Sunday

2018 Holiday Shopping Guide- Hand Tested Family Approved!

We are creating the only 2018 Holiday Shopping Guide you'll need this year! Here you'll find everything from gift giving to dinner party planning!  Check back often because we will be offering great giveaways and awesome discounts from some of our top features!



Baby
This AuCuTee Smart Infant Sound Machine is great for little ones who have trouble either falling asleep or staying asleep through the night.  It's sound activated and has an automatic 30 minute shut off.  There's 6 different sounds to choose from and the compact design is great for small places or on the go! We take ours EVERYWHERE!  Read our full review here: Click here 







Cubbie Lee Toy Company has a large selection of quality wooden toys just like the classics from when I was little.  All of their toys are smooth and free of any rough edges, vibrantly colored, and sure to last years and years to come! They even offer a 5 year guarantee!  Read our full review here: Click here




Gift Baskets
We ordered this Boredom Buster Gift Basket from Linda Lauer with Fine Gifts La Bella Basket Company, for our hard to shop for teen.  It was a big hit and he loved everything in it!  Read our full review here but be sure to check out her website because the selection is never-ending and the baskets are so well put together there's no peeking! Read our full review here: Click here




Building Toys

Brackitz are a high quality alternative to those sharp toys that reach up from the floor and bite you! Yea, we all know the ones.... These Brackitz are heavy duty and easily slide into place for unlimited creativity! Use code BRM15 for 15% off in their entire store! Read our full review here: Click here






Athletic/ Healthy Living


The GoBe2 Smart Watch is incredible!  Through the FLOW Technology, the watch is able to record glucose readings and automatically count your calorie and protein intake!  It tells you when to drink, warns you when your stressed, even records your sleep patterns.  I apparently only get about 4 hours of sleep a night.... Good to know right? The GoBe2 is a must have for anyone trying to be more aware of their health activity!  Read our full review here: Click here




Music Lovers

Singing Machine Fiesta Plus is the perfect gift for anyone who loves music!  This karaoke system is a great sound system for just playing music, but very advanced for the singer in us all!  The features are incredible and it can even record!  Read our review here: Click here

If your looking for a karaoke system for the littles, Singing Machine offers a great selection and there's one for the music lover in us all.  The Singing Machine Kids mood is perfect for our littles to let them rock out like the big kids, but easy enough to use that a push of a button is all that's needed to let the creativity flow.  Check out our full review of the Singing Machine Kids mood here.  Click here



Want to keep the noise level to a minimum after all those new games and electronics?  Cozy phones are great for music lovers ears!  The 1/8th inch speakers are tucked away safely in a super soft headband and we love the wireless bluetooth features!  Oh and guess what, if your on your morning run or working out with them and your phone rings, they have that covered too!  We're ordering Cozy Phones for all the kids this year!  Love love love them!!  Get 10% off with code: BACKROAD10  and read our full review here: Click here










Pets


Why wait until the holidays to spoil your fur baby when you can spoil them all year long!  We love our Pet Treater Subscription Box that comes once a month and is packed full of treats, toys, and every now and then a gift for Mom & Dad. Pet Treater is available for both dogs and cats and is so full we usually end up sharing with the neighborhood puppies too!  Both our fur babies have come to recognize the Pet Treater box and get super excited every time it arrives.  Pet Treater is the perfect gift for our fur babies that gives all year long!  Read our September review here: Click here









Grandparents


These premium photo mugs from canvasdiscount.com are perfect for all those beloved grandparents out there!  The ordering process was super easy, (less than 10 minutes) and they arrived really quick!  Canvasdiscount.com has also given us a great coupon code to get 2 8x8 canvas prints for only $9!  They are regularly $49 each!  Save big! Check out our full review and how to use the discount code here; Click here






Party Entertainer / Host
I absolutely love the plateshoppe for entertainment dishes!  Gail, the designer has created some beautiful pieces that I don't rush to clean up once the crumbs are all that's left!  These dishes are perfectly acceptable to leave on the table until the end of the evening, no rush involved!  The plateshoppe offers hand painted designs on break resistant dishes!  Again, perfect for entertaining!  Check out our full review here: Click here



