The Toy of the Year Awards, also known as the Oscars of the toy industry will be held on February 12 this year. They are presented annually to the top toys, games, and properties of the year. Administered by The Toy Association, the awards program supports the philanthropic work of The Toy Foundation, which delivers new toys to children in need. The Toy of the Year Awards will be virtual and open to the public for the first time ever!
This year, there are 16 categories and we were honored to be chosen to reveal the nominees for the 2021 Game of the Year! Make sure to vote for all your favorites by going to: www.toyawards.org. Voting closes on January 5th at 11:59 pm.
Check out our YouTube video where we announced the nominees for Game of the Year! Thanks to The Toy Association and all of the toy companies for sending us the nominated games for free.
Congratulations to all the nominees for this year’s awards!
If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to bring your baked goods to the next level, you have to try Chocolate Pen! Thanks so much to Skyrocket and Chocolate Pen for sending us these free products and asking us to be Chocolate Pen Ambassadors! We were sent a box with everything we needed to make a variety of treats for the holidays. Chocolate Pen allows you to write with chocolate and makes decorating your own treats super easy. It’s so simple to load the pen with chocolate and there’s even a warming tray included to keep your melted chocolate the right consistency. *These products were sent to us for free. All opinions are my own.*
We had a great time using the Chocolate Pen to create some yummy treats! We made Christmas tree brownies, chocolate-dipped cookies, holiday-shaped chocolates, cupcakes and chocolate-dipped pretzels. Lindsey had so much fun making abstract designs on everything!
To accent our treat display, Mike created a custom-made wood board. It provided a beautifully rustic backdrop and made our Chocolate Pen charcuterie board come to life! But, the best part is, it spins! Spinning treats, how can you go wrong? It definitely brings your party buffet up a notch!
Check out our YouTube video where we show you all the contents of the box we were sent and how the Chocolate Pen works. We’ll also give you a glimpse of our treat making and what went into the final result, our festive Chocolate Pen charcuterie board!
Chocolate Pen will definitely be a great addition to our baking preparations throughout the year. The best part is that the whole family can join in on the fun! To get your own, check out Walmart, Target and other major retailers.
Today is the day! War For Cybertron: Earthrise is now streaming worldwide on Netflix! In celebration of the popular animated Netflix series, Transformers: War for Cybertron: Siege, that premiered over the summer and Transformers: War of Cybertron: Earthrise premiering today, we recently received a surprise box featuring the new Transformers Earthrise War of Cybertron Trilogy Action Figures! Thank you to Hasbro for sending these free products to us.
The products featured in the box include: TRANSFORMERS Deluxe Trailbreaker, TRANSFORMERS Deluxe Fasttrack, TRANSFORMERS Voyager Quintesson Judge, TRANSFORMERS Voyager Megatron, TRANSFORMERS Deluxe Sunstreaker, TRANSFORMERS Deluxe Runamuck and TRANSFORMERS Deluxe Smokescreen.
As always, the Transformers action figures never cease to impress. The detail is amazing on each of the products and the kids had a blast transforming them. Little ones and adult collectors alike will enjoy this latest series. Hours of enjoyment are to be had with the transformation process and imaginative playtime is endless. The boxes are beautifully designed and much appreciated for collectors like us. Make sure to check out our YouTube video to get a closer look at these impressive action figures. *Products were provided for free. All opinions are my own.*
We were so excited to celebrate the launch of the new line of Love, Diana collectible toys & dolls from Far Out Toys with this giant advent calendar with a first look of the new products! This amazing calendar features 12 days of Diana toys for us to reveal. Love, Diana is a Pocket.watch brand based on the highly popular “Kids Diana Show” YouTube channel. *These products were sent for free to me by Far Out Toys. All opinions are my own. *
There’s two lines: Princess of Play and Fashion Fabulous. The Princess of Play figures are scented and come in 10 styles. Each figure comes in translucent ice cream scoop packaging. You can even stack them which would be a fabulous way to display your collection. Each character comes with surprise accessories, The Birthday Party Pack comes with five figurines, diorama packaging and other accessories. The Fashion Fabulous line features 10 surprise dolls to collect. Each scented doll is revealed from an adorable ice cream cone and come with other surprises inside. There are also 10 surprise pets to collect which come with a coordinating carry case as well as other surprises. The Fashion Fabulous collection has two playsets a pet grooming pop-up shop and a taco truck. Each of the sets come with an exclusive doll.
The giant ice cream cone calendar was so much fun to unbox in itself. As we revealed each of the new products, we were thoroughly impressed with the packaging of each of them. In our YouTube video, we unboxed each of the different surprise toys and every one of them did not disappoint. The detail on each of the dolls/figures was quite impressive. I also loved the ice cream cone because not only did it come with the surprise doll, it also had slime that you use to decorate your cone with.
These products will be available in Target, Walmart and Amazon early next year.
We’ve got the new American Girl Courtney Moore Doll and Book! Courtney Moore is the first historical character in three years for American Girl. She stands at 18″ tall and is a total ’80s girl with big hair, neon outfit and love of video games. This avid gamer is from a blended family in California’s San Fernando Valley in 1986. Her story reflects not only the pop culture of the decade but the major historical moments surrounding women in government and space exploration. In addition, the cultural shifts around blended families and emerging technology encompass her journey. For a closer look, check out our YouTube video where we feature Courtney as well as Courtney’s Accessories Set which includes a personal cassette player, headphones, cassette tab, Lip Smacker Lip Balm and more. *These products were sent to me for free from American Girl. All opinions are my own.*
Her long-flowing locks are adorable with added accent of a scrunchy for that ’80s vibe of course! The fluorescent colors of her shirt and leggings are beautifully vibrant and her high-top shoes complete the look. The white-washed denim skirt is my favorite part of the outfit; it was one of my go-to fashion must-have’s back in the day. It’s so fun to see so many of the trends that were popular back then re-emerging now and to share them with my daughter. Kids and doll collectors alike will fall in love with not only this doll but the captivating story book as well. Courtney and this accessory kit can be found now at americangirl.com and AG retail stores that have safely reopened. In addition, you can find other accessories for Courtney that will complement her ’80s vibe.
Wow, look what we found under our Christmas tree! Here are some of the hottest holiday toys from Zuru Toys! We’ve got the 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mini Mart, 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands, Robo Alive Rampaging Raptors and Frankie the Funky Flamingo. *These products were provided for free to me by Zuru Toys. All opinions are my own.*
Frankie the Funky Flamingo has all the cool moves and jams to get your dance party started at home! After we opened her, the laughter was non-stop! Her neck twirls and her feathers flap to the beat of three different songs that are sure to get you and your family movin’. Frankie also comes with a surprise egg that contains an adorable baby flamingo. You can find this at Walmart, Target, Amazon and other major retailers.
The Robo Alive Rampaging Raptors would be a roaringly fabulous addition to any dinosaur fan’s collection! They run pretty quickly and even bite just like a real dinosaur! I have to say we were really impressed with the authenticity of the teeth. Their markings are very vibrant and eye-catching. These raptors have fast clawing movements and advanced robotic technology that will keep your kids entertained for hours. There’s even a dino egg that is filled with glow in the dark slime and some other surprises that add excitement to this product. You can find these at Walmart, Target, Amazon and other major retailers.
Who wouldn’t love their stocking filled with the cutest, tiniest of toys, 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands? They are the most adorable minis of your favorite toys! You unwrap and peel each capsule to reveal 5 mystery miniatures. There are over 60 miniature toys and accessories including shopping carts and shopping bags. You can also find a rare glow in the dark and super rare gold minis. Toys from your favorite companies you’ll reveal will include Nickelodeon, ZURU, Rubiks, Crayola and many more. These are definitely one of my favorite stocking stuffer ideas this season! You can find this at Walmart, Target, Amazon and other major retailers.
The 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mini Mart is a must-have for anyone who collects Mini Brands! The Mini Mart is fully equipped with all of the necessities of a real grocery store. There are shelves, a freezer section, shopping cart, cashier stand and more. Assembly is required but was quite easy. I love that the set also had real shopping sounds. Included in the box are also 4 new mystery minis which add to the excitement of unboxing this product. You can also add you accessories that you get from the 5 Surprise Mini Brand Capsules including the shelves, carts and baskets; what a great way to store your collection! Kids will love that they can make it their own by setting it up however their imagination dictates and you can also buy an extra set to make the market even bigger. The possibilities are endless and the fun is never ending! You can find this at Walmart, Target, Amazon and other major retailers.
We love baking in our house and especially since the pandemic began, we have been baking more than ever. We were so excited to try out the new Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust Seasoning Blend! Thanks to B&G Foods for sending us this free product! This seasoning blend consists of cinnamon and sugar along with sweet notes of vanilla and graham and tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal! You can add it to your favorite breakfast items, baked goods, coffee or whatever you want to make a little sweeter.
The first recipe we decided to try was Cinnamon Buns. For this recipe, you only need three ingredients for the pastry: Cinnadust, Pillsbury Crescent Rounds and margarine or butter. For the glaze, you will need powdered sugar and water.
Simply roll out the crescent rounds and spread melted butter or margarine on the the pastry sheet. Then sprinkle as much Cinnadust as you’d like on top of the pastry. Roll it up and cut it into rounds by simply following the perforated cuts already there. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes. While they’re baking, put a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add a few drops of water and mix. Remember to go gently on the water as it goes a long way. Mix and add more powdered sugar or water until you reach the consistency you’d like. Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, you can gently sprinkle the glaze over them with a spoon. Eat right away warm if you’d like.
The cinnamon rolls were delicious. They had the perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar. In fact, the next night, both Mke and the kids asked if we could make more! They were definitely a hit in our house! Cinnadust is available exclusively at Sam’s Club.
Extra, Extra! Have you seen the hottest new dolls from Mattel? Barbie Extra Dolls are a fabulous new series of dolls sure to be on the wish list of your little fashionista or doll collectors of all ages! Doll #2 in the series has a curvy body with shimmery pink and purple hair that’s over 8 inches long! Her iridescent ruffled dress is layered underneath with a cloud-print top and white mesh tights. The green beanie, gem-inspired purse and white statement necklaces take her outfit over the top and make it so extra! Her puppy’s style is even off the charts with his adorable haircut and bling “boss” collar.
Another feature which we absolutely love about these dolls are that they’re fully articulated which makes them so easy to pose and move around. The detailing and illustrations on the box are beautifully done and quite captivating to the eye.
To see our full review, check out our YouTube video above. These dolls are flying off the shelves for the holidays so make sure to look for them now. We found ours at Walmart but you can also find them at Target and Amazon.
The Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play @ Home event, which was held on Thursday, October 22, was a captivating winter wonderland of toys that instantly put us in the holiday spirit! Holiday of Play, in normal circumstances, is usually an intimate cocktail party for select press and media outlets. We had the privilege of attending last year’s cocktail party and it was truly one of our favorites. The gingerbread house balloon sculpture that greeted you before entering the party was magical. Seeing the reveal of all of The Toy Insider’s top holiday toy lists, catching up with friends and colleagues we’ve known for years and making conversation while surrounded by the holiday excitement made it an event to remember. We honestly thought there wouldn’t be any type of events this year due to the pandemic. But, The Toy Insider team worked their magic to organize both Sweet Suite @ Home earlier in the summer and now Holiday of Play @ Home.
As soon as you entered the virtual world, you were greeted by festive holiday decor and everything you needed to navigate the showroom floor. There was a list of sponsors and floor plan which allowed for an easy journey to see all of the companies you were interested in. Each company’s showroom had provided images and press information for their products. Depending on the company, prerecorded videos were provided or some had options for either live one-or-one meetings and group presentations via zoom. The Toy Insider’s lists of hot toys were revealed including Hot 20, STEM 10 and 12 under $12.
We got to see the hottest holiday products from some of our favorite companies including Mattel, Funko Games, Moose Toys and Super Impulse. In addition to seeing the products, there was also many giveaways and fun activities held by many of the companies. There was even a fun contest throughout the event where you had to find the hidden socks within the virtual venue. Michael and Lindsey did a great job and won one of the runners-up prizes of a $50 Amazon gift card! Even Santa took time away from his busy schedule to attend the event!
The Toy Insider team sleighed this event and we are so grateful to them for bringing this amazing experience to us while safely at home. Check out our YouTube video as we take you on a walk-through of the fabulous toy-filled wonderland and if you haven’t already, get those Christmas wish lists started!
If you’re looking for a fun way for your kids to learn how electricity works in your home, the new Snap Circuits MyHome will light the way. Elenco recently launched Snap Circuits MyHome and we were sent the product for free for our review. It was created to help kids ages 8 and up learn how power works in their home through building various dwellings like a house or city building with functioning 3-D circuits as used in our everyday world.
The vibrantly colored base grids provide a captivating foundation to your child’s creation as they build their structure all while learning how electricity powers their home. The set provides everything you need to learn about circuitry, security systems, dimmer switches, automatic lights, alarms, motion detectors, fan speeds, appliance motors and generators! With the included manual, there are 25 step-by-step projects that are interchangeable but you can also come up with your own designs and combine with other Snap Circuits sets.
In our YouTube video, Michael and Lindsey picked a project from the manual but ended up customizing it in their own way. We were all impressed with how easy it was to follow the instructions step-by-step and having the ability to change it up without affecting the functionality of it was a big plus. MyHome is such a fun way to help you answer the questions your kids have about how electricity works while using their building and concentration skills. This set has been chosen by The Toy Insider as a 2020 Top Holiday Toy and is available at Target and other retailers.
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