King Richard's Faire: Holiday Gift Guide for Dragon-Lovers, Music-Lovers & Renaissance Collectors

This post has been sponsored by King Richard's Faire.  All opinions expressed are my own.

After souvenir hunting at Carver, Massachusetts' King Richards Faire for the 6th year, I just had to share some of the unique finds I've come across.  If you wait until the holiday shopping season officially starts in November, then you'll miss out on these unique gift ideas because this wildly popular Renaissance faire closes for the season on October 22nd.


Gifts for Dragon-Lovers . . .


Mardigan's Maile, who offers hand crafted chainmaile jewelry, also offers handpainted collectibles next door.  You are sure to find something for your dragon-lover here (young or old), as well as for fans of fairies and unicorns.

Here Be Dragons has a wide variety of ready-to-frame fantasy art prints that feature dragons and more.  A perfect gift idea for a cult movie fan or MTG enthusiast.

According to Uncommon Adornments, dragons are a symbol of wealth, power, and protection. Dragons are just a small sampling of the 40+ designs they sell.  Each piece of jewelry can be customized with one of twenty different stones.  Each symbol and stone have a unique meaning.  Creating a custom combination would make the perfect gift for someone special.

The Imaginarium Galleries is where my youngest son chose his King Richard's Faire souvenir last year.  This shoppe offers cable-controlled dragon puppets in all different colors and sizes.


Gifts for Music-Lovers . . .

Sunnyside Musical Creations is where my daughter chose her King Richard's Faire souvenir this year.  She actually saw these hand carved flutes last year, but had already chosen a portrait painting for her souvenir.  This year, she anxiously returned to try out the different flutes.  They were all unique in both look and sound, but ultimately, I convinced her she should select the flute that had the sound she loved the most.  The selection included regular flutes, recorders, pan flutes, and more.

Mystic Rhythms sells exotic drums and other handmade instruments.  I was enamored by the drums because, not only are they musical instruments that are fun to play, they are also works of art.

Magical Ocarinas . . . the name says it all.  This little clay flute is one of my son's favorite souvenirs from our past visits to King Richard's Faire.  The ocarinas are all unique and fairly easy to play, making them the perfect small gift or stocking stuffer for a child or an adult.


Gifts for Artisan-Made Collectors . . .

Ivy Rose Archery sells handcrafted archery bows and arrows.  Although those would make a great gift for anyone who is adventurous, what really caught my eye were the hand sculpted drinking horns. They would be a wonderful addition to a 3D art or drinkware collection.

Starfire Swords carries stage swords, daggers, and axes.  These pieces are crafted of real metal and are quite heavy.  Although the short swords and daggers I handled were not sharpened, they would most definitely look quite impressive on a wall display.

Mahinda's Mad Dog Pottery offers handspun pottery vases, mugs, bowls, and more.  I thought the Baby Bear Mugs and the Big Papa Bear Mugs would make perfect gifts for father and son.

We visit Staffs By Gust every year during our trip to King Richard's Faire, and every year my husband admires the craftsmanship of these walking staffs. No two are alike, and you can choose the height, color, and design to suit an individual's personality.  I'm so happy my husband finally treated himself to one this year.

Visit King Richard's Faire by October 22nd to start your holiday shopping early with over 80 different Artisans of the Realm!

Which favorite find from King Richard's Faire would you add to this gift guide?

Tell us in a comment here.

Giveaway & Review: Children's Electric Toy Grand Piano [CLOSED]

Musical instruments have always been a big hit with all three of our children.  They never discriminate either.  We own drums, guitars, recorders, flutes, harmonicas, maracas, and more than one electric keyboard.  We have never been too happy with the sound of any toy electric keyboard we have owned thus far.  That is why I was excited to be able to try out this Electric Grand Piano from Constructive Playthings.

This piano actually produces a very nice sound that does not have that digital quality.  Granted, you may not be able to discern this from the following video, but I have heard some delightful music made by my children on this little piano.  The trick is not to turn the volume up so high that the sound starts to become distorted.






What I thought about this Electric Grand Piano . . .

The assembly for this piano was fairly easy.  I only needed to put the legs on the piano itself, the legs and brace on the stool, insert 3 "AA" batteries, and set up the microphone, which really works.  I thought that it was clever for the microphone to have an adjustable stand right on the piano, but could also be handheld for someone to stand next to the piano to sing.  There is also a place inside the top of the piano to store the microphone and the stand.

Similar to electric keyboards, this piano offers the choice of 15 piano demos, various drums, and 8 instruments. My children seem to prefer the deep sound of the organ, but I personally like the sound of the regular piano setting.  You can also record your child's music and play it back for them . . . a feature that my children love.

I can only think of two things that could use some improvement about this piano.  The first is that the microphone stand comes off the piano a little too easily.  The second is that, when my children get into the moment and start pressing hard on the keys, you can hear the clicking of the keys with each hit.  It is quite distracting for me, but the children do not seem to notice it.

Our oldest son is 7.  Although he can perch himself on the little stool, it is going to be too small for him very soon.  The piano itself is 19"W x 15.25"D x 28"H and is a good fit still for all three of our children.  For the first two or three weeks we had this piano, our children played with it multiple times per day everyday.  Now that it is no longer a novelty, I am pleased to report that they still enjoy playing with it several times a week.  I much prefer that they play a musical instrument than watch television or play video games so much.

