Holiday Gift Guide: Scribblish: Game Review & Giveaway

I am a big-time game person, and our family loves having family game nights! I love learning about new games, and when I find them, I love letting others know about them. We are coming into the winter months, and it seems like families play more games during the winter months, I was recently introduced to a new game from the makers of Cranium called, Scribblish, and it is a really fun game!Did you play telephone when you were younger? You know, the game where you sit in a line, the first person (the operator) tells a person a secret, and that person has to relay (call) the next person in line. The secret travels down the line until it reaches the last person, and that person relays the message from the beginning. Hopefully, the message was clearly stated, and nothing got mixed up in the line of communication.
Scribblish, the new board game, is a lot like telephone, except you write your message on a paper....like pictionary.
Each person playing has a scroll, a piece of paper, a pen, and a certain level of drawing abilities. Each person slides the piece of paper into the scroll with the first line visible. Drawing a card, players choose which statement they want to do. Then, they write the statement, start the timer, and draw a picture to go with that statement. When the timer goes off, each player must slide the paper up enough so others will not see their drawing. One person rolls the dice, anddepending on what is revealed, players will move their scroll to the person on the right, left or put in the middle for a shuffle. Each player gets a new scroll. With a new scroll, players get to see just the picture drawn, then they get to write what they think the picture is saying. Another dice roll happens, and the new person with a different scroll writes a statement to go with the new picture. This happens over and over until the whole paper is full. At the end of the game, each person gets to choose which scroll they think is their original scroll, based on the last picture drawn, and puts a "MINE" token on it. Then, each player puts a "FUNNY" token on the caption, or drawing they think is the funniest. Players get tokens based on if they are right, or other players pick their drawing.
This is a great game for a fun family gathering, like for the Holidays, Birthdays, family game night, ladies night out, or other fun nights for games. I highly recommend this game! It is a great game for good laughs, creativity and imagination!

***ENTER TO WIN!!!***
This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers of the United States, and will end on December 4th.
To enter, comment about which Cranium game you love to play with their family and friends!
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, follow Sassyfrazz on twitter (if you tweet this contest use the hash tag #myblogspark) and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment on another one of my blog posts (leave a comment letting me know what you commented on). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I will contact the winner by e-mail and they will have 3 days to claim their prize, and at that time...if no response, I will have the option to pick a new winner.

This review was provided from Hasbro (with a game to review), information, and prize packs is given through MyBlogSpark. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Trivial Pursuit Card Game (Review & 3 giveaways!!)

My family loves games, and playing them is such a great family game night. We love the Hasbro games, because not only are they fun...they promote Family Game Nights.

I was recently sent the new card game from Hasbro : Trivial Pursuit Steal game. This card game is rather fun, and is a great game for a quick dose of fun. A lot like the board game, Trivial Pursuit, the T.P. Steal card game has the questions on topics: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art & Literature, Science & Nature and Sports & Leisure.

Trivial Pursuit Steal consists of two decks of cards. One stack of cards is the trivial questions~ 330 new questions, and one stack is the game cards.

Starting off the game, you are dealt 5 cards, and on your turn you will draw a new card. These cards will be a variety of the wedge cards and the action game cards. The wedge cards are designed with the colors of the original Trivial Pursuit. After you draw your new card, you need to decide what color wedge do you want to get. There are 6 color wedges, and in your hand you may have a wild wedge card, to which you can use to get the color you need.

During your turn, someone reads you a question. If you get it right, you get to keep that wedge card. There are a few ways where you can avoid that question and get to "steal the wedge" card....just lay down a Steal Card, and take the wedge from another player! That isn't the best revenge though, with Trivial Pursuit Steal card game, you can lay down a Steal Two cards...and you can take two wedges! However, for the person who you want to steal from, you better watch out, because they can throw down a can of...well,they can block you with a Block card, to stop you from stealing their wedge. :)

To make the game fair, Trivial Pursuit Steal has a "buzz" card that lays on the table~ and does not go into a player's hand. If you grad the buzzer card you can answer a question that another player got wrong, to get their wedge. However, if you get the question wrong too, you lose a wedge.

Either by playing fairly, or by stealing....the first player to get all six colors in wedges, wins.
Check out Trivial Pursuit on Facebook!

Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game is just $5.24, and can be purchased in local retail stores or online at places like Amazon.com.

