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25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids
Alyssa Aileen.
Ruby Anne.
Noah Carter.
What do these names have in common? They are the names of my Cabbage Patch kids. The first one was the most difficult for my Mom to obtain. She knew it was going to be rough but she happened to walk into a store as the right time and was able to snag one for me and one for my sister, many years ago.
We adored those dolls. We took them everywhere with us. Then came Ruby and finally Noah, a preemie Kid. I played with them non-stop and now my kids do.
Big I got one the year Lil C was born. Then came one just for Lil C.
Ollie is a 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch doll and he is exactly as they were 25 years ago. These dolls will be available for a limited time only. They come complete with a silver spoon, a birth certificate and each doll is exactly the same as one made 25 years ago. And they are fabulous. For more information, go here.
Because he is adorable and has the softest fuzziest head of hair I have ever seen, BBM gives the 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch kids. . .
Cabbage Patch Kids
As a child, while I will not say I was spoiled, I will say that I rarely wanted for anything. My parents had an interesting philosophy on spend money and allowances-my sister and I received no allowance. My parents believed that paying a child to do what they were supposed to be doing anyways was ludicrous. They gave us spend money when we needed it and always within reason. We had enough toys to play with, lots of books, and tons of love. HOWEVER, (you knew there was a ‘however’ coming, didn’t you?) I do have one memory of a desired toy that I did not receive.
Back in 1983, when I was a mere 11 years old, people were fist-fighting over the newest toy craze-The Cabbage Patch Kid doll. I wanted one. With a burning desire, I wanted my own little adopted doll with those adorable dimples, cute names, and lovable bodies. I WANTED ONE!!!! I begged and pleaded and bargained, but my parents, ever practical, refused to stand in long-lines or fight for a doll. They just wouldn’t do it. And so, I played (very begrudgingly, mind you) with a homemade knock-off. Harrumph!
Well, bitter memories aside, I am a proud, new owner of a 25th (gulp!!!) Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid. It only took 25 years, but I got one! pthhhhhh! (That would be me sticking my tongue out at my parents in a very mature and un-spoiled way…) You, too, can have your own original Cabbage Patch Kid again (or like me for the first time) made from the original molds and using the exact same materials and bearing the same faces, clothing and names as the originals. These kiddos are hitting store shelves for a limited time. You might want to get one soon, though, to avoid the holiday rush! These special kids have a special signature from Xavier Roberts, a silver anniversary baby spoon, a commemorative silver-stamped 25th Anniversary Birth Certificate and adoption papers-all this for $29.99.
You can post your own Cabbage Patch Kid memory on www.cabbagepatchkids25.com . For giving me a memory 25 years in the making, I give the Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids a:
More Baby Jamz
Happiness is getting free toys and CD’s in the mail. My daughter is getting quite accustomed to it. The UPS and FedEx drivers are taking on a Santa-esque appearance to her lately with good reason. Lately they brought some new Baby Jamz products, created by Solange and Mathew Knowles.
The first new product is the Baby Jamz Jammin’ Microphone. As someone who had closet dreams of being a superstar, my daughter had to wrestle it away from me. It looks real; it allows you to record your own voice with or without a musical accompaniment and is just pure fun. The microphone retails for $9.97 and is a fabulous buy for that money. Your child can push the buttons to play different songs, choose to sing and record along with a song and even speed up or slow down the songs that play. With hot tracks such as "Bingo," "Old MacDonald," "Skip to My Lou," "This Old Man," and "Mary had a Little Lamb," your little one won’t get bored. Mine certainly hasn’t.
My only complaint about the microphone is that while it has an on/off switch, it doesn’t have any volume control. While the other Baby Jamz toys had an appropriate volume, this one seems to be a little loud. It’s nothing a little cotton and tape can’t handle though, and if your child is like mine, they’ll probably cover up the speaker with their hands anyway when they’re belting out their diva tunes.
The other product we were lucky enough to try is the Nursery Rhymes Volume 1 CD. This CD includes favorites such as "This Old Man," "Old MacDonald," and "Skip to My Lou." Keep in mind though, that these aren’t your ordinary nursery rhymes. These tunes make you want to get up off the couch and jam with your toddler. With reggae beats, and hip-hop infused sounds, it’s easy to see why this line is an absolute hit. There is not a single annoying song on the CD. The CD retails for $10.47 and is a great value for a children’s CD that won’t drive Mommy nuts like all the other ones do.
If you are interested in getting your own Baby Jamz toys, you can find them in Walmart stores or online at walmart.com. If you’d like more information about joining Team Mom, where you too can review these types of products, go here.
For the sheer fun and excitement that these products bring to both Mom and daughter, BBM gives these Baby Jamz products. . .
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Do you have a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan in the house? If so, you won’t want to miss out on the latest toy. My two-year old daughter starts every day off with a DVR’d episode of "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the Disney Channel. Now that she owns the toy, instead of watching an episode every morning, she’s creating one.
The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (about $39.99 depending on the store) is an interactive play set that looks very much like the clubhouse from the show. The set comes with an interactive Mickey Mouse and Toodles. I’ve read multiple reviews about the poor construction of the play set and I have to admit that the slide and the shoe do fall off frequently. However, I challenge you to find a toy that does stay together well when designed for this age group. It only takes a second to put back together and frequently, my daughter is content to play with the toy as is, without the slide and shoe attached.
