"All Summer Long" by Melody Carlson

All Summer Long (June 7, 2016) by Melody Carlson.*

While she isn’t sick of eating pasta, Tia D’Amico is sick of making it. Armed with a culinary arts school degree, she feels stuck working at her family’s Italian restaurant in a small town in northern Washington. When her Aunt Julie offers her employment as the chef for her upscale floating restaurant on an older, yet-to-be-restored luxury yacht, Tia jumps at the chance to return  to San Francisco. A wrench is thrown into the mix when Julie’s husband, Roland, has a heart attack. With Julie staying by Roland’s side, Julie is not able to help directly on the yacht. Fortunately, Julie’s yacht captain is Leonard “Leo” Parker. Tia is thrilled by the sight of him, as he was her first kiss ten years ago when they were at sailing camp. She is far less thrilled, though, to learn that he’s already set his eyes on someone else, a gorgeous lawyer and friend of his family named Natalie Morgan. Tia is miserable, though she tries to hide it by tamping down any more-than-friends feelings her heart tries to convince her of. Not everyone seems to think the Leo-Natalie match is the correct one – Aunt Julie and Leo’s own sister, Melinda, for instance – but still, how terrible is it to yearn for someone who’s already spoken for?

            While this story reads as a standalone, it is the second in Carlson’s Follow Your Heart series. As far as contemporary romantic fiction goes, it is charming. The characters are all likeable. Leo, as handsome as he is, is not perfect, though he seems close. And not only would Tia be five-star friend material based on her culinary skills alone, she’d also be the type of friend I’d want due to her down-to-earth attitude and no-nonsense thinking. On the one hand, Natalie would be too high-maintenance, but as a non-perfect person, star qualities (such as intelligence) and stunning appearance notwithstanding, she’d probably be a good friend. Befriending others hasn’t been easy for Natalie, and because of that, she is exactly the type of person I would’ve befriended. Be a friend to all, especially those that appear not to have many friends. (That is something my parents instilled in me from a young age, and it stuck.) The setting is detailed, the characters well-rounded, and the plot flows. This Christian fiction story is sweet, but my overall interest in the story was lacking somewhat.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sims FreePlay: Fortune Box #2

Sims FreePlay Participants: Do you complete your Weekly Tasks each week? When I play the game, I do. I’ve only played enough to earn enough Keys for two Fortune Boxes, but I’ll list what I’ve received. What have you received in your Mystery Boxes?

For those unfamiliar, Boxes are redeemed with Mystery Box Keys earned by fulfilling 100% of your Weekly Task goals. Completion of one week’s tasks = one Mystery Box Key. 10 keys = one Fortune Box. It is that box which I will focus on for this post.

FORTUNE BOX (#2)

Contents: 2 Rare Items, 12 Premium Prizes, 10 Standard Prizes

Rare Items:

Wedding Dining Chair

Designer Sofa

Premium Prizes:

3 Magma Embers

5 LP (Lifestyle Points)

5 LP

3 Bronze Bars

8 LP

5 LP

5 LP

8 SP (Social Points)

5 LP

4 SP

5 LP

8 LP

Standard Prizes:

2,500 XP (Experience Points)

§1,500

§2,500

1 Bronze Bar

§2,000

1,500 XP

§5,000

§2,000

2,000 XP

1 Bronze Bar

Sims FreePlay: Saved by the Spell Quest

I do not regularly play this game, and my current interest in it has already dwindled. I don’t know when I’ll take it up again. But know that whenever I am playing it, I’ll be taking notes on the quests. This one is for the Saved by the Spell Quest. It will bring magic back to your SimTown.

SIMS FREEPLAY: SAVED BY THE SPELL QUEST

Goal: Make available the option to purchase a Potion Brewing Cauldron

Limited Time Prize Available (7 days): Allows you the ability to create your own version of a renovated Wizard’s Cottage with an easy-to-use template*

1. Talk to the Wizard (1 min.)

2. Examine the Crystal Ball

3. Ask the Wizard (1 min.)

4. Read ‘Real World Magic’ (1 hr. using a 3-star bookshelf)

5. Invite Sim to a Dinner Party (3 hrs., 15 min.)

6. Send Two Sims to the Park

7. Explain About Imagination (5 hrs., 15 min.)

8. Have Two Sims Sit at the Dinner Table (5 min.)

9. Check in with the Wizard (1 hr., 15 min.)

10. Dream of Magic (19 hrs. using a 3-star bed)

11. Tell a Sim About Dream (5 min.)

12. Dance Wildly in the Rain (12 hrs., 15 min.)

13. Have Two Sims Kiss in the Rain (1 min.)

14. Talk to the Wizard (15 min.)

15. Talk to the Werewolf (5 hrs., 15 min.)

16. Think About Werewolf (19 hrs. using a 3-star chair/couch/sofa)

17. Record a Video Apology (5 min.)

18. Upload Video Apology (4 hrs.)

19. Show the Date’s Response (12 hrs., 15 min.)

20. High-Five the Werewolf (3 sec.)

21. Check in with the Wizard (3 hrs., 15 min.)

22. Think About the Origin of Magic (19 hrs. using a 3-star chair/couch/sofa)

23. Tell the Wizard About Real Magic (12 hrs., 15 min.)

24. Use the Crystal Ball Again

25. High-Five the Wizard (1 sec.)

26. Leave the Wizard’s Cottage

* I do not know how much the template costs. I am guessing the cost varies depending on your town’s value. I cannot look on my end, as my homes are maxed out as of this posting date, so I must wait until I reach the next level in order to unlock another one.

Sims FreePlay: Pretty Little Planters Quest

It has been over two years since my first and previously only post related to Sims FreePlay. I go in spurts with this game. I may play it every day for a couple weeks or a month and then not play it for a year. This post refers to the Pretty Little Planters Quest. I have listed out the steps of the quest. They seem to be wising up in creating steps that can’t usually be begun ahead of time. But hopefully this helps you to know if you need one active Sim or two or more.

SIMS FREEPLAY: PRETTY LITTLE PLANTERS QUEST

Goal: Makes available the ability to open the doors of Wumples Play Center

Limited Time Prize Available (7 days): Makes available a toddler See-Saw to buy with §/SP

1. Send a Sim to the 2^nd Floor of the Mall [Use Escalator]

2. Read the Poster (1 min.)

3. Investigate a Store (2 sec.)

4. Ask [the Sim-Eating Plant] to Move (5 min.)

5. Grill Patties at the Park (20 min.)

6. Feed Burgers to the Plant (6 hrs., 30 min.)

7. Clean the Plant’s Mess* (5 hrs., 30 min.)

            (1 hr., 30 min.)

            (30 min.)

8. Call Sim Fashion (24 min.)

9. Return to Plant [Use Escalator]

10. Yell at Plant (5 min.)

11. Step Close to Plant (12 hrs., 30 min.)

12. Search for Teleport Remote (19 hrs.)

13. Build a Teleport Remote (20 sec.)

14. Teleport Plant (8 sec.)

15. Go to the Park

16. Teleport Plant to the Best Spot [a.k.a. Attempt Teleportation]** (12 hrs., 15 min.)

17. Build the First Store (§10,000 + 1 hr.)

18. Try Something On [Browse Clothes from any Wardrobe]

19. Take Selfies (5 hrs., 30 min.)

20. Email Fashion Photos (19 hrs.)

21. Send Two Sims to the Park

22. Start Photo Shoot [2 parts to this, which is why two Sims are at the park]

            I. Wait for Photographer (12 hrs., 30 min.)

            II. Start Photo Shoot (12 hrs., 30 min.)

23. Capture Photo

24. Hug Plant (1 day)

25. Say Goodbye to the Sim-Eating Plant (10 min.)

* You will likely want to utilize 3 Sims for this portion of the quest.

** There are two spots in the park to attempt this. One is by the pond, while the other is by a flowerbed. I chose the spot by the pond as my first attempt, and it worked.

Happy Simming!