Christmas Toy Guide Archives

Big Eye Dummies Are Back #giveaway

December 8, 2009 by Momstart 144 Comments

Slicka came to our house six months ago and when we first got him, my daughter wanted to open her up. I told her “that’s a donation for Bloggers Give”. It being purple her favorite color and her being only two it didn’t make any sense to her. My husband told me to be able to write a good review I needed to let her play with it first. So two against one, I gave in and opened it to let her play with it. We ended up keeping it. I never collected all of the pieces into one spot so that I could donate it. I suppose I still could.

The Big Eye Dummies are a colorful cast of characters with magnetic eyes and mouth. It says it’s for two and up and the only reason I can figure it says that for is because on of the eyes could be stuffed down a child’s mouth, but hardly. I can’t see my one year old doing that. Now that he’s almost two I know he could shove it down his mouth. He has a large mouth and loves to put things in it. Boys will be boys.

My daughter likes stuffing toys down her shirt so she took all the pieces down her shirt and then laughed. She said “where’d it go”? I told her she was being silly and I helped her find them. She laughed again and played with Slicka some more.

Slicka and her parts are now in pieces scattered between the two rooms.

About Big Eye Dummies:

Big Eye Dummies are made in New York City for people who love big eyes and dummies. I wonder if people in New York really like dummies. ;-)? It must be because they know deep in their heart that DUMB IS FUN.

Big Eye Dummies are created and designed by David Lipson, a dumdum himself since the 2nd grade (photo to the left is him), and a professional Animation Producer and Director who has worked on TV shows such as Word World (PBS), The Venture Bros. (Cartoon Network), Lizzie McGuire (Disney Channel), and TV Funhouse on Saturday Night Live (NBC).

Enter:

Visit Big Eye Dummies and tell me a fact about them.

Extra Entries:

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site and tell me where you advertised it. 10 Extra Entries
Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and to the sponsor for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!!
Comment on any other non giveaway post and come back and tell me you did
Use any of the Share options at the bottom of this post: Dig, Stumble, or fav me on Technorati (two entries for each one)
Add my button/blog to your blogroll/friend list 3 extra entries

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until December 28th 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org. All rules can be found under giveaway rules. I can not guarantee any shipping timelines and giveaways are running long right now because of my scheduled surgery. Good Luck!

Swinxs interactive activity game console #giveaway

November 8, 2009 by Momstart 413 Comments

Swinxs has been in our house for a week or two now. A toy I am keeping and recommend for the Christmas Gift Guide. Swinxs contacted me and asked me to do a review and when I saw the premise I was very excited to do this one. You see, this is an interactive toy that encourages kids to get off their bums!

I’m all over that one.

Swinxs is an interactive game console that you can take with you anywhere. It is chargeable over USB but also comes with a plug to plug into the wall. It is easy to set up and you can use your computer to customize it. It comes with about 10 different interactive games and it’s so much fun to watch my children play it. There are four bracelets that help the children interact with the toy but not all of the games require it.

For instance the fly swatting game. This is one of my families favorite games. To enter the game you swipe your bracelet, then you listen to the directions. Listen to the buzzing of the fly, when the fly lands you won’t hear the buzzing. Then you need to swat it. My kids love swatting the Swinxs. It makes a great loud sound.

There is Swinxs dash, Swinxs jukebox and Swinxs quiz.. As a mom trying to get my kids to play more swinxs dash is awesome. The kids love it, they love an excuse to run like wild monkeys throughout the house touching things and running back to me. This game is awesome because they get so worked up and excited. They start smiling and tackeling each other and then they giggle. I took some video of it but I can’t transfer it right now. Makes me sad because they are adorable playing with swinxs. This is perfect for the rainy day spent inside.

As I said above it is customizable. You can upload music to your on-line swinxs account and then download the music onto your swinxs. You can choose from other games and you can write your own game. I’m going to have to show my husband so he can create a game for us.

Swinxs not only sent me one to review but they are also offering one to giveaway to one of my readers.

To Enter:

Visit swinxs games and tell me what looks interesting to you.

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 23rd 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Learning Curve Daisy Green Way Interactive Camper and Accessories Christmas Gift Idea and #giveaway

November 4, 2009 by Momstart 442 Comments

Learning Curve sent my family the Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper. My kids started screaming, can we open it, open it mommy, ooh is it a toy can we have it, let’s play with it.

No, No, No,…

So I threw it in the closet and that is where it still is. Why?

Daisy is the perfect Christmas Present for both of my kids if you ask me.

