CyberMonday Deals at Mabel's Labels

Here are some great Cyber Monday deals from Mabel's Labels:

30% off Holiday Gift Tags and Return Address Labels
Regular Price: $18.50, sale price $12.95

40% off Selected Write-On! Stationery, in choice of Bzzz or Cowpoke designs
Regular Price $34, sale price $20.40

Backyardigans Write-On! Stationery Kits 40% off

I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post.

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Imagine: Fashion Designer -- Review and Giveaway

Win an Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS by Ubisoft! To enter, keep reading....

I loved designing clothes when I was a little girl, and The Pea is just like me. Whether it's drawing designs on paper or cutting up bits of paper to drape on paper dolls or pinning scraps of cloth to make a cape for Barbie and American Girl, she can spend hours dreaming up all kinds of outfits. Recently Ubisoft sent us three Nintendo DS games from their popular Imagine girls' series to help The Pea satisfy her clothing design cravings. Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour, Imagine: Fashion Designer New York and Imagine: Babyz Fashion differ in storyline and characters, but they all allow girls to pretend they are fashion designers and let them design all kinds of clothes. I'm happy to let her play these games because they a fun addition to her clothes design play, and she gets to exercise her creativity and imagination.


Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour follows the adventures of a young Hollywood fashion designer -- the game player -- who wants to create her own label and take it global. To do that, players have to create seasonal collections and promote them via runway shows and fashion shoots. At the end of the season, players must meet a minimum sales target (which serves as a "score") in order to move onto the next season. It's all a bit complicated to me, and involves quite a lot of dedicated play (which is kind of difficult for The Pea when she gets limited screen time and has to choose between so many games to play!), but there are also some mini-games that players can complete in a short timeframe. Anyway, The Pea is too preoccupied with creating clothes and dolling up the models with hair and nails and makeup and accessories to pay too much attention to the overarching storyline at this point.

I really like how this game incorporates the features of the Nintendo DSi. For example, you have to blow into the game console's microphone to dry your model's nails! Another really cool feature is the ability to use the DSi's camera to take photos of things and use them in the clothes you design. Do you adore that shade of pink in your grandmother's rose garden? Use it to tint the bolt of cloth! Or take a photo of your own lovely lips and use it as a pattern for the next miniskirt you create! You can also use the DSi's wireless feature to share the garments you've created with your friends (they need to have their own DSi and Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game plugged in).



Imagine: Fashion Designer New York is a lot like the World Tour version (it was actually released before World Tour) in that the player creates their own fashions for fashion shows and photo shoots. The story is slightly different: in this game, the player is a novice fashion designer who joins a fashion house in New York, and the goal of the game is to become a great fashion designer. Players get there by completing tasks and challenges such as selecting models, dressing models and putting on a fashion show. Completing the tasks increases the player's experience level and unlocks more style options and fashion advice, which in turn help the player complete more challenging tasks. Throughout the introductory section and tasks, girls get the fun of choosing clothes, designing clothes, and deciding on hair, makeup and accessories. It's a bit more basic than the World Tour version, but there's' still more than enough to entertain girls.


In Imagine: Babyz Fashion, the stars of the runway are cartoon-y toddlers. You can design outfits for them and dress them up and choreograph their catwalk performances. I really like the part where you can choose the baby's dance moves and choose the music they walk down the runway to (anyone remember the Ally McBeal dancing baby?), but I have to admit, the concept of babies toddling down runways and entering fashion contests kind of creeps me out. I know it's all a simulation, but it smacks too much of that icky JonBenet Ramsey, Toddlers and Tiaras, infant beauty pageant world. I much prefer the part of the game where you have to feed and play with the baby, which is something that all girls like to do, even the older ones. They just won't admit it -- so caring for virtual babies lets them play mommy-baby and still maintain their cool girl facade.



Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win their own Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS. To enter, go to the Ubisoft Parent's Corner and take their Perfect Gift Quiz. Then leave a comment on this post and tell me which Ubisoft game(s) the quiz recommended for your child. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment with your blog URL).

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

3) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

4) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a copy of Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/y8s9uvh

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 16, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on December 17 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Klutz.com Holiday Sale

Can you say, Ho Ho Holiday Sale? Klutz.com is having a holiday special until December 16 for 25% off your entire order. Just enter promo code HOLIDAY25 when you check out at Klutz.com. Now is the time to get those great activity books and craft books your child loves -- I recommend any of the Paper Fashions books for girls, any of the Building Cards books for boys, or any of the Window Art books for boys and girls. Heck, practically any Klutz book is a winner!

I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post.

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The Fairytale Collection -- review and giveaway

It's a fact that kids like to watch and listen to other kids. Think of the live video footage on Sesame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Wiggles, Barney, and other shows. And it's also a fact that parents don't like it nearly as much as their kids. Take Kidz Bop and other cd's where little kids sing nursery rhymes. I know my kids like it, so I'm happy to play it for them, but I can totally understand why some parents groan when their kids ask for those kinds of cd's: the kids' voices are charming, but they're often out of tune, with no variation in tone or volume as the song goes on. When I was invited to review The Fairytale Collection: Classic Favorites with Unexpected Twists by The 6Pence Players, I could almost compose the review in my mind: the kids loved it, it's a great way to keep them enthralled in the car without resorting to a DVD, but parents might want to turn the sound balance all the way to the back. With apologies to the 6Pence Players, I was dead wrong!

The Basics
The Fairytale Collection: Classic Favorites with Unexpected Twists contains five classic fairytales -- The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Cinderella and Friends, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolves, and The Princess and The Pea -- read aloud by children ages 5 through 17. As the title implies, the stories are given modern tweaks here and there, and the dialogue is peppered with modern language.

