toy review — MomStart

A Boy and His Trucks – Tonka Chuck and Friends DieCast Collectibles to the Rescue

April 21, 2012 By Momstart 16 Comments

There is something about a boy and his trucks. Maybe in your house it’s not trucks… but there is probably some wheeled device that your son can’t really live without. It’s the toy that you know you need to have on hand to make it through the day, the restaurant, the doctor’s appointment… whatever is one hand for the day. Since most of Atticus’s toys have been packed away, he has been missing some of his favorite cars and trucks. That’s where Tonka Chuck and Friends DieCast Collectibles came to the rescue.

When I first got these cute little trucks, I thought I had done a good job of hiding them until I was ready to break them out… Atticus knew they were there though and kept digging them out asking if he could play with them. After a few days of this, I knew it was time. Neither one of us could resist their amazing colors and cute faces.

Once we opened up Tonka Chuck and all his friends, I was surprised by 2 things. First of all the study, high quality build of the trucks was really impressive. These trucks will definitely hold up to more of the typical toddler play than many other traditional toy cars.

I was even more surprised (and impressed) by the DVD that came in each box! Maybe I’ve been living under a rock somewhere, but I had no idea Tonka Chuck and Friends had a cartoon! The DVD comes with a short cartoon that is appropriate for kids of ALL ages. The cartoons we watched had good messages and were completely engaging. I was SO HAPPY to see the read along story book on the DVD too! This section of the DVD read a story with the characters and even had the words on the screen to follow along. Especially as Atticus gets older, this will be a GREAT thing. Having kids recognize that text carries meaning and tells stories is a huge part of learning to read.

Great toys, entertaining cartoons, and a learning tool? I’m in! Atticus is too. Days later and these little trucks haven’t lost their luster. He has even fallen asleep with one in his bed! There are seven characters available this spring and more coming this fall! I can’t wait to see what other cute characters they come out with next! If you’re interested, you should be able to find Chuck and his friends at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

About Ashley: Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at www.Momicles.com and follow her @Momicles2010 .

A product was provided for this review. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Ashley, review Tagged With: Chuck The Truck, Hasbro, Tonka Chuck and Friends DieCast Collectibles, Tonka Chuck and Friends to the Rescue, toy review

Happy 60th Anniversary to One Spud-tacular Couple Mr & Mrs Potato Head

April 21, 2012 By Momstart 18 Comments

By: Ashley

Did you have a Potato Head when you were a kid? I did. I remember his little blue shoes, goofy nose, and the little flap that held it all it when I was done. It’s pretty amazing to see Atticus having the same silly fun with Mr. and Mrs. Potato head now, that I had when I was a kid.

Did you know that Mr. and Mrs. Potato head have been married for 60 years! That’s 60 years of looking into each other’s eyes (wherever they may have popped up). 60 years of parts moving around and loving each other all the same. 60 years of seeing new toys come and go and technology take over. One thing has remained the same – The Potato Head is still an incredibly engaging toy that kids and adults all have an amazing time with!

I can’t lie about how excited I was when I saw the 60th anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head all dressed up to celebrate their anniversary. There’s no doubt about it. They are not showing their age AT ALL. I hope that when my husband and I celebrate our 60^th anniversary we look half as young as sMASHing as this couple. Hasbro has a set showcasing the couple in all their marital splendor… and I LOVE it. How could such an iconic couple let their anniversary slip by without renewing their vows?

Atticus of course had a great time rearranging all of their parts. I personally fell in love with the adorable way their hands are joined … and they have on wedding rings! Again, not that I would expect any less from a couple with such strong roots.

All potato puns aside, there really is something timeless and so classic about Mr. and Mrs. Potato head. It’s one of those toys kids, parents, and grandparents all have such great memories attached to. They let you create, be silly, and just have fun. Sure, if you want to know what it can teach your child I understand. It focuses on body parts, reasoning, and problem solving. I really think the best part though, is imagination.

So… like I said… Happy Anniversary to one of the most Spudtacular couples I know. Here’s to you Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head… and all the years to come!

The 60^th Anniversary Ediction Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head is available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

I received a product to review for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Ashley, review Tagged With: 60th anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, children's toy, Hasbro, Mr. Mrs. Potato head, spudtacular couple, toy review

Hasbro’s FurReal Friends Dizzy Dancers With Zoe

February 11, 2012 By Momstart 5 Comments

From the eyes of a little girl, Hasbro’s FurReal Dizzy Dancers are precious cute and must be kept away from her brother kind of enjoyment. She loves it, I her mother doesn’t quite get it, but it doesn’t ever really matter what mom thinks does it?

Obviously not!!! FurReal Friends is putting a new spin on fantasy pet play with the introduction of the Dizzy Dancers line of twirling, dancing pets! From Zoe’s point of view they don’t even need to be able to spin for her to enjoy them. They are the perfect size for her. She can take her Dizzy Dancer with her in the van and it fits nicely in her cup holder She can hide them in her backpack as it has been known to stowaway arriving at preschool. She hates sharing it with her brother; I haven’t yet decided if her brother likes the Dizzy Dancer yet or if it’s just his intent to antagonize his sister because yes he loves to do that.

Through unique design and dance tricks, these silly pets can spin wherever you want – on a coffee table, across the floor, even on a pen top! We’re not quite coordinated enough to get the Dizzy Pet to spin on a pen top, but we’ve made it spin everywhere else. I was going to take a video of the spinning for you guys but I can’t find the want. You can see it in Zoe’s hand right there but it’s either been left behind in her cubby at school or has found itself at the bottom of Miles’ closet and that will take weeks to find.

DIZZY DANCERS pets arrive in stores March 3, 2012! I’m sure the fun will be to collect them all. When Zoe see’s there’s more than one she’s going to want all of them.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: Dizzy Dancer, Hasbro's FurReal Dizzy Dancers, review, toy review

Wuggle Pets Build ‘Em With Love & Care Review

January 30, 2012 By Momstart 2 Comments

By Emily,

I think there is some unwritten formula that when you have children, you will own no less than 20 stuffed animals per child by the time they are 2. By the time they are 4, you double that, and by 6 years of age that number will equal more than you can count! So once you have a couple dozen stuffed animals, what’s a couple dozen more? The latest and greatest stuffed animals that my kids have been dying to check out are Wuggle Pets. Yes, they saw them on TV and instantly fell in love. So when I was given the opportunity to review a Wuggle Pets starter kit, I had to say yes!

If you aren’t familiar with Wuggle Pets, they are unique baby animals that kids get to assemble, choose personalities for and name themselves. Add a little magic dust, and their new stuffed animals are brought to life as they turn the handle on their special animal making gadget (a.k.a. Wuggle Fun Fill Factory). The 12 piece starter kit ($19.99) includes the Wuggle Fun Fill factory and everything you need to create two pets. Additional pets can be purchased for $7.99 if your kids want to add more to their collection.

Just opening the package and recognizing the colorful box, made my girls go nuts. When I tried to take a moment to read the directions, my 5 year old informed me she already knew how to do it from the commercial. And crazy enough, she did, it’s super simple:

Just place half the stuffing into the Wuggle Fun Fill Factory, sprinkle a little magic dust (star confetti) in it and top off with the other half of the stuffing.

Place the cap on the Wuggle Fun Fill Factory and attach your Wuggle Pet to the front of it.

Turn the handle about a couple dozen times and watch the cute little pet plump up.

As if that wasn’t fun enough for my kids, they then get to pick personality charms to put inside their Wuggle Pet. My older daughter liked the sassy and brave charms. My younger like the sweet and loving charms. No surprise to me, their wobble pets were taking on characteristics similar to themselves!

The final step required a helping hand from me to fully zip and fasten the pet. I was actually impressed that these stuffed animals are nicely constructed and quite soft. Not some cheap-o favor toy, I know our Wuggle Pets will put up with a lot of love from my kids. And so far their Wuggle Pets are getting lots of love. These little pets are the perfect size to travel with and the attached clip keeps them secure on coats and bags without the worry of losing them.

For more information or to place an order you can visit Wuggle Pets. Be sure to check out the Party Pack Set which includes all eight of the current Wuggle Pets. This set would be the perfect activity for both boys and girls at a birthday party or special playdate. For an additional $7.99 each (includes shipping and handling) you can also give your Wuggle Pet its very own voice with a Magical Voice Box that allows you to add a personalized message to your pet! For the next Wuggle Pet set we create, I’m planning to record a loving message for each of my girls so that they have an extra special comfort toy wherever they go.

SAVE MONEY

Special Tip (as of 1/27/12): Save $5 on your order by visiting wugglepets.com and following the pop up when you try to close the main page.

Disclosure – These products were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.

Filed Under: Emily, review Tagged With: build 'em with love & care, children's toy review, kids toy, review, toy review, wuggle pets

My BFF (best friend forever) Doll Is Fabulous! Review

December 17, 2011 By Momstart 4 Comments

By Emily,

I’ve been looking for an extra special doll for my oldest daughter. One that’s a step up from her plastic baby dolls and one she might keep forever, perhaps pass on down to her daughter one day. Thanks to My BFF Dolls, and the wonderful opportunity to review their new line of dolls, I think I may have found that special doll. My BFF Dolls are extra special because they are a fun line of create-your-own dolls that you and your child design together. From the creators of MyTwinn Dolls, My BFF (best friend forever) doll, gives girls the opportunity to become virtual “doll makers,” right at their own computer. The process is quite simple too:

1. Log onto www.MyBFFDoll.com and click “Start” to begin designing your own doll.

2. Create! Customizable features include: six face shape options, four skin tone options, nine eye color options, 12 hair style options, 5 hair color options, the option of adding earrings and eyeglasses and 10 clothing options.

The design step was so much fun for both my daughter and I. We enjoyed mixing up the features and creating a few different dolls. Finally, my daughter chose a doll that was most similar to her, short blonde hair, blue eyes and selected a sweet pink tee and jeans. Oh, and sunglasses, a girl can’t forget those accessories! You also get to pick out a name so we named our doll Clare, which is my daughter’s middle name.

3. If you need to, you can save your doll to complete it later as well as share your completed images with friends and family.

4.When you’re ready, place your order! Because My BFF dolls are hand-crafted one doll at a time, it takes about 2 – 3 weeks to arrive, but believe me, the wait is well worth it!

Two weeks after placing our order, the My BFF doll arrived in a carefully packaged box. This is, with all honesty, the most stunning doll I’ve ever seen. My husband was quite impressed as well! It’s not just all the wonderful hand painted details and quality materials that I adore, but the uniqueness of this doll and the fact that is was designed with love by my daughter and I.

The first feature that caught my attention was her eyes! They truly sparkle and have the most amazing lashes. Her hair, which is super soft and shiny, is also thick and easy to manage. I know that sounds like a shampoo commercial, but it’s the truth, the materials are high quality and I have no fear that it will last many rounds of hair salon play with my daughter.

Included with our package was a Doll Care Guide that provides cleaning and care tips. If there is an unfortunate event and your doll needs repair, there is also a Doll Hospital Admissions Form with various services you can select and their prices. These services include: Doll Makeovers, Heirloom Restoration, replacing eyelashes, new hair (just in case there is that accidental hair cutting episode) and you can even get your doll’s ears pierced.

My BFF dolls are 23 inches tall and can stand on their own. Each doll features 18 joints along the body and can pose in hundreds of positions. My BFF Dolls are compatible with My Twinn clothing and accessories for optimal playtime fun. Each doll retails for $149 and more information, including special bonus offers, can be found at www.myBFFDoll.com or www.mytwinn.com.

I heart our new BFF Doll!

Disclosure – This product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Filed Under: Emily, review Tagged With: Doll review, My Best Friend Forever Doll, MYBFF Doll, toy review

The Brainy Company Glowberry Bears: The Glowing, Giggling, Cuddly Cute Night-light Bears

December 3, 2011 By Momstart 4 Comments

By: Ashley

Glowberry Bears are one of the great toys The Brainy Company offers for young children. The recommended age for the Glowberry Bears is 3+, but I can see how even a little guy like my (almost) 18-month-old would love to cuddle, snuggle, and giggle with Twinkleton, one of the Glowberry characters.

This is a great interactive toy that can bring smiles to any little one who loves stuffed animals. The Glowberry Bears aren’t just ordinary stuffed animals. These bears have a glowing belly that is activated by a tickle of the tummy (which also makes the bear go into a silly giggle spell) or by simply pressing the bear’s right paw. Pressing the right paw actually turns on the night light feature which can help comfort little ones as they go to sleep at night. The light stays on for about 1 minute and then turns off automatically as the bear says “Night Night.” If you press the bear’s left paw, the bear will talk to you and ask questions. Unfortunately, the bear can’t answer back, but the imaginations of preschoolers will make the conversation keep going. With a little imagination, Glowberry Bears can even talk to each other!

You may be asking yourself what “Glowberry” is all about. Well, from the Glowberry packaging itself, I learned that:

“Behind mountains of snow and glaciers of ice, is nestled an island of magical delight. On Glowberry Island, flowers bloom, and berries glow, streams meander and waterfalls flow. Houses are orange and pink and blue, the island comes to life in every hue. It is on the island where Glowberry Bears thrive – Little Glow, Twinkles, Twinkleton, Dusty McStardust, Summer Lightly – all five!”