Daisy has a pull-out cabin, is purple and has little people that can be carried around and put in and out of the cabin and the cabin has wheels and can roll. The cabin has bunk beds with a movable slide, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dog feeding station, a pull-down TV, removable captain’s chairs, and a flip-down grill. It is so much to do all wrapped up into one toy.

Daisy Greenway encourages caring for our big, green earth by rewarding earth-friendly behavior through magical electronic feedback that is activated by the steering wheel horn. Take a road trip with family and friends, and explore our big green world!

We were also sent two other play sets to use with the camper that included people and more animals.

The Caring for Critters play set includes a girl doll, a rescue station, a doctor’s bag, a bunny, a turtle, birds in a nest, and bandage labels. My daughter is going to flip when she gets to open this on Christmas morning. She loves animals and little girls. She carries little plastic dolls around with her everywhere and all these accessories are the perfect size for her purple purse.

We also received the Sweet Tree Swing. It came with a baby in a little swing. This will be another favorite with my daughter she loves babies. Everything is a mommy, memaw or a baby and sometimes everything is a baby because she wants to nurture it. I just can’t wait until Christmas to get the real smiles and giggles out of my children from these toys.

All of the sets sold separately on the Learning Curve site.

Learning Curve is also setting aside the same package for one of my lucky readers.

To Enter:

Visit Learning Curve and tell me what other toy you would like to try out.

And or

Follow Learning Curve on Twitter

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 23rd 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Klutz The Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2

November 4, 2009 by Momstart 275 Comments

Three (3) winners will receive:

the new release Encyclopedia of Immaturity VOL 2
and Encyclopedia of Immaturity VOL 1

Klutz sent me a copy of Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2 to review and then donate. My choice to donate it but I’m very excited that they chose me to review this fun new book. My husband likes it too. His words were, “this should be in someone’s office at work”. It made me laugh because it’s exactly what a bunch of programmers would sit around and do. We love our husbands but they sure do now how to be kids. Know what I mean?

In the Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2 there are tons of activities for the older child to do for entertainment. I mean 10, or 13 and up with no cap on the age range. Remember having pencil battles in school. There are directions in this book. Also it tells you how to fake a cold, play indoor Frisbee golf, and to make a potty pal. I’m really enjoying the directions on how to make mom a diamond ring worth 1.10. It’s pretty cool. The Encyclopedia is and encyclopedia of gags. So have a great time.

I’ve been enjoying different Klutz books for a few years now. They make all kinds of activity books for ages 4 and up, but I’ve let my kids play with a few of them and my kids are 2 and 1. The Only Coloring Puzzle Game, Dot-to-Dot Activity Book that I won last year was quite the winner with my daughter.

So any Klutz activity book is in my Christmas Guide this year. Keeps the kids minds active and off the TV.

To Enter:

Visit Klutz and tell me what activity book is your favorite

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 23rd 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Jakks Pacific Candy Bead Studio Donation and #giveaway

October 31, 2009 by Momstart 264 Comments

Jakks Pacific Candy Bead Studio would make a great gift for someone that has a strong will against candy. I couldn’t open this one and review it before donating it because I would have eaten all the candy and then it would not have made a very good donation.

I can tell you I love candy beaded necklaces.

Jakks Pacific Sent me this and the other toys that I have reviewed to be donated in the Toy Drive that I am heading up with Bloggers Give. Here are two other reviews I have done for them.

Style Six Screen Print by JAKKS Pacific Review

Boys Christmas idea GX Racers by JAKKS Pacific Review

Enter to Win one Candy Bead Studio

To Enter:

Visit Jakks Pacific and tell me what your favorite toy is.

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 23rd 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

My Friendship Bracelet Review/Donation and #giveaway

October 17, 2009 by Momstart 236 Comments

My Friendship Bracelet sent us a package to review and I’m not going to open it but wanted to share the information with you about it and include it in my holiday gift guide because I think it’s a great Christmas Gift for tweens. How many of us girls used to do this. I know I made some, I made a different kind though, the plastic braded ones were in style in my days. Looks easy in the video though. I love how many different colors it comes with and the fact that string is easy to find in stores.

if you are looking for an innovative toy that encourages friendship and quality play…the Friendship Bracelet is just what you need. The Friendship Bracelet Maker makes the perfect gift for Girls ages 6+. Be the hit with your next Birthday present, Back to School or Christmas gift!

To Enter:

Become a fan of theirs on Facebook

and/or

follow them on Twitter!

and/or

Visit My Friendship Bracelet Maker on-line and

Extra Entries

Vote for me for 5 extra entries

Comment on any other post and come back here and tell me you did.

Non-bloggers get an extra entry for every e-mail they send out linking to this giveaway cc louise@looksblue.com (be sure to leave a comment for every person you e-mail, for example if you e-mail 10 different people leave 10 different comments)

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and to the sponsor for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!!
Add my button to your blog/blog roll 10 extra points if it is on your homepage
Dig, Stumble, or fav me on Technorati (two entries for each one)

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 2nd11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

Dora Dora Dora, Christmas CD, Saves the Crystal Kingdom DVD, Toys and mora #giveaway

October 12, 2009 by Momstart 282 Comments

Dora’s Christmas CD
Available: 9/15
Preschoolers can share the holiday spirit with Dora and her adventure-loving pals as Nickelodeon and Sony Music Entertainment release the CD, Dora’s Christmas. Available in stores nationwide and on iTunes on Tuesday, Sept. 15, this perfect stocking stuffer includes 16 new holiday songs performed by the world’s most beloved Latina heroine, Dora the Explorer. The disc features classic carols with a Latin twist, including “Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus Is Coming Aquí!” The CD also includes bonus songs from Nickelodeon’s upcoming TV special, “Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure.”

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom DVD
Available: 9/22
Enter the magical, musical world of the Crystal Kingdom in the all-new Nickelodeon feature-length adventure Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom. Along with this never-before-seen title episode, the DVD includes two additional adventures from the top-rated preschool series.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom , Dora continues her magical storybook adventure from last fall (“Dora Saves the Snow Princess”), when the magic crystal that the Snow Princess gave her brings to life another character in her storybook – Allie of the Crystal Kingdom. A greedy king has stolen the crystals that give Allie’s kingdom color. Dora and Boots must help Allie locate the crystals and turn the pale gray kingdom back into a colorful wonderland before it’s too late.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom Wii Video Game

A Greedy King has taken all of the crystals that make Crystal Kingdom colorful and without them the Crystal Kingdom is starting to lose its color! Join Dora, Boots and Allie on an adventure through storybook lands to recover crystals and save the Crystal Kingdom!

Dora and friends jump, climb, swing, slide and explore their way through the Crystal Kingdom!
Authentic character voice of Dora and other characters from the Dora the Explorer TV Show!
Grown-ups can join in using the Helper Feature and a second controller.
Help restore the color to the Crystal Kingdom by finding all of the color crystals throughout different locations like a butterfly cave, cloud castle and dragon land! Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom
Kid-Tested approval by children and moms for age-appropriateness, fun-factor and quality!

Dora’s Explorer Girls – Dora Links

The Dora Links doll is the cornerstone of the entire new Dora’s Explorer Girls collection, featuring an older Dora who lives in a rich online world with her new friends and attends school in the big city. An exciting addition to the realm of ever-popular, preschool-focused Dora the Explorer dolls and products that are available, this brand-new doll line by Mattel features dolls and accessories that allow girls to interact with and influence the online adventures of Dora and her new friends. This new collection, based on characters and storylines created by Nickelodeon, is innovative, diverse, wholesome, bi-lingual and entertaining. At www.DoraLinks.com, girls can explore, play games, customize and–most importantly–solve mysteries with Dora and her friends! By plugging the Dora Links doll into a computer, girls can access Dora’s brand-new, exclusive interactive online world. And, through this exciting new innovation in computer-connected play, as girls are playing with Dora in her online world, they can customize their doll and watch as she magically transforms right before their eyes. $59.99/ 5+

The Dora Loves Puppy line
Today Kmart and Nickelodeon announced the launch of "Dora Loves Puppy" – an
exclusive apparel, toy and specialty goods line designed around top-rated
preschool series, Dora the Explorer. Available exclusively at Kmart stores
nationwide and at www.kmart.com beginning today, "Dora Loves Puppy" takes
kids on a new adventure with Dora and her canine companion Perrito, and
opens up a brand-new personalized online experience at www.dorapuppy.com.
The product launch follows the storyline of Dora’s adoption of her new pet.
Kmart will offer deals and free offers at the launch of the line, including
a free "Dora Loves Puppy" poster personalized with their child’s favorite
picture courtesy of Shutterfly.com (from Sept. 13-26), and the "Dora Loves
Puppy" DVD for $4.99 with a $20 Dora Loves Puppy purchase (from Sept.
27-Oct. 10). Mom Start's Christmas Guide

We were sent Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom on DVD and Dora’s Christmas CD to review. I think my daughter is now in love with Dora and I don’t find Dora so annoying anymore. I didn’t used to like her, maybe it was because I always wanted to take a nap and her singing always woke me up.

I love Christmas music and was happy that I could add another children’s Christmas CD to our collection of Christmas Music. Zoe loves it too. She always requests it when we are in the van and when I put it on the other morning she didn’t like that mommy added some other CD’s to the playlist. She only wanted to listen to Dora, not even our Mickey Mouse Christmas CD would do.

I have one copy of the Dora saves the Crystal Kingdom DVD to giveaway and one copy of the DVD to giveaway.

To Enter:

Tell me something about one of the other Dora Products listed above.

Extra Entries:

Vote for me for 5 extra entries

Comment on any other post and come back here and tell me you did.

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 2nd11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

G. I. Joe the Rise of Cobra taught my children new words and phrases

October 4, 2009 by Momstart 7 Comments

What we got out of the Rise of Cobra:

My 18 month old can say “Cobra” in a husky voice

My daughter says, “Where is GI Joe”, and “Are you saving the day daddy?”

My husband had entertainment in front of the children for two weeks.

EA and Hasbro was kind enough to send us a review copy of G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra and my husband played it until he defeated the game and now he’s earning all of the Xbox Live points that he can. He loves to complete games at 100 percent if he can. Sometimes all of the extras are hard but he keeps at it. It keeps him busy at night while I’m blogging.

He said that GI Joe The Rise of Cobra was a great game and he tried over and over to get me to play with him. He liked it because it was designed the same way that Lego Star Wars was in that it was co-op where the second player could join at any time and start playing or drop out at any time. That’s nice!. (He just told me it’s called Local Co-op Multiplayer) Also, there was never a time where I had to play with him. I take that back, one of the Xbox live points that he needs to achieve will need me to log in and play with him.

Plenty of Unlockables
The Rise of Cobra features a variety of unlockables in a variety of areas that keep its arcade-style action fresh. Just a few of these include four unlockable Cobra bosses, which add to the replayability of the game; more than 70 file cards which hold the vital stats for Joe and Cobra characters seen in the game; and even several public service announcements (PSAs) featuring footage from the original GI Joe cartoon.

Key Features

Move Beyond the Movie – All-new storyline developed exclusively for the game picks up where the movie leaves off.

Live GI Joe – Experience the greatest moments from the film, cartoons and toys.

Pick Your GI Joe Team – Choose from 12 GI Joe characters, as you exploit their unique fighting styles, skills and weapons.

Unlock Playable Cobra Characters – Play as four different Cobra characters.

Co-op Team Play – Two-player single-screen co-op play lets you and a friend pick your elite GI Joe team and call in support from other GI Joe characters.

Venomous Cobra – Battle the deadliest Cobra bosses as you snake your way through enemy territory.

Pedal to the Metal – Command heavy firepower with GI Joe vehicles and artillery.

Xbox LIVE Aware – Xbox LIVE aware with LIVE achievements and Xbox LIVE Friends.

Product Description
Suit up, grab your gear and prepare to lock and load as you take control of the elite G.I. JOE team against the evil forces of COBRA. Based on the upcoming film from Paramount Pictures, the G.I. JOE video game picks up where the movie leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the blockbuster film, cartoon and action figure toy line.

I’m also happy with this game because it’s a clean game. A lot of the fighting games have bad words or in appropriate things being said and I don’t like for my kids to hear bad things. I mean the worst word I say is “crap” and I get upset with myself when I say it in front of the kids. Which reminds me, I think my daughter learned a bad word from her grandmother while I was in Texas. She says it now and then, I’m just ignoring it and not repeating it. I’m hoping that as she doesn’t hear it anymore it will leave her vocabulary.

YO-JOE!

After thinking about this, I decided to add it to my Christmas Guide.

My Christmas Guide Recommendations:

Ages: 8 +
boys and girls
Gift, or a stocking stuffer

Around 50.00 in price

Remember Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boy #giveaway.

October 4, 2009 by Momstart 216 Comments

They are all at it again and this time they are on our computes and Nintendo DS’s as video games. From Take Two Interactive, Sega, and Her Interactive comes Nancy Drew Dossier Resorting to Danger on the PC and The Hardy Boys Treasure on the Tracks.

