HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Wild Creations: Lampquarium (Review & Giveaway)

Wouldn't it be cool if we could have jelly fish in an aquarium? I think it would be so amazing, but I am sure that it would be expensive! I got a really cool product to review from Wild Creations, the Lampquarium, and our family LOVES it! Check out the video I have of it in action:

We have had our Lampquarium going in the dining room, and so many people have commented on them. The big question we get, "Are they real?" Really, they do look real, and once you watch them for awhile, you will know they aren't...only because of the bubble motor. At first glance, they look really real! My kids love watching the jelly fish dance around in the water. We sit and watch them for quite awhile. The colors are beautiful, and the jelly fish go all over in the water.

When we got the Lampquarium from Wild Creations, we got the aquarium, directions, three plastic jelly fish, and the AC adapter. The assembly of the Lampquarium was easy to understand, and easy to set up. Adding just a few drops of liquid soap and water, within minutes our jelly fish were moving in action. My oldest son keeps the Lampquarium in his room, and he said that it is so relaxing to have it running. He loves the colorful display, and watching the jelly fish. We are very impressed with the Lampquarium, and highly recommend it.

Wild Creations has amazing products! I was first introduced to them with a review of their Dwarf Frogs in the EcoAquarium! That was such an amazing product to review, because the frogs shipped LIVE~ I am still amazed at that! My kids love the frogs, too! Such an easy pet to care for, feed and clean. With being so amazed with the EcoAquarium, I was very excited to review one of their new products. With choosing the Lampquarium, I give the company a big cheer, and happily promote them! I think that Wild Creation products are creative, fun, educational, and are priced just right for the value!

You can purchase the Lampquarium online from Wild Creations for $39.99.
Wild Creations introduced more than 40 new products in 2010. The products share the same playful spirit as the EcoAquarium, and come from British licensed lines Wallace & Gromit, Mensa, Natural History Museum and more. Kids and adults will enjoy creating a human-sized bubble with the Mega Bubble, or testing the steadiness of their hand with the Buzz Wire Bomb, and even planning sneak snake attacks with the realistic RC Rattlesnake!
With the promotion of the new products, I am able to host a giveaway for one of the following: RC Rattlesnake, Buzz Wire Bomb, Water Rocket, Mega Bubble, Hologram Chamber or the Lampquarium (what I reviewed).

***ENTER TO WIN***
Enter to win one of the products listed above. This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the U.S.
FOR YOUR ENTRY: please visit WildCreations.com and find out a product that's being introduced in Fall 2010. For extra entries, become a fan of Wild Creations on Facebook or subscribe to the Frog Blog or the company's YouTube feed.

This contest will end on December 1, 2010.

**For more 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 about Wild Creations and their awesome products! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I was contacted by Wild Creations to do a product review of their Lampquarium. They sent me free product in return for a review and promotion. I was also able to host a giveaway for my readers, sponsored from Wild Creation. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

~~Fun Family Fall Pictures~~pumpkin picking & carving, halloween, and birthdays.

We went to Disney Live! Mickey's Magic Show, as a family, and it was a blast! None of us have ever gone to one of those shows, but it was highly entertaining and captivating to see! I think the magic tricks are fun, and I would love to know how they did the tricks!
We went to a pumpkin patch to get pumpkins, per Caleb's request. He wanted to go to the patch and pick out the best pumpkin. We only drove about 30 minutes away, and we could pick which ever one we wanted, and take our time. I love MN Grown Vegetables!
It was a big pumpkin patch, and the kids loved walking around looking for their treasure. I liked that their were wagons available to tote the pumpkins back to the van!
It was quite an experience, and the kids had a great time. Nathaniel didn't come with us, but we still had fun. Nathaniel was with a friend for the day.
Caleb loved riding in the wagon, too.









Time to go home. It was chilly outside, but that didn't stop the kids from getting their pumpkins. They had so much fun! Then, we went home and had hot chocolate and marshmallows.

A few days later, we had a night of carving pumpkins. It was a fun experience, and the kids had a blast!
They all loved digging out the guts of the pumpkin, separating the seeds, and cleaning out the pumpkins.
Cole loved eating the raw pumpkin guts and the seeds. He didn't seem to mind the flavors, and we didn't think it could hurt him any.



Mmmm....pumpkin goo!
Madelyn wanted a kitty on her pumpkin, so I drew what I thought a cat would look like, and did my best.

Caleb wanted a bat, so I drew a bat and carved that out for him.
I had a winking pumpkin with hair around the sides, and Terry had the traditional pumpkin with fang-looking teeth. I think his was the scariest. However, Nathaniel made his pretty interesting..and he was very creative!
Guts and glory come to mind when I look at his freaky pumpkin. :)
Cole's pumpkin was a silly face.
We separated all the seeds, cleaned them up, and baked them. They were delicious! Terry's special recipe.


