Learn Through Music TouchPad Review

If you have been following along, you know that I used to be a music teacher before I started my new adventure of Motherhood. I still love music and have tried to instill music in Mason from the very beginning. I was so excited to find out that I would be getting an opportunity to review the Fisher-Price Learn Through Music TouchPad.

This awesome TouchPad is an updated version of the original Learn Through Music system. This musical learning system is really perfect for the pre-schooler who is ready for more advanced toys, like iPad products. However, unlike some of the other iPad products, the Learn Through Music system is a toy that your child can successfully navigate with minimal, if any, help.

The Learn Through Music TouchPad offers a large screen for little fingers to easily use. The touch sensitive screen not only lights up, but has different "touch points" that your child can interact with. Mason easily figured out how to navigate through the different screens and even returning to a previous screen if he needed. Your child will learn fundamental lessons through rhythm, rhyme, repetition, storytelling, interactive play and music.

I love that the TouchPad is, first off, an interactive music-based learning system. Your child will have the opportunity to play educational games, identify patterns, compare & contrast, follow sequences, listen to directions, and sharpen logic and memory skills. There are several learning cartridges of your child's favorite characters like Dora the Explorer: Dora's Lost in Play Park Adventure and Thomas the Train: Thomas And Friends: A Sodor Celebration that will take your child into a whole new world of songs, games, stories and adventures!

Overall, I really liked the Learn Through Music TouchPad. And, more importantly, Mason loves it. He was so excited about the toy he couldn't wait to play with it. Before I could even get it out of the box, he was playing with it and was carrying it around the house with him.

Mason does not have any touch screen toys yet and this is the first. I was amazed to see how quickly and how easily he took to the toy. No explanations needed on my end. I love that he can play and explore with this toy by himself. I found this to be a very rewarding gaming system for him. The music based play is fun and he did not get frustrated like he does with some of his other interactive toys. Mason especially liked the attached microphone. This allowed him to sing along with the characters in the included learning cartridge.

On several occasions, Mason has taken this TouchPad on car rides and to visit family. It was great over the Thanksgiving holiday. Since I always travel with a toy or two to keep Mason happy, this was the perfect and obvious choice for him. I give this TouchPad two thumbs up on portability!

Another bonus (for the parents) is that the Learn Through Music TouchPad allows for your child to plug headphones into the TouchPad for quiet play. Your child can enjoy music and sounds without filling your house with noise or disrupting a sleeping sibling.

The Learn Through Music TouchPad is a complete on-screen navigation system with a great microphone for sing-along learning, and a jack for headphones. It includes one learning cartridge - Leo and Friends Alphabet Museum, a microphone for sing-along learning and 4 “AA” batteries. It is recommended for ages 2 and up and retails for $54.99.




Fisher Price provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

PetCakes Review

Like most kids, Mason has a bunch of stuffed animals. I am very careful to choose what new toys I introduce to Mason to, but when I saw PetCakes, I knew this was a must have for him to check out.

"PetCakes is a new collectible plush pet line that will be a sweet treat for children ages 3 and up. Each PetCake animal features a "frosting" hat, comes nestled in its own cupcake wrapper and has its own whimsical backstory. At first look, children will see a delicious cupcake but will then be surprised by the pet they find snuggled inside!"

The day the box of PetCakes arrived, I happened to open it while Mason was sleeping. When I opened the box to check them out and this is what I found, Nutty Nicky and Roco Coco from Series 2 of the collection.

Not thinking, I put them aside to begin my review and initial thoughts of the toy. An hour later, Mason woke up from his nap, PetCakes still on the table, and me now doing dishes. I heard the pitter patter of his little feet coming down the steps and next thing I knew he is reaching with all his might to get to the PetCakes off the counter. How cute, I thought, he must like them. Like them??? That was an understatement! Mason not only played with his new "friends" all day long, he brought them in the car with him when I had to run errands, he insisted on taking them out to the restaurant when we ate dinner that night, AND he insisted on taking them to bed with him that night. I lost count of how many times Mason hugged his PetCakes and said, "Ma, I love them!"

I was glad to see that PetCakes are a very well made product. They are both sturdy and of a high quality that will last through toddler play. There are endless possibities for imaginative play, expecially if you have more than one PetCake in your collection. Mason's favorite thing to do was to squish the PetCake way down into the cupcake wrapper and pull on the frosting hat and yell, "SURPRISE!" each time he made the PetCake pop out.

I also love that each PetCake also comes with a background story of what they like to do and who they are friends with. This is a great way for kids to bond with their PetCake and get to know their personality. Here are Roco Coco and Nutty Nick's bio:

"Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Roco Coco™ the raccoon and I love Honey Suckle Woods™. I sleep all day and come out at night . My friends and I have parties and sit around licking sweet frosting off cupcakes left from family picnics. My best party friends are Honey Cakes, Nutty Nicky and Bamboo Berry."

"Nutty Nicky™ the squirrel is my name and running up trees is my game. I love chestnuts and walnuts, peanuts and almonds. I put them in the cupcake frostings when I snatch them off the picnic tables in Honey Suckle Woods™. I even have a place I hide cupcakes for the winter - You've got to meet my pals Bamboo Berry, Roco Coco and Honey Cakes."

PetCakes are great for gifts, stocking stuffers, or party favors and, at a price of about $12.99, that makes them affordable too. Don't forget, you can find out more about PetCakes online, including viewing the entire collection of PetCakes. Plus, right now Well Made Toys is running a special offer: Buy (4) or more PetCakes Collectibles plush toys and receive the PetCakes Collectibles Minis - 4 pack REE you only have to pay an additional $1.99 shipping/handling. Also, when you place a multiple order for PetCakes plush toys you pay $6.99 shipping /handling for the first PetCake and each additional is only $1.99 shipping and handling.




Well Made Toys provided me with the items above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Doctor Dreadful Zombie Lab Review

Here is a delightfully gross and fun product all in one. Doctor Dreadful Zombie Lab is the ultimate in experiments you can EAT! It's kind of gross to think that you can make your very own zombie skin, bubbling brains, or zombie barf, then eat it...and it actually tastes good.

I really can't do justice to compared to the manufacturers description:

"The ultimate in disturbingly delicious experiments, Doctor Dreadful's Zombie Lab gives you more terribly tasty treats than ever! Whether brewing bubbly brains or zombie skins, you can eat everything you make. Inject spiders into eye sockets as you dare your friends to consume everything Doctor Dreadful’s Zombie Lab creates! Watch in horror as his jaw rips open and he pukes his brains out! Then wash your fear down with a delicious brain barf beverage! With real puking action this nauseating experience will certainly be one of the tastiest you’ve ever had!"

This is perfect for boys who want to gross out their friends or younger sisters. I love that it is geared towards children as an experimental and educational science experiment . To sum it up, it's gross, but fun!

Doctor Dreadful Zombie Lab includes 5 pouches of food enough mix to make 40 tasty treats, 1 Brain Molded Beaker , 1 Zombie Head , 1 Gear Base , 3 Body Parts Molds, 1 Cup and 1 Syringe. It is recommended for ages 7 and up and retails for about $24.99.




SpinMaster provided me with the items above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Logo Game Review

We often play board games in our house, especially when having friends over. I was thrilled to find out that I would get a look at SpinMaster's new trivia Logo Board Game. This game is great and so much fun to play! The Logo game is based on logos that we see everyday. This game tests your knowledge of pop culture and consumer knowledge of popular brands, logos, products, etc. that you have come to know and love.

So, how do you play Logo? Playing Logo is easy. First off, there are three types of Question Cards: Pot Luck Cards that are general knowledge brand and logo questions, Theme Cards which have answers that all share a common theme, and Picture Cards that have a question related to a photo on the card.

There is a Question Master who picks a card and asks the first question (purple in color) on the card to the player on his left. If the player answers correctly, that player moves his game piece to the first purple space on the spiral game board. Play continues with the same player answering the next question on the card. Each time the player answers a question correctly, they move their game piece forward to the next space that matches the question's color. If they answer all the questions on the card, the round is over. If the player answers incorrectly, the Question Master then asks the SAME question to the next player to the left. If this person answers correctly, they move their game piece forward. The Question Master continues to ask this player questions until all the questions on the card are answered and end the round, or gets a wrong answer. Play continues with the next player on the left and so on.

To end the game a player must correctly answer a question near the Winning Zone, and there must be no spaces left on the path to match the question's color, then the player moves their game piece into the Winning Zone where it stays for the rest of the game. If the player enters the Winning Zone answering a Red question, then the round is over. On next turn, the player in the Winning Zone must correctly answer answer either two consecutive questions or a red question to win.You can also play this game in teams, but there is a slight variation on how to play.

