Merry Christmas

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and your child loves their new toys!!! I will be back after the holidays. . . like I said there are always deals to find and share!!! Merry Christmas!!!

DO NOT FORGET BATTERIES

Last year our boys and our nephew got GeoTrax train sets for Christmas and I thought they took AA batteries when they all took AAA batteries. . . Luckily my parents had a few but we had 3 boys which meant 3 battery powered trains and the airplane and we needed more than a few. So we had to set a few aside until after Christmas.

So don't make the same mistake I did. . .Make sure you have plenty of batteries of all sizes ready to go on Christmas. There is nothing worse than getting a fun toy and not being able to play it because you don't have batteries or you don't have the right size battery!!!

Lego Creationary

My sons got Lego Creationary for Christmas. They have had so much fun playing it. As a mom that is good to see but for me the game was kind of a let down. The idea of the game was so much more exciting than the actual game. My boys have loved playing the game. It is more fun for them to pick out a card and then build on their own without playing it as a board game. We did try and play and there is no time limit, some of the cards you pick to build are tricky, and the game left me lacking. That is my point of view and if you asked my boys they would definitely tell you differently. So parents don't get your hopes up and I'm glad I bought it on a pre-Christmas sale. It is fun for the kids to look at a picture and try to create something similar (it is a Lego version of pictionary) without the pressure of guessing or timing or points.

Christmas is almost here

Well I've taken a break from my blog so that I can spend time with my family preparing for Christmas time. I see that I have visitors from all over the country and I hope I have helped find toys for the special ones in your life :) I try to avoid the stores right now-they are crazy busy but there are always toys and deals out there!

Fisher Price Trio Blocks

I think Fisher Price Trio blocks are a lot of fun. We don't have these blocks but my kids have built fun things with them at my in law's house. They even sell fun sets like Trio blocks Bat cave and accessory packs.
(all sets are 25% off at Toys R Us right now)

Batman toys

Target is selling Batman figures for the Bat cave in their stocking stuffer section. Go check it out. If you need some more figures for your bat cave or if you need something fun for your kid's stocking this is a good chance to get them!

Lego Advent Calendar

I was going to order the Lego advent calendar online but I saw that they are sold at WalMart, Target, and Toys R Us. There is a $5.00 off coupon for it in the Target toy catalog. Target is the cheapest place I've found it.

Barbie Three Story Dream Townhouse

Barbie Three Story Dream Townhouse:

Target: $139.99
WalMart: $125
Toys R Us: $139.99
WALMART WINS!

Fisher Price Loving Family Baby Set

I found this on the Toys R Us website. What a cute set. . . It is everything for baby. My daughter has several sets for the Loving Family dollhouse but not this one. . . I've never seen it before. It looks really cute though, especially if your child loves babies!

Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set

The Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set is at Target! I saw it on the shelf Friday! They sell out REALLY FAST! So if you are looking to get one they are available at Target!

Winter Toys

The air is starting to turn colder and so our winter toys have come out. We have toys that don't get played with a lot during the warmer months so I store them away until it gets cold. Lego's, wood building blocks, the and the wood trains. During the summer and fall we were outside and at sprayscapes, and parks every week so these toys did not get played with a lot. We have been building a lot the past two weeks with our wood blocks. All our friends enjoy building with them too!

Toys R Us sells a 75 piece set for 14.99 and a 150 piece set for 24.99. The coolest part is the top of the bucket is a shape sorter. My kids LOVE that!

Lego Creationary

I think this looks like such a fun game. It is like the game Pictionary but with Lego's. . . instead of drawing you build!!!

My son wants this for Christmas and I've been recommending this idea to all moms who have kids who love Lego's.

Strawberry Shortcake and Friends Multi Pack

So I had to run to Target today (don't laugh, but it has been over a week) and while walking up and down the toy aisles with my daughters, I saw a Strawberry Shortcake and friends multi pack. It was 29.99 and was a Target exclusive. . . but it had 5 dolls in it plus different clothes for each one and came in a hat box. It was really cute and smelled so sweet! So if you want clothes, accessories and the dolls and want to buy more than one doll this might be the deal for you. . . or wait to see if it goes on sale. Right now the single dolls have been lowered to $5.04 (regularly $5.99) so this is the better deal if you don't want the clothes and accessories. They don't include other outfits. This multi pack had a purple doll. I've never seen a purple doll (just blue, orange, red, yellow, and pink). The set includes the orange, yellow, pink, Strawberry (red) and purple.

