Spa Day at Home

There's nothing quite like the feeling of a fresh mani/pedi and I'll never forget the day I shared the experience for the first time with my little girl at the mall (and neither will she!). But in this tight economy, we can't always treat ourselves to such luxuries.

That's why I was SO excited to receive the Magnificent Manicure Kit from Team Mom for review. Natalie had I had a blast using the kit to do a homemade mani/pedi and the best part is that the kit is also educational.

There is a pamphlet that contains science questions about "cosmetic chemistry" for your child to ponder while they make their various creations. For example, when making a "crystal mud bath," kids can learn about absorbency, moisture and solids vs. liquids.

My daughter had the most fun creating her own scented lotion. Included in the kit is a label for the lotion with a space for your child to write the name of their creation. Natalie named hers "La France." :)

As of this writing, the kit is on sale for $15.95 at Amazon.com. Having been given Creative Child Magazine’s 2009 Toy of the Year Award, the kit makes a perfect holiday gift!

K'NEX 400 Piece Tub - Review

My kids were fortunate enough to receive the brand new K'NEX 400 Pieces Tub for review from Team Mom recently, and they have been having so much fun creating with it! The K'NEX 400 Pieces Tub is a flexible building system that lets kids explore and build both 2-D and 3-D models.

Made for ages 7 and up, my 9-year-old found it easier to make the 2-D designs while my 13-year-old son tried the more intricate 3-D ideas. There are 20 different models with step-by-step instructions pictured for your child to try, or they can venture into their imagination and create an original work of art. The possibilities are endless, so this is a toy they can use over and over again, unlike others they may get bored with after just a few uses.

K'NEX works with other brands like Lego so if you already have other systems you can integrate them for expanded play. And kids can make their creations move (ferris wheels and merry-go-rounds that spin, wheels for cars, propellers for airplanes, etc.), so there is plenty of after-building play.

The best part is that all the pieces can be thrown back into the tub for storage once kids are done playing so there's no mess (which helps tremendously when you have a dog in the house who likes to sneak away with toy parts).

The K'NEX 400 Piece Tub retails for $20.99 and is available at Target, WalMart and Toys "R" Us.

Right now, you can win $1,000 worth of K'NEX building sets for your child via K'NEX's "Make a K'NEXion" video contest. Details can be found on knex.com, (bottom, right corner).

Happy building!

Bella Sara Brings Fantasy to Life

My little girl has always been a big fan of Bella Sara, where magical horses roam the land in "North of North." She loves playing with the trading cards, on the online site, and with her Bella Sara DS Game.

Now, Bella Sara has created even more fun with two new lines of products: Bella Sara Miniatures Series 1 and Bella Sara Treasures.

Thanks to Team Mom, Natalie was able to review both. This is the first time she's ever said to me, "Mom, make sure you tell everyone that I LOVE this!"



Her favorite is the Miniatures Series, which come with a little horse from the world of Bella Sara. "I can actually be one of the horses!" she said.

The miniature horses come inside of the usual trading card pack and are adorably small and velvety. There are 20 different horses to collect and each comes with bonus codes to use online.

Suggested price is $1.99 per pack and the age range is 5+ years.



The Treasures series is the eighth in the Bella Sara collection. It brings even more fun to the world of Bella Sara with more printable activities, bonus codes, coloring pages, wallpapers, a poster and jigsaw puzzles. (Click here to check it all out). The series features rare jewels, amazing natural wonders, historical artifacts and fantastic magical items to explore and cherish.

The card packs in the Treasure series comes with fun tattoos, stickers and more, in addition to the trading cards and codes that are usually found in the Bella Sara line. The cards retail for about $2.99 and the age range is 5+ years.

To help celebrate the new Treasures line, now through April 30th, you can visit www.bellasara.com for a chance to win an exciting Treasure Hunt Party. Hurry over and enter! Good luck!

Picture Play

With all of the picture-taking that's sure to be going on during the holidays, you can be sure your toddler gets in on the fun with the Parents Look-At-Me Camera.

This pretend camera, designed for ages 12 months and up, combines realistic sounds and a mirrored lens to provide hours of fun. The best part in my opinion? The disco music button so that kids can "vogue" for the camera. So adorable.

The front of the camera contains a "big fish-eye" mirrored lens so that the little photographer's subjects can see themselves posing. The camera makes flashing and shutter sounds and there's even a button to push to tell everyone to "smile."

The camera is available exclusively at Target and retails for $9.99. Check out the details here. Target's website says that the camera is not available online right now, so if you want to snatch one up before they're all gone, head to your nearest Target store to see if there are any left there. Good luck and happy picture taking!