Adorable Kinders Doll Review & Giveaway!

I love having a girl, and my girl loves to play with her dolls! I was recently sent an adorable doll from Granza, Inc. that reminded me of a doll that I had when I was a little girl. The Adorable Kinders Dolls are wonderful, USA MADE, rag dolls, and we give them two thumbs up!
Madelyn loves Alise. She is a brown haired girl, member of the Adorable Kinders Dolls. She is one of 26 dolls. Each doll represents different cultures, and their names each represent a different letter of the alphabet. Some of the dolls, like Alise, come with a stuffed teddy bear...because they are in their pajamas. I love that the Adorable Kinders offers girl and boy dolls. I think that they are promoting great dolls!

The little slippers on Alise are adorable. The slippers come off, and so do all her clothes. You can purchase other clothes for your Adorable Kinder doll, and share clothing among the dolls.

The Adorable Kinders Dolls are so safe for kids! There are no button eyes, small pieces, and no hard/plastic parts. These dolls are made of 100% soft cloth, and each doll weighs less than 2 lbs.,

so kids can carry them around just fine. The Adorable Kinders have already won seven of the top toy industry awards in 2009, including being named to Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Toys of 2009 List, and earning a NAPPA Gold Award. The Toy Man gave the Adorable Kinders four awards. They are cleverly designed with high quality in mind. I love how these dolls look and feel...so does my daughter, Maddie! The Adorable Kinders dolls are bringing the simplicity of Kindergarten back...the alphabet, friends, no judgements among others, and the love of toys/dolls!

My daughter loves her new companion, and she recommends you bring an Adorable Kinder Doll to your home, too. My daughter loves sleeping with her little Alise, and playing with her throughout the day.

Dolls come with an Internet key-code that can be used to register for the Adorable Kinders eSchool. The Adorable Kinders are bringing the rag doll into the 21st century with a fun and challenging online game zone called Adorable Kinders (AK) eSchool. Each doll comes with a unique Internet key-code that children can use, with their parent’s permission and assistance, to create a user name and access the online area. The AK eSchool is full of activities to help develop a child’s computer, reading and problem-solving skills. School starts at the Kindergarten level, and children complete challenges using their knowledge of letters, numbers, patterns, and rhymes to unlock the next level, or grade. Each grade level presents children with harder challenges. eSchoolers can currently unlock up to the 4th grade level, with more grades and zones coming this month.
Outside of eSchool, there are additional activities available at www.adorablekinders.com. Kids can choose from the 26 Adorable Kinders characters and play house with them, create a printable greeting card or sticker sheet using their favorite Adorable Kinders doll, or have fun coloring on a digital coloring page.
About the Designer/Creator:
Aranza Zamora-Goodenbury began hand-making rag dolls at age 16 in her native Puerto Rican home. The dolls really became popular, so she kept making/improving them. Being a mom and working kept her busy, so making dolls was put on the back burner for awhile. Aranza's son, Ivan, was a big inspiration and they worked well together to get her business off the ground. A undetected heart condition took Ivan's life at a young age, so Aranza's dream was stilled because of her great sorrow.
A few years later, Aranza gave one of her rag dolls to a friend’s daughter for her birthday. Everyone there was captivated with her work, even the Dad's. After meeting her husband/partner, Greg Goodenbury, he helped encourage her to keep her dream alive and start the company GRANZA, Inc.— a name created by combining the names Greg and Aranza, and developed a line of 26 doll characters and the Adorable Kinders eSchool. They decided to keep operations based in the U.S., to help create local jobs. The 26 characters they created represent a wide range of ethnicity's, hair colors and personalities—much like you would find in any kindergarten classroom.

WIN AN ADORABLE KINDERS DOLL!!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009.

To enter, leave a comment about which Adorable Kinder you like most, or which one you would like to win. (mandatory for entry)
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment about something you learned from visiting the Adorable Kinders. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from AdorableKinders.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a doll to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Save money with Holiday meals shopping Walmart (plus 2 giveaways)

Looking to save money with shopping for the big family meals, whether you shop for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or just a family meal~ check out Walmart!

Walmart’s Thanksgiving Dinner for Eight could fit into an affordable price range of $20! With Christmas right around the corner, I think Walmart will be a great place to buy our groceries with our budget in mind. I enjoyed looking over the wonderful information found on the Holiday Meals site for Walmart. The website has great recipes, and options to make your dollar stretch. One recipe that I am excited to try for the Walmart site is: Pumpkin Roll Cake with Warm Cinnamon Caramel Sauce! Yum, this looks so tastey, and the presentation is mouth watering! I usually make Pumpkin bars with the cream cheese frosting for our family gatherings, but trying something new could be fun, and great tasting. Walmart teamed up with the Food Network's Melissa d'Arabians. She is talented~ and you can even watch a video of her talking about food ideas.

