Holiday Shopping for Kids at Target #MyKindOfHoliday #Giveaway

This post has been brought to you by Target. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I have four young boys, which makes my holiday shopping absolutely insane. Between the amount of gifts I have to buy and all of my trips to the store, I am exhausted by the time Christmas finally rolls around. Target is one of my favorite stores to shop at year round but even more so at the holidays because they always have what I am looking for.

Earlier this Fall we got the Skylanders Swap Force game, but we are still in dire need of the swappable characters. Most of the other stores I looked at locally are sold out, so Target was my last hope. Luckily when I turned into the Skylanders/Infinity aisle, I saw it was still pretty packed.

Armed with my list of characters that Grammy already purchased I was able to find 4 of the new Swap Force swappable figures that we still needed. All 4 wound up in my cart.

Santa just happens to be bringing the boys the Disney Infinity for Xbox game this Christmas, so we are going to need a few of those characters too. Ya know, because the 50 Skylanders we already have isn't enough.  I'm not sure what Santa was thinking here. Target had a bunch of figures to choose from and thnakfully they had the only one I was looking for: Davy Jones.

Now as if the holidays alone weren't enough, 8 days before Christmas is also my youngest sons birthday. Which means even more shopping. I always find this a struggle because I start to run out of ideas for him. Since he is obsessed with Batman lately (he will be 4), I headed over to the DC Comics toys to see if I could find anything for him that didn't have 50 million little pieces.  And right there on the bottom shelf was a talking Batman doll - perfect! I can totally see him lying in bed with this while wearing his Batman pajamas, he's going to love it.

With that, I headed over to checkout with what was hopefully the last of my Christmas shopping. I felt rather satisfied after this shopping trip because I got everything I walked in the doors for. And luckily I had my husband with me to distract said youngest child so he didn't notice everything I was buying. In the end I purchased the 4 Swap Force figures, 1 Disney Infinity figure, talking Batman doll, 2 Minecraft dolls, DC themed Hotwheels cars, kid's toothpaste and a snack of Goldfish for my little monkey.

The second best part of this trip was being able to pay with my eGiftCard using the Target app on my iPhone. While I love shopping online, especially during the holidays when the stores are crowded, there are times I just prefer to shop in person. So it is pretty cool that now if I get an eGiftCard for Target, I can use it to shop in either place.And if you are struggling with those last few people on your holiday shopping list, you can't go wrong with a gift card.

Have you done any shopping for your children at Target this holiday season?

Check out the great deals on Kid's toys only @Target!

Giveaway
One (1) winner will receive a $25 Target eGiftCard. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on December 18, 2013 at 12:00 AM EST. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hot Toys Prize Pack #Giveaway from MGA Entertainment #HolidayShowcase

Does your holiday shopping revolve around toys, toys and more toys? With four children of my own and a lot of nieces and nephews, I spend a lot of time (and money) shopping for toys this time of year. MGA Entertainment makes a lot of popular brands of toys including Little Tikes, Lalaloopsy and Bratz. Little Tikes I am very familiar with as we have quite a few of their outdoor toys in our yard and garage. Since I am a mom of only boys, my knowledge of things like Bratz and Lalaloopsy is pretty nonexistent. However I do know that my four year old niece loves Lalaloopsy and whenever I see or hear a commercial for it, I am stuck singing it for the next five days.

Need some more toys to stick under the tree this Christmas? Below is your chance to win a prize pack of toys from MGA Entertainment, valued at $258.

Giveaway
One (1) lucky winner will receive a prize pack which includes the following:
• Three (3) Action Adventures Robot flashlights
• Four (4) Lalaloopsy bundles
• Four (4) Bratz Catz
Total Prize Value: $258

Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and will end on December 10, 2012 at 12:01am EST. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Thank you to Kidsumers for organizing this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Trunki Giveaway

One of my favorite brands to shop during the holidays is Melissa & Doug. We always end up with at least one of their toys under our Christmas Tree every year. With Melissa & Doug toys you get quality educational toys that last. We've had many of ours since my first was an infant over six years ago and they are still going strong after child number four.

Melissa & Doug has some great toys on their Terrific Twenty Holiday Gifts for 2012 list that you should check out. I personally love the Big Rig Building Set which would be great for my son who turns three this December.

“20 Days of Terrific Twenty” Facebook Giveaway
Starting November 6, 2012, Melissa & Doug will be giving away one item every day from their Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans! Head on over to the Melissa & Doug Facebook page to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway here on Marianna.me!
There are so many great toys on this Terrific Twenty list which made it difficult for me to choose one to giveaway here on my blog. After a long deliberation, I thought the Trunki was the best bet. The Trunki is great for family vacations and sleepovers at a friend's house or at grandma's.

One (1) winner will receive a blue Terrance Trunki from Melissa & Doug. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on November 21, 2012 at 12:01 AM EST. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a free Melissa & Doug product. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

VTech Switch & Go Dinos Review

If there is one things I have learned as a mom of four boys is that my guys love dinosaurs and vehicles. Basically, anything that goes vroom or roar. They have had their share of toys but nothing that combines two of their favorites. Until now.

VTech Switch & Go Dinos are one of the coolest toys this mom has seen in some time.

"Switch & Go Dinos features an entire line of seven durable, unique and collectable dinosaur toys. Each toy transforms from a dinosaur to a vehicle and back again in a few simple steps, providing two dynamic toys for the price of one. Each Switch & Go Dino comes equipped with a customizable LCD screen and voices vehicle sound effects and educational dinosaur facts. "

From the moment these toys arrived in my house, the boys couldn't wait to rip open the boxes. I endured an entire day of "Can we pleeeeease open them now?!" - mostly from the seven year old. The first thing that I liked was that there was very minimal assembly required. A few pieces to snap on and that was it - they were ready to go!

Span the Spinosaurus™

We started off with Span the Spinosaurus™, which starts as a plane and transforms into a dinosaur and then back again. Span also comes with a crate and a small baby dinosaur then can be attached to a hook on the bottom of the plane. These toys are unique not only in the fact that they transform, but they have electronic features. When you are in plane mode, you can choose from four different animated pilot faces to appear on the LCD screen and as you pretend to fly around the room, the sensors pick up the movement and you hear plane sound effects. Then once in dinosaur mode, you can select one of four faces and Span will share some of his dinosaur facts and jokes with you.

Brok the Brachiosaurus™

Next up was Brok the Brachiosaurus™, which is the largest of the Switch & Go Dinos. Brok starts off as a big car with a smaller race car that launches a flying dinosaur when sent down his ramp. As with all of the Switch & Go Dinos, the LCD screen let's you choose from pilot faces in vehicle mode and dinosaur faces in dino mode. In seven fairly easy steps, Brok transforms into a Brachiosaurus dinosaur. What makes him really special is that in addition to his LCD screen and voice, Brok also features a moving mechanical neck as well as a light on top of his head.

We have had our Switch & Go Dinosaurs for well over a week now and the boys are enthralled with them. It has created sum fun imaginative playtime between brothers as they have the dinosaurs interact with each other. Personally, I love how easy it is for them to transform the toys all by themselves. We have had a few other transforming toys in our house, all of which require myself or my husband to do it for the kids. After making a toy go from robot to car and back again 15 times a day, it makes we want to throw the toy against the wall. That is far from the case with the Switch & Go Dinos. I showed the boys the first time how to switch them and they were able to do it all on their own after that. Which also makes them quite proud of themselves.

With the holiday season on its way (ack!), VTech Switch & Go Dinos are a fun, interactive toy that would make a great gift.


Show & Tell with Switch & Go Video Contest

• From August 22 through October 1, visit www.facebook.com/vtechtoys to enter and upload a 30 second video of your child's home-made Dino creation. They can show their new Dino by drawing, building or customizing their existing Switch & Go Dino.
• View and share your favorite video entries with your friends and family.
• From October 8 through October 19 check out the top 10 to cast your vote for the coolest, most creative and fiercest video! Everyone who votes may be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of 25 sets of Sliver, T-Don, Horns and Tonn.
• One grand prize winner will get a kid's lifetime supply of VTech toys, plus a chance to see your video air in a VTech commercial on Nickelodeon, which you can watch at your very own viewing party with friends and family. VTech will also transform your living room into the ultimate Dino den!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for VTech. I received VTech Switch & Go Dinos product samples to facilitate my review.

