iball 3...Fascinating and Infuriating!

HTi have introduced the iball 3 - the unique can't-put-down interactive memory game.  It is a clear ball with an electronic display inside with six lights and sound features.  Designed for ages 8-80, it will fascinate and infuriate in equal measure.  Tipped by Hamley's to be one of this Christmas's top toys, it is fast, fun and interactive and an aid to brain training for all the family. The Gadget Show on Channel 5 named it their number 1 toy at the London Toy Fair for 2011.

The iball 3 is stylish looking, a real executive toy for the 21st century, designed by computer genius and inventor Andrew Reeves who has been seen on TV shows including The Dragon's Den.

The idea of the puzzle is to work out the light sequence and switch all six lights to the same colour within a time limit.  Each light has a choice of three colours initially, creating over a million permutations.  There are two levels of play, the second of which sees you working with four colours!  Once you have succeeded a unique icode is displayed  which allows you open up all the interactive aspects of the puzzle and track your progress against other players at iball3.com on their online leaderboard.

We were sent an iball3 to try out for ourselves.  I loved the look of this high tech gizmo!  It looks great sat on the black stand like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.  The ball is really tactile and the lights and sounds create a really addictive toy.

I would like to tell you at this point how we have mastered the iball3 and are now experts.  Sadly, it's not the case.  I've matched the 6 lights twice but nothing seems to have happened...maybe I'm too slow.  We are clueless!  It sounds simple enough, we just haven't worked out how to progress.  We are truly infuriated by how puzzling it is.  I've delayed publishing this review just in case we cracked it so I could write about how clever we are!  But I couldn't wait any longer.  I have had to come clean.  

I'm sure many people will love the challenge of the iball3...I just don't get it.  Whatever we do just doesn't seem to work.  Lights light up...numbers flash on the LED display but we're not sure why.  The instruction leaflet does not help at all. To say we're confused is an understatement.  Even the kids can't get their head around it and they are the ones who usually grasp concepts and leave their parents standing!  My teenager refused to be videoed for this review because she doesn't get what she is doing with the iball3!  Maybe we are just not techy enough...I'll be getting my computer geeky 22 year old to have a go next time he visits...I'm sure it'll be right up his street and he'll complete the level in no time and tell us where we're going wrong!

If anyone can offer me any advice or help I'd be very grateful, because this is a great product.  It is intelligent and challenging.  But too frustrating for me!  

Their strap line is CAN YOU DO IT???  (Me?  I'm not so sure that I can!)

The retail price is around £16.99. (Amazon currently have it on sale for £11.75 + p&p from Gameseek.) 

Like Official iball3 on Facebook for more news, reviews and competitions.  

Silent Sunday

Zoobles...Spring To Life

"Far away in the mysterious land of Zooble resides hundreds of adorable little creatures, each with the ability to transform from tiny balls hiding in the unknown into cute, mysterious and quirky little creatures called Zoobles!"

We were sent a Zoobles "Mama and Zoobling" set to review Inside the Wendy House.  We received Unga and Bunga who came complete with their own "happitat" tree and swing.  Zoobles are the latest collectible from Spinmaster with over 300 to collect!  They are recommended for ages 4 and up (there are very small parts which could pose a choking hazard).

Unga is a large scale Mama Zooble and Bunga is her tiny baby Zoobling.  Both are little balls until they spring into life to become the cute, colourful and friendly little creatures.  Place Mama on the hotspot in the Happitat and she magically springs open (using concealed magnets).  Baby fits safely into Mum's back or perches on the tree or swing for added play value.

The Zoobles Mama has fold down legs so she will stand up when open.  These fold back into her body when she rolls back into a ball.  The Zoobles are very interactive little creatures which makes them more than just collectible ornaments.  They both fit nicely onto the included play set which makes a nice little scene to pop on a shelf.  Other play sets and character packs are available to add to your collection.

Here is a video of Kizzy demonstrating the Zoobles Mama and Zoobling,  Unga and Bunga set.

Zoobles.com is a lovely website for collectors with games, activities and information.

You can also like Zoobles on Facebook.

Prices start at about £5.99 for a single Zooble at Toys R Us.  Also available at other toy stockists and Amazon.co.uk.