More Leapfrog DVDs

I bought these two DVDs after the Letter Factory. They are very educational. They teach about vowels and putting letters together to make words. The Code Word Caper teaches about vowel rules. . . some of which I don't remember learning as a child and I had a "so that's why" moment. It even taught me!

Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD

I think this is the best children's movie. This DVD has helped my children learn their letters and what sound each letter makes.

O'ball

My babies have all loved this ball. When I bought mine I don't see the O'ball rattle. So our ball is just plain but it is perfect for little hands. It is flexible and soft enough that my older children can play with the baby and I don't worry about anyone getting hurt. A baby can pick up the ball and chew on it because of the O's. I think the rattle is pretty cool and a good idea as well.

Legos-easy clean up

This summer my sons started their obsession with Lego's. . . we have SO many now. I have a baby girl who is now mobile but even before she began putting everything in her mouth we have always kept the Lego's up on the table. I love to build and play with the Lego's with my kids so when the baby is napping or in her exer-saucer I put a blanket on the floor and the Lego's have to stay on the blanket. This makes it very easy to clean up. We pick up the corners of the blanket and then either put the whole blanket in the Lego bin or grab all four corners and dump the Lego's into the bin. They sell a cool container for storage that I've been thinking about getting. Each one of these containers comes out so you don't have to get out all the Lego's. . . or when you child is building something it can be stored separately in a bin. . . or you can store sets in the separate bins. I think it is a great idea. I liked it so much that my husband and I (with the occasional help from our 6 year old son) separated Lego's into their sets. We went so far as to separate by color so that we could find what pieces went with what set. It was a bit crazy. The bin is 49.99 at Toys R US. It also comes with 2 baseplates.

Peanut Butter M&Ms

Do your kids love peanut butter M&Ms as much as mine? Sorry to those with peanut allergies. . . Well at Halloween time Target (other stores probably do too but I shop most at Target) sells fun size packages of peanut butter M&Ms and I've only seen them at Halloween time. . . so I stock up. They are perfect size for a reward (we put them in our potty prize bag) and you don't have to open a big package to divvy out to each child. I've been buying some and they have a "save 50 cents now" coupon on the package. 

Fisher Price Little People

We are big fans of the Fisher Price Little People collection. We have the airport, the airplane, the school bus, the farm, and the garage. The people and vehicles are the kids' favorites. The farm and the garage are large and take up a lot of room in our playroom. . . When my oldest three stopped playing with the large items I  donated them and now we just have a bucket with the farm, the people, vehicles, and animals. Those are what get played with the most anyway. They sell sets for every holiday. At Toys R Us they sell sets that are pink and very cute! Classic toy for every kid!

**At Christmas and Easter they package a few Little People vehicles and people together for stocking/basket.

Bat Cave Accessories

Here are some fun accessories for the Bat Cave. You can also buy a pack with one character and a vehicle. . . They run about 5.99 for the small set. The bigger car/helicopter/ship set run about 10.99. The kids got those as gifts for Christmas which is what started our bat cave collection. My mom bought the kids the joker house and they love to pull it out with the bat cave. We have  multiples of each character (which is good with multiple children and for when friends come over). I have found that a good time to buy accessories is at Easter or Christmas when they bundle a few for stocking/basket stuffers.

Juice Box Holder

I bought this at Buy Buy Baby and I love it! My daughter has a tendency to squeeze the juice box and this prevents that. I think they are only 1.99 and come in several different colors (green is my son's favorite color). I love the handles and the peace of mind that no messes will be made! They are supposed to fit other types of drinks (Caprisons) as well but my kids don't drink those.

Target brand baby dolls

I think this is the cutest baby doll! My daughter has a couple baby dolls from Target.

I love the little booties and the cute dress.

Mr Potato Head Magnets

We have both of these sets and my kids love them.

