Nancy Drew Computer Games: They Are Not Just For Girls!

Yesterday was a snow day for us. Being cooped up all day with four kids is not usually a relaxing proposition. They want to play video games, I want them to pursue more productive options. We always come to some kind of compromise, but yesterday was different.

We have had a Nancy Drew PC game sitting around the house for quite some time now. I was a big Nancy Drew fan when I was a kid. When I saw the PC games some years ago, I got one  - Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon - for the kids. I picked this one because it also featured the Hardy Boys. Since I have 3 boys I thought that they might like it better with a few guys on the scene.

Well, it didn’t go over too well. Maybe the kids were a little young at the time because they did find it to be difficult and soon lost interest.

But for some reason yesterday my ten year old pulled this title out, dusted off the cd jacket and started to play this one of the Nancy Drew games. He started to make progress. But he needed help and called me in. Together we were able to find Lori, a person that had disappeared in the first scene. We were hooked! And then my older son wanted to see what we were doing and he got involved. Before we knew it, the other two kids were watching as well and expressing their ideas on how to interpret some of the clues.

Our snow day turned into an enjoyable family adventure at Blue Moon Canyon.

And once we solved the mystery, the kids were asking for more.

Standard parenting advice is not too let kids play too many electronics. But this game really required some strategic thinking, so compared to some of the other options out there - I felt that this wasn’t such a bad choice.

In anticipation of another snow day, I thought I would look around for another Nancy Drew game to play. I came across Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek which is for the Wii. Nancy Drew Wii games are an attractive option for me. If we continue to play these games as a group then we will have more space to spread out if we are using the Wii. Needless to say, space was a little tight around our PC.

In addition to games for the PC and the Wii, there are also titles for Nintendo DS.

All in all, I am hoping to see more of Nancy Drew around here!

All moms have most likely attempted some type of scrapbooking project. Some people are able to create beautiful works of art. Others, like me, may either be a bit artistically challenged or are not interested in putting the time and energy into creating these beautiful books.

But I still need some parenting help on what to do  with all of those pictures. And I do  love the way a finished scrapbook looks. Knowing the way my mind works - I would much rather work on the computer - I tried my hand at digital scrapbooking. But this too was tedious. I was able to find beautiful backgrounds, embellishments, frames, and everything else needed to create a professional looking page. But putting it all together was the hard part. Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements are powerful, but not easy programs to learn. I am able to stumble my way through to fix up a single picture but creating page after page after page translates into a big time commitment.

So where am I going with all of this?

Well, I just discovered a site that just may be the answer that I have been looking for. It is called ScrapBlog.com. And it is free.

ScrapBlog has tons of predefined templates. Just drop your pictures into the placeholders - easy! Or you can get really creative and start with a blank page. There are tons of backgrounds and elements to  choose from. When it comes to sharing pages Scrapblog gives the option to offer your pages to the public or keep them private. You can invite people to view your pages or easily add them to a blog or social networking site like facebook or flickr. I like the option to order my prints or download jpgs of my creations directly to my computer.

The ease and flexibility of ScrapBlog has really impressed me. What do you think?

I have another one of my famous Childrens Place Coupons to offer for December 2008. Here’s the deal - 15 Percent Off All Orders with code GGAC8, just shop through this link. This offer expires on December 23, 2008.

You may be wondering where I have been as of late. The holidays are always a busy time especially when it comes to shopping and coupon codes. So much of my spare time has been spent at my other site - I Love A Good Sale.

My hope is that with the new year, I will have a host of new parenting tips to share here as well! Perhaps even before that time. Meanwhile, enjoy the holiday rush and try to avoid the stress! Shopping online is the way to go and there is still time left for those packages to reach you on time. Just be aware of the shipping deadlines that are posted by each store.

Limited Too coupons really come in handy around the holidays. Just thought I would pass this one your way since one of my top parenting tips is “never pay full price, and never shop without a coupon!”. Enjoy the jump start on your holiday shopping!

Shop through this link: Take 25% off at Limited Too thru December 10 only
UPDATE: I just received word that this link will not be live until tomorrow (Wednesday, November 19, 2008) around noon. Sorry about the delay.

UPDATE: Unfortunately all Limited Too coupons have been put on hold until January 2009. However, the good news is that the program will be bigger and better when it resumes.

Many of you know how much I love the Littlest Pet Shop line of toys from Hasbro. Previously I have written about the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s and their wonderful, whimsical online world at LittlestPetShop.com. My kids adore these cute little pets and I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to take a look at the new LPS Digital Planner that has recently hit the shelves.

The Digital Planner is a simple orgnizer for the younger set with some game features rolled right in. The play mode is, of course, the favorite amongst my kids. They get their own electronic pet to play with, take care of, and dress.

Using an adorable little LPS stylus pen that looks like a lollipop with a little pet as the dongle (did I just use that word?), the kids can customize their pets room, feed their pet (which is very cute), and clean up after their pet after they eat (too realistic maybe? but still cute. ) Periodically the pet will let you know what it needs, be it a grooming, something to eat, playtime, or something to wear. If it is playtime, your child get to take their virtual pet to the park and play one of fourteen different games. These games are a bit hard to navigate but my daughter enjoyed them nonetheless.

As far as dressing up goes, you press the present box icon to head to the store. Here your pet can pick out an outfit, snap a picture and save it to be displayed in the pet’s room on the screen.

Now back to the “organizer” part of the Littlest Pet Shop Digital Organizer. This toy includes an address book, calendar, and calculator. Input is relatively easy when tapping the keypad with the stylus. The address book is a basic version that has space for names, phone numbers, and birthdates. You can even attach a picture to the entry - but not a real picture - just the face of a little electronic animal. The calendar and calculator are similarly simple - just perfect for a child who is getting their first taste of organizing their own schedule.

If I had to have a complaint - it would be the screen resolution. The monochrome, backlit screen, is ages behind the technology that is available. Of course, the simpleness keeps the price right. And it let the kids be kids when using this toy and not having to handle it too gently, with kid gloves.

Overall, I like this new LPS toy. If you are a big Blackberry or Apple PDA user - then this toy will be your child’s version of mommy or daddy’s phone. The games keep it interesting for the younger set and if they are already LittlestPetShop.com fans then this is a great addition to their collections.