Taboo Buzzd

Taboo Buzzd
By Hasbro

Are you going to a Christmas party with the fmaily this year?   Or your teenager attend a youth event where they can have fun?   Well have I got the perfect thing to bring along to parties, youth events, camps, travels and more.   The new Taboo Buzzd will allow you to play the game of Taboo in a new innovative way.

This new fast-pass guessing game contain over 1000 TABOO words which you need to guess.   This new version will challenge the players to guess as fact as they can and then pass it on to the next person.   Your team has to guess words while you give clues, but wait…. you can’t say one of the Taboo words on the screen or the other team is going to buzz you.    If your team can’t guess without the Taboo words, you can skip to the next – or act out the clue.   

This electronic game is quick to set up and easy to play because the game unit keeps the score for you. If your team has the most points after 6 rounds, you’re the Taboo Buzz’d winner! And the best part is that this electronic game can be played in English or French which is special for our family because we are bilingual.

This game will bring lots of laughter this Christmas season if you bring it to your parties, family reunion and more.  Challenge family and friends to a good old game of Taboo and make memories at the same time.   Fun time awaits you!   Be quick and make sure to get your own Taboo Buzzd and make numerous memories with your family this Christmas.

Taboo Buzzd is available at your favourite toy store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Simon Swipe

Simon Swipe
From Hasbro

I find it interesting when companies review old games and try to rejuvenate them to a new generation of kids.   This is what happening with the Simon game which was a pop culture item from the 70s and 80s.    This time around the device includes four games including the Classic Simon game.     In all you will have sixteen levels to master whether in solo mode or party mode.    You can tap, swipe or swipe and reverse.  

You can easily conquer the colors by simply swiping the lights.  The game starts out easy and then builds up to 16 levels.   You can easily practice or challenge a friend.    The game comes with demo batteries and you will require 3 AA batteries for the game to last longer.

This is the perfect portable game for youth events, camps, travels and more.   I can see my kids playing with this while camping or my youth bring this for a youth special event at church.    It will challenge your kids and help them in concentration with the colors in the right order.

This game is also perfect for family parties like the ones you might have over the Christmas holidays.   Your kids could challenge their grand-parents, uncles, aunts, cousins in a friendly game of Simon Swipe.  So don’t hesitate a minute and go get yours before Christmas arrive!

Simon Swipe is available at your favourite toy store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Fill your stockings with fun

Every year, I try to do something special in the stocking of my kids.   But as much as chocolate and candy canes are nice, I don’t want them to have too many….   So what are the other options for filling the stocking that we might have.   That’s where Hasbro Canada comes in.  They have numerous fun ideas to fill the stocking for kids and teens. 

I have a few items that I can present you today.  However, you can find more stocking ideas on their website.

Marvel Ultimate Spider-Man Titan Hero Series – Ultimate Spider-Man Figure

What’s more powerful than a web-slinging superhero? The Ultimate web-slinging superhero! This awesome Ultimate Spider-Man figure looks like Spider-Man and he’s even more dangerous to the bad guys!

This figure is the size of a doll and represent Spider-Man in his ultimate costume.    The figure is quite solid.  The arms and legs will move to make him walk.    It is a great stocking idea for the special fan of Spider-Man in your life.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls Neon Rainbow Rocks – Twilight Sparkle Doll

Straight from the halls of Canterlot High, the My Little Pony Equestria Girls dolls are best friends with a flair for fashion.  Your Twilight Sparkle doll comes stylishly dressed in an ultra-chic look and has her signature cutie splash, a unique design similar to the cutie mark on her pony alter ego. She comes with an interchangeable fashion skirt and shoes, and you'll love sharing styles between her and other My Little Pony Equestria Girls dolls (each sold separately).

I have seen the new generation of My Little Pony products and I must admit that I haven’t seen the Equestria Girls television show.    This doll is very colorful and represent Twilight Sparkle beautifully.    I like the fact that she comes with another skirt and shoes in the package.    I stunning stocking idea for the girl in your life.

Littlest Pet Shop Get The Pets Single Pack – Feathers Underwood

Meet one of the cutest, most adorable pets you'll ever see: Feathers Underwood, the owl.   Featuring fun bobble-head motion, he makes the perfect addition to any pet collection. And you can accessorize him with the included Deco Bits accessory for a special look.  And now you can play with your pet digitally, too, with your free LPS app* (available for a limited time). Once you've launched the app, simply hold your pet, scan with your mobile device, then play with your virtual pet! . Works with select Apple and Android devices.

