Cat Tunnel Toy - 3 Way Fun Run to Keep Kitty Entertained

About:

• Collapsible 3 way tunnel with an irresistible centre peep hole. A playhouse, box and shelter in one
• Encourages curiosity, play, stalking & exercise, especially with treats and food. Fun videos too!
• 10" tube diameter fits all cats, each leg is 22" long with a sturdy steel sprung frame
• Folds down to 2" and 1.5lb for easy storage, transport. No permanent furniture, trees or enclosures
• Great gift for all cat lovers. Buy now with our 100% purrfect satisfaction and money back guarantee

Review:

So this Cat Tunnel Toy – 3 Way Fun Run by Premium Choice Products was something I knew my cats would love. I have three cats, two of which are almost a year old and still very playful. My two youngsters love to run around like crazy and I figured they would love running around and through this 3 way tunnel.

I was right; my cats love this tunnel and have been running in and around it since I pulled it out of the box. The only issues I’ve really had with this tunnel so far was that sometimes the tunnels get twisted around and they can’t go all the way through it, and sometimes it just rolls and moves all over the place. It would be ideal if this tunnel had more rigidity to it to keep it steady as cats aren’t too gentle when they are diving around through the tunnels. I wish the center area had some way of not collapsing inward and a way to keep the tunnels out and separated, if that makes sense? The material itself isn’t as bad as what some people are writing in their reviews. It’s not the best, but it’s not terrible. I don’t have rips or tears in it so far and they’ve been pretty rough on it.

The tunnel is fairly simple to collapse and tie back up for flat storage. There are ties on two of the tunnels so that you can collapse them and close them shut.

All in all, we really love this tunnel- me and my cats. They love to play in it together and I love to watch them chase each other and bat at each other. They also like to drag their toys in there as well.  I do have to keep untwisting the tunnels so they can keep getting through it, but other than that, it’s a pretty great tunnel.

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Product website: http://premiumchoiceproducts.com/cattunnel

ThinkFun, Inc. Laser Maze, Jr.

About:

Laser Maze Jr.  (Ages 6 to adult, MSRP: $29.99)

Your Mission: Get the laser beam to the rockets so they can safely return to earth! You’ll need to use science and logic to reflect the laser beam to the rockets. Carefully place the satellite mirrors to guide your path, but watch out for space rocks that might get in your way. It’s one tricky job for any scientist, but with a little brain power you’ll be sure to ignite the rockets and your mind. One mission completed and 39 more to go! 

Review:

Laser Maze Jr. Is a really fun game that was created for kids ages 6 and up to adult. I played this with my son (who is 6) and we had a great time trying to figure out all the combinations of the puzzles.

The puzzle combinations range from easy to super hard, and there are 40 possible cards to choose from in those ranges combined. You pick a card, and then set it under the grid to start the game. You set up your mirrors, tokens, beam splitters, etc. along the board to complete the puzzle.

This game is very kid friendly, and great for kids who like to play independently. It’s also great for kids who like to work together as a team. You can’t go wrong with this game. It really helps kids to use their logic and creativity skills as well as how to use some critical thinking to get the puzzle solved.

We spent a lot of time playing this game over the last couple of weeks, and we have gotten very good at figuring out how to get all the pieces to work together to get the beam to where we want it to go. It’s been a very fun and exciting game that just keeps on entertaining us!

You can find more information on ThinkFun on their website

And you can find the ThinkFun Laser Maze on Amazon.com

Disclosure:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Kidzlane - Dinosaur T-Rex Room Guard with Motion Sensor

About:

T-Rex room guard has motion sensor and 5 mighty roar sounds

T rex roars into action every time an unwanted visitor trespasses into your bedroom! (Hidden on/off switch)

High technology built in trembler alert and motion sensor to detect movement

24 realistic dinosaur images in your own room on 3 interchangeable discs, Hidden disk storage on dinosaur

Projects Images over 3 Feet, Ages 3 +, Uses 3 AA batteries

Review:

Every kid loves dinosaurs. These massive creatures that once ruled our world carry a fascination with the unknown and awaken in kids a desire for lifelong learning. Now, with the new Kidzlane Tyrannosaurus Rex Projector, you can be right in the middle of the world of dinosaurs. Better yet, you can have your own T-Rex to guard your room against unwanted intruders!

Motion Sensitive Guard
The T-Rex room guard has five mighty roar sounds that come to life every time someone enters your room. The high-tech tremor alert and motion sensor allow the dinosaur guardian to detect every trespasser. For those times you want to open up your room, you can turn your guardian on and off via the hidden switch.

Fun and Educational
The Tyrannosaurus Rex room guardian functions as a projector which can throw pictures of 24 different dinosaurs on your wall. From the stegosaurus to the triceratops and the mighty brontosaurus, your kids will be right in the middle of the world of the dinosaurs.
All you have to do is select any of the three video discs for hours of dino-fun! Discs are stored in the dinosaur’s back. Images are focused using the T-Rex’s articulated arms; a disk on its back allows you to move from image to image.

The Kidzlane Tyrannosaurus Rex Projector and Roaring Room Guard Alarm can provide hours of fun for kids of all ages. 

When I first saw this dinosaur, I thought it seemed okay. I didn’t think it was going to wow me or anything. I was wrong, it did wow me. It was very, very cool! I did have to run out to get some AA batteries as this does need three of them. Luckily I have a store down the street that sells them.

Anyway, it was pretty easy to get the batteries in. You just need to unscrew the bottom of the dinosaurs belly and put the batteries in and screw the flap back on. It’s now ready to go. I was able to hear the dinosaur roar right away. To stop the roaring, just press the orange button on the bottom of the dino’s tail.

This dinosaur was very fun to play with; it had three different slides to play in a slide show. There is a place on top of the dinosaur that is also a hidden storage compartment for all the slides so that when you aren’t using the dino toy, you can safely store the slides without having to worry about losing them.

Along the neck, there is a spot where you can insert the slide and turn the lights off and then you can aim the beam to the wall. Once on the wall, you get a really neat slideshow right on the wall! If the picture looks blurry, you can use the dino’s right arm as a way to focus the picture to make it clearer.

I love that it has a motion sensor that, when activated, can be used as an alarm! It roars if anyone dares cross its path. This is a super cool and fun toy!

The Kidzlane Dinosaur T-Rex Room Guard with Motion Sensor can be found on Amazon.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Think Fun - Solitaire Chess® Brain Fitnes

About:

Strategic Skill Building Game

ThinkFun® Brain Fitness games help keep your mind young and sharp – all through play. Whether you grew up playing chess or can’t tell the difference between a knight and a rook, Solitaire Chess is for you!

Ages:  8 to adult

Players:  single player

Features:
80 Challenges
10 Chess Pieces
Instructions & Solutions

Review:

I used to play chess when I was younger but haven’t for some time. I had always enjoyed the game and when I had the chance to try and review this particular game, Solitaire Chess by Think Fun, I was very excited! I flipped open the instruction book and gave myself a quick refresher on how each of the pieces moved and I was good to go.

The chess pieces themselves were a beautiful hard plastic- a good quality, not a cheap plastic. The game board(s) book was also a good quality and I love that it’s spiral bound for ease of use.  The instruction book was easy to read and understand.

The game itself is like a simplified version of chess. The pieces move like regular chess pieces and the end goal is to have one piece standing. This would be perfect for playing alone or even to use in small group settings (think kids) to develop some thinking skills. I was actually playing this for a while and had my son and niece come up and want to watch and play because they were very interested.

Another good thing about this game is that if you ever get completely stuck, you can actually get the solution in the book. I like to work on the solution myself and try as much as possible to not look at the solution! I feel very proud of myself when I solve the puzzle!

I feel very strongly that people need to keep their minds active and sharp and I really believe this game will help with that. I think puzzles, thinking games, etc. are great for keeping your mind alert, active, and smart. This game is a great one to have in your collection as you can play many different puzzles with it as well as go back to the beginning and start all over! It would be really cool if they came out with new game boards as it may be a little easier the second time or more around.  It’s also fun to bring out when guests are around to see who can solve the puzzle first/the fastest.

Overall, I really think this game is neat! I love playing it when I have any free chance. It really reminds me of the times I’d play chess years ago. I don’t have a chess partner anymore, so playing by myself is amazing. I also love that I can teach my children and niece how to play as well.

This would make a wonderful gift!

You can get ThinkFun’s Solitaire Chess Brain Fitness Game on Amazon.com for only $14.99

You can also check out this game on ThinkFun’s website

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Spellbinders Celebra’tions Collection

About:

Celebra’tions™ Collection is a full and complete collection of papers, inks, stamps, dies and embellishments. Creating a heartfelt greeting or event that has never been easier until now.

Inspired by designer Richard Garay and his passion for paper crafts, event hosting and handmade greetings. He designed this line to help others achieve those beautiful results every time. Every element is coordinated so this cheerful, bright and yummy collection makes creating a Celebration not only easy, but also inspiring!

Review:

I really love to craft, but usually don't have enough time to get really into a project. The Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection makes crafting easy, fast, and fun!

I received two very cute and fun Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection kits to try and review. All of the crafting supplies that I received were high quality paper with beautifully bright colors. Everything I needed to make the craft was included in the kit. The only thing not in the kit that I needed were scissors and some type of glue (stick glue worked fine).

In addition, I received a set of "Many Words" clear polymer stamps that included the words Surprise, Celebrate, Happy Birthday, Thank You, and other words. These would be great for scrapbooks, cards, or whatever else you could possibly imagine.

I first made the Best Day Ever Treat Bag kit which came with the instructions I needed to make the project. It was very easy and self-explanatory as to what I needed to do. This would be cute for a birthday, to use for party favors, etc. Kids and adults alike would love to receive a cute little gift in this cute little bag.

The other craft kit was a Celebrate Party Hat Card. This project was so much fun to make and came out looking very cute. It was such an easy project. Anyone with little time could create this adorable creation in a snap. Like the other project, this came with instructions that were easy to follow and simple to understand.

Additionally, tween girls (or older) would love to create projects with these kits. They are cute, fun, and what girl doesn't love to create fun cute things? 

You can check out the Spellbinders Website here.

Rainbow Bandz Loom Refill Pack

About:

New Improved Highest Quality, Brightest Color Rainbow Band refills available.

The RAINBOW BANDZ refill pack comes with 5400 bands in 9 different bold, beautiful colors including Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, Purple, Orange, Black and White. 100% Compatible with all loom kits.

The highest quality organic latex free materials used in manufacturing process. Greatly reduced smell via special airing process in manufacturing & bags designed with airing holes.

365 Day Money Back Guarantee - if you aren't happy for any reason you can get a full refund no questions asked or an additional pack sent out to you at no charge (your choice!).

Review:

When I first received this pack of refill bandz, I was shocked at how large the pack was! You get 5400 bands in 9 different colors. All of the colors were very vibrant and fun! The colors were neon yellow, black, neon pink, white, neon orange, blue, neon purple, red, and neon green.

I liked that all of the different colors were separated so as to not get all mixed together and hard to find. I like to sort out the colors so when I make a band (or whatever), I can easily pull out the colors I need or want. I also like that these bands have no rubbery smell at all! Most bands have a strong rubbery smell to them, these bands do not! They are also much better that regular bands in that they don’t break easily.  These bands are strong, sturdy, and have a very nice elasticity to them. They are really nice to work with. I am also very happy that they are latex free, non-toxic and lead-free.

These bands are compatible with any loom kit and are actually better than the bands that most kits include. I was really impressed with the quality of these bands.

The kids were very excited to start maing bracelets and one even made a necklace. The bright colors really made their art work pop. We were all very happy with these bands. They were also excited that they didn't break all the time like their other bands do. Overall, we had a great time with these bands!

