I am super, super SUPER excited about this review and giveaway because this toy is AWESOME!  Your kids are gonna love it!  It’s the VTech V.Reader and it’s kind of like a “Kindle for Kids” – but it’s so much more!  When I first heard about it, I thought, “Joshua is going to love this!”  because he is a very good reader but he also loves him some handheld-game action.  And he DOES love it.  I saw that it said it was for kids ages 3-8, but I figured it might be too much for Sophie – however, I was way wrong.  She loves it and she is SO good at navigating it!   I love that this toy is one that both my kids, who are three years apart in age, can play with at their own level.

Sophie enjoying the VTech V.Reader during potty time

Here’s what I like about the V.Reader, which uses cartridges like the VTech MobiGo or a Leapster:

1) Different learning levels – big kids like Joshua can read the story, and then answer questions and play games about comprehension. Little kids like Sophie can have the story read to them, then follow along and play games.

2) Animation – the stories really come to life!

3) Easy to use – I did not have to show either of my kids how to use the V.Reader.  Even my three-year-old figured it out for herself!  The touchscreen and all the buttons are really easy to use, push, and manipulate.

4) Downloadable stories – you don’t JUST have to purchase new cartridges for this system.  You will soon be able to download titles online at VTechKids.com – including some free titles!  So you can get new content whenever!  I love this feature!!

I am really in love with this toy and so are my kiddos.  I plan on purchasing some new cartridges soon because there are some great titles available – including Sophie’s favorite, Olivia.

The VReader is available exclusively at Target right now but will be in many more stores soon.  You can check it out at Target online or at VTechKids.

OR you can WIN ONE!!!! Here’s how to enter:

1) Go to VTech’s site, check out the VReader and leave a comment about what your favorite feature is

2) “Like” VTech Toys on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so (and tell them I sent you while you’re there!)

3) Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did so.

This giveaway will close on Friday July 2 at 5 pm. I’ll choose a winner via Random.org.  Good luck!

OH BTW, I was given a V.Reader by VTech for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.

Since both of my kiddos are little technology lovers, I jump at the chance to review a cool technology-based learning toy.  So when VTech asked me if I wanted to review their new MobiGo, I was all “heck yes!”  For one thing, this toy is geared for kids ages 3-8 years old, and since I have two kids in that age range, I was jazzed.  So, when it arrived last week, we busted it out and got busy playing and learning!

Both kids were really excited and interested in it right away. Joshua is 6 and I thought he might be kind of “over it” but he love, love, LOVES it.  He has a Leapster (the original) and he seems to like the MobiGo a lot better.  Here’s what both me and my kids like about it:

- It has a TOUCH SCREEN! The touch screen is really easy to use, and JUST the right amount of “sensitive” for little fingers. It is also really, really clear – a great picture!  Both my kids had no problem whatsoever jumping in and using it.

- It has a pull-out QWERTY keyboard.  Much like the texting phones of today, the keyboard can easily be pulled out for games that use it and you can slide it right back in when you don’t need it.  It’s a great feature!

- DIfferent levels of games. My 3-year-old and my 6-year-old both have plenty of options for games on the MobiGo.  There are many different games and each has different levels of difficulty, so it’s easy for both kids to find a game that’s right  for their skill levels.  And as my 3-year-old gets better, she can move up to higher levels!

- Learning fun.  The games are educational – math, vocabulary, spelling, logic, art – it’s all there!  It’s good, SMART fun.

I was thrilled to be given a sneak peek of the VTech MobiGo.  In exchange for my honest review, my kiddos get to keep the product, and I am happy because it’s one they love and I can heartily recommend!

The MobiGo is going to be available exclusively at Toys R Us stores and at Toys R Us online starting Monday, June 7th.  You can check it out at Toys R Us here, and at VTech’s site here for more info. You can also fan VTech on facebook.

Let me know what you think when you get a chance to check out the MobiGo!

*Contest closed* The winner is Night Owl Mama!

A few weeks ago my friends at Mom Select asked me if I wanted to review a new building toy, the Fisher Price TRIO, give one away to our readers, and offer my honest opinion of the toy.  Since I have a 5-year-old son, I was all “Sure! I’d love to!” because, seriously, FREE TOY!  When the TRIO came, Joshua was suuuuper-excited to open it.  I just let him go for it and observed him playing with it over the next couple of weeks.

He REALLY loves it. Honest-to-goodness.  The toy is challenging enough to be fun and keep him occupied but very do-able for a 5-year-old.  For instance, Joshua has built many of the pictures on the front of the box by himself, and he and my husband made a SWEET airplane together.  Here’s Joshua with the house he built:

Joshua has also made by himself, a really cool helicopter and a TRIO car, among other various wild and wacky creations.  He loves the set and I think we’ll be getting him an add-on set for Christmas so he can make even more cool and colorful designs.

Does the TRIO sound like it would be fun for your kiddo?  Well you have the chance to win one!  Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite childhood toy.

2) Tweet about this contest on twitter or Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did so.

3) Subscribe to our feed and leave a comment saying you did (or already do subscribe!).

Have you heard of Smooshies?

I hadn’t run across these before, but they are so much fun. They’re a make-your-own-monster plush toys that have bodies and parts that can be mixed and matched in innumerable ways. Take a look:

I knew my daughter would love Smooshies, but when ours arrived to review, I didn’t break it out right away. You see, we had a championship swim meet coming up… an ALL-DAY meet, which meant hours to fill between her two events. So, when swim meet day arrived, I snuck the Smooshies in our activities bag and waited for the right moment of desperation to pull it out.

The ALL-DAY swim meet ended up being even longer than planned thanks to a two-hour rain delay… during which we were stuck in a tent with our kids and Kate’s best friend and her family. Four adults. Four kids. Two hours. In a tent. Needless to say, that was the desperate right moment to reveal my secret weapon – Smooshies.

I’d like to point out here that I attempted to video tape their reaction to Smooshies and how much fun they had playing with them, but believe it or not, the inside of a tent during a thunderstorm is apparently not a prime video-taping environment. So unless you want take some Dramamine and watch a grainy, dark video, you’ll have to take my word for it, but they had a ball.

Smooshies are a great way to bring out kids’ creativity… and they don’t even have lights, sounds, or batteries (thank goodness!). You can purchase Smooshies at Joann and Michaels stores. Kits start at $9.99 and additional parts start at $1.99. I know that’s the price range I aim for when I’m buying presents for my kids to give at their friends, and I am definitely going to keep Smooshies in mind the next time they’re attending a birthday party – what a great gift!

So on to the giveaway – you can win your very own Smooshies kit here at Reviewin’ It Up. Here’s how to enter:
1) Leave a comment on this post and tell us what you like about Smooshies.
2) Tweet about the contest and leave a comment letting us know you did so.
3) Subscribe to our feed and leave a comment letting us know you did so (or that you already are a subscriber!)

The contest will end September 3, 2009 and we’ll choose a winner using Random.org. Good luck!

Congratulations to Tangie, the winner of this great giveaway!

My little Sammy has super-sensitive skin, so much so that his diaper area breaks out at the mere sight of perfume-y diapers. Several months ago we tried all-natural Seventh Generation diapers, and his bottom cleared up almost immediately. So I was very excited to have the opportunity to review and host a giveaway for Seventh Generation cleaning products! Seventh Generation is the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-friendly products for the living home.

We all want to keep our family safe and healthy… so we try to keep our houses clean, right? But the very products used to clean and protect our homes from germs could be harmful to our families and the environment. In fact, more than 50% of human poison exposure victims are children younger than six years (American Association of Poison Control Centers) and the average American household contains 63 hazardous chemical products!

Seventh Generation also conducted a survey with Harris Interactive and found that 70% of parents with kids under six years old store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink (including me), but 47% cannot name one ingredient in the cleaners that they are using and storing within reach of their children (yeah, also including me)!

Because of these alarming statistics, Seventh Generation is urging people to kick off their “spring cleaning” by first cleaning out what is under their kitchen sink. They’ve created great new resource called Health eHome that will help all of us uncover the hazards in our homes. Seventh Generation created Health eHome in collaboration with WebMD and Healthy Child Healthy World
to provide a personalized educational platform that helps uncover potential dangers and hazards identified as “hot spots in a virtual home. The tool also has an expert blog that provides trusted information on creating a cleaner, greener lifestyle and parents can test the safety of their home by doing a “Health eHome Check,” where they can get personalized results and an action plan for their
home.

I took the quiz, and it really opened my eyes to a lot of hidden dangers in my own house! Fortunately, the results of the quiz were very helpful and didn’t just say “You suck!” as I feared they would.

So let’s get to the bottom line here, the giveaway! Seventh Generation has been kind enough to offer a gift bag full of their outstanding products! I’ve had the opportunity to use them in the last few days, and they are really great. My favorite is the dishwashing detergent – I can’t tell a bit of difference in the performance of it and my very chemically other stuff! The all-purpose cleaner is also great. Best of all, they are products you can feel good about using. They’re safe for the environment and safe for your family.

To enter, complete the eHealthy Home Check (it just takes a minute!) and leave a comment here with a take-away tip you picked up. For an additional entry, tweet about the contest on Twitter and leave a comment letting us know you did. The contest will end at 5:00 p.m. on April 14, and a winner will be chosen using random.org.

Good luck, and thanks to Seventh Generation for sponsoring this great contest! Also, make sure you join the Seventh Generation Nation on SeventhGeneration.com to receive monthly downloadable coupons!

The Fisher-Price GeoTrax Grand Central Station was what my son Joshua wanted more than anything in the world for Christmas…so that’s what he got.  But I was skeptical about buying yet ANOTHER train set (he already has a TON of Thomas stuff in both the wooden and take-along track).  I was really worried that the trains wouldn’t work right or that the quality wouldn’t be good.

Thankfully, I was WRONG!

(Look how cute his little face was when he ripped enough paper to see what was in the box!)

Joshua has played with his GeoTrax non-stop since Christmas morning, and they are great!  The track is really sturdy and easy for him to build.  The remote-control trains work well and don’t eat up batteries every five seconds.  The track works well on our upstairs carpet as well as the hard wood floors we have in our living area.  Joshua is getting really creative making different track combinations, and he’s having a great time!  He’s already dying for more GeoTrax for his birthday in a few weeks, and this time, I don’t feel nervous at all about buying them!

I would definitely recommend these toys, and like I said, I will soon be welcoming more of them into my home.

***This giveaway is now closed!***

If you saw my post about the adorable Hal Moose, then you know that you can build more than just bears at Build-a-Bear Workshop.  They have all kinds of other animals and characters to choose from.  Without a doubt, Hello Kitty by Sanrio is my favorite. I used to love Hello Kitty when I was a little girl.  So, when the folks at Build-a-Bear Workshop asked if they could send me one for review, I was all, “YAY!”  I figured my little Sophie would fall in love with Hello Kitty just like I did.

I was sort of right.

You see, Sophie and Hello Kitty are both divas, and when Sophie first opened the box and saw Hello Kitty inside, I think she felt a bit threatened by her gorgeous, soft, white fur, fabulous hair bow, and super-cute pink hearts dress. NOT TO MENTION the killer matching shoes. So – they had a bit of a standoff at first (almost a cat fight! Ha ha! Rrowr!) but after they each had a chance to completely size each other up, they are now BFF:

Here they are chillin’ and having girl time together.

Hello Kitty is a great addition to our home, but she is definitely still a diva.  The other day she needed some alone time and holed herself up in our office:

After awhile, though, she missed us and came back out to play.  You know, cats can be really moody. Good thing she’s SO DARN CUTE!

Wanna get your own Hello Kitty to play with? Leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Build-a-Bear Workshop! (We have TWO, count ‘em TWO $25 gift certificates to give away! Two winners! Woohoo!)  You can use it to buy Hello Kitty or any of her fabulous furry friends. Sophie’s Hello Kitty says you should use it to buy her a new outfit – they have tons of adorable outfits available for her! See? I told you! DIVA!

To gain another entry in the contest, just subscribe to our feed,  (Reviewin’ It Up) and leave a separate comment letting us know you did so.

This giveaway will close on Friday January 9th at 5 pm. Two winners will be chosen by Random.org.

MEOW!

Need any last minute gifts?  I have a couple of ideas for you!

First, for the little girl in your life… try Baby Alive Learns to Potty!  

Remember Baby Alive from the old days?  Well, she’s back!  And now she’s learning to potty, haha.  Baby Alive eats, plays, and takes a bottle.  She’ll warn you when she’s ready to go – and then if you’re not quick enough, she’ll let you know that she’s had an accident.  Kate loves Baby Alive, and I’ve seen some great deals on this doll lately.  This is definitely a toy to check out!

Another toy we’re excited about this year is the Busy Basics Ball-tivity Center from Playskool. 

Sam loves this thing!  When it turns on, it blows air throughout the activity center, making the balls spin and the alligator’s mouth open and close – Sam is just mesmerized!  Although many of the parts spin, it’s totally safe – I stuck my fingers in the middle of all of it just to make sure, lol.  Sam loves to just watch and listen, and Kate loves to try to grab the balls as they spin.  This toy is a hit with both of them, and it’s great to have something they can enjoy together!

It’s Things I Love Thursday over at the Diaper Diaries, and since Jill and I are bloggy BFF’s and practically twinsies, we are posting about the same thing today – our love for Build-a-Bear Workshop!

I love Build-a-Bear because it’s interactive.  I mean, how much fun is it to have your kid make their own toy, or put lots of thought and love into making one for someone else?  It’s a great activity to do together for any occasion, and (since you all know I’m a bit cheap *ahem* frugal, I love that the prices are so reasonable!

For a really special last-minute Christmas gift for your own child or any child in your circle of family and friends, Build-a-Bear has a GREAT deal (and I DO love a deal) going on right now!  The cuddly and charming Holly and Hal Moose are only $12 each.  If you buy them both, you will get them and their sweet storybook Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure are only $24.00!! That is such a great deal, as the book itself retails normally for $15.99.  And it is very cute, your kiddos will love it!

And for the ULTIMATE stocking stuffer, I have a $10 gift card to give away to one of you from our friends at Build-a-Bear!  To enter, just leave a comment here and tell me who you’d give it to.  I’ll draw the winner by Random.org on SATURDAY at 8 a.m. so hurry and enter!!

Recently, Kate and I were given the opportunity to review the “Caring Sharing Home” dollhouse from Caring Corners.

Kate’s generally not too into toys, but she LOVES this dollhouse. Seriously, it’s amazing how much time she’s spent playing with it. Quietly. By herself. A LOT.

It’s a great toy, and was recognized as a “2008 Outstanding Product Winner” from iParenting Media and it’s the first
dollhouse that comes to life to encourage caring and sharing through play. It’s interactive and Kate is constantly discovering more and more things the dollhouse does.

My favorite part (besides the playing quietly alone thing) is that it is designed to teach caring and empathy, and it comes with stickers that parents can give their kids when the kids do something nice for someone else. We are big fans of the sticker chart theory at our house, and this is even more exciting to Kate because she can put the stickers on her dollhouse.

You can read all about what it does and how it was developed here, but if you want to see it in action, Kate is happy to give you a tour!

Stay tuned, because the nice people at Caring Corners not only gave us a dollhouse to review, but also one to give to someone who could use it. I haven’t exactly figured out what we’re going to do with it or who we’re going to give it to, but I am thrilled to have this opportunity to let Kate experience the joy and importance of giving.

What better way to start out the Christmas season?