Currently in February

Currently Listening….

 

 

 

 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous February!

 

I can’t believe how much it’s flying by, then again, I feel like I always say that!

But really though…. when you are always busy, time flies by much faster, too.

And lately I feel like I am always grinding.  In a good way- I have been doing a lot of things to try to set up my future and just working hard in general at bettering myself.

 

It’s been awhile since I have written a Currently post. Looking back it’s been since October?! So here we go…

 

Currently Celebrating…

I offered to cook for Frankie for Valentines this year, but he opted that we go out. We had a wonderful night! I also got him some yummy bakery items. (which didn’t last very long)

 

 

Currently doing…

 

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School:

School is in full swing with my Graphic Design class. In addition to this, I am looking into applying to a Web Design & Programming degree program. (I used to sit for hours and code my Myspace layout back in the day and I loved that sh*t, so we’ll see if I love this too) I read that they do night and summer classes so am hoping to apply by the summer, take a class & see how I do/ if I like it and then go from there. I hope to do both Graphic & Web programs together. P.S. I know I am crazy.

BUT anything with web and design in my opinion is a really smart choice right now. (it will always be needed and web developers can make some really good money) And while I enjoy my job often, I am a case manager and you can’t really do that forever. I have been thinking hard and working hard on other ways to make money- even if it’s on the side for awhile until I make another profitable income from it.

 

 

Poshmark, Ebay, & Thrifting:

I have also been working really hard on my selling on Poshmark (sold 3 things so far and am almost at 3k followers- woohoo!) I sell on Ebay too! (Between both sites I have sold 4 things within the last 2 months, which I think is pretty good!) Remember my Thrift Haul & Poshmark post? I am cutting myself off from more thrifting at least until I make a marketable profit from the last thrift- which totaled $80.00.

 

 

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House Hunting:

Frankie and I have been looking for a house on and off for about a year and a half. We are more serious about it now and have met with a mortgage company and will meet with the realtor next week. We have seen some houses with creepy basements (definitely on the do not want list) and we have gotten to know what we want and don’t want in a house.

 

 

 

 

Keeping up with everything else….

I still work 40 hours a week and my job has gotten  a lot busier in the last 2 months (grateful for this though), I still go to the gym at least once a week- the past few weeks it’s been Zumba classes.  I have also been consistent the last 2 weeks with only having 1 coffee a day ( 2 on a really bad day,) drinking less alcohol/more tea, and meditating and journaling more. #Selfcare

Oh and the blog! And seeing friends when I can. Damn, that’s a lot when I really write it down..

 

 

Currently loving…

 

 

Young Living Essential Oils.

Did you see my last post? Mom and I have been pretty obsessed with our Young Living Essential oil diffuser. Make sure if you decide to join our love & purchase one of your own, you use our member ID code in my last post!

 

Current Goals…

 

This goes along with my Currently Doing section but I have a few solid things I want to work on right now:

• Maintain less coffee  & alcohol
• Attend yoga 1 x a week in addition to the gym. This is harder right now with school, but just requires more planning with my homework schedule.
• Keep meditating.
• Work on Poshmark & Ebay for a few hours every week and up my sales.
• Apply to Web Design program and register for a summer class.
• Pay off debt & save money. I have been paying off my credit card bill little by little and now I just got a new medical bill.         Sigh.…adulting. 

 

 

Currently thinking about…

 

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Travel!

This time last year we were planning our dream trip to Santorini, Greece. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we went.

This year because we are house hunting and saving we may just take a trip to Florida…Frankie has never been and nana and papa have a condo there we may be able to stay at.

I have really been dreaming about going to Thailand someday.  Anyone been?

 

What have you been currently up to?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories of Santorini…Part 4: Food!

Listening now…

 

First off I wanted to say thank you for bringing us up to 700 followers!!

 

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I am so incredibly humbled and every time I reach another mile stone it makes me want to focus on this even more and more. This is really my little sanctuary and I am so thankful for it. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I blogged about my 500 followers milestone!

 

So, what better way to celebrate big things than food?! In Greece they definitely celebrate their food…

 

Greek frappes were an every day occurrence for us. #Caffeine

A happy girl is a girl with Greek pizza and an orange lit moon with her man! #Pizzaforever

 

 

Speaking of food….it’s a good thing there are a million steps in Santorini. Walking up the side of those caldera cliffs isn’t easy, but oh so worth it. We managed to both come home actually weighing less than before we left! We counted 110 steps to walk up and down from our hotel every day.

 

Here is a list of our favorite places that we were lucky enough to wine and dine at on our trip:

 

Let’s start with Gyros. All day every day.

We thought our festival gyros at home were good until we tried them in Greece. They always put french fries on their gyros and paprika! Also in Greece I noticed they do other meat besides lamb, which makes me think that the lamb Gyro is the Americanized version.

We went to Lucky’s Souvlakis and we ended up going there like once a day. Lol. When in Greece!

 

 

Heliotopos Hotel Restaurant and Wine Bar

 

We ate at our hotel, Heliotopos, a few nights and that was amazing. It doesn’t get much better than eating out on the Terrace overlooking the sunset.

 

My wonderful mama sent us wine and a cheese plate! Heaven….

This is where we had breakfast every morning- buffet style complete with fresh fruit, homemade jams and Greek pastries.

 

Sunset in Ammoudi Bay

 

We were lucky enough to get to eat at Sunset Ammoudi twice- the first time for actual dinner and the seconds for appetizers and wine as we watched the sunset.

 

 

To get down to the restaurant, you have to walk the  Oia to Ammoudi Bay  steps, which I wrote about in my Santorini Bucket List. 

 

 

As you can see, your table is literally on the edge of the Bay. The wine bucket was perched on the side of the edge of the table only held up by a metal piece. It was such a unique experience!

What made it even more unique was when we heard a splash and looked over to see a man swimming in the water.  (I wish I got a picture of that!) Now, Greek water in May is freezing on even a hot and sunny day. Our waiter told us “Oh yes, that is our staff- he jumps into the water to grab people’s things when they drop them from their tables.”

Talk about Greek hospitality.

 

 

I am really not a fish person. But the waiter said, ” If you don’t like it I promise I will bring you something else and offer my sincerest apologies.” He said he would bring me the least “fishy” tasting fish they had.

I believe this was a Mackerel and it was actually good- although I would not order it myself.

Our waiter stood at our table for a good while picking out every single bone and explaining about the fish to us.

 

 

 

 

 

Metaxy Mas- Exo Gonia, Santorini

 

This was our absolute favorite restaurant of the entire trip.

The view outside of Metaxy Mas.

 

When you sit down you are greeted warmly with a complimentary dish of cheese, olives, and bread as well as what we thought was a jar of water at first. Upon drinking this strong liquid we realized this was definitely not water, but a very potent liquor oh which I am unsure of the name! Haha.

 

 

While here, I fell in love with this pottery dish that our wine was served in. I asked Frankie if he thought they might sell them. Since it had their name on it I thought maybe they did! Who knows?! Anyway, we asked our waitress who very politely said, ” I don’t know, let me go check.” A few minutes later she came back with a carefully wrapped paper with tape. She said, “It’s a gift.” And handed me my beloved pottery!

Between this “gift,” the man who jumped into the water at Sunset Ammoudi to get people’s things, all of the complimentary dishes we were served, and our hotel staff, I am still truly humbled with the hospitality we experienced in Greece.

 

 

We both agreed that this was the best thing we have ever eaten. Ever.

This was a 4 cheese pastry with a blackberry sauce.

Frankie seems to think it is the Greek Kataifi.

I am pretty sure we licked the plate clean and savored every second.

 

Another complimentary dish!

And the view isn’t bad either…!