You can get this very large pack of Rainbow Bandz on Amazon.com and you can visit Rainbow Bands on their website for more information.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

StyloPhora Ice Ball Mold's

About:

“StyloPhora is passionate about bringing the best quality products to the market. We pride ourselves on great customer service and products that exceed your expectations.”

This product is designed for making large perfectly round ice balls
                Great for drinks at parties           
                Great for whiskey drinkers

The silicone molds come in a pack of 3 and include a silicone funnel in the pack

These ice ball molds come in a great clear tube packaging, with easy to follow instructions

          The funnel can be used to fill the molds without mess or spilling your choice of liquid, it is also very      useful for other applications in the kitchen

The molds also have fill lines printed on them so that they can be easily filled with the correct amount of liquid

Dogs also love to play with these ice balls in their water bowl

StyloPhora offers a Life Time Guarantee, these ice ball molds will not leak like other inferior products

Made of the highest quality 100% FDA food grade silicone, Dishwasher safe and BPA free

Unique packaging ideal for storing these awesome Sphere Ice Molds

Review:

StyloPhora's Ice Ball Molds are 2.5” in diameter and are 100% FDA-approved food grade silicone. These molds are dishwasher safe and are also BPA free. These ice ball molds come stacked in a set of three in a nice clear tube and come with a collapsible blue funnel for easy filling. The packaging that these molds come in makes it easy to store these molds.

The mold comes in two halves. You just snap the two pieces together and fill the mold with the blue funnel. There are black dashed lines at the top of the mold that let you know to stop filling. If you overfill, the water will freeze out of the fill hole. If you fill to the fill line, your ice balls will come out perfectly round!

When you are ready to use the ice ball(s) just pry apart the mold (this can be tricky sometimes)! And you should have the ball stuck in the bottom of the mold. I had a little trouble at first trying to get the ball out of the bottom, but I just ran a little water over the ball/mold and was able to get it out that way. It wasn't a big deal.

The first time I made an ice ball, I was so excited to see it after it froze. It was awesome! I tried it out right away in a big ‘ole glass of iced tea. It was so nice and refreshing. The ice ball felt nice when it hit my lip and it kept my tea very cold and the ice ball did not melt very fast at all. I liked that it didn’t melt too fast because then my drink didn’t become all watery like it usually does with regular ice cubes.

After I played around with regular ice balls, I decided to do some experimenting. I was able to add some fruit to my ice ball mold before putting together and filling and after filling and freezing, I had a beautiful ice ball with pretty colored fruit (raspberries in my case) in the middle. It was a beautiful and easy touch!

These ice balls would be amazing in a large punch bowl! Add some fruit or mint leaves to the mold before filling and have a beautiful way to pretty up your punch (or whatever you like)!

You could also use juice or other liquids to create beautiful and fun balls of frozen goodness! It would be great to make iced tea balls to add to your iced tea, so that when it melts there will be no diluting your tea. You could do this with any liquid/drink really.

While the balls aren’t total spheres (you do get a small line around the middle where the mold snapped together), they are very pretty and very fun to play around with. I rather enjoy making ice balls daily.

You can purchase your own Ice Ball Molds on Amazon.com

Check out the Ice Ball Mold Website

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

App: Alphabet Jumbled by Little Learning Tots

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Alphabet Jumbled App by Little Learning Tots is for the iPhone 5 or better or iPad 2 or better. It’s a reading and write app that can be downloaded for $1.99 on the iTunes store.

Alphabet Jumbled is a fantastic app for young children learning their ABCs. On the home screen children have the option of using flash cards, reading though the ABCs, an easy or more difficult alphabet letter jumble, and finally being able to test themselves with the jumble challenge.

The “Know your ABCs!” part is a fun way to learn the alphabet. You will get a screen that has all the letters laid out in very fun and brightly colored patterns. A child can click on the letter of their choice and the voice will read the letters out loud.

