Fancy Nancy lovers will say “Ooh La La” over these toys from JAKKS Pacific! #JAKKSholiday

Disclosure: We’ve partnered with JAKKS Pacific for this promotional program about Fancy Nancy toys. All opinions are our own.

Fancy Nancy danced her way from a beloved book series to the screens of Disney Junior fans earlier this year. No Disney Junior TV debut would be complete with out the addition of fun toys and dress up accessories for fans to enjoy. This holiday season JAKKS Pacific has introduced a whole line of Fancy Nancy toys that will make any fan say, “Ooh La La!”

We had the opportunity to invite our 5-year-old Fancy Nancy-obsessed toy testers to try out this fabulous array of toys below, including: My Friend Fancy Nancy Feature Doll (Retail $34.99), Fancy Nancy Purple Boa (Retail $9.99), Fancy Nancy Ooh La La Music Box (Retail $19.99), Fancy Nancy Ballerina Doll (Retail $19.99), and Fancy Nancy Figurines Set (Retail $14.99).

5 Year Old Fancy Nancy Top Toy Picks:

Disney’s Fancy Nancy: My Friend Fancy Nancy Doll

Every Fancy Nancy fan is sure to love the impressive 18-inch My Friend Fancy Nancy doll from JAKKS Pacific! Nancy comes ready for a fabulous play day dressed in her signature outfit of leggings, tiara, and chic party dress, which are removable for fashion play. This was the top choice of one of our toy testers. She couldn’t wait to get Nancy out of the box and off to a magnifique tea party.

Disney’s Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La Music Box

The favorite toy from our other 5-year-old Fancy Nancy fan was this adorable Ooh La La Music Box. This Parisian-inspired music box plays the sweetest tunes. Even after endless winding up, no one in the house got tired of hearing the songs. This Fancy Nancy music box would be the perfect addition to any dresser or bedside table in your little one’s room!

It was definitely hard for our toy testers to choose their favorites. If you have a Fancy Nancy lover in your home, you can’t go wrong with any of the product offerings from JAKKS Pacific this holiday season. Pair the toys with one of the many Fancy Nancy books and queue up a few episodes on the DVR for the most magnifique holiday surprise that your children are sure to remember for years to come!

Shark Lovers Delight on Princess Cruises

Dun dun…dun dun…dun dun…

It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years celebrating Shark Week this year. With this summer’s launch of shark-themed experiences with the Discovery at SEA Program on Princess Cruises, in partnership with Discovery™, there’s no need for shark lovers to limit their fill of Shark Week fun to just one week in July.

We got a sneak peak at some of the fun shark themed experiences available this summer on board Caribbean Princess with our bite-sized resident shark lover.

Kid guests ages 3-17 get to experience all the fun that Discovery at SEA has to offer including shark-themed activities in the newly redesigned teen and youth centers. Activities include shark glitter tattoos, shark face painting, and cool crafts including shark teeth jewelry and shark clay models.

And the fun isn’t limited to the kids! Adults can enjoy specialty cocktails curated on-board including a tropical Great Blue Shark and Shark Attack Margarita.

Pack a bag and get ready to hit the seas with Princess Cruises! Shark Week fun is sailing from June through September.

#NationalSwimSuitDay with @LandsEnd

Disclosure: I have partnered with Lands’ End to promote National SwimSuit Day. I received Lands’ End products as part of this paid promotion, but my love of Lands’ End could never be bought! All opinions are my own.

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick-off to summer and to make sure everyone is ready for a fabulous day at the beach or pool, my friends at Lands’ End are declaring May 22, 2018 as National Swimsuit Day!

My friends and family know that I love Lands’ End, and swear by their swim products – from swim shirts to bikinis to their canvas totes – I purchase their products for myself, my family, and my friends year round! In the summer and when on vacation I basically live in my Lands’ End swim tees, as pictured below. I can personally attest to the great quality of Lands’ End products, and because of this, I was THRILLED when Lands’ End offered to let me choose a new swimsuit to celebrate National Swimsuit Day.

Wearing my Lands’ End swim tee in Turks & Caicos

Wearing my Lands’ End swim tee in Jamaica

I know some people cringe at the thought of swimsuit shopping, but Lands’ End has styles for everyone! If you have areas that you’d like to enhance, or areas that you’d like to keep covered up, Lands’ End has swimsuits for you. You can mix and match tops and bottoms or find stylish one-piece swimsuits and swimdresses. You can even buy swimwear for the whole family. The options seem endless!

I took some time browsing all of the new stylish swim options from Lands’ End. I really wanted a patterned high-neck bikini top that I could mix and match with different bottoms. I was thrilled when I came across an option in black and white that was reversible. On one side it has a black and white leaf pattern and on the other side, it has black and white stripes. I paired it with a solid black bikini bottom from Lands’ End and I’m thrilled with my new bikini.

Lands’ End wants you to fall in love with your swimsuit this summer, and that’s why they are celebrating #NationalSwimSuitDay as this dedicated swimsuit shopping day.  Better yet – today, all regular priced swimwear for women, men, and kids, as well as swim tees, beach towels, totes, and water shoes are 50% off. AND – to make sure everyone is ready for the start of Memorial Day Weekend, Lands’ End is also offering FREE expedited shipping for Friday delivery. The offer is valid with promotion code SWIM and pin 2018 when ordering.

To celebrate National Swimsuit Day, Lands’ End is debuting a new swimsuit silhouette. The High Neck Tankini Top embodies some of the season’s hottest trends including lace back detailing allowing for adjustability and perfect fit. The swimsuit also features a bold orchid print mixed with a vertical stripe offering a flattering take on a tropical floral. The tankini top is offered in sizes ranging from size 2 through size 26W and will be eligible for the National Swimsuit Day promotional offers.

Need help picking out the best fitting swimsuit? Join Lands’ End for their National Swimsuit Day Twitter Event from 1pm-7pm ET today! To help you find the perfect-fitting swimsuits, Lands’ End is hosting a 6-hour Twitter Swimsuit Fit Guide Event complete with advice from Lands’ End swim fit experts helping you identify the best swimsuits for every shape and size, as well as chances to win 1 of 36 $100 gift cards to purchase your dream swimsuit from Lands’ End. Follow @LandsEndPR and @LandsEnd and join in with the #NationalSwimSuitDay hashtag between 1pm-7pm ET today!

And if all of this information about #NationalSwimSuitDay isn’t enough to get you excited – Lands’ End is also offering a chance to win summer essentials through the Best on the Beach sweepstakes. Simply visit com/bestonthebeach and enter from May 17 through June 28, 2018, for a chance to be chosen at random to win the grand prize – $1,000 Lands’ End gift card, monogrammed tote and two beach towels. Each week during the sweepstakes, five lucky winners will also be chosen at random to win a $100 Lands’ End eGift Card.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to LandsEnd.com and browse the swimwear options. If you find something you love, and I know you will, take advantage of their special 50% off offer today for National SwimSuit Day! Be sure to comment below or tweet me @MomTalkRadio with the Lands’ End swimsuit you pick. Then, get outside and enjoy the warm weather!

My new travel must-have: #YahtzeeWithBuddies

Disclosure: Scopely, creators of Yahtzee With Buddies, is a client of my company, BSM Media. However, all thoughts, opinions, and true love for Yahtzee in this post are my own.

Yahtzee is without a doubt my family’s favorite game to play on game night. We take it very seriously! We’ve played Yahtzee on family vacations and road trips. We’ve played by lantern during hurricanes, and most recently, while visiting my daughter in Cameroon, we played Yahtzee in her village by bushlamp.

I love traveling with Yahtzee because it’s so portable, and that’s why I was so excited when I learned about the new Yahtzee With Buddies app! My favorite game is even more portable as the family board game classic connects friends and family for a fun, multiplayer game of dice on your phone or tablet. If you see me in the airport, you’ll probably see me playing Yahtzee With Buddies on my phone. I love that even though my kids are living in different states and countries, we can still play each other in Yahtzee! Let me warn you that this app is fun and ADDICTIVE, but I love being able to connect with my kids and friends for some friendly competition.

 

I even got everyone in my office to download the free app so we can take breaks to play. Can you believe I have colleagues that have NEVER played Yahtzee? I couldn’t believe it, but after they realized how easy it is to learn the game, they all became addicted too!

Yahtzee With Buddies is great because you don’t have to commit to playing an entire game at once. You can check in, play a couple of rolls, and come back to the game when you have a few minutes. I find myself getting my Yahtzee fix in by playing a few rounds in line at the grocery store, waiting to board airplanes, and before going to bed at night.

You can play with your friends by easily connecting to Facebook and challenging your Facebook friends. Don’t worry, you won’t randomly spam people to play with you like some of those other game apps. Once you get the hang of it, I recommend playing some of the other Yahtzee With Buddies players that the app pairs you with, and even entering daily tournaments and challenges to win in-app prizes.

The app is free with ads, but you can pay for bonus rolls if you’re THISCLOSE to getting Yahtzee! You can also play in daily tournaments to score Bonus Rolls, custom dice, vanity frames, and more – no purchases needed.

So, what are you waiting for? Are you ready to download Yahtzee with Buddies and challenge me to a game? If we’re friends on Facebook, connect to Facebook and challenge me. If you don’t want to connect with Facebook, comment with your username below and I’ll add you. Pick up your phone, roll dice, and get ready to shout, “YAHTZEE!”

Need more info? Visit http://scopely.com/game/yahtzee-with-buddies/ to learn more about Yahtzee With Buddies.

 

Are You Santa? Lands’ End Offers Chance To Be Santa For a Day #santaforaday

One of my favorite brands is hosting a fabulous holiday promotion with great prizes! Read more here:  The holiday season is here and Lands’ End will once again embrace the spirit of giving through the Santa for a Day campaign. The generous giving initiative will award sacks of presents and an abundance of gift cards as well as offer incredible product promotions and the chance to personally win $10,000 through the Santa for a Day sweepstakes.

