#Eco-friendly holiday decor

[voguegenics]

Sustainable Living: Embrace Green Holiday Traditions

🎄♻️ This holiday season, give the planet a gift too! Discover green holiday traditions, sustainable decor, and zero-waste gift ideas to celebrate joyfully and consciously. 🌍✨ #GreenHolidays #SustainableLiving

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the opportunity to embrace green holiday traditions that align with a more sustainable lifestyle. As environmental awareness grows, many people are seeking ways to make their celebrations more eco-friendly. This article explores how you can incorporate sustainability into your holiday festivities, from decorations and gifts to food and travel. Why…

[arctic-hands]

Is it infuriating my disabled, food-allergy having ass who doesn't live near a grocery store within walking distance on a good day has to order groceries from Amazon in order to survive? Yes. Do their new silver-foil insulation bags for frozen things mean I now have free wrapping paper for birthdays and holidays? Also yes

[prosupplyglobal12]

Fall Leaves Tissue Paper – Perfect for Gift Bags!

Elevate your gift presentation this fall with our stunning Fall Leaves Tissue Paper! Featuring vibrant and colourful autumn leaf designs, it brings a warm, seasonal feel to any gift bag. Whether for birthdays, weddings, Thanksgiving, or fall festivals, this tissue paper adds a festive touch. Each pack contains high-quality, durable sheets that are great for wrapping, crafting, or decorating. Ideal for any occasion where you want to celebrate the beauty of fall! Available in convenient packs for personal or bulk orders.

[makeupreviewandbeautyblog]

Eco-Friendly Christmas: Sustainable Celebrations and Gift Ideas

Christmas is a time for joy, family, and giving. But it can also be a time for excess waste. From wrapping paper to decorations, Christmas traditions can take a toll on the environment. This year, why not make a commitment to a more eco-friendly Christmas? By making a few simple changes, we can all celebrate the holidays without harming the planet. Here are some eco-friendly Christmas gift…

[attorneyologies]

Ace Attorney Headcanons - Holiday Gift-Wrapping 🎄🎁🎄🎁

🎁 Phoenix likes to keep his holiday gift-wrapping simple - he buys a case of “grape juice” and wraps the bottles in the fanciest gift bags he can find at Dollar Tree. Done and done.

🎁 Miles does not enjoy gift-wrapping, or paper-folding of any kind, actually (due to the origami-crane incident), so he gets all his presents done at the charity gift-wrapping booth in the mall, and he always donates generously.

🎁 Franziska, on the other hand, adores gift-wrapping. She refuses to entrust her packages to the mall employees - “If you want something done perfectly, do it yourself,” she says. She takes pride in her color coordinations; the ribbons and bows must complement the paper exactly. If the department store runs out of her favorite tissue paper, Franzy will call the manager to complain.

🎁 Larry - OK, so this one time, years ago, when Larry was working for KB Security, he was assigned to guard a Tiffany store. Somehow, Larry managed to “acquire” a small stash of blue Tiffany gift bags without anyone noticing. Now, whenever he buys his latest girlfriend a present, he always puts it in a Tiffany bag to impress her.

🎁 Gumshoe likes cloth gift-wrap: reusable, eco-friendly, and most importantly, easy on the budget. He’ll bake a batch of homemade sugar cookies and wrap the cookie box in a big red and green tea towel, knotted at the top, Japanese-style.

🎁 Klavier has his own Gavinners wrapping paper: purple with silver G’s, of course. He won’t wrap gifts himself, though; he saves his hands for guitar-playing and doesn’t want to get any paper cuts. So he asks one of the junior clerks at the prosecutor’s office to help him.

🎁 Ema works long hours in the forensics lab, and she doesn’t really have time to shop for gifts, let alone wrap them. So she orders gifts from Amazon on her work computer, during her snack break, and she checks the “Gift Wrap” box on every single item - boom, boom, boom, done! “Work smarter, not harder,” says Ema as she goes back to munching her Snackoos.

🎁 Maya lovvvves gift-wrapping, and so does Pearl. It’s one of their favorite activities to do together for the holidays. Maya wraps all her presents in plain white paper and then she and Pearl have fun decorating the parcels with ribbons, stickers, stamps, and markers.

