Lego The Keeper's Village 71747

 I am beyond thrilled with this set.  From first seeing the pre-release images I knew that this was a must buy for me just because of the minifigures but this is the set that just keeps giving.  It has everything from fun building experience to a massive amount of playability and I am a big fan.

What I didn't realise on purchasing it was that the snake mouth actually moves, trust me I spent longer than is reasonable playing with just that mechanism and grinning like I need to be enroled on a 12 step program.  Beyond that the totem pole comes in sections so you can take it apart really easily for making your own story.

The whole set just looks so good, I was surprised at how much detail is on the actual background.  Lovely little touches that just raise the whole aesthetic beyond what I expected.  Even better it looks great on my shelf with my pirate theme because of the whole desert island theme.

Can you tell I am super excited by this set?

Lots of fun techniques employed here and I did have to really concentrate in some sections to get them just right.  I always appreciate that as couple it with some fun moving parts and it means I get all excited when building and that's what Lego is all about for me.

Please Note: The baseplate in the minifigure image is just for display purposes and not part of the set.

Number Of Pieces: 632

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.07

Build Time: 2 Hours

 

Why not check out my You Tube review of the set:

 

Lego Budgie 40443

 I went back and forwards with this one as the adult budgie is a really cool looking build but the baby one is somehow lacking the detail of the larger bird.  I get that there is a scaling issue but using 1x1 pieces would have allowed more detail on the small one, after all there are a lot of 1x1 tiles and slopes used on the larger bird to create the feathers and they look incredible so why use 1x3 so much on the small one?

Overall they do make a lovely display set and if you are a bird owner these are a definite must have as they look so cool on display.  The blend of yellow and green is so traditionally Budgie that you can tell immediately what they are going to be but I think I would have preferred a less traditional colour way because I am ornery like that.  Nice and sturdy too and despite being knocked down the hallway with a stray shopping bag no bits fell off either the birds or the tray.

A lot of fun to build and slightly different techniques used on both birds so you don't get jaded with the build.  Although, it is a nice quick one to construct so you aren't likely to zone out of the build.  Definitely draw the eye on display and make a nice little ornamental piece.

Number Of Pieces: 261

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.05

Build Time: 30 Minutes

 

Why not check out my Build With Me of this kit:

 

Lego Goldfish 40442

 These are quite possibly my absolute favourites of the Brick Headz Pets range.  The overall design of these fish is absolutely incredible and they genuinely look like chubby little goldfish.  The little flashes of transparent tiles to replicate scales is just the chefs kiss on top of a beautiful looking set.  The fact they are mounted on transparent columns just adds to the overal look of the set and I have seen some great mods of this set in to full on fish tank scenes.  Mine are just basically displayed at the moment but maybe one day.

The build itself was a lot of fun and I found it really enjoyable to watch these little creatures appear beneath my fingers.  A nice range of brick types are used so it has a wonderful texture to both of the fish and the builds are slightly different on each fish so you don't get bored with the build part way through.

Wonderfully sturdy and survived being knocked across the hallway by a shopping bag.  No bits dropped off and they just clipped back on to the base no worries.  The bright orange just looks so eye catching on the shelf they definitely make a talking point piece.  Very, VERY, happy with this set and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Number Of Pieces: 186

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.07

Build Time: 25 Minutes

 

Why not check out my Build With Me of the kit:

 

Lego Shorthair Cats 40441

 Admittedly I am a crazy cat lady in making so these were an absolute no brainer for me to buy when I saw they were due for release.  They do look super cute on the box and I wasn't disappointed with them when built - one good thing about Lego pack art is it sometimes seems to undersell the finished product, not in this case but it does happen.

The build itself is relatively straightforward and what you would expect from a Brick Headz range - down to the little pink brain tucked away inside (yes, I do have an obsession with that pink brick).  Not sure why this one took me so long to construct, I would have thought half an hour was nearer the mark.

They do fit well on the base and are nicely sturdy.  I did knock them off the shelf with a shopping bag the other day and there was no nasty scattering of pieces all over the floor and I just needed to clip them in to place on the base again.  Huge relief!  One thing I will note is that I am sure the tail is shown being fitted upside down in the book so I reversed it and it looks much better at the back now.

Cute, fun build for a nice display piece.

Number Of Pieces: 250

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.05

Build Time: 45 Minutes

 

Why not check out my Build With Me of this kit:

 

Lego German Shepherd 40440

 3.5 Stars

I was really looking forward to building these.  I'm not a dog person but the idea intrigued me and I was interested to see how they would work within the Brick Headz format.  Sadly the aesthetic of the German Shepherd just doesn't translate that well in my opinion.  I will be honest and say they look more like a Pug to me than a German Shepherd.

The build itself was fun and brought something new to the table for the Brick Headz range.  Nice to see that they still had a little pink brain which made me happy.  Not too sure why they took me so long to build as they are relatively straightforward, I think I was just out of practice.  Honestly, expect these to take about half an hour.

Nice and sturdy when built and seat well on the tabs inside the bed base.  They do look cute on display even if I feel a little let down in the overall appearance.

Number Of Pieces: 247

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.05

Build Time: 45 Minutes

 

Why not check out my Build With Me of the kit:

 

April 2021 Smyths Haul

 So, I think we've already established I have a major problem with purchasing Lego.  Even worse, I seem to have infected my son with the same issue.

So, off we went to Smyths Toys on Saturday and it turned in to a bit of an epic: