We took some time to reminisce about some of our favorite toys!

The Woodsman and I decided to sit down and talk about some of our favorite toys we received as Christmas gifts. We both have some great memories of toys we received and some of those toys really formed who we are today. As adults, we still have some of these toys in our collection! So fun to see these toys years later! Join us as we take a little walk down memory lane!

Legos

Eric – “Oh Legos! The building blocks that let you build all the great creations that were in your mind. I ended up collecting two big Lego boxes full of blocks and even the instruction manuals. Did they get sold off after childhood? No way! When I married Jess we have added to that collection ever since. Why give up all the fun when you become an adult?”

Jess – “We are Lego obsessed still as adults!”

Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw Kit

Jess – “This set is how I learned all about drawing and started a hobby I still love. I thought the different pencils were so neat and got to learn how to use a gummy eraser. One thing that has always stuck with me with this book was that drawing is basically taking simple shapes and turning them into beautiful drawings. Once that idea clicked in my mind, drawing became something I really enjoy. Both my mom and Grandpa learned to draw from the same exact set!”

Model Train

Eric – “I remember my Lionel O gauge train set up complete with tiny trees, a bridge, and even a tunnel. I could hear the train down the road from my childhood home and then I had a little one at home. This was the train you added a bit of oil down the engine’s smokestack to produce smoke. It also makes true train sounds as it runs the rails at your chosen speed. I still have that train and all of the little detailed accouterments. I set the train up on occasion during the Christmas season around our tree and then get transported in my mind to a long past childhood Christmas. Nothing like running a miniature train to put you in the holiday spirit!”

American Girl – Samantha

Jess – “I wanted an American Girl doll for as long as I could remember. I always had my eye on Samantha. Her dark hair and eyes looked like me, and I loved her generation clothing. I was so incredibly excited to receive Samantha from Santa! I remember that Christmas as we had to wait until mom got home from work to open gifts. As a kid, it was a long day waiting but so worth it! I still have my Samantha doll to this day. It’s still so fun to change her outfits and brush her hair!”

Transformers

Eric – “Jetfire! Back in grade school, I entered a drawing to win the quite pricey Jetfire Transformer. I never did find out who won that awesome toy but it wasn’t me. Much to my surprise at Christmas I now had one of my own to add to my collection of Transformers. To this day he is a complete toy that takes me back to my childhood along with all of his friends. Wish I had kept that original box though!”

Board Games

Jess – “My family was big on board games. We always got a new game at Christmas and then spent the evening playing those games! Early on we had Don’t Break the Ice, Candy Land, Chutes, and Ladders. As we grew older, we had all of the basics Monopoly, Clue, Yahtzee, Operation, Life, Trouble, and Sorry. Perfection gave me anxiety, haha! So wish I still had Jaws the Game. Hungry, Hungry Hippos, and Mouse Trap were super fun! My sister and I still enjoy Mall Madness. Cranium was great for good laughs. Just to name a few of the games we had. Game night would go super late into the night and we had a blast!”

Red Ryder BB Gun

Eric – “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!” Well, I never shot my eye out but had a ton of fun with that little bb gun targeting old cans and it was a step to bigger boomers in the future. Many little steel bb’s were launched in those days in the nearby neighborhood woods.”

Super Nintendo

Jess – “I am 100% a Nintendo nerd. So many memories of playing Super Nintendo! Super Mario and Mario Kart were a favorite of my sister and me. I remember playing Mystic Quest and StarFox for hours! My mom would get pretty competitive with Tetris, and my dad was great at Top Gear! I remember beating my dad one time in Top Gear, winning a trip to the toy store! Woo! Super Nintendo was my first time really using a mouse – Mario Paint anyone? Our Nintendo Console collection grew as we got older including N64, Nintendo Cube, Gameboy, and of course the Wii! Such great memories playing those games!”

Homemade Slingshot

Eric – “My grandmother and I built my first slingshot from a forked limb we found, a piece of leather from probably an old purse, and thick flat rubber bands from a local office supply store. Ammo was cheap (somewhat round stones did nicely) and many backyard “hunting” trips and fun were to be had with that simple DIY implement. Nothing like smacking an old can with a rock for a good time. Homemade toys can be absolutely epic like those old slingshots were.”

Play-doh

Jess – “Play-Doh is such a timeless toy, who doesn’t love dough to play with! Open a can and you are immediately taken back with that amazing Play-Doh smell. I loved receiving Play-Doh and the accessories at Christmas. I could sit for hours forming and creating. Do not mix the Play-Doh colors, haha! Today I still like Play-Doh, I actually have a can on my work desk. When I feel a need to fidget a bit, or I’m in a deep creating session I break out the Play-Doh. There is just something about working the Play-Doh that is helpful, even as an adult!”