Tag Archives: fun and games

Mar15

Treat Day!!

Posted on March 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! This past week, our darling niece turned five years old! Both Johnny and I are SO not okay about Val being the big five, but we had so much fun celebrating it. For Val’s birthday, we took her out for a Treat Day. What is a treat day, you might ask? It basically solidifies my husband and I as the “fun aunt and uncle” lol. On treat day, we take Val out for one major activity as well as lunch, ice cream, shopping or whatever her little heart desires. For her birthday outing, we went to Fun ‘n’ Stuff and Dairy Queen and it was the best, most exhausting day haha. Check it out:

Fun ‘n’ Stuff is a staple in Northeast Ohio and has been around for as long as I can remember. In fact, I went there for field trips in grade school! It is an indoor/outdoor attraction center, but we were limited to indoor activities because the outdoor ones aren’t open yet. This was fine, though, because there was so much to do inside that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! The indoor attractions at Fun ‘n’ Stuff include a gigantic playground, a ton of arcade games, roller skating, laser tag, bumper cars, a mini rollercoaster, and so much more. We can’t wait to take Val again in the summer so she can do the outdoor activities too like bumper boats, go karts, and little amusement park rides!

For our Fun ‘n’ Stuff adventure, Val was extremely partial to the playground. It was the first thing that caught her eye and it would have been hard not to – this thing was like a McDonald’s Play Place on steroids! We spent a majority of our time there running after Val as she explored all of the different obstacles and ended up circling back to it at least three times. When we weren’t at the playground, Val loved doing the trampoline bounce and playing games with Johnny and I. We also took adorable photo booth pictures which I’m so happy about because those are my favorite keepsakes. ❤

At the arcade, we went for easy games that Val could catch on to quickly, but still reward us with maximum tickets. Johnny and I were dead set on getting ALL of the tickets for her to pick out prizes with! By the time we were finished with games like ball drop, token toss, and Wheel of Fortune we had fourteen hundred tickets for Val to shop with. We were thrilled that Val was able to get two stuffed animals and some extra candy for her stash with them. After we cashed out our tickets, we went to Dairy Queen for a snack, and dropped Val off at home. Then, we came back to our apartment and literally dropped!

Johnny and I legit couldn’t move after Treat Day, but it was a small price to pay for such a wonderful time. We all had a blast and it was the perfect way to celebrate our sweet niece! ❤

What is your favorite arcade game? Do you have an amusement center like Fun ‘n’ Stuff in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec6

The Green Dragon Inn Board Game Bar

Posted on December 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! This past weekend I checked out a new board game bar in Akron called The Green Dragon Inn with Johnny, my brother, and our friend Ty. I have been itching to go since I saw posts on Facebook about it because it looked so awesome – exactly like a Medieval tavern and it did not disappoint. The space itself was beautiful, our waitress was most helpful and delightful, and the game we played per her suggestion was a hoot. A wonderful time was had by all and we cannot wait to go back! Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

The Green Dragon Inn sits on top of the second floor of a game store called Full Grip that is run by the same people. It is such a fantastic concept because you can go shopping for new games and play them at The Inn when you are done or test it out if they have the game available in their collection. After we browsed at Full Grip for a while, we made our way to The Green Dragon and were simply blown away. It was like walking into a movie set or something! The furnishing and decor instantly transported us to times of old and I was so impressed that this amazing space was in Akron. It felt like somewhere we would go if we were on a vacation!

Before we settled in our booth, our waitress gave us a tour of The Inn. There is a huge book shelf behind the bar filled with games and a moving ladder like in Beauty and The Beast. However, that is by no means their only selection. They have over eight hundred games to pick from and you can look through their website to narrow it down based on number of players, difficulty, and type of game. We all loved the “dungeon room” with the huge chandelier but the “secret room” was the best of all. This room is expertly hidden behind a bookshelf and it was just so neat to see something like that in real life. If I had all of the money in the world, a room like that would be my first order of business in a new house. 😀

After we were done exploring The Inn, we opted for recommendations for games from our waitress. We weren’t aware of the website we could have looked at beforehand to pick games out and didn’t want to spend time scrolling through it. Our waitress knocked it out of the park with the handful of games she returned with and gave us demonstrations of each game too. We decided to play Concept thanks to her guidance and oddly enough, Johnny and I have that game at home and have never played it! Granted, we never had enough people for it and also I think we both forgot about it lol. Concept was like Pictionary in board game form and it was perfect for our group. The rules were easy to understand and it was a game we would happily play again. In fact, we plan on bringing it to play on Christmas with our families!

As soon as we entered The Green Dragon Inn, we all knew that this was a place we would be returning back to. It’s safe to say that we have never seen anything like it before and we had the best time gaming and enjoying the atmosphere that has been so beautifully created!

Do you have a similar place to The Green Dragon Inn in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite game to play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May19

Britney Spears Monopoly

Posted on May 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Mother’s Day was this past Sunday and another fabulous mom that was celebrated was my sister, Kristen. She is the mom to my two darling nieces, Valerie and Raya, and is absolutely amazing! Having a sister is having a built in best friend and Kristen will always be my A1 bestie. Normally for Mother’s Day, I get Kristen a Starbucks gift card to keep her caffeinated during her crazy busy days, but this year was different. While visiting my loved one at the Cleveland Clinic with Johnny, I saw Britney Spears Monopoly displayed in the gift shop and I couldn’t pass it up! Kristen is The Queen of Pop’s number one fan and I knew that the Monopoly board would make a wonderful addition to her merch collection. Check it out:

Once Johnny and I returned home from Cleveland, we decided that it wouldn’t hurt to give Britney Spears Monopoly a test run. We have Legend of Zelda Monopoly, but we wanted to play with the shiny new toy lol. Of course, every Monopoly board is the same thing, but I think the Britney Spears one might be my all time favorite version. I, too, am a huge Britney fan and have many a fond memory of sing alongs to the queen with my sis. A board entirely dedicated to all of our favorite songs was just perfect and it was a blast to play – especially while Johnny was DJ and playing all 90s hits!

Because of our current schedules, it can be hard for Kristen and I to commit to plans. However, it was my lucky day this past week because we both happened to be at our parents’ house at the same time. I didn’t have her gift on me, but my apartment is not even five minutes away so we went there together for the grand reveal. Kristen literally gasped when I presented her with her Mother’s Day gift and it was exactly the reaction I was hoping for. And, as one Britney fan to another, she completely understood why Johnny and I had to play it first haha. 🙂

If Britney reigns supreme in your world, then you absolutely have to invest in this Monopoly board! It is such an awesome collector’s item and you will clutch your pearls when you see it too. In fact, Johnny and I had so much fun playing it that we are thinking of buying a copy for ourselves! 😀

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

Mar31

Fun & Games: Atari Flashback Gold Mini Console

Posted on March 31, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Fun & Games: Atari Flashback Gold Mini Console

Hello!! This past weekend massively sucked and to make matters worse, we didn’t have power for roughly twenty-four hours. This was highly disappointing because Johnny and I were very much looking forward to playing the final demo before the release of Diablo IV this June. Luckily, we were able to play it for a bit on Sunday once our power was restored and it was AMAZING!! In stark contrast from playing a game that hasn’t even been released yet, we went old school this Wednesday by playing on our new Atari Flashback Gold mini console. This was released for Atari’s 50th anniversary and came preloaded with one hundred and thirty games! Check it out:

Johnny and I are avid gamers and during the power outage, he told me about how much he loved the old Atari games. Other than a few games that I have played at arcade bars, I am pretty unfamiliar with the Atari in general. So, Johnny decided to do some investigating on getting us an Atari to add to our console collection (GameCube, Wii, Nintendo Switch, and PS4). Rather than buying an old Atari and finding games to purchase, Johnny ordered the 50th anniversary mini console with everything we needed in one package.

On Wednesday, Johnny hooked the adorable tiny Atari up and we had the video game evening that we should have had over the weekend. For literal hours, we were engrossed in Stampede, Space Invaders, Pong, Burger Time, and a game where we had to protect teeth from burgers and hot dogs lol. The entire time, I felt like I was at our favorite arcade bar, Quarter Up, instead of our living room. The games were addicting and we didn’t even need rolls on rolls of quarters to play to our heart’s content.

