Who remember playing Jenga when they were a kid or still play today with their own kids? Well, recently I was contacted to review Jenga GIANT! It’s just like Classic Jenga but MUCH BIGGER!!!! I mean much bigger. Jenga GIANT can stack to over 3 feet high! You may think this is a game for kids but let me tell you, we recently had a holiday/birthday/house warming party and this was a blast to play with friends and family. There were tons of laughs had and it really won the night for sure. This will be a great giant for the holidays, no question.

Each of the 54 blocks are precision cut blocks are sized at about 6 x 2 x 1.  They blocks are high quality polished hardwood. This comes in a sturdy box for easy storage and transport. The suggested age for this starts at age 10 to Adult, due to the size of the Jenga. But with the proper adult supervision, there is a lot of fun to be had here. Bigger is definitely better and I am glad to have found this renewed interest in Jenga. This is going to be the must play with our friends and family at parties and get togethers.

Wit this Airblown Inflatable Frosty the Snowman Snow Globe you can instantly turns your yard into a winter wonderland. This is no joke either. When I took this bad boy out, I thought it would be pretty big…well it is gigantic. Even though it is large, this self-inflates in mere seconds and stands 8 ft. tall. This also lights up with bright LEDs, which is great because our outside theme is all LED. Lastly if all that isn’t enough, this features a sparkling falling snow effect in the globe.

Even though I love I am happy to display this front and center on my lawn, I have a few issues. I wish was that Frosty was a little bigger. Also he is wearing a top hat and then there is another top hat on the top of the snow globe. So that confused me a bit but this is still a great lawn figure. Gemmy is the company who put this out and they have tons of different Frosty inflatables. This is definitely the biggest for sure and looks great as a centerpiece on your lawn.

Related Content

• Product Feature “Disney Frozen Olaf Inflatable Outdoor Christmas Figure”
• Product Review “Cracker Barrel: Animated Singing Light Up Snowman”
• Product Review “Cracker Barrel: LED Village with Animated Tree”
• Product Review “Cracker Barrel: LED Christmas Tree with Music”
• Product Review “Cracker Barrel: Snowman Wood Sleigh Wall”

Come along with the Care Bears for a very magical countdown to Christmas in The Care Bears Advent calendar app from American Greetings. Packed with all of the fun sights and sounds of the holiday season children can start the countdown by ‘unlocking’ 25 activities like holiday-themed puzzles, videos, coloring pages and more, returning each day to unlock another activity. Children can design hundreds of snowflakes and create their own white Christmas with the Care-a-Lot Snowflake maker, decorate the Care Bears Christmas tree with special ornaments, and enjoy other wintry fun activities. On Christmas Day, a full-length Care Bears video episode is unlocked.

Available now for iPads for $2.99 on the App Store. A PC and MAC desktop app can be downloaded at https://www.americangreetings.com/care-bears-advent-calendar

Since the unbelievable success of Disney’s “Frozen” last year people have been in craze for any thing from this film. With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s that time to decorate the house and I was thinking to myself, “Hey, I want a giant inflatable Olaf in the front of my house!”. Well, leave it Gemmy to deliver us exactly that. Gemmy is the company who makes most of these amazing inflatable figures that end up on many of our front lawns. They have everything from “Star Wars” to ” Disney” and everything in between.

The Olaf inflatable figure figure stands at 3.5 feet tall and looks amazing when all blown up and standing tall. It inflates very quickly and with no issue at all. It uses energy efficient LED lights to conserve energy. I know it maybe been too late for this year but Gemmy should get on the wagon with Anna and Elsa inflatables as well. I would love to have a Frozen collection to celebrate the holidays. If you are a big fan of the Disney animated film, I would highly recommend this product and if you are a smart shopper you should be able to find it for below $40 bucks, which is a real steal for sure!

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• Product Review “Gemmy Airblown Frosty the Snowman Snow Globe”
• Zoobe Hello Kitty iMessage App Launches!
• Outfit 7’s Talking Angela Celebrates Her Birthday With Us; Online Of Course
• Stackins Stackable Friends to Debut this March in Justice Stores Nationwide
• “Care Bears Advent Calender” Hits iTunes App Store!

