Nutri Ninja and Ninja Blender with Auto-iQ Review

Recently, we overworked our humble little blender and it quit on us. We asked it to make too may shakes, smoothies and cold-coffee drinks. I think that Dan and I had received it when we were first married over a decade ago.  So, I guess it had a good run and now we needed a new blender.  Every time I would visit the store determined to make a purchase - I would change my mind and return home empty handed. I just didn't want to put time and money into a blender that wouldn't last through all of the work we needed out of one. We needed something durable, strong and efficient. It needed to blend shakes while still leaving them thick but still be powerful enough to crush ice.  In a way, we needed it to be intelligent enough to just read our minds and know what we wanted it to do.   Also, I needed a new food processor as someone (me) accidentally dropped mine down the stairs.

The Ninja Blender System with Auto-iQ seemed to be our answer.  It sounded great and has quite a  list of impressive features. As we unpacked the box, we quickly realized that this was a heavy-duty, serious business blender!

Auto-iQ

Auto-iQ™ programs do the work for you—there's no more need to shake, stir, or mix. Simply select your favorite Auto-iQ™ program and in seconds you're ready to Jump-Start your day!

This was important to us as it eliminated the guess work.  Our previous blender had a handful of buttons which we randomly used but were never sure when to use which button or how long to hold it down.

Nutrient and Vitamin Extraction

Ninja® Auto-iQ™ Technology combined with Pro Extractor Blades™ and Ninja® power break down whole foods, ice & seeds for maximum nutrient & vitamin extraction in the Nutri Ninja® Cups.

We loved this added benefit! Not only are we wanting foods and drinks that we can enjoy - we also make an effort to intake the right nutrients for our bodies which includes a lot of fun homemade smoothies and juices. The Nutri Ninja uses the same base as the blender and we can use either attachment seamlessly which helps to keep clutter down while still enjoying several appliances in one.

Smoothie Recipes:

Healthy Fruit Smoothies: 35 Low Calorie, Healthy Smoothies Made With Your Favorite Fruits

Chocolate Green Smoothies and Other Green Smoothies That Actually Taste Good

Superfood Smoothies: 100 Delicious, Energizing and Nutrient-dense Recipes

Precision Processing

You do not need to be a seasoned chef or a skilled knife handler to prepare delicious meals. Our Auto-iQ™ Pulse setting delivers timed, consistent, precision chopping so you never have to worry about over processing. Get even, consistent chopping and mixing results, every time. The precision processing function is great for quickly chopping vegetables for soups or to top salads, making food prep easy!

The processor that someone (me - I'm always dropping things) dropped down the basement stairs and completely destroyed was older and a little temperamental. It seemed a bit sluggish and I'm sure I never used it correctly. The Ninja has spoiled me and now I don't feel so bad for dropping my food processor. The pulse was amazing for creating delicious treats, dips and truffles this holiday season! It also had a blade for my dough!

I love that we were able to get so much usage from our Ninja Blender set. However, if you don't need all of the accessories you can find a set the fits your kitchen and lifestyle. Check out the Nutri Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ here.











I received this product for review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy here.

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Day at the Beach - Holiday Toy List

In a way, this play set made me desperately wish we were at the beach! The bright colors really pulled me away from the gloomy winter days that we've been having and into the memories of our trips to the ocean.

Day at the Beach is a magnetic building set that features a walk-up cafe window, surf shop double doors, lifeguard stand, surfboard workshop, food prep kitchen, cafe seating, surf scene, beach gear, rescue gear, outfits, tools, and yummy food!

This is a high quality construction set that allows children to not only create their own stories but to re-imagine and re-design the scene each time they play. The kids had a great time constructing different layouts. The Day at the Beach was designed with girls in mind, but Joey enjoyed playing with the set as well.

I like how easy it is to assemble and disassemble. It was easy for the kids to create different scenes and then to pack up and store once playtime was over.

Build a Scene and Imagine Countless Stories!

Emily and Lucas can’t wait for their day at the beach working at the surfside café and shop. Between running the café window, the surf shop register, and the lifeguard stand, there is always action to keep them busy. After the lunch rush, they catch a few waves to try out Emily's latest surfboard designs.

Day at the Beach includes:

• Emily and Lucas dolls
• 10 illustrated building panels
• More than 40 action packed magnetic accessories

Rich Imaginative Play

Build & Imagine play-sets contain illustrated scenes that children can build, decorate, and use as a backdrop for imaginative play with the included dolls. We call them StoryWalls, because it’s like building a storybook setting in 3-D and then jumping in to play!

Open-Ended Building

With Build & Imagine StoryWalls, kids aren’t limited to one design—they can quickly reconstruct the structure into whatever design suits them. They can also change the context of their story with magnetic accessories that stick to the floors, walls, and dolls. Or combine multiple play-sets to build a larger scene.

Develops Foundational Skills

The layered play experience creates long-term engagement to hold your child’s attention and helps to develop foundational language and engineering skills, including spatial reasoning, problem solving, and creativity.

Build & Imagine offers several different StoryWalls. You can find them here. This is a toy that I've used in our classroom for downtime and to entertain young children in my care. It's great for the imagination and entertainment!

Build & Imagine StoryWalls develop early engineering skills including:

• Spatial Reasoning
• Experimentation
• Creativity & Design

Build & Imagine StoryWalls are easy to setup, cleanup, and store. The panels allow for limitless combinations, and you can expand your structure and story with additional sets.

I was provide a Build & Imagine Day at the Beach StoryWall for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

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Pirate Pursuit - Holiday Toy List

This past summer, we took a short ride on a "pirate ship" during our beach vacation. Ever since then, Joey has been fascinated with anything and everything pirate. So, he was excited when Pirate Pursuit arrived.

Pirate Pursuit is a pirate track game with a wind-up pirate galleon to sail around the treasure island. Be the first player to fill your loot bag with coins from the treasure chest before the pirates catch up with you in their galleon! For 2 to 4 players. Contents: game board, wind-up pirate galleon, 4 loot bag boards, 24 play coins, 4 pirate counters with stands, dice, dice shaker, guide.

Each players chooses a character and a loot bag. The goal is to fill your loot bag with coins first. Players take turns rolling the die and moving across the board trying to collect coins and not lose any!



We often do a family-game-night with the extended family. I think I'll take this along next time for the children to play! Want to try Pirate Pursuit? You can find it on
Amazon!

Random Like: You know how a lot of board games fold up and fit inside their box? I thought it was neat that the Pirate Pursuit board went together and disassembled like a puzzle! Four pieces fit together to make the board and are then easily taken apart for storage. It always drives me nuts when a board game finally breaks in half from overuse or misuse. I thought that was a neat way of designing the game board.






* I received Pirate Pursuit for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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Mexican Train Game - Holiday Toy List

I was so excited to finally have the chance to play the Mexican Train game. My dad has talked about it for several years after having a co-worker introduce him to it. He loves this game and hadn't been able to find the 'right one'. He had wanted all of us to play this for a family-game-night, but I guess it just isn't the same if you don't have the original. Now, we have the original Mexican Train game and all is right with the world.

It's been quite a while since I've played any sort of game that involved dominoes and Joey heard the word 'train', so he was in! The game is fun and a little addicting. It can also last for quite a while just depending on how things go. So, do prepare yourself for that!

The object of the game is to keep your train moving all the way to victory! Lay out a chain of dominoes (called trains) from the center domino piece, or add pieces to the group’s common chain (The Mexican Train). The first player to finish playing wins! There are many ways to block the trains along the way – so beware of obstacles!

Want to try the Mexican Train game for yourself? You can find the Mexican Train game by Tactic on Amazon. Mexican Train Game

* I received the Mexican Train game for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon - Holiday Toy List!

The Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon is one of my top picks for this year's Holiday Toy List. It's versatile, easy to store and transport - and the kids love the different seating options.

Having a 2-in-1 Journey wagon comes in handy whether you have one, two or three children in tow.  The versatility allows the bigger kids to pile in when the seats are folded down or we can bring the seats up and safely buckle the two-year-old. It give him a place to comfortably sit and feel like a big boy with his own seat and cup holder. I like that this model also has cup holders on the front of the wagon for my water bottle, smoothie or coffee.

When I was a youngster, I had a Radio Flyer Wagon as well. I loved my wagon! It served as a vehicle (I would make my brother and sister push it from behind while I steered it with the handle), I used it as a "pioneer wagon" where I made bricks (which were actually just globs of mud), and it was a tent once I stacked outdoor furniture and plastic swimming pools over it. My fondest memories were of my mother pulling my siblings and I in it as we walked (she walked and tugged and pulled) to Grandma's house.

My children have enjoyed playing with Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon, riding it in, pulling their younger cousins around the yard and using it for trips to the library. Imagine it loaded with books! I think Savannah feels very much like Matilda walking down the sidewalk with a wagon full of books behind her.

It's also great for toting items (and kiddos) around during trips to the playground, park, amusement parks, festivals, fairs, etc...

The The Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon features:

• 2 wagons in 1-seats fold up or down for a comfortable ride or maximum hauling capacity
• Seatbelts for added safety,8.5" quiet ride tires
• 4 cup holders for easy access to drinks and snacks
• Extra-long handle folds over for easy storage
• Extra under seat storage

You can snatch up your Radion Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon on Amazon!

* I received the Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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