Sprig Toy Review - Dolphin Explorer Boat

 I'm just going to come out and admit it. I am that mom. The one who lies to her kids. I may have, on many occasions, lied about the fact that a toy didn't make noise. I have yanked batteries before they noticed how it was supposed to work, or let batteries die without replacing them.

What? I believe in the power of imagination!

And then, sometimes I'm delighted to discover toys that don't require batteries and that, by their simple, ingenious designs, are all about promoting the power of imagination. When they happen to be green toys, well, that's just icing on the cake.

All Sprig Toys are eco-friendly and unbelievable adorable. I guarantee that you won't be able to resist picking up the cute little people and I doubt that you'll leave their site without thinking of a few little people in your life who would love to create their own adventures with these toys.

I was fortunate to receive our buddy Captain Owen and his rugged little boat. Is he a fisherman? Is he a dolphin watcher? Depends on the day and who's telling the story.

Sprig Toy Dolphin Explorer Pros:

- Parents will love the eco friendly, made from recycled materials toy. Kids will adore the tough little boat and the adorable dolphins.

- The toys are made from Sprigwood, a mix of recycled plastic and reclaimed sawdust. It's smooth to the touch and very pleasant to handle.

- Two boats! For even more imaginative play.

- Waterproof, so great for pool, beach, or even tub time. Dolphins are the only hollow creatures, but they are well designed with no place water can stay trapped and make the toy moldy. Everything else dries nicely.

- The box is more than just a box! It has cut-outs that add a whole other dimension to the toys inside. 

Sprig Toy Dolphin Explorer Cons:

- Our kids aren't used to having toys that have to be fuelled so far by their imaginations. Captain Owen doesn't even have a face. It takes a while for them to get engaged and start having fun with this, but once they do it's hard to tear them away!

- Price point - $29.99 - is a hair higher than I'd go for a basic birthday party toy, but for a toy with this quality and ingenuity I'd invest for my own children, a close friend, or a family member. (Many toys on the site are more in my birthday party price range!)  

I am a huge fan of Sprig Toys and I was delighted to see that they're easy to find. I even spotted one of the trucks at Baby Gap the other day! They have trucks and princesses and even fun book/toys for interactive reading play. I know quite a few kids who will be getting some rugged chunky little imagination boosters in their stockings this year...

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Sprig Toys. I was given a Dolphin Explorer Boat for review purposes and was in no other way compensated for this review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Halloween Fairy Gift Ideas

Despite all your wonderful memories of sorting through your Halloween haul and the joy you got out of having all that candy to savor during the days weeks after the spooky holiday, now that it's your kids sifting through countless candy bars, you're feeling a bit squeamish.

Enter the Halloween Fairy.

She's the awesome little creature who sneaks in during the night and trades your kid's Halloween candy stash for a cool toy or book. (What you the Halloween Fairy does with all that candy is up to you her.)

Love the idea, but don't really know what the Fairy could leave? How about a couple ideas?

1) Candy Land might rubbing it in a bit much, but there are other great board games that would be as fulfilling as a bag full of candy. Halloween Jenga, Boo-opoly, or the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin Yahtzee keep the spookiness going, but there are also options if you want to turn your minds to the next holidays, like, say, Holiday Jenga! (Who knew Jenga could lend itself to awesome holiday applications?!)

2) Webkinz come in adorable Halloween-y cuteness, like a little black cat, a sweet little bat, or the cutest little dragon ever. Putting Halloween behind you? How about a delicious little Turkey Webkinz?

3) Once Halloween is over it's time to start decorating the house for some Thanksgiving fun! You'll need your fair share of crayons, construction paper, and glitter to get it all done!

4) Speaking of Thanksgiving, what if the Halloween Fairy traded food for food? No, I'm not talking about more candy, I'm talking about a fun cookbook that might get your kids excited to help with all that holiday cooking! The Pillsbury Kids cookbook, Kid's Fun and Healthy cookbook, and Williams-Sonoma Kids in the Kitchen: Fun Foods book are great places to start.

5) Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean that the dressing up fun has to end. Mr Potato Head looks just as good as a Halloween ghost, as he does as Spiderman, Indiana Jones, or even, say, a certain jolly fat man dressed in red. Hey! This one could even pass as the Hannukah Bunny. You know, if he existed anywhere outside my head.

6) Or, for the slightly sadistic parent (ahem, not pointing any fingers...), how about a sweet reminder of what the Halloween Fairy spirited away? M&M, Starburst, or Twix pillow anyone? Aw! Come on, at least it would be funny! For you!

Obviously these are just a few of the millions of options that the Halloween Fairy could come up with. Hunt around and let your imagination run wild. Then be good to yourself and get rid of the candy instead of eating it all in one sitting. Your teeth will thank you, even if your personal trainer and your dentist don't.

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Scooby-Doo First Frights - The perfect game for this spooky season

Remember Scooby and the gang? If you're anything like me you watched them solve mysteries for hours on end as a kid. Well, today you can put all those hours of cartoon watching to work as you help them gather clues and catch the villains!

Scooby-Doo First Frights is a great game available on the Wii, DS, and Playstation 2. While I was at first a bit skeptical, the game looked a bit simple and young, both M and I were quickly drawn into the neat graphics and the fun the game had to offer.

Four different story lines are divided into multiple levels. Each character from the original cartoon is present and over the course of the game the player gets to be everyone - each character has his own skill set and all are essential to crack the cases. They tackle the levels two by two, working in tandem whether in one player or two player mode. In fact, one of my favorite parts of this game was that it was easy to pop in and out of two player mode without interrupting the game. Have a moment or want to help fight off some bad guys? Click into play. Need to run off to tend to something? Click back out and the first player resumes being in control of both characters.

It was an imaginative game, made up of most of the usual gaming elements - combat, points gathering, puzzle solving - but with a couple fun new twists. I loved being able to think through the collected clues to unmask the villain at the end of each story line.

Scooby-Doo First Frights Pros:
- Fun graphics and engaging story and game.
- Nice variety of play - a bit of problem solving, puzzling, fighting, and quest solving.
- Loved the ability to switch from character to character and being able to drop in and out of play.
- Incredible voices, just like the cartoon - it felt like the cartoon had become interactive.
- It might be a kid's game, but it kept these two adults entertained for a few hours on end!

Scooby-Doo First Frights Cons:
- We assumed that all the episodes would be the same length and we learned the hard way that they get longer and longer. This is great for the game, not so great when you're trying to finish up an episode before bed!
- We stumbled on one bug along the way, but luckily the auto save function worked so we didn't have to start from scratch when we reset the game.
- This isn't a novice game. There are some tricky parts along the way.

In conclusion, this is a fun game that is coming out just in time for Halloween. The spooky tone will entertain all your trick-or-treaters nicely after they gather all their treats! Even better, this might be the perfect gift to trade for all that loot! The fun will last way longer than the sugar high would have.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the companies that make, distribute, or sell this game. I was given a copy of the Wii game for testing and reviewing purposes.

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Alternative Halloween Treats

Before I had kids all Halloween ever meant for me was candy, candy, candy. Then I had a baby and I realized that most of the stuff that is handed out to trick-or-treaters isn't exactly toddler friendly.

Gummy candy? Chocolate with nuts? Sticky toffee? Yeah, none of that is exactly what you want your baby cutting her teeth on. So, the first year that C was old enough to trick-or-treat I stocked up on candy (old habits die hard) and I also got a box of teeny tiny play-doh tubs to hand out to the half pint crowd. It was a huge hit.

The next two years we handed out candy and Halloween rubber duckies. Interestingly enough the toddlers and their parents weren't the only ones to snap up the non sweet treats. The high schoolers loved them too.

Want to get into the habit of handing out more than candy bars? Check out these fun and affordable Halloween treats.

1) Halloween crayons - Crayons are always welcome and always useful. About $3 for a pack of 12.