We have passed the age of Littlest Pet Shop in our home.   We have graciously passed on the items we had to another little girl who plays with them.   But when I saw Feathers Underwood, I thought he was too cute not to mention it.   Knowing that owls are very popular nowadays, I wouldn’t be surprise that Feathers Underwood be found in many stockings this year at Christmas.

Playskool Mr. Potato Head Marvel Mixable Mashable Heroes as Spider-Man Set

Avengers, assemble – as potato Avengers! Little hands can mix and mash the fun of Mr. Potato Head with Marvel parts to create a Spider-Man tater. It's easy to put the potato body on the robot base and then add arms and a helmet. The parts work with other sets (sold separately), so they can build a Spider-Man tater with Captain America arms or an Iron Man base. Get them all so your little ones can create a whole mash of mixed-up Marvel heroes.

Mr. Potato as Spider-Man (or Iron Man or Captain America) was too good to pass on.    Being comic character fans and always trying to be on top of the numerous Super-Heroes movies in theatre, I know that this potato dressed as Spidey would be a cute surprise for someone in my family.   I like the fact that you can switch the parts with of Mr. Potato Head Marvel Mixable Mashable Heroes.  Hope that Mrs. Potato will follow in his footsteps soon in order to offer super-heroines for little girls.

Disney Pop-Up Magic Enchanted Mini Game Featuring Rapunzel

Be your favourite princess in this dancing Pop-Up Magic Enchanted Mini game.  The gameboard for this Disney-themed game has a pop-up ballroom in the middle. Just set your Rapunzel princess figure at Start on the board, and dance her ahead on the board as you flip over Friend Tokens.  Watch out for the Villain Token, because it sets you back a space. You can use your Friend Tokens with other Pop-Up Magic games (sold separately) for even more magical fun. If you reach the enchanted ballroom first, you win!

A miniature version of the Disney Pop-Up Games is always great to have when travelling.  This mini game will find its way in my daughter’s stocking and I know she will be delighted in it since she just love Rapunzel.   Other mini-games are available with  Ariel, Jasmine, and Merida.

As you can see, there are numerous ideas from Hasbro Canada that can be use as stocking surprises this Christmas.   There are something for any ages whether you have a toddler or a teenager in your life.   

All these stocking ideas are available at your favorite toy store.  Some are even available on amazon.ca.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Maplelea Girls outfits

Two years ago, I had the privilege to review a Maplelea Doll on my blog.   This doll has been the best doll my girl ever had.   She plays with it regularly throughout the year.  The only problem is that Léonie didn’t have a winter outfit.   So recently I approached Maplelea with the possibility to review a winter outfit for Léonie as well as possible a giveaway on my blog. 

Imagine my delight when I heard back from them….   I have received the Laurentian Winter outfit and the Summit Boots to review.  

First the outerwear outfit.  As you might know, there are lots of activities to do in the snow when you are properly dressed in Canada.    The snowsuit includes a warm jacket with hood, snowpants, mitts, an hanger as well as journal pages which you will find a quiz for you to figure out some of the many winter activities that Canadians enjoy.   I must admit that the mittens are beautifully made with two colors – beige and red.   They can be tighten on the wrist of the doll as well.  The snow pant has a snap button to hold at the west and slip well on the legs of the doll.  Finally, the red jacquet has a small zipper and snap buttons which will keep the doll warm during playtime outside in the cold weather.   

However, I must say that the boots impressed me the most.   The small boots really look like winter boots and ever shows grips under the foot.   Impressive quality!

As you can see Léonie will be warm if she goes play outside with Jasmine this winter.  And she can ever wear the outfit without the hood if she desires.

I am very impressed with the details of this outfit and at the quality of the items included in this winter outerwear.       I know that the doll will be kept warm if she goes outside with Jasmine this winter.

The Laurentian Winter outfit can be found on the Maplelea website for the price of 33$ Canadian while the Summit Boots are sold for the price of 14$ Canadian.  

