Street Surfing Giveaway

Street Surfing, LLC is a sporting goods product and lifestyle company that manufactures and distributes The Wave®. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Street Surfing, LLC is committed to delivering durable, high-quality Street Surfing equipment, accessories and apparel. They offer a variety of Wave boards for different age ranges and skill levels. The Ripple is built for younger riders with its slim design. The Wave Stealth uses Abec 7 bearings and integrated grip tape for a faster ride with more tricks and the new Wave LX has a wider deck for more stability and new lightweight design. Don’t forget to grab a helmet and pads to ensure not only your kids safety but your own.

Street Surfing, LLC is giving LookWhatMomFound readers the chance to win a Wave LX ($80 value) or Ripple ($80 value) of their own. Come over to LookWhatMomFound to find out all the details and see all the different ways you can enter.

Norman Phartephant - Farting Elephant

As a mom of all boys when I cam across Norman Phartephant my first thought was " My boys would just love this !" Let's just say I was thrilled when he arrived to our home. EVERYONE including mom has had fun with him. My 2 year old runs around the house all day making him "fart". My 14 yr old & 10 yr old likes to make him "fart" when people are over so they can blame someone else.....let's just say boys will be boys ! I am sure my husband will not admit that he enjoys Norman also !

To read my full review and enter to WIN a Norman Phartephant please visit HERE.

Playskool Clipo Hippo

Playskool products have been welcomed into the homes of many for generations. Not only do these toys create fun for children of all ages-they help build those developing imaginations.


My Kelsie has fallen in love with the Playskool Clipo Hippo. She won't put it down! This adorable hippo will keep your little one entertained with building and rolling around. When it's time to clean up, just "feed" Hippo the blocks and it's all cleaned up until time to play again!

Come head over to For The Love of Baby! and check out more about the Clipo Hippo. Kelsie had to show off her Hippo on video for you to see!

Kimochis....Toys With Feelings Inside

Kimochi (Key-mo-chee) means "feeling" in Japanese. Kimochis are what comes inside each of the characters. They are small pillows with a feeling printed on one side and the other side has corresponding facial expression.

The Characters have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis"(feelings). Using their characters and their Kimochis, kids can get in touch with their feelings through play.

To read my full review visit Life In A House Of Blue, while you are there enter to WIN a Kimochi of your own !

Imagiplay Toys-A Toy for a Lifetime

I’ve said it before, simple is best. Imagiplay’s Pushalong Duck is the epitome of a simple pleasure. It’s a favorite with my daughter, with its bright color and familiar shape it is something she can easily locate among the flashing lights and loud noises of some of her other toys.

As a parent I appreciate toys that don’t require batteries and that don’t have tiny pieces that come apart. The Pushalong Duck is constructed from a solid piece of sustainable rubberwood. A bonus is also the rubber edged wheels, that means no marks when she runs it along the wall.

Imagiplay set’s itself apart from other toy manufacturers with their motto “Toys with Integrity”. They produce quality toys with very specific principles; educational values and eco-friendly sources. Imagiplay products are made from environmentally conscious materials , plantation grown rubberwood is their favorite. They produce toys that enable children to use their imagination while benefiting the environment around us.

Some of my other Imagiplay favorites are the Buddy Blocks. My daughter is at the age where she recognizes a lot of different animals, these simple puzzles will help her to assemble those animal pictures.

If you a looking for quality products to last a lifetime your search stops here. Imagiplay has taken all the features we like best and presented us with a great selection of superior toys.

Imagiplay is a Playdate Pick!

PlasmaCar: Out of this World Ride-On

I found the perfect ride-on for kids and even fun-loving adults! PlasmaCar! It is this space-age looking ride-on that is powered by Kid Energy. Nope, I am not talking about foot-power Flintstone-style. You actually put your feet up on the footpads, then you swivel the steering wheel left and right. And there you go - the car is powered by that action and starts moving!

Here you can see me with my little one riding it in the house. It's so easy to steer, I can easily maneuver it in my living room! But, do take note - PlasmaCar is not recommended for use on hardwood or laminate flooring.

The PlasmaCar can hold up to approximately 220 pounds on a smooth surface. So I can easily ride with my 1 year old until he gets the dexterity needed. But 3 year olds can ride it with EASE! My niece was zooming around the Daytime studio in it! You can also see Cyndi the host riding it at the very end of my Daytime segment. Click Here for Daytime Segment.

There are wonderful colors to choose from, we have the purple. There is also red, pink, blue, green and yellow. And you can buy parts as needed from PlasmaCar.com.

