Amazon did it again.

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We made a last minute decision to go to the snow this weekend so I wanted to get some snow toys we played with before. Of all the snow toys we played with, the best ones were the snowball maker pictured below and the various snow shape makers. We don’t have the snowball maker so I figured I could just prime a set from amazon.

When I did a search for snow toys with one-day shipping, there weren’t a lot of options. A stand-alone snowball maker was $10. The cheaper sets didn’t contain the snowball maker, and those sets with the maker had 20-40 pieces and they were >$25. (Ignore the discount as I didn’t see it when i was searching and that’s the whole point for this story).

It didn’t feel like a good deal just to buy the snowball maker for $10. I knew I would’ve had more options if it wasn’t for the one-day shipping, so I tried to double check if there were cheaper sets if I were to ship directly to our Airbnb with two-day shipping. However, it turned out that Amazon couldn’t even find our Airbnb’s address and there were even less options even with two-day shipping.

Since I already have the shape makers and I have shovels/buckets from other sand toys, and after extended searching, I thought it would be wise to just pay the $10 for the snowball maker so I could save money and storage space from not having to buy all the other pieces.

As soon as I changed the shipping address back to my home, I scrolled and, out of nowhere, I saw a deal on one of those pricier set! $7 off and 50% off on top of that?! What!?

So it would be like $12??? For 2 more dollars, I could get all of these other junks???? Wait, that claw looked pretty useful in the snow, didn’t it?

Let me check the price.

$8.81!?!?!?

Ok, the 35-piece set was even cheaper than a single snowball maker. It would be a crime not to buy this. And I could always just give away those pieces I don’t like…

Amazon, you win.

—-

P.s. Here’s the link for reference. Not sure if the discount will be there.

It’s the time of the year to shop again!

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Just so I’m prepared to get gifts for my kids and all the other kids, I’m going to start building my Christmas shopping wishlist.

My wish list

So far, I’ve only been eyeing on the following:

STEMVTech Smart Chart Medical Kit ~$23
This seems to be a lot of fun for my 4-year-old kid who’s been playing doctor on her 2-year-old brother lol.
STEMLearning Resources Switcheroo Coding Crew ~$60
A little on the pricey side, but this seems like a fun one to learn coding.
However, I think it might be a little too hard for my girl though… Maybe next year?

Don’t have a lot right now, but I can certainly go back to my all-time wish list in case I run out of ideas!

These are the few I like from the Toy Insider’s 2022 Gift Guide:

My pick for Age 0-2 from Gift Guide

Age 0-2CoComelon Petting Farm Playset $45
eKids Cocomelon Karaoke Machine with Built-in Cocomelon Songs and Microphone for Kids $50
CoComelon Ultimate Learning Bus $62

LeapFrog My Pal Scout/Violet Smarty Paws $17
Our kids have always liked our Violet when it was first gifted to our daughter.
You could program it to say your child’s name!
My kids, when they were babies, really thought Violet was a real friend. Aww…

My pick for Age 3-4 from Gift Guide

Age 3-4Disney Junior Minnie Mouse Ultimate Mansion $63
Thomas & Friends Fisher-Price Launch & Loop Maintenance Yard Toy Train and Track Set $50
Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Pop Up Tent $40
Tents have been very popular with my kids.
They love to have their very own space where parents are too big for…
Kid Trax Toddler Classic Pedal Car $215-$290
These look like really nice cars if I have the money to splurge…

Kidamento Kids Digital Camera & Video Camcorder with Touchscreen $80
Oh my, these cameras are so cute!
We bought one couple years ago for our friend’s kid but it was not nearly as cute back in the days!
VTech Pop and Spin Mower Toy $22
Gotta start ’em young to help around with the house!
Step2 Ride Along Scooter $70
This is a much cheaper alternative to the toy car above and it looks super slick!
Spidey and his Amazing Friends Marvel’S Web Spinning Hauler $28
This looks fun for spidey fans… it transforms and launches darts!

My pick for Age 5-7 from Gift Guide

I probably don’t know what kids 5-7 want as I don’t see anything else appealing other than the two below…

Age 5-7MEandMine Aha! -Science Kit for Kids $30
These kits look pretty educational. Will definitely look into them more!
Creativity for Kids Build and Grow Tree House Craft Kit $25
Interesting! You could grow your own tree house!

My pick for Age 8+ from Gift Guide

These ages are all about board games, video games, and gadgets huh…

Age 8+LEGO DOTS Designer Toolkit $65
LEGO Friends Emma’s Art School $70
For the LEGO enthusiasts…
What Do You Meme? $30
30,000 reviews on Amazon.
This must be a fun game! I’m so out-of-date not to know about this…
Nintendo Switch Sports $50

An easy and cute lunch box for my little girl!

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Second lunchbox for my kid with egg and cheese sandwich, grapes, and corn.

Really really love this bear-shaped sandwich maker. I can always count on it to make food fun! It’s pretty self-explanatory but, just in case, this is how you use it. Oh, and this is the lunchbox we used. It’s not bad.

#kidslunchbox #lunchbox #lunchboxideas #kidslunch #bearshapedsandwich #bearshaped #funfood #kidslunchideas #sandwich

I made my first lunch box for my little girl!

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First lunch box I made for my little girl so I think this is definitely worth documenting.

For the longest time, I’ve been blessed with school provided lunches. However, knowing today’s lunch is something my daughter wouldn’t like, I bought this lunchbox yesterday via same-day shipping so I could whip up something quickly for her to bring to school. It was probably meant to be as this was a lightning deal and was only $11!

Bento Box
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was looking at those highly rated bentgo ones but they are $25 with a lot of wasted space between compartments. While I was hesitating, I saw this $11 bento box with thin walls and a storage place for utensils! It says it’s microwaveable but I never really like putting flimsy plastic in microwave.

I like it so far. I would probably prefer putting fresh, room temperature, or cold food in there, and look for another option to put cooked food.

Best Wearable Blanket to Keep the Kids Warm

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I don’t know about you, but my 1.5-year-old can’t use a blanket and my 3.5-year-old refuses to keep a blanket on when she sleeps. I tried putting more layers on them, but exactly how many layers could we add without giving them difficulties moving around??? I’ve also tried wrapping the 3.5-year-old up with an Olaf convertible fleece throw (alternative) like a burrito. That seemed to have solved the issue. However, the fleece wasn’t thick enough for the winter and it sometimes gets unwrapped during the night with her rolling in circles and changing her sleeping positions for the 50th time at night.

Then it hit me, what if they just wear their blankets! I searched Amazon. There wasn’t a lot of choices with long sleeves, legs for them to waddle around, high enough TOG, and a decent amount of reviews. Basically just this one option:

Baby Sleeping Bag / Wearable Blanket

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’m so glad I found this on Amazon. This particular wearable blanket is thick at 2.5 TOG (suitable for room temperatures 64°F- 70°F), has long sleeves and legs, and has 1700+ reviews averaging 4.6 stars out of 5! To my surprise (not listed in description), it even comes with detachable mittens and booties that you can attach on for added warmth!

This gives me a piece of mind that the blankets “stay on” throughout the night. Plus, my kids look uber cute waddling around in it. I got two sizes for each of them, and I’m definitely planning to up-sizing once the older one outgrows it. Such a must-have for cold weather!

Santa, these are the toys I want for Christmas!

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I have way too many lists to keep track of. Let me just list all the toys that I’ve ever wanted, FOR MY KIDS, in one place!

My On-going Wish List:

ToyMy $0.02Added In:

VTech Smart Chart Medical Kit ~$23
This seems to be a lot of fun for my 4-year-old kid who’s been playing doctor on her 2-year-old brother lol.
2022
Learning Resources Switcheroo Coding Crew ~$60
A little on the pricey side, but this seems like a fun one to learn coding.
However, I think it might be a little too hard for my girl though… Maybe next year?
2022
This “flip screen laptop” under $20(!):
LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch
2021
This DIY fort seems like it would be a hit: Crazy Forts $462021
Osmo Starter Kit Ages 3-5 $75 2021
Osmo Starter Kit Ages 6-10 $992021
Nothing is better than drawing in chocolate and eating
them afterwards!! Real Cooking Chocolate Pen $17
2021
For the older kids (or adults), I already have one since I lose
my phone/keys/airpods all the time! Apple AirTag $29
2021
This sounds like fun! Bowling game with dinosaurs!
Giant Inflatable Dinosaur Bowling Game $38
2021
I think this will really get my kids to help with chores!..?
Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House 6 Piece Pretend Play Set $21
2021

From 2022 Top List:

Age 0-2CoComelon Petting Farm Playset $45
eKids Cocomelon Karaoke Machine with Built-in Cocomelon Songs and Microphone for Kids $50
CoComelon Ultimate Learning Bus $62