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GREAT NEWS!  
A GIVEAWAY FOR MY CANADIAN READERS…

Maplelea has offered a Taryn doll as a giveaway for my readers.    Taryn comes ready for outdoor adventure in her cozy cotton striped turtleneck, her khaki skirt with buckle closure, funky striped tights and her oh-so-comfortable hiking boots. Her long brown hair is held back with two tiny green hair clips.

The doll has a value of 99.99$.     The package includes Taryn Doll, Striped Turtleneck, Khaki Skirt, Striped Tights, Hiking Boots, Hair Clips, Story Journal, and Keepsake Storage Box

Taryn comes ready for outdoor adventure.  She loves painting, figure skating, and her family.   

To win, simply follow the instructions below.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Where can you find the Maplelea Girls? Maplelea Girls are not found in retail shops for the simple reason that the company keeps its costs down by selling directly to the consumer. Plus many Canadian girls do not live near retail outlets that sell high quality specialty toys. By offering a flat $9 shipping fee for any size order traveling anywhere in Canada, all girls have equal access to the product line. Orders can be placed online at www.maplelea.com or by phone at 1-800-668-4339 24 hours/7 days a week.
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Disclaimer: Thanks to MapleLea Girls for sending me the above mentioned outfit for review purposes and for offering this incredible giveaway to my readers. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Camel Up

Camel Up
By Z-Man Games

About the game

Witness the craziest camel race of all times, as things really go topsy-tuvy when camels stack up and entire pyramids turn upside down.

As members of Egyptian high society, you gather in the desert with one simple goal: to gain the most money by backing the right camel to win a leg or even the entire race. However, in this race, it’s not just the lucky ones who can beat the odds. Reading the dynamics of the race and having a good sense of timing is just as important when it comes to backing the right camels and taking the victory.

Place your bids wisely and decide when it is time to strike, and maybe – just maybe – with a little bit of timing and a lot of luck, your bid will pay off!

My Thoughts

This game is based on camels and Egypt.  The goal of the game is to win the race.    You will need to have two to eight players with a minimum age of 8 years old.   The box contains contains 1 game board, 1 dice pyramid, 5 wooden camels, 5 wooden dice, 40 race betting cards, 5 pyramid tiles, 8 desert tiles, 20 money cards, 50 coins, and 1 leg starting player marker.  And schedule 30 minutes of fun time with your family in order to complete a race.  

First, I need to highlight the fact that all the pieces of this game is very colorful and the cardboard parts of it is very of high quality.   The dice and camels are made of wood which demonstrate the high quality of the games from Z-Man games.   

The game is easy to play and the youngest player will determine the starting positions of the camels by taking five dice and rolling them together. If more than one camels ends up on the same starting position, they will have to be stack up together.  Once the starting position has been determined, five dice will be placed in the pyramid.  A race comprises several legs.  A leg ends when the last of the five dice has come out of the pyramid and the respective camel has moved.   Money is also involved in this game and you will have to deal with Egyptian pounds while betting.   Also you might have to deal with Desert tiles which can be uses as an oasis or a mirage.

I think that this game could be very fun to play with if you are studying Ancient Egypt or the country of Egypt with your kids.   Well, it is a great game to play anytime of the year but if you are homeschooler you will want to discover a game using an Egyptian theme.    It is a great way to have fun and learn at the same time.  You could talk about camels, the pyramids and the country of Egypt (past and present) with your kids before, during and after a game.  It is a fun game to play when you have visit from grand-parents as well.   And as any good game, you can expect fun time, memories made, and laughter coming out from everyone.

The game Camel Up is available for purchase at your favourite game store, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Z-Man Games for sending me the product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Star Wars Origami

Star Wars Origami
Published at Workman

About the book

Kids love origami—and what could be cooler than transforming a piece of paper into Boba Fett, Princess Leia, Yoda, or R2-D2? And not just any paper, but custom-designed paper illustrated with art from the movies. Star Wars® Origami marries the fun of paper folding with the obsession of Star Wars. Like The Joy of Origami and Origami on the Go, this book puts an original spin on an ancient art. And like Star Wars® Scanimation®and Star Wars® Fandex®, it’s a fresh take on Star Warsmania.

Chris Alexander is a master folder and founder of the popular website StarWarsOrigami.com, and here are 36 models, clearly explained, that range in difficulty from Youngling (easy) to Padawan (medium), Jedi Knight (difficult), and Jedi Master (tricky!). A front section introduces origami definitions and basic folds. Bound in the back is the book’s unique folding paper, two sheets for each figure. Illustrated with original art, it makes each creation—the essential lightsabers, the Death Star, and much more—true to the movies.

Star Wars Origami includes a foreword by Tom Angleberger, author of the New York Times bestsellersThe Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back, and is scheduled to be published at the same time as Angleberger’s upcoming book, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee.

My Thoughts

This book is fabulous and will make a Star Wars fan really happy – particularly the crafty kind of fan.  In this out-of-the-ordinary book, you will have the opportunity to do origami but making projects based on Star Wars whether it is characters, spacecrafts, droids, weapons and more.   Each projects have a level of difficulty associated to them which will be easy to discover with a special index at the end of the book.  The levels of difficulty are the following:  easy, medium, difficult, and very tricky.  So wisdom suggest that you start at the beginning and slowly get more difficult items as you advance in your skills of origami.  The book also contains an alphabetical list of projects.  

The book starts by introducing the basics of origami in a special section.  In this section, the reader will discover the definitions, symbols and basic folds in origami as well as learn important origami bases.  Once this is mastered, the person can immediately dig into the projects covered in this book.  And the best part is that inside this book you will found unique folding paper (72 sheets) which were specifically designed in order to make your creations even more realistic.  The pages are somewhat perforated in order to detach them from the book.  However, I suggest that you go slowly in removing these from the book. 

Now you must be wondering what are the projects included in this book… well there is something for everyone in there.   Here’s a list of the projects:  lightsabers, Trade Federation Battleship, Naboo Royal Starship, R2-D2, Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine), Anakin Skywalker’s podracer, Jabba the Hutt, Yoda,  armored assault tank, Naboo starfighter, vulture droid starfighter, Jango Fett and Boba Fett, Slave I, Taun We, C-3PO, republic clone trooper, Eta-2 Jedi starfighter, droid tri-fighter, General Grievous, Naboo Star Skiff, Imperial Star Destroyer, Darth Vader, Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Jawa, sandcrawler, landspeeder, Bantha, The Death Star, Millennium Falcon, TIE fighter, X-wing starfighter, Darth Vader’s TIE advanced fighter X1, and Imperial shuttle.

Each project details the steps very clearly and will guide the child in making beautiful origami based on Star Wars.   See below for an example.

This book contains 36 amazing paper-folding projects from a Galaxy far, far away…   It is a perfect gift for the Star Wars fan in your life who also likes origami.  

Star Wars Origami is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Gifts for the fan of Star Wars

Star Wars…  I have a family who enjoys these movies/tv shows.   And I am pretty that you know someone in your close entourage who is passionate about Star Wars.  Who doesn’t really?   Since the 70s this franchise has bloom in various market from movies, television shows, comics, books, toys and more.    And we are not done with it because new movies are being made for the few years coming.

While we have to wait for Episode VII to come in theaters, there are many fun books that you can get for the Star Wars fan in your life.   DK Canada has numerous books about Star Wars for any ages – whether the fan in your life is a child, a teenager or an adult.

LEGO Star Wars The Dark Side

In this specific book, your child will journey to the dark side of a galaxy far, far away and meet the LEGO® Star Wars minifigure members of the ruthless Imperial Army in LEGO Star Wars: The Dark Side.  As you read this book you will witness Darth Vader battling Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, meet the Sith and all of Darth Vader's minifigure subjects, and explore the Death Star and all of the Sith starships.  Fun facts and information about your favorite LEGO Star Wars minifigures and vehicles from the dark side are also included within the pages of this book.   Bottom line, with this book the young fan in your life will discover everything there is to know about the legendary Darth Vader.

And that’s not all!  Included in this book you will obtain an exclusive minifigure – Emperor Palpatine!   Not only the young Star Wars fan will meet the most villainous minifigures in the galaxy but it will also allow him/her to explore galactic battles and uncover the secrets of the Sith. 

Star Wars Blueprints – The Ultimate Collection

This item is not a book per say but I think many fans of Star Wars would enjoy this special item.   This product contains a collection of blueprint posters that shows Star Wars locations like you’ve never seen them before!   Featuring Darth Vader, C3-PO and R2-D2, the Millennium Falcon, the Death Star as well as blasters and lightsabers, these double-sided poster-sized plans will highlight the particular designs of popular characters, spacecrafts and weaponss seen in Star Wars.    Each poster will have full-color plans, readout screens which contain statistical analysis, and unfold what lies beneath each hi-tech surface.  Whether it’s a breakdown of the hyper drive system in the Millennium Falcon, or the complete floor plan of the Deathstar, these blueprints will impress and amaze any Star Wars fan young or old.

Star Wars Blueprints – Rebel Edition

Going hand-in-hand with the previous title, you can’t miss the extra blueprints offered in this product.   In this specific item you will obtain the detailed plans of the Rebel Alliance.  It highlights the super high-tech vehicles, weapons, armor, and droids of the Rebel Alliance .   Also included in it you will obtain five fantastic, single-sided, full-color poster-sized blueprints.  This product also include a 32-page book.   Both the book and the posters contain technical drawings, history, movie tidbits, and more. This book- poster combo is definitively an absolute must-have for every Star Wars fan.

I think all these books would be great for any fans of Star Wars.   DK Canada also have numerous other titles on Star Wars that could be interesting for fans of any age.  

These fabulous books are available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

  

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

PomTree Creative Craft Kits

As a mom of a beautiful almost seven years old girl, I know she loves things that are different than her three brothers – crafts being one of them.

But I will be honest with you – I dislike the mess of glue, glitters and paint.   So I was pleasantly surprise to learn about craft kits the reduce the mess when you want your child to create something new.    PomTree offers numerous fun crafts for your child to bloom the creative side.     Their kids contains quality materials like foam, felt and mixed media stickers all offered in bright colors and interesting shapes.   Each package encourages self-expression and offer a great opportunity to bond with you while having fun.

I have received three items from their more recent products which I am presenting to you today. Note that each kits are geared for kids ages 5 and up.

Pom Jewelry Activity Tub

This activity tub will allow your child to create soft and colorful necklaces, bracelets, hair bands, and more bu stringing poms, shapes, and beads together.   This Pom Jewelry kit is packed with pom beads, felt shapes, foam charms, satin cord, lanyard hooks, and pony beads.   In all it contains over 405 pieces which will allow to create a dozen of fun accessories.

The kit contains 50 acrylic pom heads, 8 acrylic poms, 64 felt shapes, 42 foam charms, 12 non-woven strips, 1 108inches satin cord, 10 plastic “o” rings, 10 plastic lanyard hooks, 200 pony heads, 6 foam rings, as well as 6 grams of spangles.  The creativity to be unleashed could be endless since you can make keychains, rings, bracelets, hair bands,  and much more.  

PomTree Mommy & Baby Owl Pom Pals Kit

I love birds of all kinds and this fun kit will allow your child to create owls.   The kit allows you to make a Momma owl from a soft, bright pink mega size plush pompom and huge googly eyes.  But Momma wouldn’t be complete with a cute baby owl who also has big googly eyes.   The kit contains 21 pieces and all the embellishments have their own sticky backing, so there's no glue needed and no mess to pick up after you have completed your project.

The kit contains everything you need to create this fun craft.   The finished Mommy owl will be 11.3 inches x 13.6 inches while baby owl is 2.3 inches x 3.3 inches.  The only thing that is required from you is to spend time with your child in order to create this fun project together. 

Another Pom Pals Kit available is the Momma Bird & Chick.

 

PomTree Felt Kitty & Mouse Pillow Puff Kit

The Pillow Puff Kit will allow your child to make a cute and cuddly kitty pillow.   The best part is that it is super easy to assemble.  No sewing is needed since all the materials have their own sticky backing.   The colors are cheerfull and the pillow is made of soft felt.    It also includes a little blue mouse for kitty to play with. 

The kit contains 3 felt shapes, 13 felt stickers, 3 foam stickers, 1 polyfill quilt batting, 2 adhesive back wiggle eye, and 1 pom pom.  The only thing required for this project is that mom or dad spend some time with their child to put it together.   No glue is needed which means no mess will be made when putting the pillow together.   In the end, your child will have a cute pillow to snuggle with.   When finished the cat will be 7 inches by 12 inches.