 

Anogi- Imerovigli, Santorini

 

This was our second favorite place and we ended up going here on a whim on one of our last nights even though we passed it on the quad every day coming and going from our hotel. It was walking distance from our hotel and truly yummy! This is also where Frankie tried Ouzo, an extremely strong Greek liquor. It has a Licorice like taste, so it was not my favorite at all! But something I felt like I had to try : )

I wish I got a picture of my actual main dish…

 

 

Greek food is definitely yummy and they really love their pastries, frappes, cheese, and olives.

Did I make you hungry?

 

Thanks for reading and stay tuned! I think I am going to do one more part : )  XOXO

Stories of Santorini…Part 3: Beaches

Listening now…

Beaches make me feel at ease…this is why I picked this song!Also, it’s been on repeat lately.  Listen as you view…

 

I am sorry for the lack of posts lately everyone! A lot has been going on in my life as of late… a lot of changes!

We visited some incredibly beautiful beaches in Santorini. Ones that seem like a photo out of a calendar but are actually real life…

 

Red Beach:

Red Beach is located near the ancient village of Akrotiri- called “red” beach because of the red rocks and sand- or pebbles, that make it up.

It was a really wild thing to hear all of the pebbles wash over each other as each wave came along- reminded me of the sound of July 4th sparklers! Crackly pebbles washing over each other.

 

My favorite among the beaches we visited!  You might be able to see why…

 

The water was actually more blue in person….  #takemeback

 

There were doors built into the rock walls for storage that I thought were so cool…

 

 

Perissa Beach:

 

“Black Sand beach”…complete with a black doggy, too! (See below)

 

Yes please.

Kamara Beach:

 

Kamara Beach is definitely your more “touristy” beach and beach town filled with tons of restaurants, bars, and shopping! This is definitely where you want to go to get your beach bar feel.

Moon lit dinner…

We got so lucky this night, the moon was SO orange and huge- hard to capture on camera…

 

See you soon for more Santorini! XOXO

Stories of Santorini…Part 2: Architecture & Ruins

Listening now…

 

If you did not catch Part 1, hop over there first!

 

I am going to have to just accept the fact that there is no possible way I can share all of my journey and photos with you guys- there are just too many and too much to say!

For Part 2 of this journey I wanted to talk about the beautiful architecture of Santorini Greece.

I touched on this a little bit in the first part…the blue domed churches and the blue and white buildings make up the majority of the architecture you see here.

 

 

Combined with what the locals told us in person, after I came home I read up more on the architecture of Greece. Read more about it here!

Safety is a huge concern of the Greek and a big reason much of their architecture is the way it is today. Key elements include protecting themselves from pirates back in the day as well as building into the left over volcanic rock that makes up the majority of the island that has been disrupted by volcanoes over the years. A local told us that Santorini used to be 1 connected circle until all of the natural disasters occurred!

 

 

The Cliff side Caldera of Santorini…

 

Entire villages are built right into the island’s Volcanic cliff sides, or the “caldera.”

I am convinced our hotel had the absolute best view possible and you can really see how cliff side everything is…

 

There’s the cliff side of Fira…

And the beauty of the caldera of Ammoudi Bay…

 

 

The domed churches…

( with all their “bells” and whistles)

 

 

 

 

Many of the churches featured these tiny bell towers as well which are just too beautiful… the sounds of the church bells as you are walking through Greece truly add to the feeling!

 

 

Pastel painted towns…

 

Certain towns, such as Oia, have more pastel colored buildings and homes than other towns do.

 

 

I don’t want to get too into the beach towns yet because that is a separate part I will do, but Kamari beach and the surrounding town is a town you will see a lot more than just the blues and whites . Each of the restaurants and bars had their own color theme so all you see as you walk down the strip is a different bright color associated with that business.

 

The colors of Kamari!

You see a lot of cobblestone steps too…

 

Historical architecture and ruins…

 

 

You see many old windmills

 

 

And ruins of what used to be…

Obviously I love abandoned ruins  so being in Greece was a dream for me. My favorite towns we visited were Pyrgos and Exo Gonia because of the amazing history you can see as you walk the streets of these places with their ruins…

 

Greece has many castle ruins you can visit and we took a trip over to the Venetian castle in the village of Akrotiri.

