Alright, this one is for all of the young, aspiring archaeologists out there.  Fossil Fighters Champions for Nintendo DS is quite an adventure.  Kids find and clean dinosaur bones and use the fossils to create and bring to life “vivosaurs” to send to battle.  The more clean the dinosaur bones, the stronger the vivosaur.  The goal is to have a few tough vivosaurs to enter into competition.  From what I have seen, the vivosaurs look pretty rad and the battles are epic.

Fossil Fighters Champions also works with DS Download Play, so three other friends can link up wirelessly with their DS’.  Imagine becoming an archaeologist with your friends.  Awesome.  The game is also compatible with Nintendo 3DS.

I’m giving away a copy of Fossil Fighters Champions (MSRP $30).  How to enter:

Leave your entry comment on this post.  For your entry comment, visit the Fossil Fighters Champions website and take a look at all of the different vivosaurs in the Fossil Museum.  Come back and let us know which one(s) are your favorites.  (PS: Your comment must list an actual vivosaur name from the museum for your entry to count – so please do visit the site.)

Giveaway is open to individuals within the continental US.  Deadline to enter is Monday, December 12th at midnight, PST.  A winner will be chosen at random from the comment section of this post and notified via email (Be sure to double-check your email address when you leave your comment).

I’m giving everyone a second opportunity to enter this giveaway.  Tweet this post.  You can find the option to share this post via Twitter at the bottom of the post (Just click the green “Tweet” or “Retweet” button and a new window will pop up allowing you to customize your Tweet).  Come back and leave your second entry comment on this post, letting me know you’ve Tweeted and what your Twitter username is.

*Click here to enter the Bratz Masquerade doll giveaway.

*Click here to enter the Tonka Truck giveaway.

Pictured above are: Kirana (the vampire), Brielle (tea party princess), Finora (the witch), and Lian (the fairy).  They are the Bratz Masquerade dolls.  I have yet to really get to know any of them, as my oldest daughter is just 6, and we’re just now getting into the “bigger” kid toys and games.  These Bratz dolls are great for kids 6 and up.

One reason I am drawn to this particular set of dolls is that there is more to them than just imaginary play.  A little more bang for your buck, if you will.  Each doll comes with a kid-sized mask, that becomes magically interactive when they visit the Bratz website.  I can’t wait to post a video of ours!  Seriously.  I can’t wait.  I love the cool things you can do with technology now.

The accessories you see pictured above, with Lian, are what is included with each of the Masquerade dolls.  A mask and hair brush for the doll, a mask and make-up for the child.

So, this is fun...  I’m giving away one of the Bratz Masquerade dolls (MSRP $21.99)!

The winner will have their choice of one of these dolls: Kirana (the vampire), Finora (the witch), Odelia (the Egyptian Mummy), Geneva (the Sea Goddess), or Lian (the fairy), based on product availability.

You can view the entire line of Bratz Masquerade dolls by clicking here. (Please note: not all of the Masquerade dolls are available as prize choices.)

How to enter:

Leave your entry comment on this post.  In your comment, list your first and second Bratz Masquerade doll choice (as listed above). Giveaway is open to those within the continental US.  Deadline to enter is Monday, December 12th at midnight, PST.  A winner will be chosen at random from the comment section of this post and notified via email (Be sure to double-check your email address when you leave your comment).

I leave you with a video review of the Bratz Masquerade dolls from Chris Byrne, The Toy Guy.

This post is more than just a review of my daughter’s new pair of Chacos.  This is a post about my baby and how she’s starting Kindergarten next week.  Full-day Kindergarten.  Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been getting recorded messages from the principal, which have contained bits and pieces of information about my daughter’s upcoming school-year.  School-year.  Wow.  Yeah, it’s still all kind of sinking in.

Last time I had to think about back-to-school anything was when I was still in school.  It’s been a while, people.  So here we are, this is back-to-school time, right?  Well o.k., then.  I’m on it.

Now that I got all of that off my chest, we can talk about shoes.  I was contacted about the brand Chaco earlier this summer.  Not only do they have awesome (durable) shoes for kids, they also have excellent footwear for the big people.  They even have dog collars and leashes.

When I write reviews, I spend time getting familiar with the brand and the people behind it.  I’m getting all kinds of warm fuzzies from Chaco.  They’re the outdoorsy type and I like that about them.  Encouraging adventures, being active and whatnot.  Can’t go wrong with that.

My little darling has the kicks shown above (and also shown below).  She’s wearing the Loyalist Youth EcoTread that were sent to us to review.

Here are the facts about the kid’s Loyalist EcoTreads:

• Stretch Polyester + Suede Leather Upper
• LUVSEAT™ Adjustable Instep Fit
• Muddy + Soapy Water Approved
• EcoTread™ outsole features 25% recycled rubber. Non-marking

The ChaPU™ midsole creates the contoured LUVSEAT™ platform, providing lasting arch support and alignment.

(The above information was obtained from Chaco’s website)

non-marking / no whining!

There are a handful of styles to choose from for the youngsters.  A couple of shoe styles for men and women that caught my eye are these ones:

(Left: Women’s Woodstock Vibram® Gunnison; Right: Men’s PedShed Vibram® Gunnison)

I’m just focusing on Fall styles in this post.  Chaco has an array of flips and sandals that are hugely popular for outdoor activities.  You’ll hear more about them from me this coming Spring.

Now for the really good stuff.  I’m giving away a gift certificate with a value of $110.00 to Chaco’s online store.  Entering is always easy and I generally give you more than one chance to enter.  So, here is what you need to know:

Entry Option 1: Leave a comment on this post.  Tell me about the most extreme outdoor activity you’ve ever attempted.  Maybe it was walking down the street and hey, that’s alright with me.

Entry Option 2: “Like” Chacos on Facebook. Afterwards, come back here and leave ANOTHER comment on this post letting me know you’ve liked Chacos on Facebook.

Entry Option 3: Tweet!  ReTweet my Tweet about this giveaway.  Come back, leave another comment on this post telling me you’ve reTweeted.  Here is the link to my original Chaco giveaway Tweet.  Make sure you’re logged in to your Twitter account, click that link and hit “reTweet” when you get to Twitter.

Entry cut-off is Sunday, August 28th at midnight PST.  I will choose a winner at random after the cut-off and that person will be contacted via email.  The Chacos gift certificate will be mailed to the winner.  Giveaway is open to those within the continental U.S.  There you have it.  Good luck!

*Update: Congratulations to our winner, Jennifer, commenter number 110!

I have been eying up this so-called “Piggy Paint” for quite some time now.  I remember hearing about it a while ago from Audrey at Mom Generations.  I tend to trust her judgement when it comes to fashion and accessories.

I have a five year old glamour girl, who has her very own rock star closet dressing room and I need to get serious about stocking it with all things girly that are safer and and more natural.

We got our fingernails on some Piggy Paint, Forever Fancy, to be more specific.

The preschooler and I have both painted our nails with the Piggy Paint.  It was kind of nice not to smell that strong nail polish odor that emanates from my polishes.  I’m also hesitant to use my nail polishes on her nails (she’s a recovering thumb sucker).  I feel more confident letting her paint her nails with Piggy Paint due to the fact that it’s odorless.  Same goes for the Piggy Paint Nail Polish Remover.  It does not contain acetone and it’s true, there is very low odor and no stinging!

Piggy Paint has a price point of around $8.99 US dollars, which for some may be kind of steep.  In my opinion, if it’s for my young daughters, I’d much rather spend the money on something I believe is safer for them.

That brings me to my next point.  Piggy Paint and the Project Earth line for tweens would make a snappy Easter Basket stuffer.  Do you do that?  Stuff Easter baskets?  Well, if you do, consider getting a Piggy Paint Gift Set for that special little lady in your life.  She’ll swoon, I’m almost willing to bet on it.  In fact, there is a perfect set of pastels ideal for Spring.  Also, mama, there is Piggy Paint Refined for us.  #WIN!

The Franklin Speaking Spelling Bee (pictured above) is a pretty cool little palm-sized vocabulary enhancer.  It retails anywhere from $40 to $60 and uses three AAA batteries.  Something like this comes in handy for anyone who wants to keep their mind sharp in this age of automatic spell-check.

There are three Spelling Bee modes to choose from; Practice, Game Show and Competition.  Use the included Stylus to select a skill level and assign yourself an avatar; and then play solo (Practice or Game Show) or with friends (Competition).  If you’re not in the mood for a spelling bee challenge, you can opt to play Hangman or Jumble.  A headphone jack is available for gaming privacy.

Keep the Speaking Spelling Bee in your purse, diaper bag, or blogger backpack and easily transport it anywhere for quick mind stimulation.  We have been having a lot of fun with it ourselves and think it would make a great gift for someone school-aged.  I would definitely recommend shopping around online before purchasing it in order to get the best price.  It’s available through Amazon.com for around $42.

*The Franklin Speaking Spelling Bee was provided to us for review here on ParentSphere.  The opinions stated above are our own (as always)!

If you are a puzzle/word game addict like I am, you’ll definitely need to get your hands on a SCRUBLE Cube.

The SCRUBLE Cube is like a cool twist (pun intended) on some classic games.  It has similarities to Scrabble with the look and feel of Rubik’s Cube – with its own new set of rules.  There are a few different ways to play the game, one being creating words across one, two or three sides of the cube to score points.  There are several ways to earn bonus points, which also adds to the challenge.

What I like about this game is its portability.  You can throw the 4x4x4 cube into your purse and feed your brain on the train on your way to work.  Spice up a playgroup, bring SCRUBLE Cube along and challenge the other mom’s to create words other than, “No”, “Settle”, or “Down” (three of my most overused words).  It can be done!

Anyway, great game.  Big fun.  Excellent pastime.  Check it out!

Right about the beginning of October, I get bitten by the crafty bug.  Fall is my favorite season; I love the colors, the scents, the pies, the leaves. Speaking of leaves, one of my absolute favorite things about Fall are the colorful leaves.  The other day, as we walked through a neighborhood on our way to a Homecoming parade in a nearby town, the preschooler and I gathered a bunch of freshly fallen leaves.  I promised her we would use them in a project.

So, today, we made “Sewy” the scarecrow.

I’m a total amateur when it comes to gettin’ crafty. I get an idea in my head and just go with it.  Being an amateur doesn’t bother me because I like those homemade, “kid-looking” crafts.  That’s right about my level of creativity.

This scarecrow is super easy to assemble. We used two pieces of construction paper for the shirt (one piece for the shirt and one piece, cut in half for the sleeves).  Two pieces of construction paper for the pants (one pant leg per sheet), one piece for the face and another piece of the same color for the hands.  One piece for the shoes and one for the hat.  I used scraps for the eyes and mouth.

I’m a closet scrapbooker who never scrapbooks and has a ton of scrap booking accessories lying around.  Honestly, these supplies have come in quite handy over the past few years.  Today, we used my Paper Shapers Craft Scissors from Provo Craft, Mat Stacks from DieCuts with a View, and some Fall-themed stickers and natural card stock I was saving for a rainy day project.

First, we cut out the sleeves for the shirt and the pant legs.  Then, we cut out the head, hat and shoes.  We traced around some tiny hands to use as the scarecrows hands.  We assembled the scarecrow with glue and Scotch tape, placing the leaves at the bottom of the shirt, sleeves and pant legs.  We had extra leaves, so I taped them to the hat (truthfully, because I didn’t really like the way the hat turned out).

Then, the preschooler decorated the scarecrow with colorful patches made from the Mat Stacks.  She placed Fall-themed stickers here and there and even drew some shapes and swirls as a finishing touch. We’re pretty pleased with the end result.  A colorful, leafy scarecrow named “Sewy”:

Have you gotten crafty yet this Fall?  Link up to your craft projects in the comments section if you have!

One afternoon, my preschooler and I were mapping out the plans for our Phineas and Ferb Chain Reaction when a package arrived on our doorstep.  “What is this!?”  I exclaimed.  We took a break from our evil scheming…I mean…planning, to open the package.  Much to our delight, inside of the package was the brand new Nintendo DS game, Phineas and Ferb Ride Again.  The timing was impeccable, I must say.

As much as we wanted to finalize our Chain Reaction, we had to sit down and check out this brand new game from Disney Interactive Studios.  This family loves Phineas and Ferb.  We were hooked from the very beginning.  Our 14 month old even rocks out when the theme song comes on and she knows just when to yell “mama” at the end, almost in unison with Candace’s attempt at busting her brothers.

We broke out the old DS and popped in the game.  My oldest daughter is just shy of age five, so I helped her with the game by reading the prompts whenever we came upon a character along our path.  The game is pretty easy to play and quite entertaining for the kids (Ok, ok, the adults too).

There are a variety of mini-games to explore, which score Phineas and Ferb the tools they need to build different rides (like on the show).  If you have a character preference, you can switch between Phineas and Ferb as your lead character (Ferb has a drill!)

If you have a Nintendo DS, or if you’re planning to get one in the near future, Phineas and Ferb Ride Again would make a great stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Oh, we did end up finishing our Phineas and Ferb Chain Reaction.  Our video didn’t make the cut on the Disney site but we wanted to show you anyway.

Hey.  Where’s Perry?  Oh.  There you are.

Before leaving for our trip, I signed into my account on the SecuraTrac website and created “fences” for the areas my family and I would be visiting while in Florida.  SecuraFences are safety zones that you configure within your account.  You can create an unlimited number of fences; for instance, I created a separate fence for each of the Disney World parks we visited.  When you activate a fence, your SecuraPal will send you text and/or email alerts when the person carrying it goes outside of the area you created.

The SecuraPal (GPS tracking device) is small and comes with a case.  It was easy to attach the device to my preschooler either by stringing her belt through it, hanging it from a belt loop with a hook or sticking it in one of her pockets.  There were many occasions where I lost sight of her in the parks.  Have you been to Disney World?  It’s quite easy to lose sight of people.  She wanted to be right next to her cousin the entire time, not her parents.

(From your account dashboard, you can see the SecuraPal’s exact location in 5, 15, 30 or 60 minute increments)

Honestly, it eased my mind a little knowing that if something should happen to separate us, she could press a button to alert us (triggering an alert via text message and/or email to one or multiple assigned contacts).  We would also be alerted if she was “outside of the fence” we previously created and activated online.  We could check our SecuraTrac account from the iPhone and pinpoint her location.  Knowing that we were being proactive in finding her, helped me to not worry so much.  We were fortunate that no one in our group got lost, though, the peace of mind that this little device gave me was priceless.

There are many ways you can put this kind of technology to use.  Chris Holbert, SecuraTrac’s founder, suggested giving it to your teenager before he or she leaves the house.  Who’s the cool kid that doesn’t have to check in with mom and dad?  Attach it to your dog’s collar before he goes out to “do business”.  Does he bolt, like our family dog?  You can find him easy enough now.

Stick it in the stroller when Grandma or the nanny takes the kids for a walk to the park.  I know right where they are and when they’re coming back.  Have a tween that likes to go to the movies with friends?  Stick it in her purse before she leaves the house.

If it’s not already obvious, I think this is an awesome product and service and completely endorse it.

My daughter is very active, so I generally dress her (actually, she dresses herself) in comfortable clothes that she can move around freely in.  I’m planning on getting her involved in some activities, something like gymnastics or soccer in the coming months.  Something where she can burn off some of that crazy amount of energy she has.

With this in mind, when I was contacted about a company out of Vancouver, B.C. called LiLiKiKs, a company specializing in sportswear for active girls, I was immediately interested in learning more.  They sent us the Courtney Tank and Borealis Capri for review.  The outfit arrived before our first two trips this summer, so it was a no-brainer for me that Hailey would wear the outfit on our four flights, two of which were five hours long.  I needed something comfortable and durable.

The tank and capri’s have become a favorite of hers (and mine).  The tank is made of Shea fabric and has UVF 50 protection (which makes me happy) and the capri’s are made with KiK Dri fabric (which makes her comfortable and happy).  LiLiKiKs line of active wear for girls and tweens range in size 6 to 14 (XS to XL).  I like it that you can shop by sport on their website.  Makes narrowing down your choices much easier.

As soon as a decision is made as to which sport(s) we’ll try first, I know I can confidently shop at LiLiKiKs for quality and comfort.