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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Christmas insight....


I CAN NOT believe it has already been 2 months since my last post!!! Huh...who would have thought that 2 kids would keep you busier than you thought! Kinsley is in gymnastics, cheerleading, dance and swim lessons, needless to say, we are in the car quite a bit! Colson is now crawling and pulling up on everything, which makes me overly nervous b/c we have tile throughout the house and that doesn't feel good when you hit your head on it! We are also preparing to paint our whole house, I'm a bit tired of the brown, I need some light in my life AND MY HOUSE! :) Lots going on along with planning for Colson's 1st birthday in November and I'm ALMOST DONE with Christmas presents!
   Which, Christmas shopping prompted me to do this post. It's so hard to know which toys are great and which are just a waste of plastic. Lately, with it being so hot out, I take the kids to Toys R Us and we just play with the toys there and it gives me a chance to scope out things that Kinsley is really liking, checking out brands/products and shopping the sales! I know I probably seem like a nut b/c it is literally saving us hundreds by doing it this way! I try to get Christmas lists together in July (our family just gives to the kids most of the time) this way, I have 4 months to shop the sales on those items. Having everything done before Thanksgiving is amazing b/c going into the holidays, you can just sit back and enjoy without the added stress of malls, stores, etc. It's AMAZING! After you have the lists, every Sunday, check the stores you have items at and see if they are on sale that week, if so, grab it! Toys R Us just had all their Vtech toys on sale for 30%. That saves more money than when they have their BOGO 50% so I knew it wasn't going to get better than that! Fisher price usually goes on sale for BOGO 50% off or even better, BOGO free! This is also a great way to stock up for birthday parties, buy an assortment of boys and girls toys, store in a closet and bust out when you need it! Target right now has a lot of their toys at 30%-50% off, I took advantage and did stocking stuffers (nothing over $4!).
    Ok...with all of that being said, I wanted to share my thoughts/reviews/experience with the toys we have or have had. I know each person has their own likes and dislikes and same with each child so, this is just the opinion of myself and what I have seen with my kiddos! I hope this is helpful and makes picking that perfect toy a little easier!
1: Kinsley received this when she was 1 1/2 years old and is now 3 1/2 and still loves it. VERY sturdy. She actually puts one hand on the top of each of the sides (yellow and red), straightens her arms and just swings/hangs and it is perfectly stable! When we move this from our porch to the grass in the back yard, the slide or the ladder will occassionally fall off, but takes 2 seconds to snap back in! Worth the price and yes, I would buy again!
2: K got this for her 1st birthday and again, still uses it all the time! There is an extra bottom piece to this car that snaps in so smaller children do not fall through. We used that for quite awhile and took her on walks with this car. There is a hand hole on the roof in the back for parent pushing. Love that there is a lock on the inside of the door so kiddo can't just open it up and fall out. Worth the price and yes, I would buy again!
3: We just inherited this toy and K off and on plays with it. Does not work on carpet (which might be a given but for those with carpet, just know, you'll have to do this outside). Very sturdy and a 3 year old fits perfectly on this one. She likes it but again...it's off and on. I'd buy it at a price of $15 but yes, I would buy it again.  
4: YES YES YES!!! We bought this house for K from Craigslist for $25--It was missing most of the pieces that come with it but K has never known the difference and honestly, even the pieces we did have, she never took interest in. There is so much to do on this house with the buttons, opening and shutting, rolling, lights, and sounds, even if you buy it off craigslist or go to a resale shop (we LOVE Once Upon a Child) and it is missing all the pieces, this toy WILL get it's use! Truly, we LOVE this house! Sturdy as can be and hasn't fallen over once even with Kinsley being re-interested in it! Worth the price and yes, I would buy this toy again in a heartbeat...maybe not for $90 b/c I'm cheap frugal but if I had to pay full price, I would! 
