11/5/13: Pinypon Snow Ski Lodge Review

Last year we were introduced to Pinypon and had a super fun party with friends to play with Pinypon dolls and their caravan.  This year Famosa came out with the Pinypon Snow Ski Lodge and Lauren had an awesome time playing with it.

 There is a little bit of adult assembly needed for the ski lodge and to put stickers on but it was pretty quick and easy to put together.  While I was putting together the main ski lodge Lauren was decorating the tree.

 She also put together the Snow Man.  The set comes with over 50 pieces!

 As soon as it was put together Lauren couldn't wait to send on of her skiers down the mountain.  The slide worked well and you can see some video of that later in the post.

She cruised right in to the Snow Man.

 She also liked changing them around.  With Pinypon people they have two sides to their face for different expressions and they come apart so you can change hair/body/feet with other people.  If you watch the video later in the post you will see Lauren demonstrate this.

 She was making sure that everything was arranged perfectly.

 The whole set is really adorable.

 Here is some video of how it works:

Evan even got in to the action.

 The other feature this set has is that you can make the ice skating ring have real ice.  We filled it up and put it in the freezer so that Pinypons could skate around.

 Lauren had fun pushing the skaters around on the ice.  You can switch the ice skates on to other figures also.

 Evan was cracking me up using the Caravan as a bus to the ski lodge.  He would load up all the skis and equipment and bring them to the ski lodge.

 What a super fun toy for girls and if your son is like my son he might join in.  Here it is as packaged.  It is a great value at $39.99.

Like them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pinypon.us

Follow them on Twitter:  @PinyponUSA

Disclosure:  I was provided with the Pinypon Snow Ski Lodge for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/4/13: Battroborg Battling Robots by TOMY

Next up in my Holiday Gift Guide is one of Time to Play Mag's Most Wanted Holiday Items Battroborg Battling Robots by TOMY.  These are fun for kids and I have to be honest, they are fun for adults.  I had some fun battling with them.

We received the Battroborg 3-in-1 Battle Arena which includes Clopto vs. Cobalt.  It has 2 motion controlled robots and an arena.

These days kids are so used to motion controlled remotes and games so this is second nature for them.  It is super fun to play as you use the Nanchaku Controller to make your robot battle the other robot.

Evan thought that the Battroborgs robots were really cool looking and had lots of fun battling my husband.  

Lauren then joined in the fun.  What brother and sister don't want to battle each other with robots?

The Battroborg 3-in-1 Battle Arena offers multiple ways to play and each Battroborg can battle in three different competitive game modes. Combat mode allows for head-to-head battle against an opponent. Battle boot camp allows players to master the art of combat by taking on the training drones. The other game play options include Autodrone mode where players can battle against a self-activated Battroborg robot or Tag mode where a self-propelled Battroborg robot chases other Battroborgs. 

The robots do look really cool when they are battling in the ring and light up to determine when they have been knocked out and when they are ready to battle again.

The robots are easily charged with the remote.  They basically plug in to the back area of the robot.  The lights turn to know that they are fully charged.  They are true to the times they report, they last about 20 minutes and charge in about the same amount of time.

Here are all the different Battroborgs that they have.

Here it is as packaged.  It is definitely a super cool toy for this holiday season that you should check out.

Like them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/tomy.toy

Follow them on Twitter:  @Tomy_Toy

Disclosure:  I received Battroborg for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/3/13: Lite Brix Mansion and Sports Car

Last year I did a review of Lite Brix from Cra-Z-Art and fell in love with them.  At that time they only had sets for boys.  This year I was happy to see they had some wonderful sets for the girls and my daughter was excited to build them.  There are now lots of Lite Brix Sets for Girls and we received the Lite Brix Mansion and Sports Car to play with.

Lauren and I got right to work putting the Mansion together.  This was a big job so I stepped in to help her out with the assembly.  

 There are 144 steps so this one takes a while to make but it is well worth it in the end.  Make sure you hear them snap together to make sure they are secure.

Plus there are lots of accessories that you need to find just the right place for.

 Here it is completed.  These brix also are compatible with other blocks which is nice.

 After the Mansion was complete the next day we put together the Sports Car which in comparison is much easier to put together and was completed quickly and is super cute.  The car comes with a person and a little dog which Lauren had fun playing with.

Lauren had fun setting everything up just where she wanted.

 I love that Evan got in to it too and the two of them were playing with their little town.

