I had the chance to talk with toy expert, Elizabeth Werner, on what's hot for kids this summer. Take a peek at our interview to find out what Elizabeth, toy expert for the Today Show, recommends. It's the middle of the summer, and if you're like me, you could use some suggestions for fun ways to entertain the kids!

I'm so super excited to be participating in Gilt's Summer Spectacular as a #GiltyMom. Are you familiar with Gilt? If you're not, you are so missing out! Gilt is a fantastic deal site that has everything you could want at incredible prices. I've been a Gilt member for some time now, and I've drooled over the high fashion items they offer from major brands. But Gilt Children is where I've made my purchases.

My Gilt Children Experience

The first thing I ever bought there was a set of Plan Toys wooden blocks for my little guy. Brady absolutely adores his "castle" blocks. That's what he calls them. They were only $28 plus a very reasonable shipping cost. These blocks will last forever and really encourage my son's creativity. He loves to build castles and roads, bringing his other toys and action figures into the "town" to play. It's so much fun. I love finding things on Gilt Children that I wouldn't find in the stores around here.

My most recent purchase from Gilt Children were two sets of Green Lullaby cardboard storage boxes. These suckers are great! I really needed something to corral all of Brady's toys that have accumulated in the living room. I'd like the space to at least appear somewhat organized and grown up - not the children's playroom it actually has become! So I chose these:

They go great with our eggplant colored furniture. The storage cubes came in sets of three. These three work really well as stools around the coffee table. Brady can sit to draw or eat a snack, and he just opens the lid to find his toys now. So convenient!

Here are the other three. They're lined up against the couch. They look nice and neat. It's great that Brady can now easily find his toys. He actually plays with them more, and he seems much more content to entertain himself. He even plays with the boxes themselves, lining them up like a train. Each set was $35. The cubes are strong and were a cinch to put together. I did it all by myself! They're so strong that even his big sister can sit on them to play train with him. They hold up to 110 lbs. And look, aren't they cute?

Get $10 off a $50 Gilt Children Purchase and a Chance to Win $100 Credit

Gilt has very generously offered members of the #GiltyMom Summer Spectacular a unique gift code to share that entitles the users to $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. So just follow this link, and you're on your way to saving money and getting something very cool. This offer is good until July 18th. I have been very happy with my Gilt shopping experiences and am happy to recommend the site for awesome prices and a unique shopping experience.

Gilt is also offering all of the #GiltyMom participants a $100 credit to give away on our blogs! Wanna win? Just head over to Gilt Children and take a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what item you'd love to have. It's that easy! For extra entries:

Follow Everyday Baby Steps in the sidebar and leave a comment letting me you know did so or that you're already a follower.

Like Gilt Children on Facebook and leave a comment here saying you did.

Join in the conversation at the Gilt Children Facebook page. We're talking about all things parenting and summer. Then come back here and let me know about it in the comments.

Good luck!  A winner will be chosen at random at noon EST on Friday, July 22nd and notified through email. In the event that the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

I am part of the Gilt Summer Spectacular and have been compensated for my participation in this campaign.

You have until December 20th (only two more days) to save 30% at Small World Toys. I just learned about them recently when they reached out to tell me about htis amazing sale. They offered to send me a toy for my toddler, and I gladly accepted. We chose the Preschool Laptop, and it arrived yesterday.

It's cute, isn't it? I think Brady will really like it. He loves watching me and his siblings using the computer. It'll be fun for him to have his own. Look for me to have a full review after the holidays after Brady has a chance to play with it.

For now, you might want to take advantage of Small World's 30% off sale. Save another 10% with the code MR10! Shipping is free on all orders $25 or more. Happy shopping!

Let me tell you about some really wonderful toys my kids reviewed recently.  They think mommy has the best job in the world, and they're more than happy to help me with it!  Take a look at the toys that arrived in the mail for them to test out.

Each kid got a toy to try out, even Brady!  They've had a couple weeks to play with them, and I asked them to tell me what they like about the toys.  Okay, except Brady.  I'll have to do the talking for him.

First up is the I-Dog Dance.  Noah got to play with this one.  He was so excited.  He got the regular I-Dog for Christmas last year and thought this one was even cooler!  Noah says,"It's fun.  It's colorful, and it's cool how you can touch its face, and it'll do stuff."  It is cool how it does that.  The toy responds to touch.  You can make it stand up, lay down - it even growls when you pull its tail.  Noah figured that one out.  The I-Dog Dance plugs into most portable music devices and will play the music through the built-in speakers in its chin and back.  It is a very fun toy!

Hasbro's Furreal Friends Tumbles, My Rollover Pup is adorable.  We live in a mobile home, and with two kids and a baby, we're not getting a dog any time soon.  So Norah was thrilled to see that she could have her very own puppy when Tumbles arrived at our house!  Tumbles rolls over and wiggles almost like a real dog.  He also makes really cute sounds like wimpers and barks.  He even nuzzles and sleeps.  Is that adorable or what?  Norah says, "I love her!" (Yes, her Tumbles is a girl.) "She rolls and makes real sounds like a puppy."  So if your home is pet-challenged like ours, you should consider getting Tumbles for your little one!

Just look at this bright colored kitty from Russ Baby's Bright Beginnings Jiggle Brights.  Isn't it too sweet?  You wouldn't believe how soft and cuddly this little guy is.  Brady does love the bright colors.  He'll look at it and grin real big.  However, I think mommy likes the hug this kitty more than Brady does; he's just too much of a squirmer to sit still that long.  But I like the flat shape, and the little rattle in the middle makes a nice noise - not at all annoying like some jingly toys can be.  I'm hoping as he gets bigger, he'll love to cuddle this toy as much as I do!

So here are some fantastic Christmas gift ideas for boys and girls of various ages.  Let me know if your child has any of these toys and what they think.  And I'm happy to provide more information if you're thinking of picking one of these up for the holiday season.  Just let me know!