Going from the insane graphics of the Diablo IV demo to the simplicity of Atari games took a minute to get used to, then all bets were off. Every single time a game got the best of me and Johnny, “one more time” went from a question to an absolute necessity. I dare someone to play just one round of any of these games! We were both especially partial to Stampede and Space Invaders and have so many more games to try out. This is the perfect addition to our gaming collection and I cannot wait to play more this weekend!

If you are interested in adding an Atari to your collection, then I cannot recommend the Flashback Gold console enough. It is worth every penny and Johnny and I both agree that we got our money’s worth in just one evening!

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

Jan3

Fun & Games: Elf Journey From The North Pole Edition

Posted on January 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

Mar2

One Of Those Mornings

Posted on March 2, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Last week was an insanely busy one for yours truly and when I woke up Friday morning, all I could think was TGIF. Little did I know, it was going to be one of those mornings. You all know the kind, when nothing seems to go right and you’re ready to crawl back into bed before it’s even noon. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a woman of routine and my usual mornings got way bent out of sorts. All I can say is: WOOF. lol

On Friday morning, I had a lot to do between writing and my online job before I made my way to work. I was making good progress and decided to take an anime break before I completed the rest of my assignments. I watched an episode of Black Clover and was halfway through the final episode of the Entertainment District Arc of Demon Slayer when the lights began to flicker.

For a brief moment the power went off but turned back on immediately and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I went back to watching my show and five minutes later, the power turned off again and this time it was for over an hour! I stuck around at home for another fifteen minutes or so to see if it would turn back on but had no luck so I decided to bring my laptop to my parents’ house before beginning my shift there.

What normally is an under five minute drive to chez parents ended up taking forty minutes because my car was frozen solid:

Due to Ohio’s crap weather, we had freezing rain and snow Thursday night and it left my car completely encased in ice. Oh, the joys of apartment living and no garage! It took my car about a half hour to thaw out and it was about as boring as watching paint dry lol. When the defroster had finally done its job, I still needed to pop to the gas station so I had enough in my tank for the weekend only to find that it was still frozen shut. SMH!!

When I finally arrived at my parents’ place, I was able to watch the rest of Demon Slayer and finish all of my work with five minutes to spare before clocking in. It was a mad dash, I tell you! Thankfully, the rest of the day went without a hitch because I was totally wiped out – blame it on evil Aunt Flo, I guess.

By the time I got back to my apartment, I seriously didn’t move for the rest of the day and it was SO needed. My Johnny also managed to lift my spirits by teaching me how to play Rummy, which actually ended up being a lot of fun… Probably because I kicked his butt! He also suggested that we play Scrabble, which is my favorite game, and it resulted in a tie. No one was more surprised by this outcome than me because I usually wipe the floor with him. 🙂

One of those mornings turned into a good day at work and an even better evening. But the night was the best because I slept like a dog/rock/log/baby!

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

Dec29

LEGO Hogwarts Chamber Of Secrets Completed Set

Posted on December 29, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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LEGO Hogwarts Chamber Of Secrets Completed Set

Hello! During our holiday break, Johnny and I completed the final set from our LEGO haul, which means that it’s time to buy more! We spent about three hours building the Hogwarts Chamber Of Secrets from Harry Potter and it turned out great. With fun surprises everywhere you looked and awesome extras like Chocolate Frog cards, glow in the dark pieces, and a golden Voldemort, this might be one of my favorite builds yet! Check it out:

Johnny and I are frequent builders of LEGO and I can tell that our skills have improved. Considering the size of this set, it didn’t take us too too long to complete it. We were so pleased with our handiwork! Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets is one of my favorite books and movies in the series and this set definitely did it justice.

While the builds for Hogwarts in itself are always really neat, the Chamber Of Secrets gives it a wonderful contrast. I love how you can make the basilisk move in and out of the chamber just like in the movie. It also includes a slide for the Minifigs to go down and the snake adorned door to enter the depths of Hogwarts. I wish that there was a set just of the Chamber because I would be all over it. 😀

My favorite part of this set is, easily, the pictures of Gilderoy Lockhart and I laugh every time I look at them – they are so funny! Expertly placed Chocolate Frogs and Cornish Pixies are also much appreciated and I can’t wait for my niece to come over to see if she can find them all. She is our future LEGO Master!

