DIY Halloween Card with Perler Beads

I posted about Perler Beads before and how great they are for kids.  Just wanted to show you another Halloween card that was made with the Perler or Hama beads.  This one I used the heart peg board and found an image of thePac Man ghosts on google images.  You could totally do any pixel image and make a pretty cool looking card with this.  I've seen lots of Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Zelda sprites made from Perler beads.


You can see my previous post here for some other card inspirations: http://www.thecheesethief.com/2013/09/some-toys-that-consistently-keeps-my.html

The perler beads come unsorted, I'm kinda OCD in that way and decided to sort all the colors.  

My letter stamps that I purchased off ebay.  Mine are similar to this Martha Stewart one, but mine are vintage from a different company.

I embossed the Happy Halloween on the bottom.  I'm still having problems getting my embossing perfect (still new to embossing) so it won't curl the paper.  I'll have to post updates on how to achieve this.  If you have any tips, I'm all ears!

The Effects of Games on Your MentalHealth

In today’s world, video games have become commonplace and are now enjoyed by adults just as much as they are by kids. The average age of gamers has increased tremendously over the past twenty years. More people are now exposed to video games than ever before.

That much you’ve surely noticed yourself, but have you ever wondered how video games could affect your mental health?

Video games can help you stay focused

Researches have conducted studies looking at how video games can affect your brain and behavior. The results suggest that playing video games can affect the parts of your brain responsible for attention and visuospatial skills. Video games seem to be able to make your brain more efficient in these areas. The researchers also looked at the parts of your brain associated with the reward system. They wanted to see how it is related to video game addiction.
What researchers have learned is that playing video games can change how your brain performs. Playing video games affects your attention. Some studies suggest that you’re likely to show improvements in several types of attention. The parts of your brain responsible for attention can be more efficient and help you sustain attention on longer tasks. They also suggest that playing video games can improve your visuospatial reasoning skills.

Other benefits of video games
Among other benefits, studies have found that video games can improve the physical and mental health of patients. There’s evidence that video games can be effective at reducing anxiety or pain. Patients with chronic illnesses or those who have to undertake painful medical procedures found that they feel better from playing video games.
Studies have also found that playing certain action-oriented games can help treat dyslexia in young kids. Studies suggest that kids who play video games see the same improvement as with traditional treatments. However, traditional treatments tend to be more time-consuming and are not as fun for children.

The risks of video game addiction
However, video games can also be addictive. Video game addiction is most often found in players of multiplayer online games and online gambling games. The two are rarely categorized together but are quite similar in nature. Researchers have discovered that video game addiction can cause changes to your brain’s reward system. They have found that video game addicts experience cravings similar to those experienced by sufferers of most other addictive disorders.
Researchers have found that video games can trigger your brain’s reward system in much the same way as gambling can. Playing on slot machines, such as the norske spilleautomater, can give a similar rush of adrenaline as playing fast-paced or luck-based video games. Because of this, it is important that you play in moderation.
Can video games and gambling help stave off old age?
On a positive note, studies have shown that activities such as gaming and gambling can help keep your brain fresh for longer in life. As you age, you use certain parts of your brain less and less. In turn, those areas of your brain become weaker, and you become senile faster. But, there are things you can do to help slow this process down. Things that can help keep your brain strong as you age.
Researchers have discovered that people who busy themselves with a lot of stimulating activities tend to retain their faculties better in old age. Activities that involve concentration and thought seem to slow the aging process.

Gaming and gambling can be two such activities. Strategy games, for example, involve a lot of concentration and thinking. Puzzle games do this too. Poker is another game that seems to help keep your mind fresh in your old age. There’s no shortage of people in the latter years of their life who play poker regularly. Not only does poker require a lot of concentration and thought, but it also serves as an opportunity for you to socialize with other people. A game of poker will often involve you talking and making jokes with the other players. Socialization seems to do wonders for both our short-term and long-term mental health.

Another card game that can help stimulate your mind is blackjack. Your short-term memory is most used when playing blackjack. Good short-term memory is very important for staving off senility. Blackjack requires a good knowledge of odds and memorization techniques.
However, if you have problems with social anxiety, then playing poker or blackjack in person can be a tough task. Thankfully, because of the Internet and the growth of online casinos, you can exercise your mind from the comfort of your own home. Playing casino games, such as the casino games at GemSlots, can have the same positive effect on you as playing them in person. If you’re having trouble finding a casino, there are also websites that compile online casino reviews. These can help you choose the right online casino for you.

DIY Shopkins season five soap - DIY Shopkins party favor idea

Soap making is fun and easy to do.  I wanted to use some of my daughters duplicate Shopkins to make party favors for a Shopkins themed party.  These Shopkins favors were a hit!  I made a few for my kids and it makes bath time a blast.  They love the glitter soap and the fact that Shopkins are embeded make them even more motivated to wash their hands.

Here is the video tutorial on how to make these soaps:  How to make shopkins soap party favors.  If you make them and you are on instagram I would love to see them.  You can tag me with my handle @thecheesethief.

Shopkins season 5 charms  Split milk, royal cupcake, april apricot (season 4), jilly jam (season 4), polly polish (fashion spree)

DIY Mini Shopkins Piñata Craft Tutorial

I don't know any child that isn't crazy about Shopkins.  If you are a parent of a girl 4- 7 years of age, I'm sure you know what Shopkins are.  For this tutorial, I will show you how to make these adorable Shopkins pinatas.  You only need a few simple materials and a little bit of patience.  The most tedious part is gluing the crepe paper on, but since these are mini pinatas, it was not as time consuming as making a big one.  See my video tutorial here: DIY Mini Shopkins Pinata Tutorial  You can stuff these Shopkins with candy, or if you want to surprise your child, you can even stuff it with more Shopkins.

Be sure to check out my how to make shopkins scratch and sniff stickers video.

wheels on the bus playlist

Princess Elsa Toy Playdoh video

How to Become a Lifelong Learner (Education Doesn't Stop After College)

Never would you have dreamed that after completing high school or college that you eventually would have a thirst to learn again! Learning is a healthy and active function in our lives, and one that should never stop. Although we learn something new every day in our day-to-day lives, it is also a good exercise to help challenge our brains and even learn something new once in a while. 

There are never-ending opportunities to keep learning throughout life such as college courses, certifications, learning disks and more. Is there something that you have always wanted to learn but never had the chance? It is never too late! Education never ends after college, in fact, it has just begun. Learn how to become a lifelong learner in 5 easy ways:

1. Get Certified!

Life doesn’t end after college, in fact, many individuals pursue certifications after they have received their diploma. For example, business people have to get certain certifications in order to run their own company, and those from the medical field have to take tests in order to use certain equipment or to have a specific role. 

There are endless amounts of certifications available for those who have different interests. If you want to become a personal trainer, a realtor, or a coach, there are certifications available online or even in your local city. 

Obtaining a certification usually requires reading books and studying terms similar to what you would have to do for a final in school. Certifications will help you be a lifelong learner and build up your credentials! 

2. Attend Networking Groups

There are many ways to enrich your knowledge, and one of those ways is by attending networking groups. Networking happens when a group of like-minded business people get together to share their ideas and help promote each others’businesses. The meetings usually consist of a key speaker who talks about their journey or their service, while the rest of the time involves mingling with other genius minds! 

Networking groups usually cost a monthly fee, however, they are affordable. Not only will you be learning from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in your area, you will make relationships and connections that will richly benefit you in the long run of your career. In fact, learning about networking is incredibly beneficial for attaining a fulfilling, educated life!

3. Invest in Refresher Courses

Have you ever seen those infomercials of CDs and programs that help test your brain and what it remembers from school? These tools are actually really beneficial to becoming a life-long learner! 

In fact, our brains don’t retain everything we learned back in school, so it is important to help bring those memories back (especially because you paid thousands of dollars for it!). A good example might be purchasing a set of CDs to learn beginner’s Spanish. Maybe you always wanted to learn Spanish and never had the chance, or you took a class in college but you don’t remember anything except how to say hello. 

You can purchase programs and textbook courses that don’t involve going back to school at almost any time in your life. The good thing about that is you get to choose your pace and learn from your own perspective without having any assignments due.

4. Engage in Work that Will Encourage and Require Lifelong Learning

If you think you have no time to engage in extra courses or certifications, then what you can do is engage yourself in work that is beneficial. This is a job that will constantly expand and challenge you in ways that maybe a crash course can’t. 

If your current job doesn’t challenge you and you feel like your brain and knowledge is wasting away, then it might be a sign to look for a new job. You might consider switching career paths and educating yourself on becoming a top-rated personal injury lawyer or becoming a certified consultant on automobile loan lenders. Whatever field inspires you—and is potentially lucrative—you want to make sure that it is a field that requires continual education and lifelong learning.

Another industry that is exploding right now is digital marketing. In this broad and encompassing field, you can look into becoming an SEO consultant and work for established firms like Top SEO Brisbane. Another great field to consider, and one that doesn’t require years of training, is writing reviews. You can find a field that interests you, whether it’s writing reviews of superior mattresses or beauty and skin care reviews. What’s important is to find a niche that really speaks to your passions and interests and then set out to write unbiased, well-researched reviews to post on your own blog or to send to freelance companies. 

5. Download Apps or Seek Online Programs

Technology today is allowing individuals to do more things than ever imagined. With the boost in app usage, people now are using apps to do anything from tracking personal fitness goals to—you guessed it—learning! Smart phones now have the ability to have app stores where individuals can download free or paid programs or games. This also means that an individual can download a learning app right in the palm of their hands! 

In fact, the most popular learning app is “Domingo,” a language app that can teach anyone just about any language. You can also find learning apps for math, reading, writing, or science.

In addition to apps, you can also search for online programs that will teach you how to perfect your singing voice onlineor learn to become a personal fitness trainer. The internet and technology have opened up an entire world of educational opportunities, and it is all accessible, right at your fingertips.