Rave and Review

P&G GIVE Health brandSAVER Gives Back {Prize Pack Giveaway}

Know what I love even more than saving money? I love giving back to organizations that really make a difference. Just this past year I started dabbling in couponing and found myself really liking the fun of tracking down coupons and loving saving huge percentages off my total grocery bills.

While some coupons I get are online or in boxes of products I buy, a big portion of the coupons I have used are right out of the P&G brandSAVER inserts so I always get excited when a new one is going to be released.

March 4th is one of those days but this insert is even more exciting than usual because it will support two causes I love. Next week’s P&G GIVE Health brandSAVER insert will be distributed in newspapers across the country and, as always, it will feature discounts for P&G brands. But, just by using those coupons as you normally do, a 2¢ donation from P&G will be split between the Feeding America National Produce Program and the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Fund.

What could be more important than safe water and food for the hungry? In this time of economic crisis, one in six Americans goes hungry, so now more than ever charities like Feeding America are vital to our nation’s health. I’ve talked before about P&G’s partnership with the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program and how they work tirelessly to make dirty drinking water a thing of the past, so I was really happy to see that P&G would be supporting both of these great causes.

Don’t have a newspaper or not interested in couponing? From February 19th (today!) to March 5th, for every “Like” on Facebook, P&G will split a $1 donation between the two charities up to $10,000!

Two lucky Rave & Review readers will win an awesome P&G prize pack that contains the following:

•1 - 10 pack Tide Stain Release In-Wash Booster •1- Tide To-Go Instant Stain Remover •1 - 4 pack Duracell AA Batteries •1 - 50 pack Bounty Quilted Napkins •1 - 25.4 oz. Pantene 2in1 Shampoo & Conditioner •1 - 4 oz. Olay Complete All Day UV moisturizer •1 - 12 pack Puffs Tissues •1 - 1.22 oz. Crest Pro-Health Oral Rinse •1 - Reusable P&G Tote Bag Made from 100% Recycled Plastic Bottles

To Enter: Tell me what P&G product you always look for coupons for

And, as always, there are extra entries available! {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/c2Jvu8ip} and tag P&G My GIVE and R&R on Facebook

1 Extra Entry - Like P&G My GIVE on Facebook {like before March 4th and they will donate $1!}

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter. Simply tweet about the giveaway and the GIVE Health brandSAVER with the post URL {http://t.co/c2Jvu8ip} @pgMyGive and @raveandreview

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus. Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love. Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On March 21st at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canadian addresses only.

A big thank you to P&G for this giveaway opportunity. This giveaway was provided for free from P&G and we are not being paid for this post. All opinions are 100% ours.

Magic Cabin Encourages Imaginative Doll Play {Review & Giveaway}

Open ended and imaginative play is paramount in our house.  When shopping for toys we search out toys that inspire creativity and learning, and that search always leads us to Magic Cabin.  I’ve talked before about my love affair with Magic Cabin’s wide assortment of toys that grow with your kids, and once again I’m raving about the fun that starts when a Magic Cabin box is opened.

And, whose eyes wouldn’t light up if they saw a box full of gorgeous toys and treasures from the pages of the Magic Cabin catalog?

This past year was all about dolls here at Rave Central – doll accessories, doll furniture, and more – and the Magic Cabin catalog was the source of much of our inspiration.  Really, it’s hard to not get inspired while searching through the Magic Cabin catalog.  Page after page it shows children playing in dress up clothing, engaging in imaginative play, and nurturing creativity with heirloom quality toys and gifts.

The first thing we fell in love with this year at Magic Cabin for doll play was the Kathe Kruse Spring Fairy Dolls because we are very into fairies these days.  We love designing their homes and making miniature fairy gardens, and the Kathe Kruse Spring Fairy Dolls are the perfect size for this kind of creativity.

Since we live in tulip country and the pretty and colorful flowers are such a big part of our spring, I knew the Kathe Kruse Tulip Fairy would be a great addition to my daughter’s garden room.  Once she arrived I knew she was perfect.  The Spring Fairy Doll is less than 9 inches tall, so she could easily go on a display shelf or even in a larger doll house, but she’s also really fun to play with since she has a flexible and posable fabric body. 

We decided to make a special “swing” for her suspended from one of the shadowbox shelves of my daughter’s wall mural and she is simply stunning on display.  Like all Kathe Kruse, the Spring Fairy Doll is simply exquisite and classic, the kind of doll that you pass down for generations to enjoy. 

