Rave and Review

Madeline Turns 70 and We’re Having a Giveaway to Celebrate

Who doesn’t love an anniversary celebration?  We’re marking the 70th anniversary of Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline, the book that first introduced the world to one of the most beloved characters of all time, by hosting a giveaway in her honor.  Even if you’ve never had the pleasure of reading one of the classic Madeline stories yourself, you are sure to recognize the main character, Madeline herself, all dressed up in her blue school girl uniform and ready for adventure. 

The same Madeline your parents and grandparents grew up reading has absolutely stood the test of time.  She has been one of the most adored literary characters for generations, made famous first by the books and then by a number of plush dolls and accessories available in the Madeline line. 

Kids Preferred has recently released my favorite Madeline yet, a limited edition 70th Anniversary doll in honor of her big birthday and she is just as adorable as ever.  We were thrilled to get a chance to review the 70th Anniversary Madeline and introduce our family to one of my absolute favorite characters growing up. 

Her trademark blue coat and yellow hat has been replaced by a blue Parisian party dress and a satin ribbon in her hair, but she still has the same sweet smile and even has the famous appendix scar from the books.  She is adorable and cuddly and ready to delight both doll collectors and children of all ages.  Her party dress is removable and other outfits and accessories can be purchased, ensuring hours of play and make believe for years to come.  At 13.5” tall, she is perfect for either display or play, and one of our favorite choices this holiday season.  Paired with a copy of one of Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic tales, Madeline is the perfect timeless gift for any young girl on your list. 

Besides the fact that she doesn’t look a day over 9, it’s hard to believe that Madeline is actually 70 years old and still continues to grow in popularity with every passing decade.  The timeless stories and classic appeal of Madeline is what has kept her so popular for the past 70 years, and will ensure that she’s still delighting girls of all ages over 70 years from now.

http://www.kidspreferred.com/

Price: $30

Buy it: The 70th Anniversary Madeline Doll is available at specialty shops and boutiques, as well as select online retailers such as www.liveandlearn.com and www.ticastoys.com or direct from the Kids Preferred website.

And now for the Giveaway...

One lucky Rave and Review readers will win a Madeline toy of their choice!  To enter to win the Giveaway, just visit Kids Preferred and view their selection of Madeline toys and comment below with whether you would like to win the 70th Anniversary Madeline, Dressable Madeline or the Madeline (9") or Genevieve (8") beanie and whose day you are going to make if you win. All items are available at the above retailers as well as specialty shops near you.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review - link at top right sidebar (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway or the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide with links to this post and www.raveandreview.com (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

5) Sport the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide logo on your blog or website - HTML code in right sidebar (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs: just click this link to vote daily! (1 extra entry)

9) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways or comment on any non-giveaway post.

On December 9th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

 A big thank you to Kids Preferred for encouraging us to read together and play together by offering their 70th Anniversary Edition Madeline Doll and book.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland Giveaway

Any parent who has ever watched their living room slowly become engulfed in kids’ toys knows that the absolute best toys are the ones that are big enough to bring hours of fun and creative play, but then break down compactly when playtime is over.  The Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland is my favorite pick in this category of building toys, and something that is sure to make your little adventurer’s day.

The Dinosaur Playland is created by sliding the painted interlocking wooden sections into each other to create three tiers of fun dinosaur play.  The really great thing about the Wooden Dinosaur Playland is that building the playset is almost as fun as actually playing with the completed habitat.  The instructions were easy to follow and the pieces were easy to fit together, but it should be noted that it does have 9 pieces in addition to a fold out mat to set up, so the little ones will need a bit of help. 

The set comes with two plastic dinosaur figures so it’s all ready for play as soon as you put it together.  I had thought that my daughter would most likely repurpose the Dino Playland for use with her large collection of pink and girly figures, but was really surprised by how much she loved the two dinosaurs that came with the set.  In fact, she made everyone give the dinosaurs kisses when she found them in the box and amused us all night by snuggling with the hard plastic dinosaurs as if they were plush.  I guess the reaction was good enough, because now I catch her giving the dinos kisses and hugs all the time when she’s playing with them. 