2) Halloween bubbles! - Find me a kid who doesn't like bubbles? About $8 for a pack of 24.

3) Halloween stickers - There's something about stickers that really turns toddlers on. Or maybe just mine. I just know she'd flip for these. About $4 for 36 sheets.

4) Halloween pencils - These might not be as exciting as bubbles or stickers, but some kids still flip for these! - $1.40 for 12

5) Halloween tattoos - Fake tattoos obviously. A step higher than stickers, even for the toddler set. Plus, how cute is a little skull on a baby arm? $6 for 120.

6) Halloween rubber duckies and Glow in the dark Halloween rubber duckies - These have been a huge hit in our house for the last two years, both with my kids and the trick-or-treaters. About $4 for 12 regular duckies. About $8 for 24 glow in the dark duckies.

Want to stick to handing out edibles, but don't want to give out candy?
How about some of these alternative options?

1) Individual packs of pretzels - Most toddlers can eat these and they make a nice change. About $19 for 50 bags.

2) Individual packs of goldfish crackers - They should just call these crack instead of crackers. About $23 for 24 individual packs.

3) Individual mini-boxes of raisins or craisins - These will be a hit with the little ones, not so much with the bigger kids. Price varies from store to store.

4) Juice boxes - All that trick-or-treating can make a toddler thirsty. Apple & Eve 100% fruit juices come in handy little 44oz boxes that sport everyone's favorite Sesame Street characters. Prices vary from store to store.

5) Milk boxes - Organic chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, or plain milk. In boxes. That don't spoil. Wait. Maybe this is a treat for mommies, not toddlers. About $16 for pack of 12.

Basically, if you think outside the box, you don't have to rush to Target or Costco to stock up on the same candy that every other house on the block is going to be handing out. Just don't be that family and hand out toothbrushes, healthy vitamin bars, or anything else that might get you egged by some unhappy trick-or-treaters!

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Top Thirteen Uses for a Microfiber Cloth

I first encountered microfiber cloths in the Solutions Catalog. I'd get the promo emails and I'd drool, then I'd delete the email and go about my day. They were cloths. We had cloths. I didn't need any more.

Oh, if only I'd known.

I can't remember what pushed me to finally order a set from Amazon. (I'm pretty sure it was the Active Ion demonstration.) My 36 Zipes Microfiber Cloths arrived and our lives changed.

OK. Maybe that's a bit extreme. But still! Do you know how awesome these things are? Even M is a convert and he didn't even complain too much when I bought another set of 36 from Costco. (What? They were bigger. And on sale. And. And. I needed more. Plus, I've been giving them as gifts. So there.)

Don't believe me? Well, maybe this list of top thirteen things you can do with microfiber cloths will convince you! (It started as a top ten list, but I couldn't stop...)

1. Best dust cloths ever. They trap dust like nobody's business.
2. Best window washing cloths ever. They don't leave any little lint streaks behind. Seriously.
3. Replacement for Swiffer wet AND dry cloths. Save the environment and never run out! Squeee!
4. Best dishcloths ever. One swipe of a microfiber cloth over a plate and it's instantly dry. Even better, one microfiber cloth will dry a mountain of dishes!
5. Best hand towel ever. Dry your hands and they're instantly dry. Say goodbye to that clammy not quite dry feeling you get from dishcloths.
6. Burp cloths! Do you have a baby who seems to spit up more than he drinks? Large microfiber cloths will be your saving grace. Super soft and super absorbent. Need I say more?
7. Cloth diaper liner. I'm not a cloth diaperer, but I know a mom who swears by these. It makes sense, they absorb a ton of liquid and they're super soft.
8. Sop up spills. Kids spill something on a rug, bed, or carpet? Use a microfiber cloth to mop up the spill. You'll get more out of that carpet than you would with a regular towel or dishcloth. (Even works on toddler pee! Don't ask me how I know.)
9. Car multipurpose cloth. Use it to dust the dash, mop up spills, clean messy kids, whatever comes up. And you know it does.
10. Screen cleaner. A tiny bit of moisture and some gentle elbowgrease and all those fingerprints, smudges, and whatever else is clouding up your computer screen, TV screen, or phone screen will be history.
11. Jewelry and silver polish. Gentle enough for all your most valuable valuables, tough enough for the grime covering them.
12. Baby and kid wipes. A damp microfiber cloth will wipe a chocolatey face clean faster than any paper towel. And if you're trying to be a greener parent you could do worse than use a stack of these instead of disposable wipes. A little spray bottle of water and you're set to handle the most foul of diapers!
13. CD/DVD cleaner. In a house filled with children there are few CDs that aren't covered in fingerprints and unidentifiable sticky substances. These cloths can make them shine like new again.

Have I convinced you yet? Buy a set, if you're not an instant convert you can send them to me. I bet I can find a thing or ten to do with them.

Ready, Go Play-doh Contest!

Do you love Play-doh? Is your child creative? Could you use some cash to kit out your play room? How about your school, do you think they could use some money?

This is the contest for you!

Embracing the idea of creating food, Play-doh has created a "Ready, Go Play-doh" contest where kids can come up with their own Play-Doh "food" creations for a chance to win a makeover of both their playroom and their school's playroom.

Visit www.ReadyGoPlayDoh.com to enter by uploading a photo of your child's food-inspired Play-Doh creation along with the "recipe" to make it.

The grand prize winner of the "Ready, Go Play-doh" contest will win $10,000: $5,000 for a playroom makeover as well as a $5,000 "Doh-nation" to their child's school. Contest entries will be accepted through September 30, 2009.

On October 15, 2009, the ten finalists will be posted on ReadyGoPlayDoh.com and the public will vote on who receives the $10,000 prize! The website will also feature a gallery of entries, so even if you don't win, everyone will see your child's creation.

What are you waiting for? Go forth and create!

Play-Doh Burger Builder

If I ask you to name one Play-doh set you used to play with as a child I bet you're only going to hesitate for a moment before you answer. (Mine was that nifty set where the people grew hair.) For my kids that memorable set is going to be the Play-doh Burger Builder. Without a doubt.

As soon as I pulled out the box their eyes lit up and their smiles broadened. I mean, they love Play-doh, but this promised extra fun.

Little L contemplating the possibilities.

We broke out the kit and got to work making burgers. Within moments even I was transported to childhood as we made patties and buns, lettuce, and tomatoes, and even perfect little pickles. But the most fun was had when we tried the potato chip maker. Seriously, get this kit just for the fun you'll get from this little hand cranked tool. It spits out potato chips and sends them flying everywhere. Way too much fun.

C's masterpiece.
If you squint you can see the cheese she included.

We built a ton of burgers and made miles of fries before the girls got sidetracked and the Play-Doh session ended the way they all do, with them making mountains of spaghetti and mommy picking up tiny pieces off the floor. It was a real hit.

Play-doh Burger Builder Pros:
- Great variety of options. Aside from all the usual spaghetti shapes that you can press out, you can also press out burger, bun, and condiment shapes, and of course there's the fabulous potato chip maker.
- Affordable. For around $20 you can have one great kit that will net hours of play and five small tubs of Play-doh.
- Easy to manipulate even for little hands. Little L (2yo) was able to press out some burgers with a bit of help.

Play-doh Burger Builder Cons:
- If you happen to be a bit anal about your Play-doh colors not mixing or your burgers being the right color, this might not be the set for you. At first our burgers were picture perfect (see first picture), by the end they looked more like questionable veggie burgers than prime Angus beef burgers. The girls didn't mind. A more anal person might have noticed cared.
- The colors needed for making traditional looking burgers and condiments aren't part of the small packs of refills. You'd have to get the big pack or find the colors individually.

Major thumbs up for this little gem of a Play-doh kit!

***
Has your child created a Play-doh food masterpiece? Enter it in the big "Ready Go Play-doh" contest and you could win $10000! Contest ends Sept 30, 09, so hurry!