Magic Cabin was my first introduction to the amazing Kathe Kruse dolls, a German company that makes handcrafted Waldorf-style dolls, and now I’m hooked.  Magic Cabin has an extensive collection of these cotton dolls with mohair tresses that are great for any collector or for those looking to make a special little girl’s day.  If you haven’t checked out their line of dolls, I would recommend you do so – you won’t be disappointed.  They even have a beautiful Easter doll with a basket of felt eggs, holiday dolls, and Fall Fairies that would delight any doll lover. 

Another essential Magic Cabin doll accessory is the Combi Doll Furniture line that encourages imaginative play with your little one.  The line is made of beautiful Baltic Birch and comes in two different colors {natural oil finish or red stain} to match your play area.  Besides being USA made and gorgeous enough to keep in a main room in your house, what I love most about the Combi Doll line is that the products promote creativity.  Not only do they encourage imaginative doll play, they also are very open-ended toys that can be used for many different play situations.

My favorite of their line is the Combi Chair which goes from a highchair to a doll desk simply by flipping it on its side.  I love this as it works for both baby dolls and for the “older” big girl dolls my daughter is now very into.  But, as cool as this is that the Combi Chair is 2-in-1, my daughter made it even more awesome by adding two more uses for the petite little chair.  By flipping it upside down while in desk mode, my daughter has decided it is a “car” for her smaller toys and they use it to drive all over our living room. 

And, then my favorite use: as a puppet theatre.  By turning the chair upside down while in high chair mode and covering with a blanket, you have the perfect make believe theatre to play with.  We’ve spent so many days thinking up stories to act out and entertaining each other for hours that this is now our new favorite toy.  We’ve now added backdrops and made some little finger puppets and have a great rainy day/snow day activity.

If you are doll shopping for spring, you should start at Magic Cabin and check out their amazing collection of Kathe Kruse as well as accessories for everything from baby dolls up to collector dolls.  My favorite tip is to check out the Magic Cabin Exclusives that, to me, define the very nature of open ended and extended play toys.  I seriously could shop there for every little kid on my list this year!

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a $50 Magic Cabin gift card to spend however you like!

To Enter: Visit Magic Cabin and tell me how you would spend your $50!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/AAAc91xn} and tag Magic Cabin and R&R on Facebook

1 Extra Entry - Like Magic Cabin on Facebook

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following {feel free to personalize it!} after following us both:

Thinking of how I would spend $50 at @MagicCabin if I #win the #giveaway from @RaveAndReview http://t.co/AAAc91xn

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On March 20th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US addresses only.

A big thank you to Magic Cabin for this review and giveaway opportunity.  All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

Get $10 Credit with Amex Serve Account! {+ $100 Giveaway}

This post is sponsored by Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 11 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account!

'Tis the season of splitting tabs, joint presents, and babysitters.  With dozens of birthdays between mid-November and Christmas, it feels like we're constantly out to eat or shopping as a group and then figuring out who still owes what, whether that check ever got cashed, or wondering why on Earth we forgot cash... again.  But Serve is out to change the way you handle these situations and make sure I'm never stuck creating an IOU spreadsheet ever again.

Serve is the brand new online and mobile money account from American Express that allows you to send and receive money easily, whether you are at home or on the go.  Instead of having to collect bank account information, write and cash checks, or caravan to an ATM, Serve allows you to send and receive money to and from any other Serve member using just their email address or cell phone number.

By managing your account online, through your smartphone, or through their convenient pre-paid card, you can ensure that you will always know how much money you have and control where it gets divvied up.  With your online dashboard you can get the complete overview of your accounts, subaccounts {great for kids, employees, etc}, as well as send and receive money and view past transactions.  Through your mobile app on your smartphone you can manage your account and handle transactions on the go.  Then, as a final convenience, Serve accounts also include a prepaid, reloadable card that you can use to make purchases online and offline wherever American Express is accepted in the US.

To try out the Serve mobile app, we invited two couples out to dinner with us to celebrate all of our birthdays {yes, we all have birthdays within weeks of each other}.  We decided to make a night of it and celebrate having babysitters in the middle of the holiday season so we booked a table at Barrio in Seattle and then bought tickets to a show afterwards.  We enjoyed a leisurely dinner and drinks by candlelight {fun fact: over 380 flickering candles make up the wall and table decor at Barrio}.  When the bill came we split it like normal but, then as a birthday surprise we then credited each of their Serve accounts.

In preparation for the night I had each of them sign up for a Serve account the week before telling them about the free $10 promotion for new signups.  Then when the time came to reimburse, all I needed was their email address or cell phone number and they had their money.  The best part about using Serve this way is that our friends actually accepted the credit on their accounts.  Since I am positive they wouldn't have accepted cash or a check and would have walked out the door insisting that they pay their way, I love that I now have a "sneaky" way to pay people back. 

Side note: All of our babysitters who refuse to let us pay you, beware - Serve is going to make sure that I have a way to reimburse you for donating your Saturday to watching my kiddos if it's the last thing I do!

Since setting up a Serve account is so easy, there's really no reason not to do it.  It's a great way to help you manage your money by making it easy to send and receive while still being safe and secure because it's backed by a trustworthy company, and it's a fabulous way to make sure you stay within spending limits with a prepaid card. As if that wasn't enough, now you can get $10 in your account just for signing up!  If you'd like you can also refer friends to Serve and get up to $5 for each one that signs enrolls, up to $50.  While I haven't tried this feature yet, there are quite a few people I think could really benefit from a Serve account and I am definitely going to be referring them.

If you haven't already created an account, now is the perfect time to do so and help make the holiday season easier to manage.  While there are some personal information required such as the last 4 digits of your social security number and some security questions to answer, you aren't obligated to give financial institution information, give up your first born, or go through a credit check.  Just a few answers and your account is created, $10 deposited, and your Serve card is sent in the mail for you to use - isn't that simple?

I personally love how easy it is to pay with Serve and plan on using the heck out of it over the next few months.  From all of our divvying up meals, tabs, and gifts this holiday season it has actually been quite handy to have and I'm excited to use all of the features.  Be sure to connect with Serve via Facebook and on Twitter

Win It: One lucky Rave & Review reader will win $100 credited to their Serve account!

Mandatory Entry: Just head over to Serve and sign up for an account, then come back here and leave me a comment.  Be sure to leave your email address that you used to sign up for Serve with.

This giveaway will end on December 31st. The winner will be picked by Serve. The lucky winner was Ann F! Thank you all for entering!

Remember to sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found by clicking here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Our Day Celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2011

I kind of feel like a celebrity when I’m visiting my local toy stores.  Not only do most of the clerks know my name, they also know my kids’ names, their birthdays, and what our favorite brands are.  They will let me know when they get something in they know I will love, and they raid my contact lists for recommendations of what to bring into their shops on a regular basis.  Admittedly, we spend a lot of time just hanging out at toy stores. 

And, why not?  There’s just something special about popping in to pick up a present for friends or letting the kids spend their birthday cash knowing that we are having fun and supporting our local shops that we love so much.  It’s in these shops that we’ve played with nearly every toy under the sun, from science to stuffed animals, and have figured out what toys really are worth bringing home.  And, some really cool toys come home with us this last weekend as we celebrated Neighborhood Toy Store Day in Seattle. 

This was our second year celebrating and we were really excited about it for weeks before the event, especially as we began to research all the stores that would be celebrating near us.  We mapped out our plan ahead of time and figured out the best way to hit the stores we really wanted to make it to, and we were positively giddy as we waited for November 12th to roll around.  Finally it did and the whole family was so excited to go that we got an early start and headed out for breakfast. 

We started out our Neighborhood Toy Store Day events by meeting up with some friends from out of town at Top Ten Toys in Greenwood and spent hours going around to their booths they had set up for the event.  The kids got their faces painted, adopted balloon dogs, made “snow”, decorated puppets, and made flowers to bring home, and at each station they collected prizes for their goody bags that they could take home.  Of course, I snuck away for a moment and got a little present for the holidays so I was really glad they also had gift wrap so I could disguise it once purchased.

Next we went to Planet Happy where we heard all about their green and sustainable products recommended by ASTRA, drew pictures together, and even made a button and a magnet the girls could take home.  The kids liked their live birds and their adorable hedgehog pet that are all kept in the store, and I loved that the shop’s smaller retail area was well utilized and allowed for some good browsing while we still watched the kiddos.  We also bought a few small things for stocking stuffers at the store, but will definitely come back to get the other item we have our eye on that couldn’t be covertly purchased in front of the kids. 

I was thrilled to see so many happy faces out celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day last weekend with us at both of the stores we visited.  There’s nothing like a fun event to help kick off the holiday season right and get you in the mood for all the upcoming festivities.  After participating for two years now and seeing how well our toy stores party, I would love to see this become a family tradition that officially starts off the holiday season for us. 

You can find more information about ASTRA and Neighborhood Toy Store Day at neighborhoodtoystoreday.com. 

No compensation was received in exchange for this post, I just thought you would want to see what fun we had!

Come Out and Play on Neighborhood Toy Store Day – Saturday, November 12th

Remember the magic of your local toy store growing up - where kids were encouraged to play and picking out the perfect toy was as special as the toy itself?  The folks at American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) do and they are inviting you to relive the magic on November 12, 2011 as toy stores nation-wide celebrate Neighborhood Toy Store Day.  With free crafts, giveaways, face painting and more planned, it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season with your neighbors and help support the local businesses that make our communities great.

And, what isn’t great about a place where you are surrounded by virtually every toy imaginable and you can watch what your child gravitates to?  By doing this I have absolutely solidified that the “pink aisle” of Corolle dolls and accessories is where we must budget at least 60% of our time, but after that a dolly will inevitably be wheeled in a stroller over to the train table and miniature village, over to the stuffed animals, and finally end up in the play kitchen where they will fix the baby a snack together.  

I find it funny that even though we have most of the stuff they gravitate to at home to play with, the magic of the toy store never loses its luster for our kids.  For this reason, I know that even if we had an entire playroom stuffed with toys we would still be back to our local stores regularly.  There’s just so much changing that kids do in such a short amount of time, I can’t imagine not introducing them to everything I could and really encouraging them to try it all in a community setting. 

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is designed to celebrate all the benefits of shopping local {expert advice, specialty toys not found at larger chain stores, special events, local toys and gifts, all the wonderful memories you create, and being able to play with different ages of toys to see what is best for your child… need I go on?} as well as spotlighting the fact that these toy stores are a dying breed.  Since I love all my local stores and want my kids to grow up with their own amazing memories of toy store Family Day, the idea of losing our local stores makes me incredibly sad, which is why we support them whenever possible.

So of course we are very excited that this will be our second year celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day in the Seattle, hopping from store to store and making a day of it.  Just like last year, we’ll be gathering the kids and bundling them up for a fall day full of fun, each of them bringing along a beloved friend for the fun {Corolle Bebe Amour for her, Steiff Dragon for him}.  Only this year we have friends from out of town joining us as well, which just might take the excitement levels and spin them out of control.  Doesn’t that sound like a ton of fun? 

If you want to get involved in Neighborhood Toy Store Day this weekend, you can find out participating stores near you and see what they have in store or you can call your local store directly.  You can find more information about ASTRA and Neighborhood Toy Store Day at neighborhoodtoystoreday.com.  Just remember, bringing kids is optional.
 
If you're in the Seattle area, check out my article at Red Tricycle Seattle that details all the days events!

No compensation was received in exchange for this post, this is just something we believe in and want to share with you!

Naturalizer Footwear {Review & Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide - Day 2

In my busy days taking care of kids there’s really no excuse to not wear comfortable shoes.  I already know I’m going to be chasing toddlers, carting bags and strollers, and walking a good deal, so there’s really not much room in the schedule for uncomfortable footwear.  This is why my shoe collection looks like a teenager’s – tennis shoes, sneakers, flip flops, etc.

Or, rather, it used to.

My shoe collection just got a big makeover with the addition of the Naturalizer Arness boots that arrived earlier this month.  Perfect for fall with some tights and a skirt or with jeans for the perfect fall look, the Arness boots are not only cute, they are also incredibly comfortable.  So comfortable, in fact, that it prompted a trip to our local Naturalizer Store where I loaded up on some of the sale shoes, bags, and sandals this past weekend. 

I was incredibly excited about the range of styles available at the store as well as the colors and sizes they had in stock.  And, we’re not talking “grandma shoes” with tons of support and little style, Naturalizer really has a great range of footwear for women.  From heels and peep-toes to Dr. Scholls and sneakers, Naturalizer has it all.

