#and with all the extra free gems you get out of high combos

[rubyrhythmposts-archive]

also for everyone complaining that the game is now "too hard": people were complaining about the previous version because the game was too easy. i hate flick notes too but they don't make the game that much harder. and the cheaty hold note bug feature made the game a straight-up joke of a rhythm game. yeah the new notes feel clunky, but it's a matter of getting used to it. just like every other rhythm game.

[snowmuttgetsweird]

Return to Yharnam!!

It's Bloodborne Season, baby!

Here's my day one progress- didn't play long, only a couple hours.

Named my character SnowMutt, decided to go for an Arcane build! Started with Noble Scion for the Arcane.

Arcane builds are most rewarding on a fresh file because bosses still have weaknesses- type advantages become less effective in NG+. Unfortunately the game doesn't really cater to a dedicated Arcane build early-game.

I won't get my first "spell" until the Abandoned Workshop, I won't get my second "spell" until the Forbidden Woods, I won't get my first DAMAGING "spell" until the Lecture Building, and I won't get my first GOOD damaging "spell" until Castle Cainhurst. Eesh.

A lot of the early-game is going to rely on Molotovs for damage, which DO scale with your Arcane. Thankfully, I know where all the good shit is, so I can also pick up an early Flamesprayer (plus Bone Marrow Ash to make it insane), grab a Fire gem that will allow one of my weapons to scale with Arcane, and I can get bagged and taken to the Unseen Village to grab a Tonitrus- all before even getting to the Abandoned Workshop! These will all carry me quite a bit through a lot of the game.

Let's go to Yharnam!

Died to the clinic Scourgebeast! Been too long I guess, lol. Picked up Threaded Cane and Pistol. Back to the clinic for round two! EZ win with a weapon, lol.

Speedran my ass to Cleric Beast to grab the Insight so I could start leveling, opening shortcuts and collecting useful stuff like Molotovs and Blood Stone Shards along the way, basically ignored everything else. Died a couple times as I started getting used to dodging again, took 'em down on the third try!

Bought some Molotovs, leveled up strength to 12 so I can equip Tonitrus later.

Went through the sewers after, picked up everything, met with Eileen- decided to replace Threaded Cane with Saw Spear, which has a much more reliable transform attack combo, meaning it does a LOT of damage, and builds a lot of Beasthood fast.

CRUSHED Gascoigne first try, gg ez. He was useful for relearning parry timing- also he TF'd late and died to a couple of my Arcane-boosted Molotovs before he could really do anything.

Cathedral Ward unlock! I always go down the side path first to grab those extra Bloodstone Shards and the Monocular, then made my way down to Old Yharnam- but not before picking up some Fire Paper from Alfred! Speedran to Djura, popped him a few times with the pistol to knock him off, exit game, continue, grab the Powderkeg Hunter Badge, you know the drill. Went through the church, hunted everything, opened the shortcut and got the Saw Spear Hunter to fall off the ladder first try. Free Bone Marrow Ash! It was about this point I realized I forgot to grab the Flamesprayer from Gilbert back at the Central Yharnam lamp, so I went back and did that after running down to Blood-Starved and opening up the shortcut. Decided to run back and spend my echoes before trying to tackle it- Blood-Starved is always a bit of a wall for me.

Actual fight went by pretty easily, but only because I cheesed it. Pungent Blood Cocktails in the corner, TF attack spammed it with Saw Spear, Fire Paper, and Beast Blood Pellet. Even with 9 skill, it went down pretty fast.

Went back and grabbed that Flamesprayer, then went and got myself killed by a Kidnapper to access The Unseen Village. Forgot to grab some Church clothes first for Adella, but I'll come back for her later- she's going to the clinic anyway. Pmuch everyone but Arianna and the granny get sent to the clinic so I can farm them for Insight and Numbing Mist. Arianna's gotta stick around for end-game, and granny's gonna gimme a bunch of free Sedatives later!

Cleaned out what's accessible of the Unseen Village- picked up Tonitrus and all the shards and armor and loot. I'll come back for Paarl later.

Aaand that's it for now!

Most of my echoes have been going into building up a stock of Molotovs and leveling. I've got my Str high enough to use Tonitrus, Arcane up to 25, and everything else is untouched for now. Saw Spear, Tonitrus, and Flamesprayer are all at +3!

Tomorrow morning, I'm planning on meeting up with Fake Iosefka, grabbing some Church gear, and collecting Adella and the granny. After that, I'm heading up the Cathedral Ward elevator to grab the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge, working my way through the alley so I can get that Fire blood gem for my Saw Spear which will be my primary PVE weapon for a while since Tonitrus has VERY low durability- at least vs Beasts and boss adds (serrated damage + fire is ideal for Beasts)- and then open up all the gates so I can meet with Eileen outside Cathedral Ward and go rek Henryk with her. Poison Daggers will be doing most of the work tbh. I'll probably try to tackle Hemwick Charnel Lane before Amelia so I can spend a little time farming Bone Marrow Ash, which will be very useful for my Flamesprayer, and should make Paarl a joke.

Basically gonna try to get as many bosses and other side content done as possible before Amelia.

I MIIIIIGHT just use the CUMMMFPK chalice dungeon to farm echoes for items (not leveling) so I can focus on just playing the rest of the game and spend more time doing co-op with other players.

I missed Bloodborne. <3

[intomybubble]

heyy how much gems did you use to get to the top 1% for a3! ??

(i say this at the end, but bc this post got really long i’ll say here that depending on your circumstances, you’d probably need around 200 to 300 extra gems)

i’m really sorry but i wasn’t really tracking how many gems i was using. but yesterday when i was around 1.7% up to being 0.9% now, i think i used at least 50 gems. though i still need to use up some more gems (for both SP and LP for when i run out of bentos and onigiri) in order to get a more secure placement as i’m hoping to get around 0.7%...

something to keep in mind is that with the cards that currently have on hand i can get to top 5% pretty easily within the first day or two of an event and i usually find myself in the top 3% by the end. they’re all leveled up to as high as they can be and, for the ones i use for teambuilding, they’re fully trained.

the main thing that’s making it possible for me to reach the top 1% are the support cards i was able to pull. i did three pulls, including the free multipull, and i managed to get 8 different characters and was able to bloom 2 of them. if i didn’t have these i dont think i’d bother tiering.

if i’m able to get the right guest support to show up, i can clear a finale with 2 SP. the easiest for that are action shows, the hardest are for drama and comedy where i really have to find one that also has a high lead skill. for encores the lowest i can go is 4 SP. 

if you have several support cards like i do, i recommend using the link skill combo that uses as many as you can for the special actor bonus after clearing a show. this is especially if you’re using up the same amount of SP no matter what combo you’re using to clear a show.

the last time i tier in the top 1% was for nocturnality, and i honestly didnt plan on doing so. it just got to the point where my score was getting close to the borderline of the next tier and that was my next goal. i only decided on getting in the top 1% the night before the event was supposed to end.

what helped me the most, and the main reason i bothered, was my tasuku SSR. in three multipulls i managed to pull and fully bloom tasuku’s SSR and got his lead skill to Lv 10 after getting an excellent. because i had that card, it made clearing through finales and encores for action and drama shows a lot easier (2, and 3 SP respectively).

just from that experience, i’d recommend having like 200+ extra gems on hand. i remembered using a lot, especially in the last couple hours just to make sure my score wasn’t too close to the borderline just in case i suddenly dropped a tier in at the last moment.

[rivaltierno]

Power Failure [Chapter 3]

A mishap during a fight with Katarou results in the team getting their powers swapped. Now, in an attempt to get their proper powers back, they have to get Katarou to cooperate with them, all while dealing with new abilities they don’t know how to use - and two teammates currently out of commission due to that. A retelling of Teen Titans Go! Issue #24 with Honorary Titans.

Written for Honorary Titan Fan Week 2020, Day 4: “With the Honoraries”

Word Count: 3,588

The team’s tower wasn’t really a tower. It was the top floor of an empty building that the Titans were paying utilities on. Usually this wasn’t a problem for them, since they each got their own room and had running water, but now that they had an unwanted house guest, it became a lot more awkward.

They couldn’t just leave Katarou in their wide-open living room-kitchen combo; Even if Jinx’s guess about him being significantly weaker without his necklace was true, the empty space would give him room to move around in, and they didn’t feel like dealing with him anymore than they already had to. They couldn’t lock him away in any of their rooms, either - he might break their stuff. So the only choice of action they had was to keep him in their medical bay, which was really just a back room with a spare bed and medical kit.

Gnarrk was sent off to lock the man in there and watch over him, with Jinx following behind him towards her room.

Fortunately, neither Hot Spot or Jericho needed immediate medical attention. Or at least, Hot Spot claimed that there was nothing that could be done for either of them.

“I had heat exhaustion for days when I first got my powers,” he explained. “This is just Jericho’s body trying to cope with my powers.” Noticing that his teammates were still looking at him, he quickly added on, “And I’m just reacting to not having them anymore, that’s all.”

“You don’t think your powers have anything to do with it?” Herald asked, directing the question at Kole.

Kole wasn’t much more help. “Dunno, maybe. I was a baby when my powers started so I can’t remember.”

Herald focused their attention back on Hot Spot. “I still think you should sit down with Jericho. Rest helps with stiffness, right?”

Jericho, for jems part, forced a thumbs up, if only because watching Hot Spot pace around was making jems dizziness worse. At least staying in one spot was helping with the nausea.

“I need to be alert in case Jericho gets new symptoms,” Hot Spot argued, only partially deflecting away from himself.

“He’s right,” Jinx agreed, returning with one of her old HIVE textbooks in one hand and Kataoru’s now-shattered necklace clutched in the other. “The rest of us will take care of our little problem.” She opened up the book to its bookmarked page. “This gem is literally a textbook Capture Gem. There are hundreds of them in the world. This one is just an imitation of the original, more powerful one-”

“Which is why Kataoru was only trying to take our powers instead of capturing us directly,” Hot Spot finished.

“Exactly. I think that’s why he needed to chant to use it, too. He doesn't have the natural magic skill necessary to use it properly.” Jinx then went into full leader mode. “Kole, you go back with Gnarrk and wait for Katarou to wake up. Once he does, get him to tell you what chant he was using, since we’ll need it to get our powers back. Herald and I will fix the gem in the meantime.”

“Your powers won’t be enough to override Katarou’s spell?” Herald asked. “Since he has no magic of his own?”

Jinx shook her head. “Once a spell has been started it must be completed. Oh, and before I forget-”. Closing the textbook and slipping it under her arm, she used her now-free hand to take an extra hairband out from her pocket and tossed it over to Jericho. “That should help with your bangs sticking to you. Now, let’s get to work.”

The other three Titans left towards their respective tasks, leaving Hot Spot and Jericho in the living room.

Jericho eagerly accepted the hairband. Je slipped it onto jems head, and then rewarded jemself for exerting that much effort by leaning backwards onto the couch, hoping that stretching out a bit would help with how sticky je was feeling due to the sweat.

Hot Spot continued to pace around. He knew that his teammates were right, that he risked the chance of hurting himself by walking on stiff joints. But he also knew himself, and that if he stayed still too long he would only start dwelling on what was upsetting him, let the cold feeling consume him. And nobody wanted that. So he walked instead.

Of course he made sure Jericho was all right, too. There was a legitimate risk of jem suddenly powering up again without jem causing it; Hot Spot remembered that well. There were no outward signs of that happening, no steam coming off jems body nor was jems skin reddening, so Hot Spot would have been content to leave it at that if he hadn't realized Jericho staring back at him.

Honestly, it hadn’t even bothered Jericho that Hot Spot was watching jem during his circuit around the couch - je was doing the exact same thing to him. There really wasn’t anything else to do. Je was going to start up a conversation about Hot Spot’s powers, since je assumed that’s what he was worrying about, but je got cut off before je even got jems hands in the air.

“You should roll up your sleeves,” Hot Spot suggested, avoiding eye contact. “It’ll help.” He then went off again, though his attempts to hurry just resulted in him dragging his legs a bit. He wasn’t in the right mindset to be having any important conversations at the moment, and frankly ‘I was staring at you to find minuscule changes in your appearance’ just made him sound like a creep.

Jericho return jems gaze to the ceiling, to try and ease Hot Spot’s discomfort. Je was secretly glad je wasn’t the only one that was having a bad time with the power swap, but that doesn’t mean je wanted to make it worse for him. Je did take his advice, though, unhooking the vambraces on jems arms and pushing up jems sleeves as high as they would go. It seemed to help, as it was more direct skin exposed to the air conditioning, but by the time the second sleeve was rolled up the exhaustion part of jems heat exhaustion kicked back in and je was back to square one. Je wondered if the rest of the team was doing any better.

Jinx and Herald were. The two of them were on the floor of her room, with Jinx explaining how she wanted her plan to go.

“It's said that binding magical objects to the magic itself will make it more likely to work with the user’s demands.” She held up the textbook page again. “If you use my powers while holding the shards together and saying this spell, the gem will come back together and you can control it easier. Now, summon my magic.”

Herald sat there for a minute, trying to figure out how to. They couldn’t even get their own powers to work instantaneously like that; they had always needed their horn to act as a conduit for them, and not only because it was considered too dangerous to open space rifts on one’s own. They tried imaging what Jinx’s powers were like. Evidentially that was all it took, as a hex shot out of their hand, tearing part of the necklace strap. They looked at the results, amazed. Jinx was able to have her powers work with just a thought and no outside steps? Herald would be envious if it didn’t make them feel so pathetic.

“No, no.” Jinx scolded. “You’re turning it into hexes. You need raw magic for this work.”

She was met with a blank stare. It clicked in her mind that of course they wouldn't know what she meant by that; the only reason she knew was because she had taken an Introduction to Magic class back at HIVE Academy. She tried to explain it in a simple-but-not-condescending manner, like how she would have wanted to hear it as a child. “Raw magic is what my powers are before I do anything with them. There should be a tingly feeling running through your body - bring that out.”

Those instructions were much clearer. Herald had noticed an almost electric feeling in their body, but it was faint enough they could ignore it. They imagined Jinx using her powers again, this time how she looked pre-battle, and immediately a soft, pink glow enveloped their hands. After briefly checking to see if Jinx was satisfied with this use of power, they then got to work putting the gem back together.

As Jinx watched them do so, she felt an emotion she was not expecting: envy. She was envious that they were able to use her powers in such a calm manner, especially since it seemed like their first time with magic in general. Sure, she appreciated them taking the situation seriously, but part of her wished that they had struggled just a bit more with them. She was horrified when her powers first developed, and many, many objects were destroyed in the process of figuring out what they could do. It almost seemed unfair how quickly someone else could adapt to them.

“Got it.” Herald held up the almost-fixed necklace. The gem shards fit neatly next to one another, but need the final bit of magic to be completed. “We ready?”

Jinx nodded. “Go ahead. The spell in bold.”

Herald put on the most authoritative voice they could muster. “Tcennoc Sdrahs Meg!”

The gem seemed to pull the magic directly into itself, and after a flash of light filled up the room, it was whole again.

“Not bad,” Herald complimented themself, admiring the necklace. After a few seconds, they looked back at Jinx and noticed she was stifling a laugh. They raised an eyebrow. “What are you laughin’ at?”

“Nothing, I’m just admiring your theatrics.” Jinx teased. “Very impressive.”

They frowned at her for a second to show his disagreement, but then relaxed again as they changed the subject. “You think Kataoru is awake yet?”

“I hope so,” she answered, standing up. “And I hope that Kole and Gnarrk have already gotten the chant we need out of him.”

Kataoru was still unconscious, and Kole and Gnarrk were bored waiting for him to wake up.

The most interesting thing they had done so far was use the extra bedsheets to tie Kataoru’s arms to the bed’s headrest so he couldn’t escape once he woke up.

Gnarrk leaned against the wall in frustration, wanting something to do. He felt left out of the day’s event, being the only one to escape getting his abilities swapped. That, and he didn’t know what to feel about Kole’s temporary powers. On the one hand, it made him smile that Kole was having such a good time running around and attempting to do jump kicks. On the other hand, the idea of Kole no longer needing him to fight made him feel empty inside, even if he knew that things would go back to normal soon enough.

Kole, unlike all of her teammates, was having no qualms about her current state. She was going to enjoy this while she could, and was even considering asking Herald to teach her and Gnarrk some techniques when everything was all over.

“Do you think I can walk on my hands now?” She asked aloud to keep Gnarrk in the loop. She easily got into a handstand position, but the moment she tried to move forward her arms began to shake. The answer was evidentially no. To avoid falling on the ground, Kole titled her body forward, until she was able to move into a somersault and back onto her feet.

Coincidentally, the moment she straightened back out, Kataoru began to shift around, groaning slightly.

Kole cheered at the development. “Finally! You remember our plan? Good Cop Bad Cop?”

Gnarrk indeed did remember, and hurried to the side of the bed, ready to wallop the man over the head at Kole’s command.

She positioned herself at the end of the bed, staring Kataoru down. After underestimating him before, she wasn’t making that mistake again.

Kataoru groggily opened his eyes and attempted to stretch out. His instincts kicked in the moment he realized he couldn’t. Looking around, he noticed that he was tied up with bedsheets, and that two Titans were watching his every move. He quickly figured that if he had enough time, he could wiggle his way out of the binds, even without his necklace. After that, all he had to do was escape the room.

He focused his attention to the end of the bed. “Cute mask, little girl. Is that meant to intimidate me?”

Kole ignored his statement. “We’ll make this easy for you, Kataoru. Tell us the chant you were using and we won’t fight you again.”

He scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh. You Titans only captured me because you got a lucky shot. You’d have to fight me for real to learn the spell.”

“Tell us the chant,” she repeated.

“You have to earn it. Show me you deserve to know.”

Kole held up a hand to prevent Gnarrk from acting. She didn’t want to rush it.  Instead, she gave the bed frame a firm kick, shaking it.

The bedsheets tying Kataoru to the bed loosened slightly. He could work with that. “Is that all? I barely felt that.”

“You don’t want to feel anything else.”

“Try me.”

Another firm kick towards the bed shook it even harder. The bedsheets began to slip, but Kataoru grabbed onto them so it looked like they were still tied.

“Tell us the chant!” Kole huffed.

“Let me go and we can fight for it. Perhaps then you could actually do something to me.” He was ready to pounce the moment the two let their guard down.

She waved her hand. “Fine.”

Gnarrk reached towards the bedsheets, only to suddenly stop, grin, and slam his palm against the back of Kataoru’s head.

Kataoru yelped a bit and dropped the bedsheets to hold the back of his head. His arms were then pulled back and tied again.

Kole had a matching grin on her face. “Did you really think we’d fall for that? I guess you lost your smarts when you lost your strength.”

He cursed under his breath. “Perhaps that was a foolish plan.” His smug look soon return, however. “But I have endured far worse pain than this. If you want me to talk, you’ll need a new plan as well.”

Fortunately, Kole and Gnarrk didn’t have to come up with one.

“Is our friend playing nice in here?” Jinx asked, pushing open the door. “We’d like to get this over with.”

“Nope,” Kole answered. “Any suggestions?”

Jinx shut the door behind her. “Yeah, one.” She was the only one on the team who hadn’t got to try her new powers, and she might as well get a shot at it. She didn’t know what Kole and Gnarrk had already tried to get him to give up the chant, but clearly it needed to get forced out of him.

Herald knocked on the door. “Hey, what’s your plan in there, Jinx? Did Kole and Gnarrk get him to tell them the chant? Jinx?”

She didn’t answer, and instead went straight to Kataoru. She grabbed his shirt and pressed their faces together, glaring into his eyes.

All that seemed to do was unnerve the man, and he lost the bravado in his voice. “What are you doing?”

“Are you ... trying to possess him?” Kole also questioned.

“Yes,” Jinx hissed, looking away from Kataoru. “I'm just trying to remember how Jericho does it.” She had made sure to imagine herself taking over Kataoru’s mind, but that didn’t seem to do the trick. Did jems powers not work like hers?

“Je like ... falls into people’s bodies?” Kole offered, unsure of her advice.

Jinx thought it was useful, though. She had forgotten about the physical aspect of Jericho’s powers. She turned towards Kataoru again, and noticing how creeped out he looked, gave him a wide smile for maximum effect. She stared at him again, this time remembering that she, in her physical form, was possessing his entire body. It wouldn’t be just reading his mind.

She began to fade from view, and Katarou’s eyes became washed over in pink as she did.

