Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys - Dominion

Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys - 5 Great Gifts

I have put together a list of 5 gifts for 12 year old boys that are sure to please the birthday boy. Let's face it, twelve is a tough age to buy birthday presents for. There is always the gift card, but consider something on my list to show you really looked for a special gift. Today I am featuring the first gift on my list, the highly rated strategy game Dominion.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

What is Dominion?

Setting: You are the ruler of a idyllic, though small, kingdom of rivers and forests. Unlike your parents, who were rulers before you, you dream of something more. You want a larger and more pleasant land with more people, resources, and power. You want to rule a Dominion of your own!

Small bits of land lie all around you that are home to lesser lords that are constantly bickering and on the verge of war. You want to unite the people of the land and civilize them according to your way of life. Unfortunately, your neighboring rulers have had the exact same dreams of conquest. The race is on to get as much of the available land as possible and see who can reign victorious. In order to accomplish this, you need plenty of people at your beck and call in order to improve your castle, construct needed buildings, and gather as much gold as possible. Live the dream of your forefathers and gain Dominion over the land!

Twelve year old boys (and girls) are usually very into strategy games, whether it is a classic board game like chess, or a game like Dominion. Dominion is a hugely popular game that is enjoyed by a wide range of people. It can be played with 2-4 players and since each hand is different, it can be constantly replayed. It is a great game for a group of kids, or a family to play together. Get him to turn off his phone, computer, or iPad and spend time with friends. The reviews for it are excellent and it is a really popular gift. It has 5 stars on Amazon and almost 1000 reviews!!

Firefighter Halloween costume with fire helmet and jacket

My preschool aged son loves firefighter hats so I decided he should be a firefighter last Halloween. I bought one from a big box store's costume section. It wasn't a pricey costume, but I was still very disappointed in the quality. I thought it could have been a little better. I checked out options online and found the Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Role Play Costume Set

I was so happy when I opened up the box and took the costume out. The jacket is more like nylon than plastic. It is comfortable and it is machine washable. Since I wanted to add it to the dress up box after Halloween that was a big feature for me. The fire chief jacket also features reflector stripes which is so nice for trick or treating in dusk and dark.

The package contains a firefighter jacket, a fire chief helmet, a badge, bull horn, and red hand held fire extinguisher. The jacket also has a name tag you can write on, but we left ours blank. I think our favorite part of the set is the fire chief helmet. It is so much nicer than freebie or dollar store helmets. It is a hard plastic so if it gets dropped it doesn't break. It also can't be crushed or broken.

When I first got the costume I hid the bullhorn because I didn't know how noisy it was. It turns out you need 2 AA batteries so I just never put any in. I can't say if the noises are nice or not. I assume so. The bull horn can hang from a loop in the coat or it can be carried around.

The target age for the Melissa & Doug Fire Chief costume is three to six. My son is four and it fits him fine. It fits my six year old daughter as well. She is on the slim side so I bet it will fit her another year or two. If you want a Halloween costume that will last for more than one year (kid) or a durable costume to add to your dress up box, then this is a great option. I think you'll be pleased with the quality and the price is great too. Yes, it is more than a cheapie Halloween costume, but I think it is worth it.

Sully Costume - Be the Big Blue Monster - Kids Sizes

Monsters, Inc and the hugely successful Monsters University have inspired a lot of kids to dress up as their favorite monster this Halloween.

Sulley is one of the main characters of the Monsters movie. He plays the top scarer in Monsters, Inc. and in Monsters University we see him as a young adult monster getting ready for his career of choice.

Sulley, the big, blue monster with an even bigger heart is a great choice for little kids, or even older ones. It comes with a "license to scare", or at least, a great look for it!

This great looking costume comes with a jumpsuit, a head piece with velcro chin strap, and a detachable tail. Velcro enclosures. Click on: Toddler Classic Sulley Costume to purchase the costume shown right.

For a fuzzier full length costume with hood, available in sizes 18 mo to size 10, check out the costume on the left. The details in it are great. I love the purple dots all over. This is a step in costume that zips up from waist to neck. The hood and tail are attached.

There are stuffed feet with claws at the ankles of the costume. Click: Sullivan the Monster Costume . This looks like a great cold weather costume - perfect for walking around.

Doc McStuffins Costumes Are Available 2013

Last year, if kids wanted to dress up as Doc McStuffins they had to come up with their own costume. I saw a super cute one at my daughter's school. The little girl had pigtails, a doctor's coat and stethoscope, and some clothes in approximately the right colors. It worked great.

