Muller Kids

Christmas gift list – kids

It’s almost Christmas, which is my favourite time of the year. The one thing I always need help with, is gifting ideas for everyone. I’ve put together a little list, with some help from Hasbro, of gifting ideas for kids.

For ages 2 to 4
These are some of the toys I wouldn’t mind getting for Harper. She’s such a “girlie girl” and loves her plushies.

FurReal Cubby, the Curious Bear Interactive Plush Toy, is a dream companion for kids. He has over 100 different interactions and responds to touch, voice and motion with moving eyes, nose, and mouth, his face is delightfully expressive. Cubby is a totally lovable, curious young cub and is eager to be picked up and held (he hugs you back), plays peek-a-boo, and let’s not forget snack time – feed him his bottle or treat and he’ll make eating sounds. Then, when it comes to bedtime, you switch him into a nighttime mode and he slowly falls asleep and plays a variety of music and white noise to also help the child sleep. To watch Cubby in action click here.

Baby Alive Happy Hungry Baby loves to eat. Mix baby’s food with water to make doll food that looks like the real thing. When you give baby her spoon, she opens wide and really eats her doll food. She also giggles, moves, and asks for more. With over 50 sounds and phrases, this sweet baby doll makes feeding and changing time feel oh-so-real and fun for little mommies and daddies. The Baby Alive Snip ‘n Style Baby is ready for you to brush, trim, and style her hair. Brush baby’s fringe with her interactive brush and watch it grow then hold the interactive scissors up to baby’s fringe and pretend to trim and watch the fringe get shorter! Includes 35+ sounds and phrases, and 12 hair accessories to style baby’s hair for any occasion.

Gear up and get ready to ‘earn your wings’ with Top Wing. Now kids can join Swift in his Deluxe Rescue Vehicle for high-flying rescue missions as he zooms through the sky on the Flash Wing, which includes a Rescue mode (talons down) and Turbo mode (talons up), each with sounds for even more fun.

For ages 4 to 8
I know for a fact that these are items Ethan would absolutely love!

Mr. Potato Head Movin Lips is an interactive talking toy, that’s fun and entertaining for kids as well as adults. Just attach his mouth and press the buttons, his lips synchronise to wacky songs and some funny phrases.

Play-Doh continues to captivate kid’s imaginations. Picture a land of colourful dreams where unicorns poop Play-Doh ice cream. Meet Tootie, the hilarious unicorn ice cream maker who loves to create silly Play-Doh sundaes. As she dispenses Play-Doh colours this unicorn toy makes laugh-out-loud sounds and even changes her facial expression. There’s no stoppin’ the poppin’ fun with the Play-Doh popcorn maker toy, which includes everything you need to make creative Play-Doh popcorn masterpieces. Crank pretend popcorn into the 3 bucket sizes and mix it up with silly snack mixes. Add fun play food toppings like pretend pretzels, crazy candy, and more with the candy-themed stamps and moulds. Don’t forget to squeeze in some silly syrup or butter with the syrup tool. Little chefs can go pizza crazy with the Play-Doh Stamp ‘n Top Pizza Oven. Stamp a pizza crust in the oven, then go wild creating and customising with the variety of tools and moulds included.

The My Little Pony world is filled with magic, friendship, fun and laughter. Tickle Oh My Giggles Pinkie Pie toy and watch as she starts to giggle, wiggle and laugh – the more she is tickled the harder she laughs and the faster she moves. Cuddle and play with an adorable baby pony doll. Each My Little Pony baby doll has a moulded diaper and removable bib and bottle accessories. Feed the doll her bottle to activate sound. Poseable figure can sit or stand and is made of soft plastic for kids to cuddle and hug.

For ages 8 to 10
Some of these will be great for my fun loving, Nerf wielding 8 year old. I want to play with some of these lol

There is an exciting range of Nerf blasting options on offer:

o The Nerf Trilogy DS-15 toy blaster has ejecting shells to heat up your Nerf dart-blasting action. Unleash a triple-dart blast with this Nerf N-Strike Elite blaster that shoots 3 darts at once from each shell.
o The Nerf Fortnite AR-E blaster, inspired by the blaster used in Fortnite, is the only way to play Fortnite in real life. Drop into indoor and outdoor Fortnite action with this motorised, dart-firing Nerf Elite Fortnite blaster that features two flip-up sights to help you align your shot and an acceleration button to power up the motor.
o Go into battle with the bolt-action Nerf Rival Helios XVIII-700 blaster. Pull back the bolt to prime the blaster and unleash rounds at a velocity of 30 meters per second. The bolt placement can be customised to accommodate right or left-handed battlers.

Transformers War for Cybertron: Siege plunges fans into the epic fight to survive on the final day of the Autobot and Decepticon battle to control Cybertron. Build the ultimate battlefield with Transformers War for Cybertron: Siege toy figures with customisable weapon configurations.

On the Transformers Cyberverse animated series the Allspark can harness incredible new powers, including the power to convert Earth vehicles into Spark Armor: battle-ready gear that allows them to fight in new places and in new ways. Kids can collect assorted Spark Armor figures (each sold separately) to discover more exciting characters from the Cyberverse series.

Imagine teaming up and battling the Power Rangers’ toughest enemies with these Power Rangers Beast Morphers Action Zord figure assortment (which include: Beast-X Megazord and Beast Racer Megazord). Standing 25 cm tall, and with the included accessories, these action figure toys are ready for action against any foe.

Young fans of the Disney Frozen movies will love the Frozen 2 Singing Elsa and Anna Fashion dolls (each sold separately). Each doll includes a Frozen 2 inspired outfit, press the button on the bodice to watch the dress light up and hear a snippet of an original song from the Frozen 2 movie. Sing along while imagining scenes with Arendelle’s favourite sister duo. Kids can take magical Frozen adventures on the go with the Fold and Go Arendelle Castle portable playset. Inspired by Disney’s Frozen 2, this castle set has two floors of fun that fold up and fun accessories are included to decorate the rooms.

For the Family
What’s better than spending time together as a family? Nothing. Here’s a list of perfect games to play together as a family.

Monopoly Fortnite – in this thrilling Fortnite inspired edition of the Monopoly game, players claim locations, battle opponents, and avoid the Storm to survive. The gameplay, design, and components of the board game include elements inspired by the video game including Fortnite locations and loot chest cards. Instead of Monopoly money, players earn Health Points (HP). Like in the Fortnite video game, the last player standing wins!

Make Monopoly Cheaters Edition board game a favourite go-to game for game nights and other fun get-togethers. Lean into those iconic (yet unspoken) Monopoly moments in which rules are bent, money is borrowed, and funny business is welcomed. Fake a die roll, steal some bills from the bank, and even skip out on rent. Complete a cheat to get a reward but fail a cheat and pay the consequences. The pretend handcuff unit that may leave players “chained” to the board is a fun addition to the game.

The Connect 4 Shots game combines the gameplay of the original Connect 4 game with fast-paced, competitive excitement. Two players at a time race to get four balls of their colour in a row to win. Kids can also practice solo to prepare for a future Connect 4 Shots matchup.

Stocking Fillers
The following are perfect for filling those stockings.

Hasbro products are available from leading retailers including: Takealot.com, Makro, Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Game and Checkers.

What’s on your kids’ list for Christmas?

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Win a Hasbro Hamper

In my last post, I gave some ideas of what to get the kids for Christmas. I touched on some Hasbro Gaming that is available. These games are perfect to keep kids busy this school holiday, whether you’re staying home or going somewhere spectacular. Kids are busy little creatures and get bored so easily, these are sure to be hit to keep the boredom at bay! Here is some more information on those games.

Speak Out
Get ready to be doubled over with laughter with this ridiculous mouthpiece challenge game! The Speak Out game brings friends and family together for laugh-out-loud fun as players try to say different phrases while wearing a mouthpiece that won’t let them shut their mouth. In the Speak Out game, players draw from the deck and read the phrase as best as they can, but it’s not so easy to do when the mouthpiece is hindering them from forming words correctly. The timer counts down as players try to say phrases such as “he’s my stealthy pet ferret name Garrett”, “slow down, you careless clown”, or “pelicans love pollywog falafels.” The laughter continues as players try to decipher what in the world their teammate is trying to say, and must correctly guess the phrase in order to earn the card. The team with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Pie Face Cannon
The Pie Face Cannon game is a real “”blast”” as players take aim and “”pie”” their opponent with a cannon full of whipped cream (whipped cream not included,.) One player puts their chin on the chin rest behind the face mask. The other player aims the cannon and launches the whipped cream (whipped cream not included, additional purchase required). The player behind the mask can try to avoid getting “”pie-faced”” by using the blocking hand. Players earn points by either blocking themselves or by successfully “”pie-ing”” their opponent. The first player to get 5 points wins!

Fantastic Gymnastics
Get into the swing of things with this compelling and unique Fantastic Gymnastics game. Players time their speed and rhythm to gain momentum to flip the gymnast figure around the high bar. At the right moment, hit the release button to let him fly, and try to stick the perfect landing. Get him to land on the mat on his feet for the win! Play solo, head-to-head, or challenge friends to a tournament. Step-by-step instruction sheet also features tips for getting the perfect 100-point score.

