Beasts of Balance brings amazing technology to life in this interactive game of skill and creativity. Get ready to stack your animal characters and watch your world come to life!
What is Beasts of Balance?
It is a game that uses physical artefacts that creates a digital world on your tablet or digital device. Players create and evolve their world by stacking artefacts but the game ends when the tower falls!
What Does The Game Come With?
1 plinth
6 beast artefacts
2 miracle artefacts
3 migrate artefacts
3 cross artefacts
10 element artefacts
free iOS and Android app required to play
How To Play
You first need to download the free app to a mobile device, I used my iPhone and it was a quick set up and downloaded in under one minute. Once the app was downloaded, as soon as I turned on the plinth (the white base) it connected automatically and the app loaded the game. You first run through the tutorial, where it shows you how to add the artefacts (the pieces) to the plinth and how to gain more points. The game itself is simple, stack the artefact pieces to gain points but make sure it doesn’t fall or it is game over.
Our Thoughts
When we first opened up the game, I don’t think any of us realized just how much fun this game would be. It has turned into our favourite family game that we have played almost daily. It is competitive without being overly so and it is easy for all ages of our family to play. Our six-year-old is by far the best at this game! His little fingers and steady hands were perfect for adding the pieces on top of each other. Once we figured out how to gain more points by adding specific artefacts we rocked this game. Not only was it super fun to see who would be the first to knock the tower down (usually me), the game added a whole new element with the app creating a world of creatures. As you build your tower taller, you can cross-breed the beasts to create all new beasts (earning points) as well as they gain or lose energy based on the artefacts you add to the tower – so you definitely have to pay attention to both the app and the tower at the same time.
Beasts of Balance is an excellent game for children and adults of all ages – it has something for everyone. It will become your favourite game to play on family game night and any day of the week. From its easy set up, to easy instructions and elements of competitiveness you will love every moment.
Learn more about Beasts of Balance on their website. You can purchase the game here.
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Your teeth are the very first thing a person will notice about you whether you are smiling or not. Without realizing it, we can judge a person by the colour of their teeth, missing teeth and even the angle of them.
While we can’t control genetics, the damage we do to our teeth through eating and drinking can be reversed. Some of our favourite foods and drinks can cause a lot of discolouration to our teeth over time without us noticing. These items include coffee, wine, dark soda, chocolate, candy and berries! I love my coffee and tea so for me removing these items out of my diet would be extremely difficult. In the past, I’ve had Dark Spots on Gums Treatment to cure some dark spots I had on my gums that I thought was a side-effect of coffee and smoking. I have found ways to cut back but eliminating entirely has felt impossible.
Smile Brilliant is an at home teeth whitening system that allows you to reverse the damage done over time from the comfort of your couch or bed (literally). You can easily spend a lot of money on over the counter products which are not guaranteed to work or in an office where you not only lose time away from work but also have to adjust for the cost of these treatments. Smile Brilliant is an easy to use at home system that is tailored to your teeth!
What I loved the most about this system is that you first have to complete your own dental trays. The package comes with enough material that if needed due to an error you make trying to create the impressions, you can always redo your dental trays. The components were easy to mix together (they felt like Playdoh) and easy to place into the trays. Once the trays were ready to insert into your mouth (one at a time) you were sailing. I did find that I produced a lot of saliva at this point, so don’t leave the bathroom when completing this part. My kids had a great laugh as saliva was dripping out of my mouth. I had this unexplainable fear of my teeth coming out with the trays (I have a fake tooth on a bridge at the front of my mouth) and it did not do any damage at all to my bridge or tooth. Once the trays have been left to harden, your next step is to mail them off.
I received my personalized dental trays back within two weeks from the USA. It was pretty neat to see the impressions of my teeth and how well they fit into my mouth. I think that this is the part that makes the biggest difference and sets this system apart – it is fit to your mouth and teeth, leaving no area untouched. The initial package came with the de-sensitizing gels and whitening gels that I would need. Each syringe has enough of the gel to complete 3-4 applications, the syringes looked like they would be awkward to use at first but it was quite simple to open them and apply them to the dental impressions. After that it was just a matter of applying the impressions to my teeth and waiting the recommended time, easy peasey right? The impressions did feel awkward on my teeth the first time I put them in because I wasn’t used to them. After two usages this feeling went away and it was like they were just my own teeth.
Here is my before photo:
You can see the stains from the coffee and tea on all my teeth especially the ones in the front. It is one of the few things that I am actually quite self conscious about and it causes me not to smile as often as I would like.
Here is my before and after photo together so that you can truly appreciate the difference it made:
I was so impressed with the difference the trays made in just under two weeks. I used them only for thirty to sixty minutes a day for that time frame and after each usage I noticed an improvement. It really helped me with my confidence and smiling more because I was not as self conscious about the colour of my teeth.
