MODARRI TOY CARS DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE

Today we're taking a look at the DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE for Modarri toy cars.  The Modarri brand is known for its customizable toy cars that feature real steering and suspension mechanics that provide a realistic mock driving experience. They are also very durably built with real metal frames, heavy duty plastic, and strong mechanical linkages. While each car has 10 or more interchangeable pieces these toys are very sturdy because the screws that connect them are retained in the components for a tight fit and they don’t fall out. These finger-driven cars have won a number of toy industry recognitions including Popular Science -- Best of Toy Fair, Family Choice Award, Parents Choice Award, and Best Toys for Kids Astra Award.  Plus they get A Geek Daddy nod of approval for just being awesome to play with.

Up until now though there wasn't a play surface that did justice for taking advantage of the finger driving steering and suspension features of these toy cars.  Rolling a Modarri along a cement sidewalk is the equivalent of hot rodding a Dodge Challenger Hellcat on a pot hole speckled road. Just like you want to take a sports car to a race course like the M1 Concourse near my home for the best driving experience, you'll want to utilize the DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE to get the most out of playing with Modarri toy cars.



With the Modarri DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE you can build your own street-styled race track! It includes 20 pieces of soft yet durable EVA foam track that were constructed specifically to provide an incredible surface for enjoying the steering and suspension mechanics of Modarri cars. Vroom! Vroom! You'll understand why Modarri toy cars stand out when finger-driving one on laps around race courses you've constructed with these foam track pieces.

Just as Modarri's cars are customizable so are the layouts you can put together with these track pieces.  The DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE includes 12 curved foam track segments, 4 straightaways, and 4 pieces of Y-shaped foam track allowing for a variety of layouts for Modarri cars to drive around. These pieces quickly snap together with a tight interlocking fit making it easy to design your own costume track that provides a smooth ride for Modarri cars.

In addition to the street-style track pieces, this delux bundle also includes a Modarri car with 13 interchangeable parts (4 wheels / 2 suspensions / 1 chassis / 1 seat / 2 fenders / 2 hoods / 1 metal frame + 1 swivel-tipped hex screwdriver). It also comes with 11 race course accessories ( 4 orange racing cones / 4 hard interlocking racing barriers [2 orange & 2 white] and 3 tire stacks). The playset has everything you need for some race car fun!

My son has been having a great time playing with the Modarri DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE. I have to admit enjoying playing around with it myself as much as he has. Building and racing Modarri toy cars around on these street-styled foam tracks is a nice bonding activity for fathers and sons to do together. To share in our fun, A Geek Daddy has been provided a second Modarri track set to giveaway.

One lucky winner will receive a Modarri DELUX STREET TRACK BUNDLE similar to the one pictured in this toy review courtesy of Thoughfull Toys.  For a chance to win, complete the entries in the form below before 11:59 pm ET on November 25, 2018. One randomly selected winner will be drawn from all eligible entries. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate. Thoughtfull Toys will be responsible for mailing the prize to the selected winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review and is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to ageekdaddy.com readers and social media followers. I have received no other financial compensation. Opinions expressed in this post are my own.

ALPHA FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

We were transported 20,000 years into the past thanks to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sending us ALPHA to watch for a family movie night.  This movie that takes you on an Ice Age adventure that tells a story about how canine's became man's best friend became available to add to your home video entertainment library via a digital edition on October 30 and will be out on Blu-ray and DVD beginning November 13, 2018. ALPHA has a run time of approximately 96 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some intense peril. While the movie is void of sex, swearing or stomach churning gore because of death scenes, some action sequences and the use of sub-titles for dialogue it probably isn't suited for viewing by preschoolers though I still recommend it for a family movie night if the children in your household are elementary school aged and older.

In ALPHA, the impending winter season leads a fearful seventeen-year-old boy named Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to accompany his father Tau (Johannes Hakur Johannesson) and other members of his Cro-Magnon tribe on their annual bison hunt. While dangerous this hunt provides the tribe with the food it needs to make it through the frigid, snow filled winter months of the Ice Age. During the trek, Keda's boyhood friend is snatched away from the group's nighttime campfire and eaten by a beast then he is critically injured by a charging bison as the hunt is taking place. Left for dead by his companions, Keda finds himself alone in an unfamiliar wilderness.

The survival skills his father taught him begin to kick in as the boy tries to find his way home.  Along his way home, Keda reluctantly tames a lone wolf that has been abandoned by its pack which he names Alpha.  The pair learn to rely on each other becoming unlikely allies as they endure a variety of dangers ranging from predatory animals to hazardous weather.  Will they find Keda's tribe? You'll have to watch ALPHA to find out!



In addition to sending us this movie, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment also made a donation to the WOLF CONSERVATION CENTER (WCC) of South Salem, New York to adopt one of their wolves named Nikai on our behalf. Founded by Hélène Grimaud in 1999, the WCC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that works to protect and preserve wolves in North America through science-based education, advocacy, and participation in the federal recovery and release programs for two critically endangered wolf species - the Mexican gray wolf and red wolf. The WCC's Endangered Species Facility is home to a number of these wolves providing them with a safe habitat.  While most of these wolves are isolated from humans, the WCC does have wolf ambassadors that participate in presentations to teach the public about these animals important role in the environment. Through working to protect and preserve wolf populations, the WCC hopes to promote broader messages encouraging people to support conservation, ecological balance and personal responsibility for the stewardship of our planet's environment.



My family received from the WCC a packet that included an adoption certificate for Nikai that was "signed" with a paw print from one of the wolf ambassadors named Atka.  It also included an 8x10 photo of Nikai and a fact sheet about this four year old grey wolf. It seems we adapted a celebrity as he was a viral sensation in a WCC YouTube video "Wolf Pup Hiccups!" that has had more than a million views. We also received a 2019 Wolf Conservation Center calendar and an adorable plush wolf that my daughter has constantly been hugging ever since it arrived at our house.



With the holidays coming up consider giving gifts that support the WCC. Make a donation to symbolically adopt one of their wolves. They also have some nice apparel available. I really like the sharp looking baseball cap being sold on their online store!  They also have a number of stuffed animals based upon the wolves cared for by the WCC that would make great Christmas presents.

Whether you want to pick up ALPHA for a family movie night or a holiday gift don't miss out on seeing this movie.  I really enjoyed taking in the scenery as a majority of ALPHA was filmed in Alberta, Canada's Dinosaur Provincial Park and at locations around Iceland rather than in front of a green screen within a movie studio. Also being in the process of training our family's own puppy, I was impressed by the use of a trained dog to portray the wolf in the movie versus the use of CGI. You really felt like you were observing a real wolf on the screen while watching ALPHA.  The imagery of this movie makes it a must see in my opinion and earns it A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

For bonus features you'll want to pick up the Blu-ray or Digital releases of ALPHA. These include an alternate opening and ending to the movie and three deleted scenes along with a Director's Cut that aren't available on DVD. Blu-ray, Digital and DVD all contain two featurettes. "The Wolf Behind Alpha" introduces viewers to Chuck, the dog/wolf hybrid that plays the role of Alpha. You also get an inside look into the training that Chuck and Kodi Smit-McPhee went through to create a real life bond in "Boy & Wolf."

For more information about the movie, visit alpha-themovie.com or check out the film's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. While on social media don't forget to follow A Geek Daddy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too!

A Geek Daddy received a complimentary Blu-ray + Digital movie combo pack and a Wolf Conservation Center adaption kit from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for promotional consideration. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

SNOW AWESOME DVD GIVEAWAY

For those of you with preschooler at home, ageekdaddy.com has a great holiday giveaway for you. Our friends over at Nickelodeon Home Entertainment have provided a DVD titled SNOW AWESOME filled with Christmas episodes of some of their most popular Nick Jr. animated shows to giveaway to one lucky winner. Looking for some holiday themed programming that preschool aged children are sure to enjoy during the winter festivities? Here you go!

Nick Jr: Snow Awesome contains special episodes of Nickelodeon's tv shows Nella The Princess Knight, Sunny Day and Shimmer and Shine. Follow Nella on a quest to save Christmas from some naughty snow dragons, watch Sunny work to reunite with Doodle during a snow storm, experience a winter wonderland in Shimmer and Shine's palace and much more. Produced by Nickelodeon and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Nick Jr: Snow Awesome is now available at major retailers that sell DVDs across the United States and Canada. The DVD has an 88 minute run time and contains the following episodes that originally aired on Nick Jr:

Shimmer and Shine -- Each day these twin genies can grant wishes which often end up in error that need to be fixed.

Snow Place We'd Rather Be: When Princess Samira sends Leah and the genies to find a snowflake gem, Zeta interferes making the girls' search much more difficult.

Snow Time to Spare: The girls help Layla, the Ice Genie, create fun snow decorations for the upcoming Frosty Fun Festival.

Frosty Fun: When two trouble-making Ice Sprites slip into Ice Genie Layla's Palace, the girls must catch them before they wreak havoc on the castle.

Sunny Day -- is a master hairstylist and wonderful entrepreneur who utilizes charm and creativity to overcome dilemmas that arise in the seaside town of Friendly Falls.

Best Christmas Ever: When a snowstorm traps Doodle at his cousin's house on Christmas Eve, Sunny and the gang devise an intrepid plan to trek through the snow and reach Doodle in time to spend the holiday together.

Nella The Princess Knight -- Nella is an eight-year-old princess who is next in line to rule to kingdom of Castlehaven. She has all of the qualities of a traditional princess but also those of a knight who loves adventure.

The Knight Before Christmas: Santa visits Castlehaven on Christmas Eve, but when naughty snow dragons take his sack of presents, it's up to Nella and her friends to save the holidays.

Let it Snow: Nella searches for a magical crystal to make it snow for the kingdom's annual Snow Festival.

For a chance to win a Nick Jr: Snow Awesome DVD simply complete the entries in the form below before 11:59 pm ET on November 18, 2018. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to be eligible to win. One entry will be randomly selected to receive the prize which will be fulfilled by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FANTASTIC BEASTS 2 PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY

The next movie in the prequel series to the Harry Potter franchise will be appearing on silver screen soon. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald debuts on November 16, 2018! In anticipation of this return to the Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling, A Geek Daddy has partnered with some fantastic bloggers to host a movie themed giveaway. This Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald prize pack is worth $50!

This Fantastic Beasts Prize Pack Includes:

• Fantastic Beasts DVD
• Grindelwald's Escape LEGO Kit
• Baby Nifflers Funko Pops 2 pack

Products subject to change based upon availability.

About Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided world.

See Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald in theaters 11/16!

#FantasticBeasts | #CrimesOfGrindelwald

Enter to win this Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES APP

Mattel sent us a free download code that unlocked all the in-app purchases for the BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES app from Budge Studios so my daughter could try out all the extras for the game while trying it out. This new app lets kids have the fun of playing with Barbie dolls through a virtual experience on Android and Apple mobile devices. BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES is free to download and play with in-app purchases available for an enhanced entertainment experience.

In-app purchases unlock additional activities, characters, rooms and outfits including Barbie's boyfriend Ken, the chance to pretend to be in a rock band, and a salon that lets players spruce up hair styles. Even if money isn't spent on the game though BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES still has plenty of fun stuff to do for free that makes it great to play.  Inspiring creativity by allowing kids to put together outfits and style hair for their characters, decorate the dream house's rooms, and participate in activities including cooking and dancing this app encourages lots of imaginative play.



My daughter has really enjoyed customizing the game's characters so they all have unique styles she envisions for them; then pretends they have incredible dreamhouse adventures living the lives of a famous chef, fashion model, movie star, rock & roll singer, and her personal dream of being an Olympic swimmer. Oh yes, Barbie's dreamhouse has a pool which is a spot where my daughter, who loves swimming herself, spends a lot of time playing around. She especially LOVES the puppies that can be adopted and join in the fun. Those puppies can interact in a lot of situations and you'll often find them participating in pool parties when she is playing the game!

From sliding down staircase into a ball pit to diving into the pool there is a lot to explore within Barbie's dreamhouse. The place even has an elevator!  Make smoothies in the café or some delicious deserts in the kitchen, take selfies of Barbie and her friends in a photobooth, or have a dance-off on the disco floor. This app provides an animated doll house that will entertain kids for hours upon hours.

Whether playing with real dolls or virtual ones, Barbie is always fun to have adventures with. These iconic dolls from Mattel have delighted generations of children.  To avoid becoming too absorbed in tech, we limit my kids screen time and encourage them to spend some of their playtime with traditional toys. Barbie dolls have always been a favorite of my little girl.  As a dad, I appreciate how Barbie has evolved over time so that kids like my own daughter can pretend to save the day as super heroes or doctors with no gender barriers to limit one's inspiration or imagination.

To share my family's Barbie fun, ageekdaddy.com has one of my daughter's favorite doll playsets to giveaway courtesy of Mattel.  Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends combines two of her passions … animals and swimming. It includes a snorkeling Barbie doll wearing a color changing swimsuit, a pink dolphin that makes realistic sounds when its tail is pushed, and a pet puppy that squirts water.

Who wants to win a Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends prize pack? Just complete the rafflecopter entries below by 11:59 pm ET on November 18, 2018 for a chance to be our one lucky winner. Must be a resident within the continental United States over 18 years old to participate. Good luck to all our entrants!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Encourage the children in your life to engage in imaginative play with the BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES app and Barbie doll toys from Mattel. Imaginative play is so important when it comes to developing social skills, sparking creativity and promoting self-expression. Today's Barbie is now promoting the motif  "You Can Be Anything!" Check out what else is new with Barbie over at play.barbie.com

A Geek Daddy received a free code for free unlimited in-app purchase features on the BARBIE DREAMHOUSE ADVENTURES app and a Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends playset for my daughter as well as one to giveaway. Mattel is responsible for fulfillment of the prize to our randomly selected winner. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS

Get festive clothing and costumes that will have you standing out at holiday gatherings from uglychristmassweater.com.  The great crew they have over there hooked up ageekdaddy.com with some samples of the awesome selection of apparel available from them. I'm going to be having some fun wearing the Star Wars ugly sweater, LED ornament sweater lights, and Piggyback Ride On Elf costume at a number of festivities. Uglychristmassweater.com has a wonderful variety of fun and funny stuff for spreading holiday cheer.

Have everyone rolling on the floor with laughter at your next holiday office party or family gathering when you show up looking like you are riding piggyback on an elf. The Christmas Piggyback Ride On Elf costume tricks people's vision so it looks like the wearer is sitting on the shoulders of a cute little Santa helper. A great way to add some merriment to a Christmas party!

Jump on the ugly sweater trend by wearing one yourself to parties during the holidays. They have a great selection of Star Wars sweaters that caught my attention like this one I'm modeling with candy canes and the Imperial Guard! This officially-licensed ugly Star Wars Snowmen Stormtroopers Sweater will make you the hit at your next holiday party. It features two Stormtroopers with candy canes instead of blasters on the front and a back side that features both TIE fighters and Christmas Trees. Other Star Wars sweater designs available at uglychristmassweater.com incorporate Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Darth Vader and Kylo Ren, Let your geek side shine during the holiday season!

Add some shine to your holiday outfit with LED ornaments that mimic Christmas Tree lights. These provide a nice glow to any ugly Christmas sweater and have enough juice in them to light up for up to twenty-four hours. These specially-designed lights won’t damage your sweater either. Simply poke through a knit sweater and you’ll be light up the expressions of anyone who see you all lit up with this eight piece blue, red, green and yellow LED set.

From sweaters with 3-D moose mounted on them to ones sporting the Rolling Stones' tongue logo there is something for every taste at uglychristmassweater.com. They can even make you a personalized ugly sweater that you can customize yourself. What would a sweater design you created yourself look like?

I've been impressed by my uglychristmassweater.com experience and recommend you check out their online store.  For more information, give them a call at 248-785-3615 [They are a Michigan-based business right here in the United States], shoot over an email, or follow their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Have yourself a merry Christmas enjoying wearing an ugly sweater!


A Geek Daddy was provided complimentary products featured in this blog post for promotional consideration by uglychristmassweater.com. Opinions expresses are my own.

TOY COMPANY HONORS DECEASED EMPLOYEE WITH COLLECTIBLE CAR

Last year ThoughtFull Toys suffered a tragic loss when 30-year old sales manager Trevor Floyd unexpectedly passed away from heart failure after he had just been promoted to the position and moved into a recently purchased home with his wife Anna and their two young children, 1-year old Cora and 3-year old Caleb.  In honor of Trevor who was thought of as a close friend as well as team member by his fellow employees the toy company is being thoughtful to their colleague's memory and supportive of his family by producing a limited edition collectible Modarri toy car in his honor.

Modarri toy cars are customizable with mix and match pieces that have real steering and suspension mechanism to provide a fun play driving experience. Trevor loved ThoughtFull Toys' Modarri brand! He had incredible child-like excitement every time a new car was released.



So ThoughtFull Toys is producing 500 limited edition T2 (Trevor Floyd) Modarri cars which will be sold for $100 each.  T2 was Trevor's nickname at ThoughtFull Toys and 100% of the money generated from the sale of these collectible cars will be donated to Anna, Caleb, and Cora.  This Limited Edition T2 Modarri car which has been named after Trevor is decorated in his favorite sayings and incorporates the names of his wife and children into its design.

If you would like to help support Trevor’s family, you can do so by helping to share this story or by purchasing a car yourself. CLICK HERE to place an order for a Limited Edition T2 Modarri toy car.  Each car has a custom license plate to identify which car it is in the series of 500. The cars will ship on a first come first serve basis after the family and close friends orders are fulfilled.

In addition to the car pieces incorporating references to Trevor, the Limited Edition T2 Modarri toy car's packaging will commemorate the man with the following tribute on the back of the box:

“Trevor Floyd (T2) had a passion for helping others and bringing out the best in the Modarri team. He was one of the most persistent and tenacious people we ever knew – he never gave up on a goal. He had vision, and he worked every day to put the pieces in place to see that vision come true. He was a kind, loving and humble man that brought a joyful feeling to every room he entered with his child like exuberance. He was like a kid on Christmas every time he held a newly created Modarri car. “Wow, Wow, Wow!” was a favorite expression of his. We will miss Trevor dearly, and he will never be forgotten.”

A Geek Daddy sends condolences to Trevor Floyd's family, friends and co-workers. Please head over to the Modarri website to check out the T2 toy car and consider ordering one to assist the memorial fund for his family.  This car really looks sharp and I'm sure Trevor would be exclaiming Wow, Wow, Wow! about it.