***ENTER TO WIN!!!***
This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers of the United States, and will end on October 25th. There will be three winners, and each winner will receive the new Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game.
To enter, tell me which topic you like to answer questions on...is it history, entertainment, geography? Then, comment on it. For an extra entry, Follow Family Game Night on Twitter and Tweet the following (copy and paste): #Win Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game @FamilyGameNight at @Sassyfrazz (3 Winners)

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, follow Sassyfrazz on twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment on another one of my blog posts (leave a comment letting me know what you commented on). Visit Trivial Pursuit on Facebook, "like" them, and comment that you are entering my contest to win @sassyfrazz.blogspot.com. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I will contact the winner by e-mail and they will have 3 days to claim their prize, and at that time...if no response, I will have the option to pick a new winner.

This review was provided from Hasbro. They have provided me with a Trivial Pursuit Steal card game review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer three card game giveaways for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Hasbro helps get you geared up for school!

Only a few weeks left until school starts up again, well at least in central MN. I know my sister started school already in her state. Kids are gearing up, getting all their supplies, new backpacks, lunch totes, clothes, and more. I wanted to highlight Hasbro's products that are available to help your kids get ready for school with flair and fashion. These items are great for the traditional students, as well as the home educated.
Caleb is going to be a Kindergartener this year, and he is so excited to learn! I am home schooling him this year, and we are going to have a great year. He has the new Bumblebee Transformer backpack from Hasbo, and the Transformer's lunch tote. The backpack is very spacious and has two pockets for storage. On each side of the bag there is two mesh compartments for storage (like a water bottle). The straps are adjustable, and there is a hook strap to hang the backpack up. Inside both pockets there is a couple pockets to keep pencils, or something similar. Transformer back has an ARP $14.99. Sold at Target.
I think the colors on the backpack and tote are very colorful, and fun designs. The lunch tote is very spacious, as well, and wipes clean. One zipper keeps your child's lunch secure, and together. Transformer lunch tote is licensed by Zak Designs, and retails for ARP: $7.99-$9.99 Sold at Target, Meijer, Brookshire Grocery, AAFES, Hy-vee, Winn-Dixie, Publix and Unified. Transformers water bottle matches great with this set, and it fits perfectly into the Transformers lunch tote. Also licensed by Zak Designs, the water bottle is ARP: $2.99. (sold at the same stores).
For your little princess, Littlest Pet Shop has an adorable lunchkit available, and my daughter loves this little bag. She is so excited to take it on our field trips, or trips to the park. I am home schooling her in pre-school this year, so we will be using her new Littlest Pet Shop lunchkit. I love the bottom zippered portion of this lunchkit, for storage of water bottles, or a thermos. The top of this lunchkit, from Hasbro, is very roomy for your child's lunch to fit. Adorable design on this very girlish tote! ARP $9.99 Sold at Target, Toys R Us, Office Depot, Meijer, HEB and Academy.
For those rainy days, your son could use a stylish umbrella. This is a great umbrella, and totally made for boys! Transformers are all over this umbrella! My son was absolutely thrilled to get this umbrella, and he loves sitting under it on the rainy days. I really like how this Transformers umbrella matches the backpack and lunch tote, too. ARP $5.99 Sold at Burlington.
Want to surprise your son or daughter with a new little greeter in their room on the first day of school? Hasbro has a great selection of wall peel and stick appliques. These self-adhesive decals are easy to peel and to apply to the wall. The peel and stick characters stay on, but leave the paint on your walls. Kids can remove the stickers, and place them how they want on their walls. I think these decals are a great way to spruce up a room, and doesn't require you to paint. ARP$12.99 Sold at Target (Transformers are sold at Walmart and Kmart, too).
Boys can gear up in Transformers on their shirts and briefs for their school attire. ARP$7.99 (T-shirts). ARP$5.54 (Fruit of the Loop briefs) both sold at Walmart.
Girls can wear dazzling T-shirts with fun sayings and adorable Littlest Pet Shop characters. ARP$7.99 (T-shirts) Girls can match their tops with LPS undergarments. ARP$3.99-$8.00 for a 3-pack; and $7.99-$16.00 for a 7-pack. Available at Walmart, Target, JCPenny, Kohl's and Meijers.
Your little girls can freshen up with fun toiletries with Hasbro branded Bubble Bath and toothpaste. My Little Pony Bubble Bath is scented with Sweet Berry and the My Little Pony Orajel toothpaste is fluoride-free, and is designed to help train your child for proper dental care. ARP$3.49 Sold in grocery stores, CVS, Target, Walmart and Toys R Us.
Want to make school lunch or snack time fun, but also another great opportunity to learn? Sunshine Cheez-It has a new line available: Scrabble Jr. baked cheeze-it crackers. These are great snacks, tasty, and fun to write words with the tile-like crackers. Each cracker has a different letter, and so it is fun to create words. It is also fun to eat your words! :) My kids love finding different letters, and we work together to make words. I love using these Scrabble Junior Cheez-It crackers to teach my Kindergartener the letters, the sounds they make, and early reading skills. Great homeschool hands-on activity to do with food!
It is so much fun to wear socks that have designs, colors and themes. My son loves to wear fun socks, and he was thrilled to see there were Transformers on his socks. I will have to get some more of these socks, because Caleb wears them everyday! Payless sells these socks for ARP$5.99 (set of three).
I love to encourage my kids toward imaginary play. I love products that will engage their minds, and help raise up their creativity. Hasbro has a few great play tents, and I am so glad that we got to review these! First of all, the Mr. Potato Head Spud Hut is a really fun product! This play tent comes with 10 different interchangeable accessories (eyes, mouths, noses). I was amazed at how many different faces the kids could create (up to 36 faces). The kids had a great time checking out the Mr. Potato Head when they fixed his face.
The Mr. Potato Spud Hut was easy to assemble, with only two poles. The fabric is very colorful, and soft. I really like that this play hut has two fold up doors on it, so kids can get in and out easy.
Being a home schooler, this is a great project to pull out for my kids to have unstructured play time. They are learning about our body parts, being creative and using their imaginations. My kids like to "play house" in thier hut, too. I love listening to their conversations.
My kids tried to make themselves into Mr. Potato Heads, and were giggling the whole time.
They have a blast in the Mr. Potato Head Hut, and our family recommends it! Super fun, and hours of play! ARP$24.99 Sold at Kmart and JCPenny catalog.
Another fun play tent from Hasbro's Entertainment, and my daughter's favorite, is the Littlest Pet Shop Clubhouse. This is a really big tent, and my kids can all stand up in it without hitting their heads! (40 inches in height, and 30 inches in length). Very spacious!

