SimmedUp Magazine Issue 7

D

Issue 4 - Dec 2020

Editors Letter SulSul Simmers, Welcome to issue 7 of SimmedUp Magazine. This month we come together to celebrate Mothers Day but here at SimmedUp we dedicate this issue to all families, so whether you be a blended, foster, adoptive or one of the many other types of family units out there, this month is for you.

Featuring LittleMsSams Baby Scan Mod review by Grace, The Breastfeeding Pose Pack is reviewed by maria with some stunning imagery. We also have ‘How to create CC Floors’ to help decorate the family home your way By A.Muller from ExtraTimeMedia and Grannys Comfort Soup in Cooking Sims style. This month we also bring you the all new Simtography with Minraed and #MachinimaLife for the budding director out there by our very own TheMomCave.

Not forgetting our Interviewees this month we have the fabulous Kamila Interviewed by Sue and The enchanting Alexis Creator of SIMS VIP. So whatever your doing this month, if you manage to see your families in person or not, make sure to let your family know you care and pick up the phone, send a text message or email.

So from one family to another Happy Mother’s/Family Day to you all, no matter where you are.

Benzi chibna looble bazebni gweb

SimSimmerly

On The Sims Resource

60 INTERVIEW: KAMILA

68 YOUR SIMS: SHOWCASING YOUR SIMS

72 LOVE TO SHOP: EXCLUSIVE MERCH & CC

76 BUILD A BETTER LIFE: WITH THE MOM CAVE

82 SIMSPIRATION: WITH K8SIMSLEY

90 SIMTOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS WITH MINRAED

96 MAKING A SIMMER: KAWAII FOXITA

102 SIMSCOPES: 36 CUSTOM CONTENT: HOW TO MAKE CC FLOORS

WHAT DO THE SIMS STARS HOLD IN STORE FOR YOU?

42 TITAN ARCHITECTS: #SHOWUSYOURBUILDS. WITH GAMECHANGER LAIREEN

48 FANART:

BY KICKKASS

106 LITTLEMSSAM: BABY SCAN & FOSTERING

BY GRACE

54 RETRO CORNER:

110 SIMMERIKA POSE PACK:

THE SIMS 2 FAMILIES

BREASTFEEDING BY MARIA

116 WHATS ON: FB GROUP WINNER & CHALLENGES COMING UP OR RUNNING.

Just Fun FOR

1

?

3

?

A MOTHER HAS 6 GIRLS AND EACH OF THEM HAS A BROTHER. HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE THERE?

JIMMY’S MOTHER HAD FOUR CHILDREN. SHE NAMED THE FIRST MONDAY. SHE NAMED THE SECOND TUESDAY, AND SHE NAMED THE THIRD WEDNESDAY. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE FOURTH CHILD?

?

2

WHO IS BIGGER: MR. BIGGER, MRS. BIGGER, OR THEIR BABY?

Benzi chibna looble bazebni gweb/ Nothing is impossible if you believe

? ? ? ?

PRACTICE SIMLISH

Turkey nurbler?/Does that feel better?

Fleny Fleny/Get out, I really gotta tinkle!

GUESS THE CAS

Send Your Answers to: Simmedup@gmail.com & You could See your NAME/Social media HERE!

LAST MONTHS ANSWERS:

DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

1. THEY GO ON DIFFERENT DAYS

2. LOVE

3. HEART

GUESS THE CAS! ANSWER: YVETTE FIELDING FROM MOST HAUNTED

The answer to the above question is now always – YES! The sims world seems very divided between PC players and console players. Many giveaways or challenges on Instagram have the words “for Origin players only”. But it does not have to be that way! Yes, it is true that EA has made it somewhat difficult for players on different platforms to seamlessly interact, whether that is releasing updates later for console players or PC players not being able to gift packs to console players through origin etc”.

However, before quickly isolating a whole group of people from having a go at our challenges or giveaways we must ask ourselves one question… How do people on a different platform to me get sims packs? Something so obvious is very often not taken into consideration.

So, there are a few answers to the above and some of these answers make it seem like it’s impossible for one platform to interact with another. For example, PlayStation players buy their packs through the PlayStation store and

they have an option to buy packs in-game, there is no Origin that acts as a game library so one can assume the only way to buy a pack for a PlayStation player is to log into their PlayStation account… which is a BIG No-No, hence – isolation.