🎁 Trucy is a bit of a prankster when it comes to gift-wrapping. The first Christmas that Apollo was at the Agency, Trucy did the whole “box inside a box inside a box” thing for Apollo’s gift. So poor Polly had to spend like 15 minutes unwrapping a refrigerator-sized cardboard box with about seven or eight more boxes nested inside, weighted down with rocks and bricks, while Trucy looked on with devilish glee. Finally, Polly opened the last box, and inside it was … an expired coupon for Eldoon’s. Naturally, he was furious! But before he could say anything, Trucy whipped out the Magic Panties (TM) and revealed his actual gift - TA-DA! (It was a Blu-ray box set of his favorite TV show, that Trucy had saved up her allowance to buy for him!) so Apollo couldn’t really stay mad at her after that.

[overtake]

old playing cards!!

I managed a fic under 1k. Please clap.

DECEMBER 2022

Daniel’s fingers tap on the glass table and leave smudges from the sweat and oils coating them. He pulls the sleeve of his shirt over his hand and tries to wipe away the evidence, but he only succeeds at blurring the fingerprints into a hazy circle.

He curls his fingers into the meat of his palm instead, hidden safely inside the too-long cotton cocoon, and stares blankly down. Through the glass, he can see his knee bouncing up and down, just centimetres from banging into the table and bruising his skin.

He startles when a bowl lands in front of him. It’s that eco-friendly cardboard stuff they’ve switched to in the factory cafe, and it’s stuffed to the brim with some kind of chicken and rice dish. Just the smell of it makes Daniel’s stomach churn, and he pushes it to the edge of the table. He ignores Simon’s admonishing glare and crosses his arms across his ribcage.

“Well?” he asks. He knows the sim session didn’t go well. He could hear it in Simon’s constant feedback. He could feel it in his corner hesitation, slamming the brakes like he could fuck the sim into an actual wall and subsequently bracing for impact.

Simon doesn’t answer. Instead, he pulls something from his pocket and passes it across the table to Daniel.

It takes Daniel a second to register what he’s looking at, and it draws a laugh out of him for the first time that day.

“You still have these?” Daniel asks. He picks up the old deck of cards and pulls them from their package.

It’d been a tradition every race weekend since he’d become Daniel’s engineer for the two of them to play a round of war before every session. Daniel refused to call it a superstition, but it was their thing.

He’d bought this particular deck for Simon as a farewell gift in 2018, a joke packaged in amongst the real gift of the expensive watch that still decorates Simon’s wrist to date. Simon had become temporarily obsessed with the Real Housewives franchise, a secret he told Daniel to take to the grave, and Daniel had custom-made him a deck of cards with the housewives’ faces on it.

The pack has clearly only been opened once, the day he received it, and Daniel delights in shuffling them for the first time. The fresh edges are stiff against his hands.

Simon doesn’t speak until the cards have been dealt.

“When are you headed back to Perth?” he asks conversationally. He’s never been one to speak around the matter at hand. Daniel must have really stunk up the sim, then.

“Tomorrow.”

They each flip their first card. Simon’s eight takes it to Daniel’s three.

“And Max?”

Daniel turns over a queen, but Simon shows a king.

“After the holiday party. Are you really that invested in our winter break plans?”

Simon shrugs, unbothered by the bite in Daniel’s words. “Yes. I think you should spend time with your family, eat lots of Christmas ham, and stop thinking about the sim.”

Daniel finally takes a round.

“Is that your way of saying today was so bad, we can never speak of it again?”

Daniel flips over an ace. Simon rolls his eyes and slaps down an ace with Lisa Vanderpump’s smiling face, and they begin doling out cards for war. “We’ll talk about the data in a bit. I just want to remind you to take it easy, alright? Trust yourself. We both know your talent didn’t disappear. You just have to let yourself breathe a little.”

Daniel bites down on his lip, hoping the sharp edge of his tooth in skin will stop the burn in his eyes. “You almost sound like you care about me,” Daniel teases.

Simon shakes his head, but Daniel can see the bemused glint in his eyes.

“Get fucked,” Simon says solemnly when he wins the war and sweeps the pile into his deck.

They play the rest of the game in peaceful silence.

MARCH 2025

“Ready?” Max asks. His race suit is only half-zipped, allowing Daniel to lewdly admire the way his white fireproofs hug the frame of his body. Max sees Daniel mentally objectifying him and sticks out his chest a little.

