well played

5 simple ways to pop some play into your too-busy-to-play, day

1. Hit a local playground or park in your hood with or without your kids, shut off your phone, sit yourself down on a swing and let your toes hit the sky for 15 minutes.

2. Grab your smart phone, plug in your earbuds, crank some sugary sweet pop music, and walk or dance yourself around the block or away from your workplace. 

3. Go to your local drugstore, buy a $1.00 bottle of bubbles, sit on your back porch or in your car and let it blow...people may look at you funny.  That’s okay.

4. Grab your lunch, go outside, call your funniest girlfriend and tell each other your best or worst jokes or share the most ridiculous youtube video you’ve recently seen. And then talk about what you think will happen tonight on RHONY

1. IO Hawk (pronounced I, O Hawk)

http://iohawk.com/

Retail: $1,799

IO Hawk is an intelligent personal mobility device inspired by the need to create a convenient way to travel long distances move in the 21st century

Segway without handles

The device lasts up to 12 miles on a single charge.

Features a lithium ion battery and brushless motors, both hosted in the wheels. it can handle up to 250 LB of weight

Top speed is 6.2 MPH or 10 km/hr

Hottest Toys This Spring, That’s Great for Outdoors

www.koobagame.com Demo video: https://vimeo.com/96029985

Retail: $69.99

A different kind of dart board game!

Indie game designers from San Francisco’s new take on your favorite dart game

High powered magnet Aeroes (equivalent to darts) are launched with a pair of KOOBA sticks (no more holes in the wall)

Board is also used for scoring, attacking and blocking

Target game meets board game from tabletop and play it on the wall (It became something like darts meets backgammon with crazy ninja moves)

Great for the whole family! Ages 14+

3. Smakaball (pronounced Smak A Ball)

www.smakaball.com

Retail: $21.99

Smakaball has the amazing ability to allowing you to snatch the ball right out of the air

Great for all ages and for parents who are looking for active play for children

Unathletic and athletic can have fun playing with each other as it encourages hand eye coordination

You can play alone or with a large group, snaps together easily and pulls apart for transport

Ages 6+

4. Razor GFD Fury

www.razor.com

http://www.razor.com/products/electric-ride-ons/ground-force-drifter-fury/

Retail: $369.99

Fast drifts, furious sparks!

Features the same go-kart style frame and Super Slider POM rear wheels as the Ground Force Drifter

The GFD Fury ups the ante with the added flash of its unique Spark Bar that leaves a shower of sparks in its wake.

At speeds of up to 12 mph riders can power slide through corners, throw fish tails or fast 180s!

Ages 8+

WEARABLE TECH

5. LeapFrog’s LeapBand

www.leapfrog.com

Retail $39.99

Experience the first activity tracker made for kids - LeapBand is fit made fun

The watch-like LeapBand is design to encourage active play, nurturing and healthy choices

It features a simple interface, with four buttons and a front-facing speaker

Preloaded LeapBand comes with 50 active challenges that get kids moving, like - "Pounce like a lion!"

Parent controls on LeapFrog Connect make it easy to set play times, challenges and more

More active they are, the more rewards they get to unlock cool new features

Today is National Scrabble Day!

I’m always looking for ways to show Monday a Friday kind of love.  Monday haters are harsh and unforgiving and really quite mean to this innocent little first day of the week.

So when I saw that today, a slightly rainy, semi-chilly, gray day here in Chicago, was a national game-playing holiday, I decided it would be my ace in the happiness hole tonight for me and my crew.

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your family off of their devices and playing together a bit today, gather some Scrabble games and work those words!

Board games are making a come back...go break them out of the cupboard, bust them out of the closet, or kick em’ off the shelf and let’s PLAY!

* And If you want to win, here are 10 words that will win any game of Scrabble, thanks to mentalfloss.com...

1. OXYPHENBUTAZONE

Definition: An anti-inflammatory medication used to treat arthritis and bursitis. Conditions: The theoretically highest-possible scoring word under American Scrabble play—as calculated by Dan Stock of Ohio—has never actually been played … and probably never will (unless you’re really, really lucky). That’s because it has to be played across three triple word score squares and build on eight already-played (and perfectly positioned) tiles. Points: 1,778

2. QUIZZIFY

Definition: To quiz or question. Conditions: Not only will you need to draw the game’s only Q and Z tiles (there’s only one of each), but a blank tile, too (in place of the second Z). Play this verb as your first word across two triple word squares with the Z on a double letter score square and you’ve got the game’s most valuable eight-letter bingo. Points: 419

3. OXAZEPAM

Definition: An anti-anxiety drug. Conditions: All that stress will melt away if you can build on one existing letter, play across two triple word score squares, place one of the most valuable tiles (i.e. X or Z) on a double letter score square and net a 50-point bingo. Points: 392

4. QUETZALS

Definition: The national bird of Guatemala as well as one of its monetary units. Conditions: Placement is everything to score this whopper of a word: Building on one letter, use all seven letters on your rack for a 50-point bingo, with Q and S on triple word score square and Z on a double letter score space. Points: 374

