Teacup Families

teacup families teacup familiesSister is a big fan of all things animal.  She LOVES animals.  Her favorites?  Cats, dogs, horses, and bears.  She also loves teeny tiny things.  She has a two inch plastic dog that she wags around everywhere, by the leash, that she adores.  So it’s no small stretch when I say that she is going to go absolutely bonkers over the new Teacup Families, which we received for review from Teacup World

These things are too cute!  They are bound to become the must have collectible of the year!  The Teacup Families line features twelve limited edition sets,  a Cruisin’ family Van, and a Neighborhood Playground Playset, a

We received the Neighborhood Playground Playset and a Sweet Retreat Set. 

The Playground set we received has Panda bears.  The Sweet Retreat set has kittens. Of course, they can mix and match in the accompanying playthings.

The bread and milk and pastries that came with the Sweet Retreat set are TINY!!  It is labeled for children 3+, but I will be putting the tiniest pieces away until Sister is four.  Last thing I want to do is tweeze a loaf of bread out of her nose or ear.  LOL.

Even still, the cups and the furniture that come in the Sweet Retreat set are adorable.  And the Playground has a little swing that is just too cute!

teacup familiesShop for Teacup Families at major retailers nationwide including Toys”R”Us, Walgreens, and Kmart or on Amazon.

MSRP:

Teacup Families 4 pack $9.99

Teacup Families Cruisin’ Family Van: $19.99

Teacup Families Neighborhood Playground set: $19.99

Learn more about Teacup Families on their Facebook Page or Twitter Stream.

What is on your “must have” list this year?

Great Game Gifts for 2011

McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds, Inc is a company that produces games that are inherently educational, yet seriously fun.   We had the opportunity last year to review a imagecollection of games from McNeill Designs and were impressed. 

When Hubs and I played You’ve Been Sentenced!, we really enjoyed it.  I plan to incorporate the You’ve Been Sentenced game into our language arts learning in homeschool, when Mister and Sister get a bit older.

In addition to their commitment to providing quality games for the family, McNeill Designs also partners with a not for profit organization, Success Won’t Wait, by donating a portion of the sales of the You’ve Been Sentenced game.  Success Won’t Wait encourages children to read and provides free books to organizations and programs nationwide. 

About You’ve been Sentenced…

The You’ve been Sentenced! game is a fun sentence-building game.  The game is played by drawing cards and using the words on the cards.  Each player gets ten of the pentagon shaped cards, each of which has five conjugations of a base word. The conjugates each imagehave a point value assigned.  Players must use the words on the cards to form a sentence that makes sense, and earn the points for the conjugate actually used in the sentence.  It isn’t necessary to use all ten cards, but it is sometimes possible.  If a sentence doesn’t make sense, or is grammatically incorrect, any other player can object to it.  If a sentence is objected, the player can defend it, and the rest of the players vote whether the sentence is acceptable or ridiculous.  It’s the walk of shame for sentences deemed ridiculous, and the player earns no points.  With 540 cards in the game, and six add on decks available, the sentence making fun is virtually endless. 

You’ve Been Sentenced! is best played with 3 or more players, and is ideal for ages 8+. 

Another game by McNeill Designs is Twisted Fish.  This game is a twist on the old family favorite of Go Fish.  In Go Fish, you would simply ask other players for a card, such as “Do you have a six?”  With Twisted Fish, you have to be more specific, as there are 13 unique fish characters in five different color suits.  So, your query would be,  "do you have the yellow Blowfish?"  The game also includes 8 Zinger Wild Cards that allow you to change up the game. 

It’s like a game of memory and Go Fish combined, because the challenge is to remember every question that is asked at the table. 

For 3 to 6 players. Ages 8 & Up.

You’ve Been Sentenced! and Twisted Fish are now available in the game aisle at Toys R Us and Kohl’s, in addition to being sold at various independent toy sellers and on Amazon.

Either game would be a fun addition to your own family game night, or great games to gift to others. 

 

One World Futbol Review

Most children enjoy playing ball.  Somewhere within the world, nearly every hour of every day, a child can be found playing ball.  Here in the U.S., we have the benefit of grass fields to play on.  However, not all children have that benefit.  The One World Futbol Project is a project that is making it possible for anyone, anywhere to play soccer with a ball that matches the endurance of the sport.

The One World Futbol Project was spearheaded by Tim Jahnigen, an inventor, song-writer, and music producer.  After watching footage on CNN—of young Darfur refugees playing a makeshift game of soccer under the hot sun—with the “ball” a sphere made of trash tied up with twine and the “field” a patch of dirt and rocks with barbed wire for boundaries—Tim couldn’t help but think that a ball could be made to withstand the rugged terrain and harsh conditions, one that would allow these children to play ball WITH a ball.

Tim later shared his vision an indestructible soccer ball with world-renowned entertainer Sting, who immediately offered financial backing for research and development of the indestructible ball.  Through their efforts, OWFP has created the world’s most durable soccer ball, one that never deflates, will play even when punctured, and can be played in the harshest of environments.  It even survived a round in the lion’s pen at the Johannesburg Zoo and remained playable after being run over by a pickup truck.

