The Motherloot Blog: Product Reviews

Author Archives: Amy

Giveaway Results: Dinner for Six from Schwan’s Home Service

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Sorry! This giveaway is now closed!! We would like to congratulate Lee Ann (Commenter #97) on winning this incredible giveaway. Please check back next Tuesday for another great giveaway!

As a busy mom, I know that preparing dinner every night can be a real challenge. Although I do love to cook, I welcome any help that I can get and definitely would not object to anyone who wanted to offer me a night off from cooking. Thanks to Schawn’s, I get to share an amazing dinner with one lucky reader, and their family,  which will include Chicken Pot Pie, a side dish, and a dessert of their choice for a fun night off from cooking.

Schwan’s Home Service, America’s largest direct-to-home food delivery business, offers approximately 400 great tasting dishes like ice cream, pizza, fruits and vegetables, choice meats, seafood, breakfast items, desserts and more.  Since 1952, the company has delivered frozen food orders door-to-door to households across the country and now ships nationwide, too.  From the freezer to the dinner table in less than 30 minutes, Schwan’s meals provide a quick, convenient and pocketbook-friendly way for busy moms to serve their families delicious meals – and eliminate time spent at the grocery store.  Ordering is simple at www.schwans.com or by calling 1-888-SCHWANS.

To enter this giveaway please browse www.schwans.com to pick a side dish and dessert you feel would go best with Schwan’s Chicken Pot Pie. Leave a comment here to let me know what you would pick for your night off from cooking.  One winner, chosen at random, will receive a full family dinner (serving up to six members) featuring Chicken Pot Pie and their preferred dishes courtesy of Schwan’s Home Service, shipped right to their door! Entries will be taken through Tuesday 03/30) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Review: Glory of Heracles for Nintendo DS

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A new game based on the character Heracles from Greek mythology will be released this week and we were given a copy to put through the paces. If you long for the classic RPGs of your childhood or want your kids to have the same experience on an updated platform, this is your ticket.

Based around the plot that you’re an immortal hero who has lost his memory but is apparently Heracles, you met up with fellow immortals and make your way towards Mt. Olympus. There’s all the typical RPG elements that have been seen hundreds of times before. You lay the smack down on killer bugs, trees, and an endless supply of angry creatures. You get money to buy better equipment, experience and new skills to bring new levels of hurt upon those who stand in your way, and are thrown into a variety of mini-quests to keep the storyline moving.

There are two things that make this game really likable however. First of is the sense of humor. Right from the gun, there are layers of sarcastic and genuine comedy in the writing that will grab your attention and keep it. Even during the tutorials, which are oftentimes painful necessities of a game, the smart wit keeps things entertaining. There’s running jokes about hair, a gender-confused character, and even about the RPG genre itself. I’ve not seen this level of writing in this kind of game before, which is a good thing because you’ll spend a lot of time reading.

The second thing that struck me was the animation. I’ve come to expect the same generic kind of movement from characters in these classic RPGs. When you fall asleep, your character is merely rotated horizontal. When he attacks, a little stick moves up and down a few times and maybe the monster shakes. Not so in Heracles.

The anime-like movie intro is an impressive start, but it’s the detail of the in-game animation that really blows you away. The characters move fluidly. If they get up after a fall, it’s a complete and convincing movement. In battles, they wind up before bashing a crazy-eyed tree monster over the head. As the fights are the central point of the game, having monsters with unique and interesting animations keeps it fresh. As an added bonus, the humorous dialog appears even here with taunts from your characters and exclamations like “not my hair!”

Overall, the game is an entertaining one that moves along quick enough that your kids won’t become bored with monotony but challenging enough to keep them busy for a long time. The in-game tutorials are numerous, but short and spread out on a need-to-know basis which helps. Beginners can make use of the auto-mode where the game decides the next move in a fight. Advanced players however can take over the reins where they perform a variety of skill tests to make their attacks more effective. The animation makes it a joy on the eyes and the dialog, though many times over the kids’ heads, surely has enough to give them a good chuckle.

