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Review: Bright Boat Tie tee by Bright Star Kids

20 October, 2013 17 Comments

*I received a kid’s t-shirt by Bright Star Kids to review.*

About:

Based in Australia, Bright Star Kids sells a variety of fun items, including kids clothing, wall art, name labels, lunch bags, kids storage, and drink bottles. They even have gifts appropriate for parents. Many of their products can be personalized. Bright Star Kids also has a loyalty points program. Get and redeem points for buying cute clothing and more, reviewing items, and referring your friends! Many of their name labels currently ship FREE internationally, including to the US.

Our Experiences:

I had a tough time deciding what shirt I wanted to review, but since we’re a Navy family (well, and Army too), I usually gravitate towards anything nautical. The decision came down to either the Swish Sailboat shirt or the Bright Boat Tie shirt. Hubby chose the latter. As you can see from the photos, I didn’t get the size right. They do have a size chart with measurements on their website, and I strongly recommend following this as closely as possible. When I sent Bright Star Kids our preferred size, I didn’t measure my son. I was in Orlando with him at that time, and our measuring tape was back home. Rather than buy a new tape, I had my husband (who was back home) measure one of my son’s shirts…and then we ordered the size 2 in the plain t-shirt. So don’t do that! Measure your child to make sure you get it right!

For laundering, I’ve been washing this t-shirt on gentle in warm (that’s how I generally wash Baby J’s clothes). Then I hang it to dry, since that’s the best way to ensure the “tie” on the front lasts for a long time. No problems yet. I love that it’s a unique shirt for around here.

If you’re looking for fun, unique gifts or personalized products for kids, check out Bright Star Kids.

What do you like best from the Bright Star Kids website?

Review

Review: recyclable, American-made kids iPad case

21 August, 2013 16 Comments

Apple Pie sent me two of their iPad cases to review.

About:

Apple Pie specializes in American brands. Their kids iPad case is durable, functional, and inexpensive. Like all their products, it’s made in the USA. The kids iPad case is made from recycled paper; when you’re finished with it, just toss it in the recycling bin, and you’re good to go. They’re designed to last six to 12 weeks, but change them out more often if you like.

Our Experiences:

I kept the white kids iPad case and gave the brown kraft case to my friend’s little girl. Here’s her personalization:

As you can see, she favored the “Sponge Bob sticker” look. =D

I gave the white iPad case to Baby J and supervised him as he used Crayola toddler markers to draw on and personalize his case. Here’s the result (I drew the doggie face):

Baby J had a blast decorating this! I was surprised at how sturdy this case is. I thought it would be pliable since it’s made with cardboard, but it’s actually quite stiff (a good thing for a tablet case). The case closes and is held shut by two tiny but strong hook & loop (Velcro) attachments. Although it’s designated as an iPad case for kids, I could really see teens and adults who like to doodle or design using this case.

These cases are sold in packs of three. Choose brown kraft or white. Currently, the packs are on sale for $16.99 (about $5.66 each). Since cases usually last two or three months each, one pack ($16.99) could last you nine months.

To learn more about the kids iPad cases, as well as other products Apple Pie has to offer, visit their webpage ApplePieUSA.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are mine; they may differ from yours.

Review

Review: Typecrush, “a puzzling game of words”

15 August, 2013 13 Comments

As a member of the Mosaic Reviews team, I received the Typecrush word game to review.

About:

Based on letter frequency analysis, Typecrush is entertaining and educational. Players aged seven and up can modify the game to be as simple or challenging as they like. The first person to solve the word gets to choose the next word; otherwise, there are no rules, unless you develop your own. The creators of Typecrush recommend playing with themes like celebrity names, U.S. states, and so on.

Our Experiences:

I played Typecrush with my sister-in-law while the boys were napping, and the “one rule” didn’t make sense in our situation. I’m assuming the rule works if you only have one word to guess but three or more players. Emily and I were the only players, and we each made a word for the other to guess.

We tried the celebrity name theme and that was too difficult for us. Apparently we have completely different people in mind when it comes to movie stars, singers, etc.! Next, we played the U.S. states themes. I’m a little embarrassed at how long it took me to guess some of the state names! It definitely highlighted to me that I need to brush up on my geography. I think Typecrush is a fantastic educational tool for either a traditional classroom or homeschooling setting. This game would work well for a family game night too. Why not have fun and learn at the same time?

Typecrush could be used in any subject to quiz on terms. An English teacher could have the word “metaphor” hidden for students to guess. Then as clues, the teacher could list different examples of metaphors on the board. Students could quiz one another…there are a lot of possibilities.

I also like that Typecrush is eco-friendly and American made. Each game is handcrafted from 100 percent recycled materials. Currently, Typecrush costs $25 (including shipping), which may seem expensive for a game, but I think where and how the games are crafted affect the costs. You pay more for quality.

If you’d like to learn more about Typecrush, visit their website and follow them on Twitter for more game theme ideas.

Mosaic Reviews Disclosure

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