Toy Review: Shopkins Season 3, 4, and 5 5-Packs

Epic video! My longest yet! I hope this keeps him busy for a while. 
Collecting Shopkins is serious business! Just storing these tiny treasures are a hobby in itself. 

I opened Seasons 3, 4, and 5 five packs. There were so many, and it was a huge mistake! I have no idea what any of their names are, and wasted a lot of time just locating each Shopkins' name on the checklist! 

Look how many there are! Don't get me wrong, it was fun! 

Where do you store your Shopkins? Can you recommend a good storage kit...something DIY, or on the cheap!

Cheers!

Toys and Safety Standards - Finding Dory Coffee Pot Play Set Typo

I purchased the Finding Dory Coffee Pot Playset to review and noticed something funny. There is a typo on the back of the box. The premise of the new Disney/Pixar film, Finding Dory, is that Dory is on a search for her parents, and while searching with Marlin and Nemo, she gets lost as well. Her journey takes her back to the Marine Life Institute, a temporary holding facility for endangered aquatics.

At the Marine Life Institute, the marine life is taken in, nursed to health (if needed), and then released back in the ocean. You would think the manufacturer of this product would at least get that name right, correct? Wrong. It actually says "Marline Life Institute." It's almost as if they wanted to spell Marlin, and noticed the error, and just added an "e" at the end.

I worked in toy production for many years, and quality control was our number one priority. Safety standards were at the top of the list, too. This typo is not a big deal. It's just funny to me, and also strikes me as this toy and box possibly becoming a collector's item once the Finding Dory toys make their way off of the shelves. 

Notice the typo? I did because I am crazy. 

Not only is this toy a lot of fun and chock full of entertainment and educational value, but you may have a rare find on your hands. I am sure once the second run of this toy is ordered; they’ll be ordering an artwork change to the box as well. 

Who holds on to the box anyway? I usually don't, but I always check the box. It's always important to check the box your toy arrived in because this is where you will find all of the information about that toy. For example, which safety standards does this toy comply with - ASTM/CE, etc? You'll also find where the toy was manufactured, where its sold, and the company information. In addition to the importance of safety standards, you'll also need to know the recommended age of play. You don't want to give your two year old a toy that's recommended for a four year. I say this not because I don't think your two year old can handle the toy - it's for safety reasons, and there may be small parts that could just fly off at any moment. We all know two year old kids are just as curious as they were when they turned one. So, parents, take heed. These warnings are on there for the safety of our kids. 

I can remember a time while working in the production department, we had a fatal error. One of our counting puzzles had a huge typo on the artwork (licensed by a very famous author/artist by the way). The typo was a huge embarrassment, but you have to understand, the designers are human, and we make mistakes! Perish the thought! Of course, next production it was corrected. However, the initial order of 10,000 was out there, and parents trusted us with their child’s busy time, and we have only nine apples under the number 10! Mistakes do happen.

Have you ever found a typo on a toy box? If so, which ones? Are they collector’s items now?

Cheers!

Toy Review: The Secret Life of Pets Blind Bag

I simply cannot wait to go and see the new Illumination Entertainment movie, The Secret Life of Pets, with our son! The trailers are so cute! Have you ever wondered what your pets do when you close the front door behind you? Well, apparently your cat snoops through your refrigerator, your parakeet plays a flight simulator and takes an interactive flight in your living room, and, finally, your loyal pup stands by the front door, anxiously waiting for you to return. The main characters are a potpourri of different animals, from a big, scraggy dog named, Duke, to a lovable, indifferent, chubby cat named Chloe. I love Chloe! She is so chubby and cute! 

The Minions Movie, also released by Illumination Entertainment, and a prequel to the Despicable Me franchise, was released with a chock full of fabulous toys. The same goes for The Secret Life of Pets. There are plush dolls for each character as well as toy figures. I purchased a bunch of blind bags. The blind bags retail for $2.99 each, and are very easy to find. I opened a few of them and was delighted to get a silver exclusive pet - it was Snowball, the super excited bunny. You can get one of nine figures, and if you're lucky you will find a silver or gold version of a pet. I highly recommend this toy, not only for it's price point, but the overall quality of the toy itself.

The summer is full of great films to see! And with that more toys to review! Which film are you looking forward to this summer - Finding Dory and The Secret Life of Pets are the top on my list. Well, Swiss Army Man definitely on there, too! I can't imagine any toys coming out with that film,

though. 

The Secret Life of Pets will be released July 8, 2016.


Cheers!

Our YouTube Channel flourishes!

Tubey Toys - Subscribe to fun!

So far, our boy loves the channel. He still watches his oldie but goodies like Ryan's Toy Review, DisneyCollector, The Engineering Family, etc., but that's okay. The channels he watches are fantastic! 


I am trying to incorporate more learning and we grow ourselves. I haven't edited videos in a very long time, and a lot of the technology has changed, but I am learning myself! I think it shows with each video that I am growing as a YouTube vlogger! This is very hard stuff. It's not just making a video and uploading it. There are so many different facets of YouTube vlogging - choosing a theme, sound (and just the overall tone of your voice), your lighting, recording equipment, and marketing yourself. 


If you expect to upload, and get subscribers off the bat - that isn't going to happen! It certainly does take time. 


So far, I love this, and I love that our boy has another safe place on YouTube to turn to when he wants to decompress himself. 


And if you're wondering what I do with my kid all day - I teach him lots of things all day long and I do so through play. He's a super smart almost three year old. Our boy tested well above average for cognitive and physical abilities. If you think I am sticking him in front of the TV all day long, you're quite wrong. Imaginative play, reading (a lot of books), coloring and drawing, learning to read (yes, we're at that point) is what we do to keep our brains functioning. I do not limit his TV or iPad time - I found that he limits himself. I will step in though if I see that it is too long. 


I do work, I do cook, clean, have my own time - I just don't sleep. Haha!


Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for sharing this journey with me!


Cheers!

Toy Review: Sheriff Callie's Wild West Ella Cowbelle's Milk Saloon Playset

I got my hands on the first playset related to the super fun and cute Disney Junior TV show, Sheriff Callie's Wild West. This show features the beautiful voice of Mandy Moore (she also played in Disney's Tangled as Rapunzel - swooooon!). The show is really cute and lends itself in teaching good morals to our kids.  

Ella Cowbelle's Milk Saloon Playset is made by Just Play, and is a lot of fun! Perfect for ages 3 and up. It features some interactive details that your pre-schooler will enjoy like the playable piano, it's really just a button that signals a piano bell sound to ring. The bar itself has movable parts, when the cowpokes com into the saloon for a cold glass of milk, Ella can slide the glass down the bar counter. This set comes with one figure, Ella, but you can choose to buy the four pack of characters featuring the stars themselves, Sheriff Callie, Deputy Peck, Sparky, and Toby, the pokey cowpoke. 

I found the set to be adorable and very portable, which is good for kids who like to take their toys with them. Simply take apart the stairs, tuck them and place the pieces through the window. The saloon folds and snaps close. 

This toy will help promote your little one's fine motor skills, and promote imaginative play! Do you have the Ella Cowbelle's Milk Saloon Playset? What does your little cowpoke think of it? The Ella Cowbelle's Milk Saloon Playset retails at many many stores like Target and Toys R Us for just $19.99, and if you're buying it at Target, use your RedCard for an extra 5% off! The price is right, and substantial enough to lend itself as an expensive looking gift!

Thanks, partners!

Cheers!

I simply cannot wait for Disney*Pixar's Finding Dory to come out in theaters on June 17th! This will be the first movie that we take our boy to see! I am a little nervous, but if I plan wisely and pack a load of snacks, he should be okay!

When I found these mystery bags in Toys R Us, I had to have them! Check out the video on our YouTube Channel, Tubey Toys to see more fun videos!

So far, our boy doesn't like the videos. I am trying to make some fun toy unboxing videos for him, but he says "Turn Tubey off," so I get discouraged. The educational videos are in the works. I really just need to reel him in. 

No Finding Dory fish pun intended. 

Okay, maybe a little!