“Santa has always represented the true spirit of giving and through the Santa for a Day campaign we are able to extend that magic and give others the chance to be as generous as our old friend from the North Pole this holiday season,” said Matt Trainor, SVP of Brand Creative at Lands’ End. “Whether it’s through incredible personalized gifts and unique promotions, an engaging social initiative or events in local markets where the search is on for ‘Santas,’ we are on a mission to celebrate the spirit of giving this season and continue to be ‘Holiday Makers’.”

Santa Goes Social: #santaforaday

Aspiring gift givers can participate daily in the #santaforaday social campaign from November 28 – December 17 on Twitter. Each day a unique Santa interview question will be asked at @LandsEnd; participants can answer using #santaforaday and #LandsEndHoliday to be entered for a chance to win a $100 Lands’ End gift card. Winners will be selected at random. The gift card prizes are an effort to help aspiring Santas fulfill gift lists this holiday season.

Santa for a Day in Minneapolis and Chicago Area

Lands’ End will spread holiday cheer in Minneapolis and the Chicago area by offering the chance to be Santa for a Day. Event attendees in each city will be invited to call the Santa Hotline in an iconic red phone booth and speak with Santa for a chance to be selected as a Santa for a Day.  Selected “Santas” from each city will each receive a sack of presents and have the chance to share in the spirit of giving.

Win and Give Santa for a Day Sweepstakes

Lands’ End is also offering one lucky winner the chance to truly be Santa for a Day through a holiday sweepstakes. Now through December 17, 2017, everyone can enter for a chance to win $10,000 in cash, as well as $5,000 for a charity of choice (to be approved by Lands’ End).  To enter daily, fill out the form at landsend.com/santaforaday

Santa For A Day Instant Win

From now until Dec. 17, 2017, shoppers can also play the Lands’ End Santa for a Day Instant Win Game Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1,000 Lands’ End gift card each week. For more information or to enter visit landsend.com/santaforaday.

 

 

 

 

New ZhuZhu Pets Are Here!

Discover the newest line of ZhuZhu Pets in hot styles and colors. Playsets sold separately for hours of fun! Perfect for birthday gifts, play time and any time! Available and major retailers and on Amazon.com.

 

New Kids Toys from LeapFrog

Get a sneak peek at two new toys from LeapFrog, the LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart and LeapPad Ultimate tablet. LeapFrog products are available on Amazon.com.

The Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart, for age 2+ children, makes role play so much fun! This toy ice cream cart delights and surprises with a range of buttons, lights, sound effects, music and fun phrases. It also features eight scoops of ice cream, three toppings and three flavors of syrup to teach kids 10 colors and flavors. Kids can create tons of delicious looking and imaginative combinations!

 

The new LeapPad Ultimate tablet is child-friendly, durable and safe. Plenty of memory and processor speed make it an educational, fun tech toy for kids. Featuring more than $100 worth of pre-loaded learning apps and videos, the LeapPad Ultimate helps kids build core skills in mathematics, reading and science as well as music, problem solving, logic and creativity to help prepare kids for preschool and beyond. LeapFrog is also launching three new cartridges featuring this year’s hottest licenses, including a new mathematics game for kids ages three to five featuring PJ Masks, a PAW Patrol problem solving game for kids ages four to seven and a colorful Trolls creativity game that will foster imagination for kids ages four to seven. Learn more at http://www.leapfrog.com.

Hot, New Toys from VTech

Discover the latest toys from VTech’s Go! Go! Smart Friends line. Offering a comprehensive, multi-faceted play experience while delivering manipulative play features and charming details, the new fantasy-themed Go! Go! Smart Friends play sets are designed to captivate young children. Kids can explore a magical mermaid world with mermaid Pearl and her sea friends in the Go! Go! Smart Friends Shimmering Seashell Castle™, featuring three MagicPoint locations for children to interact with, boosting their imaginations and encouraging social play. Learn more at http://www.vtechkids.com.

VTech’s Monster Trucks and Vehicles: Press and Race trucks and stunt vehicles provide hours of play for children ages 12 months to 5 years old.

VTech’s Race & Play Adventure for 12 months to 5 years old is a roller coaster ride of fun!

Play Calliope Games For Family Fun!

Calliope Games offers a variety of tabletop games for today’s busy families. Two games were featured at Toy Fair ’17. Roll For It! is everything you want in a game. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s fast!  The rules are simple. Roll your dice, match a card, and score some points! Be careful, though—other players may challenge you for the card you’re after. The first player to collect 40 points wins! Available on Amazon.com.

 

 Create your own journey with Tsuro: The Game of the Path! Place a tile and slide your stone along the path created, but take care. Other players’ paths can lead you in the wrong direction—or off the board entirely!

Mixin’ Up Fun with Magic Kidchen

Kids will love to get creative in the kitchen with Magic Kidchen products. A Popsicle Station, Brain Freeze Slushy Maker and Popin’ Corn maker are a few of the cooking items available for young foodies. Leah Maycraft of MadebyMommy demonstrates the Slush Maker in this video from Toy Fair ’17. Find Magic Kidchen items on Amazon.