Toyology Review...Casdon Ironing Set

When we received a toy ironing board and iron from Toys R Us I had to laugh!  My poor youngest kids have never even seen an iron in our house!  Since our son left home taking with him the need to iron his work shirts, the iron has been made quite redundant.  (Unless we do fabric painting and have to iron the design to fix it!)

The Casdon Ironing Board is a scaled down, realistic looking board with padded cover and iron storage tray.  The iron is a miniature Morphy Richards and very much like its full sized counterpart.  It also includes a folding clothes airer and four hangers.  This set is a authentic replica of the full size versions,  perfect for role play and for copying adult activities (although this is not a common activity in our house!)

The board folds down flat and features finger-trap-safe hinges.  However you can't lock it into the folded position.

The recommended age is for 3-8 year olds. So I thought we might be a little bit stuck with this toy as Kizzy has really outgrown this stage and Freddy is a bit young and doesn't have dolls' clothes that need make believe ironing.  However, in the name of gender neutral parenting and Toyology my Tiny Testers set to work testing it out.  Kizzy's dressed teddy was stripped down to his fur to provide clothes to iron.

The board has three height settings and was sturdy enough to withstand Freddy's playing techniques.  The iron had a clicking dial and a switch (my 15 year old was disappointed that it wasn't electronic with sounds!!) The airing rack was a nice addition and the little hangers were perfect for the tiny toy clothes.

I really like how Casdon have created a range of toys that are exactly like the adult products.  Pre-schoolers are not patronised with baby-ish versions. Little ones always want real things (remote controls, mobile phones etc) and are often not duped by garishly coloured, kiddy friendly alternatives.  Casdon have created toys based on this premise. Children can emulate their parents in a realistic way and be real little mini-me's!

My only real problem with it was in the assembly.  A rivet and a retaining cap are needed to secure the legs on.  The retaining cap is almost impossible to press onto to the rivet although the instructions simply say "push on".  Ian had to resort to using a pair of grips to get it on.

Both children actually had a lot of fun with this set.  For Kizzy, it was a real novelty as an iron is a seldom seen item giving it a glamorous appeal!!  Freddy likes to copy his big sister.  Maybe I should have slipped my laundry pile into their game!  They are definitely better ironers than I am!

The set RRP is £20.

Like Toys R Us on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest Toyology news, reviews and competitions.

Flashback Friday...My Godson

My nephew and godson Tom is currently in Alabama working in a summer camp for children and adults with special needs.  He's done this for the past few years, giving up his summer holidays to spend his time helping others.  He loves it and dedicates his time to doing what he does so well.  I'm so proud of him.

Tom stands 6' 4" tall and sports a skinhead haircut.  But looks are deceptive with Tom.  He is a gentle soul and a wonderful boy who I love to pieces.

This post is dedicated to Tom.

He was the first baby I ever held.  My sister Carol had him when I was 17 and I adored him and was honoured when she asked me to be his godmother.

When Joe and Megan were tiny I spent a lot of time staying with my big sister.  Tom was a bit of a scallywag, but for all his mischief he still had a heart of gold.  You could tell this from how he loved cuddling his baby cousins.  

Now, he is a full grown man and he still has a heart of gold.  He is studying to be a social worker at university and I know he is going to make such a difference to so many lives.  I'm so proud to have him in my life and still incredibly honoured to have him as my godson.

This is my Flashback Friday.  Check out others at Cafe Bebe!

Galt Art Jar Review

We were sent the Galt Art Jar to review for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest.  The huge plastic jar is cram packed full of arts and crafts materials such as googly eyes, gummed paper, crepe paper, glue, scissors, buttons and beads.  This exciting selection of arty bits and bobs comes complete with an ideas sheet to get the creative play started.

Today was a rainy grey day, perfect for doing something arty indoors!  Kizzy was very happy pulling out pompoms, pipe cleaners and wiggly eyes from the jar to make a model of a monster!  The jar is so filled with materials that she barely skimmed the surface.  There is enough stuff to keep the kids occupied creating collages and models for the whole of the summer holidays and beyond!

It is good to have everything stored in one place, it made tidying up and storage easy.

The jar retails for £14.99 and literally contains everything needed for a multitude of fun art projects.  Just add imagination!!

Interflora Brighten Up Your Day

However down you may be feeling, however grey the skies may be, the delivery of a huge bouquet of flowers brightens up your day!  Today I received a beautiful Pink Radiance Bouquet courtesy of Interflora.

The stunning hand tied bouquet features a generous selection of fragrant, oriental pink lilies, classic pink roses, pink lisianthus and cerise germini.  The vibrant pinks contrasted beautifully with the gypsophilia, aspidistra leaves, eucalyptus and salal.  It is a personification of summer itself! Finished with gift wrap, ribbon and presented in a stylish gift bag, it made a huge impact as it arrived this morning by a lovely Interflora florist wielding an umbrella to protect them from the rain!

Flowers have an uncanny knack of making you smile and this exquisite bunch is no exception.  They looked so pretty and they smelt lovely too.  They add a real splash of colour to the house.  Take a look of these colours!

Interflora are proud to be the world's largest and most experienced flower delivery service.  Every day thousands of people trust Interflora to deliver good wishes or thoughtful sentiments on their behalf.  Everyone involved takes care to add a little personal touch to the Interflora experience.  Every bouquet is prepared with care and hand delivered.  So whether you are looking for flower delivery in Nottingham or florists in London, you can trust Interflora!

Fun with Jungle Junction

Jungle Junction is a huge hit with us here Inside the Wendy House.  The Disney Junior BAFTA nominated TV show stars animals who live in the jungle with "wheels instead of feet"!  I was very excited when Flair created a range of toys based on the show.  I saw the Jungle Playset at Christmas in July  and loved it.  I was even more excited when I was sent the Jungle Junction Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set and the Wheel Around Fun Set to review with my Tiny Testers Freddy and Kizzy.

The Jungle Junction Play Set at Christmas in July.

The play sets bring to life the fun of Jungle Junction for children to enjoy in their own home.  Pre-Schoolers can re-enact the fast moving adventures from the jungle with the familiar characters from their favourite TV show.

The Hippobus is a big yellow, smiley school bus who takes the Beetle Bugs safely to school.  The Play Set comes complete with five colourful beetle bugs plus stop and go signs to see them safely across the road!  The Hippobus has working sounds, just press his ear and the bus erupts into the giggles of the Beetle Bugs, their boinging sounds or the bus horn beeping.  The side of the bus opens up to reveal rows of colour coded seats for the bugs which encourages early colour recognition and a slide.  The bus is robust and beautifully made.  It comes complete with batteries so it is ready to be played with!  All the accessories store neatly inside when not in use.  A cardboard jungle scenery play mat and stickers are included.

The set was the perfect size for Freddy's little hands and he loved whizzing the bugs down the slide and wheeling Elebus along.

The Wheel Around Fun Set features Ellyvan, Bungo and Scooter who can zoom around their own cardboard play mat.  The set includes road signs and stickers to add to the fun!  The individual characters can be wheeled along the road in their own adventures.

The sets can be added to with free wheeling figures that come individually or in duo packs.

The Jungle Junction toys are fun, colourful, well made and will provide hours of fun for Disney Junior fans.

The Jungle Play Set RRP £39.99
Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set £19.99
Wheel Around Fun Set £9.99
Jungle Junction Figures £3.99 - £6.99
Available from Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Boots and other stockists.

When Life Throws a Curve Ball

I am a worrier, always have been, always will be.  Mostly, the worry is reserved for my children.  Even after my eldest two have left home, I constantly worry about them.  It doesn't stop.  Very rarely does this worrying extend to my husband.  He is my rock.  My hero.  He will be here by my side forever. No question.  What is there to worry about?

The belief that we will grow old together is set in stone.  It's our destiny.  It was always meant to be.  Perhaps I have taken that unshakable truth for granted, because right now my faith is being tested.  Just a tiny bit. It is only a slight niggle that is rocking the foundations of my world, but it is enough to make me stop and take stock of my life.

I know it's nothing and I'm worrying unnecessarily.  Ian is fine, I'm convinced of it.  But a routine doctor's appointment for a minor ailment lead to some routine tests which have resulted in the discovery of an anomaly.  This is now leading to a further battery of tests.  Ian has never been ill in all the time we've been together, apart from the occasional bout of man flu of course.  He isn't ill now, but the medical profession feel the need to probe and scan and test my husband.  It is a little scary even though I'm sure they are just taking precautions.

Hopefully these tests will highlight a whole host of illnesses that Ian hasn't got.  I'm sure it will put my mind at ease as the list of possible problems are dismissed leaving nothing but a clean bill of health.

But just having the ugly head of the prospect of illness raised in my marriage has shaken me.  Reminding me that every day is precious.  Reminding me to not take anything for granted.

When I was pregnant I had some medical problems.  A heart murmur was detected early in my pregnancy and my kidneys struggled to work properly.  But we weathered the storm together and after Freddy was born I recovered...no more babies for us though!  All our health worries have revolved around me, never Ian.

Maybe this reminder is a good thing, and when this is all over I will be holding onto my loved ones a little tighter, breathing in their scent a little deeper, telling them I love them even more than I do now.  I am so lucky and so blessed.  May I never forget that.

Keep Your Kids Safe With UK Wasp Watch

The Summer Holidays are in full swing and that means playing out in the garden, day trips, picnics and WASPS!!    With the unseasonably warm weather that we experienced earlier this year, wasps are flourishing.  In fact Rentokil reports a 13% increase on wasp enquiries from this time last year!

WASP!

Rentokil have conducted a survey which has found that two thirds of mums are worried about wasp stings.  This is not surprising as wasp stings can cause severe reactions and 300,000 people in the UK suffer allergic reactions to stings.  Anaphylactic reactions can occur and in severe cases can prove extremely dangerous.  The survey showed that 76% of mums would not know how to deal with anaphylactic shock if their child suffered from it.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign advises the following steps:

·         Call 999 immediately to seek medical help

·         Keep the patient calm

·         Lay the patient down, with their feet raised to increase the blood flow to the heart

·         If there is a sign the patient will be sick, turn them onto their side into the recovery position until the ambulance arrives

To help parents, and the wider public, manage the risk of wasps - Rentokil’s interactive UKWaspWatch map tracks sightings of wasps to create a picture of wasp hotspots across the country. This year, Rentokil has teamed up with The Anaphylaxis Campaign  (the UK charity focused on helping people living with severe allergies) and will donate 20p to the charity every time a person logs a wasp or wasps’ nest sighting onto UKWaspWatch throughout the summer.  The site also includes information on what parents should do if their child is stung.


Wasps can be unpredictable and get particularly aggressive towards the end of summer.  To reduce the risk, you should avoid areas where wasps cluster, such as rubbish bins in picnic areas. Wasps' nests can contain up to 5000 wasps which can be incredibly dangerous if provoked.  Children should be made aware of the dangers of playing near or worrying wasps' nests. After all prevention is better than cure.

Rentokil has the following top tips for parents to minimise wasp threats:

·         Encourage your child to stay calm in the presence of wasps.  The best advice is to move away slowly; waving arms or swatting wasps will increase their tendency to sting.

·         Wasps are attracted to bright colours.  If you’re planning to spend time outdoors, muted or pastel shades will help prevent your child being targeted.

·         Don’t walk barefoot outside and look out for wasps before sitting down.

·        Wasps will make a beeline for sweet drinks and foods.  Encourage children to use lids and wrap food as soon as you’ve finished eating.

·         Ensure children wipe their faces and hands after eating sweet things like lollies and ice-creams to minimize further temptation for wasps.

·         Remember that insect repellents go hand in hand with sun cream in the hot weather.

·         Research the difference between wasps and bees. While both are bright yellow and black striped, there are noticeable differences between the insects. For example, wasps tend to be less hairy than bees, their eyes are kidney shaped and their bodies more pointed, with a noticeable waist. Being stung by a bee is quite rare as they are much less aggressive than wasps.

A high wasp presence is a real turn-off for parents, with 82% of mums stating they would actively avoid a wasp hotspot. Parents concerned about wasps can log onto UKWaspWatch to identify areas with high wasp activity when planning days out or weekends away.  You can also log any sightings together with their severity, ranging from a single wasp through to a wasps’ nest:

• Visit www.ukwaspwatch.co.uk and log a sighting directly onto the map by following the simple instructions
• Enter your sighting via a special Facebook application  
• Tweet the hashtag #ukwaspwatch, your postcode and how serious the sighting is using the scale on the UKWaspWatch website.

Wasps can be real pests in the summer and cause anxiety, especially with the risk of an allergic reaction if your child has never been stung before.  It is very useful to have practical advice on avoiding wasps and what to do if your child does get stung.  Although as a parent we worry about wasp stings, it is reassuring to know that only 0.5% of the population will suffer from an acute allergic reaction.  Knowing what to do in such an event can be a real life saver.  If we take the recommended precautions hopefully we can all enjoy a summer free from wasp stings!

To find out more about UKWaspWatch and to raise money for The Anaphylaxis Campaign visit www.UKWaspWatch.co.uk. 

Listography...Top 5 Kids' Films

Kate has chosen favourite children's films as the theme to this week's Listography after her eventful trip to see Cars 2 at the cinema.  Her story reminded me of taken my eldest son to see Beauty and the Beast at the cinema, aged 3.  I spent the majority of the film chasing after my toddler who was crawling down the aisles underneath the legs of unwitting cinema goers who were trying to watch Disney's latest release on the big screen.  It was traumatic to say the least!

However, the experience of taking my first born to the cinema for the first time did not ruin my love of film and in fact the aforementioned Disney classic is my number 1 choice!

1: Beauty and The Beast

This may be my favourite Disney film ever.  I love Belle, the bookish, brunette who sees that beauty is more than just skin deep when she falls in love with the hairy stud muffin aka Beast.  The songs are like the real traditional Disney songs that I loved to perform in my bedroom as a child.  It's a proper fairytale brought to life with a happy ever after...perfect!

2: Toy Story (the Trilogy!!)

Toy Story is simply incredible...all three of them!  They were the first films that Freddy loved and we've ended up buying every single character in toy form from the Disney Store from Woody to Buzz to Slinky Dog and the toy soldiers.  Yes we are suckers for merchandising and seeing the wide eyed wonder on our son's face as he sets his eyes on the latest cast member that appears in his toybox!  I love the genius scripting, the randy Newman soundtrack and the fabulous casting of the voices.  Pixar perfection!

3:  Ice Age

This film has been resurrected by Freddy who is hugely amused by Scrat's adventures with his acorn.  He laughs out loud at the hapless little creature.  Subsequently, I have become quite fond of this movie.  I love how the unlikely group of animals form a herd and work together.  Good life lesson!

4: Hans Christian Anderson with Danny Kaye

How could anyone not love this film?  It reminds me of my childhood and I adore Danny Kaye.

5:  Monsters Inc

God, I am such a Disney junkie, but I can't get enough of their films!  Another Pixar classic that the whole family loves.  I cannot wait for number two to come out...I just hope that by then Freddy will be old enough to take to the cinema without re-enacting his big brother's first visit!  Somehow though I think I'll need to prepare myself for embarrassment!!

Lunch Time with Crocodile Creek

The US based company Crocodile Creek have a brilliant selection of back to school lunch products which are stylish as well as functional.  With water bottles, lunch boxes and food jars, the products are all child friendly, beautifully designed and made from the highest quality materials.

We have been sent a thermal food jar from their range to try out.  The wide mouthed food grade stainless steel flask is both strong and safe.  The design we have depicts the solar system and is really funky as well as educational.  Perfect for any budding astronomers!

The 5.5" tall double walled insulated flask is perfect for both hot and cold food.  It gives the opportunity to avoid boring sandwiches in your child's lunch box.  How about a healthy pasta salad or a chunky soup for a change!  The wide mouth makes it very easy to eat from.  The outer wall remains cool to touch with hot food inside and is sweat proof with cold foods.   It is also easy to keep clean (hand washing recommended).

The screw top lid is secure but easy to do up and undo which is important for a child's independence.  Kizzy will enjoy the option of having a tasty, home made lunch in her flask.  It will make school lunch time choices much more flexible for her.

The Crocodile Creek Thermal Food Jar retails for £15 and is available in designs suitable for both boys and girls.

You can find Crocodile Creek products online at Amazon.

The Gallery...Birth

This week's The Gallery prompt is "Birth".  There are so many ways this prompt can be interpreted but I have decided to go literal and a bit medical. (Look away now if you are at all squeamish!)

Freddy was born in July 2009 and we were lucky enough to have the most brilliant midwife.  She was really straightforward and matter of fact...none of the overly sentimental platitudes that some midwives adopt and definitely none of that calling me a "good girl" malarkey *cringes*

She suited my birthing style perfectly and I delivered my 9lb 10 oz baby with no pain relief whatsoever.  Afterwards, we were chatting about how interested my girls were about my pregnancy.  My midwife sprang into action allowing us to video her explaining about the workings of my placenta.  She pulled it all about, demonstrating how it all worked to nourish Freddy during my pregnancy.  She was awesome.

The afterbirth is the forgotten part of the delivery.  It is usually expelled and disposed of without much thought.

Nothing really in pregnancy is more amazing than the organ we create to sustain our unborn child inside us.  The rich network of blood vessels that feeds our baby.  The membrane that holds our unborn baby safe inside.  The umbilical cord that connects mother and child.  It is a forgotten miracle.

I'm not one of those mothers who wanted to eat it or bring it home to give it a Christian burial, but I was humbled, amazed and proud to see what my body had done to give sustenance to my son.  OK it looks like something found in a butcher's shop or possibly a horror film...but it is the giver of life and the enabler of the miracle of birth!

As well as the video, my midwife posed with my placenta for some photographs.  One of which is my Gallery entry for this week.

My Placenta

Pop across to Tara's blog to discover other photos in The Gallery!

Dobble and Jungle Speed

When I attended Christmas in July, I met the people behind Esdevium games.  I was very impressed by the gorgeous wooden boxed retro edition of Monopoly they had on display. It was sheer nostalgia and would look fabulous gracing any coffee table.

Monopoly how it used to be!

Esdevium Games also make an impressive range of other great family games and I was happy to be asked to test out a couple of card games...Jungle Speed and Dobble.

Dobble is a game of speed, observation and reflexes.  There are 5 ways to play, each game having different rules.  Each card contains a series of images and the idea of the game is to spot matching images on other cards.  The images are different sizes and on different places on the cards so it isn't as easy as you'd think!

There are 55 different cards which all have an image in common with every other card in the deck.  The circular cards are sturdy and tidy away into the circular tin.  We played Towering Inferno which involved trying to match your card with the central playing card.  First person to call a match takes the card from the central pile to build their own tower or pile of cards.  The player with the biggest tower wins.  It was fast, furious and you had to be really observant to spot the matching images and symbols before the other players.

Concentrating hard!

The other mini games are variations on this theme, all involving matching your card's symbols before anyone else!  These games are The Well, Hot Potato, Catch Them All and the Poisoned Gift. Each game lasts about 15 minutes so you can play all the variations in one sitting.  The game can be played with 2-8 players ages 6 and over.  Adults and children alike can play together.  It is really fun and simple to play.  It is perfect for travelling or while on holiday and can be packed away into the tin and carried in a bag or pocket.  For just £12.99 on Amazon.co.uk  it is fantastic value.  The 5 -in- 1 aspect of the game keeps it really interesting and fresh.

The Dobble Champion

Jungle Speed is another family card game which is easy to play and again relies on keen observation skills and lightning reflexes.  The game consists of  a set of cards and a wooden totem which fit neatly into a funky cloth drawstring bag.

For 3-8 (or more) players aged 7+, this game is a lot of fun.  The totem sits in the middle of the table.  The cards are dealt out.  Each card has a symbol on it.  The idea is to match the symbol on your card with an identical one on someone elses' card before they do.  Players reveal their cards simultaneously.  If you have a match, a duel is triggered and you have to grab the totem before the other player does. The fastest player gives his discarded cards to his losing adversary. The winner is the first to get rid of his cards.

Grabbing the totem.

The pack includes some special cards which if turned over change the method of play.  One such card makes everyone grab at once, another allows you to match colours instead of patterns.  If during play you grab the totem by mistake (this is easy done due to the patterns being very similar) you are penalised by having to pick up all the discarded cards on the table.  So you have to keep your wits about you!  Act quickly but be sure.

You also need a steady hand...dropping the totem carries a penalty! This game is a lot of laughs as players go to grab the totem at the same time or mistakenly grab when the cards don't match.  Kizzy ended up launching the totem off the table in her haste to grab it!

Jungle Speed sells for £14.99 on Amazon.co.uk.

We spent a good hour or so playing these two fun, family card games.  I really liked the fact that they were both straight forward and not overly complicated, yet were still challenging and fun.  It is nice to play a game where 8 year old Kizzy can play alongside her 15 year old sister and myself.

I can see both games being used a lot over the holidays and beyond.  They make a nice change to playing regular card games and are much quicker and less fussy than board games.  They are definitely a hit with us!!

*Esdevium Games has a Take Me Out game coming soon...so keep your eyes peeled for that...if you are a no likey, no lighty fan!!*