KIDZ BOP are on fire these days! Especially having a child of my own, you don’t realize how much a kid really loves and enjoys the product for KIDZ BOP. The holiday season is here and there are tons of great new items from KIDZ BOP! Check out below the 2014 Holiday Gift Guides:

My two year old daughter saw this “Animated Singing Light Up Snowman” at the Cracker Barrel store and she couldn’t take her eyes and hands off it. She loved the way that it felt, that it lighted up and that it played music and danced, which also caused her to dance. There is nothing cuter than a little girl dancing next to an animate snowman, let me tell you 😉 It plays the song, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”, which is a great choice. I would have loved a few songs if possible but my daughter doesn’t seem to care at all.

The voice for the song is not annoying and sounds great. The volume is nice and loud but not too loud. The inside of the snowman lights up as well. The design in nice and I love the material that snowman is made of. It is very sort and squishy. My daughter called it him “warming up”, which is too darn cute. I am sure that this item is going to be a big seller this year. It is priced right and definitely gets a smile on your face.

Official Product Description: Dressed in a black top hat and bright red scarf, the Animated Singing Light Up Snowman will cheerfully decorate your home or office this holiday season. He holds a bell and poses in a friendly wave as he smiles with rosy cheeks. The singing Snowman also plays a favorite holiday tune as he lights up and spreads the Christmas spirit. Place this snowman figurine on your office desk, breakfast table or any nook in your home to spread holiday joy.

I think it is official that Cracker Barrel is my official favorite store for Christmas decorations. I walked into the store while going for breakfast recently and came out with a list of outstanding products that became must-owns for our house. The LED Village with Animated Tree is easily the most impressive of the bunch. I love any Christmas decoration that is animated and plays music. This one does both and is just amazing to watch. Let’s just say I have a lot of jealous family members ever since we added this to our collection.

Official Product Description: Bring wonder and joy to your home with our 12.75″ LED Christmas Village with Animated Tree. Santa greets a youngster on the streets below a magnificent, animated Christmas tree, while smatterings of snow create the perfect touches to this beautiful Christmas scene. This tabletop Christmas decoration is an excellent addition to any Christmas village collection, and makes a great gift for anyone who loves the Christmas season.

This decoration is quite large and definitely stands as a solid centerpiece for your collection. The lights are beautiful and very bright. The tree in the middle is lit and also spins. There is a lot going on here when this bad boy is plugged in and I found myself just staring at how beautiful it is. The music is my favorite and it extremely clear and nice and loud (but not too loud). This also comes with an AC adapter in order to power it up. I love this village and this will get a great spot on our shelf this Christmas season and many more to come after that.

I am a very big fan of Christmas and the wife and I go all out with decorations etc. It is rare but when you see a decoration in a store and just know that you need it. Well we were in The Cracker Barrel store a few weeks ago and they are all decked out for the holiday season already. We came across the LED Christmas Tree with Music and stopped dead in our tracks. This became our must own decoration for the year.

Official Product Description: When you decorate for Christmas this year, make sure to include our 18.5″ LED Christmas Tree with Music. Santa has never looked cozier, seated in his favorite chair and telling stories in front of a warm fire. This cute and festive tabletop accent is the perfect addition to your holiday decorations.

The tree itself is a nice size and looks absolutely amazing. The detail is fantastic. The colors are so vibrant and the music sounds amazing. I love that fact that it comes with an AC adapter as well to plug in also with the option of batteries as well. This is going to have a nice prominent place in our house this year. If you are looking for a very sharp addition to your collection, I recommend this.

I remember going to the diner with my family and fighting over who gets to pick the songs on the jukebox. I used to discover tons of great music that way growing up. Today’s kids probably have no idea what a jukebox even is, so I am excited that Cracker Barrel is bringing the jukebox back for my favorite holiday of the year. “Rock O Rama Jukebox” brings the nostalgic back as it delivers the classic holiday records and lights up with LED lights. This jukebox is decorated with green and red and really brings the holiday spirit. This is definitely going to be a favorite decoration for many holidays to come. There are 18 hits by some of music’s greatest artists included here with some of my all-time favorite holiday songs.

