Pinypon Party

I recently had the opportunity to host a Pinypon Party sponsored by Mommy Parties.  My daughter was thrilled when we received the HUGE box of goodies.  We received 2 Pinypon Caravans, 12 Pinypon dolls, and 2 Nenuco Newborn Baby dolls.  







We included our Pinypon party in with my daughter's birthday celebration.  This year, we hosted 6 girls ages 4-7.   They had a wonderful time eating cake and ice cream, then playtime.   We started out with a Pinypon scavenger hunt.   When the girls found a card, they could  turn it in to receive their own Pinypon.    Once all of the girls had their own doll, playtime was on.   One thing that I noticed the girls really enjoyed was mixing and matching the different Pinypon parts to create a new girl.



The caravan includes several features of play with the shower, small boat, surf boards, and my daughter said it was also an ice cream truck.   The girls loved the water feature in the caravan.   The little shower works so Pinypons could enjoy some water fun.


The only downside to these adorable little dolls is the amount of small parts.  Since we have a 9 month old, they posed a major choking hazard.  I gave the girls a container to keep all of the parts in and made sure they were all picked up when they finished.








The Newborn baby was also a big hit.  I heard a lot of giggles after giving the baby a bottle.



Overall, the girls had a wonderful time playing together.   Each left with their own Pinypon and goodie bag and one lucky girl got to take home a caravan as well.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, my daughter and I decided that we would give the other baby doll to Toys for Tots.  We are lucky to have these types of opportunities and wanted to share.

Pinypons would make great gifts or stocking stuffers for this holiday season.  









To find out more about Pinypon, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter. 
To find out more about Nenuco, visit their website or you can find them on Facebook or Twitter.






I received sample products from Pinypon and Nenuco through Mommy Parties for the purpose of this review.   I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.  

This is what a Monster High scalper looks like

This is one of the things that I hate the most about Black Friday shopping.  It is people like this guy, who make holiday shopping frustrating.   All parents have felt the frustration of not being able to find that one toy your child wants.
 I know with the Monster High dolls,  my husband and I looked for almost 6 months before we found an Abbey doll for our daughter.    There were plenty on Ebay selling for $60 or more, but I wasn't willing to pay that for one doll because of ******** like this guy wanting to make a profit.

Share this youtube video with other Monster High fans and put these scalpers out of business.

Small Business Saturday- Show your support!

Today is Small Business Saturday.   Show your support by visiting and shopping at your local retailers.   Shopping local is one of the best ways to help support and improve your local economy.  

You can also support small businesses on Etsy.     I love shopping on Etsy, because I find things that can't be found in mass retail stores.  

Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner Review

Carmex has added a new Everyday  Lip Conditioner to their product line.  As part of the Carmex Blog Squad,   I recently had the opportunity to try out this new lip conditioner, which is unlike other lip balms.     

This is probably my favorite Carmex product that I have tested. .  The lip conditioner has 13 moisturizing ingredients for soft, smooth lips.   I really love the way it feels when applied.  It feels almost like a lotion for your lips, but not greasy at all.  It has a matte finish, which I really loved.  It makes it very easy to use with or without lipstick.  

The fragrance/flavor is this wonderful orange scent, which is very different from the usually Carmex fragrance.  It is not over powering or artificial tasting.  It will remind you of orange creamcicles.

The lip balm comes in mini 0.2 ounce squeeze tubes with a slanted applicator for easy application.  You can purchase the new Carmex Lip Conditioner at your favorite drugstore or mass market retailer.


If you are interested in more information about Carmex Products,  visit MyCarmex.com, Like on Facebook or  Follow on Twitter.

Free Walgreens 8x10 photo

Get a free 8x10 photo print at Walgreens when you use coupon code FREE2THANK at check out.   This code is good through 11/24

Kid Crafts- Scented Pumpkin Pie slice magnets

Sometimes it is hard to wait for the big Thanksgiving dinner.   Here is a quick craft idea that will keep the kids busy.  With a few household items, this craft will allow you a few minutes to put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving feast.


Materials:
paper plate cut into triangle pieces
crayons- orange, brown
glue-  either glue stick or white school glue
cinnamon
white tissue paper
self adhesive magnet stripes


 1.)  Cut your paper plate into  triangle pieces.

2.)  Have the children color their pie wedge orange (for the filling) and brown (for the crust)

3.)  After they have colored their slice of pumpkin pie, use a little bit of glue and sprinkle on cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

4.)  For the finishing  touch, because no pie is complete without some whipped cream.  Bunch up a small piece of white tissue paper  to make the whipped cream.    

Allow time for the glue to dry then add your magnet.




You can also make variations like pizza slices.   For the pizza, you need the paper triangles, red construction paper circles,  yellow stripes of tissue or construction paper, and Italian seasoning.







For tacos-  Instead of triangles, cut small circles from the paper plate.   Red construction paper circles, stripes of yellow and green tissue or construction paper, yellow and brown crayons, and taco seasoning or cumin.  

Wordless/Not So Wordless Wednesday: Handprint Turkeys

This is probably my favorite holiday tradition that our family has.   I purchased a large table cloth just before my son's first Thanksgiving.   Each year, we put a new handprint turkey on the table cloth.   Over the years, it has grown with our family.



Our littlest one added her first print.



It is amazing to see how big the turkeys get from year to year

Anybody hoarding Hostess snacks?

Thanks to the popularity of "Zombieland" no one wants to be caught in an zombie apocalypse without a Twinkie.

Thanks to the impending doom of Hostess and the movies, my husband decided that we should stock up.    Really?  was my only thought.   I heard the argument, "This is my childhood!" coupled with a story to go along with the golden snack cake.

I guess others had the same idea.  There has been an explosion of Twinkie/Hostess Snacks auctions on  Ebay with auctions ending at ridiculous amounts.    I asked my husband if we would be profiting from the snack cake buffet he procured from the gas station.    The answer I got was NO!  which then lead to a lengthy monologue about childhood, Twinkies surviving  nuclear war, extinction and somehow the dodo bird got thrown in there too.

Now in 8 years of marriage, this is the first time that a Twinkie has been in our home.   Our children thought they were in heaven.  Because sadly (??), ironically (??)  not sure what word to use here, our children had NEVER  had a Twinkie.   I honestly can not tell you the last time I had a Twinkie.  My best guess would be sometime in the mid 80's.  I remember taking trips to the bread outlet stores to stock up.   My grandparents would have them in the pantry for after school snacks.

I guess there is good news for  all of the Twinkie fans.  There may still be a chance that Twinkies survive.  The company has been put into mediation.  But, just in case things don't work out,   several questions have come to mind:

Do/Did  Twinkies really  taste good?

Twinkies are so firmly attached to popular culture. Is it that nostalgia we associate with them makes our minds think they are delicious?

What does a world without Twinkies look like?   I mean admittedly, for me, it has been 20 plus years since I really had a Twinkie on a regular basis.   But, what does a world without Twinkies mean?  I guess there will be a shortage of fried fair food.   In 20 years, will we see preserved Twinkies in museums?


Of course, there is always Little Debbie, but is that really the same?


Share your thoughts...

Kohls- Take 20% off online orders of $75

Just for Facebook fans, Kohls is offering an additional 20% online purchases of $75 or more.

Twinkies vs. Mayans

Saw this on Facebook today and it made me laugh.

New Chanukah House Kits from Manischewitz and contest

Sometimes, those who celebrate Chanukah get over looked in all of the holiday celebrations.   Manischewitz is now making these adorable new  Chanukah House kits.    The kits include everything you need to make a tasty house, cookies, icing, and decorating accents.   

They are also hosting a contest.  It’s simple to enter; participants submit a photo of their completed Chanukah House to the Manischewitz Facebook for a chance to win prizes of money or Manischewitz products.  The contest runs until December 15th, 2012

North Pole Reindeer Cam

One of the things that my children love about the holidays is checking in on the reindeer at Santa's village.   If you haven't checked out reindeercam.com   your children will love it.   Starting November 16th, Santa will start feeding the reindeer at 11 am, 6 pm, and 9 pm EST  everyday until Christmas Day.

I am boycotting Black Friday

Since my husband and I have been married, we always have had great fun camping out waiting for Black Friday deals.   This year, we are boycotting the big box retailers who are choosing to open on Thanksgiving Day.    I personally feel that these stores are showing little respect to their employees and their families.

I mean really, you can't wait a few more hours to open your doors?   Who needs a 50 inch tv, pajamas, and $5 crock pot that badly?

Life is short, embrace and spend time with the ones you love.  You can live without the door buster prices.