Suggested Retail Price: $27.99

Website for More Details: Glory of Heracles

This product was received as a review sample. The thoughts and opinions expressed will always be honest and heartfelt and no reflection on receiving a sample copy.  We promise to always do our best to also give away each of these products to our readers because it is always better to give than to receive!  Want to know more about how things are handled here at MomAdvice? Be sure to read our Disclaimer which clearly states how things work and know that we will always offer only the best reviews to our readers.

Giveaway Results: The Versatile Sears Gift Card

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Sorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Commenters #284 & #156 on winning these gift cards. Happy Holidays, everyone!

When I was asked if I would like to go on a shopping spree with a $200 Sears Gift Card for the holidays, I could not agree fast enough. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to shop for for free? Lucky for me, this card can not only be used at Sears, but I could take it over to Kmart to get even more holiday shopping done. Our stores just happen to be on the same road so I hit the main drag to get the rest of my holiday shopping done.

At Kmart I was able to purchase three beautiful scarves for only $6.49 each (for my fashionista sister-in-law), beautiful dishtowels from the Country Living line for hostess gifts, a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em game for my nephew, and two Thomas movies with wooden trains for my other nephew (for only $5 each!)

On my stop to Sears, I swung by the clearance section and found two beautiful digital frames to send to the grandparents for only $69.99. They held 3,000 pictures and could store even more with an additional memory card. I ran right home and loaded them both with oodles of pictures of their grandchildren as a special holiday gift that will be remembered for years to come. My out-of- pocket expenses after all of this shopping… a mere $5.50. I am so proud of the gifts that I chose and was blown away with the variety of items I was able to choose from with this gift card.

There were so many budget-friendly choices and the versatility of being able to shop with at so many different stores is what makes this gift card so unique. I was able to pick out gifts in every price range and saw so many more gifts that I could get next year. Beautiful chunky sweaters on clearance, perfumes and cologne, jewelry, cashmere throws, fashion accessories, and tons of toys & games all could be purchased with just one card. Unbelievable!

Holiday Gift CardThe Sears & Kmart gift card is redeemable at Sears,on Sears.com , Kmart, on Kmart.com, Lands End, and LandsEnd.com! All of these combined offer such a wide variety of brands for you to choose from, which most single-retailer gift cards don’t provide.

I wouldn’t just tell you about my amazing shopping experience though, I just had to share this great shopping experience with you. Today we are giving away TWO $50 Sears/Kmart gift cards that you can use towards your holiday shopping. To enter, please share with us one way you would maximize this gift card to tackle the remainder of your holiday shopping. Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/22) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

This product was received as a review sample. The thoughts and opinions expressed will always be honest and heartfelt and no reflection on receiving a sample copy.  We promise to always do our best to also give away each of these products to our readers because it is always better to give than to receive!  Want to know more about how things are handled here at MomAdvice? Be sure to read our Disclaimer which clearly states how things work and know that we will always offer only the best reviews to our readers.

Giveaway Results: Webkinz Jr.

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webkinz jrSorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Janet (Commenter #46) on winning this holiday giveaway! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Do you have a child between the ages of three to six that would love to join the world of Webkinz? We have some great news for these parents because Webkinz now makes a line of Webkinz Jr products with just these children in mind.

Discover the most huggable plush pets you’ll ever love and a friendly world of imaginative interactive play—just for kids ages 3 to 6.

There’s so much to do at webkinzjr.com:

Age-appropriate play and activities

Fun new characters to guide your child as they explore

You can set the level at which your child plays

Parent Area to register pets and review your child’s progress

So many places to visit in our neighborhood:

Home, with cozy rooms and lots to do

School, our Acorn Academy, is full of interactive activities

Park, with Ranger Kenny helping you play hide–and-seek, tag and more

Caring Center, Playhouse and W Shop, too

That is just a taste of what one of these lovely little Webkinz Jr plush toys offers! Who wouldn’t want one of these wrapped up beneath their Christmas tree this year?