What I love about PlasmaCar:

• Durable - it can withstand being ridden on by me, my niece and my kids!
• Simple - simple move the steering wheel and the PlasmaCar is powered by inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, and friction.
• No pedals - so it is a great beginner ride-on
• No batteries - Ride-ons nowadays seem like they have to impress us with moving, singing and beeping. Then we are replacing four D batteries every week. But there are NO batteries in PlasmaCar

The boys and I ride the PlasmaCar daily. It is the most fun ride-on we have in the house. And I love that it will take them FOREVER to outgrow it. I mean, when exactly are they going to weigh the maximum weight limit (on a smooth surface) of 220? The only person in the house too big to use it is my bodybuilding husband. I think he weighs 265?

But, don't just take my word for it! It has also won these awards recognizing it for it's unique qualities:

• Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award
• Today's Parent Top Toy List
• Canadian's Toy Association Hot Toys of the Holiday Season
• 2003 Gold Star Toy Award

But don't just take my word on it. See what other real moms are saying!

Jenna from For the Love of Baby:
"Kelsie loves outdoor time and the PlasmaCar will add to her fun we have outside as a family."

Susan from Life in a House of Blue:
"As a mom of 3 very active boys the PlasmaCar is a great toy to burn off that extra energy."

Samantha from As They Grow Up:
"My 2 year old drives it around the house and even my husband and I have been on it a few times. Not to mention that our daughters use it every chance they get."

Heather from Grab Bag Reviews:
"The Plasma Car sits nice and low to the ground and this means even my 15 month old enjoys it!"

You can purchase a PlasmaCar for only $69.95! Just visit PlasmaCar.com and choose your child's (and your) favorite color. Honestly, I will be getting another one for my household so both boys can ride together. It is a perfect holiday or birthday gift! The must-have ride-on for every household!

PlasmaCar is a PlayDate Pick!

Big Bang Mini

Nintendo DS™ released a new game called Big Bang Mini on January 20,2009 . With Big Bang Mini players create their own fireworks displays. The object of the game is to collect stars which fall when an enemy is defeated and progress through the game’s 90 levels.
This game is rated E for Everyone! It is available at major retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $19.99 . To Read my full review on Big Bang Mini visit Life In A House Of Blue.

Jishaku Review

When we received Jishaku a few weeks back I was a bit skeptical. There was nothing to it but a bunch of magnets and a foam board, how much fun could this be. Its simplicity is what makes this game so much fun, it’s a hit in our house. It’s quick to set up and clean up and extremely easy to take along in the car or away for the weekend. The jumping magnets always cause a round of laughter and that’s always a good sign of a family game. Family Game Night is back on at our house.

Jishaku can be played 3 different ways but our favorite is I’m Out, simply be the 1st to be left with no magnets in your hands. My 13year old immediately went for strategy when she played; carefully turning the magnets, coming around the board to enter her spot from a different angle. I like to just go for it. Any way you play you are going to have a blast playing Jishaku.

Here are what the other PlayDate moms are saying:

Erin at the Mom Buzz
The rules were simple, the premise was fun, it was full of surprises and it was easy to clean up the pieces - thanks to them all being magnetized!

Jenna at For the Love of Baby
This will definitely be a game our family will be bringing to the next family get together.

Trisha at Sweet n Sassy Girls
There were plenty of jumps, and screams, and laughs as the magnets suddenly did something unexpected.

Susan at Life in a House of Blue
My boys (13 & 9) play the game together at least 3-4 times a week.

Samantha at As They Grow Up
This game is so much fun, easy to clean up and something we can make time to play with our busy schedules.

Grab Bag Reviews
It's attraction is that something new and fun and makes you jump can take the place of the old stand bys.

Head on over to PlayJishaku to learn about the other ways to play and to order your own and bring Family Game Night back.

Crayola Magic Light Brush

Do your kid(s) love to color and paint but you hate to let them because of the mess and stains ? Well no more worries ! The the Crayola Magic Light Brush is a unique clear gel paint only reveals its bright, bold colors when brushed onto Color Wonder paper. This allows young artists to create works of art without the mess that typically comes with painting. To read my full review of the Magic Light Brush visit Life In A House Of Blue . While you are there you can enter my contest to win one HERE.

Smart-e-bear is a Playdate Pick

A toy for the tech parent has arrived. With a user friendly website that’s similar in function to ITunes, Smart-e-bear has modernized the stuffed animal. A huge leap up from the 80’s toy Teddy Ruxpin, Intellitoy's Smart-e-bear allows for countless downloads of music, interactive games and stories with its small electronic pack and USB port. Even though this is an electronic toy it is as cuddly and soft as a stuffed teddy from that “mall” place.

