Category Archives: Going Reviews

Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Bowling Friends Review

01/21/2016 R.C. Liley 5 Comments

The Melissa & Doug line has to be one of the largest eco-friendly kid toy manufacturers around, at least that I’m aware of. My wife and I have brought several Melissa & Doug toys into the home since Avery was born, and the latest is this K’s Kids Bowling Friends Playset.

We went a little overboard (by our standards) with buying things for our increasingly active 2 year old this past Christmas. Mainly, as I assume many parents with kids this age know, the books/toys/gadgets your kids have, means you’ll be spending a lot of time with those things too! With that in mind, Going Mom and I made our gift selections something us parents will enjoy while playing with our kid.

As a “surprise” to each other, we both bought things for Avery that the other didn’t know about. Kelley bought this Melissa & Doug Bowling Set and, as expected, we have all spent plenty of time playing with it. Maybe even more than Avery since we keep trying to teach her how bowling really works.

At least she understands to knock the pins down. We’ve tried explaining that bowling requires standing back and rolling the ball, but somehow she inches her way to hover right above them and count each animal pin as she knocks it over.

Melissa & Doug K's Kids Bowling Friends

If only we can get her to actually let go of the ball! But then again, the picture on the front of the case does show a kid with ball in hand hovering right over the pins before they meet their doom.

Maybe we’re the ones in the wrong? I know I’d do a lot better with this style when at the lanes.

Either way you play, this is a fun playset to have around the house. I love that the set comes in a bag that makes it easy to clean up once done, and perfect when traveling.

The set comes with 6 brightly colored animal pins made of soft but sturdy plastic that allows them to easily stand up, even on carpet. The surface is very easy to clean which makes playing outside a non-issue. Avery even enjoys just playing with each of the animals and will carry them around the house making their associated animal noises.

When the ball becomes boring, it’s fun to find different ways to knock the pins over. My favorite is having a “snowball fight” with the animals by using 6 soft “snowballs” to throw at the pins. Avery isn’t quite ready to let go of the ball, so right now, this makes for a great game of Spider-man bowling…

We shall call it. … Spiderman Bowling! #sahd #toddler #playtime #play #parenting

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Jan 5, 2016 at 8:40am PST

I wish the bowling ball had deeper dents for the fingers (because adults play too!), but it still works okay. Besides, most adults rarely use the finger holes anyway.

Also, like so many toys, it’s made in China, and I have not seen anything saying the plastic is bpa-free. But I still trust the Melissa & Doug brand for their quality and think this bowling set is well worth it for the fun it provides.

Avery has had a blast with this bowling set and will ask us to “play bowling”almost daily.

This makes a perfect gift for any baby/toddler. And for only $22.49 on Amazon, it’s well worth the fun you and your kid will have. Maybe they’ll even be a bowling pro one day. Or maybe not….

I give this bowling set my seal of Going Dad-proval and am sure you’ll do the same.

Buy the Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Bowling Friends Playset on Amazon by clicking here!

Going Green, Going Healthy, Going Reviews, Promo

Welcoming Naturepedic Into Our Home

01/15/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

We got a new Naturepedic organic mattress and our excitement can hardly be contained! After having to deal with getting uncomfortably hot in our old mattress for years, the time has finally arrived to improve an all too often overlooked aspect of health; sleep.

Not only was our old mattress uncomfortable, but it, like most mattresses, was plagued by flame retardants and a host of chemicals like phthalates that easily spread throughout the house. Basically, lots of nasty stuff that can pose harm to us and our little ones. Even during pregnancy, studies have shown mothers exposed to phthalates have been linked to their children having an increased risk of asthma.

Having grown up with asthma as a kid (luckily I don’t have it now), I know firsthand that it sucks, literally. It’s true, having asthma usually involves sucking wind when you exert yourself too much and have an attack or close to it. It’s not fun and I don’t wish it on anyone. Lets just say my childhood days of playing soccer had me clinging to an inhaler like Frodo Baggins with the One Ring.

Point is, there are things I never even considered to pose a threat to our health, but now know otherwise. One very big thing is the mattress we sleep on. After doing our research, Going Mom and I knew it was time to upgrade our sleep and health by getting a new mattress.

Our last mattress was a queen, but my wife, always thinking ahead, said we need a king for when someone *cough* Avery *cough cough* starts venturing into Mommy and Daddy’s room to join us. I guess the kitchen floor (note the picture above) doesn’t work so well.

Thankfully, the super generous people at Naturepedic provided us the value of their queen mattress so all we had to do was make up the difference to buy a king! I can picture us now…

Except we won’t have the ocean as a backdrop and Avery will surely be in between or jumping us. You know, standard toddler. Speaking of, they do have crib and kid mattresses too.

Happy doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel about our new mattress. I think flabbergasted or elated would serve as a better word. Avery was excited the day the mattress arrived in, get this, several boxes.

Naturepedic mattress, organic, flame retardant free

That’s right, a king mattress in several boxes. We haven’t opened them since we’re waiting to set it up this weekend, but there are warnings to be careful when opening. I can just picture a giant snake-in-a-can effect happening from trying to be too quick to open! SURPRISE!!! Actually, they provide detailed assembly instructions and have a YouTube video.. It seems easy peasy to me, what do you think?

I guess that means no snake-in-a-can surprise. But seriously, watching that video gets me even more pumped up to set it up this weekend!

Anyway, I’ll be working hard (aka sleeping on this awesome mattress) to write a review post. Over the coming months, look for update posts and please feel free to ask any questions you have anytime. If I can’t answer them, Naturepedic’s website is packed full of useful info.

A big thanks to Naturepedic for allowing us the opportunity to sleep on their high quality organic mattress. I can’t wait to share with everyone how great it feels and why being free of flame retardants and other chemicals is so important.

To see why we’re so excited to welcome Naturepedic in our home, be sure to keep up to date by following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and their blog.

Are you in the market for a new mattress?

Have you heard of Naturepedic?

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Merax 36″ Foldable Mini Trampoline Review

01/13/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

With our daughter seriously upping her energy levels as she neared the 2 year mark, Going Mom and I decided an indoor trampoline would be a perfect birthday gift. The search, as with most kid things nowadays, took a while to decide which would be the best quality/value. I use Amazon for almost everything, and after reading a novel’s worth of mini trampoline reviews, we finally decided on a trampoline worthy enough for us Avery; the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline.

She turned freakin’ 2 back in November, and took right to her new trampoline when we brought it out.

I assembled it the day of her birthday and found it rather easy to setup. Took me longer than expected because of the vague instructions that came along with it, but in retrospect, the entire process was hardly an issue. Just unfold, fit the cover over the elastic bands, screw on the legs and foam-covered handlebar (optional) and you’re good to go. Getting the cover to fit properly was probably the biggest “challenge”, but that didn’t take too long.

Having thick elastic bands instead of springs is a major plus, and I feel the trampoline doesn’t even need the cover as a result. But, to prevent any little feet from falling through, it’s probably a good idea to just put it on. The handlebar is optional too and can easily be removed, but Avery seems to like it right now, so it stays. Other than a great stabilizer, it works as a perfect mini-blankie rack too.

jumping, trampoline, toddler

With a max capacity of 220 lbs, the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline is great for adults too looking for a fun fitness option. Kids or no kids, the current price of $79.99 makes it a viable and affordable option for any adult looking for a way to keep active. My wife and I can never get on to jump without Avery quickly joining in, but with the high weight capacity, we can bounce with our kid without the fear of breaking the trampoline.

So far, we have both bounced with Avery and have had zero issues with stability. The only thing we find ourselves saying is how we wish it were bigger. When there’s two people jumping, you’re basically limited to your exact foot placement, and if you shift around, you run the risk of jumping on the other person. Sorry, Avery. No worries though, she never seems phased when she’s stepped on and would rather have us keep bouncing her.

Since she’s had it, this trampoline has been in our living room and is used every day. It’s the perfect addition to any toddler obstacle course creation which helps an easier transition to naptime….usually.

Our little obstacle dominator! #playing #fun #toddler #exercise #loveher

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Nov 19, 2015 at 4:46pm PST

I love having the ability to quickly and easily fold the trampoline up for storage or to take along when travelling. Really the only major complaint is the small size, but that’s more of a nitpick since the price alone makes it well worth it to me. A trampoline with the word “fitness” in front can easily go for twice as much, but I would find the Merax can do the job just as well.

Avery has found her trampoline useful for doing yoga…

trampoline, yoga — Upward dog, toddler style!

…..playing “hide-and-seek”….

Avery on Trampoline with Mini Blankie

…..and just relaxing after an intense jumping session.

The Merax Mini Trampoline is not the top-notch rebounder you might find for well over double the price, but for a quality kid’s item that adults can use too, it’s well worth it to me. It’s also a great way to gauge interest on a full-sized trampoline for the backyard, which, after using this, has moved to the must have list in our family. Come summer time, we’ll be flying high in the sky!

Buy the Merax Mini Indoor Trampoline on Amazon!

Do you have or are you currently looking for an indoor trampoline?

Do you have any other products you find useful to keep your kids busy inside?

I purchased the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline myself and all opinions are strictly my own, but there are affiliate links within this post. If you use the links to make your own purchase, I will earn a small commission which helps keep Going Dad going.