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Archive for Kids Stuff
Our Awesome Avengers Party #MarvelAvengersWMT #CBias
Last Tuesday night our family was able to enjoy a very fun evening, except my husband who has been struggling with cold/flu like symptoms the last few weeks – found mold behind our washer. 
Anyhoo, the children and I all headed out to Walmart to shop for supplies for our Avengers party! Did you know The Avengers Blu-ray/DVD release is this week? Yes it is! I haven’t watched any of the new Marvel movies but my husband has watched a few of them with the children, including The Avengers. They get excited about all things Avengers and super heros. My goal was to enjoy an evening of fun with my family.
Shopping at Walmart
Before we went shopping, I downloaded The Avengers Augmented Reality App. There is a quiz, a place to join The Avengers, a game, a place to scan product. The kids love the game and music on it. I watched a video first to help me understand how it worked. The problem is we were only able to get it to work on the Marketside pizza boxes because there were barely any displays were up in promotion for the movie.
On the pizza boxes The app basically provided a 3D scene from The Avengers, my kids are pretty tech savvy and loved it.
Due to the lack of promotional signage available, we were unable to find any of the app’s trigger points so we could participate in earning points. We tried scanning the sign at the deli counter as well as the video display they had there for other Marvel movies but nothing happened. The sign at one of the entrance’s didn’t work, nor did any of the tags on the apparel we looked at.
I was hoping our Walmart had everything I had in mind to create an awesome Avengers party and you should see what I found!
We bought The Avengers party plates, cups, napkins, balloons, candy (not something I normally buy but this was a special occasion so we indulged), masks, a punching ball, prize ribbon and tattoos. We even purchased a couple of packages of super hero figures for the children to share and play with. These were part of the prizes I got for our game time. I was trying budget my money wisely because costumes were $9.99 and up, I couldn’t afford to get them each their own individual costumes, so we settled on them each having a mask which worked out great and it was so fun – I even wore one.
The children were so excited in the toy section, another section we usually avoid so we keep the gimmees at bay. There were lots of Avenger toys, figures and Legos to choose from….gave me a couple of ideas for Christmas. They were too expensive to get on a normal day out, that’s why we settled on the inexpensive action figures, plus more children could play with them than they could one big action figure/or toy that cost $15-$25 each.
Our Awesome Avengers Party
We purchased Marketside pizza for dinner. It’s very good. We were pleasantly surprised as it is very filling compared to other pizza we have tried. We enjoyed our meal together before heading down to our basement family/playroom for an evening of games showing super power strength and agility.
I divided us into teams and we played three games: whose team could keep a balloon in the air the longest, who could do the punching ball the longest and who could make the most words out of the word Avengers in two minutes. Then I handed out prizes to the winning team, the child who did the punching ball the longest and then each of the younger children received tattoos and super hero figures.
We ended our evening by watching half of Captain America since it was 9pm when we started it. We finished it the next day.
The Avengers Graphic Novel
Our children also enjoyed getting The Avengers Graphic Novel, though my daughters did report a couple of inappropriate/swear words, which was unexpected and disappointing for something geared towards children.
The Avengers Blu-Ray/DVD/Graphic Novel Combo Pack
The Avengers Blu-Ray/DVD/Graphic Novel Combo Pack was not in our Walmart store when we shopped last week but I can see how it will be a nice gift to super hero fans. It retails for $24.95 and will also be available on September 25.
To learn more about The Avengers visit Marvel.com Fans will want to follow Marvel on Twitter (use hashtag #MarvelAvengersWMT) or Facebook .
Overall our Avengers party was very memorable and the children told me how much fun they had that evening and again the next day. Guess it was a success!
“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Marvel. #MarvelAvengersWMT #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
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Zoobies Review
What will they think of next!
Zoobies
Zoobies are a stuffed animal,
that turns into a pillow,
THEN can turn into a blanket!
Hooray! Less things to bring in the car for trips! And there is a lion.. a tiger… and a bear (OH MY!) to choose from, in addition to 27 total Zoobie Pet Blankets to choose from! Zoobies also carries – Book Buddies, Duffle Dogs, Storytime Pals, Blankie Babies, and Slumber Pets.
Zoobies Review
We welcomed Jafaru the Giraffe join our home last week and he has been very loved since the moment he popped out of the box. Greatest feature ever is the blanket can zip off Jafaru to clean separately! To change Jafaru from a stuffed animal to a pillow, just un-velcro the two loops under his belly and to use the blanket unzip the bottom of Jafaru and pull the blanket out. I found folding up the blanket and putting it can in Jafaru is very easy to use and it fits nicely back into a pillow (if you fold it the way the instructions suggest). The blanket is 44 inches by 34 inches unfolded a good size in my book. We also found Jafaru makes a funny hat!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Kidorable Towel Review & Coupon Code!
