Mattel Celebrates 80th Anniversary with Ruby Collection

Hi Friends, 

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT), a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world, is celebrating its 80th anniversary with the preview of the limited-edition Mattel 80th Ruby Anniversary Collection. This milestone pays homage to the company’s legacy of inspiring play and innovation, pairing its signature red with striking ruby accents across beloved products.

The range, which will be unveiled for the first time at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, features a collection of products from iconic Mattel brands, including collectible Barbie dolls, Polly Pocket compact playsets, Hot Wheels vehicles, a ruby-red Magic 8 Ball, a special edition UNO deck, a Thomas & Friends die-cast engine, and a reimagined Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone. Each item reflects the legacy of innovation and joy that Mattel has brought to generations of children and fans worldwide. Founded 80 years ago in a Californian garage by Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold Matson, Mattel has transformed how generations of children play, inspiring dreams and leaving an indelible mark on global culture. To commemorate this remarkable journey, Mattel will celebrate 2025 with this product unveiling being the first in a year-long journey that reflects its vibrant history and commitment to delighting fans of all ages.

Since its founding, Mattel has made giving back a core part of its mission, embedded in its culture and amplified through the purpose of its iconic brands. In celebration of its 80th Anniversary and Ruby collection, Mattel will Play it Forward by donating resources to Save the Children in the U.S. and U.K., marking 20 years of partnership with the global humanitarian organization. Since 2005, Mattel has supported Save the Children’s education and emergency response programming.

Speaking about the launch Lisa McKnight, Chief Brand Officer, Mattel said: “As we celebrate 80 years of inspiring play and sparking imaginations, the Mattel 80th Ruby Anniversary Collection reflects our rich history and commitment to innovation. This collection pays tribute to our iconic brands and the millions of fans who have made Mattel a cherished part of their lives for generations.”

Featured Products from the Mattel 80th Ruby Anniversary Collection:

Barbie™Barbie® 

• Mattel 80® Doll (JGD25)SRP: €14.99 | Ages: 3+ | Available: Spring 2025
• Dressed in a ruby-red party dress adorned with a festive bow and a bodice inspired by the iconic Mattel logo, this collectible Barbie doll celebrates Mattel’s long legacy of play. Accessories include silvery heeled sandals and a matching necklace, perfect for fans and collectors alike.
• Mattel 80® Anniversary Barbie® Signature Dolls (JBJ17/18)SRP: €84.99 | Ages: 6+ | Available: Fall 2025
• This elegant collector’s doll pays tribute to Mattel’s legacy with a glamorous design draped in radiant ruby red, a stunning representation of the company’s milestone anniversary.

Polly Pocket™

• Polly Pocket Ruby Red Ring Box (JGK21)SRP: €14.99 | Ages: 4+ | Available: Fall 2025
• Celebrate with Polly in a heart-shaped Ring Box Compact featuring a transparent glitter finish. Inside, Polly doll enjoys a festive party scene complete with a balloon animal pet and a removable, adjustable cake-themed ring.

GamesUNO® 

• Mattel 80th Ruby Red Edition (JGK30)SRP: €12.99 | Ages: 7+ | Available: Fall 2025
• This celebratory edition of UNO features graphics inspired by Mattel products, combining classic gameplay with a nod to the company’s storied past.

Magic 8 Ball™ 

• Ruby Red Edition (JKG11)SRP: €12.99 | Ages: 6+ | Available: Fall 2025
• The classic fortune-telling toy gets a ruby-red makeover to mark the anniversary, inviting fans to celebrate decades of joy and innovation.

Hot Wheels™

• Hot Wheels® Pop Culture Kool Kombi (JBL68)SRP: €2.39 | Ages: 3+ | Available: Spring 2025
• This premium Hot Wheels vehicle celebrates iconic pop culture properties with authentic details and display-worthy packaging.
• Hot Wheels Core Mattel 80th Anniversary 5-Pack (JGK08)SRP: €11.95 | Ages: 3+ | Available: Fall 2025
• A must-have set featuring Hot Wheels classics like Bone Shaker and Twin Mill, each adorned with special 80th-anniversary decos in collectible packaging.

Thomas & Friends™

• Thomas & Friends Small Die-Cast Mattel 80th Engine (JFV72)SRP: €13.99 | Ages: 3+ | Available: Fall 2025
• This collector’s edition die-cast Thomas engine features premium metallic-colored paint and rolling stock cars, perfect for fans and collectors.

