Showing posts with label Stocking Filler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stocking Filler. Show all posts

Tuesday 5 December 2023

Scribble Shakedown! by Paladone Games - A Review

(AD - Gifted) 

We have several budding artists in our family, so my children love any opportunity to show off their artistic skills. I was therefore really excited to introduce them to Scribble Shakedown, which is a drawing game with a difference.

Scribble Shakedown is by Paladone Games and is described as being a fast paced wobbly drawing game, that is suitable for ages 6+. It can be played by 4 or more players, which makes it perfect for larger families like ourselves. The front of the box is really artistic and stands out with its doodles galore across the front. 

The rear of the packaging continues with the doodle theme, as well as providing some brief details on how to play the game, as well as a list of contents which includes:

  • 2 x Shaking Pens
  • 1 x Sandtimer
  • 2 x Paper Pads
  • 100 Cards
  • Instructions

I feel it is also important to point out here that there is small writing at the bottom which states that each pen requires 1 x AA 1.5V DC batteries and these are NOT included within the box. Unfortunately I didn't spot this until we were ready to play, so we had to delay gameplay until I could pop to the shops. However, once the battery situation was resolved, we sat down again, ready to put our drawing talents to the test.

The game can be played in two different ways, with the first being Team Battle. The aim of the game in the team battle, is to be the first team that draws and guesses 5 different objects correctly. Each team must have a shaking pen and their note pad ready, and someone must shuffle the cards from one of the packs and place them face down in the centre of the table. Each team can consist of two or more players and the youngest player picks a card and selects which object they would like to draw.


Once they have chosen, then they must also show the player from the other team who will also be drawing, at which point both players then have one minute to draw the object using their shaking pens. The first team to guess correctly will win the card and should place it in front of their team. Should no one guess correctly then the card goes back to the bottom of the pack and the youngest player from the opposing team now picks a card and chooses the object instead. This gameplay then simply continues until one of the teams guesses 5 objects correctly.

It is super easy to get the hang of and encourages plenty of laughter as you try and guess what is being drawn. In our case a lot of the pictures looked so different to the intended object which we found hilarious, and I personally found it got harder to draw with the shaking pen as the minute went on as I kept loosening my grip whilst laughing.


The second way to play the game is called Quick Fire Scribble, where just like the first game, you separate into teams, but this time you try to draw as many objects on the card as quickly as possible until the sand timer runs out. You can only move onto the next object though if you team manages to correctly guess what you are drawing. In this game the winner of the card is the team that manages to guess the most objects, with the overall winner being the first team to collect 5 cards.

Overall, we really enjoyed this game, it's super simple to play and easy to understand and it's an enjoyable one for adults to join in with too. We will definitely be playing this with our guests on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year as it's loads of fun and provides plenty of entertainment. My only negative would be that there are no batteries included, but this is easy enough to resolve and I would happily recommend Scribble Shakedown to others.

If you would like to purchase Scribble Shakedown, then this is currently available to buy at Next subject to stock availability with an RRP of £20.

*Disclaimer - We were gifted a copy of this game for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Saturday 26 November 2016

Morse Toad's Messaging Service - A Review

Whilst beginning to prepare my guide to Secret Santa gifts this year, the kids and I sat down and had a little brainstorming session about the kind of gifts that we might like to receive when taking part in "Secret Santa". Needless to say Chocolate was a popular choice, and is likely to bring a smile to most faces, but I wanted to find something that was a bit more individual to a person than just your average box of chocolates.

I began my search and it wasn't long before I came across Morse Toad's Messaging Service, a company that specialise in the production of Chocolate Cards and gifts. I found the website very appealing, and the home page featured a variety of different designs that immediately grabbed my attention.


I had a good browse through the website, and found that they offered a wide range of gifts suitable for all occasions, along with a section dedicated to Christmas where you could purchase Christmas Cards & Stocking fillers. They also featured a handy gift guide that gives you some great ideas for gifts for family members, teachers, Santa himself, or even for that grumpy Scrooge in your life.

