Holiday Gifts for Your Favorite Guy!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these products, free of charge, from Quarto Publishing via Netgalley, Booklook Bloggers and AtGames, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them.


christmas reindeer scary


Let's face it, most men never TRULY grow up, they're always kids at heart, and these 2 gift ideas are perfect for last minute gift exchanges at the office, as well as for family and friends!

They're gifts that keep on giving!



dude crafts coverSynopsis:

Whether making life easier with ingenious hacks or providing self-amusement, the 50 projects presented in Dude Crafts are sure to get the guys' creative wheels turning. These DIY projects will get you on the path to developing your own creations, and impressing your friends.

dud crafts collage
Every project in Dude Crafts is useful, while still being skewed in its own manly way. You'll see how to: Craft an iPad cover from an old book, build a metal forge out of a busted microwave, cook a meal in the dishwasher, re-purpose an electric saw into a cocktail blender, fashion a Swiss army knife for your keys, outfit an unsuspecting co-worker’s office chair with an air horn, and more! Each project is accompanied by a parts list and step-by-step photo instructions to get you building; often by hacking subpar stock goods, or upcycling discarded objects, into functional works of art and conversation pieces. No matter how off-kilter the project may appear on the surface, it's sure to payoff as a useful tool, an art piece, the punch line to a practical joke or, best of all, a combination of all three.


Review: WOW, who KNEW you could make a forge from a microwave? While that may seem far fetched, as you'll see from the collage above, many of the ideas have some very good practical applications, and you might even ask for them to BE made! LOL. Ok, MAYBE not the baby doll wine holder or barbie bottle opener, LOL- but guys will see the humor in those! Think how much FUN you could add to a cubicle with the tennis ball holder guys! And admit it, getting those beer bottles up off the shelf, can give YOU back some of your fridge space, especially handy during the holidays to have! Most of the projects are not super complicated and require items you have around the garage, or a quick run to your local hardware store. The pictures are easy and clear (cause you KNOW how men are with just printed instructions....), and you might find yourself thinking you need to borrow the book!

And since we're admitting that throwback simplicity can be FUN, how about some throwback gaming you can take with you?


blast games

The latest classic video gaming release comes from the Blast! family of products- the Blast! series of HDMI dongle and wireless controller bundles that feature eight to 20 classic titles per model,with fun games your guy used to love playing at the arcade, like  Centipede, Millipede, Asteroids, Missile Command, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug, These “plug & play” products include an HDMI dongle and wireless controller bundles and feature eight to 20 classic video game titles per model. 


We were sent the Bandai Namco Flashback Blast (that includes Pac-Man, Galaga, The Tower of Druaga, Galaxian, Mappy, Sky Kid, Xevious and Dig Dug.)! The box includes the game controller, the hdmi dongle, and the cord for plugging the dongle into an usb port (if you have one on your TV you're fine, otherwise, you will need a longer cord!). No AAA batteries are included, so you will need those, as well, to get about 150 hours of play from your controller.

To get started you just plug the dongle into your TV, plug the power cord into the dongle and your TV (or other power source), then sync your controller to your device via the simple included instructions, and you're ready to play! To me, this is the perfect gaming device to take on vacation, or to the beach house, or to Grandma's house, because there is a limited amount of cords, and you don't need anything fancy, aka expensive, with it! Overall you get the CONSOLE version of the games, NOT the arcade version. So if your guy is a fanatic about that, this might NOT be the set for him. But if you're getting for your favorite kids, or guy who doesn't mind the console version, then you're good! 

Play is easy, and we loved Pac-man and Dig-Dug the best. They seemed to have less lag than some of the others for us. You CAN save your game where you are at, rewind, if you need to go back and beat that monster, and skip to other games. And if you DO want to play 2 person, you can pick up a controller by itself, off the AtGames website, and connect it to the dongle as well. At it's inexpensive price, it's a fun game set to have on hand, and to give for white elephant gifts at parties, as well!

 Atari Flashback Blast! Vol. 1 features 20 Atari 2600 classics like Centipede, Millipede and Yars’ Revenge.
- the Atari Flashback Blast! Vol. 2 (which includes classics like Adventure, Asteroids and Missile Command.)
- the Atari Flashback Blast! Vol. 3 (which includes paddle-based classics like Breakout, Pong and Warlords),  and the set swaps the wireless gamepad for a pair of wireless game paddles, which are specially optimized for its selection of classic paddle and ball games, 
- Activision Flashback Blast! (which includes  including Pitfall!, H.E.R.O. and River Raid.)
and 
- Legends Flashback Blast! (which includes features Space Invaders and an additional 11 favorites like Burnin’ Rubber and Jungle Hunt.) 


All of the game sets are now available at major U.S. and Canadian retailers, like Target, Walgreens, RiteAid and Walmart, and retail for between $19.99 and $39.99. Walmart does have a special edition set as well.

BONUS:
If you register your Blast! micro-console(s) by December 24, 2018, you can be entered to win a #Legends #Flashback console or 10% off Direct2Drive coupon! Just enter your info via LOG IN/SIGN UP on the AtGames website, and then select REGISTRATION. Good luck! 

About AtGames

AtGames Digital Media Inc. (http://www.atgames.net) is a leader in innovative consumer-oriented interactive entertainment products. The company leverages the latest technology to develop and publish its best-selling classic video game products for worldwide distribution. AtGames is based in Los Angeles, with international offices in Taipei and Shenzhen.


and finally for the guy who IS growing up, we have a book with LOTS of wisdom in it:


Beloved American icon and Grammy Award–winning musician Charlie Daniels shares wit, wisdom, and life lessons he has learned from traveling and playing across the country.
Learn how you can make your day count from the encouraging and inspiring Charlie Daniels. Charlie has written a song for Elvis, played on a Bob Dylan album, toured the country for decades, and delighted fans around the world with his fiddle playing and signature hit song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." More important, he’s dedicated his life to helping others, including children, troubled teens, and veterans.
Let's All Make the Day Count imparts Charlie’s positive attitude, timeless insight, and powerful spirit, and it will encourage and inspire you to make your day count.
Review:
Charlie is an icon in our house- both for his steadfastness to his beliefs and for his unrelenting support veterans. So I knew this would be a book my dad, who likes morning devotions, if they are short, would like. With over 100 pages, with 2 devotions on each page, you can get a full year out of this book. Or if you read every other day, 2 years! I found it to be a great mix of experience and belief. He uses his experiences to highlight ways God has helped him to keep a positive attitude, and how by helping others, he has become a better person. It'an uplifting books, that we highly recommend!

About the Author:
From his Dove Awardwinning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and CMA Awardwinning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists, and still a road warrior at age 81, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multiplatinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need.it. 




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