Fisher-Price®

• Fisher-Price® Red Chatter Telephone™ (JGG97)SRP: €15.99 | Ages: 1+ | Available: Fall 2025
• The iconic Chatter Telephone pull-along toy is reimagined in Mattel’s signature red, complete with a spinning dial, realistic ringing sounds, and moving eyes to engage little ones.

The Mattel 80th Ruby Anniversary Collection is a testament to the company’s enduring commitment to play, innovation, and cultural impact. Fans and collectors can look forward to these collectible items beginning Spring 2025, with additional products rolling out through the year.

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Mattel Leads The Way with Eco-Friendly Toys @Mattel @FisherPrice

Hi Guys, 

Fisher-Price Eco Rock-A-Stack turns Learning & Development into an Eco-Friendly Play Time.

26.8 million toys are thrown away yearly, leading to an ever-growing negative impact on the environment. As most are made of plastic, which is thought to be durable, sturdy and also washable, but Mattel is looking to change the narrative by producing environmentally friendly products like the Eco Rock-A-Stack.

It’s not always easy to find products that are made with sustainability in mind. Eco-friendly choices can now start even before your baby is born, and impact more than just an environmentally conscious consumer, but also the parent looking for safe toys that aid learning and development.

The iconic Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack toy features a bat-at-rocker base and 5 colourful rings to grasp and stack. This adorable gift set is loaded with hands-on play that helps your baby develop dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills.

Now made from Sugar Cane with a minimum of 90% ethanol extracted, this family-favourite toy is reducing your carbon footprint and the impact of plastic waste on the environment, and also as a grasping, stacking and sorting toy, it helps develop fine motor skills and problem-solving skills for babies ages 6 months and older.

Cheers!!!

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A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Oct 2020 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends, 

October 2020 saw 20 posts going live on my blog as I got some time from my project work for an Australian client. I was hopeful to see myself going there and settling there but it didn't happen as I kept waiting for the opportunity but the VISA restrictions didn't allow me to even start the process. I thought it's better you start working where you have the VISA if you don't want to work and go back to India. Though overall in all this project closure to finding a new project in South Africa took me more than 10 months and due to which all benefits like home rent, insurance and many other things were taken away and I had to survive on my savings. Coming out of this, I found that it's always great to be self-dependent on your skills rather than the company you are working for. You should quickly change when there is an opportunity to add some layers to your salary. 

1. #HuaweiWatchGT2e @HuaweiZA Watch - Is it really Smart? #ProductReview - I received this Huawei Watch for review and used the same for some days. I didn't love the watch that much as compared to the features of the Huawei Watch GT2 but I received a brand new one at the end of the year 2020 and it's been showcased on my wrist since Jan-21 this year. 

2. Unboxing @CanonRSA #CANONeosM50 Mirrorless #vLogging Camera #LiveForTheStory - I started my youtube channel and started shooting a lot of videos to be shared on my channel. I also thought that to increase the SEO of the channel, I should share them on my blog posts too. This post is part of that exercise and I am still using the Canon South Africa EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera with kit lens 15-45mm. I got this camera last year in May 2020, just before I shifted houses. I only opened the same in my rented flat thereafter. 

3. Gadgets I Own @SonyElectronics #SRSBTV5 Bluetooth Speaker #SonyAudio #ProductReview - Sony Audio products are awesome and during the launch of the James Bond movie SKYFALL in 2012, I was participating in a lot of Twitter contests in India. This awesome Bluetooth speaker came as a prize and is still better than most of the speakers in terms of audio quality. The size and design of this speaker are amazingly unique and great. 

4. @FujiFilm_SA X-T30 #NewLittleGiant #XT30 Mirrorless Camera #ProductReview - Fujifilm sent their X-T30 mirrorless camera for review and I did some photoshoots with the same. I really love Fujifilm products and their unique retro design. The price of these mirrorless products is equivalent to or more than the mid-level DSLR cameras but they offer portability and are lightweight with full features to take your photography to the next level.

5. @ORICO_Official #2588US3 2.5" HDD Enclosure #ProductReview 

@AstrumAfrica #AstrumEN250 2.5" SATA HDD Enclosure #ProductReview - I also did review some of the HDD enclosures I bought for some of the small hard drives coming out of my laptops. I posted the product review directly on my Youtube channel which you can watch them too. 