Stocking Stuffers

These Milk+Sass Macaron Hair Brushes are great for anyone who's tender headed or knotty hair!  Layla says this is her absolute favorite hairbrush because "it works better than all the rest I've ever had!"  They are compact and even include a handy mirror!  Read our full review here and don't forget to pick up a couple for some easy gifting! CLICK HERE







Gifts that give all year long

Degusta Box is one of our favorite monthly subscription box that offers treats, meal components, and always something yummy!  The variety is excellent and the value far exceeds the cost.  Degusta Box is a great gift for anyone on a busy schedule and has saved our dinner plans more than once!  Check out our October review here:  Click Here





Glitz and Glam
Unicorn Snot is just incredibly fun!  We have had the opportunity to review several of their products and the quality is amazing!  Unicorn Snot is made with holigraphic glitter and is even great for someone with sensitive skin.  Yes, we tested it on all skin types!  Check out our full reviews on the Unicorn Snot products here; Click Here





Orglamix offers complete make up kits with everything you need from the bag to the brushes!  I ordered this Date Night Mineral Make up kit and absolutely loved it!  The colors are great all year round and the brushes are perfect quality.  Check out our full review here and give the gift of make up ease with Orglamix; Click Here





Check back soon!  We're still working on bringing you our favorite products!

We received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for an honest and non-biased review. While we have been compensated for our review with the product, our reviews our own opinion based on our personal experience and realize our experiences may be different than our readers. This page may contain affiliate links in which we receive a small compensation for your purchases. This allows us to continue to offer you our services.






Tuesday

My Yard Sale Finds

So my best friend and I decided a few weeks ago to bite the bullet and get a booth at one of the local flea markets.  Splitting the cost it's $12.50 a month for each of us and I actually kinda figured I could take my crafts up there and it's a place to store them and I don't have to constantly drive into town to meet people, they can just pick it up there.  WOW totally worth it!  

Well this weekend we went to a couple yard sales to get out of the house for a bit and I just couldn't leave these treasures behind! Check out what we got, how much we paid, and what I hope to sale it for!  



I'm not even sure what this was supposed to be other than it was in a "free pile" and I very graciously offered to take the pile off her hands when I seen a few baskets in it.  So I cut all the plastic vine off, wire brushed the metal, and gave both the metal and wood a fresh touch of paint.  What a difference!
Cost: $0.00  Sale   $10.99





This piece was from the same sale and they had $2.00 on this toilet paper holder.  I offered $1.00 and got it!  It was extremely dusty and it had been sitting for awhile you could tell.  I took it all apart, sanded it down and BURNED IT! I love wood burning because it brings out the natural grooves of the wood.   After a nice clear coat and a new dowel rod it's ready to go!

Cost: $1.00     Sale $10.00   Update: SOLD after 15 minutes of posting it online :)



 Here's one of those "baskets" that was in that free box at the same sale!  

I'm absolutely not going to do anything with this!!  After a little searching, the Napa Valley Box Company Audio Cassett Tape Crate seems to be work about $17 bucks on ebay. 

Cost $0.00   Sale    $7.99


Now I did pick these up at a different sale.  It was towards the end of the day when everyone's ready to close up.  I'm guessing they went several more hours though because they were set up in a gas station parking lot.  These weren't priced so I offered a quarter each.  SCORE! I knew they were something, but I really didn't know what. Turns out they are Federal  Depression Glass Ice Cream dishes. Neat huh!?

Cost $0.25 Sale: $8.99 for the pair




Wanna know what my best deal was this weekend?  This guy said he had a electric meat grinder and had $10 bucks on it.  I didn't even look at it, and offered him $5.  I figured for 5 bucks, if it didn't work then I only wasted 5 bucks.  If it worked just once, we got our $5 out of it right?  Processing is expensive!  Sure enough Sold!  $5!  Got it home and it was actually a 1960's Champion Juicer and it works like a champ!! Holy smokes I couldn't believe it!  Sorry honey, you didn't get a meat grinder today.....  I've only done a little looking but I'm gonna go ahead and price this at about $60 and see what happens.  It's complete and I found it for the $70's plus over $30 for shipping on ebay.  Then on another page I found just the motor for $20.  So we'll just see what happens.

Cost $5    Sale:  $60 





Thursday

Amazon's Top Toys for 2018 Holiday Season



We've been doing a little research and with the help of our friends at Amazon we have found the top toys for the 2018 Holiday Shopping Season!

Most of these toys are expected to sale out or ridiculously jump in price so don't wait and get your orders in early!

This page may contain affiliate links in which we receive a small compensation for your purchases. This allows us to continue to offer you our services.

Poopsi Pooey Puitton Collectable
Find on Amazon; Click here

"Make magical unicorn poop (slime) with Poopsie slime surprise! with a little unicorn magic and sparkle, you can customize unicorn poop and transform it multiple times! when you gotta go, store the poop for magical fun anytime! poopsie slime surprise pooey puitton purse is the ultimate unicorn poop kit! magically make scented, unicorn poop slime in a rainbow of colors! with a little unicorn magic, sparkle, and crunch, you can customize your unicorn poop again and again! when you gotta go, store the slime in the air-tight storage to keep the unicorn poop fresh!"

Poopsi Pooey Slime Surprise 

Find on Amazon; Click here

"Make magical unicorn poop (slime) with Poopsie Slime Surprise! With a little unicorn magic and sparkle, you can customize unicorn poop and transform it multiple times! Ten magical surprises included! When you gotta go, store the poop slime in the collectible Poopsie keychain. Can you find the ultra-rare Unicorn Sparkle? 18 to collect in Drop 1, collect them all!"







WowWee What's That Smell? The Party Game That Stinks 
Find on Amazon; Click here


  • "A hilariously Fragrant guessing game that puts your sniffer to the test with over 50 smells from nice to downright nasty!
  • Game includes 48 mystery whiff cards, 4 STANK cards & scent-barrier bags, 6 cardholders, a sheet of whiff strips, scorepad and instructions for 2-6 players ages 14+
  • Winner gets to pick the loser to suffer the whiff of shame! take 3 big whiffs of one of the 4 outrageously Stinky STANK cards: extra old toe cheese, diaper blowout, hot chunky vomit or smothered in B.O.
  • Download the free app to keep track of time, get bonus points and capture the losers recoiling face in Super slow motion Glory!
  • Cards will last over and over and come folded to conceal the answers… and keep the smells contained!"



Find on Amazon; Click here
"Wrapples are the cutest 'Furry Best Friend' you'll ever connect with! Wrap them on your wrist and take them anywhere. They love a pat and interact as you chat, play and get carried away! Slap their 'Slap-band' tail on your wrist and take them with you! These adorable little friends have over 50 sounds and reactions! Watch as they come to life on your arms. Their big eyes light up to match their mood. Wrapples love to talk to you and to each other! They love to be pet and tickled. Hear them giggle and purr! Bring them close to each other and they will sing together! Hang them upside-down and they will go to sleep! Wrapples can't wait to hang out with you!"







Yellies Voice activated Spider Pet 

Find on Amazon; Click here

"Yellies! are the cutest, fuzziest pets that respond to your voice! Each Yellies! pet has its own unique look and personality and is full of fun surprises! Voice and sound-activated, they respond to talking, yelling, clapping, singing, or even music. The louder you yell, the faster they go! Find your favorite! (Each sold separately. Subject to availability. Actual deco will vary.) Parents, discover more at Yellies.com. Yellies! and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro."








Lil’ Gleemerz Doll 

Find on Amazon; Click here

  • "Named one of Amazon’s Top 100 Toys & Games of 2018
  • The Lil’ Gleemerz are interactive toys that light up fun and friendship with their rainbow light-up tails, glowing eyes, and quirky sounds and phrases!
  • Amiglow is bright teal with a flexible, furry light-up tail
  • It responds to touch and sound with over 100 reactions to discover (it purrs, growls, farts, says funny phrases, flashes dazzling light shows, and even plays games with you)!
  • Simply press the nose for three different ways to play -- in hangout, light party, or game mode
  • Use its little paws to hang Amiglow in cute poses on your laptop screen, boxes, and more!"



Find on Amazon; Click Here

  • "Build a wand that responds to your movements. Comes with wand parts, PCB with codeable LED, button, batteries, step-by-step book, stickers, poster, and free Kano app. Tablet not included.
  • Learn to code with 70+ step-by-step creative challenges. Make feathers fly, goblets multiply, fire flow, pumpkins grow, and more.
  • Wave your wand and see instant effects on screen. Create with creatures, sweets, spells, 200+ exclusive sounds, music, and Wizarding artefacts.
  • Endless play with Kano world. Remix art, games, and music made by a creative community.
  • Works with most tablets and computers. No coding experience necessary. Includes Lifetime care and 1 year Warranty. Ages 6+."