Inside the LPS Clubhouse there are little see through pockets where kids can put their LPS pet, and then they can be apart of the scene. This Clubhouse play tent is easy to assemble, too. There are two sheer curtains, and they can be tied to the side for easy viewing.

My kids love the new play tents, and I am sure many play time hours will be spent inside and outside these fun new hideouts. The Littlest Pet Shop Clubhouse ARP$24.99 and is sold at Target and Kroger.
I hope these suggestions will help you in your last few weeks of school shopping...or just some fun ideas to encourage your children to work hard on those grades! :)

I was sent a selection of products from Hasbro, including the products mentioned in this post, in exchange for a honest review. I am not compensated for my time or written review. The opinions in this post are of my own and do not reflect on the company.

Bring the family together for GAME NIGHT with Hasbro!!

Hasbro has some really great new games that just came out, and they are sure to get your kids excitement up! Toy Story 3 just came out this summer, and Hasbro has a few new games with the Toy Story 3 theme.
Yatzee Jr. Disney Pixar Toy Story Edition is a hit at our house. Yatzee Jr. is very similar to the original Yatzee, but instead of dots (1-6) on the sides of the dice, there are character pictures.
With three rolls, the player tries to get 5 of Buzz, Ham, Mr. Potato Head, Bullseye, and Rex. The more you get of that character, the more you have in points.
Woody is on the dice, as well, and he is a wild player....meaning he can be used as a wild in the set the player is trying to roll for.
The players have to watch out for Lotso, though...he may change your score~ and not for good, either!
I think this is a great game for preschoolers and early elementary children, because they are counting, recognizing colors, matching, and building their strategy skills. It is great for kids to play this game together, too, because they work on their team building.
My kids have a lot of fun with this game, and I think it is very suitable for their ages (age 3 & 5). My kids love Toy Story, too, so it is an instant hit!
Game includes a scoreboard, 5 dice, dice cup, scoring tokens, and a label sheet. Ages 4 and up, and this game is designed for 2-4 players. SRP$7.99

