Glitter on the trees

[thenerdygirl]

Woke up to everything covered in ice this morning thanks to the freezing rain we had overnight. Dad always called freezing rain ‘glitter’, like he’d always say ‘There’s glitter on the trees this morning’ after freezing rain. The tree outside the office window is absolutely coated and made me think of that this morning.

Clearing the driveway was quite the chore this morning. We had some snow before the freezing rain so everything was icy & slushy. The snow blower was having none of that this morning so I had to shovel most of our long, hilly, driveway by hand. I wasn’t in such a great mood while doing so but I feel pretty good now, once again remembering that physical activity in the morning is a good mood lifter. Now, let’s see if I remember that tomorrow morning or if sleepy me will conveniently forget again.

Weekend rundown - Friday: I had to take a sick day due to an upset stomach and nausea. Spent most of the day on the couch with tea & soup, re-watching season one of Bridgerton. I am very much looking forward to season two so it was actually quite nice to get an unintended refresher and to delight in the pretty costumes, set, and people. Is it weird that the biggest drive for me is the aesthetic? Like I do enjoy the show’s storyline & characters but what drew me in last year when I saw the trailer was the design. I hadn't even read the books though I did make quick work of a lot of them after watching season one. I got as far as book 6 before I needed a break. They're fun but I found the books started to feel repetitive after a while.

Saturday: I felt a lot better but stuck close to home just in case. I suspect my stomach problems were more the result of eating something off or cumulative poor eating throughout the week but better safe than sorry. My partner & I made curry beef rice bowls and watched Turning Red which we enjoyed. I definitely related to the nostalgia tween/teen girl parts while the family & food parts hit home with my partner.

Sunday: Cleaning mostly, with some reading and playing Sims 4. I’m very close to completing plum generation for my playthrough of lilsimsie's Not so Berry legacy challenge.

I’ve mentioned this in past posts but I’m really enjoying this challenge compared to past legacy challenges I’ve tried. Granted, I haven’t played a ton of them as I’ve always been a ‘pick it up for a month, put it down for three’ kind of Sims player since the original Sims game. I never tried a legacy with that one (did anyone? Sims 1 was such a random game) though I did try with Sims 2 with the traditional legacy & the Queen Bee challenge.

I skipped Sims 3 completely because I did not like the design compared to 2. I’ve seen lots of younger youtubers speak highly of 3 & I do have to admit there are a lot of options I’ve heard about Sims 3 that would have been cool to see in Sims 4 but I’m personally glad they went back to a more Maxis Match style.

Anyway, back to Not so Berry. I think it’s because there’s a loose storyline for each gen with goals that get you to explore different parts of the game that you might not normally play. For me, I hadn’t played through the Scientist or Doctor career from the Get to Work pack. I usually go for creative careers or do Rags to Riches with gardening & painting.

If you’re a sims player reading this, what’s your preferred play style? Do you have any challenges you’d recommend? Thoughts on the newest Story progression update?

I only just turned on story progression yesterday when I was playing but I was jumping around different households to remodel & for CAS updates so I didn’t get any notifications pop up in game.

Comments

[atlantisburning]

I haven't watched Bridgerton, but your comment on the aesthetic is a large part of why I love Downton Abbey. The stories are good, the casting/cast is lovely, but I love watching the progression of costume throughout the years. That sort of grandiose/expensive/privileged lifestyle isn't for me, but it's still really pretty to look at.

Despite the stomach upset, it sounds like you had a nice, lowkey weekend.

[thenerdygirl]

Downton Abbey has been on my 'To Watch' list largely because of the costumes and set...and because of Maggie Smith. I swear I'll get to it one of these days! Watching the progression of costumes in a show is fascinating too, IMO. I was keen on that in Mad Man as they moved from the end of the 50s and through the 60s.

[daynapanda]

As much as I love cold weather, I hate most of what comes with it, clearing driveways included. Too much work, huge pain in the butt!

We watched Turning Red last week and loved it. My 6 year old keeps asking to watch it again and again!

[thenerdygirl]

Agreed! I remember loving winter as a kid but I suspect that was because there was a lot less work involved. I miss the days when snow storms meant sleeping in and sledding lol.

[cruelladelaura]

Oh, a good chunk of my love for Bridgerton definitely has to do with its aesthetic, the pastel-colored dresses and bright lighting and all that, so you're absolutely not alone in that regard!

Everyone is talking so much about Sims these days I don't think I have a choice but to pick it up again! Just got to decide whether to go with 3 or 4... I bought 4 two years ago during the Black Friday sales, but gave up on playing it pretty quickly. I actually really loved 3! But maybe I should still give 4 another shot?

[thenerdygirl]

Oh good, I'm glad I'm not alone in admiring the prettiness!

I bought 4 for the same reason, it was really cheap just before Christmas a couple of years ago. I only really got back into playing because of the pandemic and watching other folks play/talk about sims 4 on youtube.

I'm biased since I enjoy Sims 4 & haven't played 3 so hard for me to say. The base game for 4 has had a number of updates so it might be worth checking out again. Yet, if you really love 3 & can still get it to work on your computer, the nostalgia might make that game more fun. Either way, if you get back into playing 3 or check 4 again I hope you enjoy it!