For an easy Doc McStuffins costume this year, an official one is available. It is adorable. Check it out: Doc McStuffins costume. It comes with the leggings, striped tunic, lab coat, and stethoscope shown at right.

Another option you could do is to purchase a Doc McStuffins dress up set. If you purchase this it comes with a white lab coat with buttons, doctor's name badge, sparkly headband, and stethoscope. You would need to purchase leggings and a shirt in a similar style to what you see on the right, or just use whatever your daughter has in her closet. This option might work better for kids that are more difficult to fit in pants or shirts.

Doc McStuffins is a super popular character from the Disney Jr television show. She is THE doctor for stuffed animals and toys.

Disney Snow Queen Costume from Frozen

If you read my previous post, you know that Disney's Frozen movie will be out in November 2013. In the story, Princess Anna of the kingdom of Arendelle, makes a long journey to the palace of the Snow Queen, her older sister Elsa.

Elsa is beautiful and extremely talented with snow/ice magic. Thanks to that Arendelle is perpetually iced over and the inhabitants are miserable. Princess Anna hopes to convince her sister to thaw out the kingdom, and perhaps to reconcile with her family.

For little girls wishing to become the Snow Queen Elsa for Halloween, there is a lovely costume coming out in October. It is a luminous blue color with a snowflake pattern. Perfect for an aspiring Snow Queen. See the photo and link to purchase below.

Unfortunately the Disney premier costume from the Disney Store that was sold on Amazon is not available right now (May 2014), but there is a Queen Elsa dress up dress. The quality is similar to what you would find in the toy section of a local retail store. This is definitely a Halloween or dress up type dress more than a party dress.

Disney Princess Anna Costume from Frozen

Have you heard? There is a new Disney movie coming out in November 2013. The movie is called Frozen and is a retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale about a Snow Queen in a frozen land.

In this story, Princess Anna is the younger sister of the Snow Queen. She journeys to her sister's palace to ask her to lessen her frozen hold on the kingdom. Along the way she meets a handsome and helpful mountain man named Kristoff.

This is the second time Disney has looked to Andersen tale, the first time was for The Little Mermaid. THAT certainly worked out for them! I hope this turns out to be a magical tale.

Many little girls will be captivated by the beautiful Princess Anna. Fortunately costumes will be available in October for Halloween. Even though the movie won't be out yet, I bet they will be popular. Check out a photo and link to purchase the costume below.

It is Halloween Time Again

August is nearly over and it is time to think of Halloween again. If your kids haven't started school yet (mine haven't), then you are still busy with back to school stuff, but before you know it, your kids will start talking about what they want to wear on Halloween.

If you have kids from about age 5 to age 10, it is likely they will want to wear a popular character costume. In years' past superhero costumes for boys and princess costumes for girls have been perennial favorites.

Kids under 5 might want a character costume, or animals are always a great choice. My daughter's first costume was a mouse, the next year a strawberry, and the next year a ladybug.  Other "generic" type costumes like witch, vampire, police officer are also great options for babies through teenagers. Disney movie tie-ins are great. Disney Princess Merida costumes were a great choice last year and continues to be desirable. I think as a character Merida will stand the test of time.

Speaking of teenagers, and I am including age 11 and up here, they are likely to want more sophisticated costumes. Katniss Everdeen costumes were hugely popular last year for this age group. Peeta Mellark costumes were also popular for boys, but not nearly as much. Any other Halloween costumes with movie tie-ins are sure to be popular for kids and teenagers. Another place to look for costumes are for popular toys, such as Monster High costumes. I will be doing a series on those coming up soon.

Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting about new or popular Halloween costumes. I hope you enjoy this series and find something that is useful for you! If you have any costumes you are looking for and cannot find, please leave a link below and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction.

Photo Credit

Lalaloopsy Sew Cute Patient Doll: A Personal Review

Stumbles Bumps N Bruises was "sewn" from a nurse's uniform, like her big sister Rosy. She was completed on February 7th so that is considered her birthday.

Stumbles comes in a set. It includes her little bear friend, a stethoscope, sticker bandages, a heart embellished medicine bottle, and a drinking cup with "milk" in it. The set also comes with a special heart shaped washcloth. If you get it wet with hot water and rub the wound on Stumbles' head, it disappears. Pajamas, robe, a bunny slipper, and a cast for Stumbles to wear are also included.

