Spider-Man Far From Home Lego Set #76130 Reviewed

When my son recently showed me the latest Lego set he had built, I was surprised by how many things were included in this Lego masterpiece.  It is not unusual for Lego to create an impressive building set, but I am always amazed by how they have moving parts and hidden features.

We are huge Lego fans! I know a Lego set is the perfect gift to give our son, as well as several other males in the family. Normally, he tells me what new sets he wants most for Christmas or his birthday.  That is always helpful. Not just for me, but for other family members who wish to give a desired gift.  Honestly, it would be impossible for me to remember which sets our son already owns, unless they are displayed on his shelves.  After all, I am not the only person who gives him Legos, plus he buys for himself.  But, regardless of how many he has, he knows exactly which ones he owns and which sets he would like to have. 

We like to give him the Lego sets with significance to all of us.  Since we saw the movie "Spider-Man Far From Home" together, this particular set has special meaning with related memories.  

The Spider-Man Far From Home Lego set was a gift we gave him for Christmas 2019.  You can see for yourself that he waited over a year to actually built this particular set.  I have said many times in the past that, to our son, Legos are like my craft kits.  We want them immediately so they will be on hand when we are ready to create!  It is also wise to purchase Lego sets before they are retired and you have to pay a premium to second-hand dealers to get one.

This set is currently available and not yet retired.

Spider-Man Far From Home Lego Set #76130

As I previously noted, this Spider-man set has several really neat features.  Some, like the colored pieces for lights or the engine exhaust plume, are always attractive features.  My favorite feature of interest in this set is that Spider-man drops from the belly of the plane and hangs by a "thread".

I also love the mini-figures that are included.  In addition to Spider-man, Happy Hogan, Nick Fury, and Mysterio are all part of this set.  As always, the mini-figures can be seated in the planes cockpit or "attached" wherever desired.  

 LEGO Marvel Spider Man Far From HomeCheck Price

More Specifications & Included Pieces

• 504 pieces
• Stark Jet with dual passenger cockpit, opening hatch for Spiderman & adjustable wings
• 6" high x 9" long
  
• Mini-figures:  Spider-man, Mysterio, Nick Furry & Happy Hogan
• 2 Drones
• The hero weapons include energy bombs, gun & shooter

 

This set is recommend for ages 8 years and up.  I sure am glad they don't put a top age limit on Lego sets.  After all, building Legos is not limited to children.

---

Check Out More Lego Reviews Here On

Review This Reviews!

Spider-Man Far From Home Lego Set #76130 Reviewed by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Kit Reviewed

As a special treat for Halloween a few years ago, I gave my all-time favorite trick or treater (my son) the Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion.  He loves it!

Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred & Velma have been the source of entertainment for many years in our household. All ages seem to adore them, laugh with them, sing along with the intro music, and even call out the question "Scooby-Doo, where are you?"  

We are also fans of haunted houses!  Therefore, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion was a perfect "treat" choice. Not only does the set come with members of the Scooby-Doo gang, it also includes a ghost & a vampire.  However, there is one notable missing character and I have given the information below on how to buy him separately.

One very unique feature of this set is the "man" eating plant, reminiscent of the Venus Fly Trap plant recently reviewed by our own contributor, Raintree Annie.  (You can read her Venus Fly Trap review by clicking here.)

This fabulous set has 860 pieces and would be a fun project for the family on Halloween, or any time.  Over the years, I have been blessed many times by our son sitting at the dining room table, letting me sort out pieces for him into like piles, while we talk and he builds the set. These are memories that I cherish and I know you will too.  I highly recommend taking the time to sit with your Lego builder while he or she works.  You will discover a totally different reason to love Legos!

 

Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Kit #75904

The mansion alone is awesome with it's clock tower and adjoining rooms, but when you add the Halloween pumpkins, the black knight, a vampire, a ghost, and the Scooby gang, you have perfection!

The set also includes a motorbike with a sidecar, the fabulous man-eating plant with a snapping mouth, and a bunch of additional accessories including food for our always hungry friends.

When completed, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion is 14" tall, 12" wide, & 5" deep.

 LEGO Scooby-Doo 75904 Mystery Mansion Building KitCheck Price

Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Availability

This Lego set is retired, therefore, you will need to search for the set on Amazon, Ebay or a different secondary market.  If you don't see it today, check again on a later date.  Sellers frequently add new items on Ebay.  It is one of my favorite source for retired Lego sets! (links for Mystery Mansion (shown above) on Amazon or on Ebay)

Oddly enough, Fred was not included in this set.  He can be pretty expensive when sold separately, so I would recommend pairing the Mystery Mansion Lego set with the Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Set #75902.   (The following words are links to the Mystery Machine on Amazon or on Ebay)

The images below are linked to the sets available on Amazon.

 LEGO Scooby-Doo 75904 Mystery Mansion Building KitCheck Price LEGO Scooby-Doo 75902 The Mystery Machine Building KitCheck Price

 

Check Out More Toy Reviews at
ReviewThisToys.com
Or
Reviews on Lego Sets
Right Here On Review This Reviews!

 Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Kit Reviewed by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Lego Big Bang Theory Reviewed

Fun Legos Set For Grown-ups and Kids

Close-up of Lego Big Bang Theory Box

I just treated myself to the Lego Big Bang Theory set. No, I didn't buy it for the grandkids, I bought it for myself! I am a huge fan of the TV series The Big Bang Theory and I have loved Legos since my kids were little and we played with the plastic bricks together. When my girls were small there were no sets of Legos like there are now. We had to use our own creativity to make things. Once the grandchildren came along, Legos got even more interesting with the wonderful sets to complete. Trust me, this Grandma has purchased loads of those sets for the granddaughters! Suffice it to say, Grandma had just as much fun with the building as the girls did!

As I mentioned before, I am an avid fan of The Big Bang Theory on television. Just about every night in the hour before prime time viewing begins; my husband and I watch the syndicated reruns of the show. I started noticing that they were doing promos using Lego characters to promote the Lego Batman movie and one evening I said to my hubby, "I wish they had a real set for the Big Bang Theory." My husband replied in his logical way with, "Well, they must have one because they are showing them like they do." After rolling my eyes just a tad, I picked up my cell phone and looked it up on Amazon. Much to my delight, there is one! Ask me how long it took to hit the "buy" button! If you said, "No longer than it takes to log in." ... you would be correct!

Just opened Lego Big Bang Theory box

So, it came yesterday and of course I had to build it! The picture on the right is right after I opened the box and was ready to start building. If you haven't purchased a Legos set before, you might not know that the pieces are in numbered bags and you get an instruction book to follow. The instructions are simple for a child to follow. Basically pictures with no text are provided on each page. The page shows you a picture of the pieces that you will need for that step and then how to place them together. 

The fun thing about the instruction book for the Lego Big Bang Theory set is that there is a page that tells about the television series and a page that identifies each of the main characters of the sitcom with a picture and a short little bio. As I began building and went from page to page; I was tickled to see that every once in a while there was a small image of one of the characters with a quote from one of the episodes of the series. That was a fun little surprise!

It took me about 2 1/2 hours to completely build the set. There are a lot of little pieces to sort through but it was easy to follow the directions on each page. My only disappointment in the set is that it isn't very big and there are so many little things to build and place that it looks cramped. Because it is so small, it is really kind of hard to see everything. Then again, that is kind of fun because you have to take your time to find all of the hidden little treasures.

Lego Big Bang Theory Set

I think it is fun that they included all of the main characters in the set. There is Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Penny, Bernadette and Amy along with Raj's little dog. All in all it was a fun set to build and it is fun to have it setting out as a conversation piece in our home.

This would make a wonderful gift for the Lego fan on your gift list, especially if they also happen to be a fan of the show The Big Bang Theory. In fact, I plan to order another one to give to my son-in-law for his birthday this year. I know he will get a real kick out of it!

