Grab a blanket and your gaming console of choice, and let’s settle into the wonderful world of cosy gaming

During the first lockdown of 2020 I made an excellent decision; to purchase The Sims 4. I’ve always been a fan of The Sims, a game where you create ‘Sims’, build houses and help them pursue their aspirations, but I hadn’t played since I was a teenager. Lockdown presented an opportunity to pick up this hobby and I haven’t looked back.

It seems I am not alone here. The Sims is considered a ‘cosy game’ and while the term ‘cosy gaming’ has been around for a while, it strolled into the mainstream during the pandemic – remember when everyone from actor Elija Wood to US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was playing Animal Crossing?

While the initial uncertainty and panic from those times has somewhat settled, new worries and uncertainties seem to fill its place. So it’s no surprise more of us are seeking different avenues to relieve stress.

What is cosy gaming?

A cosy game generally means there are no high stakes or difficult challenges. The aim of the game is to, quite simply, have fun.

“The atmosphere, the music, the visuals and the gameplay make a game cosy.” Video game artist Dan Francis explains.

“A lot of cosy games are focused around small towns or farms, generally with a lot of nature around and a small but welcoming group of characters to interact with. The calming music along with the sounds of chirping birds and crickets, all whilst surrounded by a beautiful natural environment can feel very relaxing.”

Those who embed themselves into this genre of gaming often set themselves up in a cosy setting, lowering the lighting and pulling up a blanket for maximum comfort – mentally and physically.

Which games make us feel the most relaxed?

Looking into which games make players feel the most relaxed, TheSlotBuzz.com took to Reddit to analyse the percentage of gaming comments containing swear words to understand which games generate the least anger from players.

The top spot goes to Minecraft, with just 1.55% of Reddit comments including swearing. Minecraft is one of the most successful games ever and some counsellors are even using it therapeutically with young people.

“Minecraft is a vast and creative space and I, along with a number of other therapists, have been developing ways to provide boundaries and structure within the session. That way, it offers children a safe place to make sense of their feelings and difficulties, while also making good use of the game’s amazing resources and opportunities for adventure and discovery.” Counsellor Ellie Finch explains in her article

Roasted sweet potatoes, browned and slightly caramelized on the edges, are tossed with spicy hot sausage and handfuls of baby spinach to create a flavorful Sausage Sweet Potato Hash.

Sweet Potato Sausage Hash

The key to a great hash is getting all of the ingredients cooked and ready to eat at the same time. You’ll need to start the potatoes first and prep the other ingredients while they’re roasting.

When they’re almost done, you’ll cook and crumble the sausage. Then cook the onion and bell pepper in the same skillet. Pull that from the heat, add the sausage and roasted potatoes back to the pan, and give it a stir.

Toss in the greens and stir for a minute or so, just long enough to wilt them. If you want to serve this topped with an egg, just loosely cover the skillet while you cook the eggs.

The first time I made this, the potatoes roasted while I napped on the couch and when the timer beeped, I pulled together the rest of the meal in less than 20 minutes. I love quick and simple meals on a lazy Sunday night.

Going back to the first time I made this hash recipe, I actually used beet greens in place of spinach. (Most of the breakfast hash recipes here are made with spinach or cabbage.)

If you’re lucky enough to have an active garden and an abundance of beets growing, give it a try. Unlike their fully-grown counterparts, baby beet greens look and taste very similar to baby spinach.

(I don’t recommend trying this with fully-grown beet greens. For what it’s worth, I often find them to be woody and bitter.)

We all enjoyed this meal (my three kids included!) The beet greens tasted so much like the spinach we love; I could easily see eating the entire garden’s worth of baby beet greens before any beets have a chance to appear.

If you don’t happen to have an abundance of baby beet greens on hand, I’ve made this many times with baby spinach and we enjoy it both ways.

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fit for summer

Join To Get Fit For Summer

Spring Slim Down is back & and this one is BIGGER and better than ever before!

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My challenges are designed to burn fat, tone your body and build crazy confidence!

This is the challenge that I always get the best results during because

When you join you’ll get:

• 21 days of FREE premium workouts in the MOVE app
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Are you ready to MOVE with the LSF 3:1 Method?

Are you ready to MOVE with the LSF 3:1 Method?

Inside the MOVE app you’ll find hundreds of workouts for all fitness levels. These workouts are designed to burn fat, build lean muscle and help you get fit in 30 minutes a day.

When I lost 45 pounds I did it at home, with a set of dumbbells and some serious motivation to change my body and feel good from the inside out.

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The research shows the 3 most effective training methods to burn fat are:

• Strength Training: heavier weights to create muscle hypertrophy
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My MOVE 3:1 Method

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In the MOVE app, you’ll find 3 circuit training days.

Your workouts will include 3 Strength : 1 Conditioning exercises.

Within each circuit workout you will have 2 different sets you will complete. In each circuit set are 3 strength based exercises and 1 conditioning exercise.

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Sharing the books I read in February and if they’re worth adding to your collection.

Hi hi! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having a good one. We’re back from a dance competition and hit the ground sprinting into the week. The next month is a busy one, but I’m still trying to get in at least 30 minutes of reading each day. I hit 4 books last month (1 DNF…) and wanted to share the details with you! It was a unique mix of selections with impactful, inspirational, educational, and a little fluff for good measure.

Here are the books I read in Feb!

February Book Recap

The Light We Lost

This book examines the impact of our decisions, and living with the “what-ifs” and implications when we don’t follow our heart. I read this one quickly because I couldn’t wait to see what happened; it reminded me of a Colleen Hoover book with more captivating writing 😉 The ending was a little bit of a disappointment and while I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t one of my top faves. I’d say it’s a 7/10.

From Amazon:

Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story—their story—at the very beginning.

Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they’ll find life’s meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies, betrayals, and, ultimately, of love. Was it fate that brought them together? Is it choice that has kept them away? Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but never out of each other’s hearts.

This devastatingly romantic debut novel about the enduring power of first love, with a shocking, unforgettable ending, is Love Story for a new generation.

Yellow Wife

This book is based on a true story, and follows the life of Pheby, who is born a slave in Virginia and is the daughter of the plantation’s medicine woman… and the master of the plantation. Instead of receiving the freedom that she’s promised when she turns 18, she ends up being sold and forced to leave her home and those she loves behind. She’s transferred to the Devil’s Acre, which was a real jail that housed and tortured hundreds of thousands of slaves, and becomes the mistress of its Jailer. The book is obviously incredibly hard to read. It’s about a tragic and dark time in our history, and a devastating reminder of the atrocities that have occurred in our society.

While it’s a difficult read, it’s an important read. It was w