Amazing World Virtual Game Review & Giveaway

Now that our oldest son is seven, he is becoming more interested in the computer. He has played a few basic games on some children’s websites before, but nothing more than that. To be honest, I have a hard time sharing my computer time! But I do want him to be able to enjoy the computer and online games while also keeping it all safe. The Amazing World online virtual game from Ganz intrigued me since kids can play for free in a controlled environment. This is important for me because it means he can’t accidentally delete my programs and files or click on a non-kid website. Needless to say he and were both very eager to give it a try!

The great thing about Amazing World is that the game is free-to-play and kids can register with a generic “Zing” at AmazingWorld.com. You do not even have to purchase a toy. However, integrating the virtual play with an actual toy makes it all the more special. When you purchase your own Zing figure, it comes with a special code that you use to register your Zing online. This code unlocks your virtual Zing, which looks identical to your toy, and it comes with one special item to place in your virtual house or yard.

Once you download and install the free software, which took me about 25 minutes on DSL, then you can register your Zing and start having some fun. In order to progress through the levels, your Zing will have to complete special quests. Some of these quests might be planting seeds or meeting other characters within the game. One quest my son really enjoyed was exploring and jumping around a building to catch butterflies. By completing quests, you earn experience points, relationship points and coins and sometimes even a special item to place in your home. The coins can be used to purchase items in the virtual store likes clothing and furniture.

My son not only loves the fun of working on the missions but he is also proud of himself when he completes one. It gives him quite a sense of accomplishment. And as the parent, I like that the quests are just challenging enough for him to enjoy and have to work a little at, but not too difficult that he becomes frustrated with the game. He also really enjoys decorating his space. As your Zing continues to move up the levels, you can even build rooms onto your house to make it bigger. Kids can spend hours having fun decorating and customizing everything in their own Amazing World.

Your free-to-play account on Amazing World will cap off on level 20. If you want full access to all 50 levels, access to all items in the store, unique quest prizes and more than you can become an Amazing World subscriber. Subscriptions may be purchased on a three month, six month or one year basis. Whether you choose to play for free or purchase a subscription one thing can be sure – your child will have a lot of fun!

Twitter Giveaway!
Now here is your chance to “Tell The World About Amazing World”! You will be entered to Win Two Amazing World toys. Here is how you enter:

1. Copy and paste the phrase below into a tweet or use this tweet button:
   

Tweet

Come discover & explore #AmazingWorldGame, a free‐to‐play 3D virtual world full of challenges & fun! http://bit.ly/AmazingWorldGame @GreenMamasPad

2. Tweet anytime between 9/11 and 9/23 at 11:59 pm EST. 
3. Each tweet will earn you one entry into the contest! 
4. Winner will be notified via Twitter.

Good Luck! Now head to Amazing World and register your Zing now! It is free-to-play! I will see you there!

VTech InnoTab 2 Tablet for Kids Review

With the start of September also came the start of soccer for my boys. Saturday mornings have gone from laid back to absolutely crazy. To give a quick rundown, we leave the house around 8:15am to drop the 2.5 year old off at Grammy's house; head on over to the school soccer fields for 9:00am; spend over two hours on the field; drive back to pick up toddler; and then finally head home for noon. With all of the driving back and forth and the downtime out on the field, I need to keep the kids busy. The VTech InnoTab 2 tablet for kids has been a great help for us.

"This sleek and durable toy comes equipped with tilt sensor, photo viewer, video player, MP3 music player, e-reader, art studio, microphone and more all for the price of $79.99. You also receive built-in value with your InnoTab 2 purchase including one tilt sensor game, one augmented reality game, one e-book, art studio app, notes app, friends list, calendar and calculator to get started."

When we received our InnoTab 2 I immediately became jealous of my children because they have their own tablet now while mommy does not. And I have to say, this kids' tablet is pretty cool.

Setup of the InnoTab 2 was fairly easy, which is a huge plus for any busy parent. It comes with a USB cable and an installation CD which takes less than five minutes to setup. Once the Learning Lodge Navigator software is installed, you hook up the tablet, register and then you can start downloading apps and ebooks. You also will get two free downloads just for registering your product.

The InnoTab 2 has an easy to use touch screen and comes with two stylus pens, just in case the kids lose one. When your child is ready to get started, they set up their own profile with an avatar. You can store up to four profiles on here which is awesome, and works perfectly for my four boys. I really love this feature as it removes any fighting of whose name gets to be on the device, which is something we experienced with the VTech MobiGo 2. I hope that VTech adds this feature to that in the future.