Today we are giving away a Webkinz Jr to one lucky reader! To enter to win, read our review of this fun product and then come back here and tell us why your child (or you) would love one of these. Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/15) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Review: Webkinz Jr

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webkinz jrI will admit that our family is a late bloomer when it comes to the Webkinz products. My son received a Webkinz Zebra and we have been saving his activation code for the last six months as something for him to do for one of those snow days… or a day when I have completely lost my mind. Despite not having activated his pet, he loved and slept with it every single night and only recently has learned of its online virtual zebra world. Yes, the holidays can make a mom lose her mind!

When Webkinz asked if they could send us a sample of their new Webkinz Jr products, I jumped on it…mainly, to activate their codes at the same time so I could tackle some of those holiday chores.  Just imagine sweet silence while getting the chores done and knowing that your kids were getting something educational out of it to boot. You gotta love that! We received the Plush Tan Puppy from the line which includes everything from puppies to monkeys!

The Webkinz Jr line is targeted specifically at children who are between the ages of three to six. The games are age-appropriate for this age and a fun way to keep your child entertained. How do I know that they are age-appropriate? Unlike other online sites where there have been tears of frustration over not being able to understand the games, there is simply sweet silence as she plays with her virtual puppy online.

To top it off, the Webkinz Jr line is extremely plush and cozy. Our new puppy feels like a soft Gund toy that is perfect for your little one to snuggle up with at night and enjoy IRL (You know, In Real Life.)

Parents can monitor their child’s activity online with their own login, but further information does require a special paid membership. I prefer to monitor my child for free though and have her play her games next to me. Too bad that the Webkinz virtual world expires after one year and requires another purchase with a fresh activation code to start playing again. Regardless, a year of playtime and a plush toy that will last until she is tired of it for $24.95 still seems like a great deal to me!

Overall, I am really pleased and my daughter is loving her, “Daisy the Dog,” as she promptly named her… and then petted her both virtually and in real life. Ah, the power of technology!

Suggested Retail Price: $24.95

Website for More Details: Webkinz Jr Plush Tan Stuffed Dog

This product was received as a review sample. The thoughts and opinions expressed will always be honest and heartfelt and no reflection on receiving a sample copy.  We promise to always do our best to also give away each of these products to our readers because it is always better to give than to receive!  Want to know more about how things are handled here at MomAdvice? Be sure to read our Disclaimer which clearly states how things work and know that we will always offer only the best reviews to our readers.

Giveaway Results: Another $100 Visa Gift Card from Scott Common Sense

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Scott Common SenseSorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Amy (Commenter #46) on winning this gift card. Thanks for your entries & happy holidays!

Today we have another $100 Visa Gift Card to giveaway to put towards your holiday shopping this year! If you missed entering the last giveaway or you did not win this giveaway before, we are excited to offer you another chance to win!

I have had the great honor of writing for the Scott Common Sense Blog these past few months and it has been such a blast. The site is full of great information on how to save money, keep your house tidy, manage the everyday routines, and stay organized. Their missions align perfectly with our missions here at MomAdvice and that is why it has been such a natural fit for both of us. If you are interested in reading my special guest blog column, you can find my entries here! I am very proud to have worked for the company and am excited to offer a giveaway to our readers in conjunction with this partnership!

Scott Common Sense Community is an online destination where users can exchange tips and advice on life’s everyday challenges.  In the month of November, Scott Common Sense Community is all about Holiday Festivities with tips on getting organized for every occasion, decorating on a dime, and Thanksgiving dishes you can make ahead of time.

Share your best tip for staying on budget this holiday season and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card to put towards your Christmas shopping…which should really help you to keep that budget on track!  And don’t forget you can leave your tips at www.scottcsc.com too! Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/08) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Giveaway Results: Adorable Kinders Rag Doll

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Alise DollSorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Corin (Commenter #51) on winning this doll! Happy Holidays!

We have another fantastic giveaway for our readers today. We are giving away a beautiful Adorable Kinders Rag Doll. We had the opportunity to review these dolls and you can read our review over here. This doll would be the perfect gift to give that special little girl in your life for the holiday season.

Adorable Kinders® are high-quality rag dolls based on a diverse group of kindergarten friends. There are 26 Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls, one doll for each letter of the alphabet– from Alise to Zachary. Together, the 26 rag dolls represent a wide variety of physical appearances and personalities.

The dolls were designed for durability, but safety and comfort were also huge factors. They’re made of 100% soft cloth, with no hard or plastic parts, making them a perfectly comfortable nap or nighttime pal. Each doll weighs less than 2 lbs., so they’ve got enough heft to feel substantial without weighing a child down.

Adorable Kinders’ classic look and attention to detail and safety has not gone unnoticed. The Adorable Kinders have already won seven of the top toy industry awards in 2009, including being named to Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Toys of 2009 List, and earning a NAPPA Gold Award.

Each 18” Adorable Kinders Rag Doll is made in the USA, and stuffed with non-allergenic 100% polyester. Dolls come in a colorful, removable outfit with separate underwear, socks and shoes with super-soft yarn hair. All Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls and their outfits are washable. Dolls come with an internet key-code that can be used to register for the Adorable Kinders eSchool. Choose from 26 different styles, one doll for each letter of the alphabet. Ages 2+.

Today we are giving away of one of the 26 dolls (winner’s choice) to one lucky reader. To enter to win, visit the Adorable Kinders site and come back to tell us which doll you would choose. For an additional entry, you can become a fan of Adorable Kinders on Facebook for one extra entry. Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/01) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Giveaway Results: 3 Copies of Twimericks Book for Children

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Twimericks

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate our 3 winners- Commenter #8, #9, & #24 on winning this book! Happy Holidays!

Twimericks by Lou Brooks is a book that you are going to want to add to your bookshelves this year and I am looking forward to sharing three copies of this book with our readers.

I received this book as a sample copy to review, but I know that this will be a fast favorite in our household. Our son is in first grade and loves telling jokes, tongue twisters, and riddles. If you have a child like that in your house, then this book is for them!

Twimericks are what happens when tongue twisters crash into limericks. It is an adorable book that will be perfect for a long car trip or read aloud and passed around at your child’s birthday party.

The illustrations are deliciously old-fashioned and funny which make this book already look like an instant classic. Don’t forget to put your name in the cover where it says, This Beak BooLongs To…” Seriously hilarious and highly addictive, this book is perfect for children and adults alike!

Today we are giving away three books to three lucky readers. To enter this giveaway, tell me why you should have this book wrapped under your Christmas tree this year!  Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/01) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Giveaway Results: $50 Hasbro Gift Card

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Play-Doh Burger Builder

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Melinda (Commenter #71) on winning this gift card! Happy Holidays!

Whether building imaginary worlds or exploring new shapes and textures, there are endless possibilities for creatable, colorful, makeable fun with Hasbro’s PLAY-DOH compound! Building on the success of last year’s popular Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe playset, fun is on the menu for the PLAY-DOH brand this year with two exciting new food sets: the oodles-of-fun SPAGHETTI FACTORY set and the “beefed up” BURGER BUILDER playset.

PLAY-DOH Burger Builder

(HASBRO/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99)

The PLAY-DOH BURGER BUILDER set is back and better than ever! Interchangeable molds offer everything kids need to create the perfect PLAY-DOH hamburger including tomatoes, lettuce, buns, and more. In addition, kids can crank out pretend potato or pickle chips with the exciting TWIST-A-CHIP Super Tool. Set includes five 2-ounce cans of colorful PLAY-DOH compound. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

PLAY-DOH Spaghetti Factory

(HASBRO/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99)

Order up! This fun filled playset will have kids ‘cooking’ up an impressive variety of PLAY-DOH pasta and noodle creations. Simply place the bowl or plate atop the noodle factory, push down the arms, and a big portion of PLAY-DOH pasta appears. Add ‘yummy’ looking toppings like PLAY-DOH meatballs, tomatoes or shrimp using the selection of handy half-molds. Set includes four 3-ounce cans of colorful PLAY-DOH compound and a play mat. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

In honor of these great new PLAY-DOH sets, we would like to offer one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to HasbroToyShop.com to do some of your holiday shopping this year. To enter to win,  visit PlayDoh.com and name one product you like. Entries will be taken through Tuesday (12/01) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

Review: Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls

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Alise DollI was contacted by the Granza company to see if we would be interested in receiving an Adorable Kinders Rag Doll to review for our site. With one little girl who adores dolls in our house, we were more than happy to share our thoughts on the product and to get the opportunity to share one of these dolls with our readers.

I still have rag dolls from my childhood that my daughter plays with so I was excited to see this classic doll making a comeback! After browsing the 26 different dolls that were offered, we selected the Alise doll for our daughter. Our Emily really resists getting dressed and prefers wearing her pajamas all day so I knew Alise, complete with furry slippers, pajamas, and her teddy bear would be the perfect doll for Emily.

The doll came beautifully wrapped in a sturdy box and was nestled in tissue paper. The details on this doll are what make her absolutely special though and a true family heirloom. From the details in the stitching to the thoughtful inclusions of underwear, socks, and shoes, it is a doll that your daughter will positively adore.

The doll is super soft and has beautifully woven yarn hair complete with hair accessories.  Each of the Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls  is made of 100% soft cloth, with no hard or plastic parts, which makes them the perfect companion for naptime and nighttime. These dolls also weigh less than 2 lbs so it makes it the perfect buddy for trips away from home too.

I am extremely impressed with the quality of this doll and you can see the love and care that goes into each doll. What makes these dolls even more special though is the legacy behind them.

Aranza Zamora-Goodenbury began hand-making rag dolls at age 16 in her native Puerto Rican home. They were such a hit, she began making rag dolls regularly, and each was better than the last. Despite her passion for making the dolls, motherhood and other careers soon took over. In her free time, Aranza still created rag dolls and was interested in producing a line of dolls and computer games based on her dolls. It wasn’t until her son Ivan got involved that the idea took off, and the two of them began to work on the product full-time.

Just as the product design and concept was coming together, Aranza’s son Ivan passed away from an undetected heart condition. Struck with grief and missing her business partner, Aranza tabled the rag doll project.

A few years later, Aranza gave one of her rag dolls to a friend’s daughter for her birthday. Everyone at the birthday party, including the dads, fell in love with this simple yet extraordinary rag doll. Future business partner and husband, Greg Goodenbury, was at that party and saw everyone’s reaction to Aranza’s doll. After more than a year of planning, Greg and Aranza decided to proceed with the rag doll project.

Together they formed GRANZA, Inc.— a name created by combining the names Greg and Aranza, and developed a line of 26 doll characters and the Adorable Kinders eSchool. They decided to keep operations based in the U.S., to help create local jobs. The 26 characters they created represent a wide range of ethnicities, hair colors and personalities—much like you would find in any kindergarten classroom.

You have to love a story like that behind the product itself and we know that our Alise doll will be loved and a beautiful gift nestled beneath the Christmas tree for our daughter!

Editor’s Note- Please do not enter here for the contest! This is our review and thoughts on the product, not an entry form!

Suggested Retail Price: $59.99

Website for More Details: Adorable Kinders

This product was received as a review sample. The thoughts and opinions expressed will always be honest and heartfelt and no reflection on receiving a sample copy.  We promise to always do our best to also give away each of these products to our readers because it is always better to give than to receive!  Want to know more about how things are handled here at MomAdvice? Be sure to read our Disclaimer which clearly states how things work and know that we will always offer only the best reviews to our readers.