5: Eh! K got this as a gift for her 1st birthday. The corners are really sharp so we stopped playing with it (the bottom part--top comes off and there is store inside the cube, which was great) after a few close calls. K was walking at 9 1/2 months so by 1 year old she was a pretty good walker but had her gravity wins moments and a couple were right by this toy and I was almost certain she was going to lose an eye! Magnets on the side were never given to her b/c they were small and could get stuck in her mouth.We appreciate the gift but would not recommend it or purchase it again. We would just spend the money on a larger top bead thing....what the heck are those things called that all the doctor offices have?!
6: YES YES! Great table and very entertaining. Sturdy and love that there is a volume level option. Watch out for the phone, if child is a supported stander and picks up the phone in one hand, they may fall backwards. Worth the price and yes, I would buy this toy again!

7: Got this from Target clearance in 2009. I'm glad it was on clearance b/c this thing is TERRIBLE! The projection is very dim and contained to just the canopy, so basically, for kiddo to even see it, they would have to lay directly under it. Comes with a remote that barely works and the button is sooo loud. Don't press it while in the room with a sleeping kid, seriously, learned that the hard way! NO, I would not recommend this and no, I would not purchase this again! 
8: This mirror is perfect for little ones, once they can move their heads to side, work on tummy time or rolling over and needing to look at themselves. LOVE that it stands up and the wings on the bee are 'crunchy' material, same with the leaves and the lady bug's body is a ball that rolls. Love this mirror, worth the price, and yes, would buy it again. Both of my kids loved it! 
9: Again, both kids loved this mat, Kinsley took the monkey and would have full on convos (in baby talk) with it and Colson loves talking to the lion! Colorful and easy to fold up. Mirror is flimsy but combined with #8 and you are set! The arms (or legs) are bendy, so if kiddo tried to pull up on it, they won't be able to, the arms will just come down to them. Yes, worth it and would buy it again! 
10: K got this right before her second birthday. She loved it and I would say that it is perfect for a 2 year old. I wouldn't put younger on this or older. If K was on this now, she would be bored QUICK b/c this is slow slow slow and she is go go go. It is easy to control for a 2 yr old, may take a couple tries but easy to grasp. Recommend using this on mostly straight sidewalks b/c it can be difficult to turn. We got this at 1/2 price and would buy it again if it was around $40, I wouldn't pay $100 for this, I'd save that money and put it towards a power wheel that can be used for more than just one year and goes faster. Good quality and sturdy but again, wouldn't buy unless cheaper. 

11: Bought this off of craigslist for $15 and that's about what I would ideally want to pay for a water table. Might be unrealistic but, that's how I feel. This one comes with a couple toys and that's about the excitement of it, which is great for the kids to use their imaginations or add other toys! K loves this and I know Colson will too, Sturdy and have never had it topple over, pretty sure K has even stood on the table at one point! We make it a water table in the summer and a small sand table in the winter. Worth it and would purchase this again but would def. check craigslist or resale shops first. 
12: Of all the medical kits there are out there, this one is durable and had the most to do. Each individual piece does something, so it is very entertaining and seriously, this was one of two that has held it (the other is her Disney Store, Doc McStuffins Medical Kit). Yes, would buy again and at that price!
13: Negative!! We have NEVER...not once played this, I honestly can not figure out the gator. K has no interest in this. We put the golf clubs with her other set (which just sit there), Colson chews on the golf balls and the gator guards her playroom by sitting buy the door and collecting all the dust! Nope.....wouldn't buy again and especially not at $25!
14: Yes! K loves this computer (her's is pink). You can email, set up her own little 'account' in the computer, learn letters and animals, own blog, plays music, and has a music playlist. You can download content onto it from your computer. Durable, it's been dropped a few times and now man handled by an 8 month old boy. Very light and love the handle. Yes, I would recommend this toy and yes, I would purchase again, even if it was $25! 
15: Both kiddos have loved these and I sometimes feel these get overlooked when thinking about Christmas gifts for little ones. They don't have all the buttons, lights and sounds like a lot of other toys but Colson loves these and K still plays with them along with her other legos. Toys R Us just had these for BOGO 50% off. I grabbed quite a few b/c legos aren't cheap! Love these!
16: I actually just bought this one for Colson for this Christmas. I KNOW the toy is amazing b/c my nephew has it and LOVES it. Colson plays with it all the time (at 8 months). There are all sorts of lights and sounds, a book on the side of the train (can't tear it) and 26 letter cubes. All of the cubes store in the toy and easy easy to clean up! Really excited for C to get this. Easy to push along and scoot across the floor. Kinsley really enjoys playing with this toy too! She is able to ride on it, she weighs 32 lbs and the seat doesn't even bend when she is on it. She likes it b/c she knows the pictures and letters on the cubes so it works at her level too, even at 3 1/2 years old! The seat of the train (the back part) detaches from the front, this allows the train to be just pushed. Seriously LOVE this toy, even entertains me (which I'm not sure what that says about me). Very durable and made Really well! In a heart beat I would buy this again and would beyond recommend it, even at $50! However, when I bought C's, all VTech was on sale at Toys R Us for 30% off. They will go on sale again before Christmas so hold out a little bit longer! My nephew received his as a gift last Christmas and it was in GREAT shape from Once upon a child for $25! A STEAL!
17: Got this camera for K to take pictures on walks, trips, around the house, whatever. She loves to take pictures with my phone so I thought this was a less expensive alternative to a new phone, if dropped! Let me tell  you, this camera has been DROPPED and DROPPED, nothing has malfunctioned yet! Easy to take pictures and stores quite a few. Can also play games on here and download your pictures from the camera to the computer. K is just now learning how to play the games (it is set up like a controller on the back of the camera, she is slowly getting it, which means, she will continue to have interest in this b/c there is still more to learn and do! Yes, I would recommend and yes, I would purchase again at this price. Also comes in orange or blue. Drawback...the screen is rather small but for it being a small camera, I really didn't expect anything else. It doesn't bother K though!
18: I personally thought K would LOVE this house. However, I loved it more than she ever has. Let 's be fair. We got this after we got the little people barn #19, and the house was less entertaining. The buttons that cause sounds are small and she didn't really know where they were. (a small phone, toilet seat lifts, laundry cap pushes down, and a door bell. So, this was less interesting to her than the barn. If you have to choose (for a girl, as I assume this wouldn't be for a boy) I would choose the barn. This house is built really well and can be pulled up on by littler ones. Yes, I would recommend this but only after watching your kid play with the same house at someone else's house, just to make sure! Toys R Us just had a sale 2 weeks ago for BOGO 50% off all Fisher Price Little People. WAIT for that sale again, as I would imagine they would do it again before Christmas! 
19: YES!! For either gender, this toy is a yes! Colson loves this, my cousins loved it, Kinsley loved it! Yes! Very entertaining. Lots of animal noises and comes with a few animals, more can be added, sold separately. I would buy this again, even if it wasn't on sale, but sale is even better! Of all the Fisher Price Little People toys, this is a for sure winner. Kinsley still plays with it too! 
20: Oh Elefun, you are not that fun! We have maybe played this 20 times in 2 years! Maybe that is good but when we play, it's not for very long. The clean up of the uncaught butterflies takes longer than the actual shooting out and catching of the butterflies! For a young kid, they might loose interest quickly b/c of this break between games. I'd buy it again if it was $5-$10 but def. NOT $20! Not really much more to say about this game....
21: Zach is the best daddy! He bought this for K when she was really sick and wanted to make her feel better! He did pay full price, which shocked me. And now, after having it for about a year, I would not pay that price for it! $30 TOPS! The horse is the best part! When you try to hook the carriage up to the horse using the string tied to plastic rings, it doesn't stay attached. When you try to turn the carriage out of a straight line, the wheels turn downwards (which they are supposed to do when you turn the carriage into a pumpkin). One barbie barely fits in it. K still loves it b/c she is a kid and it's princess something but as parent and the one with purchase power....wouldn't do it again at this price! Hit or miss really. 
22: K received this on her 3rd birthday and likes the idea of it but it is kind of hard to operate for just her. The sprinkle maker is hard to turn and the 'sprinkles' fly all over the place, hard to clean out too! The top lever is hard to push down and hard to clean out as well. It does come with fun little ice cream cones, spoons, cups, and other ice cream related accessories so it can still be fun even without use of the whole toy. I'm glad it was a gift and would recommend if kiddo is really into play-doh, beyond just mixing all the colors and rolling them together. If you are purchasing play-doh products, Toys R Us has BOGO 50% off all play-doh products until August 8th. 
23: This was a gift for K when she turned one. She never really got into it and neither is Colson. I'm not really sure what is wrong with it, makes the same sounds and noises as the other toys in the house. There isn't a whole lot to do with this one and the rope is not even long enough for a kid to pull around the toy. I wouldn't buy this toy.
24: We don't actually have this table but my nephew does and everytime we are over visiting, both boys (ages 8 months and 1 yr) play with this table! There are lots of things to do on it, it is truly, very sturdy and I LOVE the simple fact that the legs are teddy bears rather than just normal boring legs. Weird to think about but it makes the toy cute! Lights, sounds, music...you name it, it has it! For the same price as the sit to stand table on #6, I would rather buy this one. Looks and sturdiness won me over to this one, it's not as easy to dump over when trying to support a stander/pull-er up-per child. If Colson didn't already have the other table (#6) as a hand me down from K, I would purchase this one instead, even at this price. Don't forget to watch the sales at Toys R Us for Vtech! It's usually either 30% off or BOGO 50% off. Either way...winner winner chicken dinner!
25. Classic toy that never gets old! We went for the simpler one of these and it has been worth every penny! K got this last Christmas and plays doctor with it all the time! She watches Doc Mcstuffins and will use it that way or use it to just color or as her inventory sheet when playing store! This thing has been man handled, dropped, heavy toys put on it, stepped on....perfect condition! Worth it and would do it all over again! 
26: Just bought this from Once Upon a Child for Colson's Christmas. He has not played with it yet but for $7 and brand new looking...STEAL!!!! I have tried it out and knowing how much Colson likes things that make noise and 'pop around' I would be SURPRISED if he didn't like this. I love that he can sit and play and reach the bouncy balls but can also stand/hold onto the side and play. There aren't any stickers on this so I think it's going to take a lot to make it look less than perfect! I can't wait for him to see it. Draw back...I'm not sure I would pay $30 for it as I know it is mainly just a baby toy and he will grow out of this one sooner than most of them. I had this on his list but only if it was at the resale stores and woohoo, it was and I saved $23! 
27: We call this Kinsley's ipad! She LOVES this tablet! We bought this for Christmas (right before she turned 2). It was a toy that she has grown into. We had to help her a lot at first and has 2 1/2 approached, she was doing more on it and then again at 3 and now at 3 1/2 she plays all the games by herself (help when she gets stuck) and removes/inserts them easily by herself too! Drawbacks: it comes with a pen that stores on the side, it is not attached beyond that and we have been searching for her pen for about 3 months now, it really does help with the touch screen but not essential! The touch screen doesn't always work, if you touch too lightly when dragging things it will pick up whatever you are trying to drag and drop it back. It's not a big deal but gets frustrating when playing a game where you drag things. Also, there aren't many games for this tablet when compared to the LeapFrog tablet equivalent. We have the very first Innotab version, the new ones have Wi-Fi and a camera, pretty awesome! The tablet can be plugged into your computer and other things downloaded to it, games, pictures, apps, music. Coloring and painting, a couple books, calendar, calculator, and notes are some of the pre-downloaded apps. I included a picture of the games we have and K loves them all. So far, Umizoomi and Disney Princess have been played with the most! I would purchase this again b/c it really is a great tablet but again, I would consider the Leap Frog tablet only b/c of the amount of games offered. We take this on road trips and use for quiet time sometimes. It is well worth it! Glad we bought it for her when she was 2 and grew into it. Also, requires C batteries and they run out pretty QUICK!
