Holiday Gift Guide: Winx Club Sirenix Musa Doll

Having a houseful of girls means that I’ve seen (and played with) my fair share of dolls and I have to admit, I get almost as excited when a new doll arrives as my Lil Diva does…I’m just a big kid at heart I suppose. Lately my Diva is all about Winx Club and their fabulously fashionable line of dolls that go along with their hit show and they are a favorite around here.

We were lucky enough to receive one of the newest dolls from the Winx Club’s newest transformation, Sirenix, for our Holiday Gift Guide. We received the Musa doll and if you know anything about Winx Club or the adorable dolls, then you know how exciting they can be to open for your lil one. Lil Diva is definitely in the doll stage and she spends most of her days playing with her dolls quietly in her room (yes, I realize how lucky I am that she does this LOL) and the Winx Club dolls have become some of her favorites.



About Winx Club Musa Sirenix Doll:

The Winx Club's latest magical transformation, Sirenix, is making a splash! Whether on land or under the sea, these girls are always riding the wave of fashion. With cold water activated color change hair, these dolls have the latest hair trend! Six dolls to collect.

If you have a little girl on your holiday list who loves Winx Club, then you’ll definitely have to check out the latest line of dolls, there are six dolls in the Sirenix line to collect, but I have to say, I’m kind of partial to Musa…she’s adorable!

Make sure you check out all of the awesome gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide 2013!

Disclosure: I received the Winx Club doll for inclusion in our Holiday Gift Guide, all opinions are 100% my own!

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Team Umizoomi and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…Check Out Nickelodeon’s Holiday Gift Guide!

One of my all-time favorite networks for children’s programming has always been Nickelodeon; from the exceptional educational aspects of their preschool shows to the characters that my children (and I) have grown to love, Nickelodeon is and always will be, my favorite network for kids.  I can’t tell you how many of the characters have found their way into my house through the years and now Dora and SpongeBob and all the rest are just part of the family.  Since my children do like Nickelodeon so much, it would only make sense that their favorite characters would end up on their Christmas lists. 

Recently, I was given the opportunity to check out the 2012 Nickelodeon Holiday Gift Guide and I have to tell you, it’s filled with new products featuring all your kids’ favorites like, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Bubble Guppies, Victorious, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I just have to say, I was kinda impressed with all of the goodies that I’m sure will be on lots of wish lists this holiday season! 

Thanks to the awesome people at Nickelodeon, I was able to get my hands on a couple of items from the gift guide to review and I can’t wait  to share my thoughts with all of you…



Both Lil Man and Lil Diva love Team Umizoomi, in fact, prior to my son starting school this year, Umizoomi seemed to be his math teacher, I couldn’t believe how easily he learned things watching the show that I had been trying to teach him for months—thank goodness I decided teaching wasn’t for me early on in my college career.  I am amazed at how much both of my children learn when they watch this show—I’m always impressed and both the characters and the show are absolutely adorable.  We had the opportunity to check out Mighty Musical Milli, one of the characters from Team Umizoomi.  Milli is even more adorable in plush form and she’s the perfect gift for Lil Diva who loves to learn, but gets bored with it very easily.  In addition to having two modes of play (Interactive Learning and Musical Activities), Mighty Musical Milli is the perfect size and weight for Lil Diva to tote around everywhere with her…what’s not to love?  For $29.99 Mighty Musical Milli has my vote for one of the top contenders for favorite products of 2012!  If your little one loves Umizoomi, but prefers Geo, not to worry, Mighty Musical Geo is also available as well as lots of other hot holiday toy items from Nickelodeon.  Check out the video below of Mighty Musical Milli in action!

