Mexican Train Game - Holiday Toy List

I was so excited to finally have the chance to play the Mexican Train game. My dad has talked about it for several years after having a co-worker introduce him to it. He loves this game and hadn't been able to find the 'right one'. He had wanted all of us to play this for a family-game-night, but I guess it just isn't the same if you don't have the original. Now, we have the original Mexican Train game and all is right with the world.

It's been quite a while since I've played any sort of game that involved dominoes and Joey heard the word 'train', so he was in! The game is fun and a little addicting. It can also last for quite a while just depending on how things go. So, do prepare yourself for that!

The object of the game is to keep your train moving all the way to victory! Lay out a chain of dominoes (called trains) from the center domino piece, or add pieces to the group’s common chain (The Mexican Train). The first player to finish playing wins! There are many ways to block the trains along the way – so beware of obstacles!

Want to try the Mexican Train game for yourself? You can find the Mexican Train game by Tactic on Amazon. Mexican Train Game

* I received the Mexican Train game for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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Everything is awesome! #LegoKidsfest

I can not believe how much fun we had at LEGO® KidsFest in Indianapolis! Yes, Joey loves LEGOs and could design and build for days on end. But, I wondered how LEGO® KidsFest was any different than playing with LEGO® bricks at home or at a friend's house? I guess I wasn't as hip to this amazing LEGO® world as my seven year-old son.

When we walked into the convention center and were immediately met a life-size Emmet (from Lego Movie) made entirely of LEGO® bricks - then I understood. It was almost unreal to see something so large made of LEGO® bricks. Savannah and Joey were in complete amazement as we walked from one creation to the next. I think I was most impressed with the giant Green Hulk and from Lightning McQueen from Cars. Oh, and Lord Business from Lego Movie was also surreal. He was about three times taller than I am!

After we ooh'ed and aaah'ed at the masterpieces that greet you at the door - Joey spent twenty minutes playing in the over-whemingly large pile of LEGO® bricks. It was difficult to pull him away from all that fun. After we convinced him there were many more activities he would enjoy we finally had the chance to wander between the different sections.

LEGO® KidsFest Activities

Some activities are subject to change.

• LEGO Model Gallery: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Race Ramps: build a custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Chima: choose a tribe and test battling skills with the whole family
• LEGO Star Wars: build and display a Star Wars model
• Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
• LEGO DUPLO: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Friends: build for the five empowered friends from Heartlake City
• LEGO Mindstorms: build and program robots and snakes
• LEGO Ninjago: spin the way to being a Spinjitzu member
• LEGO City: using the imagination to create buildings and vehicles to the urban diorama

Every activity we chose ended with the kids receiving a small packet of LEGO® bricks. They were ecstatic to walk away with new additions to their collection. Joey has spent most of today playing with his LEGO® Legends of CHIMA Spider Crawler.



If your kiddo loves LEGO® and you have the chance to attend a LEGO® KidsFest - I recommend going and grabbing your tickets early. Tickets are limited and do not last long! You'll have a fun time and learn a lot about LEGO® that you never knew existed!

Did you know?

• More than 400 billion LEGO® bricks have been produced since 1949.
• The LEGO® minifigure represents the world's largest population of people! More than four billion minifigures have been produced in the last 30 years. This is almost 12 times the population of the United States!
• LEGO® minifigures are out of this world, literally. The two Mars Rovers have an image of the LEGO® minifigure etched into their front grill.
• Approximately seven LEGO® sets are sold each second.
• There are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world's six billion inhabitants.
• Laid end to end, the number of LEGO® bricks sold in a year would reach more than five times around the world.
• There are 915 million ways to combine six eight-stud LEGO® bricks.
• Children around the world spend five billion hours a year playing with LEGO® bricks.
• With a production of about 306 million tires produced a year, the LEGO® group is the largest producer of tires in the world.
• LEGO® is the contraction of two Danish words, "leg godt" which means "play well".
• There are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world's six billion inhabitants.
• 19 billion LEGO® elements are produced every year. 2.16 million LEGO® elements are molded every hour, or 36,000 per minute.

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LEGO® KidsFest Indianapolis ticket giveaway!

I am so excited to finally get to take Joey to LEGO® KidsFest next month in Indianapolis. Joey loves anything and everything LEGO® - so he is counting down the days.

The LEGO® KidsFest is a giant traveling LEGO® expo coming to the Indianapolis Convention Center from Nov. 7 - 9, 2014. This hands-on, educational, all-ages LEGO® extravaganza features millions of LEGO® bricks, not to mention lots of construction zones, dozens of life-sized LEGO® models and displays, LEGO® Friends, LEGO® Chima, LEGO® Star Wars, live LEGO® Master Builders, and so much more covering three acres of space.

Tickets are $20 for kids and $22 for adults. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.legokidsfest.com/tickets

LEGO® KidsFest in Indianapolis will run November 7 - 9, 2014. This means that he has a few weeks to wait. So, he's biding his time playing with his LEGO® bricks and designing new worlds. Master builder? He thinks so!

So while I wait - we'll giveaway (2) tickets to the opening night session (4:00pm - 8:30pm) on Friday, November 7th!  

Here are a few things you might find at LEGO® KidsFest!

Some activities are subject to change.

• LEGO Model Gallery: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Race Ramps: build a custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Chima: choose a tribe and test battling skills with the whole family
• LEGO Star Wars: build and display a Star Wars model
• Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
• LEGO DUPLO: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Friends: build for the five empowered friends from Heartlake City
• LEGO Mindstorms: build and program robots and snakes
• LEGO Ninjago: spin the way to being a Spinjitzu member
• LEGO City: using the imagination to create buildings and vehicles to the urban diorama

Giveaway Details:

One of MY followers will win (2) tickets to for the opening night session on Friday, November 7, 2014 (4-8:30pm). I encourage you to LIKE and Follow LEGOKidsFest on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram for all the latest ticketing updates as this event has been selling out in prior cities. Must be 18 to enter, 1 entry per day allowed, random drawing by USFG!

Click Here to Enter for a chance to win (2) tickets for the opening night of LEGO® KidsFest

Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Darla - winner of two tickets for the opening night of LEGO® Kidsfest!

Winner will be randomly chosen by USFG on Friday October 17 announced on my Blog and notified via email.

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Sensory Friendly Performance: Rapunzel!

Dallas Children's Theater (DCT) is working to make theater accessible for children with developmental disabilities. RAPUNZEL! RAPUNZEL! A VERY HAIRY FAIRY TALE on Saturday, October 11 at 4:30 p.m. will be the third sensory-friendly offering by the theater since the program started. Over 600 guests have attended these special shows.

After years of requests from families, DCT is now giving many children with sensory sensitivity the chance to enjoy live theater. RAPUNZEL! actors and production staff have worked with sensory-processing experts to develop this special performance featuring a fun retelling of the traditional fairy tale in the vein of Shrek.

The sensory-friendly performance of RAPUNZEL! will be at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts. Guests of all ages are encouraged to come starting one hour early on a come-and-go basis to enjoy fun, pre-show activities. The ticket price for this and most future sensory-friendly performances will be $10 per person. While somewhat higher than the ticket price for DCT’s two introductory performances, this price is still significantly less than the normal ticket price. DCT hopes that after two shows, families of children with different sensory needs understand the value of the theater experience and will make the transition to a price that enables the program to be more sustainable for the long term now that the national grant that subsidized the program is ending. However, if this price is troublesome, guests may contact DCT to request a scholarship.

DCT is pleased to be able to offer these specially-adapted plays for the enjoyment of those with sensory needs. General production adaptations include leaving the house lights up a few levels higher than for a standard performance and reducing the sound level. We also offer a "Quiet Room" for children who need a break. DCT wants to especially thank all of the sponsors and supporters who have helped make these shows possible for 2014 and 2015.

Rapunzel Rapunzel

Saturday, October 11 at 4:30 pm - In this hilarious musical take on the classic fairy tale, Princess Rapunzel must find a way to escape from the wicked (and wickedly fabulous) Lady Za Za. Thankfully, the handsome Sir Roderick is ready to help Rapunzel take her rightful place as ruler of the kingdom. A wise old dragon, a hairstylist named Edgar, and a mysterious gypsy woman round out this goofy cast of characters. Let down your hair!

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Thomas the Tank Engine - Day Out with Thomas™: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014 Giveaway!

We are giving away tickets to Day Out with Thomas™: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014!

Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter for a chance to win (4) tickets to Day Out with Thomas™: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014!

This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, star of the popular Thomas & Friends® series. In addition, children will meet Sir Topham Hatt®, Controller of the Railway and enjoy a day of Thomas-themed activities including arts & crafts, storytelling and more.  The tour, now in its 19^th year, will make stops in 42 U.S. cities and is expected to welcome nearly one million passengers in 2014.

WHO:                       Thomas the Tank Engine

WHAT: 

·       A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine and hear Thomas greet his fans!

·       Meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway

·       A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets.

·       Storytelling, video viewing, handcar rides, bounce house, miniature golf, Marty the Magician live, and much more.

WHEN:                    June 20 – 22, & 27 - 29, 2014

TIME:                       Activities begin at 9am.

WHERE:                  Grand Central Station, 455 Market Street, Connersville, Indiana 47331

Tickets for Day Out with Thomas: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014 are on sale now and available by calling Ticketweb toll-free 866-468-7630, or by visiting this link here. or www.whitewatervalleyrr.org.  Prices are $20 for single ride tickets of ages 2 and up and $34 for an All-day pass with unlimited rides behind Thomas the Tank Engine (service charges and fee may apply). 

For more information and directions, contact the Whitewater Valley Railroad via phone at 765-825-2054 or on the web at www.whitewatervalleyrr.org.

For information on Thomas & Friends, visit www.thomasandfriends.com

Follow Thomas & Friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomasandfriends and Twitter @ThomasParent

Prize

One winner will receive (4) Tickets to see Thomas the Tank Engine at Day Out with Thomas™: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014 for June 27th at Whitewater Valley Railroad.

How To Enter

Add your link to the Link-Up below to be entered for a chance to win a set of four tickets to see Thomas! Note: If you do not have a blog, you can enter your Facebook or Twitter URL. You must enter an email address. Giveaway ends June 20, 2014 at 12:00pm

*We will be provided tickets for our upcoming trip. All opinions are my own.

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Day out with Thomas 2013!

Joey loves trains.  He also loves the color blue.  Which makes Thomas the Tank Engine quite possibly the most amazing thing in the world.  He has many Thomas toys and trains - which are often chugging through the house.  So what could be better than an day out with Thomas and taking a ride on Thomas? 

Joey grew more excited as we neared the trains station and caught a glimpse of that big blue engine!  It really is amazing to see Thomas the Tank Engine come to life.  I mean, it's a large blue engine!  It's Thomas - chugging down the tracks - right before your eyes!

We arrived and quickly checked-in to pick up our boarding passes.  As you can imagine, Thomas is very popular - so there were a lot of people there to see him that day.  I like that they planned the local event over the course of two weeks and you receive scheduled times to board.  This keeps the entire outing very organized and from being overly crowded.

You will still want to arrive early when you go to a Day Out With Thomas.  It's likely that your local station will have activities planned to entertain and educate you and the kids while you wait for your boarding time.

As you can see, we were able to ride in the train car just behind Thomas!  Joey loved that!  After we boarded - we caught a glimpse of Sir Topham Hat greeting everyone and taking pictures.

Check out the Day Out With Thomas: Go Go Thomas Tour 2013!

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Thomas the Tank Engine! Day Out With Thomas™ The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 Giveaway!

We are going to see Thomas the Tank Engine in the Day Out With Thomas™ The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013!

Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter for a chance to win (4) tickets to Day Out With Thomas!

Three years ago, we took our little train enthusiast to see his favorite steam engine - Thomas the Tank Engine!

We had so much fun getting to see that big blue engine and meeting Sir Topham Hatt. As you can see, the kids were a little nervous to mee Sir Topham Hatt 'in person'.

I'm not sure what I had expected to see when we arrived. I hadn't really thought about what a life-size Thomas would look like. I've seen a lot of trains in my lifetime - old steam engines and new diesels. So, I wasn't expecting to be thrilled by another train. However, a life-size Thomas is pretty amazing. Joey was amazed that Thomas was right there, in front of him! He was even more excited when he was able to ride in the cars that Thomas pulled. "Are they uncoupling? Is this Annie and Clarabel?".

No, those particular passenger cars weren't there - but my son pretended (or possibly thought) that he was riding in them. He had a great time that day! I am so excited to take him to see Thomas again. Joey is growing up much too fast on me and I'm looking forward to the fun he will have seeing his favorite tank engine once again. He is grateful that Diesel 10 will not be there. Apparently, that is the "scariest diesel engine" according to him. Though, for some reason - Joey has asked for a Diesel 10 birthday cake this year.

It’s that time of year again! Thomas The Tank returns to Whitewater Valley Railroad for back-to-back weekends beginning June 14-16. An annual favorite, the day offers plenty of fun from the ride aboard Thomas, arts, crafts, storytelling and much more!

Readers outside the area can visit http://www.thomasandfriends.com/dowt to find an event in their area. View a short glimpse of a Day out with Thomas.

WHO: Thomas the Tank Engine
WHAT:
· A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine
· Games and activities featuring a mystery element
· The opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt™, Controller of the Railway
· A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets.
· Storytelling, video viewing and live entertainment

WHEN: JUNE 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 2013
TIME: 9 am to 4 pm
WHERE: Connersville’s Grand Central Station
Connersville, Indiana 47331
Tickets for Day Out with Thomas™: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 are on sale now and available by calling Ticketweb toll-free 866-468-7630, or by visiting www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html or www.whitewatervalleyrr.org. Ticket prices are $18 plus tax for ages 2 and up (service charges and fee may apply).
For more information and directions, contact the WVRR at 765-825-2054 or visit www.whitewatervalleyrr.org .

For information on Thomas & Friends™, visit www.thomasandfriends.com/dowt
Follow Thomas & Friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomasandfriends and Twitter @TrueBlueEngine.

Add your link to the Link-Up below to be entered for a chance to win a set of four tickets to see Thomas!
Note: If you do not have a blog, you can enter your Facebook or Twitter URL. You must enter an email address.  Giveaway ends June 16, 2013 at 12:00pm

Winner will receive: (4) Tickets to see Thomas the Tank Engine at Day Out With Thomas™ The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 for June 21st at Whitewater Valley Railroad.

UPDATE!  WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to Mary of Building Our New Normal, But We'll Be Forever His!

Stop by Mary's blog and leave a comment for her!

*We will be provided tickets for our upcoming trip. All opinions are my own.

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