Wednesday Updates: January 9, 2013

It is in reading the list of tags for this blog via Windows Live Writer, a feature this laptop apparently has, I realize just how many tags Let’s Talk Webkinz has. Well, guess what—now we’re adding more! Introducing the 2013 tag, which we will hopefully use a lot, and Deluxe-W-Shop, which we will hopefully never ever have reason to use again. While we’re off-topic, I recently realized the background for this blog resembles bacon. We now return to the matter at hand.

The first Wednesday update of the year features the addition of new clothing to the KinzStyle Outlet, and…the somewhat pointless conversion of the City Styling Theme, otherwise known as the Mocha theme, to a Deluxe-only W-Shop theme.

--Winterfest 2013 Begins January 11--

Speaking of confusing Deluxe-related shenanigans, the Winterfest challenge is rendered currently unwinnable as one of the tasks is to earn 20 KinzCash playing Waddell’s Icecap Adventure. Not that this a particularly difficult endeavor, but said game was recently converted to a Deluxe-only game. Non-Deluxies are getting the task anyway.

And speaking of Winterfest, it has begun a full 4 days early on January 11, as Asian accounts report the snowflakes already flying. WKN previously reported that this year’s Winterfest would end on the 27th, but they have revoked this previous statement and are now saying it will last from apparently January 11-20. This is still a good nine days of snowflake-catching fun, so get out there!

To learn about the previous 6 years of Winterfest fun—yes, it really has been that long!—check out this page of the Webkinz Insider Wiki. Winterfest takes some dedication, so if you happen to be in charge of dinner, then consult this list of meals compiled by Webkinz Insider staff. These are all meals that are wholesome, delicious, and that can be made in a cinch without having to be constantly attended to.

 

New Clothing Added to KinzStyle Outlet

Yeah, so Deluxe-only clothing remains a thing that exists.

Adventure Parka: 150 KC, Deluxe-only

Boys Green Plaid Shirt: 125 KC (yes, I know, they forgot an apostrophe)

Cat Ear Toque: 80 KC, Deluxe-only (…my question is why would your pet need this)

Cozy Sweater & Scarf: 130 KC (more scarfs YESH)

Howlin’ Hoody Vest: 105 KC (is actually pretty neat)

Knitted Flower Headband: 75 KC

Marshmallow Ear Muffs: 80 KC (finally!)

Polarberry Pants: 110 KC, Deluxe-only

Polished Ice Dress: 130, Deluxe-only

Sweet Snowflake Coat: 200 KC

Warm Toggle Jacket: 180 KC, Deluxe-only

Winter Buckle Boots: 95 KC, Deluxe-only

If you’re interested in more Winter fashions, check out the PJ Collie Peek-A-Newz going on from today until the 31st. This Peek-A-Newz includes three Webkinz Newz exclusive items, which are a black variant of the Winter Buckle Boots, a brown variant of the Adventure Parka, and a green variant of the Cat Ear Toque.

You do not have to be a Deluxe member to win these items!

I do advise that you make use of an ad-blocker, as there is currently a very obnoxious/irritating advertisement for some new show or somethin’ that will pop up around the site.

Wednesday Updates: August 1, 2012

The second half of the Beach House Theme has been added to the W-Shop.

What about that boat closet (fridge?) next to the TV, and the chest under the mirror? We don't know where to find either.

The second half of the theme includes:
Beach House Beachview Window--450 KC Floor-to-ceiling, goes inside the wall, and even comes with two free plants!
Beach House Buoy Mirror--300 KC As usual for mirrors, it's much too high on the wall for your pet to see into it...but unusual for mirrors, it's actually pretty decently sized!
Beach House TV and Stand--650 KC A surprisingly cheap television for its design, it's kind of a wonder that it doesn't fall off of its stand but your pet is sure to love it anyway!
Inground Lap Pool--1,400 KC The most expensive item in the theme, it takes up  4x4 tiles (which is a lot of space, actually) and cannot be rotated. But, it goes indoors, outdoors, and underwater, is animated (you see the water rippling), and your pet can swim around in it! Plus, it only costs virtual money--all-in-all, it's a great deal.

I'm sorry about the horrible quality; this is the best I can do. At least you can understand the basics?

Here, have an animated GIF of it in action! 
Weathered Wood Bed--700 KC Because a theme is never complete until it has a bed!
Weathered Wood Dresser--450 KC It holds 8 articles of clothing.

