2012 Gift Guide Archives

Popular British Doll & A Fabulous Girl Gift: A Girl For All Time Doll

December 22, 2012 by Momstart 11 Comments

Zoe’s going to love her birthday present this year. She already loves to play with dolls and loves fancy dresses on them and this popular British doll a Girl For All Time is all about fancy and intellect. The popular British Girl for all Time Dolls are so beautiful and stylish they’ve been featured in British Vogue! And now Amelia and Matilda have made the leap across the pond to delight American girls. I love these amazing girl dolls.

Designed by a British boutique toy company, A Girl for All Time® is an authentic, intelligent collection of dolls and books unlike any other on the market today. The costumes are designed by trendy London fashion designer Katya Wildman and Emmy nominated costume designer, Caroline Harris (A Knight’s Tale, An Ideal Husband). The dolls are crafted using a combination of traditional hand-sculpting methods and the latest in computer technology to create a doll that looks like fine porcelain, but is in fact durable vinyl, ready for many hours of active play.

Not only are they beautiful, they are intelligent, too! A Girl for All Time® draws on important events throughout British history, which are explored and beautifully recreated within the series by following the eldest girls in the fictional Marchmont family through 500 years of history, intrigue and adventures. The novels are written by twice-BAFTA nominated screenwriter/director, Sandra Goldbacher, and the Director of the Royal College of Art, Pete Salmi, has crafted the beautifully illustrated Keepsake books.

We received Matilda:

She’s so beautiful and had drawn eye lashes and some real ones. Her dress has beautiful details and so do her shoes. She has accessories that you can buy along with the books and diaries.

She has a story of the secrets she learned while she was at court with Queen Katherine of King Henry VIII. All I can picture in my head is all the stories from The Tudors so I’m going to have to read the book that we received as well to make sure it’s ok for little girls to read. I’m sure it is, but I still want to make sure.

Winner ‘Best Doll’ 2011 & 2012, Oppenheim ToyPortfolio ‘Platinum‘ winner, and ‘100 of the Best Educational Toys‘, this uniquely British brand encourages intelligent, creative play for girls 6 and older. You can see Matilda and Amelia, the first two dolls in the collection, here: http://www.agirlforalltime.com/.

If it’s too late for Christmas there’s still time for Valentine’s day. What little girl doesn’t have Daddy wrapped around her little finger? This Valentine’s Day celebrate your special bond with the leading little lady in your life with a gift of the next big doll craze: A Girl for All Time.

We received a sample.

Stocking Stuffers For Boys

December 22, 2012 by Momstart 6 Comments

In our family we love to do stockings and Miles was at first a challenge because I didn’t think about anything other than cars, then I remembered how much he loves action figures and Angry Birds. Hasbro has great gift ideas and stocking stuffers from Hasbro’s Boy brands. You can finds things from Marvel to Star Wars and Transformers, Hasbro can help check off everyone on your list, whether you’re shopping for a movie buff, a kid at heart or a building fanatic! Miles’ stocking is now full. I might have to take a few things out of the box but these things will be fantastic.

Stocking Stuffers

MARVEL THE AVENGERS 3.75" HEROES ASSORTMENT: The Ultimate Super Hero action collection features IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, HULK, BLACK WIDOW and HAWKEYE. Kids and collectors will want to assemble the whole team from Hasbro’s line of THE AVENGERS 3.75" Action Figures.
ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS Mystery Bags: For the ultimate Holiday surprise, pick up ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS Mystery Bags, which offer two figures from the collection in each bag.

For the Movie Buff

THE AVENGERS HERO MASKS: Every Super Hero needs an awesome mask! Now kids (and parents!) can pretend to be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with these masks based on the blockbuster hit, The Avengers. Choose from IRON MAN, HULK, THOR AND CAPTAIN AMERICA!
THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN HERO FX GLOVE: Kids will feel like SPIDER-MAN when they put on this fun electronic role-play glove. Sensors in the "web shooting compartment" will sense motion and respond with web shooting sound effects.
The Amazing Motorized Web Shooting Spider-Man Figure: This incredible figure is going to be more than a match for whatever villains cross his path. This Motorized Web-Shooting Spider-Man has not one, but two web shooters for double web-blasting action. Set up the included target that looks like his arch-nemesis, The Lizard, and start the web-blasting. He’s not just a hero, he’s a two-shooter web-crawling dynamo.