The system is easy to use, affordable and can be easily done from the comfort of your home. I felt supported by the entire Smile Brilliant team throughout the whole process as well as them providing me with tips and tricks to get the most out of the process. These tips included:
brushing your teeth with only water before applying the trays
whiten for 45 minutes to 3 hours a day (never overnight and never for greater than 3 hours)
rinse your trays with cool water
brush with a non-whitening toothpaste
avoid food and drinks that can cause stains
If you don’t like the thought of using teeth whitening kits and would prefer to visit the likes of a Cosmetic Dentist in Vista, CA, then this is still an option. What I would recommend you to do, is see which one suits your lifestyle best before making a quick, uninformed decision. Take your time and I hope you find your happy medium, reaching your goal of sparkly, white teeth! THE GIVEAWAY!
Want to win your own Smile Brilliant Kit? Enter now to win by clicking on the link below which will take you to Smile Brilliant to enter.
Don’t want to wait? Head over to Smile Brilliant to order now and receive 20% off your order using coupon code: workingmommyjournal20
Head over to Smile Brilliant now to learn more about their home teeth whitening system and to order your own. Make sure you are following them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest news and deals.
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
The adorable Shopkins, which are North America’s number one toy (and my niece’s favourite) are hitting the stage live in Canada in their Shopkins Live! Shop It Up! Tour.
About Shopkins Live! Shop It Up!
The beloved Shoppies make their theatrical debut in an original live show featuring musical performances by Jessicake, Bubbleisha, Peppa-Mint, Rainbow Kate, Cocolette, Polli Polish and more! The fun and fashionista Shoppies are joined by the Shopkins – Apple Blossom, Strawberry Kiss, Lippy Lips, Kooky Cookie, Poppy Corn, Slick Breadstick and Shady Diva. An ensemble cast of multi-talented performers brings the show to life on stage through urban style music, song and dance.
All of Shopville is in a tizz as preparations get underway for the annual, “Funtastic Food and Fashion Fair.” Shady Diva showcases her latest fashion designs; Lippy Lips gives colorful advice at the nail salon; Kooky Cookie tries to get in a beauty nap! No event is complete without a few hiccups! Who has high-jinxed the fashion pageant? Where is the super-secret celebrity guest? Will Slick Breadstick ever find a dance partner? The Shopkins and Shoppies need your help because as we all know – the show must go on!
Our Thoughts
Music, dancing and all of your favourite Shopkins characters can be found in this adorable live show now touring in Canada.
In this show, the Shoppies are given specific tasks to complete in order to make the festival a success. There is a fashion show to prepare, booths to finish off, sweet dishes to make and a special celebrity guest to meet. No one wants to disappoint the ever so cheeky Shady Diva (who was honestly my favourite part of the show, she had me in tears laughing with her cheekiness!). Jessicake is responsible for meeting the celebrity guest but in her rush to please Shady Diva assigns the task to Kooky Cookie and the guest disappears! They must work together to solve the mystery of the kidnapped celebrity and still pull off the show.
The show had a fantastic story line that was delivered extremely well. I found myself laughing out loud at the humour which was great for both parents and children a like. I loved the one liners like “This is not how we party!”, “OMGG” and “Can’t a cookie get some beauty rest”. I knew a bit about the Shopkins going into the show but my niece was an expert and would fill me in throughout the show on the characters names and what they are famous for. I was blown away by how much the children there knew about the Shopkins. The characters are beyond precious and I can relate to why young children LOVE them. Rainbow Kate was my favourite Shoppie with her burst of fresh air and optimism – you couldn’t help but smile when she came out.
While the show itself is full of humour and fun, it had some great underlying messages. We learned about friendships and sticking together because with our best friends by our sides we can do anything. We learned that it is okay to make a mistake but that you need to own up to your mistake, try to fix it and even apologize to others if it affected them. We also learned that we shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover – everyone has feelings and they can be easily hurt.
One of the most heart warming parts of the show was watching the young audience dancing in their seats, in the aisles, screaming (literally screaming) every time their favourite character came on stage. The Shoppies had a fantastic stage presence and really drew you into the show. You felt as though you were part of the action which is so important for young children who were enthralled by the characters. The Shoppies and Shopkins truly came to life for them and you could see the amazement in their faces.
This show is a definite must see for all young fans. The show runs until the end of this month in Canada, to find more tour dates head over to their website here.
You can also follow Shopkins Live! On Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest information.
Shopkins Live! Trailer
Disclosure: We received tickets to the show in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
On May 1st, Maya, the little bee with a big heart, is back for another adventure.
