My handmade Skyrim "helmet" beanie

Between Skyrim sessions (while my hubby was playing), I was inspired to design a “helmet” like the Iron Helmet in the video game. Here’s what I came up with! My very own Skyrim-inspired beanie, made with my own little hands. What do you think?

I posted a couple of photos on my Facebook page, and some people asked about buying the Skyrim hat. So I’ve put a listing in my Etsy shop (Skyrim inspired “Iron Helmet” with horns) if anybody’s interested.

The wildly popular game “Angry Birds” has achieved near global notoriety as an addictively fun, time-gobbling pastime. So it’s really no surprise that you can dress as an Angry Bird or Pig for Halloween, or for your next Bird/Pig costume party. Here are some of the possibilities. Just click a picture to shop!

So, video game addicts are always looking for a good reason to keep playing, right? Just one more level! I have to beat this boss! It’s Double XP weekend!

Well, here’s a truly good reason to play: Extra-Life.org‘s gaming marathon to benefit children’s hospitals! From the site:

Welcome to Extra Life, an annual 24-hour video game marathon that raises money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It’s never been this much fun to do this much good.

Gaming Marathon for Children's Hospitals

How it works: Each Extra Life participant is asked to raise money by recruiting at least four sponsors to give a minimum of $1 for each hour of the marathon. This fundraiser has extra meaning as it was created to honor the late Victoria Enmon, a 15-year-old girl who played video games during her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Who can help? What games count? Individuals can play any game they choose — including those on their phone, computer or even board games — and can participate in the marathon from their own homes or create or join groups and play from any location of their choosing.

[EDIT] I’ve started a team for the October 15 gaming marathon! Please join the team and help reach our $100 goal! Remember, you don’t have to play video games. Any games will do — even board games! Join the team!

How to sign up: You can register to play or just make a donation. Check out the video below, and tell all your friends!

Kinectimals Plush White Tiger

Recently, we received an addition to our Kinectimals virtual pet family. A White Tiger cub, which my daughter (6 years old) named “Stripey,” is a cute little plush toy, complete with whiskers. She was so excited when she unwrapped Stripey! When I told her we could scan Stripey’s nametag with the Kinect sensor, she could hardly wait to see what would happen.

We fired up the Xbox and started the Kinectimals game. She navigated right to the scan rock and after a couple of her wiggly tries, I scanned the tiger’s tag for her. The game recognized the code and *poof* unlocked a virtual white tiger for her! Another Stripey! She was thrilled!

White tiger unlocked in game

The Plush Pals are a fun addition to the Kinectimals game. It’s nice to have a soft, fuzzy, huggable toy to go along with the virtual pet in the game. I think any child who enjoys playing Kinectimals will be thrilled to receive a new Plush Pal to squeeze in person, and to unlock within the game as well. There are five new Kinectimals plush pals, available at Toys “R” Us and Target for $11.99. New animals, including the Canadian Lynx and Jaguarundi, will be released later this year.

The animals are small enough to fit into an Easter basket, and won’t melt in kids’ hands, get smeared into carpet, or cause a sugar-high frenzied rampage. Cheers!

Disclosure: I received 2 plush pals to review for this article.

My game-inspired dog tags

I’ve been inspired by my obsession with Call of Duty, and by the many awesome gaming girlfriends I’ve made while playing online. I thought it would be fun to put something game-related into my jewelry design, and here are a couple of things I came up with: personalized dog tags, and Call of Duty inspired charms.

I put my name on one tag, and team name G33KGIRLZ on the other. To make the tags look a bit more rustic, I gave them a brushed finish and hammered the edges a little. Perfect! Polished the tags with jewelry wax and strung them on stainless steel chain. I love the way they look! Slightly battle-worn, but still shiny. Fun for a boy or a girl!

I also found some cute pewter charms and pendants to go with the Call of Duty theme. Combat boots, machine guns, grenades, and more. I’m working on putting them together on necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. I’ve opened an etsy shop for these, so if you’re interested, go check it out! Geek and Gamer Stuff. I’ll be adding more items soon.

I love playing Angry Birds on my iPhone! My husband got me started on it. I played the Halloween version first, then the full version, and then the Halloween app automatically updated to include Christmas levels! I don’t want to know how many hours I’ve spent slinging birds at green pigs… But I still enjoy it!

So I’ve heard rumors about Angry Birds being made into a movie, but I hadn’t checked out the trailer until now. If you’re addicted to Angry Birds, you will enjoy this. Here you go!

Kinect for Xbox 360

My family loves it when I get free geek stuff to test and review. You can imagine how excited we were when our new Xbox 360 and Kinect system arrived. It was like Christmas in November!

You may know that we’re already fans of the Wii, and that I spend a lot of time playing online Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 via the PlayStation network.

Although we don’t need another reason to sit on our butts and push buttons, we do enjoy video games! The Kinect system, however, facilitates physical activity during gaming. So you don’t just get to sit on the couch with a controller in your hands. In fact, there is no remote controller needed for the Kinect games we tested. We found the games engaging and entertaining, and frequently worked up a good sweat without even trying.

Our family tested several Kinect games, including Dance Central, Kinect Sports, and Kinectimals. My husband’s favorite seems to be soccer. The Kinect sensor is able to detect whether the player is kicking or heading the ball, and which direction the ball should go after it’s hit. I won’t pretend to understand how it all works, but it’s pretty amazing.

My five year old daughter loves her Kinectimals pet lion cub, which she named “Jump.” She can feed, groom, and play with Jump. When a new user stands in front of the sensor, the Kinect bar tilts up and down to find the person. This is a nice feature, because sometimes the Wii is frustrating when it doesn’t “see” her if the sensor bar is up too high.

Speaking of “too high,” one thing you have to be aware of when playing Kinect games is the space around your body. Not just the couch, coffee table, and carpet. Beware of overhead ceiling fans, lamps, etc. You might end up with a broken fixture during a particularly vigorous Dance Central move, or Kinect Sports volleyball serve.

There is definitely a “WOW” factor when you use the Kinect to play games and navigate the Xbox 360 system. Waving your hands in the air to control a computer device has a very cool, sci-fi movie feel. However, there are times when you’ll want to pick up the plastic controller, because the sensor does take a bit longer to register your commands than a quick click on the remote. If you’re expecting lightning-fast, precise control, you might be disappointed.

All in all, the Kinect for Xbox 360 is a fun way to play video games. If you’ve been using the Wii for exercise, you might want to find a place to try out the Kinect sports and workout games. You don’t have to hold a sweaty controller while you jog, or strap it to your leg to record your lunge repetitions. Once you get started, it’s easy to lose track of time, which is a much more enjoyable way to exercise than counting minutes on a treadmill.

We enjoy gaming with the Kinect/Xbox, and are looking forward to seeing what other games are developed for the system. If you’re considering a new gaming system for your family, and want games that will get everybody off the couch, the Kinect and Xbox are an excellent combination! For more information on Kinect and safe family gaming, check out GetGameSmart.com.

Disclosure: I received a free Kinect/Xbox kit.

ICO Sackboy by Nikki at Pig Corner

Every now and then, I see something that makes me smile. This combination of crochet (one of my favorite crafts) and video games (another favorite activity) puts a smile not only on my face, but in my geek heart of hearts.

This adorable handmade “sackboy” is the creation of Nikki, a nursing student, video game player, superhero lover and geek crafter. This doll is Nikki’s “Ico Sackboy,” inspired by the game Ico. Isn’t he cute?! Check out the detail on the front of his shirt! She has also made dolls inspired by the popular video games such as Little Big Planet, Assassin’s Creed and God of War.

If you’re wondering where you can buy one of Nikki’s dolls for yourself, you’re out of luck. She’s a busy student, and they are not for sale. However, she has very generously created patterns, video tutorials, and materials lists, so you can learn how to make your own.

To see photos and learn more about Nikki and her hobby, visit Pig Corner. Also, stop by her Facebook page. And have a happy, geeky day!

Hello, friends. You might have noticed I haven’t been posting as frequently lately. I blame Modern Warfare 2 (LOL). Yes, I started playing MW2 online via the PlayStation network, and it is very fun, and very time-consuming. It appeals to my obsessive-compulsive personality, and I’m like Pavlov’s dog when I hear the electric guitar riff during gameplay, because I get so excited to see what new reward I’ve unlocked! I mean, without the panting and salivating…

Ooooh, a new attachment for my M16A4?! What is it? Under-mounted grenade launcher? Holographic sight? Can I have it now? Please please please?

So I’ve made it through all 70 levels of the online game once so far. And even though I enjoyed having the AK47 and all of its attachments at my disposal, I decided to enter Prestige mode and start over again. Not because I’m awesome. Definitely not. Because I need more practice, and because I missed the frequent unlocks and rewards that come at lower levels!

I don’t mind going against the boys in Team Deathmatch alone, but I thought it would be fun to put together a group of girls who play together from time to time. We’re all busy and have real life work and responsibilities, so this isn’t anything formal or demanding. But if you’re a girl who plays MW2 on the PS3 network, change your clan tag to [GRRL] and leave your online ID in the comments below. I’m projectalice00. I’ll add you as a friend and maybe we’ll find a few other gals who want to pwn boys together.

P.S.: Boys, we still love you. But this clan is just for us. See you at the Deathmatch. *kiss kiss*

UPDATE: Since so many people are commenting and want to join the team, I made a slick form to collect your info. This will be used to keep everybody in touch by e-mail, and we can keep the team list updated and such. Please Join the All-Girl Gaming Team and tell your gaming girlfriends, too! Yaaay!