Make Your Home Phones More Efficient with Panasonic Link2Cell Bluetooth Phones & Qi Mobile Chargers

Thank you to Panasonic for providing a sample Link2Cell Bluetooth® Enabled Phone with Answering Machine KX-TGH263B & 3 Cordless Handsets for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional set for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I love gadgets, so when I heard about Panasonic’s new Link2Cell Bluetooth Enabled Telephones, I was excited to try them out. We have VOIP service at home and just use a basic cordless phone, but the thing I really liked about the Panasonic ones is that they are equipped with Link2Cell technology. These phones not only connect to a land or VOIP line, they can receive the incoming calls to your cell phone!

When we received these, I immediately set them up and got them running. We received one main base and two secondary bases with three phones. I put the main unit in our living room and the secondary ones in the kitchen and our bedroom. The phones link via Bluetooth to up to two cell phones, so all of our phone calls to our home phone and to both my husband’s and my cell were coming through the same set of phones! I loved that these phones play our cell’s personalized ringtones, so there is no way to miss who the phone is ringing for. The phones even have voicemail capabilities, which would be a plus for many consumers.

I love that I can use these handsets even if my cell is not right next to me. Now when my phone dies, I can go plug it in at the charger in my bedroom, but not miss any calls with my handset. It doesn’t allow me to text from the handset, but that’s a feature I’m okay without. It does, however, have a text message alert option, so I know if I have a text on my cell phone. The handset itself has very clear reception and I’ve never had any issues with static. It even has a “noise reduction” button so you can remove background noise, such as from the children or the television, while you are on an important call.

In addition to the mentioned features, it has Talking Text Sender Alert which announces the phone number of incoming calls, a Locate Cell button that helps find your missing cell phone, Power Back-Up Operation which utilizes the large battery to keep the phones operating in a short power outage, Tone Equalizer which allows users to set bass and treble to equalize their voice, Eco Mode which saves power, Call Blocking, and complete personalization of the home screen on the units including wallpaper. Plus, it has a very sleek and stylish design that is nice and compact so as to not take up a ton of space on tabletops.

We also received the Panasonic Qi Mobile Charger, which retails for $39.99, so now I can charge my phone anywhere. This small but powerful charger is convenient to take anywhere -- in purses, the car, even in your pocket. It has the capability to charge any phone with a USB cord so it’s always ready to charge your device whenever you need it.  What a perfect gift idea for anyone who needs to stay connected no matter where they go!

The Panasonic Link2Cell Bluetooth Enabled Phone is an excellent product that exceeded my expectations. These retail for $119.95 at Shop.Panasonic.com, but is currently on sale for a limited time for just $91.99. What a great price if you have someone on your holiday list who needs a more efficient phone system at home!.

Enter to win a Link2Cell Bluetooth® Enabled Phone with Answering Machine with 3 Cordless Handsets (ARV $119.99) plus a Qi Mobile Charger (ARV $39.99) of your very own . . .

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Exclusively Available at Target . . . 'Spot It! Fire & Ice' Family Game

Thank you to Blue Orange Games for providing a sample Spot It! Fire & Ice game for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Since our first game received from Blue Orange Games, we have been in love. This company makes fun, quality games that my family loves to play. When we were offered their newest game, Spot It! Fire & Ice, I knew this game would be another one we would love. I was right.

Spot It! Fire & Ice is a Target exclusive game, meaning it will only be available to buy in Target stores. It features the same basic concept as the other Spot It! games, but with several variations that give it a twist. The object of the game is to run out of cards by rapidly playing those in your hand by matching one symbol from each card. In Fire & Ice though, there are “burn” symbols that give you the chance to push the included timer and get to free play all by yourself. This gives the game a twist that my boys just loved to take advantage of.

As with all of the Blue Orange Games, this game is well made with high-quality materials. The 55 cards are made of thick cardstock-type paper and the holder is thick, dense plastic. This game is recommended for ages 8 and up, but my 7 year old had no problem playing against his big brother and parents. It’s also designed for 2-8 players, so the whole family can play along. With its fast-paced timing, colorful cards, and convenient storage case/timer, this game is a great find for any family.

We’ve had so much fun playing this game already and I know that it will be a long time favorite of ours. From now through the end of November, you can purchase Spot It! Fire & Ice on sale for $17.99 at your local Target store. To learn more about Blue Orange Games, visit their website at www.blueorangegames.com.

Is It Too Early to Think Stocking Stuffers? New Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putties are Here!

Thank you to Crazy Aaron's Putty World for providing samples of Thinking Putty for us to base this review upon.  All opinions are our own.

Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty has long been a favorite nontoxic tactile fidget activity in our home. Our first Thinking Putty was a small tin of it and both my kids love the way it felt and how strong and flexible it was. We’ve owned other kinds of Thinking Putty since our first, and we’ve always loved them. When I was offered a review of Crazy Aaron’s newest Thinking Putties, I was excited and knew my kiddos would be as well. We received the Phantom and Super Magnetic putties and think they’re both really fun.

The Phantom putty comes in two kinds, Foxfire and Arctic Flare, and both react to a  blacklight  (included). We received Foxfire Thinking Putty and it’s green in color until it meets the blacklight when it then becomes blue. This Thinking Putty is really fun and the kids have loved writing messages to each other and decorating their creations with faces, eyeballs, etc. The Phantom putty is really cool and provided my children with hours of entertainment.

The Super Magnetic Thinking Putty comes in four varieties: Tidal Wave, Strange Attractor, Reactive Razz, and Quicksilver. We received the Quicksilver and were instantly captivated by this unique Thinking Putty. This putty comes with a ceramic magnet that you can use to “charge” the putty and make it magnetic. From there, the possibilities are endless!

You can pick up small metal objects, such as paperclips, make it levitate with the help of the magnet, and more. This putty is really cool and my kids started experimenting with what kinds of things they could pick up with the magnetic putty.

All of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty products are very well made and come in their own storage tin.  They retail for about $14.95 each on their website, www.puttyworld.com. You can learn more about Crazy’s Aaron’s products there or on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  These little tins of fun would most certainly make a unique stocking stuffer or Easter basket toys!

The New Rechargeable VTech Kidizoom® Smartwatch is Built for Much More Than Telling Time!

The VTech product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by VTech.  All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s camera time! With the exciting interactive Kidizoom Smartwatch, kids can capture photos, add photo effects, record videos, and play built-in games for learning fun on the go. Complete with an easy-to-use 1.4” color touch screen, as well as more than 50 digital and analog clock displays, the multi-functional Kidizoom Smartwatch is perfect for kids learning to tell time. It also boasts a rechargeable battery, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, voice recorder with funny voice changing effects, and parental game controls.

Kidizoom® Smartwatch features include:

• 1.4 inch color touch screen
• Camera for taking photos and recording videos
• Voice recorder with 5 voice changing effects
• Special effects including customized photo frames, color filters and distortion effects; fun video frames
• 4 fun games, included
• Kid-durable design to withstand drops and bumps
• Splash proof and sweat proof
• Alarm clock with fun tones and animation
• Timer and stopwatch in kid-friendly themes
• 50+ digital and traditional analog displays
• Rechargeable battery
• 4 vibrant colors: blue, pink, white and green
• Micro USB cable for data transfer and battery recharging
• Access to Learning Lodge app store to download more games and watch displays
• Recommended for ages 4 years and up
• MSRP: $59.99

We were sent a VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch to try out and we were instantly impressed. It’s made of high-quality rubber and plastic that is sure to stand up to use by any kid. It is very well laid out so it’s easy to use but still has many great features, and it’s small enough to fit even my tiny 7 ½ year old’s wrist. In addition to the touch screen, it has only 2 buttons so that even younger kids can navigate it easily. The choice between watch displays is a nice touch and Quinn has loved personalizing his clock daily. We also really like the camera feature plus the filters and frames you can use. The included four games are fun and engaging, though a little simple for Quinn. He still likes playing them though.

Quinn loves his unique Kidizoom Smartwatch. It’s great for the car, shopping, restaurants, or anywhere else. It’s small and simple and is no problem to wear around wherever kids like to go. I love that it is rechargeable too, so there’s no wasting of batteries. We love this watch and are happy to have it.


More about the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch . . .


You can learn more about VTech on their website, VTechKids.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Have Fun Strategizing with the New Battle Sheep Board Game!

Thank you to Blue Orange games for providing a sample board game for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our family loves board games, and we’ve always had great experiences with Blue Orange Games. Their newest family board game, Battle Sheep, combines logic and strategy with fun. Once you build your board, players take turns moving their stacks of sheep in straight lines and trying to block their opponents in. It takes some serious thought to accomplish blocking the other players, but it’s all very entertaining so no one gets frustrated.

Battle Sheep contains 16 pasture boards, 64 sheep tokens, and illustrated rules, all in the handy box. The game teaches social play, out-of-the-box thinking, and strategy.  It also helps improve focus and attention. It’s a great game for fun as well as thought provoking. It is recommended for ages 7 and up, from 2-4 players, and game play takes as little as 15 minutes, so it’s a great, quick game to play.

