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Roxymandy December 13, 2015

Review of the Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse House and Play Trail + Enter to Win a Lil’ Mouse House

2015 holiday gift guide for kids

We have been toy testing again at our house, and this time we tested out the Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse House and Play Trail.

Review of the Little Live Pets Lil' Mouse House and Play Trail + Enter to Win a Lil' Mouse House

Last week we tested out the Lil’ Turtle Tank and my son is still playing with this toy everyday! It’s his own little pet that luckily I don’t actually need to feed or bathe (bonus!).

The Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse House is pretty darn cute. The little mouse includes batteries (huge bonus!), and it’s ready to run! This little guy is so fast it’s hard to keep up with him, but every once in a while he makes little squeaking noises, pauses, and runs in a different direction.

Review of the Little Live Pets Lil' Mouse House and Play Trail + Enter to Win a Lil' Mouse House

My son kept wanting to let him run loose in the house, but this little guy was fast so I insisted on keeping him in his house. The mouse also runs around on the floor as well, it was just a self-preservation tactic to keep him locked down in his house on my part.

We also tried out the Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse Play Trail which was a lot of fun because the mouse had so many more places to run! I really like that the mouse stops and turns in another directions so it’s not just running around in circles.

Review of the Little Live Pets Lil' Mouse House and Play Trail + Enter to Win a Lil' Mouse House

Both items were a big hit, and now we have a turtle and a mouse as pets in our home, and they are the best kind because I don’t need to keep them alive!

How would you like to have your own Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse House for your child? It would make a great Christmas present! Enter below to win one of your own.

Tag a friend in the comments on my Facebook post here enter to win a Lil’ Mouse House. You can enter multiple times as long as each person you tag is different, and this contest is open to residents of Canada until Friday, December 18th at 9:00am. Good luck to everyone who enters!

Roxymandy December 9, 2015

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

It’s that time of the year when we parents run out to buy gifts for our kids that they will play with for a couple of days and then quickly lose interest in. It’s a depressing reality in most cases so I decided to create a gift guide with some very cool items for the holidays that are fun, and hopefully will be a hit with both the parents and the child.

If you haven’t completed your holiday shopping yet, take a look at my guide to see if there’s something you haven’t thought of yet!

Tuck Shop Trading Co. Hat

I bought my first Tuck Shop Co. hat this year, and I’m so excited they come in kids size as well! Not only can you find American cities now, but also Canadian provinces, cities and neighbourhoods.

AKID Shoes

Everywhere my son wears his AKID shoes, people stop to tell me how cool they are. Even Kardinal Offishall gave them a nod of approval and a smile at a party a couple weeks ago! I love that most shoes lace up but also have a zipper so my son can take them off and put them on himself.

Gnome Crayons

Who wouldn’t love crayons in the shape of gnomes? Even I want to colour with them!

BRIKA Mi Cielo Mr. T Toddler Shirt

Last week I was at the Brika Pop-Up at Yorkdale mall (review coming next week!), and I fell in love with this Mr. T shirt. It also comes in a onesie, and it’s such a conversation piece! Who doesn’t love Mr. T?

MimiTens Mittens

MimiTENS solve some cold weather problems all parents seem to encounter. Mittens never stay on, and it’s such a struggle when it’s freezing and you are trying to get mittens back onto your child’s freezing fingers. mimiTENS are thumbless mittens for babies (or they include a thumb spot for older children) and they include and extra long cuffs so they comfortably stay on. The line has become so successful more items are being offered such as booties, neck warmers and hats. All items are made in Canada, and there are some super stylish options to choose from.

Smile Led Lantern

The Smile Led Lantern is the perfect nightlight because it lets off a soft light, and it’s safe for a child to take it to bed without the parents worrying. I love that it looks like a lantern you would use camping.

Little Live Pets

Last week I reviewed and gave away a Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank, and later this week I will be reviewing and giving away a Little Live Pets Lil’ Mouse house! Both toys have been tested by my toddler and have been big hits!

Sago Mini Plush Gift Pack

I have written a few times about my son’s love of Sago Mini apps because they are pretty much the only thing he is interested in when he is on our iPad. He loves his plush Jinja the Cat so much he brought him on our vacation!

Included in the Sago Mini Plush Gift Pack are characters Jack, Jinja, Harvey and Robin. The packaging even turn into a house for the characters! Anyone who has children that have played these amazing apps before know that this gift would be a big hit with them.

Chalktrail

Chalktrail attaches onto a child’s bike or scooter to make a trail of chalk wherever they ride. What child wouldn’t love seeing the trail they would make on the road?

Good luck with all of your holiday shopping this year!

Roxymandy December 7, 2015

Plaid Winter Jacket Roundup

I pretty much wear a plaid shirt every day. I’m wearing one right now as I write this! My closet has flashes of what I would call “lumberjack chic” all over it. The next obvious step was to add a plaid winter jacket to the mix.

I was just minding my own business and doing my grocery shopping when I saw this adorable jacket I’m wearing in the post. It was actually in the kids section of Joe Fresh, but it fit so I scooped it up. Not only was the price right, but it was exactly what I was looking for. Sorry it’s not online, just in stores right now!

I’m looking to add one more plaid jacket to my winter wardrobe because of the whole plaid addiction thing I’m dealing with, and here are a few more of my favourites below.

Old Navy Plaid Jacket

Zara Wool Coat

Forever 21 Longline Plaid Coat

Nasty Gal Bloody Hell Plaid Drape Jacket

Roxymandy December 3, 2015

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

When I created this holiday gift guide I have to admit I was mostly thinking about what I wanted for Christmas!

It can be so hard to choose a gift for someone, but when it comes to yourself it’s just so much easier. I had way too much fun putting this list together! I’m also giving away with a few of the items on this list at the end of this post. Enter to win a few of these items as a gift for someone, or a little gift for yourself for all of the hard work you are doing over the holidays.

Check out my 2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Her below!

1. Diptyque Mimosa Candle & Kate Spade Pretty and Witty Candle

The small version of this diptyque candle is always sold out! Both in stores and online it’s a hard one to find. The smell is pretty fab, and who doesn’t love mimosa’s? It needs to be mine. I love to see how people find ways to use the glass after the candle is long gone as well. This Kate Spade candle is such a cute decorative candle – perfect for a desk or vanity!

2. Anthropologie Shimmered Pocket Scarf

I love scarves, and I love sequins – it doesn’t get any better when the two are combined! And pockets? This may be the most amazing scarf ever.

3. West Elm St. Jude Brass Love Object

How beautiful is is “love” paperweight? It would look fabulous on a desk or on a coffee table, and West Elm will donate 50% of the purchase price of each one sold to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

4. Bouquet from Tonic Blooms

Free delivery, and in less than two hours? It sounds to be too good to be true. Oh, and the bouquets are gorgeous. The arrangements change often, and the delivery area continues to expand which you can view on their website. Just in Toronto now, but if you live outside of Toronto like myself it would be the perfect gift for a friend or family member in the city. We aren’t talking about your average cookie-cutter bouquet wrapped in cheesy paper! A flower delivery like this would feel like a truly special gesture.

5. Paris is Always a Good Idea Mug & Starbucks Rainbow Macaron Mug

I completely agree that Paris is ALWAYS a good idea, and this Starbucks is beyond adorable. Although, I would probably need to eat macarons every time I drink from it. Maybe the mug isn’t a good idea.

6. Pottery Barn Alphabet Throw

Who wouldn’t want a customized throw? Not only is it cozy, but you can have it personalized with colour, and with a letter. Monogrammed items always seem to feel like such a thoughtful and carefully planned gift because of the extra effort to make it for the receiver.

7. eos Holiday 2015 Limited Edition Decorative Lip Balm

My obsession with lip gloss basically runs my life. If I leave the house without one I usually drive back home to get it, or I run to a store to buy one enroute to wherever I’m going. How cute is it that you can customize your lip balm with sparkles? Obviously everyone needs this in their life.

8. Phantom Glass Screen Protector

Can you believe that as I was installing this case I dropped my phone on the floor and cracked my screen? Oh the irony! After fixing my screen I easily installed my chic new Phantom Glass screen protector and was instantly in love. Not only was my screen being protected with Corning Gorilla glass (sounds serious right?), but I LOVE the gold cover on mine! It looks fabulous, and I can’t tell at all the glass is covering my screen. I can’t say enough about how much I love it. I am totally buying one for my iPad.

Rose gold is also available along with a clear version or other colours, and they even have screen protectors for cameras. Trust me, you don’t want to pay for a cracked screen on your phone, tablet or camera.

9. Humans of New York Stories

If you don’t follow the Humans of New York blog by Brandon Stanton you are missing out. Brandon takes photos of people he stops walking not only in New York, but lately on his blog he has been travelling around the world. He asks them about themselves, and some of the stories are incredible. This book is the perfect coffee table book that anyone would love to read.

Now, a giveaway! I’m giving away 4 fabulous items from my Holiday Gift Guide. They are:

An iPhone 6 Gold Phantom Glass Screen Protector

Bouquet from Tonic Blooms

eos Holiday 2015 Limited Edition Decorative Lip Balm

Paris is Always a Good Idea Mug

To win, all you need to do is comment below this blog post with what your favourite item was from this gift guide. That’s it! One entry per person, and this contest is open to Canadian residents only. The contest ends on Thursday, December 10th, 2015 at midnight, and one randomly selected winner will be announced on Friday, December 11th, 2015.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Roxymandy December 2, 2015

Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank Review + Giveaway!

With the holidays coming up, it’s always helpful to get ideas of what toys kids really like before you go shopping! This week my son received the Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank for review, and we are going to share our thoughts on it with you!

When my son first saw the toy he was pretty excited because he thought I really got him a turtle. When I told him the turtle was just pretend, he was probably just as excited because it was his to keep. I’m not sure we are at the stage where he could understand caring for a pet, so this was a much easier opportunity to see what his attention span would be.

We unpackaged the turtle and his tank, and I had to add a AAA battery to the turtle. There was a pretty large on button on the bottom of the turtle which my son was able to turn on and off himself.

The turtle walks on the ground, or he swims in the tank. When you dunk him into the water he also rights himself so he is upright and swimming. All I needed to do for set up was add water, and that was it! The tank can be closed with a snap so the turtle can be put away for next time.

To get a really good idea of how the toy works I took this video on what the Lil’ Turtle could do! My son’s laughter is really cute – he really loves his new pet! The turtles name is supposed to be Stary, but he calls him Fred.

http://youtu.be/s2VzTKzkAI0

I thought the Lil’ Turtle Tank would be a great way to teach a child how to learn responsibility with a pet. You can purchase the Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank at Toys ‘R’ Us, TV Showcase, Loblaws, and at other major retailers.

I’m giving away a Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank on the blog! Head over to my Facebook post here, and tag a friend in the comments section to enter! One reader will be selected randomly. The contest ends on Wednesday, December 9th, 2015 at midnight. This contest is only open to Canadians, and you may enter multiple times as long as each entry is done separately and you are tagging a different person.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

For more details on this product visit www.LittleLivePets.ca!

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.