The Bongga
This cd far exceeded my expectations! I expected the kids to like it, but I didn't think that The Pea, at the ripe old age of eight, would enjoy it as much as she did. And I didn't think I'd like as much as I did. Come on, it's the Three Little Pigs, for Pete's sake! But they made it fresh and funny and a delight to listen to. Here are three reasons why:

The storylines have subtle changes and twists that keep these old classics fresh and funny. For example, the princess in The Princess and the Pea counts flamingoes and bears and turtles to help her get to sleep on her "lumpy" old bed. And one of the tailors in The Emperor's New Clothes has asthma and needs to know whether they get medical insurance. And the 3 Little Pigs have 3 wolves, not 1, and these wolves don't rely on their lungs to blow the pigs' houses down -- they use mini fans and hairdryers (The Pea was in stitches over that one)!

* The dialogue is witty and real. (The princess in The Princess and the Pea tells everyone it's raining pheasants and dragons, and when one of the pigs tells the wolf, "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin, the wolf snorts, "What's THAT supposed to mean?". That got a good laugh too). It's also modern, with common phrases like "weird" and "freaks me out", so kids can relate.

* The voice talents are really, really gooooooood. It's hard to believe they're all between the ages of 5 and 17!


The Blah
I can't think of anything I don't like about this cd, other than it the fact that it's not readily available. Currently parents can only purchase the cd online at their website, and at select retail stores in North Carolina and Georgia. It will soon be available on iTunes and CDBaby to download, which should make it easier for everyone to purchase and enjoy the cd.

The Bottom Line
This is one cd that won't leave parents groaning inwardly when their kids, want to listen to it. I heartily recommend it!

Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of The Fairytale Collection cd. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite fairytale.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment here with your blog URL).

2) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a Fairytale Collection cd from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/y9uv2jx

Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 14, 2009; I will draw a winner at random and post the winner's name on the comments section as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Shopping for the Perfect Holiday Present at Staples

When the Silicon Valley Moms blog selected me for a $200 Staples shopping spree, I thanked them and politely declined, saying we didn't really need anything from Staples.

Joke!!! Are you kidding me ???? I snatched that giftcard and wrote my name on it in permanent marker and coughed on it and peed around it in a circle to make sure everyone knew that Staples giftcard was mine, all mine. I could think of a million cool things Staples sells that I could spend that $200 on..... a wireless printer.... an iPod nano... half a netbook.... a digital camera.... a digital photo frame.... The possibilities were endless.

The problem is, I'm kind of a cheapskate. I knew I'd end up spending it on printer paper and toner and cartridge and all the practical stuff that we need. Not a very exciting shopping spree, huh. So I decided to give the giftcard to Alfie as a present. I told him he had complete say in how to spend the $200; I would not interfere (okay, I did try and put in a few good words for a Canon Powershot camera), and all he had to do was let me take his photo and blog about the experience.

Imagine my disappointment when the first thing he reached for was an extension cord. Then a power surge strip. Then a compressed-air canister for blowing dust out of keyboards. I tried to point out the iPod docking stations. The ergonomic office chairs. The iPod Touch. But he only had eyes for the HDMI cable (okay, that one isn't an everyday purchase, but it's certainly a geeky one. I don't want to blog about how I got my husband a video cable for a present!).

Er.....no, Alfie. That's not what you buy on a shopping spree, that's what you buy on an errand! I could have done that myself and stocked up on printer ink! Now is not the time to be practical! My resolve to not interfere was sorely tested. I was beginning to wish I had just gone to Staples myself and bought him a Sony digital reader. Now that's a present.

Then we moved to the GPS aisle. And that is where he found the perfect present.


Alfie is absolutely hopeless when it comes to directions; he can barely find his way around the block. He bought his car in 1996 and his motorcycle in 2002, when installed GPS systems weren't common yet. When we bought our minivan in 2004, we decided not to spend the extra money to get a GPS system since I happen to be good at directions and I'd be driving the minivan most of the time. So whenever Alfie goes anywhere without me, he prints pages and pages of maps and directions. Which is why a portable GPS is exactly what he needs.


Alfie's perfect present, the Garmin Nuvo 1200, was just $169.99. We also decided to get the Staples Technical Support & Protection Plan since we'd get full protection for damages and defects for 2 years, as well as a guaranteed one-time replacement (basically, Staples would issue us a $169.99 credit towards the purchase of a new GPS) within the next 2 years. We ended up buying all the other stuff that Alfie had picked up, because it was something we needed anyway, but I'm so happy that we were able to find a practical present for just over $200 (with the protection plan), with major coolness points! Alfie was so happy with his present, and so was I! Thanks Staples!

I received a $200 Staples gift card and used it to review the shopping experience at Staples. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- The Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So I've started a weekly giveaway roundup post that hopefully people will find useful. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

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The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary -- Review and Giveaway

Win a copy of this cd! To find out how, keep reading....

Happy Thanksgiving! We didn't have Thanksgiving in the Philippines, were I grew up, but I'm well-versed in traditions. One tradition my family had was visiting my grandmother and aunt every Sunday and hunkering down in my aunt's dark, airconditioned bedroom after lunch, eating potato chips (which my parents never allowed) and watching movies on the VCR (it was a Betamax back then). For a long, long time my aunt owned only 2 video tapes: Star Wars and The Sound of Music.

So I guess you could say The Sound of Music is a family tradition. I'd have to say it's my favorite Broadway musical, not just because of the precious childhood memories I associate with watching the movie, but because the story is touching and the music is wonderful. I own the cd soundtrack of that movie, but I don't need to listen to it to sing along, because I already know all the songs by heart. Really, I do. Test me if you want.

So It's kind of weird for me to realize that none of my kids know the song Do-Re-Mi. They have never watched the movie and never learned it in school. They don't take music lessons so they don't know what Do-Re-Mi is. Thankfully, I was asked to review the original Broadway cast recording cd of The Sound of Music, as well as The Sound of Music: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up, so I've been able to rectify this glaring omission in their musical education.