About Maya the Bee 2: The Honey Games
Maya The Bee 2: The Honey Games is based on the well-known children’s novel and popular animated series in Europe, Australia and Asia and offers an immersive cinematic adventure into a spectacular macroscopic world. A must-have for fans of all ages, the film is an instant classic that delivers wholesome family entertainment— emphasizing the importance of friendship, responsibility and courage.
After a slow harvest season, the very survival of the hive is threatened. Maya, and her sidekick, Willy, go to Buzztropolis, where the Empress invites them to participate in the Honey Games. But if they lose, the hive will have to give the Empress all of their summer honey! Needless to say, Maya and Willy’s teammates are neither enthusiastic nor athletic, but Maya remains positive and exclaims that “every bug has a talent!”.
Can Maya and Team Poppy win and secure her hive’s future? Only if Maya is able to gain new friends and learn about teamwork, accountability, and overcoming preconceived notion.
One of the best-known and beloved children’s brands of all-time, the stories of Maya The Bee have been passed down among generations of families for years. Originally a German children’s novel by Waldemar Bonsels, The Adventures of Maya the Bee was published over a hundred years ago in 1912. Since the original publishing, the book has been translated into many other languages and enjoyed by children all over the world. In addition to the book, Maya The Bee is also a comic book series, appeared in various iterations as animated series and now as major animated feature films.
Our Thoughts
Maya has to be the cutest little bee ever! This animated character has a very special message for children about teamwork, friendship and working together. She shares this message in her adventures and through her actions.
This DVD is all about teamwork and having the courage to go outside our comfort zone. Maya who isn’t as athletic as others has to compete in the Honey Games in order to save her hive. While this is daunting for her and her friends, Maya encourages them to do their best. Every person (or bee) has a special skill that makes them unique.
This is a fantastic family movie that makes for a fun family movie night. It is geared for younger children.
You can purchase an early copy of this DVD on Amazon.
Easter is just around the corner and you may be struggling to come up with ideas that are outside of the traditional giant chocolate eggs. You may have even left this to the last-minute as the season seemed to come up pretty quickly this year.
I love to create baskets that are personalized to the child and more than just sweets and chocolates as let’s face it, as parents we know our children don’t need anymore sweets – they get enough. But sometimes we may be at a loss on what to purchase and how much. I like to follow my three item checklist: something educational, something fun and then something sweet and delicious. But where do you start?
Here is your complete Easter basket checklist:
Know the child you are buying for! Sounds simple right? But a lot of times people forget this and get things that look cute and are Easter branded. Look at the child’s hobbies, extra curricular activities, their personality and their age. All of these factors will give you great clues into what to buy for them.
Set a budget and stick to it. We spend roughly $40 on each boy and $30 each for our niece and nephews. Now before you think that is too much you could easily blow that on chocolate alone for each child and we try to shy away from that.
Add in something educational. I love reading and always include at least one book in every gift that I give someone. Personalize the inside cover with a special message to make the book that much more memorable for the child.
Add in something fun – this is a must for kids of all ages. This year, we added in Zing’s Glove-A-Bubbles. These “bubble gloves” come in eight different animal themes including lion, alligator, hippo, elephant, dinosaur, panda, bunny and monkey. Each package comes with one glove and two bubble solutions for hours of active play. They are super easy to use (especially for younger kids who struggle with the bubble wands and their smaller fingers), just dip the glove that is on their hand into the solution and begin to wave it around to create bubbles. These super fun gloves come in at a great price of $3.99 Canadian and can be found at Amazon, Mastermind, Indigo, Giant Tiger and Canadian Tire. You can find even more unique and fun gifts for all year round at the Zing Store online.
Add in something sweet. Let’s face it while we can try to avoid the sweets as much as possible, the kids still expect a little something in their basket. I like to avoid the holiday commercialized sweets as much as possible and go for candies and chocolates that my children will actually eat. This means I pick up a couple of chocolate bars from the Dollar Store to add to the basket.
Pick a base. Now that you have all the items for your basket, you can choose the type of Easter basket you want to use. I have used everything from a traditional basket to a plastic basket to even a plant pot. I have also just used the green “grass” under the presents and wrapped the entire gift up in cellophane with no firm base at all.
Beautify it! Once the base is chosen, I like to add in the extras like green “grass” and some small plastic eggs around the gifts. Then wrap it all up in cellophane and tie it off with a bright bow in a colour of your choosing. Then display it proudly for Easter morning in a giant wooden basket.
What are your top choices of Easter basket gifts? Do you prefer sweets or choose practical gifts to add to your homemade basket?
Make sure to follow Zing on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all of the coolest new toys and games.
Disclosure: I received Glove-A-Bubbles in order to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
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