Xbox players have something similar to Origin, but it is called EA Play, which I think also does not allow for cross-platform game purchases.

So, what’s the solution? Well, there are two… the most straight forward one is to remember how you bought your first sims game. As a CD in store! Well now there are online CD stores! Where you can get any pack for any platform and you will be emailed a key which can then be sent to the person who you want to gift it to, and they can redeem it. It is worth noting, however, that you should always research and verify that any website you purchase redeemable keys from is verified and trusted. One way of doing this is looking up reviews about the site or just trying to find a website with the best reviews from the sims community who have used it in the past. Better safe than sorry!

Even a more straightforward and completely safe way is EA! Yes, they did not make it easy to collaborate crossplatform, but you can just go to EA website – games – choose a platform – purchase as a gift. Ta Daa! you have a redeemable key again which can be given to someone else to be redeemed. And it is completely safe since if anything is not working you can always call up EA customer services and they will sort any issues out for you.

Now everyone can participate in anything!

Happy simming!

Written By Maria from LaarStudio Insta - @laar.studio YouTube – Laar Studio

A Special Section for Machinimators by Machinimators Machinima 101 I started my channel because I wanted to share builds. I filmed and edited one speed build. Then I thought, “How about a Let’s Play?” I wrote a challenge, filmed and edited one episode and hated it. I just hadn’t found my niche yet. As I was bingeing my favorite larger YouTuber at the time, they posted a “story,” which I had never seen before, because I’m relatively new to all of this. But I was so engaged and it really spoke to my creative soul deeply. So, I looked for more, and more, and more and then I finally realized I had to try one. This was right around the time that I was playing my 100 Baby Challenge on my own and wanted to tell the story to the Facebook group I was in. So I wrote the story, and then I filmed the first episode. I was hooked. I’ve not looked back. This is why I am excited for this monthly section.

Welcome to #machinimalife.

There are so many different ways to express our love for The Sims. I would argue, however, that making machinimas is a uniquely challenging experience. And so, my hope for these monthly posts is to help those who are intrigued by them, and even better want to start making them, by providing tips and information from my own experience to get them started.

In addition to this, each month I will be highlighting a different Director of Pixels, which is my way of referring to another person who enjoys spending hours and hours fighting with Sims yeeting out of poses and randomly getting pregnant in closets, townies ruining countless shots and that one Sim who wants to burn down their house with grilled cheese, which is a rant post for another day.

As our Simmed Up team brainstormed our content for this month I was reminded that I need to start this month with the “what” before I start with the “how.” Here are some basic answers to the most common questions: What is a machinima? There are so many different types of Sims content. “LP’s” or Let’s Plays, speed and stop-motion builds (my hat’s off to you who do those - yikes), pack and content reviews, CAS or Create-aSim, reactions and machinimas. I’m sure there is more, but this is the type of Sims content that fills my feed. A machinima is just a fancy

word for an animated story, and Sims storytellers use, yep you guessed it, The Sims.

Some creators mix machinima with Let’sPlay. Some simply tell stories using The Sims. I personally fall into the latter category.

Although, my first machinima series The Curse is based off of my actual game play.

How long does a machinima take? Well, that all depends on how technical and creative you’re getting.

There’s more to a machinima than simply recording and editing. There’s writing, posing, set-building, CAS setup, finding the right music, the right poses, the right animations and the right camera angles. Then you shoot, re-shoot and shoot again until you get what you need, edit and repeat. Some machinima creators use mainly in-game animations and interactions. This will save a lot of time, but can be limiting. Many use custom animations and poses, and some even use mods for their animations. I’ll be doing a whole article on this in another issue. I personally use more of the custom animations, and in-game sparingly.

I’m a control freak ok? My machinimas take about 6-10 hours per scene, on average, sometimes more. This does not include the setup. The moral of this part of the story is that they can take a long time and are a lot of work.

What do I need to make a machinima? You’ll need some type of screen/game recording software and an editing software. Many people start out with free software and work their way up.

e inimaLif #Mach

m The Mo

Cave

3b 506 021 01.03.2

35

I used a very user-friendly software until just recently, when I switched to Premiere Pro. But, I would encourage you to not overthink it. Use what you’re most comfortable with and what feels easiest to learn at first.