Smart-e-bear arrived and my youngest daughter was literally climbing on my husband to see what it was. Being a stuffed animal I knew she would immediately fall in love and her reaction was exactly what we expected. She grabbed the bear and ran away; not giving us a chance to turn on Smart-e-bear and show her what it was all about. Finally after some examining and cuddling she brought it back to us, we were then able to turn Smart-e-bear on by its very discreet hidden button.

As soon as my daughter found out it talked she smiled and begged for more. We showed her the buttons on the feet and paws and pressing away she went. While she is too young to appreciate the stories and most of the interactive games she loves the music and singing. Head Shoulders Knees and Toes is her new favorite song, even the Japanese version.

I also invited a little friend to try out Smart-e-bear. He’s four years old so I figured he would understand the games and the storytelling functions much better than my 18 month old. And he did, he immediately walked over to Smart-e-bear and took a seat. He sat so quietly with his head in his hand listening to stories. He then chose to play Simon Says, he didn’t fully comprehend the game at first but he laughed every time Smart-e-bear said oops if he touched the wrong hand or foot.

Preloaded with tons of songs, games and stories and the ability to add more is incredible. No way is a child going to get bored with this. Software installation was quick and uploading to Smart-e-bear was simple also. Simple words and instructions get toddlers doing and interacting rather than just sitting and watching. I would recommend a minimum age of 2 but to really utilize all of the great features 3 years old would be a more appropriate age. I’m just glad we get to grow with Smart-e-bear over the next few years.

The one feature my husband wanted me to talk about is the easy packaging, one fastener and Smart-e-bear was out. That is something any parent can truly appreciate.

LEGO-The Batcycle™: Harley Quinn’s Hammer Truck Set

My older boys recently received this great set from Lego. The Batcycle™: Harley Quinn’s Hammer Truck set is recommended for ages 7-12. My boys are 9 &13 and they both had a blast putting it together ! It was nice to see them sit there for about a hour and work together (and not fight LOL).To read my full review visit Life In A House Of Blue and while you are there ENTER TO WIN this LEGO set !

Want to teach your little baseball player the basics of baseball ? Play Ball The Board Game is the only board game licensed by Little League Baseball. It teaches them to learn the positions, situations and even keeping score. Recommended for ages 4 & up and 2-3 players. Play Ball The Board Game is a must have for any parent of young children learning baseball. To read my full review visit Life In A House Of Blue ,while you are there enter to win a game of your All Star ! 5 WINNERS !!!!!!

Etsy Finds for New Year

With a new year brings new beginnings. Why not begin a journey towards encouraging more natural play from your children. Natural play is done using materials and toys that jumpstart your child’s creativity and engage their bodies, this type of play is crucial for all areas of child development-physical, social, cognitive and emotional. With simple wooden blocks a child can imagine a city of tall towers or a barn for their collection of farm animals. Puppets and musical instruments are wonderful tools to spark the imagination of a child any age. Toys that light up and sing and talk are entertaining but can be over stimulating for some little ones. Investing in products like play silks to get your child’s mind thinking about what to play next; superhero or princess. Natural play doesn’t have to be only be played with traditional natural toys, today’s plastic and metal toys can easily be adapted for natural play, just don’t install the batteries.

I’m showing you some of my top picks of Natural Play toys from Etsy.

Felt Food by BugBitesPlayFood-for the kid who wants breakfast anytime

Chalkboard Placement from Baggavond-a great distraction while meals are being prepared

Colorful Soft Blocks by ThePolkaDotTotSpot-squishy soft and stackable

Natural Oak Airplane by CatzinTheHouse-truly a piece to last a lifetime

Rainbow Playsilks by TheFarmhouseBoutique-unlimited uses and hours of play

Zoobies: A plush toy, a blanket, a pillow - Oh My!

I just discovered the perfect travel pal for toddlers and preschoolers! They are called Zoobies. What makes them great for traveling is that these huge plush toys turn into pillows and hold a HUGE blanket. Plus, there are so many choices in the collection! There are safari animals and zoo animals, like giraffes, hippos, baboons, orangatans, lions and so much more! Keegan has the baboon - totally my favorite. I am thinking that Lochlan would like the rhino... hmmm. Go check out my review at the Mom Buzz to learn more about your options. Plus, there is a contest to win one that ends on January 15th! Eek! Go to the Mom Buzz Zoobie Review: Click Here.