Tuesday Morning Haul - Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley

I do a lot of Tuesday Morning Store hauls because they are a great resource for buying art journaling and travelers journal supplies at a discount.  I decided to visit my local Tuesday Morning store to see if I could find any art journaling supplies and set a budget of $20.

The first item that I bought was a Dylusions Creative Dyary (diary) by  Dyan Reaveley for $6.99.  Ranger used a cute play on words by spelling the word Dyary instead of Diary to reflect Dyan's (the designer of this fabulous planner) name in the product title.  However, this does make it challenging when I google this product to get more information, since spell check is constantly trying to correct the spelling. The delusions "Creative Dyary" planner sells for around $16.99 on Amazon (the price can vary).  You can find out more information on Dyan Reaveley on her Blog or Website.  Before I go any further, I have to make the following notation: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases” from links listed in this blog post.  If you do not want to use my links, just do a search using your favorite search engine.

I enjoy the Dyan Reaverley line of products so getting this planner at that price was a cool score.  I will actually use these for an art journal and memory planner. One of the best features of the Dylusions Creative planners is that one side of each week is has the days of the week already filled in. They are non dated so you can easily start using the planner immediately. Additionally, some of the pages are already decorated with designs that the you can color in with your favorite colored pencils or makers.  The paper is multi media quality so it takes color well.

Some of the pages have various color patterns.  This makes it easy for those who like to decorate their planners pages to add stickers, washi tape and die cuts.

They are really pretty and personally, there a few pages that I don't feel even need any additional decorating (like the one below).

There are 52 weeks included in this planner but you don't have to use all of them. There is a video on YouTube where Dyan Reaverly explains some of the fun features of this planner and other fun products from her line.

The second item was the Ranger DYE61120 Dyan Reaveley's delusions creative dyray (planner) bag which I thought was so cute.  I love the various patterns on this bag and they are similar to some of the stickers that are available in her sticker book.   I also like that this bag has an elastic which makes it easy to attach to the above dylusions planner that I purchased.  This bag was $2.49 which is a lot cheaper than it is on Amazon.

I did not find anything else that I needed or wanted.  The total with tax came out to less than $12 which was below the $20 budget I had set for the day.  I think it was a pretty good haul for the amount I had to spend.  If you want to see a past haul I did at Tuesday Morning, then just click here to go to that post.

Note: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for everything with my own funds. Also I do have some links listed for Amazon but the stuff was cheaper at Tuesday Morning.  

LEGO Friends Snow Resort Off-Roader Set | Review

If you like the Lego Friends Collection you will be happy to know that Lego has released the new Snow Resort Off-roader kit.  The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-roader Kit features a female figure, a snowboard, luggage, a map of the ski slopes, assorted accessories along with the very cool off-roader vehicle   The set (41321) is reasonably priced at $14.99 on the Lego website but can also be found online and at other retailers like Amazon.  The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-Roader Kit is currently available on Amazon at $14.99 (with free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime Member). I don't know how long that price will last so if you want the kit, you should check Amazon and see what the current price is.  

The new snow resort collection being sold by LEGO include a Snow Resort Chalet (41323), an Ice Rink (41322), a Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van, and a Ski Lift (41324).  The Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van comes with two characters and the van opens up to create a cute kitchen like setting.  The Snow Resort Chalet Kit also comes with two characters and in addition to the chalet(and an impressive list of accessories), it includes what looks like snowmobile. The Ice Rink also includes two characters, the ice rink, and an assortment of other extras.  I found that all of these kits work well with the other sets in this collection, as well as being able to stand alone.  The attention that LEGO paid to the details on these kits is amazing.

The Snow Resort Kits is a wonderful collection to introduce children to the joys of skiing and the Ski Etiquette. LEGO has even produced a darling YouTube video on the Lego Channel that explains some of more commonly known rules of ski etiquette to kids in a fun way.  The video below offers some great tips for anyone going to the ski slopes for the first time.




I love the five tips that are covered by this video.  They are:
Tip #1 – Grab a map, agree to your goals for the day, and remember to pace yourself. Some people head right for the black diamonds, but a real pro warms up before cutting loose on the tougher runs!
Tip #2 – Wait your turn at the lift and try not to step on anyone’s skis. And, don’t forget to mind those ski poles!
Tip #3 – The mountain is beautiful, so enjoy your ride on the lift, but give yourself enough time to be prepared to exit. The lift waits for no one!
Tip #4 – Your fellow skiers and shredders want to keep moving! If you need to stop, move to the side of the slope.
Tip #5 – At the end of the day, make time to unwind at the lodge. Recap your favorite moments and celebrate each other for a great day of active fun, but don’t be that space hog in the lodge; we’re friends on the slopes.

