Brenda is a Canadian who calls Ottawa home. She loves good food, great movies and pop culture. She's a vintage enthusiast, a board game player, a coffee mug collector, a jigsaw puzzler, a world traveller, a reader and more.
Of course, I believe that there are WAY MORE than 21 insanely awesome things about Canada but I still enjoyed this video list put together by Talltanic in June, 2017. If you are Canadian, you will also likely know some of these facts but I bet there are some that you do not know, too.
I won't spoil the video for you if I bet that you have heard of our sweet export maple syrup, our prime minister and our quick use of the word sorry. However, did you know that Canadians have a longer life expectancy than many other countries, that we have the most expensive coin ever produced and that Santa Claus is from Canada?
Watch the 12 minute video for yourself and discover some more interesting facts about Canada:
It has been awhile since I have posted a mug here on this blog. However, that is not to say that I have not seen more than a few fabulous pieces. I just stumbled across this totally terrific Tim Hortons mug, which celebrates Canada's 150th Birthday Party. The party is happening July 1, 2017 and I am sure that if you are in Canada, you have not missed the fact that we are celebrating though you may have missed this mug.
Because of this huge celebration, there are a lot of red and white merchandise options out there but I know that this officially licensed mug, with the cool comic-style patriotic images of the loon, ice skating, maple syrup, the maple leaf, beavers, curling, etc., is the perfect souvenir choice for many of you. Of course, it also includes images of Tim Hortons coffee, Timbits and donuts, an important tradition in Canada.
The text reads, "CANADA celebrating 150 Years – Tim Hortons."
I love the red interior, too, which features a maple leaf in the bottom and I also love that it is dishwasher and microwave safe.
It is reasonably sized measuring 4 inches tall and 3.75 inches wide (without the handle) and holds 14 oz of your favorite steamy hot beverage, whether that be Tim Hortons' coffee or something else. Personally, I am a tea drinker so you will find only tea in my coffee mugs!
This mug is a limited edition mug and available only while supplies last. I suspect that it could be a hot seller since Canada really is gearing up for a fantastic party. If for whatever reason you are unable to find this mug locally, know that you can find it readily available on eBay by clicking right here.
How about it? Would you like to lift a Tim Hortons' mug in celebration of our national holiday and the birthday of our nation? Are you a Canadian in Canada, a Canadian who lives away or just someone who loves Canada? Be sure to take a moment and say hello and tell us where you hail from and whether or not Tim Hortons figures in the mix when you think of Canada. Happy Birthday, Canada!
Jenga is an addictive building game requiring both hand skills and mental skills. It was designed by Leslie Scott for children and adults to play together. It's an extremely easy game to learn with simple rules and, because it is different every time, it never gets boring. You simply create a tower by stacking the blocks and then cautiously remove one from the bottom of the tower and place it on the top of the tower, hopefully without causing your tower to fall.
In the 1970s, Lesley Scott created Jenga from her own family's building bricks. In 1983, she trademarked Jenga at the London Toy Fair. Since then, according to Wikipedia, over 50 million Jenga games or 2.7 billion Jenga blocks have been made.
Watch this short video in which creator Lesley Scott Speaks about the invention of Jenga:
Today, Jenga is produced by Hasbro's Parker Brothers division. It's a great family game that has evolved in some interesting ways. On this page, discover some of the other versions of the family game, Jenga. Click here to check out all the Jenga games on Amazon.
Basic Jenga Game
In the basic Jenga game, you receive 54 rectangular wooden blocks that are designed perfectly for stacking in a three wide, 18 story tower. Once you've created the tower, you take turns removing a block one at a time and putting the piece back on top of the tower. One wrong move and it will all be over. Order this basic Jenga game from Amazon here.
Here is another short video in which Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, famous basketball players, put their skills to unusual use with Jenga tiles.
Jenga Vintage Wood Book Version
If you or someone you know has fond memories of Jenga, you might want to consider gifting them with this version of Jenga, which is packaged in a book-like box. Unlike the typical Jenga games packed in a cardboard box, this one will last and look handsome on your bookshelf. Unfortunately, this version is out of production and sought after, which means the price has been driven upwards by the laws of supply and demand. You can find the Jenga Vintage Wooden Book Edition from Amazon here.
Throw 'n Go Jenga
IN THROW'N GO JENGA THE DIE DETERMINES THE MOVE.
Throw'n Go Jenga consists of blocks that are colored in three colors and a six-sided die. When it is your turn, you throw the die and follow the instructions according to the roll of the die. Each color refers to a certain type of move. For instance, if you roll a red on your turn you must move any red or middle block. You can order your Throw 'n Go Jenga from Amazon by clicking here.
Jenga Truth or Dare Game
In Jenga Truth or Dare, adults play with three colors of blocks - red, green and natural. Play is much the same as in the ordinary version of Jenga but if a player picks a red or green block, he must either complete a dare or answer a question before he may place it pack on the tower. Natural colored blocks have nothing printed upon them and are played as an ordinary Jenga block unless you choose to spice up the game by adding your own truths or dares on them. You can find the Jenga Truth or Dare game on Amazon here.
Jenga Extreme Game
Jenga Extreme is different because of the shape of the blocks. No longer are they typical rectangles but now they are parallelograms. You will create some interesting towers with Jenga Xtreme! Order Jenga Extreme from Amazon here.
Jenga Cubes
Jenga Cubes is a rare 1998 version of Jenga that, according to the box, is a "A Mind Bending Twist on a Classic Favourite that will Drive Your Friends Crazy." It features 25 Jenga cubes that stack inside a plexiglas tower that has slots cut out on alternating sides at each level. The object is to push out a cube leaving the cubes around it in place and the game play is a bit different than a standard Jenga game.
As I write this, Jenga Cubes is not available on Amazon but is available occasionally on eBay. To see today's eBay search results for Jenga Cubes, follow this link.
Collector's Edition Jenga Games
Collector Edition Jenga Games include Jenga games dedicated to many major-league baseball teams, John Deere, Hello Kitty, the Transformers, Tarzan, Donkey Kong, Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas and more. I expect there are more created on a regular basis. You can see all of the Jenga games available on eBay's by clicking right here.
Have you played Jenga? Which version(s)?
Brenda
More Recommended Games
Yahtzee!
I grew up playing Yahtzee and so did my children. Yours should, too. Find out why Yahtzee is such a good game for the young and the young at heart.
Jumanji The Board Game
Whether you are fan of Jumanji the book by Chris Van Allsburg or Jumanji the movie starring the late Robin Williams, you should check out this Jumanji board game!
We are home from an interesting journey aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's ship the Pearl. My husband and I took a 17-day Panama Canal repositioning cruise from Miami to Seattle and followed it up with a week in Seattle with our youngest son. Doing so made the journey to visit him an adventure and we had plenty of interesting experiences on board the ship and afterwards in Seattle.
Journeying by cruise ship allowed us to visit many countries that we likely would never have gone to otherwise including Columbia, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico as shown on this map. The map is not quite accurate as our sailing continued further north to Seattle.
The ability to set one's own hours is definitely an advantage of being an eBay seller but after about a month off it is time for me to get back to work. Stay tuned for more tidbits from our journey!
Brenda
Travels With Brenda
Quick Links:
Map image is from Norwegian Cruise Line's website.
Be sure to follow my world on and offline on Instagram. You can find me on that platform by clicking here.
This will no doubt NOT be my only post about Anthropologie mugs though it does represent my recent introduction to the fantastic, FABULOUS and fun coffee mugs that the trendy chain carries.
The design shown here is an artisan-made by Linda Fahey, a Northern California ceramicist who is inspired by the waves and the light of the Pacific Ocean and therefore adds a maritime element to her work. Anthropologie carried Pacifica, this line of dishes that feature Fahey's art in 2016.
I first discovered the rounded mug shown here, which features a beige background with a textured design on the outside and a cobalt blue sailing boat on the bottom of the interior. It measures 2 7/8 inches (7.4 cms) tall and 4 inches (10 cms) wide across the opening excluding the handle and it is both dishwasher and microwave safe. I later discovered that there was a whole line of very handsome dishes available in this pattern.
Unfortunately, Anthropologie no longer carries this pattern, which means you will have to turn to alternative sources to find this mug and the line of dishes. Right now, you can find a few pieces from Linda Fahey's Pacifica pattern on eBay by clicking here.
See you at the coffee bar
though it will be
tea in my mug!
Here's a coffee mug that will make you and all the science geeks in your world smile. It's a laboratory themed beaker with a molecule on the front. A caffeine molecule, that is.
The flip side shows your current caffeine-powered status, based on how much of your first cup of coffee you have processed. I am sure you can relate to going from inanimate to lethargic, grumpy, irritable, apathetic, intelligent and finally, genius.
As I B Geekin' says, boldly embrace your inner geek. This glass coffee cup has been made by science geeks for science geeks and loved by everyone. I love a coffee mug that makes me smile! If you do and you are hooked on chemistry and caffeine, this mug is the one for you but don't forget all those other caffeine addicted members of your family. They will love it, too.
See you
at the coffee bar
(though it will be
tea in my coffee mug!)
Brenda
Once again, Peanuts' Snoopy is preparing to celebrate the holidays. On this handsome blue Vandor mug, he is preparing to open his Christmas stocking. He's not alone though as his tiny little friend Woodstock is also celebrating the season with a stack of Christmas presents!
The details? This festive holiday cup holds 18 ounces and is dishwasher and microwave friendly.
Here's hoping that your favorite coffee mug overflows with your choice of hot and steamy beverage this holiday season.
I love the holiday season and I love coffee mugs! How about you?
