Playskool Heroes Jurassic World Dino Tracker!

IMG_0517The hype behind Jurassic World is real. The movie is exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you have been busy all summer I suggest you get a chance to see it on the big screen before it’s too late. Fortunately for my little ones they get to bring the action home thanks to Hasbro’s line of Playskool Heroes!

This four piece set includes the Dino Tracker 4X4 with working Dino Tracking Technology this vehicle emits a red light showing the dino footprints needed to track and capture the included Velociraptor figure. You can secure the raptor in the included cage that attaches to the Dino Tracker. And let’s not forget the hero of our adventure. He does not have a name listed on the box but we like to pretend it’s Owen from the movie.

What I really like about this toy is that it has very simple pieces. Things do not get too complicated for my daughter and son to figure out. The vehicle rolls great and the cage actually stays attached. My son let out a squeal of excitement when we unboxed the raptor. His bright orange color make him easy to spot by any child. One thing you will probably notice is that Hasbro has done an excellent job at making this vehicle work with other Playskool Heroes figures. Such as the Marvel or Star Wars characters. The figures fit perfectly with Owen and the Dino Tracker, making an expanded Jurassic/Marvel/Star Wars universe a possibility.

IMG_0589Making these toys compatible with each other is every kids dream. It keeps things in scale and a lot more fun for the kids. We as parents spend hours upon hours making sure our children’s toys are separated. Action figures in this box, cars in another, ponies in another. Adults like to keep things clean and organized. But let’s be real, kids like to use their imagination, and if that means Twilight Sparkle is being hunted by Spider-Man riding the Dino Tracker than so be it!

There is also a Dino Copter that you can purchase to go along with the Dino Tracker. It has a figure and a dinosaur to go with it as well. Check out the images below to see both of these great toys in high quality!

jurassic-world-deluxe-vehicle-tracker-4x4 Jurassic World Deluxe Vehicle - Dino Tracker Copter

Hasbro provided St. Louis Dad with this product as compensation in exchange for an honest review. Please visit Hasbro.com for more toys, games, and other products your children will sure to enjoy!

Boo Bar Treats for Halloween!

chewy.comThis month Chewy has the perfect treat for your doggies this Halloween season. Boo Bar treats are a mix of pumpkin and cinnamon baked together with whole grains, fruits, and veggies. Made by The Blue Buffalo Co. these were very loved by both Clark and Miss Lady. Too be perfectly honest I wasn’t optimistic about these treats at first. I wasn’t sure the dogs would like a pumpkin and cinnamon flavored treat. Like usual, I was wrong. The dogs loved them and were begging for them every time we got them out.

IMG_0444Holiday themed treats are a fantastic way to switch it up from the normal treats you may get for your dogs. If you get to enjoy some pumpkin in your latte, why not give your pets a nice pumpkin and spice treat too! These would be great to give out to any dogs that may be out trick or treating (with their owners permission of course).

Again, like some of the other dog treats we get, we had to put these ones up so the kids could not see them. The fun packaging can really fool those that cannot read yet. My son Alex threw a nice tantrum when we would not give him a treat. He is only 19 months right now so he just doesn’t understand, and it’s kinda funny when you think about it. I’m sure he would probably think these are pretty tasty too! We’ll keep them away from him just in case.

Chewy.com provided St. Louis Dad with these products as compensation in exchange for an honest review. Please visit Chewy.com for more toys, treats, and other items needed for your pets!

National Live Life Adventurously Day!

Go Ape, the tree top adventure course has a great offer coming up in just a little over a week. With every ticket you purchase for September 27, Go Ape will donate one to Big Brothers Big Sisters. They are promoting National Live Life Adventurously Day. What better way to do something that you’ve never done before. On September 27th Go Ape is challenging you to live life adventurously and share that inspiration with a child. 

I was invited out to try out the course but unfortunately my schedule won’t allow it. But I will see what I can do on the 27th to take on the challenge. I encourage you to try out something new that day as well. Share with the world you can lived your life adventurously!

GoApeaAD

Get Your Fair Fix With Homemade Funnel Cake

IMG_0465Did you get a chance to go out this weekend to the many different fairs and festivals in the St. Louis and surrounding area to enjoy this beautiful weather we’ve been having? Not in St. Louis? Then what about your neck of the woods?

While I did not get to make it down to LouFest, my family was able to enjoy a lot of fun at HarvestFest. The kids did all of the fun stuff that you could do at a small little festival. The kids enjoyed pony rides, feeding baby goats, jumping around in bounce houses, playing in the bubble bus, doing crafts and games, eating candy and other junk food, taking a train ride, and more!

If you were stuck at home and couldn’t make it out then why not bring some of that delicious fair food to your own kitchen? Check out this recipe for my absolutely favorite fair food, Funnel Cake! There are many funnel cake recipes out there, so if this one doesn’t suit your needs, a quick Google search will send you thousands of results. My recipe is easy and does not require as many ingredients as others posted online. It’s deliciously simple, so I hope you’re hungry!

What you will need:

1 egg
1 1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/14 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups of oil
powder sugar or other toppings

Directions:

Begin by pouring 2 cups of oil into a deep pan. We used vegetable oil in a 2 inch deep cast iron skillet. I’m sure you could use a deep fryer or something else to hold the oil. Just make sure you keep everyone safe. Funnel cake cooks fast so be sure your temperatures are set correctly and that you can pay attention to what you are doing. This is a great recipe to do with the kids but always remember that when your cooking with oil safety is very, very, important. So turn the heat up to about medium and let the oil warm up while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

IMG_0450First mix all of your dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly. The next step is to mix your egg and milk together. Once your wet mix is ready slowly add your dry mix to the egg/milk while slowly mixing together to keep a smooth creamy mixture. Once you have all of the ingredients mixed you have a few options of how you can start making your funnel cake.

One of the more popular options is to use a freezer bag and cut a small tip off of a corner so you can “pipe” the mixture into the oil. Since we love our funnel cake we actually have a funnel cake container for pour the mix (check out the picture below with the lovely Strawberry Shortcake). So go load up your container and test your oil to see if it is hot enough yet. You can do this by taking just a sprinkle of flour and dropping it into the oil. If it starts to sizzle you’re good to go.

IMG_0456Pour your mix into the oil in a spiral, zig-zag, or whatever design you want. It only takes a few minutes to cook so be sure to keep a watchful eye on the funnel cake. You will want to flip it once so both sides become a nice light golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel or something else to drain up the excess oil and cover with your favorite topping.

We like to keep it simple and use powder sugar but there are some that like to use honey, caramel, blue berries, strawberries, and more. The directions above will make around five decently sized funnel cakes.

Did you try out my recipe? What are your favorite funnel cake toppings? Share your comments below!

P.s. I apologize for the pictures of my crazy looking kitchen. We work with what we got!