If there’s one thing I do when I play a game (besides trying to relax and enjoy myself), it’s look up information. I get curious or stuck, and I find myself turning to the internet for answers. There are a lot of good guides out there that are super helpful, but what I don’t see are an abundance of simple and clean visual guides that lay out all the information in one place.
I’ve finished playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits and I loved it! It has quickly become one of my favorite games and I can’t wait to see what Ember Labs brings us in the future!
If you want to find all 100 Rots in the game, I’ve created these guides to help you find them! These visual or infographic guides are separated into two parts to keep the document size smaller. The Rots are organized by their numbers to show the quantity in each area of the map (assigned numbers may vary slightly dependent on what order you collect them), followed by detailed descriptions of where to find them.
Please let me know if you would like me to work on a guide for the other collectibles within Kena: Bridge of Spirits or if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!
Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be baking Merlin’s soft ginger cookies from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone.
This recipe is featured when Arthur drops in on Merlin for the first time. Of course Merlin is expecting him, with tea and these large delicious-looking cookies waiting for him!
I am a fan of chewy cookies and these are perfect! All the taste of a gingersnap or gingerbread, but with more bounce! They pair well with black tea, but I’m sure you could experiment with other types of beverages too!
MERLIN’S SOFT GINGER COOKIES
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water
1/4 cup of molasses
2 tablespoons of sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt, then set this bowl aside.
In another large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and the 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and then the molasses and water to the creamed butter, and mix again thoroughly.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky when ready.
Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour or more, then remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.
Place the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to a small mixing bowl and set it aside.
Scoop out portions of 1 to 2 tablespoons of dough, rolling them into balls bout an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. Toss each cookie dough ball in the bowl of sugar to coat, then place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes (this varies per oven so keep an eye on them) or until the top of the cookie begins to crinkle and the bottom sides turn golden brown.
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire cooking rack to cool completely.
Does anyone else find it harder to carve out some game time now that you have a child? It’s ok, I’m right there with you!
It is challenging to balance providing all the love, support and attention our little ones need with mommy time and/or daddy time, but both are important. So here is my hot take: We all need a time to do what makes us happy to ensure our perpetual happiness around our children. If we are happy and treat them as such, then they will grow in the sunshine of our happiness rather than the cloudiness of our grump. Caring for our children is important, self-care is important.
Playing video games brings me joy and eventually I would love to share that joy with my daughter. Currently she shows some interest, but she’s not quite there yet, so I mostly carve out time to play while she’s sleeping. I wake up early, I utilize her nap time and/or I stay up after her bedtime. There are other things I need to get done too, but If I have the time I will play. I finish games at a much slower pace now, but that’s alright! It all sparks joy!
What brings you joy? When do you find the time to do what you love?
I am a positive gamer and this is a safe space for us all to express our love for games without negativity!
I play games to enjoy and relax. I lose myself in whatever a particular game has to offer, whether that be the plot, the characters, the creativity, the graphics; I appreciate all video games and their creators. If a game does not pique my own personal interests, I don’t attack it, I move on to one that does.
If it’s necessary to review a game, I provide constructive feedback and information, supported by specific examples to help improvement. This feedback should always be offered in a friendly manner with good intentions and that’s exactly what I do!
Reviewing games is useful, but one of my favorite things to do is create unconventional guides for the games I enjoy! I’ve created guides for the animal locations in Okami, the stray bead locations in Okami, the alchemy recipes in Ni No Kuni, and more! I love helping people find what they’re looking for and I intend to make more guides this year so stay tuned!
Are you a positive gamer? Please introduce yourself, I would love to hear from you! What’s your favorite game?
Have you ever intentionally created a family tradition? I haven’t, until now!
My family and I grew up watching the Charlie Brown/Peanuts holiday specials around this time every year with our parents; they all have a special place in my heart, but none more than It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Continuing on with these good feelings and memories, embellishing it to make it our own, here is our new Christmas tradition:
The Friday before Christmas we will make our own marshmallows and hot chocolate, then sip it while we watch A Charlie Brown Christmas!
It’s simple, yet fun and heartfelt like any family tradition should be! Create happy feelings and the happy memories will follow! Feel free to use this idea for your own family tradition, or take it and change it to make it your own!
Christmas is nearly here and we love celebrating every moment!
What better way to celebrate than having a Christmas box! Now when I first heard of these, they were and are referred to as Christmas Eve boxes and presented on Christmas Eve for the family to enjoy, but then some of the items can only be enjoyed for one to two nights before Christmas is technically over, so I’ve decided to just call it a Christmas box and we can present it a week before Christmas to really enjoy its contents!
SUPPLIES
Wood crate
White acrylic paint
Red acrylic paint
Foam paint brushes
Painter’s tape
Matte varnish
Embellishments (optional)
Hot glue (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Paint every other beam of the crate (outside and inside) with white paint and then allow it to dry.
Repeat step 1 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
Once the paint is dry, use painters tape to tape up and protect the edges of the white beams or anywhere else where the red paint may drip or bleed.
Paint the remaining beams and the sides of the crate (outside and inside) with red paint and then allow it to dry.
Repeat step 4 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
Carefully peel off the painter’s tape and coat the whole crate with varnish, this may take two coats to reach the desired coverage.
If you have any embellishments like an ornament or two, carefully glue them on with a hot glue gun and allow it to dry.
Fill it up and enjoy!
If you’re looking for ideas to fill your new Christmas box with here are a few to spark your imagination!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
My family and I have created a list of family friendly Christmas movies and specials for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!
This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated PG for parental guidance suggested; some material may not be suitable for children. If you are looking for movies and specials that are rated G for general audience and good for all ages, please visit last year’s list – Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials Rated G.
Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (PG-rated) Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
To inspire you and your little ones into the Holiday mood, I’ve curated a list of Christmas-themed books for ages five and under! These selections are simple and festive, while remaining short and sweet for the younger audience.
There are a handful of books on this list with a reading age that start under the age of five and peak at the age of 7 or 8.
If you have a favorite Children’s book for children ages 5 and under that you do not see here, please let me know! I would love to add it to this list!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
My family and I have created a playlist of family friendly Christmas music for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!
This year we’ve decided to focus more on music from all our favorite Christmas children’s movies and specials, with a few other songs sprinkled in that fit the mood.
Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!
THE POLAR EXPRESS
Spirit of the Season
When Christmas Comes to Town
The Polar Express
Hot Chocolate
Suite from the Polar Express
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
A Holly Jolly Christmas
Jingle Jingle Jingle
We are Santa’s Elves
Silver and Gold
The Most Wonderful Day of the Year
Christmas Medley: The Night Before Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
There’s Always Tomorrow
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN | Frosty the Snowman
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY |The Little Drummer Boy
OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
Ring in the Season
That Time of Year
When We’re Together
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS
Belle’s Magical Gift
As Long As There’s Christmas
A Cut Above The Rest
Deck the Halls
Do You Hear What I Hear?
O Christmas Tree
O Come, O Come Emmanuel / Joy To The World
Silent Night
The First Noel
The Twelve Days of Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
What Child Is This?
A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
Overture
Good King Wenceslas
It Feels Like Christmas
Thankful Heart
Bless Us All
Christmas Scat
Christmas Morning
THE NUTCRACKER BALLET
Overture
March
Waltz of the Snowflakes
Sugarplum Fairy
Hot Chocolate
Coffee
Tea
Candy Cane
Marzipan
Mother Ginger and Her Polichinelles
Waltz of the Flowers
Sugarplum Fairy and Cavalier Coda
Finale
BABES IN TOYLAND
Babes in Toyland Overture
Toy Land
March of the Toys
EMMET OTTER’S JUGBAND CHRISTMAS | Our World / Brothers
KERMIT THE FROG |Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have you ever intentionally created a family tradition? I haven’t, until now!
My family and I grew up watching the Charlie Brown/Peanuts holiday specials around this time every year with our parents; they all have a special place in my heart, but none more than It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Continuing on with these good feelings and memories, embellishing it to make it our own, here is our new Thanksgiving tradition:
The Friday before Thanksgiving we will gather and/or create buttered toast, popcorn, pretzels and jelly beans, all the food the kid’s feast on in Thanksgiving Charlie Brown. We will snack on these treats while we watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
It’s simple, yet fun and heartfelt like any family tradition should be! Create happy feelings and the happy memories will follow! Feel free to use this idea for your own family tradition, or take it and change it to make it your own!
Whole Heartily 