Tweet Beats Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My family and I absolutely love music. My kid's are very talented when it comes to music, my oldest taught himself to play the Ukulele and the keyboard and my middle son is good with the drums and is currently learning to play to Tuba through his music class at school. Some sort of music is always playing in our house, whether it be first thing in the morning while we get ready for school or when the kids get home from school, we listen to music every single day in our house and I absolutely love it. Music soothes my soul and I love that it does the same with my kids.

All three of my kids love music, so when we received Tweet Beats, I knew my youngest, Bailey, would absolutely love this musical toy. Tweet Beats allows you to create your own song. Included in the Tweet Beats is a tree base that has four branches to place your birds on. Each branch plays a different musical piece, there's vocal, bass, melody and beat.  The musical toy comes with four Tweet Beat birds and each one has their own style and sound. They each also can play on all four branches as each bird has their own vocal, bass, melody and beat. The birds included are Beach Bobby, Jenny, MC Jay and The Kid. There are lots of other Tweet Beats that you can buy separately to add to your musical collection.


Bailey absolutely loved putting the Tweet Beats on the base in different random branches to create different songs. She played with this for over an hour and has continued to play with this every day after school. Her favourite Tweet Beats so far is Jenny. She loves the way her voice sounds and I have to admit, it's really nice. My 12 year old son saw us playing with the Tweet Beats and decided to join us. He loved it. His favourite bird was MC Jay, he laughed every time he talked/rapped. Both kiddos had a blast playing with Tweet Beats and are excited to find the other birds that didn't come with the base in stores.

With the help of the musical Tweet Beats birds, all you do is place the birds on the designated branch you want them on and watch the music come alive. It's a pretty cool toy that any kid, even tweens would love. This is a great toy to help bring out your child's imagination and creativeness and of course when your song comes together, have your little one throw a dance party right in the living room. This would make a great gift this holiday season for any kid in your life that loves music.

For more information about Tweet Beats and where you can buy this toy online or local, be sure to head over to their website
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Tweet Beats at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

CAT Tough Rigs Review #HolidayGiftGuide

My six year old son, Jayden, absolutely loves any and everything to do with different transportation vehicles, whether it's trains, boats, planes or trucks, he loves them all. He's also a big collector too, currently he's loving anything to do with the ship, Titanic. He even looks up videos on YouTube about the history of the Titanic. I absolutely love seeing how excited he gets when he starts looking up and learning about the current transportation vehicle he's in to.
We were recently sent CAT Tough Rigs and I just knew Jayden would absolutely love it and I was right. We've bought him CAT toys before in the past and he's loved them and this toy is no different. My son was so excited to play with the Excavator, he immediately opened up the toy and played throughout our home with it for over an hour. He can’t wait to use it at the park in the sand or in the backyard digging through dirt in the Spring and Summer. Hopefully during the Christmas break from school we get some snow and he'll be able to enjoy digging through the snow and making snow castles. 

Aimed for children two and up, this super-sized push-powered Excavator allows your child to be in control every step of the way. They'll be in the middle of the action by moving and posing the articulated arm just like the real thing.

Rolling around on thick wheels, the excavator features a rotating house and extendable arm with a bucket that actually scoops. The excavator is made with hard plastic but is thin enough to flex when my son applied pressure to the doors and scoop. The excavator is larger than what I expected but light weight and easy to operator.

It's great for indoor or outdoor play and my son can't wait to play with it outside in our backyard or to our neighbourhood park to play with it in the sand. Overall we are again impressed with the Caterpillar (CAT) construction vehicles. My son enjoys using his imagination and just having a blast digging away!