“Almost,” Daniel promises. Simon’s only got about two cards left in his pile. He refuses to bring the Real Housewives deck, so they’re using a boring one for now, but Daniel plans on finding a themed deck for every other city this season.

Max collapses into the chair next to Daniel and spins himself in lazy half-circles until Daniel takes Simon’s final card and wins the game.

“Let’s go,” Daniel crows, doing a little fist pump.

“I let you win,” Simon lies, like it’s not a game of chance. Daniel boos him, and Max joins in.

“I didn’t miss you two being teammates,” Simon says, waving his hand between the two of them, which only increases their boos. Simon cracks his neck and stands up from the table. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel says, collecting the cards neatly back into the little box. Max offers him a hand up and lets his fingers linger on Daniel’s skin for a second too long, gently tracing over the four card suits tattooed over the puckered scar on his left hand. “Let’s do this thing.”

[katiajewelbox]

Halloween Countdown Day 7

Eco-Friendly Halloween Home Decor

Welcome to my haunted cottage of Halloween cheer! Every year as the spookiest day draws near, my Mom and I resurrect our collection of vintage and handcrafted Halloween decorations to turn our home into a Halloween wonderland.

This vintage and handcrafted decor is the opposite of the environmental horror that Halloween has mutated into in the UK. Recent reports featured in the The Times and The Sunday Times newspaper and other news sources reveal that Halloween is the biggest single use plastic holiday or event in the UK. The monstrous amount of plastic waste comes from cheaply made single use plastic decorations, tacky costumes thrown away after one use, and litter from wrapped sweets.

What can you do to combat this true Halloween horror? I suggest taking inspiration from our home decor and traditions. Some of our Halloween decorations are over 30 years old and still looking ghoulishly good since they are carefully stored year after year.

Our Halloween decor is mostly made of paper or fabric which gives it a softer, cosier appearance than plastic decorations. Store bought and handcrafted Halloween cards from years past are incorporated into the decor to add more visual appeal. Our paper crafts are easy to store since they're flat and if they become too damaged they are easily recycled. Homegrown pumpkins and winter squash are not just for looks, they are all fully edible gourmet fruits that last all winter. Papier mache Jack o Lanterns generate less waste than flimsy plastic pumpkins and are more artistic. If you don't have a compost bin natural, carving pumpkins can also generate a lot of waste since they usually aren't eaten after use. Impressive and creative Halloween costumes can be assembled from clothing in your wardrobe and accessories rather than buying polyester disposable costumes.

I hope this post "scares" you into celebrating a more eco friendly Halloween!

#halloween2024 #halloweentraditions #Halloween #halloweencountdown #HalloweenParty #halloweendecor #halloweendecorations #ecofriendly #reducereuserecycle

[sidewalkchemistry]

more eco-friendly holiday decor ideas than a large plastic tree shrouded in non-biodegradable ornaments

try to reuse & craft as much decor elements as you're able

[digitalproducts4all]

Canvas Print

About product

Elevate your living space with our Matte Canvas Print, featuring a unique coating for the highest quality images. Sustainable and eco-friendly, this canvas is perfect for art enthusiasts and home decor lovers. Ideal for decorating homes, offices, and gifting on birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Product features - Rubber dots on the bottom for stability - Printed with non-hazardous latex inks - Sustainable pine wood frame - Available in 60 different sizes - Back hanging included Care instructions - If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.

Get this product from HERE

[royhalls]

🌟 Black Friday Bonanza: Stunning Wall Art Deals Start Tomorrow! 🌟November 27 – December 2: Black Friday & Cyber Monday Combined

🚨 BIGGEST Sale of the Year Starts Now! 🚨 Elevate your home with Thoughts and Dreams, a breathtaking Canadian-made canvas wall art that transforms your space into a haven of elegance and inspiration. Don’t miss out—unleash the beauty of premium art at unbeatable prices! 🖼✨

🔥 Why You’ll Adore This Sale 🔥 ✅ Massive Discounts: Take advantage of jaw-dropping Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings! ✅ Unmatched Elegance: Add charm and sophistication with art that tells a story. ✅ Premium Quality: Crafted with fade-resistant inks on eco-conscious materials for lasting brilliance. ✅ Perfect for Every Space: Available in 15 sizes—ideal for cozy nooks or dramatic feature walls. ✅ Effortless Setup: Pre-installed hanging brackets mean you can decorate with ease. ✅ Eco-Friendly Luxury: Feel good knowing your purchase supports sustainability.

🎁 Holiday Gift Perfection Give the gift of beauty this season. Whether for loved ones or yourself, this timeless artwork brings joy, creativity, and warmth to any home.

💥 Limited Time Only: Sale ends December 2! Stocks are flying off the shelves—don’t wait!

✨ FREE SHIPPING: Enjoy complimentary delivery on every order.

👉 Shop Now Hurry—these deals won’t last long!

🚀 Upgrade Your Home and Save BIG! 🚀 Transform your walls, redefine your space, and embrace the beauty of Canadian craftsmanship this Black Friday.

[sims4t2bb]

weekly update

We hope you've had an amazing week, and that the upcoming week is filled with the happiest of things.

Happy Simming — onwards and upwards! ✨

— Base Game

Buy Mode

A link has been added to the top menu, next to the icon, to the "Build Mode" page, for easier browsing.

All items in the "Hobbies" category have been added. The coding for that category has been cleaned up and standardised. Missing items were added, some items were recategorised, and some item names were corrected.

All items in the "Decorative > Wall Hangings" category have been addded. The coding for that category has been cleaned up and standardised.

The link to ladysimplayer8's conversion of the "Edgier Laddercase" has been fixed.

Thank You, Wardrobe conversion by @thimblesims has been added.

Fishing Allowed Sign conversion by @enjatoki has been added.

Atlantis Plumbtrap conversion by TheNinthWave has been added.

Build Mode

A link has been added to the top menu, next to the icon, to the "Buy Mode" page, for easier browsing.

— Expansion Packs

Get Together

Jony's First Chimney, Life is Easy Balcony, Saladin's Chain, Saladin's Fury, Saladin's Hammer, Saladin's Lie, and Saladin's Spear conversions by @kalimero78 have been added.

Eco Lifestyle

Tree To Get Ready, Do It with Some Vine, Three Course Meal Planter, Adopt-A-Plant, Blooming Ordnance, Wow What a Creep! Floral Trellis, Every Day Holiday Vase, DIY Oxygen Triad Planter, and Eco-Ergo Friendly Floral Wall conversions by AdonisPluto have been added.

Snowy Escape

A missing item, Table for Squares - by GeoWerx, and its conversion by @tony-veis, have been added.

Cottage Living

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Some items were recategorised.

Growing Together

Way-To-Play Playmat conversion by @enjatoki has been added.

— Game Packs

Dream Home Decorator

Fantastical Play Tent conversion by @enjatoki has been added.

My Wedding Stories

It's All Set In Stone conversion by @brandinotbroke has been added.

[positivexcellence]

towwn: back-to-school shopping. 🛍️halloween superstore pop-ups.🎃thanksgiving + holiday decorations.🎄the leaves may be falling, but autumn is *the* season of skyrocketing consumption. 📈

we know it’s nearly impossible to make zero fall purchases, but we can get creative & craftier about what and how much we really need. before you buy anew, try a few tips courtesy of sustainable fashion expert hanna le of @re.statement, an #upcycledclothing marketplace (online + irl).

1. upcycle your own old clothes: paint your jeans & denim jackets, they make a great wearable canvas. 2. swap old clothes: visit your favorite vintage boutique or thrift shop to use credits & exchange your own retired items for new-to-you pieces 3. make a wishlist before buying: online browse, then circle back and edit the cart to only purchase the most basic 1 or 2 things you need. 4. visit a tailor: bring an old dress, skirt or top to a trusted local tailor to hem or remove sleeves. voila! just like new. 5. personally contact designers: dm an eco-friendly, small batch designer & ask if they’d rework a custom piece using a beloved item you already own. 6. trade clothing: host an intimate clothing swap soiree or invite a friend over to swap clothes and accessories 1:1 you both no longer wear. 7. mend or embellish your own: adding a funky patch to cover a stain or hole lends new life to a damaged item you still love (check out @nosopatches!)

[tipsycad147]

Your First Pagan Altar: Basic Layout and Ideas

Written by Francisco Huanaco Posted on March 12, 2019

Your Personal Space

The first thing you need is a personal space. It is essential to be able to practice your spells without anyone bothering you, and also to have a place where you can safely store your Witches tools, books and supplies. Ideally, you should have a space apart from your everyday world, such as an attic, basement, a corner of your bedroom, or even a space outside. The important thing here is that you can have privacy and silence to meditate and focus on your goals.

How to Setup a Witch Altar

Your Altar

When casting spells, we use the word “altar“ (not alter) to talk about our work table. Actually, it could be any flat surface and even just a mat on the floor. Your altar will be the focal point of your spells or rituals and it is where most ritual actions and Magical works will be performed.

Setting up a basic altar is quite simple. Usually it’s just a table where you will place the tools you are about to use and any symbols depicting your beliefs.

Rule #1 of your Pagan Altar

Anything goes! The most important thing is that you feel free to decorate, explore, re-arrange, and above all, have fun when creating your altar, which is a never-ending process. Your altar is unique to you and nobody else should be telling you what is right or wrong about it.

Witchy Tip: Before adding any new item to your altar, learn about its meaning. Ask yourself why you like it and how you can use it.

Rule #2 of your Pagan Altar

Don’t clutter it! Remember that this is actually a workspace and you’ll need room for ingredients, tools, and more. Empty it when you’re not using it. Avoid cluttering your altar by finding a nice place for your tools. Store them in a drawer, box, or shelf when you are not using them.

How to Decorate your Altar

Altar Cloth

No matter what kind of altar you are creating, it is advisable to cover its surface with a piece of cloth that will act both as an ornament and as protection from liquids, scratching, and wax drippings. Go shopping for an altar cloth or make your own. If you see any that you like with symbols, be sure to ask about their meanings.

Some Witches like to change their altar cloth according to the type of ritual they are doing, or following the Wheel of the Year, having a different one for each season and each Pagan holiday. If you’re on a budget, simply use any piece of cloth that you have at home.

Or make a DIY altar cloth! Find ideas at the Spells8 Forum: Altar Cloth Suggestions

Religious Symbols

If you are an Eclectic practitioner and feel connected to Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or any other spiritual traditions, you can add images or figures that symbolize your beliefs and remind you of who you are. If you are devoted to a specific deity, you could add a statue or drawing of them on your altar. For example, statues of the Wiccan Deities.

Some Pagans like to place a figure or drawing of their spirit animal and keep it as company and protection for their altar. If you’re Wiccan, add a pentacle in the center, or keep reading to learn how to set up a Wiccan altar. Set your altar however you prefer but especially in a way that feels comfortable to you.

Candles & Candle Holders

If you plan to work with Candle Magic – and you probably will after Lesson 7 – you’ll need at least one candle holder. Take your time when looking for one. Make sure that it’s sturdy enough to withstand the heat of the candle and that it won’t fall over if you accidentally bump into your altar. I encourage you to work with biodegradable, eco-friendly tools. Materials such as ceramics, glass and metal are ideal.

Incense Burners

An incense burner will come in handy whether you are casting a spell, meditating, or simply using aromatherapy for relaxation. Incense burners come in many shapes and styles. Check out also some incense holders. Alternatively, you could use your cauldron to burn herbs in it.

Creating a Wiccan Altar

In Wicca and Nature spirituality, the building blocks of your altar can be the four traditional Elements, which you can align using the four cardinal points.

Here’s a basic altar layout example:

A bowl of sand, dirt or a plant on the North end of your altar to represent the Element Earth,

A stick of incense in the East can symbolize the Element Air,

A candle or some charcoal in the South for Fire,

A glass or bowl with Water will be facing West.

Witchy Lifehack: The bowl of water will come handy should you need to quickly extinguish anything. Always practice Candle Safety

You can light the incense and candle before a meditation, during a devotional, a prayer, to start your day or before going to bed. Just make sure you don’t leave candles burning unattended. If you’re going somewhere else, simply blow it out or snuff it off with a candle-snuffer.

Some Wiccans prefer to simply use four candles to represent the four directions, and a candle or figure for the Goddess and one for the God. You could use candles in different colors to easily distinguish them. For example:

North = Green candle (Earth) 

East = Yellow candle (Air) 

South = Red candle (Fire) 

West = Blue candle (Water) 

You can always just use white candles if you don’t have colored ones. Light all of them at the same time before your rituals, always being careful not to burn anything on your altar. Make sure there’s nothing above your candles, such as a cupboard or shelf.

Combine these ideas in any way that you like. Being an Eclectic Wiccan is all about trial and error. There are no set rules.

An Altar for Everyone

Not everyone can have a fixed altar in a central place of their homes, especially if you live in a shared space with someone who might be offended or annoyed by it. 

In the event that the other members of the house don’t want to see your altar, you can keep it hidden by putting together a portable altar which you will assemble at the time of casting a spell, and then fold it back and put it away. Your portable altar could be a folding table or two easels with a board on top, and a nice wooden box with your tools inside.

On the other hand, if you live on your own or with people who accept your beliefs, you can have a permanent altar, for example a small table, dedicated solely to fulfill that function. To others, it may seem a strange exhibition of objects, but for us, not only does it have ritual importance, but it also reminds us of our spiritual path. 

[toxics-sims-adventures]

Decided to categorize what I think are the most invasive packs (that I own) in ts4

Explanations under the cut:

INCREDIBLY INVASIVE:

The Base Game is needed to play TS4 at all so I just threw it into incredibly invasive for a giggle.

Eco Lifestyle causes the most annoying effect of turning my neighborhoods into industrial hellscapes just because most of Oasis Springs uses plaster and stucco and Willow Creek uses plastic siding. If I turn it off in settings though, I can’t remove the industrial cloud over Evergreen Harbor. NAPs make people litter my neighborhoods in junk items that I can’t just pick up and delete because it’s not part of my lot, or I end up with the most active kleptomaniacs in any game since my days in the Sims 1 where I’d literally build a treasure vault maze to punish the burglars. I have to turn off NPC voting just to make them all stop. I still get constant popups from each voting cycle saying something won even though absolutely no votes went through and there’s no actual NAP put into place but still. High key annoying.

Parenthood. You cannot escape the character values. They effect every toddler, child and teen, like it or not. You constantly receive school projects in the offspring’s inventory. If there was an option to turn it off at the expense of getting the bonus traits, this would drop straight into only invasive with interaction.

My Wedding Stories literally changes the wedding party. Gone is the simple day of decorating Willow Creek’s cherry blossom park with an arch, a piano and a bar to get an easy progression through your soulmate aspiration. Without mods anyway.

A lot of that Werewolves invasiveness happens because either Greg decides to suddenly visit Oasis Springs for ZERO reason and scares everyone on my street, or because Jake Volkov keeps coming to Copperdale High in full fury furry mode and makes everyone run screaming from the classroom. Like, dude, just stay home, call in sick, take the mental health day. Cripes.

Moderately Invasive:

Seasons adds weather to all worlds. You can turn most of it off though, the only weather you can’t avoid is sunny and cloudy days. It also adds temperature effects to Sims, but you can turn that off completely in the menu if you’re tired of sims overheating or freezing to death. Other than the seasonal life cycle of plants from gardening, which can only be subverted with indoor greenhouses or a pot in your sims living room to shelter the plant, the other thing Seasons does that would be considered annoyingly invasive would be the holidays. Even if you turn off all the major holidays preset in the pack, Love Day, Harvestfest, etc.  by deleting them from the calendar, you’ll still get random holidays popping up that keep coming back (without a mod to disable it) like the lottery or fight a sim day, which if you refuse to participate in can give your sim a sad buff depending on their traits.

Get Famous adds the fame system. Everything you do can effect your sims fame level making their lives easier or harder. You can however step out of the spotlight so your painter monkey doesn’t get famous in the basement. (I have never made a painter monkey in the basement but some of you do and I’m as intrigued as I am terrified of you all.) BUT Get Famous also has a reputation system that you CAN’T turn off. Every friendly action/new friend you make will change your reputation positively and every mean interaction/enemy you make will change your reputation negatively. You can end up with a beloved or beloathed sim who when meeting new people will have their reputation precede them and effect their future relationships. Celebrities will show up anywhere, grinding pretty much everything to a halt so NPCs and even your own sims can swoon over them. (Plus Judith Ward and every other celebrity will always walk through your neighborhood no matter where you live, breaking the immersion. Yes even if you live in bumfuck nowhere, Strangerville.)