The “ABC Flash Cards” part is a great way to associate letters to a word and a picture. The first letter will come up on a flash card with the letter at the top, a picture that starts with that letter in the middle, and the picture’s word at the bottom. It’s a fun and great way for children to be able to associate a letter with a picture/object and to a word.

The “Easy Jumble” part has 5 random letters at the top and outlines of those letters at the bottom. The idea is to match the letter to its outline. The easy jumble is a great way for kids to start to be able to put the letters to the right outline.

The “Jumble A-Z” is a little more difficult and good for older kids learning. It has all 26 letters randomly sprawled out on the screen and the object is to put the letters in alphabetical order. The child only needs to tap and drag the letters to move them to the correct order. It also times them so they can see how they improve the more times they play it.

And finally the “Jumble Challenge” is where you need to re-arrange a set of letters as fast as they can. It’s timed and there is a fish that bites seconds off the timer. There is a help button that children can tap if they need help.

 At the top left of the screen there is a home icon that takes you back to the home page. There is an Aa icon that lets users choose the look and feel of the letters. And the arrow at the bottom right of the screen lets you review the last action.

I think this app is fantastic. It’s a great, fun, and clever way for kids to learn the alphabet. My son is 5 years old and absolutely loves this app. While he does know his abc’s, he does like the challenge of trying to put them all in order by visually looking at them. He also loves the jumble challenge and trying to get all the letters in the correct order in time, before the fish eats away at his time. It’s more of a challenge because the 5 random letters are just that, random, and he needs to figure out in what order they would go.

This would be a great app for any child who is in the process of learning their ABCs. It’s fun, interactive, and keeps their attention.

Download it on iTunes here

Business URL: here

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Lego Minifigure Display Cases

I thought I would do a review of a product that I have bought several times. I buy Lego minifigures for my son, but also for myself. I think the little guys are neat. They are a little expensive, so I like to get display cases to protect them and keep the dust off. So here is my review:

The Lego Minifigure display cases come in two different sizes: The large will hold 16 figures in two rows of 8 and the small will hold 8 figures in 2 rows of 4. Each case also typically comes with some sort of generic minifigure. I say typically as I have gotten them already without the minifigure inside. The large cases come with a pair of lego block shaped “feet” for standing them up.

What I like about the cases: These cases are made to either stack or mount on the wall. They also come in a variety of colors. I have seen red, blue, yellow, black, purple, pink, etc. I think they are marketed towards boys and girls. They are made from a nice sturdy, hard plastic and have a nice clear front panel to keep out the dust. There is a little button on the top that you depress to open the front panel. I also liked the feet on the large cases as you can use them for the base when stacking. The small cases are half the size of the large cases and make stacking them together easy and fun. It amuses me that you can stack the lego cases like lego blocks. Each inner ‘cube’ also has a 4x6 plate that you can take out and place back in easily. It’s an easy way to place your figures and arrange them before sliding them into the case.

What I don’t like about the cases: The only issue with the cases that I really don’t care for is that they are not deep enough. The ‘cubes’ of the case where you place the figure are also not that tall and it’s hard to fit some figures due to height or depth issues. Typically most figures will fit in there fine, but there are a few that just don’t fit right and you have to arrange them sitting down or with their props to the side. It’s not a huge deal that you have to do some rearranging to fit some figures, but it would just be nice if you could arrange them all uniformly, if you would want to do that.

Price: So in discussing price, I can say that these are generally around the same price from store to store. I do have to say that these seem to be a little pricey, but at the same time, they are very cool and keep minifigures clean and safe. Typically you will find these cases to be around $22.99 for the large cases. Oddly, the smaller cases seem to cost around $14.99 each. You would think they would be around half the price of the large one.

Overall: I would have to say that these cases, overall, are great. I would definitely recommend them to store your minifigures. Just knowing how much you have invested in those little minifigures makes getting a cool case to store and protect them in a no brainer.

You can get these nifty Lego Display Cases on Amazon.com.