Resorting to Danger

Stop the bombs from exploding at the exclusive Redondo Spa. You, as Nancy Drew, must stop a bomber from ruining the Redondo Spa clients’ rejuvenation and relaxation. The high maintenance clients won’t be happy if they find that their retreat is about to explode, even if the bombs are more prankster grossouts than dangerous. Now, Nancy Drew is undercover as the spa gopher catering to the customers’ eccentric requests while defusing bombs. From celebrities who escape here to the receptionist at the front desk—everyone is a suspect! Who is sabotaging the spa and can Nancy catch the culprit before the spa loses all of its clients?

Features:

• First person POV empowers players to become Nancy Drew and crack the case
• Story-based experience with a compelling mystery that moves forward with logical and clear goals
• As Nancy Drew, players find clues, interview suspects, and solve puzzles to unravel the story
• Intuitive game experience is easy to pick-up-and-play, user-friendly and forgiving
• Delivers the instant gratification and rewards that mass market gamers expect
• Innovative sparkling magnifying glass system eliminates endless searching for vague clues
• Clear goals with lots of hints help the player navigate and solve the mystery
• Lifelike characters with intriguing profiles and realistic graphics immerse the player in the mystery
• Organic, story-based problems and puzzles involve true ‘detective’ work – not just observation and deduction
(e.g. defusing bombs and snooping in private offices)
• Redesigned UI gives player more options to interact with the environment
• Point Rewards: The better sleuth you are, the more points you can earn to unlock bonus content
• In-game riddles, activities, and puzzles add more brain-teasers to the game
• Alternate endings: 6 different endings depending on choices the player makes

System Requirements:

Windows XP/Vista, 1 GHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, 300MB hard drive, 32MB DirectX 9.0 video card,
16MB sound card, 24X CD-ROM

The Hardy Boys Treasure on the Tracks.

The Hardy Boys Treasure on the Tracks

Recover Royal Treasure on the Rails in Europe! You, as the Hardy Boys, are invited onboard the Royal Express traveling from Paris to St Petersburg to follow the mysterious trail of the Romanov Family treasure. As you take the journey that the family planned to take themselves all those years ago, can you unlock their secret – and give someone back a life that seemed destined to be trapped in fading memories forever?

At-A-Glance
Title: The Hardy Boys®:
Treasure on the Tracks
Platform: Nintendo DSTM
Publisher: Sega®
Distributor: Sega
Rating: E for Everyone with Mild Violence
Release: September 1, 2009
MSRP: $19.95

Features:

• Play as Frank and Joe Hardy on a royal Russian train to solve the mystery.
• Snoop around in the train cars, interrogate suspects, and solve interactive puzzles.
• Switch characters to play as a highly trained international female spy you meet along the way.
• Paint pictures, search for hidden clues, and dodge pursuers using the stylus.
• Travel through a rich European landscape, including stops in Vienna, Paris, Prague, Warsaw, and St. Petersburg.
• Take risks without starting over – the game will automatically return you to the point before the fatal mistake.

Two winners will each get one copy of both games (40.00 Value)

The Hardy Boys Treasure on the Tracks

Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger

To Enter:

Visit Her Interactive and tell me what other games you find interesting.

Extra Entries:

Comment on any other review post and come back here and tell me you did.

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!!

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until October 26th 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

My Little Pony Twinkle Wish Adventure DVD #giveaway

October 4, 2009 by Momstart 108 Comments

Here is a brand new My Little Pony coloring page. My Little Pony Coloring Page

Here is a Sneak Peak:

We received My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure from Hasbro to review and to giveaway. Wait, they gave us two copies, one to review and keep and the other to giveaway to another little lucky girl. If you have a girlie girl like I do she is sure to love this movie. Ever since we got it my daughter has given up My Friends Tigger and Pooh. I never thought that would happen. It’s..

“Can we watch Pony Tails”

“I want to watch Pony Tails”

She’s still only two no matter how old I make her out to be she still gets words mixed up, but not very often. So now she loves to watch My Little Ponies. I think I’ve seen it ten times already. It seems like it’s the same tune that was used in the 80’s when I watched My Little Ponies. So this is another show that I get to share with my daughter.

When will Rainbow Bright Come out again?

So from the heart of a little girl, watching the ponies go on an adventure to save Twinkle Wish, the top of their Christmas tree in time to save Christmas is a heart warming movie. It’s about making friends and working together. Because my daughter likes it so much, I have decided to add My Little Ponies Twinkle Wish to Mom Start’s Christmas Guide

To Enter:

(I’m also going to throw in Word World Spooky Kooky Halloween)

What do you wish for for Christmas?

Leave the answer in the comments.

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment on any other Mom Start’s Christmas Guide post and come back here and tell me you did. Giveaway Ends October 26th