Exotic Animal Experience in Arizona!

 

When we visit fun new places that I think others will enjoy, I like sharing them here on my blog! This time around it isn't really a review of the location just some fun highlights of when we visited. Why isn't it quite a full review? When we had visited this location, it was under another name & address. Shortly after we had paid a visit to the farm, they moved to their new location taking the exotic animals with & have the farm animals at another location as part of the new mobile petting zoo services they offer. The exotic animal portion is now called Ghost Ranch Exotics which is located just outside of Tucson, Arizona. We personally loved getting to go on the exotic animals tour as we were able to see & pet Capybaras, Patagonian Maras, a red-rumped agouti, a kangaroo & more along with being able to feed porcupines and other animals. This is a spot we paid for on our own while on vacation to Tucson and it is not sponsored by the ranch. 

They have several different packages depending on your budget & what kind of animals you want to interact with. We opted to do the all in exotic animals package which allowed us to feed & pet the farm animals which included ducks, goats, pigs, emus, and chickens plus the exotic animal tour. During our visit they had a bunch of baby goats you were able to pick up & hold, they were so cute and sweet. I've been to a lot of zoo's & small owned locations like the Ghost Ranch Exotics, from what I saw while we were there, the animals are well taken care of. They looked healthy, they looked happy & seemed to really enjoy all the attention they were getting. Appearance wise they looked well groomed, after getting to pet them your hands didn't feel disgusting & were not overly dirty. They had a wash station where you could wash your hands & hand sanitizer if you wanted to use it. 

It also included a tour through the exotic animal areas, in each area we were handed some food & told which animals we were able to give the food to. There were only a few animals that weren't able to be pet during this tour which were the porcupines (you were still able to feed them carrots) & the birds. The package we purchased also had the kangaroo included so after the exotic tour we were taken to another area to see the kangaroo & a warthog. We got extremely lucky & there weren't any others who had purchased the kangaroo part at the same time so the four of us were able to be with the kangaroo & staff member by ourselves almost the entire time until another couple joined us toward the end. 

On your way out you can stop by the gift shop to purchase a souvenir from your trip. Not only do they have personally branded items such as clothing, notebooks, and more, but you can purchase peacock feathers, porcupine quills (they shed them naturally just like bird feathers) & some other goods. I bought a cute Capybara pin & a Halloween themed fridge magnet that has a kangaroo on it.

I have no idea what the new location looks like, but the old location was pretty well kept for how many animals they had. We had an amazing time seeing all the animals, getting to pet them & feed them. We were there for about two hours in total. Cost wise it is different now from what it was when we visited & their new website doesn't state if the costs are per person or per group. When we had paid it was per person but was a lot less than the currently listed prices so maybe it is for a small group? The price for the all animals experience at the new location is $375. They also have other options for certain animals if you'd like to only see certain animals. 

What is an animal you've always wanted to have an interaction with??? Is this a spot you think you'd want to visit??

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. 

Red Rising - A must have for your board game collection!

Four out of five times when we've wanted to play a board game recently we have all voted to play Red Rising which is one of the newest additions to our board game collection, We can't get enough of it. It is a thrill to play & it is a rather beautiful looking game. Red Rising is sold by Stonemaier Games, the standard version of it goes for $45 and they have a collectors edition that comes with extra products like stands for your cards. This is a mainly card based board game that is based off of a book series of the same name, it can be played with 1-6 players. I hadn't heard of the book series prior to selecting the game to review, but based off of the characters in the card game, I now want to check out the book series as well. They have a separate rule book & game pieces for playing a solo game, none of us have tried out a solo game so I can't make any comments about how that game play works only the multiplayer. This game gets pretty competitive and you really have to plan out your strategy at every turn otherwise someone could swipe the card you need out from right under you. You'll work against each other trying to build the best hand/deck you can to get the highest score at the end of the game, careful though as some of the cards can take away points at the end if their goals aren't completed properly.

All together there are 112 character cards & each one is completely different! You'll only need to shuffle the cards once each game & depending on how long the games last you will only get through a small portion of the stack. There are so many cards that even though we've played this several times already there are a ton of characters that haven't been played yet or even seen. I love the graphics on the cards, there are so many unique & interesting characters to look at that it will be hard to select a favorite. The cards are made from a pretty durable material & since you only have to shuffle once per game you won't have to worry too much about the wear and tear that happens with cards that get shuffled too often. 

This game isn't just cards, there will also be some dice rolling along with collecting & placing pieces which help you earn additional points at the end of the game. In the beginning you'll start off with five cards in your hand, & depending on how you play you may have just five in your hand at the end or several more. Each time you take a turn, you will take one of your cards and "deploy" it out onto the board by placing it at the top of stack. Deploying it allows you to use the special ability on the card, for example one of them might be "Gain 2 Helium" which is like money & earns you points. After you've deployed a card, you will pick up one card from another stack that you did not deploy to or you can take the top card of the deck. Depending on where you pick this card up from, you will also get a bonus such as one helium (money), move up once on the track (points), etc. There are some cards that will allow you the ability to pick up additional cards which can come in handy with scoring points at the end, however there is also a penalty of -10 points for each additional card you have past seven cards in your hand at the end of the game. During some of our games I tried to collect quite a few cards over the seven, because even though I would get negative points from having so many cards in my hand the amount of points I received from good scoring cards was enough to out weight the negatives. 

The game ends once three end game conditions are meet. The three end game conditions are if seven is reached on the track, seven influence tokens are at the institute & one player has seven helium in hand. It can be a combination of three players each meeting one of the conditions, or if one person manages to complete two of the conditions that is game end as well. Then point counting can begin and you can see who the champion is. Points from the cards themselves vary, you will get a set amount of points on the top of each card - you get those points no matter what. Then each card has additional points you can earn by meeting the goal, for example some cards need to be paired with another to get the bonus or say a orange card needs to be with a second orange card along with a gold then you would get those bonus points. It comes with a score sheet, however I find it a little easier for us & the kids to use a sheet of paper to write down the different point values and keep track of everything that way. 

The website & game box states that each game takes anywhere from 45-60 minutes, I would say that is about right. Honestly though, we have so much fun playing this game and get so concentrated on what we are doing with our hand that we have never stopped to actually look at the time while we were playing. The game is pretty straight forward and even though there are quite a few things to remember & do while playing it is simple to learn and easy to understand. Both of my kids enjoy playing this & haven't had any issues with the game play, in fact my ten year old won the very first time we played this. I look forward to the many games to come & can't wait to explore some more of the characters we haven't seen. If you are looking for a new game to check out, I recommend looking into this game or checking out the rest of the Stonemaier Games catalogue. 

Does this look like a game you would enjoy playing? What is your favorite aspect of this game?

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Stonemaier Games for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Ready Player 1 Games Arcade in Glendale,AZ!

Over the weekend we went to check out a comic book shop that also has a retro arcade attached to it & I can tell it is going to be a spot that we visit quite often. If you live near the Phoenix/Glendale area then you should check it out too! It is called Ready Player 1 Games & it is located inside of Jesse James Comics located at 5140 W. Peoria Ave Suite 100 Glendale, AZ 85302. Both sides of the store are worth checking out, there are a ton of comics, collectibles, cards and more to see & purchase. If you get hungry or thirsty they have drinks & snacks available for purchase and there is also a bathroom at the back of the store.

The arcade portion of it ended up being a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be, there were a ton of games to choose from. There were pinball machines, shooter games, fighting games, a air hockey table, old school games like Mario, Donkey Kong, Tetris and more. The arcade was clean, felt safe and almost every game was in working order - there was only one game that was turned off & only one game that gave us an issue with not working properly. The photos I've shown here only have a small portion of the games they had available, there isn't enough room on this page to post as many photos as it would take to show you everything in the store. 

How much is it to play? Every game varies on price, the most expensive is $1.00 per play which is mostly the claw machines and one of the arcade games. The others range in price from $0.25 for the older arcade games to $0.75 on newer games. When we arrived I brought a bag with $40 in quarters with me, we spent about two hours here between playing games and looking around the store and I still had about $6 in quarters by the time the four of us were ready to head home for the day. It was a blast playing the different games & seeing the kids have a great time as well. It was a bonus that I kicked both my husbands & daughters butts at Soulcalibur , I also had a lot of fun playing old school Mario brothers as it has been quite some time since I last played that. My kids had fun playing familiar games & getting to play older games they've never been able to play such as the Simpsons game they had.

The arcade side also has several areas where you can purchase collectibles & you'll also find them in display cases along side the games, on top of the games, etc. this spot is packed with collectibles and nostalgia. We all spotted several things we wanted to pick up and also quite a few things we didn't even know existed, so that part of it was pretty excellent as well. You could spend quite some time just looking at the collectibles, there are so many that every time you look you will find something you didn't notice before. Prices on the collectables vary, I've been to quite a few comic shops along with conventions and have to say that everything in their store has a pretty fair price. 

Before we left we explored the comic book side a little, along side the comics you'll also find some more collectibles, clothing and a card section in the back which has player mats, Pokémon cards, decals & more. The only thing I didn't really see that they had advertised on their sign were board games, as big board game players we enjoy looking for new games to pick up. The staff are friendly & will answer any questions you have or help you out if needed otherwise they will let you be. We really enjoyed this spot & we look forward to going back, it is a great way to spend some time while beating the summer heat. 

You can find a reel that shows more of this arcade by clicking HERE to see the video I put up.

Do you enjoy arcades? What is your favorite arcade game or what type of games do you enjoy playing?

If you live in Arizona or plan on visiting click on this link  "Things to do in Arizona!" or type it into the search bar to find travel destinations, restaurants, & more that are fun to explore.

10 Activity kits under $25 for Summer!

 

Most schools have let out for the summer or are about to finish, so you might be on the hunt for some activities to help keep your kids not only entertained but also help keep their minds engaged as well. My kids and I love doing craft & activity kits together, it helps occupy days when we might not have as much going on. Depending on what kind of kit you get, it can also be educational. Over the last few years I have worked along side Horizon Group USA reviewing some of the kits they sell across their various lines & I wanted to put together a list of our top ten favorites for you to check out this summer. None of these are in any particular order & I've included links to the full reviews for you to check out. Click on the name of the kit below to be taken to the full review of that kit which will include more photos and information.

1. The Young Scientist Club - Top Secret Spy Science.  - This kit is packed with fun small activities for your kids to do while hunting for clues to solve a secret spy mystery. It is currently on Amazon for $19.99, it is recommended for kids ages 8+

2. Sand Dough Handprint Stone - When the weather is nice, it is great to spend some time outside in a garden or area you like to relax in. With this kit you can make a stone with the imprint of your child's hand on it. You can even make one a year & show case your children growing. This can be purchased on Amazon for $8. 

3. Nature Adventure Pack - This is another great kit that has a lot of small activities for kids to do that are aimed out for getting your child to enjoy nature related games and crafts. This is currently listed on Amazon for $17.12 and is recommended for kids ages 14+. 

4. Rainbow Loom Bracelet Kit - This kit is fun for both adults and children. There are several different bracelet styles you can make with this in any color combination of your choosing. You can keep the pieces you make or share them with loved ones. This is currently listed on Amazon for $16.99 and is recommended for ages 7+. 

5. STMT Jewlery Making Kit - This collection of kits can be found on amazon for under $25. They have a few different jewelry making kits that have everything you need to create several pieces of jewelry. 

6. Tie-dye Kits - This is a kit from their Just My Style line, there are several different kits to choose from that range in price and colors. You can dye anything from hats to clothing and even purses to suit your style. 

7. DIY Candle Making Kit - Create your own candles from the scent, to color and even the label on it. This comes with everything you need to make two candles. This is currently on Amazon for $16.99 and is for ages 8+.

8. Extreme Fossil Dig - Fun for all gem & stone collectors or anyone wanting to start a collection. It comes with a large dig block which contains an assortment of gems and fossils. It can be purchased for $19.99 on Amazon & is great for ages 8+.

9. Dinosaur Sensory Bin - This is a fun one that can be re-used over and over again. The play sand is fun to squish, pull apart and shape. You can also add in other figures, add additional sand or different stones to spice up this set each time your child plays with it. It can be purchased on Amazon for $14.99 and is great for ages 3+

10. STMT Design art studio - The assortment of art supplies in this carrying case are quite nice & great for all ages. This set comes with brush markers, paints, gel pens, oil pastels, brushes, a paint palette, and more. I always loved sets like this when I was a kid, so I enjoy being able to buy my kids similar kits now that have higher quality materials in them. This set can be purchase for $24.99 and can be used for a number of projects and activities. 

What kind of crafts or hands on activities do you enjoy doing with your kids???

**For past reviews I was gifted the kits mentioned in the reviews. This specific post is not sponsored nor was I gifted anything for it, this is just a list I put together of our favorite kits we've previously received from Horizon Group USA.**

Nimalia - Build the best animal reserve!

 

When you are in the mood to play a board game, but want something short then a card based game can be the way to go. We recently received one of the newest games to the Lucky Duck collection called Nimalia which can be purchased for $20. In this game you'll try to build a better animal reserve than your opponents while gaining the most points completing similar goals. 

It is recommended for ages 10+, The game is simple to understand, quick to learn & setting everything up only takes a minute or two. This game can be played by up to four people and each game will last between 25-30 minutes so it is one you can play if you are short on time but still want to get a game in. The box is also the perfect size to bring with on a road trip or vacation for when you have a bit of down time in your hotel room. The cards are lovely, they are bright and the animals are easy to tell apart from one another. The guide book has the rules for each goal laid out to where it is simple to understand and doesn't take long to locate.

Each game will consist of five rounds that each have three phases before the round is over. When playing a game, you'll lay down four different goals however not all of them are used at once. There is a small token & a card that will help show you which goals are in play for each round. Completing these goals will help you gain points to race the other opponents to the most points. There are only fifty spots on the track so once you reach fifty you will lay down a small "50+" token to show your actual total, and on the other side is a "100+". So far non of us have managed to get over 100 points, but we will work towards that as we play more. 

The first card you play will be laid down as normal, then every card after that will need to have at least one square that gets placed over an already existing square in your reserve. You can not go past a 6x6 layout & you are also not allowed to tuck a new card under an old one so you will need to be paying attention to how you are laying your cards down. On our first game because of the way we put cards down none of us completely filled a 6x6 grid, but on the second one of the goals gave you bonus points for having a complete 4x4,5x5 or 6x6 grid so we all worked on that and ended up with a full reserve. We are all enjoying playing this, so far I haven't quite won a round, but I will get there! This is a great family game that would make a excellent addition to your personal collection. I will put up a short video on my Instagram showing how easy the game is to play!

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Lucky Duck Games for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

June Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

Where in the world did May go? Seems like the month just flew by. May was a good month, I had a great birthday with my family. I didn't post on my blog as much as I would have wanted to, I got sucked into spending most of my extra time playing a video game I recently got into along with taking care of some end of the school year things. This month I will get back into posting more often and sharing some awesome products with you that I've found recently including some skincare products, board games, spots to beat the heat during the summer while living in Arizona and more. 

Aside from that I don't think I have any updates, so let's get into this months Beauty & the Book Giveaway! There is no theme for this month's giveaway, instead it is just some fun products I found and put together for this months giveaway. Most of them reminded me of summer in one way or another so I scooped them up. Last month's winner will be announce on my facebook page when I put up an announcement letting everyone know this giveaway is open. 

What's included in this months bundle?

💛 Hardcover of "Disappear Home"
💛 Vera Beauty 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette
💛 Kiss Press-on nails that have Daisies & Orange nails.
💛 Revlon Lipstick in "Ruby Attitude"
💛 Elf Intense eyeliner
💛 Use Me Hair Wave + Curl Cream
💛 A Pink glitter nail file
💛 Neutrogena overnight gel mask
💛 Earthen Skincare Instantpeel x2
💛 Six reusable cloth makeup remover pads + bamboo wash bag
💛 Reusable flamingo coffee cup
💛 Watermelon Postcard
💛 OUAI perfume sample 

This is open World Wide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 07/05/2023

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

Which item in this bundle are you most excited about?

Do you have any fun plans this month?

What is something you are looking forward to?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way.