Total cost of Beach House Theme: 6,820 KC

Ways to Save

• Don't buy the Hot Tub or the Pool. You'll save 2,150 KC for that.
• Use Coupons, of course.
• Use the Funky Girl Wallpaper instead of the Beach House Wallpaper. The Funky Girl walls look almost identical to the Beach House walls, but cost 150 KC less.
• Use the White Pine Wood flooring instead. It costs 150 KC less and is brighter, but less weathered.
• Combine pieces of the plain Beach theme and Blue and White Striped furniture pieces. Both themes will blend with this one, and they were made earlier, so they're cheaper. 
• See what PSI's you can match with this.
• Do the Beach House Theme Peek-A-Newz at Webkinz Newz, so you can get free furniture pieces from this theme and maybe some exclusive pieces, too!

New Theme Added to W-Shop: Beach House Theme

In yesterday's Wednesday update, a new and completely unexpected theme was added to the W-Shop! Behold: The Beach House theme!

The Beach House theme brings a refreshing and simple atmosphere to the room, using only two shades of brown, teal, white, and blue, with occasional golden and turquoise accents. The furniture is all weathered, but clean. Can't you just smell the sea salt in the air?

The theme contains the following items thus far:

Beach House Wallpaper/Flooring: 250 KC each
Weathered Wood End Table: 280 KC
Weathered Wood Coffee Table: 440 KC
Porthole Barrel Hot Tub: 750 KC
Beach House Striped Chair: 350 KC
Beach House Striped Couch: 550 KC
Total cost:  2,870 KC


The next half of the theme should be in by the next Wednesday update on August 1, but in the meantime, you could try adding the classic Blue Striped Bed/Table/Dresser to the room, or maybe mixing it with the Green Leaf theme, which is already meant to be part of a cabana resort, for a sort of a water/earth feel. Experiment!

Wednesday Updates 7/18/12

The Berry Festival begins today!

As you may have heard from Webkinz Newz, today marks the beginning of the Berry Festival! This festival starts today, July 18, and ends on July 29.

During this festival, the following events will occur:

• Floating berries in Webkinz World! Wait for one to fly across the screen, then click on it for a delicious Berry. They actually fly by rather quickly and closely in between, and there are different ones each time they fly! (just take note; they fly by while playing Jumbleberry Fields, too, and if you click on one there expect a 5 minute Please Wait...break)

• Floating berries in Webkinz Newz, too! Here's their schedule; a new one flies each day in a cycle of Polar Berry, Jumbleberry, Sugarberry, Goo-Goo Berry, Pickleberry, and Moonberry. This click-to-win runs until July 29!
• They also moved Jumbleberry Fields to the top of the list of Arcade games.

Jumbleberry Fields finally received an update!

You can now buy Bonus Plays.

One bonus play costs 1.50$, 3 bonus plays cost 3.00$. (in eStore points)

You can choose your own prizes now, and they added new prizes!

IT IS A GOOD DAY
No more will Webkinz World players have to wonder if they just spent the last month collecting Moonberries just to receive a duplicate prize! No longer will their Jumbleberry-themed room go unfinished because of a wrong prize! And in fact, they can add to those rooms, because there are new prizes!
Not only that, but you can see what prizes there are, too! Once you complete your daily play of Jumbleberry Fields and are taken to your collection of jars, you can click on the "Show Prizes!" button. Then click on any jar to see what prizes you can get from it!

Here are the new prizes for each jar:

Jumbleberry

Weathered Barn Bench; Jumbleberry Helmet

Sugarberry

Fresh Baked Sugarberry Pie; Sugarberry Bean Bag Chair

Pickleberry

Jam Maker's Sink; Jam Maker's Fridge

Moonberry

Moonberry Pantry; Moonberry Greenhouse

And now to answer some questions!

Anonymous asks...
"What do you do at the Webkinz Road Trip?"
Lots of things! The events seem to change with each stop the Van makes, but we do know that there are Zumbuddy tosses, Mazin' Hamster Pachinko, Hula Hoop contests, a Hug a Pug dance, Webkinz Trivia, and  a lot more! You can get prizes from almost everything, and people who have gone have brought back at least a couple of boxes of Webkinz plushes, Kinz Klips, Zums, stickers, and trading cards! If the event is held at a toy store, the store sometimes puts their Webkinz on discount for the event, and the van sells 5$ full-sized Webkinz, along with the month's new Webkinz pets, too!

Kat the Cat asks...
"Where's the KinzCash Club?"
Keilee's been busy lately and hasn't been able to update it.

Anonymous asks in regards to the Webkinz free demo accounts...
"I really want to know if you keep the trial pet."
I've had my account since March 22, and it and my Cat, Lettie, are doing fine. I am very much doubting that demo accounts expire, and I know that if you adopt a new pet onto it, that the account is granted full account privileges and you get to keep your Domestic Cat or Mutt.

Brittney asks in regards to the Webkinz Road Trip van...
"Can you come to NC+?"
We have no control over anything Webkinz-related--we're just in charge of this blog and our accounts.

Wednesday Updates: June 20, 2012

The Summer line has arrived in the KinzStyle Outlet.

Also included in the current selection is the fashionable undefined, available in 6 extremely subtly different shades of Background Blue. (seriously though, I don't know what's up with that. Placeholders that messed up for the next update's second half of the line?)

The items that are defined, though, are as follows (from the top left corner to the bottom right corner):

Camo Trucker Cap---190 KC
Dog Bone Belt---60 KC
Floral Long Dress---250 KC
Girl's Khaki Shorts---95 KC (pffft male Webkinz could so wear that)
High Heel Sandals---150 KC
Leather Sandals---75 KC
Lime Green Shorts---80 KC
One Piece Summer Shorts---90 KC ("Nothing says summer like shorts! Your pet will love this one piece pair!" ...a singular item can become a pair while remaining a singular item?)
Rockerz Visor---80 KC
Striped Board Shorts---110 KC (I think this may be recycled from last year)

Show of hands: everyone who thinks the prices are a little inconsistent. [SHORTS! Available for females in brown for 15 KC more! SANDALS! Add heels for 75 KC more!]

Not seeing anything else to report, so I'll add that Webkinz is really going all-out with the "Webkinz is free to play" thing. They've started running in-game ads, reported it on WKN, and updated the home page to relate.

And that demo account I started on March 22 2012 is still operational, so I'm assuming there isn't a time limit for demo accounts. Lettie, the cat who lives in that account, is having her birthday on June 27 (the day before the Summer Sensation) apparently. Woot~ I got no idea how old she is, though. (I give my pets ages based on how old I think they are, not on how long I've owned them.)

Wednesday Updates: June 6, 2012

 Don't forget to log in today for your DiceKinz Trophy!

DiceKinz was sadly brought to retirement today, but players who log in can get a commemorative trophy to remember the game by.

A new game has been added to the Arcade.

This Webkinz Rockerz-themed game is called Rockerz Backstage Dash. In this Home Before Dark-based game, players guide the Rockerz pets to the party while collecting VIP passes along the way for extra points. This game does, in fact, reward players with a trophy--those who collect 4,000 or more points in a single game are given a Rockerz Backstage Pass Trophy, an exclusive and animated prize. Good luck, players!

Two new Challenges have been added.

If you really love a good challenge, then the next Mega Challenge has arrived. The second installment in the recently introduced series of Mega Challenges, it is called "Webkinz Wizard Academy", and is unlocked after the completion of the "Cheerleader Tryouts" Challenge. The rare Magic Cauldron Stove is one of the many prizes in store for aspiring wizards and witches of Webkinz World. 
After the completion of the previously mentioned Mega Challenge, one can do the "Roberta's Birthday" Challenge.

The Wizard Academy Challenge is definitely a blatant reference to Harry Potter--in the first list of tasks, you grow Pumpkins for Herbology, and you win a Wizard hat on a stool that looks like a cheerier version of the Sorting Hat. 

Two SPREE! prizes are scheduled for retirement. 

 

All SPREE! players had better put the pedal to the metal, because on July 4th, 2 prizes will be retired from the SPREE! shopping mall.
So if you have a young percussionist or shopaholic in your Webkinz home, then take note! The Designer Purse and Drum Set will be retired from the SPREE! mall on July 4. The Purse costs 140 Credits; the Drums, 500.

The second half of the Mega Modern Room Theme has been added.

The entire theme's cost ends up at 7,550 if you buy one of each item including wallpaper and floor, which is still pretty cheap.

The new items are...

Cubic Contour Cabinet--550 KC (and holds 10 clothing items)
Dehydrotrope Drink Bar--615 KC (you can put items on it)
Dehydrotrope Drink Bar Chair--200 KC (your pet can sit on it)
LED Entertainment Unit--900 KC (works like a regular TV; priciest item in the theme)
Mosaic Mirror Set--300 KC (decoration only)
Omni Glass Dining Chair--220 KC (your pet can sit on it)
Omni Glass Dining Table--680 KC (you can put items on it)
Oval Contour Cabinet--380 KC (and holds 10 clothing items)
Sonic Sound Waves Set--550 KC (plays music)
Stasis Seat--300 KC (your pet can sit on this item)

I went ahead and picked up the Sonic Sound Waves Set because it is the coolest W-Shop item I have ever seen. It is three tiles wide and one tile long. It actually plays not one, but three different songs! I was actually taken aback by that--I've never known a Webkinz World item to do that. The item is not animated when the songs play. To switch songs, click on the Set again.
Song 1--A faster, jazzier remix of the background music that plays in the SPREE! Shopping Mall. It features a more prominent bass guitar and hi-hat cymbals.
Song 2--A song that reminds me of a sunset during summer vacation. I really have no idea how to describe it.
Song 3--Featuring a saxophone, xylophone, and more drums, this song is slower and more relaxed.
Clicking on it a fourth time turns it off.

Wednesday Updates 23/05/12

A new, Deluxe-exclusive Arcade game has been added.

 

This game is called "Leapin' Llama", a side-scroller in which you help Lulu the Llama to race her way up a mountain while avoiding obstacles.
This game has a trophy! It is obtained by racing 1,500 meters.

The Llama League Cup can only be obtained once per account. It cannot be traded or sold.

There are also two known badges to be won.

The first half of the Mega Modern Room Theme has been introduced to the W-Shop.

I was bracing myself for high prices, and was surprised to find that this theme really doesn't cost much more than the average! To buy the entire first half of the theme, it costs 2,855 KC.

Cryonic Comfort Bed=750 KC
Luminorb Floor Lamp=345 KC
Mega Modern Flooring/Wall=250 KC each
Synthosphane Floor Vase=260 KC
Omni Glass Coffee Table=450 KC
Stasis Sofa=550 KC

I imagine the furniture would blend beautifully if matched with pieces of the Upscale Condo or City Styling themes, both found in the W-Shop as well!

Ganz Reveals Webkinz Boxer; Mega Modern Room Theme

July 2012 is going to be a Webkinz-filled month--this is the 5th pet revealed, and we're not at the Signature yet! The pet shown is the Webkinz Boxer, a happy little guy.

"Mega Modern" it may be called, but I'm detecting more of a sci-fi appearance. Also, note the full, built-in window that's just begging to be ruined by an improperly placed door usually found in eStore walls.

We also have a new W-Shop theme coming up, the first half of which will be released in tomorrow's Wednesday update.
It is called the Mega Modern Room Theme, and the first half consists of the following:
Cryonic Comfort Bed
Stasis Sofa
Omni Glass Coffee Table
Luminorb Floor Lamp
Synthopane Floor Vase
That's a mouthful!
Also, in an unspecified fashion, you can win the following items from WKN:

Glowing Coffee Table, Glowing Vase, and Glowing Lamp. Basically the table, lamp, and flower found in the theme, only glowing and bluer. Placing a Glowing Vase and a Floor Vase on either side of a piece of furniture would work nicely, though.

Happy Birthday to Let's Talk Webkinz!

Let's Talk Webkinz is now 1 year old!

As of today, Let's Talk Webkinz has:
5 followers
248 posts (not including this one)
11,048 pageviews, averaging in 1,000-1,400 a month since December 2011
71 comments

Thank You, Everyone!

Lots of news to report! The Wednesday update is tomorrow, May 9th, but I highly doubt that I will be present to make the list on time, so...have the known updates early! 

 Wednesday Updates: May 9, 2012

Three new Pet of the Month items will be added!

These can be obtained by either trading for them, or by adopting a Pet of the Month during its month--they're basically Exclusive Items given as a bonus for Pets of the Month adopted in their month. 
However, to make room, two POTM items will be retired. They are the Dex's Lugbot Lookout and the Blooming Dandelion, both pictured above. 

The new items are the Caramel Apple Seeds (which grow into Caramel Apples), Volcanic Geyser, and Air Hockey Arcade Unit!

Three new Challenges will be added. 

Deluxe members will be able to take on the Once Upon a Time...Challenge, which is unlocked to them after completing The Big Scoop Challenge.
All WW members can play the New Cat in Town Challenge (unlocked after the Plumpy's Great Advice Challenge), and the Webkinz World Summer Games Challenge (unlocked after the Jungle Safari Challenge).

Wednesday Updates April 25, 2012

Sorry about the delay. Went camping on Wednesday.

The second half of the Spring clothing has been added to the KinzStyle Outlet. 

 

From the top left corner to the bottom right corner, these clothes are:

-Striped Cotton Dress--300 KC

-Layered Skirt--200 KC

-High Cut Runners--175 KC

-Purple Denim Jeans--225 KC

-Long Knit Sweater--185 KC

-Blue Argyle Sweater--190 KC

-Spring Fedora--150 KC

-Beige Toque--80 KC

-Lemon Lime Sash--110 KC

-Checkered Board Shorts--200 KC

Also, three more WKN exclusive clothing items have been added.

GanzWorld Striped Cotton Dress; GanzWorld Layered Skirt; GanzWorld Spring Fedora

 These three items--along with the second half of the Spring line--can be found from April 27-May 9 at Webkinz Newz, in a click-to-win. Just look for the floating PJ Collie to win!

Two new Challenges have been added in Webkinz World.

These next few weeks, at least, will be a doozy for players keeping up with their Challenges!

The first is CampKinz Canoe Trip, which is unlocked after completing the CampKinz Counselor challenge. This Canoe Trip challenge is categorized as a Mega Challenge, which, according to WKN, has "more challenging tasks and better prizes". This challenge is the first Mega Challenge in Webkinz World!

And by Mega, they are not kidding. I just checked, and these are the first three tasks in the challenge:

Ask your friends for 30 Maps

Earn a total of 25,000 points playing Pinky's Big Adventure

And...earn a total of 250 KinzCash playing Zacky's Quest in the Arcade

Dear goodness. It's a good thing that those KinzCash and points will accumulate over plays, so you don't have to get it all in one shot. Let's get to playing, I suppose! 

The second challenge is Plumpy's Great Advice, named after the book of the same name. It is unlocked after completing the Smarty Pants challenge. If you have a free vacation ticket, save it for this challenge--you will need it. This challenge is much easier in comparison to the one above--buy a hat, buy a book, earn 3,000 points in Goober's Lab. There are, however, 6 sets of tasks.

Contrary to what the WKN article said, the Webkinz Road Trip map has not been added to the site. 

The article in question said that the Road Trip map would be added to the site on April 25, but they either haven't put it there yet, or they did and just hid it really well. 

A Retro Replay Video Challenge has been added to the POTM video, "Tiger Tiger". 

The video, which was made for the Bengal Tiger (POTM for July two years ago) featured an unidentified pink monkey wearing some sort of dress that you couldn't find anywhere else. The monkey later turned out to be a Glamorous Gorilla, which was released a few months later. And now, you can get her outfit, too!

Just watch the Tiger Tiger Retro Replay video here, and answer the trivia to win this dazzling Dance Party Dress:

Your pet even wears the bracelets!

And yes, the dress can be traded and sent in KinzPost. 

They finally fixed that thing where when you win stuff it doesn't show up in a window

Here, here, let me explain it.

A lot of months back, Ganz added a feature where, when you won a prize from WKN, a window would appear upon logging into your account that would tell you exactly what you won. This was a really helpful feature, especially for click-to-wins with random prizes, as there is an incredibly high amount of players who had so many items in their docks that they couldn't take the time to discover what they'd won.

Unfortunately, a few months later, accounts with a certain amount of pets found that the window didn't show up for them anymore. Eventually, nobody was able to see the window.

As of today's update, my account with 16 pets on it is able to see the window! (where we discover that we've won yet another rain coat.)

And in Let's Talk Webkinz related news, sometime today, we reached our 10,000th pageview!

Plus, we got 99 pageviews in all of yesterday, which happens to be the current record on this blog. Huzzah! The viewership has been doubled! 

Thank you to everyone for helping us get this far!

Wednesday Updates April 11 2012

The Spring 2012 Clothing Items Released To KinzStyle Outlet; Winter 2012 Line Retired 2 Weeks Earlier Than Announced

Not a large array of clothing this Spring, but what is offered is quite nice! I'm particularly fond of that Zum Buckled Belt.
They are, from upper left to lower right:
Tan Leather Skirt (200 KC)
Denim Dress (325 KC)
Striped Turtle Neck (180 KC)
Spiral Designer Dress (350 KC)
Laced Heels (250 KC)
Gray Cardigan (110 KC)
Polka Dot Rain Boots (125 KC) (does not come with rain puddle)
Polka Dot Rain Hat (90 KC)
Polka Dot Rain Coat (200 KC)
Zum Buckled Belt (75 KC)

In addition to these clothes, three pieces of WKN Exclusive clothing will be available somehow in the future, if you're interested in Springtime Laced Heels, a Springtime Leather Skirt, or a Springtime Cardigan. 

Additionally, the entire Winter 2012 line has been retired a full update later than expected! WKN announced that these clothes would be retired from the KinzStyle Outlet on April 25, but this is apparently no longer true. You can see all of these clothes in this LTW article.

A new Roleplaying room has been added to the Clubhouse. 

This new room is called the "Glam Boutique", and it's the perfect place to let your inner girly girl frolic. (Or to stay far far away from. The WKN article uses the word "glam/glamorous" 7 times not including the headline, so...)
There are lines for a stylist, a receptionist, and a client.

Webkinz have hair. Invisible hair. It's canon!(?)

Congrats, random Jellybean Puppy/Pig/Tawny Pup/Chipmunk, you're in the news. (I'm the Okapi.)

 Webkinz has released a new Lite App for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. 

This game is called "Cloud Corral", and it's free to play up to level 5. It is not in the Webkinz World Arcade, too--app only!

Shiny Zumbuddy! His name is Zoom.

In this game, you need "ample wit and skill" to defeat those clouds sent in by Nafaria. How? We dunno; WKN wasn't too detailed. Buy purchasing the full version of Cloud Corral, you can collect KinzCash to send to your Webkinz World account.

The second half of the Creative Studio theme has been released in the W-Shop.

It consists of :

-Art Easel, 200 KC. Click on it and it will paint a picture for you.
-Art Painting Wall Art, 90 KC. Features the same scene the Art Easel paints.
-Art Station, 400 KC.
-Beanstalk Art Poster, 60 KC. 
-Ice Sculpture Fridge, 780 KC. Can store 6 food items.
-Music Guitar Table, 375 KC. Works like any ol' table.
-Music Note Chair, 250 KC.
-Music Note Wall Art, 50 KC.
-Potter Kiln Oven, 350 KC. Operates like an ordinary oven.
-Potter's Wheel, 550 KC. Complete with chair to sit on.
-Theatre Bed, 800 KC. Exactly what it says on the tin.

So for the price of 7,175 KC to buy the entirety of a creative, innovative theme, that's not too bad!

A new Video Challenge has been added for "Mustache Louie".

By watching the POTM video for the Schnauzer, the Pet for January 2010, and answering some trivia, you will win this Pretty Flower Dress here for your Webkinz pet.

Wednesday Updates 28/3/2012

A ton of new items have been added to SPREE!

This is the first time new items have been added to the game since its debut. They are as follows:

Pink Scooter (950 credits)
Scooter Helmet (90 credits)
Dragon Queen Robe (400 credits)
Raziel Topiary (1,200 credits)
Sand Castle Sofa (650 credits)

The Wheel of WOW has gotten a makeover and a new system.

The "Wheel of WOW" announcement remains the same, but the Wheel of WOW got a facelift today, giving it a sleeker logo, removing the advertisements on the sides, making it spin faster, and changing the look of the windows.

A new feature has been added to the Wheel, too: apparently, by spinning the Wheel 15 times, one wins a Daily Kinzcare prize.

The first half of the Creative Studio theme has been added to the W-Shop.

Sneak peeks for the rest of the theme using Preview? Denied~

The theme contains:
-Art Paint Palette Rug (350 KC)
-Art Sink (475 KC) (both interactive and decoration only! How does that work?)
-Creative Studio Flooring/Walls (150 KC each)
-Fashion Fabric Rolls (285 KC)
-Fashion Mannequin (450 KC)
-Fashion Sewing Machine (600 KC)
-Music Notes Sofa (750 KC)
-Volcano Poster (60 KC) (it's a ceiling-to-floor poster; pretty nice for the price)

In the Kinzville Times article about the theme, we can see that a sort of a cubby for paint, a Beanstalk poster, and a theater-themed bed will be included in the second half of the theme, which will come out in the next Wednesday update on April 11, 2012.

