Rave & Review

Corolle Emma and Paul Potty Training Dolls

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 6

If I were listing off educational toys for children, I would put dolls way up at the top.  I know most people don't think of baby dolls in terms of educational or learning toys, but I certainly do.  There are so many things that playing with dolls teaches young children, including creativity, nurturing, compassion, and empathy.

While I do admit that luck had a lot to do with some of the amazing nurturing abilities my two year old seems to possess naturally, there were quite a few skills that can be attributed directly to playing with her Corolle dolls that she absolutely adores.  From patience to gentleness to appropriate places to touch a newborn (hint, it's not the eyes as she originally thought), I know she has learned a lot from our many hours of baby doll play together.

A good deal of our summer was spent playing baby dolls together in preparation for her new role as a big sister this fall, and I really had so much fun teaching her how to care for her babies like I would be caring for mine.  From diaper changes to feedings and playtime, it was really fun watching her play and learn from her babies and even more fun to watch how all that doll and mama playtime has made her the most amazing big sister I could ever hope for.

But, as excited as I am to teach my daughter everything I can and watch her learn how the world works, there was one thing I was simply dreading teaching her.  That one thing is potty training and it has caused me to all but ignore this major milestone I knew was looming in our future.  This has meant that I continued to diaper her even months after her 2nd birthday and now currently have two children in diapers. 

So, who would have thought that it would be a baby doll that stepped in to help me out potty training my daughter?  Corolle once again has found another way to make playtime a learning opportunity by introducing Drink-and-Wet Emma & Paul, their classic potty training dolls. 

As are all things Corolle, Emma and Paul are adorable, vanilla scented, and heirloom quality.  But, what makes Emma and Paul amazing is that they are tastefully anatomically correct, come with a doll sized potty chair as well as other accessories, and that they help young kids understand how the potty training process works. 

Here’s a brief overview of what experts suggest for potty training your child:  First, you and your child “teach” Emma and/or Paul how to use the potty.  Then you and your child establish a reward system to reinforce Emma and Paul using the potty chair while making the change from diapers to cloth underwear (both of which are included with Emma or Paul).  Once your child has taught Emma or Paul how to use the potty chair, you can then move forward using the same steps to teach your child how to use it with the reward system you established for Emma and Paul.

So, how does a potty training doll help your child learn how to use the toilet?  Besides being so much easier to demonstrate how to use the toilet by showing them exactly how a doll uses it, it also makes the process so much more fun.  Your child simply feeds the baby using a water-filled baby bottle and then they place the baby on the potty.  With just a light squeezing of the tummy, the doll will go potty and then you and your child can celebrate together. 

I was really struggling with how to describe using the toilet to my toddler so I love that it is so much easier to explain with dolls that drink and wet.  When using Emma or Paul to show them, your child can see firsthand how the process works so they know what to expect.  Your child sees the baby successfully use their potty chair, sees how excited you are, and then sees the reward of the cloth underwear once the doll has been fully trained.  

In our house Emma has become a fast friend for my daughter and comes with us to sit on her doll potty chair whenever my daughter uses hers.  This makes going to the bathroom a “party” and something my daughter really looks forward to.  And, because Emma and Paul are both all-vinyl, my daughter can even bathe them or take them in the bath with her each night, which makes bath time at our house a whole lot more fun as well. 

Now my daughter spends hours “feeding” her dolls, putting them on the potty, and then doing our made up potty dance once the baby goes.  Although my daughter isn’t fully potty trained yet, she is making great progress and getting excited about being potty trained like baby Emma and Paul are, which makes me a whole lot less apprehensive about teaching her. 

But, as great as it is that my daughter has responded so well to Emma, the best part is that besides being a great potty training aid, Emma is now one of her most cherished dolls and a friend for years to come.   

14” Drink and Wet Emma and Paul Potty Training Dolls
Each sold separately and recommended for ages 3 years and up
Anatomically correct all-vinyl body baby doll
Sleeping eyes
Comes with potty chair, pacifier, bottle, disposable diaper, and cloth undergarments

Find out more at http://www.corolle.com/ and be sure to check out Corolle's Facebook page where they run AWESOME monthly contests! 

The current Corolle contest is HUGE and it's just in time for the Holidays!  Here's how it works:

1) Post a pic of your little one with their Corolle on Facebook along with...
2) Their Corolle wish list on Corolle's wall
Contest ends December 1, right before all the Holidays begin!

A huge thank you to Corolle for once again sending a best friend for my daughter.  There is nothing she loves more than playing with her babies, and her baby of choice is Corolle.  This is why we're going to be spending this weekend celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day in the Corolle aisle of our local toy shoppe.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review. 

Buy Once, Play Forever at Maukilo

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 5

I know I’m not alone in noticing that toys these days are getting cheaper and cheaper.  This is why we are doing what many of you out there are and looking toward classic toys and gifts this holiday season. 

When I think of high quality and classic toys, I certainly think of Maukilo.  Long-time readers will remember Maukilo from our 2009 gift guide when we reviewed the wonderful Rody Jumping Horse or from this summer when we introduced the beautiful Fay Finja HABA doll. 

For those of you who are already familiar with Maukilo, you are likely thrilled to pieces to see the word “giveaway” in this post title.  But for the rest of you who are new to the site, I’m really excited to introduce you to Maukilo, one of our favorite online retailers ever.  And the fact that we get to give you a chance to wrap up some of this goodness this Christmas?  Well, that’s almost too good to believe.   

This love we have for Maukilo could be due to the fact that it is actually owned by HABA, which just might be the coolest toy manufacturer ever.  Seriously, ever.  Maukilo offers the largest selection (about 1,500!) of HABA products in the U.S. as well as carrying a huge selection of heirloom-quality toys that we adore. 

This year we are focusing on Blabla for our Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide and bringing you an adorable handmade bunny that has won all of our hearts.  The Blabla Basil Bunny is a great example of a return to the classic gifts we loved growing up and a welcome change from the cheap stuffed toys that crowd most toy store shelves. 

Blabla’s Basil Bunny Knit Mini is a 12 inch knit striped bunny that is made by Peruvian artisans.  I simply adore the fact that the Basil Bunny is handmade and that each Blabla bunny is truly unique, just like your little one.  It is made of 100% natural cotton and made with non-toxic dyes so you don’t have to worry about your little one falling in love with it and covering it with kisses and love.  In fact, it is even {slightly} understuffed for this reason, making it even more snuggle-able and cuddly. 

Of course, all the Blabla handknit dolls and stuffed animals are completely adorable, which is why we think they are the perfect gift for any babies on your list this year.  Naturally we’re picturing our Blabla bunny being carried by his floppy ears for years and years to come and seeing the love develop between baby and bunny and our hearts are melting.

www.Maukilo.com            

Thank you to Maukilo for sending us the Blabla Basil Bunny to enjoy as well as offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Help Celebrate National Neighborhood Toy Store Day on November 13th

When I was young my mom used to take me to the most magical place on earth, a place where being a kid was king and everything was just my size.  Whether I was playing in the elaborately decorated playhouse, playing postman, or entertaining my inner chef and whipping up breakfast to rows of dolls, my mom and I would spend hours exploring together before we would drive back to meet my older siblings at school.  These memories are some of the highlights of my younger years and quite possibly the best memories I have of me and my mom together.  

This magical place was our local toy store, the one situated almost exactly at the halfway point between my house and my aunt’s house.  I remember numerous days when my mother, sister, and I would meet my aunt and young cousins at this toy store and us kids would play for hours while the grownups talked.  Just thinking of the time spent here makes me happy and it has me absolutely determined to create memories such as these with my children. 

Unfortunately for me, this toy store of my youth closed years ago and I can never revisit it with my daughter to see if it still holds all the magic I remember.  It’s especially sad to me at Christmastime when I remember the toy store being even more magical than it normally was with the Christmas Village all set up and Santa was there to hug.  I can vividly remember standing outside the big picture window of the toy shop with my face pressed against the cool glass trying to catch a glimpse of Santa before we entered the store to tell him what we wanted for Christmas.  More than anything, I was hoping to carry on this tradition with my children and bring them to this toy store to meet Santa each year.        

While I can’t bring them to the special toy store my mom took us to growing up, we are incredibly lucky to have numerous great toy stores around us where we can continue on the tradition.  Ever since my daughter was born, we have enjoyed browsing the local toy stores near us numerous times a year, including spending her 2nd birthday at the one nearest our house.  While this is an awesomely fun way to spend the afternoon as a family and get to play with a wide variety of toys together, it also has some really great benefits I would have never thought of before I had children. 

One such benefit of visiting local toy stores is the fact that I can see what truly interests her.  With just about every toy, gift and game around her, it’s great to stand back and watch what she gravitates to.  By doing this I have absolutely solidified that the “pink aisle” of Corolle dolls and accessories is where she would prefer to spend most of her time, but I also found out that she is a train set enthusiast at heart, that she loves classic stuffed animals more than cartoonish versions, as well as noting that she really, really needed her own set of “fix it tools”.   

ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) knows all too well how important all these neighborhood toy stores are and the benefits of shopping where a friendly clerk calls you by name, which is why they are hosting a NATIONAL event called Neighborhood Toy Store Day on November 13th in toy stores all across the country. 

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is designed to celebrate all the benefits of shopping local (expert advice, shopping for specialty toys not found at larger chain stores, special events, local toys and gifts, all the wonderful memories you create, and being able to play with different ages of toys to see what is best for your child… need I go on?) as well as spotlighting the fact that these toy stores are a dying breed.  Since I love all my local stores and know what it’s like to lose the toy store you grow up shopping at, this is something that really hits home for me.

For the event, toy stores across the country will all host their own special celebration for their local shoppers.  Some stores will have clowns, contests, giveaways, and more to kick off the holiday shopping season, including one crazy store that even has a live reindeer coming with elves to hand out candy and prizes.  You can find out what stores near you are participating so you can join in on all the fun at www.neighborhoodtoystoreday.com or you can call your local store and ask them what they have in store. 
 
You can find more information about Neighborhood Toy Store Day at http://www.neighborhoodtoystoreday.com/ or at http://www.astratoy.org/

Now your turn: What kinds of memories do you have of your local toy store?  Is going to toy stores together a tradition in your family?

I was not compensated in any way or otherwise enticed to write this post, this is just something I feel strongly about and something that I am looking forward to doing with my family this weekend to celebrate!

WW: Which ones are mine?

 

CSN Stores $75 Gift Card {Giveaway}

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide Event: Day 2

I’ve talked about CSN Stores in the past and even took the self-proclaimed {and completely made up} CSN Challenge a few weeks back.  If you remember, this is when I searched for a beloved kitchen gadget company on the CSN Stores 200+ sites and found a shockingly high number of results. 

If you haven’t checked them out yet, you should do so now… {don’t worry, I’ll wait}…  They seriously have one of the largest selections of household items, toys, gifts, décor and more so it’s no wonder so many people are turning to them this holiday season.

From the hottest holiday gifts for the kids, family, hubby, or even if you’re looking to get yourself that extra special gift you’ve been eyeing all year {ottoman coffee table, I’m talking about you}, you should definitely check out CSN Stores online before you hit the mall.

From our experience in doing the CSN Challenge and from all our daydreaming we’ve done throughout the past months, it really is easy to believe that they sell everything, and that it’s all at really reasonable prices.  In fact, just about everything we looked up was cheaper than our local stores were selling it for and most items we wanted even had free shipping! 

Let’s all take a minute and imagine not leaving home this holiday shopping season and finishing your shopping earlier and easier than you had even imagined with CSN Stores… Sounds good, right?

Well, someone isn’t going to have to imagine much longer because one lucky Rave and Review reader is going to be spending a cool $75 on whatever is filling up their online shopping cart at any of the 200+ CSN Stores. 

 
 
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a $75 CSN Stores gift card to spend however they like!

 To Enter:  Visit CSN Stores and then come back here and tell me what you would buy with your gift card

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and #giveaway with the link to this post (http://bit.ly/cl6WXP) after following (daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com (just post the URL where I can find your writeup)

4) Place my button or the Ultimate Gift Guide button in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries for each, must have an active link to R&R)

5) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

6) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

7) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry, just tell me what rank R&R has)

On December 13th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US and Canadian addresses only. 

Winner, winner! #735 Jennifer C. said... http://twitter.com/DNatrlBeauty/status/6458601417744385

Thank you to CSN Stores for providing us with the gift card to giveaway to one lucky reader. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

WW: Crouching Tiger Snuggly Dragon

 

 
 
 
And no, we did not dress them as a Tiger and a Dragon just so we could use this WW title.  In fact, we didn't even put it together until after Halloween when we were labeling our pictures. 

Jellyfish Lampquarium from Wild Creations {Review & Giveaway}

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 1

I just found the coolest tween gift ever for the holiday season, something that is the perfect gift for that kid on your list that has everything.  Well, everything but their very own jellyfish, that is. 

What parent doesn’t want their kid to have their own jellyfish?  What… no takers?  What about if I told you that these jellyfish don’t sting, don’t need to be fed, and are mess-free?  Admit it, you want to own jellyfish now, don’t you?

Well, look no further than Wild Creations, the company that brought you those cool African Dwarf Frogs that everyone, including me, is raving about.  Now they are busy making science cool again with an awesome list of gifts for the holiday season, especially for the hardest to buy for ages. 

First on my list of must-have items is the Jellyfish Lampquarium from the National History Museum.  The idea behind it is similar to the lava lamps we used to love as kids, but oh, so much cooler.  They both may have inter-changing colored lights but instead of bubbling liquids, the Jellyfish Lampquarium has three silicon jellyfish that glide and dart around the sealed lampquarium. 

Surprisingly life-like in a hypnotic way, and incredibly fun to watch, the jellyfish “swim” around the tank illuminated by the changing colors.  While they are technically marketed towards children, they really are cool no matter what your age.  For those of you who are shaking their heads wondering why a grown woman is so excited about fake jellyfish, you really must see to believe. 

Even though they are made of silicon it’s easy to pretend they are real live pets.  Pets that require zero care and upkeep and can fit in the tiniest of rooms, apartments, or even in your office to add a little life to your workspace.  They are fun to watch and amazingly relaxing, making them great nightlights, mood lights, or perfect as an accent piece.  

Beside being super cool, they are also super easy to set up.  Simply fill the Lampquarium to the top with plain tap water, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the water and place the Jellyfish into the Lampquarium.  Then, sit back and watch the Jellyfish gracefully dance around the tank for up to four hours before it will automatically turn itself off.

Even if Jellyfish aren’t your thing, Wild Creations has some seriously cool (and even educational) gifts for all ages.  So go check out their awesome lineup of toys and gifts for 2010 and make someone’s day this holiday season! 

 
You can purchase the Jellyfish Lampquarium for $39.99 at Wild Creations

 
To Enter: Simply visit Wild Creations and tell me what new product introduced for fall 2010 that you would love to win {mandatory for entry}

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Interact with Wild Creations on Facebook by commenting on their wall or one of their posts/pictures.

3) Subscribe to Wild Creations You Tube channel by following this link or subscribe to their Frog Blog by following this link (extra entry available for each subscription, just leave username)

4) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview with the link to this post (http://bit.ly/947Ks2) after following (daily Tweet, just post link here)

5) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage (2 extra entries - just post the URL where I can find your writeup)

6) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website and/or the Cozy At Home Event Button (2 extra entries for each button, must have an active link to R&R)

7) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

8) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

9) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo is in right sidebar (daily entry, just tell me what rank R&R has)

On November 30 at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US addresses only, please.

Winner, winner!  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to: #261 Schnitzomage said... wall comment

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=465231617258&id=25884497258

A huge thank you to Wild Creations for sending us their Jellyfish Lampquarium for review and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions are 100% ours and no type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.