NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

I was given products in this post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review, all opinions are my own.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is the next great arcade-action sports game, an over-the-top, two-on-two basketball experience that complements the best-selling NBA 2K franchise. Starring Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving, NBA Champion Kevin Garnett, NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, and emerging Celtics star Jayson Tatum on the cover, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 steps up the energy and attitude with new players, playgrounds and moves. NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 features over 300 players– including legendary new additions like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and features multiple ways to play on your own, with friends, or against the world.

So I like the cartoon like graphics.  My oldest who is 11 thinks it is cool, and my youngest who is 8 thinks it is fun!  

Game play is easy, plus there is so many was to play.  Online, playground, a contests and even a season championship mode.  And you can choose the number of players.  Great for one player or even 4.  Plus there is even more courts than before, making you can even change where you play.

My boys loved that you could play as current players or even retired players!  Making game play better than ever.  

This game according to my kids is super fun and really easy to learn. 

Nickelodeon's Holiday offerings

Disclaimer:  I was given products in his post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review

I really miss the old cartoons.  The were fun and I didn't feel like a baby when I watched them.  I feel like there is no older kid cartoons anymore.  You go from toddler, to slightly older than nothing!   At 12 and 13 I was still watching Rocko's modern Life, He Arnold!, Rugrats, Doug and so much more.

My kiddos insist there is good shows on, maybe I am just old lol.

But my boys do seem to love all he shows I watched as a kid and a lot of them are making a comeback!

This year for Christmas I can't wait for them to open Rocko's Modern Life the complete series and Hey Arnold! the Ultimate Collection

Nickelodeon's fan-favorite '90s hit gets a full series release with Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series, available on now. This 8-disc collection features brand-new packaging designed by the series creator and contains every episode from this hilarious animated series, which originally ran from 1993 to 1996.

 

Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series has over 20 hours of Rocko, Heffer, Filburt, Spunky, and the Bigheads as they explore the ups and downs of everyday life in the city of O-Town. Fans can enjoy classic episodes such as "Carnival Knowledge" and "Flu-In-U-Enza," and relive all of the adventures and life-lessons from Rocko and his friends, including the dangers of garbage day, the disastrous results of Heffer eating too many Pasture Puffies, and Filburt struggling to save his soul after opening a not-so-fortunate fortune cookie. Produced by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series will be available on DVD November 20 for the suggested retail price of $33.99. 

 

Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series contains the following episodes:

Season One:

• Disc One:
  • No Pain, No Gain / Who Gives a Buck
  • Leap Frogs / Bedfellows
  • Jet Scream / Dirty Dog
  • Keeping Up with the Bigheads / Skid Marks
  • Power Trip / To Heck and Back
  • The Good, the Bad and the Wallaby / Trash-o-Madness
  • Spitballs / Popcorn Pandemonium

• Disc Two:
  • A Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic / Canned
  • Carnival Knowledge / Sand in Your Navel
  • Cabin Fever / Rinse and Spit
  • Rocko's Happy Sack / Flu-In-U-Enza
  • Who's for Dinner? / Love Spanked
  • Clean Lovin' / Unbalanced Load

 

Season Two:

• Disc One:
  • I Have No Son
  • Pipe Dream / Tickled Pinky
  • The Lounge Singer / She's the Toad
  • Down the Hatch / Road Rash
  • Boob Tubed / Commuted Sentence
  • Rocko's Modern Christmas
  • Hut Sut Raw / Kiss Me, I'm Foreign 

• Disc Two:
  • Cruisin'
  • Born to Spawn / Uniform Behavior
  • Hair Licked / Gutter Balls
  • Junk Junkies / Day of the Flecko
  • Snowballs / Frog's Best Friend
  • Short Story / Eyes Capades
  • Bonus Features:
    • "Trash-O-Madness" Original Pilot Version
    • Behind the Characters with Joe Murray: Rocko
    • Behind the Characters with Joe Murray: Heffer
    • Behind the Characters with Joe Murray: Filburt
    • Behind the Characters with Joe Murray: The Bigheads

 

Season Three:

• Disc One:
  • Bye, Bye Birdie / Belch of Destiny
  • The Emperor's New Joe / Schnit-Heads 
  • Sugar-Frosted Frights / Ed Is Dead: A Thriller!
  • Fish-N-Chumps / Camera Shy
  • Nothing to Sneeze At / Old Fogey Froggy
  • Manic Mechanic / Rocko's Happy Vermin
  • I See London, I See France / The Fatlands

• Disc Two:
  • Fortune Cookie / Dear John
  • Speaking Terms / Tooth and Nail
  • Wacky Delly (Parts 1 & 2)
  • The Big Question / The Big Answer
  • An Elk for Heffer / Scrubbin' Down Under
  • Zanzibar! / Fatal Contraption
  • Bonus Features:
    • Commentary by Creator Joe Murray on select episodes

 

Season Four:

• Disc One:
  • With Friends Like These / Sailing the Seven Zzz's
  • Pranksters / From Here to Maternity
  • Ed Good, Rocko Bad / Teed Off
  • Wimp on the Barbie / Yarn Benders
  • Mama's Boy / Feisty Geist
  • S.W.A.K. / Magic Meatball
  • Closet Clown / Seat to Stardom 

• Disc Two:
  • The High-Five of Doom / Fly Burgers
  • Heff in a Handbasket / Wallaby on Wheels
  • Dumbells / Rug Birds
  • Hypno-Puppy Luv / Driving Mrs. Wolfe
  • Put to Pasture / Future Schlock
  • Turkey Time / Floundering Fathers
  • Bonus Features:
    • "Wacky Delly" Live 2012

For the first time ever, bring home every episode starring Nickelodeon's most famous football head Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection . Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection includes 18-discs with all 100 episodes from the show's original five season run, plus new-to-DVD bonus features and two discs that feature the original films Hey Arnold!: The Movie and Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie.

 

For over twenty years, fans of the classic coming-of-age series have remained loyal to Arnold, the relatable kid living with his whacky grandparents in their boarding home, and his group of loveable, city-dwelling friends. With Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection, fans can relive every schoolyard shenanigan in fan-favorite episodes like "Stoop Kid" and "Downtown as Fruits;" laugh along with popular characters Helga, Gerald, Phoebe and more; and finally solve the mystery of Arnold's missing parents in the latest adventure, Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie. Produced by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection will be available on DVD November 20 for the suggested retail price of $50.99. 

 

Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection contains the following episodes:

Season One:

• Disc One: 
  • Downtown as Fruits / Eugene's Bike
  • The Little Pink Book / Field Trip
  • Arnold's Hat / Stoop Kid
  • Helga's Makeover / The Old Building
  • 6th Grade Girls / The Baseball
  • Bonus Features:
    • Hey Arnold! The Pilot
    • Original Claymation Short: Arnold Escapes from Church
    • Drawing Arnold
    • The Jungle Movie: Table Read
    • Unboxing The Original Jungle Movie Development Art

• Disc Two:
  • Heat / Snow
  • Operation: Ruthless / The Vacant Lot
  • The List / Haunted Train 
  • Mugged / Roughin' It
  • Door #16 / Arnold as Cupid

• Disc Three: 
  • Arnold's Christmas       
  • Benchwarmer / Cool Jerk
  • Das Subway / Wheezin' Ed
  • Tutoring Torvald / Gerald Comes Over
  • Spelling Bee / Pigeon Man

• Disc Four:
  • Olga Comes Home / Sally's Comet
  • Abner Come Home / The Sewer King
  • False Alarm / World Records
  • Magic Show / 24 Hours to Live
  • Arnold's Valentine

 

Season Two: 

• Disc One:
  • Save the Tree / New Teacher
  • Helga's Love Potion / Gerald's Secret
  • The Big Scoop / Harold's Kitty
  • Longest Monday / Eugene's Pet
  • Monkey Business / Big Caesar

• Disc Two:
  • Ransom / Ms. Perfect
  • Operation: Arnold's Halloween
  • Arnold Saves Sid / Hookey
  • Freeze Frame / Phoebe Cheats
  • Mud Bowl / Gerald Moves Out 

• Disc Three:
  • The High Life / Best Friends
  • Steely Phil / Quantity Time
  • Eating Contest / Rhonda's Glasses
  • Helga's Boyfriend / Crush on Teacher
  • Hall Monitor / Harold's Bar Mitzvah 

