books Archives - Rave & Review

New Tonies, new accessories

Does your Little Adventurer need some accessories for their Toniebox? Here’s some brand new accoutrements that will make your Toniebox feel sparkling new again.

10+ tips for car trips with kids

Do you have some long car trips coming up for the summer? Like most people, I will be spending quite a bit of time in my car over the next few weeks as we visit relatives, see the sights, and vacation with friends in the area, and I’m already planning ahead for the road trips with three young kiddos.

To me, road trips are a great way to bond and see the sights both near and far in ways you just can't on an airplane, and I love taking a good road trip {or three} each summer. But, because of limited space and cramped conditions, they can also be a delicate balance of having what you need with fun things to do, without packing your vehicle from top to bottom. The picture below shows a precarious suitcase tower that includes what 5 people need for a snowshoe, ski, sun, and swim trip and even with the bigger car, and all of this stuff really pushed the limits of what is manageable for a road trip.

Here are a few tips for awesome car trips with kids:

Visit The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes in Seattle

Remember earlier this year when I was raving about the Seattle Rep production of Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem? Well, I'm back raving about Sherlock Holmes in Seattle, only this time the fun was across the Center, past the fountain, in the shadow of the Space Needle at the Pacific Science Center. The new Pacific Science Center’s The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes brings the legendary Sherlock Holmes to life, showing backstory of his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the history of those Sherlock was modeled after. You will be transported to the Victorian time of Sherlock Holmes to learn about the science, technology, and methodology of the time while solving a mystery created just for this exhibit.

Continue the tradition with the new BeForever line from American Girl

Have you checked out American Girl recently? They just debuted their BeForever line this fall in stores nationwide as well as online and it has girls everywhere excited. We were at the Seattle store the day BeForever was announced to check the line out in person and do one of their many in-store crafts thanks to a recommendation from our personal shopper. I honestly had no idea what to expect and was just going for the craft and event aspect, but I was thrilled when I realized what exactly the new line included.

It’s no secret that we love American Girl and I always talk about how we end up at the Seattle store whenever my daughter gets to choose what we do for the day. But what you don’t know is that we spend most of our time checking out the historical collection and looking at anything and everything that’s new for each of their historical girls.

This time we were met at the store by one of our favorite American Girl employees and told that the line was replaced, and I’m sure I didn’t hide my disappointment very well. She quickly went on to explain that the BeForever line still had many of the dolls we adore as well as a new addition she knew we would be thrilled about.

Friends, welcome back Samantha Parkington.

Encourage a love of reading with Kobo Kids

If I were to summarize what I’ve learned so far about preparing your child to learn, it would look like this: foster a love of reading in your child. This message has come in many forms, but it’s always the same takeaway. Read with your child, give your child access to great books, and, likely most important, lead by example, and you will prepare your child for success in numerous facets of school and life.

I feel we’ve done fairly well at this in most regards and we are definitely raising little readers, but up until recently we haven’t had much time to model this behavior ourselves. Any parent of young children will tell you that there simply are not enough hours in the day, and one of my main struggles has been finding the time to get back into the kind of reading I did pre-kids.

Want to be a brilliant gift giver this holiday season? Try Brilliant Sky Toys & Books!

My aunt buys the best kids presents, ever. Growing up, I never had to give her a list of what I would like if her daughter drew my name in the Christmas exchange, because she always just knew what I would love better than I did. Now, when she buys for my daughter, I am always grateful that she includes the gift receipt – not because I’m going to return the present, but because I am dying to know where she shops.

So, want to know where she shops? Hint: it’s not the big toy stores with aisle after aisle of the “popular toys” that changes every week based on whatever movie or TV show is coll at the time. It’s the small stores run with one goal: to offer kids a diverse and eclectic mix of high quality toys that they will treasure for years.

Stores like Brilliant Sky Toys & Books, an amazing toy store that operates in 15 states {and counting}. The first Brilliant Sky Toys & Books was founded by a husband and wife team in 2002 and their goal was to be the finest upscale specialty toy store in America and offer amazing and personalized service with a smile.

In the past 11 years, Brilliant Sky Toys & Books has grown from a single location to one of the fastest growing toy retailers in the country, which just goes to show you that what they are offering is what people really want.

So, what are they offering? They feature more than 10,000 high-quality specialty products and offer a place where everyone can find their way to play. They describe their approach as “vibrant yet warm, exciting yet comforting and exploratory yet safe.” Their stores are designed with rich colors and woods and low sightlines and custom fixtures, to make the Brilliant Sky sensory experience unlike any other.

They say, “Discover, experience, explore, interact, and enjoy. That's the Brilliant Sky way, and it's the way to play”. Seriously, who wouldn’t love to shop here?

From toddler to teen: the answer is the Zazoo Kids photo clock

Up until just a few months ago, our kids were a parent’s dream at night. We would literally pop them in their beds after their bedtime routine and not hear from either one again until I would have to wake them up in the morning. Yes, true story. But, while my son is still firmly … Read more

Sound the Octo-Alert: Octonauts toys are here!

Remember my post about how much my kiddos adore the Octonauts TV show? Well, the love they have for the show has only grown deeper in the past few weeks and it’s now the only thing my daughter wants to watch these days. Her world has shifted from one of unicorns and rainbows to something … Read more

Recordable Artwork Canvas Art Kit, Mom & Me Recordable Book, and Greeting Cards from Hallmark

Ever since I've becoming a mom, I've turned into a huge sap. We're talking crying during commercials, getting teary-eyed at the thought of leaving my daughter at preschool, saving every single scrap of artwork, and getting mushy about something as simple as a card. And, I've collected an amazing pile of cards in my 3 … Read more

Make History Come Alive with Hands-On History Books from innovativeKids

How do you make history interesting for young children? You make it interesting by bringing history to life, immersing them in the stories and people that shaped our past. The perfect way to do just that is the Hands-On History Books from innovativeKids, which offer an interactive way to learn while having fun. The new … Read more