5. QUIXOTRY

Definition: A romantic or quixotic idea or action. Conditions: In 2007, Michael Cresta used an already-played R and all seven of his tiles across two triple word score squares to earn the most points ever on a single turn, which aided in a second record for the full-time carpenter: the highest-ever individual game score (830 points). Points: 365

6. GHERKINS

Definition: A small pickle, made from an immature cucumber. Conditions: In 1985, Robert Kahn paid tribute to the pickle at the National Scrabble Championship in Boston—using an E and R already on the board—to set a record for a non-bingo word score. Points: 180

7. QUARTZY

Definition: Resembling quartz. Conditions: “Quartzy” held the record for highest-ever single turn score until “Quixotry” nearly doubled its total in 2007. Play it across a triple word score square with Z as a double letter score, with a 50-point bingo for using all seven letters on your rack. Points: 164

8. MUZJIKS

Definition: A Russian peasant. Conditions: On its own (with no bonuses or extra points), “muzjiks” is worth an impressive 29 points. But exhaust all of your tiles on your first turn to spell it, and you’ll earn more than four times that—which is what player Jesse Inman did at the National Scrabble Championship in Orlando in 2008 to earn the record for highest opening score. Points: 126

9. SYZYGY

Definition: An alignment of three celestial bodies. Conditions: Forget trying to pronounce it (though, for the record, it’s “SIZ-i-jee”). Instead, just remember how to spell it—and that it’s worth 21 points au naturel. You’ll need one blank tile to make up for the lack of Ys (there are only two in the game). For a higher total, land the Z on a double letter score square and the final Y on a triple word score square. Points: 93

10. ZA

My New Fav. CRAZY-Fun App. For All Your Embarrassing Party-Game Needs!

And it’s only a buck.

Over Spring Break my fam. introduced me to Ellen Degeneres’s guessing game App. called “Heads Up”.  I know I should have known about this like months ago, but I’m writing a book, people!  And that stuff is HARD and all consuming.

It also means I am in desperate need of play breaks.  

“Heads Up” is basically like Password with a phone.  The guesser holds their phone over their head as words in a specific category, pop up onto the screen. The clue-givers yell out words to help the guesser, well, guess. You try and get as many words as you can before time runs out.

When you download the App. Ellen takes a minute to describe the game, in case I just confused you.

One of the best parts of the App. is that is also records the action, so you can re-play and laugh at your cute selves.

Here’s a look at one of our recent rounds where I try and help my 60-something dad guess folks in pop culture.  Not funny at all.

I did confuse Tim Kazurinsky with John Kazinski from Parks and Rec. Whatever.

I’m thinking this game is going to be awesome around the fire at our lake cottage in Michigan this summer or for road trips, or simply anytime someone is feeling grumpy.

So, there ya go!

Go download that App. like right now.

Happy Monday, ya’ll!

Today is International Children’s Book Day!

And I say HOOOORAY for children’s literature.  When I did my Master’s thesis way back when on the art of writing quality children’s literature I had the privilege of interviewing some of the genres most outstanding authors.  And through that I learned so much about the beautiful talent involved in writing for the youngest audience.  

I have adored children’s lit. as a child, a teacher, and now a mom. 

These well-crafted and beloved books are a gift not only to the tiny ear’s that hear it read a loud, but to the reader just as much.

So cheers to you, wonderful books!  Cheers to you.

Play on, ya’ll!

Puffy Paint recipe and notes

Recipe:

In a bowl mix together ½ C. salt, and ½ C. self-rising flour (bread flour works great).

Mix in ¾ C. water until mixture resembles thin pancake batter. It’s important to mix thoroughly to get rid of as many lumps as possible.

Add several drops of food color to create a richly colored “paint”

Transfer the puffy paint into the squeeze bottles provided. *If you find your paint clumping a bit in the squeeze bottle, simply unscrew the top and using a tooth pick, poke out the clump.

When you are done with your designs, pop them into the microwave, one at a time for about 30-60 seconds depending on the size of the design.

Gelatin mold recipe and notes

Prepare a large bowl, bunt cake pan, or jello mold by thoroughly spraying the inside with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour 6 Cups of water into a saucepan set on low heat.

Dissolve 8 gelatin packets into the water, stirring in each packet one at a time. Stir until completely dissolved. Pour the liquid gelatin into your bowl or mold.

Place the mold into the refrigerator overnight to set.

After fully set, run warm water over the bottom of the mold and carefully turn the mold over onto a cookie sheet

Prepare several small bowls of slightly watered-down food coloring.

Hello party people!

My flim flam and I were away this past Valentine's Day weekend, so I didn't have a chance to really dive deeply into the one day designated for LOVE, as much as I'd have liked.  SO I decided to try and make that lovin' feelin' last all dang year. 

Here are 5 sweet and simple ways to show the folks you live with how much you adore them over the next 12 months.

And just a heads up...none of these awesome brands I mention in my vloggerific payed me a dime to do so.  And I'm totally DOWN with that.

Add more pops of playfulness to your life whenever humanly possible!

And follow along as I try and do the same over on instagram by following me...@meredithplays, and my happy little hashtag #BeWellPlayed