Check this out…

The ultra-durable, all-terrain One World Futbol is sold online through a “Buy One Give One” model at oneworldfutbol.com.  For every ball purchased, One World Futbol Project is committed to donating a second ball to a non-governmental organization working with people who live in harsh environments around the world, including refugee camps, UN hot spots, conflict zones, inner cities and poor communities worldwide.

So, this Christmas, as you buy a ball for the little guy or gal on your list, why not shop for gifts that give back and give one to a child who may not otherwise ever receive one?  Trust me, if their smile is anything like my son’s as he plays with his One World Futbol, it is truly worth it!

One World Futbol

One World Futbol

One World Futbol

My son absolutely loves his!  And my daughter loves to pounce and bounce on it.  But, since I know it can stand up to being driven over by a truck, I don’t mind!

Learn more about the One World Futbol Project on the One World Futbol Facebook Page and One World Futbol Twitter Stream.

Order your One World Futbol at www.oneworldfutbol.com

Disclosure- I received a complimentary One World Futbol to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Proflowers.com- Perfect for Everyday and Every Occasion

We eat a lot of fruit in our house.  So, when I received an opportunity to review a product from Proflowers.com, I was immediately drawn to their selection of fruit baskets.  While their flowers and gifts are very nice, and would be great items to receive as a gift,  or even to review, I knew that the fresh fruit would be a hit in our house.

I vacillated between getting tropical fruit, cherries, or a classic fruit basket.  I finally settled on the Fruitasia basket from Cherry Moon Farms.

The basket arrived boxed and plastic shrink wrapped.

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After I removed the shrink wrap, I was able to check the fruit.  There were 16 pieces of fruit inside, including pears, apples, and oranges.  The fruit was fresh and Y.U.M.M.Y!

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The pears were individually wrapped to keep them from bruising and they were huge.  I’m not certain what kind the squatty green pears were, but man, they were delish!  The apples were absolutely perfect.  And the oranges were succulent and juicy.  All of the fruit disappeared quickly, as we all munched on fruit as snacks, etc.  The true test of the quality of fruit in our house is how long it lasts… the Frutasia basket from Cherry Moon Farms was outstanding!

I was very pleased with my ProFlowers.com experience, and will be looking to them for future gifting needs.  I love the idea of sending fruit as a gift, since you know it will be used instead of just wilting.

What are your favorite gifts to send by mail?

FTC Compliant Disclosure- The marketing team for Proflowers.com graciously provided me with the Frutasia Gift Basket to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience. Your experience may differ.

Partease Cosmopolitan Monogrammed Cosmetic Travel Bag Review and Giveaway

prizeypick

My brother just got married on June 19th.  His bride, Missy, is a really sweet gal, so I wanted to be able to do something nice for her.

I received the opportunity to review an item from Partease, an online retailer specializing in wedding favors, bridal shower favors, personalized party favors, and more.  Partease.com helps you spell parties with ease!

There are MANY gorgeous items on the Partease site, including:

These Mod Dots Black and White Photo Coaster Favors…

Black and White Dot Photo Coasters

These Cherry Blossom Silk Fans…

Cherry Blossom Silk Fans

And these Cosmopolitan Monogrammed 5-piece Manicure Sets.

The Cosmopolitan  Monogrammed  5 Piece Manicure Set

After browsing the site for quite a while, I chose The Cosmopolitan Monogrammed Cosmetic Travel Bag for review.

Monogrammed Cosmetic Bag

The bag measures approximately 8.5″ long by 5.75″ tall and 5″ deep. It is black polyester with pink satin piping and criss-cross embroidery.  The zipper goes almost all the way around the bag, making it easy to pack full of things.  The embroidered monogram letter actually snaps in place, so it can easily be removed and a different one applied.  I got the letter “S” for Missy’s, since her new last name will begin with an “S.”

What I thought…

This bag is super cute.  I decided to make a “bridal emergency kit” for Missy for the BIG day.  I included a cosmetic bag, toiletries, two-sided tape, tooth pick floss, hand wipes, Shout wipes, toothpaste, nail clippers, a hairbrush, and much much more.  The bag held it all AND zipped closed easily!  It is well constructed, the seams are finished, and no fraying was noted.  The snap for the monogram was sturdy and held the monogram in place well.

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Missy absolutely LOVED the “bridal emergency kit” and the bag!

What I would change…

I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not I would change the fact that the monogram can be removed.  On the one hand, it makes it nice if you don’t want to have the monogram there all the time.  On the other hand, what if it fell off when traveling or something.  But, even if it did fall off, it could easily be replaced.

How I rate it:

ladyvdzzine_blogbutton_rateit_5of5

Lady V dZine gives the Cosmopolitan Monogrammed Cosmetic Travel Bag from Partease a fun five out of five hearts.

Where you can buy it…

You can find this cosmetic bag, along with a host of other fabulous products at Partease.com.

Win It: One lucky Lady V dZine reader will receive their own Cosmopolitan Monogrammed Cosmetic Travel Bag from Partease.

Mandatory Entry: Simply visit the Partease.com website and comment back with one other product not shown here that you would like to have.

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Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 07/10/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.

FTC Compliant Disclosure- The marketing team for Partease graciously provided me with a Cosmopolitan Monogrammed Cosmetic Travel Bag to facilitate my review and is providing the copy for the contest winner.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience.  Your experience may differ.