Here is the complete tracklist: Brenda Lee “Frost the Snowman”, Smokey Robinson “Deck the Halls”, Harry Simeone Choir “Carol of the Bells”, The Supremes “Little Drummer Boy”, Bing Crosby & The Andrew Sisters “Jingle Bells”, Brenda Lee “This Time of the Year”, Eartha Kitt “Santa Baby”, The Jackson 5 “Up on the Rooftop”, The Supremes “Joy to the World”, Judy Garland “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Bobby Helms “Jingle Bell Rock”, The Temptations “Silent Night”, The Ronettes “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, Louis Armstrong “Winter Wonderland”, Gene Autry “Here Comes Santa Claus”, Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters “It’s Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas”, Bing Crobsy & The Andrew Sisters “12 Days of Christmas”, Bing Crosby & Carol Richards “Silver Bells”.

The audio quality of the songs are very impressive. These tracks literally transported me back to my childhood and right into the holiday mood. There are audio controls right on the front as well, so it is easy to change a song and change the volume. My only issue was that there are three C batteries required for this and obviously aren’t included. I would have loved them to include the option for an AC adapter as well. Still though, this is a wonderful product and is going to set front and center on your mantle this season. This would also make a great gift but ask quick because I do not see this being on the shelves very long.

I am sure you are thinking that how much can I saw about a wooden sleigh, right? Well, what I can do is tell a story. When my wife set eyes on this sleigh, she literally said “Wow, I love it”. When you get a response like that you know that you certainly have something special. The craftsmanship of this product is high quality. I love the detail and the design. The colors are so vibrant. There is even nice touches like fake snow and glitter throughout. This is going to have a prominent place on my wall this Holiday season.

Official Product Description: Hang our charming Snowman Wood Sleigh Wall decor anywhere in your home for an instant splash of holiday spirit and Christmas cheer! This 17 x 6 Cracker Barrel exclusive features fun, collage-style painted snowman art, bright red color and a dusting of artificial snow for the perfect winter touch. This indoor wall decoration is sure to create a jolly look all season long!

One week till Halloween! But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still time for decorations! I recently made a trip to a Cracker Barrel location and came across a fantastic new product, which is the Animated Crazy Eyes Candy Bowl. I was walking around the Old Country Store with my two year old daughter, who ended up starring at this candy bowl and just laughing and I knew I had to have this for her. As much as I love scary Halloween decoration it is always great to have fun options as well.

This Frankenstein-themed candy bowl is not just a regular dish though, it is motion-activated that senses when a sneaky hand is getting ready to raid the candy stash. Honestly, this works great for us as well since we are able to keep an eye on your daughter when she heads over and tries to grab an extras piece.

The product features moving eyes back and forth and a little surprise at the end of each session. There are two modes for this candy dish, there is a “Try Me” mode, which only runs when you push a button on the top of the Frankenstein head. Then of course, there is the full on motion mode, which is the most fun. If you don’t live near a Cracker Barrel location, you can still pick this great item up online for only $14.99, click here.

New Colorforms Animated Series, Extensive Toyline and Digital Apps Planned for New Generation to Love

Toy Industry Veteran George Vorkas Tapped as President of Colorforms Brand LLC

New York City – October 6, 2014 – Out of the Blue Enterprises LLC, a leader in children’s educational media founded by the creators of Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, has acquired the legacy brand Colorforms, named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Toys of All-Time. Out of the Blue focuses on multi-platform interactive, curriculum-based entertainment and consumer products, and are planning an extensive new toyline, animated series and digital apps based on the beloved Colorforms brand.
With over one billion sets sold throughout the past 60+ years, Colorforms vinyl stick-on playsets are one of the best-known toy brands. They provide safe, creative, open-ended and imaginative play, and have been trusted by generations of parents and grandparents. Colorforms began with basic shapes of squares, triangles and circles, and has evolved, incorporating relevant licensed characters and other innovations that engage kids in storytelling.

