My First Kenmore 2-in-1 Vacuum Cleaner

Victory is really into brooms, mops & especially vacuum cleaners so I decided to get her one of her very own. I started my search by looking for a toy vacuum that most resembled my bagless Eureka. I was stuck between the Dyson toy vac or this one but after a visit to Kmart I decided to get her the Kenmore. When I first saw it, I thought "wow, this is soooo cute"! I brought it home determined to wait till Christmas but when I looked into her little longing eyes I just had to give in. So 5 minutes later I was breaking open the box when I realized that the toy needed 3c batteries. I desperately starting searching when voila they appeared out of no where beckoning  to me from atop the fridge. I then raced over eager to get it working when I realized I needed a Phillips head screw driver. Sulking I almost gave up when out of the corner of my eye I spied the coveted sneaky old screw driver. Now back to reality: The battery compartment is on the back of the little hand vac that connects to the base, it is very easy to unscrew. After all that I couldn't wait to give it to Victory so I had Jaden my 7 year old bring it out for her while I took pictures. The look on her face really was priceless, it was almost like love at first site! For at least 3 days this thing was constantly making noise, she wouldn't put it down! My advice to you it to buy a good pair of ear plugs while your at it, don't forget some extra batteries. I was very surprised to find out that the vacuum actually picks up a little here and there which I thought was really cool! The hose wouldn't stay on really well and soon became a chew toy, crunch... I solved that by hiding it somewhere behind the couch, shhhhh. The small part that holds the hose came off very easily and wouldn't stay on but that could be because this vacuum is recommended for ages 3 and up and not built to withstand the abuse from a younger toddler. My 7 year old really liked it so I decided to get her a Dyson toy vac for Christmas which I will review as soon as she gets it. Overall I feel that the Kenmore could be a little better quality but for the price I really can't complain. I would probably purchase it again and again just to see Victory's face light up. I've only seen it in pink and feel that they really should have it in gender neutral colors. 

Melissa & Doug Caterpillar Gears Toddler Toy and Vehicle Gears Toddler Toy

These toys are a definite must for your little ones wooden toy collection; they are durable, colorful and so much fun! These gear toys are great for learning colors and developing fine motor skills. The child can match the color of the gears to the pegs and rotate them as slow or fast as they please. The caterpillar and vehicles actually look like they are moving! Other than Victory constantly losing the gears and them ending up under our couches; this toy really is great. The manufactures recommended age is 18+ months.

Please note that I combined these toys to make it easier for my review however they must be purchased separately. 

Vehicle Gears Board Toddler Toy

Caterpillar Gears Board Toddler Toy

Hape - Pound & Tap Bench with Slide out Xylophone

First off I am going to start off by saying that we love wooden toys so this toy was a must have in our home. It is made of solid wood and durable child safe paint and meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards. The child can pound on the 3 balls from the "Pound and Tap Bench" with the included mallet sending the balls tinkling over the xylophone. The xylophone can also be pulled out and played solo, which is great for on the go. This toy comes in beautiful colors and is one of Victory's favorites. I can easily see this lasting for years and will most likely end up making another child happy once Victory outgrows it. If you're on the market for a xylophone; this is the one for you!

Great for developing fine motor skills in little ones!

Curious George Everyday Shapes Puzzle Play Board Book

I want my little one to grow up with a love for reading so am always on the look out for a good book. The things that attract me most in a book are mostly the colors and story line so when I found this one on sale I couldn't resist. It's a good size at about 8 x 8 and is very sturdy. It has removable puzzles shapes on most pages; a diamond, flower, oval, star and heart. There are also multiple shapes on the back of each puzzle piece ranging from a pentagon to a circle. The book is mostly in neutral and pastel colors and the story line is almost poetic. Victory really loves her new book with the exception of the puzzle pieces being hard to take out even for myself. However, I think that with time the puzzle pieces will loosen up a bit and become easier for her to manage. I would recommend this book for little ones ranging from ages 1-6. 

Peek-a-boo open and close sensory board

I was so inspired by the Clothes Fastenings Board from Craftulate that I decided to make one for Victory. Determined, I set off on a quest to retrieve some materials. 2 hours later, mission Complete! Here's my version, I call it the Peek-a-boo open and close sensory board.

Here's what I did: 

I covered the front and back of the wooden board with felt, screwed on the hinges and lock for the door using very small screws and added a picture of my 7 year old. The window was made with felt and a pop top from a travel pack of disposable wipes, a picture of our kitten was added to that. I used buttons and felt to make the flowerpot, a snap fastener and peek-a-boo caterpillar were added to the sun. The dog with the pop open collar was one of my favorites, Victory loved it! The zip up flower and butterfly don't really do anything and are more for visual effects. Next time I will add something behind the zipper because Victory keeps trying to look inside, lol. For decoration and character I added sequins and large googly eyes, don't you just love those? I mostly used a glue gun with the exception of the few screws for the door and lock. This is a great sensory toy but parental supervision is always recommended when tots are involved. 

Check out Craftulates board here:

http://craftulate.com/2013/12/fine-motor-clothes-fastenings-fine-motor-fridays.html

B. Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube

The B. Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube is an educational toy for toddlers with many different activities to help develop fine motor skills. These include: hidden animals behind functional doors, a colorful illustrated alphabet from A-Z, 3 zig zag race paths, animal spin and match, counting beads and fun loopty-loo routes on top. I also use it to teach Victory about colors and shapes. It keeps Victory entertained for no more than 5 minutes at a time but is more effective when I am using it with her. I would definitely purchase this again if I had to because the educational benefits are well worth it. This toy is made of a solid wooden construction with no sharp or pointy edges. It's a good size and can be used when seated or standing. The dimensions are as follows: 18.0 " H x 13.98 " W x 13.98 " L. The manufacture recommends this toy for ages 1-3 and I would have to agree. 

 

Easy 2 Ingredient Cloud Dough

Thanks to Happy Hooligans I was able to make this quick and easy cloud dough with 2 simple ingredient's; flour and baby oil. It literally took me no more than 5 minutes to make. I mixed 8 cups of flour with a cup of baby oil using a whisk, grabbed some fun toys and voila! It's play time. Check out a cute video and pictures of Victory and her big Sis having a blast with the cloud dough. Check out the link to the original recipe: http://happyhooligans.ca/cloud-dough/