Saturday, November 1, 2008

Heading to Grandma's for the holidays?

The biggest challenge I've had with Connor as he gets older is finding toys to occupy him when we travel especially to

the grandparent's house where we stay sometimes a week at a time and he usually doesn't have much to do.

Alex Toys is a frequent stopping point for us when it comes to toy shopping and I've been eyeing the Alex Play Mat for awhile as I've been slowly leaving toys over at my mom's house for Connor to play with but finding a good place to store them is the issue as they are trying to sell their house so the last thing she wants is a toy box in the living room until the house sales. So finding toys that do double duty but be entertaining enough to keep his attention is important. He has recently gotten obsessed with cars and other hand toys so when I saw the play mat I knew we had to have it for going to my parent's house. The Alex Play Mat is of course a classic play mat when flat it features a town scene so kids can drive their cars around town but the part I like most is when they are done it folds up into a nifty little tote that is big enough to hold quite a few toys. I find it very useful for storing our toys at my parents house and when its time to come home and switch out some toys I can just grab the tote and bring it home, refill it and bring it back. At only $15.99 per play mat I am really tempted to buy two more one to keep here and one for his aunt's house where he goes when I'm at school.

We've just started playing with puzzles as well but thus far Connor's puzzles have been wood and they tend to take up a lot of space in his toy storage bin so I knew I had to find something lighter and smaller for using ad the grandparent's house as we are working on very limited storage space. Plus I just don't like to pack a wooden puzzle in our luggage I have enough stuff to carry already. The Touchable Puzzles over at Alex Toys is light, incredibly affordable and really adorable. Each Touchable Puzzles set comes with two puzzles and at $9.99 a set you can't beat the price. The puzzles are made of a textured foam and the pieces are big and brightly colored so its easy to find them if your child is anything like Connor and they end up spreading the pieces all over the floor those bright colors and different textures tend to keep their attention a lot longer as well. We have had these puzzles for a month or so and when we first got them Connor was about 17 months old and thought he was really interested in them he had a tendency to want to bend the puzzles in half which though it doesn't actually hurt them the pieces don't go in as easy when the base of the puzzle is warped so I would have to bend them back and put something heavy on them. It seems though over the last month Connor has hit a developmental milestone and is now really getting the hang of using them instead of just bending them. The age recommendations is 2+ and I believe that's pretty accurate though toddlers past the teething and chewing age will really appreciate the textured pieces long before they are able to put the puzzles together.

If your looking for some great Christmas toy ideas defiantly check out Alex Toys their toys are very reasonably priced and we have been ecstatic with all of the toys we have from them thus far!

I have a set of Touchable Puzzles to give away to one lucky reader!

To enter :

  • Leave a comment on this post. Check out Alex Toys and tell me what toy from their collection other than the two I mentioned here you'd love to give someone on your christmas list!
  • Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
  • Please US entries only.
  • To get extra credit :
    • For an extra entry :
    • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
    • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
    • One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
    • This contest will end Dec 15th at midnight!

160 Comments:

Sarah S said...

How fun! We have that Alex mat and love it. I think the Alex kitchen set is pretty cool too.

Sarah S said...

I also subscribe via google reader!

Anonymous said...

My kids would really enjoy the Deluxe Cooking Set

Anonymous said...

I'm a subscriber

Kristie said...

We could use the Bag For The Tub.

khmorgan_00 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Nadi said...

We'd love to have lots of backyard fun with the Jungle Croquet set.

treflea4 at gmail dot com

Nadi said...

I'm a suscriber! =)

treflea4 at gmail dot com

Jen Mc said...

I like the "In My Kitchen", although my son is still too young for it.

Jen Mc said...

I'm also a subscriber.

Stephanie said...

Like the It's a Match Game.
tvollowitz at aol dot com

Anonymous said...

I love the Craft Kit- I love that it's ages 2 and up. My 2 year old loves to do crafts and so often they are only for older kids. So I was excited to see all of the craft supplies they have for younger kids.

ourhappyhappenings (at) gmail (dot) com

Brian M said...

My kids would love the Completer Cook Set.

bmorin55@comcast.net

patty said...

I love Round the Farm and Count Out Loud Froggy for my granddaughter!

MOMFOREVERANDEVER said...

would love the kids cooking set mrs.mommyyatgmaildotcom

MOMFOREVERANDEVER said...

subscriber mrs.mommyyatgmaildotcom

Anonymous said...

you're on my sidebar :)

Anonymous said...

the tabletop easel look great!

