Mom and baby product reviews on The Mommy Insider

Thomas and Friends Talking Railway brings the fun to life!

My daughter loves trains.  More than my son did when he was her age.  She is thrilled with Learning Curve's new Talking Railway series.

Learning Curve's new Cranky the Crane is an extension to Learning Curve’s Thomas Wooden Railway.  The Talking Railway Series features Radio Frequency Identification technology and brings the world of Thomas & Friends to life like never before.  Because these products are compatible with the Thomas Wooden Railway, Madelyn can integrate these pieces into her track.  She's going to have one massive railway one day!

Sir Topham Hatt recognizes each engine by name upon their arrival at any Talking Railway destination. For example, when Talking Railway Series Thomas passes through the Stop & Greet Station, Sir Topham Hatt greets Thomas by name, saying, “Thomas, you are right on time!”  Madelyn gets a kick out of the fact that Sir Topham Hatt talks and recognizes the trains by name.  It never gets old.

For more information and to buy a Talking Railway product, click here to go to Learning Curve's Talking Railway page.

Features:

• Ages: 3 and up
• SRP: $69.99
• Sir Topham Hatt recongnizes each engine in the series by name
• Phrases
• Sir Topham's head turns right and left
• Also works with traditional engines by triggering non-personalized phrases - how great is that?
  

GIVEAWAY!
Two lucky subscribers will receive a Thomas Talking Railway Engine and a Cranky the Crane destination.  Go to our Subscribe page, subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't already then fill out the contest entry form on that page.

Fisher Price Little People® celebrate 50th birthday!

A reminder of years passed.  I was reminded exactly how much Little People® play sets have evolved in the last 50 years when I received two commemorative play sets a couple of weeks ago. 

As I opened the school house playset, I had flashbacks of the Little People® I played with 30+ years ago.  I remembered the wooden peg people and the lunchbox schoolhouse I played with (I thought it was a lunchbox) and who doesn't remember the famous Little People® farm playset?

50 years ago, Little People® were chunky, colorful, wooden peg figures that kids brought to life with their imaginations.  Now, Little People® help extend youngsters imaginations with their many playsets, people, and accessories.

Little People® friends celebrate five decades as one of the longest lasting and most beloved toy brands in the world!

Get in on the Little People® 50th Birthday Party fun!  Visit the Fisher Price Little People® website to see all of the commemorative playsets available, learn about the live traveling musical, and other exciting things planned!

Bratz - Spring Activities from Dancing to Swimming

Madelyn is a little young to play with Bratz but believe me, she would if she could.  Bratz dolls are vibrant, stylish, and come with lots of accessories to occupy and entertain little girls for hours.
Bratz's new spring line is made up of Bratz expressing their individual style and interests from   sports themes to team activities giving girls the opportunity to express their own interests through their favorite Bratz dolls. 

The new Bratz Dance Crewz line has Yasmin™, Cloe™, Jade™ and Sasha™ showing off their individual style as they bring their talents to the dance stage.  The Bratz World® line expands this season with additions to each doll’s house, and the introduction of Cloe’s mom, Polita.  If I remember right, my sister and I used to fight over who was the mom when we played dolls. If you're reading, correct me if I'm wrong!  There is even a Swimmin’ Mermaid whose tail changes color when she swims in water.

Go to the Bratz website to see all of the products, watch Bratz TV, and listen to Bratz tunes.  Check out these and other Bratz on the Bratz page on the Toys R' Us website.

Pilloroo - a pillow for kids with a surprise inside!

The Pilloroo is a gift givers (and recipients) dream! 
Pilloroo is a 14" pillow with a zippered pocket that opens to reveal a coordinating surprise.

Madelyn got a Pilloroo for Christmas and now has 3 comfort blankets and a Pilloroo.  I have to stop the growth of her comfort clan soon or it's going to get out of control!