I have a fun contest for you! Enter to win a Walmart gift card for $30! To enter: share some of your own favorite memories or money-saving tips. some great recipes from the Food Network’s Melissa d’Arabians.

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009.

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add something else you found on the Maukilo website (you didn't know they sold). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.

Going Christmas shopping? Let the TIA help you find SAFE toys!

What is one of the main things parents want for their kids? Safety! I am happy that companies are getting smarter about wanting better quality and safer toys for our children!
The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is our industry's trade organization: the one that hosts Toy Fair in February in New York, and the one who has led American toy makers through the new toy safety testing laws and standards they must meet. The TIA is reaching out to moms to help us understand how to buy safe, and great, toys. I think this is important to share with you as you are considering toys for your Christmas shopping lists.
The TIA have created two websites for consumers: Toyinfo.org (provides you with all the information you need to choose the right toys for your family. From toy safety facts to free downloadable play guides, this exciting new site is a one-stop resource for caregivers and parents to discover everything about toys and play) , and Toyawards.org. ToyAwards.org showcases the top toys in 11 product categories that have been nominated for the 2010 Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY), recognized as the “Oscars” of the toy industry. Not only will you discover which toys the experts think are best, but for the first time, kids and parents can register for one (or more) of 12 prize packages, and can also vote for their favorite toys.
Celebrating it's 10th Anniversary, the TIA wants to share the finalists with us! Here is some of the TIA's holiday gift ideas/suggestions:
Trio Building Set from Fisher Price $30.00
This is a great set of pieces to encourage kids to use their imaginations, and creativity while building. This set is made easy with clicking bricks, sticks and panels, where the pieces just snap together. The kits come with suggested designs, but kids can make their own creations, too. That is what makes this kit so fun, because kids can make it their own. Includes 100 pieces in a convenient storage tub. I love that I can bring our tub to Grandma and Grandpa's house, or to a friend's house who doesn't have toys for my kids to play with. The top of the storage container makes for a great base to build upon. I like that the Trio building sets all work together so kids can collect all of them and mix them up a bit.
Mythbusters Weird Water World from Elmer’s Products, Inc. SRP $19.99
SCRABBLE SLAM Card Game from Hasbro Games SRP $6.99
UNO Moo! from Mattel SRP $19.99
This is an adorable and fun game from Mattel, UNO but with farm animals. Kids match the colors or animals in this fun game of UNO Moo! If you get a farmer, you are in luck, because he is wild. The first player to get all of their figures back in the barn wins.
Be sure to watch out for the skunk, because he will "skunk you." I think this is a great game for toddlers and preschoolers, because it teaches colors and numbers.
Laugh & Learn Learning Farm from Fisher-Price SRP $79.99
Plus other great toys: Check them out here.
TIA wants families to feel confident in the toys they buy, and they'd like to be a reliable resource for us when we need the latest in toy safety tips and news from the toy world. I am so thankful for this list, and it is very helpful when searching for a gift for my kids, or for gifts for others on our lists. I urge you to share this information with others needing ideas for the Christmas shopping. Let this Christmas be a "safer" one for our kids.

This review was provided from Team Mom and the TIA, which provided me with the information to share with my readers. I was given the information for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Felt Tales (review and giveaway)

Here is a great product from Babalu that really encourages imagination, story telling, creativity, and role play. I love the FeltTales story boards that Babalu, Inc. has. FeltTales story boards come with approximately 19 pieces of felt (shapes, animals, people, etc.) that kids can tell a story with. I think these sets are super, and all of my kids enjoy them.
The felt story boards are made from safe, soft and colorful felt. I think the art work on the felt pieces is amazing, and the pieces are very durable (my kids tested them well). My kids got the Busy Day at the Farm FeltTales story board. The animals are so cute, and I love that there is a boy and girl "farmer." There is a pail for milking the cow, and there is a tractor to plow the fields. My kids liked pretending to be on the farm. I thought that the FeltTales were a great resource for home schooling and it prompts great educational/learning time. We talked a lot about how a farm functions and works. I highly recommend the FeltTales!
Each FeltTales story board has a different theme (dinosaurs, ballerina, Pirate, Farm, etc.). On the back of the story boards you will find a story as an example, but kids soon realize it is fun to come up with their own stories (at least mine did).
I have a heart for felt boards because I just think that kids can really let their imaginations go in story telling. I think kids can also share what is going on in their hearts with story telling, too, because they can "act out" how they are feeling.
“This is playtime at its best,” said Babalu founder Blair Everett. “The reason our FeltTales are bestsellers year after year is because children truly love playing with them, and parents love to have their children to play with them.” I agree whole-heartedly!
With money being tight for many families this year, you will be happy to know that most of the company's toys are under $25, and a large number are priced under $20! That is great value for the price! Babalu Inc., offers so many classic toys like building blocks, and felt storyboards. I love this website's selection!
I like that the FeltTales story board can travel with us, too. I only wish that the FeltTales came with a little storage case that attached to the board. We just put our pieces in a plastic bag.

