Chess Armory 15 Inch Wooden Chess Set Review

Do you play chess? Hubby does but I'm not good at it. When I received the Chess Armory 15 Inch Wooden Chess Set, I looked forward to showing it to hubby. Here is a quick product description from the company:

Beautiful 15" x 15" Wooden Folding Chess Set. The inlaid wood chess set comes with felted interior storage for the pieces. Clasps are designed to now over hang and scratch the surface of the table being played on. Pieces are hand carved Staunton style and feature a 3" King.

The Chess Armory 15 Inch Wooden Chess Set arrived in a black box. It has a foldable wood chess board. I like the smooth, polished finish of the chess board because it looked classic and lovely. The chess board has 2 metal clasps to keep the chess board closed.

Inside, the board is lined with felt and each chess piece is held by a black garter.

There is also a small instruction booklet explaining how to position the chess pieces and the rules of the game. For those who aren't that familiar with chess, like me, it's nice that there's a short instruction booklet too get familiarized with the rules and how to play chess.

The chess pieces are made of wood and I like how they are carved. Each chess piece's bottom is also lined with felt. They are lightweight and the felt underneath helps this stay upright.

The Chess Armory 15 Inch Wooden Chess Set is really nice and it's good that this can be folded so that it can be brought on the go.

You can purchase the Chess Armory 15 Inch Wooden Chess Set HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Code Master Programming Logic Game From ThinkFun Review

I love it when I get to try products from ThinkFun because they offer a wide variety of games for all ages. The games they offer are challenging and helps improve creativity and reasoning, helps improve logical thinking and a lot more. Recently, they sent me the Code Master Game which is a programming logic game.  Here is a quick product description of the game:

The Ultimate Coding Adventure! In Code Master, your Avatar will travel to an exotic world in search of power Crystals. For all 60 levels, you’ll have to use programming logic to help your Avatar collect the Crystals and land at the Portal. Think carefully, in each level, only one specific sequence of actions will lead to success.

The game includes the following:

• Avatar
• Portal
• 6 Crystals
• 10 Maps with 60 Levels
• 12 Guide Scrolls
• 12 Action Tokens
• 8 Conditional Tokens
• Instructions with Solutions

When my daughters first saw the box, they thought it was a Minecraft game. Yes, I did see the similarities because of the block-y character in front of the box but I told them that this wasn't a Minecraft game.

The instructions were very easy to follow.

There are 60 different levels included in this game and each level becomes more challenging.

As the game progressed, crystals were also included which is needed to be picked up before reaching the portal.

The player wins once the avatar reaches the portal and if there are crystals included in the level, those should be picked up already before reaching the portal.

Similar to programming, this game is played by following a sequence. A move cannot be repeated and the commands given in each level should only be used once. I like how I am able to think how to use each move so that my avatar will reach the portal, as well as collect the crystals if there's any included in a level, in a single sequence.

As the level progresses, the challenge becomes harder which is nice because I am able to exercise my brain. This is a single player game but hubby and me take turns on each level which makes it more fun.

The Code Master Programming Logic Game is available on the ThinkFun Website or at Target.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lost My Marbles Bag Of 60 Marbles Review

Have you ever played with marbles? When I was younger, we used to play with marbles and it's a super fun and simple game. My daughters, who are 4 and 6, are familiar with marbles but haven't actually played with them. So, when I received 2 different bags of marbles from Lost My Marbles, they were super excited to play with them.

The Lost My Marbles Bag of 60 Marbles came bundled up in a sealed net, a plastic draw-string bag and a dark blue velour flocked drawstring bag.

The bag of 60 marbles from Lost My Marbles contained:

- 60 x regular sized marbles
- 2 x shooter marbles

The marbles in this pack is the "toothpaste" type of marbles wherein the marbles have a clear color and there are wavy colored streaks inside the marbles. The streaks found inside these marbles are colored orange, yellow, blue and green. These marbles have a greenish hue to them and are smooth and well made.