Another Pillow Puff Kit available is the Puppy & Bone.

In conclusion, I think these kids are great for you to spend time with your child doing something creative (especially if you dislike the mess and the glue projects).  Maybe some will say it removes the fun out of a craft but if you have a down day and feel particularly low, having these projects in stock would allow you to spend quality time with your child even though you might be a bit sick.    That way you won’t have to clean afterwards and your child will be delighted to have spent time with you even if you had a difficult day.    Spending time with your kids is important and your child need to be able to develop his/her creativity side.    The kits are about 10-15$ so it is a small expense for some great memories.

GIVEAWAY!

One of my reader will get one of the kits mentioned below.  The winner can choose ONE kit from those mentioned in this post.

Winners must reside in the US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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These kits would make a fun gift under the tree this Christmas.   All kits from PomTree are available at ToysRUs.

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the game for review purposes from KidStuff PR and PomTree. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Furreal Panda

Furreal Friends Pom Pom My Baby Panda Pet
From Hasbro Canada

About the Toy

Not everybody can have their own little baby panda! This Pom Pom My Baby Panda pet wants to belong to you, and she looks and feels like a real panda! When you talk to her, she responds to you with more than 45 responses, and she walks to you every time you shake her rattle. When it’s snack time, she’s got a bottle you can feed her with, and she wiggles and giggles when it’s playtime! She even talks to your Get Up & GoGo Walkin’ Pup pet (sold separately). There’s no end to the cuddly fun when you’ve got a baby panda pal!

My Thoughts

Hasbro Canada has new Furreal Friends and one of them is simply as irresistible as the real life animal it represents – the panda!

Pom Pom My Baby Panda Pet is soft and cuddly to hold.   I was quite surprised by the size of the toy because I was expecting a smaller version of a Furreal Friends toys but this panda is about 25 cm high (about 10”)!  A button is hidden on the top of its back which the child can press on it in order to get a response from the toy.   In all about 45 responses are programmed in it.  

Also included in the box, you will find a rattle as well as a bottle in order to feed the baby panda.   The baby panda will also walk if you pet it.    If you shake the rattle the baby panda will walk.  If you talk to it, it would react and respond to you.   And if your child also has the My Walkin’ Pup the two can talk to each other.

I primarily requested this item to review because as part of our homeschool coop in the new year, we will be studying China.  Knowing that pandas are from that country, I thought it would be a great toy for my daughter.    Again, I was surprised by the size of it but it is a very cute toy for a little girl.  It is easy to carry around and play with wherever you go.

Four AA batteries are required in order to keep the animal responding to you.    An app can also be downloaded on the App Store.

This Furreal Friends Pom Pom My Baby Panda Pet will bring joy in your child this Christmas when she unwraps it on Christmas Day.

Furreal Friends Pom Pom My Baby Panda Pet is available at your favorite toy store, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The LEGO Neighborhood Book

The LEGO Neighborhood Book – Build Your Own Town!
By Brian Lyles and Jason Lyles
Published at no starch press

About the Book

In The LEGO Neighborhood Book, you’ll create buildings with real-world details like cornices and facades, and try your hand at interior design by filling your buildings with furniture and light fixtures. Then add the finishing touches to your models with plants, traffic lights, scaffolding, and park benches. Snap together a few houses, shops, and apartment buildings to create your own neighborhood!

Inside you’ll find:

• Complete, step-by-step instructions for four multistory buildings
• Dozens of inspiring ideas to use in your own models
• Mini builds for a recliner, old-time lamp post, traffic light, and more
• A gallery of the authors’ designs

My Thoughts

My kids love to build with LEGO and whenever they have a new book to provide ideas for them it is a blessing because I know they will go through it with attention.  LEGO for our house is synonym to CREATIVITY.   The designs that my own kids have come up with are ingenious at times.  So I was very excited to receive the LEGO Neighborhood Book which would help them to better understand architecture and design at the same time. 

The book I geared specifically for kids ages ten and up, this book will offer plenty of ideas for your child to create buildings with details like cornices and facades.  But that’s not all, the child will be able to include finishing touches in order to make the neighborhood more alive and thriving.