Perfect for long car rides, the Pilloroo is an all-in-one comfort item, and toy.. and in our case, a snack carrier too!  When we are going to scouts or going to be in the car for a while, I pack a snack bag and stick it in the Pilloroo pouch for Madelyn to find.  I love the surprised look on her face when there's something new or different in the Pilloroo pocket.  Now, if I would find a million dollars in there, I would be thrilled.

Each pillow comes with a stuffed animal that lives in the pillow’s secret pouch.  Pilloroo pillows make great gifts and with about 20 designs to choose from, you'll find one for every child you love.

UB Funkeys

U.B. Funkeys are colorful, unique collectible figures that I predict are going to be around and growing in numbers for a long time.  Funkeys provide access to Terrapinia – a virtual world and home to the Funkeys via USB connected to your PC.  Each Funkey has its own characteristics and can access different features on the website.  There are 14 species of Funkeys and 42 Funkeys available as of this review.

My 9 year old son likes Funkeys' games and the interactivity of the website.  As a mother though, I appreciate the fact that he is challenged by some of the games and that he is motivated to get more coins.

5 steps to getting started with U.B. Funkeys:

1. Purchase a Funkeys starter kit
2. Install the included software
3. Plug the base into your computer via the USB
4. Register on the U.B. Funkeys website
5. Enjoy exploring the virtual world of Funkeys

Go to the U.B. Funkeys How it Works page to learn more.  I recommend checking Funkey prices in Amazon.com's U.B. Funkeys section before running out to your local toy store. 

Toy review: Balancing Coral toy from Plan Toys

Plan Toys makes some of the nicest looking and well made wooden toys I've seen.  

Made of earth-friendly and replenishable rubber wood, Balancing Coral, is a game for up to 4 players ages 3 and up. The idea is to take turns putting pieces of coral on the coral base and see who makes the coral topple by not keeping the coral balanced.  Madelyn works very hard at putting a few pieces on but manages to topple the coral within a few tries.  That is to be expected though as she is only 2. 

Balancing Coral is great game for young kids as it will help develop good cognitive and fine motor skills.  I always supervise Madelyn when playing Balancing Coral because the pieces could potentially be a chocking hazard for children 3 and under.  Madelyn stays too busy putting the coral on to try to put the pieces on her mouth.

GIVEAWAY!
We have a Plan City Fire Station to giveaway to a lucky reader!   Go to Plan Toys website and tell me in the comment box below what you think makes Plan Toys stand out and tell me what other product (1 only) you would love to have of theirs and why.  You just might get it too!

You can buy Balancing Coral at Plan Toys or at Oompa Toys, one of my favorite online toys stores, for about $35.

Check out some of our other givewaways running now (Expire Dec. 31, 2008):  invisibelt giveaway, Little Tikes Rated Green products giveaway, Fisher Price Zen Collection Swing giveaway, Precious Girls Club book and goodie bag giveaway.

Toy review: architecture abc blocks by Parents®

Madelyn loves, loves, loves Parents® abc architecture blocks.   These blocks are colorful, squishy soft and stack easily.  One of my favorite things about the abc architecture blocks is because they are soft, they don't make a loud crashing sound when they are knocked down.

Parents® abc architecture blocks can even go in the bathtub.  They float making them lots of fun.  Just be sure to sqeeze all of the water out when the kids are through playing with them.

There are 9 different shapes including squares, columns, and curvy pieces that can go on top of the column pieces to make a cool tower.  Each block has an animal and/or a letter of the alphabet molded on it. 

Parents® also makes wooden toys including a Doctor's play set that Madelyn is getting for Christmas.  I am so excited.. she'll have so much fun with it.  Something that I really appreciate about Parents® toys is that they are all practical and educational.

Recommended for ages 6+ months.

You will find Parents® ABC architecture toddler blocks at your local Target (check first) or Target.com here for about $19.

smart-e-bear: click, connect, and cuddle for ages 2-6

A super snuggly bear for kids ages 2-6, smart-e-bear is a huggable, loveable friend that plays award-winning kids music, fun games, and interactive stories right out of the box!

