Get LEGOs at a significantly reduced prices at Bricks & Minifigs

If you have a child that loves building with LEGOs or Duplo bricks toys, then Bricks & Minifigs is an absolute must location to visit in south Reno at 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511.

Located near Galena High School on the south end of town off Mt. Rose Highway, in the same shopping center as Bully’s Sports Bar and Raley’s, sits a quaint little shop known as Bricks & Minifigs. Technically, it is a franchised store, but boy, this store has a local flair and vibe where you can’t tell that it is a franchise.

My son and I visit this location frequently, sometimes once or twice per month. The employees know us, almost by name at this point. In fact, we had my son’s 7th birthday party there earlier in November 2017 as well.

Bricks & Minifigs has just about everything a lover of all things LEGO could ask for besides the amusement park and water park attractions that come with a visit to Legoland in California. Bricks & Minifigs has pre-built sets covering everything from Star Wars to Scooby Doo and everything in between. They also have other boxed sets that are both new, used and discontinued that you might not find anywhere else. Most people would claim that LEGOs are geared towards boys, but they also have sets that a girl would like too. My 9 year-old daughter especially likes to get a new minifig under their glass counter each time we visit. It’s just something that comes with the territory when visiting Bricks & Minifigs

Bricks & Minifigs has open bins where you can fill a bag of miscellaneous LEGOs for anywhere between $15 to $50, depending on the size of the container if you’re not interested in getting a set (what I call building with instructions). When sifting through these bins, you may be able to find missing pieces to your own sets or enough to let a young child’s imagination run wild with pieces that can make just about anything. They also have pre-assembled minfigs that are in plastic clear balls and open bins to assemble a truly custom minifig that is as unique as the child assembling it. Even further, there are open bins with rubber tires for those wheels that are missing their treads and mini-sets in bags that you can pick up and keep in a purse or bag while out and about, such as a restaurant to keep your kids entertained when the kids’ menu and crayons don’t seem to do the trick any longer and you don’t want to necessarily give them your iPhone to play with at the table.

Beyond that, there are LEGO Dimensions characters there too from the Simpsons to Lord of the Rings and more, in boxes as sets where you can build the minifig that comes with a vehicle or gadget. But that isn’t the real reason why I am mentioning LEGO Dimensions.

Beetlejuice Fun Pack game play: It’s ShowTime!

For those who don’t know, LEGO Dimensions (view the wiki devoted to the game) is a video game where you can assemble a character and their vehicle/gadget and use it in a video game by putting them on a pad and putting their pad on the “Dimensions” portal. The “Dimensions” portal is a pad that connects via a USB cable to an XBox One, PS3 or PS4 where the character joins the game and unlocks their world. Some of my favorite characters to play as are Beetlejuice, the Goonies, E.T., The Powerpuff Girls, Slimer from the Ghostbusters and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Finn the Human from Adventure Time, and a couple of others. The ones I am still working to get for the game are Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, Gizmo and Stripe from Gremlins, Knight Rider and the new, 2016 version of Ghostbusters (Abby Yates is the buildable character) and the LEGO Batman Movie Story Pack.

These characters are able to travel from world to world and mostly the game is a bunch of puzzles that unlock gold bricks that you can use to upgrade their vehicles/gadgets to enhance the gameplay. I really enjoy the game because it isn’t all too violent (there are times when there are bad guys you need to defeat to get a gold brick) and they also have different kinds of packs. From Fun Packs and Team Packs (where you get to play around in the worlds) to Level Packs where it unlocks a level to play in that is themed for the character that contributes to the game’s storyline that is rather engaging. The most fun I had playing a level is the Dr. Who Level Pack. That one was really long and a lot of fun with their puzzles and taking the TARDIS to different chronological eras and times, and locations on Earth and in outer space.

LEGO Dimensions game play with Buttercup and other Powerpuff Girls

Psst… Come here. I want to tell you a little secret about Bricks & Minifigs

Now, here is where I let you in on a little secret. At Bricks & Minifigs, they also have just the LEGO Dimensions character game pads for anywhere from $1 to $2 each. No character, no vehicle/gadget, just the game pad. This was a game changer, literally, when my son and I found out they had these pads, becuase it expanded our gameplay exponentially. In fact, just this weekend, we picked up Bubbles and Blossom from the Powerpuff Girls universe for $8 total where it would have been $24.99 (at the time of writing this article) on this site/via Amazon.com. They don’t have every single character’s game pad in stock, but if you’re like me and lucky enough to puruse the bins of game pads and recognize one you don’t already have, you can pick it up for a fraction of what it costs to buy it as a full pack at retail. Through this method, I was able to pick up Marty McFly from Back to the Future, Dr. Who, Homer Simpson, the Lord of the Rings characters, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, the Powerpuff Girls as I mentioned above and many more.