The Clubhouse comes with one interactive Mickey Mouse. When placed on the proper receptacle in the clubhouse, Mickey talks and moves his arms up and down. It’s really pretty cool. The only problem with this feature is that it’s difficult for little hands to get the figures on and off. Most of the time, my daughter is content to make the characters talk on their own, so the difficulty of this feature isn’t really an issue for us.
In addition to the Clubhouse, this line of toys also features other characters from the show: Minney Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto. Additional add-on packs include different characters. Because my daughter has the Mickey Mouse car and airplane, she now has two additional Mickey Mouse characters (one dressed in race car attire and the other in a pilot’s uniform). Each interactive character has different phrases that they say when placed on different spots.
Goofy’s magic platform provides completely different sayings than the other interactive stations. The Mickey Mouse car is interactive too. Pushed forward, children hear Mickey Mouse count from 1 to 20. Push backwards, Mickey Mouse counts backwards from 20 back to 1. There are other available sets too, including one that features Pluto’s dog house ($12.99/varies by store) and also a Band Stand ($24.99/varies by store).
The Mickey airplane responds to your motions. If you fly the plane to the left, it says so. If you point the plane downwards, Mickey talks about going down and landing. These add on toys are easy to work and add additional fun.
Of course it’s not without additional cost. The airplane can be found for about $19.99. Prices vary from store to store.
Although the cost of getting all the additional character packs and accessories can really add up, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and accessories have been a big hit at our house. I’ve never seen a little one wake up in the morning and immediately say "Play wif Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" for so many days in a row. This is one toy that just doesn’t get old.
The toy provides hours of fun, but there are a couple negatives. The slide and shoe do fall apart which can get frustrating. This isn’t, however, something a little super glue couldn’t fix or a reason to not buy the toy for a real Clubhouse fan. The cost of adding all the characters and accessories can also really add up. To balance out the good with the bad, Black Belt Mama gives the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and related accessories a:
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Cranium Bloom Toys
Let’s be honest here. Playing long games with children can be equated to torture, depending on the age of your children and their mood. Interactive activities are great, but when they take two hours, any activity can get tiresome for both parent and child. My daughter has one game in particular that drives me insane. One needs a degree from Harvard to even begin to understand the proper way to play and it takes forever to complete the game. That is just one of the reasons why the Cranium Bloom toys are so fabulous.
We received the Cranium, "Let’s Play Count and Cook" game and it is fun, educational, and quick! The lid promises you’ll be finished in about 10 minutes, and that is absolutely true (of course it may take a bit longer if you have a two-year old who likes to trash the board occasionally like mine does). Players begin by placing the various ingredient tokens on the game boards. It doesn’t matter where they go, so this part is stress free for parent and child. Then, you choose a little chef and choose a recipe. There are recipes for spaghetti, cookies, macaroni & cheese, sandwiches, etc. Players roll the dice and move around the board, adding the proper ingredients and a surprise ingredient or two if you land on a star token.
My girls, ages 2 and 6, thought this was great fun. The best part is that if your children are feeling a little ornery, you choose a small recipe and if they’re settled in for the long haul, you can choose a longer recipe to complete. Interspersed with the recipes for the game are other learning activities. Complete will actual recipes for cookies and activities having to do with measuring, etc. the cookbook can keep a little one busy for quite some time.
The best part about the actual real recipe is that it details out which parts the adult should do, and which parts are kid friendly. If you’re a control freak like me, this will help you greatly to release some control in the kitchen and let your kids join in on some good cooking fun. Although the box says this game is for ages 3 and up, my 2-year old was able to follow along and play quite well. It was a quick and fun game that we certainly won’t mind playing again and again. The ingredient tokens also make great confetti for a final celebration when the game is over. Just ask my two-year old.
The Cranium Bloom "Let’s Play Count and Cook" game can be purchased online here or at Target, and retails for $12.99. If you have a budding little chef in the house, you won’t want to miss this game.
If you have a puzzle fan, the Cranium Bloom "Let’s go to the Zoo Seek and Find Puzzle" will surely be a hit. This puzzle is for ages 3 and up. My little one had a bit of trouble doing the puzzle part by herself. There are 24 pieces, but with help she enjoyed putting it together. My 6-year old also thought it was great fun. This is a puzzle that is truly for all ages.
Once the puzzle is together, it’s time for the real fun. The puzzle comes with two activity books, a beginner and an advanced book. My 2-year old enjoyed finding the zebra, lions, and objects that were certain colors. Once found, she was able to use the erasable marker to circle the items she had found. (O.k. maybe not circle, but rather just scribble over top, but you get the idea.)
When my little one was done with scribbling, my 6-year old took a turn using the advanced book. The advanced book asks kids to find items that start with certain letters. Parents can show them pictures to help them out or make it even more advanced by keeping the pictures a secret. My 6-year old thought the puzzle was a lot of fun too. There’s enough action happening on the puzzle to keep the attention of both a 2 and a 6-year old and that is saying something.
The puzzle retails for $9.99 and can also be found online here or at Target.
Both of these toys are unique in that they can be adapted to real life quite easily. Want to make cookies with the kids? Take the recipe part of the game with you to the store and let your children find the ingredients. Going to the zoo? Take the notebooks along with you and have your children find the real deal in the zoo.
For being fun, interactive, applicable to real life, and speedy, BBM gives the Cranium Bloom toys. . .
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