High School Years WILL NOT STOP MAKING MY TEEN SIMS MISERABLE. Acne all the time! Hair in weird places ALL THE TIME. To stop hair growth I have to go into cas and turn off the option for every body part FOR EVERY DIFFERENT SIM. Acne is in the actual pack settings to turn off. You have to turn off the check in the career tab in-game to stop the popup that asks if you want to follow your teen sims to school, for every teen sim. AND THE RANDOMIZED TOWNIE OUTFITS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. I hate Trendi with a passion.

Dream Home Decorator. ITS JUST A COFFEE TABLE STOP TRYING TO PUKE ABOUT IT BEING MISSION STYLE! Sims will constantly go around critiquing my shit, even in bedrooms they weren’t invited to! because they like or hate it and it’s getting annoying. It’s not worth the little happy moodlet when they like living in a midcentury modern decorated home.

Only Invasive with Interaction:

Get to Work gave us our first occult sim, not counting ghosts. However, if you engage in the scientist career, you better prepare for absolutely every night to be filled with alien abductions. I never, ever see alien abductions or get pregnant male sims unless someone in the household is a scientist. The illnesses that come with the pack also can’t be disabled which is a little annoying when your previously healthy sim suddenly turns dazed because of a hidden buff of having a cold, or your screenshots are suddenly ruined because someone sprouted orange tiger stripe rashes. The only cure for these illnesses are the medicine bought off the computer, or the shopping for gifts menu from the phone. AND SOMETIMES THEY DONT EVEN WORK COMPLETELY! sometimes you have to wait and take another medicine to completely cure the illness! However it’s largely easy to ignore and easy to fix so I won’t count it as totally invasive when faced with absolutely everything else this game can do to give your sims a billion moodlets.

Cats & Dogs won’t really affect your gameplay unless you adopt one for your household. Yeah, you’ll still see the occasional stray in your neighborhood but that’s it really.

Spa Day only affects gameplay due to the refresh, which gave the new trait High Maintenance. Which is very likely to make the sim with that trait freak out over any little thing under the sun. Including the sun. Sitting makes them uncomfortable. They get weird dreams that make them tense. They need constant spa days and wellness activities or they get angry and tense. if they don’t have the High Maintenance trait though? You will never need the Spa Day stuff close at hand.

Strangerville only really affects the residents of Strangerville. The possession mood only affect the sims that eat the bizarre fruit to get the Infected trait. On occasion you’ll see certain Strangerville townies go possessed but only if you have them invited out from before 1am ingame.

Realm of Magic introduced spellcasters and they really don’t do magic outside of the realm. They’ll ride brooms outside of the realm but they tend to stay grounded if they’re going to walk through your neighborhoods.

Laundry Day is only invasive and adds gameplay IF you put a washing machine/tub and/or a dryer or clothesline on your lot. If you just want the cas and build objects aside from that, you will never see a stinky pile of laundry.

Tiny Living only affects your lot’s number of room tiles when selecting to live in a tiny home residential. If you exceed the maximum number of tiles, 100, you just won’t get the hidden lot traits that benefit your sims from living on a tiny home residential.

Paranormal Stuff only becomes invasive on haunted house residential lots. You will not see a specter, Guidry, or Temperance without going into the paranormal investigator freelance career otherwise.

Not All That Invasive:

Get Together will occasionally give you a notification about clubs or have townies invite your sims to the discotheque.

City Living will give you a notification about whatever festival’s going on and NPCs will invite your sims out to them.

Discover University will give out a popup to remind you that your sims can enroll and get a degree once for every new teen or older sim.

Cottage Living will give a notice every weekend for whatever fair is happening in Henford on Bagley

Dine Out won’t give an effect to your game until you place a restaurant, and even then it’ll just be another location NPCs will invite your sims to.

Wait I have that pack?:

Holiday Stuff (the free pack) adds no gameplay

Island Living is pretty much self contained. Other than occasionally seeing mermaid sims around town, the gameplay is self contained to Sulani.

Snowy Escape gives a residential world with a few vacation lots so your sim can vacation in the mountains. This pack is self contained.

Outdoor Retreat gives a vacation world centered around camping. The herbalism skill doesn’t need to be interacted with and you don’t have to capture bugs. This pack is self contained.