28: Don't bother! I thought this toy would be soooo cute and fun for K when she was a little less than 1 and even at 2, she never really played with it. It doesn't do much and there aren't as many sounds as most Laugh and Learn toys. She played more with the bracelet than anything else. I wouldn't buy this again, for the price, I probably would have gone with the Laugh and Learn Vanity instead. 
29: LOVE this walker! The front comes off and can be a floor/lap toy. Lots to do on it, lots of lights and sounds, easy to collapse the walker and store/take with. Light but durable. If you have a very supported stander/puller upper, you will need to help kiddo stand up and hold on to it b/c it is so light, it will topple when they pull up on it but once up, its a great walker. I would recommend on carpet only b/c we have tile most everywhere and the first time K tried to walk with it (while she wasn't walking on her own or with great balance), the walker pushed forward too far too fast and gravity pulled her downwards, luckily we caught her before she hit but it was scary until she had better balance. Yes, I'd buy it again, regular or sale price! 
30: NO NO NO NO NO NO!! This toy is boring and blah! I'm so disappointed in this toy. I'm so glad this was my half off toy during the BOGO 50% off sale! Boo hiss! It is hard to pull up on (I have to assist Colson on this one but nothing else), you have to hit the rolling part of the toy to activate the 'ball popper' and the rolling part is so small! It plays music for a short period of time, seriously, the time it takes for the balls to hit the bottom from the top. You cram all 6 balls on the top middle portion, hit the small rolling piece and the balls just fall the bottom. BORING and so much work for a supported stander to get up, 2 seconds later get down, stand up at least 3-6 times to re-position the balls at the top and repeat! Don't even bother...even on sale! 
31: LOVE these little princesses! They are adorable and do the same things as normal size barbie (move able parts). The great thing about these is the fact that you can load all 12 in a back pack and still have room for more, ideal for road trips, Doctor office visits, keep in the car, whatever! We literally have at least 2 of each doll and love that they can be bath worthy too! If you have a little princess, these are AWESOME!!!!! I don't regret purchasing any of these! 
32: This stroller has been used for 2 years, has withstood Kinsley being pushed around in it, being knocked over, outside walks, piling of toys...it holds up VERY well. Super light and skinny, so easy to move and store! Def worth the $10 and it comes in different colors! DO IT!
33: Bought this one at Once Upon a Child for $5 and Colson loves it. It is one of his favorite toys. There are buttons on the sides so no matter how kiddo picks it up, it will make noise and/or vibrate. When the ball is on the floor and touched, it plays music/sings and moves around on the floor. Has little pieces of ribbon at the top for more sensory stuffs. (It's late). I would have paid full price for this one but why when you can buy it cheaper! :) If you have a NB-1 yr old, I would recommend this one in a heart beat! It also now comes in pink and a bee!
34: K got this for her 3rd birthday and loves it. Colson even plays with it! If you press sebastian, he sings and plays music, easy to roll around and it's just too cute! It does come with Ariel and Eric! Love it however, if I was wanting to buy this, I'd wait until a sale only b/c it seems weird to me that Fisher Price would make this toy half the price of the large Princess castle. Doesn't make much sense b/c this is probably a 1/4 of the amount of plastic used for the castle! :) Sometimes I have the weirdest thoughts!
35: Bought this for K when she was about 3 months old (a supported sitter), she still plays with it and Colson is enjoying it too. I love that there are 3 different settings; music, emotions, ABCs, and the mouse moves around. You could literally chunk this thing against the wall and nothing would happen to it. We take it in the car for Colson to play with and he cracks up! Yes, I would buy this again and duh....I would recommend it  too! It comes in a blue/yellow/red combo too.
36: If you have a little girl that loves anything girly, this is it! All the hair tools are made well enough for a 2 yr old to use and not destroy! I think we lost the perfume bottle and one other small piece but K doesn't care! She just likes to straighten/curl and blow dry my hair. Blow drier does actually turn on but doesn't do anything when your hair gets tangled in it....I would know! 
37: love this little tea party set! And even more, I love that everything fits in the container! Can't tell you how many tea parties we have had with these. 4 place settings and the only draw back, on each plate and the tea pot, there are stickers, these will peel off eventually. Normal wear and tear but yes, I would buy this again! 