View of my completed set

I thought you might enjoy seeing a view of my set on display in our living room. As you can see there is a lot of detail in this little set.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Scholastic Book Fair Birthday Gift – A Gift Review

 

My youngest grandson, Tyler, just had his 7th birthday. He's outgrowing the younger toys and books I've given him on baby, toddler and kindergarten birthdays and I have been trying to find something appropriate for a boy who will soon be ready for the 2nd grade.

Scholastic Book Fair

Every year, Scholastic holds 120,000 book fairs at schools across the US and abroad. They have been putting on regional fairs since the 1970s and nationwide fairs since the ’80s. Schools host them in school libraries – or gyms or cafeterias – wherever they have room. The book fair is usually held for a week, with the school receiving either a percentage of sales or some remaining stock for hosting the event.

Some of  these book fairs are held at local libraries, if a school does not have room.

These Scholastic Book Fairs are very popular with children and adults alike.  

A Birthday Gift for Tyler

Now that Tyler has learned to read (just finished first grade), age-appropriate books seem to be a good gift choice.

Tyler is currently interested in the DC Comics Super Heros and Legos. While attending a variety of garage sales in a nearby small town last weekend, I discovered that a Scholastic Book Fair was being held at the local elementary school. I think I spent an hour browsing, since there were so many terrific choices. I finally decided on the Lego series and narrowed it down to two selections.

My Book Choices for Tyler

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes Handbook

(c) Elf

This handbook is the perfect introduction to a child's favorite LEGO heroes and villains.  From Batman to Superman, Catwoman to Wonder Woman, to their arch-enemies like Joker and Lex Luthor, this official guidebook describes each Super Hero and their histories, all the villains, their vehicles and their locations. 

From the pages of the long-favorite and famous DC Comics, these Super Heroes have been popular for years. They have even starred in movies. And now these amazing fighters for justice have become LEGO Minifigures. This handbook gives an overview of them all. 

Lego - Batman Night Patrol! - Activity Book with Free Batman Minifigure

(c) Elf

(c) Elf

This is a Batman themed activity book with pages of comics telling a story, plus mazes, drawing pages, dot-to-dot, pages to color and more. The book comes with a free Batman Lego minifigure.

Summary

(c) Elf

These LEGO Super Hero books are geared to ages 6 – 8, so should be just right for 7-year-old Tyler. 

If you don't have a Scholastic Book Fair being held soon near you, these LEGO Super Heroes books – and other similar ones – can be ordered online from The Scholastic Store. Many are also available on Amazon.

Quick Links to Scholastic Fair Books:

• The Online Scholastic Store
• Scholastic Fair Books on Amazon

A Gift Ideas Review written by

Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Best Gifts for Grandson - Books and Legos

Classic Brick Box - train instructions included

My grandson's birthday passed a couple of months ago. I have come to realize that he has really enjoyed gifts of both books and Legos. Because of his enjoyment of these two things, I will continue to add to his collections for several holidays and birthdays to come. Whether you are looking for gifts for boys or girls, aged 4 to 99, books and Legos are great ideas. But based on my grandson's reaction, books and Legos are most excellent gifts for grandsons.

Legos Building Sets and Basic Brick Box Sets

I am a long distance grandparent, so I experience many holidays and birthdays through photos, phone calls, and video chats. Even many states away and through photos, I could see the extreme happiness on my grandson's face as he held up the Lego Batman Movie - Joker Lowrider kit that he had received from his uncle.

Lego Batman Movie - Notorious Joker Lowrider

That was his first Lego kit. And after seeing the genuine smile on his face with that Lego kit, I sent him a Classic Medium Creative Brick Box. Soon after he opened his gift, my son sent a photo of the little train that they built together with the instructions included in the Brick Box. It was fun to know that my gift was something they had spent time together to build.

