Mattel | Product Reviews by The Experimental Mommy

Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle {Review and Giveaway}

November 23, 2011 By admin

As a child, I dreamed of being a princess (what little girl doesn’t, right?). Last year, I got to live out my dream when I spend the night in Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World! It was a magical night sprinkled with much Pixie dust but I was so sad that my daughters weren’t there to share the experience.

This year, I got to bring the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle to them! This new toy from Mattel brings all of the Disney Princess magic under one roof. In fact, each Disney Princess has her own themed room! You can give Ariel a bath in her own seashell shaped tub, make delicious beignets with Tiana in the kitchen and be Belle’s guest in the dining room.

When we first unpacked the Castle, my girls couldn’t wait to start playing. But looking at the size of it, I thought it would take hours to assemble….but I was pleasantly surprised. My husband took the task of making the castle come to life and he was finished in under an hour. The best part? No stickers to put on! I was impressed with the quality of the materials and the attention to detail (how cute is Chip?). I believe the construction will hold up to the imagination of my two daughters.

But it’s not all about what I thought! What did my daughters think? Being from New Orleans and HUGE fans of Princess and the Frog, they wanted to play in Tiana’s kitchen the most followed closely by Ariel’s bathroom…who wouldn’t want to take a bath in a bubbling seashell tub? Because the rooms are themed, they have countless possibilities to create scenarios with the Princesses!

We give it two thumbs up for this holiday season! The Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle can be purchased for $145.00 and FREE shipping! And don’t forget to stuff those stockings with the Disney Princess Dolls!

GIVEAWAY

Two readers will win their choice of one Disney Princess Doll (Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Tiana, Ariel, Snow White) (ARV $9.99)!

How to Enter:

1. Tell me what room in the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle your child would want to live in!

Additional entries:

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

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 9th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Disney Princess, giveaway, Mattel, toys, Ultimate Dream Castle

Mattel’s Hottest Toys for 2009!

December 7, 2009 By admin 2 Comments

I have been asking Lily, my 4 year old daughter, what she would like Santa to bring her for Christmas. Her response?

EVERYTHING! And Barbies!

When I was a little girl (many moons ago), I absolutely loved playing Barbies with my friends. We had a blast changing their clothes, making them go on “dates” and even cutting their hair (much to my mother’s dismay). So, I am thrilled to be able to pass on these memories to my own daughters and have them create their own with a whole new generation of Barbie and accessories!

Looking for a great gift for your Barbie enthusiast this Season? Check out the new Barbie Glamour Camper! From Mattel:

“Pamper your little camper with this ultra-stylish playset! She’ll love all the glam details, including a pink pop-out tent with gorgeous chandelier, luxurious bathroom, and fabulous full-size kitchen. Enjoy the great outdoors with a campfire for “roasting” marshmallows, plus a bed and sleeping bag for dreamy nights under the stars!” ARV $79.99

This Camper, which includes 30 pieces, rolls on 4 wheels, features a pink pop up tent with chandelier, sound effects including a radio, flushing toilet and sizzling bacon and a spare tire that turns into a campfire is recommended for ages 3 and over! Want to see the Barbie Galmour Camper in action? Check out the commercial by Mattel!

Right now, you can purchase the Barbie Glamour Camper directly from Mattel for 20% off and FREE Ground Shipping on orders over $50! Looking for toys your boys will love? Check out the Hot Wheels Color Shifters which I recently reviewed on The Not-So-Blog! Mattel also offers a great line of Preschool toys as well including the popular new release, UNO Moo! Having trouble finding this new game? I’m giving one away right here!

Don’t forget to check out all of the great new toys from Mattel before making your holiday shopping list this year! You can’t go wrong with these classic toys redone with a modern twist!

Happy Shopping!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Barbie Glamour Camper, Hot Wheels Color Shifters, Mattel, UNO Moo

UNO Moo Preschool Game: Review and Giveaway

November 30, 2009 By admin 389 Comments

The UNO Moo Preschool Game by Mattel will be a great way to introduce my preschooler to the concept of board games including taking turns and following directions.

One UNO Moo Preschool Game by Mattel which includes 28 animal and farmer figures plus one Play and Store Barn to keep the pieces neatly in one place. This game is recommended for ages 3 and over. About Mattel’s UNO Moo:

“Gotta get the critters back in the barn! Round ‘em up by matching colors or animals. Is there a blue pig on the roof? Pair it with any blue animal or any color pig. Or use a farmer figure — he’s wild and matches anything. The first player to get all their figures back in the barn wins the game! This game helps preschoolers learn about colors and matching.“

We have played a small amount of board games with Lily in the past and quite honestly, she loses interest pretty fast. She hasn’t really been patient enough to take turns and the concept of the games has been either too easy or over her head. But, UNO Moo, at first glance, looked like it would be right up her alley! UNO Moo peaked her interest immediately because of the adorable figures of the farm animals and the farmer.

Each player picks 5 figures from the barn and hides them behind their haystack (similar to hiding your hand of cards). Each figures displays a different color. Players take turns matching colors and animals which returns their animals to the barn. If your opponent plays a skunk, you have to pick two animals from the barn! Lily completely understood the concept of the game and she began to learn strategy. She didn’t mind waiting her turn to play because the actions of the other players (Mom and Dad) directly affected what animal she chose to place in play. She actually won 2 out of the 3 games we played….and I didn’t let her win!

The UNO Moo Preschool Game from Mattel was a very entertaining and educational game for my 4 year old daughter. The animal figures were adorable (Lily liked the puppy), and I loved the fact that the animals can be stored in the barn so pieces do not get lost. This game can be purchased directly from Mattel for $20.99 with FREE shipping on all orders! This game would make an excellent holiday gift for any preschooler!

Would your child love UNO Moo under the tree this year? Mattel has generously offered one Not-So-Blog reader one UNO Moo game of their very own!

How to enter:

1. Visit Mattel and tell me another product your child would love to receive!

Additional entries

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

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) 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 on Facebook.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 15th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to Mattel who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Mattel, UNO Moo

Top Ten Toys of 2009: Mom Approved!

November 16, 2009 By admin 10 Comments

Your kids think Santa just *knows* what they want to find under the tree on Christmas morning, but what happens when Santa doesn’t really *know* what to leave?!? Cool Baby Kid and The Not-So-Blog have compiled a list of the things our children are asking for this holiday season in hopes of helping parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even Santa himself select a gift that brings magic, fun and a smile to the face of your child!

Keep in mind, the kids’ lists were WAY longer than we could post, so we picked the Top Ten Best Toys of 2009 (also known as “Things we would want Santa to leave our kids for Christmas” or “Mom approved gifts for our kids….no grandma, please DON’T buy my child another farting parrot…oh yes, it DID happen” ).

1. Tag and Tag Junior by Leapfrog

2. Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia, LLC

3. Lifestyle Grand Walk-In Kitchen by Step 2

4. DS Lite or DSi by Nintendo

5. Explore & Grow Busy Ball Popper by Playskool

6. Smart Fit Park by Fisher Price

7. Netpal by Disney

8. Ripstick by Razor

9. Little Mommy Walk & Giggle Doll by Mattel

10. Just One Kiss Princess Tiana Doll by Mattel

Do you have another excellent toy suggestion? What are your kids hoping shows up under the tree? Leave a link to your child’s “must-have” item this year! Make sure you leave the gender and age of the child along with the link (ie. Girl, age 4, Zhu Zhu Pet)!