K5 Learning Review Coming Soon

K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students. I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.

Have you used K5 Learning? If so what did you + your child(ren) think of it?

Nicole

Perplexus Original Review + Giveaway!

My son received the Perplexus Original for Christmas. It's definitely a challenging puzzle that's for sure! He's on the Autism Spectrum with Asperger's Syndrome; which he's very brilliant in most aspects such as puzzles, technology, etc. He over thinks a lot of things so I figured the Perplexus should challenge him enough that it would take him a while to master it on it's 3 different levels of complexity.

So far, so good! He loves trying this puzzle out for minutes at a time, multiple times a day. It has a small silver ball inside that you must follow the numbers through a path, twisting and turning the Perplexus ball to keep the small silver ball on it's path. I have played with it a number of times now myself and yet to have mastered it either. Definitely lots of excitement trying to see who can get the furthest along without the silver ball dropping out of it's path!

This puzzle ball was definitely a hit in our household! Like Perplexus on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more information. Then, take a look at this video to see it in action:

EdenFantasys: Dual Shower Head Review

Disclaimer: This is a review of an Adult Product / Website.If you wish to proceed, click Read More.If not, please scroll down to view the next review and/or giveaway.  Thanks!

PlasmaCar Review + Giveaway!

It's like magic, but you don't need to be a magician to get it to work.

The PlasmaCar is a mechanical marvel that makes use of that most inexhaustible of energy sources, kid-power, by harnessing the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, and friction. It's so easy to operate; all it needs is a driver and a smooth, flat surface.

We were beyond thrilled when we received the PlasmaCar for review. Using two tools that just about every household would have on hand, we were able to put this together within 15 minutes (anyone great with tools could do in half the time!). This cute ride on toy, is very inexpensive for the quality of the materials used to make this product. And no batteries needed, so the PlasmaCar will continue to entertain while saving on your wallet in the long run as well!

The PlasmaCar is very durable + can hold 220lbs on smooth, flat surfaces and 120lbs on rough, flat surfaces. This means the fun doesn't end with the kids; A lot of parents can have a blast too! My son is still unable to ride a bike without training wheels at 6 years old, so giving him a break from the bike and boosting his self-esteem with an easy to use for everyone toy may give him the courage in the near future. The PlasmaCar can be used by simply resting your feet on the board and steering with the wheel, back + forth. The steering motion allows the car to glide along on it's own!

McKinley Rose Boutique Custom Knitted Hats

McKinley Rose Boutique is a handmade shop by Lisa Borders. There's a selection of items such as tutus, tutu dresses, bows + hair clips, knitted + crocheted hats, blankets + diaper covers.

I actually won the Bear Hat that my little girl is wearing. We chose to have the ears light pink rather than a light brown (as shown in her facebook page photos) for the additional girly look. My son was very specific about what he wanted. We had viewed photos of some of the previous hats that Lisa had made. He said he didn't want those but wanted a red dinosaur hat with spikes. So we sent over an email asking if she did custom orders and to explain what we were looking for. Lisa was excited to give it a go. She is very easy to work with in helping to choose colors and sizing.



These came just in time as the chill has hit here just recently. Both my kidlets love their hats! They are very well made and the sizing was perfect. My daughter still says "aww!" every time we pull it out for her to wear before going outdoors. And my son seems to be planning his next creation, "it needs a tail now..."!

10% of all sales from McKinley Rose Boutique is donated to SHARE. "The mission of Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc. is to serve those whose lives are touched by tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth or in the first few months of life."

From McKinley Rose Boutique:
On December 5, 2009 sweet Mckinley Rose was born. I had the honor of photographing her for her newborn session and instantly fell in love! This girl snuggled into my arms and I didn't want to put her down! Such a beautiful baby and so content throughout her entire session!

On March 24, 2010 I found out from my former photography partner that McKinley Rose had passed away. She has a very special place in my heart. I talked to her mama late 2010 and asked if I could open a shop and give it McKinley's beautiful name. She agreed!

So, here we are now and I have to tell you it is a blessing to be able to do this! 10% of all sales will be donated to SHARE { http://www.nationalshare.org } in memory of McKinley! Thank you for helping to keep her memory alive and for your contribution towards helping other families facing such a loss.

Visit McKinley Rose Boutique on Facebook + view her works in the photo albums. Stay tuned for a hairbow giveaway from McKinley Rose Boutique that we'll be hosting soon!

Nicole

Disclaimer: McKinley Rose Boutique provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

EdenFantasys: Lockable Toy Storage Case

Disclaimer: This is a review of an Adult Product / Website.If you wish to proceed, click Read More.If not, please scroll down to view the next review and/or giveaway.  Thanks!

Kaitlyn's Custom Travel Size Diaper Wipe Case

I have seen quite a lot of these diaper wipe cases popping up in small/home business shops across the web. I recently noticed them for the first time a few months back. I got the opportunity to review one for Kaitlyn's Diaper Wipe Cases.


(Case my little man received.)

These are custom made + personalized for each order. I chose one for my son's bag so he can take along with him for his overnight bag or day trips for quick clean up. Even though he's 6, wipes are a life saver for after meals/snacks or outdoor play.

My son is fan of all things dinosaurs + robots. Just so happened, a robot fabric was currently in stock at the time of order. We received this case with a boyish look; bright colored robots + blue ribbon. The little man loves the look of it of course. It's super cute in my opinion as well. We have carried this around through the house + for outings. It's held up very well; no peeling/loosening of the fabric or ribbon to date.

Now here's your chance to win a custom diaper wipe case for yourself. Winner will be contacted + can choose from fabrics that are currently in stock to have your case created just for you.

Mutt Mad - Classy Bowtie for the Pups

At the end of September, we got a Boxer pup for our family. Ryder is now a 5 month old male, fawn boxer with white markings + black face mask. He's extremely kid friendly + has made an excellent addition to the household! About two weeks ago, we ended up with another boxer, Miss Daisy that is 8 weeks old now; she's white with fawn colored ears. If you have a boxer, you know this breed grows fairly quickly.

We have already purchased two collars for Ryder. The first he out grew quickly so we had no choice but to upgrade. We were about to have to upgrade again, then the opportunity to review MuttMad's Bow tie Collar + Bow tie Collar Cover came up!

From Mutt Mad: The dog bow tie collar is great for special events. And the dog bow tie collar covers are sleeves that you slip the collar into in order that the dog can still wear a collar but this makes the collar far more formal!

  

Black Dog Collar with Couture Bowtie
Ryder is sporting the dog collar with couture bow tie in black. The bow tie is attached to the collar very securely. Even when Ryder has pawed at it before getting use to it, it stayed put. I was worried he'd find a way to tear it off but he couldn't. The collar is a simple clip for quick removal + ease of putting on. Ryder has plenty of room to grow into this collar as well!

Dog Bow Tie Collar Cover
Miss Daisy is showing off the dog bow tie collar cover in red. This was sized specially for Ryder who is quite larger than Miss Daisy is. However, I was able to easily slip Miss Daisy's collar into the collar cover + clip her collar back on her. There is a little bit of bunching (excess fabric) while she wears this one, but I wanted to show you all how versatile this cover was. As simple as it is to put on, it's just as quick to remove when needed to wash!

I would highly recommend Mutt Mad products for your dog. They were very customer service friendly, from help in sizing for the collars to quick shipping! Visit Mutt Mad, the dog lovers marketplace at http://muttmad.com or on Facebook for more dog accessories.

Nicole

Disclaimer: Mutt Mad provided me with a free product in return for my honest opinion.

EdenFantasys: Sensual + Romantic Products

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The Rockboard Scooter

We (me + the man of the house) were both excited to receive the Rockboard scooter to review. This 3 in 1 scooter (kick it, rock it + fold it modes) is ideal for kids ages 8 and up. The Rockboard holds up to 200 lbs so our entire household could have fun with it.

We opened the package to find it was fully assembled + ready to use immediately! This is our ideal type of gift for the holidays; more playtime and less time unpackaging + putting everything together. The Rockboard was very easy to use. You can use it just as a regular scooter if you please. Or you can set it to rock mode, hop on and shift your weight back + forth from one leg to the other which you can see in this video of The Man testing it out for the first time.



My overall opinion of the Rockboard scooter is lovely! It's made with great quality + is very durable. I can see this product being very long-lasting and enjoyed by my children now and in the future as they grow in age.

You can purchase the Rockboard scooter for $199 at Target which is well worth every penny! Or you can keep up to date with us on Facebook; once we hit 500 fans we will give you an opportunity to enter a giveaway for your chance to win a Rockboard Scooter of your very own, just in time for the holidays!

Nicole

Disclaimer: Rockboard provided me with a free product in return for my honest opinion.

Baby Face Band

This is one of the most unique items I've received yet and should be on every expecting / new mother's wishlist. The Baby Face Band is definitely one of those products you can say to yourself "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Most cups + bottles, if labeled at all, are labeled with the child's name. But these babies + kids can't read! Children learn to recognize themselves in a photo between 12 and 15 months and that's how the Baby Face Band was born. The Baby Face Band is reusable and non-adhesive patented silicone band that simply stretches over most sippy cups, bottles, water bottles, etc. Since you customize it at home, by placing your child's photo into the water tight plastic insert, you can even change the picture as your child grows and changes!

I received a red one for my son and a purple one for my daughter. Now, since they do use the same or similar, cups + water bottles, there is no fuss over which one belongs to whom! These are easy to put on, to remove and to clean. I've had no problem with the picture getting wet insdie the insert to date. These are definitely a hit in our house!

If you wish to purchase a baby face band for your little one(s), visit http://www.babyfaceband.com and LIKE Baby Face Band on Facebook!

Nicole

Disclaimer: Baby Face Band provided me with a free product in return for my honest opinion.

EdenFantasys: Sexy Halloween Costumes

Disclaimer: This is a review of an Adult Product / Website.If you wish to proceed, click Read More.If not, please scroll down to view the next review and/or giveaway.  Thanks!

Road Kill Tshirts Review

I received this "I fart on the first date" tee from RoadKillTshirts.com.  They did ask for my size and told me that I could request a non-offensive shirt if I wish.  I did let them know I would like the receive a non-offensive shirt.  Now, yes this shirt is not porn, contain explicit text, etc but it's not the most family friendly specially for a mother of two kidlets in a relationship.

The shirt was sent to me 2 sizes too small so I did not even have the opportunity to try it on to test it for comfort.  The screen printing (text on the shirt) was already flaking off a bit so I was really scared to even throw it into the washer.  At $15.99, I think this is one that I would have to pass up.  Sorry Road Kill!

If you would like, become a fan of RoadKillTshirts on Facebook to have the opportunity to win their own FREE Road Kill T-Shirt!

Nicole

Disclaimer: RoadKillTshirts.com provided me with a free product in return for my honest opinion.

Boogie Wipes Review + Giveaway

Until this review, I had actually never even heard of Boogie Wipes. So what is it? My version: A very soft version of a diaper wipe with great smells to clean snot-nosed-kidlets ;-)

From BoogieWipes.com:
Boogie Wipes are made with natural saline to dissolve boogies (mucus) caused by the common cold, allergies or otherwise booger-filled kid moments. Extra soft, alcohol, phthalate and paraben free, Boogie Wipes are available in Great Grape, Fresh Scent, Minty Menthol and Simply Unscented. Recommended by pediatricians as a gentle, effective alternative to a dry tissue.

These wipes really do smell great, especially the grape! My son, who has Sensory Integration Disorder, dislikes most of these because of the smell but the Simply Unscented works well for him. My daughter, loves the packaging and I no longer have to chase her to wipe her nose. She's coming to me to get the Boogie Wipes to do it herself! We've yet to hit a cold/sinus season since receiving these but I can see purchasing them this winter. That's when we can truely put them to the test to see if they keep the noses less red + raw!

Want a chance to win some free Boogie Wipes? Here's your chance!
It's simple + FREE to enter! Follow the Rafflecopter form, step-by-step, entering mandatory requests first to unlock extra ways to enter. Winner will receive 2 packs of 30-count Boogie Wipes (fresh, grape, menthol, or unscented– combination varies). Contest runs from 12:01am October 14th through 12:01 October 21st; all times are EST.