Colorforms Brand LLC, the new division of Out of the Blue, will showcase its new Colorforms toyline to retailers at the Dallas Fall Mass Market Preview this week in booth 12-414, and expects to debut product at retail in Fall 2015, based on popular and classic brands including, Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peter Rabbit, Pete the Cat and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

“We are very excited to expand our portfolio of owned IP with this acquisition,” said Samantha Freeman, CEO of Out of the Blue and Colorforms Brand. “Our focus has always been toys and entertainment that elicit creative play, and Colorforms is the ideal property. We see so much potential to expand the toys, and simultaneously develop across our current lines of business — TV and digital – to really bring Colorforms to life. This treasured brand infused with classic and contemporary applications will only strengthen its appeal to the next generation.”

Out of the Blue also recently appointed toy industry veteran George Vorkas to head up its Colorforms Brand division as President. Vorkas previously held senior positions with The Bridge Direct and Li and Fung.

“From Michael Jackson to Mickey Mouse, many of the biggest and most iconic entertainment characters of our time have been featured on Colorforms,” said Vorkas. “Colorforms is a premier creativity brand, and we have exciting plans for expansion, including new formats, price points and features for the toyline as well as new entertainment, licenses and digital content. I am honored to help bring this brand into the future with the team at Out of the Blue.”

Angela Santomero, Chief Creative Officer of Out of the Blue, will be creating a new animated series based on Colorforms. Santomero has extensive experience in children’s entertainment as the Creator/Executive producer of preschool entertainment hits, including Blue’s Clues, Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Connect with Colorforms on Social Media! https://www.facebook.com/colorforms

ABOUT OUT OF THE BLUE ENTERPRISES
Out of the Blue Enterprises is a leader in children’s educational media, with a portfolio of breakthrough,
interactive and multi-platform, curriculum-based entertainment for television, video, mobile apps and
consumer products. Out of the Blue creates and produces Super WHY, the hit Emmy-nominated literacy series
on PBS KIDS; Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, for The Fred Rogers Co/PBS Kids Galaxy and the upcoming
Wishenpoof for Amazon Studios and Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Room, and handles all licensing and merchandising
activity for Super WHY and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The company also develops top-rated mobile
educational game apps, including Super WHY, Chuggington: Terrific Trainee, and Colorforms: Revolution. Led
by Co-Founders Angela C. Santomero, Creator of the hit preschool entertainment franchise, Blue’s Clues; and
Samantha Freeman, a former Nickelodeon and toy industry executive, Out of the Blue aims to engage kids and
families with age-appropriate, entertaining, and engaging learning

New License Honors Classic Brand by Designing a Full Line of Fun and Creative Role Play, Crafts and Activity Toys For Girls 

Bristol, PA – October 3, 2014 –Wicked Cool Toys has entered into a licensing relationship with Girl Scouts of the USA to introduce a delicious baking experience with a new Girl Scout Cookie™ Oven, as well as a comprehensive line of role play, craft and activity products inspired by the preeminent girls’ leadership organization in the U.S.

Wicked Cool Toys’ Girl Scout Cookie™ Oven will feature mixes inspired by some of the most popular Girl Scout Cookies® such as Thin Mints®, Trefoils®, peanut butter, and caramel coconut varieties, as well as traditional classics like chocolate chip, oatmeal and even cakes, brownies and more! Wicked Cool is also developing a line of unique craft and activity kits for ages 6 and up called D.I.Y. girl, inspired by the fun projects Girl Scouts engage in, including such diverse offerings as a string art kit, jewelry making kit, collage silhouette kit, garland making kit and more, giving girls the chance to experience some of the fun Girl Scouts have every day. Wicked Cool Toys expects its line to hit mass market retailers throughout the US beginning in Fall 2015.

“We are honored to be embarking on a licensing relationship with Girl Scouts of the USA, one of the most treasured brands in America,” says Michael Rinzler, Co-President and Founding Partner, Wicked Cool Toys. “We hope the line will encourage girls to express their creativity, learn new skills and offer a fun, positive and truly hands-on experience that will have broad appeal. On a personal note, the idea of the Girl Scout Cookie Oven was the subject of my Field Application Project as an MBA student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. It truly is a dream come true for me, all these years later.”

“We’re pleased to work with Wicked Cool Toys,” said Barry Horowitz, chief merchandise executive, Girls Scouts of the USA. “Their creative approach to toys will help us share the fun and excitement of Girl Scouts with even more girls—both current members and future ones.”

About Girl Scouts of the USA

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls’ healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer or reconnect with, or donate to Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org

About Wicked Cool Toys

WickedCool, LLC is a Pennsylvania-based toymaker with offices in Pennsylvania, California and Hong Kong. Founded in the Summer of 2012, Wicked Cool has a diverse portfolio of playthings for all ages. The Wicked Cool Toys management team is led by co-Presidents in the US Michael Rinzler and Jeremy Padawer, and in Hong Kong, Thomas Poon. The Company develops and brings to market proprietary lines and licensed product, including, Wild Kratts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, Garfield, The Wiggles, Crashlings, My Girl’s Dollhouse, Vrüm, WWE®, Disney Princess®, Minnie Mouse®, Marvel®, Batman®, Superman®, Iron Man®, Sponge Bob®, Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer®, and Monster Jam®. Visit www.wickedcooltoys.com and follow the Company on both Facebook and Twitter.  www.facebook.com/wickedcooltoys    @wickedcooltoys

 Outfit7 Limited & Mythology Entertainment Sign Exclusive Rights Deal Bringing World-Renowned App Franchise to the Big Screen

LONDON (October 7, 2014) – Outfit7 Limited, the multinational entertainment company behind the juggernaut franchise Talking Tom and Friends, marks its latest milestone event, a remarkable two billion downloads of its iconic suite of apps. The milestone coincides with the announcement that Outfit7 Limited and Mythology Entertainment have partnered in a deal to adapt the Talking Tom and Friends universe into a fully animated or hybrid live-action/animated motion picture franchise for family audiences.  The franchise will be produced by Mythology co-founders Brad Fischer and James Vanderbilt, and William Sherak, with Outfit7 founder and CEO, Samo Login executive producing.

Talking Tom and Friends is a rare global brand that, in just four years, grew from an instant app success into a fully-fledged media entertainment franchise. With a CGI animated series about to debut, a global licensing and merchandising program and a chart-topping sensation on YouTube, the lovable 3D animated characters have skyrocketed in popularity with fans across the world and sit firmly at the forefront of the digital entertainment era.

“Two billion is an incredible triumph.  We’re beyond proud that our Talking Tom and Friends cast of characters has brought so much joy, laughter and smiles to people across the globe,” said Login.  “The new film we are producing with Mythology Entertainment adds a whole new level of excitement and momentum for our brands that will enable fans of all ages to connect with our characters in a whole new way!  We’re delighted Brad Fisher and his team recognize the fun, loveable and powerful force of Talking Tom and Friends.”

“We at Mythology are among the two billion fans of ‘Talking Tom and Friends,’ so we’re very excited to join Samo and Outfit7 in taking these characters from cell phone and tablet screens to big movie screens worldwide,” said Fischer. “Tom, Angela, Ginger, Ben, Pierre and Gina have been entertaining kids and their parents for years, and we look forward to giving these beloved friends their own story for families everywhere to enjoy.”

The brand has become a global entertainment phenomenon having infiltrated popular culture with its characters featured on ABC’s Modern Family, NBC’s Today Show and the 2013 White House Easter Roll to name a few.

More Info

Since the premiere of the first Talking Tom app in 2010 the wildly popular franchise has extended beyond second screen entertainment, and touts soaring numbers to match:

• Two billion downloads of its portfolio this Fall 2014, with 14 apps launched within four years;
• An accelerated download rate of 40%, since the company celebrated its one billionth download in June 2013;
• Talking Tom and Friends exceeds 230 million monthly active users in over 230 territories worldwide;
• Fans have uploaded 8 million independent interactions with their favorite characters to YouTube, creating more than 35 million views every month;
• Combined subscribers to the Talking Tom and Friends YouTube channels exceed 1.7 million.

About Outfit7 Limited

Best known for its global phenomenon Talking Tom, Outfit7 is one of the fastest-growing media entertainment companies on the planet.

Outfit7 was founded by a group of entrepreneurs in 2009 whose mission is to bring fun and entertainment to all.  Its flagship app franchise Talking Tom and Friends has achieved over two billion downloads since its launch in 2010 and continues to grow with 230 million active users each month.

Talking Tom and Friends is a rare global brand that, in just four years, grew from an instant app success into a fully-fledged media entertainment franchise. With a movie in production and a CGI animated series soon to debut, a global licensing and merchandising program and a chart-topping sensation on YouTube, the lovable 3D animated characters have skyrocketed in popularity with fans across the world and sit firmly at the forefront of the digital entertainment era.

Outfit7 Limited is a UK multinational entertainment company headquartered in Cyprus.

For more information, please visit www.Outfit7.com and www.talkingtom.com or visit our Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

About Mythology Entertainment

Since the company’s launch three years ago, Mythology Entertainment is producing and has closed deals on a wide range of projects in film and television.  Partners Bradley Fischer (“Black Swan,” “Shutter Island,” “Zodiac”) and James Vanderbilt (“The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Zodiac”) are currently in pre-production on “Truth,” Vanderbilt’s directorial debut based on his adaptation of a memoir by Dan Rather’s former news producer, Mary Mapes. The film stars Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford.

For feature film, Mythology is producing “The Overlook Hotel” for Warner Bros., a prequel to Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” with Mark Romanek attached to direct a script written by Glen Mazzara; Richard Morgan’s Philip K. Dick Award-winning novel, Altered Carbon, adapted by Laeta Kalogridis and David H. Goodman; and “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” adapted by Eric Kripke. For television, Mythology is producing “Ashecliffe,” an HBO and Paramount Television series based on Martin Scorsese’s hit feature film, “Shutter Island.” Scorsese will direct the pilot based on a script by Shutter Island novelist, Dennis Lehane.

Mythology Entertainment is repped by attorneys McKuin, Frankel & Whitehead, and Tim Connors.

Nerd Block is a monthly subscription box any nerds out there…and for under $20. The Nerd Block Classic has been called “Comic Con in a box”. I have been following Nerd Block for a while now but I never checked it out till now. What the hell was I thinking? I am really missing out here!  So this is the first time that we have received Nerd Block (and hopefully not the last).

Nerd Block contains licensed merchandise, which is hand-picked by the company team of super-nerds. The products range from all genres from movies, television, video games, internet, and more! Some of the brands that you can expect from Nerd Block: Nintendo, Star Wars, Jinx, Marvel and DC Comics. Plus who can say no to Nerd Block motto “GEEK TESTED. NERD APPROVED”

There are 5 different blocks to subscribe to with Nerd Block:
Nerd Block Classic “Comic Con in a box” $19.99/mo + S&H
Nerd Block Jr. Boys “Awesome nerd gear for kids aged 6-11” $13.99/mo + S&H
Nerd Block Jr. Boys “Awesome nerd gear for kids aged 6-11” $13.99/mo + S&H
Horror Block “The Pop Horror Subscription Box!” $19.99/mo + S&H
Arcade Block “The Video Game Subscription Box!” $19.99/mo + S&H

Click here to sign up your own Nerd Block subscription!

Check out the video for our unboxing of the latest Nerd Block:

In case you don’t feel like watching the video, here are the items included in this month’s Nerd Block:
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Papercraft Playset
2. Sounds of the Galaxy Vol.1 T-Shirt
3. Scribblenauts Unmasked Series 1 Mini-Series
4. Giant Microbes STD Plush
5. Stress Brain – Nerd Block Exclusive
6. Marvel Mega Blocks Mystery Figure