Orbeez Review

I recently received an Orbeez Light-up Star Lamp to review. This toy came with packets of these itty bitty pellets called Orbeez that come in a variety of colors. When you soak them in water for 3 hours or overnight they grow into cool gel-like balls. With the Orbeez Light-up Lamp you choose 3 colors (must include clear as one) and once you "grow" your Orbeez, you drain them and fill them in the star container.

Once the star is filled you screw on the light-up cap and turn it onto the base (requires 3 AAA batteries not included). Now you just flip the switch and watch the Orbeez light up and change colors. It is such a cute item and I think any girl would like this. Although my daughters are teenagers this still appeals to them. Come to think of it, I am 37 and I want one for my desk!

Orbeez items can be purchased at Amazon.com, Kmart, Walmart, Target and ToysRUs (online and in stores for some major retailers)

Check Orbeez out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Teaching geography

Every evening when Dwayne comes home from work he tries to make sure he does something with William. Whether it is reading a couple books, playing outside or just getting on the floor to play with blocks/toys it has become a part of the weekly routine. For the past week they have been putting together a wooden puzzle that is the map of the United States. We recently got this neat puzzle from eBeanstalk called the USA Sound Map Puzzle by Melissa & Doug. Although it is intended for ages 6+ it still seemed like a great way to teach Will about the United States of America. This puzzle is unique since it "talks to you". When you place the state in the correct space on the map it tells you the name of the state as well as the capital city. William's eyes lit up the first time he heard it.

Dwayne and William worked on it together and would complete it about 2 times each evening for the first few days. William has figured out where most of the pieces go on his own. It's amazing how intelligent a young mind can be. Dwayne even commented how much this puzzle has refreshed his memory of what a lot of the capital cities are as well as the exact location of some states you don't think about often. This is such a fun way to teach geography without it feeling like a lesson. I would absolutely recommend this to any parent with preschool aged children. We loved the durable wooden pieces since 3 year old kids can be a bit rough on their toys. This puzzle costs $24.99 but is worth every penny. We do have to store on a high shelf when it is not in use so a certain little boy will not lose any of the states :)

Does your child love to put together puzzles?

William's playground

Lately William has really been into going to the playground. Since it has been so hot out, it makes it harder to take him on a daily basis. The rare time of day that it is cooler is when the sports teams are playing so parking is scarce and the playground becomes way too crowded. We decided to get him his own swing set or as he prefers to call it "William's playground". We went with a smaller one since he is the only little one and also he still has the majority of the yard to run and play ball.

The good thing is we never have to leave home and we put it by a tree where we can get some decent shade for most of the day. I am also glad we can take potty breaks and get a cold drink when we need it. William is loving his new toy and it's a great way for him to get some of that boy-energy out. It really wears him out with all of that physical play so he sleeps very well at night (score!)

Dwayne and I put the swing set together and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course there was that 30 minutes that was wasted trying to get the ladder rungs assembled. No matter how many times we tried, we just could not get the screws and nuts to connect. I then find a little bag of 4 screws so I decided to open them up. Good move~ turns out that the paper enclosed stated that the directions were not revised with the fact that you needed to use those specific screws and NOT the ones we struggled with for so long. You know Dwayne was rolling his eyes at me and will be talking about me for a long time to come since I was in charge of the instructions.

In the end, our boy is happy and so are we! :)

eBeanstalk makes toy shopping so easy

I have been purchasing toys through eBeanstalk for about 3 years now and I have never been disappointed. We are really big into educational toys for our son. Whether you are looking for gifts for 3 year olds or babies, you will find just the perfect item. I have been looking for something new for William and I am thinking either a puzzle map of the United States or some building toys might be cool. He has really gotten into making castles and houses with anything he can get his little hands on. I also have my eye in this cute Green Toys Tool Set. I can just see William trying to be like his dad! I actually caught him the other day trying to pick up a very heavy hammer. He scared me silly!
The good thing is it is pretty easy to find toys for 3 year olds and as well as children of all ages through eBeanstalk. The website is so user friendly and you can break down toys by age and gender. I purchased William the Band in a Box by Melissa & Doug and he LOVES it so much! eBeanstalk carries a lot of well known brands and Melissa & Doug happens to be one of my favorites. I completely recommend eBeanstalk for your toy shopping needs.