My Big Star + Growing Up Charts

My Big Star Chart
The My Big Star Chart is 11 inches wide by 25 inches high and includes a dry erase marker to personalize it for your child. There are 240 Colored Smiley Face Stickers for when they complete a task and 84 Gold Smiley Star Achievement stickers for when your child does exceptionally well. This chart is great for the 1 - 4 year old range (possibly even a bit older depending on the child).

My Growing Up Chart
The My growing up chart is also 11 inches wide by 25 inches high and includes a dry erase marker to personalize it for your child as well. There are 240 Colored 1-20 Stickers designed to help with learning colors + counting and 84 Gold 'Great Job' Star Stickers for when your child does an extraordinary job. This chart is meant for the 4 - 7 year old range.

My 3 year old daughter has the my big star chart + my 6 year old son has the my growing up chart. Both charts are great as they have stickers with cute illustrations that the children (even when they can't read yet) can identify what they are to do. My daughter has tasks on her chart such as Use the Potty, Quiet Time, Pick up Toys, Be good at Bedtime and Share nicely. My son's tasks are Feed the Dog, Pick up Toys, Be nice to others, Play time away from the computer (for more active + imaginative play) and Bath + Brush teeth.

Now that they can see these tasks visually and they see the stickers as rewards (I give them one dollar at the end of the week if they did a great job), they actually want to participate in these "chores". My son has been getting up in the morning and wanting to wiz through everything on the list! One of these days, cross my fingers, I can get my daughter to be just as eager to do her tasks as well ;-)

If you are interested in these awesome kids charts, or Kids safety + behavioral products, visit MyPreciousKid.com and "LIKE" MyPreciousKid on Facebook.

Nicole

Disclaimer: My Precious Kid provided me with free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Dream Machine, The SodaStream

Being a caffeine addict, specifically Coke, Cherry Coke + Dr Pepper, I am always tossing cans out. From the four people in our household, only one does not drink soda, but we go through about three 12 packs a week. You should have seen the smile on my face when I found out I had the opportunity to review the SodaStream. We received the SodaStream about a week ago and have NOT purchased soda from a store since!

Putting the machine together was as simple as removing the top, placing the carbonator bottle (carbon dioxide) into the machine, place the lid back on and you're good to go! There are two 1-Liter bottles (BPA-free, as well as free of phthalates and PCBs) that fit onto the machine. You fill the bottle up, with tap water, to the water fill line and place in the fridge to chill. Once chilled, attach the bottle to the machine. Then with a few pushes of the button, you have carbonated water.

Once carbonated, you can simply removed the bottle from the machine and pour + enjoy! Or you can add flavoring mixes of your choice. We received a number of soda flavors, teas and flavored waters to try out. I personally like the Dr Pete and love the original Soda flavorings. My kidlets liked the Orange and Cranberry Raspberry ones. The only ones I would not drink are the flavored waters as they seemed to have tasted dull to me.

The cost of the machine at $99.95, it's self is a bit steep but if you think about the long term cost of sodas + flavored waters, you could very well save a lot if you drink them as much as I do. If you swap your old one in, a replacement cartridge will cost $15 or purchase a new cartridge for $25 each. The flavor mixes can be purchased for about $5 a piece and the servings per flavorings vary (some up to 50 servings!). Having the SodaStream there's no worry of having to recycle cans + bottles, it doesn't use electricity and it takes up very little space on a counter top.

If you're interested in the soda stream visit their site at http://www.sodastreamusa.com or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SodaStream.

Nicole

Disclaimer: SodaStream provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

KleenSlate Dry Erase Paddle Boards

We had one, I repeat ONE, dry erase marker board that was about 8" x 10" that both my kidlets were constantly fighting over. I was tired of "wasting" paper by the kids drawing a picture and flipping to the next page; sometimes going through an entire notebook in an hour so I continued to let them take turns fight over the one we had. So I was really excited when our KleenSlate Dry Erase Paddle Boards arrived!

