Holiday Gift Guide: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Special Edition

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Available on Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack, DVD and Movie Download

My daughter adores Belle. She is by far the favorite princess in her world, and she is frequently requesting that we watch Beauty and the Beast. So when I learned that they were releasing this Special Edition of the holiday movie inspired by her favorite Disney classic I knew this was a must have for our home!

Holiday Gift Guide: Dora the Explorer: Celebrate with Dora DVD Review

Dora the Explorer: Celebrate with Dora

Three DVD Box Set

I can see this at the top of many little one's lists this year! With a two year old in my house I know how popular Dora is. My daughter is a huge fan and gets so excited when we get to watch it. This box set is FULL of some of the best episodes all in one place, perfect for gift giving this holiday season!

Inside this box set you will find 3 DVD's; Dora's Christmas, Dora's Halloween, and Dora's Big Birthday Adventure.  Each disc has a funfilled celebration themed episode plus 3 more episodes (Dora's Big Birthday only has three extra episodes because the birthday episode is double length). This provides hours of fun with your favorite characters.

Holiday Gift Guide: Somersault Snacks Review

Somersaults are the result of our quest to create healthy, tasty snacks for people who want more than just empty nutrition. What followed was a philosophy and lifestyle that adds joy and delicious goodness to your everyday life. We invite you to share in the unexpected pleasures that Somersaults offer, with crunch, zing and a little zest for adventure!


With a toddler at home I am always on the look out for new snacks that are healthy and delicious. I had never heard of Somersault Snacks, but when I looked into what they offered I was intrigued.

Holiday Gift Guide: Ethical Ocean Review

Our purchasing decisions affect our society and the planet.

It’s up to each of us to know what we are buying and why—and how each product we spend our dollars on impacts other people, animals, and the environment.

But that doesn’t mean we have to know everything. We can share our knowledge, and ideas, to help one another choose wisely. That’s what Ethical Ocean is all about.

Ethical Ocean takes only the best products that meet one of their criteria - Good for People, Good for Animals, or Good for the Environment. They then offer all of these products in one spot for convenient and ethical shopping. They have such a wide variety of items that you can shop for everyone on your list. From clothing and shoes to electronics, food, and toys... it's all there. And each product offers an explanation of what it is and why it matters.

Holiday Gift Guide: Zumba Fitness 2 Review

Featuring hot new music tracks, electrifying choreography, new venues and double the number of dance styles from the original video game, the Zumba® Fitness 2video game invites players to party their way into shape with a fun and proven program. Get moving with amazing Zumba® presenters, Beto, Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant as they guide you through each exhilarating routine, ranging from Merengue and Hip-Hop to Bollywood and Latin Pop. For the first time, players can customize their own class with their favorite routines and track calories burned.  Whether playing in Single Song, Full Class or multiplayer mode with support for up to four dancers, players will have a blast with this unique dance-fitness experience that shapes, tones and transforms their bodies, and makes them forget they’re even exercising.

Holiday Gift Guide: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked Video Game Review

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS™: CHIPWRECKED VIDEO GAME NOW AVAILABLE ON KINECT FOR XBOX 360, Wii AND NINTENDO DS!

Dance Along with Your Favorite Chipmunks and Chipettes in this Exciting Musical Adventure

The game is based on the forthcoming Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked movie in theaters December 16th, which finds the trio vacationing aboard a luxury cruise liner until they become ‘chipwrecked’ on a remote island. The Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked video game continues the story with an around-the-world journey that has the ‘Munks visiting six tropical locations inspired by the movie. While dancing as the playable Chipmunks or The Chipettes, players perform more than 50 different dance moves to excite the crowd while rocking out to 30 of the greatest Chipmunk tunes that all generations can enjoy together.

The first thing I need to say about this game is that I love the song choices! There are 30 amazing song choices that include hits like La Bamba, Life is a Highway, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Crocodile Rock, Love Shack... oh, I could go on!

Holiday Gift Guide: J.A.S.F. Review

Here's a great gift idea for the teen or guy in your life! I didn't feel qualified to write this review, so I used my expert video game reviewer.... my husband. Here is what he had to say about Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters:

I'm a big fan of flight simulator video games.  There's nothing like being in a dogfight with an enemy jet, hearing that radar lock on before launching your rockets and watching the enemy blowup.  However, now that I'm a dad, I don't have time to play the traditional flight sims.  There are too many options and it takes too long to get into a mission and play it through.

Holiday Gift Guide: Lifetherapy

This is the first time I have been introduced to Lifetherapy. So I was looking over the website and checking out the story behind how this company got started. It is a really interesting and beautiful story about one woman's desire to enhance a mood or create a feeling. And it touched on something that I can completely relate to... how a scent can transport you to a different place... or help you experience a different feeling. I have found this to be very true of familiar scents in my life. Ones that remind me of certain people or places. I can spray a certain perfume of mine and be transported back in time. It's amazing and powerful.