Creative Studio Theme Announced at Webkinz Newz

A new W-Shop theme has been revealed at WKN. 

This theme is called the Creative Studio Theme, and the first pieces have been promised to be added to the W-Shop during the Wednesday, March 28 update. The first half of the theme consists of the following:
Fashion Mannequin, Fashion Sewing Machine, Art Paint Palette Rug, Fashion Fabric Rolls, Music Notes Sofa, Art Sink and Creative Studio Wallpaper and Flooring.

Heh, they left the walls as blank as possible to allow the maximum space for putting in windows and decoration. Clever.

Same thinking with the floor!

It will be the first new, non-seasonal W-Shop theme released since November 2011. This is the perfect theme for artistic Webkinz pets and their owners alike, and it will cover a large amount of the arts, including painting, music, and fashion design.

Wednesday Updates 29/2/12

In a minor note, the icon for the KinzChat phone is slightly edited. Now it turns completely grey when off, has a slightly more noticeable antenna, is slightly larger, and has a very small glow.

 

1. Two new Challenges have been added.
2. Nafaria has returned.
3. The T-Shirt Designer and Solar Suit have been retired.
4. The Lorax gift boxes have arrived.
5. Webkinz World has begun a promotion for Mirror Mirror.
6.  Three contests, a Peek-A-Newz event, and a Click-To-Win have been scheduled at Webkinz Newz.

Check after the break for an in-depth report.

Series 3 Adventure Park Pets Announced

The following 4 Webkinz are announced Series 3 Adventure Park pets. If you own, but have not adopted, any of them, then it is advised to wait until February 29, 2012. From that date forward, they will be considered AP pets.
The pets are: 
Bengal Tiger
Caramel Lion
Pinto Horse
Pink and White Cat

Ganz Announces New Alyssa's Star Challenge Prize: Golden Solar Suit

On the 11th, Ganz announced that they were going to retire the Solar Suit. This is a prize that one gathers, piece by piece, from catching comets that fly across the screen in Alyssa's Star Challenge. This prize has been available since 2008, but on February 29, it will be retired for good.

In its place will be the new Golden Star Suit, a revamped version that is obtained in the same fashion as its ancestor. This costume consists of 5 pieces--the jacket, the pants, the belt, the boots, and the helmet. This fancy fashion will make its debut in the Wednesday update of February 29.

Wednesday Updates 15/2/12

Contrary to what the floating chocolate ribbons insist, the POTM is still the Pom Pom Kitty.

 Check after the break for the full, in-depth list of the Wednesday Updates.

1. Spree now gives out 2 daily rolls, rather than the usual 1. 
2. Ganz has revealed how to get the Sleepy Woodland Dragon.
3. The Lorax promotion has begun in WW.
4. Fijit Friends Newbies are also being promoted.
5. Webkinz Newz has provided sneak-peeks of 4 new Webkinz pets.
6. Webkinz Newz has announced a click-to-win for new Adventure Park clothing. 
7. Three new Challenges have been added. 

Wednesday Updates 1/2/12

As promised, the Valentine's Day Quest has been added to the Adventure Park for anyone to play.


However, the author's computer cannot tolerate a room with 10 Webkinz in it, much less the park with 45 Webkinz in it like the one I found myself in, so details on this new Quest will be added at a later hour, perhaps in its own post. I do know that you have to talk to Alex the Tiger to start the Quest, if this helps anyone, and that, among other neat prizes, the Grand Prize for this Quest is the Chocolate Factory Machine (which is animated, too!).

Remember that this Quest ends when February does, and afterward the Quests are limited to just AP pets, so play while you can!

Three new Exclusives have been added.

In place of the Elephant Fountain, Wading Pool, and Tractor that were retired today, three new Exclusive Items have been added to the Wish Factory. If your pet is a budding scientist, then the Time Machine is for them...make sure they read the user's manual first! Speaking of the past, the Medieval Torch is a perfect addition to that castle your pet's been working on. Or perhaps they prefer to preform? If so, then the Dance Rehearsal Costume Rack will fit nicely in their room. 

Two new Challenges have been added.

Does your pet have team spirit? If you answered yes, then there's a perfect challenge for them: the Cheerleader Tryout Challenge. This is a 3-part challenge. Also, the Kinzville Babysitter Crew Challenge is available, which contains 2 sets of tasks. This Challenge is for Deluxe members only!

Ganz introduces a Retro Video Challenge.

 This is a normal Video Challenge, featuring A Dog With A Bow In Her Hair, the POTM song for the White Terrier, the Pet of the Month for February 2010. After watching this video and answering the questions, you are awarded with a A Dog With A Bow In Her Hair album cover, previously an eStore item. Limit 1 per account per day.

Webkinz Newz is holding a special Valentine's Day Click-To-Win.
Running daily from February 2-14 (excepting Feb. 4 and 11), you are searching for this heart.

Once you find it flying around, click on it to win any of the below prizes...

You can win a Heart Warming Wall Art, Be Mine Sneakers, Love Topiary, or Love Chocolate for your Webkinz World account. Sweet! These are all new prizes, even if some are merely recolored vectors, but hey, freebies. I'll edit this when I find out if the Love Chocolate is decorative or edible.

Wednesday Updates 18/1/12

As promised, the new game, "Scrambled", is out in the Arcade for all to play. 

I express slight concern for the omelet-making chickens.

Valarie VonScribe at Webkinz Newz has posted a how-to video, in case you need a little bit of help. 
In this new game, players are given the role of a chef for a restaurant, serving omelets to hungry Webkinz customers. You earn 1 KinzCash per every 40 points. 
You are given a flat of 12 eggs at the beginning of each level, and they don't regenerate until the start of the next level, so try not to waste them! 

This is what the layout will look like.

At the beginning of each level, a customer will arrive. Click on the customer to get their order.
Wherever the customer sits is where their order appears on that metal clipboard ring up there--for instance, a customer sitting on the far left side of the screen will have their order appear on the far left side of the ring.

Now that you know the customer's order, you can begin to make it. First, click on the egg flat to put the egg in the blender. (the eggshells automatically move to the trashcan under the counter.
Next, click on the bowl with whatever filling the customer wants for their omelet. In this case, it's onion, so click on the bowl with green chunks in it, and it will be added to the blender. Finally, click on the blender to mix it up, and click on the grill in front of your pet to start frying.

At first the omelet will look like this. After a few seconds, it will turn golden brown. Click on it when it does to fold it in half, and wait until it turns golden brown again. Then, click on the customer who ordered that omelet to give it to them.

Now you have served the first customer! Repeat these steps for every customer.
Some tricks I have discovered are:
Put the filling in the blender before the eggs to save a few seconds of time.
You can multitask. For instance, take an order while mixing up the omelet, and serve the omelet to a customer while preparing another one.
If your memory is good, you can try to fry multiple omelets at the same time.
If frying multiple omelets, don't serve one to a customer while pouring another onto the grill. You'll lose the omelet you've just poured.
You can blend the omelet before the filling is all the way to the blender.

Unlike what I previously thought, the customers in the game are totally randomized Webkinz, not some of your own. However, the pet you're playing as is the chef. The game is a good choice for those who play games for KinzCash, however, it can get pretty confusing very quickly. Practice will be key for this game! 
Remember that you get a neat trophy if you get past Level 10. 

To celebrate this new game, Webkinz Newz is having a Click-To-Win. Daily from Jan. 19-27, 2012, (excepting Jan. 21 and 26) watch for a flying omelet at Webkinz Newz. Click on it and fill in the form to win an Omelet, Egg Chair, or Egg T-Shirt! Exciting!

Here they are!

The Clubhouse has been updated, and The Classroom has been added.
Unfortunately, with the new layout, you cannot choose what room number you end up in, as it appears that this system has been done away with entirely and everybody ends up in the same room. 

I've made a list of the gains and losses from this new system.

There are more items added to the Winter 2012 KinzStyle Outlet line.

These items are:

• Blue Earmuffs (120 KC)
• Embellished Foldover Boot (170 KC)
• Flannel Cuff Khakis (210 KC)
• Fuzzy Winter Hat (90 KC)
• Lime Bubble Coat (160 KC)
• Mock Neck Sweater (140 KC)
• Polar Fleece Coat (150 KC)
• Sequin Hemmed Jeans (200 KC)
• Stay Warm Sweater (250 KC)

Goodness, it's expensive for a Webkinz to stay warm in style. 

Three new Challenges have been added. 
 
 They are the Jungle Safari Challenge, CampKinz Counselor in Training Challenge, and CampKinz Counselor.