What I love is that this game is really a lot of fun. Plain and simple, the game has rules that are easy to learn and follow. I also love that there is no math or history questions, just fun trivia questions that everyone can answer. Some of the questions are very simple (they all are if you know that answer), but there are also more challenging questions. Even my husband, who prides himself a trivia buff, was stumped on some of them. There is definitely a wide range of categories and questions, plenty enough to find something for everyone in the family.

Logo is not only a game that questions you knowledge of current brands, but also throws a curve ball with products and advertising that you do not see anymore. I realized that during this games, if you are playing with younger children, there is a great opportunity to talk to kids about how things used to be, what brands were popular "back then", and explain how people had different values in a different time. This game is not only fun, but has great potential to be educational as well.

If you are playing in a group you will find that the play of the game is designed to include each player. Every player has an opportunity to answer, even if it is not their turn. If a question is not answered correctly, the next player gets a turn until no one can answer the question.

Overall, the Logo board game is very well made. Included in the Logo game is the Logo game board, 400 Question Cards, 6 game pieces, and instructions. It is recommended for ages 12 and up and can be played with 2-6 players. It retails for about $24.99.




SpinMaster provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Bizu Review

Little girls everywhere are going to be asking for Bizu this holiday season! Bizu, a "twist on beads", is fashion jewelry for girls that they make to wear. Then, Bizu jewelry can be twisted into adorable characters, kind of like you would make a balloon animal.

I love that there are two aspects to this toy, one is the art of beading and the other is the finished product that you can wear, play with, or collect. Transforming Bizu is very easy and I think girls as young as 5 could have fun playing with Bizu. Bizu would also great if you have a birthday party coming up that is "jewelry making" themed. The bracelets are stretchy, so they would fit just about any wrist.

Included in a typical 4 pack kit is 4 x beads, 5 x body beads, 16 x legs/arms beads (8 pairs), 4 x tails, 4 x elastics with clasps, 1 x bracelet beading tool, 1 x clip, 4 character template cards, 1 instruction guide. These sets retail for about $12.99, depending on the retailer.

SpinMaster provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Gomu Eraserland Review

Gomu Eraserland . What is Gomu, you ask? Gomu is just one of the hottest collectible eraser craze to come over kids today. Gomu Eraserland is sets and series of collectible erasers that you collect and, for even more fun, can trade with your friends.

So, how much fun is this? Lots! This is how it works. Each eraser has a different point value. The more erasers you collect, the more points you get. Better yet, the higher the point value of the eraser tells you how rare your eraser is. This makes the erasers more collectible and more sought after. There are over 10 different themed erasers including, pets, zoo, surf, fashion, music, school, home, gadgets, beauty, and ocean. Each time you open a pack of Gomu, you have the chance to find one of the Ultra rare Gold or Silver Key erasers. There are over 100 Gomu erasers to collect in the first series alone. With more Gomu eraser sets planned to be coming soon, you will want to start collecting now!

Once you begin to collect Gomu erasers, you can visit their website at gomu.com to keep track of your collection. The Gomu collector tool gives you information on every eraser so you know just what your collection is worth.

As a mom, what do I really love about these cute little erasers? These erasers are perfect for kids aged 6 and up. Kids are loving these and I can easily see how these erasers could serve as incentives and rewards for chores done or good grades. I love the price, too. Gomu start at just under a dollar or you could buy a 6 pack for about $4.99.

You can find Gomu at Toys R US, Target, Walmart, and Kmart. Find out more about Gomu and how much your Gomu Eraserland collection is worth at gomu.com.

SpinMaster provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

FryFlyz Review

Looking for a great stocking stuffer this holiday that is fun for kids and adults alike? Here is the perfect toy for the 8 and up crowd. FyrFlyz Light Up Toy is a multi-colored LED light that spins while attached to a string. With a little practice and creativity, FyrFlyz can help you create lighted patterns and tricks to create your own light show.

"FyrFlyz is an easy to use, precision balance lighted toy designed to spin on its axis. Simply by swinging two strings and applying tension or allowing slack, you can create a continuous movement of multi-color light shapes (figure eights, rings, etc.). Here's how FyrFlyz work: grab one small plastic handle in each hand and spin the FyrFlyz in large loops so the string gets twisted. Next, using the handles, pull the strings apart to spin the FyrFlyz in the opposite direction. Now, bring the handles closer and pull apart to spin large loops and create different tricks and shapes like Shooting Stars, Saturn Rings, Sun Blasts and Flywheels."

FyrFlyz is another one of those simple and brilliantly made toys that is so much fun to play with. It is amazing how such a neat toy can bring hours of fun while kids work on expanding their imagination trying to create new light patterns. I love that this a compact toy that you can carry with you and pull out whenever you want. It is sure to keep your child busy, as long as there is adequate room to swing the toy around.

