Reviewing Toys

Yeah, I’m not so sure how I feel about the new Baby Alive doll. The commercial was just on and it showed the baby getting changed and then suddenly it was peeing on the kids. Ummm, that’s one thing I don’t think I want to see. While I know it isn’t really pee it is the thought. Hey I’m the mother of four kids, I know it happens and while the toy might make me laugh the first time it peed on the kids I’d be busting up laughing. However, it would get old very fast.

By now, if you have a daughter under the age of 10 you probably already know about Baby Alive. But now they have two new ones coming out, Wets N Wiggles and Alive Slip N’ Slurp. Wets N Wiggles will actually pee while you are changing her bottom. Yep, just like a real baby. This baby will drink up everything and suddenly cry when she needs you to change her.

The slip n’ slurp will teach your child how to make those pleasant noises when sucking the spaghetti up. Slluurrrp! This one may be a lot of fun for a 5 year old as she has her own private tea party. It will be like a real person sitting right in front of her. Every little girl needs to have a baby doll and this one will drink straight out of her sippy cup.

The bad news is once she runs out of diapers or juice you’ll have to buy more. The wonderful news is she only needs 4 AA, normally dolls like this need C and 100s of other batteries. Now I’ve never liked the idea of the one that poops, that’s just too disgusting for me. The Slurp one may actually make it to a stocking this year, but don’t tell my little girl that. Shhhh!

With each doll you can expect 3 diapers, a few toys and a washcloth to clean her with. Currently there are three styles of the doll to choose from, there is a caucasion with blonde hair and blue eyes, an african-american and a Hispanic doll.

But when you change the doll’s diaper, watch out – babies can be full of surprises!

Do you have a Baby Alive, Baby Alive Wiggles N Giggles or Baby Alive Sip N Slurp? I’d love to know what you think of her.

Baby Alive, baby doll, Hasbro

I was shocked to see that I had won the Spinning Board over at Discussing Autism and once I showed the kids they were super excited. “Mom, mom, when will it be here!?” Yeah, you get the drift, they hear they can spin until they throw up and love the idea.

First off, if you ever win this don’t worry when you get a package with the words, “Kitchen Sink” on it. Yep, that’s what the delivery man dropped off. I was a bit confused at first thinking why would I order a kitchen sink, but once I read who it, Therapy Shoppe, was from I knew. The kids couldn’t wait to see what I’d got, especially since they read the box.

Once I placed it on the floor I heard, “I’m first, No I’m first, etc” I’m sure if you have kids you can imagine how this went. Honestly I had it facing the wrong way, I actually placed the Spinning Board upside down because I thought your finger held on by sticking it in the hole. Yes, laugh at me. This is something you DO NOT want to do.

Place the board so the small finger size hole is not showing. The bigger board should be on top. Have child sit in the center of the square and lightly spin it as to not scare them. I was first up, which meant I barely moved it as I can’t even sit on a swing without getting sick. Next up, my 4-year-old, she got scared as it moved too fast and wouldn’t get on for a whole day. The other two were quick to spin it faster and faster and take turns with each other.

It reminds me a lot of an excersize thing my parents had when I was a kid. You’d stand on this small (plastic) round thing and twist back and forth. This is NOT that.

The kids love this little “Spinning Wheel” as they call it and are constantly playing with it. There is one rule though: they are only allowed on it when I’m in the room. This way no one fights and no one stands on it. By the way, it only took my 4-year-old a day to get on it because she didn’t want her brother and sister to push her fast, she is currently spinning herself back and forth while watching Handy Manny. Another good thing, you don’t have to worry about splinters as it is sanded and polished down.

TIP: Do NOT stand on this and try getting off, you’ll fall on your rump.

Don’t forget to sign up for her giveaway for Calming cards.

I’ll post a picture once I can pull one up.

spinning wheel, spinning board, Therapy Shoppe, autism, discussing autism

Lead paint has struck again, in yet another kids toy, but this time the recall is for 350,000 gardening tools that are sold in Target. It seems they were only sold at Target during August.

If you are the owner of any “Happy Giddy Gardening Tools” or “Children’s Sunny Patch Chairs.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The bad news is we have another Thomas the tank recall, but there is a bit of good news. If you happened to have one of these items, they will give you a replacement, plus a free gift. How great is that? Now, for all those worried parents out there, it seems that due to the NEW standards that is why the recall. Thank goodness, I know.

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My son recently got the “Pokemon Leaf Green Version” for his Gameboy Advance SP and I decided to ask him to do a review on it, so the following is out of his mouth.

In the Pokemon Leaf Green first you get to decide whether you want to be a boy or girl. Once the game begins you get into battles to try to win all 8 badges. It’s challenging once you get to the final 8 battlers in the legend. You have a cousin who lives right next door to you but you always go into battle against him. If you win you get prize money so you can buy things along the way, if you lose you owe your opponent money.

There are about 19 levels, I’ve beat the game once. Once you beat the game it starts all over again. I want the Pokemon Fire Red Version next.

So there ya have it folks, a review straight out of the mouth of a child.

Pokemon, game, gameboy advance, Pokemon green, Pokemon red

It’s another recall, but this seems to be becoming a current event. This time a child almost lost his/her finger. Ikkk!

Hasbro has issued the call for the return of the Easy Bake Oven. These are the newer versions of the Easy Bake Ovens that looks like a miniature stove and has a scooper (shovel) that goes into the oven and scoops the muffin/cookie/cake out.

It seems that the little oven door is a trap for tiny fingers and once inside they can’t come out. Currently they state on the site that 249 reports have been made about little ones getting their hand stuck in the door. Eeek! 77 claimed they got burns and 1 little girl had to get her finger amputated.

So if you’ve got this Easy Bake Oven you may want to trade this one in for something else, here is the form.

Hasbro, recall, toy recall, Easy Bake Oven, Easy Bake Oven Recall

My little girl wanted the My Little Pony Good Morning Sunshine so much that she begged for it for her birthday (6th) and Christmas last year. Santa brought it to her in the end and boy was she happy. Course we weren’t so thrilled when we had to take it out of the box but that’s another post for ya. (think kids boxes and all those ties)

She still plays with this toy, but now it has become more of her little sister’s toy (she just turned 4) I can find it in both girls’ beds late at night. It may begin in one bed but ends up in another by the next morning.

My Little Soft Pony interacts with your child and will make the little ones squeal with delight. There’s a button on her back and when your child rubs her back or gives her a hug she begins to come to life. This little pony wears her own pajamas and comes with her own baby bottle and pacifier. Standing up on all fours she starts right off by saying, “Good Morning, Mommy.” Other phrases include:

uh-oh (yep she’s made a mess, but don’t worry no water comes out)
Can I have a kiss?
Squeeze my hand please.
Let’s play!
She giggles.
I love you.
Brush my hair please
Sucks on pacifier (sucking noise)
yawns
Good night.

Once she says, “Good Night,” this is when she drops down into a laying position and closes her eyes.

I asked my older daughter a few minutes ago of what she thought of the My Little Pony So-Soft. “I like her because she’s so soft and talks to me.”

My littlest said, “She’s cute, I can hold her and she asks me to play.”

So there ya have it folks, this is straight out of the mouth of babes.

My Little Pony, Good Morning Sunshine, So Soft Pony, Hasbro

Fisher-Price has sent out an email to all those that subscribe to their newsletter with an official statement from Bob Eckert this afternoon. With so many different recalls this week they wanted to be sure everyone knew they were on top of things and wanted to thank us for sticking by them.

Here is the copied and paste version I got in my inbox:

Don’t forget by clicking on the icon you’ll be able to enlarge the picture.

Toys, toys, recalls, toy recalls, fisher-price, Bob Eckert

It seems that recalls are becoming the popular thing these days, which it makes buying toys for our children just a little bit more scary if ya ask me.

Here is the latest toy recall:

Mattel has released a statement today for a voluntary recall on all “Sarge” die cast toy cars. Once again the issue is the surface paint on the cars has lead in them. Toys were made in China.

Instructions: return the toy to the store you got it at for a replacement toy. You cannot go to the store and simply tell them you have the toy, you MUST show the toy.

www.service.mattel.com for more information.

Cars, Cars the Movie, Mattel, diecast car, toy car, recall, toy recall