If you’re searching for a gift for a special little one, Glowberry Bears… or any of the great toys that The Brainy Company has to offer might be just what you’re looking for.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and President of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Filed Under: Ashley, review Tagged With: Brainy baby, glowberry bears, review, toy review

Season of Giving Day 21: Laffy Laffalot : Laugh. Heal. Give Something Back

November 21, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

By Ashley

Since Summer has been working so hard on the Season of Giving series here on MomStart, I wanted to help her out. When Laffy Laffalot came to me for a review, I know I had found the perfect addition.

Let me introduce you to Laffy. He is a cute little orange guy who loves to laugh! He has over 20 different laughs that you (or a little one) can hear at the touch of a button. He comes with headphones that are perfect for everyone (and won’t hurt kids’ ears), MP3 quality sound, and a helium effect knob that changes the sound of any laugh for even more fun! Laffy also comes with 4 programmable buttons where you can record your own laughs or messages. Laffy is super durable and can handle drops from up to 6 feet!

Well, now that you’ve met my new friend Laffy, let me tell you why he’s such a perfect addition to the Season of Giving. Laffy was created by a California firefighter and paramedic. He wanted to create the perfect toy that would help put smiles on the faces of injured or ill children. Laughter has truly been proven as some of the best medicine.

Even better, Laffy Laffalot has teamed up with the National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS). For every Laffy sold, the NCCS receives $3. It feels so good to buy something fun and silly when you know it helps improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families worldwide. Last year, we had a small scare (thankfully ending with all good news) with our own son, and seeing the children coming into the hospital for their cancer treatments, I’ve seen what a benefit Laffy (and the money he raises) can be.

Laffy Laffalot has now also teamed up with Autism Smiles, a group that works to give children with autism and their families special apps, products, and equipment. Right now, proceeds of $2.00 (per special promo code – autismsmiles) will go to Autism Smiles.

Laffy makes a great gift for anyone, whether their healthy, struggling with illness, or just feeling a little blue. If you can’t think of anyone that Laffy would be a good fit for though, it’s also possibly to just order a Laffy (or 100!) and send your donation to any location. Discount prices are even offered on orders of 6 or more.

So there you have it, a HILARIOUS toy that helps children and their families worldwide. I hope that fills your heart with as much happiness as it did mine during this Season of Giving!

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and President of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Filed Under: Ashley, charity Tagged With: Autims Smiles, charity, Laffy Laffalot, MP3 player kids, National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS, toy review

Richard Scarry’s Busytown Town Hall Deluxe Playset with DVD

November 13, 2011 By Momstart 242 Comments

Richard Scarry’s Busytown is a hit in our house, among many of the other things we watch. But what we like to do even more than watch it is read it. We have about four different Richard Scarry’s Busytown books that we read. The Busytown cars in the book and on the show are so unique. And this new playset bring the Busytown cars to life for kids.

You all know how much I love working for charity this time of year especially so it’s really hard to pick with toy we open and do a full review and which one we don’t. Knowing how much Miles would love this, and he saw the picture and said, Mommy I want that. Can I have that?. I said, well no, but you can ask Santa for it. But this is another toy we were lucky enough to receive that we’re going to donate to our 2011 Tweet Drive in Seattle.

Product Description: Curiosities are everywhere in Busytown! This fun Richard Scarry’s Busytown Town Hall Deluxe Playset with DVD encourages social interaction between kids as they explore and play in their own Busytown world. This playset is loaded with play features from a drive-through tunnel to a fold-up ladder!

The Richard Scarry’s Busytown Town Hall Deluxe Playset with DVD includes:

· A double oval roadway layout
· 12 roadway pieces
· Sergeant Murphy figure to patrol traffic
· Hilda Hippo in her classic pencil car

· PLUS a bonus DVD that includes 2 Busytown Mysteries episodes!

Overview: Since the 1960’s, boys and girls around the world have grown up with Richard Scarry’s best-selling books about his busy world of iconic animal characters and their whimsical vehicles. With over 300 titles in the Richard Scarry library and over 150 million books sold, Richard Scarry is one of the best-selling children’s authors of all time. In fact, he has five books in the Publishers Weekly’s Top 100 List of All-Time Bestselling Children’s Books. His popular stories follow the adventures of Huckle and Sally Cat, Lowly Worm, Hilda Hippo, Pig Will and Pig Won’t in a very busy town, leading very busy lives. His characters have become household names that parents fondly remember and kids adore.

The Recommended Age Range is 3+ and the Retail Price: $39.99 Click here to "Like" the new Richard Scarry Facebook page or purchase the all-new Busytown toys!

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Janet W.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

We received samples that will be donated to our charity this month the 2011 TweetDrive, donating all toys to Treehouse.

Filed Under: 2011 Gift Guide, giveaway Tagged With: children's toy, DVD, giveaway, Richard Scarry's Busytown, Town Hall Deluxe Playset, toy review

Step2 Lifestyle Legacy Play Kitchen Set Review

September 14, 2011 By Momstart 11 Comments

We’ve been a fan of Step2 for many many years. I sold their products when I was in high school, an unmentionable amount of years ago and LOVED them then and still love them now when I purchased one of their kitchens when Zoe was only 1 year old. For her first birthday before she could even stand we bought her a kitchen (we knew her brother was on the way and that they could share it) I watched her grow and develop, pull herself up in her kitchen and now she’s learning about which foods are healthy for her. It’s been an amazing go and the kitchen has stood up to the test of time. She’s now almost five years old and we’ve had many play dates with the kitchen even been climbed on, which I don’t recommend.

Step2 sent us the Lifestyle Legacy Kitchen to review and test out and again it’s QUALITY. It’s smaller than the one we purchased which is perfect if you want to get a kitchen for your kids that doesn’t take up too much room. It was quite easy to put together everything can be screwed in by hand. It only took me a few hours because the kids were wanting to help and I always get distracted when I’m working on something and I’m constantly interrupted by the kids. If you sat down and just put the kitchen together I bet you could get it together in 30 minutes, including all the stickers.

The Step2 Lifestyle Legacy Kitchen Set features:

Fun, tasteful colors and surface decals
Kitchen features multi-level counter tops with sink & swivel faucet, two stove burners with clicking knobs and a fun cutting board decal
Accessory set includes 2 full place settings, 5-piece serving set, salt & pepper shakers, 3 bins for storage, coffee pot, phone, pot holder and a pot & pan with lids
2 electronic features include stove and phone
2 "Woven" storage baskets and 1 recycle basket fit underneath
Bake a treat in the oven or make a quick snack in the microwave
Realistic refrigerator features "water" dispenser
Loads of built-in storage makes clean up a breeze

One of our favorite features with the Step2 kitchens is that they come with food or pots and pans for your kitchen and stimulate hours and hours of playtime in your children. It saves my life at dinner time when I need to cook, they can go and make their own meals while I work on getting dinner ready.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: Lifestyle legacy kitchen, play kitchen, step2, Step2 Lifestyle Legacy Play Kitchen Set Review, toy review, toy vlog

Disney Princesses Splashing little Hearts Under The Sea Swimming Ariel & Sisters

August 23, 2011 By Momstart 19 Comments

Princess Zoe is a princess through and through. A few years ago at Target they had princess costumes at a ridiculously low price so I bought all the dresses they had left for Zoe and she’s WORN them out. She loves anything princess. Now thanks to Disney and Mattel, Zoe can take princess time to the bath tub and swimming pool. Zoe loves to reenact all of the different princess movies with her friends. They play the princess, the evil witch and the prince. The toys and costumes help them feel like they are really there as they play their own versions of each princess movie, like The Little Mermaid.

Now we can’t take a bath or shower without Princess Ariel joining us. The Disney Princess Swimming Ariel has become a favorite during outside play time too. Of course she also loves the Disney Princes Ariel & Sisters for outdoor play because she loves those little princess dolls and it’s a good thing because she’s getting a dollhouse for Christmas. The little princess collection is the perfect size for her coming dollhouse. Shhh don’t tell her, it’s a secret as Christmas is a few months away yet.

So the Disney Princess Ariel & Sisters is the first time in Mattel’s Disney Princess line where girls can play out their mermaid adventures with Ariel and her two sisters, Alana and Arista! All three dolls have magical tops that change color when dipped in water and playful swivel hips that mimic mermaid-like movements. We did have a little trouble changing the color, we figured it had to be cold water.

The Disney Princess Swimming Ariel makes water play a splash away. Turn the seashell at Ariel’s waist and then place her into the water to see her really swim. Watch as her tail moves up and down to swim through the water just like in The Little Mermaid. She does float and moves forward just a bit. The kids like passing her back and fourth in the bathtub. And here’s a video of Zoe when she first got her Little Mermaid Disney Princess Swimming Ariel.