Unknown said...

super parachute party- so cool!

Jill said...

Would love to see my kids try out the Monkey Balance Board.

Anonymous said...

I love the Cuddly Kids - Lexi doll.

rebbi511 at peoplepc.com

valerie2350 said...

the giant weaving loom looks fun!

destee said...

I'd love the Bathtub Car Wash for my son!

wigget said...

my favorite is the learn to dress monkey

Momma J said...

I love the Home Tweet Home!

Marianne
mjackson(at)wwhgd(dot)com
www.crochetbymommaj.etsy.com
http://crochetbymommaj.blogspot.com/

VickieC said...

I like the Hold It All - Fish,this is great for when I have my grandsons over an its bath time,thanks


vlbelk(at)hotmail.com

Finamoon said...

Oh! I love the Busy Bee Discovery Flower or the Busy Ball for my littlest.

websurfergirl19 AT hotmail DOT com

Finamoon said...

I have subscribed!
websurfergirl19 AT hotmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

Can I have the little boy on their home page??? Oh, just kidding. But he's so darling! I'd love one of those puppet theaters. I had one as a child and loved it. (Gotta say those play mats look incredible too.)

jassmg2024 said...

Love the deluxe cooking set

Melissa B. said...

The Learn To Dress Monkey looks great for keeping little hands busy.

Eve said...

I think the See-Thru Stories look fun!

Anonymous said...

I am a subscriber

Anonymous said...

Color And Cuddle Washable Doll is what I would give to my niece. This combines 2 things she loves..A cute doll and coloring. Thanks for the giveaway.

lorides said...

my girls would love the cooking set,thanks

Jenn S. said...

I would love to get the Rainbow Rollers set for my nephew.

furygirl3132 said...

I really love the Sticker Factory and would get it for my 6 year old daughter who loves stickers and would have a blast with this. Thanks so much for a fantastic giveaway!

Eloise
furygirl3132[at]comcast[dot]net

furygirl3132 said...

I am also a subscriber. Thanks again!

Eloise
furygirl3132[at]comcast[dot]net

C and C girl said...

There are so many to pick from but my favorite is the My Tabletop Easel

C and C girl said...

I am also a subscriber

Anonymous said...

Like the It's a Match Game.
Thanks!!!

Stampnsark@aol.com

agordon10 said...

super parachute party is awesome

Anonymous said...

I lake Catch & Stick Monster Mitts safe for boys playing indoors. Thank you for the great contest.
d.fox13@hotmail.com

mverno said...

count out loud froggy

Maja said...

See-through stories for my son

angelina115@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

My sister is great about sending hand-made birthday cards, so I think the My Card Kit would be a fun project for she and her toddler son to do together.
beccachristensen at hotmail dot com

peg42 said...

I love the Learn To Dress Monkey. So adorable! Thank you so much for this giveaway.

clenna said...

I would love to give the Hold It All - Fish to my grand daughter so whe can keep her toys organized in the tub.
clenna@aol.com

Dee said...

I like the Car Valet! Thanks for the chance!

Veronica said...

There are so many wonderful things to choose from, but I particularly love the learn to dress monkey. Thanks for a great giveaway!

cman said...

I love the In My Kitchen :)

Anonymous said...

I like the car valet.

Twincere said...

I like the Ez Weavy Totebag!

judybrittle said...

I like the It's A Match game. Thats really a great game and they use food related items on their matching cards. Thank you so much!
judybrittle at aol dot com

jenny said...

wow i love to win this and weill i like to get the tin tea set and i give it to my little one to use with her toy kiction. thanks

katy said...

There are a lot of neat toys I think Rylee would like. I like the Zoominoes; I think that would be fun for us.

Anonymous said...

My niece would love the "My Playhouse".

Anonymous said...

I'm a subscriber. :-)

Mommyhood is Thankless said...

My Daughter would Love the Sticker Factory!

mommyhoodisthankless{AT}gmail.com

Mommyhood is Thankless said...

I am a subscriber!

mommyhoodisthankless{AT}gmail.com
legacyofbrutalitysa{AT}gmail.com

Anonymous said...

My Grandson would love the Completer Cook Set

Anonymous said...

the complete cook set would be nice for my niece

sweetsue said...

I would love to give my two year old granddaughter the Goldilocks & The Three Bears Finger Puppet Set-it's one of her favorite stories!

smchester at gmail dot com

sweetsue said...

I'm subscribed!

smchester at gmail dot com

Alexia said...

We're buying the boys a play kitchen for Christmas and I'd love to get the Kid's Cooking Set to go along with it!

Literary Winner said...

I like the Hold it All Whale and Fish for all of those bath toys. I would give this to hubby as a joke, since he is going insane with all of the stuff in the tub. ;)
hematopoiesis at hotmail dot com

tatertot374 said...

Thank you for having this. I like the Busy Bee Discovery Flower for my daughter. Thank you!
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

Anonymous said...

I love the Jungle Croquet and the Monkey Balancing Board. I ordered the Alex Toys Parking Garage for my son for Christmas and I can't wait until he opens it!
anastacer at verizon dot net

Cherie J said...

I love the Super Art Table With Paper Roll. Thanks for the contest!

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cjnedrow said...

I like the Learn to Dress Monkey!
cjnedrow@gmail.com

phxbne said...

Paint A Pinwheel looks like fun

phxbne said...

I am a subscriber

kdkdkd said...

the Monkey Balance Board is my boys kind of toy. Those puzzles look wonderful and I love the art supplies at that site!

Teresa690 said...

My five year old daughter would love the Color a Messenger bag in the crafts area. Thanks for the great giveaway!

Becca Ann said...

I like the My Collage Farm!

Sharon said...

I LOVE the Hold It All Whale...great item...thanks for entry!

Sharon said...

am subscribed. thanks again!

Jenna said...

I like the craft kit. It is perfect for my nieces who are ages 2 and 4. I am sure they would both enjoy getting this for christmas!

Miss Spoken said...

The Deluxe Cooking Set is very cool
gkstratos@yahoo.com

Andrea @ Momma in Flip Flops2 said...

I'm liking the art studio with easel. Cool... my son is really getting into that stuff. =)

Andrea @ Momma in Flip Flops2 said...

Your button is on my site.

Karen said...

My son would love any of the items.

ktgonyea at gmail.com

cstironkat said...

Holt the fort builder would love Pirate Pop-Up Tent Play Set. This would keep him occupied for hours. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

What an honor it would be to give some special little someones the Super Art Table With Paper Roll.

Jenny said...

My daughter would love the water shakers!

the_other_alice_(at)yahoo.com

Jenny said...

You are in my feed list on my blog!

the_other_alice_(at)yahoo.com

Amanda said...

I like the playhouse. It looks really great.

Unknown said...

Color A Messenger Bag - that is so cute!

Unknown said...

your button is on my sidebar and you are on my blogroll for extra entry

littlelatina said...

my oldest would love the super baking set and my youngest would love around the farm

carolpie said...

In my kitchen and around the farm would be great for my granddaughter! Thank you!

CaseyDeuce said...

I love jiggly piggly for my son and the deluxe cooking set for my daughter!

CaseyDeuce said...

http://caseydeucesworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/goodies-to-be-won.html

I blogged you!!

Beth @ TheAngelForever said...

I love the Learn to Dress Monkey. It would be great for my little guy to help with his fine motor development. Thanks for the great giveaway!

Beth @ TheAngelForever said...

I subscribe to your feed in my Google Reader :)

doodlegirl said...

My Art Desk for my daughter

nancy said...

The Deluxe Pottery Wheel would be a fabulous xmas gift!

Kari said...

I think the the Monkey Balance Board looks really cool!

Kari said...

Im a subscriber!

Brooke Lorren said...

I'd like to get a Simply Needlepoint kit for dd.

Christine said...

We love Alex toys. Our current favorite is the Pirates in the Tub set. My son has the best time playing with this set!

Michele said...

The Color and Cuddle Washable Pony is a great idea! I can see lots of kids really having fun with that.

Thanks so much!!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com

Michele said...

I'm a subscriber!

Thanks so much!!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I like My Giant Busy Box and My Creative Center


enter us please
lilhottemomma@yahoo.com

Mommy 2 Monkeys said...

The Funny Bunny blocks would be a great gift for my daughter.

Betty N said...

I think my 3 year old grandson would like the ABC zoo. He knows some of his letters and I think he would also enjoy playing with the animals.

Kandyland29 said...

Love the Alex Kitchen set!

rosannepm said...

The Giant Busy Box and the Deluxe Cooking Set

Erica G said...

I would love to get the Busy Bee Discovery Flower for my sister!

babychooch (at) gmail {dot} com

Unknown said...

I would love to give my kids the Tub Tunes Symphony. They love to take baths together and with three insruments there would be one for each of them, so no fighting! Which is really a gift for me, LOL!
beccaj73[at]hickorytech[dot]net

bison61 said...

the boys would like the Shaving In The Tub

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

silverhartgirl said...

My son would love My First Words for christmas

Julie Donahue said...

I like the parking garage and the hopscotch mat.

Julie Donahue said...

I have your button on my blog.

Tamara B. said...

Learn To Dress Monkey and My Giant Busy Book wold keep my grandson busy for hours.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

Tamara B. said...

I am a subscriber.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

Casey Becher said...

my son would love the parking garage!

kristilb19 said...

Hold It All - Whale is sooo cute! I'd love to win! It would help me out so much for Christmas!
kristilb19@yahoo.com

Brimful Curiosities said...

We need new bath toys. The Water Drums look fun.

Brimful Curiosities said...

I subscribe.

Rattled Mom said...

I love the rainbow rollers! That mat is amazing, too.

beezerly (at) yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

I like to do crafts so the "go paint a kite" craft.

adrnlize at aol dot com

Anonymous said...

Wow, so many good toys there! I love those puzzles!

I also really liked their finger puppets and the tea/kitchen sets!

Great contest! Thanks for the chance to win!

organicmommy said...

My fave is Bubble Beater With Bubbles

Anonymous said...

I really want this for my children,im a single mom and its a little hard!

katielovedavid@aim.com

Kat said...

the sea creature tub grippers are on their way to my house!!

janetfaye said...

I would like Pirate Pop-Up Tent Play Set for my grandson.

janetfaye (at) gmail.com

janetfaye said...

I am subscribed.

janetfaye (at) gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I like the super art table with a paper roll.

walters123 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I am a subscriber

walters123 (at) hotmail (dot) com

justicecw said...

I would love to get the floor standing theatre for my son! Thanks, justicecw@hotmail.com

justicecw said...

subscriber!
justicecw@hotmail.com

Leane said...

I would LUV to give my son the Giant Floor Puzzle--farm. This looks very fun and educational. Great giveaway from a great site! thanks

Leane said...

You are always on my sidebar!
www [dot] my-bloggy-mind.blogspot [dot] com

Idaho Jill said...

The giant floor puzzle looks fun-and you can never go wrong with the supersoft dough, thanks!

Idaho Jill said...

I'm a subscriber, thanks

Anonymous said...

I like the craft kit for my family!
ashlomb at yahoo dot com

caseykelp said...

i like the Hold It All - Fish from bath toys...thank you for the giveaway

caseykelp said...

i am a subscriber

noreen said...

deluxe cooking set would be perfect for both my girls

vboackle said...

the giant busy box.

ky2here said...

I really like 'draw like a pro',

Julie said...

I really like the Wooden Stringing Sets - String A Farm.



Julie,
luvnsweeps(at)gmail(dot)com

Ashley said...

I love, love, LOVE the Learn to Dress Monkey!

Stacy said...

The ABC Zoo looks super cute.

hetz-junk(at)hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I'd get the rub-a-dub Fairies in the Tub bath set for my daughter - oh, the fun she'd have with this!

jjbianchi2007[at]yahoo[dot]com

Homemaker said...

The "Count Out Loud Froggy" bath toy looks fun! My son is just learning to count and this would be a great learning tool while he is having fun!

sallylynnsara[at]hotmail[dot]com

Anonymous said...

My little one would have fun with the Completer Cook Set

ardy22 at earthlink.net

Anonymous said...

Love the creative center!

Vanessa C.
vanessasuethompson@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I am an email subscriber.

Vanessa C.
vanessasuethompson@gmail.com

Buki Family said...

the monkey balance board looks fun!

yellowlabs said...

My Art Desk

Anonymous said...

I like the color and cuddle washable doll. Thanks for the chance.

klp1965 said...

i subscribed

klp1965 said...

i love the Hold It All - Fish
USD$ 13.99

Anonymous said...

I love the Craft Kit. Thanks for the chance to win.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

Steph said...

My favorite is the Jungle Croquet.

dvice12 said...

I like the My Playhouse

Sherry R said...

My favorite is the Car Valet!

jnkrim (at) qwestoffice (dot) net

Anonymous said...

I love the Squirters For The Tub - On The Go.

Anonymous said...

I am a subscriber.

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