My favorite part of the set is the Stumbles doll. She is adorable. Her arms and legs move and she has a sweet expression. My second favorite part is the stethoscope. It makes several different noises when you press on it, including an alarm clock sound.

My least favorite part is the little pet bear. It comes in the package in pieces which you have to put together. It comes apart pretty easily. My daughter doesn't mind it though.

I recommend this fun set for Lalaloopsy Littles fans, especially for those kids that love playing doctor. My daughter uses it with her Big Book of Boo Boos from Doc McStuffins.

Fisher Price Seahorse

This past week I had to purchase a gift for a baby shower. I purchased one of my favorite items that I received for my children - a nighttime glowing friend.

My first child received a Playskool Favorites Lullaby Gloworm. I was super happy with it and I recommend it. My daughter is five and she told me tonight that she wants to keep it forever.

When my second child was born I received a Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse, Blue as a gift. At first I was disappointed because it wasn't a glow worm, but I grew to love it and even prefer it over the glow worm.

I like the look of the Fisher Price Seahorse more than the glow worm. It just looks more cuddly to me and I think the music selection is better.

Both of these are relatively easy to find in local retail stores. The pink versions can be more difficult to find locally, but are almost always online. The links above will give you the opportunity to purchase either color on their pages.

I should mention that someone gifted my daughter with the blue version of the glow worm and it didn't do her any harm. You don't HAVE to get a pink one, but it is a lot of fun :)

If you need a baby shower gift, or something to bring over to visit a new little one, check out the 2 recommended products. I bet you will like one of them!

Lalaloopsy Show - New on Nick Jr

A new Lalaloopsy show debuted last week on Nick Jr, much to the delight of my kids. There has previously been a Lalaloopsy movie - Lalaloopsy The Search for Pillow, but this is a new series.

The Lalaloopsy show features many of the Lalaloopsy characters from their doll line. The show emphasizes friendship, teamwork, and the value of each person. Each episode features a different adventure and wraps up on a happy note. This is perfect for their preschool target audience on Nick Jr.

I was certain my daughter would love the show, but my son enjoyed it also. He is only 3 though, and he likes pretty girls and bright colors. Older boys might find it too sappy or girly.

The Lalaloopsy show airs every weekday at 1:30 Eastern time. As with other Nick Jr shows, there is an extensive online activities related to the show. Check it out here. There are activities, printables such as cards and invitations, and games. This is perfect for little fans of the show.

If your kid isn't already into Lalaloopsy dolls, you can check out some of my related pages that tells all about them. Check out my page on Lalaloopsy Littles, the littlest dolls, as well as the Mini Lalaloopsy Littles. Lalaloopsy Littles are the little sisters (and one brother) of the regular Lalaoopsy dolls. The pages also showcase their older siblings.

These dolls are a lot of fun and very unusual looking. Kids really love them. My daughter likes the mini dolls especially because they are easier to cart around the house and they are about the same size as her mini Princess dolls.

Check out the show and see if you and your kids enjoy it!

Back To Work

I took a long break for the holidays and a nasty bout with bronchitis. It is a new year though, and I am back to work now. I have some great ideas on upcoming toy reviews. There is a lot of fun stuff out there right now!

As always if there is something in particular you are interested in, please leave a comment and I'll look into it.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

Bubble Guppies Bath Toys

Are you looking for Bubble Guppies bath toys? You aren't the only one!

Unfortunately, there are a limited number of Bubble Guppies merchandise available right now. This is such a huge shame because it is such a popular and fun show.

If you aren't familiar with Bubble Guppies, it is a popular kids television show on Nick Jr. We love it here in my house. I would love to have Bubble Guppies bath toys available. I can't find a release date for them.

You can purchase Bubble Guppies episodes online, as well as coloring books, story books, and Bubble Guppies plush. The plush toys are really popular.

Check out more information on the Bubble Guppies show, as well as buy the toys, on my Bubble Guppies Toys Squidoo page.

Angry Birds Stuffed Animals

Angry birds stuffed animals would be a great gift for any Angry Birds fan. Angry Birds, the wildly popular game for mobile devices, has spawned a ton of merchandise, including bedsheets and t-shirts, but I think I like the plush animals the most.

These super soft Angry Birds stuffed animals make authentic sounds right from the game at the press of a button. The plush animals are approximately 5 inches and come in lots of the Angry Bird characters.

