Winding Down After a Busy Day 

Winding Down After a Busy Day 

This weekend (the first May bank holiday weekend) has been suitably manic on the busy-scale, as per usual. I took Kieran to Code Club and we did the library while Roy and Taylor did suitably blokey stuff (Roy showed him how to play the ukulele). Kieran had a party with a friend and onto the local fair, we’ve been walking, hit the park, there was ice cream for the fellas, we had people around on Sunday for the afternoon… it was busy but great fun.

Sometimes when you’ve had a busy day or a busy weekend you find yourself craving a bit of “me” time. I work from home full-time and so you’d think that when work is done, the kids are tucked up and what not that I’d be desperate to get out and about. Honestly, the complete opposite is true.

You see, I’m a home bod. I love my house and don’t feel the need to leave it of an evening unless we have to or have something particularly special planned. Indeed once the kids are in bed you are most likely to find me tucked up in my PJs and slipper boots. Not the look of a gal going out on the town!

Here are my top five ways to unwind after a busy day – please feel free to add more via the comments, I’m always looking for activities that are fun and don’t require summoning up extra energy!

Reading

An oldie but a goodie. I love to read and devour books. I’m also someone who will read from pretty much any genre. For those looking for inspiration in the last week alone I have read Hidden Treasures by Fern Britton (I’ve read a few of hers and they have all been excellent), Hide Her Name by Nadine Dorries and Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Badani (I struggled to put this one down!).

A must read!

 Planning

Bear with me on this one! I love to be organised, I am a self-confessed and publically recognise stationery tart. I love being a bit creative. I’ve managed to merge these loves into a hobby of sorts which is not entirely unlike scrapbooking. I have an Erin Condren planner which I had shipped from America. if you could love a diary/planner then I’d happily state I love this one. I offers everything I need for work, family AND home and even better, I get to spend time making it pretty.

planner

A Bit of Bingo

I was ever so sad when the Regent Bingo Club here in Thirsk closed down. The building was made into apartments and a swish cocktail bar (which has be closed for a couple of years now – what a waste!). I now get my bingo fix online, and why not? I set a budget, curl up on the sofa in my PJs and thoroughly enjoy a little flutter. Next on my hit list to explore is the Bingo EXTRA website, I might even win big and treat myself to some new PJs and slipper boots!

Cookery

I am not a baker. I’ll bake with the boys and fill the scone tin up from time to time however my true passion lies in cooking savoury dishes. I adore having the opportunity (and peace!) to turn on the radio, close the door to the kitchen and just create. I’ll often do this of an evening and freeze my efforts for easy meals during the week.

spiralized

Netflix / Sky

We (Roy and I) record certain TV shows and watch them together, such as Game of Thrones. I also have my regulars such as Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Good Wife, Madame Secretary and we both enjoy trawling Netflix for now (and old) films and seasons to enjoy. We’re both waiting for the new Orange is the New Black to start!

How do you wind down at the end of the day?

One for My Gamer Friends: A Mix between a MMORPG and a Facebook-Type Game?

Once upon a time I suppose I could have called myself a gamer. I’m a keen Diablo fan (although none of the more recent versions are as good in my opinion as the original), I played the first Star Wars online (stimpacks ahoy) for ears until Jump to Light Speed came out and it all went to pot and no-one is as good at Boulder Dash on the C64 than me, no-one.

Roy is the true gamer in the house. He has a properly optimised pc for his online games (which no-one must download anything onto under the pain of death / a severe frowning at) and his Xbox 360 is much used, when it hasn’t been borrowed so the 8 years old can play Minecraft.

No, I’m not the gamer I once was; I just don’t have the time. Between working full-time from home around the kids and enjoying non-digital family fun there doesn’t seem to be time to enjoy gaming as part of my leisure time as I once did and besides, it would take so long to level up, only playing for a half an hour here and there that it wouldn’t seem worth it.

So far I’ve avoided the app-type games such as Angry Birds and the like as they really don’t do much for me and clog up the mobile however I have been introduced to something a little different which has caught my gamer’s eye.  To me www.casinosagafans.com looks like the perfect in-between gaming situation which means not trying to get my fix from watching the kid’s games and not flogging a dead horse trying to play more intense games which take up too much time.

I have to say the idea of being able to play with dragons, kings, dwarves and a number of other fantasy characters appeals to me and of course I have posted before about being a fan of online bingo and other casino-type games where I enjoy the odd flutter here and there. With Casino Saga it seems I am able to enjoy gaming which captures my imagination and yet doesn’t take up my entire evening while playing a wide variety of different games, all of which help me unlock the mystery of the Golden Crown (cue fantasy-themed dramatic music).

More MMORPG than Candy Crush (I never could bring myself to try CC!) this type of gaming has started to become popular with gamers like myself who are not adverse to pay to play games (just as well when you consider the amount we’ve spent on game subscriptions and all sorts in the past!)and as with any other casino game you can of course make some winnings as well as progressing through the game.

If you are a gamer, does this type of platform appeal to you? Already popular I think it could become a whole new way of gaming for adults who don’t have the time to dedicate to full online games such as World of Warcraft etc, time will tell.

I am certainly interested and might just take the plunge one of these evenings!

casinosaga