Tag: Toys

A few mystery deer sculptures showed up in an Oregon roundabout. Then more appeared. Then googly eyes. Then a pink flamingo. It reminded me of a weird little toy installation that grew inside Tribune Tower back in 2002.

I’ve been grabbing two random toys from the closet each morning to study their similarities. Dinobot Snarl and Fuecoco. Ancient armored robot vs. modern fire-type monster.

Last year, Kodak released a tiny keychain camera that went viral. It sold for $30. People questioned if a toy camera is worth thirty dollars. Well, now people will have to question if a toy camera is worth $35. Kodak…

Who knew traffic cones could be cars? 'Cone Shaker' Hot Wheels stack perfectly. Two found, now the quest begins…

The Hot Wheels “Draggin’ Wagon” is designed to hold LEGO minifigs. The minifig’s hands clasp perfectly onto the handles. This is a standard $1.29 Hot Wheels available at any store that sells Hot Wheels. (Not one of the premium kinds.)…

I feel this way when looking at and transforming a well-designed Transformer figure.

It seems whenever there are new Transformer toys release, it's always the same five characters. Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee, Soundwave, Starscream. Over and over and over.

When Hot Wheels makes a tank, you know I’m testing it with a LEGO minifig! Enter Janice, the Muppet guitarist, and Kaya, the Hot Dog Stand Girl!

Bought a Hot Wheels Sandcrawler and a family-size bag of M&M’s. Turns out, they’ve got more in common than I thought! Both carry cargo… just one holds candy, and the other? Trash.

This wee winged Ewok has taken flight in the most unexpected places around my house.

Who knew a train could do more than chug along tracks? Astrotrain can split open into a giant claw! See how Transformers can surprise you in unexpected ways.

You know who loves solar eclipses? Ewoks.

In the mid-80s, I unexpectedly enjoyed playing with Swine Sucker, a Madball. Despite its gross appearance, throwing it around became a surprisingly amusing pastime.

What a wonderful idea! The “growing” of the LEGO piece, but also the notion of having a Sunday Sketch series, looking at a familiar object and reinterpreting it.

The 2024 Super Bowl ad that stuck out to me is the “Oooo Ooooo Tumu” ad. The earworm jingle. The weird animated characters. The swaths of bright orange. It really pushed that branding over and over in the ad. The…

20 years ago I made a LEGO frame for my computer monitor. Should I do that again?

Ever wondered about Hot Wheels' color choices? A recent peek into their office revealed a dazzling display of car bodies, each labeled with Pantone hues. Surprising, yet inspiring, it's a fusion of creativity and design standards!

Tough on the outside, playful on the inside! Meet the car that's redefining macho. Pull the string at the back, and it's bubble bonanza time!

Translating the braille on the Hot Wheels car, and exploring more engaging phrases for use in braille

Does Batman have an insurance policy on his Batmobile?

I love Astrotrain. Yet, I don’t have any of his figures anymore. They just cost too much. $50 and upwards. No thanks. If there was an Astrotrain for $20 or under, I’d be tempted to get it. I wonder where…

Little did I know, that there would be another reason for me to purchase this fun toy.

Little People has sets for The Office, Masters of the Universe, and WWE! The princess castle will never be the same again.

In my Christmas stocking from my dad was a little Christmas paratrooper toy. (My daughters also got a paratrooper too). A little plastic figure with a tiny parachute. Those are always fun. I searched Youtube for how people have had…

A great Christmas surprise this year? Christmas ninjas! With these fun little guys around the house, you’ll find everyone asking, “Hey, what happened to the Christmas cookies?” Ninjas. These little guys bearing peppermint weapons will surely bring a fresh breath…

My three-year-old daughter made a dance floor with our Picasso magnet tiles. Then she took all her Little People figures; and put them onto the dance floor. I love her creativity. “But wait!” I warned, “they are not practicing social…

Sometimes when I go errand shopping at Target, I’ll photograph the contents of my bag at the self checkout. It’s fun seeing the collection of the stuff you regularly pick up. Fun to me anyways. I should photograph the inside…

What’s shinier than the 110-ton Chicago Bean? Why a Hot Wheels Heavy Tanker Truck! With its reflective chrome tank, this Hot Wheels is quite the photogenic truck. Sheer power with eight exhaust pipes rising up behind the stout cab. Oversized…

Hot Wheels has produced some crazy crossovers. Toaster trucks, GoPro cars, and Hot Dog racers may be totally cool; but the coolest car ever has got to be the Bubble Matic™. Bubble Matic™ Today while shopping at Target, I could…

Old skyscrapers falling apart because of their limestone exterior. Over time the limestone becomes weak and crumbles. Restoration projects take quite some time to replace the damaged limestone. The Crains Communication building in Chicago is going through an extensive limestone…

I’m going to miss the Olympics when they are over. There should be a two-week competition in something happening all the time. And there should be a channel dedicated to it all the time. Ideas: Two weeks of art competition Two…