Toronto Teacher Mom: Hasbro

My Little Pony: The Movie - In Theatres October 6!

Thursday, September 28, 2017
106 Comments

Powering Holiday Smiles and Imagination with Duracell

As a child, counting down to Christmas was a surefire way to brighten our spirits once the weather turned cold. Sometimes the countdown would end sooner than usual if we had a family vacation down south to look forward to. Whether we spent the holidays at home with the family or abroad on the beach, holiday smiles were pretty much a guarantee. Today, as a mother of two, I realize how much I had taken that all for granted. For the first time, we will be spending time in the hospital visiting with my mother-in-law who recently slipped and broke her leg. This was devastating news for my youngest, who wanted desperately to see her but was hit hard by the stomach flu. It was a difficult reminder that life isn't always easy; that illness and injury can take us all by surprise.

For thousands of children and their families, the holidays will be spent in Canadian hospitals. But because Duracell believes in powering the imagination of sick children by helping to ensure kids can still be kids, they can still enjoy the magic of the season. For the 10th consecutive year, Duracell is donating a year supply of batteries to hospital playrooms across the country. The goal: to power smiles and imagination this holiday season and beyond. Knowing that a new working toy or game can help make a child's hospital stay a little brighter, Brampton singer Alessia Cara joined Duracell, who donated $180,000 to SickKids in her name, to promote their Powering Smiles campaign. In addition, Duracell, in partnership with Hasbro, also delivered a shipment of toys, along with the batteries to power them. Among these toys was the new Furby Connect.

In our home, Furby has been bringing smiles to my kids for the past four years. It first started with the original Furby and then the family expanded with a Furby Boom. For each one, we always made sure to use Duracell batteries. This year, we are thrilled to welcome Furby Connect to the family. My favourite features are his moving ears and his colourful eyes that display more than 150 animations to help express what Furby wants. You can pet him, tickle him, shake him, or turn him upside down. Furby reacts each time! Plus, when Furby Connect syncs with the Furby Connect World app, there are more physical and digital ways to interact and more surprises to discover, making this a great gift idea for the holidays. And don't forget to power Furby Connect with Duracell batteries since Duracell makes the magic of the holidays last longer.

Join the Powering Smiles Campaign

For every pack of Duracell batteries sold at Walmart in December 2016, Duracell will donate to Children’s Miracle Network. Now only will you avoid a child's disappointment in receiving a battery-operated toy that is powerless, you will also help make a child’s hospital stay a little brighter. Join the Powering Smiles Campaign and help them reach this year's goal to raise $150,000.

To find out more on how you can support Children's Miracle Network hospitals to power imagination of kids throughout the holidays, visit Duracell.com/cmn.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Duracell. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Friday, December 23, 2016
4 Comments

Top Toys by Hasbro - My Son's Picks

Gift Guide

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS REMOTE CONTROL BB-8

To help you find the coolest gifts for kids, my son and daughter have rounded up their favourite toys from Hasbro. Today, we share three top picks as selected by my 7-year-old son. Given the popularity of the latest Star Wars movie, it isn't any surprise that his top pick is the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Remote Control BB-8. Designed for children ages 4 years and up, BB-8 rolls in the direction that his head is facing. One button controls the direction of his head, the other controls the direction of his body. Inside the body is the mechanism that launches BB-8 in any direction. You will need to open the body and remove the mechanism in order to install the batteries. The mechanism also has a powerful magnet which is used to hold the head in place, although it can be easily knocked off. Tip: Make sure the body has stopped moving completely before replacing the head.

The Remote Control BB-8, which launched last fall, features realistic droid sound effects, just like in the movie. (It also served as inspiration for my latest iPad drawing.) It retails for $69.99 and is available at retail locations such as Walmart and Toys R Us. Requires four AA batteries and two AAA batteries, not included.

STAR WARS: BLADEBUILDERS FOAM LIGHTSABER ASST

Number two on his list of must-have toys by Hasbro is the Star Wars: Bladebuilders Foam Yoda Lightsaber. I thought for sure he would pick one of the electronic lightsabers that light up and make cool sounds. Instead, he preferred the simplistic foam lightsaber since it does the trick. He likes to re-enact scenes with the kids in the neighbourhood and had been asking for a lightsaber for the longest time. This foam version is lightweight and perfect for imaginative play. It is designed for kids ages 4 and up, and retails for $19.99.

Last, but definitely not least, is Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron Iron Man Arc FX Armor. These articulated Arc FX gloves feature a light-up repulsor in the palm of one glove, as well as sound effects. This is the perfect accessory for his Iron Man Halloween costume but he also enjoys playing with them all on their own. Our family really loved the Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron movie... well, we pretty much love every Marvel movie... so these Iron Man gloves are fun to have around. They are a nice addition to our growing Marvel costumes and accessories collection which includes Marvel's Thor: The Dark World mask and battle hammer. The Arc FX gloves aren't snug around the wrists like regular gloves but my son has never mentioned it as being uncomfortable at all. He plays with them inside and outside, too. The gloves retail for $24.99 and require 1 AAA battery but a demo battery is included.

Stay tuned for my daughter's top Hasbro picks!

Saturday, January 16, 2016
18 Comments

PLAYSKOOL Play, Stow and Go Event at Walmart

For Babies

Wednesday, November 04, 2015
6 Comments

The Next Step Live On Stage Featuring Nerf Rebelle, DohVinci and Twister Moves

Arts

Saturday, February 21, 2015
17 Comments

#PowerSmiles With Duracell and Walmart

Charity

Saturday, December 27, 2014
79 Comments

Throwback Thursday - Three Years Ago...

#KINDERmom

Thursday, August 21, 2014
32 Comments

Our Hasbro-Inspired Play-Cation

Family Fun

Tuesday, March 18, 2014
2 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffer Ideas from Hasbro

For Kids

Wednesday, December 18, 2013
4 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide: Furby Boom Powered by Duracell

Duracell

Monday, November 25, 2013
99 Comments

Oh My Thor! And Halloween Treats Without The Sweet

Costume

Thursday, October 24, 2013
9 Comments

Fun with Hasbro - March Break Guide

Arts and Crafts

What would March Break be without a little fun and games? Of course, we all secretly hope for warmer temperatures so that we can all get outside for a family stroll and outdoor play. But it's never a bad idea to be prepared with some back-up activities that can be enjoyed inside the home when the weather refuses to co-operate. Today I bring you some ideas for March Break Fun with Hasbro.

Whenever the holidays roll around, I get excited at the thought of having a game night. March Break is no exception. We have an ever-growing collection of games in our home that are occupying a tonne of storage space, that now we are trying out some iPad app versions of Hasbro classics such as the Game of Life. The kids also love playing Connect Four Launchers and Simon Flash. My daughter is really getting into Battleship Live and loves how interactive it is. One game we haven't pulled out in a while is the innovative puzzle Ji Ga Zo. I think it's time we tried an updated portrait. Although this one of my son is still super cute, wouldn't you say?

For the older set, there's always Trivia Pursuit. Trivia has never been my forté but we are always guaranteed a good laugh. Just like when we play Cranium!

And then there's Play-Doh. What kid doesn't love Play-Doh? With all the bright colours and play sets to choose from, there is surely lots of creative play to be had. The new Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Frosting Fun Bakery set looks like a lot of fun. For the kids. The subsequent mess it could leave behind for mommy to clean up? Not so much. This is why I tend to join in the Play-Doh fun with my kids to keep the mess in check. A couple of years ago, we made some Easter-themed Play-Doh magnets.

My son, who is an incredibly huge fan of all things cars, still loves playing with his favourite Play-Doh set - the Cars 2 Mold 'N Go Speedway. Ka-chow!

For Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law bought the kids their first BeyBlade set and they loved it! They have taken them apart and built new ones, and put them back together again. They love letting it rip and battling it out in their half pike. The BeyBlades have actually replaced the FurReal Dizzy Dancers, whose main appeal was the pretty "girly" colours. I'd say save your money and invest in BeyBlades. In our home, they've proven to be much more fun and have seen more hours of play than the Dizzy Dancers.

Ever since I was a child, I had always wanted to try out the Easy Bake Oven. I really like the look of the newer model, which I first encountered at the Hasbro preview event back in 2011. I also like that it no longer needs light bulbs. As a bonus, it happens to come in one of my daughter's favourite colours. Now that my daughter is nearly eight, I thought it was a good time for me us to bake some mini treats using our new Easy Bake Oven. My son was even to eager to help out. First up, uber mini chocolate chip cookies! They were super easy to make and bake but I personally did not like the flavour of the dough.