My daughters had a lot of fun learning how to play with these marbles and I like how they learned how to play this "old school" game. This is a simple and fun game to play which doesn't need any batteries or technology (nice for a change!).

Watch my video review of the Lost My Marbles Bag of 60 Marbles below.

You can purchase the Lost My Marbles Bag of 60 Marbles HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lost My Marbles Bag Of 40 Marbles Review

When I was a kid, we used to play with marbles. I don't remember the exact rules of the game since that was almost 2 decades ago but the goal was to shoot the marble inside the circle, using my own marble, and then try to get it out of the circle. If I get it out of the circle, then the marble is mine to keep. When I received the Lost My Marbles bag of 40 marbles, I was kind of excited to teach my daughters the game. They know what marbles are but this is honestly the first time we've had marbles at home.

The Lost My Marbles Bag of 40 Marbles arrived in a net bag and a velour flocked drawstring bag. The marbles have different shades of blue and green and it comes with a BIG marble. The bigger marble is great to use for starters because it is easier to aim it on the smaller marbles.

The marbles included in the Lost My Marbles Bag of 40 marbles are smooth and well made. There was only 1 broken regular-sized marble in the bag but the rest came with no chips/breaks.

Playing with marbles provides hours of fun with no batteries needed. My daughters loved playing with these and I'm glad that they can take a break from all the tech-y toys and games while playing with these marbles.

Here is a short video review I made of the Bag of 40 Marbles from Lost My Marbles:

You can purchase the Lost My Marbles Bag of 40 Marbles HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

All Queens Chess From Thinkfun Review

 ABOUT THE GAME:

Strategy game with only the most powerful chess piece! (MSRP: $12.99, Ages 8+)
Think of it as four-in-a-row chess. In this two-player game of All Queens you’ll have to plan your moves carefully as you outwit your opponent to get four Queens in a row. Just like in a game of chess, the all-powerful Queen can move any number of squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The only difference is that pieces can’t be captured. Stay alert and exercise logic as you navigate the board to get your Queens in a row.

I'm not much of a fan of the traditional chess but I was able to enjoy the All Queens Chess. Maybe because it's similar to chess but it's much simpler in the sense that there is only 1 type of chess piece, which is the Queen.

 The All Queens Chess is meant for 2 players so there are 2 different colored Queen Chess Piece (black and red) and each color has 6 queen pieces. There is also a square chess board included and an instruction booklet which explains how the game is played and the rules of the game.

First, each player will choose which color they'd want to be. The Queen Chess pieces are arranged first to match the colored tiles on the board. The goal is to line-up 4 Queens chess piece of the same color, either vertically, diagonally or vertically to win. Here are some of the do's and don'ts of the game:

- players alternately move their Queens chess piece on the board. First player to move will have to be decided by the 2 players.
- Once the game starts, the colored tiles on the board becomes a free space. Meaning, a red chess piece can move to a gray tile and vice versa as long as the other rules are met.
- The Queens chess piece can move diagonally, vertically or horizontally as long as no other Queen is on the way. No jumping or capturing Queens in this game.
- The first player to form 4 Queens in a diagonal, horizontal or vertical line wins. :)

Easier than traditional chess right? But I like how strategy comes into place and I can formulate my plan when I'm playing with hubby. This game is fun and fast paced that we can play it over and over again.

You can visit the Thinkfun website to learn more about their other fun games.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Houdini Game From Thinkfun Review

Ever since I was young, I loved puzzles and games which requires me to analyze and think before I can solve it. I have my very own Scrabble with a turntable, sudoku books, jigsaw puzzles and a lot more. So, when I was introduced to ThinkFun, I love how their games are fun to play and at the same time, I love how challenging their games are. They offer games for kids and adults which I think is nice.

Recently, I received the Houdini game from Thinkfun, I was super excited to see how this game is played. The name itself is very intriguing. :)

 Here is a short description of the game from the company:

World's First 40-Challenge Escape Puzzle
So you think you’re Houdini? Well, let’s see what you’ve got! Try your hand at these 40 disentanglement puzzles. Just secure Houdini using the ropes, lock and rings and work your magic to set him free without undoing the clasps! Sound easy? Well, let’s just say we won’t ask you to tie yourself up quite yet!
• Ages 8 to adult
Includes:
• 40 Challenges
• 2 Ropes
• Lock & 2 Rings
• Houdini Body & Legs
• Trap Cage
• Travel Bag

The Houdini game from Thinkfun is such a challenging game. In fact, I can't figure out the first challenge card. It may be because the rules are a bit vague. I made a video below to show you how the Houdini is played. :)

The rules for the game is to set-up Houdini using the challenge card, then untangle the ropes and rings without the need for too much force, and then you win by freeing Houdini.

The game is very fun and nice to play because there are 40 challenges included in the game. Each flip of the card makes the challenge a bit more harder than the previous one. The stages range from beginner to expert. After watching the how-to-play video from Thinkfun, I learned a bit of few rules not stated on the box. One is I can slip Houdini's feet in between the loops of the trap cage if it's possible to remove the rope through Houdini's legs. Second, I can slip the rope through the loops of the trap cage too.

This is such a fun, single player game which is perfect to do when I need to unwind and sharpen my mind. :)

You can visit the Thinkfun Website to learn more about their games and you can purchase Houdini on Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Rush Hour Shift Game By ThinkFun Review

I've always loved puzzles and boardgames when I was younger. I have an app on my phone called "blocks" and I love solving it. When I received the Rush Hour Shift, I can't help but notice how similar the game is so I was super excited to play it.

The Rush Hour Shift Game by ThinFun contained the following game pieces inside:
- traffic grid
- 12 blocking vehicles
- 2 hero cars
- 32 cards
- instructions with 10 game set-ups
- travel bag

The Rush Hour Shift game may be similar to the app "blocks" but there are some fun and exciting twists.

Here's a quick description of the Rush Hour Shift Game from the company:

Escape before your opponent, that’s the goal! The best-selling sliding block logic game is now for two players. Every move counts in this race to cross traffic. As you draw cards, you’ll need a little luck and a clever strategy to win. Should you use your turn to advance your own Hero Car or block your opponent? The potential moves are endless, and the shifting Traffic Grid adds a whole new dimension to play. Just when you think you’ve cleared a path to the finish, a shift of the grid can change the game!

The Rush Hour Shift Game is a fast and fun game. I love how similar it is to the app "blocks" and yet it has its own twists which makes the game more exciting. I also like how the game needs 2-players because I can challenge hubby to play with me.

The game is based on a bit of luck (when drawing cards) and a bit of strategy on how I can surpass the other player's car. I also like how there are 10 different ways to set up the blocking cars so that we can think of other strategies to win.

You can visit the Thinkfun website HERE to learn more about the Rush Hour Shift Game.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Talk To Wormy App For Kids Review + Giveaway 4/6 WW

ABOUT THE APP:

Talk to Wormy the Bookworm!

Wormy is a fun companion to your child and will help them learn to have a written conversation. The sophisticated artificial intelligence behind this simple app will be able to interact with your child, ask and answer questions, tell them jokes, Translate words and phrases for them, and engage their mind.

The app tries to always keep the conversation going. So it’s not just a question / answer based conversation. Wormy will always try to make a conversation, asks how was their day, and cheer them up.

This is the perfect app to help your child take their written and verbal skills to the next level and keep things fun. The language used is always child-appropriate and supports multiple languages.
Download this app now and add a great learning tool to your library. 

MY REVIEW:

The Talk To Wormy App is a fun way for young children to help them with their written skills. My 6 year old daughter loved typing questions as well as answering questions from Wormy. There are times when Wormy's answer is this constant website and I think that it's more of an error. I'm not sure if there's supposed to be a sound or if my daughter can verbally talk to Wormy but with the app I received, she can only type messages. There are no sounds/audio coming from the app so she just reads Wormy's questions and answers.

Since this app is more on the reading and writing skill, this is great for children who can already read and write. My 4 year old daughter couldn't use the app yet since she doesn't know how to read and write yet.

This is a great way for my 6 year old daughter to practice reading and writing because she can interact with Wormy.

You can check out the Talk To Wormy app HERE.

Would you like to win the Talk To Wormy App?! Well, yay! This giveaway would be different than my rafflecopter ones. Just leave a comment below on why you like this app and who you will give it to. Leave your email address as well so I can contact you if chosen as the winner. One random commenter will get a chance to get the Talk To Wormy App for free! Good Luck! :)

AND THE WINNER IS:

1st Comment: TAYLOR HAWKINS!

Congratulations!

DISCLAIMER: 1 Winner will receive a download instruction to get the Talk To Wormy App. Giveaway will start April 2, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST and will end April 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST. This will be open World Wide. The prize cannot be shipped to a P.O. box address. Winners will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment. My role is to give the sponsor the information of the winner and they will directly ship the prize to the winner. I have received a product/s mentioned above to in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own and are not influenced in any way. No other form of compensation was received. I do not share or sell information and all information shared with me will solely be used for prize shipment. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

Wisdomantics DVD Interactive Board Game Review + Giveaway 12/29 US/CAN #Wisdomantics

ABOUT THE GAME:

For 2-4 players, ages 12+

Wisdomantics–New King James Version (NKJV) is an interactive DVD board game for players of various faiths who desire to gain the vast wisdom of King Solomon. Wisdomantics-NKJV utilizes the proverbs of Solomon and blends chance, knowledge and strategy to create a fun experience while you learn! The game’s intent is to bring individuals together to learn how to cope with numerous situations in a fun and relaxed environment. Inside the box you’ll find 2 interactive DVDs with 400 questions, score cards, blessing cards, and more!

When we were younger, my siblings and I love playing board games, Monopoly and Scrabble to be exact, because it's fun, relaxing, great activity to bond and is a great way to unwind.Now, my daughters who are 3 and 6, loves playing board games too so when they saw the Wisdomantics, they immediately thought it was for them.

The Wisdomantics has rules similar to Monopoly which made it easier for me to understand. I like the plastic tokens because they look so cute.

Setting up the board game was easy and in order to play the game, we needed access to a DVD player.

There are 2 DVDs included and each DVD has 2 sides (which means I can play the DVD on either side). Each side of the DVD has 100 questions.

In order to answer the questions, we have to pass the DVD remote control around to pick out our answer. I noticed that the arrows to the answers were not in-line with the answer (see above photo) so we had to get used to that first.

The whole verse is shown once the question is answered correctly.

If the question is answered correctly on the first try, King Solomon shows up. I think this is cute. :)

After that, an instruction will show what I'll do for my move.

After playing the game, we thought it was fun and educational. Here are some of my opinion about the game.

A DVD player/gadget which can play a DVD is required to play the game. After answering the question, we have to manually choose the next question by pressing the button on our DVD remote control. It's fine but it takes a bit more time specially when we get to the middle and last questions. I love the DVD with questions though, because I wouldn't want to clean up 400 actual question cards. :)

As I've said, the arrow on the screen isn't properly aligned on the answer choices so this is a bit confusing at first.

I love how easy it is to understand and play the Wisdomantics. The concept is similar to Monopoly but at the same time different because we gain knowledge of the proverbs of Solomon.

This is such a fun game and I love how relaxing it is. I also love watching the DVD by myself and try to answer the questions.

Be sure to check out this official website!

Would you like to win a Wisdomantics Board Game for your family? Well, you're in luck!! :) One of my readers will get the chance to win a Wisdomantics Board Game! Just head on over to the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good Luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”