Emma and I did something really fun last week.  We designed our own stuffed toy!  Thanks to Happy Toy Machine, we were given the ability to make any kind of toy be it animal, humanoid, monster, or robot.  You can make virtually anything with this super cool “toy machine” that lets you customize head shape, body parts, eyes, ears, and colors.  you can even add a tail or wings!  There’s also the ability to add an embroidered emblem or text.  Oh, the possibilities!  Here’s what Emma and I came up with:

We made two different characters before this, but the monkey won out in the end.  Isn’t he cute?  And we just had to add that little basketball emblem.  Emma’s daddy plays basketball and she loves playing with him.  I’m also always calling Emma my little monkey so I think this guy will fit in pretty well here.

- Designing your toy online is a blast, and you can save as many different characters as you want.
- Your child can save their designs and share them with friends!
- All embellishments are embroidered on, not glued or snapped on.  Totally baby-safe!
- All materials used are certified non-toxic.
- All pricing is the same no matter how many features or extra embroidery you add to your doll.
- The resulting stuffed animals are made of super soft fleece and are just like your design!

Room for Improvement?

- Some of the design options are limited.  I would like to be able to make everything a different color – it’s pretty uniform in that both arms are always the same color, both legs, etc.

Video – Opening of Emma’s Monkey:

I’m really happy with the way our design translated into the toy we received.  I wasn’t sure it would be worth the price at first, but if you consider the fact that you’re getting the opportunity to design your own toy and that it is made of non-toxic, soft materials, well, I think it’s worth it.  :)  I also like that all embroidery and customization is included in the original price, so you can make it very personalized.

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Visit www.happytoymachine.com to create your own custom stuffed toy!

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Disclosure: I was provided with a toy from Happy Toy Machine at no cost in order to share my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are 100% mine.

The Fun Fort from The Happy Kid Company!

What kid doesn’t love to make forts?  Emma and I have made a couple before, but they were definitely not durable – they fell down after 10 minutes or less.  Maybe it’s my fort-building skills… they must be nonexistent.  ;-)  Try to keep a fort up for a 3-year-old with chairs, blankets, shoes to keep things in place, and you’ll be frustrated.  But the Fun Fort is perfect for fort-building!  It’s something that older and younger kids will love, and it’s velcro-and-loop closures mean frustration-free playtime.

Some of the things we love:

• It’s made of a lightweight but durable material – it reminds me of a very light and thin tarp.  Great for outside or inside!
• It’s huge at 8′ x 8′!
• It’s versatile and can be made into anything your child thinks up!  A tent, a bed canopy, a tunnel, or a four-walled fort.  It will definitely challenge your child’s imagination!
• It comes in three vibrant colors including pink, blue, and lime green.
• Stretchy Velcro loops (20 of them!) all around the Fun Fort make it easy to attach to anywhere!  There are also 9 inside loops.
• It folds up easily and even comes with a matching bag for easy traveling.

Final Thoughts: We really enjoyed testing this Fun Fort and can’t wait till summer so we can take it outside!  For now, though, it has made Emma’s room a little haven:

We love the way Emma’s Twilight Turtle shines its stars on the Fun Fort, too.  :)

Check out the other cool products at The Happy Toy Company!

They include the single-layer Fortamajig and double-layer reversible Fortamajig (like the Fun Fort only with a built-in window and door), and Connectables (small panels that connect together in any shape you desire).

Discount Code!

Use the code “Kindred Spirit Reviews” to get 15% off your order at The Happy Toy Company (good till 12/31/11)!  Note that this doesn’t include the Fun Fort since it has already been discounted for the holidays.

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Leaving a blog post comment is mandatory.
After that, you can tweet the giveaway for extra daily entries.  :) 

Also please note that you do NOT have to have a Facebook account to enter!

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Disclosure: I was provided with a Fun Fort at no cost in order to share my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are 100% mine.

A Rockin’ Rider Deluxe Talking Spring Horse from Tek Nek Toys!