The woman behind this company is Lynette Lovelace, and I had the wonderful opportunity to check out some of her products.  For this review I was sent a sample of the Play Hydrating Body Lotion and Skin Nourishing Body Scrub.

Holiday Gift Guide: World Vision Review

During the holiday season it's very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things. And it's very easy to forget what this season is all about. It's the season of giving, but there are so many people in this world who would benefit so much from so little.

While we all enjoy shopping for our friends and family, we should keep those in need in our minds. World Vision has created the perfect opportunity to give to those who need it most. Through their World Vision Catalog you can give the gift of life by feeding a family in the US for a day for only $16. You can help fund a child's education for only $32. Or you can purchase a goat for $75. With the purchase of a goat you are providing children with protein from the milk and allowing families to sell the surplus.

Holiday Gift Guide: Pink Papaya Review

Pink Papaya is an awesome company that offers relaxing, spa quality products as affordable prices. And the best part is that you can browse this selection while spending time with your friends at one of their at-home spa parties!

Pink Papaya works like most at-home party companies. You can find a consultant near you... or you can become one yourself!

Pink Papaya sent me a few of their products to check out... and now I am itching to attend an at-home party. I never would have known just how awesome these products are without seeing them in person. So an at-home party is the perfect way to get up close and personal with the products!

Holiday Gift Guide: Pink Princess Review

Pink Princess is a great online site that offers so many choices of beautiful dresses. They have everything you would need for flower girl dresses, Communion dresses, Christening gowns and more! Pageant dresses, accessories and pettiskirts and tutu's can all be found on their site. They also have an entire section for Boy Formal wear, as well as shoes for boys and girls.

Pink Princess offers a beautiful selection of holiday dresses. I was fortunate enough to receive one of these dresses for review. It came packaged up beautifully in a plastic garment bag to keep it clean and protected. I took it out of the box and it was ready to be worn. I didn't have to press any wrinkles out or anything!

Holiday Gift Guide: Embelle Bibs Review

What is the perfect baby gift for the doctor or businessman in your life?  Imagine your little baby girl as a ballerina or Woody from Toy Story?  Now your audience can with Embelle novelty bibs. Not only are they adorable,but they are much more affordable than your average novelty bib. Available at Target for $5.00, Embelle bibs are fun and playful while being practical for your baby.


Ok, these bibs are seriously adorable! I checked out the selection on their website and just went... awww! And then I received three for review and loved them even more in person.

Holiday Gift Guide: PetCakes Review and Giveaway

Seriously, are these little guys not just the cutest? I saw these and fell in love. This is the 2nd Series of PetCakes, the Forest Animals Assortment. In this series there are 4 adorable friends, Honey Cakes, Bamboo Berry, Nutty Nicky, and Roco Coco.

Each PetCake comes in their own little cozy cupcake holder. The plushes come completely out of the cupcakes, so you can mix and match or play with them outside of the cupcake.

My daughter absolutely adores her PetCakes! She loves to set them up and swap their cupcake wrappers around. She thinks their "hats" (the frosting) is just the funniest thing ever! She even pretends to eat them when she's feeling extra silly. And they are the perfect size. I imagined they would be much smaller than they are. But they are a really nice size.

Holiday Gift Guide: Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker - Book Review

If you are looking for a fun book that is hard to out down then this is for you! Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, by Marla Martenson, is a glimpse into the lives of the rich and fabulous in such a way that you see the grass is not always greener on the other side.

In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Marla takes her readers for a hilarious romp through her days as an L.A. matchmaker and her daily struggles to keep her self-esteem from imploding in a town where looks are everything and money talks. From juggling the demands her out-of-touch clients to trying her best to meet the capricious demands of an insensitive boss to the ups and downs of her own marriage to a Latin husband who doesn't think that she is 'domestic' enough, Marla writes with charm and self-effacement about the universal struggles that all women face in their lives. 

Marla's job is set these incredibly rich men up with the women of their dreams. Except, in many cases their dreams are totally delusional! It's hysterical to read about the check lists that these men create in order to form a picture of their perfect woman. They take shallow to a whole new level! And they are willing to pay the BIG bucks for a chance at "love." And when I say big bucks I am talking up to $100,000!

While many of her clients are entertaining enough with their prerequisites, the laughs continue as she sets them up with a woman. The complaints some of these men come up with are unreal!

This book is like meeting a new friend. You get to know Marla inside and out, from her professional life to her personal life. It's a quick read because it's written straight to the point. You will be turning the pages for more!

Holiday Gift Guide: ZipBin Review and Giveaway

The idea of the ZipBin came from a parent. Could you have guessed? Parents are geniuses because they know exactly what they wished existed. So when a parent invents a product I am usually fairly confident that it's brilliant. And ZipBin most certainly is!

ZipBins are toys that make less mess. Yay! Why? Because you open them up to play and close them up to clean up. Poof...gone! It's like magic!

