Cool Toys and Evil Toy Recalls

Wanted to point you guys to a new blog that has quite a wide selection of links to different stuffed animals... Stuffed Stuff!

This cool new site has a wide assortment of animals. Here are a few of the categories:

• Birds


• Bugs


• Cats


• Dinosaurs


• Dogs


• Frogs


• Horses


• Monkeys


• Reptiles


• Sea Creatures


• and a lot more!

All posts link to the page where you can purchase these animals for a reasonable price.

S0 check it out the next time you're looking for a stuffed critter for a child or adult!

We came across the Fisher Price Smart Cycle while we were shopping for Christmas this past year and decided not to go with it because our then 6 (now 7) year old was a bit too big for it and would feel left out while her 3 year old sister played with it. However, even with that, it's won several Toy Industry Awards this year, including Most Innovative Product and Educational Toy of the Year, which is pretty darned cool. This group has very high standards for educational toys and is one to watch.



This cool gadget does two things... It gets the kids moving, but also gets them some of the TV time that kids today seem to demand more and more (not that the demands work at our house because most kid's TV is kind of mindless, but hey). Anything that gets kids moving AND allows them to have fun is ok in my book. At its most basic level it's a bike attached to a video game. Pretty simple. And not bad for $100 or less.

You can now buy additional software products for it too, including games for:

• Hot Wheels game


• Spongebob


• Dora and Diego


• Barbie


• and Dinosaurs...

The software seems to go for $20-40 a game, which is a bit high considering the cost of the cycle. But it does have choices for the kids in popular characters.

One of the complaints I've seen is that it doesn't remember specific users of the game, which means that if you have three kids playing on it, they all have to start in the same place (the beginning) every time, playing through the whole thing again. But for younger kids (3-4) I bet this is probably not a bad thing, as it gets them going with the easy stuff and as they get better, it gets harder every time they play.

So this looks pretty cool. It's Fisher Price, so it should be built to last. And it looks like it's expandable which is always a good thing!

Let me know if you pick one up!

Fisher-Price Smart Cycle


Smart Cycle%u2122 Hot Wheels Software


Smart Cycle%u2122 Ocean Sponge Bob Software


Smart Cycle%u2122 Dora Software

Ok. Here's the next scary thing on the horizon for parents. This Elmo robot is going to be available for the 2008 holidays...

(Check out this video on YouTube...)

This thing scares the heck out of me. Anything that can dance and talk and act this articulately would seem to be something out of a Stephen King novel. :)

That said... I think this will be the next big thing in demand by little ones. It's supposed to go for $60 when it hits the market sometime in October. So rev up your shopping engines. The Elmo Terminator is coming for you! :)

Good luck!

Hi all...

Thought I'd write about another little critter from Ugobe I saw recently that I thought was very cool until I saw the price... Talk about sticker shock!

This little dude is amazing. He is a robot who acts like a one-week-old dinosaur and learn, explores his environment, and interacts with people and other Pleos.

The Pleo has a significant array of sensory devices (nearly 40) that allow him to see, sense, touch, and detect objects in order to explore on his own without a remote control. He can also hear from either side and identify which direction a sound is coming from.

Pleo also has 100+ gears and 14 motors for articulated movement. And he's sensitive enough to the limits of his components that he'll shut down during trauma to avoid internal damage.

He's run by a rechargeable battery and appears to be very draining to his power source, taking 4 hours to charge and only allowing 1 hour of activity.

The amazing thing to me is not only is this guy technologically advanced, but he's expandable. He comes with a built in mini-USB port for online downloads, an SD card slot, and an infrared receiver that allows for Pleo to Pleo communications.

On Amazon, it appears you can buy this little guy for... wait for it... $300-$350 plus shipping. I believe the price after reading the specifications, but geez. This isn't a toy for kids. It's for RICH kids or adults who have disposable income.

So check out the website... It has some very cool video of the Pleo doing it's thing. I can't say I will be buying one soon, but it's still a pretty darned cool toy!

--Fitz

Pleo Dinosaur
A Ugobe Life Form

Hi all!

I've written about the cool wall decals from Fathead.com and thought I'd take some time to talk about some of the OTHER cool folks making wall decals these days.

Wall Candy Arts (http://www.wallcandyarts.com) has a variety of colorful options, including letters, cars, trees, chalkboards, cows, and more. Who wouldn't have liked big warm cows or sheep on their walls as a kid?!? (Maybe it's just me?)



Older kids may like murals from Walls of Joy (http://www.wallsofjoy.com) . They also have a variety of options, from an undersea mural, to jungle animals, to dinosaurs. I know my daughters would enjoy some of the jungle critters, including the Giraffes and a monkey or two!

So check 'em out. Both have some cool offerings and it's nice to be able to take them off if you need to move them (or if the child should say, grow up!).

Hope you enjoy this article and the others on my blog. Let me know what you think!

Until next time,

--Fitz

I'm back and I have to write about this cool, very useful item for parents of children who like juice boxes or pouches... and sometimes squeeze them accidentally, getting juice (or other drink) everywhere...

Well, the folks at Dwink have come up with Dwink Boxes!



These lovely little containers are dishwasher safe and pretty indestructible. We purchased four of them (one in each color - blue, orange, pink, and purple) in August 2007 and they are still going strong!

You can buy them directly from the MyDwinkBox site for $4.99 each and they ship them to you pretty quickly. We had ours in less than a week.

Check 'em out! Kids love 'em for the big handles and you'll love 'em because they'll lead to less messes!

This year, in the multitude of catalogs we've been inundated with, we managed to see something new and different -- the Fisher-Price Easy Link Internet Launch Pad.



This fun toy plugs into your computer via a USB cable and once installed, its software locks out everything on your computer except the internet-enabled games associated with the Launchpad. Each character key, when plugged into the pad, opens a secure connection to the character's website and allows the kid to play games and activities. Switching websites is as easy as switching characters on the pad. Kids can navigate and play the online games using the launch pad's arrow keys, or your computer's mouse and keyboard.

In addition, the launch pad doesn't allow your child access to your desktop and hard drive, so you can let them play without worrying about the security of your computer either. Parent controls let you limit the amount of time they can play and whether they can print or not.

System requirements for the launch pad are Windows Vista, XP, or 2000, a 750 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 100 MB Hard disk space, USB port, and an internet connection. It comes with the USB cable and a CD-ROM with the software for the device.

What's really cool is that it's extensible too. The pad comes with 3 figures: Elmo, Dragonland, and Fisher-Price. And there are 8 other characters available including:

• Arthur


• Clifford, the Big Red Dog


• The Wiggles


• Barney


• Thomas and Friends


• Bob the Builder

So check it out!

Let it be known that we have pets in our house... Two dogs and two cats. The dogs (especially the big one) have a tendency to destroy toys playing tug-of-war in the back yard. Typically we end up with squeakers and fluff everywhere so it looks like it snowed, even in the summer. :)

Well, we've been pointed to a doggie toy maker for tough dog toys -- Tuffies - "World's 'Tuff'est Soft Dog Toy".



I ordered three different types for our pups:

The Iron Fish...



The Stone Bone...



And the Bowmerang...



I'll let you know if these toys are worth it, but hopefully they can't destroy them TOO quickly. :)

Have you seen the commercials for an outfit called "Fathead.com"? Well, if you've never heard of them or only know what you've seen in commercials, I'd recommend checkout out their website here...



Fathead has licenses for all the major sports groups:

• NFL


• College (not all teams, but many teams)


• NBA


• NASCAR


• MLB


• NHL


• Soccer


• Tennis


• Plus some comic book heroes, military figures, movie and television figures...

So they have quite a selection. Price-wise they appear to be between $80 and $100. I picked up three -- an NFL team logo, a NFL team helmet, and a Jack Sparrow. I'll let you know how they turn out for Xmas. Definitely larger than life though!

Check it out if you get a chance. You might find something for your husband, son, friend, or self!

Hi all!

I remember growing up and thinking that glow in the dark stars on my ceiling were pretty cool. I don't remember this kind of thing being around. It's an item you put on your wall to show the current phase of the moon. Definitely cooler than glow in the dark stars.

• Authentic moon detail!


• Built-in light sensor iluminates moon when it gets dark


• Automatic or manual function shows 12 phases of the moon


• Easily mounts to wall with 3 different hanging options


• Auto shut-off to preserve battery life

So there you have it. I almost wish I was a kid again. Almost. :)

Click here to buy this item at Amazon: Uncle Milton Moon in My Room.

I'll admit it. I'm a rabid football fan. Sunday you'll find me on the couch watching different games hoping that the players on my fantasy football team (yes, I'm one of those) manage to get me enough points to beat my opponent for the week. Well, it turns out that my youngest daughter could care less about football, but loves the little FOX Sports NFL football robot that jumps around in the corner of the screen during games televised on FOX.

Funnier still... They've released an action figure of this funky dude for folks to purchase and put in their collections or play with! I can foresee battles at my house between Barbie and the FOX robot coming... <shudder>

Here he is in all his glory...



Anyway... You can find this fun thing at the FOX Sports website here.

Check it out... For $19.95 it's a steal for all your football fans!

My youngest (turning 3 in February) is big into puzzles now, especially wooden ones. We noticed her playing with some at preschool the other day and decided it would be a great gift for her at Christmas this year.

So looking around, it appears that the "Melissa & Doug" brand of wooden puzzles has the largest selection. They have animals, shapes, cars, trucks, alphabets, and many more.



This is the one I think I'm going to get for her, along with a nice box to store them in. She loves animals (her mom's a veterinarian, go figure) and cars we count on the road every day we go to school (especially school buses). It's pretty reasonable also at $14.99 on Amazon.com.

Check it out here: Melissa & Doug Deluxe Mix 'n Match Peg Puzzle Bundle and the box here: Melissa & Doug Deluxe Natural Wood Storage Case.

A year or two ago, my sister found a wonderful toy for her train-loving toddler, a Thomas the Tank Engine "Take Along Thomas" playset. This is a little kit that snaps together with a carrying case so you don't lose pieces, but you can open up and let your tyke play wherever you are. My nephew takes that little thing everywhere he goes!

So for my nephews on my wife's side of the family (who are starting to get into trains, planes, and cars), I thought I'd pick up something similar for them. I found a number of these "Take Along Thomas" sets at a cool site called "All About Toys" and picked up one for a Christmas gift.



For this and other playsets, check out AllAboardToys.com. They have a great selection and even better prices on a lot of the toys and sets available!

In honor of all those turkeys who gave their all, I had to look for a Ty Beanie Baby turkey toy... And guess what? I found one! Ty Pluffies Gobble the Turkey!



He's actually a cute little feller. And he probably won't have to worry about being killed, stuffed, and cooked! (At least I hope not -- can't think that he'd taste all that pleasant!)

But if you were looking for such a critter... Ty Beanie Babies are a huge hit at my house with my girls. I'm sure this turkey would fit right in!

He's available through Amazon here.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a Monty Python nut. So I've created a store at Amazon to show some of my favorites%u2026 I'm going to be giving a Holy Hand Grenade to a good friend of mine who needs to count to five (no three sir) more often that I do with his four kids. :)



So if you're looking for Monty Python toys, check below and see if Amazon has the one you're looking for!

• Fitzy's Amazon Monty Python Store

My daughter recently discovered that if you fold paper, you can make cool things like paper airplanes, birds, and so on. So I saw this cool Origami book in the latest Barnes & Noble Catalog and thought it looked about perfect for her.



You can see more about "The Origami Kit" at my blog. Check it out!

Hey all...

I've been looking for toys for my nephew, who's a bit of a tinkerer. I thought this would be a perfect choice.

This cool little guy comes with 14 interconnecting pieces to put together in different ways and instructions on how to create 10 different robot designs. With lights (light up eyes), sound effects, and the ability to move it around with the controller (forward, back, turn), this little guy should provide hours of entertainment for my nephew and his tinkerer parents. :)

It's recommended for ages 3 and up and is only $29.95 from the Discovery Store online.

I'm sorely tempted to order one for myself!

Hi all...

If you haven't had a chance to check it out and you're online looking for toys, I highly recommend Amazon's dynamic toy list. It allows you to specify the Age, Price Range, Gender, Category, Featured brand or character... and then you can compare pictures and prices and read reviews... It's very nicely organized and should simplify the process for a lot of folks struggling for ideas.

Check it out here!