Guidecraft | Product Reviews by The Experimental Mommy

Get Organized in 2011: Suggestions for Taking Control of the Clutter

January 7, 2011 By admin 5 Comments

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to take charge of the clutter and get organized. If I really wanted to scare you, I would take a picture of my closet, but I will spare you the gory details! In the past two years, I have had the opportunity to try several cleaning/organizational products here at Experimental Mommy, so I thought I would share some of my favorites.

1. If my daily schedule is hectic, I feel stressed. Stress leads to mess and clutter. So, the first step in getting organized for 2011 is a fresh planner. I absolutely love the MomAgenda Planner to accomplish this task.

Dress Up Center...adorable, right?

2. With the Christmas season coming to an end, my house has been over run with new toys and games. My favorite organizational product for toys is the Guidecraft See, Store And Take Along storage unit. With six see through bins (with lids!) and extra shelving, I have taken back my living room!

3. With two girls, dress up is a popular activity in my home. The costumes, high heels and play jewelry has gotten too much for even the biggest castle! In my search for a solution, I came across this Dress Up Center which is perfect for my princesses!

4. Next up….wrapping paper! Every year, I fear that we won’t have enough wrapping paper for all the gifts so I tend to over buy. Now, my closet is full of scraps of paper, ribbon, gift bags, tags, tape and scissors and when I need it….I can’t find it….so I buy more. See the viscous cycle? To get organized, I plan to purchase the Rubbermaid Gift-Wrap Organizer with plenty of space to hold rolls of paper and gift bags.

Need more suggestions for getting organized in 2011? Check out the Clean House Event on Amazon!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. I was not compensated in any way for this post, however affiliate links are present within the post.

Filed Under: My So-Called Life Tagged With: Guidecraft, Organizational products, resolutions

Guidecraft Kiddie Rockers and Table Set: Review and Giveaway

May 31, 2010 By admin 928 Comments

The Kiddie Rockers and Table set from Guidecraft will be a provide a great place for my kids to enjoy movie night comfortably and have a place to call their own!

One Kiddie Rockers and Table set (which includes two rockers and one table), and two overly excited girls ready for our weekly movie night. About Guidecraft:

“My father started Guidecraft in 1964 in a small woodshop, producing 10 items. I purchased the company in 1995 and have continued to develop the line, which now includes over 580 educational toys and furnishings. Our size has changed, but our mission remains the same; stay true to the tradition of smart, beautifully crafted wood products, which allow children’s minds and imaginations room to truly wonder and grow.

As we turn 46, we see that our best contributions lie in this commitment to continue doing what we do best, while always giving our loyal customers what they have come to expect; expert quality, excellent service and an ever growing collection of creativity inspiring products for children. Our playful furniture is a wonderful new extension of our line and we are delighted to present it to you.”

Every Friday night, we try our best to sit down together as a family and enjoy a kid-friendly movie or television show. Most of the time, both girls want to lay on the sofa with both my husband and myself. As you can imagine, this gets quite crowded especially when you add in 4 pillows, blankets, popcorn and juice. So, I was more than excited to try out a product that would provide a space just for the kids to enjoy movie night.

From the website:

“Set is TWO CHAIRS with TABLE. Children will love these well designed, comfortable chairs! This three piece set is ideal for your dramatic play. reading or resting area. Light, yet sturdy construction. Assembly required.“

My husband, being the handy one in the house, was the first to open the package and dive into assembly. Before I knew it, the set was completely assembled and ready for play. He commented that the construction is very sturdy and the direction were thorough and easy to follow.

We placed the furniture in our den and got settled in for movie night. The girls were so happy to each have a place of their own and a little table to store their popcorn. As the days have passed, I can assure you that the girls have gotten a great deal of daily use out of the chairs and they are holding up great.

The Kiddie Rockers and Table set (in red) has been a great addition to our living room. It has provided our two girls a personal space to call their own and made movie night more enjoyable for all of us. For $110, we think this set is a good buy for the quality you receive.