I have to say the boys immediately fell in love with this tablet. One of their favorite features has been the video recorder and they have spent quite a bit of time recording conversation between each other and playing them back. the swivel camera is also great and makes it easy to take a photo or video of pretty much anything. The seven year old also loved the MP3 Player since I put his current favorite son (Fun.'s We Are Young) on there for him to listen to. Of course there are also games, an art studio app and the e-reader app which they are enjoying as well.

The portability of the VTech InnoTab 2 makes this product a real winner for us. When on the soccer field on Saturday mornings, the seven year old plays with it while he waits the hour for his younger brothers' game to end and his to begin. And once the twins are resting from their game with an hour to kill, they love playing with it as well. Of course they tend to fight over whose turn it is. The InnoTab 2 has been a life saver for mommy during those two very long hours at soccer and I definitely recommend it as something to add to yuor gift lists this holiday season!


I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for VTech. I received product samples to facilitate my review.

PlasmaCar Giveaway

With the kids home for the summer, it can start getting hard to keep everyone happy and entertained every day. My kids have been out of school for almost a month now, and we still have 44 days to go.

Yes, I am counting.

While we have been keeping busy with trips to the local lake and swimming lessons, there are days when we are just chilling out at home and I don't want them sitting in front of video games all day. So when it is not too hot, I send the oldest 3 outside to play. In my opinion, having fun outdoor toys is a must to survive summer break. Which is why I am excited to bring you a giveaway for a PlasmaCar. This will give your kid(s) countless hours of fun this summer!

This giveaway is brought to you by PlaSmart Inc. Hosted by Couponing with Integrity with co-hosts Giveaway Gator.

About PlasmaCar
It all started in 2002 when Tim Kimber, founder and CEO of PlaSmart Inc. came across some children riding a toy without the use of batteries or other complexities.Now known as the PlasmaCar, this toy has won many accolades, including DisneyFamily.com Top Summer Essentials. The PlasmaCar ride on toy uses the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, friction and kid power to get moving and can exhilarating speed of 6 miles per hour.

Giveaway
One (1) winner will receive one (1) gender neutral PlasmaCar. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the United States, excluding Hawaii and Alaska, and will end on July 27, 2012 at 12:01 AM EST. All entries will be audited for completion. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mega Bloks Blok Squad Fire Patrol Rescue Review

It is no secret that my kids love building sets. Our oldest is absolutely obsessed with them and now our twins are really starting to get into them as well. My biggest challenge is keeping tiny two year old fingers off of them! We recently had a chance to test out the Blok Squad Fire Patrol Rescue set from Mega Bloks, which ended up being a perfect set for the twins.

"Blok Squad buildable playsets introduce kids to everyday heroes with themes such as fire patrol, police and construction. Blok Squad is perfect for kids who have transitioned from mini blocks to micro blocks and are ready for more detailed builds."

Blok Squad Fire Patrol Rescue is one of several Fire Patrol themed sets. For ages 5 and up, this set comes with 190 pieces that create two vehicles: a Fire Rescue Pumper Truck and a Fire Patrol ATV. Detailed building instructions are included and all of the pieces come in sealed bags. These bags have perforations on one end making them easy to open. I can't tell you how many times I have struggled with other bags, only to have pieces go flying everywhere once I finally rip the bag open.

Since the twins are just on the cusp of 5 and are just starting to get into these types of building sets, they required my assistance in building this set. I found the instructions to be fairly easy to follow and the pieces snapped together with little effort. It took me roughly 45 minutes to get these built, while also watching over 3 kids. I would imagine it would take less time if I had no distractions. Once completed, there are left over pieces for children to do as they please with.

The boys really like the fire rescue tools that come with the set, like the ax and fire extinguishers, that they can put in the figure's hands and play with. Theses are the yellow pieces. As a mom of twins who often fight over everything, I really like the fact that this set comes with two vehicles so they each have something to play with.

The only negative I had for this set was in relation to the fire truck. In order to get the fireman figure in and out of the firetruck, you have to take the roof off. That tends to be a bit of a pain when playing so for the most part, they leave the figure outside of the vehicle or have it riding on the back. It would be perfect if there were some type of opening door there for kids to easily get the figure in and out.

Overall, my boys were very pleased with this building set and are having a lot of fun playing with it. Even my seven year old likes it. Reasonably priced at $9.99 makes this a really great value.


Mega Bloks Family Club
Join the Mega Bloks Family Club today and receive exclusive offers, contests, sweepstakes and promotions on Mega Bloks toys. You will also receive a free email newsletter with great building ideas.

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. I received free product to review. 

K'NEX Building Sets Review

Our seven year old loves any and all types of building sets. And that is the understatement of the year. It is actually becoming a problem as Star Wars LEGOs have taken over his small room. I'm on the hunt for an inexpensive and easy way to display them all. He recently had an opportunity to try out a few building sets from K'NEX and they were a hit!

K'NEX is the next generation of construction sets. It inspires creativity, builds self-confidence and encourages interaction among children and parents. The possibilities are endless!

K'NEX offers a variety of products covering multiple age ranges. We received several sets from the Top Gear and Extreme Opps lines that are all marked Ages 7+. So they were perfect for my son who just turned seven in February. The Extreme Opps sets are smaller sets of about 50 to 80 pieces. He was able to build these all on his own without any help from myself or my husband. That is a big plus for us. While we do enjoy helping him build, sometimes its nice for him to be able to go in his room and play quietly by  himself for a little bit. Most importantly, he had such a sense of pride that he finished these all on his own. As you can see, these are pretty cool looking. He loves all of the moving parts.

Next up are some of the vehicle sets from the Top Gear line. These sets are much larger with a range of about a40 to 200 pieces. These provide a little more challenge to put together. Our son started these on his own and finished most of them by himself. I would say that 90% of each set he built. He just needed some help with the finishing touches, which my husband gladly did with him. The first one is pretty cool since it has two vehicles. The car is pulling a trailer with motorcycle. The motor cycle detaches so you can play with it. It is pretty awesome actually.

The one and only con that I have about K'NEX is sometimes the pieces do not stay together well. For example while trying to add another brick to an assembly, I sometimes found that the assembly kept coming apart. It takes a little bit of work to get everything snapped together securely. Regardless of that minor issue, my son absolutely loved these and that, for me, is the most important part.

What I also love about K'NEX products is that most of their parts are made right here in the USA. This is something that is very important to many US consumers. It is nice to know that your purchase of a fun toy for your child is helping to support jobs right here in the US.

Buy
K'NEX building sets may be purchased at Toys R Us and other toy retailers or direct online at the K'NEX Shop.

Stay Connected
K'NEX on Facebook
@KNEX on Twitter

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. I received free product to review.

Playmobil Robbers Amphibious Vehicle Play Set Review

Playmobil toys have always been a big hit with my kids. They allow for fun, creative and dramatic play and I love watching them use their imaginations to play with their toys. We have a few pirate sets that they enjoy playing with and the twins had some sets on their Christmas wish list.

Growing Tree Toys sent me the very cool Playmobil Robbers Amphibious Vehicle Play Set to review.

"Kids will have a blast with this land-to-sea Playmobil Amphibious Vehicle Play Set as they outmaneuver the cops and make it home in time for dinner. The Playmobil Amphibious Vehicle Play Set includes the water and land vehicle that actually floats, a robber figure, crowbar, shotgun, 2 cases stolen from "Bank Central" and Euro-style play money so kids can make a suave getaway by land or sea every time!"

With any Playmobil toy comes some minor assembly. Honestly, it is pretty simple and your child could likely do most of it on his or her own. But for the purpose of my review, I assembled it alone.

Pictured above is all the pieces. Everything just snaps into place, so no tools are needed. From start to finish it took me just under 15 minutes to assemble.

The result is one cool vehicle and figure set! The cases hold 6 pieces of play money each and both fit into the back of the vehicle together. The robber figure wears a hat and bandana, both removable, and carries a gun and crowbar. Put this together with other Playmobil Robbers sets for endless hours of fun!

What is really fun about this vehicle is that it also floats in water! So your child can bring it into the bath for a little water fun or maybe use it in a water table outside during the warm summer months. Sold separately is the Playmobil Underwater Motor which could really make this even more awesome.

Buy
The Playmobil Robbers Amphibious Vehicle Play Set is available at Growing Tree Toys for $21.99. Growing Tree Toys offers a wide variety of educational toys and toys that spark creativity and imagination.

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. I received free product to review.