Madelyn's favorite activity is listening to Five Little Monkeys and Head and Shoulders which Sebastian also loves.  They both crack up and have a blast when smart-e-bear starts singing really fast.  Madelyn is learning songs and stories and Sebastian,  9 years old, is learning things like Head and Shoulds in Japanese!

He's the only bear with a computer interface, a lesson plan that you can customize, AND he's totally wired into the children's music scene - with access to thousands of songs by artist like Sara Hickman.

To set up smart-e-bear, plug him into your computer's USB port for download, and he's ready to engage and interact as your child sings and reads along, while answering questions by squeezing his paws.

smart-e-bear asks Madelyn questions such as "Do you want to play simon says?  If yes, push my hand, if no push my foot".  Then smart-e-bear says "simon says push my yellow foot" and she pushes his yellow foot.  She loves that smart-e-bear interacts with her when she pushes his hands and feet.  Madelyn finds smart-e-bear very easy to understand and follow.  smart-e-bear's interactive design lets Madelyn decide what games to play, or stories to hear, with a squeeze of his hands or feet.  When she first got smart-e-bear she had to push around on his hands and feet to find the sensor but after a couple times of playing, she knows where they are without a problem.

smart-e-bear speaks English and Spanish, and calls your child by name. I can select age-appropriate content, customizing Madelyn's learning experience with thousands of songs, stories and games.  Like iTunes, most songs and activities are .99 to download.

smart-e-bear is soft and cuddly.  Other than having a small module box stuffed way into his back, he is a regular super soft and plush bear and can be squeezed just like any plush animal.

Learn more about smart-e-bear here.  You can buy smart-e-bear at amazon.com here.  There is also a smart-e-dog or smart-e-cat.

Watch a short video of smart-e-bear singing.

Review of Joobles - the cutest little animals, from FairIndigo.com

 These are the cutest little animals!  
I recently got Bella, a huggable little bunny with lots of personality, to review and think moms are going to want to keep these to themselves.  Don't kid yourself.. you're going to be jealous of your kids if you don't buy a Jooble for yourself.  I am a huge snuggler and always have something in my arms at night.  I found my new favorite!

Joobles are made of 100% soft organic yarns and eco-friendly dyes and are about 11 inches tall making them super snuggly and perfect for little hands to hold.

Joobles are very special in that they are made fairly in Peru under fair trade conditions which is a rapidly g rowing movement dedicated to paying workers fair wages rather than minimum ones and to providing workers with a safe and healthy working environment.

Joobles are GREAT stocking stuffers!

Price: $29.99

Where to buy: FairIndigo.com

Win a Jooble of your very own!
Go to the Fair Indigo website and click on the Meet the Joobles link, choose your favorite Jooble, AND then click on the About Fair Trade link in the top right area of the site.  Then come back here and tell me which is your favorite Jooble and something you learned about Fair Trade, in the comments box below.  Or blog about this post and send me the link and you will be entered to win the Jooble of your choice.
I just learned that they are out of Icy the Penguin and Jiffy the Giraffe so be sure to choose an available Jooble.

View more photographs of the kids with their Jooble, Bella the Bunny.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony

Madelyn had the first Fisher-Price bounce and play toy, it was a zebra.  It stayed in our living room for over a year and half and it was so cute because she would randomly get on and bounce and spin. 

Now, we have the Bounce and Learn Pony in our living room and it's a totally different experience and she appears to be having just as much if not more fun with it.

The Bounce and Learn Pony is an active learning toy that interacts with the television.  The Pony uses a wireless device to connect with the TV delivering animated content.  Madelyn interacts with the toy and TV by bouncing up and down and spinning a roller on the handle bars.  I can choose the level of play and audio options (really handy!) so as she has learned skills it is easy to move up to the next level.  There was a little bit of a learning curve so you will want to stay in the room the first few times your toddler gets on the Bounce and Learn Pony.  After that, you should be able to run into the kitchen to fix dinner or vacum a couploe of rooms.  The Bounce and Learn Pony doesn't have to be connected with the TV to be interactive.   It will still play songs and sound effects from the pony itself.

Price: About $55 at Amazon.com