This would make a great gift this holiday season for any kids in your life that like to dig and use their imagination. For more information about the Excavator and other CAT construction vehicles, be sure to head over to their website

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received CAT Excavator at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

Abominable Blu-ray Review #AbominableMovie


From the studio that brought you How to Train Your Dragon, this heartwarming and humorous story follows teenage Yi (Bennet) as she encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building in China, she and her mischievous friends, Jin (Trainor) and Peng (Tsai), name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Paulson) to help Everest get home. Heartwarming and a visual masterpiece, “ABOMINABLE is a movie for all ages with laughter and life lessons and a little bit of wonder thrown in” (Allison Rose, Flick Direct).


MY REVIEW
What a great movie, this was! My kids were very excited when I presented them with a family movie night! Everyone grabbed their blankets and we headed for the couch. The family movie has an interesting story line that appeals to all ages. My kids ages vary from 11 to 3 and everyone including myself and my husband were intrigued and interested in the movie for the entire time.

The female lead, Yi is a very interesting character who embarks on a journey of finding herself and where she fits in the world after the loss of her father. She stumbles upon Everest, her new found Yeti friend and demonstrated much determination to help Everest get back home to his family, where he belongs. Peng a younger companion provides much comic relief throughout this exciting story. All three of the characters that take on the adventure of travel demonstrate bravery and break down personal barriers that were holding them back from becoming who they truly are. Throughout the movie, Yi and Jin also begin to develop respect and appreciation for each others strengths and values. This movie has so many opportunities for discussions about reality life events and situations.

My entire family truly enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to any viewer of any age! Abominable is now out on blu-ray and DVD for purchase, this would make a great gift to watch over the holidays. To celebrate the release of the movie being out for purchase, Dreamworks has a fun and unique downloadable Bao recipes created by Top Chef 's Chef Shirley Chung that you can make with your family. Click the image below to get the recipe.


Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Abominable on blu-ray at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

Roku Premiere Review #HolidayGiftGuide


I've shared with you all last month my review and love for the Roku Express, now I'd like to share with you all about the Roku Premiere. A bit different from the Express, the Premiere is a simple way to start streaming in HD, 4K Ultra HD or 4K HDR. It features a powerful quad-core processor and comes in a low-profile form factor. In the box a Premium High Speed HDMI cable is included plus remote control with popular streaming channel shortcut buttons and a power cord.

This streaming unit works perfect with any HD or smart TV. It's easy to set up and like the Express, you can download a number of different free or paid streaming services to add to your Roku, like, Netflix, Youtube, Good Play, Prime Video and just recently you can now download and get all of your movie and tv shows you have on your Apple TV, right on to your Roku Premiere.

I absolutely love our Roku's we have in our home. We have one in each of the kid's bedroom's. We even have one set up in our youngest's room and she loves that she can easily press the Youtube button on the remote to go directly to Youtube without needing any help from mom or dad. I love how convenient and simple the remote is, allowing my five year old to feel a bit independent when she's playing in her room and watching her favorite shows.

The Roku Premiere includes endless entertainment, especially with the Roku Channel that launched in Canada back in 2018. With no subscription, fees or logins required, all you have to do is set up the Roku Premiere to your TV and connect to your wifi and you'll have access to tons of box hit movies and TV shows with more getting added and featured every month.

