Monday, July 28, 2014
Lil Characters Unisex-baby Infant Pumpkin Costume
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
VTech - Baby's Learning Laptop
Essentially this unit makes an assortment of music, sounds and interacts with keyboard input. Two volume levels are present and we find the lower setting to be perfect as it can get a bit loud on the higher setting. There are plenty of voices, sounds, and music to keep things from getting too repetitive. There is also a little mouse that-well-is shaped like a mouse, that can be moved up ,down, left ,and right with a corresponding voice stating the movement. The mouse is attached to the unit and cannot be removed so nothing can be lost or swallowed.
Durability is very good on this item with no small items that can break off or removed for consumption or chocking ( This is of primary concern for us as it should be for all).
One thing to watch out for and as another reviewer stated, is my boy closes the lid on his fingers or hand. Now for some reason after he closes the lid he places all of his 8 month old might into ensuring it is closed. So I would not walk away and leave him long with it alone as who knows how much pressure it takes for him to feel it. So far he has not injured himself and he has not cried or made any other type of commotion -yet. Just something to watch out for. I am sure if it really hurt he would stop but I am a paranoid father.
EDIT: Well, my boy finally did push too hard and hurt himself with his finger inside the lid. No damage to either finger or toy but something to look out for.
Now my boy does tend to get bored easily and this item is no different. In fact now when I open the screen and play with it with him, he just casually reaches over and closes the screen-often. I think my wife taught him that so that I would do the same with my own laptop.
The toy itself is great and though no where near the sophistication of the real thing it certainly did not cost as much or as dangerous either (he pulled the L key off my laptop keyboard).
Battery life so far is very good with the unit being used everyday for 3 weeks and no sign of weakness. This is a relief as some toys eat through batteries very quickly and things get costly over time as the good batteries are not exactly cheap. We tend to go through 10-15 batteries a week in his other items such as rockers, toys, etc..
Oh, how I envy him and his simple laptop; no investments, no news, no work emails, no etc.... just lights, music, and sound.
Our boy really does enjoy the time with this toy and though he seems now to be more fascinated with closing the lid than anything else there are times he enjoys just slamming his fist at the keyboard and looking up at the screen. Now THAT he did get from daddy! ;)I work from home on a laptop often, and my 6 month old loves to play w/my laptop so I thought this would be a perfect toy for her.
She does love it, and bangs on the "keyboard" just as she bangs on mine the lights and sounds are great love that it has an OFF button so many toys don't!
However, she also loves to bite on anything she can get her hands on including this toy laptop. While trying to use her left hand to pull the cover down into her mouth, the right hand was caught and pinched between the lid and the keyboard. The plastic is shaped in a way which hurts even when I closed the toy on my own thumb to test it.
I recommend parents do not let their child play with this toy unless you can literally sit there and stare at them the entire time. VTech would be wise to put some sort of safety on the lid of this toy.
