Persevering Momma

Taking The Day One Spoon At a Time

Finding Gifts For Those Long Distance Birthdays Thanks to Wicked Uncle

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This is a sponsored post in which I was compensated in product from Wicked Uncle for my honest opinion of their service and products.

As a parent I know that it isn’t always feasible to make it to everyone’s birthday parties, but I often feel bad when I am unable to show up especially if it is for close family or friends. That is where Wicked Uncle comes into play. They offer high quality gifts that are easy to navigate on their website so that you can find the best gift for that someone who resides a long distance away from you.

When shopping at Wicked Uncle you have the option to gift wrap the items that you are purchasing. You can choose to have one wrapped or multiple items. They allow you to select your paper choice for each item and also allow you to label who each package is for. This is a great feature if you are sending multiple gifts to one address, but they are for multiple people.

I chose to use the alphabet wrapping paper for my son because he is obsessed with animals and we are working on letter recognition right now. It wasn’t any special occasion so I told my son that these gifts were something special for him from his new baby brother that willing be joining us in November.

He was just thrilled to get something special while so much is changing here in the home. When I was picking out toys I looked at products under both the 3 year old boy and the 4 year old boy categories for ideas on what to get him since he is 3 1/2 years old right now. I think I did a pretty good job because he instantly fell in love with all 3 items I got for him.

I have a feeling that I will be using Wicked Uncle’s services to get gifts to a few of my nephews that live far away. We generally can’t make it to their birthday parties due to the distance and timing of their parties so this will give me a chance to get gifts to them without worrying about mailing them after I purchase them.

Holiday Gift Guide for Big Kids 2018 Edition

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This is a sponsored post and these opinions and gift suggestions are all my own.

 

Stomp Rocket

Gather your kids because these toys will be ones that all the kids will be fighting over! There are a ton of different Stomp Rocket toys out there, but I have found two that perfect gifts for both the big and the little kids. The Jr. Glow Rocket is perfect for your younger children 3+ that want to join in on the fun with their big brothers and sisters. While the 3 Stunt Planes Stomp Rocket is perfect for the bigger kids. Both of these packages come with multiple rockets so the kids will be able to each have a turn before having to go retrieve their rockets. Why not get them a gift that can be used later in the year. This will allow them to have a new toy on hand when the weather gets nice and they want to run around in the warm sunlight.

 

My Buddy Towel

Getting kids a variety of different items for Christmas is always fun and one thing I do like to add into the bunch is clothes, but getting clothes isn’t always fun; so why not have a little fun by getting your kids the My Buddy Towel? This towel is made to look like a cute character and can be put on like a pair of pajamas with a zipper. This means it is that much easier to dry your little one and wrangle that squirmy child after their bath or shower. It also means that you will have less naked children running around the house after bath time. The fun characters help make children want to put on their towel after bath time as they can get in a little pretend play. This is a game changer for us because my son doesn’t understand how to walk around with a towel wrapped around him, instead I can zip him in and let him run around for a minute drying off before I get him into his diaper and dry clothes.

Modarri The Ultimate Toy Car Kit

If you have a kid that loves to tinker and loves cars then you will want to consider getting them the Modarri Ultimate Toy Car Kit. This toy is a fun kit that will be allowing your child to build their own cars. They can even take them apart and rebuild them without a fear of breaking their toy. The best part as an adult is the fact that these toys have a Lifetime guarantee which means if any piece breaks Modarri will replace it at no cost to you! This really means that as long as the pieces don’t go missing you will have a toy that could last a lifetime. You child will flourish and blossom with this toy that helps to promote creativity and allows kids to be innovative.

JP Doodles Trucker Hat

Kids love getting toys, but don’t let them fool you. They often love getting accessories as well. Clothes may not be very exciting, but why not get them a fun JP Doodles Trucker Hat for the holidays? It may not be practical for the winter months, but it will be a great item for the warmer months coming next year. JP Doodles has a wide variety of hats for boys, girls, little kids, big kids, and adults. You can select the best theme and color for each child you are shopping for. We went with their dinosaur ROARR hat because Raiden is currently obsessed with dinosaurs so it makes a great gift. It will also hopefully help him to be more interested in wearing a hat next summer!

It’s Almost Time Again. The Chicago Toy and Game Week Returns!

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The past few years we have had a blast going to the Chicago Toy and Game Week and I am so glad that I will be able to attend again this year! Things will be a little different for me this year because my hubby, sister, and her fiance will be unable to attend the event with me this year. So disappointing! Instead I will be bringing one or two friends with me to experience something that they have never experienced before!

Many of my family members will be unable to attend because the event is happening exactly one week before my sister and her fiance are to be wed. (Congratulations, Sarah & Tyler!) Due to this my hubby will be unable to get off of work to come with me since we are asking off 4 days the following week for Holiday and wedding prep!

Chicago Toy and Game Week (Fair) Returns.

General Information:

What: 16th Annual Chicago Toy & Game Week

Where: Navy Pier, 840 East Grand Avenue, Festival Hall A & B, Chicago

Dates & Times:

  • Saturday, November 17th 10am-6pm
  • Sunday, November 18th 10am-5pm

Ticket Prices:

  • Adults: $14 ($15 at the Door)
  • Children: $7 ($8 at the Door)

*Get Tickets HERE use discount code: PERSERVERINGMOMMA for $3 off your ticket price!

This year I have been hearing about some really cool features that were not available at past Chicago Toy & Game Week events. One of those is the Beer Garden that will be featuring popular adult and party games! They also will be featuring a Baby and Toddler Play space. Both of these features will definitely be checked out by me while I am attending the event.

Will you be at The Chicago Toy and Game Week (Fair) this year?

I'm Going to Chicago Toy and Game Week this November! (ChiTAG)

American Girl Doll – Luciana Giveaway!

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We’d like to introduce you to Luciana Vega, 2018 American Girl doll of the year. Luciana is the latest in American Girl’s long line of inspiring characters that encourage girls to think about who they want to be and how they want to make their mark in the world—no matter the challenges they may face. In Luciana, girls will meet a creative, confident 11-year-old girl and aspiring astronaut who dreams of being the first person to go to Mars. And, while she has the skills and smarts to achieve her goals, she also learns that being a good leader and team player right here on Earth is the best first step.

Luciana Vega—a champion of STEM and a natural-born leader who puts her whole heart into making her dreams a reality. Luciana is a role model for today’s girls—empowering them to defy stereotypes, and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in life—whatever the goal.

Luciana’s world comes to life via a beautiful 18-inch Luciana™ doll, featuring warm brown eyes, medium skin, and dark brown hair with a distinctive purple streak to show off her creative side.

Additionally, Luciana’s story is chronicled in a chapter book series written by Erin Teagan and published by Scholastic. The first two books, available now, introduce readers to Luciana, a young girl of Chilean descent with a serious science streak, who loves the idea of exploring new territories in space. After winning a scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, Luciana is thrilled to launch her dream of landing on Mars. But as she ascends from Space Camp kid to youth astronaut trainee, she faces many challenges that test her competitive spirit and self-confidence, and she must find the courage to embrace the unknown with bravery, curiosity, and wonder.

American Girl was kind enough to giveaway a Luciana Vega doll for one lucky reader. To enter for your chance to win this gorgeous doll fill out the rafflecopter form below.

*Giveaways runs until 1/19/2018 11:59 pm est. Open to US residents ages 18+
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Top 3 Picks From The Chicago Toy and Game Fair 2017

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Chicago Toy & Game Fair 2017

This is one of my favorite events in the Chicago area of the year. I just love going to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair because I come from a family full of “gamers”. I call all of us gamers in my family even if some are just card gamers or board gamers. I grew up loving games and educational toys and that is why I love checking out the Chicago Toy and Game Fair every year.

This year I have been especially excited because my son Raiden is finally old enough to have fun and try out some of the fun games and toys.  The fair was a huge hit and even though we didn’t stay the entire day we were there for many hours testing out a wide variety of different toys and games.  Many were for little kids though we did check out some toys and games for us as well as for our son.

Top 3 Chicago Toy & Game Fair Picks

#1. Magformers

Magformers is our number one pick from the Toy & Game Fair because it was the most well liked by everyone in my family. It was a fun toy to build with for the whole family. My hubby loved building giant balls and buildings with the Magformers while the toddler loved to destroy them! I do believe that as my toddler gets older he will figure them out more and will fall even more in love with them. This is definitely on our list of presents to get him for his birthday early next year.

We loved that it really is an any age type of toy. Older toddlers will love building with these magnetic blocks just as much as a teenager would love them. I think they will also make a great party toy for all the kids to play and build with.

#2. Green Toys

Our second pick is Green Toys because it was Raiden’s favorite stop. I think we played at the Green Toys booth three times respectively while we were at the fair. Raiden loved all of the toys that they had out to play with and I loved that the toys were all made out of recycled milk jugs. It made me happy to know that we were using recycled plastic. We walked out with one of their Firetrucks and my hubby also just bought my son their Tug Boat off of Amazon. I wish we had bought it at the show, but we didn’t think of it.

Another reason why we love this product is because it comes from a small local company. We love shopping small and love when small shops make amazing products and these toys are definitely are high quality, durable toys.

#3. Science Ninjas

Our third pick is not one for my toddler, but a winner because it is a great homeschooling game as well as just a great educational game made by Science Ninjas, Valence Plus. My sister is a high school Chemistry teacher and because of that we spent plenty of time at the Science Ninjas booth. The original game is something that I could actually learn Chemistry from and I have always been pretty Chemistry illiterate. The new game that will be sold within the upcoming weeks is great for advanced Chemistry students and looks like it will also be a blast to play.

My sister walked out with four copies of the game for her students and is excited to play it with them in the upcoming weeks. Her students love games and when they are this interactive and educational you can’t pass them up. In addition just like with number two we love that this product comes from a small business and we love that it also comes from a new inventor!  It is so exciting to find new products that are fun.

Do any of these toys sound like ones you would buy?