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Showing posts with label Toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toys. Show all posts

The 2024 Wishmas Guide... Hub!

Yo Yo Yo! Don't look now, but it's that time of the year again. Grab the hot chocolate and your favorite holiday snack as we jump into the Wishmas Guide for 2024! This year we're serving things up a little different folks (just a teensy weensy bit). So... this is what we'll call the Wishmas Guide... Hub! A portion of individuals we've met around Orlando this year, actually contributed to these guides in a round about way... just based on their collective needs + wants + frustrations.

This hub post will represent items good for any member of the family regardless of age or gender for the most part. For the other guide's related to Younglings, the Ladies, Gents, and the... Office will be in separate posts (as usual) that are accessible through this... hub! Stay tuned!

 Elevate Your Family TV Time with Surround Sound 

This year, in the name of family time, whether you're playing games or watching a movie together, consider upgrading from your TV's built-in speakers. A true 5.1 channel surround sound system with Dolby Atmos and/or DTS:X is the perfect addition to your living room. Audio is one of those features that's always appreciated, especially when it comes to headphones, but I've noticed that many living room setups are missing that extra oomph. It's a personal choice, but investing in a quality sound system can take your entertainment to the next level. It's not about having a louder entertainment experience... it's all about the depth of the experience, and if you find yourself watching the latest movies at home don't leave an ounce of enjoyment on the table. 

By the way, before I go into this... (maybe it's just me but) I've always felt weird about placing a subwoofer off to the side rather than front and center. If you have the ability to place it under your livingroom table or under a high enough entertainment center... I think the placement works better. If you have space behind the couch in the center, that works as well and... some newer options can be controlled by your phone if you.

Two options under the $200 mark are the 2024 models of the Vizio & Ultimea model seen below:

Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE

Soundbar

Right & Left Surround Speakers

Compact Wireless Subwoofer

Dolby Atmos + DTS:X

Bluetooth

HDMI eARC

Optical Output


Ultimea True 5.1 Soundbar Poseidon D60

Soundbar

Right & Left Surround Speakers

Wireless Subwoofer

Dolby Atmos + DTS:X

Bluetooth

HDMI eARC

Auxiliary

Optical

The placement of a subwoofer can significantly impact the quality of sound in your home theater or living room setup. While it doesn't necessarily have to be placed in the center of the viewing area, there are some guidelines to follow for optimal sound:

  1. Corner Placement: Placing the subwoofer in a corner can enhance the bass response by utilizing the walls to amplify the sound.

  2. Front of the Room: Positioning the subwoofer at the front of the room, near the main speakers, can create a more cohesive soundstage.

  3. Experimentation: The best placement can vary depending on the room's acoustics. It's often recommended to experiment with different locations to find the spot that provides the best bass response.

Ultimately, the goal is to achieve a balanced and immersive sound experience, so feel free to move the subwoofer around and test different positions to see what works best for your space.

See More Options

 Family Fun with Nintendo Switch Games 

While it might be tempting to say wait for the new Nintendo Switch 2, expected to announced during the first half of... 2025, not everyone wants to put family game time on pause. Many parents I've spoken to in Orlando would love to see cellphones set aside for more family fun. Luckily, there are plenty of options to make that happen with multiplayer action. Here are multiple Nintendo Switch games with 4-player fun:

  1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury: This game offers a fun and chaotic multiplayer experience as players work together to complete levels and collect power-ups.

  2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: A classic racing game that never gets old. Compete against each other in exciting races and battle modes.

  3. Overcooked! All You Can Eat: A hilarious and frantic cooking game where teamwork is key to serving up dishes in crazy kitchens.

  4. Minecraft: Explore, build, and survive together in this sandbox game that offers endless possibilities for creativity and adventure.

  5. Nintendo Switch Sports: Engage in friendly competition with sports like bowling, tennis, and volleyball (the other sports in this game lack a local 4 player option).

  6. Super Mario Party Jamboree: The biggest Mario Party yet, with over 110 minigames, new online and offline modes, and plenty of customization choices.

  7. Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Classic Mario gameplay turned on its head with Wonder Flowers, offering game-changing items and a new adventure in the Flower Kingdom.

  8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Anniversary Edition: Enjoy stunning full-color pixel art graphics and a vintage TMNT vibe, with new characters and modes.

  9. Just Dance 2025: Get your friends and family together to dance and enjoy 40 hot new songs, whether you want to take the party to a whole new level or create special family moments.

  10. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble: Step into the streets of West Valley and Okinawa, battling waves of enemies as Daniel LaRusso, Mr. Miyagi, Ali Mills, or Kumiko in this pixel art, side-scrolling, beat 'em up adventure. Intense martial arts combat and dynamic boss battles await!

