Today's New Toys: Izzy and Yikes 8 inch plush Popples

We first discovered Popples on NETFLIX a few months ago.

We were super excited by the beautiful animation and felt the story lines actually had potential, as the main character, Lulu, is a very scientifically-inclined character. While I think some stories are better than others, there is definitely a positive focus on science with topics such as robots, machines, inventions, science fairs, weather, engineering, plants, and so much more. And if you are a mother of daughters, you'll probably appreciate the female character having such a STEM-oriented approach to problem solving.

With that being said, Popples has become one of our go-to shows when we do sit down and watch television. The bright, colorful, cheerful characters are a refreshing alternative to a lot of pop culture fare available these days.

I knew I wanted to get some Popples merchandise for the kids at some point, but it honestly slipped my mind until today. When we were at WalMart, the kids found the newly arrived Popples display and talked me into bringing a few of them home with us.

Happy to oblige, we loaded Izzy and Yikes into the grocery cart, and now we have some new snuggle buddies for Ribby when she watches one of her favorite shows!

The 8 inch plush dolls are smaller than I would have preferred, but they are cheaper. I wasn't really in the market to be spending $30 on the talking models, so these soft plushies will do for us. They do roll into a ball, as did the Popples of our childhood. Me, personally, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and find myself leaning towards liking the older style better. But, I'm equally enamored by bright, pretty, happy colors, and I do admit the 21st century Popples wear their cheerfulness well.

All in all, we are excited with our new Popples! If you'd like to watch the show, it's available on NETFLIX. If you're interested in checking out any of the plush Popples we just got, feel free to click any of the links below!

Ribby loving her new Izzy and Yikes Popples!

Izzy Popple 8 inch plush

Izzy Popple 8 inch plush

Bubbles Popple 8 inch plush

Bubbles Popple 8 inch plush       

Yikes Popple 8 inch plush

Yikes Popple 8 inch plush     

Lulu Popple 8 inch plush

Lulu Popple 8 inch plush      

Sunny Popple 8 inch plush

Sunny Popple 8 inch plush

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Enjoy your new toys!

A Turtle's Tale 2: Sammy's Escape From Paradise

What looks like a really cute movie with beautiful animation, starts off with GLARING scientific inaccuracies that make the rest of the movie hard to watch without a suspicious chip on your shoulder.

While we wish it were true, sea turtles don't lounge on beaches. Sea turtles also don't lay their eggs and then hang out, waiting for them to be born so they can help them find their way to the sea.

In fact, sea turtles are a textbook example of sheer animal instinct, as they are left alone in their nests to hatch and then find their own way into the water where they spend their entire lives, with the exception of nesting once they fully mature.

Then you start to notice how real sea turtles also don't stay constantly submerged under the water. On average, turtles only spend a matter of minutes at a time underwater. Hawsksbills can stay under for up to 45 minutes. Green Sea Turtles can stay under for a few hours, but only if they are inactive, as their heart rates slow drastically to make this possible.  Sea Turtles do indeed breathe oxygen, but the characters in this movie pretty much stay on the ocean floor the entire time.

Back to the animation, it's definitely gorgeous. It's not the most technologically advanced animation available in entertainment today, but it's a million light years ahead of the cartoons of yesteryear.

As for the story line? It's not deep enough (he he, get it? Deep enough?) for my likes. I really tend to tune out of movies that don't make a great deal of sense, but I'm sure I'll be seeing it a few times, and maybe I'll update if anything grows on me.  

In summary, it's a bright, cute, movie-length showing of adorable ocean life swimming around, doing their ocean thing. It works great for keeping little minds occupied, but if your kids are old enough to know anything about marine biology, it's scientific inaccuracy is slightly disturbing, and that makes it a little awkward to watch.

Popples! On Netflix!

Okay, I don't watch much television, so I'm a little late to the game, but I found Popples on Netflix this morning!

One of my favorite toys as a child!

I guess they've been politically corrected to be not quite as round as they were in the 80's, but physical differences aside, the animation on this Netflix-exclusive series that debuted in late 2015 is absolutely beautiful.

I haven't watched enough to comment on the story lines, but Episode 1 had something to do with a Science Fair, and Episode 2 also has a science-oriented theme; so I'm holding out hope that maybe a majority of the plot lines will at least hold a little substance. We can definitely use more females in science as role models, even if they come in the form of fuzzy little cartoon balls!

In the mean time, I've also learned that you can once again buy Popples in the store. They don't look anything like the Popples we used to know, but they're still kind of cute, with their big, endearing eyes and bright, pretty fur.

Check them out at your local Walmart or online at www.walmart.com where the 8 inch plush start at $9.99, and the the larger talking models run around $19.99.

We all need some Popples in our 21st century lives!