The scene was quiet at first, as nobody involved really knew how to react. Then Kataoru began screaming and thrashing around.

Herald slammed open the door to figure out what was going on. They saw Gnarrk holding down Kataoru and Kole clutching onto the bed frame to stop it from shaking, but no Jinx. Their first instinct was to go towards the group, but they had barely entered the room when Jinx suddenly appeared again.

Kataoru’s eyes returned back to their normal color, but his body slumped over in exhaustion.

Jinx wasn’t doing any better, Her body and mind felt light, almost empty. Except for her eyes. Her eyes felt heavy, like they were pushing into her body and cracking it open. She stood perfectly still, giving no indiction that she knew where she was.

“Jinx...?” Herald asked quietly, coming up and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Did you figure out the chant?” Kole hoped that being reminded of what she was doing would help bring her back to reality.

“Ciro ... Enyawd ... Vasarix.” Jinx breathed out. She then covered her eyes and started shrieking. She spun around and darted out of the room, knocking Herald’s hand off her shoulder in the process. She needed to find Jericho, now; The feeling in her eyes was just too much for her to bare. Even though she couldn’t see, she knew that the living room was a straight shot forward.

Hot Spot and Jericho were both startled by the screaming coming towards them.

Hot Spot, already up, went towards the noise and ended up holding onto Jinx’s shoulders to keep her steady after she ran into him. “What’s wrong Jinx? What happened?”

Jericho had a sinking feeling je knew exactly what she was panicking about, and ignoring how weak jems body felt, got up and dragged jemself to jems teammates. Je gently nudged Hot Spot aside and took Jinx’s hands away from her face.

Jinx’s eyes were wet and almost entirely red. Jericho softly, and unfortunately slowly, wiped one of them with jems thumb and showed her the results. It was just tears, but je knew perfectly well that she was concerned about it being blood. It also made perfect sense to jem that she was too disoriented to be able to notice that herself at the moment.

Herald and Kole, who had chased Jinx out of the room, slid to a stop at the sight of the three of them bunched up together.

Kole was about to say something to them, when she spotted Herald pulling something out of their pocket. “What are you doing?”

They held the necklace in the air. “I’m fixin’ this while we’re all in the same place. That’s why I told Gnarrk to stay behind, him bein’ here might throw off the spell.” Before Kole could object, they again mustered their most authoritative voice. “Ciro Enyawd Vasarix!”

A light engulfed the room. Unlike when the gem shattered, the spell didn’t knock out any of the Titans, so they were awake to feel like something was being ripped from their bodies, and then something different being shoved right back in. It was a strange feeling none of them liked, but at least it was over quickly.

Once it was, Herald put down the necklace and looked around. “Is everyone all right?”

“I am,” Hot Spot answered, his voice no longer defeated. He stepped back from Jinx and Jericho so he could admire his returned powers. The coldness and stiffness in his body were gone, replaced with a warm energy, and the higher his temperature went, the more his mood improved. He was thrilled.

“I ... think I am,” Jinx agreed, though still hesitant. The sudden switch in powers left her still disoriented, but at least she wasn’t panicking anymore.

Jericho had also improved physically once je got jems powers back. Jems heat exhaustion was completely gone, and je could move without immediately weakening. To prove it, je took off the hairband Jinx had let jem use and handed it back to her.

“All of our clothes are back to normal too, so I guess that means it worked.” Kole chimed in. “All that’s left is to decide what to do with Kataoru.”

Herald thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “I mean, we can't really take him to jail, can we? We did agree to fight him in the first place.”

“Drop him back off at the park,” Jinx suggested quickly, ready for this situation to be done with. “I think I scared him enough that he won’t try us again.”

There was a general agreement with this plan, so Herald shrugged again and went back to the medical bay.

Soon after, the group heard a fanfare echo throughout the building, and they knew that they would be able to put this all behind them in a couple of minutes. Maybe one day they might discuss everything they learned about themselves and each other like good teammates would, but at the moment, they weren’t in the mood to.

[gamersonthego]

Matt Giguere’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

Handheld gaming is in a weird spot. Beyond the plethora of mobile devices running iOS or Android and the app store fronts they offer; the handheld market has now been distilled down to one major device in 2019. Lo and behold, Nintendo, once again sits alone on the hill. While the Switch has seen great gains in maintaining a constant flow of software on its platform, the vast majority of their releases are either mobile ports or older games from generations past. It is amazing on how much has been released so far, but what makes a handheld game a “handheld game” now anyway? When your choice can be a small bite sized game like BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! or a massive single player game like Tales of Vesperia, there really isn’t much of a difference what a handheld platform can offer compared to the home consoles for the types of games that can be played. As the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita sunset into their legacy years, there seems to be a wider line on what can be considered a handheld game.

Nintendo did release a portable only version of the Switch this year, dubbed the SwitchLite. Considering that most of my playtime has been in handheld mode, I picked one up shortly after release. After a few months of playtesting, I think this will be my go-to system for the foreseeable future. I adore the form factor size. The original Switch still works great for quick pick up and play in my home, but I find the new model easier to hold in my hands and store away when I’m travelling. The dedicated directional pad, as opposed to separate buttons because of the nature of the detachable joy-cons, is a big selling point for the myriad of 2D platformers now on the system. I sometimes miss the “HD Rumble” feedback that had to be cut, but that is a small gripe. If you don’t care for playing games on the big screen in a higher resolution and varying framerate, I highly recommend picking this dedicated handheld up.

Admittedly, a lot on my best of 2019 list are games that can be enjoyed on the big screen, especially with the convenience of the Switch’s hardware. Of the games I played this year, I think this smattering represents a healthy dose of what managed to present a case that gaming on the go is still well alive and ever changing.

Top 10 of 2019 or the Hollow Knight Memorial List*

*Sometimes when making a top list our favorite thing came out in a different year or is so clearly ahead it is a lock of number 1 across every critic. This year Hollow Knight from Team Cherry captivated me like nothing else that released this year. Alas, this game came out in 2017. So instead of placing it on my official list for 2019, it takes the honor of being my list’s name. This Metroidvania style exploration platformer is full of surprises, sometimes subverting my expectations when I thought there wasn’t anything left to uncover. If you have a Switch, I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite games in the genre since Metroid: Fusion.

10. My Friend Pedro (Switch, Xbox One, PC)

An action, score-based shooter that I’ve had my eye on for years since seeing the gif put out by publisher Devolver Digital and developer Dead Toast Entertainment. The nature of this very tricky to pull off and even harder to master game lies in its focus on style. Moving across short levels on a 2-D plane, you must, roll, spin, flip, kick, skate, and, of course, kill combo as many enemies to place a high score and a top rank. While there is a story to keep the drive of the game moving forward, I wouldn’t say that should be the guiding factor to check this out. Rather, I found the quick get up and quick play of a level or two perfect for on the go gaming. Once the controls click, this game really delivers on its promised “Bananas” style.

9. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC)

“What if Hitman, but a Goose?” is probably the most quoted pitch heard for this small, but very charming game by developer House House. In it you play as, well, a goose who terrorizes a small town from every front. From untying shoes so people trip to locking helpless victims in garages, no one is safe from this feathered menace! Okay, so the Hitman comparison is apt, minus the extreme brutality, for this sandbox-lite adventure. The best I can compare it to is an interactive toy; one that is unique in how the player can approach a situation and explore the possibilities of what can and will happen within the rules of the program. It might not have the deep experimentation of a larger game of its kind, but I found its calm and lighthearted nature makes this a very stress-free experience, especially when you are the one dealing out all the harassment.

8. SteamWorld Quest (Switch, PC)

I don’t normally go for card-based RPGs, but when Image & Form provide a new adventure in the SteamWorld universe, I had to check it out. This might be the one that changed my mind, because after several turns, I was hooked. The adventure itself keeps things relatively jovial with plenty of jokes and wit to keep the story moving forward. It can be easy to stick to one group of characters, a limit of three per battle, but I find more enjoyment in the battle system when different combinations are put into play. The battle system also provides linked combos that offer bonuses and stringing cards together in a row also adds more to the strategy. Building a potent strategy is where I found the most engagement in this RPG, and all the trappings around the edges made this one stand out in my mind. A good starting point in the genre for those curious.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

A tough logic puzzler I think goes the extra mile with its charm and style. You play as Baba. Or, rather, Baba is you, or a wall, or section of water, or a skull, or... well you get the point. The goal in each stage is to reach the “Win.” What is the “Win?” Most of the time it is a flag, but really it can be anything. Using a simple push function mechanic that many top-down puzzlers have used before, the twist comes in that you can have these sentence blocks to push around and affect the game’s logic. For example, if the winning object is out of reach by a wall that forces you stop (“Wall is Stop”) you can push one of the sentence blocks away so you can pass through the wall. Even making a sentence to “You is Win” will also result in a victory. The difficulty can be a bit stiff, but I would often find myself just thinking about a stuck puzzle while out and about and think of the solution as a sort of epiphany. Even when getting stuck on a tricky brain teaser, the game offers multiple paths so you can keep progressing through. Certainly, Baba Is You has been on my mind since first playing it.

6. What The Golf? (Apple Arcade, PC, Switch TBD)

If Desert Golf is the pinnacle zen of the golf sport genre, What The Golf? embodies its “party mindset.” Yes, it is golf, and yet, it becomes something more than just golf. Sometimes you will find yourself having to hop across a very familiar level. Other times you will have to coordinate trick shots while being an exploding barrel. And sometimes, there’s just good old-fashioned bowling. What The Golf? will keep you on your toes, especially if you are fond of video games released prior to this. I won’t spoil some of the surprises in store, but some of them had me in stitches from laughing so hard. It would be nice to fully outright buy this game on the iOS App Store, but for now, a subscription to Apple Arcade is the only way to play this on the go.

5. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch, Apple Arcade, PS4, PC)

Another Apple Arcade exclusive for mobile (you can also buy it on the Switch at this time), this one showcasing music and style. If there is one thing that counts in making an impression on me, it’s presentation. Sayonara Wild Hearts is described as a pop album video game; one you experience as much as you listen to. The format seems simple at first. Guide your character along the track and collect different items for points to rank a high score while also dodging obstacles. Soon though, things start to mix up as fast as the soundtrack’s BPMs start to pump up. While the touch controls are adequate, I think for certain spots, a physical controller would have been nice. However, there are movements that are far easier to pull off using a touch interface, such as time hits reminiscent of music games like Elite Beat Agents. This gem of a game needs to be experienced at least once, not only for the wonderful soundtrack, composed by Daniel Olsen and Jonathan Eng and featuring Linnea Olsson on vocals, but also to see the twists and turns the game takes. This little game surprised the hell out of me, and I think it will be one that I will revisit again based on its production.

4. Ape Out (Switch, PC)

Sometimes we all need to get out. Especially when you are an ape stuck in a cage. That’s the conceit of the top-down, twin stick, hyper violent, and super stylized game, Ape Out. There is one goal: Be the ape and get the hell out! The concept is very rudimentary which I feel allows the game to shine. You will have to run, dodge, grab and toss enemies to reach the exit while the only advantage is being able to take three hits before going down. Enemies have guns that the player can’t use in the typical way. Instead, grabbing a foe allows one immediate shot to be fired from the grappled target. Used strategically, it can get you out of a lot of close calls. Other enemies can have bombs or body armor to keep this from being too repetitive and thanks to the game’s art style, they all look distinct so there’s no confusion on who you are fighting. Levels are procedurally generated as well, so even thinking on memorizing enemy patterns doesn’t always work. The fluorescent color palette and very minimalist style, like that of a Saul Bass movie poster, highlights the chaos and violence without making it too gross or unappealing. Even the soundtrack is minimalistic, utilizing only jazz percussion that plays out dynamically as the action plays out in real time. A feast for the eyes and a challenge on the thumbs.

3. Katana Zero (Switch, PC)

Taking a page from one hit kill action games like Hotline Miami, Katana Zero plays out at first like a typical note from the genre, right down to its ‘80s aesthetic. You clear room after room of enemies, slashing with your katana, wall jumping to high points, and focusing time to slow down and either dodge or reflect projectiles. A lot of this game is a throwback thanks to its choice of graphics, 2D platforming and story points from movies like Drive and Leon: The Professional. It is thanks to the presentation that makes this game shine for me. The story, music, graphics and gameplay presentation are what makes Katana Zero so high on my list. Clearing rooms is fast paced and quick, with messing up only taking several seconds to get back into the fray. While the loop of the game can get a bit repetitive, there are plenty of surprises that change up the standard formula of the game as you progress. The story does a nice job of not only driving things forward, but also tying in gameplay concepts into the narrative. The music is a healthy blend of synthwave and some very heavy and experimental electronic tunes (one that I’ve had on repeat most of the year). The overall games is fairly short and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but there are speedrunning modes and secrets to uncover from replaying. Katana Zero stands as one of the best independent games this year.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

There was a time when Fire Emblem was on the ropes, becoming a lagging franchise that was not connecting with strategy enthusiasts on the home consoles. Then in 2013, things changed with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening on the 3DS. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems had intended that game to be the last in the series. Instead, we got another 3 (and 1/2) games released on the 3DS this past decade. Now it’s time to pass the torch onto the Switch and boy did they deliver on a packed adventure! Instead of just following one or two paths like most FE campaigns, Three Houses offer up to four different story playthroughs that each roughly takes about 50 hours or more to complete. There is also a vast amount of customization thanks to the setting being centered around a military school and teaching classes. If you love watching meters and bars fill up, there are tons of those to be had in Three Houses. Even though not every aspect is well thought out (the amiibo gazebo comes to mind, even though it is the best named mechanic), the cast of characters and support conversations (all fully voice acted) provide some rich storytelling from a character development standpoint. Do check out this game as it is one of the best in the series.

1. Tetris 99 (Switch)

“Where are we dropping, Blocks?” In a personal first for me, a multiplayer game has taken my number one spot. Tetris 99 is just that. Tetris. However, it’s you versus 98 other players in a battle royal style completion. Released as a free download to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it now has multiple versions that can be bought as well. Thanks to constant updates and weekend tournaments, the online community is still strong, so finding matches is quick and painless. Playing against such a wide number of challengers turns the typical Tetris strategy on its head. Racking up combos instead of quickly clearing lines, for example, is one way to secure victory, but leaving too many gaps and holes can prove disastrous if you suddenly become the target of a handful of players. Even though I have yet to secure a 1st place finish, the nature of Tetris keeps me coming back for more. Whether it’s facing against bots, friends, marathoning solo or playing the featured battle royal, this is a fun version of Tetris to be had.

[atatart]

Thursday Tenderloin Tour

The first Thursday of every month is one of my favorite events in the city—San Francisco First Thursdays art walk. The art walks in the Tenderloin and downtown area have changed a lot over the years, but the current incarnation makes me feel most at home in my neighborhood.

Low Key

For the July round of First Thursdays, I started over at Low Key Skate shop (and art gallery) on 679 Geary Street. I’m constantly telling people about this little gem off Geary and Leavenworth. It’s impossible to miss—all their openings have a great group of people hanging out front and skating. Their show that is up through this month is titled “Friends we made along the way”, and does this show contain some fantastic paintings!

Mary Claire Amable’s “Welcome Home” series are some carefully crafted watercolor paintings. “Welcome Home 2” is a miniature wall menu which hangs in the Tenderloin treasure Saigon Sandwich. (You can’t go wrong with any of their sandwiches, I personally usually get the Combo with extra peppers). The use of color is fantastic, the small blemishes on the sign really pull you into the shop.

A little further down the wall is one of my personal favorites of the night by Streetchilli, who also curated the show at Low Key. The painting is titled “Stressed out”, after Houston pioneer DJ Screw’s tape. (you can listen to it for free here. The red rug flows into the green and purple brick wall, with a portrait of someone pulling the skin off their face to reveal the muscles underneath in a way that reminds me a bit of Edvard Munch. On the coffee table rests the DJ Screw tape in it’s 2019 vinyl release form, and I really love how this was simplified for the painting by Streetchilli. Looks like someone is getting a call from the yellow comic-like exclamation points rising from the cell on the table; my ash tray is never that clean.

Speaking of Hip Hop legends, how about this piece by Misael Marin, “Dice of Life”, a reference to a song by San Francisco native Andre Nickatina on his album Conversation with a Devil. This was one of the first songs and the first albums I had heard from Andre Nickatina. “This for the ones that hate that I'm high, when you see me, it's no surprise, tap your brain and blow your mind.” In a lot of ways this painting, and this song, speaks across the room to the painting by Streetchilli and the music of DJ Screw. “Dice of Life” ends with a sample that says “This life of ours, this is a wonderful life. If you can get through life like this and get away with it, hey that's great, but it's very, unpredictable. There are so many ways you can screw it up.”

Soft Times

Next up and around the corner is Soft Times Gallery. Walk up 2 blocks from Geary and Leavenworth to Sutter and you’re there! 905 Sutter St. “Rare Candy” is the name of the exhibition, and as always Soft Times has put together some really fun sculptural works mixed with paintings. AND THE COLOR!

First up is work by Reniel Del Rosario: ceramic sculptures of glass bottles, cigarettes, lighters, cigars, fingers, blunt wraps, vapes, joints, lighters, and shot glasses, laid out like the aftermath of a party. The bottles have names like “A good Nights Rest”, “Flappy”, “Reliever”, “Renny’s Rasberry Razzle Dazzle”, and “Big Boy”. The painting above by Kyle Dunn is titled “Tailspin" and is a linear barage of color, like a glitched TV abstraction.

Across the room is a mysterious magical painting by Neddie Bakula titled “Casting Spells” featuring descending or ascending figures in a desert divided by a never ending wall, witches with hovering orbs, the moon, the sun peaking off behind the horizon, a beautiful bright pink hue popping up throughout the piece.

At the other end next to the windows is a mixed media on foam piece by Raen Barnsley called “Moss and bits and fluff”, which gives me a very 80’s / 90’s aesthetic mixed with contemporary sculpture practices. The texture of the foam really does look like moss, with an icing like little rectangle with squigglies on top. Next to it is a glowing sunset feeling textile piece by Jessy Lu, “Soft Screen I”.

Moth Belly

Last stop of the night—my favorite gallery in the Tenderloin, a place that feels like my home away from home, Moth Belly Gallery, located at 912 Larkin (Larkin and Geary). If you haven’t been to Moth Belly yet, come on down and say hello! They also run an exceptional publication “Moth Belly Media” that has been doing a lot of interviews recently.

The exhibition this month at Moth Belly is simply titled “7”, featuring 7 artists.

When walking in you’re immediately greeted by some stencil paintings of someone you may recognize if you spend a little time walking through the Tenderloin—Looksnatcher. With another Texas shout out in the center, Luanne from King of the Hill! Next to that is another one of my favorite paintings of the night titled “Papa Cannibal” which feels like both a nod to Bacon’s “Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X” as well as Goya (and Rubens) “Saturn Devouring His Son”. I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the trippy and wonderful three headed tribute to Dolly Parton. There’s also another great shout out hidden in here, but I’ll let you come to the gallery to learn more about it yourself.

There is some work on scratchboard in the back by Natalie McKean that completely blew me away. If you’re not familiar with scratchboard, while it looks like a drawing on a black background, the image is actually scratched into the surface with sharp tools, carving out the light. The piece “Knowing Your Demons” features a person being watched through a magic orb surrounded by salivating demons that look like a mix between Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Hellraiser”. The detail is just, I mean, well, look at it!

And that wraps up this Thursday Tenderloin Tour! Thanks for walking with me on such a beautiful night.

[epicplacesss]

Jumpsuits are, unquestionably, a statement style. The head-to-toe, across-the-board piece of clothing makes a striking look that moves past a basic dress or jeans and top combo, and into more fashionable domains. So why then, at that point, do such numerous ladies actually keep away from this commendable style? All things considered, it isn’t generally the most effortless garment to pull off. Pick some unacceptable fit blue mesh jumpsuit or add some unacceptable accessories and your jumpsuit can go from a fashion saint to a fashion zero. Fortunately, we’re here to assist with ensuring all your outfits are truly stylish. Here is our aide on the most proficient method to wear a jumpsuit like a road style star. 

Formal Occasions 

When going to formal events, ladies frequently fall into the outlook of reasoning that a dress is their main choice. While a dress might be the “protected” decision for dressing suitably, it will infrequently have a similar effect as a jumpsuit. Jumpsuits can be similarly pretty much as delightful and cleaned as a dress while offering an out-of-the-crate wow factor that will procure you some genuine style focuses. So for your next proper occasion have a go at getting out of your usual range of familiarity and wear a blue mesh jumpsuit. Pick a smooth and very much custom-made style that compliments your figure, add some basic yet stylish accessories, and you’re all set. 

