Ashley Unboxes: Citrus Lane April 2015 Package

The April 2015 package has arrived!  Our Citrus Lane package targets a young boy around the age of 12 months.  Let’s take a look inside.

The Contents

This month’s hello message from Citrus Lane

April’s package contents

Inside our April Citrus Lane package we found the following items:

• Airplane from Green Toys (MSRP $14.99)
• Maracitos from Hohner (MRSP $8.99)
• Bear on a Bike from Barefoot Books (MRSP $6.99)
• Nutrition Shake from Elia’s

In addition to those items we received 15% off shop.greentoys.com, 10% off hohnerkids.com and as well few other coupon codes.

First Impressions

Here are my initial impressions of each item we received this month.

Airplane from Green Toys

Green Toys Airplane

Green Toys Airplane tag

I really like products from Green Toys.  We already own their dump truck and recycling truck, and my little boy enjoys playing with them.  Their airplane was a instant hit once he realized he could spin the blades and wheels.  The airplane is a good quality toy, dishwasher safe and I think it is really neat the toy is made from recycled milk jugs.

Maracitos from Hohner

Maracitos from Hohner

Making music with the maracitos

My little guy loves musical instruments.  The maracitos were an instant hit for him.  We are very happy with this item!

Bear on Bike from Barefoot Books

Bear on Bike is a really cute story about a little boy following a bear as he travels to various parts of the world.   I really missed the inclusion of books in our past Citrus Lane packages so this was a very pleasant surprise!

UPDATE:

This book has quickly become one of my favorites in his collection.   He really enjoys it too.

Nutrition Shake Ella’s

Elia’s Nutrition Shake

I cannot comment on the nutrition shake because we have not tried it yet.

UPDATE:

My little guy loves these shakes!  We just survived vicious round of teething!  Poor guy wouldn’t eat any solids and refused purees, but he would drink the shakes.

Final Thoughts

April’s Citrus Lane package was a great package for us!  I was really pleased with March’s package, but this month managed to surpass it.  I love our new instrument, airplane and I am super happy they included a book this month!

Here’s to hoping May is an awesome month too!

The post Citrus Lane April 2015 Unboxing appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Unboxes: Citrus Lane February 2015 Package

The February 2015 package has arrived!  Our Citrus Lane package targets a young boy between the age of 9 – 12 months old.  Let’s take a look inside.

The Contents

February 2015 Package Contents

Inside our February Citrus Lane package we found the following items:

• Silicone Bowl from Oogaa (MSRP $8.99)
• Llama Shaker from Green Tones (MSRP $9.00)
• Wobble-A-Round from Manhattan Toy Company (MSRP $10.00)
• Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer (Travel Size) from Juice Beauty (MSRP $1.12)

In addition to those items, we received a 25% off coupon at oogaa.com, a 10% off coupon at gogreentones.com, a 20% off coupon at manhattantoy.com, a 20% off coupon at juicebeauty.com and a 15% off coupon at citruslane.com/shop for teething and feeding items.

Check out the unboxing video below:

First Impressions

Here are my initial impressions on each item we received this month.

Silicone Bowl

Silicone Bowl from Oogaa

The silicone bowl is interesting.  It is not something I would have purchased and I am not a point where I am ready to introduce items such as bowls or plates. I am not sure how often this will get used.

Llama Shaker from Green Tones

Llama Shaker from Green Tones

I own several products from the Green Tones line of musical instruments.   I was pretty excited to see this shaker in our February package.  The shaker is well made and it produces a pleasant sound.  It is not a loud instrument and I think it sounds better than the Green Tones Egg Maracas.

Wobble-A-Round from Manhattan Toy Company

Wobble-A-Round from Manhattan Toy Company

I like this bead run from the Manhattan Toy Company.  It is small, which will make it a nice toy to keep in the diaper bag.

Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer from Juice Beauty

Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer (Travel Size) from Juice Beauty

This is my first exposure to Juice Beauty.   I think it is interesting that the moisturizer is certified organic, but there are other products that I prefer to use.

Final Thoughts

February’s Citrus Lane package is a big improvement over January’s package.   I am pretty happy with this month’s contents.  I have one minor complaint:  there was no new book!  In our past packages, the books were always my favorite item.  I would take a new book over the silicone bowl.

Here’s  to hoping March’s package is even better!

The post Citrus Lane February 2015 Unboxing appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Temple Blocks

I have purchased several items from the Green Tones collection,  Hohner’s  line of eco-friendly instruments.   Today I want to talk about their Temple Blocks
.

Green Tones’ Temple Blocks features 5 hollow wooden blocks (made from Rubberwood) attached to a plywood stand (made from Mangowood).  The Temple Blocks come with two wooden mallets that can be stored with the stand.    Each block produces a nice sound when struck by the mallet, the longer the block the lower the pitch.

The recommended age for the Temple Blocks is 3+ and the instrument is made in India.    The base is 12.5 inches wide.  This is the same width as the Beginner Drum Set.

Green Tones’ Temple Blocks

I bought this as another addition to our music collection for my young child.   He falls below the recommended age for the product.   He is very attracted to the sound it produces, but he has not acquired the motor skills necessary for using the mallets to strike a block.  He will hit the blocks with his hand and is very interested in eating the mallets.   This will be a toy he grows into, and one we will keep around for a while.

Close up of Green Tones’ Temple Blocks

The Temple Blocks are my favorite instrument I purchased from the Green Tones line thus far.  The instrument is very well constructed, loud, sound pleasant to the ears and the kids I have introduced it to have found it very enjoyable to bang away on.   I really enjoy playing with this instrument as well!

Check out my video below to hear a sample of the music the Temple Blocks produce:

My original Temple Blocks I had noticed some issues with chipped paint.   I sent a message to Hohner’s Customer Service and they very quickly remedy the situation for me.  I really appreciated how promptly they responded to my issue.   So here are two really big thumbs up for their customer service department!

Backside of Green Tones’ Temple Blocks

I am very happy with Green Tones’ Temple Blocks.

Would Ashley purchase this again (on a scale of yes, maybe and no)?  YES!

Pros:

• Great quality
• Great sound
• Great customer service from Hohner
• Includes a storage slot for the mallets
• Nice colors

Cons:

• Pricey

The post Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Temple Blocks appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Egg Maracas

If you have been keeping up with my previous reviews, you would know that I have been gradually accumulating a variety of musical instruments.  The latest addition to the family are the Egg Maracas from Green Tones.   The maracas come as a pair, one yellow and one green.   The maracas are made from rubberwood and the targeted age is 2+.

Green Tones’ Egg Maracas

I own several products from the Green Tones line and I felt pretty confident I would really like the maracas as well, but I am very disappointed to report I am not a fan!  The maracas are very quiet.  Even if I shake very vigorously, they barely make much noise.

Check out my video here to sample the sound the maracas produce:

The maracas are tiny for my adult sized hands, but for my little one they are the perfect size.   The finish is very smooth and I feel like the maracas are really good quality (sound aside).   I really wanted to like them, but I wish I put the money I used to purchase these maracas towards the purchase of maracas that sound a lot better.

Would Ashley purchase this again (on a scale of most definitely, yes, maybe and no)? No!

Pros:

• Smooth finish
• Easy for little one to hold

Cons:

• Sound very diluted

The post Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Maracas appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Kokoriko Clatter

I’ve added a new percussion instrument to our music collection: Kokoriko Clatter
.   In my “parent and me” music class we used a similar instrument, the Clatterpillar
from Hohner.   I was very close to purchasing the Clatterpillar until I discovered Green Tones (which is a subset of Hohner) offer the Kokoriko.  I am a big fan of wooden toys, so this is right up my alley.

Kokoriko Clatter arrives in frustration free packaging

The Green Tones’ Kokoriko Clatter is made of rubberwood blocks connected together by a leather strap.  The recommend age is 3+ and it is made in India.   I am very impressed with the sound it produces.   The sound is nice, crisp and fairly loud.

Check out my video to hear a sample of the sound it produces:

YouTube link here.

My son falls below the recommended age for this product and does not have the motor skills necessary to use it.   Despite not being able to use the instrument, he is very attracted to the sound it makes.   For now, mom gets to have all the fun playing the instrument.

I am disappointed to report I noticed small paint chips in a few spots on the handles before we even had a chance to use it.   The image below is the most noticeable of the chips:

Chipped paint on Kokoriko Clatter

The good news is that is the only negative thing have I to say about Green Tones’ Kokoriko Clatter.

Would Ashley purchase this again (on a scale of most definitely, yes, maybe and no)? Most definitely!

Pros:

• Great sound!
• Made of wood
• Fun to use

Cons:

• Chipped paint

The post Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Kokoriko Clatter appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

The little man and I are enrolled in a “parent and me” music class. We have really been enjoying it. I wanted to emulate parts of the class at home so I have gradually accumulated a variety of musical instruments. One of the instruments I have recently purchased is the Beginner Drum Set from Green Tones. Green Tones is an eco-friendly line of products from Hohner.

The drum set has four different instruments: two drums, a cymbal, and a wood block. It also comes with two wooden drumsticks with wooden balls at the end. There is minor assembly involved, but no tools are needed to put it together. You can remove the drums from the base and play with it that way. The targeted age is 3+, it is made in India, and the MSRP for the drum set is $60.

I originally I felt that the price was pretty steep. I went back and forth between deciding whether or not this would be something I purchase. I ultimately decided to just go for it because the cymbal really interested me and I like the idea of eco-friendly instruments.

When I initially received the drum set, I was a little disappointed in the size. Somehow I missed in the description the base has a width of 12.5 inches and assumed it would be a little larger. It is a good size for young children. I am no musician, but the instruments produce a nice sound. I am especially impressed with the sound the cymbal makes. The wood block produces a nice sound as well. The drums are okay. I would not recommend playing with the drums outside of the base because I feel it dilutes their sound.

The base of my drum set is not leveled, so on a flat surface it wobbles. This is a bit disappointing, but we usually play on a rug so that makes it less annoying. The wooden ball on each of the drumsticks is painted yellow, and unfortunately the paint on one of our drumsticks is chipped. There is no built in storage for the drumsticks, so I take extra care to make sure we do not misplace them. Despite these issues, the two of us have had a lot of fun banging away and making music. My little boy age falls below the recommended age for this product and is always supervised while playing with it. I have tugged a bit on the drumsticks and the wooden balls seem secure, but I would rather keep an eye on him and make sure he does not stuff the sticks in his mouth. His favorite piece is the cymbal. Go figure as it is the loudest instrument.

Check out my video to hear a sample of the sound it produces:

YouTube link here.

Would Ashley purchase this again (on a scale of most definitely, yes, maybe and no)? Yes!

Pros:

• Eco-friendly
• Four instruments in one
• Cymbal and wood block sound great
• Fun to use

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• Base wobbles
• No place to store drumsticks
• Paint chipped on one of the drumsticks

The post Ashley Reviews: Green Tones’ Beginner Drum Set appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.