It wouldn’t have felt right to check out some of the best Nickelodeon holiday items without finding something for Lil Man to have fun with and that’s when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ninja Stealth Bike caught my eye.  My Lil Man has been a fan of the four green “bad guy getters” as he calls them, for a while now thanks to his big brother and he loves action figures with cool bikes so this was perfect for him.  I can’t help but share the memory that comes to mind whenever I think of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it’s like I’m instantly transported to my childhood and memories of sitting on the floor at my Aunt D’s house watching TMNT on Saturday morning with my little cousins—ah, memories.  So even though I wasn’t as into them as my cousin was, I can still definitely appreciate that my son loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as much as he does.  As far as toys go, I’m pretty sure that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ninja Stealth Bike ranks pretty high on the awesomeness chart!  In addition to just looking flat out awesome, the Ninja Stealth Bike is just like the one from the TV show and it’s compatible with all of the basic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures, so all of the guys can take a turn, though the Ninja Stealth Bike does come with an  exclusive Raphael action figure—total score.  Seriously though, if you have a few TMNT fans in your house, then the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ninja Stealth Bike should definitely be on your list and for less than $20 you can’t beat the price or the satisfaction of knowing that you scored a great deal on an awesome gift for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan in your life!
I hope these products give you some inspiration, you never know, they may be making an appearance under your tree this holiday season!  Don’t forget to check out our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide that’s packed with great gift ideas for every member of the family!

Disclosure:  I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

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Nickelodeon is Bringing Back 90’s Game Show “Figure It Out”!

Production Begins in April with Host Jeff Sutphen and Bevy of Celebrity Panelists

to Figure Out Kids’ Hidden Talents

Continuing its legacy of serving up family-friendly game shows, Nickelodeon has ordered 40 brand-new episodes of its popular game show from the 1990s, Figure It Out, it was announced today by Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon’s President of Development and Original Programming.  Set to premiere later this year, Figure It Out challenges celebrities to guess kid contestants’ unique talents and skills.  The series is slated to begin production in April in Los Angeles, Calif.

“Figure It Out is a show that celebrates kids and their wonderful and often bizarre talents" said Cohn.  “In this internet age where kids are expressing themselves online, it feels timely to give them a TV platform to showcase those talents in a uniquely Nickelodeon way.”

Every Figure It Out episode features a panel of celebrities trying to guess the unique feat or accomplishment of two kid contestants each, in three rounds of game play, by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions and being bombarded by messy visual and tactile clues.  For every round the panel fails to figure it out, the contestant wins a prize.  If, after three rounds, the panel can’t figure out the kid’s unique feat, the contestant takes home the grand prize.  Each game culminates in the reveal of the talent with an in-studio demo.  

Figure It Out originally aired for four seasons on Nickelodeon from July 1997 to December 1999 and was hosted by Olympic gold medalist swimmer Summer Sanders.  Panelists from the original broadcast included Kenan Thompson, Aaron Carter, Amanda Bynes, Chris Jericho, Coolio, Jack Hanna, Sherman Helmsley, Evander Holyfield, Joe Namath, Julius Erving, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mike O’Malley and Mya, among several others.  The series was created by Kevin Kay and Magda Liolis with Eileen Braun and Magda Liolis currently serving as executive producers.

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Nickelodeon’s 25th Annual Kids Choice Awards Nominees!

If there was one television show that my children look forward to all year long, it’s the Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards!

If I’m being honest, I’d have to admit that I don’t mind watching it, oh who am I kidding, I love watching the awards show as much as they do—hey, the performances rock!  So, as you probably already guessed we are super psyched about the upcoming Nickelodeon’s 25^th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards!  and I’m super excited to tell you that the nominations are out for the Nickelodeon’s 25^th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards—did your kiddo’s favorite band or actress get nominated?  Find out below!