Hearing Things
Who knows what’s going to come out of your teammate’s mouth? The Hearing things game, Hasbro’s twist on the online viral “”Whisper Challenge”” sensation has you guessing what you think your teammate is saying by reading their lips. One player puts on the speech-cancelling electronic headphones and the other player says the random phrase shown on the card such as, “”Pigeons like to cuddle”” or “”You’re the champ of the camp “”. The game headphones limit the player‘s ability to hear what their teammate is saying out loud, and the player has to figure it out to earn the card. The player with the most cards wins. The game comes with speech-cancelling electronic game headphones, and 150 cards with 600 phrases.

Don’t Lose Your Cool
Inspired by viral challenges that have gathered billions of views across the Internet, this game tests one’s ability to remain calm under pressure. Players wear the Cool-O-Meter unit that measures heart rate, and the opposing team rolls the dice that will determine how they’ll try to get a player to get flustered. For example, opponents might have to get up close to the player and sniff them, or make pig noises. If the player reacts -laughs, cringes, flinches, etc., their heart rate may go up and the meter will rise. They might think that they can hide their reactions, but the Cool-O-Meter will show what’s really going on! When the meter gets high enough, the lights get to red, the alarm will sound, and the opponent wins that round for making them lose their composure.

Don’t Step In It
Be careful not to poop out while playing this hilarious game with messy consequences! Put on a blindfold, spin the spinner, and then take that many steps across the game mat. But watch out! Little piles of compound, molded in the shape of poop have been strategically placed on the mat. Sometimes players will have to add a poop, remove a poop, or even re-arrange the poops along the mat. Who can avoid the number twos to be number one to win?

Blindfolded Twister
The game that ties you up in knots now features blindfolds and textured shapes for a touch of mystery and loads of fun! In the Blindfolded Twister game, players still move to spots on the mat, but now they do it wearing blindfolds and play completely by touch and memory. The player chosen as the Spinner calls out the moves on the game spinner, and then the players wearing blindfolds feel around the textured shapes with their hands and feet to move around the mat. Get ready for loads of laughs whether playing the game or just watching! It’s hilarious to see how players can end up in some really funny and awkward positions. Who will be the last player standing to win?

Hasbro has given me a Festive Hamper to giveaway to one lucky winner. All you need to do to win is complete the form below.

Hasbro Festive Hamper Giveaway

Competition closes on Monday at 12pm and winners will be announced on the blog and emailed.

Hasbro has the perfect gift for kids

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Or are you more like me and waiting until the very last second to get those gifts? Every year, I promise myself that I’m going to buy gifts throughout the year so it’s not such a mad rush this close to Christmas. And every year, I just don’t get to it. If we’re in the same boat, I have some ideas on what to get the kids this year.

Yellies!
Hasbro introduces Yellies! the cutest, fuzziest collectible 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. Talk softly to your Yellies! and they will move slowly or yell louder and get them scurrying faster across the room! Look out for the first wave of Yellies! spider collectibles at leading retailers, including Toy Kingdom, Toy Zone, Toy Adventures, Hamleys, and Takealot.com. Find your favorite and remember the louder you yell, the faster they go!

My Little Pony
The world of My Little Pony is filled with the magic of friendship where fans will be spoilt for choice.

Become besties with The My Little Pony Equestria Girls fashion dolls, each dressed in a stylish outfit, complete with fashion accessories that match their character personalities.

Enjoy bright adventures with the Glitter and Glow Princess Celestia figure. Press her sun-shaped cutie mark and watch her lights twinkle and change colors.
The awesome Singing Rainbow Dash has cool movable sunglasses and a microphone attached. Press her Cutie Mark to hear her sing “Time to Be Awesome” from My Little Pony: The Movie and more including 15 entertainment-inspired phrases.
Cuddle up with the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Plush Figures – the larger-sized soft and floppy plush pony figure is a huggable friend perfect for bedtime snuggles.

Play-Doh
Play-Doh continues to captivate kid’s imaginations by providing them with the best in creative, colourful, creatable, makeable adventures with a selection of Play-Doh playsets, tools and accessories.

Dive into creative fun with Wavy the Whale – while building sea scenes with the accessories, press down on Wavy’s tail, and watch as Play-Doh water rises from the whale’s spout.
Junior bakers can make the most creative pretend treats with their very own Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Spinning Treats Mixer , where the best ingredient of all is imagination!

Nerf
Designed for older members of the Nerf Nation (14+), the launch of the much-anticipated Nerf Rival range, which includes high-powered blasters and durable, battle-tested accessories, enhances the action-packed NERF experience. Choose from a selection of new NERF Rival blasters and accessories – available from ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys and Takealot.com .