 

Visiting the Venetian castle ruins…

The view from the top of the castle

And here are some favorites of mine from the town of Pyrgos:

Pyrgos is also where we ate at our favorite restaurant of our whole trip, Metaxy Mas- but that is for my food post! 😉

An abandoned Greek music venue…

 

We came across an abandoned taverna/restaurant…

 

Old kitchen

 

 

We passed this old building frequently on our outings on the quad and on one of our last days I decided to stop and take pictures of it this dog was tied up….I hope he is okay!

You frequently see shells of buildings that seemed to be starting construction and stopping it abruptly. We think this is due to the economic troubles currently in Greece that many people started building homes, hotels, etc and then could no longer afford it.

 

We think this may have been the start of a hotel…

Doorway to heaven?

 

Archeological site at Akrotiri:

 

We visited the Akrotiri archaeological site

 

 

Greek courtyards and homes…

 

I made sure to be a complete creep and peek into the Greek home courtyards too to get a feel for that as well. They are all so adorable with their little outdoor spaces complete with vines, greenery and flowers as well as their laundry hung outside on the line in the breeze…

 

 

I hope you enjoyed journeying around Santorini with me on this part 2!

 

Stay tuned for upcoming parts including Greek food, shopping, beaches, etc… XOXOX

Stories of Santorini…Part 1

Listening now…

 

It’s good to get away and it’s good to come home again. Santorini was more beautiful and more of a dream than I ever imagined.  This post is going to be in parts because there are SO many photos and just so much to say about it.

I think we definitely accomplished all of our bucket list and more.

 

We stayed at the Heliotopos Hotel in Imerovigli in Santorini. I would highly recommend staying here as the hotel was stunning, the staff were so hospitable and accommodating, and the village it is located is in super quiet, yet central enough to the busier parts like Fira, which has more of a night life.

 

I could not have been happier with our stay!

Helio {sun} Topos {place} – The place of sun

I am having serious Greece withdrawals looking at our photos  (about 800 to be exact!) and want to cry now…I just feel incredibly blessed that we were able to go at all.

 

 

We did not know until we got there that we were at the very bottom of the hotel, so we basically had our own private area right by the water and this was our balcony and view…

This was our view looking to the left of our balcony…our neighboring hotel and the rock behind is Skaros rock. 

100 % off duty….

 

On one of our first days we did the walk from Fira to Oia….the view along the way was incredible!

 

Once you arrive in Oia, you are greeted with this beautiful chapel and archway, with love locks!

I quickly became obsessed with the churches and tiny chapels in Greece. Many of them are white with the blue dome tops and a cross on top.

 

The view of Oia you see as you finish your hike and venture into the town…

Oia is great for shopping, but prepare for spending your Euros…

 

We made sure to catch the sunset, especially when we first arrived, back at our hotel.

One thing I really cannot decide is if I love Greece more during the day or the night…

Here you can see the steps leading from Oia down to Ammoudi Bay to the right.

But I think I love it the best when it is turning from day to night…

Welcome to the Santorini sunset.

From pink skies…

To fiery orange.

 

I think I will do a whole part on this alone. I could not stop snapping photos of the most stunning sky I have ever seen.

 

Actually, I could not stop snapping photos of every.single.thing.

I am so glad I did! Looking back on them now makes me want to cry, I just feel so blessed for being able to go.

 

 

We rented a quad so were lucky enough to get to explore the whole island as much as possible! We really tried to maximize every single day. Frankie didn’t even allow me to take naps…. lol. #nonapsallowedingreece

But I am so glad we did. We visited the areas of Oia, Kamari, Perissa, Pyrgos and Exo Gonia (my absolute favorites), Fira(capital), Akrotiri… and many little places in between.

 

More parts of our Greece adventure coming up… architecture, food, beaches, ruins….what would you like to hear about?

 

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned….#800photos

 

 

 

 

 

Bon Voyage!

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I wanted to say a goodbye to my blog friends and followers until May 22nd. I head to Santorini, Greece tomorrow to make my dream travel bucket list come true.

 

I want to soak up every moment possible and will not be blogging until I get back but will definitely update you with plenty of photos from the trip!

 

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As always, thanks so much for reading and being my constant support.

XOXO

 

Santorini, Greece Bucket List

Listening now…

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This is going to be a long list and I may add to it as time goes along and the trip gets closer. I will do an update post once I have actually visited with where I suggest to go and pictures from the trip itself.

There is SO much to do on this little island that I have read about, it is hard to compile one list. I am not sure if every single one of these things will happen, but we are going to try our hardest to make every day count as much as possible!

We travel to Santorini from May 10th to the 19th. If you missed my Currently in March post, it has been my dream to go here ever since the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie came out and that dream is finally becoming a reality!

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From what I have read online (and there are SO many resources out there it’s a bit overwhelming,) there are quite a few must sees and must dos when in Santorini. When I read about all that Greece has to offer and look at pictures, I get chills.

Santorini is only 1 of the many islands in Greece, but with so much to do. It was devastated by volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, creating it’s rugged and cliffside landscape.

Hike from Fira to Oia and see the famous Santorini sunset. (With a bottle of wine)

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It has been said that people travel from all over the world to Santorini simply to see a Santorini sunset. I can see why…

Walk the steps from Oia to Amoudi Bay.

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I can’t even fathom the beauty of Amoudi Bay when I look at pictures online…

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Visit these towns/villages & walk around, shop, eat in: Oia, Fira, Imerovigli, Kamari, Perissa

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Each little village seems to have it’s own uniqueness to it and known for it’s own “thing.” We have read that Fira is where the party is at, Imerovigli is great for shopping, and Oia is great for dining by the water and their infamous sunsets.

I definitely want to take full advantage of Greek shopping and maybe visit a farmers market…!

I need to get some beautiful Greek souvenirs and am really hoping to come home with some really once in a lifetime kind of fashion pieces that I can cherish forever and remind me of the trip. 🙂

Beaches: Perissa, Red Beach, Kamari Beach

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Santorini is known for it’s unique beaches- many of them are made up of dark volcanic sand, rather than the typical white sand you think of. But they seem to have a beauty all to their own!

Immerse into the history and culture of Santorini. 

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The history of Santorini includes volcanos and tons of ancient ruins to explore. If you know anything about my blog so far, you may know that I love abandoned ruins. 

Specifically, I would love to go visit Ancient Thera in Kamari and the ancient archeological site Akrotiri. 

I also definitely want to check out the many museums of Santorini!

As for the culture…

We have read that Greeks are known for their hospitality. They are also very superstitious.

I want to come home with as much Greek knowledge as possible, including some language! I want to learn as much as I can about the Greek Gods and Goddesses. I would also like to feel as much like a Goddess while there as possible.

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Scuba Dive down to a plane wreck…

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I have to do quite a bit more research on this and it may have to be a day trip outside of the general area we will be staying in- but I definitely think it would be worth it!

Rent a quad or moped and ride around the island. 

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Because I can’t think of anything more heavenly than riding on a quad along a coastline with your hair blowing in the warm wind…it is surprisingly cheap to rent a quad for an entire 8-9 days, too. So we can pretty much rent one and park it all over the place.

Swim in the hot springs. 

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This is a must for me…

When else will you get the chance to swim in a hot spring other than Greece? Just don’t wear a good bathing suit I have read it tends to stay with you for awhile….. #takethehotspringhome

Food and Drink:

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Where do I start?

Here’s just some of the yummies in Greece. From what I have found so far, Greeks love their pastries filled with cheese. Count me in. Also sweet custard deserts seem to be of top priority. Again….count.me.in.

More Greek food to make you hungry.

Among my list of musts to try: Baklava (pastry filled with filo and chopped nuts and honey,) Spanakopita (savory pastry filled with spinach, eggs, feta cheese, onions, seasoning,) and I absolutely need to try an actual Greek gyro, to name a few.

Also…. WINE.

The amount of wineries I have read about whilst doing research is making me so thirsty….

Also. Dinner with a view needs to happen- and is inevitable to happen while in Greece.

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“Man: a being in search of meaning. “

-Plato

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds”

-Aristotle Onassis

Currently in March

Listening now…

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March has been a busy month! Honestly, I have been very busy lately and that is why I have not had as much time for blogging.

I did not even get to a “Currently” post in February. Check out my last Currently in January post to see what I was up to back then…

But if you live anywhere where this Nor’easter Stella storm hit, then you may be like me, and currently dealing with this…

#Sorearms #3feetandabove

Currently doing…

I am currently doing a million things at once right now, hence why blogging is once a week at the moment, here’s why! 🙂

Birthday celebrations for a friend were had this weekend!I left my house, hooray!

School:

Right now I am working towards an Animals & Public Policy certificate which is very focused on Animal law, Policies affecting animal laws, nonprofit administration, etc. I am still figuring school out but I think this is what I am really feeling- the skills needed to work in the animal nonprofit world- I hope! I am also considering a masters in Nonprofit Administration and would like to take both the certificate and classes for that, but school is a ton of work, time, money, etc. It is very hard to go back to school once you are working full time and paying loans and other bills- hoping I will figure this out slowly but surely…:)

Vacation Planning:

Frankie and I are planning a big trip (his first time out of the country) and we are seriously looking at Santorini, Greece.  Guys, I have wanted to go to Greece ever since I saw the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie which was filmed there. (Which was actually filmed in Santorini) We are waiting for his vacation time to be approved before we can book, but we are stoked! Has anyone reading this been? If so- recommendations?!

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Awesome reasons to travel to Greece: (Based on my research)

• Safe to travel to
• Economically struggling at the moment, so cheaper goods
• Exploring ruins! Right up my alley… so much history and things to learn here.
• The scenery-the cliffs, beaches and blue water, blue rooftops in Santorini, the food, sunsets of Oia (or so I’ve read…)
• Amazing Greek hospitality is something I have read a lot about
• Greek food!
• Greeks love to celebrate life

Time to start learning Greek language….

Currently watching…

This is Us.

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I promise you you will not be disappointed. Every single episode I cry. That good-hearty, damn I needed that-type of cry. I think it comes down to the show being about the core of family, love, loss, meaning of life, and purpose. It’s just so good, you have to watch it for yourself!

Currently reading…

When I do have free time, I have been reading…

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I am not as obsessed with this book and have been taking longer to get through it than when I read my recent faves, “Behind Closed Doors,” “The Memory Box,” and “It Ends with Us.”

It’s good so far and follows the story of an ex couple, recently divorced, whose daughter Anna goes missing.  I have not gotten very far but it seems to shift between their lives and search for her and the kidnappers vague story of taking her…

Currently playing…

I recently picked up a Nintendo 3 ds with my Amazon gift care and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I used to have this game and played obsessively, then sold my ds because I needed money at the time, then immediately regretted it and missed checking on my town and my villagers. (I realize I am strange, by the way) Plus there has been an update since then that allows you to scan cards into the game with certain villagers and you can ask them to move into your town.

Anyway, I have been reconnected with AC New Leaf!

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For those of you who don’t know, Animal Crossing has been around for awhile. I used to play back when I had a gamecube…

It is a game where you control your town as mayor and work to make it better- creating new public works projects and ordinances and meeting and creating relationships with your villagers (who happy to be really cute animals who talk to you.)  You can work on your house-paying off your loans and decorating, earning money to do these things by catching bugs, fish, and shaking trees for fruit and selling them. The seasons change in the game too, and there are frequently events and holidays, following real world time.

Does anyone out there play?

I also want to pick up Pokemon Moon…

What have you been up to this March?Share with me!