Interactive, robotic toys are always a huge hit that are bound to make the hottest toy lists for the holiday season. Zoomer Playful Pup is no exception, not only is Zoomer on the Holiday Toy List at stores like Amazon, Zoomer is also on Mommy Ramblings’ Holiday Gift Guide!
Zoomer is an adorable, interactive, robotic dog who responds to your touch and voice. The next generation of Zoomer interactive pets, this puppy behaves more dog like than any other Zoomer with realistic sounds and actions. Thanks to Zoomer’s multiple touch sensors, when you rub or tickle his belly, Zoomer will beg for more! Pet Zoomer’s head and hear cute barking sounds, nuzzle Zoomer’s nose for licking noises and so much more!
Check out my unboxing and demo video here:
Zoomer has a floppy tongue and soft furry tail. Zoomer is full of energy and as you can see in my video above, I would not classify Zoomer as a quiet toy. Zoomer will delight kids with playful yips, yaps and yelps and will keep going until he needs to be charged. Zoomer has a rechargeable battery that you charge via a mini-USB to USB charger which comes with Zoomer.
A back button will let you change modes and a microphone on your doggie’s back will let you give Zoomer voice commands. You can even give Zoomer a new name that he/she will respond to. In the manual you will find special voice commands to make Zoomer do things like dance, play dead and more. When you give Zoomer a name you will be able to unlock even more tricks!
Here is another Zoomer video for you to check out.
Spin Master is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own Zoomer Playful Pup! Thank you to Spin Master for our review pooch and for sponsoring this doggone good giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US residents.
Zoomer Playful Pup Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!
Who remembers when Will Smith’s character got in one little fight and his mom got scared? If you do, then you know he was sent to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air.
Okay, I know it was just a sitcom, and Daphne Maxwell Reid was not Will Smith’s real auntie, but she is a respected artist, designer and education activist. She also has a new cookbook out called, Grace + Soul & Mother Wit, filled with much more than recipes, it is actually a mini-memoir dressed as a ring-bound cookbook.
The beginning of the book is filled with Daphne’s family photos and her travels around the world while working on and off of television. This cookbook takes you through the basics of starting your own family memories centered around home cooked meals.
Early chapters include setting up a kitchen, essential tools and supplies, basic cooking terms, how to set a formal table, and measurements & abbreviations. The recipes include sections for appetizers, soup, bread, poultry, seafood, red meat, side dishes, dessert, beverages and remedies.
Please see my in-depth video review of this cookbook below:
Everyone remembers Daphne Maxwell Reid as an iconic TV mom of the 1990s, from her three seasons as Aunt Vivian on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” These days Reid is a Renaissance woman, respected artist and designer, and education activist. Working from her home in Virginia, and still happily married to pioneering television actor/producer/writer/director Tim Reid (“WKRP in Cincinnati,” “Frank’s Place”), Daphne Maxwell Reid is living proof that a passion for creativity and a dedication to hard work can ensure a lifetime’s worth of success.
Breaking new barriers is nothing new to Reid, who decades ago became the first African-American homecoming queen at Northwestern University and shortly thereafter one of the first African-American women to appear on the cover of Glamour magazine. But many fans of her modeling and acting career probably don’t know that Reid is a lifelong shutterbug, a hobby passed down by her father that has now become a focal point of her career.
With five books and 5 annual calendars already published, Reid specializes in fine art photography that features doors and doorways from around the world, including Cuba, Venice, France, China, Germany, and Belgium. Now she’s added to her publishing resume with her first cookbook, “Grace + Soul & Motherwit,” which offers her favorite recipes spiced with personal memories and reflections from her life and travels.
Reid has also been a seamstress for much of her life, creating many of her own outfits and costumes as a young actress and model, and has now developed those skills into an exclusive, custom clothing line called Daphne Style, making Chinese silk brocade jackets that are wearable works of art.
Daphne also keeps busy as the Host of Virginia Currents (PBS), and as a spokesperson for Virginia State University, a historically black college/university (HBCU), doing outreach, public relations, and speaking engagements that allow her to preach the importance of education and career prep for students of color.
A thoughtful, inspiring, and fascinating professional with over five decades of experience, Daphne Maxwell Reid continues to demonstrate that mastering a new skill is always possible for an artist with a generous spirit and self-determination.
Giveaway:
Enter for your chance to win your own copy of Grace + Soul & Mother Wit. Thank you to Daphne Maxwell Reid and her PR company for sponsoring this giveaway and for the autographed cookbook. Open to US residents.