Then it was time for trick or treating. The kids got to dress up in their costumes for church that morning. They each wore the same costume all day, except Caleb. Caleb was Spiderman in the morning, and a Power Ranger for evening.
Madelyn was a bumblebee (which she was last year...but I might as well use it two years, right?) and Cole was Jo-Jo the Clown.
It was fun to see kids handing out candy at a few of the homes.

The kids had a great time, but it really got cold outside.
Lena, our pugachin, was even dressed up. Nathaniel dressed her up in Maddy's Tinkerbell skirt, and some angel wings.





It was a fun day. We like doing Halloween because my kids love to dress up, and they love to get candy. That evening we celebrated Nathaniel's birthday, our friend's son's birthday, and the grandparents were over. It was a busy night!

Moon Dough~ a fun activity!

We recently got a package in the mail from Team Mom to review: Moon Dough. It is a very unique product, and my kid's (plus my niece) had a great time experimenting with it! We got the Moon Dough Barnyard for review, so we got to make a few barnyard animals.

Moon Dough has a very distinctive texture. It is very soft, and moldable. It is almost like you are squishing a marshmallow in your hand, without getting sticky. I like that the Moon Dough is hypo-allergenic and wheat-free.

My kids thought the Moon Dough felt soft and fluffy, like a blanket. The Moon Dough never dries out, so for that...it is long lasting. It is a little messy, so be prepared for some time to clean up. During play, the moon dough can be somewhat contained on the included two themed play mats.
To make the animals, you have to put the moon dough in the top of the barn (in the mold hole). It is best to fill the mold, and make it full of the moon dough (your animal will look best that way). After the mold is full, turn the crank toward the Silo, two times. The Silo will catch the left over moon dough, and after two cranks, a new animal will come rolling out of the barn door. The kids had a great time seeing which animal would come out to greet them. There are four different animals: cow, horse, pig and a sheep. I thought the molds were great!
My niece had a great time playing with the Barnyard Moon Dough! She loved making the animals, and putting them in the barn.
Also included in the Moon Dough Barnyard, is a mold to make a fence and a hay bale. The fence and the hay bale stand upright after it is molded, so it is fun for the kids to play with their animals in a fence, or eating hay.
The animals can also be placed in the fenced in location in the barn. The kids had a great time putting animals in there. Here is a video of my niece using the Barnyard with the Moon Dough.

There are many different colors of Moon Dough: blue, green, white, orange, purple, red, pink and yellow. There are different types of sets you can purchase to play with the Moon Dough: Pizza Shop (SRP$14.99), Barnyard (SRP$19.99), Doghouse (SRP$9.99) and Burger shop (SPR $9.99). You can also purchase refill packs (SRP $4.99).
**Moon Dough is available for purchase at Toys "R" Us, Target, Kmart, Amazon.com, A.C. Moore, Michaels and eToys.**

I was sent a Moon Dough Barnyard to review from Moon Dough and Team Mom. I was sent this product and information in exchange for an honest review. I am not compensated for my time or written review. The opinions in this post are of my own and do not reflect on the company.

Hasbro helps get you geared up for school!

