Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley

this is not to be confused with STORY OF SEASONS. Nor is it Harvest Moon Connect to A New Land.

This is a completely different game now being done by Natsume. As more information comes out (if I have permission to share it. I will. 


Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley for 3DS is the latest game in Natsume’s long-running fan-favorite series. Hiking your way through the mountains one day, you become caught in an unexpected snowstorm, and find shelter with the help of a faint voice. When you awaken, you find and help a kindly Harvest Sprite buried under the snow, who tells you all of the seasons in the valley have vanished except for winter. To return all 4 seasons to the valley, you’ll need the help of the villagers, the Harvest Sprites, the Harvest Goddess, and even the King of the Underworld! You’ve never played a Harvest Moon game quite like this!

When you start the game you are lost in a valley of complete winter. As you play the game you learn how to restore the rest of the seasons to the valley!
New characters. New designs! This according to Natsume will be an amazing game. When I find out more I will post it as quickly as possible.

change of pace

I Will have something new today, as it is something that affects many families. The items below all help support different causes.
Breast cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Heart Disease
Autism
and Alzheimer.

any item bought will tell you which of these it supports.

Breast Cancer itself is an important thing to me as I lost my birth-mother to Breast Cancer in 2003. I hope for a cure everyday so that no one else ever will have to go through watching a loved one suffer.
each item donates part of the proceeds to find cures or raising awareness.

For anyone who has a family member that suffers with any of these, I offer you my prayers. If you have friends or know anyone suffering please remember them and try to find a way to help support the groups finding cures or raising awareness.

STORY OF SEASONS (AKA THE NEW HARVEST MOON GAME)

Because of circumstances changing the game will now be under the title Story of Seasons.

THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HARVEST MOON: THE LOST VALLEY. THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT GAMES.

Any person looking for the game Harvest Moon: Connect to A New World/Land this is THAT GAME. 
Xseed will now be making the BOKUJO MONOGATARI games under the name STORY OF SEASONS.

• Best-selling farming/life simulation game of all time returns - Longtime series producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto returns to lead a veteran 'Bokujo Monogatari' development team as the series is reborn in the West with its new name, STORY OF SEASONS
• Extensive character and farm customization - After creating unique farmers, players tend to crops, animals and anything else required to earn a living in order to gather the resources to start customizing and expanding their farms
• Connectivity expands possibilities - Triumph over rival farmers in-game to expand ownership of farmable land, ship goods to neighboring countries to increase available products, or connect to players via Wi-Fi to visit each other's farms
• A heart-throbbing romance heats up the peaceful farm life - A variety of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes live in the town for players to woo, with the hope of growing close and possibly even getting married and raising a family together

I will try and post a guide when the game comes out.

remember this game is on pre-order!

Cooking Games

Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop - Nintendo DS

 

Earn bronze, silver, and gold medals from Mama based on the quality of your cooking.
Use the stylus as your ultimate cooking utensil to chop, grate, slice, stir, spread, sprinkle, roll, and much more in over 200 different mini-games.
Create 80 new recipes including: chili con carne, mushroom quiche, Eggs Benedict, tulip chicken, pumpkin gnocchi, and many more.
Six gameplay modes including old favorites and new additions to the series.
Recipes progress from simple to complex, from small to large dishes, so do your best to meet Mama's expectations and impress your friends.

Cooking Mama - Nintendo DS

 

Create 76 real dishes or combine recipes to create more advanced meals
Use the stylus as your master kitchen tool to chop, slice, pan fry, knead, grate, mash and more!
1-4 Player
Cool down hot food by blowing into the Nintendo DS microphone

Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic - Nintendo 3DS

 

• Use the stylus as your ultimate cooking utensil to chop, slice, stir, knead, roll, toss and more in more than 200 unique mini games.
• Use the 3DS gyroscope to cook in brand new ways: crack eggs, balance plates of food, flip meals in a pan, grate cheese and more.
• Watch kitchen mishaps unfold in comedic 3D events and work to save your mistakes with additional activities on top of each recipe step.
• Create 60 mouth watering recipes including: Designer Cupcakes, Gourmet Popsicles, Takoyaki, New England Clam Chowder, Corn Dogs and Cherry Pie.
• Combine recipes to make your very own delicious dish.

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends - Nintendo DS

 

• Improved graphics and real-time effects make you feel like you're actually cooking
• Recipes progress from simple to complex, from small to large and so do the expectations
• If you friends think your dish is delicious you'll unlock another new friend
• Earn bronze, silver and gold medals from Mama based on the quality of your cooking
• Keep a diary of your best creations and add earned seals to dress it up and share with your in-game friends

Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appetit! - Nintendo 3DS

  This item will be released on October 31, 2014. Pre-order now.

 Happy Chef [Game Download]

 

• 5 Locations: different restaurants with new meals to cook and new ingredients to use
• Story that follows the player?s progress through the game in full color comics
• Lots of upgrades that enhance your menu and modernize your restaurant
• 4 characters to choose from
• More than 70 levels to complete, more than 100 meals to cook

Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills [Download]

 

Prepare for a stroll down memory lane with Cooking Dash 3: Thrills & Spills. Meet Flo and the rest of the DinerToons as youthful DinerTeens, working their first summer job at Mr. Big's theme park restaurants. Mr. Big's having trouble turning a profit; so help him turn his disaster into a smashing success! Can you keep Flo and her friends preppin', grillin' and sizzlin'? Find out in this thrilling time-management game where you'll serve sit-down customers, bag up food for Dash-Thru window diners, and revamp every restaurant in the park.

50 fast-paced levels of play Fun themed venues like the Log Jam, Spooky Shack, and Deep Dive! New Dash-Thru window service to keep you on your toes Nostalgic DinerTeen flashbacks + 9 customer personality types Win prepped food to use in the levels by winning 4 different mini-games

 

Cooking Dash [Download]

 

• Flo Can Cook Too.
• Play Story Mode Or Endless Shift.
• Master 5 Different Restaurants.
• Upgrades, Upgrades, Upgrades.

 Who knew? Flo can cook, too! When Cookie the Chef leaves Flo's Diner to pursue a career on a popular reality cooking TV show, there is a shortage of chefs in DinerTown. Every week, Cookie invites a different chef to appear as a guest star and Flo must fill in while that Chef is away! Finally, Cookie asks Flo to guest star on the Hollywood set of Flo's Diner, and the two of them put on one unforgettable show! It's a fast-paced frenzy with plenty of DinerTown drama in Cooking Dash!

 

Happy Cooking - Nintendo DS

 

• Over 50 real dishes to prepare, cook, and serve - the recipes include international flavors (Japanese, Asian, Nepal, European, American ) and even sweets
• Several guided cooking steps to learn, including specific uses of the DS features - kneading, chopping, frying, and many other actions can be realized with the stylus
• A light-hearted story-mode - the story features a little girl and is designed for kids
• Fun mini-games to break monotony
• A unique kitchen customization feature - you can freely decorate the kitchen

Cake Mania 3 NDS

 

• Unlock three different mini games, including Servo-Rama, Cakey-Makey and Copy Cakes.
• Master 84 new levels of cake-baking craziness in order to save Jill's family and her wedding day.
• Travel to 6 different bakery environments including the Jurassic Period, Medieval England and the Future.
• Customize Jill's bakeries with 50 unique kitchen upgrades: Ovens, Shoes, Frosters, Display Stands, Microwaves, TVs, Toppers and Frosterators.
• For the first time in the series, players can change Jill's outfits throughout the game.

listed below on the amazon list are the games listed above with similar games

great otome Games games for teenagers!

okay some of these games are otome, if you aren't an otome fan, i have other game pages. if you are an otome fan check these out if you don't have them!


Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi - Nintendo 3DS

Six New Stories ? Learn what happens in between major events, and gain a bit of insight into the minds of the characters!
These side tales give new meaning to other events in the story
See The Men of Hakuoki in 3D ? Utilizing Nintendo 3DS??s 3D functionality, play Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi in 3D
Photo/Movie Gallery ? As you progress through the game, unlock a myriad of photos and movies from important moments in the story
Photo Booth Fun ? Get your friends and pose with your favorite characters in a variety of themes and backgrounds inspired by purikura ? Japanese photo sticker booths. Create some unforgettable pictures.


Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom - Sony PSP

One of North America's First Otome Games : Experience a historical fantasy adventure while pursuing a relationship with one of several male love interests in a game specifically created for a female audience
Experience a New Kind of Adventure: Enjoy a visual novel filled with beautiful illustrations and changing character portraits. Examine character biographies, check your story progress, and replay scenes you've already watched
Chose Your Own Fate with Multiple Endings: The story is told through the eyes of Chizuru Yukimura, but the player will be presented with a number of decisions she must make
Introduction to the Hakuoki Franchise: Hakuoki is a series that enjoys major popularity in Japan among the gaming populace, selling over 500,000 copies across all platforms!


Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi - PlayStation 3 Standard Edition

This choose-your-own-adventure-style game offers players a chance to choose one of six possible love interests. Playing through the main game unlocks the "Stories of the Shinsengumi": Several additional events that add roughly 20 hours of content
Playing through "Stories of the Shinsengumi" can also unlock more content, including a series of short stories written specifically for this game about the Hakuoki cast in a modern-day Japanese high school
Download Hakuoki 's massive art gallery archives and view your favorite characters in a variety of outfits available as DLC. If you're desperate for more adventures, there will be DLC side stories to scratch that itch as well.

Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi - Sony PSP

Two Major Storylines: Play through Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom with each of six playable characters in Shinsengumi Memorial, or change history in Shinsengumi Chronicle.
Skirmish Mode: Replay past battles to add some more kills or level up your character to be more deadly. Unlock two addition characters in this mode and duke it out on your favorite stages.
Fury Mode: When a character?s life is spent, he will enter Fury Mode, unleashing an ferocious killing machine, able to tear down anyone that gets in his way. However, becoming a fury too many times can unlock a particularly bad ending.
Character Guide with Artwork: Each retail copy of Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi comes with an exclusive character guide featuring all eight playable characters from the game. Learn about each of these legendary warriors, and see them in their traditional Shinsengumi outfits and Western attire in this 16-page, full color digest.
In Shinsengumi Memorial, step into the shoes of your favorite samurai and play through battles from Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. Join in on the action as you battle your way through Kyoto! In Shinsengumi Chronicle, change history as any one of the six main characters. Play in an alternate universe where you control the fate of the Shinsengumi.

Sweet Fuse: At Your Side - Sony PSP


Vast, Diverging Story - 14 different endings and a host of unexpected twists and turns allow for over 30 hours of compelling gameplay
Stylish Art - Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is an experience that is stylish and easy on the eyes, with complex, eye-catching character designs
Disarm Perilous Puzzles - Reach an epiphany and solve dangerous puzzles; the fate of you and your companions depends on your insight
Unique Characters and Interactions - Blow your fuse or stay completely cool, the choice is yours when dealing with this crazy cast of characters
Unlockable Gallery - Take advantage of the gallery to enjoy the fruits of your triumphant exploits anytime.

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars - Nintendo 3DS

    The Power of Love: Combine your power with the powers of other Disciples to give life to Star Children, ethereal beings that can fight in battle. Manage your partnerships carefully!
    The Importance of Child Development: You can have up to 3 teams of 3 Star Children with you inside the labyrinth. Depending upon the combo of classes, they will be able to use certain skills and get bonus boosts in stats, affecting the flow of battle.
    The Family Who Fights Together: Learning monsters' weak spot and picking the best position to attack from - front, back, left, right - will be key to your effectiveness in battle.

Coming to Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita is Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars, a unique dungeon-exploring RPG with school-life elements. In the world called Aterra where the Star God is worshipped, monsters have begun to spawn from the mysterious labyrinth. However, the Star God has imbued certain young adults - Disciples - with the power to fight monsters, as well as create Star Children to aid in the battle. Only Disciples and Star Children can defeat the monsters, and you, as God's Gift, have an additional weighty task: to bond with seven other Disciples and bear many Star Children to help your world survive!

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - Playstation 3

    Turn-based battle system that emphasizes importance of character positioning and distance from enemies. Support and Assist attacks among your party will play big role in each battle. Place party members wisely and strategize your way to victory!
    Updated battle system allows players to move behind enemy; attack from the rear to score critical hits! Get familiar with special skills and abilities of each character to maximize battle experience!
    Updated synthesis system where Ayesha will learn special alchemy skills that she can use to fine-tune the details of the items that she synthesizes for more desirable results!

Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time - Sony PSP

    Wayfarer of Time tells of a land-once rich with culture and technology - long ago nearly wiped out by evanescent divine beings.
    New characters, scenarios, and events are complemented by a host of visual and technical improvements, dramatically improved loading times, and a message skip option that lets players rapidly advance the story.
    Players can spend time getting to know the characters in their party, even going on a vacation with them apart from the game's main quest.
Never before released outside of Japan and widely considered the best entry in the long‐running franchise, this PSP system iteration of the fourth chapter in the Growlanser saga delivers visuals remastered for PSP system's 16:9 widescreen, a vastly expanded script with tons of new characters to meet and quests to complete, a wealth of new ending possibilities, and much more, making it the first and only version of the game North American fans will ever want!

Cute Knight Deluxe

From orphan to knight?  You decide! An 18 year old orphan sets out to discover the world.  She encounters a fairy godmother that explains she has until her 21st birthday to determine her life's fate.  Help her choose which jobs to work which skills to develop and moral choices to make - all of which will shape her personality and determine who she bees.Princess Knight Dragon Slayer - or Beggar?  There are over 50 endings and hundreds of items and character stats to manage in this fantastic role playing adventure!Product Features Collect magical charms Craft dozens of items Discover secret characters.

Windows Requirements Windows 98 Me 2000 XP Vista 500 MHz processor 128 MB of RAM 20 MB Hard Disk space 16 MB DirectX 7 patible Video Card CD-ROM drive.

Books for beginning readers girls and boys!

getting kids to read is hard. I've tried to read to classes a few times (and got a little kid who actually swore at me! O,O) so I can agree trying to get them interested is often a hard thing to do. But when I worked at the bookstore I loved helping people find books especially children. I would ask the parents if they needed help and then ask the child what they like. often the answer was cars, princesses, pirates, fairies, dogs or cats. But I was always able to find a book that they could read, or that their parents could read to them.

So here I made a list of great Step into reading beginner books!

Disney Princess books!

need a book for your favorite disney princess?

here is a list of some of the best books available on amazon. My niece loves the Disney fairies and the Disney princesses. I try to read to her whenever she comes to visit (I slip classics into there often!!!)

great manga!

some great manga a few I have read!

this is for the people who happen to love Manga or Graphic Novels.

Take a look you might find something interesting!

Fairy tales with beautiful art!

all of these illustrated fairy tales were handpicked by myself. for their beautiful and eye catching art work. The stories in the list are timeless, and come from all places. from many variations of Cinderella to different tales of Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, to the tale of The Little Match Girl.

These stories are perfect for girls or even boys (think the Nutcracker). And they can keep the books and treasure them to pass them down maybe. ^.-

Books for Girls 9-12

great books for girls ages 9 through 12. KINDLE BOOKS!!!

Beauty by Robin Mckinley

 Beauty


A lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast Robin Mckinely spins a beautiful (if you'll pardon the pun) tale. Robin makes the whole world of her book visible with her lavish descriptions of the places and characters.

A strange imprisonment
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.

Review

"A captivating novel." -- -- ALA Booklist

About the Author

Robin McKinley's other books include the Newbery Award-winning The Hero and the Crown; Newbery Honor Book The Blue Sword; Sunshine; Spindle's End; Rose Daughter; Deerskin; The Outlaws of Sherwood; and the short story collections The Door in the Hedge; A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories; and, with her husband, the author Peter Dickinson, Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits. She lives in England with her husband, three whippets, and over five hundred rosebushes.


Barbara Robinson has written several books for children, including the critically acclaimed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She lives in Berwyn, PA.

Amazon.com Review

This much-loved retelling of the classic French tale Beauty and the Beast elicits the familiar magical charm, but is more believable and complex than the traditional story. In this version, Beauty is not as beautiful as her older sisters, who are both lovely and kind. Here, in fact, Beauty has no confidence in her appearance but takes pride in her own intelligence, her love of learning and books, and her talent in riding. She is the most competent of the three sisters, which proves essential when they are forced to retire to the country because of their father's financial ruin. The plot follows that of the renowned legend: Beauty selflessly agrees to inhabit the Beast's castle to spare her father's life. Beauty's gradual acceptance of the Beast and the couple's deepening trust and affection are amplified in novel form. Robin McKinley's writing has the flavor of another century, and Beauty heightens the authenticity as a reliable and competent narrator.
This was McKinley's first book, written almost 20 years ago. Since that time she has been awarded the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and has delighted her fans with another retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fable, Rose Daughter. Still, McKinley's first novel has a special place in the hearts of her devoted readers, many of whom attest to relishing Beauty time and again. (Ages 11 to Adult) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


 

Check out these books on amazon

Great Books! Beautiful classics and fairy tales.

Rune Factory 4

 Rune Factory 4

Rune Factory 4, much like Rune Factory 2 and Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny, Has two protagonists a boy and a girl. 
Once you have named and picked out your character, the character is shown on an air ship where comically the character fights some stowaways but is knocked off the airship. Because of this fall the character has amnesia.  Now you take on the duties of a Princess/Prince that was supposed to arrive in Selphia. 

With new improvements to the game its obvious this will be one of the best yet. 

* wearing pajamas and having slumber parties
* a new request system
* Improved Love element even embaressing situations.
*a dating period before marriage
*marriage canididates also wear pajamas
*animated cut-scenes for introductions to marriage candidates
*no grid based farming
*prince/princess system is used to build up the town and attract tourists.
*more then one save file and items and skills can be carried over to a new file
*teleport ability is easier to access
*when you wear items you can see them.

Characters:

Lest: boy choice

Frey: girl choice (you can change names)

Female Marriage Candidates

Margret
 Forte
Dolce

 Clorica
 Amber
Xiao Pai

Male Marriage Candidates

Vishnal
 Dylas

 Kiel
ARthur
Doug
Leon

Villagers

Volkanon
Jones
Nancy
Lin Fa
Ventuswill
Porcoline
 Pico
Illuminata
Blossom
Bado

Cameo Characters:

Raven
Barrett
Ethelbert

Now I have played this game...and if you are a Harvest Moon fan, or a Dungeon crawler fan, or even a bit of both. This game is an awesome mix of the two. You can farm, fight monsters and it has that well known Harvest Moon dating/marriage element.
 Grab it you won't regret it.

Cupid and Psyche

This book is a great way to start your kids off on the greek myths. The artwork inside is eye catching and lovely and the story is timeless.

Psyche is a mortal woman of extraordinary beauty because of this men and people flock to her parents home thinking her Aphrodite in human form. This of course angers the true goddess of beauty and she sends her son Cupid to avenge her.

Wanting her son to make innocent Psyche to fall in love with the worst monster imaginable, but when cupid arrived to do the deed he pricks himself and upon looking at psyche falls victim to his own arrow. Marrying her secretly so as to avoid his mother's wrath, cupid never reveals who he is to his sweet bride.

But Psyche going on bad advice from her conniving jealous sisters, tries to sneak a peek at cupid and inadverdantly burns him with wax. Cupid feeling betrayed leaves her and Psyche goes on to search for him.

Well I won't spoil the rest of the book you'll have to get it to find out the end!

Cupid and Psyche