For a machinima toolbox, I’m going to start with what I believe are some musthaves. This is a very basic list. I’m sure there are other tools that our great storyteller community uses that I’m not aware of. ● MC Command Center by Deaderpool: This will give you ultimate control over changing clothes, emotions, moods, relationships, households, pregnancy, woohoo, to just name a few.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube that can help you learn what you need to know about this mod in order to best use it. ● Andrew’s Pose Player and Teleporter: This is an absolute must if you’re going to be using poses and custom animations. It can be a little tricky to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s pretty straight-forward. It would be nice for this mod to be updated.

It can be difficult to sort through your poses once you start to collect them, and I have collected quite a few. You can find poses and animations everywhere, including Tumblr, Pinterest, YouTube and a good old-fashioned Google search. Just be aware that some are behind those darned ad walls or are Patreon-only. But you can find some great ones for free. In a later post, I’ll be highlighting my favorite pose and animation creators. ● T.O.O.L by Twisted Mexi: Really, you need this! I can’t tell you how many hours of frustration I spent unnecessarily because I didn’t have the updated version of this mod. But once I got it, and I watched Twisted Mexi’s tutorial on the updates, it was like the sky opened up and Heaven spoke to me. It’s not just for moving furniture, plants and debug items to make wild and crazy builds (nod to my friend Fantasims). Sims are also “objects”

and can be moved. And, when you’ve painstakingly posed multiple Sims on a lot, and find one Sim who needs to be moved and reposed, it’s a whole lot easier to T.O.O.L. them and repose them while everyone else stays put. ● Always Testing by Twisted Mexi: Yep, another go-to. Machinimas depend on cheats, and who wants to constantly type in “testingcheats true?” Not me. ● UI Cheats by Weerbesu: Now I don’t use this as much, except to control the weather and occasionally change the time. But, there are many who swear by this as a go-to. It’s worthwhile to have.

And yes, you’ll have to be willing and able to use mods in your game. I’m sure there are ways to make a machinima without them. It seems to me that it would be limiting in terms of how you would be able to tell your story, however.

A couple of other things you’ll need to have and to learn: ● A Mailbox: Wait what? Yes, I said a mailbox. Why? Because you can easily fill all the needs in the household and then turn them off. Who has time for a Sim who always has to pee, or who decides they want to eat grilled cheese and then catch their dorm on fire, twice? Not me. And toddlers. Don’t get me started. So, I always have needs off while I’m filming. I also lock unused Sims (especially toddlers) in rooms to keep them out of my way.

Don’t call the Sim Labor Board on me. ● Turn Off Autonomy: Like I said, I’m a control freak. Turn off autonomy unless you want the random activity going on in the background of your household. ● In-Game Cinematic Camera: Before you can film a good scene, you need to learn how to use the cinematic camera positions in-game. The Sims allows you to set camera angles using ctrl+5-9 (on PC) while in Tab Mode.

A later consideration might be the use of a reshade. It can slow down your game and can be confusing. There’s enough to be confused about while you’re learning how to create a machinima. It does make a world of difference in image quality, so think about it for the future.

Last, but certainly not least, we have to talk about music. Music will take a picture on the screen and bring it to life. Almost always my scenes start with a song, and then the picture develops in my imagination. You do need to be careful about copyright though. I would recommend doing some research on how to use music on YouTube without getting a copyright strike. It can be a little confusing to find the download links for these. Unless you’re using a premium service, like Thematic or Epidemic Sound, you’ll want to check in on your Copyright Claim section in YouTube Studio just to make sure after using one. But, there are many who do just fine with the content they find on YouTube. Just do your homework first and always read the description of the music post so you can take note of any specific format to credit the artist.

Most importantly, start small. Plan a very short 3-10 minute video and start there.

Get the hang of it. Find your style. Watch other content and see what speaks to you. Keep creating until you find your flow.

Don’t compare yourself to other creators.

I watch my first videos and note how much my own craft has grown and improved. I watch the content of others and get excited about how much more I can learn!

