My first review, with a great giveaway!

Back in December when I was super pregnant with Nico, I received a cool PR pitch. I was offered the chance to pick and review a baby product from CSN Stores' Baby & Kids site. By that point we had already amassed a metric ton of baby gear, so I decided to choose a toy he could grow into. It was a hard choice, because the site had lots of nice toys -- educational toys, toys to ride on, blocks, just about everything you'd want for a little kid. I finally chose this neat wooden truck. One of my favorite toys as a kid was my classic Tonka dump truck, so I really loved the idea of getting Nico his first dump truck. It was just an added bonus that the colors matched his nursery.

First point in the truck's favor:  it looks great. When the truck arrived, I set it in the open-front box on the end table in our living room, waiting until I had a chance to get it out for inspection. While it was there, my cousin stopped by with her two boys, and the three-year-old was instantly drawn to the truck, like the proverbial moth to a flame. We got it out of the box for him, and he spent some time hauling the dog's ball around the living room floor. Since he played with it, the truck has returned to the end table, where it has attracted the attention of just about everyone who has seen it. And who can blame people...it's a handsome truck!


Second point:  It's really well-made, something I was hoping for when I selected it. Lots of toys claim to be "heavy duty," but one never knows when choosing something online. Wood construction, metal axles, and real rubber wheels make for a sturdy toy that I expect will withstand the abuses of a little boy's play quite well. My brother-in-law even examined it and proclaimed that he thought it would've survived him as a child -- high praise for any toy, believe me.

Finally, the third point:  the truck is manufactured by Wonderworld from environmentally friendly materials. According to the box, the toy is constructed from old plantation-grown rubber trees that no longer produce latex. The production waste is then used to make particle board, fuel, incense sticks, and to cultivate mushrooms. The truck is finished with water-based paint and boxed in recycled packaging. So my kid gets a great toy while the world gets treated gently. What's not to love?



And there's more! As a part of this review, I get to give away a $40 shopping spree to any of the CSN Stores (and they sell just about everything). I've heard lots of awful (and sometimes hilarious) stories of terrible PR outreach from companies to bloggers lately, but my contact at CSN has been fabulous throughout the process. He even agreed to extend this prize offer to Canadians when I told him that about half of my blog friends live north of the border.

To be entered to win the $40 CSN shopping spree (shipping included), leave a comment on this post and tell me which online CSN store you'd like to visit with the prize money. Residents of the US and Canada only, please. The winner will have to provide his or her contact info directly to CSN. The contest is open until May 31 at midnight CST, at which point I will use random.org to select a winner.




DISCLOSURE:  I received this product for free in exchange for a teaser post on my main blog containing a linked keyword selected by CSN Stores. The words and opinions in this review are my own.


WINNER!



Congrats, bibliophile81! I'll send you an email with info on how to claim your prize :)