My kids love magnets. It is no wonder why they have such a great time playing with Magformers. They could play for hours building all kinds of things. We were please to add the 36 piece Magformers Paw Patrol Pull Up Pup building set to our Magformers collection.
What makes this set different is the double-sided character cards, you can now add Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Zuma and Rocky-to Magformers magnetic shapes.
Packaged in PAW Patrol colors, the Pull-Up Pup Set contains 18 magnetic squares, 12 magnetic triangles and 6 inserts, as well as 6 double-sided character cards and 2 play mats to build pup houses, the Magformers magic ball and more!
Match colors, shapes and characters to 1:1 ratio play mats and pull up your 2D nets into 3D structures! Perfect for STEM education! Educational and fun, no wonder why you will find this great building set on Mommy Ramblings’ 2018 Holiday Gift Guide.
Check out my video below to see the set in action:
Giveaway
Magformers is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky winner will win their own 36 Piece Paw Patrol Pull Up Pup Magformers Building Set! Thank you to Magformers for the review set and for sponsoring this exciting giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US residents.
Magformers Paw Patrol 36 Piece Pull Up Pup Set Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules
Enter for your chance to win by using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
How much do you love the feeling of crawling into bed at night into soft, fresh sheets? I certainly do, it feels amazing after a long day. California Dream Den makes their sheets from 100% long-staple, pure cotton with a 400 thread count so they are dreamy soft!
I just love my king size sheet set in Mod Spa color. The tranquil green coupled with the uber softness makes an irresistible combination. They come in so many colors and prints to suit just about any decor. Check out my video below to learn more about these amazing sheets:
We think a set of California Design Den Sheets makes a perfect gift this holiday season, so you can find them on Mommy Ramblings’ Holiday Gift Guide.
Giveaway:
California Design Den is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a set of California Design Den sheets in the size and color of their choice (subject to availability)! Thank you to California Design Den for the review sheet set and for sponsoring this dreamy giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US residents.
California Design Den Sheet Set Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
I just adore books, especially beautiful books filled with exciting stories. I love to read them aloud with my children. Recently, I received Into The Jungle: Stories for Mowgli, and it is definitely a book that is both beautiful, and filled with exciting stories.
Written by Katherine Rundell, this wise and witty companion to Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 classic is likewise a series of connected stories about the man-cub Mowgli and his adventures among the animals in the Indian jungle. It includes all the original favorites like Baloo and Bagheera and gives female characters, like Mother Wolf, a more prominent role in Mowgli’s upbringing. The timely theme of the possibility of understanding and empathy across species, cultures, and genders will resonate with contemporary readers.
Candlewick Press is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own hardcover copy of Into The Jungle Stories For Mowgli! Thank you to Candlewick Press for the review book and for sponsoring this exciting giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents.
Into The Jungle: Stories For Mowgli Hardcover Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Sing a Song of Seasons is a lavishly illustrated collection of 366 nature poems — one for every day of the year. Filled with familiar favorites and new discoveries written by a wide variety of poets, including William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, John Updike, Langston Hughes, N. M. Bodecker, Okamoto Kanoko, and many more. This is the perfect book for children (and grown-ups!) to share at the beginning or the end of each day.
Sing a Song of Seasons is such a special book, it makes a great coffee table book, and is perfect for gift giving. We like it so much, it is going to be featured on Mommy Ramblings’ 2018 Holiday Gift Guide! Check out my video below for an in-depth look at this book of poems.
I hope you watched the video above, so you could understand why I like this book so much. I have great news, we are having a giveaway where you can enter for a chance to win your own copy of this beautiful book. You can enter down below.
Giveaway:
Nosy Crow is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own hardcover copy of Sing a Song of Seasons! Thank you to Nosy Crow for the review copy and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Residents.
Sing a Song of Seasons Hardcover Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
If I told you about a park for bugs, would you think I was losing my mind? Probably, but I am going to tell you about something like that. The Brackitz Bugz Playpark has 47 pieces including a motorized vibrating bug, using the direction you can build over 20 different play parks and obstacles. Race your motorized bug through fun and crazy obstacles like the Toppling Tower, Super Spinner or make your own unique creation. Every race and playpark combination is different, the possibilities are endless. Best of all, no helmet required!
The bug has 2 skins that you can put on the motorized unit so you can change-up your bug’s look. This set is a lot of fun and we had a blast with it. We put it on our 2017 Gift Guide because it was such a hit at our house for kids and adults (big kids). Enter below for your chance to win this same set.