Legos Medium Classic Brick Box

Books to Encourage Reading and Quality Time Together

I have read to my grandson during video chats. And my son has spent a great deal of time reading to his son. As a result, books seem to be important and interesting to my grandson.

During this last video chat a few days ago, my grandson "read" his favorite book to me for a long period of time. He was focused and excited. He also took great care to hold the book up so that Gramma could see the pictures too. 

Bedtime reading to Gramma

It was a heart-warming and wonderful way to spend time together. The book he chose to read to Gramma was about creatures under the sea. Not only was he spending time with a book, he was also spending time teaching Gramma about his fascination of sea creatures.

You can be sure that Gramma will remember to send him books about creatures under the sea.

More Lego and Children's Books Reviews from our Contributors

Our contributors at Review This share reviews about children's toys and books. It seems that every one of us believes that nurturing children's interest in reading is a wonderful thing. And that providing toys that nurture creativity is also a very important thing. 

We can spend quality time with our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other children who are important in our lives. Below are resources to find some of those books and toys. 

Our Wednesday Elf reviews children's books which have become classics over the decades. She reviews books that have endured over time as family favorites -Children's Classics that many of us have read to our children.

Toy Treasures is a gift guide for "Toys that Capture Our Attention and Hold Our Hearts". The site lists a variety of toy categories and the Lego category showcases a variety of specialized sets as well as basic collections.

The Holiday Gift Guide Directory is a compilation of gift resources and gifts reviews by our contributors. The all-occasion gifts in this list are honest reviews and reviews or placement in this directory cannot be purchased.

And last but not least, don't forget to check out the Toy Reviews tab on Review This for a variety of toy reviews for all ages and occasions. I have to admit, I am more than a little tempted to gift myself with the Lego Big Bang Theory set reviewed by our Beverly.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

What Sold on eBay? The Best eBay Sales of 2022

Next up in my What Sold on eBay series, is a review of the five best sales that I had last year, 2022. The word best has many definitions so I will make it clear that these are my five largest dollar value sales. If you are curious about what is valuable on eBay and what you might sell or even if you are just curious as to what people are selling, you will enjoy my review of 2022.

GEBRUDER BING GERMAN TEDDY BEAR

My largest and definitely most interesting sale of the year was of an antique teddy bear that I listed in April and, after generating quite a lot of interest, sold in June. It was a German bear manufactured in the 1920s by Gebruder Bing. Even though she was much-beloved and showing it the fact that she is antique made her sought after and valuable despite her condition. click here to see the Bing bears available on eBay now.  

If you are interested in reading more about my bear, click here.

BOUCHER PEACOCK BROOCH AND EARRINGS SET

This beautiful Boucher set was my next highest priced sale and was worth more because it was a set rather than individual pieces and, of course, because it was in perfect condition. I sold it for a friend who thinks that her mother would have been quite surprised at the value of her vintage costume jewelry set.  Sought after, it is available from time to time from sellers on eBay. Click here for a Boucher Peacock set for yourself on eBay.

MONTREAL OLYMPICS POSTER

I sold quite a few Montreal Olympic-themed posters over the course of 2022. The most valuable one showed the Canadian beaver with rainbow stripes across the middle of his body. It was worth the most because it is one of the rarer posters from the series and because it was large in size. If you are in the market for such a poster, do beware that there are two sizes. The 33-inch poster is much harder to find and, as a matter of fact, when I looked on eBay today, there were no large ones available with the beaver on it. If it matters to you, be aware also of reproductions and of new posters.

Click here to see the Montreal Olympics posters available today on eBay. 

LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE SET 70632

Next up was the Ninjago Lego movie set number 70632 called Quake Mech. With 1,202 pieces, it is a large set that is now retired and harder but not impossible to find. Fans do have to pay more for new, sealed sets, that are no longer in production. 

Click here to see what Lego's Ninjago Set 70632 is selling for on eBay. 

If you are really curious about Lego value, check out this page of Rare and Hard to Find Lego sets.

