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Adora Forever Friends 18″ Doll Review & Giveaway

dollReview of Adora Forever Friends  18″ Doll by Charisma.   I received this 18″ doll and was impress by the quality of Adoras Forever Friend doll.  Abigail is top notch 18″ doll.  My daughter could not wait to play with her.  When she arrived she was ready to meet her new best friend.

Forever Friend Doll Construction: The head, arms, legs and upper torso is made of a heavy weight quality plastic.  The lower body is stuffed.  Legs, arms and head are movable.   The head pivots not only from side to side but up an down which is a plus since one of other well know 18″ do not it allows for the child to direct the head to look up but still able to stand the doll.  The eyes also close when you lay the doll down.girl playing with dollForever Friends Dolls Hair :  Hair is brush-able, thick,  and of quality woven doll hair allowing my daughter to brush for hours.   Result the hair and stays nice. Forever Friends Clothing:  I was really impress with the quality of the clothes.  after being in the apparel industry   I know great sewing when I see it.  The pants were full lined. Easy of dressing my daughter is 7 and changing the outfit on her dolls is a big thing.  The little sneakers were great event the tips of the laces were done.  So my daughter loves tying them. The attention to detail was amazing.   She had a little difficulty with the hoodie that came with the doll,  with a little help from me she was able to succeed all the other clothes we no problem with her solo.A variety  of  Forever Friends outfits are available for the dolls.  They also fit into other 18” doll outfits. They even have girls scout outfits, high fashion type furs,  rock star and more very in tune with todays styles.  All  the styles  that your little girl wants to dress and play with.  All the outfit come with accessory which is really nice they do not have to be purchased separate  like to do with other brands.

The dolls cost $59.00doll clothes

Additional clothing starts at $19.95

My Age Recommendation is age 7  for self play and  due to the dexterity required to change the clothes.

Check out my daughters  video Review:

I think the Forever Friend doll is a great choice for a little girl.  It has brought many hours of dreaming and creative imaginary play to my daughters life.   I know my daughter will have her Adora Forever Friends Abigail 18″ doll for a long time.

Dolls and clothing can be purchased at charismabrands.com search 18” dolls

Want to Win a Forever Friends 18″ Doll off your choice?

US residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

girl with dollDisclosure:  Received this doll for the purpose of a review.  The opinions in this post are honest and are my own words about this product.

Berkshire Blanket Review

picture of a fuzzy blanketSo I got a great Christmas gift from my mother in law.  Berkshire throws,  I know who needs another throw.  I didn’t think I did either till I received these.  Berkshire Blanket fluffie Throw   They are super light and very soft  also large enough for 2 of us to fit under.  Love them.

In the few days we have had these blankets my family has fought over who is getting them.  The kids love them.   I love that they are warm but light.  The softness just makes you smile and be comfy.  I have watched a few movies with them as I decompress after the holiday ciaos.

What is also cool for laundry care,  you wash them then dry tumble dry no heat and they come out super soft.picture of a fuzzy blanket

I was most impress with the customer service we had a slight problem with one.  So I called the company the phone number was on the packaging.  A real person answered..   Debbie.  She was great since I called New Years eve I did not expect any thing to be down til after the New Year.  Debbie sent out the new blanket the same day.  My new one arrive Jan 2nd.   That was extremely impressed.

Berkshire Blankets have a WOW Guarantee ,, The Guarantee the Product will make you say Wow I am totally satisfied”  If it doesn’t  simply return it for a full refund or exchange.

We got the 2 pack for $35 (limited time) but they also sell the single pack for $24.   You can also sign up to receive coupons to get further discounts.picture of a fuzzy blanket

Berkshire Blankets Great Product , Great Quality and Great customer service now that is a company I can buy from.

 

Call Of Duty® – Black OPS II Hardened Edition Review

black ops 2This is my review of Call of Duty Black Ops II® Hardened Edition.  I love the Call of Duty Franchise, and I couldn’t wait for Black ops II to come out.