 They quickly got to work putting their vehicles in place and since Evan had experience with Lite Brix he helped Lauren putting some together.

 Here is the Mansion and Sports Car lit up.

 Evan was smart and decided to connect the car to the house to light up.  We had run out of batteries and the pack for the car took 3 "AAA"s and we only had 2.  This way with the connector we could light up the car.

 Lauren was thrilled with it and loved watching it light up.

 Another picture without the flash.

 While we were at putting together blocks Evan decided to bring out his Super Jet Fighter.  I love this one!  It makes two configurations.

 Here he is having fun flying it around.

Here is some video to see them light up including the Mansion, Sports Car and Jet.

 With the Jet, the majority of the blocks all light up.  I would suggest checking each section you put together to make sure it lights up.  We did find that we had one faulty connector and after it was all put together the top section would not light up.  Once I tested section by section I found the faulty connector.  It was sort of like looking for the faulty light in a string of lights.  One goes out, they all go out.

 I think these are a great toy and challenging for kids to put together.  They are made by Cra-Z-Art who also put out another super hot toy this holiday season, The Cra-Z-Loom.  Check out the full line of products.

 Here is the Lite Up Mansion and Lite Up Sports Car as packaged.

And fully put together!  Definitely check them out this holiday season.

 

Disclosure:  I received these Lite Brix sets for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/1/13: Dog With a Blog New Episode on The Disney Channel

There are so many kids shows these days that have more mature content that I worry about the kids watching.  One show that I like and the kids love is "Dog With A Blog" on the Disney Channel.  We love dogs in our house and the fact that he has a blog is perfect.  My kids crack up that he is typing on the computer at the end and say that is what you do Mommy.

 He is an adorable dog and the cast is really good on the show.  Make sure to check out his blog online here.

We especially like Avery, she plays an extremely smart young girl and I love her spirit.

 There was one episode that got me hooked.  At the end Stan was blogging and he was doing a product review.  He pushed on the toy and it squeaked and he said "I didn't see that coming".  It was so adorable.  Plus there is no content at all that I worry about.

 Love him typing.

Here is more information about the latest episode which was on tonight and was so cute:

 "Tyler Gets a Grill-friend" (8:30 PM – 9:00 PM ET/PT)  Avery has been snippy with her younger sister Chloe and her Mom Ellen lately, but no one knows why. Bennett who is her Dad and also a child psychologist steps in to have them share their feelings.  Avery then figures out that she is jealous of her Mom's relationship with her younger sister.  When she talks to her Mom it ends up being a really touching moment.  She realized even as a teenager she really needs her Mom.  

Meanwhile, Tyler her brother has a new coworker Emily.  The only issue is she is the boss's niece.

Here is our little doggy, Fred the Shetland Sheepdog.  He even dressed up for Halloween.

Disclosure:  I was provided content from the Entertainment New Media Network for this post.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/1/13: A Christmas Story, The Musical! Win Tickets!

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS TIM N
There are some wonderful holiday movies we love to watch every year and both the kids and I look forward to.  One of those is A Christmas Story and guess what, it is coming to Boston's Citi Wang Theatre as a Musical from November 20th to December 8th.  The best part is that I am giving away 4 tickets to the show on November 20th at 7:30 pm to a lucky reader!!!  Read on for a discount code and to win.

Who doesn't say "You'll shoot your eye out" at least once during the holiday season.  I know we do.

All pictures credit to: http://achristmasstorythemusical.com/

One of my favorite parts is the lovely pink PJs.  You always had one aunt or family member that gave you some embarrassing piece of clothing that your Mom made you wear so that they would see you in it.

My personal favorite is the major award!  Click the link below to save 15% per ticket and buy tickets now using the code LEGLAMP Buy Tickets Here

 More about the show:

Celebrate the holidays with this cherished story that will entertain the whole family with this heart-warming classic tale! The story from a cherished movie classic that has enchanted millions is now a musical spectacular. The story takes place in 1940’s Indiana, where a bespectacled boy named Ralphie has a big imagination and one wish for Christmas—a Red Ryder BB Gun. A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa, and a tripledog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream. Co-produced by the film’s original Ralphie, Peter Billingsley, A Christmas Story, The Musical is musical comedy entertainment that captures a simpler time in America with delicious wit and a heart of gold.

 Here is a preview video:

It really looks like a fabulous show.  Enter below to win tickets!

Disclosure:  I was provided tickets to this show in addition to tickets to giveaway in exchange for promotion.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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