If she does decide she’s not into dinosaurs, or if someone someday breaks her heart and tells her dinosaurs aren’t really big on kisses, the Dino Playland could easily be used with just about any figures or animals in the toy box.  The graphics on the wooden habitat pieces are designed to look like a prehistoric jungle with rock walls, caves, trees, vines and other vegetation, but aren’t overtly dinosaur specific with the exception of a few small dinos painted into the design.  A little imagination could make the Dinosaur Playland a lion’s den or perhaps a modern day jungle scene and I don’t think anyone would call foul.  However, if you want to expand your dinosaur world, Animal Planet makes numerous other prehistoric sets and dinosaurs to add to the Jurassic Jungle. 

One of my favorite features of the Dinosaur Playland is open-ended aspect and the fact that all the pieces can be configured in multiple different ways.  By piecing the set together based on shape alone, I was able to create over 3 completely different habitats in just a few minutes by disregarding the instructions.  In all fairness, my habitat creations were probably nowhere near as cool as the intended configuration, but that’s never bothered me a bit.  I imagine that a creative kiddo could come up with numerous other designs by either using all the pieces or just utilizing some and could be entertained for hours.  

After we saw the Dino Playland and realized what a great idea it was, we started noticing other wooden playsets in stores and were shocked at their prices.  Even sets that were made of lesser quality wood and thinner pieces were up to three times more expensive.  These other sets were also not nearly as sturdy as the Dinosaur Playland when assembled, and most didn’t come with any figures at all.  Ease of storing, learning while building, quality components and great opportunities for creative play all combine to make the Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland one of our top picks for 2009. 

Dimensions: 16”L x 13” W x 21.5” H assembled.

http://animal.discovery.com/

Price: $35 ARV, but is on sale for a limited time at Toys R Us for $25

And now for the Giveaway...

To enter the Dinosaur Playland Giveaway, just comment below with your favorite Animal Planet show or Animal Planet toy.  

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway or the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide with links to this post and www.raveandreview.com (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

5) Sport the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide logo on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs: just click this link to vote daily! (1 extra entry)

9) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways or comment on any non-giveaway post.

On November 30th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

A big thank you to Animal Planet for offering their Dinosaur Playland to be reviewed along with this fabulous giveaway to our readers.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Here Comes Halloween!

Ah, Halloween… there’s the chocolate, the costumes, the sugar candy, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the corn mazes, the sour candy… what’s not to love about this time of year? 

 

Unfortunately for little kids, they have to miss out on arguably the best part of Halloween – the ooey gooey sugary candy part.  So, how do you celebrate a holiday that’s aimed almost solely around who can collect the most candy with little ones who really shouldn’t have the candy in the first place?  With toys, of course! 

 

Some of the coolest Halloween inspired toys and candy alternatives I have seen this year are:

 

Hasbro's Trick or Tator, Mr. Potato Head is Trick or Treating this year!  As always, he comes with the most adorable accessories – in this case a fabric ghost costume, trick or treating basket, and a selection of spooky features to help all your Tator friends dress up this Halloween.  So many great features to choose from and, with the exception of the Trick or Treating bag, all of them can be creatively mixed and matched all year. $6.99 at Toys “R” Us Stores and other local retailers.

 
  

Looking for something unique to hand out to your favorite Trick or Treaters?  Play-Doh introduces a Trick or Treat Bag with small cans of Play-Doh in a variety of seasonal colors to hand out to your Halloween guests.  Guaranteed to last longer than their sugar high and perfect for the coming rainy days of winter.  Play-Doh Halloween Trick or Treat Pack contains 20, one-ounce cans all for the low price of $3.99.

 

Playmobil has the most adorable Halloween sets as well as one of the biggest selection of characters and figures in a variety of costumes.  If you're feeling really creative, you can set up a Playmobil neighborhood and go "Trick or Treating" well after the 31st.  Halloween sets run $5.99, but you can find Playmobil Specials and Add-On Characters for $1.99 and up.

 

Happy Haunting!!

 

Hardy Boys Nintendo DS Giveaway

When someone says Hardy Boys, you know they’re talking about some sort of exciting mystery to solve.  The new Hardy Boys Nintendo DS game, Treasure on the Tracks, is no exception.  The Nintendo DS format lends a new and exciting twist on the classic mystery format, allowing you to use the touch screen instead of a traditional controller to navigate the game.

You play as Joe and Frank Hardy, on a train ride across Europe to solve the mystery of the missing Romanov family treasure.  The opening story setup is told with image stills that are reminiscent of the panels of a comic book, pulling you into the mysteries of the family and the treasure hidden in Europe just waiting for you to find it.

