by Alisa Crawston-Pennelson
I'm no party expert, but I have thrown good parties – roof raisers, in the past. My parties have been well atended by local celebrities and the elite alike! I've decided to share a few tips so that you can have a raging party as well.
GUEST LIST
Try to make sure that the guests that you are inviting get along with each other. You will learn that with the more parties you have, if your guests all get along that's great, but if you see that some are fighting change your guest list next time. You don't want bad relations to spoil the party mood.
MUSIC
Make sure you have music. What's a party without some classic CDs and jamming tunes. I play a variety of stations and sometimes even give a few performances. Soon everyone will be around the radio dancing together and showing off thier moves.
DRINKS
After all that dancing, your guests will be tired and thisty. Buy a few bottles of good champagne and toast away! Everyone loves a toast! I always spend a little more on my parties and make sure that the bar is fully stocked and hire a few bartenders to serve the partygoers. Wee! Good fun!
ENTERTAINMENT
Playing video games is a fun group activity that party guests can do together, also pick up a few party games-all sims love to play games and if they can play together-even better!
FOOD
Get a fully stocked buffet table-make it two or three! Oh, and be sure to have a place for sims to sit while they’re eating, party guests love to sit down together and talk or gossip about the poor drunken sim in the corner.
DON'T FORGET
No matter what, a good party can be ruined with the lack of toliets. Try to make sure toilets are available to your guests. If they are near the buffet tables and feature lots of room to manuever around in, the better! It's not fun when all of your guests get stuck in the only bathroom, trying to shoo each other out, instead of engaging in the fun activies you’ve provided for them.
BUDGET PARTY
But of course, you don’t have to be dramatic with the money-spending just to throw a good party, though it always works for me. You can do just fine with a cheap radio, good homecooked food and some fun games and of course available toilets.
HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS
Sometimes your party might be going dull, in those rare instances do not be afraid to pause and think. Sometimes when the party isn’t so great, I pause and try to think what I should do to make it more fun. Sometimes I run over to the champagne and toast someone, or get everyone grooving to a good song. Just try to always have your guests doing something and take time to chat with each person, if only for a few seconds.
Good luck on your next bash!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Holiday Parties
by Andy Lake
Holiday parties fall into a few categories, casual and formal and then depending on the holiday can go on from there. Greymount residents have thrown their share of parties and many of those were holiday parties. This how-to-guide is only for holiday parties and will not guarantee the arrival of a star, nor the arrival of the mime. The holiday season starts with Halloween, moves on to Thanksgiving, climaxes at Christmas or Hanukkah or the winter holiday of your choice, and the final bang is New Year’s Eve. You should pick up tons of tips to having a successful themed party.
Halloween parties are typically casual events with tons of food, music and of course, costumes. A few decorations, such as the jack-o’-lantern, and costume trunk are all that’s needed besides the usual party gear such as food, entertainment and guests. For those picky party goers, check out online catalogs for new and improved costumes and objects. A Halloween party is best thrown after dark-it’s spookier, but a daytime party will work as well-just have it in a dark room. For thrills put out a few jack-o’-lanterns and have a horror movie playing in the background for special effects, who knows, maybe the Grim Reaper will decide to see what all the fuss is about.
When having an affair for Thanksgiving, one usually goes formal. Formal can mean formalwear or really elegant casual wear, no jeans! Everyone must eat together so that all can reflect on why they are thankful and spend time with loved ones. The meal of course is the juicy turkey available through the catalog and perhaps some punch. After the meal, everyone then spends the evening watching sports-only if you have the new satellite dish, or playing volleyball. This party is usually low key and reserved for family members and close friends.
Christmas parties can be casual or elegant, depending on the number of guests and what the family can handle. A small daytime party for children to exchange gifts or for relatives and friends to gather and talk for a while is good for the family on a budget. Just decorate with a Christmas tree, mistletoe, etc and order a fresh turkey for dinner so no one has to cook. If you want more people, consider a casual block party with tons of turkey, or even just hire a caterer, and don’t forget the tree and festive music. If you have more resources or are upper class, an elegant dinner party can be enjoyable. This party should be invitation only party, if not ordering the turkey, a butler or robot can serve the meal or hire a caterer, however since the party is invitation only, it should be small, but make sure that everyone eats at the same time and at the same table. Christmas parties have more resources in the standard catalog such as the favorite mistletoe, Christmas tree or plate of fresh baked cookies and are more fun because of the gift giving. If a guest, I recommend paying attention the unpredictable story behing the holiday. Those residents that celebrate Hanukkah, a menorah is available in the standard catalog, however other items will have to be imported. In spite of the lack of objects, Hanukkah celebrations are usually family affairs with a few close friends. So have an invitation only dinner each night and share your tradition with the rest of the neighborhood. If a guest, I recommend paying attention during the prayers of blessings and the exciting story behing the holiday. Also growing in popularity is Kwanzaa, also a multiday festival ending with a huge feast on the 31st of December. So break out the turkey, call a caterer and invite the entire neighborhood to celebrate!