They both make a great activity for church or travel. I've seen the smaller set at Buy Buy Baby but I bought both of my sets on Amazon.com (search imaginetics). There are many other sets as well (dollhouses, dress up, airplanes, trucks, etc.) so you can find one to fit your child's preference.

All Time Favorite Toy

The Ball Popper: This has been every one of my children's all time favorite toy when they were young. They will still sit around and watch the balls pop up. It brings so much laughter to our home. It is so much fun for the kids and so much fun for me to watch them laugh and smile. The balls pop up and go back around the track and pop up again. . .some fly off occasionally (especially with brand new batteries). The kids love it! It is a great toy. The recommended age is 9 months and up and I agree with that. Once a child is sitting up it is fun for them to watch the balls as long as you are there to help clean up the ones that fly off and it is a great toy as your child grows because they can pick up the ones that pop off and quickly put them back in so they will pop out again. This is a must have for young children!!!!

Dollar Tree: $1 coloring books

I always buy coloring books at the dollar store. . . We have a Dollar Tree close and they always have a large variety of coloring books and not just generic ones (we're talking Mickey Mouse, Strawberry Shortcake, Hot Wheels, Winnie the Pooh, etc)!!!!

Target Dollar Spot

Every time we walk into Target we walk through the dollar spot. It is amazing some of the cool stuff you can find there. Before school started it was full of academic workbooks and other tools for education. There was a time during the summer when the dollar spot was full of boy play clothes. I bought fire, police, construction, and army hats. There is always something cool there! Take a look when you go to Target!

Toys, Toys, Toys

I have bought many toys in my six and a half years as a mom. Sometimes friends will ask me about toys and where I find them not only because we have so many in our home but because my kids and I always go down the toy aisles in each store we go to when we are running errands. Every time we go to the grocery store or go to Target they ask to look at the toys. So I see lots and lots of toys each week! 

Barbie cars

My daughter has two barbie cars. They are both good cars and seat two barbies. They have seat belts too! I like the bigger one better because it is easier to get the dolls in and out. It is a little harder in the pink car. The pink car is the one found in most stores. I bought the blue one at Meijer. They sell it occasionally. Both are good but in my opinion the bigger car is better.

Princess Dolls

My mom bought my daughter these dolls. . . these were her first princess dolls. These are also small so we take them when we travel or in the car and they are carried in her purse. These ones came with removable shoes which are choking hazards (I took them out of the package and never gave them to her) but the newer ones come with the shoes painted on. You can also buy them in bigger sets that come with multiple dresses and other accessories.

Strawberry Shortcake

I'll admit it, my daughter is spoiled. It is so much more fun to buy her toys! These dolls smell so good. They are small and so they are something I can pack in my diaper bag or purse for her to play with. My daughter also has her own little purse she frequently carries around and puts these dolls in. I grew up with Strawberry Shortcake so I think these are really cute.

Big Sister/Little Sister dolls

I just found these dolls at Target a couple weeks ago. My daughter said "please mommy can I have this, please please please" and it was so cute. I think they are really cute dolls. The set comes with a bottle for the baby and a comb for big sister.  Very cute!

Etch a Sketch

Etch a Sketch is a good toy for a quiet bag or for travel. They come in regular size and travel size and we have two of the travel size. The kids loves to take them in the car and to church and I love that they keep the kids entertained and quiet. I used to play with an Etch a Sketch as a child and now and then I'll use my kids' to make a picture for them.

Doodle Pro

These come in all different sizes. We have multiple sizes (for travel, for church/quiet bag/and full size). They are fun for kids of all ages.

One Dollar Foam Swords

These foam swords make their appearance in the dollar spot at Target multiple times a year. I  bought enough for my kids and a couple friends and then a few more to store in case they break. They are fun for the kids and they don't hurt. I've had a few sword fights with my kiddos. It is fun!

Little Tikes Tball

This is a great set! My son used this tball set so much and got so good that he eventually hit is so hard that he broke it and we had to get rid of it. We had it for 3 years! It was great! The listed age range is 2-6 years old and it is pretty accurate. It is a fun set for all ages. I recommend this to all my friends who want to get a tball set.

Grow to Pro Basketball

The Grow to Pro basketball hoop is a wonderful basketball hoop and my kids have lots of fun but it was really hard to put together. It took my husband and I awhile to get it together. It was not easy! I originally bought the smaller Little Tikes basketball hoop (it does not go up as high) but my son out grew that really fast so we had to upgrade to the taller hoop. It is adjustable so it will grow with your child's height and shooting ability. We never put water in the bottom but we keep ours in the basement so we haven't had problems with it tipping over due to the wind. You would need to fill it with water or sad if you were going to keep it outside (although it does not tip over as easily as the smaller Little Tikes Easy Score Basketball Set).

Bath Baby

Target sells these bath babies. SUPER CUTE! I just bought one for my daughter's friend as a birthday present. They are 12.99 but I've seen them on sale for as low as 8.99. The doll is wearing a removeable diaper and t-shirt and comes with her own bath towel. She can go in the bath with your little one. She comes with a few bath toys as well. I also used this as a potty training doll because when the water drains out it looks like she is using the bathroom. I've seen this doll with brown eyes and blue. Very cute!!

Baby Dolls: Water Babies

My favorite baby dolls are water babies, especially for a young child. They are smaller in size. You are supposed to fill them with water so they feel like a real baby but I don't. I like that they are lightweight and I like that there isn't that bump on the baby arms where it changes from the plastic to the stuffing. You can buy them with different eye colors and even twins! Recently I've seen them at Kohl's.

Car mat/carpet/rug

There are so many different car mats out there. I recommend looking online to see before you choose one. I found this one at Lowe's. Search one out to find the one you like best and the price you like best. (They can be listed as car carpet or rug).

Bowling

 

My kids love sports. . . and they love to bowl. I found this foam bowling set at Target. It is so nice because it is soft, easy to set up (it comes with a cloth that shows you how to set up the pins) and the bowling ball is soft-not hard plastic-and has finger holes that can actually be used. We have a set from Toys R Us that is plastic and the pins get dented and the ball is hard plastic so it is loud and the holes are not deep enough that the kids can actually put their fingers in to bowl. I highly recommend this bowling set. It runs about $9.99. We set it up in our entry way and it makes the perfect bowling lane.

Ride On Car

These are the best! At one time we had three-one for each kid (that was before I had four and my oldest was too big). My kids would race around on the sidewalk, around the house, or around the basement. My 4 year old and 3 year old still love to ride around even though they are getting too tall for these cars. They are made with all different characters on them so you can pick one with your child's favorite character on it. They are also made in cars form, truck, and airplane.

Disney Princess Doll Pack Price Change

I just saw the pack of 7 Disney princess 12 inch dolls at Target today for 59.99.

(Mulan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Tiana, Belle, and Snow White)

Little Tikes 3 in 1 Sports Center

This Little Tikes Little Champs 3 in 1 Sports Center is a fun toy for young children. My sons loved to slam dunk the basketball and spin the football rattle. Even as they grew up they still loved to play with the toy with their younger siblings. It comes with a bat to hit the baseball and it spins around. It is a fun toy for young children. The recommended age is 9-24 months and I think that is appropriate for this toy.

Amazing Animals Train

This is the Amazing Animals Train (Fisher Price) but I haven't seen this around in awhile. . . but if you come across one at a garage sale or second hand store it is a great buy! The train has volume control which is important for a toy that sings, in my opinion! The train has a setting where it moves by it moves by itself. This was great for my young ones when they were crawling and could follow after the train. You push the big green button and it sings and plays animals sounds. You could also buy other train cars to attach to the back of this that came with additional animals so you could make a big amazing animals train.

Maze

I looked around for a maze toy like this and found this one at IKEA. It was the least expensive one I found and pretty sturdy. You have to put it together just like almost everything you purchase at IKEA but it is pretty easy.

Fisher-Price Mickey Mouse's Magic Choo Choo Train Set

My daughter loves Mickey Mouse and so my mom bought her this train for Christmas. It is really cute. It has two settings: set up the track and it rides along and sings or it picks up and lays its own track just like in the show. Cute toy for a kid who loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It is recommended for kids 3-5 but I would recommend it for kids 2-4.