These would make a great stocking stuffer, white elephant gift, or gift exchange. Most kids and adults have heard of this game, so it is a good all around gift to get when you aren't sure what to buy.

Check out some of the Angry Birds plush below. These are officially licensed products and are safe for 12 months and up.




As you can see, the prices are affordable enough you can give several to Angry Birds fans that want to collect them.

What Is Elf On The Shelf

Have you been asking yourself, "What is elf on the shelf?". If so, you are in the right spot.

Have your kids or grandkids ever asked you how Santa knows if they have been naughty or nice? The Elf on the Shelf is the answer.

The elf on the shelf box comes with an adorable Christmas elf and a storybook. The storybook tells how the elf watches over the children, then every night goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa on the kids. The elf comes back and ends up in a different place each morning. The kids can run around and look for the elf each morning.

Kids love this! It is a great family tradition. An extra fun part is that kids can register their elf online and get an adoption certificate along with a special letter from Santa.




In the interest of fairness and diversity, there are a couple of different Elf on the Shelf options. There is a blonde hair blue eyed girl or boy, and a black hair brown skinned boy or girl. The girl elves really don't look all that girly unless you buy the optional skirt. It is a bit pricey in my opinion, so I think making a skirt might be the best option if that is what you want.

New Furby - Don't Get Them Wet

And don't feed them after midnight! Just a little new Furby humor. They do look a bit like gremlins.

If you missed the Furby craze the time around, don't worry, the new Furby is completely updated and tricked out with all the latest and greatest tech.

So what does a Furby do? Well, that depends how well you take care of it and what you teach it. Let me explain.

The Furbies owner is responsible for feeding, talking to, and playing with the furby. How it is handled and interacted with affects how it acts and helps shape its personality. That might sound familiar to parents! When kids first open their Furby it will speak Furbish (of course), but the more it is talked to the more English it will learn. The Furby will respond to anything in its environment, even the music and other background noise it "hears".

 If you want to go high tech, and you have an iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone with iOS 4.2 or later, you can also download a free app which helps you understand furbish. This can help you meet its needs better. Sounds weird and geeky, doesn't it? Love it!

Furbies or perhaps it is Furbys, come in a ton of different colors, so you are sure to find one to please your son or daughter (or yourself!). You should know that there are two waves of Furbies that came out in 2012. The standard first set included purple, pink, black, aqua, etc. The second wave came with cool topknots and more striking color schemes. I can't decide which ones I like better. Check out two examples below. The original 2012 Furby is on the left and the newer one on the right. I really like them both. It is hard to decide.



As I said before, there are LOTS of colors. Click either photo above or on the ad below and you can search for furby and the desired color. Price does vary by color, this is due to desirability, so keep that in mind!

Amazing Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle

Anyone with a son or daughter between the ages of  3 and 8 should consider buying the Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle from Fisher-Price.

Wondering what is special about the Eagle Talon Castle?

First of all, it is huge. It folds out to over 3 feet wide, but it can also be set up in smaller configurations. Second, there are lots of cool sound effects and different parts of the castle light up. The castle comes with plenty of play pieces to have a rich, satisfying experience, but more accessories are available for purchase. Many of the accessories cause the castle to interact with different vocalizations. It is very cool!

What comes with the castle?

In the box is the castle itself which includes three figure turn discs, two working catapults, one Turn Tech cannon (two projectiles included), three castle figures wearing helmets, shields, and swords, eight discs for the catapults, a treasure chest, two ladders for scaling the walls, and four flags.

While the Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle is the boy's answer to any dollhouse starting with the word "Ultimate" or "Dream", I think girls would love playing with the castle too. I know I would have! This castle would be perfect if you have a son or daughter in the 3-8 age group. Wherever there are knights, castles, and dragons, there are fair princesses!

Click the photo below to read more about the Eagle Talon Castle and check out the additional pictures! This is a hot toy for 2012!

Pillow Pets Dream Lites Review

Most parents out there have probably heard of Dream Lites by now. The commercials are shown heavily on Nick Jr and other kids' channels.

My daughter told me all about it one day, but until I saw the commercial for myself, I wasn't sure what she was talking about. My Pillow Pets, the manufacturer, did a great job with the commercial. It really sells the product well.

I decided to purchase the Pillow Pets Plush Dream Lites NightLite Rainbow Unicorn for my daughter's birthday. She was SO surprised and her little face lit up. It was great! I felt like the best mom ever.