• Disc Four:
  • Coach Wittenberg / Four-Eyed Jack
  • Eugene Goes Bad / What's Opera, Arnold?
  • Tour De Pond / Teachers' Strike
  • Part-Time Friends / Biosquare
  • Runaway Float / Partners

 

Season Three:

• Disc One: 
  • Helga Blabs It All / Harold the Butcher
  • Dangerous Lumber / Mr. Hyunh Goes Country
  • Casa Paradiso / Gerald's Tonsils
  • Arnold's Room / Helga vs. Big Patty
  • Stinky Goes Hollywood / Olga Gets Engaged
  • Curly Snaps / Pre-Teen Scream 

• Disc Two: 
  • Grandpa's Birthday / Road Trip
  • Sid's Revenge / Roller Coaster
  • The Aptitude Test / Oskar Gets a Job
  • Arnold Betrays Iggy / Helga and The Nanny
  • Career Day / Hey Harold!
  • Best Man / Cool Party

• Disc Three: 
  • Arnold & Lila / Grand Prix
  • Arnold's Thanksgiving
  • Helga's Show / The Flood
  • Phoebe Takes the Fall / The Pig War
  • Crabby Author / Rich Kid
  • Girl Trouble / School Dance
  • School Play

 

Season Four: 

• Disc One:
  • Full Moon / Student Teacher
  • Big Gino / Jamie O. In Love
  • Eugene's Birthday / Stinky's Pumpkin
  • The Beeper Queen / Oskar Can't Read?
  • Dinner for Four / Phoebe Skips
  • Helga's Parrot / Chocolate Turtles
  • Love and Cheese / Weighing Harold
  • Back to School / Egg Story

• Disc Two:
  • It Girl / Deconstructing Arnold
  • Grudge Match / Polishing Rhonda
  • Weird Cousin / Baby Oskar
  • Grandpa's Sister / Synchronized Swimming
  • Helga Sleepwalks / Fighting Families
  • Headless Cabbie / Friday The 13th
  • Veterans Day
  • Helga on the Couch
  • Dino Checks Out

 

Season Five: 

• Disc One:
  • Monkeyman! / Buses, Bikes, and Subways
  • Helga's Masquerade / Mr. Green Runs
  • Sid The Vampire Slayer / Big Sis
  • Bag of Money / Principal Simmons
  • New Bully on the Block / Phoebe Breaks a Leg
  • Parents Day
  • Helga's Locket / Sid and Germs
  • Suspended / Ernie in Love

• Disc Two:
  • Summer Love
  • Stuck in a Tree / The Helga Short / Rhonda Goes Broke
  • Beaned / Old Iron Man
  • Arnold Visits Arnie / Chocolate Boy
  • Harold vs. Patty / Rich Guy
  • April Fool's Day
  • Gerald's Game / Fishing Trip
  • Married 

• Disc Three:
  • On the Lam / Family Man
  • The Racing Mule / Curly's Girl
  • The Journal (Parts 1 & 2)
  • Timberly Loves Arnold / Eugene! Eugene!
  • Ghost Bride / Gerald vs. Jamie O.
  • A Day in the Life of a Classroom / Big Bob's Crisis
  • Phoebe's Little Problem / Grandpa's Packard

 

Hey Arnold! - The Movies

• Disc One: 
  • Hey Arnold!: The Movie
• Disc Two: 
  • Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie

The Atari Home Arcade

Disclaimer:  I was given products in this post for he purpose of review.

I remember as a kid I never minded going to the mall with my mom because our mall had a huge arcade.  My brother and I use to get in there with our saved up allowance, turn those dollars in to quarters and spend hours playing games.  It was the best, sadly that arcade and all the others seem to be a thing of the past.  And I always thought it stunk that my boys would never get to enjoy games the way I once did.

But thanks to the all new The Atari Home Arcade my boys can now enjoy the games vintage styled just like I did!

So let me get a few of my facts out of the way before I tell you all about the product.

It was super easy to build, I asked my hubby to start putting it together when I took the boys to Church.  I came home and thought I would have to help him finish.  Thankfully he was already done and said it only took about 20 mins to put together.

I love the screen size!  I thought for sure after playing games on our big screen this would be to small for my boys, but it was just right!

At first the control as a bit confusing, but after a few plays you get the hang of it.

