SWEET SUITE AT HOME

The other day we participated in a virtual toy expo hosted by The Toy Insider. I met with industry reps through online chats learning about what hot new products brands will be having hit store shelves soon while my kids provided some live video demonstrations of some fun new games and toys from our friends at Play Monster. Sweet Suite @ Home was a fun evening for the whole family and we learned about a lot of interesting stuff that we will be sharing with you on ageekdaddy.com over the next few months.

Plus we were sent a big box of swag full of toy samples that just arrived! Time for an unboxing! Let's see what is inside:



So what were some of the favorite things my daughter found inside our Sweet Suite @ Home swag box?

BLIND BAG FIGURES

My daughter LOVES Calico Critters and was excited that one of these figures was included in our toy samples. The brand will be releasing blind bags that each contain a cute animal figurine with a camping motif this Fall. Playmobile will also be releasing a blind bag assortment of characters from Scooby Doo cartoons that are a hit with my kids! Blind bags show you the characters that could be inside on the outside of the packaging but you don't know exactly what toy is inside until it is opened up. These mystery packs have been a popular trend with the toy industry in recent years and the sense of mystery and excitement in opening up bling bags provides some extra fun in these toys for kids.

SHOULDERKINS

My daughter has been walking around the house with a sea lion on her shoulder. She thinks Shoulderkins from Aurora are adorable! These cute plush sit on kids shoulders and stay on thanks to a magnet that slips under a shirt to keep the toy attached to your body. In addition to Sammy the Sea Lion there are also a bunny, octopus, unicorn, giraffe, tiger, turtle, and flamingo to choose from in this stuffed animal collection.

POKEMON BATTLE ACADEMY

My kids were most excited about this coming in the Sweet Suite @ Home swag box. They collect Pokemon trading cards but really don't know how to play the game. Pokeman Battle Academy uses a board game to teach people how to play the card deck building game. You can just have fun with this table top game or use it as an entryway to playing the card game. Pokemon Battle Academy looks to be a fun way to spend a family game night!

Check out our YouTube unboxing video to see what else arrived in the Sweet Suite @ Home Swag box. Stay tuned for more updates as this dad blogger continues to provide updates on fun games and toys my kids, and this kid at heart, enjoy playing with.

PLAYMONSTER FUN

For the last few years I've been making an annual summer trip in July to New York City to spend a day immersed in toys. The Toy Insider's Sweet Suite provides influencers with the chance to get a preview of what will be the hot toys for the upcoming holiday shopping season. This blogger bash is really like having Christmas in July when participating in Sweet Suite.

With the current pandemic it wasn't an appropriate time for people to be traveling to New York for a networking and promotional event, so its hosts made this year's soiree an online virtual toy expo instead.  So last night I interacted with a number of toy brands via the Internet getting an insider's look at products that are hitting store shelves now as well as some that will be arriving for the Christmas shopping season during Sweet Suite @ Home. My kids also joined in on the fun by providing some live demonstrations for attendees of two new toys that Play Monster sent our way to try out.

SNAP SHIPS

My son spent a half hour building Snap Ships from Play Monster on a live video stream from our kitchen counter. He is a big fan of these toys which let you snap together battling space ships in a variety of configurations.  What is great about these toys is that not only do they look cool and are easy to snap the pieces together but the completed toys are also very sturdy so they won't fall apart while being played with.

A nice touch to the packaging is that the top of the box each toy comes in can serve as a display stand that provides a decent presentation for showcasing your completed Snap Ship. Another interesting aspect of the packaging is that each box has a blind bag component to it where one of ten different accessories is randomly inserted providing a surprise factor every time you get a Snap Ship. Which bonus feature will be included with each Snap Ship is a mystery until you open up its box!

There are two sides battling it out in the Snap Ship toy universe: THE FORGE and THE KOMPLEX. Forge snap ships have a silvery "good guy" vibe to them while Komplex have a more menacing dark side to them. Both sides have a nice sci-fi look that makes them fun to both display and play with. My son is already asking for me to get him some more of these snap together science fiction themed space ship models to build!

DRONE HOME

Combine Hungry Hungry Hippo and Angry Birds then mix in a drone and you have this fun new game called Drone Home. My son and daughter competed in a live match of this game from Play Monster so attendees could check out how it works during Sweet Suite @ Home. They had a blast playing this game! Drone Home absolutely gets a Geek Daddy nod of approval for playing during a Family Game Night.

Drone Home has a simple premise yet is challenging and exciting to play. You are trying to launch your aliens one at a time into a drone situated in the middle of the game board. Once a figure lands inside the drone it automatically takes off into the air flying your alien home. The first player to get all three of  their aliens flown home win the game.

Of course that is not as easy as it sounds. Up to four competitors are all trying to do the same thing as the same time. So they might knock your alien out of the drone before it can take off or hitch a ride alongside you. This fast paced game is all about knocking the other players out of the way so your aliens can fly home. Because it is suitable for all ages to play makes for a great game for the whole family to play together as well as a great activity for kids to do along with their friends.

The drone really takes off and climbs very high in the air adding a wow factor to the game. With a ten minute charge of the drone using the included usb charger you can get about a half hour of playing time. A dad blogger alert though, note batteries, which are not included, are needed to activate sensors in the launch pad of the game which determine if aliens have triggered the drone for takeoff. So make sure you pick up some batteries before unboxing this game.

We had a lot of fun with Drone Home and will absolutely be playing it over and over again. Recommended for ages 8+ this game has brought out the competitive spirit among my wife, I and our kids during some energetic bouts playing Drone Home together. An entertaining way to spend some family time together or to keep kids amused when they are sticking around the house.

Blogger Bash Sweet Suite 2017

The highlight of each summer's Blogger Bash conference in New York City is the Toy Insider's annual Sweet Suite which provides a preview of new products toy manufacturers will be releasing for the upcoming holiday shopping season.  This year's event was held in mid-July at Manhattan's Chelsea Piers and I was invited to attend as a member of the Toy Insider's Parents Panel team.  More than 60 brands showcased the hottest toys that are surely destined to be heading for spots under Christmas trees in December.

Exhibitors ranged from some of the world's largest toy producers such as LEGO to more entrepreneurial small businesses like Bears For Humanity.  Items on display ranged from an upgraded versions of the classic Etch A Sketch and Teddy Ruxpin to cutting edge virtual reality applications from Skyrocket Toys and Merge VR.  Join me inside Sweet Suite 2017 as I share some highlights from this year's toy preview event.

My daughter loves the robotic toys WowWee creates.  Two of her very favorite toys are their CHiP the Robot Dog and the MiPosaur.  She's going to go BANANAS when she find out that WowWee's newest toy is a minion from the Despicable Me movies --> Minion MiP Turbo Dave - Fun Balancing Robot Toy.

With this toy you'll have your own personal minion to roll its eyes at you that can be controlled either by a smart device or by hand gestures.  In addition to interacting with you through its movements, Dave also can emit over 140+ sounds and phrases from the Despicable Me movies.  Dave is also programmed to play a variety of games and comes equipped with a fart gun for duels.  Plus Minion MiP Turbo Dave has a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) component which incorporates a block-based coding platform providing an educational play aspect to the toy.  Multiple minions will interact with one another and engage in fart gun battles.  This really is a great toy recommended for kids 8 year old and up. I know my daughter is going to want one!

My son always gets immersed in those chutes and ladder type displays at science centers that are powered by clock like gears and have balls winding there way up, down and around a maze. Now you can make your own at home with --> Marbleocity Mini Skate Park. Utilizing a marble and having a fun skate boarding theme, kids can learn about concepts such as projectile motion and centripetal force by building and observing this kinetic sculpture.  Actually I wouldn't mind having one of these on my office desk to enjoy myself!  Plus I thought it was a great idea that the instructions are printed in a comic book style to really capture kids attention and get them engaged with this toy.  In addition to the skate boarding there are also sets with a roller coaster theme as well Marbleocity Mini Coaster.  These new additions to the PlayMonster toy lineup really left a positive impression with me.

JAKKS Pacific has new toys based upon the hit PBS animated TV series, Daniel Tigers Neighborhood and I had a chance to run into the star of the show!  Visit their website to see toys they have available at retailers such as Kmart, Target and Toys R Us.

My son is really into animals, he can watch episodes of Wild Kratts all day so I know he'd enjoy these new drones from Alpha Group USA.  Coming out this fall, Drone Force are animal inspired easy-to-fly remote control drone creatures designed for kids ages 6 and up.  There will be a variety to choose from and they are built to battle each other in the air.  The Angler Attack sea creature I'm holding brings its undersea terror to the skies.  It has a simulated electro-surge attack with luminescent LEDS and glow special effects.  The drone also features one-touch take-off and landing for easy indoor and outdoor flight.  Other models include Morp Zilla (gorilla) ,which can be controlled on the ground in ape mode when not flying; Raptor Strike (bird of prey) that has missiles and an infrared targeting system; and Arachno Fury (spider) which can perform flips and dive bomb stunts.  You'll want to get at least a pair of these battle drones so your kids and their friends can engage in duels with them.

I thought these color them yourself puppets from Great Pretenders were a very original and unique idea.  What a great way to spur kids to engage in imaginative play!  They also had colorable doll outfits and costumes for kids that also caught my attention.

The folks from Pillow Pets made sure the seating areas were really comfy for attendees!

My daughter plays with Our Generation dolls all the time! She loves her Our Generation ice cream truck!  So it was nice to see the dolls manufacturer Battat make an appearance at this year's Sweet Suite.

There were a lot of sweet toys on display at the event but there was also a lot of treats to be had.  I couldn't resist grabbing some candy to enjoy on my plane ride home back to Detroit.

The guys at North Star Games were a real hoot and were cracking all the attendees up.  I really enjoyed spending some time having them teach me how to play their new game BLURBLE.  They also have a great game my family always take along with us on camping trips to play called Happy Salmon Game.

My daughter is infatuated with giraffes so I had to take picture of this plush giraffe from Bears For Humanity.  Made with 100-percent certified organic materials, global organic textile standard certified, global fair trade requirements, they are the safest non-toxic plush toys on the market.  They are also made right here in the good ole USA with each plush toy hand-stuffed and sewn by at-risk mothers and caregivers.  For each toy sold one is donated to a child in need.  While there focus is on teddy bears as you can see they also make other animals as well like giraffes.  These will easily pass any snuggle test!  Purchasing one goes well beyond just giving a family member or friend a gift.

Yes I was that guy carrying around a giant football at Sweet Suite!  Couldn't say no to a Kangaroo Pool Floats; Jumbo Football Pool Raft, 6 Ft. when they asked if I would like to take it home with me.  In addition to this great football, Kangaroo has a bunch of other goofy fun inflatables to enjoy riding in the water ranging from a giant whale to a slice of pizza.

Meet the MERGE CUBE, the world's first interactive holographic toy you can hold in the palm of your hand.

Use this cube from MERGE VR to either interact with holograms through augmented reality or use it as a controller in virtual reality games.

I gave the MERGE CUBE a test run and it was very cool!



This really isn't a "toy" but Nalgene was at Sweet Suite with their line of Marvel superheroes water bottles.  The designs on them were really great!  They had on display an Incredible Hulk Nalgene WM 1 Quart Hulk Bottle, Glow Green, 32 oz that glows in the dark which was really smashing!

I ran into Tara Tucker who heads the marketing for Spin Master.  She introduced me to her buddy the Spin Master Hatchimal.

They are introducing a new glittering version of their popular hatchimal toys Hatchimals Glittering Garden - Hatching Egg - Interactive Creature - Sparkly Penguala by Spin Master plus now have small CollEGGtible versions too Hatchimals - CollEGGtibles - 4-Pack + Bonus (Styles & Colors May Vary) by Spin Master.

Spin Master recently acquired the Etch A Sketch brand and is doing a lot to enhance and upgrade the classic toy for today's tech-savvy kids as well as expanding the promotion of its old school iconic version as well.  They had an artist on site who utilized a picture on my phone to illustrate a picture of my daughter on a miniature pink Etch A Sketch that I gave her upon arriving home.

Talking about iconic toys! Wicked Cool Toys is bringing back a new animatronic Teddy Ruxpin toy that has LCD eyes and more than 40 animations.  Touch sensors allow kids to control him telling stories and singing songs.  Teddy's motorized mouth syncs to whatever he is saying or singing. Teddy Ruxpin Storytelling, Friendship & Magical Fun is sure to be a hit this holiday shopping season!

Warner Bros. Games was on hand to provide a sneak peek of their upcoming LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 video game.  The first version is one of my kids favorite video games so we've been looking forward to the sequel!  LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 will be available for Playstation 4 in November and is an original adventure that people can play out that brings together iconic Marvel super heroes and super villains from different eras and realities, along with signature LEGO humor. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 will also be available for PC play as well. It really is a blast to play!

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Here's a HIGH FIVE to the Toy Insider for hosting another great Sweet Suite event.  Swing by thetoyinsider.com for more information about the toys featured in this post as well as for expert reviews on numerous other products.  While you are there check out some of my Parents Panel posts too!

BLOGGER BASH 2016 WAS A REAL BLAST!

  **  A Geek Daddy has been financially compensated as a BLOGGER BASH Ambassador. Opinions are honest and my own  **

I recently spent a few days on a yacht docked off a pier in New York City for the annual Blogger Bash conference.  This two day event provides an opportunity for online influencers to network with brands and each other to assist with enhancing the content and quality of their blogs and social media channels.  I've always found this conference an excellent opportunity to develop contacts, educate myself on new topics and of course have some fun.  This year was no exception providing me the chance to learn about products I wasn't familiar with, renew existing connections and build some wonderful new relationships.  There are innumerable professional benefits to attending Blogger Bash, but interestingly enough you can't take the event too seriously and must allow yourself to be a bit silly or goofy to really maximize the opportunity.  Whether it is hugging a Care Bear, hitting the dance floor with brand representatives or totally going out of your comfort zone by eating a cricket; embracing the fun atmosphere of this event is a key element to having it be a successful function to attend.

The highlight of Blogger Bash is the SWEET SUITE toy exhibition that provides a preview of the hot new products that will be showing up on store shelves for the holiday shopping season. Many of A Geek Daddy's toy reviews and giveaways are the result of networking at the Blogger Bash's Sweet Suite function which in addition to featuring a suite filled with great toys includes an evening of sweet dinner and desert options for its  participants to enjoy.  It was very nice to have some face-to-face time with representatives from brands such as Educational Insights, Hexbug, Skylanders, Spin Master, Uncle Milton and WowWee who have been very supportive of A Geek Daddy since I introduced myself to them during my first Blogger Bash experience.  Stay tuned because ageekdaddy.com will be having some new reviews coming up featuring toys from each of these companies throughout the remainder of the year!

I have to say my favorite toy on display at this year's Sweet Suite was WowWee's CHiP the robotic puppy.  Last year's WowWee MiPosaur robotic dinosaur was my daughter's all-time favorite toy review by A Geek Daddy and they've expanded upon that concept making it even better with CHiP. This robotic dog incorporates artificial intelligence that allows it to adapt to its owners favorite preferences.  It also comes with a recharging bed that when the toy is low on energy it will  independently curl up on to energize its depleted battery.  An included smart band allows CHiP to uniquely recognize its owner and provides new exciting avenues for interactive play.

One of my personal favorite recent toy reviews by A Geek Daddy focuses on Spin Master's RC Batmobile replica from the Batman v Superman movie and they also provided the toy for one of my son's favorite reviews which featured Legendary Yoda.  Because they've been very generous in sharing with us both their staff's time and products for reviews, I wanted to give them some special recognition acknowledging the Guinness World Record they achieved this summer for the Most People Drawing on an Etch A Sketch Globally at the Same Time.  Spin Master acquired the iconic brand earlier this year from The Ohio Art Company and celebrated the addition to its product family by accomplishing the Guinness World Record on Etch A Sketch Day (July 12) which marks the date in 1960 that the first Etch A Sketch was sold.  Since July 12, 1960 more than 175 million Etch A Sketches have been sold around the world!