A New Year’s Eve bash is strickly for the adults, strickly for the party-lovers. This party is casual and BIG! Hire a caterer, you don’t want to cook for this crowd, have a few self service bars and of course the beloved punch. Once you have the food down, get the entertainment. An electronic dance floor, DJ Booth and dance cages should provide tons of fun, make sure to have comfy chairs and sofas for guests and Porto potties-you don’t want them mucking up your families personal bathroom. Now, just wait till the stroke of midnight to kiss your sweetie.
Holiday parties fall into a few categories, casual and formal and then depending on the holiday can go on from there. Greymount residents have thrown their share of parties and many of those were holiday parties. This how-to-guide is only for holiday parties and will not guarantee the arrival of a star, nor the arrival of the mime. The holiday season starts with Halloween, moves on to Thanksgiving, climaxes at Christmas or Hanukkah or the winter holiday of your choice, and the final bang is New Year’s Eve. You should pick up tons of tips to having a successful themed party.
Halloween parties are typically casual events with tons of food, music and of course, costumes. A few decorations, such as the jack-o’-lantern, and costume trunk are all that’s needed besides the usual party gear such as food, entertainment and guests. For those picky party goers, check out online catalogs for new and improved costumes and objects. A Halloween party is best thrown after dark-it’s spookier, but a daytime party will work as well-just have it in a dark room. For thrills put out a few jack-o’-lanterns and have a horror movie playing in the background for special effects, who knows, maybe the Grim Reaper will decide to see what all the fuss is about.
When having an affair for Thanksgiving, one usually goes formal. Formal can mean formalwear or really elegant casual wear, no jeans! Everyone must eat together so that all can reflect on why they are thankful and spend time with loved ones. The meal of course is the juicy turkey available through the catalog and perhaps some punch. After the meal, everyone then spends the evening watching sports-only if you have the new satellite dish, or playing volleyball. This party is usually low key and reserved for family members and close friends.
Christmas parties can be casual or elegant, depending on the number of guests and what the family can handle. A small daytime party for children to exchange gifts or for relatives and friends to gather and talk for a while is good for the family on a budget. Just decorate with a Christmas tree, mistletoe, etc and order a fresh turkey for dinner so no one has to cook. If you want more people, consider a casual block party with tons of turkey, or even just hire a caterer, and don’t forget the tree and festive music. If you have more resources or are upper class, an elegant dinner party can be enjoyable. This party should be invitation only party, if not ordering the turkey, a butler or robot can serve the meal or hire a caterer, however since the party is invitation only, it should be small, but make sure that everyone eats at the same time and at the same table. Christmas parties have more resources in the standard catalog such as the favorite mistletoe, Christmas tree or plate of fresh baked cookies and are more fun because of the gift giving. If a guest, I recommend paying attention the unpredictable story behing the holiday. Those residents that celebrate Hanukkah, a menorah is available in the standard catalog, however other items will have to be imported. In spite of the lack of objects, Hanukkah celebrations are usually family affairs with a few close friends. So have an invitation only dinner each night and share your tradition with the rest of the neighborhood. If a guest, I recommend paying attention during the prayers of blessings and the exciting story behing the holiday. Also growing in popularity is Kwanzaa, also a multiday festival ending with a huge feast on the 31st of December. So break out the turkey, call a caterer and invite the entire neighborhood to celebrate!
A New Year’s Eve bash is strickly for the adults, strickly for the party-lovers. This party is casual and BIG! Hire a caterer, you don’t want to cook for this crowd, have a few self service bars and of course the beloved punch. Once you have the food down, get the entertainment. An electronic dance floor, DJ Booth and dance cages should provide tons of fun, make sure to have comfy chairs and sofas for guests and Porto potties-you don’t want them mucking up your families personal bathroom. Now, just wait till the stroke of midnight to kiss your sweetie.
Parties for Children
by Andy Lake
With the arrival of our first born, Lucinda, Prisilla and I made plans to throw a birthday party for her once she reached childhood. However, we didn’t want a large event, only a few children over for cake and a romp on her new playground set. How could we do that and not spend hours calling each child individually or have half the neighborhood show up?