Next to on-demand entertainment, Roku users in Canada will soon be able to access 14 live linear channel on The Roku Channel, from various publishers: 
  • Law & Crime ‒ Watch the courtroom drama unfold live and get in depth legal analysis on the day’s biggest crime and legal stories.
  • Now This ‒ Now This is the most watched mobile news brand in the world, providing the latest in video news, investigative reports, interviews and original series.
  • AllTime ‒ AllTime aims to bring you the most informative, fascinating and engaging top 10 videos.
  • TMZ ‒ Get your daily dose of pop culture from the TMZ channel featuring programs such as TMZ Sports, The Hollywood Beatdown, TMZ TV, TMZ Chatter and more.
  • AFV ‒ America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV) shines the spotlight on hilarious videos to bring you America’s ‘real-life’ funny moments captured on video.
  • Fail Army ‒ FailArmy is the world’s number one source for epic fail videos and hilarious compilations.
  • Pet Collective ‒ The Pet Collective is home to the top trending clips, most entertaining memes, and funniest animal videos.
  • People Are Awesome ‒ People Are Awesome is the number one destination for amazing, original videos and compilations of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
  • Adventure Sports Network ‒ Adventure Sports Network (ASN) is the worldwide leader in adventure sports, outdoor, lifestyle and travel.
  • Food52 ‒ Come on by the Food52 test kitchen. Our award-winning editors and kitchen experts—like Genius Recipes‘s Kristen Miglore and Dear Test Kitchen‘s Josh Cohen -are here to help with dinner tonight, weekend meal prep, cookie emergencies, you name it.
  • Tastemade ‒ Planning your next adventure abroad or at home? Tastemade shows you how it’s done. Whether expanding your palate or your itinerary, Tastemade presents even more of the things you love. Hundreds of hours of original shows, streaming straight to you.
  • FilmRise Free Movies ‒ Catch film stars like Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, Morgan Freeman and more in our massive selection of free blockbusters.
  • FilmRise Crime ‒ The best Crime TV to satisfy the sleuths among us.
  • FilmRise Classic TV ‒ Catch primetime smash hits like 21 Jump Street and Hunter all day long.

The Roku Premiere is retailed at $49.99 Canadian and can now be purchased online or in stores. Would make a great gift this holiday season, whether it's for your own household or someone else. It's so easy to use, this would make the best streaming device to give to someone to introduce them to all the streaming services available. To find out more information about this streaming device, be sure to head over to ROKU
 Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the Roku Premiere at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Baby Alive: Happy Hungry Baby Review #HolidayGiftGuide

Like most five year old little girls, one thing that my youngest loves to do is pretend to be mommy. Now, whether it's being mommy to her baby dolls or trying to be mommy to her older siblings, I'm pretty sure my little noodle, Bailey, has the basics of taking care of others down. Although she does get a kick out of trying to tell her older siblings what to do, Bailey absolutely loves playing with all of her baby dolls and taking care of them. When she gets a new doll the first thing she does is try to figure out a name for them. After that she makes sure that doll has a place in the "crib," where all her other dolls sleep when it comes to bedtime.

One of her favorite things to play while in class at school is the house centre where you can pretend to bake, cook, and take care of a household. This is why I know that Bailey is going to absoutely love the new Baby Alive: Happy Hungry Baby from Hasbro that we were sent a few weeks back. This will be her first baby alive doll that wasn't past down to her and that she can name, feed and change all on her own!

Aimed for children three and up, Baby Alive Happy Hungry Baby includes the doll, feeding tray, bib, 2 powdered doll foods, 2 diapers, bowl, sippy cup, interactive spoon, comb, and instructions. Happy Hungry Baby captures the joy and messiness of feeding time! Your little one can put baby's bib on and sit her at her feeding tray while they mix up her favorite food. When you offer baby her spoon, she’ll open wide, giggle, move, and ask for more! When she’s ""all done!” give her a sippy cup. Uh-oh! Time to change baby's diaper! I'm really excited to see Bailey's reaction to this Baby Alive and to see how well she does with feeding and changing the doll's diaper.

With over 50 real baby sounds and phrases, realistic doll expressions, a special interactive spoon, 2 doll food packets, bib, sippy cup, and 2 diapers (additional food packets and diapers sold separately), this adorable baby doll makes feeding and changing time feel oh-so-real and oh-so-FUN for both little mommies and daddies!

With my little one's love for playing pretend mommy, I just know when she opens up this gift over the holidays she will absolutely love it. Baby Alive: Happy Hungry Baby is retailed for $69.99 and comes in blonde, brunette or black hair. This set is available in stores and online now, just in time for the holidays. For more information about where to purchase this set, be sure to head over to Hasbro now. 

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Baby Alive: Happy Hungry Baby at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Play-Doh Tootie the Unicorn Ice Cream Set Review #HolidayGiftGuide

My five year old is completely obsessed with anything that has to do with play-doh. Ever since she turned three and she received her first play-doh set from Santa, she has been a fan. If you ask any of our family and friends they'd agree. For her fourth birthday, the majority of her gifts were items that were either play-doh or something play-dh related that could help her use play-doh a little more. She absolutely loved it and still does to this day.

When we were sent the Play-Doh Tootie the Unicorn Ice Cream Set, I knew she would absolutely love it. Not only is this another addition to her Play-doh collection, but Tootie is a unicorn and Bailey absolutely loves unicorns.



Aimed for children three and older, the Play-Doh Tootie the Unicorn ice Cream Set includes Tootie the Unicorn playset, shape rail, ice cream cone, 2 dishes, knife, spoon, 1 can of Play-Doh Color Swirl compound, and 2 cans of Play-Doh. Tootie, a hilarious unicorn ice cream maker who loves to create silly Play-Doh sundaes. As she dispenses Play-Doh colors from her you-know-where, this unicorn toy makes laugh-out-loud sounds and even changes her facial expression. The large 4-ounce can of Play-Doh Color Swirl compound features 2 colors in one can for crazy colorful ice cream creations. This play ice cream set also comes with 2 classic Play-Doh colors in 2-ounce cans, as well as a plastic ice cream cone, 2 dishes, plastic knife, and spoon. She's a magically funny gift for kids 3 and up, but she's sure to bring silly fun for the whole family!

I'm very excited to see Bailey's face when she opens this gift Christmas morning. I think she's going to get a kick out of the fact that Tootie dispenses play-doh from you-know-where. When you lift and lower Tootie's mane to make play ice cream, she makes over 9 silly sounds, changes her facial expression, and lifts her legs. I can't wait to Bailey's reaction. I know this will be a huge hit and I can't wait until she's able to play with this set.

Play-Doh Tootie the Unicorn Ice Cream Set is retailed for $27.99 and is available in stores and online now, just in time for the holidays. If you have a obsessed play-doh loving kid like I do who loves unicorns, this is a great gift to give your little one. For more information about where to purchase this set, be sure to head over to Hasbro now. 
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Play-doh Tootie the Unicorn Ice Cream Set at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Gravity Falls: The Complete Series (Collector's Edition) DVD Review & Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide


Welcome To Gravity Falls !

Twin brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to the small town of Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend their summer vacation with their great uncle ("Grunkle") Stan. Upon arrival, Grunkle Stan enlists the siblings' help in running The Mystery Shack, a self-owned tourist trap that overcharges unsuspecting customers. While Dipper has a hard time getting used to his new surroundings, Mabel's upbeat optimism comes in handy in her quest to find true love.

But there may be more to Gravity Falls than meets the eye as Dipper and Mabel encounter strange occurrences and weird creatures. When Dipper stumbles upon an elusive book, he discovers it is the answer to uncovering the town's mysterious happenings. Soon, Dipper and Mabel realize they must rely on each other to navigate this unfamiliar place. Meanwhile, Grunkle Stan guards a secret of his own — one that just might hold the key to unlocking the deeper mystery that is Gravity Falls.


MY REVIEW
My son is a huge fan of this show. So much so that he's watched this series over five times. Before my son introduced it to me, I had no idea what this show was or about, but it's actually pretty funny and has a great story-line. I'm all for watching animations that have a good story-line. 

My son's favorite character in this show is Dipper and his relationship with his twin sister, Mabel reminds me so much of my older two as they are 23 months apart and were joined at the hip before teenage angst started, lol But while my twelve year old and I watched a few episodes a day after school, my fourteen year old would come in and sit and watch the show with us too. By the end of the series, we were all watching it.