Kid at Heart

TRANSFORMERS GENERATIONS ACTION FIGURES: The TRANSFORMERS GENERATIONS DELUXE Assortment features Transformers characters and designs from throughout the history of the TRANSFORMERS brand. The assortment includes OPTIMUS PRIME, JAZZ and SHOCKWAVE.

Building Fanatics

TRANSFORMERS KRE-O allows builders to construct both the robot and vehicle mode of their favorite Transformers characters with the same set of bricks!

We received samples, some we will donate and some will go in a stocking!

Fisher Price Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table Serves Up Fun

December 18, 2012 by Momstart 6 Comments

Fisher Price Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table – Serving up Fun!

By: Ashley

When I found out that I had the chance to review the Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table from Fisher Price, I was ecstatic! My son absolutely LOVES to help me in the kitchen. Yes, he is mesmerized by anything with wheels, and anything related to dinosaurs, but his culinary curiosity is a force to be reckoned with. I try to have him help out in the kitchen as much as possible, but sometimes, that just doesn’t work out. The only problem with a kitchen set though, is the space and storage. That’s part of what makes the Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table so great! It is the perfect kitchen set if you’re tight on space, or need multi-purpose gear. Add to that, the great interactive features that this kitchen has and you have got a great toy. We had a playdate to put this kitchen to the test, and it passed with flying colors.

The set up of the kitchen is very easy for children to use. There is a great cooking area and an oven that opens up. The controls on the stove add wonderful sound effects that really add to the realistic kitchen feel. The stove burner bubbles, the griddle sizzles, and the oven has a timer and light.

There is a cook pad for the center of the table. This is where some of the magic really starts to happen. The large cook pad has a sensor that reads which accessory is locked in. A pizza pan comes with the set which signals the cooking pad to sing the pizza song. If you happen to have the grill set, you will hear the barbecue song! I love this! There are a couple of other sets too that go along with it.

One of the challenges with a kitchen set is what to do with it when it’s not in use. With the Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table, you put the dishes and cookware into the center storage area of the table, flip the stove section over, and you’ve got a regular kids’ table ready to go for art projects, snack time, or anything else! SO COOL!

Check out a quick video showing you some more features of the Fisher Price Servin’ Surprises Kitchen and Table. This toy can be found at most major toy sellers and online. It retails for about $75.00.

About Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): 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 Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010

Disclosure – A product was provided to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Hungry Hungry Herd: Farmville and Hungry Hippos Come Together for a Good Time

December 18, 2012 by Momstart 5 Comments

Hungry Hungry Herd! – Farmville and Hungry Hippos Come Together for a Good Time!

By: Ashley

When I was a kid a absolutely LOVED my Hungry Hungry Hippos game. I used to beg my parents to play, and loved getting my hippo to chomp away at the little white balls. I’m pretty sure I would even play on my own! After this Christmas, Atticus is going to be playing a little bit of my childhood favorite with his Grandma. You see, Hasbro Games has come out with a game that’s a slight twist on the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos. Hungry Hungry Herd combines the popular Farmville computer game with the classic board game. Since his Grandma loves Farmville, I thought this would be a great gift for them all to play together!

In Hungry Hungry Herd, you press a lever repeatedly trying to gobble up all of the pieces of food (small plastic marbles) rolling around the center of the board. At the end, whoever has the most food, is the winner! There are a few different variables on how to play, but that’s basically it. Atticus is 2 ½ and was able to play, but I can see him getting frustrated with not doing it super fast. That’s kind of the case with any young child playing board games though. I think it’s just one of those not fun growing up lessons – you can’t always win.

It’s been awhile (a pretty long while) since I have played the original Hungry Hungry Hippos, so I can’t really compare the actual mechanics and design of the board. I guess maybe now I need to try though!

