Dolly Runway - the dolls get a makeover!

It was a quiet day at my house and I thought "Hey, it's way past time to review Linnea's cool wooden cosmetic play set from Estia. We should have a fashion show."

Linnea received this kit around Easter and I have had it on my list to review ever since. It isn't that she hasn't played with it, but that she loves it so much that she tends to get very possessive if anyone else even looks at it -- just part of being three. I thought a fashion show might inspire some cooperative play.

This is the set. It is well-made and cute as can be. I wish I had a camera with me when Linnea first opened it. Her eyes just about popped out of her head. "OOOOOOOhhhhhhh!"

wooden cosmetic play set from Estia $65.99



The set is designed in Germany and made in Thailand out of rubberwood. It includes a blow dryer, handheld mirror, 3 lipsticks with a wooden holder (attached to the box), powder box with built-in mirror and powder puff, an eyeshadow compact with 6 eye shadow colors, an applicator and mirror, comb, hair roller (we use it as a brush), a perfume bottle, and jar of magic beauty cream. Everything is pretend and requires imagination for best results.



The beauty shop...



Close-up of Linnea's absolute favorite possession (other than PooPoo).



Lipstick in the holder.



But, as everyone who watches Project Runway knows, the models have to get dressed before they put on make-up. Our models are Cassie and a selection of very much loved Haba dolls: Finja, Souri, Paola, Lotta, Lilli and Nele. The Haba dolls are available at KangarooBoo.

Time for some pretend play! Our team of stylists dresses the dolls in their dolly finery.





Oh, nice hat Finja!



Time for hair. The comb has wide teeth and the brush has imaginary bristles, so the dolls can be brushed and brushed without their yarn hair being damaged.



A bit of powder for Lilli.



Cassie gets eye shadow.



Perfume?



Yes, please! Douse it on.



Almost ready, Cassie. Just a few touch-ups.



Arielle puts lipstick and eyeshadow on Souri.





Ready to go?

Uh, oh! Lilli has wet hair! Blow it dry. Now we are ready to go.



The fashion show:

A great time was had by all. The fashion show came to a sudden halt when we saw our little friend Sidney across the street. The dolls were abandoned as we ran out to enjoy the sun and play on Sidney's swing set.



The cosmetic kit also works wonderfully on little princesses, pretend fairies and other beauties in need of imaginary cosmetics. It is the perfect gift for the girly girl preschooler in your life.

Those bees... and other new toys at KangarooBoo

The bee hive that we reviewed and lots of other cute new toys from Plan are now available at KangarooBoo. Yay!

Bee Hive by Plan Toys ($27.99)



The Eco Recycling Game($27.99) might be nice for Earth Day.



But, what I really want to see are the Planimals. Arielle would love them.

Planimals Australia Series ($32.99)



Sorry, no new reviews this week. Linnea and Arielle have been very sick and it seems that it's my turn. I hope you are all out enjoying the spring weather. I'm hoping to find some nice outdoor toys and eco-friendly toys to review this month.

Linnea's birthday gift: Baking Set

Happy New Year!

I hope 2010 brings you joy and love and lots of creative play.

I'm going to be reviewing my holiday purchases this month, but first, I need to review Linnea's birthday gifts. It is really hard to find a good big birthday gift for Linnea. Her birthday is in November, which is our busy month for reviewing toys. And, even with all the toys coming through here, I still want her birthday present to stand out.

Maybe because I love my Kitchen Aid mixer so much, when I saw this set, I knew it was something Linnea would love.

Honeybake Wooden Baking Set ($79.99)



The Wooden Baking Set from Le Toy Van is made in Indonesia. The wooden food mixer has a whisk that moves when a child turns the dial. The set also includes a cute rolling pin, a pretend play knife and baking tray, an apron made of gingham and canvas (and says "do not wash"), 4 cupcakes with interchangeable toppings, a sliceable Velcro roll-cake, a donut, a jelly cookie, a layered pastry and a cake stand. It was all really nice, except the apron which was pretty flimsy and seemed to have some kind of starchy finish. Compared to everything else, it looked like it was just thrown in.

Linnea did love it (and Arielle, too). The dolls have been treated to numerous tea parties.

A close up of the mixer and rolling pin.



Arielle bakes cookies.



Lilli loves cupcakes. She looks ready to dive in.



Cassie prefers yellow frosting. The frosting and the toppings come off and can be switched around, so every doll can have just what she likes.



Anna-Paola enjoys cupcakes, too. She's a little older and uses her spoon.



Mommy Linnea helps cut up the food. Using the "big knife" is a big deal. She feels so grown up.



And, then my camera battery died.

This is a very nice play set for little mommies and a fun addition to any toy kitchen. I thought it was a bit pricey, but the girls play with it daily. And, the dolls love all the treats.

And the winner is...........

Quack! Quack! Lisa B., you won. A pair of Odd Ducks are coming your way soon.

If you didn't win, plenty of phthalate, BPA free Odd Ducks are available at KangarooBoo ($6.99). Arielle and Linnea love theirs, and they make great classroom gifts or stocking stuffers.

Thank you, KangarooBoo!

I'll be posting a new giveaway tonight. Stay tuned!

Last chance to win a pair off Odd Ducks!

The Odd Duck giveaway ends at midnight! The winner will be announced tomorrow. Then I have another giveaway to announce. It's a secret :0)

To enter, go to the KangarooBoo website. Find a toy that you'd like to see us review. Let me know what it is, either by posting a comment here or by sending me an email or a Facebook message.

You can have a double entry by becoming a Facebook fan of KangarooBoo. Just click on the link, become a fan, and then tell me the color of the Goodbyn lunchbox on that page.

Arielle named her duck "Ducky" (so original) and she sleeps with it.

GIVEAWAY!!!! Odd Ducks at KangarooBoo

KangarooBoo is teaming up with Sara's Toy Box to do a giveaway! The winner will receive a pair of Odd Ducks from Boon.

Odd Ducks ($6.99 each) are modern rubber duckies that are PVC, phthalate, and BPA free.

Squish



Slim



I haven't seen these ducks yet, but who doesn't love a rubber-ducky? And these are so fun!

Boon bath toys are MIC, but are PVC, phthalate and BPA free. We have the Boon Waterbugs ($9.99). And, I've actually been meaning to post a review for a while. My girls love to play mommy and baby spiders with them. The net usually ends up being a baby spider bed.

Very creative. But, my favorite part is hearing Linnea talk about "fyders".



Boon gives 10% of their profits to children's charities. KangarooBoo also gives a portion of each sale to child related non-profit.

To enter the giveaway, go to the KangarooBoo website. Find a toy that you'd like to see us review. Let me know, either by posting a comment here or by sending me an email or a Facebook message.

You can have a double entry by becoming a Facebook fan of KangarooBoo. Just click on the link, become a fan, and then tell me the color of the Goodbyn lunchbox on that page.

I will announce the winner on November 6th.

KangarooBoo has also provided a coupon code good for 8% off on all regular-priced merchandise. "SSTB09" is good until the end of the year (12/31/2009).

Good luck!

Green Trucks

Green Toys Recycled Plastic Recycling Truck ($24.99)



Green Toys Recycled Plastic Dump Truck ($24.99)



We love our Green Toys Tea Set, but this year Green Toys really outdid themselves with their brand new Green Recycling Truck and Dump Truck. The trucks are made fom 100% recycled plastic milk jugs, are phthalate- and BPA-free, and are made in the USA. A recycled recycling truck? Can you get greener?

The girls were quite excited when the recycling truck arrived from Green Toys. It was just after Arielle had spent a week doing "Love the Earth" activities at preschool, and she was very happy to tell us about the importance of recycling, but I don't think she quite understood how old things could be made into new until she saw a truck made of old milk bottles. I think she was pretty impressed with seeing a real (and playable) product of recycling.

The trucks are solid plastic with backs that tip up to dump. Arielle discovered that a little Juicy Bug was just the right size to work as a driver. Everything in the cab is nicely sealed, so the Juicy Bug didn't fall in. And, the recycling truck opens in back, so all the recycling can be retrieved.

In Linnea's world, trucks kiss hello.


Dumping all the garbage out.


And, coming back for more.


Having a dump truck is very useful. A friend can take a ride.


Or, it can be used to haul important things -- like a load of dandelions. The great thing about Green Toys is that they go inside and outside and are so easy to clean.



These trucks are awesome. Each of my children has loved having a big truck to push around. And, it is nice to have a lightweight, eco-friendly and affordable option. It is tough enough to deal with everything a truck-loving toddler sends its way. I hope Green Toys introduces a few more next year.

Get 5% off Green Toys and other purchases at KangarooBoo with our coupon code "STB509" valid until June 30, 2009.

Thank you Green Toys!

One more coupon code

From KangarooBoo, 5% off valid from now until June 30, 2009. The code is STB509.

Zid Zid Kids - toys meet home decor

Ideally, I think family spaces should be friendly to all members of the family. In our living room, that would mean a safe place for a toddler to bounce, a cozy nest for a preschooler and her books, an area where teenagers can hang out and watch TV, a (clean, quiet) room where mom can relax and not worry about picking up, and a comfortable spot where dad or an extra guest can snooze. But, I also want it presentable and a little less chaotic than the rest of the house. And, since we're talking of ideals, I'd want it to be stylish and sophisticated as well.

Well.... I don't quite know about sophistication. But, it looks pretty good and works for us. I keep most toys out, but the Zid Zid animal cushions make perfect throw pillows. They are made in Morocco and have the hand-crafted, exotic look that I love. Arielle is pretty happy cuddling up to a giraffe or crocodile while she watched the Backyardigans on Thursday mornings and they look so nice on the couch.

Owl ($36.99), Crocodile ($36.99), Baby Zebra ($27.99), and Giraffe ($36.99)









The couch, by the way, is a great big microfiber sectional. One day, Linnea found a pen that her big brother left out and did this...



Helping clean up... a bit of water and a bit of steam... (mommy did the steam with Linnea safely in her high chair)



and it was good as new. Yay microfiber!`



Now, back to Zid Zid....

Zid Zid also makes big lounge poofs ($282) and mini poofs ($77.99) that make excellent seats or tumbling toys or treasure islands, and Kangaroo Boo has a new batch of Zid Zid Cozy Animals which are natural brushed cotton on the front and printed Moroccan fabric on the back and just beautiful (and we have a discount code!).





I wouldn't mind a Cozy Elephant ($43.99)



or Cozy Camel ($43.99)