Casual Occasions 

In case you’re hoping to add some genuine style to a relaxed occasion, you can’t disregard an easygoing jumpsuit. Loose, very agreeable, and quite stylish, the casual baddie jumpsuit is the ideal thing to get you out of your pants and T-shirt groove. Browse cotton and denim assortments in scope of outlines to track down the one that suits your style. Specifically, free-fit jumpsuits that highlight an elasticated or drawstring waist will in general be all around complimenting and ideal for jumpsuit virgins. In the event that you intend to wear pads with your jumpsuit, make sure to ensure you pick a trimmed style boot or lace-up shoe that wraps up at or marginally over the lower legs. This will assist with making balance and keep the look stretched and slim. 

How Should You Accessorize A Jumpsuit?

While wearing a jumpsuit might make organizing an outfit a lot less complex than most different articles of clothing, it actually requires a bit of thought. Indeed, you can simply wear one dress, however, you actually need to think about how you will adorn it. Pick some unacceptable accessories, and the entire look of the baddie jumpsuit can become messy and unstylish. To keep things stylish, plan out your outfit, giving specific consideration to your shoes, adornments, and belt. 

Jumpsuit + Belts 

A belt is an imperative accomplice to pulling off a jumpsuit, especially in case you’re as yet uncertain with regard to the style. By adding a belt to your jumpsuit, you’ll assist with characterizing your waist in a profoundly complimenting way. Regardless of whether the style is as of now fitted at the waist, a belt will assist you with seeming slimmer and transform a segment outline into an hourglass. For the individuals who are still new to jumpsuits, we suggest trying a belt in a differentiating tone with the baddie jumpsuit to that of your jumpsuit. Doing as such will add another measurement to the outfit and separate the straight line of your jumpsuit, which can in any case appear to be overpowering. Take a stab at coordinating with the shade of your belt with your shoes for a business-like outfit. 

Jumpsuit + Jewelry 

Jumpsuits, while being an assertion style, can some of the time look somewhat plain without striking accessories. Square shading assortments, specifically, will in general lose their wow-factor without the additional outfit measurement that accessories, like gems, give. Jewelry makes an auxiliary spotlight point on your outfit, making your style go past that of simply the blue mesh jumpsuit. It makes an intriguing subtlety that will draw the eyes of people around you. Pick pieces that will stick out, like a thick neckband or enormous pendant studs. Gold will in general look incredible with formal jumpsuit styles while a fly of shading can add some enjoyable to easygoing styles. 

Also Read:- Corset Tops Are Back — Create a Style Statement With a Money Print Corset Top

Jumpsuit + High Heels 

While jumpsuits can be complimenting, they likewise have a talent for pulling the eye downwards as you see them, causing you to seem more limited than what you are. Wide-leg and low-waisted jumpsuits, specifically, are famous for transforming average-sized ladies into divas who look amazing. One of the most amazing approaches to battle this issue is by adding a couple of high heels to your look. The extra height that you will get from the heels will assist with stretching your legs and cause you to seem taller in the blue mesh jumpsuit paired with heels. Simply ensure that you pick slim heels rather than stout ones to keep the look smooth and tall.

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Addictive Gem Match 3 - Free Games With Bonuses

Addictive Gem Match 3 - Free Games With Bonuses

Game Addictive Gem Match 3 - Free Games With Bonuses là dòng game Puzzle

Giới thiệu Addictive Gem Match 3 - Free Games With Bonuses

❤️ If you love free match 3 games with bonuses, start playing Addictive Gem Match Mania today! 2500+ levels with more added every week! Special live events and competitions every day! Cool, new, offline, and super popular on Google Play - loved by millions of players around the world! Send gifts and help your friends. Make this puzzle your go-to new match 3 game for 2020! 💎💎💎 LIMITED TIME OFFER: NEW USER BONUS! 💎💎💎 & ❤️❤️❤️ LOCKDOWN RELIEF! 3hrs Unlimited Lives everyday! ❤️❤️❤️ Play daily and weekly tournaments for prizes (no wifi needed for this casual quest)! New Update! Aug 21, 2020:❄️🏔☃️ Snow is falling, wind is blowing! Welcome to Icy Village! ☃️🏔❄️ Level 2762-2801 are now ready for you to match 3, blast and play! Get ready for a jewel and gem-swapping puzzle thrill. With unique board designs and an ever-changing array of strategic objectives, Addictive Gem Match Mania puts a colorfully creative spin on classic match 3 gameplay. With 2000+ levels and beautiful artwork, the fun and free bonuses will keep you coming back for a long time. A perfect way to casually crush a few minutes, dedicated players will be strategically swapping and mapping out moves as they strive for high score domination. Merge, match, crush, and blast your way to unlimited good times! A free addicting game for adults that you will never delete. Play offline! No wifi or internet required Addictive Gem Match Mania, from Skill Games, is full of wonderful new switching and tile-matching fun. Super gems, wild 2020 matching combinations, and challenging game modes exploding with cascade animations of falling candy gems and jewels! Take on this casual match 3 puzzle journey or play with friends, adults, or seniors to see who can get the highest score! No wifi games free! Addictive Gem Match 3 Features: • 😍 FREE & COOL matching puzzle, FUN to master • 💪 Stunning graphics and unique challenges • 💎 Match 3 jewels to collect and crush in the fun puzzle saga • 💯 Make combos, falling cascades, and chain reactions to get bonuses • 💣 All offline games that don't need wifi • 🏅 Reveal the hidden genies treasure chests of gems and jewels • ⭐️ So many levels with exciting puzzle games for seniors • ❤️ Fun hidden challenges, earn special prizes & unlimited lives • 😍 Saga based map with over 2000+ levels to play • 💣 Numerous candy boosters drop down along the way to help you succeed • 💎 Rewards and extra bonuses unlocked after levels passed • 🏆 Leaderboards to compete with your friends • ⭐ Free new game levels added weekly • ⭐ Achieve three stars at all levels! • 🎁 Check back for FREE Bonuses + Unlimited Lives every day • 📡 Enjoy the game everywhere and play completely offline! • 📱 For Android phones & tablets • 😍 2020 new games offline daily prize calendar This match 3 gem puzzle saga will satisfy your appetite for addicting fun. Start switching and matching tiles through new dimensions of relaxing gameplay while you blast and jam your way to the top! Gem Match Mania is a great Jewel and Gem go-to for passing time. You don't need to be connected to the Internet to play offline (great for flights, free no wifi). For environments with low service, Addictive Gem Match Mania 2020 will continue on, syncing progress as soon as you reconnect. If you're looking for addicting games that don't need wifi or internet this is the one! Addictive Gem Match 3 Mania is free to play. You can disable IAP in your settings. This match 3 game is free with bonuses and you can win unlimited lives, purchase gems not required to play free offline games. Visit https://www.facebook.com/addictivegemmatchmania/ for match 3 games support! Bug fixes and performance improvements! Please update your game and let us know what you think. Thanks for playing!

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Archero what are 8h rewards

If you take a look at a few of the other raid classes, you'll see that they have a great deal of various weapons they can use, but not all of them are meant for doing high damage to things. The guide includes a personalized character sheet, which you can save. Here is among the best pieces of advice I can provide you for making money with Archero.

How to farm gear in Archero

That's not an result that I want to see. The following are 2 other incredibly popular sources of weapons for sale, they are complimentary for your to utilize. The rogue's first talent point should enter into the Blade Flurry talent as it is the best choice to make your primary damage and also permits you to make a good financial investment with your combo points.

The trick is discovering them and making money from them. The number of of those services have outcome? In addition, there are lots of videos that will help you level up faster and more effectively.

When you are downloading the Archero talent tree guide, make sure to download the Armorsmith skill line because the Armorsmiths will be better at producing high quality crafted armors that can help you survive in PvP combat. This will make them effective and help them be able to utilize any spec they want. I was having no luck buying the important things I was purchasing.

Just because you do not have the very best weapon doesn't imply you do not have the very best gear. The Armorsmiths are also used for crafting weapons. Another thing that can be utilized is to find out any spec, use any weapon, and use any weapon mix that can be found on the server.

The Armorsmithing skill line provides you a fundamental tool, a easy hammer, that can be used to repair and construct armor. A crafting profession, the armorer can craft any item that is sent out to them, but the craftsmen only crafts weapons. So I looked up what was offered and discovered a lot from the website in addition to the Archero website. Then, when you can do vital hits, you'll have a higher opportunity of crits and pass the time.

Archero what is collision damage?

The top swords and spears might cost twenty to thirty thousand United States dollars; therefore, selling these with the appropriate info can provide you a nice income. The very best weapon for rogues is the Saber specialization as they can benefit the most from the skill line. The two best weapons for warriors are the Annihilator and the Blade Flurry.

I know that I got tired of battling the crowd control capabilities on my Shaman, when I could have focused more on damage to get more crowd control impacts. Let's take a look at the very best weapon in each class, shall we? You need to find out the appropriate methods to look after your service and begin growing your company as quickly as possible. The general guideline is that the more recent skills are just as good as the old ones.

The Armorsmithing skill line will have the ability to supply you with high quality crafted armor and weapons, that you can utilize to make it through in PvP, and with the specialized armor repair tools, they can help you do so without having to acquire one of the Armorsmith set dishes. A fine example of this is that if you choose to purchase a sword, then you'll have the ability to reach an extra 70% crit opportunity. Weapons made from stainless-steel are often cost greater costs than other kinds of metals such as aluminum.

When you are attempting to level up quickly, it is best to know that you need to find as many low level quest mobs as possible. Archero is a specialist portal for hunters and uses an Archero talent tree guide that consists of the very best weapon and talent develops. This will assist you https://www.ruishou.site/which-items-for-archero-are-the-best/ discover the best builds for each character as well as aid you level up much faster. Archero was initially created for individuals who wished to do raids or PvP, but couldn't or didn't have the time to train for that.

How to get free gems in Archero?

Most notably it is definitely not on sale on eBay. That was the start of the education procedure for me. Thus you may ask, if Archero weapons are so popular why do not they have an Archero guide?

That's when I decided to look into what exactly I was buying. Nevertheless, unlike other websites that use guides, the talent trees lie in their own area, so you don't have to browse through the entire thing to get to them. The difference between the armorer and the craftsmen is simply in the level of expertise that each has. And there's even an suggestions area that deserves reading over.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Looking for unique camper gifts? We found tons of them! From ingenious RV accessories and electronic gadgets to fun travel journals, decor, kitchen/barware and more! We’ve got a great list of RV gifts that are awesome housewarming ideas for new RV...

