Sams Club Last Minute Gifts On Sale

December 23, 2015January 3, 2016 - brandy3

There is only 2 shopping days left before Christmas. Sams Club has some great last minute gift ideas and you get a great deal on them.

Gift Cards:
$50 iTunes Gift Card – $42
$30 Starbucks Gift Card Multipack – $28

Kids:
Neenah Paper Astrobrights Journal, Ruled, 5 1/8″ x 8 1/4″, Green, 240 Sheets – $7.50
Disney Frozen Elsa Shaker Pendant With Chain – $38.00

Tech:
Sharper Image Visual Charge 6 Port USB Charging Hub – $29.98

Sweets:
Dark Chocolate Butter Toffee Almond – 18 oz. – $9.98
Stockmeyer Shortbread Cookie Tins (14.1 oz., 4 pk.) – $9.98
Gift-wrapped Belgian Chocolate Truffles – $9.98

Fashion:
Elizabeth Arden Red Door Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.3 fl. oz. – $35
Expandable Stackable Bangle – $35

These are all awesome gifts and perfect for everyone in the family. Everyone loves gift cards, and the Starbucks gift card comes in a pack of 3. You can give out 3 $10 gift cards to different family members.
I received the Disney Elsa Shaker Pendant and it is absolutely gorgeous, plus the box it comes in makes it feel like your getting something expensive. It’s the perfect gift for any little girl that loves Frozen.

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Disclosure: No formal compensation was received. Products were provide for sharing this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

The Smurfs 3DS Review

December 22, 2015January 3, 2016 - brandy3

The Smurfs are back for a brand new adventure, meet all your favorite characters in the new 3DS Surfs game.

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Help Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Hefty Smurf and all their friends rebuild their village, but Gargamel and his cat Azrael are lurking around so beware not to get caught while searching for supplies in their dangerous lab.
Unlock mini games and all new characters.

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*** This game was a bit confusing to me at first as you mainly just build Smurf Village. So it seemed a little slow, but after the mini games started unlocking it started to get more lively.
The mini games consist of breaking wood, collecting rocks and more to help build Smurf Village.
My kids love being able to design and create their own surf village. The graphics bring it all to life on the Nintendo 3DS, my kids said they felt like they could really be there. This game is perfect for smaller kids as it seems to be just at the right on par with their age. For Tweens and teens it might be to easy.

You can get The Surfs on Amazon for $26.99

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. A product was provided by Ubisoft. All opinions are my own. Page may contain affiliate links

Gravity Falls For Nintendo 3DS review

December 20, 2015December 20, 2015 - brandy3 1 Comment

Disney and Ubisoft have introduced a new game just for kids. Gravity Falls Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is a brand new game where Mabel and Dipper explore together to save the Mystery Shack. In this game you can switch between the two characters to defeat objects and Jeff the Gnome to save the Mystery Shack.

The graphics in this game are phenomenal, and allows you to go through levels and obstacles with no problems.

**Gravity Falls The Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is so much fun. I had trouble putting it down the first day. Mabel and Dipper work together with their own talents to defeat the gnomes and save the Mystery Shack. Mabel can swing over rocks and trees with her graveling Hook and dipper can shrink with his flashlight. Every level you have a giant gnome to fight at the end, Mabel uses her sleeves from her sweater to whack her enemies and Dipper uses a battle cuff.
I am stuck at the last level Jeff the Gnome becomes a giant and is relentless at defeating Mabel and Dipper.

You can learn more about Gravity Falls Legends of the Genome at Ubisoft and buy it here.

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. A product was received from Ubisoft.

2015 Hess Toy Truck is The Best Yet

December 20, 2015 - brandy3 3 Comments

Every year we get my son a Hess Toy Truck, I know this is a tradition in many families, but we just started a few years ago. They are different every year and bring joy to so many children every year. The year they are introducing the 2015 Hess Toy Truck and Rescue Ladder

The 2015 Hess Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue is a red fire truck with oversized tires, swiveling fire hose nozzles, LED lights, a searchlight, a slide out ramp, and 4 sounds. The smaller fire truck has a rotating ladder, moveable nozzles and a push activated Friction Motor.

This year Hess has placed 100 numbered silver edition fire trucks in random boxes.

*** I have to say this is one of the best trucks yet, not only is it red instead of the usual green and white, the lights are brighter, sound is louder and it just sticks out above all the others. The lights are of course Red White and Blue just like police sirens. The spotlight can be turned around to face any angle.

