Wii | the pixel boutique | blog, web & print design

Archive for Wii

2010 Holiday Gift Guide {and Giveaways!}

By Nicole · Comments (212)

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Update: Here are the winners (you can read how I conducted the selection below*)!

$50 Snapfish Credit – #157 – Angel
Tony Hawk SHRED – #125 – Angela
BuckyBalls – #71 – Sheridan
Just a Cap Full – #104 – Kelly
BuckyBalls – #21 – Charline
BuckyBalls – #193 – Trisha
Martha Stewart Punches – #109 – Juliette
Scentsy Plug In Warmer – #171 – Jenn
$100 Nick Walls Credit – #99 – Pauline
JumpStart Math Blaster – #53 – Heather
$25 Beaucoup Favors Credit – #205 – Pamela

You know what today is don’t you? Its Cyber Monday, when you can get many of the same deals online that you can on Black Friday. And after my experience, I think I prefer this method any day.

Anyhoo, holiday gift guides are all the rage in the blogosphere and I’m happy to add my own again this year. I’ve got some great products to share with you, including some amazing giveaways! Just look for the “This is a Giveaway!” button in the categories below. More details on how to enter are at the end of this post.

So without further ado, I offer “The Pixel Boutique 2010 Holiday Gift Guide {and Giveaways!}. You’ll find deals, my favorite picks, and giveaways for most everyone on your holiday list.

For Him

BlueAnt – S4 True Handsfree

BlueAnt’s S4 is the first true hands-free voice controlled Bluetooth car speakerphone. With the BlueAnt S4 drivers no longer need to touch their mobile phone or car speakerphone while driving. The S4 allows users to make and receive calls and access information using only their voice. Have you seen the movies featuring the S4 and Q2 on YouTube? Check out Gotta Run and The Situation…(this one’s my fave). A perfect gift for the man in your life.

Bucky Balls

This is one of those things where you think…why didn’t I think of that!? What a simple yet entertaining concept. Check out the video below to get a real idea of what Bucky Balls are all about. These would make great stocking stuffers, but they are not for young children. There will be 3 winners for Bucky Balls but anyone can enter PIXELBOUTIQUE for a 15% discount!

For Her

Just a Cap Full – Custom Photo Bottle Cap Necklaces

This is my little side project where I can get my hands dirty and have some fun creating unique jewelry. I take recycled bottle caps and insert a photo or image of your choice and dress it up with some glittery goodness. You can check out the process and all the details in my Etsy shop. And this is a giveaway! You can enter to win one free necklace for you or someone on your Christmas list. PLUS…take 20% off using the code HOLIDAY from now until Dec. 5.

Scentsy – Flameless Scented Candles

Have you discovered Scentsy? I did just a few months ago and I loooove them. And I’ll be giving a few as Christmas gifts this year. Ms. Amy Bellgardt, creator of Mom Made That and Mom Spark Media is also a Scentsy consultant (in all her spare time…) and has generously offered the above “Lei” Plug In Warmer and “Clarity” Scent pack to one lucky winner. Plus, Amy had offered all The Pixel Boutique readers a buy any 2, get 1 free deal! Simply email Amy after checkout and she will take care of you. Wow…thanks Amy!

For Kiddos

Tony Hawk: SHRED by Activision

When my kids saw the Tony Hawk SHRED on T.V. they were quick to let me know just how much they would love to see it under the tree this year. The motion-sensing board creates an exhilarating skate and snowboarding experience for young pros. SHRED is rated E (Everyone ages six and older) and is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii. Check out shredgame.com for tricks, videos and music. One lucky will win a SHRED Bundle (board and game) for the Wii platform! See below for more details on entering.

JumpStart – Math Blaster for Nintendo DS

Learning is fun with JumpStart! The ultimate intergalactic adventure has arrived on Nintendo DS™ with Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure. While racing through the galaxy on a mission to defeat the Hive army, kids are learning valuable math skills. In multiplayer mode, they can battle head-to-head with up to three friends at the same time. One reader will win a Math Blaster for Nintendo DS! (Be sure to check out all JumpStart has to offer online!)

Nick Walls by HP

New from HP comes Nick Walls, an ingenious way to make your walls your very own work of art. Choose from your favorite Nickelodeon theme (like Dora the Explorer, iCarly, SpongeBob or Go, Diego, Go!) then create your own unique “wall paper” using characters, objects and backgrounds. Take a look at the amazing do-it-yourself online designer and see how easy it is to create your unique wall art…

One reader will receive $100 to create their own Nick Walls! See details below for entering. And for one day only (today, Cyber Monday…) receive your Nick Walls order at 50% off! Oh my!

For Festive Greetings

Snapfish

You knew I had to include Snapfish in my Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway… . This year Snapfish has stepped up their game by offering new holiday greeting cards from new designers (like me!). The selection is amazing, but here are a few of the latest designs available in my shop…

Here’s your chance to get your cards done with a little help from Snapfish. One winner will receive a $50 credit to Snapfish!

For the Hostess

Beau-Coup Favors

Have some parties to attend this holiday season? I know I do. Its always nice to show up with a little somethin’ somethin’ for the hardworking hostess. Take a look at these cute place card holders…aren’t they precious? Any hostess would be tickled pink to receive those. You can find plenty more fun gifts and favors at Beau-Coup Favors. They specialize in wedding and baby shower favors. One winner will receive a $25 credit to spend however they wish!

The Reluctant Entertainer

Earlier this year I won a copy of Sandy Coughlin’s book, The Reluctant Entertainer from a giveaway on Pensieve Robin. I totally love this book because it shares simple tips and ideas and even recipes for the every day woman…and that’s me. Sandy demystifies the art of entertaining and guides you to becoming a more relaxed and confident entertainer.

For the Crafter

Martha Stewart Crafts – Punch All Over The Page

If you’re a paper crafter or scrapbooker, you know that Martha Stewart has some quality products out there for crafters. Well here’s one of her newest products…so new that you can’t even get them in the stores yet! (due out in December). The Punch All Over The Page frees you from the restraints of most paper punches because its a completely new concept using a magnetic die cut and base. And guess what…I’ve got my hands on 3 punches for one lucky winner! Included is the Pinking Circle, Classic Butterfly and Studded Heart.

The Scrap Rack

I’m an avid scrapbooker and used to have a blog dedicated to the art of scrapbooking (before I realized I wasn’t superwoman who could do it all and more…). One of my favorite products I discovered while blogging about scrapbooking was The Scrap Rack. Its more than just an organization product, its an organization system, which I still use today. Take a look at the website and watch some videos on how the Scrap Rack works…and you might just be convinced like I was.

How to Enter The Giveaways!

Here’s the skinny… Winners will be chosen randomly. Be sure to enter before midnight, Monday December 13.

Here’s a quick rundown of available giveaways:

Bucky Balls – Magnet Ball Game (3 winners)
Custom Photo Bottle Cap Necklace
Scentsy – Plug In Warmer and Scent
Tony Hawk SHRED Wii Bundle
Jumpstart – Math Buster DS Game
HP – Nick Walls $100 credit
Snapfish $50 credit
Beaucoup Favors – $25 credit
Martha Stewart Punch All Over The Page Punches

It’s easy to enter, but please make sure to follow these few directions.

Leave a comment below indicating the giveaway(s) you want to be entered for. If its just one, please indication which giveaway that is. If its for multiple giveaways, list them in order of preference. If your comment is randomly drawn, you will receive the item you indicate unless it has already been randomly drawn.
Be sure to include in your comment who the item is for…your kids? your hubby? your self? Comments simply saying “Pick me” or “Tony Hawk SHRED” will automatically discarded if randomly selected.
Be sure the item you are entering for is actually a giveaway (and has a “This is a Giveaway” button next to it!)
You can enter for as many giveaways as you want, up to once a day.
For extra entries you can mention this giveaway up to once a day on Twitter of Facebook. Sample tweet/update…
“Need some holiday gift ideas (and the chance to win some great giveaways? Check out the Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaways! http://is.gd/hXTR1″ (please leave a comment re: your tweet)
For another entry, subscribe to this blog. (please leave a comment re: your new subscription)
For yet another entry, post this button onto your blog’s sidebar! (simple copy and paste the link code below…please leave a comment with the link to your blog)

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. And most of all, have a happy holiday season!

This post includes affiliate links.

*How I selected winners: Using Random.org, I generated a random number, selected the commenter’s first or subsequent choice of giveaway items. If I came to a comment that indicated a tweet or Facebook mention, etc., I found the original commenter’s entry and gave them their choice of giveaway item. If I came to a comment that listed giveaway items that were already taken, I chose a new comment.)

Comments (212)

10 Things To Do Indoors When Its 10,000 Degrees Outdoors {Giveaway}

By Nicole

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

UPDATE: The winner of this giveaway is #87, Melanie!

When you live somewhere hot like I do (southern Arizona), you don’t hibernate in the winter. You do it in the Summer. When its 100+ degrees, there really is nothing worth doing outdoors (unless you have a pool, which I don’t currently).

Nothin.

This is a real bummer because about the time kids are out of school and have free time on their hands, the temps are in the triple digits. And as a work-at-home mom, I need to keep the natives busy.

So every Summer we come up with a list of things to do so we don’t get board, watch too much tv, and have sibling mayhem by Week 2. Here are a few things we did this Summer to escape the heat…

JumpStart Wii – JumpStart has been a part of our family since my Oldest was 6 months old. Now, 13 years later, they have entered the world of active video games with JumpStart Get Moving: Family Fitness for the Wii, released just a few weeks ago and retailing for $29.99. Teaming up with Brooke Burke, and kinesiology experts, they have successfully created games designed to get the whole family up and active. There are over 15 fun challenge games like dodgeball, football and pinball. And here’s the fun part; you can play underwater, on a farm, in Egypt or in 8 other exotic locations. The favorites in our house are the football themed games (no big surprise there…).
Scroll down to enter to win a copy of your own!

Wii Fit and the Balance Board – Another great activity to get the booty moving is the Wii Fit with the Balance Board. There is a lot of activities for kids, which was a little surprising to me. Some of the favorites here are Hula Hoop, Basic Running (are these my children??) and Ski Jump.
Molding Clay – Who would have thought a $2.50 purchase would provide so much fun? My kids were never big play dough fans…maybe because it would dry out so fast. But molding clay will keep them playing together, nicely, for hours. Literally.
Homemade Marshmallows – Mmmm, yummy. Try this recipe from Ina Garten. Its easy and fun for the kids to help. But you’ll want to share with the neighbors or use them up immediately because although these are super tasty, they don’t store very well…from my experience.
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag – Another fun and tasty activity. Be sure to rinse the bag before eating or you’ll have “Salt Ice Cream”.
Banana Grams – My kids don’t have summer reading assignments and frankly, I’m totally fine with giving them a break from academia for the summer (especially since we have such a short summer with year-round school). But, they don’t realize how much their little brains are working with Banana Grams. On the recommendation of a friend, I bought this game and we had plenty of fun with it. Usually, dinner dishes was on the line, so you can imagine the competition. Other game favorites were Uno Flash and electronic Monopoly.
Cheap Theater – We have a nice “cheap theater” in town that has $1.50 Tuesdays. We saw some fun, “cool” movies this summer: How to Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans. Waiting a few extra weeks to see them was worth the savings…and a nice escape from the heat for a few hours. Many theaters run summer specials; check out your local theaters for some real savings.
Video Camera – We have an old, small video camera that we have deemed the “kids’ camera”. Its always interesting to see what cinema creations they come up with. They usually involved personal diatribes, chasing of a dog, and tours of dressers and closets.
Roller Skating – Its deja vu each time I visit a skating rink. Remember those days before the internet and cell phones, when you went to the skating rink with your big hair and leg warmers? Its changed a bit, but is still a lot of fun and my kids love it. (And it was a special little bonus that they had free WiFi for mommy.)
Balloon Ball – When I was young, my friend and I “invented” balloon ball. Its basically volleyball with a balloon. String up a net (or string) dividing the living room basically in half and blow up a big balloon. Same rules apply, minus the broken vases and lamps.

WIN IT! Enter to win your own copy of JumpStart Get Moving: Family Fitness for the Wii. Winner will be chosen randomly.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Comment on this post telling me how you have entertained your kids this summer.

2. For extra entries, tweet about this giveaway up to once a day and/or subscribe to this blog.

3. Entries must be made by Friday, August 13 at 11:59 p.m. MST.

(This post includes affiliate links. I received a copy of JumpStart Get Moving: Family Fitness to review.)

How To Train Your Dragon for Wii: Product Review & Giveaway

By Nicole

Friday, April 9th, 2010

UPDATE: The winners of this giveaway are #200 (Debra F.), #64 (geckoseiya), #166 (Nicole D.) and #88 (Sue). Congratulations!

I’m sure you’ve seen or heard about the new movie by DreamWorks that came out a few weeks ago…How to Train Your Dragon. My boys want to see it so bad they can taste it. But, baseball games, book reports and blog designs seem to be eating up our extra time of late.

So for now, they’re whetting their appetites with the video game by Activision, based on the movie. We recently received a copy for the Wii to play and review.

Developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS, the game has a ESRB Rating of E10+…perfect for my 9, 11 and (though a little old for it…) 13 year old. The suggested retail price is $49.99 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii and $29.99 for NDS.

The multi player game picks up where the movie left off, allowing players to enjoy an all-new adventure as one of the movie characters, “Hiccup” or Astrid”. Players create and train their own dragon for battle, explore environments and battle in prestigious dragon tournaments.

With mini games such as “Ice Sculpting”, “Looping Race”, “Flying Sheppard”, “Memory Torch”, and “Puzzle Dragon” built in, players earn experience points toward leveling up your dragon, winning gold and other items to help care for their dragons.

My 9 year old enjoyed the game the most out of the three. Really, how can you go wrong with battling and dragons with a boy? I felt like the graphics and material were age appropriate and the challenges engaged his attention. However, without seeing the movie first, my son felt a bit lost not knowing character names, locations, etc. Still a fun and entertaining game, and I’m sure it will be even better after we see the movie (whenever that may be…).

Win It! Activision has generously offered 4 Wii games for The Pixel Boutique readers! Here’s how to enter:

Comment on this post telling me if you’ve seen the movies and what you thought of it.
For extra entries, tweet about this giveaway up to once a day and/or subscribe to this blog.
Entries must be made by Friday, April 23 at 11:59 p.m. MST.

No Doubt About It. They’re Boys. {Squeeball Party Giveaway}

By Nicole

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

UPDATE: The winner of this giveaway is #112…Huguette English. Congratulations!

Boys.

Are they all like mine?

Mine think anything related to the “bathroom” is humorous.

Mine have no problem with having sticky faces and dirty fingernails.

Mine always have something interesting to find in their pockets. Rocks. Nails. Gum wrappers.

I’m not a real girlie girl, but I’ll never get over the differences between boys and girls. (And I will NEVER be convinced its due to modeled behavior. No way, no how.)

My boys are at the age that the dirtier, faster, higher, sillier, more dangerous, the better. Gone are the days of cute little baby jean overalls and over-sized Legos. No, no. We’re on to bigger and better things. Quads, pellet guns, friends, sports, video games…

Speaking of video games, I was asked by Performance Designed Products to review their newest Wii game, Squeeballs Party. The game was just released in October and is available for the Wii, DS and iPhone. The Wii game retails for $19.99

Now I am no gamer. In fact, Wii Sports and a little Rock Band are as far as this mom has gotten. So I thought it best to gauge my review on my boys’ reaction to the game.

The game got a lot of ‘ewwwwww…cool…’s and giggles and out-loud laughs. I think that was a good sign.