FeltTales are geared toward ages 3 and up, and have a SRP$19.95. Since its introduction in 2006, FeltTales have been praised by award agencies. Honors include two iParenting Media Awards, Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Stars, Creative Child Seal of Excellence and Preferred Choice Awards, Dr. Toy Best Vacation Toy Award and a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. Also joining the Babalu lineup are classic toys from WJ Fantasy, a company that Babalu recently acquired. WJ Fantasy has been specializing in nesting blocks, building blocks, advent calendars and books for more than 25 years.

ABOUT BABALU, INC
Babalu, Inc. was launched in 2006 to better a classic toy tradition with the introduction of the FeltTales brand. Its founder, Blair Everett, has an exceptional 30-year career in the toy business and he brings that knowledge and commitment to the growing classic toy product with improving play and quality.
In June 2009, Babalu acquired WJ Fantasy, a 25-year-old toy company specializing in a distinctive selection of nesting blocks, toys, advent calendars and children’s books. WJ Fantasy and Babalu will operate under two separate divisions until 2010, when they will be joined.
WJ Fantasy’s products are available at http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.kazootoys.com/. Babalu’s FeltTales can be found at specialty stores nationwide and online at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.roundtabletoys.com/. For more information visit http://www.babaluinc.com/ or http://www.wjfantasy.com/.

Enter to win! Winner can choose one item from either the FeltTales or the WJ Fantasy line!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009. To enter, leave a comment about something you found interesting from the Babalu.com, or something you found on the WJ Fantasy site. (mandatory for entry)
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add something else you found on the Maukilo website (you didn't know they sold). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Babalu.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a product to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Haba game review (and giveaway!!)

We love games! And we love games that not only are creative, but challenge your mind and abilities. My kids are in the ages of fine tuning and working with their hand/eye coordination, so I seek out ways to nurture and encourage their growth.
I was recently sent the Haba game: Animal Upon Animal – the Duel to review, and my kids LOVE this game. Even my 11 year old loves this game, and he says it is one of his new favorites.
Haba's game Animal Upon Animal -The Duell is a game where you stack the four animals on top of one another. You have an octopus, a goose, a tiger and a squirrel. This game looks easier than it is. You roll the dice, and one dice tells you what animal is on the top, and one tells you which animal is on the bottom. There is a chance you get to choose how you stack them, but it all depends on what you roll.
It such a fun game because I can race against my 11 year old, or my 4 1/2 year old. This game is great because the 4 1/2 year old doesn't have to read anything, or be of a certain skill level. He has beat me at how fast he stacks.
I love that the pieces are wooden, and they are made in Germany! The wooden playing animals are durable, and cute. My daughter (age 2 1/2) loves just walking the animals in a row, and tries to stack them, too. She loves playing with the little wooden shapes.

I think this is a great game with the home schooling families, especially for the pre-school age. You get to encourage the hand/eye coordination, work with colors and animals, and kids can just use their imagination while playing with the animals.

Animal Upon Animal Haba Game can be found on the Maukilo website. The Haba games are affordable, and you can get many hours of fun and entertainment with your kids with them! Animal Upon Animal retails for $12.59. Habas games are designed to grow with your child, and I would agree with that. I like that my kids can play this game together, and so can my husband and I. :) Many of the Haba games offer alternate play variations, so as children learn new skills, the game adapts with them. HABA offers many cooperative games, where siblings play against each other, as well as work together to accomplish a common goal, like Castle Knights and Wiggling Cow.

HABA products can be found nationwide at over 1,000 U.S. specialty retail stores and in specialty catalogs and websites. Many of its products have been recognized with German and American awards including Parents’ Choice, National Parenting Center, Creative Child, and Parents’ Guide. HABA received Best Toys of the Year recognition from the TODAY Show Toy Test and has been featured in national magazines such as Child, American Baby, Baby Talk, Fit Pregnancy, Parenting, Parents and Working Mother. For more details, visit HABA’s informational website at www.HABAusa.com.

