I am not sure if this will really be spoiler answers or not but thought I better put that in the subject line.

What new furnishing items (BBQ, Lawn Chairs etc) really DO anything? I know the radio allows them to dance and bath upgrade they can warm hands....what else?

Does the tool box work?
Can they sit in the chairs?
any advantage to the bird house?
Can they cook on the BBQ?
ETC

Trying to decide if I SAVE or SPEND my hard earned money??

Thanks!

The toolbox, as it says in its description if you click on it in the store...

The lawn chairs (aka Patio) - Yes, our friends can sit in the chairs, and I'm not certain, but I think I caught a glimpse of one sleeping in the patio chair

Bird House - advantage - I think it's terribly cute to listen to them whistle at the birds. Otherwise, none found personally by me. You never know though.

BBQ - They certainly can, and seem to enjoy the activity. However, I can not vouch for them eating BBQ'ed food or it helping with their "Fed" Bar.

They can also feed the birds.

It was funny to see one of them lugging a huge loaf of bread across the yard.

I agree, Tuna. What is even funnier is to see them get a similar loaf of bread to feed the fish!

Hmmm ... I have the grill for one of my families, but I've never seen them using it. Do they have to be *taken* to the grill to use it?

You can do that or I got a notice of a barbecue party once.

sometimes one of them will just bbq on their own, sometimes they all run out. it doesn't seem to feed them, and it doesn't seem to affect the amount of food i have in the fridge. i think it's just for fun.
i just got my first birdhouse. that should be fun

Regarding the birdhouse, besides "calling the birds" and "feeding the birds" there is an event that can happen if you have both the bird house and the bird bath repaired. I won't say what the event is as that might spoil it for you, but having both can trigger an event -- although it has only happened in one house for me and I have both in several now.

Regarding the bbq, on another thread where people were talking about young kids being orphaned, someone said that if they have a bbq that they can eat using that. Hasn't yet happened to me so I don't know, but just to be on the safe side I did just buy the bbq for a couple where the father is 63 and the mother is 58 and they have an 8 year old biological son and an 8 year old adopted son. I don't want to open my game and find them both dead and the boys still too young to cook, so I got the bbq just in case.

I haven't yet bought the lawn chairs and was wondering whether they could "nap" in them or not. I do buy the hammock though for all my households -- a holdover from when we were still having sleeping problems in the earlier versions.

eta -- Hi Lewanda! I checked back on this thread and saw your post but also saw that someone else had already posted the answer. I just got done putting your new head mods into my game, haven't gone in yet to see what they look like, but I'm sure I'll love them as I love all your other stuff. Hate to admit it, Lewanda, but I don't know how to hide spoilers. That's the main reason I didn't want to put it into my post.

Hi Sweetheart,

I'd sure like to know what that event is, as I have both the bird feeder and birdbath in all my games, yet nothing has happened other than the birds bathing in the bath and the peeps calling and feeding the birds by the birdhouse.

The bbq is something the family can do together. You can hear chewing sounds, but it doesn't affect their fed bar.

They don't nap in the patio chairs, but everything they do for relaxation makes them live a bit longer...I think.