All our children have big dreams of being mermaids, space Heros, and pirates. Here’s their chance to live out their dreams with Kidorable Hooded Towels! These terry cloth soft towels are great for the beach/lake or after bath time. They are 100% cotton, machine washable and dryer safe. My kind of product – easy care! The hooded towel are available in 2 sizes (Newborn to 2 years old and 3 to 6 years old). Here’s the tough decision, which one to choose out of the 11 Kidorable Hooded Towels available.
Here’s what Kidorable has to say about their hooded towels…
“Our customers tell us that our towel designs are the best anywhere. Now our towel quality leads the industry as well. The old material was a soft and absorbent terrycloth. The new material retains all that is good about that, and adds a layer of super soft velour. The result is an equally absorbent, and now lighter, brighter, softer towel. ”
Pictures can say a 1000 words.
Kidorable Towel Review
Here’s my kiddo in her Kidorable Mermaid Towel! She loves it!
From the moment we got it in the mail, she’s been wearing it! The Mermaid Towel has a starfish on the head, an orange fish on one side blowing bubbles and a seashell pocket on the other. Then in the back is her mermaid fin. One of my favorite features is a big yellow plastic snap, that’s even friendly for her to snap herself. We always try and slip some motor skills in even during bath time. The Kidorable Towel is very soft with vibrant colors. Two thumbs us from us!
Save Money with this Coupon Code
We have a coupon code for you!!!
“From September 15-30, you can get 20% off your entire order when you purchase Kidorable’s impossibly cute and soft cotton hooded towels. Just use code DRYOFF33 at checkout on www.kidorable.com”
Head over to Kidorable today and get a few towels for your kiddos to live out their fantasies!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Back to School ~ GUTZY GEAR ~ Review
GUTZY GEAR. Collect Them ~ Trade Them ~ Change Them. Gutzy Gear is a great, new way to express yourself by customizing your backback, sports duffel, messenger bag, and more! Gutzies are cool looking removable patches. Gutzies stick to a Gutzy strap cover that you put wherever you want to go Gutzy! With 56 Gutzies in a series and new Gutzies constantly being introduced, you can collect and trade a world of Gutzies. But Gutzy Gear is even more… Gutzy Gear is a lifestyle! Gutzy Gear is about showing the world who you are, taking chances and being the best YOU you can be. So wherever you are, whenever it is, whatever the plan… GO GUTZY
OUR REVIEW:
We received a Party Pack of Gutzy Gear.
The pack included:
~ Backpack strap covers
~ Gutzy Hat
~ Gutzy Visor
~ Gutzy Patches (Packs of 2)
~ Gutzy Games
We had a wonderful party thanks to Gutzy Gear. We had both boys and girls at our party ranging in ages from 2 years to 10 Years old! All of the children were enamored with Gutzy Gear! They were elated each to receive a pair of backpack straps which came with one Gutzy (smiley face) patch. Each child then had their name drawn (to make the picking order fair) to choose the Gutzy 2 pack of their choice. Of course once each child had their Gutzy Gear on their straps …they began to trade. It was so nice to see the children engaged and getting along. There were enough Gutzy Gear patches to go around and all 15 guests were happy!
We also played some matching games courtesy of Gutzy Gear… the games were fun and entertaining. The young children really liked this part of the party. The game basically was like the traditional memory game only the children had to match up Gutzy halves…once they found both halves they made a “whole” and thus made a match!
Unfortunately, my battery ran out of my camera before I could get a full group shot at our party but here are some of the older children with the little ones enjoying their Gutzy Gear!
Some trading going on…
Finally… all Gutzied Up!
The children ALL had a wonderful time with their Gutzy Gear…trading and giving… it was so nice to see the children interact in such a fun and creative fashion.
Visit www.gutzygear.com for information on the product and where you can purchase your very own Gutzy Gear.
The website even has E-cards, Downloads and Virtual Gutzy Gear…this is the next step in our families Gutzy adventure …so be sure to check this out before or after you get your very own Gutzy Gear!
I even saw some additional items that may be added to our Christmas list (I saw a neat Gutzy Collectors Book and Gutzy to go strap)…so yes we will purchase these fun patches again and again!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Chungaboo Language Series For iPad Review
I love my apps! My daughter and I recently got this new app from Chungaboo Language Series (formally Lingo Slingo). The first selection is “Words” – the app will say bear and then toss about 5 cards with different pictures and your child needs to select the correct picture. If they select the wrong picture you get an “X” at the top of the screen. This app has a choice of 6 different languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). In addition, there are achievements – in this section there is “All-Time Scoring”, Beginner’s Badge by Language, and Maestro Badge by Language (50 card streak). From this app you can also purchase – Animals, Travel, and coming soon is Color Door. They have teasers to let you try before you spend the money.