These toys are really fun to use in the dark too. I can see us playing with these over the summer at barbecues, waiting for fireworks to start, or while roasting marshmallows. They seem to be made very well and the lights are nice and bright.

FyrFlyz is a must have for the holiday season. With the small price tag of about $8.99, how can you go wrong? One FyrFlyz includes batteries, on/off switch, LED lights, and safety grip handles. Recommended for ages 8 and up. It retails for about $8.99.

More tips and tricks can be found at http://www.fyrflyz.com/.






I-Star Entertainment provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

We LOVE Melissa & Doug in our house. Every product available is so well made that it is obvious to see that they will stand the test of time and toddlers! I add to Masons' collection of Melissa and Doug every year. He has oodles of puzzles and most recently put up his Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magnetic Responsibility Chart. This year for Christmas, I am looking to add the Melissa & Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks Set. 
So, here is something cool! Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

FIreworks Light Show In My Room by Uncle Milton Review

Here is some fun from Uncle Milton to get your holiday started! Although it is going to be a long winter, you and your children can enjoy the fun of a 4th of July fireworks show in your own home all year long! Introducing Uncle Milton Fireworks Light Show In My Room. This is very simple, but brilliantly made, handheld device that projects images of fireworks onto walls or ceilings. Included to make the experience more authentic are booming sound effects. And, you can easily change up the fireworks display by simply rotating a disc to choose the image you want.

This is also a great toy to have on hand for bedtime or those rainy day indoor picnics. Mason and I love to have indoor picnics in the family room and what better what to end any picnic than with fireworks? It works best in a dark room so you can fully appreciate the colors in the fireworks display, but even in not ideal conditions, Mason loved all the colors and the booming sounds. After showing Mason how to pump the launcher and pull the trigger, he was easily able to create his own fireworks. What you will see is a firework bursting and expanding on the wall or ceiling, accompanied by a realistic sound effect, including the fizzling sound at the end when the firework disappears.

This toy does require 3 AAA batteries, which are not included. Although Fireworks Light Show in My Room is recommended for ages 6, I think this could be appropriate for a child as young as 4 (with parental supervision of course). It retails for about $34.99.

Note: There is a warning on the toy not to look directly into the beam of light. Doing so can cause serious and irreparable eye damage.




Uncle Milton provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.   All opinions are 100% mine.

Transformers Dark of the Moon Cyberverse Autobot Ark Set

Any Transformer fans out there? I know in my house we watch the movie every time it is on TV. My husband also loves to make the typical robot "transforming" sound whenever he gets a chance! And of course he is teaching Mason how to "transform" the Transformers with appropriate shape shifting sounds.

We have been having so much fun playing with Hasbro's Transformers Dark of The Moon Cyberverse Ark Set. Since I love toys that are all-inclusive, this is on my list of great toys for this year. This set transforms into a Moonbase, which is pretty much the whole play set. With fewer steps to transform the toy, this is a great starter set, especially if you have younger children.

The Autobot Ark is just about ready to be played with right out of the box. It transforms pretty easily as all you really have to do is pull on each wing to get it to changes shape pretty much by itself. The ship flips and pulls out easily to transform into a space station, which turns the ship into the command base or the Ark.

Once the Autobot Ark is transformed, there is a jail for holding Decepticons, a repair bay, a launch ramp for the lunar rover, and guns for defense. Mason loved the lights and the cool rocket sounds the Ark made! Since I always worry about little pieces, I was glad to see that there are not too many little pieces to find all over the house.

Included in this set is a small Transformer that changes from robot to lunar rover. I like that it came with a Transformer so Mason was able to start playing with the set immediately. The Transformer can be made into a lunar rover vehicle in a few short moves. Although it is for ages 5 and up, with help Mason was able to get it to transform with some help. This transformer is not as complicated as some of the other sets I have seen my Nephew, Luke, play with.

Overall, the TransFormers Dark of the Moon Cyberverse: Autobot Ark easy to use, lightweight for moving, and is pretty durable. The plastic seems like it will stand the test up to little hands and rough play. It does require 2 AA batteries, which are not included. I also love toys that foster imaginative play and the set lends itself to just that. With all the attention to detail, there are endless possibilities of play. I also love the educational value of this play set as it allows the child to use their imagination, and transforming the play set helps to develop eye and hand coordination.

Hasbro provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.