What we loved the most after watching this series together was watching the special features that included commentary with all 40 episodes. It was also great to watch the deleted scenes with my son too. He absolutely loves that he now has the entire collection that he can keep forever. Gravity Falls: The Complete series is available in both DVD and Blu-ray format. Formore information about Gravity Falls: The Complete Series Collector's Edition, you can head over to Shout Factory where you can order online in both DVD and blu-ray format.

Are you or your kiddos fans of the show? Who's your favourite character or your child's favourite character? We've teamed up with Shout Factory once again to offer one reader, US and Canada to win a copy of the complete series too. All you need to do is comment below who your favourite character in this series is or watch the trailer above, if you've never watched the show before, what character do you think you or your kiddo would like?
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Gravity Falls: The Complete series on DVD at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

Klutz Make Your Own Glitter Face Mask Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My 12 year old absolutely loves when we do crafts together and as she's getting older, she's getting into bath bombs, face masks and all the other beauty and bath and body products as one does in seventh grade. So when our friends over at Klutz sent us the Make your Own Glitter Face Mask kit, I knew this would be perfect for her as she loves to craft and DIY.

With Klutz's Make Your Own Glitter Face Mask Kit, you can treat yourself to a selfie-worthy face mask, customized with fresh ingredients and lots of glitter! Use the peel-off gooey mask mix and sheet masks to make 5 treatments. After the mask has dried, peel it off to leave your face feeling fresh (and glitter-free)! Once you've used up the materials in the kit, reuse the recipe book, containers, and silicone brush to make any of the other 12 at-home projects that moisturize, soothe, and nourish!



What I loved about this kit was how easy it was to make the face masks. The kit came with easy to follow instructions and everything you need to make the face mask. Joey and one of her friends were able to make these face masks all on their own. We were a little worried about putting glitter on her face, but the face masks washed off easily and left no residue behind. These would be a huge hit for a sleepover as it's fun to make, has vibrant glitter colors for the face masks and is very entertaining. The girls had a blast creating masks and having a spa day together. I also love that after you're done and have made all 5 masks the instructions that are included come with other spa-like recipes that she can try and make any time.

If you have a tween or teen, both Joey and I definitely recommend this kit as a gift for the holidays. Klutz's Make Your Own Glitter Face Mask is available for $21.99, for and you can head over to their website now to order online or to find out where you can purchase this kit locally.

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Klutz Make Your Own Glitter Face Mask kit at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (Collectors Edition) Blu-ray Review & Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide



All 18 Episodes in Both Original Aspect Ratio and New Widescreen Presentations

What high school was like for the rest of us.

The modern classic, Freaks And Geeks, is available on Blu-ray! Set in 1980 at the fictional McKinley High in Detroit, Freaks And Geeks focused on two groups of outsiders: the stoners, tough kids and bad girls; and the brains, nerds and squares. Although this Emmy award-winning series ran for only one season, it has remained a cult favorite and a benchmark of quality television.

A funny and authentic portrait of high school life with all of its horrors and triumphs, Freaks And Geeks resonates with anybody who has ever felt like they don't quite fit in. The series' legacy – including the ongoing success of many of its key personnel, from creator Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), to executive producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), to cast members such as Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel – is undoubtedly secure in the hearts and minds of its passionate (and ever-growing) fanbase.

MY REVIEW
I don't know about you, but I remember watching this show when it came out on our TV screens back in 1999. I was going into my sophomore year in high school and I remember falling in love with this show because it was relatable in so many ways. 

Even though it didn't go past its first season, Freaks and Geeks was a show that was under the radar and now that it's two decades later and with so many streaming services bringing it back, it's become such a popular show, even my oldest teen loves it and sat down with me as I re-watched this entire series again and loved it even more. I hadn't seen it since Netflix took it off, so when you don't see a show in a while it's like watching it for the first time, plus it was awesome to have my oldest love it as much as I did and spend quality time together.

My favorite character from this show is a mix between Nick and Lindsay. I loved how he was just about going with the flow and laid back. He didn't really like drama, none of the guys really liked drama. I also liked Lindsay and how she is trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in, as we all do at that age. Her relationship with her parents and brother is up and down as teens are at that age, but as an adult with teens as kids now, I think I relate to the parents in this show more than the kids, just trying to make sure our kids are happy and healthy and to show them that they're loved.

It was great to watch this on blu-ray and on our smart TV as the picture quality is pretty awesome and you can see everything. I especially loved watching the bloopers, interviews and the audition footage from the actors from the show. I love watching their auditions. A great show that got cancelled way too early, I definitely recommend this show to friends and family, especially those with teens going into high school or about to enter high school. This show is definitely one to relate to when you're a teenager.

For more information on Freaks and Geeks, you can head to Shout Factory as they have this series in both DVD and blu-ray format for purchase. Thanks to our friends over at Shout Factory, we are offering you readers a chance to win the entire series on blu-ray!  This show had so many popular actors/actresses in it, so to enter the giveaway, comment below sharing who your favorite actor/actress from this cast is.

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Freaks and Geeks on blu-ray at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

LEGO's Holiday Ideas Book Review #HolidayGiftGuide



My son's love for Lego's is growing each day and with each new item he gets that's from Lego he gets pretty excited. We received the Lego Holiday Ideas book, in time just for Christmas. This was an activity we could do together. My son and I were very excited to see the fun holiday traditional characters that we could build, but my son was quickly disappointed as the book only includes the pieces to build one of the models, the small reindeer on the cover.  

Although we didn't have the Lego pieces to build the other characters that this book included, we still enjoyed looking through the book to get ideas of what he could build next and he still had a great time putting the Lego pieces together to create the reindeer. If you have a great collection of Lego pieces then you would be able to create ideas from the guidebook, no problem.



The book is packed full of original, inspirational build ideas for Lego holiday decorations, gifts and games, this is perfect for Lego fans and children who enjoy building and crafting. Building ideas include tree decorations, a family of adorable penguins, an obstacle course for elves-in-training, quick LEGO building challenges suitable for the whole family, and many more things to make and do. You won't run out of ideas over the holiday season with this perfect stocking-stuffer.

My only concern with the book is that people might not realize that there aren’t enough Lego pieces to create all of the holiday ideas the book lists. It just includes 41 pieces to create the reindeer. So if you’re buying it as a gift for a Lego builder in your life, make sure they have a pretty good collection of parts or they won’t be able to build anything in the book except the reindeer. Still, my son and I really enjoyed building the reindeer and it's a super adorable book filled with over 50 winter holiday-themed Lego ideas.

This would make a great gift this holiday season for any kid in your life who loves Legos and who has more than the Legos that are included in this book. Retailing at $18.99, you can head to DK Canada now to purchase online and to find where you can buy this book locally.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the above book at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

furReal Walkalots Big Wags, Kitty Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My youngest daughter, Ryanne, has a great love of animals whether they be of the stuffed or the real variety. So when we received furReal Walkalots Big Wags, Kitty, I knew she would absolutely love it. This is not our first experience with Fur real pets in our house. Having had so many children with long spanning age gaps I have seen many generations of Fur real pets and all of them were well loved by my animal loving family.


Aimed for kiddos four and up, furReal Walkalots pets feature a connectible system that lets kids walk one pet, or their favourite pack! This cuddly kitty comes with a two-part detachable leash to walk her across the floor as well as a connector to add up to two Walkalots Lil’ Wags pets (sold separately). You can push your pet along by her leash and she’ll move forward with her wobbling head, signature bouncy walk, and spring-activated tail motion. She also makes kitty sounds and funny noises, making the walk feel that much more real. The toy includes the pet, leash (2 pieces), handle, connector, and instructions.


Ryanne put together the leash by herself so the design is simple and easy to use. She has had hours of fun walking her kitty (whom she named Watermelon). I can definitely recommend toy, especially with the holidays coming up. This would make a great gift for any little ones you know who have a love for animals, especially little ones who can't have a real pet, this is a great substitution. It is Ryanne and Mom approved.

Retailed for $29.99 for more information about where to purchase online or locally, head to HASBRO.

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received furReal Walkalots Kitty at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Klutz Grow Your Own Crystals: Unicorn & Narwhal Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My girls absolutely love to craft, so when we received both the Unicorn and Narwhal Grow Your Own Crystal kits from Klutz, I knew this would be a fun activity for us all to do together. This fun science kit grabbed my daughters attention quite quickly. The packaging was colourful and appealing to the eye! They argued over who got the unicorn and narwhal then we were ready to go!

With this kit you and your child can create their own sparkly, crystal-covered narwhal and unicorn! 
The instruction manual is very well presented with easy to follow instructions. The first step was to insert the pipe cleaners and assemble the creature. The set provides the basic pieces to create the crystal animal however it requires a lot of other pieces that you must provide on your own. We had to make a quick trip to the dollar store to purchase the other necessities for this science experiment which included mason jars, metal spoons, and tongs. 
  

The box does state that the set contains harmful chemicals and that it should not be used by children unless under adult supervision however the instruction manual states that any utensils that come into contact with the crystal solution needs to be disposed of. It also stated that it should not be created in any space where anyone eats or sleeps because it is aluminium potassium sulphate that it contains. 

Since both my girls are under the recommended age they assisted with the initial assembly of the unicorn and narwhal but the rest was done in the garage by my husband. We showed the kids each stage as it was occurring and the 20 page book included had lots of useful information sharing the science behind the magic.

The entire project took 4 days to complete and the finished product is quite interesting with all the crystals that form on the pipe cleaners. The girls loved how their unicorn and narwhal turned out. Not only is there unicorn and narwhal, but Klutz also has Grow Your Own Crystals with also a dragon and fox. 



If you have kiddos who love arts and crafts, this Grow Your Own Crystals kit would be a great gift to give them this holiday season. The kit is retailed at $12.99 and you can head over to their website now to order online or to find out where you can purchase this kit locally.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Klutz Grow Your Own Crystal Unicorn and Narwhal kits at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo Review #HolidayGiftGuide



My little guy, Braxton absolutely loves Sesame Street. It's one of his favourite shows that I put on in the mornings that keep him entertained, while I get ready to start our day. So when I received the Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo, I was super excited because I can't wait to give him this gift for Christmas, he's going to wake up and be so excited to see one of his favourite characters next to him.

Elmo loves to give hugs, and he loves when YOU hug him, too! With the Love to hug Elmo kids can celebrate hugs and friendship with their favourite cuddly pal from Sesame Street. Squeeze Elmo’s tummy and he raises his arms and asks for a hug. Give Elmo a hug and he’ll respond with a phrase, song, or kiss! Love to Hug Elmo comes with English and Spanish mode for versatile bilingual play. With fun phrases, songs, and plenty of hugs and giggles, it’s a great toy or gift for kids ages 18 months and up.

I love how soft Elmo is, usually hard toys are not so soft but the Love to Hug Elmo is pretty soft and Brax love textures, so he'll be super happy when he gets to play with Elmo and give him hugs! I also love that he not only asks for hugs, but he also sings as well. I know for sure my little guy will love him as he currently loves to dance along to any music playing. 

Retailed for $39.99, Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo is a perfect gift to give any kiddo in your life that loves Elmo. This would make a great gift this holiday season. For more information about where to purchase online or locally, head to HASBRO.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

The LEGO Book of Bedtime Builds Book Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My husband, Tony, has been doing Ryanne's (our youngest child's) bedtime story for the last two years since my work schedule doesn't permit me to do it. This is the first child of our four kids he has ever regularly done story-time with, so when we received The LEGO Book of Bedtime Builds from DK Canada, we thought a fully interactive story-time seemed like a great, new and innovative idea. 

The book is great for screen-free activities to do together with your little ones. This innovative LEGO® bedtime book includes eight adventures to build, play, and read, and it comes with LEGO bricks and instructions to make eight exclusive mini LEGO models. The LEGO® Book of Bedtime Builds is perfect for creative, screen-free wind-down time before bed.


Since my husband is the one who does bedtime, here is what he had to say about the book, "We call Ryanne our little builder monkey, she loves to create new things. She made tables and chairs for dolls and toys out of boxes for tea parties before she even reached 2 years old. She has plastic building blocks and wooden building blocks that she uses daily and always she tells us a story about what she built. This allowed me to get a first-hand look at how her amazing little mind works. We had so much fun."

Choose and build your LEGO model. Then read the story together and decide what happens next. When it's time to sleep, the mini model and story will inspire exciting dreams. The next night, take apart the mini model and choose another adventure to build and read together. Convenient brick storage and packaging make for easy building at home or on the go. Includes easy-to-follow building instructions, bricks, and stories featuring a pirate ship, dinosaur, robot, bird, castle, elephant, spider, and spaceship.


Ryanne and her dad built the first figure together but she was able to build the figures completely on her own with little to no need for help from her dad as well which left her feeling successful and independent. 

The models are cute. Ryanne's favorite was the castle. I can recommend this product to any parent but especially those parents of the builder kids whose imaginations are limitless and the love of creating runs deep. This would make a great gift this holiday season. Retailing at $25.99, you can head to DK Canada now to purchase online and to find where you can buy this book locally.


DK Canada is hosting a Wonders of Gift Giving Contest right now where they are giving away a book a day up until December 12th. To enter all you need to do is head to the link above to find a book you would love to have. Next post an image of the book on Twitter announcing it as the book you'd most like to receive for the holidays tagging @DKCanada and with #DKGiftGiving hashtag. This will automatically enter you in a giveaway to win the book during their 12 Days of Gift Giving campaign.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the above book at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received

Klutz Jr. My Fun & Fuzzy Headband Salon Review #HolidayGiftGuide



My five year old daughter, Bailey, absolutely loves to dress up. Not only does she love to dress up, but she also loves to do her hair and accessorise so that she is all dolled up for any and every occasion. So when our friends over at Klutz Jr. sent us over some goodies, I knew that Bailey would absolutely love their My Fun and Fuzzy Headband Salon craft kit.

Not only does she love to dress up, but this girl takes after her mama and absolutely loves to craft. This is one of the main reasons why I love Klutz craft kits so much. I love that their kits come with everything you need to create your craft as well as a booklet that shows you thorough instructions on how to create your craft. Aimed for kids three and older, with My Fun and Fuzzy Headband Salon, your little makers will channel their favourite animal with these trendy hair accessories they make themselves!



The kit comes with three different designs, a cat, a bear, or a unicorn with super fuzzy, pre-cut faux-fur stems and custom foam ear shapers. Then add self-adhesive bows, jewels, and glitter foam accessories to make the look your own. Attaching them is as easy as sliding them onto the included clips or headband and you're ready to rock your wild style!



Bailey and I had a blast creating these headbands. She decided she wanted to mix it up and do both a unicorn, some of the foam shape cut outs and use some of the different faux fur stems to create some cute ears to go on the headband as well. This was a great craft for us to do together and something she got to do on her own as well. I let her do most of the work and just set next to her as she decided exactly what she wanted to create and I helped read her the instructions to complete it.

My Fun and Fuzzy Headband Salon is a great gift to give this holiday season for any kid that loves to create and use their imagination. The kit is retailed at $19.99 and you can head over to their website now to order online or to find out where you can purchase this kit locally.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Klutz Jr. My Fun & Fuzzy Headband Salon at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.