Kylo Ren’s Day Off

IMG_4269Trying to bring order to the galaxy is a hard job. Kylo Ren can make it look easy, but we know that Ben Solo has a softer side. In honor of Star Wars Day (May the 4th), Kylo Ren took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with St. Louis Dad and talk about some of his favorite hobbies and activities he likes to enjoy when he has some downtime.

St. Louis Dad (dadstl): Mr. Ren, sir, thank you for having me here, let me first start by saying that I can’t help but notice how colorful it is in here.

Kylo Ren (KR): Well, there’s a lot more to me than all of this dark side stuff. People just don’t understand. One of my favorite pieces in this house is right behind me. It’s an original.

IMG_4274dadstl: How about this other picture of the frog?

KR: Chewie gave me that when I was 5. He mumbled something about it being a Dagobah period piece but I’m not sure.

dadstl: So you and Chewie were friends?

KR: (looks silently into the picture of the frog for 15 minutes and then says) Let’s roast marshmallows.

dadstl: With lightsabers?

KR: No you imbecile, in the fireplace.

dadstl: Sounds good to me.

IMG_4282So we roasted some marshmallows and attempted to talk a bit about what else he likes to do during his free time. He gave short quiet responses to questions I didn’t even answer and genuinely seemed disinterested in the interview.

Then it happened. Kylo Ren turned to me and said that he would feel more comfortable if we continued this interview while he completed his night routine. He asked me to follow him into the bathroom so he could get his bath ready.

He was quiet as the tub filled and I honestly felt a little weird with him doing this in front of me. It was even weirder that he kept all of his clothes on while bathing.

If that’s his thing I’m not gonna judge, maybe he is a never nude. I dunno, I didn’t ask.

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After bathtime was over, which by the way he wouldn’t answer a single question. He only played with the bubbles. That’s it. So anyways, Kylo Ren wanted me tuck him into bed and tell him a story. This is where I draw the line. I have my own kids, I am their dad. Just because you killed your own father doesn’t mean you get to use me as a replacement. Oops, spoiler alert.

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Hasbro provided St. Louis Dad with this awesome Kylo Ren figure. He is large and in charge. The figure also comes with Kylo Ren’s lightsaber which he can hold easily. The larger figures are great for younger kids that want to play with popular characters but may not be ready for the smaller pieces. You can pick up Kylo Ren and many of the other Star Wars characters at stores all over.

Equestria Girl Minis!

mlp-playlikehasbroThis dad isn’t a brony by any means, but I have seen the new My Little Pony Friendship is Magic cartoon and also the new Equestria Girls cartoons and toys inspired by MLP. While I don’t mind the show, it’s not my thing but my daughter… Oh boy does she like My Little Pony. When Equestria Girls came out she had to have them. Now that there are smaller, mini Equestria girls sets, she now has to have these as well.

Hasbro sent over one for my daughter to enjoy and for me to review (My Little Pony Equestria Girls Minis Rarity Slumber Party Beauty Set). My Little Pony is definitely a hit in our home and has brand recognition so I won’t go into detail about that, because we all already know just by name alone this toy will sell. But how about the quality… I actually think it’s fantastic. Hasbro puts some serious effort into their toys.

There isn’t a ton of articulation but there is enough for you to have some serious fun with the figure and pose it in various ways. The little accessories that came with Rarity all fit in her hands and are all also detailed very nicely. The set included several cool little accessories that fit with Rarity’s style and the theme of slumber party beauty set. I like the smaller size over the larger ones mainly for storage reasons. But I think the smaller size makes for more play opportunities with other toys as well.

IMG_3467One of the coolest things that I was able to do with this toy that may or may not have been intentional is that I was able to save the cardboard display that was used in the packaging with the toy. Typically when we unbox a toy the toy is so fused with the packaging to prevent theft or whatever that everything but the toy gets cut up and destroyed. I was able to save this one and my daughter uses it with Rarity and many other toys. I am a big fan of the packaging artwork that toys come in and would love it if it could be used with the toy more often like this.

I can see Rarity joining the rest of her Equestria Girls very soon with these Equestria Girls Minis being very popular with Abby. Don’t forget to #PlayLikeHasbro and pick up your own Equestria Girls Minis. Read the official product description below and click here to purchase your own!

What’s one of the best parts of a slumber party? Makeovers! Get ready to imagine makeup and dress-up fun with this My Little Pony Equestria Girls Minis Rarity Slumber Party Beauty Set. Imagine Rarity giving her friends great advice and sharing beauty secrets at a slumber party with this set, which includes a vanity with makeup and hairstyling accessories! This cute, poseable mini-doll also comes with her cute kitty figure.
•Includes doll, cat figure, and 10 accessories.
• Rarity doll comes with makeup and hairstyling accessories
• Doll is poseable
• Includes cute cat figure

Hasbro provided St. Louis Dad with these products as compensation in exchange for an honest review. Please visit Hasbro.com for more toys and other games!

Happy Birthday Mr. Monopoly!

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Did you know that today is Mr. Monopoly’s birthday? If you didn’t now you do. Because of this today is also known as World Monopoly Day so grab your games and get the family around the table to play the game that first game that ever taught us about managing money.

Hasbro sent over the Empire version of Monopoly for us to play for World Monopoly Day.Instead of your standard Boardwalk, Park Place, etc properties, you have brands such as XBOX, Beats By Dre, Nerf, Heinz, etc… There are also towers (Trump Tower?), tokens, billboards, money, and a few other pieces. My favorite is the XBOX controller, but I do miss the iron.

After going over the rules we all picked our pieces and began our adventure. Turns out, the kids are not that great with money. I probably should have started them off with Monopoly Junior. But that’s my mistake. My wife and I both agree that the branded theme of Monopoly Empire is really cool. We plan on bringing the game along with us to our family gatherings. You never know when the opportunity might arise to play a few rounds of Monopoly.

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Monopoly is one of those games that has spanned a few generations and probably everyone has at least played the game once. It’s easy to follow and shouldn’t be a problem to get a game going. All you need is two players to play!

My wife ended up taking me to the cleaners in our game on World Monopoly Day. The kids gave up rather quickly, so we just split their assets like any reasonable parents. I can see many more chances to get out the game and give the kids a lesson in economics. The quality of the board and the pieces should hold up well over the years, plenty of life to #PlayLikeHasbro. Happy Birthday Mr. Monopoly thank you for all of the years of fun!

Monopoly has been around for a long time now, check out these 10 great little known facts about Monopoly.

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Hasbro provided St. Louis Dad with these products as compensation in exchange for an honest review. Please visit Hasbro.com for more toys and other games!