The website was very user friendly, and visually appealing. The text and graphics are all nicely displayed and none of the pages seemed too crowded which made it enjoyable to have a good look through the site.

In addition to ordering pre-designed Chocolate Cards, I noticed that there was an option for personalised gifts, so I headed over to this part of the site to find out exactly how it works. The instructions were very simple, and it was just an easy three step process.


Step one is to write your chosen message, using the four boxes provided. Each box represents a different row and you are allowed up to a maximum of 11 characters per line. After you are happy with your message, then you can add a personalised message which is printed on the card insert, this can be up to 180 characters in length. In this step you also have the option of adding a photo. There are several free Morse Toad images available, or you can pay an additional £1 to upload your own photo. The third and final step is to simply send your gift and place your order. It is so easy!

The cards and stocking fillers on the site are all individually priced, but the personalised Chocolate Cards have a very simple pricing structure which is:

1 row = £11
2 rows = £14
3 rows = £17
4 rows = £19

with an additional £1 charge if you choose to use your own photo.

I loved the fact that there is a simple price list, so that you know exactly what you will pay before designing your chocolate card, which is perfect if you are shopping on a budget or have a particular price range in mind.

It was also pleasing to see that orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, which is great if you have left your gift to the last minute (which admittedly I sometimes do). The postage is free for UK orders over £10, so there are no nasty added surprises when you go to check out, but if you are in a rush and need urgent next day delivery then this can also be arranged for a cost of £4.95 per address. International delivery is also available for an additional charge and this is calculated based on the size and weight of your package.

I placed my order at 3pm on Monday, and a few minutes later I received email confirmation. The email stated exactly what I had requested for the card, and so it gave me another chance to double check that I had done it all correctly. The following day I received a further message confirming that my order had been shipped and my chocolate card then arrived with me on the Wednesday. I was so happy and surprised that it had taken less than 48 hours from ordering to the point of delivery.


The product fitted through my letterbox, which is great as I have to do three school runs a day and so it can be frustrating when I then miss a parcel and have to wait until the next day to collect it.

On opening the box, I found my chocolate card beautifully presented in tissue paper. I quickly opened it up to see my chosen design and the personalised photo I had selected. The photo print slots into the top of the card and it can be pulled out and kept. The message I had chosen to write was printed on the reverse, and I was especially pleased that the print was the perfect size to fit in my purse, which in effect actually made it two gifts in one.


The reverse of the box provides information on the ingredients, the best before date, the weight, and the companies contact details. There is also an advisory notice that the product is manufactured in a Nut environment, so this is something you may need to consider if purchasing for someone with allergies.

Despite travelling quite a long way in the post, I was delighted that all the chocolate was completely intact and there were no chocolate marks on the plastic casing that covers the treat. The card is so nicely presented it almost seemed a shame to open it, but I soon got over that, and within minutes I was enjoying the delicious chocolate inside.


It was Belgian Milk chocolate and it tasted absolutely divine. Each piece was a bite sized solid block that was of an excellent quality and taste. As I mentioned previously it is manufactured in a nut environment, however three big plus points about the chocolate is that it is Gluten Free and also it does not contain eggs or alcohol. The tasty treat literally melted in my mouth, and I begrudgingly then shared it with the rest of the family who enjoyed it just as much as me.



Overall I was really pleased with the service from start to finish. I found the whole process not only easy, but also really enjoyable and I was impressed with the speed of delivery. The chocolate was of great quality, and the presentation makes it a lovely unique gift and I will definitely be featuring this product in my Secret Santa gift guide at the beginning of December.

In the future it would be great to see some additional chocolate flavours being added such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, and an organic option for example. However from reading the FAQ's this is something that the company is already working on and they are hoping to introduce further choices for their customers very soon which is great to hear!

If you would like to try out Morse Toad's Messaging Service for yourself then they have kindly provided me with a code for my readers to enjoy 10% off their orders. Simply enter HappyToadmas at the checkout. (Code expires Christmas Day 25/12/16).

*Disclaimer - Morse Toad kindly provided me with this product in exchange for an honest review and opinion of their service/product.