Another great Toy Story 3 themed game from Hasbro is the Space Shooter Target game! Half of the fun with this game, is setting up. My son loves to load up his blaster gun and get it ready to play the game. If it were up to him, he would just play with the blaster shooter alone. :)
Foam, circular disks are inserted into the top barrel on the shooter, turn on the shooter, and aim.
Jesse, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, and Mrs. Potato Head are in jail cells, and Buzz needs to blast them out of there with his space shooter.
Sunnyside daycare has good toys in it, and some not-so-good toys lurking about, and Buzz needs to protect them all and rescue them. So, each player shakes the dice to see what they get to do.
Certain rolls allows the player to take a shot at a jail cell to free one of the toys, or they can remove a "bad player" off the game board...or put one back on.
My kids enjoy this game, and it is easy to understand the rules. I know they love aiming the shooter to blast the pawns off the game board. I think this game is great for hand eye coordination, and also provides great strategy skills.

The game includes a space shooter, 12 foam discs, a game board, "jail cells, tokens, pawns and stands, and a dice. This game requires 2 AA batteries, and is for ages 5 & up. SRP$19.99

Our family loves the game of Monopoly, too...and as we all know, that game can be a long, very long game. Well, Hasbro has designed a Monopoly game that you can have a little control on the length of the game. It is called, U-Build Monopoly, and it brings more options to the player.
Players can customize the game board to make the game go quick, or play longer. The game pieces are hexagonal property spaces that link together with a snap. During the game, players build stadiums, hazards, skyscrapers and more to help make the game harder for their opponents. The Starter Track is an option to play the 30 minute game, and the other option is the Classic Track which is an hour game. There is two other options: Pro track (game lasts 90 minutes), for the ultimate challenge, or the Freestyle where you can make your board game creative by mixing up the tiles or shape of your track.
The amount for purchase and rent have changed from the classic monopoly, as well. The U-build Monopoly works with bigger money amounts, like 1.4 Million, and 600k.
For ages 8 & up. 2-6 players can enjoy this game for a SRP$19.99
You can play this game on other devices, too: gaming systems, iphone, computer, and pogo.com
These games are found online and in major retail stores.

I was sent these three games from Hasbro in exchange for a honest review. I am not compensated for my time or written review. The opinions in this post are of my own and do not reflect on the company.

Hasbro games are great for holiday parties and get togethers!

Our family loves playing games, and we love sharing fun games with our family and friends. Over the holiday festivities with Thanksgiving and Christmas we have been enjoying these great new Hasbro board games. We still have a few family Christmas gatherings, and maybe you do, too. If you are looking for a great gift idea, I suggest you check out these games. Winter time here in MN is long, cold, and much time is spent indoors. Family game nights are so much fun and they are great memory making moments. Game nights are a great way to spend time together as a family. I can say that Hasbro's games have definitely made our game nights a riot!

We got three board games from Hasbro to review. I really wanted to get this up before Christmas, to encourage you to look into these games for gift ideas. Either way, I am sure you will need to find a gift, and these games are highly recommended from our family & friends!
CLUE: Secrets & Spies EditionWith Text messaging the latest technological hit, Hasbro has implemented the texting into their new edition of Clue. With using your own cell phone, you get to be a top-secret spy with your own phone. Real tips are sent to your phone via the text messaging. You really don't need a cell phone to play this game, but it does add a fun twist. In this game, you take on a role of an international spy with the job of stopping the crimes of the Criminal League for world domination. You must stop Agent Black. True identities of Agent Mustard, Agent Scarlet and crew are kept secret as players work independently to complete missions. The agent who completes the most missions before being discovered by Agent Black will be known as the world’s number one spy and wins the game. This game is much like the original Clue game, however to read the clues you get to use an ultraviolet secret decoder to see the special clues. Using a special light-coder makes this game so fun for the kids (and us adults, too).
CLUE: Secrets & Spies Edition is recommend for two to six players, ages nine and up. This Hasbro game was released Fall 2009, and retails for the approximate price of $24.99.

Monopoly: Family Game Night Championship Edition Monopoly is a family favorite. It is a game where we can be strategic, but really is luck of the roll. The original Monopoly is fun, but honestly the game can take literally HOURS to play. That is why I reallylike the Family Game Night Championship Edition...there is a special speed dice. After you make your way around the board completely, you get to add in the speed dice with your roll. There are numbers on this dice, as well as Mr. Monopoly and a Bus. One of the pictures allows you to travel the distance of one of the dice (your choice) or total of both dice. The other picture sends you to the next available property open: to which you can purchase it, or you must move to the next property unowned by you, and you pay rent to the occupant. This way of play really speeds up the game time. Plus, it makes it fun for purchasing quickly. I personally like the new edition to Monopoly. Monopoly: Family Game Night Championship came out in October 2009, to coincide with the MONOPOLY World Championships in Las Vegas. Game is retailed at approximately $19.99, and is suited for ages 8 & up. This game is intended for 2-6 players and includes tournament rules, houses, hotels, and a score pad,to help you calculate whose won, as well as a Mr. MONOPOLY trophy. The hotels are even gold in color!

PICTUREKA! FLIPPER I spy something you eat....something in the ocean, something with teeth...Pictureka! Flipper is an "I spy" sort of game, and it is a game where you are searching, thinking, being creative, and want to be competitive. What I like about this game is even my two year old has fun looking for pictures that match the clues. Pictureka! Flipper has a host...a 3-D penguin who holds the cards and flips them out to everyone. While he is flipping the cards, he is also rotating around on his ice burg, so cards fly everywhere. Beware the cards will go pretty far. This game is exciting because you get clues to find the matching pictures on the cards, however you only have so much time before the penguin quacks and starts flipping out more cards. Our family really enjoys this game, and it is one that you can engage all different ages and many people can play. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).
This game is intended for ages 6 and up, but our younger ones enjoyed finding the pictures, too. It can be a fast paced game, so playing with younger (than 6) kids may be too challenging.
Approximate retail price of Pictureka! Flipper is $24.99.

About HASBRO
Hasbro, Inc. is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST.

This review was provided from Hasbro. They have provided me with a free products to review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Harry Potter CLUE game giveaway (2 winners)

I remember playing the game: Clue, when I was younger. I loved the mystery of the game, and the suspense of finding out who did the crime, where, and with what? I was recently sent the game Clue: Harry Potter edition. I personally, am not a big Harry Potter fan, but my son enjoys it. However, the Clue game is really fun to play, I must say! Here is a recap of the game:
A student has vanished from the school, and it is up to the players, taking on the roles of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna or Neville, to race through the halls of Hogwarts to discover who did it, what spell or magical item was used and where the student was attacked. Was it Draco Malfoy with a Sleeping Draught in the Owlery? Or maybe it was Dolores Umbridge with the Vanishing Cabinet in the Great Hall. From the Potions classroom to the Room of Requirement, players can equip themselves with spells and magic items as they face unexpected challenges and race to avoid the fear-inducing sign of He Who Must Not Be Named, or Lord Voldemort (to the brave), the Dark Mark!
I thought it was neat how the board was set up, much like the traditional Clue, with the 8 rooms and select doors to enter them. There is a twist to the Harry Potter edition, you have to spin one of the 4 dials located on each corner of the board. This can change some things for you depending on if you are in a certain room or hallway. Be on the lookout! If a Dark Mark appears, the players must draw a "Dark" card, and must follow what it says. You also get opportunities to draw "Help" cards during the game that can save you from some dark force or be your ally in time of need. 40 house point tokens are used in the game as your "money." It is important not to run out, or you will be out of the game. However, those still in the game can still ask you questions that you must answer.
Just like the traditional clue, each player has to unravel the mystery of who did the crime by selection of asking questions to the player on the left. You always have to ask the player on your left, and if they don't have a card you are looking for, the question moves to the next player until someone can give you a clue.
3 to 5 players can play this game, and it is suited best for ages 9 and up. ERP: $26.99
Overall, I think this game is a lot of fun, and it was pretty easy to learn the tricks of the game.

Would you like a chance to win this game? Hasbro has offered to sponsor a giveaway for two of my readers to win! This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers in the United States. For your first entry, please comment about which is your favorite game to play now, or when you were young. Contest ends on August 18th.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

Hasbro introduces SpongeBob (review and GIVEAWAY)

Growing up, Operation and Connect 4 were on my "favorites" list for games to play. Well, Hasbro just came out with a fun line of the traditional Connect 4, Sorry!, Operation, Memory and Cranium games only they are SpongeBob Square Pants styles. We got the Operation game and the Connect 4 game to review from Hasbro. I thought both games were easy to assemble. The Operation game had little white "parts" that easily snapped out of the plastic sheet. Then, I just added some batteries to get the buzzing sound when I operated on SpongeBob. I thought the new parts were comical (Barnacle brain, Clammy hands). My younger kids, Caleb (age 4) and Madelyn (2) weren't all that impressed with the buzzing, but they did enjoy watching me operate on Bob.
(Approximate Retail Price: $19.99; Recommended Age: 6 & up)

Connect 4: SpongeBob Squarepants edition was very easy to assemble. There were pink checkers and yellow checkers. I had a few sheets of Pink Patrick stickers, and Yellow SpongeBob stickers. My kids enjoyed separating the pink and yellow checkers. This Connect 4 game is just like the original, however you get a new twist...your opponent can put SpongeBob in his place. The opponent has the opportunity to block holes or columns by placing the SpongeBob face on the board. It was fun playing Connect Four with a new twist.
(Approximate Retail Price: $12.99; Recommended Age: 6 & up; Players: 2 or more)

YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE GAMES FROM HASBRO!
This contest is open to those in the United States, non-bloggers, and bloggers. Go to the Hasbro website, and take a look around. Find out what sparks your interest and comment here about to enter for this contest. There will be two winners! One will win the Connect 4 and one will win the Operation game. Please specify which one you would like to win!
Contest will end on August 11th, 2009.
For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!

Hasbro has some new card games! (With 6 giveaways!)

Our family loves playing games, board games, card games, video games, outdoor games...you name it! We were happy to review the newest Hasbro card games, Monopoly Deal, and Scrabble Slam! We love the original Monopoly game, and the Monopoly Deal is similar in many ways. You get 5 cards to start out the game, and you can lay your bank money down in front of you, and your properties that you are starting to acquire. I have realized it is a good thing to lay down money into your "bank" right away, because the other player can demand money from you, and you pay with whatever is laid down on the table. So, if you only have properties laid down, that is what you pay the opponent with. Each card has a cash value, and/or property/action to it. You can make others pay you money, by laying down the Debt Collector card, or "It's my birthday." The game can also take new twists, because you can be forced to change cards or properties with your opponents. Don't worry, though, you may have a card in your hand to tell them "NO!"
To win the game, you need to complete 3 sets of properties first. This game is a lot of fun, and my son and I played it over and over. Sometimes the game is quick, and sometimes it takes a little while. (Approximate Retail Price: $6.99; Recommended Age: 8 & up; Players: 2 to 6)

Another fun game to challenge your thinking is Scrabble Slam. You and your opponent picksa 4 letter word to use to start the game. Use four cards with those letters and lay them down. Then you deal out the rest of the cards to each player. You start the game by changing that four letter word with the cards in your hand. Each card has two letters on it, and you can see those letters in the corners of the cards. The first one to get rid of all their cards first wins. Very fun game, and definitely one to get your mind thinking. This is a great game for kids to work on their spelling, too! (Approximate Retail Price: $6.99; Recommended Age: 8 & up; Players: 2 to 4)
Other great card games that Hasbro just came out with are: Crazy Old Fish War, Littlest Pet Shop Go Fish, and Rook.

You can have a chance to win Monopoly Deal or Scrabble Slam! There will be six winners! Go to the Hasbro site, and take a look at all the cool games and toys they have!Leave a comment about which of the two games you would like to win. This contest is open to those in the United States and will end on July 23rd, 2009. For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!

Family Game Night

Did you grow up playing Battleship, Connect Four, Sorry, Boggle and Yatzee? These were some of my favorite games growing up! Yatzee is still a favorite of mine. I love that Hasbro and EA games have come out with these games for our video gaming systems like the Wii and
Playstations! Now our kids can enjoy these fun and entertaining games without us worrying about losing the pieces. Family Game Night has the classic games hosted by none other than Mr. Potato Head himself. He makes faces, sounds and flys around your own gaming room showing you around. In your room, that you can design, you can display trophies you win.
The games are fun to play and there are added twists to the game, like power chips with Connect Four, Reverse Yahtzee and Sorry Sliders. You can also host a Game Party by choosing your favorite games, number of players, and time you want to play.
Family Game Night can be played by mostly 2 players, but some games you can play up to 4 players. The suggested retail price of the Playstation 2 version of Family Game Night is $19.95. You can also get this game for the Nintendo Wii. The rating is E for everyone.
Our family, especially me and Nathaniel, love playing this game. We really enjoy the Battleship game! It is so fun to sink each others ships~ that is once we find them. If you love video games, I suggest this game. There is great strategies with the games, and you can have fun outwitting other members of your family.

Gaming Fun from EA ~ and a giveaway!

Electronic Arts has some great games! Our family spends a lot of time together playing games. We go back and forth between board games, card games, and video games. We have so much fun, create a lot of fun memories, and we are careful with our spending when we can budget in the cost of games. We have spent numerous hours on our new game for the Wii: Monopoly! It is so much fun to see the classic board game (from my childhood) on a video game! Mr. Money Bags: a.k.a. Milton Bradley walks around the board as you play, and interacts with you. He gives you some direction, and encourages you. You can play on the classic board, or boards from the all new Here And Now~ World Edition boards. The boards are really fun, too! It is fun to read the names they have for the properties. We have a lot of fun trading and selling our properties for each other. With the Monopoly Wii game, you can auction properties with just a flick of your wrist. We have fun bringing the cost up with the auctions. Up to four players can take part in the fun, and there are mini games to play as well. As you play the boards, you fill up your passport to unlock new and never-before-seen Monopoly boards. One of our favorites is the Cheese board. Another bonus to the Wii Monopoly game is the Richest Edition. This is fun when we don't have time for a 2 hour game of Monopoly boarding game. The Richest Edition is completely different. The aim of the game is to acquire the most assets at the end of a certain number of rounds. It is a matter of mini gaming against your opponents, and the luck of the dice. The winner of the mini game gets to chose the dice roll they want. The number you pick determines the amount of tokens you get placed randomly around the board. Super fun games for the family with the Monopoly Wii game!

Nerf N' Strike is a shooting game new for the Wii. This game is geared toward ages 10 and above, but I think that younger kids can play, as well. I know my (almost) 4 year old could play, too. There is a lot of repetitious shooting, and the Nerf gun is fun for kids to shoot with.
About the game: Through the din of a popular arcade, one player has emerged as the best N-Strike gamer his friends have ever seen. But even as Shane smashes through the game's record, something far more mysterious is happening: his success is being tracked and recorded. Shane is the perfect candidate for an ultra-exclusive invitation to become an N-Strike Elite. Later that night, he's awakened to find the Nomad C Series Recruitment bot hovering silently over his bed. "B.O.B." has a challenge for Shane- join the quest to become an Elite Striker and he'll have access to Top Secret Blasters. It's all the incentive Shane needs, and as the one controlling Shane, it's your opportunity of a lifetime....
Features:
Bundled with every game comes the revolutionary Switch shot ex-3 which transforms between a live Nerf blaster (with darts for shooting, as well) and a Wii remote shooting peripheral for the game. Explore a top-secret NERF facility and unravel the mystery of the unknown threat that awaits. Play with over 25 NERF Blasters including the Maverick REV-6, Vulcan ebf-25, longshot cs-6, and many never seen before!
Go head to head with up to 4 players using additional Wii Remotes and switch shot blasters.

"Littlest Pet Shop": Garden~ puts you right in the middle of all the fun in the Littlest Pet Shop world. Have your pet explore four separate environments in the Littlest Pet Shop world, where you can care for and play with your pets in a variety of 16 mini-games. The more time you spend with your pet having fun, the more great stuff you earn for your pet shop, including new 20 pets (including brand new Fanciest, Cuddliest, Sportiest, and Chilliest pets), over 100 play sets & accessories, and more.
Choose from tons of unique pet accessories like scarves, hats, glasses, and more! Play with your pets in four unique pet-sized worlds! Plus you'll manage your Pet Shop through the hopping Pet Plaza. The mini games offer a number of difficulty levels for each game, and you can replay them over and over again. The pets interact with the player and offer choices of things to do. The game starts by giving the player tasks to complete. Everything is simple and well explained and the tasks teach the player about how to play the game. As you play games you earn kibble (money) which allows you to buy more pets and play sets that the pets can play on. As you expand your pet shop more games become unlocked and more 'worlds' unlock for you to play in. You can celebrate pet birthdays and other events by planning festive Littlest Pet Shop-style parties with the Evite Party Planner.

Would you like to win a game from Electronic Arts (EA)? They have offered to giveaway the Littlest Pet Shop (Garden) game for the DS! (SRP $29.95) This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, go to Electronic Arts website, and find a game that looks like a blast to play and own! Come tell us about it! Then, you may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment AND/OR Click here to see how you can earn even more extra credits to win!! Click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on March 11th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST. GOOD LUCK!