Playing board games is a great way to spend time together as a family and if you’re lucky, you can find games that all the members of your family can play. Even if this game isn’t the one you’re looking for, or maybe you already have it, building a great selection of board games is a great idea.

Disclosure – A product was provided to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Duo Pinball for iPad

December 17, 2012 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Experience some pinball wizardry and relive your favorite arcade moments with Duo Pinball–the app-supported pinball controller for iPad. Flipper buttons and a spring-loaded plunger make pinball gameplay unbelievably real.

Includes Five Free Pinball Tables

The Duo Pinball controller, once connected to your Apple device, unlocks five free tables in the wildly popular Pinball HD Collection app (available on the App Store). Play Wild West, The Deep, Snow, DaVinci, Jungle Style and more.

Duo Pinball

Product Features

Duo Pinball connects wirelessly with Bluetooth to unlock five free Pinball HD Collection tables: Wild West, The Deep, Snow, DaVinci or Jungle Style and more!
Get ready for some pinball wizardry in three easy steps: 1) Download Pinball HD Collection from the App Store 2) Connect your iPad to Duo Pinball and launch Pinball HD Collection to unlock five free tables 3) Choose a table to play!
Connect Duo Pinball to a TV using your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, for a full-tilt gaming experience!
Compatible with iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation), iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (5th generation), and iPod touch (4th generation)

You can still use the tilt feature of Pinball HD while using Duo Pinball. Just touch the screen with your finger as if you were pushing the table.

The Duo Pinball controller is powered by three AA batteries. The package includes three AA batteries to get you started right out of the box.

Get ready for unbelievably real pinball gameplay in three easy steps. First, download the Pinball HD or Pinball HD Collection apps from the App Store. Connect your iPad, iPhone, or iPod to the Duo Pinball controller wirelessly via Bluetooth and launch the app. Then just choose one of the five free tables and play.

Duo Pinball connects wirelessly with your Bluetooth-enabled iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. The Duo Pinball is compatible with iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation), iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (5th generation), and iPod touch (4th generation).

About Duo Games

Based in Seattle’s Pioneer Square district, Duo Games has pioneered a category of portable gaming accessory products to become the worldwide leader in iOS gaming accessories and supporting apps. Duo Games products are designed to exist where digital and physical games meet, mingle, and connect to transform existing hit mobile games into something entirely new, and vastly better.

Nickelodeon Fisher-Price Team Umizoomi Umi Shape Adventures Board

December 15, 2012 by Momstart 7 Comments

A catchy toy that captures the kids interest before even opening the box. My kids love the really great sound effects. And I find the colors are really vibrant. The game works with 4 double-sided cards that encourage building and learning. The cards seem pretty sturdy. We had a 2 year over and he couldn’t stop playing with it. He didn’t even need to change the card.

If your child loves puzzles (as mine does), then I think this will be a big hit. I think it’s a really creative way to introduce colors and shapes. If you have a Team Umizoomi fan, this would be a solid, engaging holiday pick with educational value and I think educational value is very important.
The eight scenes are mostly gender neutral and very engaging — I think they did a really great job in selecting them:
-Truck
-Train
-Carnival
-Flowers
-Farm
-Submarine
-Rocket

From the Manufacturer

Introducing the Magic Motion Shape Board. Includes talking Shape Board, 5 double-sided Umi mission cards and 12 shape pieces. 3 easy steps to play. 1) Slide an Umi mission card into Bot’s belly screen. 2) Build real-life objects by plugging in shape pieces. 3) Slide Umi-car to see shapes spin and hear fun phrases and sound effects. For additional freeplay, shape pieces stack on and off the board. Place Umi mission cards and shape pieces right on the board for easy storage. Teaches shapes, spatial relations and measurement.

Product Description

Learn to create with shapes with Milli, Geo and Bot! Just insert a mission card into Bot’s belly screen and then find the shapes needed to build the object or scene! Once you’ve plugged the shapes into the board, you can slide the UmiCar button to see the shapes spin and to hear phrases & sound effects! Included are 12 shapes and 4 double-sided mission cards- build 8 scenes in all! Includes 3 “AA” (R6) batteries.

Sample received to give to charity

My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle RC Car – A Fancy Ride for a Fancy Wedding: Perfect for Preschool Girls

December 14, 2012 by Momstart 13 Comments

My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle RC Car – A Fancy Ride for a Fancy Wedding: Perfect for Preschool Girls

By: Ashley

Did you know there’s a super fancy and special My Little Pony wedding coming up? The first place I heard about it was actually here on MomStart when I saw Louise and the kids putting together the giant My Little Pony Wedding Castle. The castle was really impressive, but I was even more excited to see the remote controlled Twilight Sparkle Car. With a wedding this big, seeing the sparkly cars that can get everyone to the wedding is just as important!

I can’t say that I’m really up to date on my royal pony gossip, but I did a little research to find out that Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are about to get married! For those of you who don’t know, this will be a big time royal wedding that anyone pony who’s anyone in the world of My Little Pony will be heading to. This great little remote control car comes with Twilight Sparkle, a pony figure who can run out to pick up the flowers or deliver the cake. There’s even enough room in the car for another pony friend to ride along. With the Twilight Sparkle RC car, the control is very easy to understand. The straight arrow button movies it forward and the button with the curved arrow turns it.

We had the chance to test out the Twilight Sparkle RC Car before we donated it to charity and had a great time. It’s recommended for ages 3 and up, but Atticus is 2 ½ and did pretty well with it. I was impressed that it was able to go forwards without any trouble on carpet. Turning was a little tough for the little car on carpet, but it was able to do it. I can only imagine how fast the little Twilight Sparkle RC Car would zoom around on hard surfaces! My Little Pony RC Car is available online and at most toy retailers for a suggested price of $24.99.

Disclosure – A product was provided to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Xtreme Customz Ridez Swap Kit Build Your Own Ride Cars for Boys

December 12, 2012 by Momstart 5 Comments

Just in time for the holiday season, XTREME CUSTOMZ are scale-sized, customizable vehicles that transform just as fast as children’s imaginations. Starting from a wide range of body styles, kids use their creativity to customize their vehicle with interchangeable “Mix N Match” parts, and make the car or “RIDE” of their dreams come alive. Miles just went crazy when he saw how awesome the Xtreme Customz Ridez Swap Kit was. These cars are so cool, can I keep them, please, let me play with them, I want to help you review them. Those are the kinds of things he said as I was trying to get them out of the package.

He loves to zoom cars around the house, on me, on the table on the wall and anywhere and everywhere. Now he gets to design his cars and play with them too then the fun doesn’t stop as he can take them apart and change them. He’s all about taking things apart and seeing how they work so this is like a win win win kind of toy. I love how easily the parts pop on and off. Plus they go really fast.

XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ are easy to assemble for kids ages 5+, and feature a 4-mode adjustable chassis to go from Race, Lifted, Jacked and Off-Road…all with the push of a button! XTREME CUSTOMZ are available in:

Starter Kits – 1:48 scale (about the size of a cell phone) single vehicle with “Mix N Match” accessories

Swap Sets – two 1:48 scale vehicles with “Mix N Match” accessories

XL Kits –1:18 scale (about the size of a football) single vehicle with “Mix N Match” accessories

Whether kids are tricking-out a Dodge Viper or Chevy Corvette with snap-on turbo engines and quad sidepipes, or transforming their Spider-Man or Batman “Hero” RIDEZ with race spoilers and reversible rims, RIDEMAKERZ XTREME CUSTOMZ are sure to zoom to the top of kids’ wish lists.
Consumers can begin the fun by racing to retailers to pick up the new XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ at an assortment of stores including Amazon.com, Costco, CVS Pharmacy, Toys “R” Us, and ToysRUs.com. Starter Kits start at $9.99, Swap Sets at $19.99, and XL Kits at $34.99. To learn more, please visit www.xtremecustomz.com.

We received samples!

Sony eReader: The PRS-T2RC 6 inch Touchscreen WiFi eReader in Red

December 12, 2012 by Momstart 7 Comments

My husband has been using a Sony reader for a year now and he still loves it. It’s light weight, easy to travel with and works well. He uses it to check out library books and read himself to sleep every night. He also takes it to work and reads it on the bus. I’ve been using the Kindle, and can’t really decide which eReader I like most. I think I do like Sony most because it comes in red it’s just the books I like to read over and over again I have downloaded on the kindle. So it’s hard to give it up. But I do like sharing books with my husband and since he’s using the Sony now it works for me and I really really like the PRS-T2RC 6 inch Touchscreen WiFi eReader in Red. What I do know about this eReader is that it is super fast, connected easily to our network, easily connects and finds the local library and simplifies purchases. I’m really pleased with the updates between this version and the one my husband has from last year and how fast it is.

What’s your favorite book or favorite style of books?

My favorite books are science fiction, murder mystery, romance and absolutely love the book when it somehow combines all three. I wish I had more time to read too, reading exercises my brain in a way that blogging doesn’t. I get to take in words instead of this constant output of words. I’ve been writing so much for the holiday season and all these holiday reviews. Sigh, I really want to start reading again and I’d love to know what you recommend. ..

PLEASE tell me what I should try reading next.

And if you really want to know all the details about the Sony eReader: The PRS-T2RC 6 inch Touchscreen WiFi eReader in Red there are details below.

Product Features

In the Box – USB Cable, Stylus Pen, Quick Start(TM) Guide, Warranty Features
World’s lightest 6 eReader – Weighing less than 6 ounces, the lightest 6 eReader around is no bigger than an average paperback. This slim, 0.38-inch device has an elegant curved profile for easy holding and carrying in a pocket or bag.
Natural reading experience – Enjoy a natural reading experience with smooth page transitions and less flickering.
Public library downloads from the device over Wi-Fi – Borrow free eBooks from your local public library using the dedicated public library icon and a Wi-Fi connection.
Wi-Fi access to Sony Reader Store – Shop thousands of eBooks, newspapers, and magazines at Reader Store, and discover your next story with new recommendations each week.

Enjoy your favorite books whenever, wherever on the Sony Reader. Boasting a 6 touchscreen and weighing less than 6 ounces, the PRS-T2 Reader is no bigger than an average paperback. Download free books wirelessly from your public library or buy the hottest titles from Reader Store. The Sony Reader features a glare-free, E-Ink Pearl touch screen that is so easy to read, you’ll never want to put it down. Just say no to ads. Curl up with all the hottest titles and none of the distracting ads. Admire the lovably glare-free, paper-like display designed for hours of comfortable reading, even in direct sunlight. Use your fingertips to select a title, turn the page or zoom in and out. Get the titles you want at Reader Store or use the world’s first eReader with wireless public library access to borrow books directly from the device for free. Wireless pulic library downloads. Want an eBook to read for free? Pay a virtual visit to your local library any time of the day or night without setting foot outside your home. Tap the Public Library icon to wirelessly peruse, borrow and download eBooks from local public libraries directly to the device. Will travel. At less than 6 ounces and lighter than most paperbacks, the small, fiercely stylish Reader is one of the lightest 6? eReaders there is. Simply pop it in a purse, pocket or bag and keep your reading material constantly close at hand. The titles you want on tap. Line the shelves of your virtual library with the hottest new releases, page-turning bestsellers and classics close to your heart. Choose from books, newspapers, magazines and more to download wirelessly from Reader Store wherever you are. Fetching display. A simple touch to the Clear Enhanced display calls up your favorite books, while a swipe of the finger turns their pages and a pinch of two fingers can zoom in and out. Your eyes will thank you for the natural reading experience the E-Ink Pearl V220 antiglare screen.

Giving the Gift of Phillips Norelco 1250X SensoTouch 3D Electric Razor

December 12, 2012 by Momstart 5 Comments

The SensoTouch 3D Shaver gives men the look they want in minutes. It can be used wet with foam or dry without, and is cordless, making it convenient for travel or on-the-go use. It will be quite a different experience from the Bodygroom (that I reviewed a few months back) because this shaver is intended for a man’s face only. It allows him to get a close shave or show off his stubble. Its innovative technology provides superior shaving performance without sacrificing skin comfort or convenience and is powered by a lithium-ion battery . My husband LOVES Phillips Norelco electric razors, he loves them so much that he thinks it’s a waste for us to open it when we could give it to someone in need that can’t afford such a nice razor. Plus he’s a beard man now and loves to just use his Phillips Norelco trimmer. His trimmer is water proof and works much like the bodygroom except his has attachments. And unlike his Phillips Norelco razor that is sitting under the cabinet just waiting to be used the Phillips Norelco 1250X SensoTouch 3D Electric Razor is cordless. It comes with a travel lock and protective pouch. By combining gyroflex 3d, ultratrack heads and skinglide, it results in an extremely close shave in fewer strokes. Gyroflex 3d has three-dimensional-contouring. it pivots around, tilts inward, and flexes outward, to adjust seamlessly to every curve of the face and neck, minimizing pressure and irritation. We stand behind Phillips Norelco here at MomStart because their products last, and the Phillips Norelco 1250X SensoTouch 3D Electric Razor come with a 2 year warranty.

A reviewer did say:

The detachable head is extremely easy to clean and really does come out clean when you are done, no place for the hairs to hide so to speak. The shaver fits perfectly in the hand and has a good feel to it, it feels like some thought was put into it’s design and top quality materials were used in the manufacturing process. And it runs very quietly.

COUPONS! Get your coupons here.

· Save $20 on Philips Norelco SensoTouch 3D

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· Save $5 on Norelco PowerTouch, PowerTouch with Aquatec, 6945, Replacement Heads, Bodygroom, QT4019, QT4022, QT4070, QG3270, and QS6140

More About the Phillips Norelco 1250X SensoTouch 3D Electric Razor

Provides an Exceptionally Smooth Shave

Philips Norelco’s best shave yet, the SensoTouch 3D gives you the ultimate shaving experience. Its GyroFlex 3D system has three dynamic parts that move independently, flexing outward, pivoting around, and tilting inward, following the natural contours of your face.

Also, the UltraTrack shaving heads catch every hair in just a few strokes with three specialized shaving tracks: slots for the long hairs, channels for the longer hairs, and holes for the shortest stubble. And the Patented Super Lift&Cut dual blade system lifts hairs to cut comfortably below skin level. This razor gets the job done without leaving any stray hairs or stubble behind.

Comfortably Shaves–Wet or Dry

With the SensoTouch 3D, you can shave any way you want. The AquaTec seal gives you the option of either a comfortable dry shave or a refreshing wet shave with shaving cream or gel. And the low-friction SkinGlide shaving surface slides smoothly along your skin for a close shave without irritation.

Optimum Control and Precision

Designed for ease of use, the SensoTouch 3D has an easy-to-hold handle with an ergonomic grip for optimum control. The convenient trimmer offers skin-friendly precision for your mustache, goatee, or side burns.

Cordless, Travel-Friendly Design

The SensoTouch 3D charges in one hour and provides up to 50 minutes (or a maximum of 17 days) of shaving time. A display lets you know how much power remains in the lithium-ion battery and when you need to replace the blades.

The SensoTouch 3D is completely cord free, has a travel lock, and comes with a protective pouch, so you can toss it in your bag, briefcase, or suitcase when you’re on the go. Additionally, the razor features a worldwide voltage function that adjusts automatically from 100 volts to 240 volts AC, making the SensoTouch 3D ideal for international travel.

The SensoTouch 3D 1250X/40 is backed by a two-year warranty.

Now through December 17, Philips Norelco will give Twitter followers the chance to upgrade their electric shaving experience — and holiday experience – by giving away a PowerTouch with Aquatec every day. They will also give away a weekly $1,000 and SensoTouch 3D grand prize. You can find all of the details, rules and prizes on Their Twitter page @ShaveExperts.

Sample received.