This is a great app for your preschoolers! My daughter will be 4 next month and really enjoys it. The Chungaboo app not only helps her connect words to pictures, but it helps with her motor skills by the cards moving. The music is not bad for parents either. This is a wonderful learning game for road trips! Check it out in your apps store! Sorry, I didn’t see anything for you android users.
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Mabel’s Labels Review
Mabel’s Labels
Labels for the stuff kids loose!
Mable’s Labels creates top-quality, durable labeling products.
The Mabel’s Labels personalized labels feature extremely durable laundry, dishwasher and microwave safe sticky and clothing labels plus child safety products, household labels and seasonal products. All labels are UV resistant.
Prices range from $12-21 per pack, with combos priced between $ 30-55. ALL Products are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
The Mabel’s Labels line includes:
Baby Labels
Iron-On Labels
Sticky Labels
Allergy Labels
Waterproof Labels
Clothing Labels
Shoe Labels
Uniform Labels
Mabel’s Labels also has great fundraising ideas!
OUR REVIEW:
We received two products from Mabel’s Labels
~ Ultimate Back to School Combo
~ Tween Pack
The Ultimate Back to School Combo is their bestselling combo. It has all the labels needed to identify children’s belongings and keep them out of the lost and found. This was really a great pack! There are so many labels you cannot help but label EVERYTHING! The labels come preprinted with the child’s name…so it makes labeling a breeze. I like that they are super sticky they stay where they are placed! We used the labels to mark all of my son’s school supplies, his backpack and gym shoes. After two weeks of school I can honestly say these labels stick! Any other labels would have been long gone by now…not Mabel’s! The Ultimate Back to School Combo includes the following:
40 skinny-minis ~ 50 Tag mates ~ 16 Shoe Labels ~ 2 Teeny Tags
(Choose from 4 limited edition solid color palettes or 40+ multi-col
ored designs.)
There are so many tags that if by chance (very slim) you happen t have to replace a tag you will have extras to replace the missing tag. I honestly am not worried about having to replace any tags… except for maybe a shoe tag. But…with 16 shoe tags I can easily replace a tag if it goes missing (which I doubt it will). This is such a GREAT combo…can I say AWESOME!!!
The second product we received was the Tween pack. This is a new product to the Mabel’s Label family and it is a must stay! This label pack helps your child identify ~ with style! These beautifully personalized, shaped labels are designed
especially for big kids ~ whatever their ages! These labels are perfect for lunch, camp gear, water bottles, school supplies, journals, electronics, sports equipment and more! My daughter has adhered these labels to her water bottle, backpack and notebooks. I was a bit leery about sticking them to her water bottle and backpack thinking they would not last more than a day…boy was I wrong… now two weeks into school we have not see any wear on the labels! This is amazing! The water bottle label has even sustained through a dish washing cycle or two! The Tween Pack includes the following:
25 personalized labels & graphic labels
(Choice of 2 multi-colored designs)
Overall, we are ecstatic about Mabel’s Labels! This is such a resilient product…that will LAST! Not only are the products hardy but they are kid friendly and have such nice designs to choose from…you cannot go wrong with Mabel’s labels for your labeling needs!
I am definitely a fan of Mabel’s labels and will be back to order more products for my labeling needs!
You can find this product and many more at mabelslabels.com. I would recommend this site to ANYONE who needs to label products! They are so versatile!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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We Went to Day Out With Thomas
When Jessi (from Jabbering Jessi) invited me to attend a Day Out With Thomas event in my area and write about it for her blog, I jumped on the opportunity! Our children have loved Thomas the Tank since they were little and we have a whole bin of Thomas the Tank train stuff that even our older kids still enjoy playing with!
We started our day bright and early. We even took our puppy since he broke his yard leash preventing us from leaving him at home. Not that we really wanted to leave him for a few hours. Thankfully the Railway Museum personnel were very understanding and allowed us to take Padfoot into the park so we didn’t have to leave him in the hot van. Of course we were expected to clean up after him. He did very well for his first time among crowds. We received many nice comments about him and one comment to use a prong collar so he doesn’t pull our arm out of it’s socket, which was interesting since it was something a couple of friends had recommended to.
Anyhoo…back to the Day Out With Thomas…
We arrived in ample time for our scheduled train ride, but the lines were already started and long. If you attend, be sure to arrive an hour in advance as recommended or at least buy tickets for the first ride of the day if you want to avoid the real crowds.
The people we encountered on Sunday were very pleasant which helped make the day a huge success for our family.
Thomas the Tank Train Ride at Day Out With Thomas
Our children loved riding on Thomas. It was the first Train ride for some of our children. Our youngest was a little pill on the train. He tried to crawl over the seat and under the seats, other than that he was ok.
Someone took some pics of me that I didn’t know about!
