Jabuka, the Twisting Alphabet Game

Jabuka is a word game that looks like a sack full of coffee beans (the shape was actually inspired by an actual coffee bean).  This is because it comes with letter tiles that are shaped like coffee beans and stored in a little burlap sack.  Recommended for ages 8 and up, you need 2-8 players for this game.  Some of the letters can change if you turn the "bean".  For example, flip a "W" over and it becomes an "M".  Turn it sideways and it becomes an "E".  The cool thing is it's totally organic with no game board and no word grid.  The special morphing letter beans can twist and turn to change the letters and create new words!  The person who uses the most "beans" and shouts "JABUKA!" is the winner. The great thing about this game is that you can steal you opponent's words by building them up further or even changing them around and adding to them.  This is perfect size to carry with you for camping trips or family getaways.  A word of warning though, it is addictive!  You'll find your self caught up in the excitement; stealing words from the other players , laughing and having a blast.  Even my 5 year old is able to play a simplified version of this game.  Too often these days children spend their time on the computer, phone or tablet.  It's nice to have a game for family game night that requires no computer interaction at all.  We need more games like this so children can learn to be less dependent on technology.  Jabuka retails for $20.00 and can be purchased from their site at  www.jabukagames.com   or you can purchase it HERE .  

Metallic Olive Pen from the Loom Collection by Graf von Faber-Castell

Graf von Faber-Castell provided me with this ink pen to review.

I absolutely love this ballpoint ink pen from Graf von Faber - Castell.  The top is a metallic olive color with a silver clip and the bottom is silver as well. It is from their Loom collection.  It has a slightly curved form and the rings around the bottom part provides a nice gripping area.  There are seven rings around the barrel to provide an ample grip.  It feels very comfortable in my hand when I write with it.  It has a chrome plated polished metal grip, with embossed grooves for comfortable writing posture.  The clip is spring loaded and is made of the same chrome plated polished metal as the grip.  To bring the writing tip out, you just twist the barrel.  It writes in black ink and is fitted with a large capacity black refill.  This means that it will last longer before needing to be changed, which is always a plus if you write as much as I do.  It comes in an elegant gift box that is perfect for gift giving.  It writes very smooth.  It seems to glide across the paper with no noticeable skipping.  It has written smoothly on every type of paper I have tried it on so far.  Often times ink pens will have trouble writing on glossy paper, but not this one.  It hasn't failed me yet.  The only problem that I have encountered with this pen is that my daughter keeps stealing it from me.  She loves it as much as I do.  Graf von Faber - Castell has a wide selection of fine writing pens available on their site.  You can choose between ballpoint pens, rollerball pens and fountain pens.  They have several color combinations available as well.  Just browse their site to view their selection.  The ink pen I received retails for $45 and you can purchase it HERE .

Is it a plushie, or a hoodie? It's both! It's Cubcoats!

Cubcoats has provided me with this product for review.

Cubcoats is a plush character that transforms from a pillow type plushie into a hoodie.  There are many styles available.  A few of the animals are panda, fox and tiger.  They also have characters such as Minions, Mickey Mouse and Chewbacca.  There are many more, the one I received is Spiderman.  My son loves Spiderman.  He loved this when I gave it to him and he thought it was just a plushie.  But then when he found out that it would transform into a hoodie, the look on his face was priceless.  He was so excited!  They are soft and warm.  Transforming it into a hoodie is a simple process.  These images are taken from their website to show you how to transform it.

To transform into a hoodie, you flip it over and unzip the back.  Then you pull the hoodie out and unroll it.  Tuck the character away inside the hood and it's ready to wear.  My son looks so adorable in this and loves it so much that I just might have to buy some more of them for him.  In addition to the ones I mentioned above, they have the following:    the animals are kitty, puppy and bear.  The characters are Black Panther, Poppy The Troll, Minnie Mouse and Darth Vader.  These would be great as an outdoor costume for Halloween as well.  They would be able to stay warm without detracting from their costume.  They are so cute that I wish they had hem in my size!  But unfortunately they do not come in adult sizes.  They come in children's sizes ranging from 2-8.  The retail price for the animal styles is $45 and for the characters it is $50.  You can purchase them HERE .    

Looking for a new game for family game night? Try Bananagrams!

Bananagrams provided me with these games to review. 

First we have Bananagrams The Classic Family Anagrams Game.  It is perfect for ages 7 and up and can be played with 1-8 players per game.  The object of the game is to build an individual word grid using up all of your letter tiles.  The first person who uses all of their tiles is the winner.  The game consists of 144 letter tiles that can be stored in a washable yellow banana shaped pouch. To begin the game, you place the tiles face down on the table (this is called the "BUNCH") and each player chooses a predetermined amount of tiles according to how many players there are.  You then take your tiles and begin forming a word grid trying to use as many tiles as you can.  The game continues with players drawing tiles and trading in tiles they can't find a use for until the bunch contains fewer tiles than the number of players.  Then the first player to use all their tiles is the winner IF they did not make any mistakes in their word grid.  If a mistake is found, then that person is out of the game, their tiles are returned to the bunch and play resumes for the remaining players.  This game is lots of fun and was a big hit with my family.  This game retails for $14.99 and can be purchased HERE .

 My First Bananagrams is a modified version of Bananagrams for younger players.  It is suitable for ages 4 and up and is for 1-4 players.  This game consists of 80 single letter tiles and 13 letter combination tiles that come in a green banana shaped pouch.  The rules for this game is a simplified version of the rules for the regular Bananagrams, making it easier for younger children to play.  These letter combination tiles are the first step in word creation as the children learn to group them together.  It also has multiple mini games that together forms a step by step progression of play towards learning to play a full game of Banangrams.  My First Bananagrams retails for $14.99 and can be purchased HERE .

Have a Family Karaoke Night!

Whether you are a talented singer, or you would just like to be, singing karaoke is so much fun!  The Singing Machine has provided me with these products in exchange for an honest review.

 

This is The Singing Machine Groove Cube.  The really cool thing about this is that it has over 40 multi colored lights on the front, sides and handle that synchronizes to the music, so it's really great for parties.  It's small enough to take along with you and is battery operated (uses 8 "C" batteries, not included), as well as electric.  It comes with one microphone, RCA cables, AC adapter and a code for 5 bonus song downloads.  Plays CDs and CD+Gs or streams audio from any Bluetooth compatible device.  You can hook it up to your TV to view scrolling lyrics on your TV screen.  Record yourself, share and playback using the integrated USB port.  Has a secure cradle to hold your tablet or other mobile device.  It has an echo control to enhance your vocals.  This is such a fun little machine.  It really is all you need for a family karaoke night!  The Groove Cube retails for $69.99 and can be purchased HERE .

 

This microphone is the perfect choice if you need a second one for duets, or if you need to replace a damaged one.  Just plug it into your karaoke machine and you're good to go.  It is lightweight and easy to hold in your hand.  It retails for $9.99 and can be purchased HERE .

This cute little guy is called the Singing Machine Kids Mic Guy Bluetooth Speaker.  This is perfect for kids to take along with them as they are on the go.  It is a speaker and a microphone in one.  It has a rechargeable Li-ion battery that will last for 4 hours per charge.  Kids love the glowing light and the big eyes.  You can adjust the microphone volume and it has echo controls to customize your sound.  It has a small grip that is perfect for little hands to hold on to.  With the Mic Guy, smaller kids can have their own little karaoke party anywhere and any time they choose.  The Mic Guy retails for $19.99 and you can purchase it HERE .  

This is another 2 in 1 microphone and Bluetooth speaker.  It is really very similar to the Mic Guy, but this one is more suitable for older kids and teens.  It has volume and echo controls and lights that sync as you sing.  It has a line in jack to connect to your audio device.  It operates via an included Li-ion rechargeable battery that will hold the charge approximately 4 hours.  It is very lightweight and is easy to hold in your hand.  It retails for $24.99 and can be purchased HERE .