The moment of truth came when it was time to put in the batteries. The battery compartment is shut with a screw, which I really like, though it does take longer than the old style tab. Dream Lites take 3 AAA batteries, so be sure to have those on hand if you give one as a gift. We got the batteries in and turned it on.

It was afternoon and we had the curtains open, so it really wasn't that impressive. We went into the bathroom and shut the door. It looked great! You can set the Dream Lite to rotate between amber, green, and blue, or have it steady on one of those colors. I think the blue is my favorite. There are a bunch of stars, a crescent moon, and then the unicorn. Other Dream Lites have their respective picture that shows up on the ceiling.

We couldn't wait for bedtime to roll around. Fortunately, there were plenty of other new toys to play with before bed. At bedtime my daughter put the Dream Lites on her bed, turned it on, and I turned out the lights. Major OOOHS and AHHHS! My daughter has a string of light stars in her bedroom already that she uses as a night light. With that on the stars are fainter, but still visible. Obviously, it looks best with no other lights on.

I've read some reviews by other parents where they are upset that their child's room doesn't light up and glow as brightly as in the commercial. Well, I've never once gotten a Big Mac at my local McDonald's that looked like the one in the commercial. I really didn't expect it to look the same. It looks great though, and I am very happy with the purchase. Do I wish it was cheaper? Sure, I wish that about everything!

Disney Brave Bear Cub Pillow Pet

Pillow Pets from My Pillow Pets are some of the cutest plush animals around. For those of you who haven't seen these before, Pillow Pets are a combination stuffed animal and pillow. Kids love them. The picture above shows one as a stuffed animal and it can be folded out flat to be used as a fluffy pillow friend.

The company has been wildly successful in branching out to secondary products like blankets, Pillow Pet Slippers, Pillow Pet Hats, and Dreamlites. Besides companion products, they've also obtained licensing for special My Pillow Pets. The latest licensed pillow pet is from the movie Brave.

If you have seen Brave you know that Princess Merida has triplet little brothers that turn into bear cubs during the course of the movie. This Pillow Pet is absolutely adorable. I love its blue eyes and they've managed to make it look mischievous as well. This is the perfect Pillow Pet for fans of the movie Brave. Actually, it makes a cute bear cub pillow pet even if you aren't familiar with the movie.

I should mention that is an authentic licensed Disney product. It is one of many Disney Pillow Pets. I will be sharing more Disney Pillow Pets with you in my next post. 

Sunscreen Woes

It would be great to write a post with reviews of different sunscreens for kids. Unfortunately, applying sunscreen to an unwilling child is one of the worst things about summer. We bought some Banana Boat, the kids hate it, but it seems to work. I use it too, but not on my face. I have found Oil of Olay Complete with sunscreen/moisturizer to work really well. There, that is my review :)

Besides sunscreen, I am trying to get my kids to wear hats. My daughter used to do this pretty easily, but now she won't. My son just takes them right off. I decided I really need to find a hat I like to wear every day. Lead by example, right?

Custom Brave and Princess Merida Postage

I have Princess Merida on my mind today! My four year old keeps seeing commercials for Brave and the websites I am visiting on the computer. Her birthday is later this summer and I am itching to plan a Princess Merida birthday party. I have a feeling that isn't going to work out. She is much more into Cinderella and Snow White at the moment.

Since I've been looking around at available Merida party supplies, I created another page about it on my main site. You can check out Plan a Disney Princess Merida Birthday Party for more information.

In my quest for great party supplies I found a huge selection of custom Brave and Princess Merida postage stamps. I love custom postage stamps. They are a bit pricey, but I think for weddings and parties they add a very special touch. Check out my favorite Brave custom postage below.

Merida 3 stamp by disney
View other Disney brave Stamps

Brave Bear Cub 2 Stamp by disney
Browse other Disney brave Stamps

Merida and the Triplets Stamp by disney
Create stamp designs on zazzle.com

Brave Bear Cub 1 Stamp by disney
Order custom personal stamps at Zazzle.

The Triplets Stamps by disney
See more Disney brave Stamps

Group 1 postage stamp by disney
Browse more Disney brave Stamps

There are more custom stamp options available, but these are my favorites. Several feature the different Scottish lords, or other views of the horse Angus, Merida, or her family. If you are planning a Disney Princess Merida birthday party, consider using custom stamps to jazz up the invitations.