This is the guy we had to watch and hold or he would have climbed or fallen out the window!
The boys look thrilled don’t they? 
After the ride on Thomas we headed over to where the children’s activities were and most of the children had fun in the bouncy house. It was a good thing we went when we did because as the day went on that area was packed. While at the bouncy house we discovered another advantage to having a large family. The maximum number of children allowed inside was 6 and we had six children who wanted to bounce, until Baby wanted out. So we didn’t have to worry about our children crushing other children nor did we have to worry about other children crushing ours. A plus for this mama as I am conscious of that sort of thing.
We wanted to get our children to expend their energy before taking another train ride so we took them to the playground next.
The pup needed some exercise too and another photo was snapped of me….running no less!
Then my husband took the children on a street car ride since I was the one to take them on Thomas while he watched the pup.
After the street car ride the children wanted to go into one of the train buildings where they got to see how trains use to look years ago. We didn’t take the time to go into all of the train buildings as it was getting close to lunch time.
Tummies started to rumble so we took a break for a snack and drink before ending our day with mini golf and playing in the sand pile. At the sand pile we met up with fellow blogger, Paula of Frosted Fingers. That’s her daughter in the green dress.
Overall it was a wonderful experience and a great day out as a family. If you travel to the Chicago area, we highly encourage you to visit the Union Railway Museum.
Check for a local Day Out With Thomas in your area here.
Faith and Family Reviews received five tickets to the Day Out With Thomas event in Union, IL in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Kidorable Rain Boots & Back to School Sale
It’s been a very dry summer here in Chicago, the Midwest and many other places. We haven’t had much need for our farm boots or rubber boots. My little ones still wear them though and my husband dug his out of the “boot” closet over the weekend due to the heavy dew on the grass. Thankfully in the past week or so we got rain and boots have come in handy for all of our children as they tramp out to feed the animals.
Our little guy, whom we still call “baby” as he is the baby of the family even though he turns two this month, did not have any rain boots. The ones our 4 year old had at his age were worn until they cracked and had holes in them – they were that loved!
Thanks to Kidorable, baby now has boots. They are pirate boots. Fitting since he recently received a pirate’s eye patch and foam sword. He loves his new boots. They are the first pair of footwear he runs to grab when asked to get his shoes to go outside.
And yes he is pretty much in his diaper all the time unless we go out. The first thing he does when we come home is to take off his clothes! At least he knows to keep them on while we are out! 
We have had Kidorable rain boots before when my four year old was younger. They were the frog boots and he loved them too. They lasted him about a year, but that is with constant wear, not just during the spring or fall rainy seasons, as we have worked on farms the past three years now.
Kidorable gets a cute 2 thumbs up from us!
From August 13-31 Kidorable has a back to school sale and promotion going on and they are offering you a discount code!
From ballerinas to butterflies, from frogs to pirates, the styles and choices are sure to excite your children and you! (I know I love all them!) Simply use coupon code SCHOO888 at www.kidorable.com to receive 20% off Kidorable rain boots.
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
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Polly Pocket by Mattel
Toys! Toys! Toys!
In our house we have a plethora of toys! However, we have recently been introduced to a new favorite toy or my daughters…from Mattel!
POLLY POCKET! 
Yes this is a name that many of you have heard in the past… but this new Polly pocket is redesigned and WONDERFUL!
My daughters were elated to receive both the following products: Polly Pocket Hangout House Playset AND Polly Pocket Stick N Play Kitchen
Polly Pocket Hangout House Playset
As a mom I was leery of more small pieces to get lost…but with the new playset the pieces are larger and there are suction pieces on the bottom of the toys that actually suction to the playset helping Polly and all of her accessories stay where put. This is definitely a great redesign as in the past some of the Polly pocket pieces and dolls were harder to maneuver and play with because they did not stay put.
The hangout House play set is such a nice dollhouse. It easily stored when not in use and houses all of the little dolls and accessories very nicely.
The set includes:
Polly doll and pet dog
Lots of cute, colorful furniture
Includes an awesome elevator
Third floor transforms from a bedroom to a rooftop pool.
The Stick N Play Kitchen is just as nice as the hangout house…in fact, it is a nice compliment to the hangout house…my daughters play with the right next to each other. They even connect as pictured below!
The best thing about these two sets is that they can be used alone or together. Mattel’s Polly Pocket line has even more Stick N Play Room assorted sets so you could enlarge and diversify your Hangout House…how cool is that!
I have to say that both my daughters (3 years and 8 years) both LOVE this set…even my son (6 years) has occasionally dropped by the hangout house with his Lego mini men figurines to play and visit with Polly. It is so nice to see a toy that actually brings my children together!
Do not forget to visit Polly Pocket by Mattel at www.pollypocket.com for more great playsets and toys!
“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mattel Polly Pocket. I received a product samples and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”