You can find more developmental toys by visiting CPToy.com.  Don't forget to shop through my Reader's Discount button to save 15% off your order.

Thank you to Constructive Playthings for sending us a complimentary product sample to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive an Electric Grand Piano (ARV $49.99).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian 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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Visit CPToy.com by clicking on the 15% off at Constructive Playthings button below. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one toy a child in your life would love to receive (aside from the item reviewed in this article). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 10 extra entries, sign up to receive Constructive Playthings Email Specials. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow Constructive Mom on Twitter and/or "Like" Constructive Playthings on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, April 4th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

TKD Kid Review: Paper Jamz Guitar & Amp Bundle from BJ's Wholesale Club

Last month, I attended an in-store BJ's Wholesale Club event for local bloggers. At the end of the event, I had the opportunity to take one of the hottest toys of Holiday 2010 home to review with my son . . . the Paper Jamz Guitar and Amp Combo Pack. BJ's Wholesale Club sells this bundle for $34.99 when the pieces sold separately at other retailers are approximately $25 for the guitar and $15 for the amp.

A Paper Jamz demonstration by our nearly 7 year old son . . .

Included in this particular "Bullet" bundle is a guitar that plays the songs "What I Like About You", "Two Princes", and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" plus an amp that has input for one Paper Jamz guitar or drum.

The power switch for the guitar is on the back, but all the other controls (i.e. switching between songs, volume, etc . . . ) are on the front of the guitar.

Also included is a red Paper Jamz guitar strap that is adjustable to fit a child up to an adult.

Since our son will turn 7 years old in less than a month, he felt like he was ready for his first mini product review. Here are his thoughts in his own words about the Paper Jamz Guitar and Amp . . .

"I love it! It was easy to play. My brother and sister like it too. I like the songs. My favorite is "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)". I wish it played more songs. I like the guitar with the amp. It sounds great! I get tired playing it after awhile. My arms get tired. I want to get the drums and more guitars." ~The TKD Kid

If you are in the market for a Paper Jamz Guitar this holiday, you can find this value bundle for a guitar and amp for just $34.99 at your local BJ's Wholesale Club.

Thank you to BJ's Wholesale Club for providing a complimentary sample product for us to base this review upon.

A portion of this review was written by:

Ruby Tuesday: Mini Djembe

I recently bought this little drum called a "djembe" for our 3-1/2 year old son. It is just like one his favorite Uncle has, so I knew he would love it. It was hand crafted and carved in West Africa. Our children treat it like a toy, which makes me cringe, since I consider it to be a work of art.

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

Giveaway & Review: Novica Artisan Home Decor & Gifts ($75 GC) [CLOSED]

If you are a fan of hand crafted gifts and home decor items, but have never visited Novica.com, then you are missing out. I can spend hours browsing on this site and am always in awe at the results from the hands of these talented artisans located all over the world.

When shopping for myself, I gravitate towards the vast selection of sterling silver jewelry, specifically the necklaces and bracelets. Although I love all silver jewelry, I have to avoid silver earrings because I have come to realize that I have developed an allergy to any earring post that contains silver in recent years.

This time around, I was not shopping for myself. I was actually looking for a Father's Day gift for my husband. I ended up choosing this Wooden Chess Set crafted by a man named Rakesh Pathak in Delhi. This item came with free gift wrapping, as well as a post card from that part of the world, and a little card telling the story of the artisan who created the item.

I was extremely impressed by the quality of this chess set. It is perfect for travelling because the magnetic pieces are safely stored inside the folding game board. My husband loved it and he and our 6-1/2 year old son now have something else they like to spend time doing together.

In addition to this chess set, I also purchased some instruments for our children. When I saw this pair of bamboo panpipes, I knew they would be perfect for our 6 year old and one of his younger siblings.

I am always impressed by the wrapping on Novica items. The photo on the left shows how this panpipe set was wrapped and decorated. Each panpipe came with it's own woven carrying case. Our children loved them!

I personally loved the handpainted Do Re Mi notes that were applied to the larger of the two panpipes. I think this little detail will surely help our son learn to play this instrument more easily. These panpipes were created by a man named Benito Tito of Peru.

What started me on the idea of musical instruments was actually seeing this 6" diameter mini-djembe drum. My brother-in-law loves drums and our children love to play with his when they go over to visit their favorite uncle. I thought our children would be thrilled to have a drum just like Uncle Matt's . . . and I was right!

This drum was crafted by a wood carver named Ernestina Oppong Assante and her husband in West Africa.

Thank you to Novica.com for providing us with a gift certificate free of charge to shop for products to share with our readers and for providing a second gift certificate for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive $75 gift certificate to Novica.com .

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to WORLDWIDE entries. 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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of handcrafted gifts offered by Novica. Then leave a comment telling me the name of at least one item you would spend your gift certificate on if you won this contest (aside from the 3 items reviewed in this article). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Novica.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Novica on Twitter and/or "Like" Novica on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!