Johnny and I are fresh out of LEGO now but I already know which sets I want next, as always. I have my eye on the Astronomy Tower and Hogsmeade Village and I can’t wait to get them!

What do you like to build with LEGO? Did anyone receive any LEGO sets for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec2

Completed Whomping Willow LEGO Set

Posted on December 2, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! Johnny and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and I hope that all of you did too! We built LEGO, had a day date, took our niece to see Santa, and (as always) watched so much Criminal Minds lol. I had a hankering to work on one of our Harry Potter LEGO sets and we completed the Whomping Willow in about two hours this past Friday.

Although this set is a lot smaller in comparison to what we like to build, it is an important one to have. The Whomping Willow set connects some of the ones that we already have like The Great Hall and Clock Tower to make our Hogwarts castle even bigger! Check it out:

Building LEGO with Johnny is one of my favorite things to do on a day off and it’s such a great project to complete together. While I prefer the big sets for more of a challenge, it was fun to bust out the Whomping Willow set quickly. As with all of the LEGO sets, there were tons of cool surprises tucked away in the build like Trevor the frog, the spinning Whomping Willow, and the potions and baubles throughout each room. These little details make even the smallest set exciting to put together!

Now that this set is complete, all Johnny and I have left from a previous LEGO haul is the Hogwarts Chamber Of Secrets and I am itching to start it. As usual, I already have my eye on what I want next which is the Astronomy Tower and the Hogsmeade Village. In non Harry Potter news, the LEGO Haunted House looks amazing and really speaks to mine and Johnny’s spooky selves. 😀

Unfortunately, we don’t have lots of room in our apartment to show off our completed builds so at some point we are going to clear off our Spooky Shelf to showcase our work. Keep it posted for the end result, which we’ll get to eventually lol!

Who else likes to build LEGO? Where can you score great deals on new sets? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov12

Fun & (Video) Games: Animal Crossing Update Edition

Posted on November 12, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Fun & (Video) Games: Animal Crossing Update Edition

Hello! One of my favorite hobbies to help me relax is playing Animal Crossing, which I’m sure you all know because I talk about it enough lol. At the beginning of the pandemic when Johnny was furloughed, he played Animal Crossing so much that he could no longer do it and I have taken over on our island ever since. Unlike my husband, I have yet to grow tired of island living and play every chance I can get – especially since the game just got a huge update!

Us devoted Animal Crossing players have been waiting for this update for months and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. There are so many new things to enjoy from this update and after raving about it to Johnny, he even admitted that he might have to start playing again. Yeah, it’s that good.

The biggest things that helped to bulk up your island experience include Brewster’s Cafe, exploring islands with Kapp’n, an outdoor market at Harv’s Island, all of the gyroids, and cooking recipes in your kitchen. Not only can you cook but you can also grow crops other than pumpkins like potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, wheat, and sugarcane. You can even come up with tasty recipes when you go fishing, which makes catching endless amounts of black bass not completely useless.

What I am most excited about from the update is the outdoor market at Harv’s Island. The property behind his house will feature stands for Leif, Kicks, Jolly Redd, Katrina the fortune teller, and much more. Each stand will cost a steep 100,000 bells to activate and, sadly, you can only donate once per day so time traveling will be in order if you want all of the stands quickly. Right now, I only have Leif and Katrina but Jolly Redd is definitely next on the agenda so I can continue growing my art collection.

Another cool thing that the Animal Crossing update offers is 9,000 new items to decorate your home and island with. I am especially partial to the new goodies that you can buy with your Nook miles and have already blown almost my entire savings on my purchases. My haul included a Ferris wheel, balloon stand, carnival games, and train to create the ultimate amusement park on my island. This redecorating is going to take a considerable amount of time to do, though, because I have So. Many. Flowers. to dig up. *eye roll*

If you are new to Animal Crossing, then welcome to the party. And, if you are returning after a long hiatus, then welcome back. This update will have you logging into your island again and again just like the good old days before you abandoned your villagers completely! 😀

What is your favorite part of the Animal Crossing update? Which villagers do you have on your island? 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

Posted on November 11, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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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

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