Author Archives: Stephanie

Worst Toys of 2011

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After reviewing 1,000s of toys this year, these particular products were rated the worst by our testers.

 

The Trash Pack. You collect tiny garbage cans. Honestly, that’s the game play. You collect  garbage. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AppBlaster. You attach your IPhone to the plastic gun for a more hands-on virtual shooting experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

True Heroes. “Nothing says Christmas more than automatic weapons and rocket launchers.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fake marshmallows and sticks. Come on. Would it kill you to buy the real thing?

 

 

 

 

Fake fish sticks. Bad enough we have to eat the real thing. 

 

 

 


 

Justin Bieber Real Hairstyle Doll. We kind of miss the molded plastic shag.

 

Real Construction Safety Nail Gun. Comes with 100 nails.  Really?

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a list of amazing toys visit www.toyportfolio.com

Classic Toys tomorrow on the Today Show: Take a Toy Inventory

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While there is certainly room for novelty this time of year, it’s also important to bring home toys that have lasting play value. The toys that make the cut tend to be the classics–and often more open-ended. These toys place your child at the center of the play experience. So instead of dolls that do all the talking, dolls that say nothing will be enjoyed for a longer period of time because they will say whatever your child wants them to say!  (The doll to the left is from Corolle Doll’s Calin line). We’ll be talking balls,  blocks, trains, art supplies and games!

Take a toy inventory:

1. Does your child have a variety of playthings? Having a lot of one type of toy (whether it’s dolls or trucks) will often lead to a chorus of “I have nothing to play with.”

2. Gender Free- Is your child’s play experience only pink? only blue?  We want boys to know how to be nurturing parents–so dolls are an important part of role playing “dad”.  On the flip side, we want our daughters to excel in math– so blocks and construction toys should be part of their play world as well.

3. Art supplies – Encourage their creative side. With budgets being cut in many schools, kids have fewer opportunities for painting, using clay, and drawing. Whether it’s a juicy box of new Crayola crayons or an interesting set of watercolor pencils from Faber Castell or eeBoo– find a way to bring them back to the arts.

4. Games– One of the best ways to unplug your family is to play a game together. We have dozens of great suggestions on our list. Find a couple that become part of your family’s entertainment.  I’m personally really a fan of Connect Four Launchers and Joanne’s favorite is almost anything with letters. She’s a beast at Upwords.  (Never quite referred to my mother that way–but you know what I mean).

Hot Toys on Today Show – Behind the Scenes

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This morning we headed back up to the studio to take another shot at talking about Hot Toys of the season. The segment had been bumped on Tuesday.  This time we got into the right car. On Tuesday we had gotten into a car that was headed to the airport -which should have been a signal to us that the rest of the morning was probably not going to go smoothly.

With Joanne (the best biz partner and mother!) outside the studio

We arrive at the Today Show. All was unusually quiet in the green room.   The Duggars had been there on Tuesday–making for a very crowded room!  This time Robert Pattinson was upstairs

Robert Pattinson visits Today Show

…we never got to see him but he certainly draws a crowd outside the studio. I always wonder about the fans that wait overnight to catch a glimpse.  I thought it was fitting that we were there with Mattel’s Monster High Dolls that are really part of the Twilightization of America. Our tween testers, many of whom have not read the books or seen the movies really still love these dolls.

Mattel's Monster High Doll Collection

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about them. They’re so over the top–but I’ve come around. Their focus is on character traits of each monster and how they navigate high school.  It’s less about their body image. I also like that there are boys in the line, and that Mattel participated in an anti-bullying campaign this year with the collection.   I certainly wouldn’t characterize them as beautiful dolls–but they do have a sense of humor that appeals to the 7 & up crowd.

Getting to know Let's Rock Elmo

Many of the kids who were scheduled to be on the segment on Tuesday came back today. We were very grateful to their parents!  We were also joined by some other families who quickly got into the swing of the segment.   I’d always rather do a segment with kids there–it just adds more energy and I think it’s useful to see kids actually playing with the toys we’re talking about.

Right before the segment

For complete reviews of the toys we showed on the segment, visit www.toyportfolio.com. You can also watch the segment on the Today Show by clicking here.

Natalie Morales, Stephanie Oppenheim and toy testers at the Today Show

One of our favorite testing families!