Buy VTech - Baby's Learning Laptop Now
We bought this for our son when he was 6 months old because he is always wanting to play with our computer. All the other toy laptops I've seen are for older babies/toddlers so we got this one. He is having a lot of fun with it and it's a great toy. He really likes pressing the buttons and hearing the songs, and opening and closing it. There are three modes, and right now he likes the music best. There are two volume levels which is nice. It's very durable. The only issue I have is that he keeps closing the laptop on his fingers. It doesnt really hurt him, but does pinch his fingers a bit. He's learning now to get his fingers out of the way! I think he'll like this toy for a long time.Read Best Reviews of VTech - Baby's Learning Laptop Here
My son (like most kids) is totally fascinated by adult laptops I got this with the hope that he might leave mine alone, but he isn't easily fooled. However, he has spent time being absorbed with this toy. He likes pushing all those buttons, and the movable mouse is nice too. It has 3 modes the one that plays the music jingles seems to be his favorite. Personally, I don't think it has much learning utility. There are better educational toys out there. But hey, when a kid needs a laptop, he needs a laptop.One more thing at the time of writing this, the price on Amazon is 39.99, which seems rather steep to me, considering I just bought this for 9.99 at Toys R US. So it might be worth your while to do some comparison shopping before you spring for it at this price.My son got this as a gift at around 4 months old. After hours of screaming while we were out of town meeting family for dinner, he instantly stopped when this got turned on, and proceeded to stare at it for the next hour of dinner and start of the drive home until he fell asleep (of course at that point I had to keep turning the music back on, but hey, can't argue with quiet!). He went through a phase where he just kept shutting the lid, which seemed to be great fun for him (although it was several months until he could also OPEN the lid too). He also went through a phase of trying his best to bend the lid all the way backwards, which I think is what finally did it in. Now that he's a year, it still works great MOST of the time. Once in a while it starts sounding like a broken record, it just gets stuck in a loop. My guess is that in the bending it backwards process, he loosened a wire or something. Like I said, most of the time it still works great, it still holds his attention. You've got to figure no matter how durable something is, after 8 months of banging, drooling in, chewing on, and bending backwards, just about anything's going to have problems! Also, battery life it pretty good. Haven't had to change them yet.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Child Hannah Montana Quality Costume
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I was a little confused by this costume. It came with the tank sewed wrong. They were twisted at the shoulders so I had to take the stitching out and sew it back. The bottoms were fine, it looks itching but my daughter had no problem.Read Best Reviews of Child Hannah Montana Quality Costume Here
*****
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Just as pictured (except it had no shoe covers as some did which I didn't really realize). The shirt however was sewn across the shoulders in a twisted fashion. Not made for washing and reusing and the belt applique was half missing before the couple hours of wearing it was over. Like I said, it was just as pictured and served its purpose well for Halloween.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Wee Gallery Wall Graphics
My daughter definitely digs them and gazes up at the mural these stickers have created. I plan on getting another set for elsewhere in her room.
Highly recommended!
Note: I wouldn't recommend this set for a 3-6 year old to apply themselves since some of the pieces (the deer's antlers) are a little intricate or small for stubby fingers.
***UPDATE:
My 8 month old managed to peel one of the stickers off the wall, and spent about half an hour chewing on it in her crib. So bad news is that a persistent baby can peel these off. You may want to place them accordingly. But the good news is that the sticker STILL works, and smoothed out nicely. Couldn't believe it.
Buy Wee Gallery Wall Graphics Now
These are adorable and a very good size! I was able to put some along the walls and even had extra decals to place on the changing table. They look sharp and colorful and are sturdy enough to place and remove a few times. The baby loves all the decals, particularly the animals and stares at them often.Loved how easy the decals are to apply and hopefully they'll be as easy to take off when we decide it's time. Made a great addition to my kids bedroom and the love them too. Was a tad smaller than they seem to appear in the photo but I knew that going into it and they still work well. Only complaint is that they are a little overpriced.I have tried 5 different brands of removable wall stickers, and the wee gallery stickers are the only one that didn't peel down my wall. don't bother with other brands...blik and wee gallery are quality.Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Justice League Green Lantern Romper Costume
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We purchased the infant size of this, and our average-sized 5 month old was swimming in it. That said, it was comfy and cozy and people were impressed with how cute it was.Read Best Reviews of Justice League Green Lantern Romper Costume Here
My little one wore this for halloween! It is in very thick fabric and feels super soft! It feels like those fleece blankets I bought for my son when he was a newborn, it took me back alittle. There are thick plastic button snaps inside the inner legs for easy diaper changes, three snaps on the back under the neckline. We went trick or treating I added a lime green hat and green long-johns under them to make sure he was warm. After Halloween he wore them to bed till he out grew them.I know this is a costume (presumably for one-time use), but Oliver has worn it at least 3 times already (and he is just 2 and 1/2 months old). It is missing a snap already, but for a costume, I guess that's expected when diapers need changing often. He will most definitely wear this outfit many more times, but we'll have to put a new snap on it. Oliver and I met his father at the airport (coming home from military training) in this costume, because it's his dad's favorite superhero!Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Wonderworld Twistable Stuffed Animal
I marked down one star because I constantly find some fiber threads on this toy, which seems to come from its inside content. Also, the wool representing the Raffy's hair is another source of loose fiber. For babies who want to have a taste of everything, this is definitely a problem. I have to carefully examine and clean the toy every time before hand it to my daughter.
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Bought this for my newborn grandaughter who is to young to play with it yet but I really liked it. Her 3 yr. old big brother loves to pose it in front of her. Very soft & flexible.Read Best Reviews of Wonderworld Twistable Stuffed Animal Here
We bought this for my 3 month old nephew for Christmas and he loves it. It is very flexible and I love that it can stand on its own. Great toy.We bought this for our 10 month old and this is another product we wish that we would have bought much earlier. We've twisted it onto the side of his crib and he untwists it and pulls it down to play with. The legs and neck all bend and twist. This is such a sweet toy and it's perfect for any little person 0-2 years. My two year old takes turns and plays with it. A definite must have!Thursday, May 29, 2014
Under The Nile Asparagus Toy
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I bought every single vegetable and fruit that Under the Nile makes! They are made of the softest material and have the sweetest faces! My 1 year old enjoys carrying these around and chewing on them as she cuts teeth. She also enjoys pushing them around in her shopping cart and I expect they will last long enough to transition into pretend play when she is old enough!Favorite baby toy. Great for chewing without a worry and easy to hold. Travels everywhere, perfect size and cute too.I love under the nile! I was amazed at the size of this toy. It is really hard to find teething items for young babies! My son began teething at 2.5 months and this was just too big for his mouth. But it is a great teether none the less. I think once he starts eating actual solid asparagus and he can relate the two items then he is going to have a lot of fun with it!Saturday, May 24, 2014
Think & Sort Animal Puzzle
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I got this for my daughter's first birthday and she loved it. She was entertained by the music and removing the pieces. Her older cousins also enjoyed the puzzle. She is still too young to fully interact and follow the instructions, but I hope she is learning!The songs are a bit tinny and can be annoying (that's why I'm giving it 4 stars) but my 14 month-old really likes this toy. We bought it as he loves the Old MacDonald song and he enjoys playing with the toy, we are hoping that he will pick on the shape-sorting bit soon. Also, there is a surprising variety of songs/activities built into this toy and its great value.Leila lives in Maryland-grandma in Hawaii. All aspects of this purchase rate very high with me. No trouble finding age appropriate items; no trouble with shipping (or shopping) and it was delivered in a very timely manner. As Grams isn't able to personaly share in the fun-she has to rely on mom's words which are all good. Thank-you, Amazon for once again helping to bring joy into my granddaughters' life and much happiness into mine. Keep up the exellent work.Friday, May 23, 2014
Ol' MacDonald Singing Farm Animals Plush Toy, Sheep
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Haba Clutching Nanni Toy
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Skip Hop Starfish Stay Put Stacker Bath Toy
Oh well, my 7 month old still loves it. And really, she didn't care much for the suction cup pole aspect anyway.
Buy Skip Hop Starfish Stay Put Stacker Bath Toy Now
I received the item today and within 5 minutes of opening the package, the item broke. The plastic tip of the post that inserts into the stacker broke off. This makes the suction-cup post unusable. The stacker itself is cute, and it floats without the sunction-cup post, so i'm still considering keeping it. Just disappointed in the quality of the plastic parts hence the low rating.Read Best Reviews of Skip Hop Starfish Stay Put Stacker Bath Toy Here
We love this toy! It has easily replaced all of the other bath toys we have. It is BPA and PVC free (thank you Skip Hop!) which is really important given our daughter's tendency to chomp on everything. Our daughter loves stacking and unstacking the star fish, hiding them in mounds of bubbles, and sticking them to the tub wall. The colors are really vibrant and the star fish are the perfect size and texture for little hands. They are also super easy to wash clean.A fantastic toy. My grandson plays with it more out of the tub than in it. Thanks for such a great productThursday, April 24, 2014
Ketchup Kids Costume - Child Medium
Buy Ketchup Kids Costume - Child Medium Now
One of my twins went as mustard and the other went as ketchup for Halloween. Their costumes got a lot of comments and interest even from the newspaper photographer.Read Best Reviews of Ketchup Kids Costume - Child Medium Here
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Haba Pushing Vehicle Terry Train
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Jungle Pals Lion Stacking Puzzle
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Plush Stuffed Bunny Rabbits & & Chick -Set of Three 5" Washable Toys for Infants & Young Children
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother
Good stuff:
* Music is tolerable, though quickly redundant (it didn't take my wife or me long to be able to hum along with the playlist of classical snippets).
* The 'underwater' lighting effect is pretty cool.
* Wind-down of light and sounds is gentle and well done.
* Star button is easy for baby to smack to turn on the fun.
* Crib light function is helpful.
OK stuff:
* The remote has its own agenda and doesn't always work. When it does, it's a good thing to have. When it doesn't, it's frustrating. Partly due to what seems to be a sort of 'standby' mode (more on that below).
* Volume difference between the high and low settings on music seems more pronounced than on ocean noise.
* Speaking of which, music on loud can be pretty loud. Good if you're trying to get a screaming baby's attention, but not so great for other applications.
* The sea creatures' movements are really limited, like watching a few seconds' footage of lumbering animals on an endless loop. I find it boring, but I've had nearly forty years worth of life experience to compare it to, so maybe I'm a harsher critic than my often-engrossed kid is. Once he's seen "The Wire" and "Arrested Development," I'm sure this will hold less interest for him.
Weird stuff:
* If you're in either of the lights, action & sound modes, hitting the star gets things going. If you're in either of the sound-only modes and it's been a while since the thing was on, there seems to be some kind of standby mode & hitting the star does nothing. If you're just trying to give your baby some soothing sounds, you have to flip back to a light and action mode to jump start the unit, then quickly flip back to just noise. Apart from the possible burst of light you didn't need, the clicking sounds may prove disturbing to some babies.
* Remote has similar issues: If the aquarium wasn't recently on, the remote isn't going to start it back up, meaning you have to go hit the star on the unit. So much for being covert. It really only makes the remote useful for extended, repeated plays.
Bad and annoying stuff:
* As many others have mentioned, battery life kind of sucks. Buy your Cs in bulk and know where to dispose of them properly. Better yet, get at least eight rechargeables and always have a set ready, because...
* The 'low battery' light is a joke. It's a 'no battery' light. Imagine your car's 'fuel warning' light only coming on after you've used up every ounce of gas in your tank. That's this thing. No warning, just an instantly dead machine and a handy red light reminding you it's dead. Rest assured, cruel laws of thermodynamics beyond human comprehension will ensure that this only happens at 4 a.m., when your child is most agitated and only a Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother will calm them.
* Oh, did I mention changing the batteries means pulling it off the crib, taking off the mount, then using a screwdriver to undo the back? Keep a Phillips head and spare batteries nearby. By the second or third month of having this, you should be able to attack this thing like a NASCAR pit crew to get it back up and running in under two minutes. Still, your newly-acquired skills will not excuse a zero-warning shutdown in the middle of the night.
* Lastly, depending on the height of the mattress in your crib or the angle of the mount, it's entirely possible to have pretty bright LEDs beaming right into the kid's eyes as you're trying to get them to sleep. I'm no baby scientist, but that seems counterproductive, unless the idea is to make them squint into submission. Whatever the case, it seems like a 1/1000th of cent plastic flange could've solved that.
I guess the fact I wrote so much about this says either that I do like it or that I want to like it more than I do (or that I need to better address my self-editing). The stuff it does well pleases me greatly, whereas the complaints aren't quite enough to make me send the thing to an early retirement.
Overall assessment then seems to be: It's better than decent, but know what you're getting into.I've heard great things about this aquarium and I'm excited to give it a try. My biggest complaint so far is that it doesn't fit onto the railing of our crib. Our crib is a pretty standard size (made by Pali) so I'm very frustrated and disappointed to see that it doesn't fit. We still want to give it a try as our baby really seems to like it so we're going to find a way to make it work. My sisterand brother-in-law had the same problem with it and their crib. Another few inches of strap and this would fit perfectly. It's a HUGE oversight on the part of Baby Einstein!
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I ordered this about a month ago when my son was 7 months. So far we use it most nights & he hast gotten tired of it yet. He enjoys turning it on & off himself by pushing the star . My only issues with the soother are that 1) it's kind of loud for a soother, even on the lowest setting, 2) it does run those batteries down pretty quickly, and 3) the price, it seems a little bit expensive to me. Still, a nice product that engages, settles & pleases my little guy, so 4 stars!We love this aquarium. It is super cute and plays really good classical music or ocean sounds. My daughter can't see the aquarium yet (she is only one month old) but she listens to the music. It is very soothing. The ocean scene with bubbles looks like real water and all the animals move back and forth. Great product and definitely worth the money, especially compared to the other soothers on the market!My grandson was not napping well until we put this on his crib. I use only the ocean sound and turn on a fan in the hallway for more "white" noise--and, it works. As a side note, he has one at home and will turn it on and off himself.Monday, February 24, 2014
Sassy Developmental Bath Toy, Catch and Count Net
These toys definitely do the trick. The three fish do no have anything that could hold stagnant water. Each of the fish has a little "bowl" in the middle of them but there are two drain holes to avoid standing water in those bowls. Of course a little water could still remain but it is easily remedied by letting the fish dry upside down.
On the packaging it does NOT say anything about being BPA free but if you go to Sassy's webpage and look at the "Bath Toy Gallery" there is a heading that says "Sassy products are BPA Free and Phthalate Compliant"
For now my 8 month old is content just chewing on one of the fish ... down the road I can't wait for her to play with the net tooOur 3-year-old loves playing in the bath, and this toy is a lot of fun for her. She never seems to tire of catching the little fish over and over again with the net. It dries quickly after bath time, and unlike a lot of other bath toys (especially the squirty ones that hold water inside) we don't anticipate any problems with mold.
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The net has holes in the handle tubing so water can enter and it is hard to drain out possibly causing mold. The little fish are a great size for kid hands and my son likes to chew on them but I have noticed the paint has come off of the items. Once I noticed it, I rubbed a fish with my thumb and realized it comes off fairly easy. I wouldn't recommend.Read Best Reviews of Sassy Developmental Bath Toy, Catch and Count Net Here
My daughter loves this toy......and so do I. I don't have to worry about it holding water and forming mildew like some other toys. Also, I love watching her develop her motor skills as she scoops up the fish.Want Sassy Developmental Bath Toy, Catch and Count Net Discount?
I did a lot of research and bought these bath toys because they wouldn't mold. My 8 month old son loves them since we introduced them to his bath a couple of months ago. They rinsed and kept clean easily. The only problem is that now I noticed the paint was chipping off, and saw that there were paint pieces in his mouth from when he was chewing on it!Saturday, February 8, 2014
Playskool Wheel Pals *Zoomimals -Jungle* Animal Tracks
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Bought this for my 2 year old grandson, and he loves it; plays with them all the time over all his other toys.Read Best Reviews of Playskool Wheel Pals *Zoomimals -Jungle* Animal Tracks Here
Friday, January 24, 2014
Kids Pretty Witch Costume
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I bought this one for my five year old duaghter. My daughter wear it for Halloween weekend. She love it. And almost EVERYONE said "what a prety witch".My 5 year old daughter said she wants to be a "scary" witch for halloween. I was looking for something that she thought was a real witch but looks good as well. This is better than I expected. The top part is a strechy velvet and a decent quality for a costume. My daughter is 5 years 1 month and about 44" tall. This fits perfectly and is very flattering. The sleeves are long enough without being too long and the bottom of dress hits just above the ground. It will cover the shoes without dragging. She loves the costume. We received this costume today. It is not as pictured. it is NOT floor length, it does not have a scalloped hem, it has a cheaper looking lace up front. When i called to return it I was told I would get to return it for a refund minus the shipping ($6.99). Plus I would have to pay the shipping to return it ($5.00). BEWARE buying from this supplierthey said what you get is not guaranteed to be exactly what is pictured because the mfg. may have changed the product's look.