Awesome Gift Ideas RV Owners Will Be Crazy About! RV Owner Gift Idea Categories To make your shopping easier, we have grouped these awesome RV owner gift ideas into 7 categories. You can leisurely scroll down this post or jump to a specific group of gifts if you are looking for something specific. Practical But Cool RV Gift Ideas Map And Travel Journal RV Gift Ideas Decor Gift Ideas For RV Owners Kitchen And Barware RV Gift Ideas Fun Entertainment Gift Ideas For RV Owners Electronic Gadget RV Gift Ideas Wearable Gift Ideas RV Owners Love 😍💜 PRACTICAL BUT COOL RV GIFT IDEAS Aluminum Telescopic Extension Ladder Some RVs have ladders attached to the rear of the rig so owners can easily climb to the roof for inspections and repairs but that might not be the only place you want to climb to! This Aluminum Telescopic Extension Ladder is one of those practical RV gifts for owners who need the functionality of a ladder but need to limit the space required to transport/store it. This telescoping ladder extends to 12.5 ft, weighs only 14 pounds but holds up to 330 pounds. The best part is that it collapses down to fit neatly in its carrying bag.   & HitchSafe Key Vault Storing valuables in an RV can be challenging. This HitchSafe Key Vault is ingeniously designed to secure keys, cards and valuables inside the receiver! It features metal construction and the lock combination can be changed with 10,000 codes possible. My husband saw this and said “This thing is so cool! Why didn’t I invent that?!?” My response…Good question! 😉 We have more campsite security gift ideas RV owners will totally love in our A Secure Campsite Protects Valuables From Theft post! & Talk about unique gifts for camper owners and their dogs … yes, I said dogs! So many RV owners travel with their dogs and they need to keep track of their keys, fobs and dogs all at the same time. That’s why we think this Camping Key Fob Strap with the matching Camping Dog Collar are perfect RV gift ideas for camping families with fur babies! Woof! 🐾 & Camping Key Fob StrapCamping Dog Collar & Digital Tire Pressure Gauge & Emergency Tool Having a full set of tools is important! Get our FREE printable RV Tool Kit Checklist here. It’s also good to have a handy multi-tool when traveling in an RV. This Digital Air Gauge Car Rescue Tool is a combo Digital Air Tire Gauge, LED Flashlight, Seat Belt Cutter, Glass Punch Breaks Side Window in Emergency and more. Multi-tools make fabulous campervan gifts because of the extremely limited storage areas in those vehicles. & An RV In Line Water Filter is probably one of the most unimpressive camper gifts you could think of but RV owners will love you for it! This simple in-line filter design easily connects to an RV water system and protects against bacteria and sediment in drinking water while reducing bad taste, odors and chlorine. It really is a meekly marvelous RV gift! &  RV/Marine Water Filter With Flexible Hose ProtectorRV In Line Water Filter   & Hang N Out Trash Bag Holder Trash cans are big and bulky but totally necessary … or … are they? Because space is always tight when RVing, using gadgets that save space during storage and transportation is critical. This Hang N Out Trash Bag Holder eliminates the need for a trash can. The bag holder mechanism fits snugly over tires and holds a 30-gallon drawstring trash bag open and ready for use. These things make great gifts for campers who have everything (or so you think!) P.S. I just had somebody tell me I was a genius because I have this cool gadget in this blog post BUT I didn’t invent it … I just found it, so I guess that means I am a genius camping shopper! 😉 LOL & Home Is Where We Park It RV Mat This Home Is Where We Park It RV Mat is one of those totally practical yet ridiculously cute RV gift ideas for the clean freaks on your gift list! RV owners who like keeping the dirt out of their rig will love this rug because it is so easy to clean … just sweep the dirt from the polypropylene material … if it gets really dirty, you can just hose it off with water and let it quickly dry in the sun. These mats are lightweight and fold easily to fit inside the carrying bag. & These Vehicle Extraction Mats are seriously cool RV camping gifts for people who like to do off-road camping. We can speak from experience when it comes to spinning wheels while trying to pull out of a muddy National Forest dispersed campsite after a weekend of rain and thunderstorms! 😳 YIKES … it is not fun! Extraction mats are raised tracks that help prevent vehicle tires from spinning on snow, sand, mud or ice with no requirement for towing or pushing … and the large size fits almost any vehicle. &  Vehicle Extraction MatsOff-Road Mud, Sand And Snow   & Taz “Back Off!” Spare Tire Cover Spare tires are an absolute necessity for RV owners but who says the protective cover needs to be boring? This Taz “Back Off!” Spare Tire Cover says what so many RV drivers want to say when a vehicle driving behind us is tailgating … BACK OFF! LOL! 😉 Unique tire covers make fun camper gifts and they are easy to pack and ship if you are sending your gift across the miles! & Trailer-Aid “Plus” Tandem Tire Changing Ramp Wanna be a Rock Star to a friend who owns an RV? Get them a Trailer-Aid “Plus” Tandem Tire Changing Ramp! I’m not kidding!!! We have friends who have a business that requires them to tow lots of trailers across the country (getting the unavoidable flat tire on the highway every once in a while) and they turned us on to this little gem. You just drive the good tire on the ramp and the flat tire is lifted off the ground high enough to change the tire WITHOUT A JACK AND WITHOUT EMPTYING CARGO (even horses can remain inside a horse trailer!!!) There is a 15,000 pound limit which means it can handle most travel trailer RVs, cargo trailers and horse trailers! These ramps may seem like funny gifts for campers but they are worth their weight in gold when you need them! & Universal Clip-On Towing Mirror Visibility to change lanes when towing a trailer with a car, SUV or even a truck with small mirrors is a challenge because the standard vehicle mirrors don’t extend far enough to see traffic very well. That’s when using Universal Clip-On Towing Mirrors becomes necessary. These mirrors make driving safer and nervous passengers feel more secure. Drivers with those types of passengers will thank you over and over for this gift! 😉 & Memory Foam Mattress RV Short Queen Some RV beds have awesome mattresses … most do not. I used to put sleeping bags over our RV mattress and then put our sheets over that. The sleeping bags gave us a little extra cushion which was great UNTIL we received one of the most unique camper gifts we ever received … a memory foam mattress! No more sleeping bags on our RV bed! Using an RV Memory Foam Mattress is a great way to improve a less-than-desirable RV mattress! This one features 2 inches Memory Foam and 6 inches High-density Base Support Foam! & Happy Campers Personalized Campsite Flag Marking your territory with a campsite flag is fun and an awesome gift for RV owners when you get it personalized just for them! This Happy Campers Personalized Campsite Flag is one of my favorites because it includes a BBQ grill … and … you know how much I love good camping food!?!? I didn’t name my blog Camping For Foodies for nothing, ya know! 😉 Want more ideas for personalized gifts for camper owners? Check out our Personalized Camping Gifts For RV And Tent Campers post! & RV Designer Klippy Clips When we are RVing, we are always hanging something around our campsite … like lights, banners, flags, and whatever else we can think of … LOL! These RV Designer Klippy Clips are great for hanging stuff from an RV awning. The clips are made of high impact plastic, have rust-proof stainless steel springs and they pivot/swivel! These clips make practical gifts for camper owners and if you combine them with something fun to hang on them (like string lights), they are even better! Check out our Best Camping Lights For Lighting Your Campsite for more lighting gift ideas!💡 & Happy Camper Printed Duct Tape Every RV owner uses duct tape once in a while so why not use a designer looking tape? This totally funky Happy Camper Printed Duct Tape is a high performance strength tape that adheres to a variety of surfaces, including wood, vinyl, plastic, leather, metal and laminate! I’ve actually witnessed RV owners decide duct tape is the only way to “fix” something after receiving a roll of this stuff as a gift! 🤣 LOL & Spice Gripper Clip Strips Storing spices becomes a challenge in a regular home kitchen and because space is limited in RVs, it is an even bigger problem. These Spice Gripper Clip Strips are the perfect solution for that problem! Why not use the wasted space on the back side of a cabinet door to solve RV kitchen organization problems?!? The added benefit of this gadget is the ability to easily see when spices are getting low! These make practical gifts for RV people who love cooking! & Upright Position Plate Holder Someday RV designers will create better kitchen cabinets so there is not a ton of wasted space where dishes are stored. Until then, using an Upright Position Plate Holder is a great fix! Making wasted space usable is the way to reduce clutter and easily find items in the small spaces of an RV. To make these a super-cute and more substantial gift for RV owners, add a set of RV camp themed plates! & Pop-A-Toothbrush This toothbrush holder is one of the cheapest but coolest gifts an RV owner could ever want! The Pop-A-Toothbrush protects toothbrushes from dust and germs and avoids the need to use valuable shelf space in the RV medicine cabinet. It easily fastens to the bathroom wall with double-sided tape and is vented for quick drying. & Wrap Around Step Rug Keeping the inside of an RV clean is easiest when you keep the dirt out! Using a Wrap Around Step Rug is an easy way to catch dirt prior to entering an RV. It wraps around the existing RV step and is fastened by hooking springs into the holes. It can be used with manual or electric steps, measures 18″ x 17.5″, and adjusts to fit steps with a tread of 8″ to 10.5″. These things make awesome camper gifts for the entire family because nobody wants to get assigned the chore of sweeping out the RV when it is a never-ending task! & RV Fridge Airator Cooling an RV refrigerator evenly is not automatic because they typically don’t have the best airflow. This RV Fridge Airator is a high-volume air circulator which also absorbs odors! It measures about 4 x 6 x 8 inches so it doesn’t take up a ton of space and it operates on batteries. We have more practical food safety gift ideas in our Camping Food Safety Tips Including How To Pack A Cooler For Camping post! & RV Fridge Braces These are seriously cool! Lots of RV owners don’t even know these things exist but when they find them, they fall in love! Shifting cargo is always a problem when traveling in an RV but these RV Fridge Braces keep food and beverages from sliding inside the fridge during travel and easily attach to RV refrigerator wire shelves. As long as an RV has a fridge, these braces make great camper gifts. & Adjustable Broom And Dustpan Expandable gadgets are SWEET for RVs because storage space is always limited. These types of practical RV gifts may not be exciting to people who don’t own RVs … but, are off-the-charts cool for people who do! This Adjustable Broom And Dustpan is perfect for keeping RV interiors clean. The handle length is adjustable! The broom collapses to 24″ for compact storage and extends to 52″ when in use. Yes, you can stand straight up when brooming inside an RV! & Mudbuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner Dog-loving RV owners will be crazy about this Mudbuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner! Keeping the dog outside the RV just to keep the mud out is not necessary … which makes these little cleaners unique camping gifts for dogs and humans! This little gadget has gentle silicone bristles inside and it works by adding a little water then inserting the dog’s paw and twisting a little to wash off the mud. Do that to all 4 paws, pat them dry and let Queen Elizabark (or whatever the dog’s name is 🤣 LOL) jump in the RV without a mess! They come in 3 sizes to fit small, medium or large paws! & RV Flag Pole Kit Parked RVs never feel like home until the flag is flyin’ high! Whether you are flying the stars and stripes or your favorite sporting team flag, this RV Flag Pole Kit is a sturdy RV system that mounts to any flat surface and fits most RV ladders. When extended, it can accommodate flags up to 3′ x 5′ and the pole collapses for easy storage too. These pole kits make especially great gifts for RV campers who use their RVs at special events (like car races, horse shows, hot air balloon events etc.) and park in a sea of campers … flying a flag that is visible from a distance makes it easy to find one single rig among hundreds of others! & Pack of 2 Wheel Chocks Rolling down the highway is fine … rolling at your campsite isn’t! Using wheel chocks helps keep your RV trailer and tow vehicle in place while parked. This Pack of 2 Wheel Chocks is designed to be used with tires up to 26″ in diameter. & Camp Casual Travel Map Throw It’s always a good idea to keep a few extra throws and blankets around the RV … especially when camping in cooler weather. This Camp Casual Travel Map Throw is one of the most unique gifts for camper owners who like to add a little quirky retro style to their practical gear. This throw is super comfy and soft, 100% polyester and machine washable! & Stabilizer Jack Pad 4-Pack Looking for a super-practical gift for RV owners? Here it is! This Stabilizer Jack Pad 4-Pack helps prevent jacks from sinking into soft ground. The pads are specifically designed to use with stack jacks, fifth wheel stabilizers, swing down stabilizers and awning arms. Each pad measures 6.5″ x 9″ x 1″, has a built-in handle and the set includes a storage strap. & RV There Yet? Vanity Front License Plate In states where a front license plate is not required, displaying a fun RV vanity plate makes perfect sense! This RV There Yet? Vanity Front License Plate is one of those RV gift ideas that is inexpensive, easy to ship and a sassy little surprise! 😎 & Leveling Blocks 10-Pack This Leveling Blocks 10-Pack allows you to level an RV that is parked on an unlevel surface. The interlocking blocks can be used under tires, trailer tongues and swing arm supports. We use ours often when boondocking (aka remote camping or dispersed camping) in areas like National Forests. The blocks are not designed to be used with big rigs; more sophisticated RVs have built-in levelers. Always know your equipment and its limitations. & Teardrop Camper Trailer Night Light Did I mention that practical RV gift ideas don’t have to be boring??? This whimsical little Teardrop Camper Trailer Night Light is the most adorable way to gently light the path to the RV bathroom when hosting overnight guests! It’s so fun and blingy! 🤩 & Natural Eucalyptus Mosquito Repellent Candle Gifts for camper owners that do triple duty (like smell good, put off a warm glow and deter bugs) and can be used inside or outside the RV are winners by all measures! This Natural Eucalyptus Mosquito Repellent Indoor/Outdoor Candle burns for 88 hours and uses no chemicals to ward off bugs … instead, it uses essential oils including lemongrass, citronella, geranium and lemon. For more bug deterring gifts, check out our How To Keep Bugs Away While Camping post. & It is not always easy to find gift ideas for RV owners with babies or grand babies! This Happy Camper Baby Collection is so adorable and so unique! The collection includes a Happy Camper Baby Quilt and a Happy Camper Changing Pad Cover. These babies will love RVing before they learn how to talk! 👶 &  Happy Camper Baby CollectionHappy Camper Baby QuiltHappy Camper Changing Pad Cover   & MAP AND TRAVEL JOURNAL RV GIFT IDEAS This Passport To Your National Parks Booklet is one of the most popular travel journal gift ideas RV owners absolutely love for pre-planning visits to America’s National Parks as well as memory capturing during the trip! The book comes in different formats and it lists all of the National Parks in the United States and U.S. territories. My favorite part is the space for the “cancellation” stamps you can add to your book during your visits. 😊 & Passport To Your National ParksSpace For “Cancellation” Stamps & RV Permanent State Sticker Part of the beauty of RV travel is experiencing the journey (and not just the destination) and tracking your travels … Many RVers use state sticker maps to do that. This RV Permanent State Sticker Set is unique because each sticker depicts a license plate graphic of each state. The peel and press vinyl stickers resist water, sun and salt. These make great motorhome gifts for people who do a lot of traveling. & Travel journals are fabulous gift ideas for RV owners who do lots of traveling to diverse locations and like changing up their trips. Some travel journals have awesome covers but are just filled with lined pages and you capture your journey with whatever thoughts come to mind. I really like this RV There Yet? My Road Trip Journal because of the RV specific writing prompts on the inside pages which include things like dates/weather/routes, odometer readings/miles per gallon, who you are traveling with/meet along the journey, sites/memorable events, dining experiences and places to remember for next time and more! & RV There Yet? Travel JournalWriting Prompts For RV Trips & Life Is Good In The Trailerhood Travel Journal This Life Is Good In The Trailerhood Travel Journal is one of the most detailed journals we have ever seen for RVing. One of the coolest things in this journal is the map of the United States for coloring in as you travel! It also includes writing prompts for: (1) Departure, Destination and Route Information, (2) Weather and Mileage Log, (3) Detailed Campsite Information including hookups, amenities, wifi and more, (4) Places Visited / Activities, (5) New Friends, (6) Food / Dining / Restaurants, (7) Places to Go and Things to See Next Time, (8) Places to get Water, Propane and Dump Stations for boondockers. This particular journal makes awesome gifts for RV owners who are full-timers as well as those who are planning a special “bucket list” type of trip.   & Arizona Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlas If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you already know how much I love my Arizona Benchmark Road And Recreation Atlas for our RV travel planning. National Geographic Maps publishes these for many states and the information includes backcountry roads, trailheads, campgrounds, points of interest, hunting units, RV parks, golf, and boating locations too! These books make awesome RV gifts for campers who will be exploring a new state on an upcoming trip. & RV Travel Journal: Roam The Roads Capturing your travels in a journal is a great way to revisit your trips and share them with others. This RV Travel Journal: Roam The Roads includes writing prompts like “The day started like this”, “Things I should do today”, “Today I feel”, “Favorite moment in the day” and more. Travel journals make great gifts for RV owners who travel to many different destinations and like staying in new places rather than campers who have a “routine” camping trip and regular camp spot. & National Geographic Guide To Scenic Highways And Byways: The 300 Best Drives In The U.S. Most RV owners will tell you that RVing is all about slowing down and enjoying the journey which includes taking in beautiful landscapes while traveling from one camping location to the next. That’s why we think scenic drive guide books are awesome gift ideas for RV owners who love camping and taking the “long route” so they can soak up the beauty of America. The National Geographic Guide To Scenic Highways And Byways: The 300 Best Drives In The U.S. is packed with beautiful illustrations and helpful tips to explore more than 300 getaways throughout the 50 states.    & This National Parks Journal is so unique because it features full-color poster art … original National Park poster designs by the Anderson Design Group. This 128 page hardcover journal includes information about each of the 59 American National Parks with travel tips, fun facts, and space for writing which makes them awesome RV and camping gifts for people who love traveling the U.S. and visiting Parks throughout the nationwide system. &  National Parks JournalNational Parks JournalNational Parks Journal   DECOR GIFT IDEAS FOR RV OWNERS Happy Campers Pendulum Clock Don’t you just love functional and whimsical decor items? This Happy Campers Pendulum Clock is soooooo cute and it is a working clock too! It is the design of artist Michelle Allen. This is one of those gift ideas RV owners with a quirky artistic creative side will treasure forever. I just love the little tow vehicle truck on the pendulum! The clock runs on one AA battery so it is great for RVers who like boondocking without hookups! & I Do Have A Retirement Plan I Plan On Camping Sign Plaque Everyone I know who is looking for gift ideas for RV owners … has at least one person on their list who totally fits the message of this funny I Do Have a Retirement Plan … I Plan on Camping sign!   & Home Is Where The Welcome Mat Is Outdoor Mat Every RV needs a cool welcome mat! We love this Home Is Where The Welcome Mat Is Outdoor Mat with the fun retro trailer image in the woods! The material is indoor/outdoor carpeting that can be cleaned with a hose and brush. The real gift is keeping the dirt outside your RV! 😂 LOL & Happy Camper Pillowcase Cover Some of the most unique RV and camping gifts are slightly functional but over-the-top delightfully decorative! This Road Trip Travel Pillow Cover is one of those gifts! It has a fun design which makes a cute throw pillow for an RV sofa, recliner or bed. You don’t have to worry about it being “decorative only” because the cover has a zipper making it easy to remove and it is machine washable too! If you want to give this gift as an entire throw pillow (rather than just a cover), make sure you get a Pillow Insert too!   & Camp Casual Road Map Throw Decorative throw blankets make pretty and practical RV gift ideas that quickly add a splash of personality to any rig! This Camp Casual Road Map Throw is really soft, 100% polyester, measures 50″x60″ and is machine washable. The retro travel images of highway signs and vintage cars pulling tiny trailers is sure to put a smile on your face. 😍   & Welcome To Our Campsite Where Friends & Marshmallows Get Toasted At The Same Time Sign Cute signs can be hung at home or in RVs. This colorful Welcome To Our Campsite Where Friends & Marshmallows Get Toasted At The Same Time Sign measures 5″ x 10″. The funny message is printed on MDF and a rope hanger is included. 🔥 They make fun camper gifts for people who like to socialize during their camping adventures … whether in a small pop-up camper or a massive motorhome. & Home Is Where You Park It Throw Pillow Case Cover Decorative throw pillows are a fun way to add a little whimsical style to any RV. When a camping woman also likes to decorate, some of the best camping gifts for her include pillow covers that can simply change the feel of a room with an inexpensive new cover. This Home Is Where You Park It Throw Pillow Case Cover is a cotton/linen blend measuring 18″ x 18″ inches and can be used with 18″ x 18″ or 20″ x 20″ pillow inserts. The hidden zipper makes the case easy to remove for machine washing too! & RV Home Is Anyplace I’m With You Terry Towel This totally cute RV Home Is Anyplace I’m With You Terry Towel features artwork by artist Suzanne Nicoll and measures 16″ x 26″. The 100% cotton material is fast-drying and the towel has a loop for displaying the towel when not in use. Don’t you just love camper gift ideas that are decorative and functional too?!?! & Camper Trailer RV Picture Frame We love the personal connection time we have with friends and family on camping trips! This Camper Trailer RV Picture Frame is a cute way to frame a photo to be displayed inside an RV! They come in all sorts of models including 5th Wheels, C Class Motorhomes, A Class Motorhomes and Pop-Ups! Some of the best gifts for campers are the ones you can personalize, so don’t just give a picture frame … add a fun photo from a camping trip too! & Happy Camper Garden Flag Garden flags are a popular way to quickly decorate a “temporary yard” for RVs that are always on the go! This Happy Camper Garden Flag features solarsilk polyester fabric which means it is mildew and fade resistant. The flag fits standard garden flag holders. We have more cool flag gifts for camper owners in our Flag Your Camp With Cool Camping Spinners And RV Flags post! & RV Camper Birdhouse Birdhouses and feeders attract wild birds and are a fun addition to any RV campsite! This RV Camper Birdhouse has an adorably quirky design with a “trailer for sale or rent” notice hanging on a camper reminiscent of the old classic Airstreams. It is made of resin, measures 8.5″L x 4.5″W x 5″H and includes a wire for hanging too! Birdhouses are wonderful camping gift ideas for couples who like watching birds AND those who travel with their cats who like to watch the “nature show” outside of the RV window! & Retro Travel Trailer Party String Lights Using string lights is a popular way to light up campsites. You can find them in all sorts of designs now and we just love the idea of mini RVs lighting up the real thing! The Retro Travel Trailer Party String Lights are UL approved for indoor and outdoor use. Each 120V with overload protection is an 8′ strand that contains ten lights. Each set includes two spare bulbs and a spare fuse. Don’t you think they make cute gifts for camper owners?!?! 😍 &  KITCHEN AND BARWARE RV GIFT IDEAS Camp, Hike, Cook, Drink, Eat, Repeat Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Gift Set Shaking a cocktail at the campsite couldn’t be more cool! This Camp, Hike, Cook, Drink, Eat, Repeat Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Gift Set includes a sleek brushed stainless steel strainer-topped shaker, muddler and two-sided jigger all in a ready-to-give decorative box. This is just one of the things we take on our glamping trips! We have more adorable gifts for camper owners in our Cute Glamping Accessories And DIY Glam Camping Ideas And Tips post! & Chopping veggies and camp meal prep just got way more fun! This Retro Camper Flexible Cutting Mat has the cutest design with a retro RV camper next to a dutch oven cooking over a campfire! It also comes in a Retro Camper Flexible Cutting Mat Set which includes 3 different sized mats for various tasks. All of the mats include holes for hanging on hooks when not in use. These mats make great gifts for camper owners who like to cook! &  Flexible Cutting MatFlexible Cutting Mat Set Of 3   & Portable Espresso Machine Coffee gift ideas for RV owners who enjoy a shot of espresso may seem like an impossibility. But, this Portable Espresso Machine makes it totally possible! This unique gadget is small, lightweight and requires NO electricity, compressed air or N2O cartridges because it is operated by a simple piston! This travel espresso maker is so compact, it is even a favorite coffee gadget for backpackers! & Happy Camper Cocktail Napkins Camping-themed paper products are fun and unique gifts for camper owners. These Happy Camper Cocktail Napkins add a colorful touch to happy hour at the campsite! These adorable little napkins make a great addition to a retro camper themed DIY gift basket too. & Camp Casual 12-Piece Dish Set Using colorful dishes with retro RV camp scenes is a fun way to eat your camp culinary creations! The Camp Casual 12-Piece Dish Set includes a setup for 4 with dinner plates, salad plates and bowls that come in a reusable box with a handle. The BPA-free heavyweight melamine material should not be used in a microwave but it is safe for top-shelf dishwasher cleaning. Dish sets make fun gifts for the camper who has everything but can always use a few extra dishes to entertain friends at their campsite! & Camp Casual Bowl And Serving Set Classically retro camper serving utensils bring a whimsical feel to your campsite dinner table! This Camp Casual Bowl And Serving Set has the cutest pattern ever! The pattern of retro campers, trucks, cars and gasoline pumps is included on the bowl and the two serving utensils. The BPA-free heavyweight melamine material should not be used in a microwave but it is safe for top-shelf dishwasher cleaning. I call these “happy camper gifts” because the camper-themed designs are so fun AND they serve FOOD which are two of my favorite things in the world and the combination of them makes people happy! & Most people think to use silicone glasses outdoors around swimming pools but they are also great for RV camping too! Having unbreakable wine glasses during storage and transportation is awesome for RV campers … and … it is an extra bonus when they have cute camp-themed messages on them. These Camping Themed Silicone Wine Glasses make great camper gifts for wine drinkers. Cheers! &  Camping Themed Silicone Wine Glasses SetUnbreakable Shatterproof Camping Cups   & Some of the best RV gift ideas are the ones that make “work” feel more like “fun” including chores like doing the dishes! This Camping Dish Towel Set comes with two towels that have adorable graphics and favorite quotes that are used often by RV owners: Home Is Where You Park It and Life Is Better When You’re Camping which are both sooooooooooo true!  Home Is Where You Park It TowelCamping Dish Towel Set   & Retro Camping Insulated Tumbler Can RV owners ever have enough camping-themed drinking mugs? We say no! This totally adorable Retro Camping Insulated Tumbler is great for both hot and cold beverages, holds 16oz, has a lid and is microwave and dishwasher safe! This gift idea is so cute, you may want to buy one for every RV owner on your gift list! Translation: don’t make husband and wife RV owners share one 😅       & Teardrop Camper Salt And Pepper Shakers Adding salt and pepper to food gives it flavor, doing it with these Teardrop Camper Salt And Pepper Shakers does it in style! This adorable set is made of hand painted ceramic and the shakers measure 3 x 1.75 inches. With such a fun design, these make adorable gifts for camper owners who like to season their food and leave the S&P on the counter for a cute decorative touch. & The combination of these campfire cooking gadgets make unique RV and camping gifts For RV owners who are serious pie iron cooks! Square Pie Iron Cookers are the most popular pie iron shape … partially because you don’t have to “work” to cut off the crust of the bread and eating crust gives you curly hair. 😉 A Pie Iron Kickstand is a convenient resting place for hot pie irons that have just come out of the fire and need a safe place to cool down before you pack the irons into a neat Storage Bag. You can’t forget to add a fun cookbook to the mix and this Pie Iron Creations features yummy recipes like Peanut Butter Waffles, Inside-Out Jalapeno Poppers, BBQ Cheesy Chicken, Extreme Brownies … just to name a few! Pie Iron CookerPie Iron KickstandStorage BagPie Iron Creations   & Happy Camper Mug Every camper we know loves a good cup of camp coffee to get the morning started! Why not sip your java from a Happy Camper Mug designed to resemble a camper with windows, pink flamingo and propane tank?!?! The mug holds approximately 12 ounces and hand-washing is recommended. Silly mugs make funny camping gifts and there are so many designs, you are bound to find the perfect cup for your RVing friends and family members on your gift list! & These bowls are awesome RV camping gifts because they nest for storage! The totally cute design and fun colors in this Camp Casual Nesting Bowl Set makes cooking … well, just happy! 😄 The set contains 4 melamine bowls with lids and include sizes of 6-inch, 7.5-inch, 9-inch and 10-inch in diameter. I don’t know about you but these bowls make me want to bake a cake! 🍰 &  Camp Casual Bowl Set With LidsCamp Casual Nesting Bowl Set   & Heart Shaped Pie Iron Some RVers do all of their cooking inside their rigs while others venture outside to do some of their cooking using grills and campfires. These Heart Shaped Pie Irons make fun RV camping gifts for RV owners who like to add a little extra heart to their campfire “on-a-stick” meal cooking creations! 🧡💜💚   & Starry Night Coffee Mug Oooooo, aaaaah … Just picture sitting around a campfire enjoying a creamy hot chocolate from this Starry Night Coffee Mug with the retro campers scene! The Camp Casual line of mugs features different colors and designs which are 15 oz. sturdy ceramic mugs that are both dishwasher and microwave safe. Cute mugs make really fun camping gifts and they are even better when you add a touch of homemade goodness! Make a batch of our Campfire Hot Cocoa Mix and put it in a plastic bag with a decorative ribbon then place that inside your mug for affordable and unique camp gifts! & Retro Camper Pot Holder Set When we are cooking over the high heat of a campfire, we use heavy-duty heat-resistant gloves … but … when we are cooking in a gentler environment, like with our RV oven or camp stove, we use regular pot holders. Consider kitchen gift ideas for RV owners who typically cook inside their rigs like this Retro Camper Pot Holder Set which is functional and cute enough to hang for display too! & Picnic Backpack For 4 With Complete Cutlery Set, Stainless Steel S/P Shakers, Waterproof Picnic Blanket And Cooler Bag RV kitchens can be beautiful but every so often you want to change your setting for your meal. Picnic Backpacks make great gifts for campers who want to explore a bit to find a beautiful landscape setting for a refreshing picnic. You can get them with settings for 4 people or two and they come with utensils as well as a picnic blanket and cooler bag.   & Life Is Better In A Camper Mugs There are so many cute coffee mugs for RV owners! These Life Is Better In A Camper Mugs are really popular this year and I can totally see why! A set of these will make coffee-drinking RV owners agree … life is better in a camper! They make great gifts for camper owners who like to start their day with a little java jolt! ☕☕ & Vintage Trailers II Set Of 4 Coasters Hands-down … the best way to deal with sweating drinks is by using totally adorable retro RV coasters! This Vintage Trailers II Set of 4 Coasters is made from absorbent stone with a cork back to protect furniture. The set features Paige Bridges licensed artwork and comes in a printed box. Campers who like to recreate inside their rigs while also keeping them tidy (and don’t appreciate the “lived in” look, if you know what I mean😉) really enjoy RV gifts that are cute, functional and protect their RV. & 3-In-1 Folding Camping BBQ Tools Cooking inside the RV or outside over the campfire, this 3-In-1 Folding Camping BBQ Tools is one of those great multi-tool space-saving gifts for camper owners! You’ll find more gift ideas in our Campfire Cooking Equipment You Can’t Live Without post! & Life Is Better At The Campsite 32 oz. Reusable Water Bottle Camper-themed water bottles make fun gifts for RV owners … especially for people who are trying to reduce their use of individual serving plastic water bottles. This Life Is Better At The Campsite Water Bottle holds 32 oz./1,000 ml and has a silicone gasket that prevents leakage with a tight-fitting screw-on lid. Personally, I think the bright color, cute graphic and absolutely true saying make this an irresistible gift idea!    & FUN ENTERTAINMENT GIFT IDEAS FOR RV OWNERS     I’m Unplugging Hammock With Attached Carrying And Accessory Bag Relaxing is what RVing is all about! This I’m Unplugging Hammock With Attached Carrying And Accessory Bag is awesome because it keeps your beverages, sun glasses and reading material within easy reach while you are lounging in the great outdoors. When you’re finished, just roll it up and pull the string because the bag doubles as a carry bag too! These hammocks make great gifts for RV owners who want to recline under the trees rather than in their loungers inside their rigs. & Portable Campfire Ring Camping in an RV means you can set-up home almost anywhere … an awesome adventure! That also means you may not have campfire rings at every location and that is when this Portable Campfire Ring saves the day! The steel ring accommodates natural wood-burning fires and the tree cut-outs create a cool look when the fire glows behind them. When in use, the ring measures 27 inches wide; it easily folds and packs inside the included storage bag too. These camper gifts are perfect for people who enjoy campfires and also like camping in remote locations at unimproved camp spots without fire rings. & Toasted Or Roasted Card Game Set Kid-friendly games are part of the camping experience for many RV owners. This Toasted Or Roasted Card Game Set can be played with 2-6 players over the age of 6. The object: be the first player to start your campfire and toast three marshmallows but don’t forget to play defensively because “Roasty” will try to burn your marshmallows. We have more fun game gift ideas in our Camp Games: Prove You Are A Super Hero Camper post! & The Long, Long Trailer Movie Consider movie gift ideas RV owners will love! There are lots of movies about RV owners traveling throughout the country … the funny ones are the best! You know, when you “see yourselves” in almost every scene?!? 🙄🤣😉 The Long, Long Trailer Movie is a massively popular, family-friendly, hilarious comedy that will have every RV owner thinking “I remember doing that when we were new RVers!” & Trailer Life Magazine Magazine subscriptions are great gifts that continue giving throughout the year! A Trailer Life Magazine brings a wide variety of information to readers including trips, destinations, RV maintenance/repair, purchasing travel trailers and trucks and more. & MotorHome Magazine Subscriptions make great motorhome gifts for current owners or people thinking about purchasing one. MotorHome Magazine readers enjoy reviews of campgrounds and new motorhome models for all classes and price ranges. There is practical information covering things like towing and mechanical features too. & The Most Scenic Drives In America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips Part of the fun of owning an RV is taking your home-away-from-home on a road trip with jaw-dropping scenery. That’s why we always say, you’ve got to enjoy the journey … not just the destination. The Most Scenic Drives In America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips book is a great gift for RV owners who travel a lot or those who only get to travel occasionally but want inspiration to make those special occasions totally magnificent! We have more gift ideas in our RV Camping Road Trip Ideas With Unusual Roadside Attractions post! & Happy Campers Coloring Book Coloring books have always been fun for kids but now they are popular stress-relievers with adults! This Happy Campers Coloring Book celebrates the good life on the open road with 30 vibrantly detailed art activities. The quirky illustrations can be colored using markers, colored pencils, gel pens, or watercolors. An adult coloring book is a great gift for campers who need a little help slowing down (yes, I am included in that group!) & Bedside Caddy Using organizers inside an RV helps to keep small spaces clutter-free and manageable. This Bedside Caddy has multiple pockets allowing for streamlined storage of lightweight items like books, glasses and tissues. We have more totally practical ideas for gifts for camper owners in our RVing Tips For Beginners: Enjoying The Maiden Journey post. & Handheld Hummingbird Feeders So many RVers love getting close to nature on their adventures … attracting hummingbirds to the campsite seems to be a “required” entertainment event. 😉 These Handheld Hummingbird Feeders are great gift ideas RV owners will totally enjoy because they can get up-close and personal with their little flying friends and the feeders are small enough to pack neatly away without taking up a ton of valuable storage space inside the rig!   & National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Special Edition) There are a few RV gift ideas that actually appeal to non-campers too … the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie is one of them! This is one of our family’s “must watch” Christmas movies. In some strange way, every RV owner has the ability to relate to cousin Eddie in an endearing yet slightly uncomfortable way. 😳🙄😲🤣 We appreciate gifts for people who love camping that can be enjoyed with “I don’t understand why anybody likes camping” friends! 😉   & ELECTRONIC GADGET RV GIFT IDEAS Kindle Paperwhite, Waterproof With 2x The Storage Avoiding the space and weight required to carry books in your RV is simple when you use an electronic reading device. This Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader has a higher resolution display (300 ppi) and a built-in adjustable light to read in daylight or at night. Even in bright sunlight, there is no screen glare! A single battery charge lasts weeks! This latest device is WATERPROOF so you can enjoy reading at the lake, beach, pool or even in the bath! Electronic readers are great gift ideas for campers who like to do a lot of reading and don’t want to carry the bulk and weight associated with paper books. You know how bulky heavy things are the enemy of clean and clutter-free RVs?!? & Happy Camper RV PopSocket Grip/Stand For Phones/Tablets Not all electronic RV gift ideas are electronic! This Happy Camper RV PopSocket is an awesome accessory for electronic gadgets! It is a grip/stand for phones and tablets. They come in tons of different RV and camping themed designs … it is hard to choose just one! 🤩 & 4Ucam Digital Wireless Camera System Every RV owner needs an extra set of eyes when backing up the rig … unless they have a backup camera system! This 4Ucam Digital Wireless RV Backup Camera System doesn’t have a complex wire layout between the monitor and IR LED night-vision waterproof camera because it is a WIRELESS system! Both units need power, the monitor is powered by your cigarette lighter and the camera is powered by a 12-24 volt source of your vehicle’s electrical system. This is one of the more expensive RV gifts on our list of favorites … but … it is one that has the potential to save huge amounts of money when it comes to damaging an RV or surrounding property and/or people during an accident while backing up a rig. & Garmin RV 760LMT Portable GPS Navigator Navigating a travel route in an RV couldn’t be easier! This Garmin RV 760LMT Portable GPS Navigator has a 7″ high-resolution touchscreen display and provides RV-specific services. You can customize routes based on restrictions including height, weight, width and length. With voice-activated navigation, you just have to talk to it! These devices make awesome gifts for RV owners who do a lot of traveling to different destinations and like to take the local, scenic route rather than staying primarily on highways and truck routes. & DOSS Touch Wireless Bluetooth V4.0 Portable Speaker Great-sounding tunes are easy at your RV destination, both indoors and out! This DOSS Touch Wireless Bluetooth V4.0 Portable Speaker has 12 watts of superior sound quality. It packs a pretty mean punch for its size and price. It has enhanced bass and dual high-performance drivers. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 12 hours of playtime and it recharges in 3-4 hours with the micro USB cable which is included. You can even answer phone calls with it through its built-in microphone! These make great camper gifts for people who don’t have built-in (interior and exterior) speakers in their RV. & Goal Zero Torch Some of the coolest gifts for camper owners include off-the-grid camping gadgets that make it possible to use electronic devices without electricity. The Goal Zero Torch is one of those astoundingly awesome gizmos that has a built-in solar panel and USB port so you can charge your phone and use it as a flashlight, floodlight or red emergency light … all from the power of the sun or using its hand-crank! You can find more unique gift ideas in our How To Charge Your Phone Without Electricity While Camping post! & WEARABLE GIFT IDEAS RV OWNERS LOVE Admittedly, kids don’t own RVs but their parents and grandparents do so they come along for the adventure! Can you think of anything cuter than camping clothing for kids?!?! There are so many adorable camper gifts for tiny kids to wear like this Happy Camper Newborn Onesie, and the I Love Camping Toddler T-Shirt and the This Is My Camping Shirt that comes in sizes for men, women and youth. &  Happy Camper Newborn OnesieI Love Camping Toddler T-ShirtThis Is My Camping Shirt   & Crazy socks are always a fun gift! These fashion socks by Foot Traffic include designs featuring RV trailers, tents, campfires, trees and marshmallows on sticks ready for roasting! They come in sizes for Men and Women. We have more fun gifts for camper owners who camp as couples in our Camping Gifts Couples Will Love post! & Men’s Outdoor Camping Themed SocksWomen’s Outdoor Camping Themed Socks & Hats and camping just go together! They give protection from the sun and hide “camp hair” very well making them totally awesome camper gifts for men, women and kids! The Happy Camper Baseball Cap and the Camping Hair Don’t Care Hat and the America Distressed Baseball Cap are all really popular styles. &  Happy Camper Baseball CapCamping Hair Don’t Care HatAmerica Distressed Baseball Cap   & If you are looking for RV gifts for owners who always seem to forget to pack something, in addition to giving them a fun gift, give them a FREE copy of our checklist for camping, Ultimate RV And Tent Camping Checklist … that might be the best gift they receive! 😉 & Need More Camping Gift Ideas? Check Out These Posts! The Christmas holiday season is one of the biggest gift-giving times of year! Our Christmas Gifts For Campers And RV Owners: 100+ Ideas For This Holiday Season post is updated daily during the shopping season so you can see which are the most popular gifts of the year! & Small gifts that fit in a Christmas stocking are perfect for giving all year round! Our 100+ Camping Stocking Stuffers For RV And Tent Campers post features some of the best little camping gifts that start under $10! Some of them even start below 5 bucks and they are NOT JUNK! & Thinking you might want to do a little DIY camping gift holiday giving? Check out our Campfire Hot Cocoa post! It’s warm, yummy and makes a thoughtful, inexpensive and unique Christmas gift for people who love to camp! & Need More Camping Gift Ideas? Check Out These Posts! Personalized Camping Gifts For RV And Tent Campers Camping Gifts Couples Will Love Flag Your Camp With Cool Camping Spinners And RV Flags How To Charge Your Phone Without Electricity While Camping Solar Products For Camping Best Camping Lights For Lighting Your Campsite Best Quiet Generators For Camping Unique Camping Gifts For Men Gifts For Active Women Cute Glamping Accessories And DIY Glam Camping Ideas And Tips Camp Dutch Oven Accessories Campfire Cooking Equipment You Can’t Live Without RV Tool Kit Checklist How To Keep Bugs Away While Camping Awesome Ideas For Father’s Day Camping Gifts Fun And Unique Mother’s Day Gift Idea Guide For Camping Moms Get Fun Camping Wrapping Paper And Creative Gift Wrap Ideas here! & No time to look for recipes, create a menu and write a grocery list? No Problem! Get our 3-Day Dutch Oven Camp Menu Plan here! Our Cool Camping Products Make Great Gifts! Cutting MatMat SetShaker SetHammock & If you need camping recipes and menu ideas, you can find them here at the Camping For Foodies Camping Recipes list. Don’t miss a thing…sign up for Camping For Foodies email updates! Your purchase of our products will help support World Vision ® Building a better world for children. Pin It For Later! Pin It For Later! Pin It For Later! The post Unique Camper Gifts For RV Owners appeared first on Camping For Foodies. #RvGear #RVingTipsForBeginners #RVGifts #RvCooking #RvProducts

