When I was in school, I got passable grades. I wasn't always a straight A student, but I never failed a subject either. My participation level depended on how interested I was in a subject. Math was iffy at best, Language Arts I excelled at, and English was one of my favorites, but things started looking up when it came to History. I loved learning the backgrounds of places from all over the world. Maybe it was because I'd always dreamed of traveling after I finished school, but whatever the reason, I could not get enough of learning about the different places from all over the world. Little Passports Leads to a Well-Traveled Child Now that I'm a mom, I've tried hard to instill a love of history and travel into my daughter. From the time she was small, I took the time to teach her about the history of our country as well as those around the world. Like many young girls, she's partial to Europe and talks about the places she'll visit when she's old enough. It's this love for travel … [Read more...]

Before becoming a parent, I wasn't conscious of some of the decisions I made about my health or well-being. I was raised a certain way and never thought about some of the products I used or what they had in them. Then I became a parent, and suddenly I was super conscious about everything my little one came in contact with. This is especially true when it comes to toys. Before I started researching what goes into making some of the most popular toy brands, I had no idea some of the ingredients were potentially harmful, but when I sat down and did some research, I was horrified. I started researching before buying and, since then, have been pretty happy with the purchases we made. Bears for Humanity was founded by a mother who was on a quest to give her twins, Arianna and Rowan. She made sure to purchase healthy, organic foods as well as organic clothing and toys for her little ones, wanting to make sure they got the best she could provide. When she received a toy bear as a gift from … [Read more...]

Disclaimer: We were sent product in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are entirely our own - and the elementary school students' who tested this out for us. The product was then left at the school to be part of their "maker space". When I was a kid, I used to love building things. I remember my family used to buy me all manner of building blocks, Legos, and even Lincoln Logs to keep my hands busy. When I outgrew a set, there was always something new waiting for me, or I'd start finding things around the house to use instead. I used to live for empty boxes because I could deconstruct them and build virtually anything from them if I got creative enough. These days, well into my adult years, I've taken to creating all manner of DIY projects to keep busy, but my daughter inherited my love for putting things together, so I'm always on the hunt for toys that'll keep her hands occupied and her mind engaged. This is why, when I was allowed to partner with Lite Poppers, I jumped … [Read more...]

The Brio World Family House is a great toy to kick start your child’s inner design star! It really lets kids play with different ways to build the house and let's them see all the options. Tiana loved having five different rooms that show could arrange together in multiple ways. These rooms can be built vertically and horizontally allowing an endless possibility of combinations. The walls, windows, and doors are also interchangeable which is nice when deciding how to build your home. Tiana only needed help a few times snapping the pieces together and she loved every minute of it! The interior details allow kids to choose what rooms will be, and some of the furniture also has multipurpose functions. For example, there is a little bookcase but if you flip it over it becomes a record player! The best part of this dollhouse is that it encourages creativity and problem solving skills while building the best home ever! This set would fit in nicely with other Brio World playsets … [Read more...]

As parents we're always trying to find ways to engage our children and keep them busy. Sometimes it's simply to preserve our sanity but for the most part we realize how important it is to fuel imagination and foster creative abilities, so we constantly hunt for the latest and greatest toys that we think will accomplish these things. As a blogger, I get the opportunity to work with some amazing companies that create products that are specifically designed to entice the natural curiosity in children and empower them to embrace their own creativity. OgoSport is one such like-minded company. They're made up of a team of designers, but they don't just design products; they create toys for children that are meant to keep kids active and busy. Their products for all ages that keep both mind and body active, all while keeping the fun flowing. Founded in 2004, OgoSport operates under a certain formula that is applied to every product they create. Their aim is to encourage active play while … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We were sent a Scribbler 3D pen in exchange for an honest review. We gave it to elementary school students to test out and let them keep it for their "Maker Space". All thoughts are entirely their own. 3D Pens seem to be all the rage this year and we were delighted to work with Scribbler on their model. At first, I thought these were more like a glorified hot glue gun -- and I simply didn't see how they would "build" a 3D design. Silly me! The light weight pen has no metal parts because the nozzle is removable and it is made of ceramics. The kit comes with a charging unit (plug-in cord) and enough filament to get you started. First of all, they kept safety in mind. The heating element is enclosed in a heat-resistant plastic case so which helps prevent injuries. The pen heats up the filaments and extrudes them, but they cool quickly. That helps eliminate those burns! For those who aren't really in touch with their creative juices? There are tons of FREE … [Read more...]