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Happy happy Friday, y’all! It feels like forever since I’ve done a regular ole Five on Friday post and I’m excited to be back in the swing of things!
Our kiddos got lots of new goodies for Christmas from us, from Santa, from grandparents, and from aunts and uncles, and there have been some very clear standouts in the bunch, so I thought I’d share those with you today…
O N E – Exploding Kittens
B and I bought this card game at Target on a whim, and it has turned out to be one of the kids’ most used Christmas gifts! The game is a simple card game that’s easy to learn, and it is so much fun for the whole family. It's kind of similar to Uno, but a bit different, and the game is probably equal parts strategy as it is luck.
Our family has played several rounds together, I’ve played several games with the kids when B was out, and Jacob and Olivia have played so many games alone together that I’ve lost track. On their first day back at school after the break, they squeezed in a game before we left for school, and they went right back to it after homework was done when they got home. They. love. this. game. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something for all family members!
T W O – Magic 8 Ball
My friend’s little boy got a Magic 8 Ball for his birthday, and he brought it along when we went out with them back in September. Ever since our kids laid eyes on it that night, they were obsessed, and it was at the top of every Christmas list and letter they wrote. Santa brought one for each of them, and they both love them so much that I’m about ready to throw them both out the window. Haha. They have carried these things everywhere since they got them on Christmas morning, and they have asked these Magic 8 Balls every single question under the sun including, “Will Mommy die tomorrow?” and, “Will Pop and Cokie win the lottery?” Haha.
They drove my extended family crazy at Christmas dinner making them ask the Magic 8 Ball 8 million questions, so much that I finally had to ask them to take the Magic 8 Ball elsewhere so the adults could have a break. Needless to say, they are completely and utterly obsessed. And I can also say with complete confidence that these things are indestructible as Olivia has dropped hers on the floor no less than 84 times since she received it two weeks ago and it is still in perfect condition. Face palm.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a super fun, inexpensive gift, this is it!
T H R E E – Clue
During our Thanksgiving celebration at my MIL’s house, all of the cousins played the original game of Clue together. It was the first time our kids had ever played so they were on teams with older cousins until they learned, and Olivia loved it so much she asked for it for Christmas. When they’re not playing Exploding Kittens, they’re playing Clue. They love it. I guess this is a board game with staying power!
F O U R – Magic Mixies
Magic Cauldron
Leading up to Christmas Olivia heard about the Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron, and from that point forward, it’s all she wanted. (Well, that and a Magic 8 Ball – haha). Before I go into further detail, I’ll just go ahead and say that these were impossible to find this year… they were the Tickle Me Elmo of Christmas 2021. B and I both stalked Walmart, Target, and Amazon nonstop leading up to Christmas, and we were never able to get our hands on one. That meant we ended up having to purchase one on eBay, but fortunately, we didn’t have to pay too much over MSRP, and it was worth the extra few dollars to see the look on her face when she got it.
I have to say, it’s a pretty awesome toy. It’s a big cauldron that comes with several different “potions” and powders and a wand that makes magical noises. You put water in the cauldron, add in your potions, and wave your wand over it (there are step-by-step instructions), and then tons of magical mist appears, and a fairly sizeable plush “pet” appears in the cauldron at the end. It’s quite impressive how the whole process takes place because the plush pet doesn’t even get wet.
It’s a one-time thing to actually “create” the plush pet, but then the pet is also electronic and can do all kinds of tricks when you use your magic wand with it… so your child can still have fun with the toy even after the pet is created. And you can also buy potion refills to create more pets if you so choose.
This is definitely a cool toy, it was a winner with our kids, and hey LOOK, it’s finally fully in stock since Christmas is over. I guess we may buy a refill for Olivia for her birthday in February. ;o)
F I V E – Basketball
Goal
Jacob asked for a basketball hoop for Christmas (something I never pictured us having), but I’m so glad he did because we’ve all been having fun with it! The kids have been so eager to get outside (on the few days that it hasn’t rained here) and they’ve been having so much fun playing. Brian taught them how to play HORSE and we love that it’s something they can do alone together or with the whole family. They’ve been wanting to go outside much more since we’ve gotten it. I wish we’d gotten one sooner!
B bought this one and it was shipped to our house for free. It has a 48" shatter-proof backboard, it adjusts from 8 to 10 feet high, it has an all-weather net, and it comes with a five-year warranty. It's also portable, so you can move it around as needed. We opted to fill our base with sand because we know we'll be leaving it in one spot forever, and that sand made it legit... it's not going anywhere now. Haha. It was also a paaaain to put together, but from what Brian read, all of the basketball hoops are.
Friday Funnies
These CDC says memes have been giving me life this week...
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On the Blog This Week
Our Week – The One with More Christmas Celebrations, a Playdate, and New Year’s
Those all seem like great gifts! Especially the basketball hoop - gotta love something that helps you get outside, too!
ReplyDeleteWe like Exploding Kittens too, fun and quick!
ReplyDeleteMagic mixie was a huge hit over here! She’s been carrying it around everyday since. We did get the refill too.
ReplyDeleteIt really is the coolest toy!
DeleteYour funnies always make my Friday sweet friend! I hope you have the best weekend!
ReplyDeleteLove the memes! So funny!
ReplyDeleteMy kids went through a major Clue phase...such a fun game! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteWe went through a HUGE Exploding Kittens phase around here and even bought most of the expansion packs too. It was so much fun! I'll never forget the time my sister and I took out kids to Great Wolf Lodge and our 5 boys stayed up until well past bedtime playing a never ending game that kept us all in stitches.
ReplyDeleteOoooh I didn't even know they have expansion packs! I'm so glad you told me! Thank you!
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