At the Naturalizer sale, I scored two pairs of sandals, an adorable pair of flats, and some dressier heels for going out.  And although I really needed new shoes, I couldn’t pass up their amazing handbag sale that gave me a percentage off their already reduced prices, making their purses less that $15!  I left the store looking like a sponsored ad for the company and have ever since as I’ve been sporting my shoes and bags.
 
So now instead of a teenager’s shoe collection, I have an age-appropriate shoe wardrobe that can go from any of my daily activities, no matter what the weather.  You wouldn’t believe the compliments I get from the other moms in our play group as they admire my new footwear.  I love that the first question is always “are they really uncomfortable?” as if shoes have to pinch, rub, and chafe, and I love that I can tell other moms how unlike other shoes the Naturalizer collection is. 

If you’re looking for style and comfort, you should definitely check out Naturalizer to find the shoes, boots, sandals and bags that are hot this season.  Bonus – If you’re shopping for boots, you will be happy to note that there is an awesome boot sale going on right now so it’s a great time to get your fall and winter boots at a great price!

Want to try this comfort on your own? You're in luck because one lucky person will win their choice of shoes from Naturalizer!

To enter, simply visit Naturalizer and comment below with what shoes you would pick if you win

 And, as always, there are extra entries available!  Please leave a separate comment for each completed.

1 Extra Entry {per method} if you follow Naturalizer on Twitter and/or like them on Facebook.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

Awesome Naturalizer #giveaway from @RaveAndReview and @NaturalizerShoe! http://t.co/2i47TJSM #win with #MyBlogSpark

2 Extra Entries {per follow method} - Follow Rave & Review!  Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll.

3 Extra Entries - Button Love. Place my button in your sidebar on your blog or website with an active link to R&R

3 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On November 16th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US Addresses.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to:

18 Beth Hill said... like naturalizer on facebook

A big thank you to Naturalizer and Brown Shoe Company (through MyBlogSpark) for providing shoes and information for me as well as a Naturalizer gift card for one lucky giveaway winner.  All opinions are 100% ours and no monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Our Hillshire Farm #GourmetCreations Journey

Over the summer, I scored 5 packages of cheap turkey dogs for under $.33 with coupons and discounts, and we’ve slowly been working our way through them.  While cheap, they certainly aren’t the most flavorful hot dogs I’ve ever had, and every time I cook them for the family my husband tells me how much he would like a good bratwurst or sausage instead.  So, when I was chosen to do a Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations Shopertunity, of course he was ecstatic. 

We immediately made a date to check out our local Walmart that was said to stock them in the refrigerated section and headed there after work one day.  Unfortunately, when we got there we saw the entire section was a mess and the Hillshire Farm section was the worst, badly in need of a restock.  Since the next Walmart up the street was close enough, we decided we would just head there instead.  We got there and realized they didn’t have them, either, so we had customer service call the next closest store for us to see if they had them in ahead of time.  They said they did, so we headed off to go pick them up.

Unfortunately they were looking at the wrong section, because when we got there we found the same basic selection we had found at the other stores.  Dejected, we left thinking we may never find the elusive Gourmet Creations from Hillshire Farm.  Two days later, we decided to go on a family road trip to take some pictures and enjoy the fall weather and found ourselves near another Walmart, so of course we popped in to check out their selection.

What we found was the best organized Walmart store we’ve visited yet, with clear signage, good merchandizing, and a whole bunch of other products I wish the stores near us would carry.  Included in that vast selection was two different flavors of Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations that looked so delicious we got both kinds.  {BONUS: check out the coupons, right on the package!}  After that we headed to pick up some hotdog buns and some miscellaneous lunch stuff that we go through so fast, and then we were off to go make something awesome with our new finds. 

I thought about doing some sort of pasta dish or casserole creation that would really knock the socks off of all of you when you saw my gorgeous pictures.  But then I realized that for the first time in 4 months we actually had good, grillable goodness that we could serve up with onions and peppers and let’s just say I had to do it for my hubby.  So, we grilled up the Beef with Jalapeno variety on the stovetop with some sautéed veggies {no added oil necessary!} and popped them in some buns and dinner was served.  While we had only cheap buns, you can still see how delicious dinner was, right?

My daughter, even with her 3-year old taste buds, was raving about the dinner and has asked that we have the Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations for meals twice since we grilled our first package up.  I was a bit worried that the jalapeno taste might be too spicy for the littlest testers, but they were just fine and both of them asked for more. 