I got the Hardened edition which included:

• Collectible Steelbook®

• Official Soundtrack by Jack Wall with theme by Trent Reznor

• Exclusive Xbox Live®   Claw Avatar Prop and Zombie Avatar Costume

• Bonus  In-Game: Nuketown Zombies and Nuketown 2025

• 2 collectible coins

Well the packing is top notch. The new graphics are top notch,  The story line goes between present and past. Most campaigns are interesting and have good game play. You get to use wing suits, control the “claw” for one campaign. The new weapons are really cool just wish they were all available on xbox Live.

The cinematography is really well done and is needed to tie all the campaigns together. So far most are really well thought out and well done. I did have some issues  with one  campaign that involved riding a horse through the desert. After completing the main battle your run the horses straight at a tank and you have no control, till the horse falls on you and you have to “push” him off.  That is a really lame ending /transition. But that was the only down point of the entire game so far. Overall everything was very solid and realistic the sounds and video are sharper and have more detail. If you like the previous versions then you will love this one.

black ops 2I love xbox Live and that is where I spend most of my time. The new maps are really great my favorites are Meltdown, Turbine, Carrier and Nuketown  2025.. All the maps have pinch points to force interaction and the overall look of the maps and weapons are really good. They did a great job on details and map layout to create blind spots and attack points through out the maps. Turbine and Carrier are my current favorites for the longer distance shots. I enjoy the sniping aspects of Call of Duty vs the run and gun.

With all the new improvements this is a must have game ,you will love this version. The new weapons and sights are top notch and the fact that you can prestige a single weapon at a time is a great improvement. Hands down this is the best game of the franchise so far and a must have if you like first person shooters.

Author Mr. Superexhausted

Disclosure:   The game was sent to us from Activision to review, the blog post is of my own opinion.

7 Girls Stocking Stuffer Ideas Under $9

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Great Ideas for Stocking stuffers for Girls preteen tweens school ages 6-9. after reviewing product all year. Here are the top picks Girl Stocking Stuffer Ideas my daughter loved and has played with. These make my daughter feel like a big girl but keeping her little.
My favorite girl ages 6-9 stocking stuffers is:

  • Hair Chox by Fashion Angels On Amazon, Also at Ulta , Walmart  average price $3-4 each they are great because you can use them in your daughters hair them they wash out so color with out the commitment.

  • Here are photos of us using them at an event you have to pull the hair through the choxs,  but the color is vibrant .  We also use on my niece’s (High school girl)  she said she would like some for Christmas.

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  • The Monster High Tapeffiti about $6 My daughter loves these little tapes she decorates everything.

  • CHARM IT!   Amazon or the shopcharm-it.com site  I love CHARM IT!  jewelry because you can add on.  The charms run about $6-7 and they have every type of charm you can imagine.  So you buy the bracelet as a gift them load the stocking up with charms.    Like a cell Phone , soccer ball  or Initial. I love the idea of getting sister charms.

The pig ones we have and they have little rubber boots.

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  • Stickers and sticker books are back $1-5. Yes the ones we had as a kid.  but now they make books that you can remove the sticker and trade.

  • Lip Balm Girls love lip balm .. any scent or flavor is always a win Pick up at walgreeen, cvs, anywhere.
  • Ear Muffs and animal hats roll them up and have Santa fit in stocking s this year. Animal hat are the new hot trend sweeping the playground this one is only $9- $40- I found these on amazon you can click on the picture to learn more.

  • One of my favorite stores to shop for the holiday “little stuff” is 5 below the have so much super fun great to.

Santa loves  filling the stockings and finding little gift that will make the morning something special.  PreTeen girls will love being  a big girl while still being young.

Disclosure: this post does contain Affiliate Links to help support the cost of running this blog.. yea basically I will earn enough to buy me a cup of coffee.

Ebay gift giving made simple

Girl on a computerSo this holiday season,  I learned about the Ebay shopping gift list app. It is really cool.  My child with the supervision of an adult can choose all the items she wants on her gift list this year.  Then we can send it to Santa up north.