Have fun with it. And when it’s not fun, take a break, or lock those Sims in a room, or pool.

If you have a tip, suggestion or question, send them to me at simmedup@gmail.com Attn: Machinimalife The Mom Cave is a Sims story-teller, with her series The Curse - A 100 Baby Love Story and the sequel, Foxbury, a Twitch streamer, with her exclusive Let’s Play, The Landgraab Challenge and is the author of Simmed Up Magazine’s Building a Better Life and #Machinimalife. The Mom Cave resides on The West Coast of The United States, where she enjoys her empty nest, her husband and their two very spoiled dogs.

MARCH DIRECTOR OF PIXELS HIGHLIGHT

SLFJ Productions - Humanity: Twitter Decides the Story When friends, old and new, come together for a dinner party, how the night progresses is up to the viewers. With each episode, Twitter poll results will determine the story-line in the next episode, and how things progress. Will things take a dark turn? Will intentions be misconstrued? Will old friends leave as enemies or lovers? Will new friends be welcomed into the fold?

The story is up to you!

Watch Humanity Here: https://youtu.be/ __TeuWTvuN0 Follow SLFJ Productions on Twitter: https:// twitter.com/SimLifeforJen

INTRODUCING BlackGurlSimmer

By Sulzisim

Welcome to Introducing. Each month we will feature one amazing person from the community that we think should have more online attention and deserves to be in the spotlight. This may be someone you already follow and have heard of before. It may be someone you have not heard of but now will become one of your favorite new Simmers. Who knows?

In my very first addition of introducing a Simmer in the community, this month we feature the rising star that is BlackGurlSimmer, a YouTuber from the United States. It was quite hard to choose just one creator from the many I have seen across social media because there are just so many great creators to choose from.

As I was scrolling through Twitter one day, I came across this fabulous creator by the name of BlackGurlSimmer.

When I looked through her socials, I found her YouTube channel. Some of the videos she creates are just amazing. We all probably know the very famous 3 part film 'To All The Boys I've Loved before' Well, she had an ingenious idea to turn these movies into a Sims Let's Play.

Her inspiration to create this let's play came when she heard the final movie would be hitting our screens.

Find BlackGurlSimmer on YouTu

In this series of Let's Plays, she takes you through making the characters in CAS and telling their stories. At the moment she has only made Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey.

She has also created a look-book based off of the outfits Lara wore in the movie, along with the story of Lara and Peter.

You can follow Lara and Peter's love story through the Sims as BlackGurlSimmer narrates through the scenes and tells you what's happening.

She also adds comparison footage and jiffs in the videos so that you can see the comparison of movies to The Sims.

Obviously, sometimes you can't control what the Sims future holds. There are some things that you will discover throughout the series that were not planned at all, but she has made a plan to continue the series nonetheless.

She has another Let's Play of a family she created called "The Mulligan Family" We meet the family, including Chanel and Ben along with their children, Mariela, Gael, Camilla, and Corina.

She also explores the fun part of the Sims world, CC and Mods. She likes to go CC shopping for the more Natural black skin tones.

BlackGurlSimmer does not just do movieinspired Let's Plays, but does other fun and educational videos as well on her YouTube channel.

She also reviews new mods she finds online and reviews new packs that have been released.

Be sure to check BlackGurlSimmer out on all social media platforms and let's share the Sims community with everyone around us.

BlackGurlSimmer does not just do m ov i e - i n s p i re d Let's Plays, but other fun and educational videos as well on her YouTube channel.

ube & Twitter @BlackGurlSimmer

Stay tuned, because who knows, maybe you will be featured next.

Until next month, stay safe and continue to play the Sims.

PREP TIME 10 mins COOK TIME 2 hrs TOTAL TIME 2 hrs 10 mins INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken raw 3 cloves garlic minced 1 large onion chopped 5 carrots chopped 3 celery stalks chopped 2 teaspoons basil 2 teaspoons thyme 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 quart chicken broth low sodium 4 cups water parsley is optional

insurance agencies, and retail stores, I decided to join my family’s business and dive into the “corporate world”. I eventually took on a lead role in expanding the company and acquiring many of the business skills I have today.

