Reeves International Toys {Review & Toy of Choice Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Erika!}

When it comes to toys, I avoid shopping in retail stores as much as I can and have found that making purchases online has multiple benefits.

First, the fact that I can do it in my pajamas at any time of day and not have to deal with having two kids pulling things off of the shelves is a major bonus. Second, the internet has the ability to introduce me to so many great companies and products that I otherwise wouldn't have come across in my traditional retail store.

Recently I was introduced to one such company and its variety of great brands when I discovered the high quality, imaginative, unique toys, gifts and collectibles available at Reeves Toys.

On a mission to provide children with incredible items that encourage wholesome and imaginative play while nurturing an appreciation for education, animals and the environment, Reeves International makes and distributes only the brands that they deem as exceptional in meeting these standards.

Plus, having been in business for more than 60 years, Reeves has a strict policy that every one of their unique toys for kids pass and exceed all safety standards, whether Federal, State or just within the industry.

When you make a purchase from any of the great brands at Reeves International, whether a sand and water toy from AquaPlay, a beautiful Treasure Box at Enchantmints or a bath toy from Tolo, you can rest assured that it will provide hours of safe fun for your child.

As Big Sister E and Little Sister B have been into magnetic toys recently, I decided to see how much fun we could have with the Wheels Fantasy Race Set from Geomag.

Designed for ages 4 and up, I knew that Big Sister E would be on the young end of the spectrum for assembling and constructing these free-wheeling vehicles, but assumed that she would still really enjoy playing and racing them. So, first thing in the morning, we pulled this kit out to check out just how much fun these magnetic toys for kids could be.

What we found waiting inside the box were three flexible car "bodies," six small tires, two large tires, eight spokes to attach the wheels, eight magnetic rods and 16 non-magnetic steel balls. And, unfortunately, no directions.

As someone who somewhat obsessively follows step-by-step when building or constructing something, I checked both the inside and outside of the box multiple times before realizing that the images on the back were all that I was going to get. Fortunately, it didn't take me too long to catch on to how to slide the rods through the holes, pop on a wheel and secure the whole thing with a steel ball.

Big Sister E kept herself happily occupied creating letters out of the pieces while Little Sister B had a good time rolling the smooth balls around on the table (I was fully aware that Geomag doesn't fit into the category of age-appropriate toys for Little Sister B, but I kept a close eye on her and she never once attempted to put any of the pieces in her mouth).

After a small amount of trial-and-error attempts on my part, I began to see how easy it was to construct with the Geomag parts and pieces. The spheres themselves weren't magnetic but the strength of the rods was plenty strong enough to reach and hold either the frame or the wheels right in place.

I initially thought that there was no way that my completed automobiles were going to hold together well enough to actually be pushed, pulled and raced, but was pleasantly surprised to find that they did just that. In fact, even when both girls were grabbing them and pushing them back and forth to each other (and often missed, sending the cars diving off of the table), nothing happened besides a ball popping off once or twice.

Even though both kids were a little too young to fully enjoy creating race cars, they did have a good time with the interactive, open-ended possibilities of the Geomag rods and spheres - not to mention the completed projects that I built for them.

For older kids, I think constructing and playing with these cars would be a lot of fun. Plus, with various other types and sizes of Geomag kits available, they could be combined for an even bigger, more entertaining experience!

From newborn to big kid, Reeves International has a selection of products that are sure to please all ages and abilities. Available online or in specialty toy and gift shops across the world, there's something for everyone! And, thanks to their generosity, one person will have a great gift just in time for the holidays, because...

One lucky person will win the toy, collectible or gift item of their choice (up to $30) from Reeves International!

To enter to win: Visit Reeves International and tell me which item(s) are your favorite.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you sign up for news and updates from Reeves International (enter your email address in the lower right of their homepage) and/or Like them on Facebook. 1 more Extra Entry if you fill in the blank and leave the following message on their wall: My favorite Reeves International Toys item is the _____ and I just entered to win it at Thanks, Mail Carrier! http://bit.ly/bf88xW
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

I want to #win my choice of toy (ARV $30) from Reeves International - what a great gift! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/bf88xW #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Reeves International. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on November 19th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Reeves International for providing a Wheels Fantasy Race Set - 52 pcs for me to review as well as the item of choice for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.