Are you looking for something new to do with your family? How about creating a 3D mechanical wooden model? UGears and Wooden City both make moveable wooden models that do not require glue and are eco friendly. Forget about those old plastic models from the craft store. Try creating an elaborate wooden reproduction of a windmill, jeep, train, or just about anything else. And, the fun doesn’t end once you are finished creating your item.

The pieces come on a slim wood slab. Press the perforations to release the individual pieces. They are numbered and the instructions are easy to follow. The pieces are then press-fitted together. While this sounds super easy, think again. It’s not difficult but it is time consuming and a wonderful family project.

There are many different items to create. Putting them together is only half of the fun. Once they have been created, these objects are then moveable.

If you put together the UGears Locomotion, there are spinning gears, pistons that move, and the train becomes another fun item in your house, not to mention the fact that the kids will be able to brag that they helped create it. If you have a child who wants to create something by themselves, there are some UGears 4 Kids kits that are not as intricate as the other kits. Kids can use their own markers or paint to paint them when they are done putting them together. This company, out of Ukraine, started the moveable wooden model industry that has become a fun activity for all ages. UGears has won several Family Choice Awards!

Wooden City (from Poland) came around a few years after UGears and have designed their own great 3D models to create moveable objects. The Ferris Wheel is especially interesting once it has been assembled. It really works. Or try assembling your own Jeep, with moving wheels and parts. There are 569 individual parts in the Jeep (4X4) kit. The company says it should take about 12 hours to make this wooden vehicle. Talk about a great family undertaking. The Mill (Windmill) has 222 parts and when assembled the blades do rotate just like a real one.

Both UGears and Wooden City offer a variety of wooden model kits, ranging in size and price. With levers, gears, wheels, etc., they become moveable fun once they have been assembled.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

HALO has some interesting, easy to use, and quite helpful products. They also make great and thoughtful gifts.

The HALO Bolt AC/DC Portable Charger & Car Jumper is useful for everyone. After all, electricity does go out from time to time. This portable unit can run your 120 Volt devices and your tech products with USB plugs. It also comes with jumper cables to instantly charge your car’s battery without the need for another car. It’s handy and useful. Parents will undoubtedly want one for each of their kids. It is also something that is necessary in each car. Think about being able to recharge your car’s battery without the assistance of another vehicle. It’s safer than waiting on a dark road for another car to come help you jump the batteries or for AAA to arrive. Just hook up the battery to the BOLT and voila. And when the electricity goes out for whatever reason, you can connect a lamp, tablet, or something else and have access to the news, in case the power is out due to weather or an earthquake. The BOLT AC/DC comes in a variety of colors.

The HALO Powerbuds Wireless Earbuds with Built-in Portable Power comes with three sizes of ear tips. It also has Bluetooth and a USB-to-Micro USB cable. The Bluetooth makes this an especially handy unit because you can now take your music with you and not have to be tethered to your device.

HALO makes a Powerhub, which is a portable charging station that can charge up to six USB devices at the same time. At 5” wide and 5” long with a height of just under two inches, it can easily tuck away when not needed, but it is attractive enough to set out on your counter or shelf. They come in several colors.

For portable charging any time any place, the HALO Lipstick Portable Chargers fit the bill for women who don’t want to carry a clunky charger in their purses. These actually do look like lipsticks. When your phone is about to run out of power, simply pull out your lipstick charger with the cable. These sets of two chargers come in three color combinations. Men are can use them, obviously, however they were created for women to slip into their purse or pocket without calling attention to their use.

The HALO Portable Powerpatch is the easy way to power your cell phone. How many times have you had to quit taking photos on a vacation or at a party because your phone was running out of power. And when you see that dreaded “low power” alert but have some calls to make, you don’t have to worry if you have this device. Because it sticks onto a smooth surface, it can stick on your phone so you can hold them together. How handy is that? There are a variety of color options for the powerpatch.

Any and all of these devices are great for kids going off to college. They are useful for the entire family too. HALO has created several useful tools that are necessary in this age of technology when we rely on so many things but most importantly, power. Power is the key today, and HALO has the power you need.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

If you haven’t heard that there is a sequel to The Incredibles (2004) coming out this summer, you have been living under a rock. The crime-fighting family returns for Incredibles 2, an all new adventure and yes, baby Jack-Jack is front and center. ShopDisney and the Disney Stores have some great products with all the characters and many pieces of clothing to make your entire family an incredible family.

The line of T-shirts is a great way to dress up your entire family – or just one person – even if you don’t have super powers. You can wear the Incredibles Logo or a design for each character. Plus, there are plenty of baby onsies and bodysuits so your own little bundle of joy and turn into an incredibly adorable super baby.

And speaking of super baby, Jack-Jack has been adored by all since he first appeared in the original movie. The small plush is sure to be adored by the kids in your family. He is dressed in his red suit and wears his black mask. The tuft of hair on top of his head is soft and fluffy. I have no doubt this little fellow will be spending a lot of nights under the covers with plenty of little kids this summer. His smile will put a smile on anyone’s face.

And for even more Jack-Jack fun, the Jack-Jack Fightin’ Fun Light-Up Talking Plush will make everyone laugh right along with this little guy. His eyes light up and he laughs and jabbers as he shuffles along. This is really an adorable toy. He is dressed in his red suit, dons his black mask, and wears his raccoon slippers. So darn cute! And that laugh is infectious!

This Halloween – yes it’s a little while away but… – the family can dress as the Incredibles. There are costumes for everyone.