Giveaway:
Brackitz is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own Brackitz Bugz 47 Piece Playpark Set! Thank you to Brackitz for the review Play Set and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Brackitz Bugz 47 Piece Playpark Set Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Temperatures are frigidly cold in many parts of the country. In the northeast, we are in a deep freeze, with temps in the single digits and even below zero. This has been the case for many days now and counting. On these kind of days, when frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes to exposed skin, it is important to stay indoors. However, as a mom, I know that staying indoors can be a recipe for Cabin Fever. In order to combat that, I like to keep my kids busy. Board games are a great way we can spend time together and have fun.
Lagoonies is an Undersea Search Game where you use a magical bubble magnifying lens to find sea friends and pick them out among look-alikes. Compete against each other to see who can find the most sea friends and bring them safely back to the hiding hole in your reef. My son Luke loves that one of the Sea Sprites is named Luke.
Where Do the Sea Sprites Hide?
The sea sprites hide on a large spinning disk under a turntable controlled by the grumpy octopus. Once the bubble lenses are placed on the top of the game board, it becomes trickier to determine where exactly the sea sprites are hiding because they all can look alike! When the octopus twists to create a whirlpool, all the sea sprites get stirred up and moved around…Can you pick out the sprite you’re looking for before the octopus stirs things up again?
How Does The Game Work?
A roll of the die determines how many times the octopus spinner will turn. Whichever sea sprite appears in the viewing window is the one all players must search for in the lagoon. Without removing the magical bubble lenses, each player peers through to see if they can find the sprite they’re looking for. If they think they’ve spotted it, they must place their starfish token on that lens. Once all players have done this, they can remove the lens they picked to see if they chose correctly. If they did, they collect that sea sprite token and bring it to safety in their sea sprite hiding hole.
Lagoonies is a unique game that helps children practice their skills in visual perception and fine motor skills. Great for fans of matching games, Lagoonies also requires concentration and a bit of quick thinking!
What’s in the box?
Contents include:
– 1 Lagoon game board.
– 1 Large spinning disk.
– 1 Small spinning disk of sea sprites.
– 1 Ghost octopus spinner handle.
– 14 Bubble lenses.
– 60 Sea sprite tokens (10 of each type).
– 3 Ghost octopus tokens.
– 4 Starfish markers.
– 1 Die.
– 1 Rulebook.
KOSMOS games build social skills, stimulate logical and strategic thinking, promote visual-spatial and math skills, cultivate physical coordination and manual dexterity, encourage family time, and inspire fair-mindedness, confidence, and honorable attitudes. German engineered and beautifully made, these games become enduring family favorites and game night classics. For all these reasons, Kosmos games have earned worldwide acclaim. We added Lagoonies to our 2017 Gift Guide because we think it is a worthy game.
Giveaway:
KOSMOSis sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own Lagoonies game! Thank you to KOSMOSfor the review Game and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Lagoonies Undersea Search Game Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Kids love huggable, plush friends. How about a lovable, cuddly plush animal who hugs you back? Well, Wild Republic’s Huggers Pets do just that.
These soft, cute, stuffed animals will wrap their arms or wings around your wrist, backpack, ankle, doorknob and more. These detailed stuffed friends conform to your wrist or whatever, so one size fits all!!! Huggers come in so many different kinds of animals, they are all so cute, you will want to collect them all.
Huggers make great gifts & kids love them! it’s like having a stuffed animal, and an awesome bracelet in one! everyone loves hugs! We like them so much, they were added to our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.
Giveaway:
Wild Republicis sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win 2 Random Wild Republic Huggers Plush Pets! Thank you to Wild Republic for the review Huggers and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Marble Run Toys are so exciting and fun! Techno Gears Marble Mania Extreme 4.0 is jam-packed with fun and excitement in every piece! With over 200 pieces, this set creates marble runs like never-before with 3-D connectors, channels, a motorized power lifter and much more! The possibilities are endless with so many ways to build and “Power Up” hundreds of marble run designs! Requires two “AA” batteries (not included). Ages 6+ years
This is something we had to show you in a video, you can watch our video review below:
We added this to our 2017 Gift Guide because it is a fun and exciting toy for older kids. We love that it is a STEM based building toy. We are also happy to announce that we are running a giveaway for a Techno Gears Marble Mania Extreme 4.0. Enter below for your chance to win.
Giveaway:
The Learning Journey is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win a Techno Gears Marble Mania Extreme 4.0 ! Thank you to The Learning Journey for the review Marble Mania Extreme 4.0 and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