It isn't light weight, so I don't need to worry about it getting knocked over all the time.  It is light enough that I can move it, but not so light that my boys can bump it over.  And the cord is long!  My boys room has limited outlet so it was important the cord be long enough to reach!

Now I have seen these in many stores, but I was happy to get mine from Hammacher and Schlemmer.  The are a store I have trusted for many years now that always provide me with top quality products and service.

So now you have my facts, lets take a look at the product facts provide by the store itself.

This is the Atari arcade cabinet that delivers a classic arcade experience at home. It evokes the pinnacle of arcade gaming during the 1980s with authentic artwork and nostalgic game play without the nuisance of a coin door. A 17" flat-screen LCD displays the pre-installed games’ two-dimensional graphics and colors, while a 3-watt speaker plays accompanying retro sound effects. Select Asteroids cabinet (with a knob wheel control and Asteroids, Tempest, Major Havoc, and Lunar Lander games) or Centipede cabinet (with a trackball control and Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, and Missile Command games). Ages 14 and up. AC plug. Assembly required. 48 3/4" H x 22 3/4" D x 19" W. (58 1/2 lbs.)

Oh and I want to mention it comes with a lifetime guaranteed.  

Pictures On Gold

I was given products in this post to test and give my honest feedback.  All opinions are my own.

Welcome to the 2018 Simply Me Holiday Gift guide!  The holidays should be fun.  At times finding the perfect gift, great deals, decorating and recipes can be overwhelming.  The Simply Me Blog wants to put the fun back into the Holidays so over the next several weeks I will be posting great gifts for everyone, decorating tips, recipes and everything in-between!

We all have those moments that are just to precious for a photo alone to truly portray just how amazing the moment was.  Last year my boys and I did a photo shoot.  Nothing special I took the photos and they did the poses.  Afterwards we had a picnic outside (with our firepit on it was chilly that day) and watched the clouds trying to say what shape they looked like

It became special with the giggles and all the fun.  We had a blast and have done several days just like that since, but the first one is always going to be the most special.

Here was our favorite photo of the day

I had to get a locket to put our photo on the inside!   A photo on the wall just wasn't enough to remember the special day and the special people I spent it with

And since my boys are gifts from God I had to put them in an Angel wing locket

Sterling Silver Angel Wing Heart Photo Locket

What Metal is this Locket? Solid .925 Sterling Silver

What is on the front of the locket? with Antuique Design

How Many Photos Can This Locket Hold? Up to 1 Photo

What Shape is This Locket? Heart

Is a Chain Included? You can choose which chain to add to your order when checking out

 The back of mine reads

"My everything"

You can get a different saying if you want

This Locket is only one of the many items offered at Pictures on Gold.  And the way I customized mine is only one of the many ways to personalize them.

I had mine made so I could always keep My boys photo near my heart.  But you could do so much.  They would make a super cute mother's day gift or even a Christmas gift!  


To learn more and see all they have to offer check out my link below:
Pictures on Gold

Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas

The cheer of a crackling hearth fire. Colorful cards from friends and loved ones. An evergreen tree festooned with ornaments.The golden traditions of Christmas—gifts, wreaths, stockings, carols, mistletoe, and more—infuse our celebration of the season with meaning and glowing memories. And, in ways you may not realize, they point us to the birth of Christ.Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas reveals the people, places, and events that shaped the best-loved customs of this merriest of holidays. Here are spiritual insights, true-life tales, and captivating legends to intrigue you and your family and bring new luster and depth to your celebration of Jesus’ birth. Discover how• after eighteen centuries of all but ignoring the event, churches began to open the door for believers to commemorate Jesus’ incarnation.• the evergreen tree, once a central theme in the worship practices of pagan cultures, came to represent the everlasting love of God.• the magi’s three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—are filled with spiritual symbolism.The traditions of Christmas lend beauty, awe, and hope to the holiday, causing people all over the world to anticipate it with joy. The stories in this book will warm your heart as you rediscover the true and eternal significance of Christmas.

A truly awesome book!  It gives a real in depth look at a lot of our traditions!  I loved the spiritual tie to our traditions, most of them I didn't even know!  The chapters are super easy to get through. I've already got through the book once and  I think 2 days before December I goin to start reading a chapter a night with my family and start a new tradition!