Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Who's ready for the Ever After High Thronecoming?




My daughter and I were fortunate enough to receive (free of charge) the Ever After High Thronecoming Briar Beauty Doll and Furniture Set from Mattel to test out and give our opinions*. My daughter (9 years old) is a huge fan of the Monster High and Ever After dolls. She is actually on a mission to collect as many of the dolls as she can and is currently at over 80 dolls. I consider her to be an 'expert' in this field. 


Briar Beauty fits in the
binding of the book.
How cleaver!
 
So excited!! 
When the box arrived my daughter was so excited. It comes in a big box.  My 1st thought when I saw the product was how clever the design was - the book opening up to make a playset. I love how the doll can be stored in the binding of the "book". It all folds down & opens up for 2 rooms of play and an outside. 
It was very easy to get out of the box and assemble. The pieces all fit and worked well. The directions could have been a little more detailed, but it was easy enough to figure out. The Briar Beauty doll (who is the daughter of Aurora, or better known as Sleeping Beauty) is very pretty and very detailed. Her mask fits in her hand well and can easily be used to hold up against her face. 

We love the holes for
the items to sit on the table
without falling off!
One of my favorite features that sets this apart from other playsets is that it has holes in the tables for the items (cups, cake, etc) to be placed in. This is a big plus. With all our other playsets where things are placed on tables, etc., the slightest movements usually send the items scattering. I love that you can snap the items into the holes and they stay put. I hope they continue to make playsets with this feature. 

Another plus is that all the pieces can be broken down and stored into the bottom of the bed with all the pieces fitting well inside for easy, compact storage. As a mother who is constantly picking up toys and pieces o playsets, this is definitely a nice touch! 

My only complaint is the cardboard "furniture" like the turntable and the flower piece that pops out on the top in the bedroom. 
Turntable made of cardboard. One of my only complaints
While my daughter is extremely careful with her dolls and playsets, I can see these items tearing/ripping/falling apart with others who are not as careful. I think these could have been made of plastic that folded, rather than the cardboard. Aside from that, it is a wonderfully designed playset.

The price tag of $50 is a little much, but I realize you get the doll, the book & playset with furniture. I think around the $35-$40 range would be more appropriate. However, my daughter absolutely loves the Ever After Thronecoming. As soon as it was put together, she got her other Ever After High dolls and started playing with it for hours. All in all it is a very fun & well designed playset and a great addition to the Ever After High line.
hours of Ever After High fun!










*While I was given a free product, all opinions are truthful and my own 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Welcome to my Blog!

I decided to finally take the plunge and start my own blog. I mean why not? Everyone's doing it, right? So I thought about what I love the most ... my family and saving money, and decided I will share with you my savings adventures. I will also be giving reviews of free products I get asked to try through various sites I belong to. I also have a group on Facebook for Holiday savings if you would like to  get in on the deals from there as well ...
From time to time I will also share my adventures with my family ... we are always searching for our next adventure!
taken at Oak Alley Plantation (June 2014) in Vacherie,  LA