Happy ThanksGaming to our US friends

Happy Thanksgaming!

Super League Gaming Events

Do you have Minecraft fans in your life?  Well check out the Super League Gaming events!  Play Minecraft on the big screen.

This is a social & fun event where Minecraft fans get together and play on movie theatre screens! The theatre is filled with other players, and you are all creating and playing together! How awesome is that?

Be sure to use our code MOMGAMES2 to save $20 off your registration!

Eating during a Cut Scene #GamerProblems

It's like they know my life:

When you start eating during a cut scene and then a boss battle starts when you've got a handful (and mouthful) of crisps... #gamerproblems

— 110% Gaming (@110Gaming) September 24, 2016

Does playing Monopoly make you a millionaire?

Ok here is a truth bomb for you! Honestly, I always hate when people say playing violent video games makes you violent.  Uh no.

Actually non-violent people play first person shooters all the time. Sure crazy people play them to, but they also eat, and go grocery shopping, and use the bathroom. Does that make us want to stop those things, no?  I think they like them because they get the thrill or whatever, but I don't think they are the cause.  Anyway, this I found this from Gamerz_HQ on Twitter, and thought it was amusing and had to share:

Make the jump!

LOL Between gaming and NASCAR I need to watch myself when I am driving. I have thought about giving a guy the "bump and run", "drafting", or making the jump like this tweet:

Driving up behind this and all I can think about is making the jump. #gamerproblems pic.twitter.com/pawZSCZMe2

— Dan Ayoub (@Danayoub) August 5, 2014

I Jumped! #GamerProblems

Oh man! I still do this, and yell at the screen "I JUMPED!!! WHY DID YOU NOT JUMP???" And I may be that person who literally jumps with it.

This always happened lol 😅 #GamerProblems #GamersUnite 🎮 If you like #retrogaming you are pretty cool 👍 #Mario pic.twitter.com/1dgjRGVEHK

— Britt (@_Britt_Leigh) September 23, 2014

Gamer Girl Problems

Ok back in the day before I had kids this totally happened to me.  Like all the time.  It's ok boys simmer down, I am a girl, I am playing an online game, and yeah that guy over there is my hubby who is sitting beside me in the room, so you had better back off.

#GirlGamer #GamerProblems pic.twitter.com/DWHHXrMomF

— Roxio (@Roxio) January 30, 2014

10 Funny Gaming Jokes

Sometimes you just need a giggle!  Here are 10 Video Gaming Jokes that made me laugh!  And I am not sure if that means they are funny jokes or I have a weird sense of humour!

1. How do you get Pikachu on a bus?
You poke-em-on!

2. What’s the difference between Call of Duty: Black Ops and a restaurant?
A restaurant usually has a good host and servers that work.

3. You know you’ve been playing Halo too much, when the weatherman announces flood risks and you get out a shotgun.  

4. What is Link’s favourite animal?  
Gazelda  

5. Why does Donkey Kong eat bananas?
Because he finds them a-peeling!  

6. You’re so bad at Tetris, on two-player mode you've been beaten by a guy \with a controller that has broken left and right buttons.  

7. Why does Donkey Kong always brush his teeth?  
To prevent tooth DK.  

8. Link was trying to open a heavy door when Navi told him, “Triforce.”

9. What does a gorilla wear to the beach?
Donkey thong.

10. What do you call a Nintendo Wii in France?
A Nintendo Yes.

8 Female Gaming Characters That We Love

Ok let's face it, there are a lot of male characters out there.  I mean A LOT!  But there are some female characters that we happen to really like.  We thought we would share 8 8 Female Gaming Characters That We Love, and the reasons why we do:

1 . Lara Croft

Why do we love Lara Croft?  She is often considered to be a catalyst for more female leads in video games, and that right there gives us reason to love her.

Lara is hard core, and a strong female character.  She has her own gaming series, and does not need a male character to rescue her.  She is out adventuring, and killing bad guys all well using her brain to solve puzzles.

She is sexy, but not wearing string bikinis.  This is how most women want to dress, appropriate for the task at hand, but still feel sexy.  We can be fully clothed, and still have sex appeal.



2. Princess Peach

Princess Peach has been a staple in our lives, since we were little kids.  She is generally sweet and well mannered, selfless, perky and generous. While she needs to be rescued a lot, and often plays the damsel in distress, we still love her.

Don't we all have days when we need a little help from our friends? And I know I for one would like to be a princess every once in a while.



3. Ms Pac-Man

Some of you may be younger, but Ms. Pac-Man was the first female gaming character I have ever seen.  And she was conceived in response to the original Pac-Man being "the first commercial videogame to involve large numbers of women as players" and that it is "our way of thanking all those lady arcaders who have played and enjoyed Pac-Man."

My sisters and I played Pac-Man all the time, it was a favourite game, and all our friends use to play too.  We had a Pizza Delight across the street from our apartment building, and we would all take our quarters to go play.  We very rarely got pizza, just went and pumped the game full of quarters.

We loved when they came out with Ms. Pac-Man because then we could choose to be the girl instead of the boy. 

4. Kitana

 

Kitana is on of the lead characters from Mortal Kombat, and is an elite assassin as well as a princess.  Come on, what girl wouldn't love a princess who is also an assassin?  

She is fiesty and kicks butt, can kill people if she wants to, but is also royal blood.  Her outfits are more revealing than I would wear, but to each her own.

5. Sonya Blade

Sonya Blade is one of the original seven player characters of the Mortal Kombat franchise.  She has been featured in almost all of the games since her inception.   The game creators realized they should have a female character so they created her.

She is a tough lady that doesn't sit back on her laurels.  She is a commanding officer of the United States Special Forces and later of a specialized U.S. government agency.  This is the kind of character that women can get behind.  It reminds us that we can be anything we want to be.  Sometimes we forget this.

6. Princess Zelda

This is a princess from the Zelda games, who is usually being rescued by Link.

I love this quote from Wikipedia:

Some games in the series have emphasized Zelda's magical abilities and importance to the functioning of Hyrule, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of herself. 

So basically this is a beautiful princess, who gets rescued regularly, but she could just take care of herself if she really wanted to.

I know personally, I could do a lot of the things that my hubby does for us.  But he likes taking care of the family, and doing these things for me, and I like having to not adding another thing to my to do list.  I think Princess Zelda is my kind of peeps. 

7. Yuna

Yuna is one of the main playable characters in Final Fantasy X, and some of the other ones as well.
She is a summoner who embarks on a journey to defeat the world-threatening monster along with her friends. 

Any lady that can summon and use magic to save the world from a monster is pretty cool in our books!


8. Cortana

Cortana is a AI character from the Halo series, and while she isn't a physical character she is a very large presence in the game. She is smart, and able to learn and grow.  She is highly skilled and capable of hacking alienn computer systems and decoding transmissions.  She can be a little cocky about her abilities, but she knows she is capable and what her skill set is.

She is also a take charge kind of gal. While Master Chief is the skilled assassin she is often saving his skin, and telling him the way out and how to fix things.

We like seeing female characters are smart, and are treated with respect like Cortana is.


I chose these characters because there is something about each one that resonates with me.  It reminds me that as a woman, I can be bad arse, a fighter, a lover, sexy, and still kick butt. That I can sit and be the princess, and damsel in distress some days. I don't always have to be strong and kicking butt, I can sometimes need to be rescued in one way or the other.

Which female characters do you love?

My Philosophy on Video Game Violence

5 Gaming Room Decor Ideas

My hubby and I have been talking about doing a gaming and movie room downstairs in our 2nd living room.  So I thought I would come up with some awesome ideas to make the gaming room really cool!

1. DIY Media room candy display

This is a really cute display that make a great accent piece.  It's an easy DIY project using pegboard and chalkboard paint to make a fun display for candy in a media room or game room. It could also be used on an easel for an outdoor movie night!

2. Super Mario Question Block Shelf

How to make a Super Mario Question Block Shelf from IKEA furniture. Downloadable printable question mark template. This is a really simple, inexpensive, and cool looking shelf unit.  It would be great for game storage, book storage, and could make a center piece for the room.

3. Video Game Controller Art

 

Seriously I love these!! They are a bit pricey to buy, but I really love them!

These are completely original, hand painted controller paintings. Perfect for any game room or man cave.

Each painting is $35.00 plus shipping and handling.

Colors can be changed upon request, and most controllers you wish can be made!

Sizes to pick from are 16" by 20" or 18" by 24". Each painting is custom made per order. Please allow 7-10 days for me to complete your order depending on quantity ordered. Each painting is slightly different as I use real paint splatters: no 2 paintings are exactly alike!

4. Board Games As Wall Art

 

Make your board games, easily accessible, easily stored, and use them as decoration!

5. Mario Brothers Lego Aquarium

 

 

I have been wanting an aquarium for a long time! I think this would be an awesome way to show off our love of gaming and lego in our house while adding a beautiful piece of decor and ambiance to the house. What items are on your gaming room dream list?

Top 5 Gaming Posts I Found On Pinterest

1. The way I see it you are a nerd




This is 27 photos all about being nerdy, and gaming.  I seriously love it! The Tetris costumes made me giggle, and the pacman/Rubix cake is really cool and well done.

You can pin it here: PIN IT


2. The Ridiculously Long Flowchart to Help You Choose a Video Game 




This really is a ridiculously long flow chart, but it has tons of helpful information for finding the right game for you.

You can pin it here: PIN IT


3. 24 Geeky Gamer Desserts




If I have to explain to you why this is awesome, then I am not sure you are a gamer girl, because a real gamer girl would know why gaming shaped cake and chocolate is just awesome.

You can pin it here: PIN IT


4. Life of a Gamer

I like this because it takes some aspects of gaming, and makes a little fun of us.  It made me giggle.  The one where it jokes about ending the game and you sit there and think "now what", feeling like your life is over was something that hubby and I have experienced.  Playing Tomb Raider, and then all of sudden we finish the game, and just sit there.....hmmmm now what are we going to do?

You can pin it here: PIN IT


5.  50 Gamer Gift Ideas

We love getting gaming gifts and finding unique gamer gifts for our families! This is a great list of some really fun ideas!

You can pin it here: PIN IT

Playing Board Games with my kids

Totally never done this...nope....never....why oh why do some kids games last so very long?

Thanks to you!

We appreciate all our readers so much....so this is the best way we can say it to you:

McDONALD’S® AND SKYLANDERS® SUPERCHARGE HAPPY MEALS

My boys like to collect McDonald's toys, and they really like the Skylanders® SuperChargers sets, so I know they will want to go to McDonald's to get the new happy Meals toys!

Activision Publishing, Inc. and McDonald’s have teamed up to infuse the magic of Skylands into Happy Meals across the country. They will be featuring a lineup of six different characters equipped in sky, sea and land vehicles, fans will enjoy a fun new SuperCharged experience in every Happy Meal.  These toys will be available exclusively at participating McDonald’s restaurants through Tuesday, July 5 or while supplies last!


For more information about Skylanders SuperChargers, please visit http://www.skylanders.com  or follow us on Instagram @SkylanderstheGame, Twitter @SkylandersGame and Facebook.com/SkylandersGame.

20 Great Game Night Foods!

Planning a game night?  The snacks are an integral part of the gaming fun! BUT you gotta have the right kind of food, or else it could hinder the gaming! OH THE HORROR!

Here are 20 And She Games approved Game Night Foods that are sure to fill the bellies as well as keep the gaming going!


1. Easy Taco Dip Recipe
2. Won Ton Cups
3. No Bake Peanut Butter Snack Bites
4. Bacon Cheddar Puff
5. Bacon Wrapped Peppers
6. Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
7. Spicy Roasted Nuts
8. Spicy Garam Popcorn
9. 4 Minute Potato Chips
10. Baked and Breaded Mushrooms
11. Greek Pinwheel Appetizers
12. Sushi Tuna Bombs
13. White Chocolate Stuffed Raspberries
14. Thick & Chewy Muffin Tin Sugar Cookies
15. Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Bombs
16. Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
17. Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bites
18. Savoury Almond Mix
19. Honey and Pistachio Peanut Butter Bites
20. Cookie Candy

Minecraft Challenges

Do you have a Minecraft player in your house?  Our friends over at The Canadian Homeschooler has created 66 ideas of things to get them to build!

This great printable helps them use their imagination, and helps them to think of new ideas when they get stuck!  Just subscribe to her newsletter and you can get the ideas!

If you or your kids love Minecraft, you should check out these challenge cards. 66 ideas to help inspire your Minecraft adventures.

Check out the post now!

Why game companies need to focus on girl gamers

I can't be the only female who realizes that most gaming companies focus on male gamers.  Some women enjoy first person shooter games, I know that's true.  I personally have played Halo, and they are starting to have female character options, but that was a HUGE announcement when they included that. Which I feel is weird.  It shouldn't be a huge announcement, it should just not even be news. I mean it should just be included.

One that is aimed at women completely and feels our pain is One More Story Games.

Anyway most companies focus on the young male gamer. Here are some of the reasons we think that's a mistake:

1. There are a lot of us. There are many women and female gamers who like to play, we have the same money as those males you are aiming the games at, but choose to spend it on other things since there aren't a lot of good games out there.  I believe there would be more female gamers, if the options were better.

2. Moms and wives tend to choose what is good for the kids. Not always for sure, but many times us women, mom's and wives are the ones shopping for our men and kids when it comes to gifts, or deciding what is appropriate. 

3. Womanly wiles trump marketing everytime. LOL Seriously though, if we hate your game, or don't want to be around when our guys are playing since it doesn't appeal to us, the males have less time to play. MOST men will choose their woman over a game, and if they don't, we have ways to convince them, we are more interesting ;)   Appeal to us as well as the males, and we promise you will start seeing the benefits!

What reasons would you add?

How to fit in gaming around life

Gaming can be a solitary past time if you play a video games, or certain types of games.  Being a parent, it can be hard to find time for your own and to fit your hobbies in.  Between work, household duties, parental duties, and things that just come up day to day it can be hard to say I am going to game.

Sometimes we say forget it I am taking the time to game, or whatever other hobby, and the guilt comes in. The thing is, finding time for YOU, and what you enjoy is really essential to being productive, and being a pleasant person to be around.  So, how do we fit it in?

Here are my tips for fitting in gaming around your life:

1. Family game time - I know that sometimes this isn't as enjoyable for parents as we want to think it can be. But if we make time for it when they are young, and just make it part of the family time, as they grow up, and learn how to play by the rules, and understand the games, it will really be a time you treasure! I know sometimes I have so much fun playing as a family, and sometimes it can be like "Why did I want to do this again?" But 99.9% of the time, my boys had a great time!

2. Play after the kids are in bed - I know I know you are thinking, yeah right, like I don't have enough things to do when they are in bed. But what you need to do is ensure everyone is helping in the house before the kids go to bed. If everyone helps clear their spot, and the table, someone washes it. One person empties the dishwasher, another loads, or a few wash, dry, put away, and everyone chips in, then you aren't stuck doing it all after bed time. Then you can sit and relax.

3. Set a timer and play instead of other work - Feeling stress, overwhelmed, and over worked? Looking around the house and things are totally piling up and you feel like crawling in a whole?  Get a timer. Set it for 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes. Whatever works for you.  Start the timer, and play. Then when it goes off, either start it again and work, or just hop up and work. I start it again, and work. When it goes off, I go play!  Rinse, and repeat!

4. Get kids gaming - This is a different version of family game time, instead of playing together, get everyone gaming, but separately so you can make progress on your own game. Sometimes I set the boys to their iPods, or board games they can play together, or on one gaming system, and I play on my laptop. We are all gaming, but getting our own space, and quiet time as well.  Kids need breaks from us too. OR you can always set them off to play and you can play your games.

5. Make it a date night - Hubby and I don't necessarily like playing the same games, but we either find a game we can both play together, or we will play something like Lara Croft where I can help him figure out the puzzles, while he does the controlling.  Deanna (my partner on this blog), goes to board game nights with her hubby at a local gaming store.  They go and play with other board game loving peeps, kid free! 

Do you have any other ways to fit in gaming?