From my perspective, the game is appopraitely marketed to kids 10 and up, with a warning of “cartoon violence”. If you or your child find yourselves becoming easily attached to cute, inanimate objects, this may not be the game for you. For instance, in the cooking game, the poor little suckers are sliced, diced and chopped up into a tasty stew (not in a bloody, gory kind of way…but still. Ew!)

This game is for pure fun and silliness. And my boys enjoyed every slimy, silly, goofy moment.

WIN IT! Know a boy like mine who would like to find Squeeballs Party under the tree this year? Enter for a chance to win your own copy of the game for Wii! Just leave a comment here and get extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway up to once a day. Entries must be made before Dec. 14 at 11:59 p.m. MST.

JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island: A Review

By Nicole · Comments (1)

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

The newest member of the JumpStart family has arrived. As promised, JumpStart just recently released Escape From Adventure Island for the Wii. This fun, educational and interactive game is targeted for 5-9 year olds.

I was looking forward to receiving my copy to review. My youngest, who is 8, acted as the guinea pig very willingly. He enjoyed the characters, the easy use of the Wii remote and navigating through the underwater cave.

As a parent, I appreciate intelligent games. I love how Jumpstart is able to combine a fun, relevant interface with learning. They dont go overboard, as so many video games do, on the flashy, crazy, frenzy of sight and sound. Thanks, JumpStart.

The goal of the game is to help players use their explorer skills and brain power to find a way to escape a mysterious island after a crash landing strands them there. As players race to collect the pieces needed to repair their blimp, they’ll need to ward off the pesky fur balls known as Punk Punks and navigate 3D worlds both above and below the water. Along the way, players can practice over 150 math, reading and critical thinking skills.

So here’s the fun part…a contest! JumSstart is hosting a contest of mammoth proportions on their blog.

The contest will run until November 16. Each person will be allowed two entries into the contest (details on contest page.)

The theme of the contest is “Time to Escape!” and there are tons of prizes:

50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island

and…

3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over $1000 value)!
1 Nintendo Wii Console
1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
$250 in spa gift certificates
1 JumpStart branded flip camera
3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)
500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com
4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

Good golly, that’s a lot of prizes…cool ones at that! Hope you head on over to Jumpstart and enter to win. And consider Escape From Adventure Island as a fun Christmas gift for a child in your life this year!

Comments (1)

JumpStart, Meet the Wii.

By Nicole · Comments (2)

Monday, August 31st, 2009

I’ve mentioned before that our family has been been a big fan of JumpStart educational games for children. Our 13 year old played many of the games at different developmental stages.

Fast forward 13 year and enter the age of the Wii. Like a lot of people, “Wii” love this new technology as well, frequently engaging in games like Rock Band, Wii Sports and Mario & Sonic at the Olypmic Games.

Well now JumpStart has entered the Wii arena. I love that something fun and interactive is also educational.

I had the privilege of trying the new JumpStart Pet Rescue for Wii. Unfortunately, my own dear children are a bit too old for this game, targeted for ages 3-6. But, this last weekend, I stole borrowed invited my four year old nephew over to give the game a whirl.

Not only did we have to peel him away from the game, but he really looked like he enjoyed himself while he navigated through it. I figured he would, (we’re talking JumpStart here…) but I was surprised at how fun it was for my 8 year old to show him the ropes. And the adults enjoyed how “unannoying” the audio was. There were no shrill bells and screeching whistles in the background, trying to keep his attention. Just fun, interactive activities teaching simple skills.

As a first time Wii player, it took a few minutes for him to get the hang of the remote and how it interacted with the game. But before long he was navigating through the different areas and enjoyed the various activities. He particularly enjoyed the cute animals, the Movie House and the dress up area. The Pet Groomers was fun for him too.

Pet Rescue is due to release this week to major retailers such as Walmart, Fry’s, Best Buy, Sam’s Club and other retail stores. If you’d like more information about Pet Rescue for Wii, check out the Jumpstart blog. There you will find the latest information on their games, tips for parents and helpful links.

I cant wait to see what JumpStart has in store for the future. Its bound to be a hit!