Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Starter Set - A Review

"Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Starter Set"

Phew! What a mouthful. My favourite tongue twister of late. Also, my kids' favourite pastime, for now.

When I was offered a toy to review recently, I went "Yay, Yahoo, Yippee!" like a kid being offered a ... new toy, and ice cream. I think any sane mother would want new toys for their kids, especially if it means a few extra minutes of mommytime. And of course especially when it's a reputed toy brand like Hot Wheels!

I was as excited as my kids when I got the package. But, when I opened it the next day, I went into panic mode. All the parts of the toy just spilled out into a pile of....um....toy parts. You see, I don't assemble toys. It's usually carried out by the hubby department. But he had an important appointment that day and I had 2 very eager kids waiting to play with their new toy. I was therefore appointed The Reluctant Assembler.

Wouldn't you go into panic mode looking at this?!

"Okay, everyone move back!! Nobody touches anything! I don't want anything to go missing!!"

Yup, that was The Reluctant Assembler in panic mode.

I took a few deep breaths, reminded myself to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and calmed down.

Little did I know I was in for a pleasant time assembling this toy. Everything came together in less than 20 minutes. The instructions were simple, well illustrated and easy to follow. The first thing you're required to do is stick the instruction sheet on the wall. Yes, just do it! It will show you exactly where to place all those yellow brackets. I am really impressed with the instruction sheet. It was SO EASY to put this thing together!! I still can't get over how easy it was.

I, Me, Moi
assembled this!

Well, my kids did help me some. I would have liked to do it all by myself but we must learn to share ;)

You can even vary the placement of the tracks and have your kids try out different car stunts. I let my son, who is 5, try shifting the parts around. He had a lot of fun getting creative with it and it was easy for him to take the parts out and put them back. He even fixed in his old car tracks...

As you can see, this is a wall mounted toy. Yes, toy manufacturers are conquering the walls now. If you've stepped on a lego piece or a wooden block before, you'd want a toy that goes on a wall. One concern I had was what it would do to my wall. Well I was pleased to see that they use 3M adhesives that will not damage walls.

A mother must have thought of this.

Personally, I like this toy. I would get it as a gift for a kid who likes cars and tracks. And I think it's real cool to have the tracks wall mounted like that.

Here's a look at how it works...



For more info about Hotwheels, check out their website.

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary set to play with and write this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Buddy & Vernon's Adventures, Vol.1 - A Review & Giveaway

I am constantly looking out for activities to do with my kids. If you have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old who are allergic to napping, you're going to want lots of ideas to keep them occupied. Something that has helped me along in this area, recently, is this book...

Image courtesy of Risio

About this book
This is an activity book for kids ages 5 to 8. In this book you'll find 10 fun-filled, educational and interactive activities for parents to do with their kids. Every activity is an adventure that inspires learning and exploring. Going through the book together is an opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their kids. Parents are also encouraged to print pictures of their child in action and paste them at the end of every activity. In that way it becomes a a keepsake for the child. Here's a sneak peek of what's inside the book...

Stickers included!
(Image courtesy of Risio)

What we think
Calling the activities, adventures is a great way to get the kids interested and excited about the book. As soon as we got the book, my son was ready to dig into it. He just couldn't wait to get started!

He flipped through every page and decided he wanted to be Alexander Graham Bell. We got to work making his first "phone". A classic, easy activity to do with the kids.

They had a tonne of fun with this simple homemade toy. I even threw in a lesson about how sound travels.

I like the colourful and attractive illustrations of the book. I also like how every adventure comes with clear, step-by-step instructions. The best part of the book, for me, would have to be the educational aspect of the activities. You can get the kids started on topics such as entomology, botany, cinematography, environmental issues, science and genealogy! As we went through each activity, I was inspired to help my kids explore these areas and in the process, learnt a thing or two myself. 

Where to get your own

Buddy & Vernon's is available at MPH Publika and other MPH outlets in PJ and KL. Or you can purchase it online here.

Giveaway

And now, here's a treat for you - Risio is giving away 3 copies of Buddy & Vernon's Adventures Vol.1 (worth RM39 each) to 3 lovers of Kiddothings. However, this giveaway is open to earthlings with a Klang Valley (Malaysia) address only (which means if you're living out of Klang Valley but have an address here you can loan, you can still enter *wink wink*). I apologise to my readers and followers from over the seas. Sending you lots of virtual hugs and kisses instead.

Entry requirements:

1. Like Risio on Facebook.

2. Like Buddy and Vernon on Facebook.

3. Like Kiddothings on Facebook, if you haven't already and feel you would like to.

4. Like yourself and the others around you.

5. Leave me a comment that you have already done 1 to 4, and include a valid e-mail address. In case you have trouble leaving me a comment here, please head over to The Public Complaints Bureau of Kiddothings and leave me one there.

Winners will be chosen randomly the old-fashioned way i.e. I'll get my kids to draw the names.

Contest ends on 16 August 2012, 12 noon local time and winners will be announced on 17 August 2012. 

If you're in the mood for some video watching, here's one by Risio.

I was provided with a copy of the book to assist in writing my review. No compensation was received (although wished for) and all opinions are my own.

This contest is now closed.

Trebimbi Puppets Club Table Set Review

My daughter is almost 3 now and, I'm proud to say, feeds herself pretty well. Yeah, for the first 15 minutes, that is. Then she gets tired of eating and runs off to play. However, she will sit and finish her food only if she's in love with it. Most of the time she has no chemistry with the meat or vegetables I cook for her. Okay, maybe I'm not such a good cook; maybe the food's too boring or maybe it's the boring table set her boring food's served in. Anyway, I need to make mealtimes a little more interesting for her. So, when Risio offered me an opportunity to review one of their toddler table set, I was game to try it out.

About the Trebimbi Puppets Club Collection (Information as provided by Risio)
The Trebimbi Puppets Club Table set comes with a spoon, fork, knife, a bowl, a mug and an eggcup. It's made in Italy from BPA-free and non-toxic coloured polypropylene. The cutlery set has a stainless steel body and coloured polypropylene handles. With bright colours to stimulate a child's imagination, the plastic cutlery snaps together for easy storage. They can also be attached to the bowl, mug and eggcup as well, making it fun and easy for kids to learn how to feed themselves. Perfect for tiny hands and bursting with colour, each piece of cutlery has been specially designed to make it easy for little hands to learn how to feed themselves. Just start your beginner with a spoon and add the fork and knife as they quickly gain confidence.

My set, delivered right to my doorstep...

When I opened the box, the first thing that caught my eye were these 3 Amigos...

Don't they look friendly?

What my kid thinks about it

Her Majesty was presented with a serving of basil pesto pasta as her first meal with this set...

"Wah!"  - when she first saw it on the table (and I'm pretty sure she didn't mean the food)
"Why the man upside-down?" - when she was using her spoon

"That's mine!" - when her Kor-Kor (brother) wanted to borrow her knife.
"Yes!" - when asked whether she liked the set.

She's been asking to use the set at every mealtime now.

What I think about it
I love the cheery colour of the Trebimbi sets. Kids are immediately attracted to it's bright colours. And of course the 3 Amigos - which kid (or adult) wouldn't like them. They look really inviting with their smiley faces and striking colour. My daughter actually went straight for the knife and started cutting her pasta. I think she enjoyed that experience the most. She's knife-deprived, you see. The knife has a blunt edge which is safe for kids to explore and learn how to use. However, you should still exercise caution when letting your kids use the knife - a knife is still a knife. 

What I'm waiting to see is how long the bowl will last with all that stabbing!

I also like the shape and size of the spoon which I think is just right for toddler mouths - big enough to pick up a substantial amount of food with a spoonful, small enough for their little mouths. I wasn't sure at first, if the oil on the bowl and cutlery would be easy to wash off (I do not like washing oily plastic), but I'm happy to note that the grease came off quite easily with normal washing.

The Trebimbi spoon next to one that my daughter usually uses.

The mug has a wide and steady base and that's certainly something I'd look for in a mug for a kid who's prone to spills.

All in all, I'd say it was a pleasant dining experience for my daughter and me. She sat through the entire meal, entertained by the different cutlery in front of her. Taking them out and and snapping them together again also offered her some fun while she ate.

Where to get your own

A Trebimbi set makes a great gift for a special occasion. Order it online with Risio. They're nice people and will even gift wrap it with a card for you at no extra charge. "like" Risio on Facebook and stand a chance to win some cool things that will help your little ones to learn, grow and have fun while doing so. You might even be one of the lucky few to get invited to their events.

If you're anywhere near Kuala Lumpur and feel a need to touch a Trebimbi collection before you buy one, check out these outlets:

1. Blue Dot Baby: F-26, Upper Ground Floor, UG, Bangsar Village 1, No.1 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur

2. Baby Loft Publika: Lot 43, Level G3 Publika, Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

3. Baby Loft Desa Park City: FF21, The Waterfront@Parkcity, 5 Persiaran Residen, Desa Park City, 52200 Kuala Lumpur

Watch the videos below to see these cutie-pies using the Trebimbi sets

Note: I was given a Trebimbi Puppets Club Table Set (Fuxia) to review. All opinions expressed here are my daughter's and my own.