Nickelodeon announced today the nominees for the milestone 25^th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards, helmed by international superstar Will Smith and airing live from USC’s Galen Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. (ET/tape delayed for West Coast).  A star-studded line-up will be vying for the coveted Kids’ Choice Blimps at this year’s show, as kids honor their favorites spanning the worlds of film, music, TV and sports, including Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush, Jack Black, Ty Burrell, Jim Carrey, Miranda Cosgrove, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Victoria Justice, Bruno Mars, Taylor Lautner, Danica Patrick, Katy Perry, Michael Phelps, Daniel Radcliffe, Adam Sandler and Kristen Stewart. Beginning March 1, kids will be able to cast their votes in 20 total categories across all of Nickelodeon’s digital outlets, including Nick.com, Nick Mobile app as well as Nickelodeon’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Wizards, Smurfs and a martial arts panda dominated the movie categories, with the Harry Potter franchise conjuring up top nods with four nominations for Favorite Movie, Favorite Book (the Harry Potter series), Daniel Radcliffe for Favorite Movie Actor and Emma Watson for Favorite Movie Actress.   The Smurfs nabbed three nominations, including Favorite Movie, Sofia Vergara for Favorite Movie Actress and Katy Perry for Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie.  The mega-hit Kung Fu Panda franchise ate up nominations for Favorite Movie, Favorite Cartoon and Jack Black for Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie.

This year’s dual nods include The Muppets for Favorite Movie and Amy Adams for Favorite Movie Actress and the Twilight franchise for Favorite Book (the Twilight series) and Kristen Stewart for Favorite Movie Actress.  In the music categories, international superstars LMFAO, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift go head-to-head all receiving two nods for Favorite Group/Female Singer and Favorite Song.

In television, the stars of Nickelodeon’s hit comedy iCarly - Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor - duke it out as they dominate the Funniest TV Sidekick category.  Additionally, American Idol grabs its eighth nomination for Favorite Reality Show up against returning contenders, America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Got Talent and Wipeout.

The complete list of nominees for Nickelodeon’s 25^th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards is as follows:

TELEVISION

Favorite TV Show

• Good Luck Charlie
• iCarly
• Victorious
• Wizards of Waverly Place

 

Favorite Reality Show

• American Idol
• America’s Funniest Home Videos
• America’s Got Talent
• Wipeout

 

Favorite TV Actor

• Tim Allen
• Ty Burrell
• Alex Heartman
• Jake Short

 

Favorite TV Actress

• Miranda Cosgrove
• Selena Gomez
• Victoria Justice
• Bridgit Mendler

 

Funniest TV Sidekick

• Nathan Kress
• Jennette McCurdy
• Jennifer Stone
• Jerry Trainor

 

Favorite Cartoon

• Kung Fu Panda
• Phineas & Ferb
• Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated
• SpongeBob SquarePants

 

SPORTS

Favorite Male Athlete

• Derek Jeter
• Michael Phelps
• Tim Tebow
• Shaun White

 

Favorite Female Athlete

• Kelly Clark
• Danica Patrick
• Serena Williams
• Venus Williams

 

FILM

Favorite Movie

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• The Muppets
• The Smurfs

 

Favorite Movie Actor

• Jim Carrey (Mr. Popper’s Penguins)
• Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)
• Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2)
• Adam Sandler (Jack & Jill)

 

Favorite Movie Actress

• Amy Adams (The Muppets)
• Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1)
• Sofia Vergara (The Smurfs)
• Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2)

 

Favorite Animated Movie

• Cars 2
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rio

 

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie

• Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots)
• Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda 2)
• Johnny Depp (Rango)
• Katy Perry (The Smurfs)

 

MUSIC

Favorite Music Group

• Big Time Rush
• Black Eyed Peas
• Lady Antebellum
• LMFAO

 

Favorite Male Singer

• Justin Bieber
• Toby Keith
• Bruno Mars
• Usher

 

Favorite Female Singer

• Lady Gaga
• Selena Gomez
• Katy Perry
• Taylor Swift

 

Favorite Song

• Born this Way (by Lady Gaga)
• Firework (by Katy Perry)
• Party Rock Anthem (by LMFAO)
• Sparks Fly (by Taylor Swift)

 

OTHER CATEGORIES

Favorite Book

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
• Harry Potter series
• Hunger Games series
• Twilight series

 

Favorite Videogame

• Just Dance 3
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Mario Kart 7
• Super Mario Galaxy

 

Favorite Buttkicker

• Jessica Alba
• Tom Cruise
• Kelly Kelly
• Taylor Lautner

 

In addition to Nick.com, fans can vote for their favorite stars beginning Mar. 1 using a Facebook application that will live on the Nickelodeon Facebook page. Users will be able to vote from a tab on the page and, for the first time ever, the entire voting experience can be embedded directly into Facebook wall posts.  Also new this year, fans will be able to vote for their favorite nominees on Twitter through the use of custom hash tags.

This year, kids not only pick the winners, but they get to help host Will Smith pull off the greatest slime event in KCA history.  Through a brand-new iPad, iPhone and iPod app, and the KCA website, kids need to find slime hidden throughout the photo galleries, news, and videos.  If kids collect enough slime, Will Smith will pull off the biggest slime event ever in this year’s show.  Aided by weekly mission videos featuring Jennette McCurdy, Jerry Trainor, and Nathan Kress, kids will have the chance to earn digital rewards and move up the slime operative ranks. 

Leading up to the show, the apps and website will also feature daily KCA news, video updates, photo galleries and videos from past KCAs, behind the scenes video of this year’s preparations, and dedicated information pages on the host and nominees.  In addition, the entire Orange Carpet pre-show will be streamed live through the apps and website, followed by a live backstage companion stream during the main show.

Don’t miss the Nickelodeon’s 25^th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards Show Airs LIVE on Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)!

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The Fresh Beat Band is Back for Another Season!

I’ve mentioned before how much my children love The Fresh Beat Band, Lil Man is obsessed and watches every episode from start to finish without moving from his seat.  And I have to admit that I often catch myself watching with him and even singing along to the songs.  That’s why I was so excited to find out that Nickelodeon is kicking off the second season of The Fresh Beat Band with four new episodes Monday August 30-Thursday September 2!  You can check out all of the details below!

About The Fresh Beat Band

The Fresh Beat Band centers on four best friends – Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout – in a band who attend music school together and love to sing and dance.  Set to original pop songs, the half-hour series teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song and instrumental music. Kids will also be introduced to the fundamentals of music such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles.  In each episode, preschoolers will sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges.  Viewers also learn the importance of friendship, working together in a positive way and respecting each other’s differences.

 Nickelodeon's preschool comedy series The Fresh Beat Band returns for a second season of hijinks and high-energy music with four new episodes premiering Monday, Aug. 30 - Thursday, Sept. 2, at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT.   Throughout the new 20-episode season, preschoolers will see the Fresh Beats save a circus, perform in a Zydeco parade, camp in the great outdoors, build a brand new car and visit Toyland in a fantastical holiday special.  Along the way, the Fresh Beat Band will learn and play new styles of music, including Jazz, Conga, Bluegrass and Motown.  Plus, every episode will conclude with a “Fresh Beat Blast” where viewers have an opportunity to see themselves sing and dance on the show.  The Fresh Beat Band regularly airs weekdays at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.

The episodes for the season two premiere week are as follows (all times are 11:30 a.m. ET/PT):

• Monday, Aug. 30 "Circus Mojo" (PREMIERE)
  When only some of the circus arrives, the Fresh Beats jump in to help save it for the Junior Beats.  Twist and Shout claim the flying silks, Kiki performs on the floating lyra and Marina on the soft swing.  The Fresh Beats find their acts harder than they expected.  Marina encourages the others but then needs some encouragement of her own when asked to step in as the ringmaster. Music Curriculum:  Calliope
• Tuesday, Aug. 31 "Honk Honk" (PREMIERE)
  The Fresh Beats decide to order a new car online.  However, when it’s delivered, it comes in 57 boxes and they can't figure out how to put it together.  Shout rallies them to put the car together by following the instructions one step at a time to build a rockin’ new car! Music Curriculum:  Melody
• Wednesday, Sept. 1 "Camping with the Stars" (PREMIERE)
  It's summer and the Fresh Beats go camping and hope to spot a shooting star.  They bring their acoustic instruments so they can jam along with the sounds of nature.  But it’s Twist’s first time camping and he has a lot to learn – until he saves the day by staying up and spotting shooting stars! Music Curriculum:  Acoustic Instruments
• Thursday, Sept. 2  "Singin' in the Rain" (PREMIERE) When it starts raining, Twist, Shout and Kiki run for cover, but the rain sounds inspire Marina to write a new song.  When the rain suddenly stops, Marina can't finish her song.  Twist, Shout and Kiki help Marina and they create an authentic "rhythm-of-the-rain" sound.  In the rain, Marina kicks off a cool song and dance number with everyone wearing bright colored raincoats, hats and carrying umbrellas.
  Music Curriculum:  Rhythm 
  
  
    
  

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Nickelodeon celebrates the Year of the Tiger!

I’ve mentioned numerous times and in many posts that my youngest children love Nick Jr., truth be told all four of my children are Nickelodeon fans. One of my youngest daughter’s favorite shows is Ni Hao Kai-lan…she would watch the show all day every day if I let her…Kai-lan is just her absolute favorite. If you have a little Kai-lan fan than you’re going to want to read this post.

The week of February 22-26 Nickelodeon is celebrating the “Year of the Tiger” with a full week of special episodes of Ni Hao Kai-lan including a premiere the premiere of “Tolee's Turn” on Friday February 26th. Below is a brief run-down of the shows included in Nick’s “Year of the Tiger” celebration week!

Monday, Feb. 22 – “Happy Chinese New Year”

It’s Chinese New Year, and Kai-lan and her friends are thrilled because this year, they are old enough to carry the huge dragon costume. It’s going to take a whole team of friends to carry it for the celebration, but when Rintoo is assigned to march in the middle of the dragon, he walks away! Rintoo doesn’t think the middle is important enough, but the group can’t carry the dragon without him. Kai-lan, with the help of the viewers, must find a way to show Rintoo that every job on a team is important. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word red (Hong Se) in Chinese.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 – “Rintoo's Big Flip”

Kai-lan and her friends go to see the Chinese rabbit acrobats and are amazed by their tricks. When a rabbit acrobat invites Kai-lan and her friends to be in his show that night, everybody’s excited to practice flips except Rintoo, who doesn’t think he needs to practice. But when his flip turns out to be harder than he thought, Rintoo quits the show. Kai-lan needs the viewers’ help to convince Rintoo to practice so he can be in the show. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word circle (Yuan xing) in Chinese.

Wednesday, Feb 24 – “Rintoo Makes a Splash”

YeYe is taking Kai-lan and her friends to a super special, magical water park. Everyone’s having a blast until Rintoo starts splashing, cannon-balling and playing rough. When no one wants to play with Rintoo anymore, it’s up to Kai-lan and the viewers’ to help him play more gently so everybody can enjoy the water. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word water (Shui) in Chinese.

Thursday, Feb. 25 – “Roller Rintoo”

Kai-lan and her friends are off to a roller rink to go skating, but Rintoo is scared of roller skating. Everyone is surprised that Rintoo would be scared of anything, and they all band together to help him. With some inspiration from the Hula Ducks, Kai-lan and the viewers’ help Rintoo get over his fear of skating, so everyone can go to the roller rink. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word fast (Kuai) in Chinese.

Friday, Feb. 25 – “Tolee's Turn” -- PREMIERE

Kai-lan and her friends are sailing in a beautiful dinosaur boat and playing hide and seek with some dolphins. But when Rintoo won’t give Tolee a turn steering the boat, things come to a standstill. Kai-lan needs the viewers’ help to show Rintoo that when you take turns, everyone gets to play, and everyone has a good time. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word dolphin “Haitun” in Chinese.

I know my children will be watching Ni Hao Kai-lan for the new episodes…I hope yours will too!

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