toy reviews

CHRISTMAS PICTURES POST!

December 28, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate and a wonderful Friday if you don’t ; ) We had a wonderful weekend sharing Christmas magic with our kids! So, today I will be sharing some of our favorite moments from Christmas day, which we always spend at home with just our immediate family, and from other weekend Christmas celebrations with our extended families.

Here is a video sharing some of our Christmas traditions:

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Let me know in the comments!

October 21, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for being here : ) Halloween is in 10 days, and like ir or not it is time to start seriously thinking about your holiday shopping! I want to share some gift guides with you, but would like to ask what you would like to see! So if there is a certain demographic you’re wanting ideas for, please comment and let me know! I love comments ; ) Today I decided to start by sharing one gift idea for each person in my immediate family, but I have a lot more ideas to share. If you enjoy this, please tell me and I will make it a weekly or bi-weekly series as we enter the holiday season.

Tarte Greatest Glitz Collector’s Set & Portable Palettes

$49

How gorgeous as this?! Any women in your life from teens on up would adore this! I love that you could even gift the palettes seperately as stocking stuffers or small gifts, or give the whole set for a fabulous gift for one lucky lady. This set has great pigmentation, and I love that it’s seperated into palettes that have colors that you would use together instead of a giant palette, because I think it’s less intimidating for those who may not be as comfortable with makeup.

Mantry Box

$75 for one box

Stephan got a 3 month subscription of this from my parents back in 2012, and we haven’t got it since because it *is* pretty pricy, but if you have a guy who is hard to shop for I think this is a fun idea! Both Steph and I loved these boxes, and we found our favorite pepperoni EVER, and some incredible fudge sauce that we have re-ordered. My only issue with this box is that the only really discount I’ve seen offered is they offer free shipping if you order a 3 or 6 month subscription. Still, very yummy and something different.

Sophie & Lili Handmade Mermaid Dolls

$20 for the mini

Hailey, who is almost 4 1/2, got a custom Sophie & Lili doll year and it’s so special! She calls her Hailey doll, and one of Santa’s elves worked very hard on her. This year I am hoping Santa will have that same elf make her a mermaid ; ) I love that they offer a mini one that’s half the price of the bigger one! She has adorable custom dolls, watercolors, and super hero boys! I just wish the boys could be custom and not only custom super heros. These are so well made, and she was great to work with!

ALEX Toys Little Hands String a Farm

$15

My 2 almost 3 year old, Connor, is really working on things that need lots of hand-eye coordination and finally I found a stringing toy that has a wood piece for the “needle” to make it a bit easier than floppy string. *Tip: Pipe cleaners from the craft section are also a great way to practice this and kids love it!

ALEX Toys ALEX Jr. My Busy Town Cube

$72

No, this post is not sponsored by ALEX Toys! I just have been loving their toys lately. We have so many big toys, but our baby, Logan, has Christmas and his first birthday coming up, and this is on our list for him. It gets great reviews, and has lots of activities in one. And how cute would this look under the tree!? I think the kids would all want to play with this! Zulily has stuff like this a lot, so I need to keep checking back!

Be sure to let me know what items are on YOUR list in the comments!! Have a great weekend!

https://www.leahtackles.com/2015/10/21/2704/

VTech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train Toy Review

September 9, 2015 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but Christmas shopping is right around the corner! So, today I want to share the Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train with you because we have been enjoying it SO much in our house. Hailey is 4, Connor is 2, and Logan is 7 months old and all of them have been able to use it.

*Note: I was contacted by VTech and asked if I would like to review a few of their toys. I recieved four toys for consideration for honest reviews and was not paid to review any of them. Links are NOT affiliate links and are provided solely for your conveinence! A.K.A I do not get any money if you purchase ; ) Also, I apologize for the poor picture quality, but these are action shots!

PRODUCT OVERVIEW:

-10 Activities that help teach letters, numbers, and colors

-Helps with fine motor skills with the storybook, clock, gears, and 13 double-sided letters that can snap into the side of the train to learn letters.

-The “caboose” converts into a wagon that can be filled up with toys and used as a pull toy

-Helps with gross motor skills when using as a ride on toy, push walker, or pull toy

-Target age is 12-36 months

$49.99

HOW MY KIDS USE IT:

Hailey, age 4, likes to use the letter blocks to work on letter sounds, and word formation. She also is interested in the clock and now wants to learn how to tell time!

Connor, age 2, LOVES to ride his train! He immediately claimed this as his (he is the only one of my kids who fits into the targeted age right now) and uses it all day long! I love that he practices his fine motor skills while not even knowing it, because he is a go-go-go little guy who usually gets bored pretty fast.

Logan, 7 months, likes to sit by the train and work on cause-and-effect as the lights and sounds go at the touch of a button. I know soon he will be walking behind it and riding on it!

PROS:

-Appeals to all 3 of my kids!

-So many toys in one! This is such a multi-purpose toy

-Easy to assemble and very sturdy

CONS:

-This is a large toy, so consider storage (I rotate our toys so the kids never get bored and my house isn’t overtaken!)

-It’s a somewhat pricy toy

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I really do love this toy! We already have the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker (which I purchased long before I was blogging with my own money!), so I hadn’t planned on purchasing a new one for Logan, but I am THRILLED we recieved this! Connor especially absolutely adores this thing! Each one of the kids uses this daily and I love that it engages them all together! That isn’t an easy task! And like I said it *is* a little bulky, but how cute would it look as the “big gift” for a birthday or under ther tree? I think VTech does a great job because the kids seem to really love the toys, and because of that use them enough to learn with them.

Please let me know some of your favorite gifts for kids or what you have on your holiday shopping lists! If you found this helpful please feel free to share! Thank you all for your support!