6. Life Lessons Becoming Skills with #MegaBloksSA #BlokfestSA @FisherPrice #FisherPriceSA
Introducing #LinkimalsSA Llama - Lights and Colours #FisherPriceSA @FisherPrice - My kids got some assignments with Mattel and Fisher-Price products to check out their products and I was blogging about them. Some of the money I made last year was through some of these assignments. Thanks to Mattel South Africa for the same.

October 2021 - I am waiting for some gadget which I am waiting for since August-21 and can't wait to receive the same. I am not so sure when I will get it but I am looking forward to the same. I also got my South African Driving License card and had a wonderful trip to the Northern Cape which was my first one to the area. Totally loved that part of South Africa and there are some great unexplored national parks that need an SUV to travel for sure. 

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

8 Years of www.TheLifesWay.com #TheLifesWay #BlogAnniversary #8YearsofTheLifesWay #2222Post

Hi Friends, 

1 Dream to make The Life's Way a brand to reckon with!

8th Blog Anniversary on 27th December 2020 

2.86 Million Pageviews Achieved on 2222 Blog Posts

Reached Local Guides Level 9 Top Contributor in Johannesburg, South Africa

26 Million Photo Views Achieved on Google Maps with 10550 Photos

186k Views on 201 Reviews Posted for Google Maps #LetsGuide #LocalGuides

Posted 75 Videos on The Life's Way - Youtube Channel

235 minutes of new content

6192 likes on the videos

159,785 minutes watch time by viewers

315,249 views in 2020

Crossed 700+ Subscribers and gained 576 subscribers in 2020

#TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra

Thousands of photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Thanks to everyone who contributed and collaborated in the growth of The Life's Way! 

2020 has been an internal and external struggle between myself and the brands who were not providing me with any value in terms of any invites, review units or media or press drops or sponsored gadgets from time to time. Internal struggle in terms of heartbreaks I did of the executives working for the various PR companies who have been in constant touch with me for multiple years but didn't realize that I could say No. External struggle in terms of some of the brands taking my name off their lists of press releases and other invites whatsoever or anything happenings around their products. 

Meanwhile, I took out all the thousands of posts done for many brands in the mid of 2020 but then at the end of 2020, I thought that I have done all the hard work to put them on my blog so why take them down. It's bringing me some traffic and if the brand notices this then it will be a favour from my end to them considering my heart is bigger than them. Thought this kind of emotional atyachaar is not valued in the business world but I am an emotional fool. 

The biggest moment of my life was getting to meet Technical Guruji at Delhi Airport in Jan 2020

Let's start on the achievements and gratefulness for the gadgets and products received during 2020 even when it was lockdown for most of the part in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sometimes in life, you just have to ask the universe or the person in charge of something you desire and wants to have in your life. My first such experience came through when I asked the Huawei PR company for FreeBuds 3 and out of the blue they told me that we can give you one to blog about and keep also. I just picked up the same before the lockdown started in Johannesburg from their office. Many thanks and the same has been my partner in crime since the whole year or so. 

Huawei FreeBuds3 in Red

Similarly, I have been eyeing a great audio product from 1More called Stylish earbuds but they told me that a new one is coming on the market soon and you can review that one. I waited for some time and when the lockdown opened for the courier to start delivering - I received this awesome device called 1More ColorBuds which also my wife and I am using on a daily basis. She is using it more for her morning and evening walks and yoga exercises and I am only using it to attend to some office calls on MS Teams. 

1More ColorBuds

This year I joined the Huawei Developers Program and received some goodies from them from time to time by participating in their contests and attending their development sessions throughout the year. From t-shirts to pen drives to mugs to some of their most sought after products, you can win them all. I won some of the audio speakers I always wanted to have and also one of the Huawei Band 4e for my daughter just before her birthday. 

I upgraded myself from Samsung Note 8 (Bought from Amazon India in 2018) to Note 20 this year and it was a great feeling. I still feel that the camera on the Note 8 is better as compared to the Note 20 but thanks to Samsung for always creating new devices. This year I got invited to their online launch event after a gap of at least 3 years and got to eat some of the great snacks and drinks and check out the various products on display at their office. 

I also started using the Canon EOS M50 camera for shooting my youtube content and felt so great to become one of the vloggers in the world who trust their M50 to the core. Most of the videos on my Youtube channel as well as my daughter's Keisha Youtube channel are shot using the M50 camera. If you have not followed me on the channel, please hit the Subscribe button.

