My daughter is a hard-core doll fan. She spends nearly all day with her Corolle dolls, and they have quickly become more than just mere dolls; they are friends.
But, while my son is still very much into baby dolls, my daughter alternates between playing mommy and playing with her more grown-up dolls, like the Corolle Les Cheries dolls. These beauties have become my daughter's new favorite toy and she is on a mission to collect every single one Corolle makes.
I’m guessing most of you out there are very familiar with Galt Toys, even if you wouldn’t recognize the name. With a history spanning over 175 years and with toys for ages 0-12, Galt Toys has been celebrating the importance of childhood play in Europe and is now moving into North America just in time for the holidays.
From their iconic Ambi Toys collection that I remember vividly from my own childhood to the Galt learning books that are used in schools and homes alike, Galt Toys have been a staple in many homes for generations. Do these look familiar to you?
I’m all about keeping it old school, and I have a huge collection of film cameras to prove it. But, some things are better left in the past, a good example of which is VHS tapes. I had forgotten how much I despised VHS until I was “gifted” our collection of VHS tapes that our family used for recording TV and home movies throughout the 80s and most of the 90s.
But, let me tell you, VHS is awful. The quality of the tape degrades as it ages, it’s a pain to fast forward and rewind, doesn’t have menus to help you navigate, and back in the day it wasn’t easy to edit down into the good stuff. This means I was “gifted” with hundreds of hours of pure awfulness and about 30 minutes of perfection {which more than made up for the awfulness I was subjected to while going through the old tapes}.
However {and this is a big however}, each of those moments of perfection were spread out over 30+ tapes and took up a huge space in our office where no one could ever enjoy them. The solution? The VHS to DVD Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer that allows you to take all those precious home movies on VHS into custom DVDs that can be easily played, edited, and enjoyed.
In addition to easily transferring VHS recordings to DVDs, this little console does double duty as it’s also a video player for those who have a library of both DVD and VHS home videos. For DVDs it has 1080p upscaling through an HDMI output, but it also has a front DV input that allows you to connect a camcorder directly to the device to transfer content directly to a DVD {includes a coaxial input as well as component and composite inputs}.
by Tyler, editor and reviewer
When I get in the KIA Optima Hybrid, I get the sudden urge to just drive. Cross state lines and head out and see the world. There is something about having run your errands all week without filling up and still seeing 450 miles until empty that makes it feel like a challenge.
Go on, open up the sunroof and crank some tunes, because we have some driving to do.
“Go outside and play” was the theme of my childhood, when we would disappear in the morning and not come back until late afternoon. Looking back now, I think this is how my mom didn’t lose all her marbles raising 5 children.
I will admit that I love letting the kids loose on our back porch when they just need a change of scenery and a little exercise in the early afternoon, but unfortunately Seattle weather rarely cooperates this time of year and it’s usually rainy and wet. I wish I had a large covered area I could send them to when they need to get their energy out, but unfortunately this is what most afternoons look like.
I know many local moms feel the same way once the rainy season{s} hit hard, as do all the moms out there that don’t have yards to send the kids to. But, whether you’re lamenting the fact that the cold has descended, have a small urban lot, or no yard at all, I have your solution:The Gorilla Gym.
The Gorilla Gym is a way to make any doorway an active play set, so the kids can get out energy rain or shine. My kids adore swings and I’ve always been really sad that a big swing set doesn’t make sense in our sloped yard that’s already maxed out with a garden, a huge trampoline, a deck, a BBQ area, and various other kids toys, so naturally I chose the Indoor Swing Package from Gorilla Gym.
With no drilling, no holes, and no permanent structure to worry about, the Gorilla Gym can be taken down when not in use – which, for us, is very, very rare. It’s not going to be any surprise that the kids are fully addicted to the Gorilla Gym swing and if they had their choice, it would only be empty when we’re gone or sleeping.
by Tyler, editor and reviewer
As much as I love SUVs, I’m really a car guy. I drive around a big and clunky work truck all day, so there’s nothing I love better than being able to hop in a car and zip around town when I get home. It’s so much more engaging and effortless, not to mention much easier to find parking.
That being said, I immediately took to the 2014 KIA Forte as soon as it arrived for our test drive. Since these days we travel with a full crew 4 door sedans are very much a part of our world and I’ve been curious about this compact sedan for a while. The one concern I did have beforehand was size, but I was pleasantly surprised by how big inside the Forte is, since in my mind the Forte might have been a bit small for us.
'Tis the season of baking, cooking, and entertaining.
While some years I might dread the holidays and how much time is spent in the kitchen, this year I’m actually looking forward to it. Ever since this bad boy arrived, I’ve been looking for any excuse to whip up anything homemade.
Readers, meet the Ninja Ultima Blender. Ninja, meet readers.
I’m sure you can see from the picture that this is no ordinary blender that merely makes smoothies and mixed drinks. This is a professional model that can do oh so much more than a drink station – this is an amazing kitchen tool that can make anyone a pro in the kitchen.
Remember when we used to use cookbooks to cook? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but those days are fading fast. These days, I get my recipes from Pinterest, from other bloggers, and from recipe sites – very rarely do I crack open a cookbook.
These days I leave my tablet or laptop on the dining room table and simply memorize the recipe in small pieces while I gather ingredients and cook so it’s safely out of my work zone.
In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the best idea for a forgetful cook who also has very distracting “helpers”. There have been many times I’ve transposed numbers or doubted myself enough to check the same ingredient over and over again because I got sidetracked.
But, not anymore. Now I’ve got this little guy to help me in the kitchen.
by Stacey, editor and reviewer
My household requires a serious vacuum; with two dogs and two young kids my vacuum is on constant overdrive. I love having a clean house, but my vacuum has to keep up with my active lifestyle so I started my search for a machine that would help make quick clean ups a breeze.
The Shark Rocket, one of the newest lightweight vacuums on the market, was the solution to the things my large upright vacuum so often lacked. Shark re-engineered the full size vacuum to make a more versatile machine {without the usual heavy packaging} that deep cleans carpets and hard floors with ease.
This lightweight vacuum weighs in at under eight pounds, but don’t let the small package fool you, this machine has some serious suction that easily compares to any full size upright model! 
Know that feeling when someone catches your eye and doesn't let it go? For me, that someone was Clementine. Compared to other dolls she was a few shades more vibrant, more beautiful, and full of personality. Before I saw her, I thought all dolls were pretty, but next to her they all 
seemed dull and just so… ordinary.
Maybe it was her bright red hair, or maybe it was because her attire was so quaint and old fashioned, or maybe it’s her distinctly British charm, but whatever it was, she really couldn't help but stand out. I knew right when I met her that she was going to be a lifelong friend for my children.
Clementine is the newest doll from A Girl For All Time, maker of beautifully crafted dolls, accessories, books, and more. Each of their beautiful 16in dolls are based on 500 years of the fictional Marchmont family and feature independent, determined women from different eras of the most exciting times in English history.
One look at their website and I was immediately smitten by their exquisite collection of dolls with their beautifully detailed faces and their accessories that looked like something from a museum. It’s not surprising to me at all that A Girl for All Time can’t keep these dolls in stock over in London. The dolls sold out in a mere 10 days at the famous Harrods luxury department store and are selling well now that they have arrived Stateside at FAO Schwarz and a handful of New York boutiques.
But, as much as I loved Matilda, the Tudor girl, and Amelia, the Victorian girl, there was something about Clementine that enthralled me. Clementine is from London in the 1940s and survives the evacuation of London in 1939 as a 12-year-old. She comes in a historically inspired dress with vintage daisy pattern complete with period accessories and trim. After reading her captivating background story online, I knew she had to come home for tea with us.