First I called the two children that I knew and invited them over-one had to feed his llamas, but the other agreed to come. Then I started by barbequing burgers and making plans to order the cake, we reasoned that between the cake and burgers about eight sims could be well fed. Then Lucinda called the only child she knew, who had a previous appointment and could not make it. By that time, Prisilla had arrived with the cake and a few children gathered round our door-maybe the smell of sugary icing floated throughout the neighborhood drawing them in. Prisilla invited them in, even those who we didn’t know. Lucinda blew out her candles and everyone spent a few moments quietly eating cake, while Prisilla and I cleaned up, Lucinda played with her birthday guests-three in all (if you’re counting that brings the party to a grand total of six sims), on her new playground set. Around 9:30 she wished them good night and headed to bed to get ready for school.
From our successfully small birthday party, every parent can gain a few tips. First-decide on a theme: Prisilla and I wanted Lucinda to have a simple birthday party: burgers and cake; some children may want a costume party, pool party or even special guests such as a pink monkey or a mime. Second: Decide on the number of sims: Children should always have plenty of children come and a few adults thrown in for good measure, but not too many or there will be chaos in the house; I suggest an even number of sims so that everyone has someone to talk to and don’t be afraid to dismiss sims that are being bad party guests. Keep the party small; remember birthday cakes serve eight sims and you don’t want your party guests to cry. Third: Make sure there is a fun activity for the children to do: Lucinda had the benefit of having a playground set, but a pool or volleyball net will do the trick. I try to avoid having TV unless a movie is part of the theme, since children can watch TV at home and most don’t want to do so at parties. Fourth: Have fun! Your child won’t remember how much you spent on the party-nor if the clown was boring, but they will remember if they had fun and if you had fun. Don’t worry about a few dishes left out over night-they’ll be there in the morning.
Landscaping with Water
Every home deserves a beautiful yard and that beautiful yard should contain trees, bushes, flowers, sculptures and water. Water? Yes, the element of water gives the yard a serene feeling and can create lots of alcoves in the land. Water can be in the form of crystal sapphire pools, deep blue streams and ponds and magnificent fountains.
Using pools in the landscape is fairly easy. The sapphire like water can be used primarily as a pool, or as décor. When using the pools for swimming, think outside the box, use other shapes besides squares and rectangles for the pool. One clever design is a square spiral or even make the pool run into hidden areas of the yard. You can have a hidden jungle brook be surrounding the pool with lush ferns and tropical plants. If you want an elegant design, chose a solid and sleek flooring for the pool area. When using the pools as décor, just don’t add a diving board or ladder.
Natural streams and lakes are another aspect of water in the landscape. I use the option mostly with lakes and add reeds and lily pads to encourage ducks and frogs to inhabit the water. Otherwise, this option is best from streams that flow through your land, also reeds and lily pads encourage ducks and frogs.
Fountains are a classic and often cheap way to add water to the landscape. Small fountains can be used in groupings or in separate areas of the yard, while large fountains can be the “centerpiece” of the yard. I like to use large fountains near the entrance, it creates an formidable presence in the yard and house. My other favorite way to use fountains is to install a pre-fabricated pond and add koi fish. These ponds are simple, come with a few plants and are great for relaxing in the yard with.
When using water in your décor remember that water creates a feeling of serenity, danger or another land. So play with your imagination and let the water guide you.
Landscaping with Trees
by Veronika Kent
Every home deserves a beautiful yard and that beautiful yard should contain trees and lots of them. Trees are the best buy for landscaping, as they are easy to maintain and provide lots of beauty. In this article, trees are two types: bushes and hedges and trees.
Using bushes and hedges are great for creating privacy and fencing off areas to the public as well as providing a backdrop to the starkness of the exterior walls. Try grouping many textures and species of bushes against walls for a great and cheap textured design. If you want the look of flowers, but not the watering, try planting flowering bushes.
Some trees need a certain amount of space to grow, such as citrus trees; others can be grouped with other trees of the same species or different species for a textured look. Another popular design is to group flowers under the shade of some species of trees to provide a burst of color to the greenness of the tree.
Speaking of color, there are now many new species of trees that are both colorful and easy to maintain-these can be combined with other flowering trees to create a great rainbow in your yard.
When using trees in your décor remember that trees can be combined to create themes that tie in with your house or create feelings of security and peace. So play with your imagination and let the trees guide you.
Winter Decorating
Many families have gotten those late night calls “You’re a winter and should decorate accordingly” but few have paid attention to them. This is understandable since the calls often come at 2 am when you’re groggy and tired. However, you should consider their warning and I am going to help you. In this four-part series I will introduce the basics of decorating according to your season and help you and your home live in harmony. Those who are a winter, (Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces) or would like to decorate like a winter will benefit from this article.
