K'NEX Mario Cart Review Birthday Bash

JJ is really into building or making things so when it came to toys for his birthday K'NEX was a must. K'NEX has a ton of products that everyone knows about, they are very popular and kids love them. They have really branched out over time and there are a ton of things they have these days.

How cute is the Sesame Street Building Sets!

Here are the Thrill Rides,these look Awesome !

They also have a line called K'NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Sets which you can build and race your favorite Mario Characters! For JJ's b-day we received the Mario and Yoshi Finish Line Building set to build. We loved Mario Kart's Building Set, it was fun and JJ's eyes lit up when it was all set up. JJ and his Dad worked on building the track and I think that my husband had as much fun as JJ did! We played Mario as kids so it is fun to see your own kids enjoying it years later :)
Here is info on the Finish Line Set from their web site-
Bring Mario™ Kart™ Wii to life! Race Mario™ and Yoshi™ to the Finish Line of the Mario™ Circuit Track. The set includes the parts to build Mario™ and Yoshi™, 2 Wild Wing Karts with super-fast, battery-powered motors, a buildable Goombas obstacle and 2 collectible items from the game: a Red Turtle Shell and Bullet Bill! Also includes 16 pieces of buildable, interconnectable track that creates a closed loop - combine this set with other sets from the Mario™ Kart™ Wii Series to build even bigger tracks! Ages 6+


K'NEX is a quality product that has been around for years. Did you know they also distribute Lincoln Logs? That is another item on JJ's Christmas List this year, PERFECT! Check out K'NEX product guide for all of the cool sets they have for your little ones Christmas List. You will not be disappointed!

You can learn more and find out when new K'NEX products are out by following them on Facebook.



* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was provided the toy mentioned in this post for my review by the Company/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

HearthSong Magneatos Magnetic Balls and Rods Building Set Review and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

When looking for gifts for my boys I love the idea of something different and fun that they can build and rebuild. When the toy is something you create it is always a different outcome and that is neat to watch. HearthSong has so many of these great, interesting, and unique items like Toys and Games, Arts and Interests and what they call Kids Style. To brake it down for you, shopping by Age is a great way to narrow it down. While shopping around for JJ's birthday I came across the Magneatos and knew he would just love them! He has never had anything magnetic before so I was interested to see how he would react to the toy. JJ loved it of coarse!

JJ loves anything to do with art, how cool would this A Work of Art Box be?

How about these Mouth Man Hooded Tees, they are cracking me up!

Lots of great items to choose from for the little ones on your gift list. Check out everything HearthSong has online.


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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 28, 2011 and ends on December 8 , 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

TimsBoots.com Kids Cowboy Boots Review and $50 Giveaway Birthday Bash

Cowboy Boots have been something I have wanted for my son since he was born. I think they are so cute yet so cool at the same time. I have the greatest memory and thankfully there are pictures, of my little brother having a pair of red cowboy boots and a stick horse. My little brother is an amazing man and I would love for my son to be just like him. Hes a stand up guy with a heart of gold, what mom would not want a son like that!

I have been looking for the perfect pair of cowboy boots to get for my son since the summer and I finally found the ones I wanted (along with a few other pairs! They are all so cute!)  I found Timsboots.com to have the best selection and prices for kids cowboy boots. Plus they have a very nice customer service department!

My son wears a toddler size since he is 2. I was surprised at the variety of selection for the toddler sizes. Many places I have looked only have a few to select from. I saw a few pairs I will like to get him in the future as his little feet get bigger.

My son unwrapped his new Red Cowboy Boots for his birthday and he was thrilled to see them. He yelled "Shoes!" He had a Toy Story birthday party and we got him a Woody Talking toy as a gift. He showed me how he had boots and so does Woody. It was so cute! He can even put them on all by himself. The pair I ordered for my son were under $50 they have many boots for kids, toddlers and infants priced under $50. That is a great deal compared to many places I have looked for kids boots.

The first time I put them on him he was like Bambi when he first stood to walk. He was wobbly for a few seconds then took off around the living room. He was running in circles over and over yelling "Weeee Weeee" it was the cutest reaction I have seen to a pair of shoes lol. He loves to wear them all the time now. He wanted to wear them to bed and that was a battle trying to explain we don't wear cowboy boots to bed.

Now all I need it a stick horse and a hat and my little cowboy will be set! Cowboy Boots are the perfect gift for any kid this holiday season in addition to a birthday present! They also carry adult boots.


GIVEAWAY

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to TimsBoots.com

To Enter This Giveaway:

Sign up for the Timsboots.com Email Newsletter 
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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 28, 2011 and ends on December 8 , 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Tree Lighting Celebration at Pier 39 in #SanFrancisco Review

Now that my son is old enough to understand the holidays and all the fun times we have during this time of year we are finding new things to do. My husband and I did not realize how each year we have been doing the same thing. This year we wanted to do something really fun and travel a bit to do so. One of our favorite places to visit is San Francisco. I love the way the ocean air smells and the excitement of such a big city. We always visit Pier 39 when we go to San Francisco. Its a great pier filled with shops, restaurants, family activities all in one spot. You could spend all day on the pier and we did!

When we found out that on November 20th Pier 39 would be having their annual Tree Lighting Ceremony we knew we had to go to celebrate my son's birthday. I have not attended a big tree lighting ceremony like this before nor had my husband or mother in law and of course not my son. We were all very excited for this new experience.

When we first arrived there was a bustle of people, holiday music, picture taking and even Disney characters! It felt very festive to be there. There were booths for kids to do activities, sign up for local deals (we were considered locals even from Sacramento which is great!). We donated some toys to the Toys for Tots bin as we signed up for the deals email list. There was a meet and greet with the Disney characters where you could get your picture taken but we missed it since we got out of line to change my sons diaper! Next time I will have my family wait in line while I go to the restroom.

The tree at Pier 39 with the city in the background.

Right before the tree lighting everyone gathered waiting for the Disney characters to arrive.

As the Mickey and Minnie came on stage all the kids were super excited.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony took place at 5:30 just after the sun went down over the ocean horizon. The event was filled with so many people. All the singing and kids bundled up from the cold was great. The wonderful thing was there were people from many different cultures. I overheard at least 7 different languages and saw people dressed in all sorts of ways, even cowboys! There was Christmas carols sang before Mickey, Minnie and Santa Goofy arrived on stage for the count down to the tree lighting.

The Pier 30 Christmas Tree all lit up

The tree was beautiful when it was lit. Everyone cheered and Mickey, Minnie and Goofy started to sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".  The Tree Lighting was a very memorable event. We had fun singing and spending time as a family and community while we waited for the big moment. The tree is up and waiting for you to come see it. While your there you can enjoy the holiday festive atmosphere of the Pier and enjoy San Francisco.

There are many great deals if you are planning a trip to San Francisco and Pier 39:

1. Visitors to PIER 39 can download a coupon good for a free PIER 39 Fun Pack by visiting pier39.com and clicking on the special offers page.  Inside the Fun Pack is not only a ton of money saving coupons to most of the shops, restaurants and attractions, but also a coupon valid for 2 hours free parking in the PIER 39 parking garage.  Fans of our Facebook page can also check-in to PIER 39 and receive the free Fun Pack coupon on their mobile as well.

2. Locals (anyone living between Sacramento all the way down to Monterey/Salinas) can sign up for special local discounts throughout the year at pier39.com.  Right now we're offering Holiday Half-Off offers, which will be released on Nov. 11.  We also do Kids Eat & Play FREE, as well as Buy One Get One FREE offers.  You should sign up so you receive the coupons in your inbox on Friday too!  

3. AAA members can show their card at the California Welcome Center for 20% off at participating restaurants, and other great discounts.

4. Groups can take advantage of our meal voucher program, for overall savings and added convenience http://www.pier39.com/GroupPrograms/mealvoucher.htm

For all Pier 39 special offers, visit the Special Offers page.

*We were not paid for this review. We were provided passes to enjoy attractions on Pier 39. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Plasma Car Review and Giveaway Birthday Bash

I have found a super cool ride on toy that I cannot stop telling people about. The PlasmaCar by PlaSmart is my sons new favorite toy to ride. He yells "weeeee" as he rides it, too cute!  The PlasmaCar is maneuvered by your kid placing their feet on the front and turning the wheel back and forth. The car gets going very easily and fast! 