You can learn more about the 2015 Hess Toy Truck on their website. Unfortunately they are already sold out this year, and the only place you can find them is Ebay and Amazon.

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received. A product was provided for review.

Walgreens Disney Soho NY Villains Cosmetic Bags

December 16, 2015 - brandy3 2 Comments

Walgreens has a beautiful and fun new line in their cosmetic department. Disney Villains, bringing everyones favorite characters to life through bags and makeup.

They already have the Dare to Dream collection featuring your favorite fairytale characters, now featuring the original Villains: Maleficent, Snow White’s Evil Queen and Ursula. Available exclusively at Walgreens, the Villains collection contains six new cosmetic bags that will make being bad look so stylish.
This collection, including a weekender, organizer, train case and round top purse kit is inspired by the favorite foes of Disney’s classic tales. Known for versatile, long-lasting and on-trend cosmetic bags, LONDON SOHO NEW YORK® blends these infamously wicked characters and functional design in this latest collection to let out your dark side in style.

**This bag is so cute and functional. My kids love Disney Villains, there favorite is Maleficent of course. The Walgreens Disney Soho Ny Villains Cosmetic bags come in different sizes and can hold just your basic makeup for outings, or upgrade to the bigger bag and hold all your makeup.
We received a smaller bag which was perfect for my daughter to hold all her makeup that she loves to carry around.

You can find these bags as well as the cosmetics in the line at Walgreens stores and online.

Kmart’s Fab 15 is Perfect for those last minute Gifts

December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 - brandy3 1 Comment

Christmas is only 12 days away can you believe it. I still have not done all my Christmas shopping I have been so busy this year. Luckily I have the Kmart’s Fab 15 to guide me in my last minute shopping.

Kmart boasts ridiculously awesome toys and games for kids of all ages and stages, which comprises Kmart-exclusive toys and hot brands like Disney’s Frozen, Star Wars, LEGO®, Barbie™ and NERF®, is carefully curated based on industry trends, input from parents and kids, and more than 50 years of experience in knowing what toys kids love to play with and find under their Christmas trees.

Kmarts Fab 15 has a suggestions for kids of every age.

The Kmart Fab 15 list of hot holiday toys includes……

Ages 1-2
• Playskool Sesame Street Play All Day Elmo by Hasbro

Ages 3-5
• Hot Wheels® Ultimate Auto Garage by Mattel®
• Imaginext Ultra T-Rex by Fisher-Price®
• Paw Patroller by Spin Master™
• Disney Frozen Sing Along Elsa Doll by Jakks Pacific®
• VTech® Kidizoom® Action Cam
• Star Wars Signature Lightsaber by Hasbro®
• Zoomer Kitty with Toy Mouse by Spin Master™ (Kmart exclusive)
• MONOPOLY Here & Now by Hasbro®
• Monster High® Boo York Floatation Station™ with Astronova™ Doll by Mattel®

Ages 6-8
• Holiday Auburn Barbie™ 2015 Doll by Mattel® (Kmart exclusive)
• FurReal Friends Star Lilly the Unicorn by Hasbro®
• NERF® Zombie Strike Doominator by Hasbro®
• Hulk Smash RC Vehicle by Jakks Pacific®

Ages 9+
• LEGO® Friends Pop Star Show Stage

Kmart’s Fab 15 list features the hottest toys for the 2015 holiday season, which have been tested by Kmart’s first-ever Kid Toy Advisory Board – a select group of kids of Kmart employees who are serving as toy experts and holiday toy consultants.

My kids have a few items on their list featured in Kmart’s Fab 15.

2015 Holiday Barbie

Hot Wheels Auto Garage

Kmart now carries Shopkins Items too, another hot holiday item.

These products are so fun and great gift ideas for the kids in your life. Choose your favorite or choose them all. Kmart’s Fab 15 can be found in store or at Kmart.com/toys

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Role Mommy Writers Network and Kmart. All opinions are 100% my own.

Inside Out Now On Blu-ray

November 24, 2015 - brandy3 2 Comments

Inside Out is now available on blu-ray and dvd just in time for the holidays.

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Shorts:
Riley’s First Date?
Lava Short Film

Bonus Features:
Story Of The Story
Paths To Pixar: The Woman of Inside Out
Mixed Emotions
Mapping the Mind
Our Dads, the Filmmakers
Into the Unknown: The Sound of Inside Out
The Misunderstood Art of Animation Film Editing

*** I absolutely loved this movie as did my kids. This movie is all about the emotion that we feel everyday and h how they are controlled. It’s hilarious to see how the emotions react. Lewis Black as Anger is just hilarious. I have to say though my favorite character was sadness, she was just so cute. My kids just love to watch this movie over and over again. They laugh the whole time.
The Riley’s First Date short was just hilarious. Something I never would of expected.

Even more than the movie I absolutely enjoyed the lava short. When I first saw the short in theaters I thought it was okay, but then after watching it a few times it grew on me. I love the Lava song.

You can get Disney’s Inside Out at retailers nationwide.

Leapfrog Epic Tablet Review Holiday 2015

November 21, 2015November 21, 2015 - brandy3 2 Comments

My kids are fully into electronics now, they use them for homework, games, email to keep in contact with old friends and so much more. I do worry about their safety online though and have set tons of parental controls. My youngest wants to go on the computer but I worry about his safety as he is so young. Now I don’t have to worry with the new Leapfrog Epic Tablet.

Leapfrog Epic Tablet is all tablet. It’s very different from the leap pads and tablets they have introduced before that could be used with gam cartridges. This is strictly a tablet and you can download the games from the Leapfrog app center.
It has a few things preloaded into it like cute videos and games.
It also has a parent center where you can put a limit on how much time your child is allowed. You can add in links of sites you will allow your child on and those will be the only websites they have access too.
Leapfrog Epic Tablet is a great gift for younger children who love playing with their parents electronic devices, but without the worry of them going to a inappropriate site, or posting that hideous picture of you hiding in your phone.

My son loves this tablet, although I have given him a bit of free access to a lot of sites that he loves. Leapfrog Epic Tablet also comes with a rubber case to help protect the tablet from those unfortunate drops. My daughter loves the voice recorder on it. She records herself singing or just uses it to remind herself of something. It’s the perfect learning tool for little kids as it helps you with time, geography, math and so much more.

You can find the LeapFrog Epic Tabet at retailers nationwide.

Disclosure: NO formal compensation was received for this post. A product was provided which will be donated to a holiday drive. All opinions are 100% my own.

WubbleX Is More Fun Than A Bubble

November 20, 2015 - brandy3 2 Comments

Disclosure: This is a compensated post that also provided product. All opinions are 100% my own.

The WubbleX is a anti gravity ball.

The WubbleX seems like a mixture of a balloon and a bubble. We didn’t know what to expect at first since it was anti-gravity was it going to float away or something. You start out by inflating the ball and since it is a helium inflated ball it only uses the Wubble cans, which can be expensive themselves. I picked mine up at Walmart for $10. The can only lasts about one use.
The WubbleX ball is a lot of fun. My kids love bubbles but they are hard to catch and burst to fast. The WubbleX is like a Bubble that doesn’t pop unless it hits something pointy of course.

My kids loved playing with it but the and-gravity didn’t last to long and the WubbleX started to come down after a hour or two. Within a few days it was totally deflated and my kids were begging me to go buy another because they loved it.
The come in all different colors too blue, green and pink.

You can learn more about the WubbleX and where you can get it here.

Glo Wubble Bubble Ball is lasting Fun

November 19, 2015 - brandy3 2 Comments

Disclosure: This is a compensated review and also features a product. All opinions are 100% my own.

All I have been seeing in commercials and ads is the Wubble ball, but I was skeptical as it looks more like a bubble that will easily pop.

The Glo Wubble Bubble ball looks like a bubble, plays like a ball. Inflates up to 3 feet. Starts out small and 2 minutes later, it’s 3 feet tall. Made from super-thermo-stretch-tacular stuff. Catch it, kick it, squeeze it and make it fly.

** My kids absolutely love this ball. As I had mentioned above I was really skeptical about this ball and it’s not as sturdy as I thought, but it has lasted. I had some trouble when we first went to blow it up with the pump provided in the box. I couldn’t get the pump to go through and had to puncture it just a bit.
The Glo Wubble was able to blow up and stayed a good size but because I punctured it had a slow leak and hours later was almost fully deflated. WE just reflated it and taped the hole. The Glo Wubble can be reused many times and my kids inflate it daily and go outside to play catch.

The ball does glow in the dark after you hole it up to the light for a while. Ours didn’t seem to glow to much but the kids still found it fascinating.
I also noticed the ball seemed a bit sticky and would stick to the ground a bit which made it get dirty very fast.
We have had this ball for a few weeks and my kids have played with it everyday inside and out.

You can learn more about the Glo Wubble Bubble ball here.

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