MY FIRST PRODUCT REVIEW - Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets & Nerf Peyton Manning Vortex Mega Howler

So a few weeks back a request went out on Twitter asking if anyone was interested in doing a product review for some Easter basket gift ideas and I said, "SURE! I'm interested!" I got in touch with a woman named Catherine and the rest, as they say, is history -- here I am diving head first into the land of product reviews and this first review of mine was F-U-N!

Because I have two children - one boy and one girl - who are a couple years apart, I was asked to review two products. Well, maybe it wasn't ME who did the actual review, but let's just say that fun was had by all and we really enjoyed this opportunity that was given to us...thank you, Catherine!

We were asked to review two products from Hasbro - the Nerf Peyton Manning Vortex Mega Howler & the Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets. Both products make great Easter basket gifts and are both budget friendly. Here is some info on both items:

• Nerf Peyton Manning Vortex Mega Howler - appropriate for ages 5 and up and retails for approximately $9.99 - "The ultimate football to get your team to the end zone! For higher flying & farther throwing, a three-fin tail provides long distance aerodynamics and finger grips help you get a handle on your game. As you watch your pass sail through the air, the cool whistling sound will let everyone know your team is on its way to a touchdown."


• Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets (assortment) - appropriate for ages 4 and up and retails for approximately $4.99 - "Girls will be able to add to their Littlest Pet Shop family with the special edition Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets assortment. Adorable new pets include an angel fish, lion, flamingo and sea horse. Keep an eye out as the Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets assortment will release exclusive, special edition pets throughout the year (i.e., in the fall, the pet assortment will include a bat, penguin, inchworm and crocodile)."

Our son, who is 5 years old, had a BLAST with the "howler football" as he called it. It look him a bit to get the hang of throwing it, but pretty soon he was yelling, "Go deep!" to his father as he threw the ball. Father & son tossed the ball back and forth for a while and, at one point, I even caught my husband tossing the ball in the air and launching the ball across the yard to get the full whistle effect. Was he reliving his childhood? I think so...he said this Nerf ball was "way cooler" than the one he had as a little boy. Our daughter even joined in for some football tossing and she enjoyed how easy it was to grip and throw the ball. After a game of toss, my son decided to try throwing the ball other ways - mostly using the tail. The outcome wasn't so great, but he still had fun nonetheless! Overall, he gave the Nerf Peyton Manning Vortex Mega Howler rave reviews - he said it wasn't as cool as his Redskins football, but the "cool whistling noise" was neat and so cool!

As a budget-conscious mother, I think the toy is fun, functional and friendly for the budget. This is the perfect gift to put in an Easter basket and it's a great alternative to stuffed animals or more candy. I liked the bright colors of the football and how it's smaller size made it easy for my son to use the ball. And, in true Nerf fashion, the football was soft and I wasn't nervous about anyone getting hurt if they were pegged in the arm or leg while trying to catch the ball.

My daughter, who recently turned 8 years old, had the pleasure of checking out the Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Pets and she squealed with delight when she saw the package. The two "pets" she received were from the "Sportiest" collection - a duck and a dog (they had little bobble heads!). The duck had on a scuba mask with a snorkel and the dog had purple flippers. If your daughter is anything like mine, then you already know about how cute these figurines are and how QUICKLY you can build your Littlest Pet Shop collection! Once the package was opened she immediately took the figurines outside to show her friends who all "ooohed" and "aaahed."

My daughter LOVES Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) toys - whether she plays with them alone or makes them one of her Barbie's pets - I can go into her room at any given moment and find an LPS toy.

So, what exactly did my daughter think? She loved how cute the pets were and how each set is unique. Their size makes them easy to carry around (both of these guys went into her pockets for safe keeping!). She also likes how colorful they are and their versatility (play with them on their own, with LPS accessories or use them as pets for Barbie's or Bratz dolls). As her mom, what did I think? You can't beat the price - two LPS figurines for about $5 is a great price. This is definitely a perfect Easter basket gift that will appeal to any young girl. The toy is not so small that you will worry about losing pieces or parts and it's big enough that you'll see it before you step on it! ;-)

Overall, I would say that our first product review was a success! As my son told me, "I'm so proud you got these product reviews, Mom."