The PlasmaCar says it works by "the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, friction and kid power! Its sleek, aerodynamic design allows you to reach an exhilarating speed of 10 km (6 miles) per hour. All you need is a smooth, flat surface".

It was easy to put together and for my son to use. I love that it is kid powered. My son can get his body moving to get the car to go instead of just pushing a button or pedal. He can use the car two ways. The way its intended with using the force of him turning the wheel back and forth and also like a regular ride on toy by using his feet. He has fun both ways. I showed him once how to use it by putting his feet up and he got the hang of it in no time.

 

We took it to the park and he had a blast riding around on the tennis court. Other kids were asking what it was and how he could make it go. He had fun being the center of attention with his new toy. I know he will be able to use this toy for many years to come.

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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 27, 2011 and ends on December 5 , 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

ZipBin Review and Giveaway Birthday Bash

My son likes Choo Choos, Vroom Vrooms and all things with wheels. He makes me laugh that he likes to call them by the sound they make more than what they are. Car to him is what we ride in to the store and Vroom Vroom is his toys. He enjoys playing with his wheeled toys making them drive all over the house and even on the walls. Often times he cant find one since it has been lost in the huge pile of other toys he has. He will ask me over and over Choo Choo Mama? I look and look and do eventually find them usually after stepping on it. We have been wanting to get him one of those rugs that have a printed road on it for him to play with but they can be rather expensive and then I will really have a floor of toys. But then we found the perfect solution to what we wanted for him.

The ZipBin toys were the perfect car and train toy for him since its a floor mat but also a zip-able bin that I can close his cars and trains into when he is done playing for the day. ZipBins are made by Neat-Oh! International and they really are neat-oh since they are tidy and cool! They make Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego and other animal or road themed ZipBins. Also they make backpacks that your kid can wear and then unzip to play while on the go, they have a really cute firefighter one I would love to have.

My son received the ZipBin Road and Rail set for his birthday. As soon as I showed him that his cars and trains go on it he was super excited. We played cars, trains and action heroes for at least an hour. I had so much fun seeing him play make believe and hearing his sound effects.

This is definitely a great item to give as a birthday or holiday gift this year.


GIVEAWAY

Win a ZipBin of your choice.

To Enter This Giveaway:

Which ZipBin product would you love to have?

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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 26, 2011 and ends on December 5 , 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Think Geek Air Swimmers Shark Review and $50 Giveaway Birthday Bash

For my son's birthday we went to the Aquarium by the Bay in San Francisco and I knew we needed to get him some cool ocean toys to play with when he got home. We looked around at figurines and plush toys that we cute but we found a WOW item that we had to have for him at ThinkGeek.com the super cool Air Swimmers Flying R/C Sea Life.

You do need to have your shark inflated with helium. Easy to do at home with a balloon kit or at a local grocery store or florist.

Sharks at your birthday party! How cool is that!

We have seen the Air Swimmers at the mall and on tv but did not expect it to be as cool as it really is! You really do have a big shark swimming through your house. My son loves the Shark Air Swimmer and can even control him. My husband and I have been having a blast making it chase my mother in law and swimming near one another while were busy. There was even a shark attack on Thanksgiving as I came out of my office lol.

At times I would make the shark fly higher than normal to keep my son from beating up the shark lol

I kept saying Da-dun Dun-dun lol

Even my son as little as he is could control the shark and make him swim through the house.

This is one of the few toys that is a cool idea that lives up to the hype around it. It was a bit time consuming to put together when you have a kid standing there waiting for it so I suggest putting it together before hand and then swimming it right over to who ever is getting this cool gift.

I have noticed there are less and less of them available in stores. Think Geek has them online along with hundreds of other awesome gifts. Many of the adult "toys" are now on our Holiday Wish list! The Clearance section is full of great geeky finds for anyone on your gift list.

GIVEAWAY

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to use at ThinkGeek.com

To Enter This Giveaway:

What would you get from Think Geek if you won?

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Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 25, 2011 and ends on December 5 , 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.