Children might make their beds if they have an Incredibles comforter. This depicts all the characters and comes in Twin size. There are also Incredibles sheets as well. With Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack, nighttime will be an incredible experience. (yes, pun intended) And with pajamas for the entire family, everyone will be able to have an incredibly good night’s sleep.

For the entire selection of Incredibles merchandise, go to the ShopDisney website.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

The popular Animators’ Collection from ShopDisney has been around for a little while. They are miniature homes for the characters in the line. So far they have offered a micro play set for Ariel (underwater castle), Tinker Bell (woodland home), Belle (cottage), Snow White (cottage), the Frozen sisters (castle), and now Lilo’s house. Every set includes several characters and accessories that all fit into the portable homes and each set includes a surprise figure.

The new Lilo Surprise Feature Playset has all of these and more. Yes, there is still a surprise item included in the set, along with Lilo, Stitch, Scrump, a wagon, record player, and Lilo’s bed. But wait. There is a new surprise. Stitch activates the front door, which swings open when he sits on a specific location. And when he sits on another location the house lights up. And the third location starts “The Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” song. The batteries are included and when they run down it’s easy to replace them through the little hidden door on the bottom of the house.

Lilo’s house is colorful and portable. When the back is opened, it turns into a little playhouse for the micro dolls. There is a surfboard inside however it’s not moveable. It is attached to the wall.

The only way to activate the music, light, and door is by placing Stitch on the Plumeria flower designs on the floor. Your finger won’t do it, nor will anything else. Stitch is the only one who can activate the special features. What else would you expect from Experiment 626?

Lilo’s playset, along with the others in the line, are great for traveling. They’re compact and every one has a little handle for tiny hands to hold while carrying to the car, a play date, or grandma’s house. The electronic features make this a special set and hopefully there will be more electronic play sets coming down the road. They are just an added element to these already fun sets.

Because the characters and accessories are small, these play sets are for ages 3+.

Those clever folks at ShopDisney have once again outdone themselves with the added elements in this playset.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

There’s a new invention that makes life a lot easier for busy moms. It’s the MyPhonePouch. So, what is this new product? It’s a simple flip-over pouch with pockets, weighted down on one side to stay comfortably on your waistband. How simple is that? It’s a wonder no one thought of this before.

With the MyPhonePouch, simply attach it to your belt or waistband, insert your cell phone, keys, credit card, driver’s license, or whatever else you might need. There are pockets that snap to keep your items secure. Now you’re ready to go for a walk, to the playground, to the store, or to the gym and you don’t have to carry anything. Your phone and other items are safely secure on your waist. You’re now hands-free.

Not only is this product easy to use, it’s also comfortable. Whether you’re driving or walking, it stays put and doesn’t interfere with whatever you’re doing.

Imagine taking your child to the playground. From now on you don’t have to take a wallet or your purse. You can simply attach this unit to your pants (even yoga pants) and go. You’re hands are free and when you need to make a call or check your texts, just slip your phone out of the pouch, then slip it back in when you’re finished. This is actually a great little invention for moms on the go.

But not only is this perfect for moms, it’s also a great product to use when you’re in your office. With everyone walking around holding their cell phones, you can be the one who doesn’t have to hold anything. Your phone is tucked away on your waist. And women aren’t the only ones who will benefit from the pouch. Men can use it too.

It’s crazy these days. Everywhere you look people are holding their phones. What did we all do before cell phones were invented? (We got along just fine.) But now people are almost attached – literally – to their phones. With the MyPhonePouch, you can keep your phone with you but you don’t have to hold it. What a great idea. And you won’t have to search for it when you get a call and can’t locate your phone in your purse. Come on, admit it. There have been times when you can’t easily reach your phone. It happens to most of us.

If you have a teenager, think about getting a pouch for them. It makes it less difficult to lose their phone when they don’t have to find a place to keep it. It will always be on their hip. And it’s less likely to be stolen when it’s tucked in the pouch and not being held.

The MyPhonePouch comes in a variety of sizes and colors. Select the right one for your specific phone. They’re made in the USA, well designed and well crafted, and machine washable. Check out their website for sizes and purchasing information. This is definitely a handy product.
About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

The line of stainless steel food containers from ECOLunchboxes are handy, well made, and attractive. And, they are plastic-free. Lately it has been discovered that we have been ingesting plastic when we drink water from plastic bottles. Well, that may be true for other plastic items as well. With these ECOlunchboxes, Bento boxes, containers and other items, you can rest assured there is no plastic to ingest.

There are a variety of containers and container collections. To date they have sold more than 485,000 containers that are environmentally friendly, and most importantly, plastic-free. Check out their 3 in 1 Splash Box set, each with a leak-proof silicone lid and stainless steel containers. They nest together making them handy and convenient to store when not in use. Plus, they are dishwasher-safe.

After using these containers, you will most likely want to replace all your plastic containers with the ECOlunchboxes. There are shapes and sizes to fit almost anything you want.

With the variety of sizes, it is easier than ever to pack a nutritious lunch for your child. Since they are leak proof, you can easily put some hummus in one and some celery or carrot sticks in another for a healthy snack. Or put some tuna salad in one and some crackers in another. And when you’re off to the office and want a healthy lunch for yourself, simply put a salad in the large container and dressing in another. Whatever you put inside you can be assured it won’t leak. The snap-on silicone lids are sturdy and secure.

With these eco-friendly containers, the oceans are cleaner and you are safe from plastics, which is a big concern these days. They are easy to nest/stack/store, clean, and leak proof. The next time you need a housewarming gift or are invited to a party, think about a set of ECO-lunchboxes. They are a thoughtful gift.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter