Ride Along Dolly - Doll Bike Seat

Being of a frugal mind, like I am, when we picked out my son's first bike several years ago, I made sure that we selected one that wasn't too 'boy'. I figured that when you are looking at a small starter bike, you won't get much use out of it and using the same bike for both kids simply would make more sense. The one we got was definitely 'boy', but being green and black without any character tie in, I felt it would work for my daughter.

When he was big enough to move up to the next size bike, we put the training wheels back on and added a basket with big flowers. Of course, my daughter wanted a seat for her dolly, which seemed to be available with some new bikes. Last year, I searched high and low for a doll seat that could easily be attached to a child's bike. I even called the companies that sold bikes with them on to find out if there was any way I could buy it direct from them. I simply wasn't able to find one. It was the only thing that I had wanted to get and I couldn't find it. I actually continued to check when we were at the store to see if I could find one.

This year, my daughter got a big girl bike from Santa. It didn't come with a doll seat either.

Now though, there is finally an option (I actually think it might have been an out of stock option the prior year, as I am pretty sure I did a search on this item before) - Ride Along Dolly - doll bike seat.

It is a cute little, pink, lightweight plastic seat that easily attaches to the bike frame - all of the hardware is included. It even comes with stickers so that your little mommy can decorate that seat in whatever way she feels. Dolly can be securely fastened in with an easy to operate clasp. The seat fits dolls (or a favorite stuffed toy) from 18'22" and up to 3#.

I like that it is lightweight, because it doesn't feel like it would have a significant impact on the balance of the bike or make it harder to pedal. I have to believe that the 3# guideline for doll weight has to mean that most dolls can ride along, I can't imagine a dolly that is much heavier than 3#.

Unfortunately, while it is easy to attach and includes all of the necessary hardware, the bicycle that my daughter got has an integrated rear fender that flows from the frame, meaning that while the seat would have worked on the bike she inherited from her brother, now that she has her own 'girl' bike, there is no place to attach it on the new bike.

Giveaway!
Courtesy of Ride Along Dolly, one A Busy Mom of Two reader will have the chance to win a Ride Along Dolly seat.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through January 22nd. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary Ride Along Dolly doll seat to facilitate my review and one to give away to a reader. All opinions expressed are entirely my own or that of my family.

My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher For A Day - Review & Giveaway

When I was growing up, My Little Pony debuted a little too late for me to enjoy. But, I had cousins and kids that I babysat for that really enjoyed My Little Pony. As with so many things, the toys that were popular in my youth are popular again (still perhaps - I guess I was out of the toy market for a while). My daughter enjoys My Little Pony, so when I was given the chance to check out the new My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle Teacher For A Day app for the iPad, I knew that she would enjoy it.

We sat down together the other evening to check out the app. When we first turned it on, she was excited by the graphics and asked if it was a movie. We started by reading the book. The app provides clear verbal direction for the kids through out. Pages are turned simply by swiping the finger across the screen. The story was cute and interspersed with different activities for the kids. Activities that helped them unlock words that they could later use to make a story of their own.

Kids can chose to have the book read to them - the words are highlighted as they are read, allowing the child to easily follow along; read the book themselves, or even record your voice reading it. You can meet all the ponies in the story and explore other activities. Plus in between the story lines, they break for a few games.

"My Little Pony has been loved for generations by thousands if not millions of children and adults. However, this is the first time it will be available in digital format. It is the perfect combination of yesterday with today’s newest technology and will continue to grow with your child as they build on their reading skills while interacting with brand new stories that they will love. This interactive app is perfect for: Building you child’s reading skills Building your child’s motor skills Story-time with your child" “My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day” It’s a dream come true for My Little Pony lovers of all ages. Join Twilight Sparkle, Spike the Dragon, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and other Ponyville friends in a magical journey to learn about the history of Equestria, the Kingdom of Princess Celestia. Story-driven activities guide Twilight Sparkle and Spike through the story of Equestria to the finale of the Grand Galloping Gala. Features: Bold graphics, bright colors and the captivating story make “Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day” an enjoyable and engaging way to learn to read, packed full with rich, educational entertainment for beginning readers. Move the adventure forward with narrative-driven activities that include mazes and “spot the difference” that teach word recognition, picture/word association and basic problem solving skills Finish your adventure with the exciting customize-your-own-story activity Touch-driven animations within the story add additional interactivity “Meet the Ponies” feature explores the background of each of the story’s characters

Want More?

My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher For a Day is available on Itunes for Ipad and Iphone for only $3.99. Its for ages 4 and up.
Ruckus Media Group Website
Facebook
Twitter

Giveaway!
Ruckus Media is also providing a free app to three (3) readers of A Busy Mom of Two.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing who your favorite pony is.

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Like Ruckus Media Group on Facebook

Leave a message for Ruckus Media telling them why you love My Little Pony, tell them that A Busy Mom of Two sent you.

Follow Ruckus Media Group on Twitter.

Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a My Little Pony app from @RuckusMedia. @ABusyMomofTwo. Ends 11/7. http://bit.ly/uWIaaU)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

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Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each giveaway linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until November 7th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. A free copy of the My Little Pony Twighlight Sparkle Teacher for a Day app was provided for the review. Ruckus Media is also supplying three apps for the giveaway. All opinions are my own or that of my family.

FyrFlyz

Recently, we had the opportunity to check out a new toy called FyrFlyz.

When you look at the toy, sitting on the counter,

it doesn't seem like there is much to it. But, when you turn on the two LED lights and head into a darkened space, you can create quite a light show.

You can check out the cool light show my 8-year old did with one FyrFlyz:


Both of my kids have really enjoyed playing with these toys. I am sure there is a "technique" to create each of the many tricks that they share on the package and on their website, but we mostly just played with them and probably never did the same thing twice. That was okay with us, we had a great time just playing.

The toy is being released this summer and should retail for under $10. Select Toys'R Us are carrying them currently, but the toy is planned for national release in August.

No compensation was received for this post. We received two FlyrFlyz through MomSelect & BSM Media. In addition, my son will receive a gift card for submitting a video. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Milly The Pinkest Kitten

My daughter loves kitties. She loves stuffed animals. She loves pink.

So you can imagine how excited she was when I opened up a package I had received the other day that contained two samples of the newest line of stuffed animals from Aurora...an adorable pink stuffed kitten named Milly.

"Milly™ The Pinkest Kitten comes from the company behind the best selling international toy brand YooHoo & Friends™. Ten perfectly pink variations feature Milly as freestanding plush, in dress up or even portable via scented toy pet carriers."

We received two samples. The first was from the WannaBe line. The one we received was the Milly Wannabe Princess. She is really cute complete with a purple tutu, a star wand and a hat. She is super soft and has a cute little face. "Milly WannaBes (8”, MSRP: $10.99) are dressed as a princess, ballerina or fairy. Kessler says, “Girls ages three to seven love playing pretend and dress up and aspire to be princesses, ballerinas and fairies most often."

The other sample was from the Milly Cupcake Carriers line. The one we received was the Pink Kitty with Chocolate Carrier. The carrier is the perfect size to fit the small kitten. It features two shimmery gold handles and the chocolate cupcake is lightly chocolate scented. "The Milly Cupcake Carriers include a removable eight-inch Milly plush animal (Mini-Flopsie™) and for the first time, Aurora’s plush carriers are marked with scents lasting approximately six months (the carriers range in size from six to eight inches)." They are available in Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.

The Milly Birthday Girl(8”, MSRP: $10.99), which I have not seen in person, is available in two styles, holding either a colorful cupcake or birthday balloon. “Cupcakes, birthdays and little girls go hand-in-hand,” says Kessler. Rounding out the collection, Aurora offers the signature soft and pink Milly as small (10”, MSRP $10.99) or medium (13”, MSRP: $12.99) freestanding, bean filled plush animals. Milly The Pinkest Kitten is on shelves now and perfect for ages three and up.

Aurora offers Milly “The Pinkest Kitten” in ten perfectly pink variations: the Milly Wannabes, Milly Cupcake Carriers, and Milly Birthday Girl. You can go here and check out the Milly section to see the full line that is available. They are adorable!!

My daughter, who is three, couldn't wait to have them. She asked me right away if they were for her. I told her that they were for her and her face lit up. I handed her the one and she handed it right back, asking me to cut off the tags please. She gives them hugs and carries them around. She likes that the Mill Cupcake Carrier comes with it's own basket and was concerned why the other one didn't come with a "basket". She promptly found one of her bags to put the larger Milly in.

You can learn more about Aurora online at their website or on Facebook.

Do you have a little girl that would like to have her own Milly? You can purchase them from Aurora online or at a store near you.

Giveaway

One lucky A Busy Mom of Two reader will have the chance to win one Milly The Pinkest Kitten for a little girl in their life.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing which Milly you like best (there is no guarantee that this is the one that you will receive if you win), you can view the collection here.

After completing the main entry, you can also complete these additional entries:

· Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (this can be done daily)
· Follow this blog or sign up to receive e-mail updates (upper side bar). Leave a comment letting me know that you follow or subscribe (or if you already have been).
· Include my button on your side bar or a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll. Leave a comment with a link to your site.
· Like Aurora World on Facebook and then share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you did.
· Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Giveaway will remain open until August 17th at 6pm. Winner will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I did receive two samples of Milly The Pinkest Kitten from Aurora for the purposes of reviewing. In addition, the company is providing one Milly The Pinkest Kitten for a giveaway.