But, as much as we all loved our quick and easy meal, the person who was on cloud 9 was my hubby who has been dying for a dinner like this for so long.  Since we have an extra package of Apple Chicken Gourmet Creations as well as a package of the Hillshire Farm Beef Sausage on hand now from our Walmart tour, you can bet we’re going to be doing a whole lot more grilling in our future!

Check out our journey to put Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations on our dinner plates by clicking on the picture below:

This shop was compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation influenced this Rave Review.

Calico Critters from Growing Tree Toys

Calico Critters Margaret and Halley's Shop Play Set Review

My daughter simply adores Calico Critters.  She first came upon them at a friend’s house and ever since then they have been a major topic of conversation, especially once she picked up the Calico Critters catalog.  For instance: “I’m going to ask Santa for this super cute nursery set, mama” or “wouldn’t it be SO FUN if I had this toy and we could play with it all day long?”.  I must admit, she’s pretty convincing.  So convincing that eventually we caved and got her the Calico Critters Connor and Kerri Carriage Ride Set for her birthday.

Once we opened it, I realized that there was something strangely familiar about the critters; They reminded me of Sylvanian Families, which were some of my favorite toys growing up.  One quick google search and I found out that Calico Critters are basically the same toys I had adored growing up, they just go by a different name now in the US.  While they may have a new name and packaging, they still were the same quality toys that I had remembered, with poseable limbs, removable clothing, and accessories galore. 

Knowing that we were going to be getting her some more sets soon, I couldn’t believe my luck when I got the kind of email that my daughter’s been dreaming about that started out with “congratulations, you’ve been picked to review the Calico Critters Margaret and Halley’s Shop Play Set!” and was followed by a delivery to our front porch. 

All week long my daughter worked hard to earn the toy, cleaning her room, taking care of her brother, and helping me out with dinner, all the while telling me how incredibly excited she was to open her bears.  The moment when she earned opening the toy and began to play, I felt like the best mom ever.  We sat down and set up a whole scene where Margaret and her baby, Halley, go shopping and included all the critters from her Carriage Ride set.  We had a lot of fun having the mamas and babies pick out their outfits and then stroll with their babies and new purchases back to their “homes”.

While my daughter loves all the little accessories – like the yellow purse, necklaces, compact, and teddy bear – I love the dress forms that come with the set.  The dress forms are made of sturdy plastic that hold the extra outfits perfectly, no slipping straps or clothing that falls off too easily, the clothing display stays just as you lay it out for the shopping trip, something I love. 

I’ve now logged hours playing with the two Calico Critters sets and see a whole lot more critters in my future.  They have held up nicely to our playing, but I will caution that little brothers aren’t the best Calico Critters playmates.  They tend to suck on the fuzzy limbs of the critters, hide the accessories, and generally cause mayhem.  For this reason, we’ve put away some of the teeny tiny accessories and make sure we play with them only when it’s his naptime or bedtime.

Now, having checked out Calico Critters vast selection on the Growing Tree Toys site, I am eagerly looking forward to buying more adorable critters and accessories to extend our play.  From houses to playsets to families and more, Growing Tree Toys has everything a Calico Critters enthusiast could hope for.  In fact, if anyone is looking for anything for my daughter for the holildays, I could tell you what is on her long {long, long} wishlist from Growing Tree Toys.

Click here to shop Calico Critters at http://www.growingtreetoys.com/

A big thank you to Growing Tree Toys for sending the Calico Critters Play Set for review.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Glow Gifts: Unique and Fun Customized Presents {Review & Giveaway}

‘Tis {almost} the season of giving!  Are you like me and have a half a dozen people on your list and no idea what to buy for them?  Do yourself a favor and check out Glow Gift, a new site that allows you to create your own specially crafted present with their unique collection of gifts for all types of recipients.  Whether you are buying for a new parent, a world traveler, a teen, or a sister-in-law, there’s tons of ideas that you can throw together in a beautiful and thoughtful package all ready for gifting.   

As hard as most of these people are to buy for, what I find most daunting is the dreaded “family present” when you aren’t buying individual gifts but rather just one present for the whole family.  This is when I think Glow Gifts really shines as it has some great additions that truly are family-friendly and fun for kids and adults to open.

Maybe it’s because they have gifts that you just don’t see everywhere else {chalk board wine tags, anyone?}, or maybe it’s because their presentation is so perfect, but I seriously don’t think you could not enjoy opening up a Glow Gift package.  They all come “wrapped” in a solid color gift box, tagged with the recipient’s initial, and full of crinkle paper that is simply fun and festive.  Then, nestled inside is the actual present, fully protected and ready for gifting. 

We got to check out a family Glow Gift package that contained note cards, a CD, and a small framed print and it was perfect because there was a present for each of us opening it inside.  I got the note cards, my husband got the family-friendly CD {perfect for rocking out with the kiddos while driving}, and our daughter got the framed “You Are My Sunshine” print. 

In addition to buying pre-made Glow Gifts packages, you can also create your own by browsing through their collections and making your custom gift.  This is a great option if you love the Glow collection and want to make your own medley for a special someone {or someones} this holiday season.  Head on over to GlowGift.com and check out their line of exquisite, unique, and fun gifts for the hard – or impossible – to buy for!

Bonus - use coupon code TAKE10 until 12/31/11 for 10% off at http://www.glowgift.com/!

Want to win $50 Gift Certificate to GlowGift.com?  That would give you $43 to spend on gifts and $7 for shipping, just in time for the holidays!

To enter, simply visit GlowGift and tell me your favorite item

 And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar {2 extra entries, must be verified to count}

2) Tweet about this Giveaway after following us both {daily Tweet, just post link here}

Win a $50 gift certificate for @GlowGifts from @raveandreview! See their #ravereview and enter #giveaway here http://t.co/zrXcEEjz

3) Sign up for the GlowGifts Newsletter {on the right side upper corner of GlowGift.com homepage, 2 entries}

4) "Like" GlowGifts on Facebook {must be verified to count}

5) NEW!  "Like" Rave and Review on Facebook! {must be verified to count}

6) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage {2 extra entries, just post the URL where I can find your writeup}

7) Place my button in your sidebar on your blog or website  {must have an active link to R&R}

8) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On November 28th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US Addresses.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to: #95 Sofia B said...

New Glow Gifts Facebook fan (Sophia B***)

Thank you to GlowGift for sending a family prize pack to be revewed.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

New HABA Toys {My Animal Friends Arranging Game Review & Giveaway}

I simply adore European design.  In fact, I would do nearly all my shopping overseas if I could afford the shipping or the plane tickets.  So, finding a retailer like Maukilo that specializes in European design and in heirloom quality toys is pretty much a dream come true.  There are hundreds of ways I could go broke shopping at the Maukilo site, starting with the largest selection of HABA toys and accessories available online.  I’ve often said that I wish my kid’s toys looked like the HABA pages at Maukilo.com and never has that been more true than with their newest 2011 offerings.

Whether you are looking for heirloom quality games, imagination inspiring play sets, or the best in pretend play, HABA’s newest offerings cover it all.  While it would be hard for me to pick a favorite from their newest products, my daughter had a list of 10 favorites that she wanted to share with you.

Here's her Top 10 list, in no particular order:

1)    My Animal Friends Arranging Game
We got a chance to play with the My Animal Friends Arranging Game these past few weeks and we simply love it.  Instead of other toys that get abandoned after the first few days, I really love that, like everything else from HABA that we own, the kids love it more every day as they find new and exciting ways to play with it. 

At first, the My Animal Arranging Game started out as a puzzle, where we would dump out the sturdy block pieces and then see how fast we could place them back in their wooden storage tray.  Quickly the kids realized how fun it would be to set up a colorful and fun city scene that the frog and mouse could live in, and that’s how they spent hours of their summer break.

But, instead of being abandoned after this point for games with loud noises and batteries, the third round of play began: seeing how many items we could create out of the 17 beechwood Arranging Game pieces and having everyone guess what our creations were.  This has proved to be hours of battery-free play and one of our favorite new activities.  I love watching how creative they get with the pieces and seeing them guess what each other have made, which is why we are simply raving about the My Animal Friends Arranging Game.   

Can you guess what our creations were?

2)    Habaland Play Blocks
These colorful and fun blocks are similar to the My Animal Friends Arranging Game, only they are a bit bigger and come with a few more pieces and even a vehicle, trees, and trailer that can add to the fun.  After playing with the smaller building set, the Habaland Play Blocks are something I could see splurging on this holiday season for their extended play value.

And, why not?  Kids have a great time creating their own buildings, houses or even towers with the 25 sturdy beechwood pieces and what kid wouldn't love having a car to drive through the town to deliver goods? 