When the Nerf Rival battle starts, the ultimate accuracy of the Nerf Rival Apollo XV-700 blaster will put you in charge.
Experience ultimate precision and power with the Nerf Rival Artemis XVII-3000 blaster or dominate blaster battles with the Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K blaster, which offers a massive 100-round capacity to outlast the competition.
Go into battle in your team colours with the breech-loading Nerf Rival Kronos XVIII-500 blaster.

Look out for the latest additions to the NERF Elite, Zombie Strike and Nitro ranges.

Load and fire fast with the Nerf N-Strike Elite Infinus blaster with motorised Quick-Load Technology.
The Nerf Zombie Strike Survival System Scavenger Blaster keeps battlers ready for any zombifying challenge that comes their way.
Fire up an inferno of double action blasting with the Nerf Nitro Double clutch Inferno Blaster. This 2-barrel blaster allows kids to launch two cars at the same time.

Transformers
The latest movie in the Transformers franchise, Bumblebee, will be launching in December. Immerse yourself in the Bumblebee world with an exciting range of movie inspired products from Hasbro.

Join the buzz with the Studio Series H-01 Movie 6 Bumblebee Showcase Helmet that captures the cool swagger of the loyal Autobot scout.
Imagine charging into battle with Power Charge Bumblebee. Action figure converts from robot mode to classic Volkswagen Beetle mode in 17 steps so kids can amp up the power in 2 modes.
The Bumblebee DJ Stryker figure brings a whole new beat to the game by interacting with fans and allowing them to create their own original tunes.

Little Dreamers
Little dreamers can create endless memorable Princess moments with the Disney Princess range, including tiaras, magical wands, hair play assortments, dolls and castles, movie inspired ball gowns and a whole lot more.

FurReal Friends
If your child has been begging for a pet, FurReal Friends, family of pets may be the ideal solution. Designed to be played with, lived with, and loved, their exciting and engaging play can help create unforgettable childhood memories.

Rock-a-too, the Show Bird is a real star and is sure to entertain wherever he goes! Laugh at his kooky parrot jokes, or join him in an original song-and-dance number.
Ricky, the Trick-Lovin’ Pup is always ready to perform tricks. This poseable pup can balance his toy bone on his nose and with a voice command or loud sound, flip it into his mouth. He’s so eager to do tricks, he’ll often shuffle his paws in sheer excitement and gives affectionate doggie licks as well.

Hasbro Gaming
Get your family time game on with a wide range of games to suits all ages from Hasbro Gaming . New games include the popular Speak Out Showdown version, Hearing Things, Don’t Lose Your Cool as well as Trivial Pursuit Family Edition. Kids will love Pie Face Cannon and Don’t Step In It as well as a new take on an older classic with Blindfolded Twister. Keep your piece of Mzansi with you over the holidays with Monopoly Mzansi, the local version of Monopoly. Hasbro Gaming also offers a series of preschool Mensa approved learning games from Mousetrap to Downfall Machine to Cranium Sculpt-It and more keep kids entertained while developing their sensory and motor skills.

Stocking Filler Suggestions:

Nerf Microshots Series Blasters: blast into big fun with this range of collectible, mini-sized versions of Nerf blasters (each sold separately). Each blaster fires 1 dart at a time and comes with 2 Elite darts.
Play-Doh cans come in a variety of colours and are available in sets or individually.
My Little Pony Cutie Mark Crew combines the worlds of My Little Pony and Equestria Girls to imagine a universe of play and friendships beyond the mirror’s portal. Each blind pack includes a 4cm adorable figure, cafeteria snack-themed accessory, collector card, and a stackable case.
Hasbro Collectables: Lock on with Lock Stars – the collectable lock accessory lets you hold the key to unlock your collection. Lost Kitties, an adorable collection of mischievous little kitties, who always seem to end up hiding in a carton, where it’s up to you to find them. Can you find who’s hidin inside? The Littlest Pet Shop is back with fun new characters and accessories, it’s the littlest pets with the BIG personalities!

Hasbro products are available from leading retailers including: Toys R Us, Toy Kingdom, Toy Zone, Toy Adventures, Lilliputs Toys, Hamleys, Checkers and Checkers Hypers, Game, Makro A and online at Takealot.com.

Hasbro is committed to creating memorable experiences for your family. From toys and games to television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive lifestyle licensing program, Hasbro fulfils the fundamental need for play and connection for children and families around the world.

For more information visit www.hasbro.co.za or Facebook :

@MyLittlePonySouthAfrica
@NerfSouthAfrica
@PlayDohSouthAfrica
Hasbro Gaming @MonopolySouthAfrica
@TransformersSouthAfrica
Follow this link for some quick “Get the Equestria Girls look ” advice or to create Rainbow Dash inspired hair.

This post was written in collaboration with Hasbro.

Our Christmas Wishlists

It’s my favourite time of the year and the magic is real in our home. It’s also a kinda crappy time now because we’re still missing my mom and finances could be a whole lot better. So to cheer myself up (or torture myself with the things I can’t afford to buy) I thought I’d share some of the things on our Christmas wishlists.

Matthew

This child has so many things on his wishlist that he wants Santa to bring him. I’ll try to keep it to just 5 things.

All the Nerf guns. As in he went through the Toys R Us catalogue and ticked off every single gun
A spiderman costume. And not those cheapish looking ones either. I am going to get this for him for doing so well at school
A Barbie Dolphin Magic-Transforming Mermaid Doll
2 x swords and 2 shields
A Ben 10 watch

Ethan

I have no idea what’s on Ethan’s wishlist. Seems that every time Matthew likes something, he likes it too. But I’ve managed to ask Matthew to help me with a few things he thinks Ethan would like.

A Paw Patrol Look-Out Playset
A PJ Masks HQ Playset
Ethan loves building blocks, so this Lego Duplo All in One Box of Fun will go down a treat
Any superhero figurine – Justice League, Avengers, etc

Harper

Harper is a bit too small to know what she wants but I sure do know what I would like to get her

A Sophie la Girafe chew toy for those teething days
An Ubuntu Baba Stage 1 carrier to make this mommy’s life a little easier by having my hands free
A Doona car seat because I think it’s an amazing product
Baby Bullet for homemade pureed food when we start solids

Mark

I struggle so badly to buy any gift for Mark. He appreciates anything, even a pair of socks, so I asked him what he would like and this is his list.

A pair of Oakley sunglasses – I don’t which one he likes so I’d go with a voucher
A set of rims for his car
A turbo
Shoes
Car stuff
A PlayStation 4

That last one I added for the both of us lol because we need some time to just space out too.

There are so many pricey things I want, I wish I could just win the Lotto

A new lounge suite – our one has seen better days with the boys climbing and jumping all over it
A new fridge with a water dispenser
Spa, hair, nail, eyebrow vouchers – because I never get time to do this myself (mind you, if I do get vouchers, it will then be a struggle to find the time to go redeem those vouchers)
A tattoo voucher – I so badly want to get a tattoo in honor of my mother but you know, finances and all….
The biggest thing I want is for us to find a house that ticks all our boxes within our budget (we’ve been looking since February 2016)

These are only things we wish we could afford for our children and ourselves. At the end of the day, it’s Christmas and the only thing I really want is for us to be happy, our children to be kind to others, and for us all to love one another (sounds like a Hallmark postcard lol).

Bauble Tree (DIY)

I wish it was possible to cling wrap my Christmas tree and pack it away. It’ll make unpacking a breeze every year!

Who else has seen those amazing Christmas trees the stores are selling now and thought about buying one? You know, the fuller ones, with the berries and lights attached. It also comes with all the trimmings and costs about as much as I earn in one month! Then there are the lights, outdoor lights, window lights, white lights, flashing lights. It is all wonderful and fun and adds to the wonderment of Christmas but some of us just can’t afford all the beautiful extras for our homes.

Those that follow me on Instagram may remember I made a bauble tree for my wall in our office (if you don’t remember or you want to have a quick squizz, check it here). I thought I’d make one for home as well. You can too with my simple DIY.

Directions

Take a small ball of Prestik and attach it to the bauble, make sure you stick the string too. Do this to all your baubles
Prestik added to all the baubles
Pick the spot on your wall that you’re going to “hang” your tree and start at the top with 2 baubles
Starting my tree
Keep adding 1 bauble to each row until you reach the desired length of your tree or you run out baubles
Adding another row
Add your star to the top
Almost done, star added
Add 4 balls under your last row as the “trunk” of your tree
Trunk added
And you’re done! Easy peasy

Tips

Make sure you put enough Prestik on or your baubles won’t stick.
Get someone to help you spot if your lines are straight. Especially if you’re a little OCD like me, this could take you longer than 10 minutes as you keep moving baubles up or down.
If you have small children, this is also a great way to display a Christmas tree without worrying that your child will pull the trimmings off (just make sure you hang it high enough).

Total cost – roughly R250

Time to complete – 15 minutes

I hope you enjoyed this. If you decide to try this out, please post photos and tag #diymullertree.