Vtech Switch & Go Dinos Turbo: RC Triceratops

Disclosure: Items mentioned in this post were sent for review purposes only, all opinions are 100% honest.

Bronco the RC Triceratops is the first remote control dinosaur from Switch & Go Dinos® Turbo by VTech®! Bronco is a 2-in-1 electronic toy that fuses dinosaurs and vehicles into one awesome play experience. With the push of a button on his remote control, Bronco transforms from a fierce triceratops to a sleek race car.

                     

Aidan LOVES both dinosaurs and remote control cars, so I knew he would love the Switch & Go Dino. Vtech has combined two of Aidan’s favorite things into one with this, and he loves playing with it. I don’t think he has stopped playing with it since it came. What little boy wouldn’t love a car that transforms into a dinosaur at the push of a button?

This is a super cool learning toy as well. In dinosaur mode, it tells your child random dinosaur facts. It has an LCD screen that displays animation eyes for the dinosaur & animation driver for the race car. I thought that was pretty awesome.

The remote is easy to hold for both my son and 5 year old daughter. It’s easy to figure out and manage even for the smallest kids. You can even use the turbo charge lever to charge his turbo boosters. Then, press the turbo boost button to give him a burst of speed!

I love it because it is very well made with high quality materials- I don’t have to worry that it’s going to break or fall apart. It’s heavy and durable, unlike some remote control toys. It was also super easy to set-up. It takes all AA batteries, which is a plus. I don’t like getting toys that take special batteries, because they are harder to find and can be expensive.

 

• Move forward, backward, left and right using the remote control in vehicle and dino mode

• Use the turbo charge lever to charge his turbo boosters, and press the turbo boost button to give him a burst of speed

• 2-in-1 toy easily transforms from a dinosaur to a vehicle with the push of a button on the remote control

• LCD screen displays cool dinosaur eyes and driver animations

• Learn dinosaur facts and hear wild sound effects

• 70+ wild sounds and phrases

If you are looking for an amazing toy that will withstand a little boys rambunctious nature, this is definitely it. I can’t believe how strong and durable this is!

Get it here

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One Step Ahead 2-in-1 Easel Desk

Disclosure: Items mentioned in this post were sent for review purposes only; all opinions are 100% honest.

My kids love anything that has to do with creating. They could paint, draw, color, and craft for hours at a time. Aidan loves to draw and write, while Adisyn prefers to color. Now they can do both with the One Step Ahead 2-in-1 Easel Desk.

There are so amazing things to love about this desk. The first is the colorful unique design. Most desks are made of just plain wood, which lacks personality. This one has a bright orange color.
                      

The dry erase part comes with 2 dry erase markers- black and blue and an eraser. I love that they now have their own small space to learn, draw, and grow their super-amazing imaginations.They can sit and do their homework, play school, or just hang out and write.

 

I love that it also has an attachment rod at the top that holds rolls of paper. The paper can be flipped either way- towards the easel or towards the desk. Of course this is a sanity saver for me. Anybody with more than one child knows what it’s like to have kids arguing because “mommy Adi isn’t taking turns” or “mommy Aidan won’t share”. Now there isn’t a sharing issue. One can use the chalkboard while one writes or colors on the paper.

                  

The easel has a chalkboard on one side. Below the chalkboard are 6 colorful baskets to sort and organize their art and craft supplies. There are two rods that hold the baskets in place, with 3 baskets to a row. Since there are two rows with 3 baskets, each of my kids get their own row with 3 variety colored baskets. 



The Easel/chalkboard part of the desk is accompanied with packs of chalk both colored and white as well as an eraser. I really loved that One Step Ahead really thought of everything! They made it so much easier on me, because they wanted to draw and write immediately after the desk was put together. What a bummer it would have been to tell them I didn’t have any chalk.


The bench-style seat that comes with the desk also doubles as a storage space. Adisyn and Aidan use it as their hiding hole, storing their toys. I think it would be a cute place to store books and larger craft supplies that won’t fit in the buckets.

This desk/easel isn’t only a sanity saver, but a space saver as well. Although we have a 3 bedroom house, the rooms are on the small side after the regular furniture. I love that this doesn’t take up much space. They have plenty space to move around and play.

Winter weather is here, which means more time spent indoor. My kids love spending time outside, but they can’t stay out there very long. This gives them a space of their own to while away the time on the days that it’s just too darn cold to play outside.

This is the perfect gift that combines playing with a love of learning. This is definitely not a gift that will easily be tossed aside and forgotten about in a week. Aidan, Adisyn, and my niece Dezi all absolutely love the desk. Whoever you get this for will certainly be thanking you for a long time.

Get it: One Step Ahead 2-in-1 Easel Desk.


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Why would you love this desk?

Educational Insights: The Riddle Show

 

                

Knock, knock! Who's there? YOU, hosting your very own comedy show! Friends and family will laugh, giggle, snort and guffaw as children share 140+ jokes, riddles and tongue twisters with this talking electronic microphone featuring pre-recorded content, music and sound effects. Press a button for a joke or riddle, then another for the answer, or try a tricky tongue twister-just don't get too tripped up! Ha-ha-larious fun for everyone!

   

Aidan is the little comedian in our family. He is always trying to make people laugh by being silly. I knew when I seen The Riddle Show that it would be perfect for him. It is an electronic toy shaped like his very own microphone. At the push of a button, it tells an assortment of jokes, riddles, and tongue twisters.

 

The microphone approximately has four buttons that serve the following functions: (1) Tell a riddle, (2) Tell a riddle joke or tongue twister, (3) Answer, and (4) Repeat. He played with this for longer than I thought he would, he loves it. He thinks the jokes are funny, and the riddles require thought.

The riddles are a set of clues for everybody to try and figure out. Such as “I am long and curved. I have smooth yellow skin- you peel me to eat me, what am I?” (answer: banana) If you didn’t hear it well the first time, there is a repeat button, which I like about it. To get the answers, there is an answer button below the repeat button.

Jokes are things like “When does the moon stop eating?” (answer: when it’s full) “What do frogs like with their hamburgers?” (French Flies) The microphone also works without the joke or riddles, so that he can make up his own or sing a crazy song. He loves it. The microphone just lets them hear their own voice a bit louder, which is pretty cool.

The Riddle Show works with 3 (AAA) batteries, which come with the purchase. Aidan has used this many times and it still hasn’t shown any indication of it running low on battery power. More bang for your buck. As a mom, I love that he isn’t only having fun but that he is also learning at the same time.

Shh… They’re Learning!

• Increases listening comprehension skills
• Enhances critical thinking skills
• Builds vocabulary
• Increases self-confidence and self-esteem

The Riddle Show is the perfect fit for his (and my 5 year old daughters) hands. They can hold it very well and push the buttons without it slipping out of their hands or falling. There are 4 buttons (besides the on/off and volume buttons). Buttons: Riddle, Joke, Answer, and Repeat buttons.

It is made very well with a durable, sturdy plastic. I’ve always been a huge fan of Educational Insight toys, and this just added to my list of reasons WHY I love them so much. Who wouldn’t? Fun while learning is the best way to learn in my opinion. He seems to love when the spotlight is on him and he can make people listen and laugh for long periods of time.

He loves making people smile, but his jokes were limited since he’s only 7. Now he can tell jokes or riddles for as long as he wants, because he doesn’t have to think them up himself. This toy actually HAS him thinking up new jokes now. We might have a future comedian here, lol.

You can get The Riddles Show at the Educational Insights website which has the playful promise. This is a 365 day risk free guarantee, and I’ve NEVER seen that with any other toy site EVER!

You can also shop by age, or whether you want to shop toys or games. I love when kid websites let me shop by age, so I know what is in the age-range of my kids.!

Connect with Educational Insights:

Website. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

 

 

 

Hot Wheels Street Hawk Remote Control Flying Car

Ever wonder what it would be like if cars could fly? Now kids can live that thrill and see a Hot Wheels RC take to the skies with the Street Hawk. This vehicle offers a cool combo of on-ground remote-controlled performance, like proportional ground steering, plus the aerial performance of a plane.

Box includes: 1 vehicle, 1 transmitter, 1 USB cable, and 1 pair of replacement propellers.

My son Aidan loves anything that has to do with cars and airplanes, so he was super excited to see the two put together. He got out of school and seen the box sitting in the corner beside my desk and immediately wanted to open it.

      

It wasn’t hard at all to get running. I put 6 AA batteries in the remote (not included) and charged the Hot Wheels Street Hawk Flying Car with the USB that comes inside the remote. It took about 40 minutes to charge it, so I should’ve opened it before he got home. He was so impatient and giddy, asking every 5 minutes when it was charged lol.

As soon as it was fully charged, we took it outside. It works on the gravel in my driveway without hesitation, but the full speed happened on the street beside my house. We had tons of fun playing with it. The range on this car is super awesome, he could drive it at least 100 ft up the street without having to turn it back around.

My uncle Dave came over and he and the kids were playing. He would drive the car while the kids tried to chase it down. For such a small car, it is super fast. It was funny and cute to see them chasing it and barely catching it.

With just a flip of the switch, it turns into the flying airplane mode. The engines spin much quicker in the airplane mode. This is what gives it the momentum to catch wind and fly. It takes about 10 feet to get it to lift, but then it flies pretty quickly.

It took some time to get used to, but as soon as he got the hang of it he had a blast. At first he was making quick turns and it would stall and crash down to the ground, but the wider turns eventually helped him to keep it in the air for longer periods of time.

Even after all the crashes, this thing is still going strong. That is amazing because it’s very lightweight, so I wasn’t sure it was going to survive in the hands of my son very long. I was wrong, VERY wrong. The only thing was the propellers, and good thing it comes with replacement. His nose dives turned into a lost propeller which are very small and I couldn’t find it.

Aidan loves this, so it’s perfect for little boys who love remote control cars!!

Get the Hot Wheels Street Hawk Remote Control Flying Car for $59.99

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Dora & Friends: Talking Dora & Smartphone

 

   

 

 

Adisyn absolutely LOVES Dora, and she always has. I swear at one point we had just about every Dora DVD. We moved last year and somehow the kids boxes of movies didn’t make it, so we are now trying to collect them all again.

She was stoked to see Dora sitting beside my desk when we came in after getting her off the bus. The Dora and Friends Talking Dora Doll from Fisher Price is the tween version of the Dora character that she grew to love. She hadn’t really seen any of the shows, so she just thinks Dora’s hair has grown.

What's in the box?

Talking Dora & Smartphone, adventure charm, brush and headband.

Adisyn loved that Dora came with a brush, so that she could style her hair. She also comes with a pink headband. I really liked that it came with a slightly elastic clear plastic strip at the bottom to keep it on. Her hair is straight, and pretty soft for a doll. It doesn’t tangle easily, which is also a plus.

She loves to use hairties and bows on her dolls, so I loved that it was easy for her to get the headband off and on without it slipping off. We’ve had problems with that before on other dolls, but this one sits flatly on her head perfectly.

  

Dora resembles a Bratz doll in the way that she has a bigger head with a small body, which I like. Adisyn absolutely adores her. She comes decked out & looking snazzy with her sparkly painted on tank top and capri pants. There’s a glittering crystal-like button on the front of Dora that lights up when pushed.

            

Dora came with her smartphone (with a tiny screensaver of her family) and a special phone just for Adisyn. Adi puts her phone in her “purse” along with her “little cosmetics” and some lotion I gave her. The options of the phone are minimal because there’s only one button to push, but she likes it.

Dora responds to and interacts with Adi’s phone, which comes with the “Map-App”. Dora will start talking or singing different phrases and songs each time the button on the phone is pushed. When Dora and the phone are responding to each other, the button on her shirt and bracelet twinkle and light up with color. Dora speaks in both English and Spanish like she does in the show.

    

Dora is a very well made doll, which is what I particularly like. Adisyn has taken her outside for “adventures” and Dora’s made it back in perfect shape. She’s made out of very durable/sturdy plastic that isn’t easily bent or torn up. Dora can be placed in a sitting position to have “lunch” with Adi, and her arms move up and down. There’s an off/on switch on the side of her hip, but you can’t control her volume level (which isn’t loud or obnoxious anyway).

This is the absolute PERFECT gift for any little girl who loves Dora or dolls in general, you can get it here.

 

 

 

Kohl’s Cares: Little Critter Books & Plush Toys Collection #BacktoSchool #Kohls

Get a jump start on back-to-school with the beloved Mercer Mayer storybooks, Little Critter, the newest Kohl’s Cares merchandise collection! Kohl’s Department Stores is offering exclusive merchandise from Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter for just $5 each, available now through September 20

*Through the Kohl’s Cares program, 100 percent of the net profit from the sale of this collection supports children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

The Kohls Care program has been around for a long time. Each “collection” contains different books with matching character plush toys. Each items is only $5 and all proceeds goes toward helping other kids get the education and health care that they need, yet might not be able to afford otherwise.

This time they’ve chosen Little Critters, which has always been a favorite of my kids. The characters are super adorable, and very soft. They are perfect companions for bedtime or just playing around the house. I don’t know how many “stories” my daughter has made up with dialogue between brother and sister critter.

The books we received were Bedtime Stories & Jack and the Beanstalk. Each book is hardback and fun to read by themselves. The fact that they have toys to match the characters, make it even better. The Jack and the Beanstalk book is a lift-a-flap, which my kids love! Heck, I do too. lol

The Kohl’s Cares collection will include the following merchandise:

· Books:  Little Critter's Bedtime Storybook, Little Critter Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Critter Little Red Riding Hood, Little Critter Hansel and Gretel and Little Critter 3 pack Board Book Set

· Plush: Little Critter, Little Sister, Bear and Wolf

· Etc:  Zoo Matching Game, 2 pack Doodle Book

· Online Exclusives: Little Critter Where's My Sneaker? (a lift-the-flap-book) and Mouse plush

Plus, for adults, The Mom 100 Cookbook and Good Housekeeping Stain Rescue! are available for just $5 each.

 

About Kohl’s Cares

Kohl’s Cares, the philanthropic platform of Kohl’s Department Stores, is committed to giving back to the communities it serves by supporting kids' health and education nationwide, women's health and the fight against breast cancer, and environmental initiatives. Since 2000, Kohl's has raised more than $257 million for kids health and education initiatives through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program, recognized more than 19,500 outstanding kids through the Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program and donated more than 2.7 million hours of volunteer time through the Associates in Action volunteer program.

 

Have you ever bought anything from the Kohl’s Care Collection before? Have you ever heard of it?

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-Jess