When you think of winter you think of three things: cold, snow and holidays, from those elements, I will help you decorate accordingly. Cold. To incorporate a coldness in your home that will last during the melting temperatures of summer, use light icy colors such as white, soft blue or soft green as your decorating theme. Don’t worry; as long as your color is heavily diluted with white, it should work fine as a backdrop. Snow. Adding touches of snow is as simple as placing cold marble statues around, ice sculptures or fake snow. Holidays. This is fun and as simple as adding a Christmas tree, but for year round holiday-ness in your home, don’t incorporate such obvious symbols, instead use the colors associated with the holidays as accent colors, like a bowl of red apples or green ivy near a window. Remember, winter is based on old world elegance and indulgence, so place all the heavy furniture you wish.
Good luck!
Fall Decorating
Many families have gotten those late night calls “You’re a fall and should decorate accordingly” but few have paid attention to them. This is understandable since the calls often come at 2 am when you’re groggy and tired. However, you should consider their warning and I am going to help you. In this four-part series I will introduce the basics of decorating according to your season and help you and your home live in harmony. Those who are a fall, (Libra, Scorpio, or Sagittarius) or would like to decorate like a fall will benefit from this article.
When you think of fall you think of two things: golden leaves and harvest, from those elements, I will help you decorate accordingly. Golden Leaves. To incorporate a fall crispness in your home that will last during the sticky summer months, use soft, mild colors such as mustard, tomato and basil colors as your decorating theme. Simply use the color as a backdrop for the rest of the room or add touches of it to your furniture. Harvest. Adding a touch of the harvest is as simple as planting fall foliage or vegetables outside the doors and windows, or placing bowls of your homegrown vegetables and drying wildflowers around. Fall decorating is best for the kitchen as it deals with elements of food and warmth from stoves. To the fantastic falls, good luck!
When you think of fall you think of two things: golden leaves and harvest, from those elements, I will help you decorate accordingly. Golden Leaves. To incorporate a fall crispness in your home that will last during the sticky summer months, use soft, mild colors such as mustard, tomato and basil colors as your decorating theme. Simply use the color as a backdrop for the rest of the room or add touches of it to your furniture. Harvest. Adding a touch of the harvest is as simple as planting fall foliage or vegetables outside the doors and windows, or placing bowls of your homegrown vegetables and drying wildflowers around. Fall decorating is best for the kitchen as it deals with elements of food and warmth from stoves. To the fantastic falls, good luck!
Summer Decorating
Many families have gotten those late night calls “You’re a summer and should decorate accordingly” but few have paid attention to them. This is understandable since the calls often come at 2 am when you’re groggy and tired. However, you should consider their warning and I am going to help you. In this four-part series I will introduce the basics of decorating according to your season and help you and your home live in harmony. Those who are a summer, (Cancer, Leo or Virgo) or would like to decorate like a summer will benefit from this article.
When you think of summer you think of three things: warmth, vacations and water, from those three elements, I will help you decorate accordingly. Warmth. To incorporate a warmth in your home that will last during the winter, use loud bright colors such as yellow, green or blue as your decorating theme. Don’t be shy, chose that yellow paint and the blue sofa, just make sure to consult the color wheel so your living room doesn’t look like a crayon box exploded. Vacations. Adding a touch of your vacation is as simple as placing tropical foliage in the corners or displaying your souvenirs. If you don’t have souvenirs, look in the catalog for souvenir type items and the décor you often find in resorts. Water. The best way to add this element is to add a pool in the backyard. This is fun and simple. Another option is to place a small fountain in the home, but make sure the lines are crisp and clean, no frilly fountains for the picky summer decorators.
Good luck!.
When you think of summer you think of three things: warmth, vacations and water, from those three elements, I will help you decorate accordingly. Warmth. To incorporate a warmth in your home that will last during the winter, use loud bright colors such as yellow, green or blue as your decorating theme. Don’t be shy, chose that yellow paint and the blue sofa, just make sure to consult the color wheel so your living room doesn’t look like a crayon box exploded. Vacations. Adding a touch of your vacation is as simple as placing tropical foliage in the corners or displaying your souvenirs. If you don’t have souvenirs, look in the catalog for souvenir type items and the décor you often find in resorts. Water. The best way to add this element is to add a pool in the backyard. This is fun and simple. Another option is to place a small fountain in the home, but make sure the lines are crisp and clean, no frilly fountains for the picky summer decorators.
Good luck!.
Layers of Sim Design
by Martha Sim Stewart
In our busy Sim lives, between playing with our pets, working, taking care of the kids, and pleasing the spouse, we hardly have time to decorate our homes. Well, I have come up with an easy way to do just that. In seven easy steps, you can have the house of your dreams and the decor to prove it!
Layer 1: Wall Color & Architectural Elements
Wall color always comes first in designing. Pick out a wall color. Go for solids and big patterned wall treatments. Whether it is funky neon green or a traditional beige base. Think of what you want to go for. You could pick a theme, such as Caribbean, or a color scheme. Do not be afraid to use more than one color on your walls. After you have your wall color, bring in some architectural elements. Throw in a column or two, put in a fireplace, but just add some type architectural design. Design Hint: Columns go well when they’re occupying empty diagonal walls while fireplaces look good on shorter walls in your room.
Layer 2: Flooring
Installing the floor is the next layer of design. Installing a floor can be very hard or very easy. Make sure your choice of floowing goes with your scheme or theme. Just because you like the material or it looks nice, doesn’t mean it will look go in the room. So go for it and put down that vinyl wood floor or shag rug carpet however make sure it goes well with your wall color and overall scheme/theme.
Layer 3: Furniture
Furniture can be tricky. You could try finding a set or just mixing and matching your pieces, which is more interesting. Group your furniture together by placing sofas against your longest wall. Coffee tables should be placed long ways from the sofa and face a loveseat. A couple of chairs will finish off the intimate seating area you have created. Add some side tables or put a long table behind the sofa.
Layer 4: Fabrics & Textiles
Like that sofa, but not the right color? Well, jump on the net and find one that is, no need to let the standard catalog hinder your creativity. Add some curtains and rugs into your room now. Need a rug, but the standard catalog doesn’t have the right one? Well make your own! Use the floor tiles and carpet to make a pattern. Make sure it goes with your style and/or theme. Curtains are nice, but are not a necessity.
Layer 5: Nicks & Knacks
Now, its time to add the nick knacks, the accessories. Put up some shelves, pictures, what the heck, put a sculpture in the room! Shelves look nice on either side of the fireplace, but be careful or they might burn. Small pictures look best on the wall against your sofa while sculptures should be placed in the corners.
Layer 6: Vegetation
Plants make a room look alive thus a well designed room needs vegetation! Mix all them up: standing, potted, table plants, and vases of flowers for a variety of plants look lovely in a room. Tall plants should go on the outskirts of the room and smaller ones should go tables in the inside. Have fun with this aspect of decorating, but do not over do it.
Layer 7: Lighting
The last layer of design is lighting. Combine lights, like the plants, standing ones, ceiling lamps, table lamps, and candles. A nice room needs lighting, but don't go overboard, the way you light a room, is the controlling factor of the atmosphere. If your ceiling is covered with bright bulky lights, then your guests may feel as if they’re in a supermarket. But, if you have a few table lamps and candles, then you have created a romantic, intimate feel.
I hope these seven layers help you, not only to design one room in your house, but the whole house itself! Take it from me, being Martha Sim Stewart, I know design and this system works for me! And always remember, Go For It!
Building a Nursery
by Veronika Kent
So baby is on the way and you are staring at an empty bedroom without a clue of how to start decorating. You’re in luck, for nurseries are the easiest to build and decorate.
First build a room addition of 5x5 tiles, or use a spare bedroom. The room should be close to the parents’ bedroom for those late night feedings. Then decide on the décor. For boys, think outside the blue box, try yellow, green, red, trucks, dinosaurs and other things. Just shop at local wallpaper stores for inspiration. For girls, also look for options besides the traditional pink and bows. Try purple swirls, cartoon characters and other wallpapers and paints.
Finally make sure there is a crib, changing table and other accessories. Most parents don’t see the purpose in purchasing such items when the child will leave the cradle within three days, however some children take longer to leave the cradle and some prefer to continue to use their crib and changing table even after leaving the cradle. Besides, you can always sell the furniture or keep it for your next child.
Enjoy your new baby!
Kitchen Space Planning
by Prisilla Lake
When planning your kitchen, think efficiency. Most Sims spend about 20% of their time in the kitchen, with some simple rearrangements, Sims could spend 10% of their time in the kitchen.
Lets look at the typical Sim cooking pattern. First remove the food from the refrigerator, then prepare it on a counter, mix it in the food processor, and heat. Some Sims skip a step or two depending on the recipe, however this is the long version.
Based on this order, your fridge should have an empty counter next to it. Next to the empty counter should be the food processor and beside that your heating device (toaster, microwave or stove).
Once you have the order of your appliances, then you should concern yourself with the space in the kitchen. Even though only one Sim will probably be cooking at a time, everyone will want to congregate in the kitchen to sample the still raw goodies. Due to this desire it is important to leave at least two tiles of free space around your cooking devices.
For some reason, Sims sometimes rush to clean up after meals and there is usually a line at the dishwater, sink or bathroom sinks. I suggest have a dishwater and a sink and make sure to leave at least two free tiles in front of the sink or dishwasher.
Using these methods, your kitchen will be better spaced out and planned, thus resulting in better and quicker meals for the entire family.