Would you like to win a $25 gift card from Maukilo?
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009. (in time to do some Christmas shopping, or use after Christmas)

To enter, leave a comment about something you found interesting from the Maukilo website, or something you found you would like to purchase. (madatory for entry)

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add something else you found on the Maukilo website (you didn't know they sold). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Maukilo.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a game to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Mom Central's 2nd Holiday Gift Guide (giveaway)

Mom Central is hosting their second annual Holiday Gift Guide. Not only does Mom Central give fabulous gift ideas for the entire family, they are also posting new giveaways each week for many of the featured products!
Three exciting giveaways they'll be including over the next few weeks are:
Pandora Bracelet: These versatile bracelets allow you to customize your look through numerous charms that you can add or change to match your outfit. Create a tradition with family and friends by giving charms for different celebrations and milestones after presenting the bracelet as the original gift this holiday season.
Daisy Rock: Debutante Electric Guitar Starter Set: A starter kit for young girls who aspire to be rock stars! The set includes all she will need to begin her musical adventure: an "atomic pink" guitar, 10 watt amplifier, electronic tuner, guitar strap, picks, string winder, polish cloth, and an instructional DVD.
Cuisinart Rice-Plus Multi Cooker: Perfect for the cook in the family, this new kitchen appliance from Cuisinart makes much more than just rice! Ideal for homemade soups, oatmeal, steaming veggies, and slow-cooking, the Multi Cooker will make preparing those hearty winter meals easier than ever. Fun features include pre-programmed menu options, a programmable finish time and an automatic "keep warm" setting that activates after your cooking is completed.
Hurry over to Mom Central to enter into the amazing weekly giveaways through their Holiday Gift Guide!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central. Mom Central entered my name in a random drawing to win a gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals (review and 2 for giveaway)

My kids love art, drawing, and being creative. Being a home schooling family, I love coming across products, videos, and other things that will bring my kids into the "educational realm" and encourage them to grow.
I was sent the DVD: Art House volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals to review and I thought this DVD was super!
The DVD is hosted by Teacher Emily and her Art House gang. Emily teaches how easy it is to draw fish, monkeys, birds, dogs, and more. The animation of the animals is great, and the music and colors used in this DVD is wonderful! My kids loved watching the animals, and then watching Emily draw them. My kids were fascinated with the DVD. The animation is by Brad Abelson (The Simpsons), and the music is from the award-winning composer Peter Scaturro.
There will be future titles in the series that will be released in 2010 (vol. 2: Start your Engines, vol. 3: On the Farm, and vol. 4: Under the Sea).
This DVD comes complete with printable coloring book pages, which are great to give kids to encourage them to be artistic.
Recommended for ages 3 and up, Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals is available at InTheArtHouse.com and www.amazon.com.
Endorsed by KIDS FIRST!, the initial title in the series Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals is available now for a suggested retail price of $17.99.

Win : Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals (2 winners)
You have the opportunity to enter to win Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals! I have 2 extra copies to giveaway. This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 7th, 2009.
To enter, leave a comment about something you like to do with your kids for art.**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was sponsored by In The Art House. They have supplied me with a DVD to sample for review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review. I am sponsored by the company to offer a giveaway for my readers, as well.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Dog (review & 3 giveaways)

Here is another great Chicken Soup for the Soul book, and it is geared toward those dog lovers out there! This book is adorable! I enjoyed reading the stories of heartfelt warmth, laughter and inspirational (as in all Chicken Soup books) stories compiled in the "What I Learned from the Dog," Chicken Soup for the Soul book.
This book has great stories that tell you how dogs have changed people's lives through what they do out of love for their owner or others, how dogs have rescued people, helped people through therapy, and how dogs have shown how to look differently at situations/experiences.
The title of each story has a quote underneath of it, and I enjoyed reading the quotes. One that I really liked was this, "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." ~Walter Elliott And this one, "God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers." ~Jewish Proverb
There are 9 main sections in this book: Learning about Family, Learning to have courage, Learning to listen, Learning to overcome adversity, learning to heal, learning to say goodbye, learning to put things in perspective, learning to be kinder, and learning about unconditional love. Each section has about 9-15 stories in them, and they are a couple pages long. Each story makes a great point, and can be inspirational.
What I love about the Chicken Soup books is that the stories reveal such great lessons, just in the story. The stories do not need any explanation to get a message across. What I learned for the Dog is a great book, and anyone that has a dog, or a different pet, can relate to many of the stories tucked in this book. Pets are great for sticking by your side, giving you love and attention, and helping you through rough times (therapy, loss, etc.)
Win : What I learned from the Dog! (3 winners)
You have the opportunity to enter to win Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Dog! I have 3 extra copies to giveaway. This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 7th, 2009. To enter, leave a comment about something funny your dog did, or a story you would like to share about a pet.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was sponsored by Simon & Schuster. They have supplied me with a book to sample for review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review. I am sponsored by the company to offer a giveaway for my readers, as well.