I have always wanted a spring horse!  Okay, I mean when I was a kid I wanted one.  ;-)  But I still think they are the coolest toys ever, and was beyond thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review one!  My horse-crazy daughter, Emma, who has turned up her nose at all dolls so far but is an animal-lover through-and-through, is absolutely loving her new horsey, Lacey.  From the moment Lacey peeked at her through the hole in the box, Emma was taken with her.  She couldn’t wait to start riding her and did so immediately, before I even had Lacey installed in her metal frame and springs.

I was initially overwhelmed by the number of parts and screws when we opened the box, but I was too impatient to wait for my husband to come home and do it, so I jumped in myself.  I was surprised at how straight-forward it was, I basically just needed to assemble the frame, secure the wooden rods through Lacey’s body, and then attach the springs.  The hardest part was attaching the springs because I needed help, but Emma and I managed to do it (she was so helpful!).  And in the end, there she was all ready to go!  Emma didn’t hesitate, either – she just jumped on and practically galloped away…

Lacey really came at the perfect time.  Emma had recently discovered the joys of riding on mommy’s back and I had mistakenly taught her how to use her ankles to prod me to go, then go faster.  You know, like on a real horse.  The thing is that she got way too into it and didn’t want to get off of me… and I was worried that I would run out of jeans after they all developed holes in the knees.  Thankfully, since Lacey has joined our family, she hasn’t requested a horsey ride from me.  WHEW.

I haven’t yet mentioned the fact that Lacey’s mouth moves when she talks and sings have I?  Emma was so excited about this when she first discovered it.  I mean, mouth wide in an “O” and hand covering her mouth, then a huge smile.  It was so cute watching her reaction (I only wish I had gotten it on video!).  When you press Lacey’s right ear, she says 8 different phrases and these include sound effects like neighing and blowing air out her mouth (you know what I’m talking about, right?).  When you press her left ear, she sings a song that begins with “I’m a pretty pony, clippity clop, clippity clop…”.  Be prepared to have this running through your mind constantly because your child will most likely love it and not want to ride without listening to it.  Oh, what we parents do for our kids.

Video demo:

So, these are the things I’m really liking about this toy:

• Lacey is VERY soft and plush, and her mane and tail are brushable.
• There are motion-activated galloping sounds for a realistic riding experience.
• The steel frame is very sturdy – I have no worries about its security whatsoever.
• There are plastic tubes that cover the metal springs – no more pinching!
  

  See why I'm happy about the covers?

• There are three places for kids to put their feet in the stirrups – this toy grows with kids well!
• Although this is a large toy (40″ length x 38″ high), it’s narrow enough to fit through all of our doorways!  We have a small house so this was important to me.  Emma can pull it out in the living room during the day and put it back in her room at night.
• Lacey can take weight up to 65 pounds (sadly, though, I weigh more than that…)

So the only suggestion I have for improvement would be a better volume control.  There is very little difference between her high and low volume.  She’s not overwhelmingly loud at all, but I think I would like the low side to be lower.  I do appreciate that you can move the switch to “Try Me Mode” so that the motion-activated galloping turns off.  It’s a battery sucker when left on because any little movement sets it off, even if she’s just brushing her.

Final Thoughts: We are loving Lacey and highly recommend Tek Nek Toys’ spring rocking horses!  I’m very happy with the quality of the horse we received and think she’s worth the $80 to $100 you’ll spend on her, without a doubt!

There are quite a few different horses to pick from at Rockin’ Rider including Legend (with yarn hair), Lucky (brown with a gold mane), Lightning (a smaller version of Lucky with no “tack”), and many more.  There are a variety of sizes and colors – check them all out here at Tek Nek Toys!  You can also find these horses at KMart, Target, and other stores.  Lacey retails for $119.99 but at the time of this post is on sale for $87.99 at Amazon.com!

Disclosure:  We received a Lacey the Talking Spring Horse to keep thanks to Tek Nek Toys. All content and opinions on the product and company are mine.