L.O.L. Surprise Bigger Surprise 
Find on Amazon; Click here



"L.O.L. Surprise dolls were on a top secret mission when their pet went missing! find surprise clues across the eye spy series to help find their pet! discover 60+ never before seen surprises inside the L.O.L. Surprise bigger surprise with exclusive dolls and accessories"





"Pomsies are lovable, wearable pom-pom pets you can take anywhere.  They’re smart as they are cute & cuddly. Pomsies react when you touch and pet them.  Up to 50 different reactions! You can even feel it when they purr!  Each Pomsies pet includes a brush to keep their fur soft and pretty."





Grumblies Tremor Toys 
Find on Amazon; Click Here

"Tremor is a mean Green shaking machine from where boulders are plenty and plants are lean. But his bark is worse than his bite. His rumbling, seismic action is a disturbing sight!
No nurturing here - Poke, shake, tilt and roll them
The more you mess with them the angrier they become, try to get them to full meltdown mode!
More than 40 different reactions and custom sounds
Each grumblie has his own personality, sounds & design"








Fisher-Price Imaginext Jurassic World, T-Rex Dinosaur 

Find on Amazon; Click Here

"The Jurassic Rex has broken loose from the research lab and is stomping through the park! Watch out for her chomp! Kids control all the roaring action of this light-up dinosaur that lunges, chomps, and stomps around. Young adventurers can create all sorts of exciting Jurassic World adventures with this action-Packed Fisher-Price Imaginext figure set."










LEGO 75954 Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall

Find on Amazon; Click Here

  • "Build a great piece of LEGO Harry Potter merchandise featuring Hogwarts Great Hall with house banners, tower with movable spiral staircase, potions room and treasure room
  • Includes 10 Find minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Susan Bones, Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell with dual Lord Voldemort face, Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore and Nearly Headless Nick
  • Also includes buildable Basilisk and Fawkes creatures, plus Hedwig and Scabbers figures
  • Hogwarts Great Hall measures over 14” (37cm) high, 11” (30cm) wide and 7” (18cm) deep
  • 878 pieces – LEGO Harry Potter toy for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 14; LEGO Harry Potter advanced building sets are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building"








Chow Crown Game 

Find on Amazon; Click here

"This game features a musical crown with a tasty twist! Players load different little bites of food on the crown (Food Not Included, additional purchase required). Once the music starts, the snacks will begin to spin. The player tries to catch all the spinning snacks before the song stops playing. Who will be crowned chow champ?"





Little Live Scruff-A-Luvs – Pink 

Find on Amazon; Click here

"These unloved and abandoned pets are in need of your help!
When buying your Pink Scruff-a-Luv, they arrive as a sad ball of matted fur, but once you bathe them, dry them, brush them and love them, you will discover what kind of pet they really are!
Who will you rescue? A Pink Puppy, Kitten or Bunny?
Just like real pets, Scruff-a-Luvs love to be washed and groomed. The more time you spend caring for them, the cuter they become.
Scruff-a-Luvs is a proud supporter of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. By adopting a Scruff-a-Luv, you will be helping us to donate to the ASPCA so that we can help to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States"




Don't Step In It- Unicorn Edition
Find on Amazon: Click here

  • "Blindfolded, unicorn poop-dodging fun
  • Mold the included compound to look like piles of colorful unicorn poop
  • Step in the fewest unicorn poops to win
  • Play with friends or dodge the poop solo"





      Crayola Color Chemistry Set 
      Find on Amazon; Click here

      "50 creative science experiments will unfold with Color Chemistry. The chemistry set for kids is full of colorful educational activities designed by real Crayola Scientists, including 16 experiments kids can complete right out of the box with the featured Crayola art supplies. After they’ve worked through erupting volcano, glow worms, and many other experiments, there are 36 other science-inspired ideas to test."


      Ozobot Bit Coding Robot 

      Find on Amazon; Click here

      "With Bit, you’ll start coding with the stroke of a marker. Draw lines and Color Codes, and Bit follows each colorful command. Discover over 20 Color Codes as you complete your Bit Activity Pack. Then, advance with the OzoBlockly code editor on a computer or tablet. Drag and drop blocks to create programs for Bit, then load your code just by holding Bit up to your screen!"