BERG CAT TILE

This final sale was the most eye opening one for me. This pretty cat-themed wall tile was manufactured by Berg in Danmark or Denmark in a lovely glossy blue color. The cat versions of Berg tiles seem to fetch a higher price and I think that this tile was especially popular because of the current craze for all things Mid-Century Modern (MCM) and, of course, because of the popularity of cats. 

Click here to check out the Berg Danmark tiles on eBay but note that today, I can see none!

------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed this peek into the best of 2022 in my corner of eBay.  If you would like to see more, visit my store, Treasures By Brenda, by clicking right here. 

You never know

what I might have

in store for you!

Brenda 

QUICK LINKS: 

What Sold on eBay Fourth Edition.

This edition included Steiff, movies, bugs, pewter, Play-doh and the royal family.

What Sold on eBay First Edition.

This edition included quilts, bowls, chimney sweeps and cheese boards.

Find more eBay stories from my blog, Treasures By Brenda.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Great Christmas Countdown Is ON!

If you are a parent, grand parent or even an only Child, this time of year brings with it countdowns in all manner of speaking.

Everywhere we go, we are bombarded by the signs of the season,  Buy this, save now, Best Deals right here and the shopping mantras seem to be everywhere.

When I was young, (just a few short years ago), we marked the countdown to Christmas with an Advent Calendar, or an Advent Wreath.

Photo credit: Pixabay.com

Advent Calendars marked down the days in December, from 1 to 24, with a token candy or treat in each of the little packages associated with the day.  For us kids, this was a countdown to all the good things that would be in the house over the holiday season.

You can make your own Advent Calendars, or there are ones that are pre-made just for your little ones.  If they love Lego, there are several different sets that can be purchased and by the time Christmas Eve comes, they have put together a special Lego Treat.

Lego Advent Calendar

The Advent Wreath was more religious in nature. Each Sunday after mass, when the family was together for Sunday Lunch, we would read a passage from the Bible and light one candle the first weekend.    Two candles, were lit for the next weekend and then three and four.  Finally, Christmas arrives and the candle in the middle is lit with all 4 candles around lit as well.  The significance was the brightness of the light on Christmas morning: The coming of the Saviour, the Infant Child Jesus.

Once everyone was awake and had their cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or drink of choice, the opening of the presents would begin....

The expectations of the last month or six weeks was not a done deal.  It's amazing to me that so much thought and excitement is unwrapped in less than 1/100 of the time it took to get ready for the event.
In any case, the pictures taken at the undoing last a long time and memories are made in the time we get to spend together.

Photo credit:liebesbotschaft-international.blogspot.de

 Hope you have the time to sit back, enjoy the sights and the sounds of the season, and that you take lots of pictures to enjoy the memories for many years to come. Happy Holidays Everyone.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Star Wars Fans It's May the 4th be with you Day!

May 4th has become known as Star Wars Day!

I bet that doesn't surprise most of you as it's a play on the much quoted line "May the Force Be with You!"  Whether you are a Star Wars Movies fan or not, I'm sure that today you will hear this phrase more than once.

Star Wars has had a cult following since it's original movie premiered in 1977.  Almost 40 years of old fans, and new fans being added every time a new episode comes out. The latest addition to the Star Wars phenomenon is "The Force Awakens".  While it can be a stand alone movie, it can also be taken as a prequel to all the other Star Wars Movies out there.  I know my sons have been having ongoing arguments about many points, in the movies and how they are interrelated.   One thing is certain, it has people taking about Star Wars again, and revisiting the older movies.

May the 4th is celebrated not just in North America, but,  worldwide!  It is a celebration of the Star War Movies and all the characters that people have come to love.  In 2001 the Toronto Underground Cinema launched the first official Star Wars Day Festivities which included a costume contest and Movie Marathon.  Since then, the festivities have been ramped up and are available to fans all over the world.  I'm sure if you look you will find some kind of Star Wars Celebration happening in your corner of the world.  Better yet, you can start your own traditions and celebrations, as most of the Star Wars Movies are available on Blu-Ray or DVD.  

Who is your most admired character?  Han Solo, Luke, Leia, Chewbaka, or maybe some other minor character.  Can you make a costume to make you look like your favorite character?  Sewing a costume is not too difficult and it will be fun for you and your family to create a whole wardrobe of characters for today and maybe for a second showing at Halloween.  Check out this pattern!   With a few minor changes you can have a whole family of Jedi Knights.

Since the Star Wars epidemic started there are literally thousands of different ways you can celebrate the day.  If you don't want to dress up, or watch hours of endless Star Wars movies, you can get out your Lego and build another version of the Death Star, X-winged fighter or the Millenium Falcon.   Better yet, you can also get out the "Lego" versions of the characters and have them do their own light saber dance.  I love that you can get these character Lego's, they are so much fun to play with.  Grab your favorite board game and play it with Lego characters instead of the little pieces that came with the game originally.

My sons love to play Monopoly and believe it or not there is a Star Wars Version too.  Now Monopoly has it's own cult following, so there are many versions of the same game with modifications to the names of the properties and the player pieces. The basic game remains the same, but the fun comes from landing on some really cool "outer space" properties.  The Star Wars Monopoly Game is a collectors item.  Each one is numbered and dated.  Instead of adding houses to your properties, you add Star Ships.  Will the Rebels or the Imperials win the race around the galaxy and control the properties?  That depends on you!

All I know right now is that with the release of the latest Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens", interest in the 4th of May, just may be at an all time high.

So may I take this opportunity to offer "MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!" today and always.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Lego Easter Egg Hunt Set Reviewed

Fun Idea For Easter Basket Stuffer

Add some Lego Fun to the Basket
(image courtesy of pixabay.com)

It is a good two months before those Easter Egg Hunts take place but I am already looking for some fun ideas to add to the baskets. Of course there will be eggs to be found. I always look for some different sorts of sweets to add but I like to hold that sugary stuff to a minimum. So, I start searching for non-edible ideas rather early. I have found something fun for this year. 

Those that know me might remember that I love to play with Legos. My brothers and I built things with those plastic bricks when we were little. Hours of fun were spent with my daughters with them. This grandma still plays with the colorful plastic pieces with her grandchildren. I even have a display of the Big Bang Theory done in Legos in our family room. 

Imagine my thrill when I found a set of Legos that creates a scene for an Easter Egg Hunt! It is a small little set with only 145 pieces so the box will fit nicely in the kid's baskets. The set allows you to build three separate locations (to hide the 3 eggs). There is a carrot garden, a flower garden and a hen house. Two figures come with the set; an adult and a child. There is a wheelbarrow, a cute little basket and a magnifying glass. Well, it is just down right adorable! 

As with most of the Lego sets once this one is assembled the different locations can be easily added to any other display you might already have on display. We rarely tear our finished sets down in this house. They are fun to pull out and play with when the kids come or Grandma goes to their house. 

If you are looking for something to add to an Easter Basket that won't throw your child or grandchild into a raging sugar high, consider a set of Lego fun with the Easter Egg Hunt.

Easter Egg Hunt Building Kit from LEGO

  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

GIFT IDEAS FOR DAD

Father's Day is celebrated every year on the third Sunday in June. Remember to do something for your father that shows you know and appreciate him because that is what Dad really wants for his day and/or even his birthday. If you want to add a small physical gift, here are some wonderful and affordable gift ideas for Dad.

On this page we'll review a few great gift ideas for dad including a picture frame, a couple of coffee mugs, a t-shirt, an apron, a keepsake journal and a Hallmark movie. I am sure that you will find something here that is within your budget and that is perfect for your Dad.

Click here to see this Hallmark card for dad on Amazon.