However, even more telling of this story, I seem to spend way too much money at this store every single time we visit. Black Friday, this past Friday was especially dangerous for us as a family financially. We walked away with some great deals, including a free minifig (sorry R2-D2! He was eaten by the dog, so we lost one of our two that the kids got for free within minutes of coming home; I guess that is the nature of a 1 year-old Chessapeake Bay Retriever for you).

Here I am, rambling on… Let’s continue, shall we.

Goonies Level Pack game play: Hey, you guuuys!

Did you say Bricks & Minifigs hosts birthday parties, too?

Yep. My son, as soon as he set foot in that store and found out that they have birthday parties, immediately begged for his next birthday party to take place at Bricks & Minifigs. Who are we to deny our middle child who wants nothing more than to play with LEGOs and play video games about LEGOs all day long? He even wears clothes with LEGOs on them too.

The birthday party accommodations included:

• Time to build special LEGO cars to race down the track;
• The opportunity for every kid to build a minifig to take home with them;
• A movie playing in the background, my son chose the LEGO Movie;
• A Bricks & Minifigs t-shirt with a minifig body where the head is the child’s head out of the shirt;
• Bricks & Minifigs supplied the plates, napkins and decorations, we just had to show up with the cake, drinks, and pizza; and
• The best part, lasting memories and the happiness of a son who wanted to have his birthday party here for so long.

All-in-all, my son and most notibly my wife, really enjoyed the affair. I did too. We didn’t have to clean up anything. Bricks & Minifigs staff took care of cleaning up after the party. We were able to be in the party room for 1 and a half hours too! That was a real bonus. It didn’t feel rushed between activities. They were really laid back in their approach to handling the birthday party.

I used to work at Fun Quest, when it was still the Reno Hilton in the late 90’s – early 2000’s (does that date me?) and I know a thing or two about making a successful birthday party happen. Bricks & Minifigs staff really know what they are doing when it comes to birthday parties.

Well, that is pretty much all I have to say about this family-friendly store. Although, if you let me, I can keep going, I’m sure. If you’re looking for more information about Bricks & Minifigs, please check out some Bricks & Minifigs reviews on Yelp or stop by to see this fantastic store for yourself and tell them you heard about the store on Windy Pinwheel.

As always, thanks for stopping by Windy Pinwheel.

Where: 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511

What: Bricks & Minifigs, (what I like to call a LEGO lover’s paradise)

Need to know: They accept all major credit cards, host birthday parties, LEGO sets in the box or in open bins including minifigs (mini-figures), LEGO tires, small and large sets for any price point you are seeking to spend.

Extra Extra: Ask to take a look at their LEGO Dimensions game pads. Bricks & Minifigs sells them for $1 – $2 depending on the kind of gamepad to find those characters you don’t yet have or don’t need the set to play.

Website/Contact Information: (775) 501-5364, 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511, https://bricksandminifigs.com/store/reno-nevada/ or reno@bricksandminifigs.com

Hours: Monday – Tuesday (10AM – 6PM), Wednesday (closed), Thursday – Saturday (10AM – 6PM) and Sunday (11AM – 5PM)

Fishing in Nevada… Build a lifetime of memories any day of the year.

Today’s guest post comes to us from Lisa Johnson of Fall For Fishing, and she writes about fishing in Nevada. More specifically, fishing in Northern Nevada. She discusses a couple locations, like Pyramid Lake, Wild Horse Reservoir and Knott Creek Reservoir and also covers some of the rules and regulations you need to follow while fishing in the State of Nevada. Nevada has some of the most scenic locations in the western United States when it comes to lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies of water.

Also, as a former employee of the American Sportfishing Association where I worked on the KeepAmericaFishing.org website (which I highly recommend you visit), this guest post hits close to home. I have always loved fishing in Nevada since I was a young child at Frenchman Lake to the north of Reno. The thrill of a flutter of taps at the end of your fishing pole and I was hooked as a lover of all things fishing. You’ll often find, anyone who has fished in their lifetime, that a lot of great memories spring from their memories fishing with family. This next Saturday, June 10, 2017 is Nevada’s Free Fishing Day (described below). Get out to the Sparks Marina or venture to another fishing spot somewhere near you and you don’t have to pay for a license or any stamps. It is a once/year opportunity to take your kids fishing on the cheap. We hope you can out and experience Nevada fishing. Well, here I am, rambling on. I hope you enjoy Lisa’s article. I sure did.