To solve the mystery you will have to find clues all along your journey, both on the train and in the towns you travel through.  Using your stylus and touch screen you must scour every room you enter: under tables, on shelves and even the art on the walls. You never know where you will find the next clue or puzzle to help you along on your search or who you will meet that will offer a clue.  Even the way you move from room to room can be a mystery as you have to tap the different sides of the screen to see which ways you can go.

The DS’s unique touch screen, combined with the first person point of view work together to really pull you into the game.  Instead of leading a representative character through the game, you see from their perspective and feel more like you’re really searching the room and making things happen.  When interacting with characters you meet, you get to influence the dialogue by making choices and customizing the conversation and making it feel much more natural.

The puzzles and games you solve along the way move you up the different levels and open up new portions of the game the more you play.  The game allows you to make numerous choices along the way, some of which may turn out to be fatal mistakes.  However, you don’t have to worry about losing all the previous sleuthing up until you made your choice because the game will automatically return you to the point right before you made the mistake and let you “do-over”.  Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, we have not experienced this as of yet.  It must be all my informal training as an amateur detective reading Hardy Boys when I was young helping me out.

So far things are looking great on me uncovering the Romanov family treasure and living a life of luxury and opulence abroad.  Once things get settled down and I’m able to deposit some of my findings into a Swiss bank account I will be back in touch regarding my whereabouts.  Until then, I will be playing away on my Nintendo DS and working hard to uncover the Treasure on the Tracks.

Win it!  Head over to my post at An Island Life to enter to win one of 2 copies of the Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks

A Zhu Zhu Pets Party and Giveaway!

It’s a Party…  a Zhu Zhu Pets Party!

For two hours I was the coolest aunt/mom/cousin/friend ever.  That was the day I hosted a pretty fabulous Zhu Zhu Pets Party in which all of my little guests got to play with a massive Zhu Zhu Hamster Habitrail set and leave with a Zhu Zhu Pet of their very own. 

Zhu Zhu Pets are the newest craze for kids aged 4 and up and are quickly becoming one of the hottest holiday toy offerings this year.  Normally I have a hard time understanding what makes the hottest toys fly off the shelves, but in this case I completely understand the kid (and adult) appeal.  Zhu Zhu Pets are adorable little battery operated hamsters that zip up ramps and curves, cruise down slides and react to their environment in multiple ways that make playtime fun and exciting for little ones. 

We decided to have our Zhu Zhu Pets Party at a park, because everyone knows that the best party is one where you don’t have to clean at all – before or after.  While the young children were off enjoying the play equipment, the older ones were helping set up the Zhu Zhu Habitrail so the little ones could play with their pets.  As we were building it, the little kids’ curiosity overtook them and they ditched the swings and crowded around the table to see the hamster habitat come together – including 4 kids we didn’t even know.

In fact, almost two hours later when the party ended, the kids had to be drug away back to their respective cars by their parents in order to get them home, and that's with Zhu Zhu Pets as parting gifts.  But, who could blame them; why on earth would you want to go home when you’re watching your Zhu Zhu Pet zoom through one of the coolest hamster habitats you’ve ever seen? 

All 10 hamsters cooed and chattered throughout the habitrail, following the track and running in their hamster wheel, much to the delight of our young party guests.  As much fun as it was to watch the Zhu Zhu Hamsters roam through the winding and curving hamster track, play is even more fun when you let the hamsters loose in their own little cars or hamster ball and they can cruise around your house.  If you have a smooth surface for them to play, Zhu Zhu Pets can even scurry along outside of their hamster track without a vehicle and add even more fun to their hamster world.  So, when our hamster habitat grew too crowded, we formed teams and took turns racing our Zhu Zhu Pets, with the first one down the slide declared victor. 

Their artificial intelligence is all fully contained in their adorable little bellies and is virtually invisible to the kids playing with them, which makes them seem incredibly life-like and all the more fun to play with.  But, their built in technology is pretty cool, allowing the Zhu Zhu Pets to interact with their environments and react to their surroundings such as sleeping when they reach their beds or making excited coos as they twist down the slide.  Yes, that's right, it's like a real hamster only better! 

So, I’ve got a riddle for you: what’s better than a pet that requires no cleaning of cages, no fancy pet food, and no pet sitters should you go out of town?  A pet that has an on/off switch, of course!  Perfect for kids who aren’t quite ready for a live hamster of their own, Zhu Zhu Pets are really the next best thing to a live hamster.  But, for the parent that is scared to death of the real thing (that would be me), Zhu Zhu Pets are leagues better than the real deal.

http://www.zhuzhupets.com/

 

Price: $6.99 and up, each sold separately

Overall: One of my tops picks for holiday gift giving

And now for the Giveaway...

One Rave and Review reader will win a Zhu Zhu Pet of their very own! To enter, just visit the Zhu Zhu Pets website and let me know something cool about the company, the Zhu Zhu products or something you would love to give this holiday season.  

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On November 15th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

A party sized thank you to MomSelect and ZhuZhu Pets for providing the Zhu Zhu Pets and Party supplies to be reviewed, one of which we offered up for giveaway to our fabulous readers.  No other type compensation was received for this review.

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Nancy Drew: Resorting to Danger! Giveaway

Most people don’t know this, but I used to be a somewhat amateur detective, solving mysteries with my two best buds, Bess and George.  The three of us were quite a team, keeping everyone in our small Midwest town on their toes and having fun at the same time…  Oh, the memories!

What’s that you say?  You say I’m from the Northwest, have zero friends named Bess or George, and I’ve never actually solved any mysteries?  Okay, so maybe that was Nancy Drew that I’m thinking of.  I spent so much of my childhood devouring Nancy Drew books and reading about all the gang’s mysteries and mischief that the stories will forever be part of who I am and why I’m still a fan to this day.

I couldn’t be happier that even in 2009, Nancy persists as an icon and role model for young girls.  Over 70 years after Nancy burst onto the scene with her trademark flashlight in hand, she is still busy teaching girls that they too can solve puzzles and whodunits.

The newest offering in the Nancy Drew line is the Resorting to Danger! PC game which allows kids to solve a mystery as Nancy Drew herself at the Redondo Spa by going undercover.  By uncovering clues and solving puzzles, you can gather information to find the person responsible for creating non-lethal but awfully mischievous “bombs” at the luxury spa.

In true Nancy Drew fashion, the game allows you to interview suspects, snoop around the spa and avoid getting caught, and defuse bombs while tending to the eclectic spa guests at the same time. To advance through the game you must complete a series of challenges that call for you to scour the screen for clues and useful items, which you then combine to solve the puzzle at hand.  In one task we had to fish some keys out of a fountain so we could open a locked drawer in the reception desk, but in order to get the keys it required the use of a bent paper clip, a broken harp string and an empty pencil holder, all of which we had to find in the lobby with our magnifying glass.

Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger! is fairly fast-paced and is a lot of fun, but there were even times when I got stuck and had to call in backup (aka, hubby) as I played a marathon session that went well past any reasonable person’s bedtime.  I’m pretty sure that if it hadn’t been 3:30am that I might have been able to advance faster and without help, but there were a few times I thought the instructions for the games could be clearer.  Again, probably has a lot to do with the time of day (or night), as well as the idea that the game does require you to think outside the box a bit and creatively solve problems in the quickest way possible to advance rapidly through the levels.

Fair warning to all, the game is rather addicting.  I found myself playing “for just a few more minutes” until I finally just had to pull myself away to get a little bit of sleep before the sun came up.  Now, if it had been my 10 year old self…. Well, I probably would still be playing right now.  Case in point: The game has 6 alternate endings depending on the choices the player makes during the game.  Is it just me or does that sound like a challenge to see if you can uncover all 6 different endings?

Rated E for everyone

System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista, 1 GHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, 300MB hard drive, 32MB DirectX 9.0 video card, 16MB sound card, 24X CD-ROM

WIN IT!

An Island Review has copies of Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger PC game for 2 lucky winners. To enter: Visit An Island Review and leave a comment stating why you would like to win the game... that's it!

This post was written for An Island Life as part of a program for Her Interactive, who provided the product for review & giveaway.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Giveaway

Hurry, the Disney vault is open!

 

Re-released on

10/6/09 for the first time in 7 years, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs new Diamond Edition Combo Pack is out just in time for the holidays.  In preparation for my daughter’s inevitable “princess phase”, we have set about collecting the Disney movies as they come out of that impenetrable Disney vault and Snow White was one of the first on my list.

 

Arguably the coolest princess of all time and the “One That Started It All”, Snow White and her seven sidekicks are pretty much guaranteed to make it into the high play rotation in our house.  As a kid, I absolutely loved Snow White, and now I’m so excited to share the movie with my kids and continue the tradition.  I mean, really, it's a princess who chooses to clean a house that doesn't even belong to her; what's not to love?  

 

And, even cooler than a re-release, for the first time ever Snow White will be available in a high-definition Blu-ray and DVD combo that includes numerous other special features not available on previous versions.  Offering an unparalleled sound and picture quality, the new Diamond Edition Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack is what movie night has been waiting for.  Offering “Disney Smart Navigation” and “Disney Family Play” to truly enhance the viewing experience and featuring games and bonus features that any princess-crazed little girl would adore, the Diamond Edition is sure to be a hit this holiday season.  

 

For those that haven’t made the upgrade to Blu-ray, no worries; the Snow White and the Seven Dwafs Diamond Edition Combo Pack includes both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the movie for your viewing pleasure.  We’re talking three discs of fun: the original feature on DVD, the all-new Blu-ray feature, and then an entire third disc of special features and bonuses. 

 

Disney DVD and Blu-ray Combo Packs are a great option for those who haven’t yet upgraded to the Blu-ray player but intend to down the road, as you can still enjoy the film now and then once you upgrade down the road you can enjoy even more features and the increased sound and visual of the Blu-ray technology.  As an added bonus, since there are two separate discs containing the feature film, you could even split the set and keep the Blu-ray disc safe in the movie room while the standard DVD is perfect for on the go play where quality counts less.  

 

For those of you on the fence about switching to Blu-ray, here’s some enticement:

* Up to 6x better quality than DVD

* 7.1 Surround Sound

* Immersive activity with games and special features not available on standard DVD editions

* Kid proof - more scratch resistant and durable than DVD

* Plays both Blu-ray and DVD discs, so your entire DVD collection can still be enjoyed without upgrading each film

* Blu-ray also plays on Sony Playstation 3 players

 

But, what if you already own Snow White on VHS or DVD?  Until October 20^th, you can get a $10 off coupon to go towards the new Diamond Edition Combo Pack! 

 

Click HERE to watch the Blu-ray Edition Trailer

And now for the Giveaway...

Disney Films and the One2One Network have offered one extremely lucky Rave and Review reader a Snow White Diamond Edition Combo Pack with Seven Dwarf Plush Set ($79.99 ARV)! To enter, just let me know something about the Disney Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack you are most excited about.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (2 extra entries, must be verified to count - leave two separate comments)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On November 10th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

A family sized thank you to One2One Network and Disney for providing the Snow White Diamond Edition Combo Pack to be reviewed.  No other type compensation was received for this review.

 

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

I Have Your ticket to Family Game Night: Out Of The Box Games Giveaway

I have a confession: our family has an obscene amount of board games.  They require a space that is bigger than baby’s bed and they are all arranged by size in a closet specifically designed just for them.  Some might say that’s over the top, but our family and friends know that coming over for Game Night at our house is always a good time. 

When Out Of The Box Publishing contacted me and asked me to review a few of their new board games, I was surprised to find that we actually already owned 4 of their game titles and were already huge fans of Out Of The Box Games.  Their most recognizable title is Apples to Apples, but I think even a casual game fan would recognize a few of their other titles. 

If you’ve never thought of yourself as a board game fan, you should definitely reconsider.  With so many families having a hard time making ends meet in light of the bleak economy, it makes good financial sense to consider Family Game Night in place of going out.  Out Of The Box Games sell for roughly the price of 2 ½ movie tickets, which means it’s a cheaper entertainment option for any family with more than 2 ½ people, and lasts years instead of just an hour or two.  What’s even better than that is that most games offer at least some educational value and every single game offers a family a great bonding experience that makes those nights spent at home memorable and full of laughter.  What parent doesn’t want their kid’s childhood full of great family memories and lots of giggles? 

We were sent Backseat Drawing and Letter Flip to spice up our Game Night and we were thrilled to add them to our collection.  We enlisted a large group of extended family and friends to help us test them and each and every one gave them a ringing endorsement.  As board game connoisseurs, we are always thrilled when we find a game that we can add into the favorite game rotation and bring out at any event, and Out Of The Box has a full list of game titles that fall in that category.

Both the games we tested are good for a huge age range of players as well as being able to handle a large amount of participants without hindering the game.  In my opinion, nothing kills Game Night faster than having too many people that want to play and not enough player spots available.  I hate having to take turns or leave someone out that is really wanting to play, so it’s great to have a multi-player flexible game that can handle just about any number of players.  It’s games like this that we find ourselves going back to party after party because you just never know how many people will want to play. 

The first game we tried was Backseat Drawing and we were lucky enough to have this right before our extended family Summer vacation, which meant that we got to play it on multiple nights and each time we played we had a few more players than the time before.  Also great was that adults and kids could play together, which the kiddos were thrilled about.  The game was simple to learn, fun to play, and could be tailored to fit any age range group with only minor adjustments.

The game is pretty simple, really.  It comes with a set of game cards, four dry erase pens and two white board drawing pads, which really should come with every drawing game – it saves paper and it allows you to erase parts of your drawing quickly and easily on the fly.  And you will be doing a lot of erasing on Backseat Drawing, considering you have absolutely no idea what you’re drawing.  Yes, that’s right – the two people drawing have no idea what they are doodling and, in a twist on every drawing game I have ever seen, are actually helping guess what the object is as well as drawing the picture for the others to guess off of.  But, wait a minute, how can they draw an object if they have no idea what it is?  Well, that’s what the instructor is for, who is giving directions on how to draw the item without giving any clues as to what the object is.

The results are hilarious, and giggles are sure to ensue after each round when the two people drawing realize what the object is they’ve been sketching.  We found that the game can easily handle more than the 10 players max that the instructions suggest, just by utilizing creative seating so everyone can see both boards.  The age suggestion we feel is also just a suggestion as 12 and up seems a bit high.  The game is absolutely clean and family friendly, and can be tailored to include anyone who can draw, really.  We played it with kids as young as 9 and they were easily able to handle 95% of the words they drew on the “easy” side of the deck  We found that by making sure an adult and child were instructing or drawing together, that it was easy to involve kids in the game as well.  Which is good, because there is no way they would have stood for watching us all laughing hysterically but not be able to join in. 

The second game we reviewed was the new Letter Roll word game that is the stuff that us wordies dream of.  I pretty much love any word game (except Scrabble, too much chance for me), so this was the perfect game for me and my sisters.  The game instructions start out like many word games with a rolling of a multi-sided set of dice with letters on them, and asks that players use those letters to form as many words as possible in a short period of time. 

But then Letter Roll gets as crazy as a word game ever gets and shakes things up a bit.  Instead of requiring players to use the letters rolled in a specific order or in a specific spot in the word, the only requirement is that the players use all the letters anywhere in a word, in any order on a word with any amount of letters.  This makes the number of answers virtually limitless and means that the game is easy enough for those who don’t love word games to play.  The one final twist is that players can only collect points for their words by being the only player with that unique word.  That means that no one will want to play with my older sister, who rocks just about any and every word game she’s ever played (including Scrabble, which is probably why I can’t stand it). 

Another favorite Out Of The Box Game title is Squint, which is a great picture game that requires a large amount of creativity but zero drawing.  Instead of using pen and paper to get your team to guess an object, you use a collection of cards with basic shapes on them to layer and stack to create pictures.  We have both the Junior version and adult version of the game and I think they are both a ton of fun for players of all ages. 

If you are interested in putting together a Game Night for the memory books, or entertaining a large group on short notice, you would do well choosing any of the 5 titles mentioned.  If you are specifically entertaining young kids, you will be happy to note that Junior versions are available on a good number of Out Of The Box Games’ titles. 

http://www.outoftheboxgames.com/

Price: $24.99

Looks: Easy to understand and play in minutes

Overall: Fun for all ages

And now for the Giveaway...

Out Of The Box Games was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their choice of Backseat Drawing or Letter Flip!  To enter, just visit the Out Of The Box Games site and let me know which of the two games would be a hit for Game Night at your house. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview so I can see it (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 20th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Out Of The Box for sponsoring this review and giveaway

 

Play-Doh Burger Builder Review and Giveaway!

I have a new holiday I would like everyone to mark on their calendars.  No, this is not a stuffy stare-at-your-second-cousin-twice-removed-and-make-small-talk holiday.  This is a holiday I think we can all get behind - National Play-Doh Day!  Celebrated each year on September 16th, National Play-Doh Day is all about passing along the long standing tradition of Play-Doh’s colorful and fun modeling clay to our families.

 

We’re celebrating National Play-Doh Day in a big way at our house, and it is shaping up to be one of my favorite holidays now that our Play-Doh Burger Builder Set has arrived.   I’ve mentioned before how much I used to love making fake meals out of Play-Doh, spending hours upon hours at my preschool desk concocting elaborate and Technicolor meals for all my friends.  Now that I think of it, I think the massive Play-Doh collection and my love of non-edible foods was pretty much the only reason I loved preschool.  Well, that and singing about random daily tasks without anyone telling you that you were off key.

So, when Hasbro offered their Burger Builder Set for my family to review, I couldn’t even contain myself with excitement.  This is the kind of Play-Doh Set that I only dreamed of as a child and something that I was absolutely positive would be a hit in our house.  What I didn’t expect was how much fun a group of admitted grown ups would enjoy playing with this set and creating fake Play-Doh foods.  I brought it out one evening while we were entertaining our friends from 31 Down Radio Theatre Group and we got to work creating what has to be the most delicious fake burger anyone has ever seen. 

The set includes 5 cans of Play-Doh in realistic food colors, plastic hand tools and then a press that creates the burger, bun and condiments, including ketchup, mustard and French fries as well as burger toppings.  Also included is a TWIST-A-CHIP plastic crank that produces uniform pretend chips for a side and allows you to create a whole fake meal for your entire Play-Doh Party.

Celebrating National Play-Doh Day a few days early, we created beautiful clay masterpieces until all hours of the night.  Once we were assured that the set was as fun as we had hoped it would be, we begrudgingly opened up the set for the kiddos to play with.  I didn’t even object when the lettuce was yellow and the tomatoes blue.

Lucky for me, the chip maker is still a little too advanced for the young’ens, which means they actually have to let Mama play.  I am seriously dreading the day I’m not invited to the Play-Doh Party and am grateful for toys like the Burger Builder Set that allow us all to play together and celebrate the holidays… especially when the holiday is as cool as this!

Price: $15.99

And now for the Giveaway...

Hasbro and Play-Doh were so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their own Burger Builder Set! To enter, just visit the Hasbro Play-Doh website and let me know what set you would love to celebrate National Play-Doh Day with. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) While you are at the Play-Doh site, you should check out their $5,000 Playroom Makeover Contest.  Simply inspire your child to create a make-believe version of their favorite food using the rainbow of PLAY-DOH colors, then upload a picture of your child's PLAY-DOH creation for the opportunity to win the $10,000 Grand Prize, consisting of a $5,000 Playroom Makeover and a $5,000 School Doh-nation.  What better day to do this than on National Play-Doh Day? (TWO Extra Entries)

On October 15th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Hasbro for sponsoring this review and giveaway

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Shred Sled Review and Giveaway

“You’ll twist your ankle.”  That’s the response of everyone over skateboarding age when they see the Shred Sled for the first time.  But you know what?  This little skateboard-esque good time is not created for anyone with rheumatoid arthritis concerns or bad ankles.  No, the Shred Sled is for those who still play like kids, whether they are 8, 28, or 58.  And you would be surprised by the large age range of participants we had joining into the Shred Sled fun.  All without any twisted ankles, broken bones or injuries of any kind. 

The Shred Sled is an in-line, four-wheeled, dual-sided skate deck that is attached by a bendable connector that can be flexed and torqued so both sides move independently of the other side.   Hubby and I had to try it first, because there’s no way we’re sending our family barreling down the street on a contraption we haven’t tested first.  Well, that and we were just dying to try it so when it finally arrived we couldn’t contain ourselves any longer.

The first Shred Sled ride took a bit to get used to, especially for me.  The fact that the wheels of the Shred Sled were inline and the deck had two pieces frightened me a bit and it just didn’t seem possible at all that I would ever be able to ride it.  Requiring balance and a good deal of trust that the first time you step on it won’t land you flat on your face, the Shred Sled seemed intimidating at first to merely stand on, even for hubby.  I should preface this by saying that hubby was a skateboarder in all his high school glory… me, not so much.  So, when hubby turned out to be a natural on the Shred Sled after just a few tries, no one was really surprised.  The shocker was that not only was I able to stay on a four wheeled board for longer than a few seconds, I was actually able to get up some speed and agility. 

After a few tries, we opened up the Shred Sled for riders and showed them the ropes.  We all started out holding onto hubby’s van and pushing off as we learned how to balance on the board and then graduated to trying to twist our hips to pick up momentum.  For the first few tries none of us could go uphill at all, as it required too much coordination to twist in the scissor-like motion required for speed.  However, we had a blast going down the graduated slope of our street over and over by carrying the Shred Sled back up the slope each time. 

Once you get moving, the motion of the Shred Sled is unlike anything you’ve ever ridden.  With all four wheels in a straight line it feels like you are riding on a single blade, able to carve turns with fluid precision far superior to a broad wheeled skateboard.  Add to that the fact that all four wheels actually rotate independently and it gets even crazier.  We found that while in a sweeping turn if you push a little harder out with your rear foot on the rear deck you can add rotation into the turn, a feeling much closer to snowboarding or surfing, and make your turns even sharper but still smooth.   

Hubby was the first to get going uphill and was slow at first but then really got going.  Once he figured it out, it was easy for everyone else to get the technique down for themselves.  I haven’t totally mastered the uphill, but I’ve got the downhill down fast and only a little wobbly.  It was surprising to me how much more in control I felt the faster I rode, which sounds completely backwards but it’s not. 

In fact, I really wasn’t scared at all on the Shred Sled, even as I wiggled down the hill the first time.  This is partly due to how easy it is to stop on the Shred Sled and it makes me so much less nervous, especially when the kiddos are riding it.  Since the board cannot roll on its own and requires your movement to move, you just have to step off the board to stop it, or you can tip either of the Sled sides to the ground where the “brake” is located on the side of the board.  

Speaking of kiddos, I guess I should concede that the Shred Sled is easier to pick up the younger you’re introduced to it.  Kids that had never ridden a Shred Sled before hopped on the deck and (gasp) pushed off, getting a running start at tearing up the streets as if they’d been Shredding it their whole lives.  At least they didn’t laugh at us adults holding onto the van for support or the ones that required a stable buddy to lean on while they learned.  The key point is that eventually we did learn and now are Shred Sledding it up with the kiddos, proving once again that you’re only as old as you play.

http://www.theshredsled.com/

Price: $119.99

Looks: Like a whole lotta fun

Overall: Prepare to be the hit of the neighborhood, or maybe just the parent of the year.

And now for the Giveaway...

Shred Sled was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their own Shred Sled! To enter, just visit the Shred Sled website and let me know something cool about the company, the Shred Sled or a move you would love to perfect. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 13th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Shred Sled for sponsoring this review and giveaway

 

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Sandra Magsamen Snuggle-Me Stories Prize Pack Giveaway

There is nothing quite like a bedtime story to make you feel completely warm inside, but when it takes place between you and your child, there is absolutely nothing more special.  I am all for anything that makes these moments even more memorable, which is why I’m loving the new Snuggle-Me Stories from Sandra Magsamen. 

Each of the Snuggle-Me Stories comes with a small plush animal and attached mini blanket that is perfect for holding during story time and making the books really come alive for your little audience.  The stories are cute and sweet and have little rhymes that baby adores.  Her favorite part, though, is snuggling with the little monkey and teddy bear with their matching blankets while we read. 

Immediately upon opening the books I recognized the script style writing as identical to the two wall hangings baby was given for her birthday, which makes sense because the author is the Sandra Magsamen of the From the Heart fame.   She has home décor, books and now the new Snuggle-Me Stories available at many retailers both locally and online, and you can check out her store here.

Baby absolutely loves these little books and loves to carry them around the house with her wherever she goes – just waiting for a story time to present itself.  She has loved hers so much, in fact, that her little teddy bear that used to be attached to the book board by plastic rubber bands no longer stays put.  We have solved that little problem by adding our own rubber band around the book to hold him on so he can stay with his story and baby doesn’t mind a bit.

Available in two titles, LITTLE BEAR HUGS and MY LITTLE MONKEY, the Sandra Magsamen Snuggle-Me Stories collection is the perfect present for your next baby shower or birthday event or as a special gift for your little one. 

http://www.sandramagsamen.com/

And now for the Giveaway...

Sandra Magsamen was so kind as to offer TWO Rave and Review readers a Set of the Snuggle-Me Stories for their very own! To enter, just visit the Sandra Magsamen website and let me know something cool about the company, the artist or the collection or something you would love to own.  TWO lucky readers will win a LITTLE BEAR HUGS and MY LITTLE MONKEY Snuggle-Me Story Set!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 3rd at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Sandra Magsamen for sponsoring this review and giveaway

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....