The photo was taken using Vivo Mobile X50 Pro

vivo Mobile send me their X50 Pro Smartphone for review and also one of their new Neo TWS earphones which are still not used by me and will be unboxed in 2021 on my youtube channel. I totally loved the smartphone and wanted to hold onto the same but the budgets were not there to sponsor me the same. My wife wants to own the phone which I will gift her after buying it from India as the price difference is really huge and it's almost half the price there. 

26th Jan 2020 was the day when we met again after a long gap of many years since our MBA together!

After a gap of many years, Montecasino sponsored my 40th birthday dinner at one of my favourite restaurants named Thava Indian Restaurant and I had a quiet lovely delicious dinner with my family during the lockdown restrictions were relaxed. I also got the chance to join various other dinner and lunch events by Dine Jozi Style - Edward and enjoy some of the great evenings in the great company of like-minded people. 

My best friend since June 1997 first day of Engineering College

I also got to do some of the sponsored posts for Mattel which Keisha did on her Youtube channel and if you like her videos and wants to send her products to review do send me an email and we can feature your products and toys. 

My first time to Golden Temple in Amritsar in Jan 2020

We also visited India in Jan 2020 and had an awesome trip in Dubai (Feb 2020) on our return where we got to see the famous sightseeing points in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I really enjoyed it but we didn't shop as 4 days is too little to go on a shopping spree in Dubai if you are a first time visitor. My brother too flew in from California and he hired a Land Cruiser Prado which made roaming around in Dubai much easier. 

At the end of the year, for the first time in the life of The Life's Way - I received the Christmas Gifts from Samsung in terms of Galaxy Buds Live and from Huawei too in terms of Huawei Watch GT2e which are going to my daily devices in 2021. I still have to unbox them and start enjoying which I am planning to do it on the 8th anniversary day of my blog i.e. 27th December 2020. Before this, I only received a Christmas gift from Montecasino once long ago maybe in 2015 which were some gingerbread snacks and a soft toy. 

Thanks to all of the readers, brands and PR companies for trusting me with your products and services. I hope I have been able to do justice to them. I look forward to a great 2021 for my blog and youtube channel and will focus on getting the niche which is Lifestyle and Technology. Have a great festive season and a Merry Christmas and wishing you all a great Happy New Year 2021!

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

Introducing #LinkimalsSA Llama - Lights and Colours #FisherPriceSA @FisherPrice

Hi Friends,

Fisher-Price has been the world leader in providing great toys to keep our kids entertained and when they also learn something new, nothing like that. I came across these Linkimals and really love this colourful representation of some 5 not so known animals to kids as generally the books are filled with Elephants, Lions, Tigers, Rhino and Cow etc. The animals chosen by Fisher-Price for this Linkimals range of products is Sloth, Otter, Moose, Hedgehog and Llama. I really appreciate the fact that these were new to me too as earlier in my life, I have never seen toys based on these animals. The basic idea behind these Linkimals is that these toys come with the motto of "We Link, We Sync, We Play and Learn Together". 

The toy my kids received was Llama - Lights and Colours which teaches Stacking and Colours to kids from 9 months onwards. My little one started saying open open open as soon as he saw what's inside the box delivered by the courier. Stacking was something new to my 2 and half-year-old child and this one really played beautiful songs every time you place or take out these ascending sized plastic doughnuts or rings on the stacking pillar. The stacking exercise really brought fun sounds, lights and encouraging phrases as my son figured out how to drop the rings around their Llama. Also, Llama has more than 25 songs, sounds, tunes and phrases (like Hello; Let's Play; Hello Friends; How are you today?; Peek-a-boo!; Llama; Keep Stacking). 

Coming to the second function of the toy is Colours. When you press the Llama's head, the kids will get a round of colourful lights and songs including one about colours also. Plus, when Llama recognizes other Linkimals friends, they create a synchronized music and light show! so you can definitely all of them to your collection every season for your kid. So these are the 5 toys in the range and each performing a different learning experience for your kids and babies ages 9 months and older. 

Sloth - Smooth Moves - R750

Otter - A to Z - 

Moose - Musical - R300

Hedgehog - Happy Shapes - R650

Llama - Lights and Colour - R450 

Koala - Counting - R700 ( I found this on ToysRus Website)  

All these toys definitely bring about a great learning experience as it engages your baby's developing visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Also, it develops their Curiosity & Wonder as the baby discovers the fun of cause and effect as they press the various button to activate music and lights. The Llama works on 3 AA batteries (included in the package) and has a power on-off along with 2 volume settings to control the audio. 

Linkimals: https://www.fisher-price.com/en-us/shop/brands/linkimals

They are available in SA already at all leading retailers: https://www.toysrus.co.za/fisher-price-linkimals-musical-moose-interactive-toy-with-music-lights-and-learning-content

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

Introducing #Thomas&FriendsSA Track Master #ThomasDieselTunnel Blast @FisherPrice

Hi Friends,

It was a stressful week as my son got hurt falling from the chair and there were 5 stitches on his chin in an emergency running from one hospital to another for around 3 hours just after my birthday. He is still afraid of the chair now but got to enjoy and get introduced to something he could play with sitting on the floor and contains no sharp objects which can hurt him. As a parent that the first thing, we should look in all the toys that they are safe and build with right kind of material. 

Thomas and Friends is a famous British Children's animated Television series which was released in 1984 and since then we have seen the same in various avatars across different kinds of merchandise. Mattel has been in the forefront to launch various kind of models along with track and hurdles from time to time. I got this Thomas and Friends Track Master - Diesel Tunnel Blast for my son from Mattel and he had great fun for some days during these times. 

Thomas and Friends Track Master Diesel Tunnel Blast is a push along with a model for kids aged 3 to 7 years old. The package contains 137cm of the track which has valleys and peaks along the way. It also has a little tunnel and you can place some hurdles (3 comes in the package) which the speeding train displaces on the track to reach the endpoint. This only activity brings a lot of fun for kids as they like things getting displaced from their original location. The end side of the track has a stopper which stops the train from going any further. 

The assembly is very simple and will require an adult if the kid is 3-4 years old but the elder kids can do it themselves as the sockets are fixed and keep the track in place along the whole route. Overall it's a fun activity you can do all day long as the train can be moved back and forward using the little push of your hands on the track. The engine we got was Diesel who is the main antagonist in the TV series and the build quality is really good. Diesel is made in metal and is solid despite all the hurdles in front of him. 

Overall, it's a toy that every growing kid needs to play with if they love trains and tracks. Diesel Tunnel Blast set is available on the online or retail channels for about R379 only. You can order one from takealot here at R339 only. This is an entertainment for the whole family as I also loved setting up the track and then rolling down the Diesel along the path to displace all the hurdles at the end of the tunnel. The plastic is good quality too as we expect from Mattel and Fisher-Price. Thanks to Fisher-Price for sending the toy for my son to play with. For more photos and video, do check out the various social media platforms. 

Cheers!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too. Namaste!

Time To Learn Smartwatch #FisherPriceSmartWatch @FisherPrice @Mattel

Hi Friends,

Fisher-Price makes some of the best toys for babies, toddlers and kids. I recently received one of the smartwatches for my younger son who is aged 30 months old.

This is from the Laugh and Learn Series which really are made to teach kids colours and greetings and comes in the form of Smartwatch with blinking lights and various buttons which can be toggled and a dial which can be rotated to help develop the motor skills of small kids.

Time to Learn Smartwatch is suitable for kids of age range from 6 months to 3 years and made to bring playtime to kids all the time. There are 2 buttons to press, a dial to spin, clackers to shake and a soft band to grip. This oversized watch is styled for big fun for kids of all age groups until 3 years. One of the buttons plays the music and there are about 6 songs which play in successions along with blinking disco lights in different colours which really makes it great.

The other button is for greetings which when presses gives about 11 different messages from colours to numbers (1-2-3) too. The smartwatch works on 3 small button cell (AG12/LR44) batteries which come pre-installed in the package so that your kid is ready to enjoy the same. It is also good for travel as it keeps the hands of kids busy with the clicker and the toggle switch which doesn't perform any action in terms of electronics functions etc.

Thanks to Fisher-Price and Mattel for sending the same for my son and this is priced at around USD 9.99 and can be found in any of the local stores for kids toys. The best part about fisher-price is that the quality of their plastic is really good and safe for kids. The colours on the strap are also catchy and kids will pick it up as they are gets easily attracted to the blinking lights and music. 

Cheers!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too. Namaste!