My Internet is rude

I wanted to let you all know that I have been experiencing some issues with my internet. We are thinking it is our wireless router or maybe one of the cords. Dwayne will try to troubleshoot it tonight. I have had intermittent service so I try to do all I can whether I get on for 5 minutes or an hour. Seems like every time I have attempted to comment on blogs I get the boot. I try to be a consistent commenter so it bothers me to not be able to do so, especially to my regular spots. Just know that I have been reading blogs from my phone. I have at least 7 posts to get up so I better get cracking while I have this little window.

One last thing~ You see the computer William is playing with? It is the most annoying thing! It plays music and makes all kinds of noise. The batteries must be really good in them because he plays on the darn thing ALL day long. Does anyone need a computer?! Of course there goes a Carmex stick within reach. That's my boy :)

Sometimes you must appreciate the mess

Here is an example of everyday life at the Ismail house. Hurricane Willie can destroy any room in as little as 30 seconds. I get so aggravated some days and I yearn to know what a neat and clean home is again. Nothing is ever in place anymore and it is just normal to step on plastic fish, bouncy balls or blocks. I find myself picking up after the little one and sometimes even the big ones all day long. I then say that I will no longer clean throughout the day and I will save it for once he goes to bed. It doesn't go down like that. I wonder when this little boy will finally get it and clean up as I ask him to.
Then I really get to thinking about how much I would not want things any different. I have healthy, happy children. That's all that matters. William will eventually learn to clean up after himself. There will come the day that I will wish I had someone to pick up after and photos like this will make me smile. If I didn't have Hurricane Willie to pick up after I think I would be bored!

eBeanstalk makes toy shopping easy

Sometimes I feel like searching online for toys for my son can be a hassle. Do you go with digital toys, top selling toys for 3 year olds, or just stick to the classics? This is where I refer to eBeanstalk for help. We are really big on learning toys for our son and that is what makes eBeanstalk the perfect place online to shop. They offer so many toys for 3 year old boys as well as toys for 3 year old girls that match your child's developmental needs. You can choose items for specific age groups and gender. We have gotten several wooden toys for our son and he has enjoyed them. The quality is outstanding and I can feel good to hand them down to friends or family with little ones once he has outgrown them.

I was browsing through the eBeanstalk site and I really have my eye on this Band in a Box for my son. The first thing that attracted me was that it is a Melissa and Doug toy (my favorite brand) so I know it will be made to withstand the abuse from a 3 year old boy! If you are looking for toys for 3 year olds like I am (or any age up to 12) then I totally recommend you check out eBeanstalk. They make it so easy for busy parents :-)

Wordless Wednesday | Swiper No Swiping!

Can you tell someone just loves his new Swiper the Fox toy?

Ebeanstalk toy review

Have you ever needed to find perfect baby gifts, but weren't quite sure where to look? Search no further. All you have to do is head on over to ebeanstalk and search for toys by age! Ebeanstalk is a website that provides toys for babies and kids of all ages. Child experts hand select only the best learning toys, so not only is it easy to find age appropriate toys, but you can be reassured that they are great for a baby's development too!


I was so happy to receive the adorable Stacking Train by Melissa and Doug from ebeanstalk to test out. This was perfect since William is really into locomotives right now and most especially TRAINS! This toy is made from wood and is very sturdy for my rough toddler. It has brightly colored shapes that are great as a teaching tool and also makes your child use their brain to figure out how to put it together. I can see this train being William's favorite for a while. He walks around saying "play choo-choo train". I am a fan of this toy because I know that the Melissa and Doug brand make durable wooden toys that make your child think. I would recommend toys and games from ebeanstalk any day if you are looking for something fun and will help your child to learn in the process. There are so many choices and the site is so easy to use. Happy toy hunting!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post, all opinions are mine as always.

Buying toys online made easier with Ebeanstalk

Buying toys online can be scary and intimidating since you never know quite what you are going to get. You might wonder, will the toy be fun to play with? What is the quality like? Ebeanstalk wants to make sure their customers are 100% satisfied with all of their toys. Their website is so easy to navigate when shopping for toys. You can shop according to a specific age, gender, category or brand. I am impressed with just how many brands they carry including one of my favorites, Melissa and Doug.

They have moms like me test out their toys to make sure they have the safest baby toys and the most popular kids toys around. They are always looking for more opinions, so head on over to Ebeanstalk and let them know what you think the best learning toys are!

Who needs toys anyway?

Will and I were going to pick Brie up from school and he stopped and screamed out leaf! leaf! I had trimmed off the old leaves from one of my houseplants and he decided he wanted to keep it as a toy. He picked that over a truck or book. These days his favorite "toys" are leaves, grass, pine needles, flowers and stems. I guess there could be worse things he could play with!
What are some of the oddest things you have seen your kid play with?

Catch and Glow Bug Jug Review

I was offered a toy to review from *Ebeanstalk for William's age. We recieved the Catch and Glow Bug Jug by Lamaze.Before I could even finish pulling the toy out from the box it was shipped in, William was grabbing for it. I had to go in another room just to be able to take it out of the packaging so he could freely play with it. The jug part of this toy has a flip open lid that has a kaleidoscope top. The little "glow bugs" flicker when they are moved around giving the effect of fireflies. William loves it! He most enjoys seeing the colors from the top of the jug as they change with the kaleidoscope feature. I was a little disappointed that one of the glow bugs did not work. It did not effect his interest in the toy one bit. I think this Catch and Glow Bug Jug would be a great baby shower gift or a good one-year birthday gift.

*Ebeanstalk is a website dedicated to selecting great toys for 1 year olds and toys for 2 year olds. They have a team of moms and a team of child experts that help them pick out toys by age, so you can be sure your child gets toys that have been specifically matched to his or her age!

Disclosure: I was provided with a toy for review and received no further compensation for this post.

A Hurricane Willie moment

You see this sweet, innocent face??

Well this is the what he does all day long, everywhere in our house. This is why we call him Hurricane Willie.

I try to teach him to clean up and he likes to destroy even further. When exactly do little boys learn how to clean up??

Who needs real toys anyway?

Our William is still not a big toy fan. He'd much prefer a book or Milo's dog toys! Thankfully Will does not put things in his mouth so there is no harm. Silly boy!

Build-A-Bear Workshop Giveaway

**Contest closed**
Winner is geek by marriage

Look at the cute puppy I received from the generous folks at Build-A-Bear Workshop! He's a Portuguese Water Dog and boy oh boy is he a cutie in person! The minute William caught a glimpse of him he immediately hugged him and gave him kisses. Needless to say I guess we all know who this pup's new owner is!
This sweet pup makes a great gift for any dog lover! It has shaggy black and white fur and floppy ears. You can personalize this cutie with clothes and accessories to make the perfect unique gift. Build-A-Bear Workshop donates $1 from the sale of this Bearemy's Kennel Pals® friend to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to support local animal shelters, stray pet rescues, rehabilitation organizations, educational programs for animal welfare and administrative expenses related to these programs.

With the holiday season nearing Build-A-Bear Workshop is offering shoppers the gift generator process that helps to identify the perfect gift based on an individual’s character traits. And, there’s always the one click shopping option that lets you choose a fully attired furry friend, click on it and you’re set to go!

The prices are more affordable giving more options to fit every budget. I have had so much fun playing around on the website checking out all the cute animal and outfits! The holiday themed items are so adorable :) Now here's the fun part... Build-A-Bear Workshop offered the same Portuguese Water Dog they sent me for one lucky Momfiles reader to win! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory- *Go to the Build-A-Bear Workshop site and let us know what item you loved the most or if you win the prize who will you give it to? Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet.
Example: Win a Build-A-Bear Workshop Portuguese Water Dog @momfiles http://bit.ly/3cRfsS #giveaway

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or "friend me" on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

*Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is December 3, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck!

Thank you Build-A-Bear Workshop for providing a product as compensation for this post.

A message if you are NOT a parent

If you have no kids then please listen up to this valuable advice. If you want to buy a gift for someone's kid and you want to maintain a happy relationship with that person then never buy musical toys. Mr. Giraffe might not make it through the day. Just wanted to share and help preserve long lasting friendships or family bonds.

Whos' the bigger kid?

Yesterday evening I went to the store (with the red circles) with Dwayne and William. We were out for specific items and I wanted to get what we needed and get out of that busy place. Dwayne decided that we needed to walk through the toy aisles, excluding the girly ones that had everything in shades of pink with spark;es. He wanted to see all things boy (man). He was in awe of all the army men, robots, car & trucks, superheroes, bug looking things... He was in toy heaven. We saw this fighter pilot headset that was cool (I admit it) and it was $40. Now y'all know my cheap husband was insisting it better be able to tell the future for that price hahaha! He was showing William all these things that he needs to be at least 4 or 5 to even play with. You should to see all the excitement in Dwayne's face. William, not so much. Dwayne tried to pick up at least 3 things that I had to convince him we did not need and you should have seen the pouty face! I learned something. Do not take Dwayne to stores that sell toys. Leave him HOME!

William has a new toy!

A few weeks ago I was asked to test toys for a company called ebeanstalk. They sent out a number of baby toys and toys for 1 year olds to toy experts (moms) for their review. Through reviews such as mine, this helps ebeanstalk select great learning toys . The toy they sent was First Shapes Jumbo Knob Puzzle from Melissa and Doug who makes lots of wooden toys.

I was really impressed by the quality of this puzzle and really can appreciate the toddler friendly features. I am sure we all can relate to needing something destruction-proof when you have a 16 month old! Since this puzzle is made out of wood I feel there is minimal chance of breaking it. I really love the big knobs that make gripping each piece so much easier.

I also like how basic this puzzle is featuring simple shapes and colors. Another sneaky way to teach a busy toddler! William is really enjoying his new toy and I would certainly recommend it to anyone and I think it would make a great first birthday gift for a boy or girl. The prices are reasonable and there are so many different varieties of puzzles. I think William's next one will be the map of the United States of America.

Do you currently own any toys from Melissa and Doug?

William video

This video was done by Briahnna while she and her sister had their best friend over. William is so silly!

This really scares us

The girls were going through some old games and toys the other day and they put everything in my upstairs office so we can store them in the empty closet. I still can't understand why they keep some of this stuff. They claim they are sentimental. I told them they were 12 & 14 and don't even play with those things. They finally admitted to me that they keep it for if they need it in another 10-15 years. huh?? They spelled it out for me...for if they have their own children. They said it makes no sense to spend money on things that are in great condition. Okay, I'll give them that.

Now when you are walking around the corner and you see this, it would scare you every time....

It's a Barbie styling head. They have had that thing for years and have even given her haircuts (really bad ones). It was laying on its side on the floor the other day and William walked in the room and looked down. All you heard was screams of sheer terror! He was frozen in his tracks and was completely petrified. You should have seen him. I felt sorry for him and tried to control myself from laughing because it was funny at the same time! We plan to put it away since the girls won't let her go. After a while Dwayne might charge the girls storage fees. You know how the man loves making money!