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Cassie.net

Based on numerous requests from you (my loyal followers!) I’ve put together a recap of my 2 weeks in Maui. This is basically a (super thorough!) review of everything: from where I stayed and what I did, to places I ate, what I liked, didn’t like...and more.

Before we head to the island:

This trip was unique and special to me for a few reasons. I booked this trip just 5 days before I left because I hit a wall. So, you’ll notice that this quickly-planned excursion runs the full gamut of Hawaiian experiences—for example, I stayed in both a hostel and a high-end resort while I was there. It’s all about balance, right?

Quick backstory on WHY I booked this trip: I was completely burned out, I’d never been to Hawaii and always wanted to go, and I had a decade’s worth of credit card points to use before they expired (that would cover this trip in its entirety).

Quick backstory on HOW I booked this trip: When I was in Utah the prior weekend, I made a new friend named Beth. She and her family were going to be in Maui, and my friend Jeff chimed into our conversation saying that he’d be there the weekend after. It made sense to bookend my trip with the plan to meet up with each of them, and fill in the time in between. That’s why I stayed in Lahaina (to coincide with Beth’s trip) and Wailea (at the same resort as Jeff). Also, the original plan was to do this trip solo, but to my (joyful!) surprise, my friend Maddy decided to join me for 4 nights, which was a blast, and we packed a lot of adventures into those 4 nights, which I’ll share with you.

The BEST resource throughout my trip was Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook. My friend Roger gifted me with this gem and it made all the difference! Highly recommend it.

Lastly, this is not a sponsored post. No one has paid me to mention or review any product or locations. I simply wanted to give my honest review to help you plan your amazing (and healthy!) trip to Maui, whenever the mood strikes YOU!

Okay, onto the fun stuff!

Where I stayed (The Lodging):

Over my 14-night vacation, I bounced around 5 different hotels, hostels, and resorts. Phew! That was a lot (too much) unpacking, repacking, and repeat. But the good news is that you get the inside scoop about multiple lodging options instead of just one!

1) Hakuna Matata Hostel: I realize the hostel life isn’t for everyone, but if it’s your thing, then I highly recommend this place! They have everything you need from free parking to excellent wifi to breakfast. I also love that they have a beautiful backyard with hammocks and free rentals of bikes and I think even surfboards.

I stayed here my first couple of nights in hopes of making some friends at the beginning of my solo trip. It’s a nice community feel... and only a block from the ocean!

I remember crashing at hostels the month I backpacked across Europe back in 2011. Even though I really enjoyed my stay here, I realized that I might just be “over” the hostel experience. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the fact that I’m older and highly value my personal space (2 bathrooms for 24 people is ...well, an experience), but I doubt I’d stay here again. If you’re in your twenties or just love rocking out the close community feel, then this is your joint!

2) Puunoa Beach Estates: From the hostel I landed here. Talk about a night and day comparison!  The condo is incredible. I even felt a little guilty about how much space I had! I stayed here 4 nights and had the entire place all to myself— with a full kitchen, outdoor patios, separate wing with extra bedroom and bathroom (which didn’t even get used). I think this place is perfect for families. This was at the beginning of my trip, so I was still taking work calls on the patio near the beach (however, the wifi was a bit spotty.) If you’re looking for more of a secluded experience, then you might consider this place. It has a beautiful beachfront property and a lovely hot tub that I almost always had to myself. Just be warned that there is a lot of coral at this beach. While I was jumping waves and swimming in the ocean here, I got into a battle with some coral reef, and hurt my leg. A week later I almost went into urgent care since it was still throbbing and didn’t look to be healing very well, but that same day I was introduced to 2 wound nurses staying at the same hotel. Love how life works!

3) Royal Lahaina Resort: I am a sucker for the ocean, and while I enjoyed Baby Beach at the Puunoa Beach estates (until the coral got me), I’m glad I stayed there first, because once going to Kaanapali, it’d be tough to go back! It’s crazy how this beach—located in technically the same city as the other 2 places I stayed—felt completely different and so much nicer.

By this time, my friend Maddy had joined me. The one night we stayed here we took advantage of everything, including a great dinner (food was good, service was better), yummy drinks, beach time, hot tub time, and a jog around the golf course on the path. The ocean was cleaner, bluer… I witnessed dolphins come out of nowhere and start swimming with people on the beach! I watched whales jumping from the comfort of the hot tub which overlooked the ocean. The only downfall is that the bungalow room was super tiny—the smallest room of all of the places I stayed, and the hot tub was small too. That said, the grounds were incredible, and I wish I’d had more than a night here!

4) Kohea Kai Resort Maui: I don’t really have too much to say about this hotel, other than it was very average. Perhaps I was spoiled after staying at the Royal Lahaina Resort, but I think even with an unbiased set of eyes, I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t nearly as nice as I thought it’d be, and for the price (credit card points), it felt like a pretty big letdown. I did appreciate that they had a hot breakfast in the morning. I’d get scrambled eggs and also grab some hard boiled ones for snacks later, fruit, peanut butter and they even had gluten free bread. This resort is just across the street from the ocean, but the beach wasn’t nearly as nice as the previous and next resort. There also weren’t as many people around, but maybe for some people that would be a positive. The hot tub was small, but there was never anyone else around, so that was nice.

5) Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui: Hands down my favorite place to stay—by far. The service was exceptional, room was enormous (all rooms are suites), had a balcony (I think all rooms do), they have a nice hot tub and several pools. The grounds are gorgeous and the ocean views and sunsets are to-die for. I think a lot of people come to the island, check in and never leave the resort- which is totally cool if that’s your type of vacay. Part of me can see why that’s so appealing, because after checking in here, it was hard to leave. I had many activities planned over the time I was there, and would have loved to just chill and have a couple legit “beach days” there with the sole purpose of reading and relaxing. That’s my one regret: not being able to enjoy this resort more! But I’m so glad I ended my my Hawaiian vacation here. The perfect grand finale. I’d start my day with yoga near the beach, and end it watching the sunset from somewhere on the beautiful grounds —or one night I ended it with the (free) lavender body mud mask in their spa! While paradise is a word that could be used to describe the whole island, this resort fully embraced it in every way.

What I did (The Adventures):

Nearly every activity I did was based on a verbal recommendation, a suggestion from an Instagram follower (thanks for all those!), or something I read about in the Maui Revealed Guidebook.

Surfing: One of the main highlights of my trip! I’d never surfed, and honestly never really had a huge interest in it, but after the first minute or two, I pretty much considered myself hooked.

I love the ocean, I love being active and I love a challenge. This was an epic combo of all of these things. I especially love how present and mindful you need to be when surfing, and I learned a really important lesson that I shared in this short post.

I did a group lesson through Maui Surfer girls, which was a great experience. They ended up rescheduling my lesson twice (once because they didn’t have enough people signed up, and once due to windy conditions). But thankfully I was able to still make it work. There were 4 of us in my group lesson, and the instructor was great. They had a portrait package option with the lesson, which was totally worth it to get footage of my first time surfing.

After my lesson, I felt comfortable going out by myself, so I spent a couple more days surfing, and am seriously considering moving near the ocean to get to make this part of my lifestyle.

Whale Watching: My hairdresser in Minneapolis recommended I do this, and do it through the Pacific Whale Foundation. It’s a non-profit, so the proceeds go back to the whales. He said to make sure to do the raft—not the big boat. I’m so glad I followed his advice! This was INCREDIBLE. Like, WAY cooler than I’d ever imagined! Obviously your experience would be different if you didn’t see any whales, but I did! In 2 hours, we must have seen 40 whales, several which came almost too close to our raft for my comfort! The guides leading the excursion were super knowledgeable and passionate. I learned a lot. I highly recommend doing this.

The Grand Luau at Honua'ula: I was told that in Hawaii, the one thing I MUST do is attend a Luau! After chatting with both locals and visitors and doing my own research online, the consensus is that the top 2 luaus on the island are Old Lahaina Inn and The Grand Luau at Honua'ula. Both are booked quite far in advance due to high demand, but thankfully The Grand Luau at Honua'ula had tickets available, and happened to be within walking distance of the Fairmont. It was a great outing to do as a group—me, Maddy, my friend Jeff and our new friend Jason all went together. And while I’m glad we went, I don’t feel the need to do it again. It was entertaining and a neat experience, but $108 for so-so food and drinks, I’d probably pass and go for a nice dinner. Also, I’ve been asked on social media if it was family friendly: absolutely.

Nakalele Blowhole: This was recommended by a young couple I met, and I’m sooooo glad we took the time to do this. The Blowhole was spectacular, and the drive up to the north end of Maui to get there was crazy. I’ve never been standing in a windier place in my entire life. As I attempted to take photos and videos, my phone practically blew out of my hand! I’m glad I waited for Maddy to do this, because I wouldn’t have hiked down as far without someone else with me. It’s a bit of a sketchy hike to get very close to blowhole, but I recommend it if you can. Protip: be sure to not wear flip flops!

So, what is the blowhole? “A blowhole is a hole in the ground that connects to an underground, partially submerged ocean cave. The cave and opening are shaped in such a way that when the ocean rises or waves crash into it, a jet of water and air is violently forced out through the hole,” according to MauiGuidebook.com. The guys from Maui Revealed Guidebook said once they were there when it wasn’t blowing a thing, and four hours later they returned and found it viciously shooting 70 feet into the air every few seconds. There are signs all over saying that you are risking death if you get too close… and while we were the most adventurous out of anyone else that was there at the same time as us, we kept our distance. The wind was so crazy that it made it hard to communicate (and even hard to think)! After about a half hour of hiking down, hanging out, attempting to get some pics and videos, I was definitely ready to head out! So the other nice thing about this excursion is that this does not require a lot of time (just depends on how far you need to drive). We saw one couple get out of their car, take a peek, have her dress blown up to her neck, and leave...hehe.

Haleakala National Park Sunrise Tour + Cycle Downhill:

The sunrise was majestic... but it ended up being my least favorite excursion. Allow me to explain... 

The sunrise at Halekala, the 10,023 foot summit, is the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen… You’re watching the sun rise above the clouds from the rim of the crater, and you can feel the temperature warm up as the sun rises. Incredible. But you have to work for it. First of all, it’s VERY cold and windy up there. And even with my Minnesota blood, I didn’t bring enough warm clothes to make this comfortable—even with hats and gloves! We froze. Secondly, in order to get all the way up the mountain in time to see the sunset, you need to get up EARLY (or just don’t ever go to bed… like we did…). Commit to leaving extra early because we saw cars pull up just after the sun had risen. That would be such a bummer to have not been there in time!

The tour we booked drove us up there in a bus. On the way back, they dropped us off part way down the volcano, where there were bikes and motorcycle helmets (you read that right!) waiting for us on the side of the road. We then cycled 23 miles down the mountain. As cool as this sounds (you know I love to bike!!), I did not enjoy it. The road is one single lane and it wraps around the mountain, which is not the safest to begin with. Plus, you’re biking down as cars try to pass you. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a workout in any way, this isn’t it; you have to pump your brakes the entire way down! My experience was staring at the biker in front of me and trying to gracefully brake without hitting them or braking too hard and flying off my bike… for 23 miles. I was going very cautiously at first, until the tour guide told us we had to speed up—it’s too dangerous to go too slow. I did not like trying to go down this mountain in the first place, and with speed—no thanks! The bikes were already old and rickety, and to me, it was more dangerous and tedious than it was worth… and that’s coming from someone who loves to skydive, cliff jump, rock climb and do plenty of other risky things. Plus, it was cold.

Overall, this excursion was talked up more than it was worth, and also waaaay longer than we anticipated: by the time all was said and done, we were dropped off at our hotel 10 ½ hours after we were picked up. This whole sunrise/bike tour lasted that long! There was waaaaay too much downtime and waiting before, after and between the activities. Okay, this Negative Nancy is done.

Crossfit: Exercise is a priority for me—even on vacation. I enjoy moving my body. I never feel like I “have to” workout. It makes me feel good. Beach runs along the shoreline were amazing. Also, one of my favorite parts of traveling is trying new gyms and meeting new people. During my time in Hawaii, the Crossfit open was happening. It’s an annual worldwide competition that practically everyone in the crossfit community participates in. There are 5 workouts to be done over the course of 5 weeks. You have to do them in a certain time frame and be scored by a qualified judge to submit your score. So, I attended 2 different gyms based on the location of where I was staying, and had awesome experiences at both! It was such a great way to connect with other active people with similar interests—many of which were local. And from my experience, Crossfit gyms always cultivate a warm, welcoming community (more on that in this post). I enjoyed visiting Lahaina Crossfit and Makena Crossfit in Kihei.

Photoshoots: I regularly do photoshoots for our brand, and the look and feel we aim to achieve with our photography is freedom, confidence and beauty...and what better place to accomplish this than the island of Hawaii!? The very first thing I did after booking my plane ticket was start researching photographers on the island (and there are a LOT). I also had to decide what type of photoshoot I wanted. An amazing thing about photography on the island is the endless range of scenery available. Sunrise shoot on the beach? Sunset photos in the rainforest? Lava rocks? Sea turtles? Waterfalls? Black sand? Red sand? How to decide!?

I narrowed it down to doing a sunrise shoot, and a jungle shoot, and I couldn’t decide between 2 different photographers, so I decided to book one shoot with each. I’m so glad I did because the experiences ended up being so different—in both style and scenery!

Both of these shoots were absolute highlights of my trip. Both photographers took me to places off the beaten path that I would have never known about or experienced on my own, and helped me see Hawaii through their unique lens (pun intended!)—as transplants who moved to the island and are now residents.

Love + Water Sunrise Shoot: Rated one of the top wedding photographers on the island, I knew I couldn't go wrong. They lived up to the hype! Adam made a 6:15am land + sea photoshoot not just tolerable, but actually super fun! He made me laugh, came up with really creative pose ideas, and we just had a great time. He also took me to a secluded location with lava rocks that I wouldn't have known about, had me splashing and swimming in the water, and the photos turned out gorgeous.

Amy Jayne Photography Jungle shoot: Amy was amazing—not only did she offer to drive to the location for this jungle shoot, but she even went out of her way to show me some other spots in the area after we were done with the shoot. This shoot was much more strenuous than the other one: I climbed rocks and trekked through mud, swam through streams, splashed through waterfalls and really got the full jungle experience. We hiked back so far through the mud into the jungle that there wasn’t another soul to be seen. It was a really spiritual experience. Amy was so patient with me as I changed my outfits behind bamboo stalks, and took my time carefully climbing to the boulders she wanted me to pose on. It was a hardcore workout, which got pretty intense, even on the edge of dangerous at times—between the slippery rocks, rain and mud—which is right up my alley, but I will warn you: this type of photoshoot is not for the light hearted. I love adventure so I was all for it!

Colie Lennox: For hair and makeup, I can’t recommend this sweet human more! I would hire her again and again. She did both my hair and makeup for both shoots, she came to ME where I was staying (in 2 different cities both times), both at the crack of dawn (4:30 & 5am!), and was much more reasonable than anyone else I’d contacted. Plus, she was such a joy to work with. Not only is her work great, but so is her personality. I’ve stayed in touch with her since leaving, and would seriously come back to the island even just to work with her again! (I can actually say that about not just Colie, but both photographers, too: I’d come back to Hawaii just to work with all of them again!)

Where I ate (The Food):

I love food, but I love food more when it’s with good company. So, the first leg of my trip (when I was by myself the most), I didn’t eat out much (I bought groceries since I had a full kitchen in the condo). I did experience some restaurants, so I’ll share my feedback on these with you. Despite what I’d heard and the expectations I had, I found it to be rather easy to eat healthy. There are so many options!

Choice Health Bar: This was a recommendation from someone on Instagram, and it was a great one! I had lunch here once—a delicious “plate meal”— I can’t even remember what all it contained, but it was all delicious, along with a really yummy iced coffee. Everything looked fresh and healthy, there were SO many options, and I only wish I’d found out about it sooner.

Kimo’s Maui: I met up with Beth for a delicious fish dinner at Kimo’s. We loved the food, and the environment (outdoor seating is always my fave!). Afterwards, we stopped at Dirty Monkey with the intention of having a drink and doing a little dancing, but we ended up not staying very long. The vibe felt a little… dark(?) for our liking, and we just weren’t feeling it.

Cool Cat Cafe: This rooftop cafe is on Front Street In Lahaina, and the atmosphere was fun! It had a diner vibe and was a little noisy, but it was a fun place to go after surfing, and my hunger was satisfied with some fish tacos.

Coconuts Kitchen: This place was recommended by Colie, who said the food was amazing and the owner, Brian, is super nice. Maddy and I both had the fish tacos, which were tasty, but after having a taste of Jason’s macadamia-nut crusted mahi mahi, I swore I’d be back. (I didn’t make it here a second time on this trip, but perhaps later this year. :)) We also had the pleasure of meeting Brian, who was just as friendly as expected, and I love supporting places run by good people!

Mama’s Fish House: “If you only eat at one restaurant, eat here” was the advice I was given by many! I called to make a reservation and in my entire two weeks on the island, they had one available for two people on a Friday for lunch, so that made the itinerary! It was an awesome experience—from walking the beautiful grounds to a few surprise tastings and special touches. Overall, the food was decent, but nothing I’d rave about… although I would go back for the experience.

Paia Fish Market: This place was on our to-do list because of the raving reviews, and it lived up to the hype. Fish tacos seemed to be my thing on the island, and they were as yummy as I’d hoped. It was also quick and reasonable. There are a couple locations, and the one I went to and liked is in Ono/Kihei.

MonkeyPod: This place was highly recommended, and it was only okay. I wouldn’t go back unless it was for Happy Hour (we weren’t there for this, but that may have been the main reason it was recommended), but I will say the outdoor seating is lovely.

Four Seasons Spago: My nicest dinner on the island was here, at Chef Wolfgang Puck's Hawaiian restaurant, with the company of my friend, Jeff (thanks, Jeff!). We ordered the Chef’s Tasting menu, a 1989 bottle of wine, all accompanied by sunset views. We got to try everything from sushi to risotto to 4 different kinds of desserts. It was an amazing experience, and I’d definitely go back.

Food trucks: There were a few food trucks that I had a bite at, and while I can’t remember which ones, they were all great. I’m still surprised at how some of the best food seemed to be from the food trucks, and was excited to enjoy a couple great meals from ones that popped up when I was hungry.

Coffee:

You know I love my cup o’joe, and just like my love for checking out new gyms when I travel, I love checking out new coffee shops—especially on foot! So, coffee gets its own section.

To my surprise, cute yummy coffee shops are something this island is absolutely lacking. Thankfully, I did find a couple awesome spots, but not until the end of my trip.

Now, full disclosure is that I’m a little picky when it comes to coffee: they need to have either heavy cream (first choice), coconut milk (second choice), or oat milk or hemp milk (or I won’t order).

I tried several different coffee spots, and instead of reviewing them all, I’ll just tell you my top three picks! My favorite coffee drink ended up being at the cafe at the Fairmont (which was convenient and unexpected)! The other place I found and visited a couple of times was Hawaiian Moons Natural food, a pretty awesome health foods store. This was also a great spot to pick up some groceries: they have an awesome salad bar, all sorts of fun snacks, and kombucha on tap (love!) And when I was in Lahaina, my favorite spot was Cafe Cafe Maui, which was the best place to hang out—either outside or inside, and use wi-fi and chat with the baristas. I ordered breakfast here a few times, too—options are limited, but it was nice that they had eggs, smoothies and a few other items.

On my list for next time (things I didn't get to do):

There’s so much I didn’t get to do that my next trip could be a completely different experience! From snorkeling to ziplining to the Road to Hana.. I can’t wait to go back!

Here are 3 things for sure making the list for my next Maui trip:

Snorkel at Seafire Charters-Molokini: I was told that this is like swimming in an aquarium, and that I’ll love snorkeling after this! (I am a bit afraid of the whole breathing while underwater thing)

Road to Hana (maybe): I know people say you HAVE to do this when you’re in Maui… and maybe I did miss out, but I feel like I got a good taste of the drive from my trip to the Blowhole, and the jungle from my photoshoot with Amy. And, while I loved the adventures I had and exploring I did on this trip, I was content with just one day of that road and the jungle, and spending the rest of my time near the beaches, in the ocean and under the sun.

Sunset Dinner Cruise: I really wanted to do one of these, but we just didn’t have enough evenings! You can find some really good deals on these, especially if you’re willing to listen to a little pitch—like you would a timeshare (I think).

A few Personal Takeaways:

1) I’ll be back! I will most definitely be back… perhaps even later this year. I knew Hawaii would be amazing, but it was even better than I’d imagined. From the scenery to the vibes to the good energy and friendly people.. I loved it all.

2) Length of this trip: Everyone said I needed at least 10 days in Hawaii, and they were spot-on right. Two weeks felt waaaaay too long to me at first, especially since I’m not used to taking vacations. But, I realized I needed a solid 5-7 days to get into “vacation mode.” I know it’s a luxury to be able to take a 2-week vacation, but a week wouldn’t have sufficed.

3) Next time: more relaxing. I wish I’d hunkered down a bit more… maybe had 1 or 2 actual beach days. Between all of the excursions we booked and the photo shoots (which took a lot of prep, and half to full days on the actual days), it didn’t leave a whole lot of downtime. I don’t regret doing anything, but next time I’d make sure to tack on a couple days to just chill.

4) I vow to love myself more. Like, *really* love myself to the point of booking a 2 week vacation on an island by myself or even with a friend (or both) to take some time to breathe and reconnect with my inner child and play and laugh and journal and pray and be grateful and learn something new and meet new people and relax and be inspired and refreshed and play some more and pray some more and fall in LOVE with myself.

Sometimes we need to hit the RESET button. I say this when we do our 10-Day Reset program every 4 months. But, it’s not just your body, nutrition and hormones that we need to reset! I’ve come to believe that we need to do this with our pace of life, too —> for our mental, emotional, spiritual, and even physical health. It’s all connected! I was practically 100% burned out in every possible way before arriving in Maui. And to tell the truth… I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I wish I’d allowed myself to hit the reset button earlier, and more often in my daily life. And now, after 2 weeks of hitting that reset button HARD, I’m rejuvenated, refreshed and back into creative mode!!!

I hope you were able to take something from my experience—whether it’s taking note of places you want to visit, getting the epic guidebook, or even just the inspiration to put some self-care on your calendar, whether that’s a 2-week adventure to Maui, a weekend staycation, or a 30-minute massage.

Let’s remember to take time for ourselves, and prioritize rest (and play!), even (*especially!) in the midst of our hectic, fast-paced world. Mahalo!

Source: https://www.cassie.net/feed/

[santaprofit5-blog]

crispy roasted chickpeas

If you have been looking for a crunchy, savory, addictive and healthy snack, you’re in the right place. These Crispy Roasted Chickpeas will rock your world. With only five ingredients these crunchy garbanzo beans are ready in just 25 minutes and come in at just 128 calories per serving! They would be a perfect addition to your Superbowl celebration, too!

~ It’s Stephanie here with a new cookbook review!

I found this gem of a baked chickpeas recipe in The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. It’s written by two dietitians, Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave. Their love of food coupled with their nutritional knowledge shines through on their blog Teaspoon of Spice.

What Is The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has always spoken to me. I’m very much an (almost) anything in moderation kind of girl. I love food and luckily for me most of it seems to love me. The heart healthy Mediterranean Diet focuses on plenty of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, seafood, healthy fats like olive oil and wine. Yes, you heard me right. Wine in moderation is allowed. And as long as I’m stocking up on my veggies and fish I can also enjoy a little whole grain bread dipped in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil with that occasional glass ‘o wine. Sign me up!

For a more visual explanation check out the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid created 25 years ago by Oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition organization.

The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

This cookbook is full of super flavorful Mediterranean inspired recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less. If you have a special dietary restriction, there are several nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegetarian and vegan options. All of the recipes are accessible and simple. In the beginning of the book Serena and Deanna explain the multitude of health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet including reduced risk of arthritis, Alzheimers, diabetes, cancer and asthma. From breakfast, to pizza and pasta, to fish and seafood, to dessert the 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is a book for everyone.

I always say that I would step on a cupcake to get to a bowl of pita chips. When I have a craving it’s not for something sweet, but something salty, tangy and crunchy like garlic almond kale chips. Boy did I hit the jackpot with this baked chickpeas recipe. And considering they are gluten-free, nut-free, diary-free and vegan they are a perfect roasted chickpeas snack!

In addition to olive oil and salt this version has fresh thyme and orange zest. It is the perfect flavor combination to capitalize on the crunchy on the outside, but creamy on the inside quality of the chickpeas. The thyme and salt add a great savory note, while the orange zest adds a subtle zing of freshness. You may want to make a double batch!

How To Make This Roasted Chickpea Recipe

Dry those chickpeas. In order to get them crispy on the outside they need to be dry. You don’t want mushy steamed chickpeas do you?

Oil up those chickpeas. It doesn’t take much, just 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil for a 15 ounce can. But the combination of the oil and contact with the baking sheet will result in uber-crunchy chickpeas.

Heat is your friend. Baking them at a high heat (450 degrees) really creates that crispy exterior and keeps the creamy inside texture. The key is to watch them closely and shake the pan occasionally to make sure they don’t burn. If you have an oven that runs hot, you may want to consider lowering the heat to 400 or 425 degrees and possibly roasting them for a bit longer if needed.

Get creative with the flavors. Mixing up the flavor combinations like cumin and lime zest or curry powder and ground ginger will keep the awesome snack from getting boring. I can’t wait to try Serena’s favorite combo of unsweetened cocoa powder and smoked paprika. Whoa! So open up that spice cabinet and get a little crazy!

How To Store Oven Roasted Chickpeas

This roasted chickpeas snack is best eaten the day it is made. Inevitably no matter how you store them they will not be as crispy the next day. That is not to say they aren’t still super tasty and you can re-crisp them in the oven if you wanted to. Just remember that moisture is the enemy of these oven roasted chickpeas.

Roasted Chickpeas Don’ts:

Store them in plastic bags or containers.

Put them in the refrigerator, as long as they are crispy and mostly dry they can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days.

Roasted Chickpeas Dos:

Store them in a glass container with the lid slightly ajar.

Even better would be to store them in a parchment or paper bag or in a bowl covered with a paper towel.

These storage options allow air to circulate around them and keep them drier and crispier. 

I can’t wait to make a few of the other amazing-sounding recipes in this awesome cookbook like Roasted Broccoli Panzanella Salad, Tuscan Tuna and Zucchini Burgers and Yogurt and Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin.

So if you’re looking for me I’ll be sitting and flipping through this lovely cookbook with my glass of wine, a handful of crispy roasted chickpeas and dreaming of being in an exotic locale somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea.

More Healthy Snacks You’ll Love

roasted garlic hummus

black bean hummus

sweet and spicy nuts

brown butter maple rum party mix

super green edamame hummus

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Description

These Crispy Roasted Chickpeas will rock your world. With only five ingredients these little babies are ready in just 25 minutes and come in at just 128 calories per serving! Bonus that they are gluten free, nut free, diary free and vegan, too!

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Zest of 1/2 orange (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel, and rub gently until dry.

Spread the chickpeas on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the thyme and salt. Using a microplane or citrus zester, zest half of the orange over the chickpeas. Mix well using your hands.

Bake for 10 minutes, then give the baking sheet a quick shake. (Do not remove the baking sheet from the oven). Bake for 10 minutes more. Taste the chickpeas (carefully). If they are golden, but need to be crispier, bake for 3 minutes more.

Notes

Change up the flavor combination of this fun snack. Try 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin and lime zest or try 1/4 teaspoon each of curry powder and ginger. Serena’s favorite combo is 1/4 teaspoon each of unsweetened cocoa power and smoked paprika.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Calories: 128

Sodium: 299 mg

Fat: 4 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Carbohydrates: 18 g

Fiber: 5 g

Protein: 5 g

Cholesterol: 0 g

Keywords: chickpeas, snack, nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, 5 ingredients, 30 minutes or less

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Source: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/crispy-roasted-chickpeas/

[silkloss7-blog]

crispy roasted chickpeas

If you have been looking for a crunchy, savory, addictive and healthy snack, you’re in the right place. These Crispy Roasted Chickpeas will rock your world. With only five ingredients these crunchy garbanzo beans are ready in just 25 minutes and come in at just 128 calories per serving! They would be a perfect addition to your Superbowl celebration, too!

~ It’s Stephanie here with a new cookbook review!

I found this gem of a baked chickpeas recipe in The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. It’s written by two dietitians, Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave. Their love of food coupled with their nutritional knowledge shines through on their blog Teaspoon of Spice.

