Projex Review: Screen-Free Arcade Gaming for the Entire Family and Giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored partnership and we received a sample of the product to facilitate this review.  Opinions expressed are 100% our own. 

At this point, it's highly likely that your limits on screen time for your kids have flown right out the door in the midst of this Coronavirus pandemic and juggling their distance learning with your remote work. I'll admit our two boys have had their fair share of gameplay these last two months while face-timing their best friends and cousins to help them relax and have fun while social distancing.

We're a family of gamers and always on the lookout for new ways for us to spend some quality family time together at home. When you have a tween and a teen to entertain, it can sometimes be a bit tough to all agree on what to do that's cool enough and age-appropriate for everyone to enjoy. We knew checking out Projex would be right up our alley because it's interactive fun for the entire family & mixes video gameplay with laser tag all while eliminating the need for a screen. WINNING!

Microsoft Gaming for Everyone: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion Among Gen-Z Gamers #MyXbox

Disclosure: We attended this event as media and opinions expressed are 100% our own.

So, how are you're Fortnite dance skills? If you're a parent of a tween or teen these days I'm sure you're all too familiar with your kids requests for more vbucks to purchase skins and their victorious, orange justice and flossing dance moves. Gaming is pretty big in our house, the common enjoyment of classic games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. admittedly was one of things that hubby and I enjoyed doing together when we first started dating. So it's really not a surprise to us that our boys countdown until Friday after-school so that they can power up their Xbox. 

African American consumers over-index when it comes to gaming consoles. Sixty-six percent of Black households in the US own gaming consoles, compared to half (51%) of the total population. However, Black gamers feel excluded, unwelcomed, and are disproportionately underrepresented in both video games and in the gaming industry.

Must Haves for Lil' Monsters 2018 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway

 It's the most wonderful time of the year and we're beyond excited to be hosting our 4th annual "Must Haves for Lil' Monsters" Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway! All year we've been heading to our favorite toy showcases hosted by The Toy Insider and TTPM to check out the latest and greatest in toys and we've rounded up our favorite must haves for kids of all ages within 10 categories: Trendy Toys, Create, STEAM, Disney Lovers, Game Night, Video Games, Throwback, Books & Movies, Outdoor Fun and Stocking Stuffers.

This year we're offering 1 lucky reader a prize pack valued at over $400 and excitedly all of our giveaway sponsors have donated products to our #LilMonstersGiveBack Initiative where we will be donating toys to a local school, church and women's shelter! 

Disclosure: We have received review samples and donation contributions to facilitate this guide and giveaway. Opinions expressed are 100% our own and this post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays! 

Lil' Monsters in NYC 2017 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway #MustHavesforLilMonsters

Unbelievably the holidays are swiftly approaching, have you finished your holiday shopping for the little ones yet, any last minute toys you're still on the hunt for? With our first snow in New York officially behind and the start of Hanukkah, we've been counting down the days till Santa makes his appearance now that the boys have mailed off their letters to the North Pole. 

This year marks our 4th annual Must Haves for Lil' Monsters Holiday Gift Guide and we're highlighting our favorite products that we've had the chance to try out at toy events this year or reviewed at home. Excitedly we're offering our awesome readers a chance to win 12 Top toy products for kids of all ages thanks to partnering brands.  Check out our Must haves for Lil' Monsters!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that I can receive a small commission. Opinions expressed are 100% our own and we received samples to facilitate this Gift Guide. 

Exclusive E3 2017 Video Game Play of Mario & Pokémon at the NYC Nintendo Offices #E32017 #MustHavesforLilMonsters

Hey guys it's Chris from Lil' Monsters in NYC and today I'm giving you my input on three new Nintendo games that will be coming out on Nintendo switch soon. My lil' brother Tristan and I had the very awesome chance to visit the Nintendo corporate offices with our parents while getting sneak peeks at the new games                    

The first game that we got to test out was Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Now this game really surpassed my expectations and was a really fun and addicting. Did you know that Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Won Best original and Best strategy game at E3 this year? Well that's how amazing this game is. Now you're probably wondering where the crazy awesome Rabbids come in? Well let me tell you what story is: The mushroom world was undergoing chaos when a mysterious vortex appeared in the sky bringing these Rabbids to the mushroom world. So now Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Yoshi must team up with the four hero Rabbids on a journey through 4 different worlds to restore peace and order back to the mushroom kingdom.

{VIDEO} TODAY Show Appearance with The Toy Insider and Custom 3D Printed Skylanders Imaginator #Giveaway #MustHavesforLilMonsters

During my two days off a week I love to have my morning talk shows playing in the background and usually the segments that manage to tear my eyes away from my laptop screen are any having to do with shopping, fashion or travel. Ok and a few of the ratchet celebrity stories. So Imagine how excited we were when our blogging buddy Adam of Dadarocks.com hit me up to ask if we'd be interested in having our son CJ appear on the Today Show since he knew we were big Skylanders fans. All CJ ever dreams about is his chance to act on a television show, so the chance to demo Skylanders Imaginators for Laurie Schect "The Toy Insider" during a Black Friday Segment was going to be huge deal since he'd be playing one of his favorite video games.

Disclosure: We were gifted a Skylanders Imaginators set for CJ's demo on the show.  No other compensation was received and opinions expressed are 100% our own!

2016 Must Haves for Lil' Monsters Holiday Gift Guide and #Giveaway

What's on your Lil' Monsters must have list to receive for the holidays? Whether you're looking for the perfect gift to encourage their love for science and the arts, or If they've been crossing all their little fingers and toes hoping to see some of their favorite television and movie characters recreated as brightly colored, fun toys under the tree, there seems to be some pretty amazing products out this year that we've had the chance to preview and play with. Last Year we had so much fun hosting a giveaway for all of our readers, we've decided to do one again!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links within this post

Disney Art Academy: A New Nintendo Game that Brings out the Inner Artist in Kids of all Ages

Last month I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a private event at the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center to learn all about an amazing new game for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS Disney Art Academy - a learn to draw game {$29.99} that features over 80 Disney and Pixar characters. With easy to follow lessons, the game takes you through different levels and skills of drawing from basic filling in of favorite character's like Olaf, Winnie the Pooh and Nemo to shading, expressions, portraits etc. There's continuous fun as the game player work's their way up to unlock new characters to draw and can then share with their friends or parents.  

Must Haves for Lil' Monsters Holiday Gift Guide & ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY! #LilMonstersGiveaway

With just a mere 2 weeks until Christmas Eve and Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us have you finished your holiday shopping? The better question is, have you even started? The monsters and I have had the best time this year checking out and playing with some of the coolest toys, games and gadgets out there from some of your favorite brands and if you don't quite utilize the DVR and sit through the commercials played after any of the children's programming, your kids have spotted the awesomeness out there too! From Dancing Snoopy, to slapping whip- cream in each others face (without getting in trouble) to rocking out while gaming with friends on a guitar, there's something for everyone! We've rounded up a few of our favorite Must Haves for Lil' Monsters in no particular order to help you guys with gift choices and because we are grateful for all of our readers new and old we are going to offer 1 Reader an insanely fun Giveaway.

Get Your Game On! Discover the GameStop Trade in Program #Sponsored

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post courtesy of Kidzvuz and Gamestop in which compensation was received in exchange for our honest opinion which are 100% our own. Photos are courtesy of Kidzvuz.com

We have a rule in our house, no new video games until you've completed the ones you have because our boys seem to run through them at lightening speed and quite honestly our wallets can't keep up with the ever expanding list of games they've seen on t.v or that a friend has told them is a must have. 

Over this summer vacation my oldest son Cj headed to the KidzVuz Back to School Party with his favorite blogger kid buddies, where they got to scope out the latest products from some pretty awesome brands. Of course any event that allows for the lil' monsters to get comfy on bean bag chairs and test out new games is going to be a hit, and by far I'd say that kids of all ages really enjoyed the very popular Gamestop area. I mean really, what's not to enjoy?

Before heading out Cj asked if he could enter the GameStop raffle for a new Xbox One and I handed him my business card to toss in the bowl, and to our surpise a few days later we learned he won! The timing couldn't have been any better because his Wii was no longer working, and after a few turns on his uncles Xbox he knew he wanted to try out the latest console at home for him and his little brother {yes, and most likely his dad too}

The only problem was ...... we had no new games for him to jump right in and start playing, aside from the downloadable one it came with. Honestly with back to school shopping for two quickly growing boys, purchasing new games just wasn't in the budget so we headed to GameStop to try out their trade in program which is a good alternative to try. 

           


 Here's what you should know and our tips on the program:

• If the gamers in your family love to try new games frequently and once they are done completing the game are ready to move on to the next, you should look into the trade in program at Gamestop  which can help parents save a few bucks by allowing them to trade in games that their kids have outgrown or beaten in order to earn cash or points towards a new game or even a console.
• Before heading to your nearest Gamestop location you should check out the value of your game, console, accessories or electronics at gamestop.com/trade .
• Our recommended tip is that you trade in your games sooner than later, because although they will take in your dusty games that are sitting on the shelf the game won't be worth as much as time goes by. One of the games we tried to trade in was quite a few years old and it wasn't worth much so we definitely say play your game a few times and trade it in as soon as possible.

Since the hubby and I grew up yelling "Finish him" at the screen while playing Mortal Kombat the boys can't wait to try out Mortal Kombat X, I know, a little gory but the features on the Xbox One are amazing and that game and the special effects have come a long way from the graphics we had back in the day!

Are there any new games or consoles out there your family can't wait to try out? or games you want to trade in?

Parent Bloggers Work Hard & Play Harder at Blogger Bash! A Few Tips & Highlights From my First Blogger Conference #bbnyc #sweetsuite14

When I spotted a posting in my Instagram feed offering a chance to win a ticket to this years Blogger Bash by submitting a 15 second video, I said to myself "What the heck, I'll give it a shot. I'm on a budget, I'll get my two monsters involved and have some fun with it." To no surprise Blogger Jennifer S. was announced as the first winner because her video and need to escape the kids was easy to relate to & beyond hysterical. It took the boys and I about 4 attempts in about 20 fun-filled minutes to make our silly video and we were really friggin' excited when our video was chosen. Obviously me way more then them because I was going to get the chance to play with toys not even released yet, forge relationships with brands my family love and to mingle with bloggers I'd been following from behind the screen for a few years now.

Although I've been blogging for almost 3 years this summer, I still consider myself a newbie to the world of "mommy" blogging as I gradually learn the ins and outs of transitioning from blogging as a hobby about our life in NYC, to blogging to establish a community, network, make brand connections and potential income.  And from the looks of it, the possibilities and opportunities seem endless if your willing to create a blog that's authentic, has a unique voice and is creative. Luckily, I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of NYC mom bloggers through Instagram and at events who have been really sweet and helpful and it has truly been an amazing experience filled with priceless moments that neither my family, friends or I will ever forget.

 So What is Blogger Bash NYC?

When brands like Fisher Price, Disney and Activision are in need of getting the word out about their latest and greatest products they know to turn to parent bloggers who have a digital presence and who's opinions are trusted by their vast followers. The amazing ladies who dreamed up and orchestrated this well thought out conference {Joey Fortman, Charlene Deloach & Laurie Schacht}  figured why not create an experience where bloggers could Make an Impression & grow professionally by providing them face-time with both well-known and up and coming brands through speed dating with their representatives/round table forums, events and parties.

Sounds fun right? Well it really freaking was! Leading up to the event all of the registered attendees followed Blogger Bash on Facebook where we waited to hear the latest buzz on guest speakers, contests and more! That Facebook wall itself had turned into a community allowing for people to search for roommates and travel buddies and for newbies to ask questions and gain insight from more experienced bloggers. There were even posts that shared tips on everything from what to wear to how to stay organized. I thought I'd share a few of these tips [in no particular order of importance] with you real quick because I feel that they can be applied to numerous conferences:

1. You've brought your ticket, make sure you have your confirmations for everything, especially if you are traveling out of town. Having printed copies wouldn't hurt either, even in this age of technology.
2. Dress comfortably! Of course you need to make a good impression, but I'd say going business casual is always a safe bet, especially if you are going to be playing with awesome toys!
3. Make sure you know all of the hashtags being used during the event and even have them saved on your phone so you can just copy and paste.
4. Think about how to keep track of your business cards. Lots of brands use the same pr company and their representatives don't always have business cards that say the name of the specific product you may be interested in so write the name of the product on the card so that you know why you want to stay in touch, separate cards based on what portion of the conference you met them at. Someone suggested labeling envelops and placing cards in each one. It was also recommended that while making connections that you keep business cards in the lanyard with your name badge if applicable.
5. Make sure you remember your own business cards, I overheard a few Pr reps and guests saying that they had forgotten theirs.  Don't just give them to the companies but to other bloggers/ guests you'd like to keep in touch with or collaborate on a project with. If you ordered new business cards, use your old business cards {if the contact information is the same} for any raffles. And make sure your cards are easily accessible, don't waste time digging through your bag.
6. Make sure you do your research on guest speakers, products etc and write down any questions you may have for brands you are really interested in working with. And it's totally fine to not have a clue about a product, because if you have great conversation and seem genuinely interested , it's all good.
7. Lastly, just be fabulous you and have a good time! You have hundreds and probably even thousands of readers & social media followers for a reason. Show those companies why they need YOU to do their sponsored reviews and to be apart of their ambassador programs. Yes you are there to learn and network, but every now and then put down the phones, stop tweeting & texting and live in the moment with the people you have just met IRL {In real life} and truly connect.

OK, enough of the serious stuff.. Here's a few pics I had from the event and I know I missed tons of stuff but it's OK because the amazingly talented Janice Croze of 5 minutes for Mom captured some beautiful pictures that I can assure will have you excited for next years Blogger Bash, take a look at them here.

Sweet Suite & Stella Angry Birds After Party

During Sweet Suite guests got to ask brand experts lots of questions & channel their inner kids by indulging in sweets {think chocolate covered Oreos and Lemon Head martinis} while trying out the latest in video games, crafts & toys that will be on every child's holiday wishlist this year from brands like Activision, Fisher Price, VTech, Playmates Toys, Just Play, Disney Infinity, Crayola and USAopoly. Check out this fun Instagram video of me playing with the Kurio Tablet.

 

Once Sweet Suite was wrapped up, the Angry Birds Stella after party kicked off where guests learned all about this sassy lady's new game. After a few signature drinks and delish cookies we were able to let loose on the dance floor {cha-cha slides and all} until 11pm.
  
Lego Batman 3 Preview & Bat-Tastic Breakfast

While noshing on Batman themed fare to get energized, bloggers kicked of day 2 by previewing the latest installment in the Lego Batman series and were able to take home an exclusive T-shirt. After breakfast and challenging friends in some Gotham city, gaming mayhem there was lots still on the agenda. During the media panel we sat in on a discussion between influential female experts in the industry: Ciaran Blumfeld of Hashtracking & Momfluential, Deborah Mitchell of Deborah Mitchell Media and Associates, Samantha Meiler of Nick Mom and Samantha Murphy Kelly of Mashable who all delivered advise on everything from personalizing hashtags to segueing into television and being authentic.

The day continued with speed dating with various brands where we were able to engage in conversation a bit longer at a table of 4 or 5 other bloggers depending on the flow. I liked this aspect of the conference because it gave you a chance to further interact with a brand you thought aligned well with your blog after meeting with them and demoing products the day before. Another great aspect that I somehow missed seeing was the Bloganthropy awards which celebrated bloggers who positively impact their communities. 

During Mommy Tech guests were able to check out the latest in wearable technology and more throughout the day and we grooved to playlists created by our fellow bloggers who were hoping to win a set of amazing Korus speakers.

Johnny Rockets National Milk Shake Day Lunch, Baby Palooza w/ Photographer Anne Geddes & Kidzvuz Back to School Party with WWE Supers Stars Natalya & Darren Young

Our Johnny Rockets lunch was centered around National Milk Shake Day and I can surely say from the looks around me, everyone was thrilled to cool off with their own special creations. We also got to witness some amazing art made solely out of ketchup and you can watch a clip of the finishing touches on a ketchup made Statue of Liberty.

 

As a huge fan of baby photographer Anne Geddes in high school, I knew I couldn't miss her talk on how to take great family photos during the 2nd annual Baby Palooza. A few tips were:

1. When taking photos, give the picture some actual thought & keep your backgrounds simple. 
2.  Take photos of babies earlier in the day when they have the best temperament and get down to the child's level. 
3.  Make sure to include yourself in the photos! 

There were some huge fans present and a line that wrapped around the entire room of sentimental mamas waiting for an autographed copy of her book Little Blessings, I heard a few ladies even cried. Make sure you run out and get a copy of her latest gorgeous work entitled Under the Sea which will probably be my favorite because I love seahorses and turtles and we were all lucky enough to get first looks at the images which made me really miss those tiny baby toes and button noses.

Chicken Soup for the Soul was on hand not only with their fantastic books but to demo how to make easy one pot/ pan dishes that had incredible flavor using their new broths, soup toppers, salsas and sauces combined with simple ingredients. I was convinced that even I, the 5 recipe mama could add some new yummy dishes to my repertoire, that the kids would love and that the hubby would be glad he didn't have to prepare...lol

During the EA Social events suite, parent bloggers ate cake to celebrate Smokey the Bears 70th birthday, chose vibrant and fun color-licious lipgloss for a makeover with Covergirl, were spoiled with manicures, tried on gorgeous Joseph Nogucci jewelry,  played with bouncy Wubble Balls and stirred Alex's Lemonade to raise funds for children with cancer.

 

 If you have kids and haven't checked out KidzVuz yet, what are you waiting for? It's a pretty awesome site where kids can post their own video reviews, with consent from a parent or guardian of their favorite toys and games. I wish I could say I had more photos of the KidzVuz Back-To-School party, but CJ and I had so much fun and my battery was on 2% by the time he finished meeting WWE Diva,  Natalya & Superstar Darren Young. CJ was over the moon that he got to take pictures with them both and when he asked Darren if he'd sing the words to the Prime Time Players theme song and Darren said yes and grabbed him to dance, I thought he'd nearly pass out from disbelief. 

After playing WWE 2k14 with his friends for nearly 20 minutes or so we checked out some back to school first day faves from Lands End. Of course he insisted on the button down shirt and blazer look and was really excited when he got a pretty cool new black and red Lands End backpack, because he's so beyond character themed backpacks heading into the 4th grade. One other highlight was of CJ and I taking a really fun Guardians of the Galaxy photo, where we are in a line up with some of the characters. The photo has now made it to our superhero fridge collection of pictures alongside Spider-man and Captain America.

CJ was also really proud of himself for winning a few back to school supplies for him and his brother from School Specialty which also allowed for them to donate supplies to child in need on his behalf.

The excitement didn't end at the KidzVuz Party though, the next morning CJ received a tweet from Natalya and he was in shock the entire day and kept saying he couldn't wait for school to start again to tell his friends she was following us on Twitter.

To say I had a good time, is an understatement. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go to such an an amazing event, thank you Blogger Bash team for setting the bar so high for my next conference. I don't think any of us that attended can imagine the sweat and tears that went into planning all of this, but it was definitely successful. When it was all over I had a bruised shoulder, sore feet and binged on candy for a day or two but I wouldn't have it any other way! I would recommend Blogger Bash to anyone looking for a conference where they can learn a lot from the movers and shakers in the industry while working hard & playing harder!