Spin Master also teased an exciting new product that will be hatching this fall just in time for the Christmas shopping season.  Hatchimals will be interactive animatronic creatures that hatch from eggs which children have to raise.  After breaking out of a shell these creatures behaviors and personalities will change as they grow up from baby to adult modes.  Spin Master is being hush hush on what these Hatchimals will look like until the first one hatches later this year but they did show off what the egg these creatures will emerge from will look like.  From my discussions with Spin Master this looks to be a toy to keep an eye out for when it arrives at stores later this year that will incorporate lots of advanced features that are sure to delight kids.

I also made some nice new connections at Sweet Suite this year with brands A Geek Daddy hasn't worked with in the past such as Bachmann Trains, Carrera of America, LEGO Dimensions, Magformers, Sony PlayStation, and USAopoly that will hopefully lead to some upcoming toy reviews and giveaways for our blog readers and social media followers.

The most exciting and enjoyable aspect of this year's Sweet Suite for me had to be the opportunity to spend some quality time playing video games.  Skylanders brought out the new game it will be launching this October called Imaginators and allowed attendees an advance opportunity to play it well before it will be available to the public.  Instead of purchasing action figures to serve as your characters within the game, players obtain devices which allow Portal Masters to sculpt their own individualized digital characters to play with.  Imaginators lets players imaginations go wild in customizing their very own character creations to play within the game.  Every year Skylanders strives to incorporate an innovative new aspect to its game play and this year's Imaginator feature really should make a lot of this video game franchise's fans happy.  I know customizing the characters and surroundings in video games is one of my kids favorite part of playing video games and they are going to be overjoyed with what they can do in the newest installment of the Skylanders franchise.

I also had the incredible opportunity to spend some time playing LEGO Dimensions' Mission Impossible and PlayStation's Ratchet & Clank with some of the developers who worked on creating the games giving me some one-on-one tips while I played.  That really was an AWESOME experience!

With 27 companies showcasing hundreds of products at Sweet Suite, it would be overwhelming if I discussed all my experiences from this amazing night but keep returning to A Geek Daddy as we continue to share my family's experiences with toys, video games and other fun things.

In addition to Sweet Suite, Blogger Bash also provides a variety of other functions for attendees to participate in.  This year Blogger Concentrated provided a seminar that provided tips and guidance on expanding a blog's audience, improving website layouts, and generating income as a social media influencer. The Ride took attendees on a entertaining bus tour of midtown Manhattan.  Enterprise Ireland sponsored a session that showcased Irish businesses that would have an appeal to parents such as Arckit, Easydry, Lottie Dolls, Solvar, The Irish Fairy Door Company, and Writing for TiNY.  They also provided some incredible Irish coffee.  I had mine with whip cream, Tullamore Dew whiskey, and just a hint of coffee.

Blogger Bash started off with a brunch sponsored by the Care Bears where Sean Gorman, President of American Greetings Properties -- did you know the Care Bears originated not as toys but as greeting cards? -- discussing current products and projects involving Care Bears ranging from an original cartoon series on Netflix to plush animal dolls from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The second day's breakfast was sponsored by Disney Junior's hit animated cable TV series Kate & Mim-Mim.  The breakfast included a discussion with the show's creators Scott and Jule Stewart who discussed their creative inspirations and provided a sneak peek of an upcoming Wizard of Oz themed Kate & Mim-Mim musical special.

Blogger Bash's keynote lunch was sponsored by the PEANUTS.  It included a panel discussion moderated by Good Morning America's Ginger Zee featuring some of the children who voice the characters in the brand-new animated Peanuts cartoons now airing daily on the Boomerang and Cartoon Network cable television channels.  The luncheon also promoted the PeanutsRockstheVote campaign which is a partnership between Peanuts Worldwide and Rock the Vote which is a non-partisan effort to increase participation by eligible voters in 2016's presidential election.

During the luncheon, attendees were able to ask questions to the Peanuts cast.  I asked how interacting together while recording their lines impacted how they voiced the characters.  Interestingly, the kids told me they don't get the chance to interact as they have their segments done in separate recording sessions instead of together as a group.  They interact instead with adults on the production company staff who read the other characters lines from a script as the kids recite their own at the studio.  In the end product all the taping sessions are merged and only the kids voices are used. Watching the Peanuts on Boomerang or Cartoon Network you'd never guess that these kids weren't taping their lines together at the same time as smoothly as the conversations flow together.  See you always learn something new at Blogger Bash!

Blogger Bash also featured a day long non-toy related products expo featuring more than seventy brands.  I learned a lot of new things walking through the expo talking with the people staffing booths there.  I've always respected Kohler for the high quality kitchen and bathroom fixtures produced by this Wisconsin company named after the town it is headquartered in but did you know the company also runs a number of golf and resort destinations plus has its own line of chocolates?  Do you know what the UL certification sticker on products you purchase stands for? Wow! there's a 5K running event now where where people are challenged with inflatable obstacles -- that's insane! -- well actually that is the Insane Inflatable 5K.  They have a one mile version too called the Krazy Kids Run!

There were a variety of challenges attendees could take on during the expo to win prizes including the Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Changing Challenges.  While I narrowly missed out on winning the prize, A Geek Daddy did show up some trash talking mammas with a dominating performance in this diaper changing competition.

While blogging is often associated with women there was a decent representation of prominent men bloggers joining A Geek Daddy at Blogger Bash including The Architechnologist, The Rock Father, and BenSpark.com.

I have to admit that I'd thought of Armitron as being a line of plastic digital watches aimed at teen audiences before seeing their display at Blogger Bash.  Chatting with disabled Army veteran Noah Galloway who lost a leg and arm in Iraq, I discovered that Armitron really is an impressive brand.  Galloway, who has overcome his handicaps to become a respected personal trainer and recently finished third on the television show competition Dancing with the Stars, is a brand ambassador for the company.  He told me his story of how he was wearing a $20 Armitron watch on the wrist he lost to an improvised explosive device in Iraq and that same watch which was recovered by Army medics and returned to him still runs!  You can't dispute a brand's durability after hearing a testimonial like that!

Armitron displayed a variety of men's watches at Blogger Bash that not only are durable but are very stylish.  There are a variety of watches available to fit a variety of needs from athletic training to casual wear to professional fashion accessory with prices ranging between $20 and $200 dollars.  I saw Armtron watches that would be perfect for casually throwing on while working out at the gym as well as some really nice ones that would match very well with the suits I professionally need to wear to work.  If you haven't taken a look at Armitron watches lately you really should!

Speaking of fashion accessories, I also discovered a great brand of sunglasses called Soleurs.  They had a variety of shades that not only will protect my eyes from UV rays but also looked rather nice on my face.  I had a nice experience talking to the company founder while testing out a few varieties of Soleurs sunglasses on the deck of the ship that Blogger Bash was taking place at.

I love ice cream! So I was so happy to see Ben & Jerry's at Blogger Bash!

I also ate something a bit more unique enjoying some cookies made from of all things crickets.

Aketta maintains cricket farms which they harvest to produce a protein-packed, nutrient-rich and environmentally friendly flour that can be used in baking.  You can also purchase whole crickets from Aketta if you just want to pop them in your mouth as a snack or add them to trail mix, salad and other creative recipes.

After spending a days docked at Pier 81 learning about a variety of great brands, Blogger Bash concluded with the yacht leaving the dock for a nice cruise along the Hudson River to see the Statue of Liberty.  Not only was Blogger Bash a very productive opportunity to discover ways to enhance and improve my blog but by allowing myself to be silly and goofy during my visit to New York City I also had a lot of fun during my time there too.  I really had a blast at Blogger Bash!

That's not the end of the story though as every Blogger Bash attendee also gets a Sweet Suite box of swag filled with samples from various event sponsors mailed directly to their home's front door.  One last great perk of going to Blogger Bash.

For more information about Blogger Bash and how to attend in 2017, please visit bloggerbash.com.