Do your kids need a place to sit? The generous people at Guidecraft have donated one Kiddie Rockers and Table set to one lucky reader ($110 value)!

How to enter:

1. Visit Guidecraft and tell me one other product you love!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Guidecraft (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @Guidecraft on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Guidecraft on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

7. Follow Guidecraft’s blog!

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on June 22nd. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by Guidecraft. All opinions are 100% mine.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: giveaway, Guidecraft, table and chairs

WINNERS!

May 25, 2010 By admin 3 Comments

Thanks to all who participated in the recent giveaways here at Experimental Mommy! It’s time to pull some winners!

Tide Coldwater: Ellen

Village Candle: Evelyn

Michael Angelos: Marcia G.

Western Union: Eve, Anita, Jill H., Donna B., Lisa

Nestle Family Day Out: Barbara M.

Domino Sugar: Carol

Kikkoman: Charlene

Guidecraft: Anthy

Bryan: Melanie

3 Designing Women: Chrissyb

You will all be sent an email shortly! Please see my winners policy in order to claim your prize!

Filed Under: Giveaway Winners Tagged With: 3 Designing Women, Bryan, Domino Sugar, Guidecraft, Kikkoman, Michael Angelo's, Nestle Family, Tide Coldwater, Village Candle, Western Union, winners

Guidecraft See, Store and Take Along: Review and Giveaway

May 1, 2010 By admin 820 Comments

The Moon and Stars See, Store and Take Along storage system from Guidecraft will be a great way to organize my living room which has been over run with Barbie accessories, pretend food and Legos!

One Moon and Stars See, Store and Take Along system with 9 included storage bins and one incredibly messy living room. About Guidecraft:

My home has three bedrooms, all of which seem to have been filled to the brim with stuff. Because we do not have a playroom, my daughters’ toys have crept into our living area creating a never-ending cleaning job for Mom! Currently, I have one plastic bin in the corner of the room where we house all of the toys in one large pile. While it is quick and easy to clean up, I find that they toys that are at the bottom of the pile rarely get played with because the girls simply can’t see them! So when I had the chance to review the Moon and Stars See, Store and Take Along storage system from Guidecraft, I immediately knew that this could help me regain a sense of organization in my living room.

From the website:

“Clean up, organizing, and identifying your child’s favorite toys and playthings is easy with this colorful wooden unit. Casters allow you to easily move it from room to room, while the built-in handles allow your child to select and take specific buckets.“

When the product arrived, my husband couldn’t wait to put it together (any excuse to use tools is a good day for him!). As soon as he opened the box, he commented on the quality of the wood. Honestly, I thought the assembly might take a while, but he had the entire system up and ready to go in about 15-20 minutes. It was my turn to take over.

I rolled the storage system to the corner where it will stay and immediately noticed that this a very sturdy piece of furniture…yes, I said it, furniture. It is not a flimsy accessory by any means! I sorted through the bin of Barbie clothes, Legos, costumes and pretend food and placed them in separate bins. Finally, board games were placed on the top shelf.

I know you really aren’t supposed to love an inanimate object, but if I could marry this storage system, I would! Honestly, it transformed the look of my living room! And the best thing is that my girls can find the toys they love and actually use them!

The Moon and Stars See, Store and Take Along storage system has revolutionized my living room. Allowing us to organize my daughters’ toys not only helps them find the items they want, but provides an easy way for them to clean up on their own. They now know which toys go in each bin and are responsible for cleaning up before another bin is removed. At $210, the shelves are easy to assemble and made of quality materials. Guidecraft also sells the matching pieces to the Moon and Stars line including a Media Carousel and Table/Chairs set.

Do you need to organize your life? The generous people at Guidecraft have donated one Moon and Stars See, Store and Take Along storage system to one lucky reader ($210 value)!