When planning your kitchen, think efficiency. Most Sims spend about 20% of their time in the kitchen, with some simple rearrangements, Sims could spend 10% of their time in the kitchen.
Lets look at the typical Sim cooking pattern. First remove the food from the refrigerator, then prepare it on a counter, mix it in the food processor, and heat. Some Sims skip a step or two depending on the recipe, however this is the long version.
Based on this order, your fridge should have an empty counter next to it. Next to the empty counter should be the food processor and beside that your heating device (toaster, microwave or stove).
Once you have the order of your appliances, then you should concern yourself with the space in the kitchen. Even though only one Sim will probably be cooking at a time, everyone will want to congregate in the kitchen to sample the still raw goodies. Due to this desire it is important to leave at least two tiles of free space around your cooking devices.
For some reason, Sims sometimes rush to clean up after meals and there is usually a line at the dishwater, sink or bathroom sinks. I suggest have a dishwater and a sink and make sure to leave at least two free tiles in front of the sink or dishwasher.
Using these methods, your kitchen will be better spaced out and planned, thus resulting in better and quicker meals for the entire family.
Having a Well Designed Home
by Veronika Kent
Did you know that most sims lose about an hour a day by moving around the house? Well, you can shave minutes off of this by having a well designed home.
When designing a home, think about how you move about your daily life, [i.e. from the bedroom to bathroom, to the kitchen]. Make these rooms close together and with interconnecting doors if possible, so you don’t waste a lot of time walking. Have wide hallways to avoid bumping into family members and make your high traffic areas (such as the kitchen, bathrooms, etc) large and with multiple entrances. Make a large room for kitchen/living/dining rooms. This is great for families with low income and is pleasing to the eye. Also instead of doors, leave spaces in the walls where you would place doors to create the feeling of connected rooms and save the time it takes to open a door. If you must have a door, use a door frame instead.
Your home should have at least two entrances, that way when everyone arrives or leaves at the same time, they have alternate ways into and out of the house. This prevents kids and parents from missing the bus and carpool when the door is blocked and allows family members to get settled quicker. Keep your stairs near entrances so that only a few moments are wasted between the walk from the door to the stairwell. Another tip is to have your kitchen, dining room and den near entrances. Usually family members are in these rooms when the school bus or carpool arrives. By having the rooms close to the doors, family members can rush out the door before leaving for work and school.
Now that you know how to design your home to save tons of time, how will you spend that time?
Did you know that most sims lose about an hour a day by moving around the house? Well, you can shave minutes off of this by having a well designed home.
When designing a home, think about how you move about your daily life, [i.e. from the bedroom to bathroom, to the kitchen]. Make these rooms close together and with interconnecting doors if possible, so you don’t waste a lot of time walking. Have wide hallways to avoid bumping into family members and make your high traffic areas (such as the kitchen, bathrooms, etc) large and with multiple entrances. Make a large room for kitchen/living/dining rooms. This is great for families with low income and is pleasing to the eye. Also instead of doors, leave spaces in the walls where you would place doors to create the feeling of connected rooms and save the time it takes to open a door. If you must have a door, use a door frame instead.
Your home should have at least two entrances, that way when everyone arrives or leaves at the same time, they have alternate ways into and out of the house. This prevents kids and parents from missing the bus and carpool when the door is blocked and allows family members to get settled quicker. Keep your stairs near entrances so that only a few moments are wasted between the walk from the door to the stairwell. Another tip is to have your kitchen, dining room and den near entrances. Usually family members are in these rooms when the school bus or carpool arrives. By having the rooms close to the doors, family members can rush out the door before leaving for work and school.
Now that you know how to design your home to save tons of time, how will you spend that time?
Purchasing Your Home
by Veronika Kent
All sims need a home, and all homes need a sim. Some families decide to build their homes from the ground up, others families buy a home that is already built and sometimes furnished. Either way is great, but if your family plans on buying a pre-built home there are a few things you need to know.
When selecting a new home, think about why you are moving. Need more space? Bigger yard? Need less space? Then think about the needs of your family. Need a workshop for the growing business? Want to have a garden? Entertain more? Do the kids need their own room? Don’t forget to have plenty of bathrooms. I suggest that there is at least one bathroom for every two family members. Finally, look at how much money you are willing to spend. I suggest looking at your net worth and then subtracting about 5,000-10,000 simoleans to buy furniture. If the house is furnished, even better!
Now that you have a criterion, look around your neighborhood for a home that meets your needs and your finances. What if your family finds a perfect house, but it is a tad too much? See if your real estate agent can have the home altered. By redecorating with cheaper wallpapers and flooring, your dream house can cost less. What if your perfect home needs an extra room? Ask the agent to have a room built, it is cheaper to build the room before you move in. Want more trees and flowers? Thanks to a bill passed in the SimNation Senate, the value of the landscaping of a piece of property is not taken in account when the property is sold. So have your agent plant all the trees and flowers you want, you can even add a lake if you desire.
I suggest buying an unfurnished home, for furnishings quickly inflate the price of a home, unless you are lucky enough to find an abandoned home. Abandoned homes are placed on the market when the family marries another family, or dies. That means all the original furnishings are available for discounted prices.
Now that you found your new home, let me be the first to say, welcome home.
All sims need a home, and all homes need a sim. Some families decide to build their homes from the ground up, others families buy a home that is already built and sometimes furnished. Either way is great, but if your family plans on buying a pre-built home there are a few things you need to know.
When selecting a new home, think about why you are moving. Need more space? Bigger yard? Need less space? Then think about the needs of your family. Need a workshop for the growing business? Want to have a garden? Entertain more? Do the kids need their own room? Don’t forget to have plenty of bathrooms. I suggest that there is at least one bathroom for every two family members. Finally, look at how much money you are willing to spend. I suggest looking at your net worth and then subtracting about 5,000-10,000 simoleans to buy furniture. If the house is furnished, even better!
Now that you have a criterion, look around your neighborhood for a home that meets your needs and your finances. What if your family finds a perfect house, but it is a tad too much? See if your real estate agent can have the home altered. By redecorating with cheaper wallpapers and flooring, your dream house can cost less. What if your perfect home needs an extra room? Ask the agent to have a room built, it is cheaper to build the room before you move in. Want more trees and flowers? Thanks to a bill passed in the SimNation Senate, the value of the landscaping of a piece of property is not taken in account when the property is sold. So have your agent plant all the trees and flowers you want, you can even add a lake if you desire.
I suggest buying an unfurnished home, for furnishings quickly inflate the price of a home, unless you are lucky enough to find an abandoned home. Abandoned homes are placed on the market when the family marries another family, or dies. That means all the original furnishings are available for discounted prices.
Now that you found your new home, let me be the first to say, welcome home.
Building Your Home
by Veronika Kent
All families need a home, and all homes need a family. Some families decide to build their homes from the ground up, others families buy a home that is already built and sometimes furnished. Either way is great, but if your family plans on building a home there are a few things you need to know.
When deciding to build a new home, think about why you are moving. Need more space? Bigger yard? Need less space? Then think about the needs of your family. Need a workshop for the growing business? Want to have a garden? Want to entertain more? Do the kids need their own room? Don’t forget to have plenty of bathrooms. I suggest that there is at least one bathroom for every two family members. Finally, look at how much money you are willing to spend. I suggest looking at your net worth and then subtracting about 5,000-10,000 simoleans to buy furniture. This thought process should help you build a criteria for your new home.
Now that you have a criterion, look around your neighborhood for piece of property that meets your needs. Thanks to a bill passed in the SimNation Senate, the value of the landscaping of a piece of property is not taken in account when the property is sold. So have your agent plant all the trees and flowers you want, you can even add a lake if you desire. After the land is prepared, decide on a house plan. Many families use online house plans to guide them while some have an idea from the beginning. The only thing that all families who have built have said is that diagonal walls are the most pleasing to the eye and should be use without restriction. A bonus is that they are cheaper to build, which means, a cheaper cost for the completed home. I also suggest building the home on the land before you buy the property, instead of buying the property and then building. This is cheaper because the contractor gets to work on your home without your meddling and then kindly gives you a discount. Another way to save money, use cheap wallpapers and floors in the interior decor of the home, then once you move in and make more money, repaper the walls with wallpapers of your choosing. With so many economical options and online catalogs, it is easier to choose wallpapers without breaking the piggybank.
Now that you built your new home, let me be the first to say, welcome home.
Veronika is an independant house designer and will be offering several house designs in the Greymount Store, opening this October.
All families need a home, and all homes need a family. Some families decide to build their homes from the ground up, others families buy a home that is already built and sometimes furnished. Either way is great, but if your family plans on building a home there are a few things you need to know.
When deciding to build a new home, think about why you are moving. Need more space? Bigger yard? Need less space? Then think about the needs of your family. Need a workshop for the growing business? Want to have a garden? Want to entertain more? Do the kids need their own room? Don’t forget to have plenty of bathrooms. I suggest that there is at least one bathroom for every two family members. Finally, look at how much money you are willing to spend. I suggest looking at your net worth and then subtracting about 5,000-10,000 simoleans to buy furniture. This thought process should help you build a criteria for your new home.