What Is The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has always spoken to me. I’m very much an (almost) anything in moderation kind of girl. I love food and luckily for me most of it seems to love me. The heart healthy Mediterranean Diet focuses on plenty of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, seafood, healthy fats like olive oil and wine. Yes, you heard me right. Wine in moderation is allowed. And as long as I’m stocking up on my veggies and fish I can also enjoy a little whole grain bread dipped in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil with that occasional glass ‘o wine. Sign me up!

For a more visual explanation check out the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid created 25 years ago by Oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition organization.

The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

This cookbook is full of super flavorful Mediterranean inspired recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less. If you have a special dietary restriction, there are several nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegetarian and vegan options. All of the recipes are accessible and simple. In the beginning of the book Serena and Deanna explain the multitude of health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet including reduced risk of arthritis, Alzheimers, diabetes, cancer and asthma. From breakfast, to pizza and pasta, to fish and seafood, to dessert the 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is a book for everyone.

I always say that I would step on a cupcake to get to a bowl of pita chips. When I have a craving it’s not for something sweet, but something salty, tangy and crunchy like garlic almond kale chips. Boy did I hit the jackpot with this baked chickpeas recipe. And considering they are gluten-free, nut-free, diary-free and vegan they are a perfect roasted chickpeas snack!

In addition to olive oil and salt this version has fresh thyme and orange zest. It is the perfect flavor combination to capitalize on the crunchy on the outside, but creamy on the inside quality of the chickpeas. The thyme and salt add a great savory note, while the orange zest adds a subtle zing of freshness. You may want to make a double batch!

How To Make This Roasted Chickpea Recipe

Dry those chickpeas. In order to get them crispy on the outside they need to be dry. You don’t want mushy steamed chickpeas do you?

Oil up those chickpeas. It doesn’t take much, just 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil for a 15 ounce can. But the combination of the oil and contact with the baking sheet will result in uber-crunchy chickpeas.

Heat is your friend. Baking them at a high heat (450 degrees) really creates that crispy exterior and keeps the creamy inside texture. The key is to watch them closely and shake the pan occasionally to make sure they don’t burn. If you have an oven that runs hot, you may want to consider lowering the heat to 400 or 425 degrees and possibly roasting them for a bit longer if needed.

Get creative with the flavors. Mixing up the flavor combinations like cumin and lime zest or curry powder and ground ginger will keep the awesome snack from getting boring. I can’t wait to try Serena’s favorite combo of unsweetened cocoa powder and smoked paprika. Whoa! So open up that spice cabinet and get a little crazy!

How To Store Oven Roasted Chickpeas

This roasted chickpeas snack is best eaten the day it is made. Inevitably no matter how you store them they will not be as crispy the next day. That is not to say they aren’t still super tasty and you can re-crisp them in the oven if you wanted to. Just remember that moisture is the enemy of these oven roasted chickpeas.

Roasted Chickpeas Don’ts:

Store them in plastic bags or containers.

Put them in the refrigerator, as long as they are crispy and mostly dry they can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days.

Roasted Chickpeas Dos:

Store them in a glass container with the lid slightly ajar.

Even better would be to store them in a parchment or paper bag or in a bowl covered with a paper towel.

These storage options allow air to circulate around them and keep them drier and crispier. 

I can’t wait to make a few of the other amazing-sounding recipes in this awesome cookbook like Roasted Broccoli Panzanella Salad, Tuscan Tuna and Zucchini Burgers and Yogurt and Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin.

So if you’re looking for me I’ll be sitting and flipping through this lovely cookbook with my glass of wine, a handful of crispy roasted chickpeas and dreaming of being in an exotic locale somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea.

More Healthy Snacks You’ll Love

roasted garlic hummus

black bean hummus

sweet and spicy nuts

brown butter maple rum party mix

super green edamame hummus

Print

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Description

These Crispy Roasted Chickpeas will rock your world. With only five ingredients these little babies are ready in just 25 minutes and come in at just 128 calories per serving! Bonus that they are gluten free, nut free, diary free and vegan, too!

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Zest of 1/2 orange (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel, and rub gently until dry.

Spread the chickpeas on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the thyme and salt. Using a microplane or citrus zester, zest half of the orange over the chickpeas. Mix well using your hands.

Bake for 10 minutes, then give the baking sheet a quick shake. (Do not remove the baking sheet from the oven). Bake for 10 minutes more. Taste the chickpeas (carefully). If they are golden, but need to be crispier, bake for 3 minutes more.

Notes

Change up the flavor combination of this fun snack. Try 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin and lime zest or try 1/4 teaspoon each of curry powder and ginger. Serena’s favorite combo is 1/4 teaspoon each of unsweetened cocoa power and smoked paprika.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Calories: 128

Sodium: 299 mg

Fat: 4 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Carbohydrates: 18 g

Fiber: 5 g

Protein: 5 g

Cholesterol: 0 g

Keywords: chickpeas, snack, nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, 5 ingredients, 30 minutes or less

struggling with weeknight meals?

My free ebook, The Best Weeknight Dinners, includes 15 of my family’s favorites — recipes and meals we go back to over and over again. It includes simple entrees you can make start to finish in 20 to 40 minutes. And all are made with simple to follow instructions and easy to find ingredients.

Thanks for signing up! Just check your inbox to confirm your subscription, and then look for a welcome letter from me, including a link to download your free ebook. Every week you’ll receive ideas and inspiration on how to incorporate more fabulous healthy seasonal recipes into your life!

Source: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/crispy-roasted-chickpeas/

[mister-69]

Why I fell in and out of love with the Tales Series

Ah, Tales. I am both glad and bitter that they are now successful and popular today. They're still pumping titles every now and then, and all of them are being localized, which is great for the fanbase outside of Japan. I still enjoy their older games like Rebirth, Destiny R, and Symphonia, but I hate touching anything released after Vesperia. They did so many things right and their games had elements no other JRPG had, but they were even better at going downhill and ruining their series.

This is a historical account of my experience with Tales. What I loved about it, where things started to go wrong, and where I finally let go of a series I once loved.

Like many of the western fans here, my first exposure to Tales was Tales of Symphonia on the GameCube. I walked into a GameStop with my brothers, and on their demos I saw the opening of Tales of Symphonia. My first exposure to Tales was also my first exposure to an anime RPG. As someone who enjoys both video games and anime, it was an easy choice to buy this game.  

I quickly popped it in and played with my brother and it was an experience I will never forget.

CHARACTERS/SKITS:

Tales has a unique cast of characters in the sense that they have way more dialogue and lines than your average RPG-- and therefore come off as having more personality and life. This is thanks to a staple trademark of Tales called Skits. Skits are optional dialogues throughout the entire game-- all you do is press a button and watch them interact.

Half of the time, they react to recent events in the storyline and the other half they're having light-hearted conversations about anything. The topics of these conversations wouldn't normally be brought up in a main storyline, so you find out about your characters than an average RPG.

In most RPGs, characters don't talk as much except during cutscenes and this can sometimes make the adventure seem lifeless. But the skits are like banter you have with your friends on the way to a restaurant. It gives the feeling that your characters are hanging out during their adventures. There's a life and personality to Tales characters normally not found in other RPGs.

Skits is a concept that was ahead of its time. Most Tales characters fall into some archetype which is not a bad thing, it's just unavoidable. But skits allow Tales characters to branch away from their categories by giving them more personality, development, and background.

As a gamer, it's easy to become emotionally attached to these characters and sympathize with their struggle. It's also why fans favor Tales characters over other RPGs. Whether Tales characters are better RPG characters in the genre is something I will debate against, but I can see why many others believe so.

BATTLE SYSTEM:

The absolute biggest draw of the Tales series is their battle system- characterized by their trademarked LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System). In all of their Tales games, 2D or 3D, Tales characters are controlled in real time combat.

Players can move, block, attack, or cast magic at will. This is a huge deviation in the JRPG formula, in which most of the combat is turn-based. Furthermore, Tales was way ahead of its real-time combat rivals because of how developed their LMBS are. Combos can be strung together, Skills added depth and options for each character, strategies can be set for AI-controlled characters, and guarding options all make the game more than just a button-masher.

In most of the Tales games, up to 4 party members can be deployed on the battlefield. And this meant multiplayer was possible-- which meant that for once, an RPG can be finally played with someone else! I played the early half of the series with my brother (and sometimes our cousin). It was run to riff on funny parts of the game but even more fun to play with someone else. Multiplayer made Tales even more of an enjoyable experience and I am sure many others can relate.

Unlike most video game series that upgraded the same battle system, Tales was pretty daring and significantly changed up the formula. Rebirth had 3 lines and cooldown timers for Arts, Destiny R had aerial combat, and Xillia introduced tag team combos. Even the sub-systems such as skills, learnable Arts, movement options, and combo system changed.

At the end of the day, each battle system shared the same concept of free-styled combat and that's what mattered most. The ability to string together your own combos and strategize your party members made the games endlessly fun to play.

WANTING MORE OF THE SAME:

After Symphonia, I craved for more of the same and imported the rest of the Tales games on the PS2: Destiny 2, Rebirth, Destiny Remake. I even imported the PS2 version of Symphonia because of its extras over the GC version. We imported Abyss because at the time, its localization was uncertain.

Even if I didn't understand the storyline, there were entire translated scripts of the game that we read while playing the game. But more than that, we played for the battle system and there were no regrets whatsoever.

For the first time, I joined a forum for Tales games and interacted with other people, joined in on speculations, had embarrassing (but high-level) debates, and constantly tried to keep up with the next Tales game.

Over time however, the Tales series changed in many ways and so do did my love for the series. Changes in management, business practices, and development gradually transformed the series into something else. I couldn't get into the characters anymore, or enjoy its battle system, and eventually I stopped playing the series altogether.

RECYCLING/REUSING CONTENT:

One of their earliest hallmarks of disappointment was how often they used the same material repeatedly. At first, they used to be a nostalgic reference to a classic Tales character but when you do it again for the next 3 games, it becomes obvious that it's just laziness at this point.

The earliest traces of this low budget tactic begins with Abyss. In Tales, Mystic Artes were ultimate attacks with amazing visuals. But in Abyss, many of their Mystic Artes were similar in visuals-- a circular glyph that deals a radius of damage.

Although it was not a huge deal at the time, it was the beginning of a trend. Namco re-used Abyss' aesthetics for the Radiant Mythology series, Tales of VS, and Tales of Innocence. DLC costumes that were first used in Vesperia are still being used 4 games later in Berseria. And instead of coming up with new Mystic Artes, Namco just slaps on old ones onto new characters even if they didn't suit the character.

What used to be nostalgic references to classic characters now became a cheap and lazy way to add content to their newer games. Ordinarily, there is no problem with a nostalgic cameo but when they are used repeatedly, game after game, then it's just obvious laziness at this point.

DECLINING SUBSTANCE:

After Vesperia, their games started to become hallow in both nature and substance, riddled with poor game design, or both. Recycled content was only one of the many factors. The bigger concern was cutting out traditional content in the games and selling them off as DLC.

Although Vesperia was the first Tales to have DLC costumes, they had the most in-game costumes of any Tales game to date. DLC costumes were not a controversial issue until Graces, which only had 2-3 sets of costumes for each character. The majority of available costumes were sold as DLC. This DLC trend went into full force with Xillia, which only had 4 costumes total. The traditional swimwear set were absent from the game and with that, the staple comic relief swimsuit scenes.

To make matters worse, these costumes were developed before released but were released on a schedule. So even if players wanted to pay for DLC content, they wouldn't have access to them right away. And finally in Zestiria, they took it to the next step and made DLC out of Artes, Mystic Artes, and Skits. Rather than providing meaningful and additional content that players were willing to buy, Namco instead decided to hide in-game content behind a paywall. Nothing about these tactics are fair or justifiable. It's just a greedy money grab at the expense of fans and quality of their games.

STORY/CHARACTERS:

I figured, okay fine the costumes are DLC now and there's a lot of recycled content. At least I can still enjoy the characters and story... Right? Wrong. Following Vesperia, the quality and writing of Tales took a nosedive of incoherent writing, falling deeper in cliché archetypes, becoming so full of itself as a series, and losing touch with their fanbase.

CHARACTER ARCHETYPES:

Graces marked the beginning of this trend, and thus the first steps to Tales' downfall. Let's start with the character archetypes, shall we? You have the goody-two shoes protagonist Asbel, ignorant of female affections,  always wanting to do the right thing regardless of consequences, and all about protecting his friends.

This sums up 90% of your JRPG protagonists and some of the Tales protagonists can also fall under this description. But Stahn is a lazy stowaway with no ambition, Lloyd has his silly Dwarven Vows and questionable mathematics, and Senel is a loveable jerk whose lack of awareness can be attributed to his marine background.

Asbel on the other hand, has nothing other than his background that sets him apart from his archetype. His only motivation in the game is to protect his friends and nothing else. It's supposed to be beautiful and amazing because he would even sacrifice himself for his friends, but he's not that different than robot programmed for a single purpose.

Sadly, most of the characters from this point on have more or less the same amount of depth and personality as Asbel. You have some gems like Leia who fought tooth and nail to defend a hopeless Jude from Alvin, but you realize her character is wasted on Jude because it revolves around him. Instead, her character can be better spent  finding someone else who deserves her.

Then you have Alvin the traitor, who is arguably the worst traitor of any JRPG series to date. At least Kratos was disguised as a mercenary. Sure he had his mysterious past, but nothing that would indicate he was a freaking Angel working with the organization that’s been chasing after you.  Then you have Raven whose shadiness can be attributed to his silly antics, perverted nature, and propensity to drink. But one would never guess he was also a Captain of his own brigade!

Then you have Alvin who saves Jude from his predicament and then forces his mercenary services onto him, a wanted criminal. On top of that, he uses a gun which is technologically not possible on the planet he is infiltrating. You'd think a spy would make an actual effort blending in. So obviously, characters like Milla catch on and when confronted, Alvin makes a poor effort to refute her accusations which basically boils down to "I know you know but you can't prove anything." It's a complete mockery of the betrayal plot twist that the series has come to be known for.

So we have the same archetypes we've always had-- the oblivious protagonist, the childhood friend, and a shady traitor. Except now all they're doing is fulling a quota on a checklist.  Yes, they each have their own stories and backgrounds but none of them are fleshed out with the same depth as the characters from previous games.

INCOHERENT WRITING:

Now, let's talk about the incoherent writing and my gosh there are so many examples of this. Let's continue with Graces and Asbel— whose friendship with the rest of the cast is as hallow as the games. The story downplays the impact of what 7 years can do to friendships.

The game doesn't address why Asbel never kept in touch with his friends over the course of 7 years. He never wrote to them or visited, and despite being the same city as Richard, the two never crossed paths for 7 years! In fact, the only reason Asbel comes back to his hometown is because his father passed away. If he didn't, who knows when Asbel would return.... if he ever thought about returning at all. In fact, Asbel brushes off the 7 years as "Oh it went by so fast." It’s as if Asbel was playing his own game too, experiencing the time skip the same way a player would.

Under those 7 years, he trained under instructor Malik so the two have a close relationship. But that's the thing, everyone's closeness with each other is supposed to be accepted by the player. It's not unbelievable that Asbel can reconnect with his childhood friends, but at this point they have all become different people.

So in many ways, it's like getting to know someone for the first time again. But the game doesn't do any of that. It just tosses the 6 characters together with the same old banter you're used to. But you don't understand what makes any of these characters close. What makes Asbel and Malik get along beside their relationship as master and student? What makes Asbel get along with Cheria and Hubert besides being childhood friends?

In Vesperia, you can see how the irritable Rita softens up to Estelle and the others. Yuri becomes an older brother to Karol. Everyone makes fun of Raven but they love him for his antics. And Judith is the sultry woman that playfully teases everyone. None of these characters except for Yuri and his dog Repede knew each other beforehand. There are no childhood friends here—these are 7 strangers who come together and become a family. When playing the game, you can see how these characters grow close.  

I don't get that from Graces, or any game that follows it. What I get instead are a cast of characters who are stuck together and make do with it. There is no emotional investment between anyone and the impression I get is that they can just walk away from each other's lives without a care in the world. Any closeness just comes off as forced, because the writers stopped putting in effort to make a convincing cast of people who are supposed to be friends.

Moving on, let's revisit Alvin the traitor. So after the party finds out he's a traitor, guess what? Nothing happens! The party is upset with him but he just worms his way back in and shrugs. The party does nothing about it, and so they carry on awkwardly.

And not awkward in a way that's amusing to the player, but awkward in that the player can't even begin to comprehend the situation unfolding in front of them. Alvin obviously still has his own agenda intact even after coming back, and the betrayals continue happening. So it's not a single betrayal, but a recurring event in the game, and it makes no sense why the party allows this to continue.

I stopped playing the series after Xillia, but the general consensus about the next game Zestiria is that it is even less comprehensible. Scenes are so poorly directed and just happen without explanation. Characters ignore a problem when an actual person would just be like "Wait, what is going on? I demand an explanation."

SKITS:

So we have a declining quality of storyline and characters... How can it get worse? Oh wait, what about the skits that added to the characters and background? Nope, they ruined that too, and it started with Graces.

Remember how half of the skits were about the storyline and the other half was silly banter? Well, now they have become too silly and gimmicky. You now have random splashes of images invading the skits which tries to convey the scene of the game. I thought I was listening to a skit, not reading a visual novel. If you want to make this scene cinematic, then make a cutscene instead.

The topics have changed from ordinary topics that trail off to funny banter, to nonsensical gibberish that laughs at its own jokes. It's as if they were catering to meme culture and hoping that it would spread to the internet and blow up or something. It's as if, after several Tales games and years of development, the writers are writing skits for the first time again.

On top of that, most of the skits stopped making sense in context or flow of conversation. In Graces, most of the skits are triggered by standing at a Discovery Point. Sometimes the conversations are about the actual location, in that the characters talk about something they are reminded of. But most of the time, they talk about something entirely unrelated to the Discovery Point and it makes you wonder what was the point of having skits based on location.

In Berseria, I listened to a skit between Laphicet and Magilou, except Velvet was there randomly too. Ordinarily in skits, only the portraits of the participants are shown. Even if they are not originally part of the conversation, their portrait would be off to the side, to show they are eavesdropping. And if they leave the conversation, then their portrait disappears.

In the conversation between Laphicet and Magilou, Velvet appears out of nowhere and speaks her mind. She doesn't speak for the remainder of the conversation, but her portrait remains. But the remainder of this conversation only happens between Laphicet and Magilou. You can't tell if Velvet is listening in or not. If she's not there, why doesn't her portrait disappear. And if she is there, then why isn't she saying anything?

All these annoyances about the series would be minor in their own capacity, and the games would still be bearable. But all of them are present at the same time and collectively become an unbearable experience. It just proves that the Tales series is declining as a JRPG series.

BATTLE SYSTEM:

Okay, so what about the battle  system? You imported a good amount of the games just to enjoy its battle system right? Yup, even that is ruined believe it or not. For some strange reason, Tales suffered a series of questionable design choices ever since Vesperia.

Traditionally, attacks have been divided between normal attacks and Artes. You attack with regular attacks and then use Artes to complete the combo. Graces changes this formula by getting rid of normal attacks and turning everything into an Arte. Normal attacks are now the new Artes button, and the Artes button is a different branch of Artes.

This sounds like a great idea at first, especially when it was originally advertised as Style Change LMBS. But in reality, only Asbel's fighting style changed between the two trees of Artes. For magic casters, their second Artes tree were just spells. For Melee attackers, they were just different Artes. In the end, it was just a different way of sorting the Arte tree that ultimately did not add anything. Graces had positive battle system changes but this was not one of them. 

Xillia returned to the traditional format of attacks but they unified the Overlimit and Symphonia's Unison Gauge into a weird tag team function. In Xillia, characters can be tethered together and provide mutual support. The player can activate the Overlimit gauge to unleash devastating tag team attacks.

However, Overlimit required two characters to be tethered in order to activate and have access to Mystic Artes. In other words, a character cannot fight alone and go into Overlimit or use Mystic Artes alone. In adding a team functionality between characters, Tales marginalized the role of an individual character. It was a sacrifice that didn't need to happen, and this is because of poor game design.

POOR GAME DESIGN:

Fast forward to Zestiria, which attempted to introduced seamless battles. Before, characters were transported to a field of battle upon encounter. Now, enemies are fought in the fields or dungeons encountered with no transition. Upon victory however, a transition still exists for characters' win poses. Obviously, these had to stay in Tales which only made seamless transitions pointless. In fact, seamless transitions became one of the most criticized elements of Zestiria.

First of all, Namco did not accommodate for the camera angles being obstructed by objects, walls, or other obstructions. Traditionally, battlefields took place in a flat area with no obstacles and within a large radius. The camera can zoom in or out depending on the player's settings and number of enemies son the field. The player's perspective in Zestiria however, was constantly being blocked by trees, walls, or even the enemies themselves.

Second, there were no environmental interactions which is what players were hoping for since they existed in Vesperia. For example, using hazardous flowers to stun an opponent or taking out bridge switches to prevent enemy reinforcements. One would think this primitive form of environmental interactions would be present in a game whose battlefields were shaped by terrain and geography. But this was not the case, which begs the question... why even have seamless transitions in the first place? It goes back to Namco not knowing how to use good ideas.

THE ALISHA CONTROVERSY:

When discussing the flaws of the Tales series, it is impossible to leave out the story behind Alisha and Zestiria, the biggest controversy of the series. It was so serious that Hideo Baba disappeared from public appearances and ultimately left Namco. This controversy illustrates a problem bigger than any that I have mentioned thus far— which is that Namco has become so full of itself that it produces what -it- wants rather than what the fans want.

When Zestiria was revealed, the first two characters shown were Sorey and Alisha. They revealed figures for both of these characters, and there was also an Alisha cosplayer on the scene to further promote the event. JRPGs typically have a male and female lead, so these must be our hero and heroine right? And the first characters shown are always the lead protagonists, right?

Well, according to the producer Hideo Baba, if you thought Alisha was the heroine then you made an incorrect assumption. That's right folks, Alisha was never the heroine of the story and in fact, only a temporary party member for a small portion of the entire game.

Despite being part of DLC costume sets, being the first female Sorey comes across, and the character responsible for initiating Sorey's journey, she is not the heroine or a permanent party member. When fans expressed their outrage and confusion, Baba only responded with "We never said she was the heroine."

Then why was she one of the two revealed characters when Zestiria was announced? Why announce her at all, release a figure for her, and include her in DLC costume sets? This character received promotion and attention and fans were excited to play a lancer, of which there are very few of in the series. For Baba to say "we never said she was the heroine" is a mockery to all of the fans he misled up to this point.

Namco will never come out and say it but what really happened was that there were last minute changes to the story that replaced the intended heroine Alisha with Rose. It turns out that Hideo Baba was smitten with Rose’s voice actress at the time, so much that he abused his authority as producer to shift focus onto Rose. This major change in heroines affected the rest of the storyline, and writers simply did not have enough time to rewrite the story to accommodate for this change. The end product resulted in an incoherent storyline that felt incomplete and full of holes.

In an attempt to appease fans, Namco released a (temporarily) free DLC chapter focusing on Alisha after the events of the game. However, this does not change the fact that Alisha was shafted because of Baba's personal interference so the DLC chapter did very little to please the fans. And Hideo Baba was never heard from again.

This incident provides us with insight to the management responsible for calling the shots in the making of Tales games. These are people whose desire to create a Tales game are out of alignment with what fans want. Business perspective and economic thought cannot be applied to explain their behavior. The only difference between their games and fan made projects is that they are making the same garbage but within the company.

Sure there are still fans that eat up everything that Namco serves them but nobody is asking for a Tales-themed cafe, a Tales of the Abyss musical, a letter from Richard to Asbel as a bundle exclusive, or an anime of a game that was just released. These are products that Namco is throwing out there because this is what they want to exist.

It's sad how Namco is mishandling the Tales series so badly. Aside from God Eater, they don't have Go Shiina composing any music. They have a trademarked battle system that no other company can replicate. And there are so elements and quirks to the Tales games that cannot be found anywhere else. These wasted resources can be better spent giving fans what they actually want like…

REMAKES:

Namco realizes the value of the past Tales games, that's why they ported Destiny 2 and Rebirth onto the PSP, Abyss to the 3DS, and Symphonia and its sequel to the PS3. What Namco should really be doing however, are remakes of older Tales games. Specifically, they should replicate the success they had with the popular Tales of Destiny Remake.

Destiny Remake's assets were made from the ground-up. It introduced an entirely new battle system with aerial combat and an alternative to the traditional TP system. Its story and skits were fully voiced and redone. Its graphics kept 2D sprites complete with beautiful animation and effects. It will go down in history as one of the most satisfying battle systems in a Tales game.

And yet this success has never been replicated ever since. Fans were hoping that these remakes would be the beginning of a new trend. New fans would get introduced to older games with modern designs. Older cans relive their older favorites in a new way. And fans outside of Japan could get a second chance at localization.

But instead of remaking the next entry in the series, Eternia, Namco decided to remake Innocence and Hearts on the PSVita. These titles are nowhere close to being the most popular titles in the series, but Namco wanted to remake them because the DS' hardware limitations prevented them from putting in everything they wanted. Therefore, they were remade on the VIta.

The quality of work put into these remakes comes nowhere close to Destiny R's. Although voicework and scenes were redone, the character models were mediocre and the battle system was largely the same with a few improvements. They did however, retcon in new characters— a trend that Namco seems to be fond of since it was done to Vesperia and Phantasia.

What's even more bizarre is that Namco introduced the concept of the Triverse Gate, which connects the worlds of Innocence, Hearts, and Tempest. However, this Triverse Gate is only present in the remakes, not in the original games. It's a very interesting concept to make a connection between 3 unrelated games, but it only serves as an end-game dungeon. Even in the remakes, the Triverse Gates have no bearing on the story whatsoever. So what was the point of connecting these games in the first place? The only thing the Triverse Gate has done for the series is make fans wonder why there hasn’t been a Tempest R.

Regardless, Hearts R and Innocence R performed terribly. Even their combined sales don't come close to Destiny R, which sold over a million units. In fact, both of the remakes sold less than their original releases. This failure is actually quite an accomplishment in of itself, and again proves that Namco is out of touch with their fanbase.

CONCLUSION:

After reading this, I hope you can understand why I once loved Tales and why I hate it right now. It's like a relationship that worked out perfectly fine- distance wasn't a problem, money wasn't a problem, approval from friends and family wasn't a problem. But Tales just couldn't be satisfied staying the same and wanted to be something different for no reason, and in ways I could not accept.

I don't think I am asking for much here. I just want Tales to be good like it used to be. It doesn't have to take after Vesperia, Symphonia, or the legendary PS2 trinity. I just want the battle system to be fun again, for the characters to be less gimmicky and try-hard, for the content to actually be there, and for the storylines to make sense.

I don't want Tales to do open world when they can't. Or for them to make a mockery of skits and post-battle victory screens. Or to buy a Rutee and Leon for the 5th time. Just give me a complete game that's fun to play and has likeable characters like the good ole days. Please.

[bentchcreates]

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

I discovered this gem of a book from a book aesthetic Tweet from @diversaesthetic. It was pretty (and tbh, when I searched it, the e-book cover was also very pretty!) I was also swayed into shelling out more than my e-book budget (it’s quite high priced for me) because the author was Filipino and there was necromancy involved. I thought it was a good combo but I didn’t know I’d love it this much.

It starts off when Tea, a seemingly ordinary girl discovers her powers on the day her brother was to be laid to rest. She then trains to become an asha, spellbinders of a society where ashas sway magical powers to their bidding, as well as political powers to a degree. Already different from her sisters in the fact that she draws magic from the Dark, everyone is shocked when she proves to be more than what everyone bargained for.

I made it sound like the usual YA fantasy story but I am telling you, this is anything but!

There were parts that were paced slow and I get why some readers struggled to get through it, but I liked it. I have not enjoyed a story with this much world-building since I read MagicMoon in 2009. Others have called-out the descriptions to be extra, but bah, I relished it and was awed at the intricate world Rin Chupeco made.

I loved the two POV’s presented in the book, one of the nameless Bard and another of Tea. It was only at the end that I realized the timelines were just two years apart, because Tea have grown so much and because most of the other characters I came to love are not present in the later time (I’m actually very worried about them.)

Other things I loved in no particular order (also, in bullet form to avoid spoilers):

Heartsglasses!

The depth of world building. Cultures are diverse and I love that this diversity becomes a prominent plot point towards the end.

Likh (bec it’s also Pride Month and the representation in this book is awesome!!!) and because it’s always nice to read stories that challenges gender roles in traditions.

Fox. He is awesome because he did so much stuff with his free time (unlike me, who marinated on IG and Twitter all summer, tbh.)

Geisha inspiration. The huas, the customs and the everyday lives of Ashas.

The anti-hero aspect. I am so ready to read about Tea unleashing her full potential! All that power and all that rage! Ugh! It will be delicious!

Zoya! I hate her/I love her.

Polaire, Althaecia and Lady Mykaela. I associated them with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather in a twisted kind of way. Maybe because the differences in their characteristics was clear and because they all look after Tea with love and care.

I wish it didn’t end yet. I want more scenes connecting the two timelines because I have so many questions. I also wish more scenes showed the Bard’s role in Tea’s plans, but maybe the cliffhanger is deliberate for book two? Heh. Needless to say, I can’t wait for it to come!

4 of 5 Stars. I loved everything about it! I wish I had access to the printed edition because it would be a magnificent addition to my Favorites Shelf.

BLURB

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer. Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human. Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

BUY LINKS

E-Book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Witch-Rin-Chupeco/dp/1492635820

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-bone-witch

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rin_Chupeco_The_Bone_Witch?id=9TCMDAAAQBAJ

Print:

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492635826

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Bone-Witch-Rin-Chupeco/9781492635826

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bone-witch-rin-chupeco/1123725845

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Despite an unsettling resemblance to Japanese revenants, Rin always maintains her sense of hummus. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. Dances like the neighbors are watching. She is represented by Rebecca Podos of the Helen Rees Agency.

Find her at the following places:  Twitter: @rinchupeco Pinterest: Rin Chupeco Blog: rinchupeco.com

[jeremystrele]

50 Small Side Tables That Radiate Modern Charm

A side table can massively elevate a room’s function and comfort, but we know all too well how easy it is for them to fall leeway to bad style or non-existence in smaller spaces. Yes, tiny homes and tight quarters call for careful curation, but you shouldn’t have to nix such an important piece of furniture and you certainly shouldn’t have to forgo the style one can bring! The good news is that you don’t need much space to add in that much-needed table. From modern storage helpers to mountable bedside tables, you will find that there is a side table for every home.

$70BUY IT Small Scandinavian Style Side Table: A Scandinavian gem with its sleek build and two-tone drawers. An excellent option for when you need a place to stash away your odds and ends.

$129BUY IT Mid Century Style Small Side Table With Basket: It may look like a simple Mid Century side table, but then your eyes are drawn down to the charming, teal basket. A great boost of extra storage for books or magazines. Also available in the color Speckle or Cream.

$67BUY IT 3 Tier Side Table With Basket: Two tiers of table space and an ultra-modern storage basket? Yes, please! A white version of this side table is available here.

$80BUY IT Modern Iron Wire Frame Side Table: Radiating with a vibrant, youthful energy, this blue side table is definitely not lacking personality. The perfect piece to add a pop of color to the bedroom or living room. Also available in Black, Bright Yellow, Lime, Medium Gray, and White.

$50BUY IT Small Hexagonal Side Table: This small geometric side table is oozing with a modern charisma that makes it an asset to any industrial or rustic space. The weathered oak top paired with the metal frame is quite the dynamic duo.

$159BUY IT Modern Industrial Style Floating Side Table: Elegant meets modern with this floating side table. A mix of metal, glass, and wood make for an alluring table with a unique design.

$191BUY IT Small Vintage Industrial Side Table: This table is an industrial showpiece that is overflowing with a vintage charm. The unique 3 wheel design is sure to turn a few heads!

$71BUY IT Geometric Metal Side Table: Complex to some, simple to others, one thing that everyone can agree on is the uniqueness of this geometric side table. Available in both gold and silver (shown), this table boasts to shine in any living room!

$143BUY IT Tree Stump Side Table: Abstraction isn’t just for walls, it’s great for furniture too! Each tree stump table is hand-carved from reclaimed cedar stumps, making each piece one-of-a-kind.

$562BUY IT Small Tree Trunk Side Table: A unique and rustic side table created from a tree trunk. Is it just us, or do these earthy masterpieces look a bit like a pair of super stylish teeth?

$106BUY IT Small Mid Century Modern Side Table: A Mid-Century Modern side table with a twist. Literally! A classic design is amped up a notch with re-imagined tripod style legs. This Walnut side table is not only super chic, it is ready to use right out of the box. No assembly required.

$29BUY IT Small Oak Side Table With Shelf: A multi-level side table with plenty of storage nooks. A great table for an avid reader that likes to keep their current reads close by! Available in Espresso and Oak (shown).

$81BUY IT Small Narrow Side Table With Flip Flop Storage: The unique flip flop storage table is the perfect solution for hiding your unsightly odds and ends. A transitional style that is available in Black/Cherry, Weathered Gray, and Black (shown).

$57BUY IT Nautical Style Side Table: This playful end table would harmonize effortlessly with any nautical home decor. Equipped with 4 rope pull drawers in an ombre color palette, with this end table you are sure to have something that is both practical and stylish.

$200BUY IT Yeh Tall Wall Table: The designer of this beauty, Kenyon Yeh, was inspired to create this table after witnessing two cheerleaders practicing strength exercises. An ultra-modern table that is available in either White or Black (shown).

$79BUY IT Small Tall Side Table: A rustic gem that packs quite the punch with its combo of black steel tubes and wood platforms. Undoubtedly a great addition for any home looking for a little industrial style.

$43BUY IT Small White Minimalist Side Table: Minimalists rejoice! This white end table is both simple and stylish with its double tier design. Being the perfect combo of sophisticated and affordable, it’s a slam dunk in our books!

$40BUY IT Small Rectangular White Table With Storage: Rounded edges and extra storage make this end table an optimal fit for a kid’s room. This design with a drawer and open cabinet is available in either Black or White (shown).

$60BUY IT Small Faux Marble Round Side Table With Brass Base: Get the look of sleek and elegant marble all without the extra weight on your floor or your wallet! This lux looking side table is an affordable option for the modern home.

$60BUY IT Square Faux Marble Side Table With Lip: Another faux marble option that boasts to bring a sleek style to any room. With its luminescent gold legs paired with the marble design top, we can definitely see why.

$130BUY IT Hexagonal Side Table With Geometric Golden Base: Bending every which way, this geometric side table has a brilliant design that is dripping with contemporary charm. An eclectic find with a bold and youthful aesthetic.

$160BUY IT Small Art Deco Style Gold Side Table: A table fit for royalty! Instantly amplify a room’s glam factor by adding in one or two of these luxurious side tables.

$69BUY IT Modern Stylish Glass Side Table With Metallic Base: Reflect your home’s style in the best light with one of these high shine beauties. A metallic base paired with either a mirrored or glass table top make for a glam design that is perfect to squeeze in to a tight nook or corner.

$77BUY IT Modern Copper Finish Small Side Table: Made with the same white frosted glass and copper legs as the sleek tripod table shown previously, this table adds a few legs to completely change the design. A youthful, yet classy addition to any home.

$87BUY IT Small Mirrored Side Table: Looking like it was created by an origami master, this artistic table instantaneously had us head over heels. Mirrored on every side, this table would look absolutely stunning in a sun filled room.

$92BUY IT Modern Triangular Side Table: Simple and sculptural, this modern triangle side table doubles as a stool and is good for either indoor or outdoor use. It can also be stacked with other Leisure Mod products to create various looks.

$33BUY IT Small Folding Side Table: The TV table gets a modern makeover with this bright and white table. For those short on space, this tray table easily folds away when not in use and is slim enough to be stashed away behind the couch or under the bed.

$53BUY IT Small Indoor-Outdoor Iron Side Table: A moroccan style table that epitomizes perforated perfection. This bright and captivating table is available in Green, Blue, and Teal.

$73BUY IT Small Outdoor Side Table With Cooler: A multi-functional table that is a must have for backyard BBQs and parties! Bonus: With a slide up lid, you won’t have to worry about removing table top items before opening the cooler.

$75BUY IT Tiny Wicker Outdoor Side Table With Cooler: A wicker style side table that doubles as a cooler. Finally, a cooler that won’t stick out like a sore thumb when among your stylish outdoor decor!

$47BUY IT Rustic Side Table: Affordable and rustic, there was no way that this modern table wasn’t making our list! The perfect table for a Farmhouse styled home on a budget.

$37BUY IT Small Side Table On Wheels: For multi-functioning spaces, a small table on wheels can be a God send. Easily move this modern table and all its vintage elegance to wherever you need it most.

$89BUY IT Modern Floating Bedside Tables: A floating table keeps the floor clutter free and infuses your home with modern style. Equipped with a handy storage compartment, this table is available in multiple styles.

From $375BUY IT Moderning Floating Side Tables With Lighting: Light up your life with this glowy side table. It’s not often that you find a table overflowing with such soft, ambient light.

$133BUY IT Small Round Wooden Side Table: It might look like a cylindrical version of Jenga, but I wouldn’t bother trying to pull on the blocks. This eclectic table is made of sturdy recycled teakwood, so even if you give those blocks a good tug, they aren’t going anywhere!

$220BUY IT Wave Shaped Wooden Side Table: Make a wave with this uniquely shaped side table. A striking design and warm walnut finish make this the perfect place to stage plants, books or other decor. This is one end table that people won’t be able to miss!

$199BUY IT Convertible Side Table: Low level or upright, this side table is always brimming with high style. A great table for those who like to use their laptop while sitting on the couch.

$64BUY IT Unique Round Glass Side Table With Branch Base: This artsy table is furniture meets art with its sculptural tree base. You can use this piece as either a side table or a plant stand.

$85BUY IT Glass Side Table With Branch Base And Bird: A little bird perches himself on this tree table to create a design that will surely turn a few heads. The glass top is removable, making it very easy to clean.

$67BUY IT Side Table With Cat House: Your kitty needs to use the litter, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck looking at it. Just open the door to slide the litter box in and out. Easy Peasy! Bonus, this cat house can also help to contain the dreaded litter smell.

From $439BUY IT Pet Centric Luxury Side Tables: These Mid-Cenutry Modern side tables are ones that both your fur baby and decor will absolutely love! Whether you’re looking for stylish cat furniture or a bed for your small dog, Modernist Cat has you covered.

$42BUY IT Small Glass Side Table: A simplistic and affordable piece that seamlessly blends in with any decor. This table with its sleek glass top is available in Copper or Nickel (shown).

$216BUY IT Modern Glass Side Table With Storage: The Kartell Sparkle Table reminds us of a giant, vintage whisky glass, which explains why it is brimming with a retro elegance. Suitable for either indoor or outdoor use, the top also pops off for extra storage.

$1260BUY IT Hive Side Table: The art of papercutting has been applied to the Hive side table, lending it a recognizable and intricate cutout design. Although this side table may look delicate, rest assured that it is constructed with sturdy powder-coated steel. Available in 15 colors!

$1295BUY IT Plinth Cube Side Table: An elegant and luxurious marble table that rethinks the classic podium in a contemporary way. The insides of these modern marvels are hollow, but they still weigh 40 kg! Also available in Black.

$250BUY IT The Vondom Adan Stool: Let’s face it, sometimes you just want something completely unique and outside the box. Cue the Vondom Adan Stool! Yes, technically marketed as stool, but it can also serve as a neat sculptural side table.

$775BUY IT Saarinen Side Table: Mix and match to create the table of your dreams with the Saarinen side table. Pair 1 of 11 marble or wood tops with a high shine White, Black, or Platinum base. That’s 33 possible pairings!

$225BUY IT T.710 Small Stackable Side Table: It’s no wonder that these stacking tables are so chic and stylish considering they are from the legendary designer, Jens Risom. The compact size of this table makes it ideal for tight spaces, especially since you can stack these tables up to 3 high.

$917BUY IT Platner Side Table: The luxurious Platner side table is customizable and dynamic. This table was created as part of the Platner collection in 1962 by visionary and designer, Warren Platner. Today you can create the perfect version for your home by combining 1 of 3 glass table tops with either an 18-karat plated gold or a bright nickel finish.

$90BUY IT Platner Style Wireframe Side Table: If you love the look of the Platner side table, but not the price tag, then this is the table for you! This Platner style table is an affordable alternative that is available in Black, Bright Yellow, Dark Blue, Lime, And Medium Gray (shown).

Recommended Reading: 50 Unique End Tables That Add The Perfect Living Room Finish

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