Play Kitchen Set

There are so many different kitchen sets available but this is the least expensive one I've seen. It is about 40-50 dollars. It is kind of hard to put together. All the pieces of plastic have to be broken off so there are some sharp edges that need to be trimmed or sanded down. It is simple and serves its purpose. I like the shape- just perfect for the corner of our playroom. There are cuter ones out there and a wide variety of prices to fit every budget! It has been a good kitchen set for my kids.

Bristle Blocks

My kids and their friends love these blocks. I love them because they are easy to build with no matter what age your child is. They stick together easily. These are Parent's Choice brand from Target. They are a good quiet activity for church-just stick a few in a Ziploc bag and your kid can build quietly. They are really fun!

Kohl's=good toys

I said in an earlier post that I liked to look at the toy section at Kohl's. They have a lot of name brand toys for good prices. It is even better when you have a 15% off coupon. I find a lot of the toys I get for gifts there. So if you are shopping at Kohl's go back to the toy section and take a look. You can get some great deals for presents!

Disney Princess 12 inch Dolls

I'm so excited-I found Ariel (not pictured above because it is stored with the other christmas gifts)! My mom bought my daughter the Cinderella, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Snow White 12 inch dolls last year for Christmas but could not find Ariel. I've been searching ever since. Target has them in the display case in their store. Maybe you've seen it, you spin the dial and then push the button and you hear that princess sing (my kids love it and spin it around and around and around). Anyway, I have never found Ariel but last week I found her at Kohl's. Did you know they have a good selection of toys at Kohl's? I find all sorts of stuff there for good prices-plus usually they have 15% off (or more) coupons you can use as well. She is not the same Ariel that is displayed at Target. . .I have not seen that Ariel anywhere, including an extensive search online. This Ariel is the one that is sold at WalMart, Kohl's, Meijer, and Toys R Us. She is in a dress but you can also find a sparkle Ariel as a mermaid. The most cost effective way to buy the princesses is to buy the big pack at Target. These dolls are about 9.99 a piece and you can get the whole set, I think it is 6 or 7 dolls (which includes Tiana from Princess and the Frog) for 62.99. Some sets have Ariel as a mermaid and others have her in a dress.

A Prince for Your Princess (12 " Dolls)

My daughter is in love with all things Disney Princess. Last year my mom bought her several of the 12 inch (Barbie size) princess dolls. Well this year I was searching online and found the prince dolls are sold 2 for $20 at http://www.disneystore.com/. They have a prince doll for every princess!!!! .com
I got a couple (for Christmas this year) to match up with her princess dolls. I'm so excited for her!! :)

Barbies and Ken

Have you ever noticed that there are a bunch of different barbies and hardly any ken dolls? There aren't a lot of clothes sold for Ken dolls as well. My daughter wants a barbie and ken (mom and dad dolls are her obsession) and the limited number of kens sold are ugly. So I search out ken dolls on eBay. There are dozens of sellers on eBay who sell ken dolls and ken clothes. Amazon is also a good place to search for ken doll clothes as well. My favorite Ken is the sparkle groom ken that my daughter got in 2009 for Christmas. I've found several more that look similar and now we have some Ken dolls to go with all the barbies we have.

Lego Duplo

My kids love Lego Duplo blocks and I love them because they are not small! They are the perfect size for children who are multiple ages. I found a Lego Duplo dollhouse for my daughter and she loves it while my boys love playing with the tractor and truck duplo blocks. They are fun toys to play and build with. You can find various sizes of sets as well or buy a tub of blocks for more creative fun.

Pictures copied from Toys R Us website

Fisher Price Loving Family Dollhouse

My daughter loves to play with dolls. We were given an older version of this dollhouse and she loves it. She loves to make a family with her dolls. She has a daddy, mommy, brother, sister, and a baby doll that she plays with. You can buy furniture and build a cute little house. You can also buy a minivan. It fits the dolls and is very cute but the doors fall off VERY easily. I've put the doors on so many times that now one of the back doors doesn't go back on at all. Even though it is missing a door my daughter still loves to play with it. When you push down the steering wheel it plays music. It has two built in car seats for the twin baby dolls. Very cute but frustrating to fix the door so many times!