Jungle Adventures gives you a new vacation world and is easily the fastest way to get a ton of simoleons to end your rags to riches nightmares. Just make sure your sim is skilled enough to avoid getting poisoned/cursed to death. Otherwise this pack is self contained.

Journey to Batuu gives you a call and notification that you can visit at any time but you’ll never see a star wars character outside of Batuu unless you make friends with them. This pack is self contained.

Spooky stuff adds a party type and that’s it.

Movie Hangout will give your sims the option to watch movies and you wont’ see any other gameplay unless you toss the popcorn maker into your kitchen, which I consistently forget about.

Backyard Stuff just gives you the option of having a waterslide in your backyard.

Vintage Glamour adds no gameplay except for the butler and the tiny bit that is the makeup table but does nothing else

Fitness Stuff adds no gameplay except for the climbing wall which can help build fitness or climbing skill if you own Snowy Escape

Moschino Stuff fixes the limited photography skill but doesn’t do much else.

Knifty Knitting you can knit and unlock some things in CAS and that’s it.

Carnaval Streetwear adds no gameplay

Moonlight Chic adds no gameplay

Desert Luxe adds no gameplay

Everyday Clutter adds no gameplay

Invasive Until Patched:

Vampires used to visit your sims at night pretty much all the time to bite and suck their blood sorry, plasma and give them a day long uncomfortable moodlet that you had no way to avoid without locking your doors to outsiders or engaging in the Vampire knowledge skill to make garlic braids and prevent feedings from garlic allergic vampires. Now you can turn off their nightly visits by clicking on the front door and disallowing vampire visitors.

Do Not Own:

I don't own a majority of the kits and a good few of the stuff packs, so I can't say what is or is not invasive from the listed:

Bathroom clutter, Simtimates, Pastel Pop, First fits, Little campers, Deocr to the max, Blooming rooms, Modern Menswear, Incheon Arrivals, Industrial Loft, Fashion street, Courtyard Oasis, Country kitchen, Throwback fit, My first pet stuff, Toddler stuff, Bowling night, Kids room, Romantic garden, Cool kitchen, Perfect Patio, Luxury Party

However, since most of these are CAS or build kits, and stuff packs with maybe ONE gameplay object in each, They probably all fit under the Wait I have that pack? category

STAY OUT OF MY GAME FILES:

YOU KNOW WHY BUST THE DUST IS HERE. (If you really don’t know why the Bust the Dust kit is here, unlike Laundry Day, this kit can’t be turned off. You have to buy the stupid vacuums to make your sims clean up the dust overlay on your floors and remove the dust bunnies. It’s annoying and I don’t want this kit even looking at my game files.)

[amandarinnsw]

Website : https://www.amandarin.design

Address : Cooma NSW, Australia

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Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AmandarinDesign/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/amandarin.design

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[angranchristmas]

The Varied Traditions of Christmas Trees

The Christmas tree stands as an enduring symbol, cherished by families around the world. Beyond its role as a centerpiece adorned with twinkling lights and ornaments, the Christmas tree carries profound symbolism and is steeped in diverse cultural traditions.

The tradition of decorating evergreen trees during the winter months is deeply rooted in various cultures and civilizations. The use of evergreen trees dates back to ancient times, symbolizing resilience, renewal, and the continuity of life during the harsh winter months. As Christianity spread, the evergreen tree became a central symbol of Christmas, representing everlasting life and hope.

The act of adorning the Christmas tree with ornaments, lights, and tinsel has evolved into a cherished family tradition. Each ornament holds sentimental value, often representing family milestones, cherished memories, or cultural heritage. The process of decorating the tree becomes a joyful occasion, as families come together to express their creativity and share stories through the carefully selected ornaments.

In recent years, the debate between real and artificial Christmas trees has gained prominence, raising environmental considerations. Real trees are often lauded for their biodegradability and the support they provide to local tree farms. On the other hand, artificial trees, though reusable, are typically made from non-biodegradable materials, contributing to environmental concerns. The ongoing discussion encourages individuals to make informed choices that align with their values and environmental consciousness.

To address environmental concerns, an increasing number of individuals are embracing sustainable practices when it comes to Christmas trees. Options such as potted trees that can be replanted after the holidays or community tree recycling programs contribute to more eco-friendly choices. Additionally, the use of recycled and upcycled materials for decorations aligns with the growing trend of sustainable and mindful holiday celebrations.