38: We are getting rid of this one...it is toooooooo noisy!! K played with maybe twice and then realized that mowing the back yard was just not her thing and who can blame here with this Texas heat!? Plays music when you push it along with the balls popping! If you live anywhere that is indoors (duh), don't bring it inside....this thing is loud! I would accept this as a gift but I wouldn't purchase...I'd rather spend the money on a classic bubble blower lawn mower!
39: LOVE these princesses. They are adorable and worth it. We celebrate 1/2 birthdays at our house and this was a 1/2 birthday gift. K loves them and Colson likes the blondes! (I'm in trouble). I think with the Castle included ANY girl, no matter how old would be in princess heaven! For a boy alternative, they have super heros that are just as adorable!
40: Colson got this before he was born at my baby shower. K plays with it more than C does. No volume control and it is rather loud. Goes over colors, letters and plays music. If I was to buy this, I would pay $10 max! Nothing wrong with it and it's light but sturdy, I just don't think it's $25 worth! 
41: We just sold this at the garage sale Saturday. K played with it for the first month we had it (its the castle that goes with #31). It is cheap flimsy plastic, one of the top towers never stays on, falls over easily, hard to get princesses to stand/sit/anything....Greatly disappointed in this one. Don't waste your time or money on this one! Blah blah blah....terrible! 
42: Bought this one last Christmas for K and it's ok. She really only plays with the rapunzel part of this (the top part). the side doors fall off easily and it's just more fun to look at. She has fun when I'm the one doing everything for her, which I don't mind but if you are wanting imagination on kiddos' part, this is def. not the toy unless kiddo is at least 5. Would not pay almost $25 for this and glad I didn't, $10 max! 
43: LOVE this kitchen! It's a wooden kitchen which was our main selling point along with it not having any stickers! It did take quite awhile for Zach to get together but the quality if awesome and we don't have to worry about cheaper plastic tearing and cutting fingers...plastic cuts are way worse than paper cuts! No thank you! Kinsley was 2 when we bought this for her and she still plays with it and loves it. Sometimes she isn't the most graceful when using her toys and this one has withstood everything, even other kids that are rougher than she is! 2 kids can easily play together in this kitchen and with the doors open. Kinsley probably won't outgrow this one (height wise) until she is about 5 and just so you know, she is always in the 80%-90% in height. This kitchen has been moved around quite a bit and it's so easy to do so, not heavy at all! I know other kitchens may look cooler but we are def sold on this one! We have had a couple play dates over here and the kids always love this kitchen, even my 5 yr old cousin! Yes Yes Yes on this one!
44: Bought this b/c C's thighs were too big for the bumbo and this one has two different size seats included. Also loved the tray and the activities on it. However....the idea of the chair being wonderful was more than the actual chair proved to be wonderful. The tray doesn't stay on, the arch is just awkward no matter where it is, the toys are BORING and just no....not worth it and wouldn't buy again. Sadly disappointed b/c I was really looking forward to C having a seat he could fit in without it sticking to him when we picked him up! So sad! 
45: K got this last Christmas with lots of furniture and we all love it, even Colson! (He likes to chew on the family members) I don't know if I have much more to say than we LOVE everything....all of the loving family products. She got the mini van and loves to load not only the loving family dolls into it but her princess and other play figurines! If you have a little girl that loves doll house...do it! The only draw back: the furniture is hard to find in stores. The house folds up and is easy to move/store. Love this house and plan to save it for my hopefully, once day, grandchildren! 
46: K loved this but I doubt I would have paid full price for this! It plays noise every time a new star is put on and then a full song when the top star is on. There is no volume level control to it and it is rather loud. The stars have rounded edges to them and easy to hold. lights up and is a lot of fun but I would check sales/resale shops before purchasing full price, it's pretty much a small baby toy. K only played with it until she was 5 months and then it was on to other things....too big for her britches! 
47: Could I love this little guy more.....doubt it!!! He rocks and rolls. Plays music and lights up! He is great for NB-walking ages. NB put on the play mat next to them for tummy time, sitter, they like to look at themselves in the mirror and crawler, K always pushed it and then chased it! So cute! I'd pay full price for it b/c you can use it for so long and is multi-purpose. 
48: Both kids love this book! Lights up, plays music, sings nursery rhymes and there are parts that move inside the book. Very durable..I'm not even sure you could damage this thing if you wanted to, short of running it over with a car! when you press the animals on the side, they either activate a song or make their respective sounds/noises and then it tells kiddo what the animal is. Love this book, even at $15! I know there are quite a few of these at Once Upon a Child! (I'm hooked to that place...can you tell?!)
49: Got this for K before she was born. She never really played with it beyond pressing it's light up nose! There is a lot to do with this dog....ABCs, counting, learning body parts, singing songs but K was just never into it. I know there is a new dancing one and that seems to have a little more promise than this one that just sits, and not even by itself! I would most likely pass on this one. He got on my nerves A LOT anyways! 
50: Shortest review EVER...it's classic, durable, for ages up to 5-6, worth it!
51: I know this seems weird to post this but we LOVE this nail polish! It's a glitter gel that when the cap is left off of it, it doesn't spill out. It peels right off and really is the cleanest! We get these for K's stocking and keep refilling every Christmas!
This is is everything we got Colson and his two cousins (boy and girl) for this Christmas coming up! 
52: I have seen this one being played with by a 3 year old and it's safe for a 1 yr old! Love the many sounds and songs, the cannon actually shoots the ball and the back of the boat opens up. Truly love the durability and quality of FP Little People Products! Worth the $28. Draw back, only Target carries this one and they usually don't have sales on these too often but, if you have a Target red card, you always save 5% and 5% is better than nothing! 
53: I wish they would have come out with this castle when K was younger, it would have been in our house! Each princess (#39) has a different shape on the bottom and when they are put in the castle, they each sound like the character they are, coordinating songs/voices and all! Ideally, I'd buy this for a 1 yr old and let them grow into it. Can't wait to see this one get played with and appreciate that it comes with a couple pieces/princesses.
54: So excited about this one for C and my nephew. They have this out on display at Toys R Us and it's pretty awesome (which I expect from Vtech). Each of the cars (sold separately--it comes with one car) makes noises and lights up and they are chunky so not a chocking hazard and it's a toy they can grow into and use for long than a year. There are other sets, like a fire station, air port, construction side, race track, etc that can connect to this to make it a huge production! The heliport on top comes off pretty easy but pops back on, not a big deal.
55: I WAITED for this one to go on sale! Easy to put together, when the dog is being pushed/rolled/whatever, his head moves side to side. Songs, letters, shapes, seat lifts up for storage and pushing, not just a ride on dog. Can't wait!!I'd pay full price for it but why? :) Kinsley sat on this (again, 34 lbs) and it held up great!
We LOVE Fisher Price Laugh & Learn toys! Quailty, cute, lots of entertainment, and last forever! We have all of these and love all of them, except for #57....we never hooked this up to the tv and barely had it out of the box. K just wasn't interested and it seemed like so much work with a flat screen that is mounted to the wall above a fire place. We didn't even bother and I"m thankful it was a gift! I can't really diss this product, just that it seemed like a lot to do. All of these are discontinued from stores but tons are craigslist and in resale shops. K and C have played with these are hours and loved them all! If you can find them, get them!

Last two:
62: This is the BEST Dora house there has been. It is a lot of thick plastic, it is not flimsy or weak. The middle part pushes down and the sides close up, very easy to store. Kitchen table pulls down, fridge opens, love all the furniture and characters. TV, Radio, Fridge and table all talk or play music. Love this house! It is discontinued but there are always quite a few on craigslist (that's where we got ours).
63: Last one!!!!! My fingers are grateful! We got this one with K, she loved it and now C loves it too. The legs easily come off and then snap back on, stable enough for kiddos to pull up on by themselves and lots of lights, sounds, colors, movement and textures! If you can find it, I recommend it 100%!