It may be pretty obvious, based on how often Dann and I eat out, that we absolutely love food. It may be less obvious that Dann also loves pinball machines, so when we saw a food hall that actually had a bunch of pinball machines at the back, we had to check it out. Food Society is a casual place to eat, right by where we were staying in Paris, that also had a small pinball arcade in it, along with a larger arcade / bowling venue downstairs – giving the place a fun mall vibe.
Food Society had digital menus that you could order and pay off of, which would then send the order to the various different kitchens throughout the venue. You did need to go and pick up your food, which was a bit confusing as neither of us spoke French, but we did manage to order far too much, try lots of things, and enjoy a huge lunch with some live music playing in the background!
[Ad- gifted product] When it comes to summertime and holidays, having a few travel board games up your sleave can be a real saver! We went on holiday recently to Center Parcs, and brought along 5 Up, a soft, light weight, travel-sized die rolling game that could easily be spread out and played on a small table or in a car. In the evening on one of our days, we all wanted to play a game together, so 5 Up fit in well.
The game itself is pretty simple – everyone gets ten tokens to start off the game. On your turn, you must roll a die. Whatever the number that shows up, you need to place your token on that circle (as long as it’s not got a token on it). If you roll a five, you get to put a token directly in the bin side of the holder. You can then continue to roll until you don’t want to push your luck or until you have rolled a number already covered. If you have rolled a number already covered, you get all of the tokens placed out into your pile. The goal is to get rid of all of your tokens first.
If you do manage to fill up all of the numbers, in 5 Up, you can just pass the die to them and see if they roll a 5 or if they have to take everything else in the square. It’s interesting to watch people’s strategies, and the game itself doesn’t take that long to set up or play, making it ideal for in between activities or while waiting for dinner to cook. Kai was the best at the game – or maybe the most risky with a lot of luck – with Dann and I finishing after him. Amelia, like with all push luck style games, ended up with tons of tokens somehow, though we do think it might be because she was just after Kai. Robin enjoyed the game and just plays generally on luck, so it did work well with all ages!
5 Up does feel like a game you can clip onto your bag and take with you wherever you go. I do like how simple it is to explain and set up, just unzipping the pouch and handing out tokens, making it an fantastic travel companion.
[Ad – Gifted Products] Robin, who has always been a bit of a maximalist, has gotten into charms. We picked up some shoe charms from a farmers market a few months back, then got her a pair of Crocs to put them on, so when she saw that Taggeez had a full collection of stationary, accessories, and charm mystery packs, she wanted to try them out! This entire collection can be found at Tesco, where most of the items come in either bright pink or a vibrant blue. We checked out a few of these items for our Back to School Essentials.
Taggeez Customisable Notebook and Taggeez Sharpener
Dann and I often go to Brighton for various activities, and while there, are trying to eat at a bunch of the wonderful food places they have around. The Breakfast Club reminds me of an American breakfast joint, feeling like the highlight of America and their diner-era. As an American, I do like the nostalgia that these types of diners have, and all of their food is always so filling and delicious.
Blueberry Pancakes & Bacon with Homestyle Potatoes
[Ad- gifted product] We often find ourselves, especially in the summer, playing with toys! It seems that many households default to video games, which we also play a lot of, but having a few engaging toys to break up the day and have screen free fun is always a must. Amelia and Robin have seen Water Art before – we actually included the Brainstorm Water Art kit in our Christmas Gift Guide for kids last year, so when we saw that they now have a Water Art Magic Sticker Creation kit, we were well interested!