Enjoy.
– Will

Go fishing in Nevada with your family this weekend in Northern Nevada

Fishing in Nevada has never been more enjoyable, especially with the winter we just had and the runoff from the snow melt filling up our waterways. If you feel like having a nice weekend with family, Northern Nevada is one place to look, especially for a fishing trip. The exotic waters and the species they contain is one memorable adventure to look forward to after another when fishing in Nevada.

Nevada personifies the idea of lake diversity. Did you know that due to its proximity to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and deserts below, it gives anglers a wide variety of choices to fish? The scattered alpine lakes offer an amazing view of the large pines, untouched waters, and enthusiastic trout.

Even with access to the lakes being difficult and some are easy to get to, the vast area is perfect for exploration for you and your family especially at or around Lake Tahoe to the west when it comes to fishing in Nevada. Take a Summer weekend with your family to come fishing or even learn how to fish as this is the perfect time for fishing in Nevada.

Once you come to Northern Nevada, you will have a tour guide who will welcome all your questions. You should know that there are various parts of Northern Nevada where you can go fishing. Just don’t forget to carry your rod and reel and also remain open minded to the opportunity of day fishing or even fishing at night.

Some Of The Best Lakes For Fishing In Northern Nevada

Despite Nevada being one of the the driest regions in the United States, it holds numerous lakes suitable for fishing. Some of them are:

1. Pyramid Lake: Pyramid Lake prides itself in holding the world record for the largest trout caught at 41-pounds. You can also enjoy catching cutthroat trout weighing over twenty pounds using a fly rod from a ladder. You should keep in mind that you can use midges and foam beetles to catch monster trout.
   

   

   While there, you won’t have to worry about where to get a ladder as well as shooting heads, there are retail outlets that cater to your needs nearby like Cabela’s in I-80 near Verdi, Scheels in Sparks, Dick’s Sporthing Goods at Meadowood Mall and Orvis at The Summit outdoor mall in South Reno.

2. Wild Horse Reservoir: Wild Horse Reservoir found in the north of Elko is quite an unique site when it comes to fishing in Nevada. It holds various species of fish including the rainbow trout, the yellow perch, smallmouth bass and many others.Load up your car and drive your family to enjoy fishing here in northeast Nevada.
   

   

3. Knott Creek Reservoir: Have you ever wanted to go to a place to try “catch and release” fishing in Nevada? Then, this is the place to go. You need to add this location as one of your go-to sites in Nevada. The site is in the Pine Mountains in the county of Humboldt.You won’t forget the memories that come with the experience there.
   

   

However, before embarking to go fishing in Nevada, you should know about the various requirements and regulations to be allowed to fish in the lakes and streams of Northern Nevada. Different regions have different needs, such as what fishing tackle and other gear to bring, but the general rules are:

License Requirements for Fishing

Everyone 12 years-old and older is required to hold a fishing permit. A fishing license is required for anglers, whereas the number of fish taken by nonresidents’ anglers of 12 years-old and below isn’t supposed to exceed 50% of the limit provided by the law.

You should also know that this permit requirements also applies to anyone who fishes using spear, bow or even an arrow fishing methods when fishing in Nevada.

1. Trout stamp: The trout stamp requires that if you catch or possess a trout, you must carry it on your own. The only exception is if you or any of your family is under 12, and is fishing under the law of “Take Me Fishing,” a valid short term permit for fishing or even during a consecutive day, they are not required to get the trout stamp.Also annually, every Spring, there is a free fishing day. On this day you can fish without the trout stamp. This year, it is on June 10, 2017. If you live in Reno, Nevada, there is a fishing activity at the Sparks Marina from 7:00AM – 11:00AM PDT, where Scheels staff and other fishing experts will provide fishing poles and tackle for children to fish or learn how to fish during this year’s free fishing day. Learn more about this and other free and/or cheap activities to do with your kids in Reno, Nevada during Summer 2017, here at Windy Pinwheel.
   

   Here is a promo about Free Fishing Day from a little while back

2. Second Rod Stamp: With this kind of requirement, you are allowed to fish in Nevada with a second combination of hook, rod, and line as long as you have the second-rod stamp. Regardless of age, you must first obtain a fishing license which is valid or even have a short-term permit.You should also know that you are not allowed at any time to have more than two combinations of a hook, rod and reel, and line.
3. Limits: The limits requirement involves the maximum number of fish you are supposed to take by law and can also be reduced. If you like catching a lot of fish, here you have to learn to restrain yourself on what you take home. The good part is that any fish you catch and release back to the waters doesn’t count toward the limit requirement.Another interesting thing to know is that the daily possession limit isn’t defined in Northern Nevada for the entire state of Nevada. For anglers like me, you cannot have in possession more than one limit. The state of Nevada is divided into regions and each region has its own limits for fishing in Nevada, not only on weight and size, but the number of each species you can take home with you. So please make sure you are aware of the limits where you fish.
4. Seasons and hours: The exact weekend that you plan to go fishing with your family has never been easier. Fishing in Nevada is open all year round with no limit to fishing times and dates. Therefore you can just wake up one weekend and head out to the next perfect fishing site at night or even during the day depending on your preference.
5. Filleting fish: You can fillet your fish before transporting it. What you should be careful about is that it is unlawful to waste any part of edible game fish despite the reason causing the waste.
6. Methods of fishing: The fishing methods law is inclusive for you and your family depending on your preferences. It allows for spear fishing anywhere except in Lake Topaz and Lake Tahoe. Also, you should remember that unless you have the second-rod stamp, you are allowed to fish with only one combination of hook, line, and rod.You are allowed to use baits but not using the protected and game fish as bait. Chumming is also prohibited in Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake, Spooner Lake as well as the whole Ruby Lake National area. Also, while you are ice fishing, you are allowed to cut no more than 10 inches of diameter of ice.
7. Review all Nevada fishing regulations before you fish: Annually The Nevada Department of Wildlife holds a “Free Fishing Day” on the second Saturday in June. During free fishing day, you can fish in any public water within the state with no need to buy a fishing license or trout stamp. All catch limits and applicable laws apply, so please make sure you know them before heading out to where the map turns blue.Here is a list of regulations on eRegulations.com if you want to learn more.

Conclusion

Despite Nevada being the driest and one of the most arid parts of the United States, it’s diversity of lakes, rivers, streams, and other bodies of water have proven to be a great place to fish hence why I am promoting fishing in Nevada. If you are a nature-loving, outdoorsman, or sportman kind of person, you can go to the Pine Mountains and enjoy the view there as you practice how to fish, for newbies.

At night and during the day, you and your family can fish without any restriction and even try the catch and release sort of fishing which is fun too. You can even try spear or arrow fishing in Nevada for the first time, to break the monotony of using rod, hook, and line.

You can get out there and just pack for the weekend because everything is so close and head out to fish in Northern Nevada and share fishing with your family as one of the unforgettable adventures you wouldn’t want to miss. So, what are you waiting for, get out there and make memories with your family, today!

What are some of your earliest memories fishing? Were they set while fishing in Nevada? Care to share? We hope you love fishing in Nevada as much as we do, here at Windy Pinwheel and Fall For Fishing. Happy fishing and here’s to “tight lines!”

About the Guest Post Author

I’m Lisa. I have a strong understanding and passion for all things related to fishing. When I am not out wetting a line, I am sharing a range of tips and tricks on Fall For Fishing – to help others to snag their big catch!

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Play soccer, join the Washoe Little League, have a picnic or just play at the playground at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada

This playground is suitable for ages 2 years-old and up. My 6 year-old and 3 year-old found a lot to do while we visited. They have various structures of varying ability, a spider dome/bar climbing structure (I had one of these at my elementary school while growning up and it brought up a memory or two on the playground at school), a rock climb/stair climb, swings for toddlers/babies, slides of varying height, speed and incline, tubes for little ones to climb through, spinning match games and more. My son found a little Easter Egg underneath the rock climbing stair structure, a velociraptor skeleton to look like a fossile in rock molded into the rock wall plastic.

When it comes to swings at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada, this playground only houses two toddler/infant swings. Swings that are suitable for very young children. Unfortunately, there are no swings for older children here. However, there is a dinosaur rocker nearby that children through the age of 10 years-old can enjoy in lieu of swings for older children. For as much as this playground contains, this is one item necessary for nearly any playground where it is sorely lacking. Perhaps, if there is every an expansion of the playground area, this could be something for City of Reno officials to add to the playground area.

While we were there, we found a couple of broken items on the playground, a wheel that was missing to power a spinning piston engine (it was about 8 pistons in a see-through view with gears that would spin to power the pistons), a platform with caution tape and some other things missing their steering wheels to spin them. With a minimal budget for park maintenance at the City of Reno, according to the Reno-Gazette Journal as recently as December 2015, it is understandable why these items were broken and I imagine that they will remain broken and in disrepair for some time until city parks are a focus in the city budget. Given all of these things, however, the park is maintained when it comes to regularly mowed lawns and no refuse outside of garbage cans and there is no sign of spray paint on anything at the park (sometimes tagging can happen to parks). So, the park is visibly pleasant to attend, overall.

Some of the larger play structures at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground may require adult supervision for younger children. My youngest is 3 years-old at the time of this article and she had no problem navigating the playground equipment. However, there were some larger items where I wanted to play the role of helicopter parent and hover over her as she scaled things like the rock climb stairs and the spider/bar dome. Not all things here at this playground will let you, as a parent remain carefree as to the safety of your child, but with increased potential hazards, the more likely an older child will find joy and adventure on those items that were difficult to scale when they were younger. So, overall, it is a trade-off, safety for fun in this case. Like I wrote above, however, my child of 3 years-old was able to use everything, it was only in some cases where I wanted to be close by in case she happened to slip off of a bar or stair.

There are also two covered areas that you can reserve with the city for special events and occasions like outdoor picnics, birthday parties or maybe a family reunion. One of these covered areas has a barbecue pit for charcoal briquettes and nearby there is a lot of wide open area covered with grass for a game of catch, Frisbee or toss with a football.

Both above and below the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground area are soccer fields that are used nearly every day of the week for practices with Great Basin Youth Soccer teams or games on most afternoons of the week and on Saturdays. Most of these fields will be reserved, so, they may not be free to play on in any given day, but occasionally you may find an open field to play on if you bring a ball or kite to the park. Just be prepared to be asked to move off the field if it is reserved by a team for practice or a game.

Speaking of Frisbee, down in the canyon adjacent to the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground I found a pole with chains on it that is used for Frisbee disc golf. I imagine this pole is a part of a larger Frisbee golf course that is 1 of 4 courses located in the Reno and Sparks area according to the Reno Disc Golf Association, and I could only see one other pole in the distance in this canyon near the hill that leads up to the I-595 freeway, and there are others poles that constitute an entire course. The area has a lot of vegetation (sagebrush and other desert plants) so if you happen to lose a Frisbee disc you may not be able to find it easily. If you are interested in playing “Disc Golf” at this location, check out the Facebook group for the Reno Disc Golf Association and join with others who enjoy the sport.

Finally, as this location is close to the Washoe Little League fields there is another playground near those fields close by. Please note that you cannot play on the Washoe Little League baseball fields as they are only reserved for the little league, but you can find others in the area where you can play like the fields at Shadow Mountain Sports Complex in Sparks or Idlewild Park.

Overall, my kids were easily entertained at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground and there no complaints from either of the two kids in the hour that we spent there during my oldest daughter’s soccer practice this past week. We saw another parent bring a picnic for one of the covered areas and then their kids played afterwards. If you’re looking for another park to visit in Reno Nevada, this is a good stop because it is clean, has structures for children of varying abilities and there is a lot of open space for any activities where you might need space like a game of catch or to fly a kite (it’s nearly always windy in Reno, Nevada which makes a day to fly a kite almost every day of the year).

We hope you can check it out and if you have visited this park/playground at South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada in the past, please, give us your thoughts. How did you feel about it after your visit? Do you enjoy visiting the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada? We want to know.

As always, thanks for stopping by Windy Pinwheel.

Where: 15650 Wedge Pkwy, Reno, NV 89511.

What: Playground, park, soccer fields, Frisbee disc golf, horseshoe pits (near the little league fields), volleyball courts (near the little league fields), Washoe Little League fields and covered table areas available by reservation with the City of Reno at (775) 823-6501.

Need to know: When visiting the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada, bring a picnic, bring a kite on a windy day, bring a ball to play catch and if you reserve a covered area with a barbecue pit, bring charcoal briquettes and anything else you need to get a barbecue going.

Extra Extra: Get more information about the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada park on the Washoe County Parks website at https://www.washoecounty.us/

Website/Contact Information: (775) 823-6501, 15650 Wedge Pkwy, Reno, NV 89511, https://www.washoecounty.us/