Mom Review: Castle Bounce House

I am writing this while listening to my children hop, jump and squeal.  It's a little distracting...but I can't complain.

I recently purchased a Castle Inflatable Bounce House w/ Slide (12' x 9') from Amazon.com and thought I would share my thoughts with you about this product.

We used it for the first time during our Father's Day BBQ.  My kids (5 & 6 and my *almost* seven year old nephew) played in it for at least an hour.  I used it again at my daughter's birthday party one week later.  All of the children (ages 3-7) had a great time.  The only downfall...they had to take turns because it is only large enough to hold 3-4 children at a time safely.

While I was afraid I would only use the bounce house for big events - my children have been using it at least twice per week.  On rainy days - we bring it indoors and on warmer days they pull it under the shade trees.

Set up for the bounce house is simple. In fact, my 6 year old daughter is able to drag it out of our backyard shed, plug it in and start it up.  It is also fairly light and easy to maneuver.  Just the other day I set it up in our basement when I wanted the kids to get some rainy-day exercise.

What I love most about this particular bounce house is that my children also use it as a playhouse.  They've draped blankets over the top to turn it into a "movie theater" and have loaded it full of stuffed animals to create an "animal hospital".

Overall, I am thrilled with this purchase.  I bought it for $249 at Amazon.com and have since seen lower prices on the internet.  It has been well worth the cost during the summer months and I expect that during the cold winter months it will be a great addition to the basement play area!

Mom Review: Too Cold to Play Outside? Try Wii Outdoor Challenge

I live in Montana and we are smack-dab in the middle of the coldest winter I've ever experienced here normally Montana is fairly mild...(mind you, I grew up in Minnesota so my definition of mild may be a bit skewed).

We had a weeklong stretch where the kids literally could not go outside due to frigid temps.  They were getting stir-crazy...and so was I.

That's what motivated me to purchase a Wii and Active Life Outdoor Challenge for Christmas - and since the weather didn't break...we opened it up early.

It was an instant hit with my kids (a four year old boy...and five year old girl).  The loved the jump-roping, log-jumping, outdoor trampoline & mine cart race.  I was literally giddy as I watched them run in place, jump and swing their arms & sweat!

We love the game so much that we spend each afternoon doing a family workout.  I do a 20 minute running, hurdle & jumping routine while the kids run in place & jump beside me.  After that, they challenge one another in a variety of games while I clean the house.

Pinch me.  I have a clean house...I am getting a quick workout...and I have exhausted kids at the end of the day.

Here is a promotional video for the game.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the game if you have it (comments section)...and if not - give it a try!  Trust me, it is well worth the $59.00 price tag!

Product Review: Smart Cycle by Fisher Price

If you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet (or if you like to procrastinate like me) I have another hot toy you'll want to add to Santa's wishlist.  My three year old son received the Fisher Price Smart Cycle on his third birthday from his grandparents.

I love this toy as much as he does for many reasons.

First, I am finally getting my household chores done.  Whenever I have a pile of laundry to tackle or a bathroom to clean I remind him that he needs to work on his racing skills.   "Jakey...did you beat 48 seconds yet?"  He gets his competitive streak from his mother. =)

I live in Montana where the winters can be brutal.  My kids usually only play outside once or twice per week when winter sets in.   Prior to the Smart Cycle my kids' winter fitness plan involved jumping on beds and tackling one another.  While I've never encouraged my kids to sit in front of the tv while playing video games...I am absolutely thrilled when they "cycle" in front of the tv and play video games.

Finally, the games are simple, inexpensive and educational.   I hate purchasing a product only to realize that I constantly  have to buy additional books, software, etc.. to upgrade it.   My son has had the Smart Cycle for two months now and he has yet to grow tired of the basic cartridge that the product comes with.  Initially I was concerned that the Smart Cycle was more of a racing program than an educational program.   Thankfully, it is both.  I love watching him pedal as fast as he can while he screams out letters of the alphabet.   "I need a C"...."I need a D"...etc.  His letter-recognition skills have improved dramatically since he started playing with this toy. 

My only problem with this product is that they didn't make one for grownups. 

If you want to learn more about the Smart Cycle features, check out this clip from You Tube.  If you have any specific questions about the product feel free to post it in the comments section and I will do my best to answer it. 

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Fantastic Online Drawing and Coloring Tool from Crayola: Digi-Color

 

When I am not blogging or writing I love to play with graphic design software and create "stuff".  The other day, my daughter was watching me draw some flowers using my Photoshop program. "PLEASE can I try it?" she begged. 

I let her try some of the brushes and tools, but the software was way too complicated for her to play with without my help.   I went to the Crayola.com website to print out some activity worksheets and saw this "digi-color" program.  It is AMAZING!  Within moments my four year old and I were fighting over it.  "Just a sec...Jenna - let me try the twistables".  =) 

You simply pick a Crayola product and color to your hearts' desire.  My daughter spent almost an hour playing on the site...and I jumped back on when she went to bed.  Beware...it is addictive!  =)

Check it out and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.