Only a few weeks left until school starts up again, well at least in central MN. I know my sister started school already in her state. Kids are gearing up, getting all their supplies, new backpacks, lunch totes, clothes, and more. I wanted to highlight Hasbro's products that are available to help your kids get ready for school with flair and fashion. These items are great for the traditional students, as well as the home educated.
Caleb is going to be a Kindergartener this year, and he is so excited to learn! I am home schooling him this year, and we are going to have a great year. He has the new Bumblebee Transformer backpack from Hasbo, and the Transformer's lunch tote. The backpack is very spacious and has two pockets for storage. On each side of the bag there is two mesh compartments for storage (like a water bottle). The straps are adjustable, and there is a hook strap to hang the backpack up. Inside both pockets there is a couple pockets to keep pencils, or something similar. Transformer back has an ARP $14.99. Sold at Target.
I think the colors on the backpack and tote are very colorful, and fun designs. The lunch tote is very spacious, as well, and wipes clean. One zipper keeps your child's lunch secure, and together. Transformer lunch tote is licensed by Zak Designs, and retails for ARP: $7.99-$9.99 Sold at Target, Meijer, Brookshire Grocery, AAFES, Hy-vee, Winn-Dixie, Publix and Unified. Transformers water bottle matches great with this set, and it fits perfectly into the Transformers lunch tote. Also licensed by Zak Designs, the water bottle is ARP: $2.99. (sold at the same stores).
For your little princess, Littlest Pet Shop has an adorable lunchkit available, and my daughter loves this little bag. She is so excited to take it on our field trips, or trips to the park. I am home schooling her in pre-school this year, so we will be using her new Littlest Pet Shop lunchkit. I love the bottom zippered portion of this lunchkit, for storage of water bottles, or a thermos. The top of this lunchkit, from Hasbro, is very roomy for your child's lunch to fit. Adorable design on this very girlish tote! ARP $9.99 Sold at Target, Toys R Us, Office Depot, Meijer, HEB and Academy.
For those rainy days, your son could use a stylish umbrella. This is a great umbrella, and totally made for boys! Transformers are all over this umbrella! My son was absolutely thrilled to get this umbrella, and he loves sitting under it on the rainy days. I really like how this Transformers umbrella matches the backpack and lunch tote, too. ARP $5.99 Sold at Burlington.
Want to surprise your son or daughter with a new little greeter in their room on the first day of school? Hasbro has a great selection of wall peel and stick appliques. These self-adhesive decals are easy to peel and to apply to the wall. The peel and stick characters stay on, but leave the paint on your walls. Kids can remove the stickers, and place them how they want on their walls. I think these decals are a great way to spruce up a room, and doesn't require you to paint. ARP$12.99 Sold at Target (Transformers are sold at Walmart and Kmart, too).
Boys can gear up in Transformers on their shirts and briefs for their school attire. ARP$7.99 (T-shirts). ARP$5.54 (Fruit of the Loop briefs) both sold at Walmart.
Girls can wear dazzling T-shirts with fun sayings and adorable Littlest Pet Shop characters. ARP$7.99 (T-shirts) Girls can match their tops with LPS undergarments. ARP$3.99-$8.00 for a 3-pack; and $7.99-$16.00 for a 7-pack. Available at Walmart, Target, JCPenny, Kohl's and Meijers.
Your little girls can freshen up with fun toiletries with Hasbro branded Bubble Bath and toothpaste. My Little Pony Bubble Bath is scented with Sweet Berry and the My Little Pony Orajel toothpaste is fluoride-free, and is designed to help train your child for proper dental care. ARP$3.49 Sold in grocery stores, CVS, Target, Walmart and Toys R Us.
Want to make school lunch or snack time fun, but also another great opportunity to learn? Sunshine Cheez-It has a new line available: Scrabble Jr. baked cheeze-it crackers. These are great snacks, tasty, and fun to write words with the tile-like crackers. Each cracker has a different letter, and so it is fun to create words. It is also fun to eat your words! :) My kids love finding different letters, and we work together to make words. I love using these Scrabble Junior Cheez-It crackers to teach my Kindergartener the letters, the sounds they make, and early reading skills. Great homeschool hands-on activity to do with food!
It is so much fun to wear socks that have designs, colors and themes. My son loves to wear fun socks, and he was thrilled to see there were Transformers on his socks. I will have to get some more of these socks, because Caleb wears them everyday! Payless sells these socks for ARP$5.99 (set of three).
I love to encourage my kids toward imaginary play. I love products that will engage their minds, and help raise up their creativity. Hasbro has a few great play tents, and I am so glad that we got to review these! First of all, the Mr. Potato Head Spud Hut is a really fun product! This play tent comes with 10 different interchangeable accessories (eyes, mouths, noses). I was amazed at how many different faces the kids could create (up to 36 faces). The kids had a great time checking out the Mr. Potato Head when they fixed his face.
The Mr. Potato Spud Hut was easy to assemble, with only two poles. The fabric is very colorful, and soft. I really like that this play hut has two fold up doors on it, so kids can get in and out easy.
Being a home schooler, this is a great project to pull out for my kids to have unstructured play time. They are learning about our body parts, being creative and using their imaginations. My kids like to "play house" in thier hut, too. I love listening to their conversations.
My kids tried to make themselves into Mr. Potato Heads, and were giggling the whole time.
They have a blast in the Mr. Potato Head Hut, and our family recommends it! Super fun, and hours of play! ARP$24.99 Sold at Kmart and JCPenny catalog.
Another fun play tent from Hasbro's Entertainment, and my daughter's favorite, is the Littlest Pet Shop Clubhouse. This is a really big tent, and my kids can all stand up in it without hitting their heads! (40 inches in height, and 30 inches in length). Very spacious!

Inside the LPS Clubhouse there are little see through pockets where kids can put their LPS pet, and then they can be apart of the scene. This Clubhouse play tent is easy to assemble, too. There are two sheer curtains, and they can be tied to the side for easy viewing.

My kids love the new play tents, and I am sure many play time hours will be spent inside and outside these fun new hideouts. The Littlest Pet Shop Clubhouse ARP$24.99 and is sold at Target and Kroger.
I hope these suggestions will help you in your last few weeks of school shopping...or just some fun ideas to encourage your children to work hard on those grades! :)

I was sent a selection of products from Hasbro, including the products mentioned in this post, in exchange for a honest review. I am not compensated for my time or written review. The opinions in this post are of my own and do not reflect on the company.