  

Now there are plenty to go around for all! These dry erase paddle boards are easy to handle, light weight and have a place to store the marker in the handle. They are very easy to clean with the eraser on the marker's lid. If the kids color the whole board in, we'll typically clean it off with a dry cloth or baby wipe quickly. These not only come in handy for the kids quiet time play, but for homeschooling as well. We will be starting spelling classes after the first of the year so I can see the boards working out well for that. The paddle boards are two sided; one side is blank and the other side either has graph paper or elementary lined paper on them.

If you're a homeschool family or just looking to find something of interest for quiet play, check out the KleenSlate dry erase paddle boards! Take a moment to LIKE KleenSlate on Facebook and tell them Simply Random Reviews sent you.

Nicole

Disclaimer: KleenSlate provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

Halloween Cards from MixBook

MixBook has a wide variety of Halloween party invitations. We are still not sure if we are having an actual Halloween party this year or not. So when personalizing the card to my liking, by adding photos of the kidlets and editing the text on it, I realized that I was able to remove the text for the date, time + location of "a party" and just entered general text into it. I pretty much changed into a Halloween Card rather than an invite. I left a space blank on the front of the card so that if we choose to host a Halloween party, I could handwrite the information on there.

  

I love the ability to edit these cards how I want them to look. You can change the text, add different photos into it, edit the photos coloring + size, add stickers to them and more! So head on over to MixBook.com to order your Halloween cards today!

Nicole

Disclaimer: MixBook provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lil Candy Corn Witch Costume

While searching for Halloween costumes for my kidlets, my son set it in stone that he wants to be the “Black Power Ranger”. My 3 year old daughter wanted to be every fairy, princess, cutesy bug, etc that she seen. She’s been a fairy, a butterfly + a kitty cat. I wanted something different; OK, something that wasn’t so pink!

We came across a selection of witches costumes for kids. I thought that it would be a great idea, specially when she pointed out the Lil Candy Corn Witch Costume. When we received this one in the mail, the expression on her face was priceless.

The packaging looks just as it did on the website. Once opened, the first thing that I noticed was the difference in the sizing of the Black Cat Bag. In the picture of the website + the packaging, the bag included looks like it would be larger (at least the handle should have been longer). However, the costume material was made strongly; the colors were bright, as they should be. The costume it’s self and the hat fit as they should. The last one in stock was a size “2T-4T". She is a 4T + it’s a slight bit snug, but will still work for Halloween. I tend to purchase the kidlets costumes one size larger so they can use them for dress up throughout the rest of the year, but this one will probably have to be handed down to another little girl in the neighborhood after the Halloween fun is over.

Overall, this costume was a plus. It’s definitely a possibility that I’ll head back over to the Costume Super Center to order that Black Power Ranger costume for my little man.

Nicole

Disclaimer: Costume Super Center provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bright Star Kids: School Labels

My son was excited to receive his School name labels kit in the mail this week. He loves his stickers + makes his claim around the house. When ordering the name labels, I was able to personalize them to my liking. My little man's favorite color is red so I chose that. And for some of the labels, theirs a place for an icon. We chose robots as he really likes those too (what 6 year old doesn't?).

FROM BRIGHT STAR KIDS: Stop your kid's school things getting lost or mixed up with our School Labels Value Kit! You'll get all the labels you'll need for all your kid's school belongings, including labels for books, bottles, shoes and clothing.

Safe to Use Stick On Labels in Dishwashers, Microwaves, Sterilisers + Freezers. Safe to Use Clothing Labels in Washing Machines + Tumble Driers.

School Labels Value Kit includes a variety of Stick On & Clothing Labels:

• 10 x Large Stick-on Labels for book bags, books, lunch boxes + other big items
• 30 x Small Stick-on Labels for water bottles and other smaller items
• 8 pairs x Round Shoe Labels
• 80 x Tiny Stick-on Labels for crayons, pencils, soothers and other tiny things
• 30 x Regular Iron On Clothing Tags for all their t-shirts, socks, undies + more

If you have a little one in school or daycare, goes on night / weekend trips with other kids of the same age, the Name Label kits are a great way to claim all their items. Visit Bright Star Kids website and LIKE them on Facebook. Tell them Simply Random Reviews sent you!

Nicole

Disclaimer: Bright Star Kids provided me with a free product in exchange for my honest opinion.