The Basics
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary, Sony Music has released the 50th Anniversary Special Edition of the Original Cast Recording: The Sound Of Music along with Simon & Schuster’s beautiful The Sound of Music: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up. The 50th Anniversary cd features the original Broadway cast, starring Mary Martin as Maria.





The Bongga
Let's start with the pop-up book. If your child hasn't watched The Sound of Music movie yet, this book is the perfect way to introduce her or him to the story. The pop-ups are a feat of engineering! It's amazing -- a paper Maria twirls round and round while singing in the hills around Salzburg, and the architecture of the Salzburg cathedral is rendered in amazing detail. Seeing the pictures pop out in 3D really brought the story to life for them. Each page has a huge, intricate pop-up, and each page has an attached mini-booklet (where the story text is read) that contains simpler pop-ups.

The lyrics to the songs are included in the book, and they appear in the text right where they would have been sung in the play. Instead of just reading the lyrics out loud to my kids, I sung the songs to them, which they really enjoyed. Do-Re-Mi is so catchy and easy to sing that all three of them were able to stumble along to the words and tune. By the time we got around to the Lonely Goatherd, they all insisted I get the cd and play it. Rodgers and Hammerstein's music has proved as irresistible to them as it was to me! They want to watch the movie now, and it won't be long before they'll be able to sing right along with me, continuing the family tradition.

And what about the cd? Comparisons with the better-known movie version are inevitable. The movie versions are so firmly etched into my mind and heart that it felt almost disloyal listening to this broadway version. Obviously the voices are different, the accents are different (Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer have English accents, while Mary Martin has an American Accent and Theodore Bickel has a German accent). Even the phrasing and rhythm of the songs are a bit different since the artists are different. But once I let go of my loyalty to the movie version, I realized that this version is just as good! Mary Martin's voice is amazing, and when I listen to her sing I can almost see her on stage, guitar in hand, strumming and singing to the Von Trapp children. I'm quite happy to have both versions, especially since the broadway version has some songs in it that weren't included in the movie version.

The Blah
I have nothing bad to say about The Sound of Music. Nothing. And I warned Alfie, who hates musicals, that saying I hate The Sound of Music is not allowed in our household.

The Bottom Line
The Sound of Music is a timeless classic, and two great ways of passing that tradition down to your children are to get the 50th Anniversary edition of the oiginal Broadway cast recording, and new pop-up storybook. It's a guaranteed family winner: because if you love the sound of music, you've got to love The Sound of Music, right?


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of the Original Cast Recording: The Sound Of Music cd. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me a few of Maria's favorite things.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment here with your blog URL).


2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).


3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a Sound of Music original Broadway cast recording cd from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/yd5jmvy

Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 10, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on December 11 and post the winner's name on the comments section as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!



I received a sample book and cd download in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Name Bubbles name labels

A label is a label is a label. Once you're tried one label company, you've tried them all. Right? Wrong. When label company Name Bubbles invited me to try out their labels, I accepted with thanks; I'm always ready to review products created by "mompreneurs", especially products that make my life as a parent easier. But I've reviewed some really wonderful personalized label companies and been very impressed with their labels. So in all honesty, I didn't really expect to see anything different than what I've already seen and tried out.

Boy, did they pop my bubble. Name Bubbles sent me a sampler of their waterproof labels (6 Mini Bubbles dishwasher-safe labels, 6 Bitty Bubbles laundry labels and 6 Bubble Toe shoe labels), and I have to say, I was really impressed. The other name label companies have some catching up to do! Here's why:


The Basics
Name Bubbles creates personalized name labels for anything and everything. Their all-purpose labels are dishwasher safe, and their stick-on laundry labels require no ironing. They have many other label styles such as shoe labels and allergy labels, as well as label combo packs. Here is what Name Bubbles has to say about their labels:

Name Bubbles creates durable vinyl labels for everyday life. Our labels are personalized, fun, and easy. Name Bubbles are made with a non-toxic, eco-friendly ink and are tough enough to stick in the extreme conditions of -60 to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.



The Bongga
I have to say, these labels are gooooood. Much as I love the other label companies I've reviewed, I have to say that Name Bubbles can hold their own with the competition, and more. There is not much difference in quality (i.e. fading and durability) and price -- I think Name Bubble's edge is in the design. They use at least two colors in all their label designs, and there's a much bigger variety in styles and options. Their shoe labels are something else -- they have them in cute flip-flop design!

The best thing about Name Bubbles? Their Holiday Pack and Birthday Favor Labels pack. I've reviewed other companies' name labels before, but Name Bubbles is the only label company I've seen that lets you split up an order between multiple names. It's the one thing I've always complained about to the other companies -- I have 3 kids and I want labels for all of them, but with a limited budget I'd rather spend a bit less and receive less labels per name. I've always wanted the ability to split up an order between my 3 kids' names. Now, with the Holiday Pack and Birthday Favor Labels pack, I can!

The Blah
Hmmmm, can't think of any, other than the fact that they didn't send me enough sample labels :)

The Bottom Line
Name Bubbles takes personalized name labels to a new standard of selection and design. The style, quality and price of their labels are second to none. Best of all, their Holiday Pack and Birthday Favor Labels packs are a great budget-conscious option for moms with multiple kids!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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A Century of Flavor Review and Giveaway

Win this cookbook! To find out how, keep reading.....

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/whatever winter holiday you like to celebrate is almost here! I'm so excited to begin all our fun holiday traditions, like driving around and looking at all the beautifully-lit houses, baking cookies, wrapping presents and hanging stockings.

Over the holidays I give free rein to treats and goodies, so the house is always brimming with smells of cinnamon, apples, butter... and vanilla. I love using vanilla in my baking, and I always put in double the amount the recipe calls for. I have no idea whether it makes the recipe better or worse, but the smell is worth it. Mmmmmmm......... So when I was invited to review a cookbook that included vanilla in all the recipes, I was ready! The Nielsen-Massey vanilla company sent me a copy of their cookbook, A Century of Flavor. Here's what I thought of it:

The Basics
Here's what the publishers have to say about this cookbook:
The delightful aroma of the kitchen during the holidays – with smells of cinnamon, peppermint, chocolate and vanilla – is a scent that many associate with long lived memories. The holiday season is a perfect time to create flavorful memories with your family and loved ones. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas A Century of Flavor cookbook provides moms with a variety of holiday recipes. Vanilla Carmel Corn Crunch can be made with your young chef, while Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes is a perfect side to your family’s main course. This vanilla-inspired cookbook, published by family-owned Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, celebrates the exciting nuances of one of America ’s most-loved and versatile ingredients – pure vanilla. It is filled with 50 of the most tantalizing recipes, highlighting the intricate, yet delicate flavors of pure vanilla and is written for the novice cook as well as the seasoned chef.


The Bongga
This ain't no plain vanilla cookbook! Gorgeous photos and an informative introductory section on vanilla make it almost like a coffee table book that you can leave out for guests to look at and enjoy while they're waiting for dinner to be served. The recipes are as fine and elegant as the Nielsen-Massey vanilla itself. Each recipe contains vanilla, in some dishes that I would never have thought of. Vanilla in eggplant parmigiana? In osso bucco? Sounds weird, but I tried making the eggplant, and it was delicious! I also love the section where noted chefs like Rick Bayless contribute their own recipes with vanilla in them.

The Blah
The recipes in this book are not for lazy cooks. And substituting other vanilla brands is not easy in some of the recipes that call for very specialized Nielsen-Massey ingredients, such as a vanilla bean pod or vanilla bean paste. Now that's something you can't grab at your local convenience store!

The Bottom Line
This cookbook has great some great ideas for holiday meals, and the vanilla in all of them makes them extra special. So crank up the holiday tunes, get cooking with your loved ones to create your next delectable holiday meal.



Win it!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of A Century of Flavor. To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment here and tell me your favorite vanilla dish. Don't forget to leave an email address or some other way of contacting you.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my button -- it's on the left hand sidebar, or click here to get it -- and post it on your blog! (leave a comment here with a link to your site).

2) Blog about this giveaway and include a link to the giveaway post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a Nielsen-Massey vanilla cookbook from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/yj7t32v


Maximum of 4 entries per person. US mailing addresses only. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 12, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on December 13 and post the winner's name on the comments section after the winner confirms acceptance . For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a complimentary copy in order to review this book, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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chicBuds Sport Headphones

When I first discovered chicBuds at the beginning of 2009, I knew I had to have them; the combination of chic bling-y jewels and practical retractable cord sounded like a winner. Reviewing the chicBuds and chicBuds JR.earbud headphones a couple months later turned me into a loyal fan; I've used and abused my chicBuds so much that I need to buy a new pair, but I refuse to buy any other brand. Recently I was given the opportunity to review one of chicBud's newest products, the chicBuds DJ Sport Headphones. Here's what we thought of it:

The Basics
The oddly named chicBuds DJ Sport Headphones (they don't exactly strike me as the kind of headphones you'd use when running a marathon or lifting weights) have padded earpieces and an adjustable headband. The earpieces rotate and swivel so the headphones can be packed flat; the earpieces also fold up into a compact bundle for carrying or storage. Check out how they fold up:

They come two colors: Multicolor (which we received) and Hot Pink, and are available to purchase on chicBuds.com at $29.99.

Here's what chicBuds has to say about their DJ Sport Headphones:
chicBuds Sport Headphones transfer listening into a deliciously stylish experience. But don't be fooled! They are not only yummy looking, they are convenient too. chicBuds Sport Headphones fold up for easy carrying, travel and storage. They're perfect for those who are "on the go!" The adjustable headband makes for a comfortable fit and the incredible insulating sound makes for a pleasurable listening experience.


The Bongga
The Pea loves these earphones! She loves them even more than her chicBuds Jr. earbuds, which tend to fall out of her ears quite often. She loves the insulating sound, the comfy feel on her ears and the adjustable headband (which means they never fall off her head). But since they're adjustable, even I can wear them comfortably. I personally didn't care for the color, but The Pea loves their bold and brassy vibe. These headphones were meant to turn heads and let people know exactly what your sense of style is! They are definitely a step up from your ordinary headphones, and if you are in the market for inexpensive headphones (as opposed to earbuds), I would definitely go for these.


The Blah
Yes, there's style and there's comfort, but I was disappointed to see that the one thing I love best about chicBuds -- the retractable cord -- is missing! It's not a total disaster, since I can wrap the cord around the headphones, but the retractable cord would have been so much neater. And call me an old fogey, but the bright colors are definitely suited to younger folks; I would be much more likely to buy them if they were in a color scheme that screamed "Chic" rather than "Cyndi Lauper".

The Bottom Line
Despite the drawbacks I found, I will acknowledge that my disappointment with the chicBuds Sport Headphones stems from personal tastes, not the quality of the product. If you like the style and you don't care about the retractable cord (case in point: The Pea!), it's still a great product.


I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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"Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World" review and giveaway

Did you know that Ben Franklin came up with Daylight Saving Time (his analysis showed that the savings due to using natural light versus artificial light would come up to $299 million in today's money). Did you know that Sylvester Graham invented ready-to-eat breakfast cereal and Will Kellogg invented cornflakes? Or that London was the city which had the world's first subway? Whether you want to astound your friends with your vast general knowledge (a.k.a trivia) or just like learning new and cool things, you should read Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things that Changed the World. I received a copy of the book to review, and here's what I thought of it:

The Basics
Firsts is a trivia book themed around milestones, origins, and how things began. The author, trivia expert Wilson Casey (a.k.a The Trivia Guy), has compiled over 500 "firsts". The topics are arranged alphabetically, with descriptions of about 100-150 words per topic. The book is published by Alpha Books and retails for $12.95.

The Bongga
What an interesting book! It's really fun to read, and the stuff you learn will stand you in good stead at awkward cocktail parties, Trivial Pursuit games, and nights when your husband is mad at you and need something to break the ice and make him laugh before you can say you're sorry. I have to admit, I was surprised that the indoor toilet was invented by John Harrington. I had always thought the inventor was Thomas Crapper (hence the origin of the word crap). And the book claims that Rabbi Hillel the Elder of Jerusalem invented the sandwich, not the Eark of Sandwich. But a quick Wikipedia check proved that the author is, in fact, correct. Hey, if it's on the internet it must be true, right?

The Blah
I would not recommend reading the whole book in one fell swoop; if you do, you might succumb to trivia overload. This book is like a box of truffles -- they need to be savored in little bits and bites, and if you gorge on the whole box you'll end up with a stomachache. So just skim through the book here and there, latch onto some titles that interests you and read.

The Bottom Line
Firsts is a fun book that history / culture / trivia buffs will love, and everyone will enjoy. And since it's best suited to short, occasional reads, this is the kind of book that will most likely end up -- Dare I say it? And I mean this in the nicest possible way -- not in the toilet, but beside it!


Win It!
Five lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me about a "first" you experienced in 2009. Did your son lose his first tooth last week? Did you try sushi for the first time? Did you come first in a competition? Did you start a blog, a business or a brawl? Tell us!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment here with your blog URL).

2) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).


3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).


4) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a book all about Firsts from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/yfbkebk

Maximum of five entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 1st (naturally), 2009; I will draw five winners at random on December 2nd and post the winners' names on the comments section as soon as they confirm acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Win one of Twelve Disaster Survival Kits

Last week I attended a blogger talk given by California Volunteers, the lead oversight agency for the California Citizen Corps Program, which was created post 9/11 to coordinate volunteer activities to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to any emergency. They talked to us about ways we could prepare ourselves and our families for a disaster.

We took away some useful information, practical tips -- and two disaster kits for our car and home. The kits are filled with supplies such as water, flashlights and other things that can help you in a disaster. It's kind of a weird thing to feature on a review blog, because I hope I never ever have to use it. But I can say without a doubt that a disaster kit is something you want to have.


Win It!
California Volunteers has given me 12 disaster kits like the one above (see the contents of each kit on my Finding Bonggamom disaster kit post) to give out to 12 readers. To enter, simply leave a comment here and tell me one thing your family needs to do to prepare for a disaster.

For extra entries, you can either or both of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Head over to my disaster kit post on Finding Bonggamom and leave a comment there, telling me which of the things in the disaster kit you think would be most useful to you.

2) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a Disaster Survival Kit from @bonggafinds and @calvolunteers -- 12 winners! Ends 11/30 http://tinyurl.com/yavvmxt

Maximum of three entries per person. Maximum of one prize per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on November 30, 2009; I will draw 12 winners at random and post their names on the comments section as soon as the winners confirm prize acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck and stay prepared!



I received a free lunch and sample disaster kit courtesy of California Volunteers. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Knex 400 Piece Value Tub

There are some toys that you can never have too many of, and one of those is K'nex. We absolutely love it. You can't go wrong giving my kids (or any other kids) a K'nex set; with K'nex, it's truly "The More, The Merrier", because with more pieces you can build more, bigger and better projects.

We are definitely a K'nex family. Check out our K'nex collection (I think there are a couple more boxes out there, but this is most of it)!

Overkill? Trust me, with 3 K'nex-loving kids, I'm happy we have as much as we do. That green tub in the top center of the photo is the latest addition to our K'nex family -- a 400 Piece Value Tub provided to us by Team Mom and K'nex. You'd think my kids would look at the tub and say, Meh. More of the same. But they were almost as excited to play with it as they were when they received their very first K'nex set. Here's more about our latest K'nex set and what we thought of it:

The Basics
The K'nex 400 Piece Value Tub contains 400 K'nex pieces inlcuding rods, bricks, wheels and connectors that snap together to build all kinds of models. It also has an instruction book with building ideas for 20 different models. Here's what you get inside the tub:

The Bongga
What's not to like about this tub? It's full of K'nex! (Okay, it's not totally full, but that's a good thing because there's space in the tub for your kid to store his finished K'nex models). It's such a great building toy! In many ways I like K'nex better than LEGO, because the rods and connectors provide so many more ways to connect parts together. You're not limited to square bricks and you can make some really fabulous creations! Speaking of LEGO, the K'nex bricks also work with LEGO bricks, so if your kid has a LEGO collection, buying this set doubles the build and play possibilities. And I love the storage tub that comes with it. It's easy to stack, easy to store and easy to carry around.


The Blah
400 pieces might sound like a lot -- but it's not. Once your child gets hooked, he'll want to keep building more things while refusing to dismantle the stuff he's already built. And as soon you add a friend to the mix, those 400 pieces are going to get used up in their building pretty quickly! But you've got to start somewhere, and this Value Tub is an affordable beginners' set.

The Bottom Line
The K'nex 400 Piece Value Tub delivers just what it says -- value. It's an affordable way to introduce your child to the wonderful world of K'nex, and if your child is already a K'nex fan, this is a welcome addition to his collection!



Win It!
K'nex is holding a video contest with $1000 of K'nex products at stake! Their Make a K'NEXion Video contest invites parents to make a video of their child building with K'nex building products. The ten best videos will be featured on knex.com ande one winning video will receive $1000 worth of K'next toys. The contest runs from Nov. 4, 2009 through December 7, 2009. Click here for rules and details. Good luck!


I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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K'nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection

Believe it or not, my kids still love their chunky building blocks? Even though they usually play with the smaller, more complex building sets like K'nex, whenever I try and make a move to donate the blocks to charity, they let out such a howl of protest that I convince myself we can wait another 6 months. So when Team Mom and K'nex sent us a sample of K'nex's Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection, they completely ignored the 2-5 year age range and started playing with it. I was thinking of giving the set to their little cousin Sofia..... but they're enjoying it, so maybe I'll wait another six months :) Here's more about what we thought of this toy:

The Basics
The K'nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection is a series of basic, chunky snap-together building blocks for preschoolers (ages 2-5) with a Sesame Street theme. The set we were given, the Neighborhood Police Station Building Set, contains 44 blocks including Elmo, Ernie, a stop sign, a stoplight, and enough blocks to build a police station. It coordinates with the other sets in the K'nex Sesame Street series so if you buy it all, you and your child can build up the whole Sesame Street neighborhood.

The Bongga
K'nex is a genuis for combining the two things preschoolers love: building blocks and Sesame Street! The size of the blocks is perfect for little hands; no choking hazards here. I love the fact that the set is compatible with Mega Blocks and LEGO Duplo, so you can combine blocks from all three brands. And unlike the other two brands, the K'nex Sesame Street sets include activity sheets -- not just building instructions -- that give parents great ideas on how to use the blocks to build key preschool skills (sorting, making patterns, etc...).

The Blah
There's not much to complain about these blocks, but I think the age range should be scaled down to 2-4, since it's not likely many 5 year olds will be interested in this (my 5 year olds and 8 year olds being the exception!) And to be honest, I thought the blocks were higher quality than Mega Blocks, but not quiiiiite as sturdy as LEGO Duplo blocks.

The Bottom Line
The K'nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection is the perfect first building set for a young child. The chunky blocks and beloved Sesame Street characters make for endless play possibilities!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Give a Gift, Help a Family, Win Jewelry

"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”

I have always loved this quote. Contributing to self-sufficiency programs is such a wonderful way of giving because it sets the beneficiaries up for the long term, empowers them to help themselves, and preserves their dignity. But I think there's one part missing: the man's going to need a net, otherwise he's going to come home empty handed. The world is full of bright, hardworking people who just can't get a leg up because they don't have the infrastructure or can't afford a small capital investment to get started.

When the World Vision Gift Catalog asked me to blog about my thoughts on their unique gift-giving ideas, I didn't hesitate. I actually received the World Vision gift catalog a couple of weeks ago, and I think it's truly the perfect holiday present for someone who has everything.

Making donations in someone else's name as a holiday present is nothing new, but the World Vision Gift Catalog puts a personalized twist to it. You don't just make a straight cash donation (although you can, and they offer some beautiful free gifts when you make donations to their Maximum Impact Fund), you're buying actual items like donkeys or fish. Who would want a stinky old animal? A poor family in Rwanda would -- that's where your gift goes, and that's where the real Christmas spirit lies. Your gift recipient gets a happy, warm feeling, and the physical gift actually benefits people around the world who truly need a holiday gift.

There is such a wide variety of gifts and causes in this catalog to suit anyone's tastes. You can choose a cause that's especially close to your gift recipient's heart. For example, I would love to receive a couple of ducks because they benefit families in the Philippines, where I'm from. Or you can tailor the gift to your recipient's tastes and personality. For example, you could give soccer balls to a soccer fan -- only he won't be kicking the balls around, poor children in Africa or Asia or Latin America will. Or you could give a duck to an animal lover. Or a deep water well to a swimmer.

The only negative thing I can think of to say about this program is the obvious Christian focus, which could turn some people off. I don't know how many bibles or missionary pitches come along with the rabbits and sheep, but "Shining God's light on 100 million people" (that was on page 2 of their catalog) may not be something that an atheist or Hindu might want to contribute money towards. But honestly, it's hard to argue that this is a bad cause, whether you're Christian (disclosure: I'm a Catholic) or not. Helping people help themselves is something that every person of every faith, or lack of it, can believe in!


Win It!
To help spread awareness of the catalog and all the great things you can do for needy families this season, World Vision has generously provided a beautiful piece of jewelry to give away to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader! Depending on availability, the winner will receive one of the following:

A bracelet handcrafted in Uganda by women actively engaged in caring for children in thier communities who have lost parents to AIDS. This bracelet is a colorful reminder of how your gift is changing lives.




A handcrafted Thai necklace, available in either black or blue, constructed of wooden beads. This unique neck piece was made in a project that helps protect vulnerable girls from exploitation.




A handcrafted Thai bracelet. This lovely piece of jewelry was made in a project that helps protect vulnerable girls from exploitation. The beads are wooden, and the item is available in either blue or black



To enter, head to www.worldvisiongifts.org and take a look at all the wonderful presents you can give. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me which present you would give and who you would give the present to.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

1) Become a fan of World Vision Gifts on Facebook and post something on their Wall (leave a comment here with your Facebook id).

2) Tweet the message below, then come back and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet:

What 2 get this holiday 4 someone who has everything? How about a goat or pig from the World Vision Gift Catalog!

3) Tweet the message below, then come back and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet:

4) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win beautiful handcrafted jewelry from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/yc77ore


Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 7, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on December 8 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. The prize for this giveaway is subject to availability: the winner will receive one of the three items listed above, but the sponsor cannot guarantee which of the three items will be sent. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive a goat or a pig or any of the samples in the catalog. And even though Alfie would love to get one of those Family fishing kits that the catalog offers, we both agree that many other families could put it to far better use. I'm running this post and giveaway simply because I applaud World Vision's efforts to help families create better lives for themselves, and I'm happy to give them the exposure on my blog. I did not receive any financial compensation, nor any of the items that World Vision offers as incentives for donors. sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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20% Off Young Scientist Kits on ToysAndGamesOnline.com

A couple of months ago I reviewed (and gave away) a Razor Scooter from ToysAndGamesOnline.com. It's a great source for online toys, with a great choice of high-quality kids' products and lots of deals -- for example, orders over $69 ship free, and right now they're offering and extra $20 off any order over $250 (use promo code TwentyOff).

This holiday season they're featuring another great kids' brand -- The Young Scientists Club -- and they're offering 20% off all Science Kits between November 23 and December 1st! Just enter the code YSC20 at checkout to receive the discount.

Click on this link to see all the science kits available at ToysAndGamesOnline.com. I can't give it a review right now because we haven't tried any of the kits yet, but they look like they'd be so much fun for kids -- kind of like summer camp in a box. ToysAndGamesOnline.com is sending us one of the kits to try, so I'll let you all know how that goes. The only think I'm not looking forward to is picking the kit. They all look so great, but I think I might go with one of the Magic Schoolbus ones. My kids adore Magic Schoolbus, and they'd be delighted to do some experiments with Ms. Frizzle.

I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Cinemin Swivel

One of the cool products that were showcased at last Sunday's SV Moms holiday party (I know, I know, I haven't gotten around to blogging about it yet. Until I do, check out Kim's post) was a teeny-tiny iPod-compatible projector called the Cinemin Swivel. Party attendees were lucky enough to receive a free Swivel (or at least a free order; the actual product will be shipped in January) but they're also giving everyone else a chance to win one on Twitter. Today and tomorrow, one free Cinemin Swivel pico projector (valued at $300 each) will be awarded to a lucky Twitter user. To enter to win, tweet an answer to the question posted each day on the official Cinemin Twitter account (@cinemin) including the hashtag #cinemin in it. (Click here for the official rules).

Here's more information about the Cinemin Swivel from the manufacturers:
With the iPhone / iPod-compatible Cinemin Swivel multimedia pico projector, now you can pack big screen-ready content in your pocket. From romantic flicks on the bedroom ceiling…to foreign cinema in the backyard to…YouTube on a subway wall… to vacations photos on an airplane tray table – you name it. The Cinemin Swivel allows film, art, games, and photos to be shared with anyone, any time, anywhere and features a unique adjustable 90-degree hinge so you can even watch content on the bedroom ceiling.


I can't review this product right now since I don't have it yet -- I won't be getting mine till January (yup, it's already back ordered). I can't believe I'm saying this, but since the daily Cinemin Swivel giveaways end tomorrow, you may not want to wait for me give my opinion before entering to win.

I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- The Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So I've started a weekly giveaway roundup post that hopefully people will find useful. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

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Boston Market for the Holidays

Those of you who read my blog know that I didn't grow up in the US; I'm from the Philippines, so I never celebrated Thanksgiving until I was in my mid-twenties. Now we celebrate it every year, but I'm not a stickler for slaving over a hot stove in order to come up with a home-cooked meal. I love prepared holiday feasts like those you can get from Boston Market because you can focus on family and friends, not food.

When I was pregnant with the twins, we bought a Boston Market Heat & Serve Holiday Banquet, and for a couple of years after that we actually took the kids to our local Boston Market restaurant and ate our Thanksgiving dinner there. We've always found the food hot and delicious. I haven't been to Boston Market in a while, but recently I was treated to a free meal at Boston Market by Boston Market and BzzAgent, and the food is just as yummy as I remember it!

The Basics
Boston Market's Heat and Serve Holiday Banquet has everything you need for a delicious Thanksgiving meal -- turkey, sides and dessert. All you have to do is heat and enjoy. Their Catered Banquets come already warmed, and you can order banquets for as little as $10 per person.

The Bongga
I've always liked Boston Market's food -- great comfort food like turkey and chicken with all the sides and trimmings -- and I love the fact that it's hot and ready and very affordable.

The Blah
Well, it's comfort food and fast food, so I wasn't holding my breath in the hopes that this would be too healthy. I almost don't want them to print out the calorie counts on the menu because I want to tuck into all that yummy food without thinking about all that stuff!

The Bottom Line
Boston Market's Heat and Serve meals and Catered Buffets let you spend less time in the kitchen and more with family and friends.

Enter and Save!
Enter the code BZZAGENT when checking out at bostonmarket.com/catering to receive 10% off your ready-to-serve Catered Holiday Buffet order of $100 or more (10% discount applicable to catering orders placed through 12/31/09 only; not valid on Heat & Serve Holiday Banquets).

Win It!
The first three people who leave a comment on this post with their email address will receive a Boston Market coupon for $3 off any restaurant purchase of $6 or more!

I received a coupon for a free meal from Boston Market and BzzAgent in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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My First Lego Fire Fighter Building Set

I don't think I need to go into detail about how great LEGO is. Everybody plays with it -- we have a big tub of LEGO in the playroom (actually we have two big tubs -- one holds regular sized LEGO, and one holds DUPLO bricks), and I don't know of a family or daycare or school that doesn't. It's one of the best toys for building and themed play around, and any holiday list that doesn't include one LEGO set or another is simply crazy.

I do have one beef with LEGOs for kids 3Po and Jammy's age; that is, age 4-6. I know there are geniuses out there who can assemble LEGO Millenium Falcons before they lose their first tooth, but my boys aren't like that, and some of the complicated sets frustrate them. They're too old for DUPLO but too young to assemble the Star Wars or Power Miners or Castle sets. They need a grownup's help to put it together, play with it for a couple of days, then it breaks and the pieces go into the big LEGO bin. All the weird-looking parts get lost, and they can never put the set back together again!

So I'm glad to see that LEGO is coming up with more playsets for younger kids like the new My First LEGO®. We were given a My First LEGO® Fire Fighter building set to try out; here's what we thought of it:


The Basics
The new My First LEGO® sets have regular sized LEGO bricks in the basic square shapes, with simple instructions that young children can follow. Here's what LEGO has to say about their My First LEGO Sets:

My First LEGO® sets in three classic themes are the perfect way to acquaint young builders with the LEGO build and play experience. Comes in three themes: Fire, Pirates and Castle. Fun and affordable stocking stuffers and travel companions, you can play with each set individually or collect all three for expanded building fun! 117+ pieces. Age 4+. Available for $9.99 at www.LEGO.com.


The Bongga
This LEGO set is the perfect level for my boys! 3Po and Jammy built the fireman's house with zero help from me, which did wonders for their confidence and my workload. Then they took it apart and rebuilt it using the alternate building ideas. It didn't take long, so they got near-instant gratification and we weren't left with a half-finished piece when dinnertime rolled around. The finished result is simple but fun to play with (they thought the mini firefighter was pretty cool). I liked that the set uses mostly plain square bricks, with none of the specialized pieces that are so difficult to find when they're buried in our big LEGO tub. The age range says 4-7 but it's such a simple set that I would downgrade it to 4-6 -- and I think it's absolutely perfect for that age range.





The Blah
I can't really think of anything negative to say about these sets. Even if your 4-6 year old accidentally breaks his model, it's simple enough for him to rebuild it quickly, and the parts are so generic that he can rebuild it easily, substituting parts if necessary.

All I can say is, I hope LEGO brings out more themes to add to the original three -- maybe even a girl-themed one like the LEGO Belleville?


The Bottom Line
My First LEGO® sets are easy enough for beginning builders to assemble on their own, yet cool enough to play with alongside the more complicated LEGO sets. It's a great present for a child who has just graduated from the DUPLO sized bricks!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid

I remember the moment like it was yesterday: sometime last spring, 3Po and Jammy went for a playdate at a friend's house, and when I picked them up they had discovered a new religion: the Church of Bakugan. They have been obsessed with Bakugan since then, and they treasure their small collection of magnetic pop-out action figures like they're the holy grail.

Recently, I, Bonggamom, became their favorite priest when I told them that Spinmaster had sent me their latest toy to review, just in time for the holidays -- the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid. Getting to try out this toy was like getting an early Christmas present. If you need a holiday present for a boy anywhere from age 5 through 10, STOP. Look no further than the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid! Here's why:


The Basics
Spinmaster have taken their popular Bakugan dragonoids and Bakugan traps and combined them to make the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid. Each one can be played with separately, but they also snap together, a la Transformers, to make a totally new action figure. Here's what Spinmaster has to say about their latest and greatest toy:

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Drago Features Maxus Dragonoid is a combination of 7 Bakugan (1 Bakugan and 6 Bakugan Trap) that unite to form the ultimate monster. The 6 Bakugan Trap that make up Maxus Dragonoid are unique to the Maxus Dragonoid monster and cannot be found in any other Bakugan products. Comes with Grakas Hound, Dark Hound, Grafias, Brachium, Spitarm, SpyderFencer & Neo Dragonoid. All the Bakugan that compose Maxus Dragonoid can also be used individually in the game. 1 Bakugan and 7 Bakugan Traps unite into ONE.

The Bongga
Before you read this section, be forewarned that I'm going to use the word cool a lot. I could use the word awesome, but I try to use that word sparingly. The Grand Canyon is awesome. The Maxus Dragonoid doesn't quite compare to the Grand Canyon (my sons would disagree), but when you see it in action, you really cannot help but say, Aww...Cooooooooool. 3Po and Jammy love it, of course, and it's not surprising that Alfie loves it -- but what's surprising, even a girly girl like The Pea loves it. Even I love it. It's Just. So. Cool.



It's cool how they pop open when placed on a magnetic card. Cool that they look like little dogs and crabs and dragons when they're open. Cool how they fold up into such compact objects (how in blazes they managed to design all that detail into such a tiny object is beyond me!). Cool how they fit together to make a single robot/beast/fighter/whatever. Cool, cool, cool. Time To Play.com named the Maxus Dragonoid one of the hottest holiday toys of 2009, and I agree wholeheartedly. You don't even need to watch the Bakugan tv show or know how to play the Bakugan game to want this toy.


The Blah
I was all set to write quite a bit about how difficult this thing was to transform, and how the age rating really ought to be 6 or 7+ instead of 5+. But before I even managed to think of the first sentence, 3Po and Jammy had already put all 7 Bakugan together and transformed them. The instructions? Uesless (to me, at least). Better to watch one of the many videos on YouTube that show you how to do it. I still can't quite figure out some of the twists and turns, but fortunately my sons are one step ahead of me.

The one thing I'd love to see is the ability to buy each of the 7 components separately. Unfortunately Jammy grew a bit too zealous with one of the pieces (the Grafias Bakugan trap), and snapped it in half while he was trying to rotate it (hmmmm.... maybe they should change that age rating after all). Both boys are devastated, and now I have to buy a whole new complete set in order to replace it!

The only other thing I didn't quite like was how firmly each Bakugan was strapped to the plastic packaging. I can easily imagine some of those delicate limbs being torn apart by eager young lads ready to play with their new toy.


The Bottom Line
The Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid is THE toy to put under your son's or nephew's or grandson's holiday tree this year! He will be the envy of all his friends because the coolness factor of this toy is off the charts!


I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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