  11. Jitsu Squad: Fast-paced 2D brawler with intense, action-packed battles. Play as unique characters with special abilities, fighting through waves of enemies in vibrant, hand-drawn environments. Perfect for fans of classic beat 'em ups!

These games are perfect for bringing the family together for some fun and interactive entertainment.

By the way, don't forget to grab more Joy-Con controllers for 4-player fun! If you take the more affordable route, go with the officially licensed options for half the price of the first party ones or go first party that's bundled with a free game! Either way... you save! By the way, we have no idea what the next Nintendo console would be called... but that sounded like a fun name to call it!

Get Moving with Bikes

While home entertainment is great, don't forget the fun and exercise that bikes can provide. Health care professionals recommend physical exercise for its numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, stronger muscles, and better mental well-being. Being active with your children also sets a positive example and strengthens family bonds.

Consider investing in bikes for the whole family. There are even electric mountain bikes for those who want to give their legs a break after a nice ride, ranging from $200 to $300. With options for both kids and adults, you can enjoy quality time together while staying active and healthy.

If you grab bikes, wouldn't hurt to grab a bike rack.

Active Fun for the Whole Family

Sticking to the realm of physical fun, consider gifting a tennis set, basketball goal or a volleyball net. These can provide hours of entertainment and exercise, especially if the lucky recipient actually uses them. For more affordable options, a football, baseball or soccer set is a great choice. These activities offer family fun while also improving your children's skills. It's a win-win for everyone!


Unforgettable Experiences as Gifts

When it comes to taking trips, going on cruises, enjoying spa days, savoring delicious food, or just having fun locally, these experiences are even better when received as gifts.

Whether it's a weekend getaway, a relaxing spa day, or a fun-filled local adventure, these experiences create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds (especially with good vibes on deck). Just remember, while browsing, don't get distracted by deals you'd love to get your hands on... unless it includes your family. Enjoy!

Great Family Stocking Stuffer: Dr. Plotkas Toothbrush

The family stocking stuffer is... a Dr. Plotkas Toothbrushes, because they're just that good. This has been my toothbrush of choice for years now. The family pack would allow for you to easily hook everyone up, and save their grill at the same time. We may like pirate themed entertainment, but I don't know many people who want to look like one... in the mouth.




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Back on the battlefield with Captain Titus in... Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2!

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 | PC | Console

Can you believe the first Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine... was released back in September 2011? That was 13 freaking years ago. I was fresh out of college living in Miami at the time, and Onlive was still... online. While trying to support emerging tech platforms, I decided to get the game through Onlive and enjoyed every bit of the brutal action adventure starring Captain Demetrian Titus. I tried to get into the online mode, but... the adventure grabbed my attention more so.


The decorated 200+ year Vet represented the Ultramarines Chapter of the Imperium of man well in the first installment and allowed us to take on the invading Orks on the Forge World Graia. I think one thing that got me into that game were the personalities of the Orks, led by the badass... Warboss Grimskull. He isn't the only threat in the game either, you have to take on... traitors & daemons like The Warp.



Even if you jump into Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2... it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out the first installment. Part 2 picks up the story... years later. I won't hit you with spoilers when it comes to the way part 1 left off, but it definitely made me curious about how he would emerge in the next installment. Titus is now a lieutenant, and returns to the battlefield to face new threats with loyalty, duty, and freaking politics that don't make the fight against the forces of Chaos any easier.



I won't spoil it for ya, but it's once heck of an adventure that's worth playing. Here's a dose of gameplay via the first 30:


Game Modes and Features

  • Campaign: Follow the story of Lieutenant Titus as he battles the Tyranid threat across various planets. The campaign can be played solo or in co-op with up to two other players.

  • Operations (PvE): Engage in endlessly replayable PvE missions with up to three players. Complete auxiliary missions on six different maps with unique objectives and threats.

  • Eternal War (PvP): Participate in 6 vs. 6 PvP matches in three different game modes: Annihilation (Team Deathmatch), Seize Ground (Domination), and Capture & Control (King of the Hill).

Minimum PC Specifications







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2022 Wishmas Guide... for Younglings!

 


Hear ye... hear ye, thank you for checking out this 2022 Wishmas Guide for Younglings. Come right this way. While it won't exactly be a finger directly pointed at all products, the goal is to point you in the right direction regarding a gift that keeps on giving to your Youngling (well beyond the first week)!

There are parents curious about how to make the gifts last for the long haul, but at times... one of the biggest solutions is to back away from the quantity and consider the quality.

How often do you see your child actually using a select gift?

Is it an upgrade to something they didn't ask for?

Did they put the effort into figuring out what they wanted and why it would make a great gift? This is a question to put out there if you just don't know, and it wouldn't hurt to have them either right it out or explain it to you.

If they need assistance in tackling a list, consider this:

What are they into?

Toys



Gaming - Find out what platform do they have or want?

TV/Film

Art


Sports

I can't forget about this badass 2022 Toy of the Year Awards Winner that I wish I had as a youngling.

STEM



Martial Arts - Are they currently in martial arts or would desire to join? As a martial artist, I think this is one of those experiences that would go the distance for a youngling when you consider the discipline alone. Factor in the ability of your youngling to defend themselves, and this is a gift that keeps on giving. 

While there are online courses and videos, I don't know if I'd recommend that. Nothing beats the dojo and the in-person experience, plus classmates become honorary brothers and sisters in some cases.

I only recommend online training and videos if you aren't close enough to a reputable dojo.

Music

Photography/Videography


Education - Is there something you would like to help your Youngling learn via an online course? The various things you see here likely have courses that you can tap into so that your youngling can become even better with their gift. I mention this category because if it's a passion, it could ultimately blossom into a future career.




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Ingbelle Digital Drum... Reviewed!

Shout out to the Ingbelle team for sending over this product for review. My opinions are my own.

So I've spent about a week with the Ingbelle Digital Drum set, and I'd have to say that it's a solid + useful + fun product. What makes it solid + useful + fun? Glad you asked, let's jump in!


Quality: The durable rubber base is solid enough to take on more than a few jam sessions, but... with a high sensitivity level for the sound plates they don't require you to lay in on them. Once you find a designated spot for this digital drum, the chances of even affecting the brain of the product drop's down to over 90%... because it's not falling or slipping off a base unless the table flips over or something. Even then the system is sturdy enough to take a light drop (a 2 or 3-story drop might be a different story but why would... anyway).

In terms of the buttons, they give you a nice clicking sound so that you know the button press was made, and as far as the OFF/ON switch + the MP3, Phones, Pedal, and USB/DC5V ports go... there are no loose ports. I mention all this because it's a solid design that doesn't give off a cheap flimsy feel.

Then we come to the foot pedal add-on which are super light and feel like a cheap addition to give the complete drum kit feel. Don't get me wrong, they work, but... with them being light... on our wood floors, they slide also. Perhaps a tougher grip would work (may buy some and place below them), or... just use them on a carpet or a rubber mat. On that note, I believe that foot pedals of better quality can be connected to this device as long as they can connect to the port.

Sound: In terms of sound, the built-in speakers get the job done. I know the company says the speakers are high-quality, and they don't sound bad... but... without the specs of the speakers... I can't give you the specifics.

As far as the sounds go, the onboard sounds are clean. These sounds include snare, 3 toms, crash, ride, hi-hat, and a bass drum. If you press the Kit button, the instruments also switch up. One thing I noticed while using headphones is that the sound is even richer, I can't say that for all headphones, but the ones I used... made me appreciate this product even more.


In the box + Features: In the box, you get the Digital Drum (duh of the day), storage bag, drumsticks, line-in cable, foot pedals, and USB/DC5V cable.

Features include dual speakers, a metronome function to help you find your rhythm, portability so you or your little musician can rock out on the go, and includes a rechargeable 2400 mAh battery so you can play up to 10 hours per charge.

Going back to the line-in cable, if you want to record your drum session, connect your digital drum to the line-in port. If you aren't familiar with what it looks like, here's info from HearthStats:

Port for connecting a line

External audio equipment like CD players, musical instruments, and microphones are connected to the Line-in port. Any of the following symbols may be used to represent a line-in port:

Line in symbol

If you need to enable line-in, just follow these instructions.

A plus would've been some sort of software that allows the user to customize the sounds or place custom ones in the product.

As a digital drumset, you won't get the various sounds from the same bass drum based on where you hit it (i.e. hitting the drum closer to the sign gives a different sound than towards the middle), as long as you understand that... you should be good with the product. 

Before I forget, this type of drumset is a plus for parents who want to get their children a drumset... but don't want to hear it. Just get some volume-limiting headphones and let them rock out.

Price: Pricewise, the Ingbelle Digital Drum comes in at $54.99, which... is actually a solid price. It's portable (you don't need anything connected to it), it's fun, can allow for a variety of uses (parties, group activities, etc) and it's actually useful for recordings. I like the price because when comparing it to some of the toys out there in a similar price range, they don't have a feature that also makes them useful in terms of recording sessions and things of that nature. Motivating your little musician to form a band wouldn't be a bad idea if this product.



Quality 5

Sound 5

In the box + Features 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points



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