A PICTURE FRAME 

Featuring a contemporary, clean and modern design, this frame suits many household styles. It holds one 4 inch by 6 inch vertically oriented picture of daddy and me. In fact, there are a variety of designs by Malden that read differently. From this one to one that reads, The Boys, Dad, Godfather, Daddy's Girl and more.

Find Malden's Daddy picture frames here on Amazon.

A COFFEE MUG

There's a modern theme on this blue space-themed, camping-style, stoneware mug from Our Name is Mud. The front side reads "Coolest Dad in the Galaxy" and the other, "You're Out of This World." It holds 16 ounces of your dad's favorite steamy hot beverage and is microwave and dishwasher safe.

Find this Coolest Dad mug here on Amazon.

AN ART POTTERY MUG

If you think that the dad in your life is not into the space-themed mug shown above, you might consider something like this personalized, handmade art pottery coffee mug from Laura Lynn Pottery. It is a handsome piece that holds up to two cups of dad's favorite hot drink. It comes with your choice of dad-themed words including dad, daddy, papa or grandpa and you can request others terms of endearment by contacting the artist. Done in an attractive color combination of buff clay and satin black glaze.

Find this dad-themed art pottery coffee mug here on Etsy.

A T-SHIRT

A t-shirt might not seem like a totally original gift idea. However, it surely is a practical one and Life is Good has and has had some fun designs like the one shown above, which reads, "Dad, You're One of My Favorite Parents." Guaranteed to make people smile and perfect for dad all year long.

Click here to buy your Life is Good Dad-themed t-shirt from Amazon.

CUSTOMIZED APRON

I love this personalized apron. Etsy creator By Barva takes a photograph of the father or other individual in your life and transfers a likeness of the image and the name of the individual onto an apron. Perfect for any dad who likes to cook and/or grill.  Of course, aprons are not the only product they produce. You can also have a drinking glass customized in the same fashion or even a t-shirt.

Check out By Barva's apron and their other dad-themed items here on Etsy.

A GUIDED KEEPSAKE JOURNAL

Dad Tell Me Your Story is a thoughtful gift idea. It is a glossy, hardcover book, journal-style that helps guide your father to put his memories and thoughts on paper. When finished, it becomes a treasured memento of dad's life. Features 100 numbered pages and a family tree. Subjects cover a wide variety from childhood to adulthood. It even includes blank pages for photos or illustrations or small paper mementos. It is available in hardcover or paperback though I would think if dad is going to invest time filling out the pages, you might prefer to preserve them in hardcover.

Find this keepsake journal here on Amazon.

A FAMILY FRIENDLY HALLMARK MOVIE

Hallmark's Safe Harbor movie (2009) is based on the true story of a married couple who are set to retire and spend their retirement on their sailboat. However, before they manage to leave, a friend asks them to look after two teenagers who have been sentenced to juvenile hall. The hall is at capacity and unable to take them and when it is suggested that the teen boys be put to work getting the boat ready for their trip, the couple agrees. Soon they find themselves with four boys.

The situation brings a set of challenges from attitude to fire but, in the end, there are positive changes in all four boys who decide they do not want to break up their newly created 'family.' The couple questions their own situation, their sailing trip, their choice not to have children and the future.

Starring Treat Williams, Nancy Travis, Reiley McClendon, Myra Turley and Cameron Monaghan, Safe Harbor is a good viewing opportunity for dad to share with the family. 

Click here to order your copy of Safe Harbor from eBay.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

What will you be giving your dad for Father’s Day this year?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

MORE GIFT IDEAS:

Mugs For Old Guys and Vintage Dudes
From a series, 31 Days of Coffee Mugs, comes a fabulous "old" guy mug.

The Best Lego Gift Ideas
If you're looking for a great Lego gift idea that is not a Lego set, you will find some of the best choices here on this page.

The Best Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Gift Ideas
Who could forget the car from the movie Ghostbusters? On this page, we celebrate the Ecto-1 with five of the best Ghostbusters car themed gift ideas.