The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-roader set is made up 141 pieces which also included stickers.

The instruction manual has wonderful step by step diagrams to assist parents in building the sets (my kids never look at the manuals but I have to).

You can see how easy the instructions are for assembling each piece of the kit.

I took only 20 minutes to put together the kit.  We have shared it with some of the kids my older daughter babysits and they have really enjoyed the elements of this kit. Again, there are so many cool elements and accessories to this kit and can be played by more than one child at a time (if you have other LEGO characters on hand).

Note: Thank you to the folks at LEGO who were kind enough to send me this kit so my kids could try it out and add it to the many other kits I have purchased.  I highly recommend joining the Lego Club because you can earn points and they send out emails with current specials and new releases.

Lego DC Superhero Girls Batgirl Batjet Chase | Review

If you like the Lego DC Superhero Girls Collection you will be happy to know that Lego has released the new Batgirl™  Batjet Chase kit.  The Batgirl Chase Kit features a Batgirl figure along with the very cool Batjet Chase vehicle.  It also includes a Yellow Krypomite with an attack buggy in the same set.  The DC Super Hero Girls Batgirl™ Batjet Chase set (41230) is reasonably priced at $24.99 on the Lego website but can also be found online and at other retailers like Amazon.  This kit works well with the other sets in this collection.  I was extremely happy when I found out that the kind folks at Lego were sending me one for my kids to test out and enjoy.  We already own the "The Joker™Notorious Lowrider" and few of the other batman themed items, so this is an added bonus to our collection.

The set itself is made up 206 pieces which included stickers and a net.  There is one large sticker sheet for decorating the bat jet and two smaller stickers that are used to decorate

The DC Superhero Girls Batgirl™Batjet Chase kit pieces conveniently come separated into two bags.

One bag holds the Batjet pieces and the other bag holds the Batgirl, the small buggy pieces and the parts for the small yellow Krypomite character. This makes it a lot easier to keep the various pieces separated.

The easiest piece to assemble is the Yellow Krypomite.  This character adds a lot of fun to the collection, according the Lego website, the yellow Krypomite character's special powers are to instill fear into those it comes across. Personally, I find the entire line of Krypomite characters are really cute and easy to put together.  There are a total of 6 Krypotomite characters available for purchase on the Lego website. However,  this kit includes a tiny version of the yellow Krypomite sold in the Krypomite kits.

Yellow Krypomite

You can see how tiny the Krypotomite creature is next to the Batgirl figure.

Bat Girl and Yellow Kryptomite

I love that Lego has beautifully illustrated step by step directions on how to build each piece that makes it easy to assemble these kits in a short amount of time. After my daughter assembled the yellow Kryptomite, she assemble the attack buggy.

Lego Yellow Krypomite Attack Buggy front view

We found that the attack buggy is also easy to put together.

Lego Yellow Krypomite Attack Buggy Side View

It only took my daughter a few minutes to assemble it.  We were really impressed by all the
details on this little piece, even the back view was interesting.

Lego Yellow Krypomite Attack Buggy - Back View

The next project was to make the Bat Girl™ Piece.

Lego Batgirl Assembly Instructions

Again, the instructions are so easy to follow that it took about 1 minute to assemble her. The details on the Batgirl™are amazing.

Lego Batgirl - Front View

The Batjet Chase had the most parts and that did take a bit longer to assemble.

Lego Batgirl Batjet Chase - Front View

Again the directions are really straight forward so my daughter had it finished in around 15 to 20 minutes.

Lego Batgirl Batjet Chase - Side View

The step that took the longest was the positioning of the stickers.  The are curved and that made a little more challenging to place it without placing slightly off the correct location.

Lego Batgirl Batjet Chase - Back View

Once it was finished, we had a lot of fun playing with it.  The Batjet actually shoots a mesh out of the front end of the batjet by pushing the back knob (as in the picture below).

Lego Batgirl Batjet Chase - Eject Button Location

Once you press on the ejection button, the bat jet throws out a net that is used to capture the yellow Krypomite.

My daughters have always enjoyed their Lego sets.   We love attending Comic Con and other similar events.  I think it is wonderful that Lego has created sets that include the DC female heroes and villains.  We have started collecting the individual DC Mini Figures and this set will be fun to add to that collection.  So far we have purchased a few of the Lego Batman sets, the Lego Joker Notorious Lowrider and some of the individual blind packs to add to our collection.  Below is the Joker Notorious Lowrider and the Batgirl Batjet Chase so you can get an idea of the size comparison.  There are a lot more pieces in the Lego Joker Notorious Lowrider than the Lego Batgirl Batjet Chase.

You can see how well the different kits work well together.

Note:  My family thanks Lego for sending us this kit for our honest review and enjoyment. We really appreciate it and we are enjoying playing with it.  It is a great addition to the many Lego sets we have already purchased and assembled.

Prima Jet-Setter Traveler's Journal Review

The Prima Jet-Setter travelers journal is beautiful bonded leather cover that features a collage of watercolor flowers and letters.  The mixing of the two patterns on this cover make it visually appealing. It is the cover I like best for my portable art journaling projects.  I was really excited to finally get my new Prima Traveler's Journal in the mail.

The starter journal set that I purchased includes:

• 1 cover
• 4 elastic bands, 
• 1 Journal Charm, and
• 2 blank ivory colored paper insert notebooks

The charm is gold toned and has the Prima Marketing Travelers Journal imprinted on it.

The Jet-Setter travelers journal includes two non lined paper journal inserts.  One has a plain black cover and the other features the same mixed patterned style as the actual travelers journal. 

 The paper is a smooth ivory colored paper.  The travelers journal inserts are approximately 5.5"x8.7" (closed). that means you have a lot of space to work in when you lay it open and flat to journal in.  

The Prima travelers journal itself measures 10"x6.5" when folded.   The Prima Jet-Setter travelers journal starter journal kit sells for around $34.99 on Amazon. I was able to stuff it with four inserts and some stickers and it stretched to 2 inches and held up very well.

I am fairly certain that I could stuff it with six inserts and it would still close up nicely.

One of the things I really like about this journal is the pockets within the interior of this travelers notebook.  When you open it up flat there are eight business card sized pockets

and two larger dollar sized pockets in the front cover.

Now, since business card sizes can vary I should point out that I tried several sizes in there.  My standard business cards fit fine but my more artistic cards had to be cut down a little to fit into the card slots.

Also, because of the extra storage pockets included, the front cover is thicker than the back cover.  I measured it to be a little less than a 1/4 inch.

 The back cover has one really nice areas to hold stickers and post it notes.

Additionally, the new Prima Travelers Journal also includes a pen loop that is sized to hold a regular size single ink pen. I usually carry three pens, so I used the leather paper protector piece to hold the additional pens that I like to carry.

I did try to stick one of my 4 ink pens into it but it did not fit into the loop easily.  I do think that over time it will stretch enough to hold my 4 colored ink pen in it.  However, since this is a brand new journal, the faux leather has not had a chance to stretch out yet.

The only thing that disappointed me with this book is that the cover came with black stains on it.  I think that perhaps the plain black cover of the insert journal may have caused the stain in some way.

I did try to rub it off but it is stained.  However, I know I will fill it with stickers so it probably wont be noticeable. If you have a suggestion on how to remove the stain, please leave a comment below and share it with me.  At this point I am just not willing to return the book and have to wait even longer for a replacement.  I am going to cover the black insert with clear adhesive paper to keep it from doing any more damage to the travelers journal.

In case you are wondering about the actual paper in the inserts, I did decide to do an ink test just to see how the inks react onto the paper.

Below is a view of the back side of the paper so you can how opaque the paper is.

My pens worked great on the paper.  The ink just went on so smoothly.  Some of the inks did bleed through a little on the back side of the paper but over all it is pretty good. I don't mind the shadowing from the inks onto the back side of the page, since I tend to add ephemera to my pages anyway.

The Prima Marketing Company offers 11 different paper inserts that suit a variety of needs which include mixed media paper, monthly, daily, and even weekly inserts. The paper insert notebooks are pretty reasonably priced and can be purchased on Amazon and other online stores.

Also, for those who may not know it, Prima Marketing also offers some really cool cling stamps that are great for using in their new travelers notebooks.


Note: I do not work for Prima Marketing.  I paid for these products with my own money. The opinions and experiences I had with these products are my own and may vary from other individuals. 

Thank you for stopping by!