We simply just click on the link and with Facebook Ebay Holiday App logged into the ebay app mobile or on your desk top.   You can create a list  Super Simple, entered the kids name and then picked away adding the gifts we hope to get this holiday season.  I loved how easy it was.   Than I shared the list to friends and Family  for my kids to my extended family. So simple.

I love the interface it allows to have the children doing shopping list but also choose for your spouse.  Also I created a list for my husband which he can’t view.

eBay Gifting App Screenshot

Ebay makes it so simple you can do  ebay gift list creation any time anywhere.  Including swim team practice like we are.

Also just by me creating a list I can win from ebay  something off my list or a gift card.  So head on over and check it out makes ebay shopping easy.

I  was  hired by Splash Creative Media to write this post on behalf of eBay.

 

Sesame Place Christmas

sesame_placeThis past week we were invited to go to Sesame Place Very Furry Christmas. Such a great family tradition for the family.  This was the 2nd year we attended,  Sesame Place did not disappoint.

New this year, is the Sesame Place Furry Express, a brand new trackless train ride, which takes guests on a tour through the Twiddlebugs’ Gingerbread Cookie Factory and ends the journey with samples of their famous gingerbread treats.sesame place

A Very Furry Christmas will also feature exciting special events, including concerts and character meet and greets.   Sesame Place will also celebrate New Year’s Eve with fireworks set to Sesame Street themed music.

I loved seeing the boy love the evening of lights and rides.  They had such a fun time being kids and enjoying the holidays. sesame place very furry christmasThe nice thing that they add this year was the heat lamps the really made the cool night pleasant.

I wanted to share the video I took of the swings.

A Very Furry Christmas opens at Sesame Place on select dates beginning Saturday, November 17th. The park will also open daily from December 26th through December 31st. For a complete operating schedule please visit sesameplace.com

Admission tickets for A Very Furry Christmas are $21.99 and include a free second visit.  Guests with 2012 and 2013 Season Passes are able to upgrade their Season Pass to include unlimited admission to all 20 operating days of a Very Furry Christmas and a 30% discount on food and merchandise for $14.99.


Disclosure:  I received pass to the Very Furry Christmas in exchange for this post.

Hot Iron Holster Review

Review of Hot Iron Holster.  I love this product it solves a problem I have. I use curling Iron, blow dyers and I have a tiny bathroom with no counter space I need a hot iron holder. The solution: Hot Iron Holster gives me more space a place to put my hot tools so the are safe. I normally hang my curling iron on the towel bar where it falls on the floor.  While on the floor I have to watch I dont step on it or worse the kids.  I was ecstatic when I received the Hot Iron holster because it made out of silicone so it can with stand heat.Hot iron holer attached to a sink

How does the  Hot Iron Holster  work?  Press the flat side on a clean dry surface..  it use the silicon smooth side to create a self stick against without any adhesives or suction cups.  So you can remove it and reposition with ease.

Clean it with water or rubbing alcohol ( just in case you get hair spray on it)

Colors available in white, pink, purple, black

Perfect for travel, gym,  and more.

Great gift idea for teens, moms, or any beauty lover.

The hot iron hostler was design by a mom in her kitchen.  I love mom owned businesses.

where to get it :  HotIronHolster.com or at select retailers.

HotIronHolster Discount !   Use the code SuperHot25 for the 25% off coupon code for SuperExhausted fans . It will apply to only the Hot Iron Holster Original for all colors. until 11:59 pm EST on Nov. 30.

Just so you know, on Black Friday-Cyber Monday (Nov 23-26) we will have a separate 30% discount on all BLACK holsters. This will not be able to be combined with the SuperHot25 coupon.

Cost is $24.95hotironholster on the toliet

Disclosure: I received this product for review,  the opinions in this post are all my own.