The Best Sizzlin' Hot Barbecue Aprons
Summertime and the living is easy. Great weather, good music and your trusty friend, the barbecue, will help you prepare some good food. Before you throw your meat on the grill though you might want to throw on a fun, spirited and practical...

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Using a Lightbox as an Advent Calendar - Yes or No?

Today I'm going to review an alternative to the usual advent calendars as a way to countdown to Christmas - a lightbox!

Forget the advent calendars and try adding a lightbox underneath your tree for a fun countdown. You can get your own...

Posted by Christmas Tree Ideas on Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Now when my daughter was younger I brought a fabric advent calendar that had little pouches I would fill each year - she used the same advent calendar every year and loved it. My friend had a wooden advent calendar that was shaped like a Christmas tree and her kids would take turns opening it - she also used to get them a chocolate advent calendar each so that no one went without something during the countdown!

It was only last year after my daughter moved out that I saw the post that you can see above - a lightbox to countdown the days seemed like a great idea. I'm interested to know what other people think though - a small gift or chocolate every day for the kids or just a countdown display under the Christmas tree?

Let me know if you're a Yes or a No!

If you vote advent calendars then check out a few here:

Farm Advent Calendar

DIY or Reusable Advent Calendars

The Great Christmas Countdown is on

Lego Advent Calendars

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Review of the VTech Turn and Learn Driver Toy

Little Boys and Car-Related Toys

Grandson Tyler with Driver Toy

I have five grandsons who all live over 1,000 miles from me.  Therefore, it is often difficult to know just what toys the boys already have and what they are wishing for.  At birthday and Christmas times I have to rely on the parents (my 'kids') for gift suggestions.

This past Christmas, I asked my youngest son for gift ideas for 6-year-old David and 20 month old Tyler.  David was easy – a Star Wars Lego set.  For toddler boy Tyler, the suggestion was any toy with buttons to push, knobs to turn and NOISES. 

While doing an online search with this criteria in mind, I came across what I thought might be the 'perfect' toy for Tyler.  It's similar to one I bought for my oldest grandson (now 19) when HE was Tyler's age and remembered what a big hit it was, since little boys appear to be 'car crazy' from birth.  I think it's part of their DNA!  

The toy I bought for Tyler was the VTech Turn and Learn Driver Toy

VTech Turn and Learn Driver, Yellow

The VTech Turn and Learn Driver Toy is a steering wheel toy with a cute little dog character that moves back and forth as the wheel is turned.  Across the top of the 'dashboard' are five colorful buttons which introduce different animals and vehicles when pushed.

This toy car has three play modes, so your little driver can learn in animal, driving or music mode. 

There is also a traffic light, a signal lever that makes fun sounds and music, and a gear shifter that pushes and pulls.  Oh, and of course a horn!  Lots of interactive play, making this a wonderful teaching toy.  This Turn and Learn Driver Toy, which also comes in several models and colors, has a fun car design that encourages imaginative play as part of early childhood education.

This toy is from Vtech Kids, a division of Vtech® considered a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children.  The company has been making quality educational toys for children for over 35 years.

Baby Tyler's opinion?  He thought having his own steering wheel was the greatest thing he'd seen.  I watched him open the box Christmas morning over Skype and he virtually ignored the rest of the gifts offered him to open.  All he wanted to do was turn the steering wheel back and forth and honk the horn and push all the buttons! He loved it.  And it was such fun for this grandma to watch his reaction to this toy and know I'd made the best gift choice possible.

The VTech Turn and Learn Driver Toy operates on 2 AA batteries and is recommended for babies and toddlers in the 6 months to 3 year old range.  Tyler, at 20 months, is the perfect age for this cute and colorful interactive toy. It also comes in a variety of colors. I chose the bright Yellow one with the red steering wheel.

Tyler, Age 20 months

 Hey Tyler!  Happy to see you like your new toy!

~Love, Grandma

Quick Links:

VTech Turn & Learn Driver Toy on Amazon

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: