Tag Archives: board games

Mar13

Fun Aunt & Uncle

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Fun Aunt & Uncle

Hello!!! Johnny and I are firm on not wanting children and are very happy to be bunny parents. Another title that we take very seriously is the “fun aunt and uncle” to our two sweet nieces, Val Gal and Raya, and our nephew, Patrick. There is nothing better than raising a ruckus with our favorite little humans and then sending them back to their parents afterwards! This past Tuesday was an incredibly special day because Miss Val turned four years old! To celebrate, Johnny and I hosted a birthday slumber party on Thursday with all of her favorite things: Spaghetti and pesto for dinner, a vanilla cupcake and sprinkles for dessert, and lots of presents!

Val is so dear to Johnny and I because she was only half a year old when he and I started dating and she has grown up with us as a couple. We couldn’t wait to have her over for a party just for her and I thought that we had to be more excited than she was. However, we were proved wrong when Val decided she wanted to skip her dance class (Her fave!) to start the festivities early. And, believe me when I say, Val came to our apartment ready to rage lol.

Within minutes presents were ripped open and Johnny was on the floor being attacked by the Tickle Monster. I began the chant of “fun aunt and uncle” and it spread like wildfire between the three of us. Very shortly after, Val assured her mom that she could go home and our party continued with checking out some of her haul. Rather than the toys, Val was enamored with the music box I got her and was convinced it was magic when she shut the box, opened it, and the ballerina continued to spin. It was a hoot. 😀

With promises of birthday cupcakes after dinner, we settled in to eat and watch an episode of Sonic The Hedgehog as per her latest obsession. Johnny and I thought it was hysterical and we were snuggled up on the couch together in stitches. After a rousing round of “happy birthday” and cupcakes, Johnny assembled her new mobile pet grooming station and we played Pet Shop and Johnny’s favorite childhood board game of Uncle Wiggly. Val also got a surprise visit from my bunny baby, Melvin, who so graciously let her and I give him a cuddle before bed. 🙂

Once Johnny went to sleep, Val and I began winding the party down with a bit of TV and silliness. She wasn’t awfully fond of TT’s favorite game called “let’s go to sleep” but she did love jumping on the bed every time I turned my back. Hey, you only turn four once! Johnny and I had the best time celebrating our best girl’s big day and we are so lucky to be the Fun Aunt and Uncle to the coolest kids on the planet! ❤

Did you have a favorite aunt and uncle growing up? How did you celebrate childhood birthdays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Jan3

Fun & Games: Elf Journey From The North Pole Edition

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Fun & Games: Elf Journey From The North Pole Edition

Hello!! The favorite Christmas movie of the Millers is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. The Mushenheims, on the other hand, love Elf! There is nothing like a family viewing of that movie to get into the holiday spirit and we quote it year round. For Christmas, my sister gifted the entire family with an Elf board game that was insanely cute and will be great to play during any time of the year when you need a touch of holiday magic. Check it out:

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Just like in the movie Elf, the point of this game is to get Buddy to New York City from the North Pole to find his dad. In the game, you are tasked with a goal sheet of locations that you must visit to score points before you make it to the Big Apple. To get Buddy moving, you use small direction markers to create your own path to places like Central Park, Gumdrop Village, and a coffee shop offering the World’s Best Cup Of Coffee (lol). The catch is that each player will build off of your path so there is no telling where Buddy will end up!

I played two rounds of the Journey From The North Pole game with my mom and brother and it was a hoot. Yes, it is basically like a slightly more complicated version of Candy Land but it was fun to move about the board while visiting the Wise Snowman, Animal Friends, and Narwhal Pal (Bye, Buddy! I hope you find your dad!). It won’t provide endless hours of entertainment for adult players but it would be a blast to play with the little ones and it is such an easy game to catch onto. 🙂

This board game is perfect for your favorite Elf loving family and is such a nice collectable item. Also, can we talk about how cute the Buddy marker is?! What an awesome family gift from my big sis! ❤

What is your favorite board game? Does your favorite movie have a game counterpart? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov11

Lil Red Loves: Game Night

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Lil Red Loves: Game Night

Hello! Prior to the pandemic, you could usually catch Johnny and I hanging out at our favorite bar called the Zephyr on a Friday or Saturday night. Now, I can’t tell you the last time we have been to a bar so it is all about nights in when we want to hang out with our friends. Johnny and I have always been avid gamers and we have a huge collection of board games and a variety of gaming systems including a Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii. With this expansive collection, game nights are now the move for our weekend activities.

While you don’t need much to make a game night a success, here are a few tips that I have found effective to make your evening even better:

Ready The Room:

Prior to hosting a game night, please do a deep clean of your space! Lol, this should go without saying but it is so true. You want your space to be the perfect set up for people to relax and have fun which means clearing clutter, taking out the trash, and doing the dreaded cleaning of your bathroom. Have fresh hand towels at the ready, light some candles or fairy lights, and prep your space to be the ultimate chill zone. (Keep in mind that if you are partaking in dranks, a guest room and comfy couches are a must so no one risks the safety of themselves and others to drive home.)

Location Is Everything:

Normally, Johnny and I will alternate which home we are having our game night at and this always works out well for us. However, if you are having multiple people over, a small apartment like mine might not cut it so that’s something to think about. If you are having guests from several different areas over, it’s best to choose a home that is it at the center of all of yours so no one has to drive super far.

Food & Drinks:

I absolutely love cooking for people so for mine and Johnny’s game nights, our friends will alternate between who is cooking dinner. This doesn’t need to be a fancy five star meal but just something tasty that everyone can enjoy. For example, I made a big pot of homemade mac n’ cheese for one of our game nights while our guests brought sides of salad and garlic bread. That being said, there is nothing wrong with ordering Chinese takeout or pizza if you want a quick and easy meal! (Also, make sure you are attentive to any of your guests with dietary needs or preferences. Last game night, our friends brought veggie burgers for their favorite Lil Red vegetarian!)

If your game night is one that tends to run longer, don’t forget the snacks. You can get creative with themed snacks like decorated cookies or cupcakes that look like the mushrooms in Mario games but a bowl of chips will also be just fine. Fruit salad, a sundae bar, and a Chex or trail mix station can also be a big hit.

For drinks, it is important to think about all of your guests because some might not drink alcohol. Always have your Britta pitcher full or water bottles at the ready as well as a variety of different sodas and juices. If you are partaking in dranks, there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned White Claw lol but you can also play bartender and make a signature drink. How about a pitcher of Sangria or white wine spritzers? Every game night house could have a different signature drink!

Playlist Perfect:

Any good game night will have some music playing in the background. For this, Johnny and I have our record player but we also have a Bluetooth speaker which we love. Remember, you don’t want the music to be too loud to disturb your neighbors or that you have to yell to talk to your friends. Just something quiet that everyone can agree on to add to the party ambiance.

Games Galore:

Now, most importantly, are the games! Are you having video gamers over? Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. will be a huge success. Board game lovers? How about a night based off of classics like Monopoly and Sorry or a co op game to solve together? Word game fans? Scrabble or Catch Phrase will go over well! Card game aficionados? Try a Magic The Gathering tournament or a casino night.

You know your guests best so it is up to you to choose the perfect selection of games to keep your evening rolling. A good rule of thumb is to avoid overly involved games that are difficult to explain or have a ton of rules. You want to play things that are easy to catch on to for maximum enjoyment for everyone. There are also some party games that can truly become annoying if you are playing with a group of people who have a ton of inside jokes that everyone might not be in on, so definitely be mindful of that.

With the tips above and your own special take on a game filled evening, your game nights will turn into an event that your friends will spend the week looking forward to. Play well and have fun!

What are your favorite games? What are your tips for hosting game nights? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep11

Fun & Games: Legend Of Zelda Monopoly Edition

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Fun & Games: Legend Of Zelda Monopoly Edition

Hi! My husband and I celebrated two years of being together on the first of the month and it was definitely the “fun and games” anniversary. I was gifted with a new Harry Potter LEGO set and I gave Johnny the Legend Of Zelda Monopoly and two new Link Amiibos. Johnny and I are avid gamers and we love to play board, video, and card games together. While we have a massive board game collection, Monopoly was one we didn’t have and it made for the perfect gift:

At least one night per weekend, Johnny and I turn it into our gaming time and will stay up late playing, talking, and listening to music. This past weekend, we broke out the Legend Of Zelda Monopoly and it was an absolute hoot. If you couldn’t tell by now, that is my Johnny’s favorite series of games so he was over the moon over this gift. I was so happy that he loved it and I loved beating his butt at it! 😀

During our game night, we also played the Seinfeld Party Game About Nothing and it was such a fun take on classic trivia. The first player to get to seventy-five points by answering a variety of different questions wins… And, yes, I beat Johnny at that too!! Whether we are having an at home game night or one with friends, both of these games are sure to be a hit and I can’t wait to play them again. 🙂

What is your favorite board game? How about your favorite video game? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

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Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

Hi! During a shopping outing with my mom and brother, I returned home with many a treat for Johnny and myself including a new game for us and a puzzle for me. FYE was running a buy one get one fifty percent off deal on their board games and puzzles and when I saw their options for Seinfeld related entertainment, I couldn’t pass it up! We already have two Seinfeld board games that include Clue and Festivus and I thought that one more couldn’t hurt. 😀 Check it out:

I love working on puzzles with my mom and brother and when I saw The Kramer portrait in puzzle form, I was sold instantly. I never work on puzzles at our apartment because we really don’t have a lot of free tabletop space. However, I can definitely make room for this one! Johnny doesn’t like doing puzzles too much so this will be nice for me to do to keep my hands busy while we’re watching our favorite programs. We plan on gluing and framing it once it’s complete. 🙂

The Seinfeld party game looked like a hoot and I laughed out loud about having to fish for the Marble Rye to win! Our favorite thing is having game nights with our friends and family and I knew that it would be a hit the next time the occasion calls for some board games. While we already have Seinfeld Scene It Trivia, this tabletop game is nice because you don’t need to bother with the TV to play it. I think that all of the Seinfeld fans in our circle will get a huge kick out of this!

It has been a while since Johnny and I purchased some new board games and activities so I was really happy with these purchases and I can’t wait to get started on my puzzle! 😀

What is your favorite board game? What is the biggest puzzle you have ever completed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun16

Super Cool Customized Wedding Gift

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Super Cool Customized Wedding Gift

Hello! Johnny and I have been so thankful for the generosity of our friends and loved ones for our recent nuptials. One of the gifts that I am particularly fond of is a customized Connect Four board from my brother and his family. Check it out:

From board and video games to cards and word games, Johnny and I love it all and our biggest wish is to have a game room when we eventually move. As soon as I opened the personalized tabletop game, I had a feeling it would become the crown jewel of our game room and I can’t wait for that dream to become a reality. I can already picture the layout now with a nice big TV, our air hockey table, and a space for board games and puzzles. Not to mention plenty of music themed decor for Johnny and knick knacks galore because we sure have a lot of them!

Customized gifts are always incredibly special to me because of how thoughtful they are. I didn’t even know something like what my brother got for me and Johnny existed and it really made for a perfect wedding gift. Because my brother and his family live out of state, we have not been able to see them as much as we would like due to the pandemic. This gift shows that they think about us just as much as we about them and both Johnny and I can’t wait to see my brother, his wife, and son now that we are all fully vaccinated. ❤

Have you ever received a customized gift before? What was it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Date Day Purchases

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Date Day Purchases

Hello! Prior to our engagement outing and day date this past weekend, Johnny and I have not been out in public together since the beginning of October of last year. So, needless to say, they were both very exciting days for us! Prior to the pandemic, Johnny and I were out and about in downtown Kent constantly. Whether it was for games or trivia night, dinner dates, or when Johnny’s band was playing a show – we always seemed to have plans.

Last weekend when Johnny suggested we go to Off The Wagon, a specialty toy shop in Kent, I thought it was a great idea. He recently had a huge haul of board games from there and wanted to pick some more out with me. Not only did we get to run into some of our friends who I haven’t seen since last year but we also picked out a new party and word game. I have a feeling we will be the hosts with the most when it is safe enough to have a game night again! Check it out:

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Unfortunately, when purchasing these games we both didn’t quite realize that they were meant to be played with more than two people. Lol, WHOOPS! But that’s okay because I think they are going to be a hit among our friend group. Johnny and I played a few rounds of Stupid Deaths together and it’s a party game where you decide if a unique manner of death actually happened or not, all while avoiding the Grim Reaper on the board. The deaths cover a vast period of time and some were well known while others I genuinely had no idea if it was true or false. It was really fun even with just me and Johnny and we want to get the game Stupid Criminals by the same company next!

Concept is a word game that you play on teams. You have to use tiles with pictures of different adjectives to create a clue of whatever word or phrase you have for your partner. Johnny and I are both very fond of word games, however, we probably wouldn’t have bought this one had we read the box better and realized that it was a team game! I can definitely picture playing this with my siblings and their partners, though, so no harm no foul.

The next game we have our eyes on is a cooperative adventure game based off of Stephen King’s The Shining. We would have purchased this one without a question but you need at least three players. Trust and believe we will be buying it as soon as we’re comfortable with game nights again!

What is your favorite board game? How about your favorite party game? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

More Fun & Games

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More Fun & Games

Hello! A few weeks ago, Johnny surprised me with a bunch of board games for us to play together and the last one in his haul arrived in the mail earlier this week. We have been having such a good time playing something other than Diablo III nonstop and are especially partial to the adventure board game, Horrified. Clearly, we enjoy more intense gaming options but that doesn’t mean we don’t like silly games too – and the latest addition to our board game collection definitely falls under that category! Check it out:

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Johnny and I are both huge Seinfeld fans and after purchasing Seinfeld Clue, he couldn’t not get the Festivus board game! Lol, Johnny and I were both in stitches just from the box and the directions. We have yet to play it because we think it would be better with more people but are excited to try it out during future game nights with our friends. As the box states several times, it really is a Festivus miracle and has inspired Johnny and I to get our own Festivus pole come the holiday season.

When we’re not saving our village from movie monsters in Horrified, Johnny has just started helping me with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I spent my childhood watching my siblings play Zelda games and while I have tried playing a few, I have never beaten one. Johnny, on the other hand, has beat them all several times and promised me he would guide me through Ocarina of Time when we inherited our friend’s Nintendo 64 and all of his old games. I’m still getting the hang of it and I am so glad to have Johnny’s expertise every step of the way.

Finally, I just beat Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door which Johnny got me for Valentine’s Day. In my youth, I rented this game from the video store but couldn’t beat the final boss so I was thrilled to reign supreme well over a decade later lol. The Thousand Year Door was such fun to play and I can’t wait to get the N64 Paper Mario so I can have the complete collection!

What is your favorite board game? How about your favorite video game? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar24

Fun & (Board) Games

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Fun & (Board) Games

Hello! Johnny and I spent this past winter hibernating with our video games and streaming services and while we will never tire of playing Diablo III together, we both agreed it would be nice to have more variety. While we love video gaming, we both enjoy playing board games, classic card games, and Magic The Gathering too. In total, we have five different video game systems so we were never hurting in that department. However, we were definitely lacking when it comes to board games. Until Johnny made some surprise purchases a few weeks ago, that is.

The day before Johnny proposed, he was running some errands and ended up at Off The Wagon – a toy store in Kent. There, he got us three new board games as well as a fourth one from Walmart and we have played at least one round of something every day since. Check it out:

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^^^ Johnny bought Horrified, Scrabble, and Seinfeld Clue from Off The Wagon and Betrayal At House On The Hill from Walmart.

My fiance is, hands down, the most thoughtful person I have ever met and his board game haul is another shining example of that. We had been talking about doing some board game shopping a few days before he made his purchases and I was delighted when he showed me his buys because, had I been there, I probably would have bought the exact same things.

Scrabble was a must because we both love word games (I will always like playing Scrabble with my mom best, though!). Seinfeld Clue was another obvious choice because that is our favorite show and we are in stitches every time we try to figure out whodoneit. We need three players for Betrayal At House On The Hill so we have yet to play but it looks like a lot of fun! Which brings us to Johnny’s last pick and, easily, our favorite of the lot: Horrified.

Horrified is an adventure cooperative game with the purpose of saving a town from classic movie monsters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein and his Bride. You and your teammates work together to solve puzzles, save villagers, and slay monsters while avoiding getting attacked yourself. At first, Johnny and I were a bit intimidated by Horrified because it seemed awfully complicated. However, it was way less complex than we originally thought and got the hang of it really quickly.

We both have never played anything like Horrified before and it is so much fun that we have already began looking for similar games. Johnny and I are both huge horror fans and going face to face with characters like The Wolfman and Mummy is exciting. Horrified will never be played the same way twice and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. No matter the outcome, we are always glad to have played and I highly recommend it!

Wanna play Horrified too? Shop with my Like To Know link: https://rstyle.me/+lsmDlYXzRvabGV3ZDjSg3w

What is your favorite board game? Do you have any cooperative game recommendations for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan25

Virtual Game Night: Planning The Ultimate Night In

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Virtual Game Night: Planning The Ultimate Night In

Right now, with the state of the world and the pandemic that continues to rage around us, it’s not possible to see our friends and family as much as we might like. Life is complicated, things are complex, and it’s difficult to spend as much time with those we care about the most, which can leave you craving social interaction in a normal way. Enter Zoom, FaceTime, and every other video chat app that’s taken the world by storm.

These video chatting apps have made virtual get togethers with friends and loved ones doable, and have meant that while we cannot be physically close, we can still spend time with those who mean the most to us, which is amazing. If you’re getting bored of virtual quizzes, then perhaps you might like to plan a virtual game night for you and a group of your friends. The great thing about virtual game nights is that they’re fairly easy to organize and can be a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Wondering what it takes to plan the perfect virtual game night? Below are a few tips and ideas for how you can get started:

Do your research:

A great way to make planning a virtual games night a little easier is to take the time to do your research to make your night a success. You don’t want your event to be stale or boring so that everyone has a great time from start to finish. Resources like Pinterest have lots of ideas available, so it might be worth taking the time to have a browse of those for inspiration as well as finding out everyone’s favorite games to possibly incorporate.

Additional research can include shortcuts in race games, special codes like the grief runeword in d2r to improve items, and bonus maps and characters in fighting games. You can prepare this and send it off to your friends to study up on – perfect if you and your crew have a competitive streak going!

Send out kits to everyone:

Don’t just rely on technology to make your game night amazing, get creative with the games that you play. Yes, utilizing resources like Jackbox TV which can be played via smartphones is a great idea, as there are various digital games to choose from, but it’s always fun to try something different. If you plan on organizing a more traditional game, make sure to send out kits along with dice from skullsplitterdice.com for everyone to use during the evening. Make the kits fun and exciting; you could even opt to theme them if you’re having a themed games night, such as a murder mystery event. The more creative you can be, the better.

Incorporate drinks and snacks:

Don’t forget to incorporate drinks and snacks into your games night, just like you would have on a face-to-face hang out. Send off snack packs to all of your guests and if you really want to go all out, incorporate the ingredients to a signature cocktail for everyone to enjoy.

Seeing your friends and family over the computer screen is not the same as real life but it’s sure better than not seeing them at all! A weekly or monthly virtual game night will be the perfect way to keep in touch until it’s safer to meet in person.

Featured Image By: Pixabay