We’ve already played Battle Sheep a handful of times. From my 7 ½ year old on up to my husband, we’ve all had a great time playing. It’s fun for all ages and really gets you using your brain. It is made of sturdy materials too, like dense cardboard and thick plastic, so it’s sure to hold up for a long while.

You can learn all about Battle Sheep and all Blue Orange Games at their website, www.blueorangegames.com.

Design Your Own Notebooks, Placemats, and Other Personalized Gifts at Ink Garden

Thank you to Ink Garden for providing personalized gift samples for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I love getting personalized items for our home, so when I learned about Ink Garden, I was excited to see their custom printed products for myself. They have hundreds to choose from - anything from office products like mouse pads and business card holders to blankets and pillowcases. If you have a need, there’s a good chance that Ink Garden can supply it.

One of the first things I noticed about Ink Garden was their prices. They have very reasonable prices for such high-quality, personalized products with many items under $20. With such a wide variety to choose from, there is something for everyone. I decided to make personalized placemats for my family and a little personalized journal for myself.

Ink Garden is simple to navigate, so finding my chosen category was very easy to do. Once I chose my items, making them was simple too. You can use their pre-made templates or completely customize your item, including adding your own photos. I chose to use text and Ink Garden’s stock clip art for our placemats and just went with a basic template for both items. I had everything made to my desire within 30 minutes. Checkout was a breeze as well.

Our items came within a week and were very well packaged and obviously very high quality. I was truly impressed with how great these were! The placemats are thick and laminated with sturdy plastic so they will not tear up even with daily use and washing. The journal’s cover is made with thick plastic and the spiral binding is very high quality as well. The colors are vibrant on all the products. These are truly great quality items.

If you have a need for personalized products, check out Ink Garden for yourself at www.inkgarden.com.

CTC Math is an Excellent Program for Our Homeschooling Needs!

Thank you to CTC Math for providing a sample math curriculum membership for us to base this homeschooling review upon.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Since we started homeschooling, we have tried around 10 math programs. My oldest son finally found a program he liked, but it was only available for 6th grade and up. So, my quest has been on for a great program for my 7-year-old second grader, Quinn. I came across CTC Math one day after yet another program failed and I liked what I saw on their website. They were kind enough to provide us with a one year trial, which kept me from having to invest in yet another program after previous experience has made me skeptical as to whether any program would work out for our needs.

As soon as we got our trial, I got Quinn started. We looked around to see how the program was formatted and how to use it.  Then we jumped in. He’s had serious issues with math; he’s good at it but really, truly hates it. We’ve had many, many tears shed (by us both) over math in the past, so I was ready for the battle. Quinn was immediately happier with it simply because it’s compatible with the iPad, as he believes anything that can be done on the iPad is inherently fun. Immediately we liked the man who does the lessons. He has a smooth, natural voice that makes the math seem unstressful. Plus, he’s Australian, so that’s always more interesting. We did a couple of simple lessons with things he already knew to ease him into this new program.

Since the first lesson, math has been much easier on us both. Quinn really does like the program, even if it doesn’t necessarily make him love math itself. Each lesson is short, approximately 2-5 minutes, and has 10 accompanying questions to gauge progress. I set his “passing grade” as 80%, which means he needs to get 80% or higher right to move onto the next lesson. I love that it’s customizable and each parent can decide what is acceptable to them. I also love the layout of the parents' and kids' pages -- both are very easy to navigate. I do wish CTC had a “lesson plan”, of sorts, to keep him on track. I just ended up making my own so he could do his lessons on his own. Independence is good.

We’ve been using this program for over a month now and we’ve had a couple of minor speedbumps along the way with Quinn not wanting to do math, but our overall experience has been excellent. I like everything about the way CTC Math is run and think it’s an excellent program for homeschoolers or kids who just need some extra math practice.

You can learn more about the program, view sample lessons and demos, and find out pricing for your family at www.ctcmath.com.

Summertime Party Treat Ideas plus an Easy Blueberry Lemonade Popsicle Recipe (#HABAusa)

Thank you to HABA for providing samples of fun silicone molds for us to base this review upon and for providing additional products for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Summer is almost here, and finding easy-to-make treats that cool off hot children is a must. HABA has come out with an amazing line of silicone molds that make cooking even easier. This simple but tasty popsicle recipe is sure to delight children and parents alike.

Easy Recipe:  Blueberry Lemonade Popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup lemonade

1. Use ½ cup frozen fruit per one cup of juice. We used frozen blueberries and lemonade (not freshly squeezed lemonade) because it makes for a sweet and tart popsicle that we love.

2. Pour all ingredients into a blender and push the “smoothie” (or similar) button.  Continue to blend the ingredients until it is almost completely liquefied. Occasional chunks of fruit are fine...in fact, they make it taste even better.

3. Gently pour into HABA Silicone Popsicle Trays (or Ice Cube Trays), being careful not to over-fill.

4. Freeze on a level surface until completely hardened.

5. Carefully remove popsicles from the silicone trays and enjoy! These do not freeze solid, but instead more of a popsicle texture because of the frozen fruit mixed in.

You can pour these into HABA Silicone Ice Cube Trays too and serve in tea, lemonade, or water for a nice little addition to drinks. While the flavored ice melts, your drink’s flavor starts to change.

These silicone molds are great for parties, barbecues, or just because. The Jungle Snake Silicone Cake Mold was fun to use and we elaborated on our cake by covering it with frosting and decorating it with gumdrop scales, eyes, and a Fruit-By-The-Foot tongue. And we can’t forget the “baby snakes”, aka gummy worms.

All the molds are very well made of sturdy silicone and they are dishwasher, oven, and freezer safe. We look forward to using ours for many years. You can purchase these and all HABA’s amazing products on their website, www.habausa.com. The silicone molds start at $9.49.


Enter to win a set of 5 HABA silicone molds (a $75 value) . . . 

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Unplug with The Manhattan Toy Company 'Imagine I Can' Notes N’ Stuff Activity Set

Thank you to The Manhattan Toy Company for providing a sample Imagine I Can toy for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our reader giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Keeping children entertained while out of the house is a hard thing to do sometimes. Manhattan Toy Company is always looking for innovative ways to foster children’s imaginations, so their Notes N’ Stuff set is a great way to keep your child entertained without the use of electronics. Manhattan Toy Company is dedicated to quality, safety, and creativity and that commitment shows in all their products.

The Notes N’ Stuff set contains a spiral notebook with wood cover, a pencil sharpener, 6 small colored pencils with a plastic holder, a pencil topper, an oversized paper clip, a magnetic clip, and 2 self-inking stamps, all stored in a sturdy tin case with handle. The “Stuff” is cute, well-made, and really fun.

My 7 year old son, Quinn, loves anything to do with art, and he’s loved this set since we first opened it. It has gone with us to church, doctor’s appointments, grandma’s house, the car, and more. He loves writing or drawing in the notebook and thinks the stamps and clips are adorable and fun. I love that this set gets him to practice writing, drawing, and using his imagination. He rarely asks to play video games when we are out now because he loves using his Notes N’ Stuff so much. As a parent, I love that it’s sturdy and sure to hold up and when the supplies are used up, as happens with art stuff, we can just refill the tin case and he can continue to use the clips with his new art and writing supplies.

Manhattan Toy Company has tons of products that are sure to delight any child. Notes N’ Stuff can be purchased on their website, www.manhattantoycompany.com for $20.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Parents and Children Enjoy the Spring Weather with Easy-to-Assemble Guillow's Gliders

Thank you to Guillow's for providing sample toy planes and gliders for us to base this review upon and for providing additional products for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My boys have recently gotten very interested in making paper airplanes, so when we were offered an assortment of Guillow’s gliders, I knew they would be really excited and they were not disappointed. These gliders are made of plastic, foam, and/or balsa wood, so they are lightweight and fly great, plus they were very easy to assemble. We assembled all of them within 10 minutes.

Guillow sent us a variety of these simple planes, seven in all (the small ones came as a set of 2), and my boys have played with them for hours.

The gliders really fly very well and far, and they’ve had fun launching them and seeing who’s could go the farthest or fastest. They have literally spent hours playing with these airplanes.

We’ve had a few “fatalities”, as in the airplanes have broken, but most of them are still in great condition after all that play time. The materials used are fairly sturdy, but because they have to be light enough to fly, they will not last forever. While they do last though, they are tons of fun. My kids (and husband, I won’t lie) have really, very much enjoyed playing with these and they will continue to have fun with these for as long as they last.

These Guillow gliders are recommended for ages 8 and up because of small parts. They have many varieties of airplanes, rockets, and other gliders on their website, www.guillow.com. All seven of these gliders combined retail for $19.75, so these are easy on the pocketbook as well. In fact, Guillow has toys starting at $1.79. Visit their website to see their full selection.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.