Now that you have a criterion, look around your neighborhood for piece of property that meets your needs. Thanks to a bill passed in the SimNation Senate, the value of the landscaping of a piece of property is not taken in account when the property is sold. So have your agent plant all the trees and flowers you want, you can even add a lake if you desire. After the land is prepared, decide on a house plan. Many families use online house plans to guide them while some have an idea from the beginning. The only thing that all families who have built have said is that diagonal walls are the most pleasing to the eye and should be use without restriction. A bonus is that they are cheaper to build, which means, a cheaper cost for the completed home. I also suggest building the home on the land before you buy the property, instead of buying the property and then building. This is cheaper because the contractor gets to work on your home without your meddling and then kindly gives you a discount. Another way to save money, use cheap wallpapers and floors in the interior decor of the home, then once you move in and make more money, repaper the walls with wallpapers of your choosing. With so many economical options and online catalogs, it is easier to choose wallpapers without breaking the piggybank.
Now that you built your new home, let me be the first to say, welcome home.
Veronika is an independant house designer and will be offering several house designs in the Greymount Store, opening this October.
Gardening for Dumb Sims
bu Greymount Gardening Association
Is Gardening For You? Do you like dirt? Can you handle manual labor? Are you somewhat active? If so, gardening may be for you. Gardening is a life rewarding hobby or job as the vegetables from your garden can be eaten by the family or sold for extra or even the sole income. Gardening is time consuming; it can take an average of four to six hours daily of manual labor and requires the gardener to remember many details. However, it can bond the family as everyone, even children can care for a plot of vegetables. It’s easy if you are the Sim for it.
Planning Your Garden: Once you’ve decided if gardening is for you, access the building catalog. In the plants section there is a little brown patch of dirt, order one patch for every seed you plan to plant. When the dirt arrives place it somewhere outside or if you have an indoor garden, inside. Every seed in your packet requires its own little plot of land so make sure you order plenty of dirt if you're planning on reaping major profits from your garden. Garden Layout Tip: Put the plots in rows of about five plots and leave a row of empty plots free. This keeps a free row for the gardener to knell in and easy access to the plots without trampling the other vegetables.
Buying Seeds: So you want to plant a garden and you have the soil prepared. Then what you need to do next is buy the seeds. Go to your local seed and produce store, browse through the racks of seeds and buy some once you've decided on a vegetable to sell or eat. Buying one pack of seeds gives you five units of seeds, so unless you're a full-time farmer with huge plots of land, you should only need a few packs or less, especially to start with. Hint: Tomato and Bean seeds are worth their weight in gold, for one seed can produce multiple crops as they grow from the vine or stalk however, carrot and lettuce plots must be replanted after each harvest.
Plant Tonic: While you're at your local store, talk to the farmer and buy some of his Plant Tonic for a small price. Although it can boost your crops' sizes through the roof, it can also... well never mind.
Pests: The problem with gardens is that little bunnies and gophers running around SimCity love to eat your fresh vegetables. You'll want to invest in a guard. Head over to a pet shop and buy a cat (or adopt a stray). Cats are excellent pest hunters once you train their hunting skill. Also, you can buy a scarecrow or windmill in the standard catalog to help even more if a pet is not an option. Another option is the new state-of-the-art indoor garden. Just plant your soil for the garden and have a contractor enclose the garden with walls.
Planting & Maintenance: You have the seeds, you have the land, now you’re ready to get dirty. Plant your seeds and be prepared to spend 15 minutes of planting for each plot of land. After that's done, water the plot, watering will take about 6 minutes for each plot of land. If you’re forgetful, buy or adopt a dog; they can be trained to water the garden for you or have a child water the garden-it is the perfect before or after school chore. After a few days, the plots may be full of weeds, weed the garden and water the plots, weeding takes about 20 minutes per plot of land. It is vital that you water the plots each day and that you weed whenever necessary, or else your beautiful plants will die.
Harvesting: Ahh, victory. Soon your plants will be ready for harvesting, but you can keep watering them anyway to try to make them a bit bigger (this also leaves the risk of pests having an extra day to invade your garden). Once you've decided to harvest them, your plots of land will be emptied, enabling you to replant some seeds, or in the case of tomato and bean crops-water them and prepare for another harvest. After that, you have two options. You can keep the crops by ordering a pantry from the standard catalog. It works a little like a fridge, but you can keep your harvested food here for eating whenever you need to. You could also sell the crops by heading to a market and selling your whole harvest.
Currently the Greymount Gardening Association (GGA) is comprised of residents who have gardens or who are interested in gardening, but lack the time or resource. If you are interested in joining the association, contact the GAA with the subject line: Join the GGA. The GGA’s Consitution states that you must have a garden and you do not have to live in Greymount. Members are eligible to submit articles about gardening to Greymount’s website.
Some of the tips in the lecture series was taken from pyrofalkon’s strategy guide: http://www.geocities.com/pyrofalkon/sims/guide.htm
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