      Baby Alive Potty Dance Baby Doll
      Find on Amazon; Click here

      "Baby Alive dolls provide girls and boys with so many lifelike nurturing experiences. The Potty Dance baby doll says sweet phrases and sings songs–more than 50 of them in English or Spanish! When you give baby her bottle, she’ll let you know she has to tinkle and will really 'pee' on her potty. Keep her clean with the included pretend soap dispenser, and put a sticker on her rewards chart to show her she did an awesome job."





      Hot Wheels Corkscrew Track Crash Set
      Find on Amazon; Click here

      "The Hot Wheels Corkscrew Crash Track Set is the ultimate set for speed and motorized boosted action! The unique corkscrew design sends cars flying around the track at dizzying speeds and crashing and smashing through the triple loop with 3 high-action crash zones and 3 high-speed boosters." 




      Moj Moj The Origional Claw Machine Playset
      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "The original Moj Moj claw machine really works! use the Joysticks to pick up your prize! make sure you beat the music, or you'll have to wait 'til your next turn! the original Moj Moj claw machine can also be used for storage or to display your favorite characters! reload your claw machine with more original Moj Moj for endless fun!"











      Barbie Care Clinic Vehicle

      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "Both an ambulance and a hospital, the Barbie Care Clinic offers two-in-one fun with an easy transformation. Respond to calls as an ambulance -- the siren sounds and the lights turn on with the push of a button -- then deliver the care when you arrive; simply lift the lever at the back of the vehicle to instantly transform into a care clinic more than 2 feet wide!"





      PAW Patrol - Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck with Extendable Ladder


      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "With flashing lights and sounds, the PAW Patrol Ultimate Fire Truck is ready to roll! This emergency vehicle is loaded from front to back with multiple moving features to complete any rescue operation. With one motion, pull up the cab and it becomes a lookout atop the 2-foot tall swiveling ladder. Launch three water cannons under the lookout and one more from the rear of the truck to put out the blaze. There’s room for 6 pups (sold separately) to ride to the rescue. No mission is too big or too small with the Ultimate Fire Truck! Extendable 2-Foot Ladder"





      Osmo Genius Kit for iPad

      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "Osmo is a magical award-winning game system, it fosters creativity and problem solving skills through hands-on play. The Genius Kit includes 5 fun games and the Osmo game system (compatible with other Osmo games not included in this kit). Compatible iPads: iPad 2, iPad (3rd Generation), iPad (4th Generation), iPad (5th Generation), iPad Mini, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, the 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch iPad Pro."



      littleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit

      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "Kids become their own Super Hero by building and customizing their high-tech hero gear and unique identity with littleBits electronic blocks.
      With their favorite Marvel Avengers, like Iron Man, Black Panther and Shuri, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, kids use their creativity and STEAM skills to customize their own hero identity and gear to match."

      LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 Building and Coding Kit

      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      "Boost your LEGO building experience with the amazing LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox. Build and customize Vernie, your own personal talking robot friend, code its behavior and complete fun activities with the included playmat. Speak to Vernie and it will respond with facial expressions that reflect its mood. Vernie can move in all directions at variable speed on its large tracks, see objects and colors, sense distance, grip and carry accessories, make hand gestures and launch darts from its shoulder mounted shooter! Vernie also senses and reacts to impacts and knows when you pick it up. Rebuild Vernie to create the M.T.R.4 (Multi-Tooled Rover 4), Guitar4000."



      Cozmo robot

      Find on Amazon; Click Here

      • "Cozmo is a real-life robot like you’ve only seen in the movies and he’s ready to be your loyal sidekick
      • Challenge Cozmo to games or use Explorer mode to see things from his perspective
      • With a beginner-friendly interface, Cozmo is the perfect educational robot for kids and adults to learn to creatively code
      • Easier than you’d think and tougher than he looks, this toy robot is tested for durability and security
      • Cozmo by Anki requirements: a compatible iOS or Android device and the free Cozmo app"
      Find on Amazon; Click Here



      "The Pie Face Cannon game can generate some serious, laugh-out-loud fun! To play, one player takes a seat behind the facemask. The opponent aims and launches the cannon (Whipped cream not included. Additional purchase required). Can the player behind the mask block the whipped cream or will they get pie faced?"