’t been the focus of the wee ones as yet. Instead, they treat them more like a giant ant hill, and I’m ok with that since I’m not voluntarily allowing any real bugs into my house.

We played several games, although the kids would have been just as happy without any intervention from me. Since I’d prepared a shoebox for a game by cutting special holes in it, I did make sure they played that one at least. Once we got going, they all loved it – seeing which bug would get out of the box first and from what hole. I also had them do an actual race through the obstacle course that was less successful – while the kids enjoyed creating the obstacle course, few of them actually wanted to do the race in it. After that, I let them simply play on their own – and on one was ready to leave when it was time to go, even knowing they were taking home the habitat and their bugs.

The kids all did want to make sure they took their bugs home. They chose their favorite bugs, and they immediately assigned name and personalities to the bug from “Intelligence Ignite” (yes, that would be Mister Man) to “Spaghetti and Meatballs” to “Bananas” and more. I love how they assigned personalities to the bugs and really had a connection to them. The bugs weren’t just appealing to boys, as I was somewhat expecting when I first heard about the party. There were bugs that were purple and pink, red and black, green and black, yellow and blue, and other color combinations that were appealing to Little Miss (and Violet who was at our house this afternoon playing with them).

My only complaint about the habitats is that the doors that close off the sides of the octagon (every side has a door to allow for flexible configurations) to keep the bugs from escaping aren’t as easy to close as I would like. It takes quite a bit of finger strength (and some fingernails) to get them to pop up to be able to close them. Once they’re closed, they’re easy enough to open again. The configuration of the habitats was changed around significantly yesterday – and again today – meaning that my assistance was required to close many of the doors. I’m hoping that they become easier to manipulate as everyone uses them more, but it would be nice if they came easier to use.

All in all, this is a popular new toy in our house, and I think it is in the houses of the kids who joined us yesterday, too. They aren’t super cheap (a single Hexbug Nano in the tube costs $9.99, the Hexbug Nano habitat set with a three octagon pieces, three straight pieces, and four curves cost $34.99 (with two rare Hexbug Nanos), while the battle bridge habitat (that also comes with two rare Hexbug Nanos) costs $39.99 and will be available as of October 15. As more and more children we know get older and already have more toys than they need, I think this is going to become one of our go to birthday presents. The kids definitely had more fun the more bugs were running through the habitat.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with Hexbugs and habitats for a party with the wee ones and friends by MomSelect. The bugs and the majority of the habitats were given away to the attendees of the party. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Precious Moments

It's always a joy when a new baby is welcomed into the world. I love seeing and holding and smelling the new babies - and of course finding ways to spoil them. It's easy when it's a first child born into the family. By the time it's the third child though, it's harder to find that perfect gift. The parents know more - and have more preferences - plus they already have so many clothes and toys.

A good friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday - younger sister to a six year old boy and a three year old girl. They have everything. Luckily, Precious Moments came to my rescue.

They have an online baby boutique full of all sorts of perfect baby gifts for a child - no matter how many siblings he has. Every child needs his own special blanket and stuffed animals. And what proud parent doesn't need another photo frame for their precious new bundle of joy?

I love that these items aren't too expensive, which makes it easier to not have to decide amongst my favorite few! Plush blankets with mini-stuffed animals attached are $10, while a mini plush animal is $5.

I received the mini plush giraffe. While many of the plush animals are truly gender neutral (lion, monkey, elephant, and lamb), the giraffe has pink feet and horns. While I'd be fine with this for my son, I know many parents who would prefer it only for girls. Fortunately, my friend's new baby turned out to be a gorgeous baby girl.

The stuffed animal has a nice amount of detail - eyes, spots, horns, mane, tail, nostrils, etc. They are all sewn on, which greatly reduces the worry of anything detaching and injuring a child. The animal itself is that lovely new soft plush that I wish had existed when I was a child! It's possible I've sat with it on my lap stroking it because it just feels so nice.

And the new baby's reaction? Well, she grabbed it and flung it around - but hey, she's only one day old. Her mom loved it though. And how could she not?

Want one of your own? You can visit the online baby boutique and find one yourself. Or you can win one here. One lucky reader will get a mini plush animal just like mine!

So what do you have to do?

First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Thursday October 14 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What is your biggest skin problem?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a mini plush giraffe from MomSelect and Precious Moments. I did not receive any compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Bayala By Schleich

Note: I have a bunch of great photos, but Blogger won't let me upload any.  I will be updating this soon - I hope!

This past Friday, I hosted several of Little Miss and Mister Man's friends at our house for a Mommy Party by Schleich. I have to be honest that I'd never heard of Bayala before, but they were a huge hit.

Bayala is a world filled with elve and animals. The figurines are pretty tiny, and when I first unwrapped the box they came in, I assumed they were ceramic because of the intricate detail each figurine has - from the tiny gold threading in the bodice of one elf's dress to the nails in the shoes of a horse. I was a little concerned about how quickly they'd get broken given the delicate pieces such as the horns on the caribou. Fortunately, I was mistaken, and these are flexible plastic molded figures that do not appear in any danger of breaking whatsoever.

When the party began, the third grade sister and her friend of one of the attendees came in during drop off and immediately gravitated to the elves and animals. They picked them up and started playing with them on and around Shadow Rock, and they did not want to leave. They were eventually forced out (not by me!), and all they did was tell that mom how wonderful Bayala was and how they wanted to play, too. I loved that these were toys that older children wanted to play with, too.

The younger children - the kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders - had just as much fun with the Bayala figurines. Everyone was able to choose their favorite figures without (too much) fighting over who gets what. Luckily, we were sent enough that everyone was able to take home at least one figurine, and several children took home multiples.

The girls, not surprisingly were drawn toward the fairy looking elves - Marween, Florindel, and Feya. The boys were drawn towards the warrior-looking elves, Gregis, and Apricum. It was interesting to see the games they set up and played, especially since none of them knew the stories behind Bayala. There isn't a tv series or movie that supports these figurines, which I like, as it gives the children a chance to really use their imaginations more - and use their imaginations they did!

I had several games set up for the kids to play that were Bayala themed, but I didn't even convince most of them to stop playing with the figurines long enough to eat the snacks I'd made, let alone play a different game. It was nice to see how entertained they were on their own with the toys.

There isn't a Schleich relailer near me - which may be why I hadn't heard of these before - but you can purchase them online if there isn't a store near you that carries them. There are many online retailers that carry them from Target to Think Fast Toys to Funagain Games to Amazon.

Given the intricate detail available on the toys, I was expecting them to be exhoritantly expensive, as creating molding like that can't be cheap. They aren't as expensive as I'd feared, though. The suggested price appears to be in the $14 to $17 range, with many on sale for $10 or $11 apiece.

Considering that the wee ones have played with the Bayala figurines every spare moment they've had since Friday (including Little Miss playing with them now while I finish writing this), I'd say that isn't bad at all. I do love the fact that these weren't play with them once and then ignore them toys and also that both boys and girls were interested in them and found ways to play - with all the figurines we had to choose from.

Every hour or so, I get a call from the wee ones to "take another picture of Bayala, Mommy!" because they created a new way to play and want me to capture it. And who am I to discourage that creativity, especially when these toys don't involve the guns or knives or fighting that so many others do. It's refreshing.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received toys from MomSelect and Schleich to host a Bayala party. The wee ones were able to keep two of the figurines each; the remainder were given to attendees of the party. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Outlast Party

In the interest of full disclosure, MomSelect sent me a Mommy Party pack that included supplies for the party to give to the ten friends who attended. I received no compensation of any kind.

We love playdates around here, although we don't always do them as often as we'd like - that whole being busy with life thing! When we get small children together, however, it's amazing the germs they spread around. It's hard enough to stay healthy - for me and for them - without all the sneezing coughing little buddies of theirs trying to spread whatever icks they have.

Outlast has a solution to try to keep those germs at bay. Outlast is a liquid hand sanitizer that lasts up to six hours. Most hand sanitizers work for only two minutes. So if my wee ones doesn't get a chance to wash their hands when I'm not with them, I know they're still not picking up any more germs.

We had a playdate in the park - and you can only imagine all the germs from the unwashed equipment that gets used constantly by child after child. Mister Man and Little Miss had a blast hanging out with their friends, and the mommies enjoyed a chance to chat and learn some more about Outlast.

The kit also included Baloon-A-Choo, which was a balloon that demonstrated how germs spread whenever someone sneezes. I think this was the hit of the party. I had to finally beg off from doing it again because I was getting lightheaded. I placed glitter into the balloon, then blew it up and let it go. The glitter went everywhere - just like germs do when we sneeze.

I explained it to the kids, and I think they got it. Then the balloon went flying, and they were absolutely fascinated. Watching them chase after the balloon and try to figure out where the glitter landed cracked me up.

I blew up this balloon over and over, and they never tired of it. They loved seeing the impact of sneezing. And the moms ... well, we were sort of grossed out, to be honest. Let's just say that those samples of Outlast were all used before we ate our snack!

I unfortunately didn't take as many pictures as I'd planned. We were having so much fun that I was too busy to take out my camera half the time!

I did finally remember to take my camera out again when we were working on the sticker activity. This was a great wind down thing to do for the kids once they grew tired o running around and playing in the heat.

The sticker sheet was a neat little activity that had a laboratory that the kids could decorate with scientists, lab equipment, computers, and all sorts of other stuff. Needless to say, they rather enjoyed it!

We had a great playdate with this wonderful excuse to get together with Outlast's Mommy Party. We had no idea how quickly most hand sanitizers disappear and stop working. I'm pretty sure there are a few moms who will be using a different sort of protection going forward when soap and water aren't available.

Want to learn more about Outlast? Check it out here.

Giveaway: Champions Summer Science Program

In the interest of full disclosure, I am being sent a $25 gift card in exchange for sharing the information about this summer camp. I received no other compensation, and the opinions expressed are my own.

I'm really bummed. I mean really, really bummed.

Mister Man was offered the opportunity to attend a Champions Summer Science Adventure Camp via MomSelect, and I was stoked. The offer full and half day programs on all sorts of cool topics from Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Treasure to Go Wild, Gizmo’s Robot Factory and Space and Rocketry. They are designed for children ages 5-12, so they'd be perfect for him.

Considering that Mister Man already (voluntarily) signed up for a science summer school class, I knew this was right up his alley. He loves all his facts and learning, and these camps aim to focus on fun and take science education beyond the classroom to spark a child’s interest in the world of science through exploration and discovery.

Unfortunately, we aren't able to attend the session that is hosted by Champions Summer Science Camp (instead of one of their partners) due to other conflicts we have this summer. I am likely to enroll with one of their partners located near me (and pay the full price, mind you), simply because the camps sound so cool!

They are offered at various locations throughout the country (California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington) - check here to see if there's a location near you.

We were most interested in the Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Treasure, described as a "Journey to the land of the pharaohs to solve a mystery and unearth two long-forgotten treasures" or Space and Rocketry where children "Get pumped up for some space exploration and build a brand new, state of the art hydro-rocket."

The half day programs go from 9am to 12pm, while full days run from 9am to 3:30pm. The afternoon programs build on what the campers all do together in the morning to reinforce the lesson, but you still get a full camp experience by just doing the half day session. The programs aren't too expensive in my mind - especially when you think about what you get out of them - $194-207 for the half day programs and $299-319 for the full day sessions.

Check out the Go Wild webisode below to get an idea of how the program works!



After watching this, I think we need to go register at our non-affiliated location.

So what do you get out of it?

Well, two things actually. If you are interested in the camp, you can get $50 off you week long session by using the code "summerscience10" - making the camp even more affordable. Keep in mind that this code is only valid on the locations that are staffed by Champion - some of them, including one near me are run by outside organizations where this discount won't work. To find out (the easy cheater way), go into enroll now here, choose your state, and the list of included cities will pop up.

And I have a week of half day camp to give away. Again, this MUST be at a location run by Champions. Please verify that you can and will use this before you enter. It is far too cool to go to waste!

So what do you need to do?

First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday June 7 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what camp session your child would attend. I'll shoot an email to entrants to find out where they would use their session to keep at least a modicum of privacy - I really want to make sure the person who wins this will use it!

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for Tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Follower.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Follower.

Good luck!

Rayovac Powers Your Vacation-Magic Wand Sweepstakes

As a mom, I have children who are in love with The Mouse. And really, do you know any children who aren't? Growing up, Disney was one of my favorite places to go (not that we went all *that* often), and I never grew tired of it. I remember wearing out my parents and my grandparents to the point where they had to trade of sitting on a bench while my sister and I skipped ahead to more and more rides and adventures.

Disney has partnered with Rayovac for the Rayovac Powers Your Vacation-Magic Wand Sweepstakes where you could win a trip for four to either Walt Disney World or Disney Land Resort - a five day four night vacation including round trip coach class airfare, ground transportation, accomodation for the four for four nights, theme park tickets, $250 Disney gift card, and a magic wand themed gift basket for a total value of over $5,100. Pretty sweet - see here for sweepstakes details and to enter.

You could also win batteries for life ($3,600) or one of twenty-five $50 Disney gift cards. You've got until July 31, 2010 to enter, and it will be a random drawing for the winner.

Why a magic wand theme? Well, because there's a commercial all about what "Molly" would do with her magic wand at Disney if she had the opportunity.

The commercial is here: http://cdn.shoutlet.com/server/widget/3722 - someone teach me how to embed that video into this post? I've tried and tried and can't figure it out.

Cute, no? I love the frog!

There is also a Rayovac Twitter party to support this giveaway on Wednesday May 19 from 7-9pm CST (ummm can you believe that's less than a week away? Eek!) where they'll have more than 20 fun giveaways from Rayovac ranging from a summer supply of Rayovac Batteries to Disney Gift Cards.

The hashtag for the event is #rayovac. Go ahead and follow @Rayovac_Battery, @MomTalkRadio, and @CirclePRMary. I'll Tweet you there!

Giveaway: Parigi Fashions (boys)

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided an outfit for my daughter from Apple Bottoms Jeans for her to try courtesy of MomSelect and Parigi Fashions. I will be paying for the shipping of the winner's outfit from my own pocket. I received no other compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever heard of Parigi Fashions? I hadn't either until I attended a Twitter party they hosted. It was then that I learned I'm familiar with many of the brands under their umbrella - from Phat Farm to Puma Kids to DKNY Kids and more.

They are fashionable and fun clothes, with different styles depending on your personal taste. MomSelect and Parigi Fashion sent me an outfit for Little Miss from Apple Bottoms for Girls, which looks pretty cute on her.

The shirt has silver square appliques on it that add a neat touch. I really liked them. Little Miss, not so much. In fact, I went outside to put Mister Man in his carpool and came back two minutes later to find Little Miss not only not eating her breakfast, but methodically picking off the silver appliques. I glued them back on, but by the end of the day, more were missing. She claims that she didn't touch them after our little chat, and I will admit that they appeared more fashionable than functional. It's an adorable shirt though!

The pants are also cute as a button. The backs of the jeans are detailed with the Apple Bottoms logo, and throughout the jeans are the little worn patches that are so fashionable in women's jeans. The attention to detail was pretty impressive, and I love these jeans.

The only thing I didn't love was some of the fit. Granted, Little Miss has an unusual build. She is only 30 pounds at four and a half - last time we were at the doctor, she's 75th percentile in height and 3rd percentile in weight. We don't buy any pants that don't have the adjustible waist - and thankfully these do.

However, for Little Miss, although the pants were the correct length, I had to cinch them to the very last buttonhole for the waist to keep them from falling down. Even then, they weren't tight on her, and with that much adjustment, the waist makes her look hippy and it definitely requires a long shirt to sort of hide this. Most children aren't built that way and will probably not need to adjust it quite to the extreme we did. However, those are the only pants she owns that required that much of an adjustment in the waist.

Regardless, I think it's an adorable outfit, and my mom - who's somewhat more circumspect in what she'll allow Little Miss to wear out of the house - has put her enthusiastic seal of approval on it. This may become a brand my mom seeks out going forward as she's shopping for Little Miss.

You aren't left in the cold, however. I have a giveaway for you, too! MomSelect and Parigi Fashions also sent me a boy's outfit from L-R-G, which has the tagline "Underground inventive, overground effective." It's a little more edgy, but definitely fun. You could win a pair of boys' size 8 jeans and small t-shirt (the small appears to be somewhat in line with the size 8, but I can't guarantee that since we aren't quite yet to that size with Mister Man!).  The shirt says "Treehouse" if you can't read through the protective plastic!

So what do you need to do?

First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Tuesday May 25 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me about your favorite outfit from when you were a child. I remember a royal blue terry short romper with a red zipper and white trim. Ahhh, those were the days!

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for Tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Follower.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Follower.

Good luck!