Again, the added bonus is that when the kiddos are done playing town you can play the “guess what I made?” game as well!  Just think of all the things you could create from these adorable blocks!

3)    Doll Annie, 13.5" , 4)    Doll Clara, 13.5"  & 5)    Doll Elise, 12"

My daughter received the Fay Finja HABA soft body doll for her birthday and is simply smitten, so of course the three newest HABA dolls are high up on her wishlist.  While the dolls look cute and fun online, once you see them in person you will be blown away.  They all not only have quality features and are the perfect size and weight for kiddos, their accessories are simply craveable! 

Note: All 12” sized HABA dress sets will fit the 13.5” and 12” dolls, which means you can buy them different outfits throughout the year.  But, did you know that HABA makes adorable doll accessories, too?  They do!  Which, of course, leads me to the next thing on my daughter’s wishlist…

6)    Infant Seat for baby dolls
My daughter is a stickler for details.  I mean, if her baby brother has to ride in a car seat while we’re driving, then of course her beloved dolls can’t be sitting just anywhere while the car is moving.  Her suggestion was that her doll could ride in the HABA Infant Seat for baby dolls, just like a real baby does.  She told me it was a safety issue, and it's hard to argue with that.

Not only is this a great idea for your next doll roadtrip, it’s the perfect play companion for your little mommy so she can read to her baby, rock her in the seat, and even let her rest for a while after a busy day.  Then, when playtime is done, the seat is also an adorable way to display your child's precious baby instead of in a pile on the floor.

7)    Biofino Savory Breakfast
My daughter makes me breakfast in bed nearly every morning.  We’re talking the works – eggs, bacon, pancakes, cocoa, you name it.  Naturally, most of it is pretend and what isn’t pretend is plastic, but it’s the thought that counts, right? 

But, what she wouldn’t give to be able to serve this adorable Biofino Savory Breakfast set from HABA to me instead, complete with a roll, egg, 2 slices of ham, 2 slices of salami, a slice of cheese, and a lettuce leaf.  Adorable, no?

8)    Biofino Fancy Teacakes
After breakfast is our tea time, which means one thing in our house: sweets.  So, of course we are all drooling over the Biofino Fancy Teacakes set that has some of the most delectable desserts you can imagine.  I think I will take the Black Forest Cake… or the strawberry-chocolate cream roll… or, better yet, I’ll just have one of everything. 

9)    Pulling figure Crab Calino
Seriously, how cute is this little crab?  I got to see it in person at the HABA booth during the ABC Kids Expo and let me tell you, it's even cuter in person than it looks online.

I may not be a fan of them at our beaches or even on my dinner plate, but when they’re made of wood, we all love them.  This little pulling figure Crab Calino is perfect for ages 1 and up, which my daughter thinks would be good for her brother’s birthday this month.  Really, I can’t blame her, this little guy’s eight Beechwood legs clicking against each other as my little one pulled it across the floor would certainly make everyone smile.

10)    Crab Squirter with Water Funnel
We love the HABA spilling funnel that goes with us every time we head to the beach, so it’s no surprise at all that my daughter is now asking for the Crab Squirter with Water Funnel this year.  Not only would it be perfect sea side, it is also a great idea for in the tub for year-round play!  

What is your favorite new HABA offering?  Do you have a wish list like my daughter {and me}?

One lucky winner will win the HABA My Animal Friends Arranging Game!

To enter simply visit Maukilo and tell me a favorite HABA toy that they cary {good luck choosing one!}

 And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway after following us both (daily Tweet, just post link here)

Enter to #win an awesome wooden puzzle from @maukilo HABA USA and @raveandreview. Read the #ravereview and #giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/64xjhdc

3) "Like" HABA USA on Facebook - Bonus: they have an awesome FB page that has tons of product info, places to purchase, and a real person that can answer any questions you have about the brand or products - gotta love that!

4) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage (2 extra entries, just post the URL where I can find your writeup)

5) Place my button in your sidebar on your blog or website  (2 extra entries, must have an active link to R&R)

6) Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) NEW!  "Like" Rave and Review on Facebook! {3 extra entries}

On October 28th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US Addresses.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to:

#10 Janet W. said...  Emailed a family member and cc you. Email was sent on 9/23.

Thank you to HABA for sending their My Animal Friends Arranging Game to be adored.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.