LeapFrog My Pal Scout/Violet Smarty Paws $17
Our kids have always liked our Violet when it was first gifted to our daughter.
You could program it to say your child’s name!
My kids, when they were babies, really thought Violet was a real friend. Aww…
Age 3-4Disney Junior Minnie Mouse Ultimate Mansion $63
Thomas & Friends Fisher-Price Launch & Loop Maintenance Yard Toy Train and Track Set $50
Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Pop Up Tent $40
Tents have been very popular with my kids.
They love to have their very own space where parents are too big for…
Kid Trax Toddler Classic Pedal Car $215-$290
These look like really nice cars if I have the money to splurge…

Kidamento Kids Digital Camera & Video Camcorder with Touchscreen $80
Oh my, these cameras are so cute!
We bought one couple years ago for our friend’s kid but it was not nearly as cute back in the days!
VTech Pop and Spin Mower Toy $22
Gotta start ’em young to help around with the house!
Step2 Ride Along Scooter $70
This is a much cheaper alternative to the toy car above and it looks super slick!
Spidey and his Amazing Friends Marvel’S Web Spinning Hauler $28
This looks fun for spidey fans… it transforms and launches darts!
Age 5-7MEandMine Aha! -Science Kit for Kids $30
These kits look pretty educational. Will definitely look into them more!
Creativity for Kids Build and Grow Tree House Craft Kit $25
Interesting! You could grow your own tree house!
Age 8+LEGO DOTS Designer Toolkit $65
LEGO Friends Emma’s Art School $70
For the LEGO enthusiasts…
What Do You Meme? $30
30,000 reviews on Amazon. This must be a fun game! I’m so out-of-date not to know about this…
Nintendo Switch Sports $50

From 2021 Top List:

Age 0-2Fisher-Price 4-In-1 Ultimate Learning Bot $42
Bumper Cars $209
Age 3-4CoComelon Deluxe Interactive JJ Doll $54
Age 5-7Got2Glow Fairy Finder $39
KidiZoom PrintCam $75
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron $70
Age 8+Tamagotchi Pix $39

Christmas shopping list for all the kids – 2021

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Finally, The Toy Insider’s hottest toys of 2021 is here! I’m just going to jot down my wish list here so I’m not scrambling in December.

Age 0-2Fisher-Price 4-In-1 Ultimate Learning Bot $42
Bumper Cars $209
Age 3-4CoComelon Deluxe Interactive JJ Doll $54
Age 5-7Got2Glow Fairy Finder $39
KidiZoom PrintCam $75
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron $70
Age 8+Tamagotchi Pix $39

It’s not shopping when you are not looking at other items that caught your eyes, is it? *wink* I’m seeing all these other cool toys either recommended to me or from other articles so I’m also going to drop them down here as well! Talking about potential decidophobia (I just call it “decision phobia”) here when it comes time to make a choice of what to give my kids….

I will continue to populate this list as I see more. This Christmas is going to be awesome!

This “flip screen laptop” under $20(!):
LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch
This DIY fort seems like it would be a hit: Crazy Forts $46
Osmo Starter Kit Ages 3-5 $75
Osmo Starter Kit Ages 6-10 $99
Nothing is better than drawing in chocolate and eating
them afterwards!! Real Cooking Chocolate Pen $17
For the older kids (or adults), I already have one since I lose
my phone/keys/airpods all the time! Apple AirTag $29
This sounds like fun! Bowling game with dinosaurs!
Giant Inflatable Dinosaur Bowling Game $38
I think this will really get my kids to help with chores!..?
Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House 6 Piece Pretend Play Set $21

How to make a Bear-Shaped Sandwich that Your Kid will LOVE!

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Bear Shape Sandwich Mold Cutter

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’ve been following this blog: https://instagram.com/sulheejessica and suddenly wanted to try making some fun sandwich for my kid. However, I don’t have time to do it from scratch so I turned to my beloved friend, Amazon, for help.

Found this bear-shaped sandwich cutter! It looks like this could possibly do the job for me to make some fun shaped food… and I was right! This has been the fourth consecutive day that she requested to eat the bear-bear-bread!

Steps:

  1. Make a sandwich as you normally would (bread, filling, bread), but limit the filling towards the center of the bread and keep it slightly smaller than the shape of the bear (I used peanut butter and honey, but you might as well put in scrambled egg, ham, cheese, or whatever else you want in there)
  2. Put the bear-shaped mold on top and press down hard
  3. Remove excess bread and, there, you will have a bear-shaped sandwich!

Love the Pokemon Eevee Kids / Toddler Costume!

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Our kid wore the super-duper cute Pikachu costume (post coming soon) two years ago, and now that she has outgrown it, she wants her baby brother to be Pikachu while she could be Eevee. We only saw one really great one on Amazon so we decided to take a chance. Being authentic, it surely didn’t disappoint but it was definitely too big for her lol…

SAZAC Kigurumi – Pokémon – Eevee – Onesie Jumpsuit Halloween Costume – Kids Size (5-9 Year Old)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review: This is an awesome piece of Eevee costume for kids! It’s authentic and it’s fluffy as it should be. We knew it was for kids 5-9 years old but we got it anyway since we love it so much! Will definitely use it when she grows into it!

Look how cute this look!

However, since she’s still too young / short for this…

In the meantime, we bought this:
GZHOK Unisex Kids Cartoon Pajamas Christmas Cosplay Costume Animal Polar Fleece

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review: It’s not as thick / fluffy but it fits and looks good enough for Eevee! We will stick with this one this year…

I tried 8 different rice rolls and I love them…

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My daughter took home an egg yolk rice roll almost every other Friday from daycare. It looked like a decent snack with all the grains, so I decided to buy some for ourselves. When I went online to check them out, I found at least eight varieties and ended up buying them all to try to see which ones are the best. Here are my verdict:

Pei Tien Energy 99 Sticks (Egg Yolk Flavor)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

This feels like the staple in the pantry. Probably due to first mover advantage because this is the first one we’ve tried. We wanted our kids to have some eggs in the diet by having snacks made with eggs… Probably all the wrong reason but I would probably keep buying this. Objectively, this roll is not too salty/sweet and it has the right amount of sweetness and saltiness. Slightly stronger flavor than the taro one but lesser than the pumpkin one. Definitely can be a go-to for something light.

Pei Tien Energy 99 Sticks (Taro Flavor)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Because I get to compare the taro one against the egg yolk and pumpkin ones (as well as the 2 milk and seaweed ones), I would only buy this if I have no other choice. This one is lighter than the egg yolk and pumpkin ones, so it’s a really good light snack. You could smell / feel the taro when you eat it but I don’t think it has a strong taro taste, sort of like a taro ice cream that’s not too strong in taro. Due to that reason, I think I could spend my calories/money elsewhere because, even though this is pretty good by itself, I like the pumpkin and the seaweed one a lot more.

Pei Tien Energy 99 Sticks (Pumpkin Flavor)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Love it. This one has stronger flavor than the egg yolk and taro ones. I thought I wouldn’t have liked it but it turns out to really tasty. Not sure if it tastes like pumpkin though. Will buy again.

NEO Crispy Roll – Baked with 21 Whole Grains and 8 Vegetables

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sweet vanilla taste. Tastes like a vanilla wafer. The vanilla is not too sweet but it’s definitely taste more like sugar than the other brands. I like it as a snack, but if I have choose this or the other milk one, I would pick the other milk one as this one doesn’t give me the taste of the grains I was buying for. I wanted to feel healthy haha.

Pei Tien Konjac Brown Rice Roll (Milk)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This one definitely tastes like milk throughout the snack. It’s very filling, which makes it tastes a little like coconut. I would buy this if I crave for something rich and milky, but I probably won’t buy this if I’m presented with other options.

Pei Tien Konjac Brown Rice Roll (Seaweed Flavor)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Definitely five stars. I love snack with the taste of seaweed and this one is quite strong. You can feel / taste seaweed the moment you put it in your mouth. The taste of seaweed makes this snack taste lighter than the milk flavor one.

Hello Kitty Grains Rice Roll (Egg Yolk Flavor)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

These hello kitty rolls are definitely add appeals to our kids. To be honest, I don’t think my kid cares if this is hello kitty or not as long as these are snacks. However, these are just pretty to look at. It turns out they are exactly the same as the egg yolk ones (same brand) but this is licensed with Sanrio characters. I will add 0.5 star just for the fact that it has hello kitty!


I guess this is my convention then:
– 5 Stars: Definitely will buy again
– 4.5 Stars: Maybe buy again
– 4 Stars: It’s good but I won’t buy again
– 3 Stars: It’s average good

Frozen Steamed Flour Bun (Hedgehog Shaped Sweet Red Bean Paste Bun)

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Frozen Steamed Flour Bun (Hedgehog Shaped Sweet Red Bean Paste Bun)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would’ve given it 5 stars if my daughter didn’t have to pick out all the quills because she didn’t like them 😒 . Super quick snack. Only took 20 seconds to microwave and it tastes like all other red bean buns. Each piece only has 3g sugar with 1.65g protein. Not too bad I guess.