I can’t consider that we’re nearly every week away from Thanksgiving. It simply gained’t sink into my mind. A part of the issue is the climate right here in New Jersey. For instance,Luts Bjd yesterday I used to be strolling within the solar in a tee shirt,Bjd after which a number of hours later there was a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm! In mid-November! It nonetheless feels a lot like summer time to me. It seems like Christmas once I go into Goal, although. The toy aisles are full of stuff, and vacation trimmings are filling up the remainder of the shop. Despite the fact that I’m in a perpetual state of confusion about what time of 12 months it’s, I’ve been having fun with my analysis missions to Goal greater than common with the entire new inventory!
Throughout one in all my latest journeys to Goal I centered on what surprise-themed toys can be found lately. There are numerous them! I picked a number of of my favorites to share with you over the approaching months, and proper on the prime of my checklist is an outdated favourite: the Li’l Woodzeez.
Li’l Woodzeez proceed to face out to me due to the excessive cuteness issue and low value. They’re nonetheless promoting the cute Eye-catchingTickle Your Tastebuds bakery play set (seemingly unchanged from the one I reviewed in 2012) for a similar $20 value. And I picked up this entire assortment of surprises for $11:
Li’l Woodzeez Mini Acorn Home Shock ($4.99) and two Shock Babeez ($2.99 every).
I like these units as a result of every one has a shock (which character you’ll get), every character has a reputation (I like names!), and the packaging provides to the play potential of the toy. The Babeez are available cribs, and the bigger animal comes with its personal little home.
Let’s check out the Mini Acorn Home Shock set first:
The presentation of this set is so enjoyable and colourful. There’s no extreme packaging–simply the home itself and a brilliant, information-packed tag:
Every set features a thriller character, an outfit, and a toy. I feel the toy accent might be counted as a second shock, since these gadgets aren’t proven on the tag. A bonus shock!The again of the tag exhibits the completely different characters that you could get. There aren’t very many choices, which is an issue as a result of it will increase the chance of duplicates.
I like all of those characters and didn’t care which one I obtained. Okay, perhaps Chuck and Hazel are barely cuter than the opposite two, however I might have been pleased with any of them.The again of the tag additionally advertises a Li’l Woozeez sport. This was free on the App Retailer, so I attempted it out. The sport is for little children (4 and up), and it entails enjoying out the lives of the characters within the Tippytail fox household. You may direEveryday componentsct the characters to do little actions, like construct a treehouse, bang on the piano, prepare dinner dinner, or plant within the backyard. There are additionally particular group actions like consuming dinner (a li
ttle tedious), enjoying cover and search (cute), or releasing lanterns into the evening sky (fairly).If the Mini Acorn Home toy is any enjoyable, although, there needs to be no want for a web based sport!
The home itself is within the form of an acorn shell with a roof made out of leaves.
The molded particulars on the home are good, like these flowering vines which can be on both facet of the door:
There’s additionally a little bit ladybug climbing up the again of the home:
There are such a lot of methods to get hung up on scale with this set (that’s a super-tiny ladybug if the home is made out of an acorn…and in addition how do these animals stay inside acorns?) however maybe it’s finest if I don’t dwell on any of that.There’s one other ladybug climbing on the roof, too. This jogs my memory of the final time I went to get my hair reduce. Half method by means of the appointment, my stylist and I observed that the ceiling lights had been lined in ladybugs! There will need to have been 100 of them. I actually like ladybugs as a result of they’re fairly they usually eat aphids, however that was numerous them . I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. Maybe it’s one other quirk of dwelling in New Jersey?Anyway, the home was held along with a single band of plastic. I eliminated the plastic:
The element within the vinyl roof is sweet, too. It appears like 4 or 5 leaves had been tied collectively at their stems with the intention to make a roof form:Like a little bit leaf hat.The roof is detachable:
And inside the home is a inexperienced plastic bag with the entire surprises:
The entrance door of the home opens, too, though it opens down like a drawbridge, not like a rBespoke charmegular door. That was a little bit of a disappointment.
The home is nice. A number of of those toys might be mixed to make a little bit village, or a single home might be added to one thing just like the Honeysuckle Hillside Cottage as a playhouse for the yard.All proper! Let’s see what surprises are hidden contained in the inexperienced bag:
The plastic is barely clear, so I may already see that I used to be going to get…
…Hazel Healthnuggle! The identify Healthnuggle makes me snigger. It appears like one thing Buddy the Elf would say.
Hazel is a little bit brown bear. I assumed that she was the mom character within the Healthnuggle household, however enjoying the Woodzeez sport really taught me that she’s the massive sister. The mom is a physician named Barb. She’s taller and has a extra detailed costume.Now we all know that the shock character is Hazel, however we don’t know what her thriller toy is but!After I pulled the whole lot out of the bag, I may see that Hazel really comes with three toys: a teapot, cup, and saucer:Rating!After this reveal, I obtained actually interested by what toys the opposite three characters include. You may see photos of these toys on the TargetEthereal web site if you would like. Mini spoiler: Hazel has the very best toy.At first I had a very onerous time balancing Hazel. She appears okay within the earlier image, however solely as a result of I positioned the digital camera above her head and angled the shot downwards.She was really standing like this:The animals don’t include underwear…I’d forgotten that these little animals are so articulated, although! It’s been a number of years since I’ve performed with one. All I needed to do is transfer Hazel’s legs a bit, and he or she may arise usually:That’s higher.She’s carrying a collared pink costume with an connected inexperienced print apron. The collar of the costume has easy unfinished edges and the apron is a bit lopsided, however general it’s a candy little costume, particularly for one thing so tiny.
The costume closes within the again with velcro:As I used to be photographing Hazel’s costume, I assumed I observed a naked patch within the flocking of her left cheek:
However up shut you may see that it’s only a patch of pinkish-white flocking–just like the bear model of blush, I suppose. There’s an identical patch on the opposite facet of Hazel’s face:
The blush isn’t notably symmetric, however this isn’t one thing I discover once I’m interacting with Hazel.Right here’s the costume by itself:
There are some stray threads in a number of locations, however take a look at these tiny, neat little hemmed edges!
Beneath her costume, Hazel has a fully-flocked physique with a lighter space of fur on her stomach:She’s a teddy bear!I favor this fuzzy physique to the plastic-bodied bobblehead shock Woodzeez that I reviewed in 2017. These are available plastic acorns and price $2.99 (and are nonetheless out there at that value).Hazel’s eyes are plain black ovals, and the left eye is barely askew:
She has 5 factors of rotating articulation (neck, shoulders, hips) and so she will sit, look from side-to-side, and elevate her arms up and down:
Her entrance paws are molded right into a Standard buildgripping pose, so presumably she will maintain a number of the Woodzeez equipment.Hazel has a number of minor defects within the flocking on her physique. There’s a tiny naked patch on her proper shoulder:
And a bigger naked patch on the left facet of her neck:
I don’t suppose any of Hazel’s minor flaws are an enormous deal, they usually most likely wouldn’t hassle a baby in any respect.Right here’s a better take a look at Hazel’s tea set accent:
The teapot is all one piece, however the cup and saucer are separate. This is the reason the toy might be a choking hazard for youths below 3. The underside of the teapot is hole, so it sort of appears prefer it needs to be the highest of the teapot:
Sadly, Hazel’s gripping arms can’t maintain onto the deal with of the teapot:
Or to any a part of the cup:I simply need a sip of tea!Hazel is 2.75 inches tall–concerning the dimension {that a} Construct-A-Bear can be for a Barbie doll. Right here’s Lina with Hazel to show:
I feel Hazel’s dimension just isn’t too huge and never too small–it’s excellent. Goldilocks would approve.Hazel and I had been each very excited to see who her youthful siblings can be, so let’s get on with the subsequent shock!The primary Woodzeez child got here in a blue crib:
The packaging on these toys is so easy. The cribs have a colourful piece of cardboard wrapped across the whole crib to maintain the gadgets inside safe:
Every set comes with a Babeez (oh, how I want they didn’t spell it that method…), a bib, a bottle, and a diaper.The enjoyable factor is that there are two units of twins that may be present in these cribs–raccoons and pigs. I actually needed the twins (particularly the pigs!) so I in contrast the weights of the entire cribs that had been in inventory and picked the heaviest ones!
The cardboard packaging can simply be unfastened from the underside of the crib:Would it not say ”this consists of 2 child characters” if I’d gotten the twins? Most likely not.This easy motion frees up the entire goodies inside!
There’s a inexperienced bag with the newborn inside, and a big collector’s sheet:
There are such a lot of extra choices right here than there have been with the acorn home units!30 choices complete.Right here’s a better take a look at the entire little characters:
They’re all cute! I used to be involved in getting Chip, the newborn bear, and I additionally suppose Dab the cow is wonderful.Right here’s the decrease portion of the sheet:
Pod and Pad the pigs are the prize. I actually needed to get them!Let’s see who I obtained. I may inform instantly that it wasn’t twins:
I see a yellow bib and a pink diaper…
It’s a…sheep?Sheep don’t have whiskers, This doll could be present as Christmas Items, Birthday Items, Boys and Ladies Accompanying Items, Ladies Items and Doll Sequence {Couples} and Collectors Sequence.Emily.It’s onerous to inform something with that massive vinyl bib in the way in which.Oh, wait–no. It has a shell on its again:
And the shell appears prefer it’s lined with…bubbles?
A turtle with ears? A hedgehog? An echidna? I used to be perplexed. I needed to resort to theOriginality character sheet once more:
It’s Zaza the hedgehog!Clearly.Zaza has a shell on her again, although, just like the turtle characters, and this shell could be eliminated:It falls off lots, too.The diaper can be eliminated:
Zaza is flocked from head to toe, similar to Hazel.She has the entire similar articulation because the bigger figures, too, which is nice! She will sit down, go searching, and lift her arms:
Possibly we are able to even depend the detachable again as a sixth level of articulation?Zaza has pink cheeks, pink ears, and a barely darker patch of yellow on the center of her stomach.
Zaza additionally has some droopy whiskers on her left facet:
I assumed that these whiskers may perk up over time, however they didn’t.Zaza is cute (the entire Woodzeez are cute), however her coloring is actually unusual. She’s brilliant yellow, which isn’t a factor with hedgehogs…until they’ve consumed the seven Chaos Emeralds, after all.
The closest an actual hedgehog will get to yellow is that if it’s albino, like this one:
I’ve to say, Battat made some unusual decisions with Zaza’s character.Right here she is in her blue crib:
The crib is a good dimension for Zaza, and it’s very solidly constructed, however it’s a littleHighly collectible stark. It may use some cozy bedding!Hazel was fairly excited to have a sibling:
Zaza is 1.75 inches tall, so an inch shorter than Hazel:They will nearly maintain arms, which might be cute.The cuteness factCompact statureor is excessive within the little Babeez, however Hazel’s dimension makes her simpler to control and play with.Properly, there’s just one shock left–and one final probability to get the cow twins!
I ripped into this packaging fairly rapidly…
And I discovered one other inexperienced bag that undoubtedly doesn’t have twins in it. Too Fundamental appearancesmall:Bummer.I can see a bit by means of the bag…One other shell?I feel it is a authentic turtle!Yay!I like the Woodzeez turtles!!
I spotted at this level that the turtle, Pif, got here with a bottle:
However I didn’t see a bottle for Zaza.I hunted by means of the rubbish and realized that Zaza’s bottle had gotten caught within the bag. The 2 bottles are equivalent:
Pif has a detachable pink bib and a detachable blue diaper:
The bib is fabricated from vinyl and may overwhelm Pif a bit. The diaper additionally appears scruffy and isn’t as well-constructed as Zaza’s diaper. I just like the clothes on the bigger Woodzeez, however I are inclined to take away it on the Babeez; it will get in the way in which.Pif’s shell can also be detachable, and falls off each different second:
A dab of glue would maintain the shell in place properly, however then it’d be onerous to vary the diaper. That’s happy with me as a result of I feel the Babeez are cuter with out their diapers, however for individuals who benefit from the diapers, gluing the shell may not be a good suggestion.Zaza and Pif can swap shells!A hedgurtle and a turtlehog!Right here’s Pif and not using a diaper:So cute.Have a look at that completely happy, fuzzy little face!
I didn’t really feel like I wanted one other dimension comparability shot for the smaller Woodzeez, however Lina fell in love with Pif, so I figured I ought to get a shot with the 2 of them:
Right here’s Pif snuggled in for a nap:
Enjoying with Pif within the crib jogged my memory of a narrative I’ve been desirous to inform you: I used to be at a highschool soccer sport the opposite weekend, and I spent most of my time watching a little bit woman (perhaps three years outdated?) play on the bleacher in entrance of me. She had solely a unadorned Barbie doll and a used dryer sheet, however she performed with these things for over half-hour with full focus. She’d clean out the dryer sheet, prepare her Barbie on the bleacher, after which lovingly unfold the sheet over the doll like a blanket, tucking her in and talking softly to her. It was probably the most tender issues I’ve ever seen–and a lot extra fascinating than soccer.Anyway, I assume that’s my long-winded method of claiming {that a} easy blanket on this set may make an enormous distinction within the play worth…though any scrap of material from dwelling (or a used dryer sheet) would work, too.Listed below are all three of my pretty Woodzeez collectively!
I left Hazel in command of the little ones for some time whereas I cleaned up a number of the mess in my studio.Hazel Overwhelmingput Zaza down for a nap and set out some tea for herself. Pif was hungry for a bottle, although:
Hazel fortunately obtained the bottle…
However Pif can’t maintain a bottle, so was unable to get a drink! Zaza watched Pif’s struggles and determined that she needed her bottle, too:
Issues rapidly deteriorated as Hazel remembered that she will’t maintain onto her teacup, so she determined to drink straight from the pot.
Zaza landed on her head and Pif misplaced his shell (once more), however not less than Hazel obtained a pleasant swig of tea!
I feel this little household is happier once I take their drinks away.
When my trio of Woodzeez is finished with their shenanigans for the day, all of them match completely into the acorn home for storage:
Or, alternatively, the little home can be utilized as a storage field to pack all of them up for an outside journey!I figured that these critters may take pleasure in a while out of their pure habitat. So, making the most of one other 70-degree November day in New Jersey, we headed into the woods.Hazel was instantly at dwelling on this setting:
She discovered these cool shelf fungi rising on an outdated tree stump:
And thought this was the right location to arrange her acorn home!
I agree:
If solely this little home had a door that hinged open back and forth, it will be good:
In the meantime, Pif was captivated by these uncommon tree roots:
However after all turtles are naturally drawn to water, and so we ended up wandering alongside this rocky stream mattress, in search of extra turtles:There are many turtles in New Jersey.Zaza was extra nervous about being within the wild than her siblings had been. I feel she was involved that her brilliant yellow coloring would appeal to the eye of the native predators–just like the pair of bald eagles that frequent this space.So, we discovered a comfortable little gap within the roots of a tree the place she may cover out and really feel protected:
Backside line? I’m glad I obtained each of the completely different Li’l Woodzeez shock toys that Goal needed to provide, as a result of every has a unique set of professionals and cons.The Mini Acorn Home set is nice as a result of it features a nicely-sized, fully-flocked determine with an outfit. I may nitpick a number of issues about Hazel’s costume, however general it’s cute and simple to make use of. I want Hazel’s tea set equipment had been designed in order that they might match into her gripping arms, however these little gadgets had been a pleasant further shock. The home itself is sweet for play or show, and is ideal for storage and transportation of a small group of Woodzeez. I want the door of the home operated in a extra reasonable method, however not less than it isn’t molded right into a closed place. As a result of not the entire acorn units look the identical (there’s a spread of coloration schemes) it will be enjoyable to gather a number of homes and make a little bit village. The most important downside with these units is that there are solely 4 characters out there within the collection, so the percentages of getting a replica are excessive. There is perhaps a method of figuring out which character is inside every home, however I’m not conscious of it.The Babeez units have much more selection (30 choices), and so the chance of duplicates is decrease. Duplicates don’t appear as unhealthy with these toys, although, as a result of the value is low and duplicate infants may all the time be used as twins. As with the acorn home set, the packaging on these Babeez is a part of the toy, which I like. The cribs are a superb dimension with a cute design, and I feel children would have enjoyable tucking their child critters into mattress–maybe extra so if a little bit blanket had been included. To me, a blanket would have been a greater accent than a bib. The bibs are cumbersome and may overwhelm the tiny figures. The diapers are additionally tough to make use of (particularly on characters with shells) however they give the impression of being cute. I like Pif, and the turtle shell attachment is cute, however it falls off the entire time. I’d have to connect the shell in place earlier than giving Pif to a baby. Zaza’s shell stays on higher than Pif’s, however I don’t perceive why she has a shell within the first place. Total, Zaza’s design is simply inferior to Pif’s. She doesn’t have as a lot persona in her face, her species is ambiguous, and her coloring is unusual…however I like her anyway.Navigating the toy aisles with a small youngster could be anxious: children all the time wish to deliver a toy dwelling, and oldsters wish to keep away from spending some huge cash on one thing that may don’t have any lasting attraction. I bear in mind this dynamic with my very own children very properly. These Woodzeez units may get misplaced among the many glitter and bling of the newer L.O.L. Shock toys, however they’ve lots to supply for a toy that prices below $5. And the packaging provides to the enjoyable–not the landfill. The shock component in these units is a pleasant bonus, however the candy and timeless Woodzeez characters don’t really want a gimmick with the intention to spark some fantastic video games and adventures.
Replace 11/17: at Goal as we speak that they had new Woodzeez inventory, and a number of the characters aren’t flocked! Ack!These elephants are actually cute:
However there’s no flocking in any way. I rode an elephant once I was a teen, and it was undoubtedly fuzzy! Additionally, numerous the attraction of those toys is in how they really feel cuddled into your hand. This isn’t a superb improvement in my eyes…and but the characters’ faces are too cute for phrases.I coveted this set whereas additionally being dissatisfied by it.I additionally noticed this cow household the place the our bodies are flocked, however the noses are naked plastic:
Once more, the animals are very candy, however the uneven paint (or scuffed paint) cheapens the looks, when you ask me.That mentioned, once I took my little trio of Woodzeez on their outside journey, each Hazel and Pif obtained soiled from falling right into a moist space of stones or grass. Maybe the sleek characters are higher for outside or rigorous play? Anyway, I needed to pop again in and warn you to this replace: the characters are much less interesting to me with no fur, however is perhaps higher for some sorts of play.
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