Elmo, The Duggars, and Lisa VanderPump- oh my!

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This morning my mother and I headed uptown to do a segment on the Today Show about the season’s hot toys. Let’s Rock Elmo is one of the toys we’re going to talk about. My overriding concern going uptown was the massive zit on my face.  Don’t you think at a certain age that you should get a pass on acne?  My hitting the Halloween candy hard last week probably didn’t help the situation…but still, I do believe that there should be a time limit on the whole adult acne thing.

The good news is that the AMAZING makeup artist Christine waved her magic brushes over my face (in other words spackle was used) and the zit was gone. Seriously–it’s pretty magical. My hair is done–all is good. The kids started arriving for the segment.

The Duggars graciously agreed to let two of their daughters join us. The Duggars were on the Today Show to announce that they were expecting baby #20!  Michelle Duggar and I had a  conversation about our respective cravings during pregnancy. I wondered if they changed over time.  I take my hat off to her–I can’t imagine twenty trips down that road.  She has a very calm core– also necessary to run a household with that many kids!

Our segment was bumped so we were scheduled to post-tape. So we had the kids in the studio, turning the toys on…but then it was decided  to have us back live on Thursday instead-so off we go.

So before we left, I went to the ladies room. And then Lisa VanderPump joined me as I was waiting my turn. She was very friendly.

I’ll own up to it, I am a RHWBH watcher. I don’t want to – but then I can’t stop myself.  It’s the sheer genius of Bravo programming. That’s probably a whole other blog posting. Anyway, I marveled at the seriously high Brian Atwood leopard print pumps she was wearing.  I’ve tried them on (not in the leopard print) –and while I think I look pretty silly in them, they looked great on her.  They make my Jimmy Choo’s look like they’re from the children’s department. For the record, most of these shoes are not in keeping with my feminist roots or my desire not to be crippled, but I also do enjoy being taller. So maybe I’m more a height-ist than a feminist.  I just always wonder whether  anyone finds these shoes comfortable?  In any case, Lisa looked terrific and was on the show to discuss her new book about entertaining.

We then went to visit the wonderful Richard Davies at ABC Radio to talk toys!

So even though I didn’t get to discuss the hot toys of the season on the Today Show yet, it was still a fun day.  The nexus of Michelle Duggar and Lisa Vanderpump–now that’s pretty intense. Tune in Thursday morning in the 9 o’clock hour to see our segment!

 

 

 

Hot Toys for 2011: Watch our segment on TODAY

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Tomorrow morning I’ll be sharing some of our award winners that are what the media calls “hot toys.” These toys are often the ones your kids see again and again on tv commercials.  Hot toys tend to be more about novelty than anything else, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with some novelty, it shouldn’t be the only type of toy your child receives for the holiday.  A playroom full of novelty toys will invariably result in a chorus of  “I have nothing to play with” before the Christmas tree is removed from your house.

That said, we always look at the toys that we know will get a great deal of hype. Do they work as well as they do on the commercials?  I remember one year a doll that was supposed to flip and flip — but only really did one flip and that was with a great deal of assistance. Not exactly what the commercial promised. The toys on our “hot” list are products that our toy testers really enjoyed.

Hot toys can take on a life of their own during the holiday season. Many lists are generated by toy retailers – this tends to be more about marketing than full reviews about the toys themselves.  Hot toys provide the perfect “toy story” and is often the first question we’re asked this time of year, “so what’s the hot toy of the season?”

This type of toy frenzy doesn’t always mean the toy is right for your child. Furby, for example, got so much buzz from a Wired Magazine piece even before it hit a single toy store in this country.  And while it was the toy to get, it certainly wasn’t the ideal toy for toddlers who would have been a little frightened by the gremlin-like nature of the toy.  Grown-up collectors can also fan the fire of a toy- this can also lead to ridiculous prices on-line.

While no one toy seems to have taken on the mantel of the “it” toy of the season, there are several that are getting lots of buzz – from the latest Elmo (he now wants to be a rock star) to amazing Star Wars LEGO builds or a remote control flying Shark. If any of these toys are on your child’s wish list, our suggestion is to buy them early. As was the case last year, inventories are not particularly deep.

For full reviews of those we recommend, please visit our website at www.toyportfolio.com.

And be sure to check out our full list of Platinum, Gold, Blue Chip and SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Product) Award winners.

 

Massive LEGO MAN on the beach

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Why does the concept of something  little becoming really big always fascinate?  Check out the video of an 8′ tall LEGO MAN wash up on the beach in Florida. You can read more about local reaction here from Baynews9.

We reached out to the folks at LEGO – they said: “That activity is not sponsored or endorsed by The LEGO Group or its affiliates.”  Turns out it is the work of a Dutch artist.

Either way, it’s great fun.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears…for real

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This weekend I had owned up to my husband that I have had a recurring nightmare- that a lion was in my childhood backyard in the Catskills.  All analysis aside,  I also realized that it was one of the dreams that I wasn’t sure was just a dream for a long time.  In all fairness, we  did have a very large bear walk across the front yard.   So when I heard the news this morning that there are wild animals loose in Ohio…I simply looked at my husband and said “see!”

Today Show: Barbie and a “tramp stamp”

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On the Today Show this morning there was a segment that  discussed a Barbie doll that had a tattoo on her back.  One expert wondered if she had a tramp stamp (we couldn’t really see if she did).   At first, the panel wondered if the doll was really a Barbie from Mattel.  While the issue has stirred up strong opinions all day on the blogosphere, the use of tattoos in toyland is not really all that new.

Temporary tattoos are common at children’s events and you can buy many kits from reputable companies that offer themed tattoos.  So I was a little surprised by the uproar.

This new Barbie is for real.  She’s called Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie. The set includes a Barbie and 40  temporary tattoos that kids can place on Barbie or themselves.

Would this make our list? No.  We’re not big on tattoos or role-playing wearing one. Some of this is generational and some of it is just a matter of personal taste. Tattoos fall in the realm of grown-up decisions…and much like our opposition to breast-feeding dolls, we don’t think that young children need to role play all aspects of being an adult. On the other hand, there are many young moms with tattoos that may have no problem with this type of role play.

I should note that  Barbie with a tattoo bothers me much less than a  Barbie that has a light-up bustier top (a la Katy Perry) – and I mean literally lights up.  Watch our video of her. Somehow this seems less empowering to me.

Barbie's shirt (stars) light up

 

Why I love Instagram

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For a couple of months I’ve been really loving the photos posted by some of my relatives via the app Instagram. I was amazed by their artistic ability–and the energy, spirit, and whimsy of the photos. So besides spending time on Twitter for the last few weeks, I decided to try Instagram with my iPhone. I love it.

Here are my reasons for recommending that you try it:

1. It’s really easy to use. If you can take a picture with your smartphone, you’ll be fine. You can either take a picture within the Instagram APP or you can use your phone’s camera and import into Instagram.

2. Once you have your picture–the fun begins. You can use any of their filters. For a while I was pretty much hooked on the 1977 filter that made me feel like I should put on a Velour sweater and the BeeGees. Trust me, if you were alive in 1977, you’ll use it and say–hey, that is what the world looked like.  I’ve now branched out to use other filters: Kelvin, Amaro, Earlybird, Sufro, Lomo II, etc.  It gives your photo a much more professional look. I just feel freer to take pictures.  I can play with the filters without having to take a course in Photoshop or devote more than a few moments to the process.

3. All of the above is fun–but here’s what I really love about Instagram.  It really allows me to travel the country, the world, and even my own neighborhood via a worldwide group of photographers. Some are professional…and I enjoy seeing the shots that will probably be seen shortly in Travel & Leisure or Architectural Digest, but I equally enjoy looking at pictures taken by regular folks. You can use the search engine to find almost anything. I realized that I was fascinated by images of Ferris Wheels–there are literally thousands of pictures of them – in all kinds of light, in all parts of the world.  (Much like twitter, you can hashtag your images to make them searchable to others.)

4. Every so often I take a little stroll somewhere (some of the best work seems to be from Japanese photographers) or look at something (flowers, insects from Brazil).

5. Global reach. Now I know we have other ways to reach out and feel part of the global community–but actually seeing what captures someone’s attention in a place I’ve been to or probably will never see with my own eyes–feels like a treat. I also don’t need to know the people or really interact (there is a space for comments–but it isn’t the focus of the site).

6. What are you capturing? My own pictures seem to be a mix of New York City, flowers, fashion, and toys. Not too surprising.

So if you haven’t tried it, take a look.