Little Passport Review

little_passport_1442Today a Philadelphia MomMixer,  I learned about Little Passport.  Which is a monthly subscription service that you can join  that provided your child with a new travel learning experience delivered right to your mailbox. The main characters of Little Passport  Travels are Sam and Sofia.  They visit the world and share there experience with your child, in the form of activities stores and visually 3d projects.  Little passport has a new USA  version starts at 11.95 a month and features 2 states every month.  Little Passport also have a world version where you child can explore one country every month.

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For the first month, your USA Editionsubscription starts with our Discovery Kit which comes in a custom Sam and Sofia USA Portfolio and includes:

  • An introductory letter from Sam and Sofia
  • USA Field Guide
  • USA Scratch Book
  • USA Wall Map
  • Disposable Camera and Photo Scavenger Hunt

Every month thereafter, your child will visit 2 new states and receive:

  • A 32-page activity-packed journal covering 2 states
  • Stickers
  • Pop-out Models
  • Postcards
  • Access to more information and activities online

The recommended age range for our USA Edition is 7 to 12 years old

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For the first month, your World Edition subscription starts with our Explorer Kit which includes:

  • Fun travel suitcase with an introductory letter from Sam and Sofia
  • World wall map
  • Travel passport
  • Fun stickers
  • Activity sheet
  • Access to online games and activities with our boarding pass

Every month thereafter, your child will receive country-specific packages filled with:

  • Adventure letters from Sam and Sofia
  • Fun souvenirs (Japan sushi eraser, Egypt pyramid dig kit and more!)
  • Stickers for your suitcase, passport and map
  • Photos
  • Activity Sheets
  • Boarding Passes to access more online games and activities

The recommended age range for our World Edition is 5 to 10 years old.

I love the idea of a Little Passport for a gift,  every month you child get a new travel adventure.  I was really impressed with all the materials I was able to review the bight colors and fun activities.  I love the idea the kids building a 3d item in there kit such as a car or a bus. The travel kit provide hours of activities that will expand your childs knowledge of the world. Check out the Little Passport and see if it is a great idea for your kids as it is for mine.

Little Passports

This post contains affiliate links which help defer the cost of running this blog.

Ninja Cooking System Review and Ginger Beef

Ninja cooking systemMy review of the Ninja cooking system:  a few weeks ago I was invited to a Ninja Cooking system party.  During the party we learned about all the cool functions of the Ninja.  The Ninja is a slow cooker with a stove top and bake function.   Which means you can brown your meat without going to a stove top. The ninja does it all in one place.  No moving of hot pots around the kitchen,  so it  is safe with little kids running around under foot.   The Ninja also has a backing function, you can bake brownies, cakes and more.

There is a also a steam basket which allows you to layer your meals. You can put you pasta, rice, and or couscous  with veggies on the bottom of the ninja then place your protein in the steam basket to cook to perfection leaving all the favor in the meat.   The protein cooks with steam allowing for the moisture to stay in the food.

So once  I received the Ninja and I had to try it out.  My husband could not wait to see it it worked, we used it the 1st night.  He wanted to try out the pasta method. He cooked ground Italian sausage in the ninja and  then added the other ingredients  the sauce, dry pasta, and 4 cups of water in the Ninjia and cook for 20 minutes.    The result awesome baked pasta,  I loved it because it was not watery, yet fully cooked the tomato sauce and sausage flavor was infused the pasta.  baked pasta

This Sunday I get to church and realize it is the pot luck luncheon.  So I skip the sermon ran home and made my potluck pasta  in less than 30 minutes.   I made the pasta, transfer it to my pot luck dish  put cheese on top threw it under the oven broiler then brought a pipping hot dish to church.  The Ninja saved me from embarrassment. I received a a ton of complements on my pot luck dish.

Next I made Ginger Beef  using the layering method cooking in stages.

  • 1 lb of stew meat sliced ( or an inexpensive cut)
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 tbls of oil (vegetable or sesame oil)
  • 3 carrots peeled and Jillane
  • 1/4 tbls powered ginger
  • 2 tbls of soy sauce
  • 2 cups of rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1  (14oz) can of beef broth
  • 1 head of broccoli cut
  1. Turn Ninjia to stove top high add oil Cook onions  till golden and caramelizedonions cooked
  2. add beef, ginger to ninja cook till beef is brown
  3. add soy and carrotbeef cooking with carrots
  4. turn to slow cooker function cook for 1-2 hours on slow cooker till the beef in infused and tender
  5. Add 3 cups of water, 1 can of beef broth and 2 cups of uncooked dry rice   cook for 2o minutes on Ninja  stove top functionuncooked rice on beef
  6. Add uncooked broccoli to top of rice, cover cook another 5-10 minutes till rice is cooked and broccoli is tender broccoli with rice

Mix broccoli in serve and enjoybeef with rice Finally thoughts: Why I really love the Ninja cooking system.

  • It is easy to use
  • Variety of functions backing, stove top, steam,  and slow cooker
  • I am excited to bring it camping when we go next year.
  • Options It gives me so many different things I can make
  • Healthy way to cook with less oil
  • Keeps moisture in the food
  • Clean up is so easy, because it is one pot so no extra stainer too clean (less pots)
  • Ninja cooking system  easy non stick surface.
  • Ninja in stores is approximately $159.99 and the $199.99 is the price for the online package, as it comes with some additional items.

This is the beginning of my Ninja adventure.. I cant wait to see what I can make with it going forward.. chicken and dumplings maybe??

Want to win a Ninja valued at $199 one check one of my Blogging Buddies (enter all 3) who running a Giveaway PhillyFun4kids  Monderdaydonnareed  and Look What Mom Found

Do you have a Ninja Cooking System I would love to read what you tried ? link your post


Disclosure : I received my Ninja for the purpose of this review. All the opinions in this post are of my own.

Teach your Kids to Give back – Little Red Wagon Movie Review

little red wagon movie post

I was fortunate to receive a copy of the Little Red Wagon movie to review.  So last night I sat down with my 7 year old daughter to watch the movie.   The movie is a true story about a 7 year old Zach Bonner  and his family (sister Kelley and mother).  Zach and Kelley start collecting items to help people who were homeless because of hurricane Charley. They use a a little red wagon to collect the supplies.   Then withing a year,  Zach started a non profit,  The Little Red Wagon foundation.  The foundation supplies backpack for homeless children filled with toiletries, food, and a toy.   The story continues when Zach gets the idea to walk to Tallahassee and raise money to help end childhood homelessness.   The story covers the families journey of the walk and growth of the nonprofit.Zack Bonner walking

The director also include a secondary plot of a mother and child entering to to homelessness,  the downward spiral that can occur.   From the family losing there home, to losing a job, losing an apartment, to living in a car, and then finally finding hope.

What I loved about watching the movie with my kids was the questions my daughter and statements made:

Once my daughter saw that Zach go the idea and started collecting,  she stated “Mommy, Zach is a good boy”

Then as the movie continues she asked questions like ” Mommy why are those sleeping people in the gym?”

“Why are those kids outside at night?”

“Mommy Zach is really brave .. that is a long way to walk.. why is he walking”

“Mommy why are there so many kids without homes?”

“How come the mommy and boy are eating out of the garbage?”

My 11 year old son was in the other room doing his homework and he kept on coming in making comments.   He seemed to have a greater understanding of the idea of homelessness.   When the young boy in the movie had to give up his stuff and leave his home..

His comment was “The boy was being selfish not understanding his mom was having a hard time…. Mom the economy sucks”- of course I explained to my son the little boy did not understand and that was party of the story the little boy grew up the hard way.

I have to say his comment did break my heart.  I found a great level of compassion and understanding from my son to the idea of parenting.. Since my husband lost his job sometime ago.. My son does.. get the concept of sacrifice and sometimes things are not always easy.

I can highly recommend this Film! as a great teaching tool and dialogue starter with your kids.  Plus it is a uplifting inspiring movie.

So where can you see the film?

LITTLE RED WAGON, which opens at the Regal Oaks on Friday, October 5th

Disclosure: I did receive this movie to review.  the opinions stated above are completely my own.