ZipBin sent me their Dollhouse PlayPack and I think it's one of the best ideas ever. It's a backpack that unzips and opens up to be a dollhouse. It even comes with a doll. Here is some information about this product:

Holiday Gift Guide: Eye-Fi Review

If you are anything like me you will be taking a ton of pictures this holiday season! I am the camera queen and I try to capture every moment with my camera. But then I have a tendency to let them sit on my camera for months until there are so many different events that I don't even want to upload and organize them. So when I learned about the Eye-Fi I was sure it was something I could use!

The Mobile X2 card works with more than 2,000 digital cameras and uses Eye’s Direct Mode technology to instantly transfer photos directly from your digital camera to various devices (phone, tablet, computer) –without cords -  so you can share/post photos and images wherever you are.  



Wow, this thing is really cool! I love to share pictures and with this you have so many options. You can send pictures to your phone, tablet, even directly to Facebook. Very cool!

Holiday Gift Guide: Learning Curve Brands Train Sets Review

This holiday season Learning Curve Brands has something for every kid on your list from infants to toddlers to preschoolers! This season I was fortunate enough to get to check out two of their hot holiday items!

Chuggington Interactive Railway All Around Chuggington Set:

This set has an SRP of $69.99 and is recommended for children ages 3 and up. It is created with 60 pieces that create a railway that has a 3 foot layout! We first constructed it on kitchen table, but then we moved it to the floor when we realized that my daughter would have trouble accessing everything with it on the table.

Holiday Gift Guide: Green Toys Review and Giveaway

As parents we have a lot to worry about. From the moment they are born we worry. About everything from their health to their happiness to their future... and all the little things in between. One thing we should never have to worry about it whether or not their toys are safe.

Parents spend time, money, and effort picking out toys they think their children will enjoy. We shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they are safe or contain toxins. But sadly, in many cases you do have to worry about those things. But not with Green Toys. Green Toys makes their very own line of children's toys that are made from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly products.  With their toys you are protecting your children and the environment.... win win!

Green Toys offers a great selection of toys for babies and kids. They have trucks, play food, gardening tools, and more. And I got a chance to check out their newest addition, the Sandwich Shop!

Holiday Gift Guide: Nickelodeon DVD's Review

What better gift for kids than an adventure with their favorite character? As the mother of a toddler, we spend a lot of time catching up with all our friends on Nick JR and Nickelodeon. And now that she's old enough to ask for what she wants she is very often asking to watch her favorites. So having some great DVD's on hand are a must... and Nickelodeon has so many great ones to choose from! Here are a few hot ones this holiday season.....

This one was my daughter's favorite by far! It features all her favorite friends in over 2 hours of holiday episodes. My daughter knows all these familiar faces and will ask for certain episodes on different days. Dora and Kai Lan are the most popular with her, but she does enjoy them all! It's rare to find a DVD where your child enjoys ALL the episodes, but this one is it for us! A true hit in our household and a perfect holiday gift this season.

Pretty much all the Nick JR shows offer educational value, but this DVD has hit the nail on the head! I love that it is an entertaining show that is also really teaching age appropriate math skills. This DVD offers 3 episodes and one of them is double-length...so you get tons of fun in one DVD. I am amazed at how quickly my daughter picks up counting and patterns after watching this. It's so engaging for her! I would definitely say this is a great gift for a toddler or young preschooler.

Spongebob is geared a bit more for the older kids. So my husband and I decided to review this one on our own without our 2 year old. I find it interesting how a kids show can be so entertaining to adults. Spongebob is one of those shows. Yes, he's goofy and immature, but it is some good, clean fun for the family. I wouldn't recommend it for toddlers and preschoolers, but maybe kindergarten age and on. Mostly because the younger kids won't get all the jokes. But this was a fun one to laugh along with.

Nickelodeon DVD's make great gifts for kids of a variety of ages! They have so many different ones to choose from and are available at most major retailers. Check them out this holiday season!

Holiday Gift Guide: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Dance & Play Puppy Review

Let your children dance and play games with their favorite new playmate, Dance and Play Puppy from Fisher-Price's Laugh and Learn toys. Dance and Play Puppy guides children through their first experiences with motions and games while simultaneously teaching them how to count and how to recognize the alphabet.

As a mom and a teacher I can totally appreciate this toy! This puppy talks, sings, and dances with a simple push of a button. There are two buttons (one on each foot). One foot is the "ABC" mode and the other foot is the "Let's Play" mode. The ABC mode is all about learning in a fun way with the alphabet, numbers, and giving simple directions that your child can follow (like "reach up high"). The Let's Play mode is full of fun songs that your child and their puppy can dance and sing along to.  It has easy steps, like clap your hands, so your child can participate with their puppy.

I think this is an incredibly engaging toy that has enough features to keep the interactions fresh and exciting. The puppy has a cute voice that is not intimidating, and it is also designed with bight colors and fun shapes - making him very approachable (since he is kinda big in size).