The book will give you steps-by-steps instructions in order to build various items that can be found in a neighborhood – park benches, traffic lights, street lights, fire hydrants, parking meters, newspaper racks, plants, buildings of all sorts, interiors of an house with living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and more.  It also contains numerous photos of ideas that the child interested in expanding his/her skills in building with LEGO.  This book is truly an inspiring one and I expect my kids to design something using the bricks that we have at home.

The parts list for the models in this book as well as free bonus instructions are available on the site of no starch press.

This book would make a wonderful gift for Christmas for the child in your life who likes to build with LEGO.

The LEGO Neighborhood Book is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to no starch press for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Learn and Master Piano

Back at the end of August, I presented a product that we were going to use in order to learn piano – Learn & Master Piano.   I had promised to post at the end of September in order for you to see the progress my son and I had made with the program.   Well here I am today – a month later that planned – and I want to update you on this product that will allow your child or yourself to learn piano.   First, I must tell you that my oldest son is diligently learning the piano at his own pace.  So far he has watched and practice for three lessons.  We have not schedule this on a weekly basis but he practices regularly during a week.   The main reason that it is not schedule as much as I would have hope to is that he has already a big workload with his regular lessons as well as Awana memorization.  But to top it off, he went through numerous appointment in the past two months for braces and planning for a small surgery in order to remove two teeth – one being impacted.   The appointments are not finished for the braces as we have five more weeks of scheduled appointments for him to go through to complete the braces installation.  Nevertheless, now that the surgery is in the past, I find myself this morning in front of my computer in order to tell you more about his progress on learning the piano.

What is Learn and Master Piano you ask?

Well, Learn and Master offers a wonderful package for homeschoolers wanting to learn piano.   The Learn and Master Piano is offered as a Home School Edition which makes it affordable for families.  This complete 2-year piano curriculum is specifically designed for home study.   It contains the complete piano course, a 68 pages teacher’s guide which includes a full 2-year scope-and-sequence as well as a DVD containing teacher’s resource.  Learn And Master Piano Home School Edition has been widely recognized as the best home instruction course for learning piano available anywhere and when you see how my son is advancing in his lessons, I think you will understand why. Essentially, the program consists of 20 professionally produced DVDs, 5 Play-Along CDs, a 100+ page lesson book, and a free online student support site.

I have to admit that I like the fact that it is a completely independent learning program.  My son, Alexandre, choose to do a lesson depending of his workload.   Recently, as he was doing one, I decided to take some pictures in order to show you how he does it.  Alexandre is thirteen years old and is currently in grade 8.

Once the DVD is in the player, the lesson starts.   Alexandre has set up the keyboard in the living room.  He is listening attentively while waiting for the practice part to begin.

At some point during the lesson, he sits up at the keyboard and practice at the same time as the teacher.

Here you can see him doing more practices throughout the lesson.

When we go to our homeschool coop on Wednesdays, he brings his binder of songs and practices on a full piano that is in the basement.    This past week, while he was playing a lady asked me since when he was playing the piano because she thought he was playing beautifully.   I looked at her and answered, “Since September really.”  She couldn’t believe it.  So I mentioned the program Learn & Master Piano that he was using and she thought it was interesting to have such a product on the market.    She also mentioned that my son  must be gifted musically which I am sure she is right because it is so easy for him to learn the guitar and the piano.   

Seeing him striving in learning the piano, I know without a doubt that Learn & Master Piano is a great product to have in your home.  He could easily get on the online student support line if he needs and get answers to his questions.   However, he doesn’t seem to have any issue at this point in time.   He would like to have a full size piano but for now he can advance quite a bit with the keyboard.  Besides, when we go to coop, not only does he has a chance of practicing on the full size piano but he can experience with the pedals as well.

From our experience, I think that the Learn & Master Piano is a great product to own and would make a wonderful gift for someone who has expressed an interest in learning the piano as well.   I find that this product is great for young people and adults.   It could bit a bit too advanced for children.

In my next post later this month, I am planning to include a video of Alexandre playing the piano.  

Learn and Master offers various courses if you are not interested in piano.   Check out the guitar, drums, dance, painting and even photography courses available by clicking on the image below.

Learn and Master offers Homeschool Editions of Piano, Guitar and Painting instructional courses. Shop now at LearnAndMaster.com and save BIG on award-winning course materials.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Learn & Master for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.