Good Morning Alexis, Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. I am sure everyone is keen to know all about you and how you started Sims VIP. Hey everyone! It’s Alexis from SimsVIP.com and I hope you’re all doing well! I first want to take a moment and thank everyone over at SimmedUp Magazine for the opportunity to be interviewed and featured on the site. It is truly an honor!

SimmedUp: Tell us about Alexis. Who is Alexis and who were you before discovering the Sims? How has it changed you?

Alexis: Alexis is a Greek girl born and raised in Chicago Illinois. I am fluent in Greek, English and Spanish, and spent the first 28 years of my life keeping busy with school, work, friends, and basketball. In 2005, after building up experience working in restaurants, doctor’s offices,

In 2007 I met my future husband while vacationing in Clearwater Florida. He was also from Chicago but was living in Florida.

The funniest part is that our parents were friends for many years, but we never met!

Fate brought us together and I bought a one-way ticket to Florida in 2013. We now live in Orlando, just a mile away from Disney World!

SU: At what age did you first discover the Sims and what were your initial thoughts?

A: My Sims addiction started on a Saturday morning when I was just 17 years old. My mom and I went to Best Buy and I saw “The Sims Hot Date” in the video game section. I asked my mom to buy it for me, and she looked at me like I was crazy!

The box art was risque, and she thought I was buying some type of X-rated video game. She eventually realized it was nothing more than a simulation game and bought it.

That purchase addiction.

fueled

a

20+

year

SU: Anybody who has visited Sims VIP can see the creator/ yourself is a total Sims fan. The Sims was released in February 2000 and Sims VIP created in 2011, tell us what were you doing between finding the game and creating Sims VIP? What led you to create the site?

A: After playing the game casually for years, I wanted to share my experience with other fans. The only popular social outlet at the time (2010) was Facebook, so I decided to create a page for fans and call it “The Sims 3 Featured Members”. The goal of this page was to feature creators and other fans, as well as host giveaways, and bring news to those who were interested. I realized quickly that Facebook was not the best way to do this, so I looked to alternatives that gave me more control.

Now this is something many people probably don’t know, but SimsVIP.com started as a forum board. I purchased the domain name SimsVIP.com and was was like, “okay, now what”? I did not know the first thing about websites, not to mention the fact that to have the website I needed a hosting service. I sat for a month reading “how to” articles on Google, and eventually installed Vanilla Forums on my GoDaddy hosting service.

The forum board was a nice change from Facebook, but it was still lacking the control and experience that I wanted to bring to the community. I decided it was time to create the website that I wanted, and in March of 2011, SimsVIP.com (the news site) was born.

SU: How easy was it to transition from your original Facebook page ‘Sims 3 Featured Members’ to Sims VIP Forums and then website? How did you come up with the name ‘Sims VIP’?

A: Transitioning was a natural occurrence for me. It took some trial and error, but I eventually found the platform needed to bring news and content to the community.

The hardest part was figuring out what to do once I achieved the news site. How do I keep readers engaged? What should I do to highlight the fans and their content? I took the time to brainstorm and I eventually found a balance between news, original content, and community spotlights.

The name “SimsVIP” was inspired by the Facebook Page. Since everyone there was a “featured” member, I decided that the website should become a “very important place” to get your Sims fix. It was short, catchy, and available for purchase.

SU: Sims VIP has so much amazing content, from daily news updates to Videos and CC creators, what else can you tell our readers about the Sims VIP and what they can expect to find there?

In addition to everything you mentioned, we also have a variety of tutorials, game guides, building tips, inspiration articles, stories, and other helpful tips for playing the game.

SU: Anybody who knows of you, will also know that you are a workaholic, but in a good way. How do you manage keeping your private life and the Sims VIP life separate? And what do you do when you’re not bringing Sims news to the masses?

A: I am a workaholic by choice, and it inspires me to branch out into unknown territories and try new things. SimsVIP has been a part of my life for the last 10 years, and it has brought a plethora of opportunities and experience my way.

Sometimes I do need to take breaks though, because as my husband always says, “we’re humans, not machines”.

When I’m not bringing news to the masses, I’m working on the rest of my businesses, volunteering my time locally, or taking a stroll at Disney World. Being self-employed has its benefits.

SU: When playing Sims, do you use mods and CC? What are your most used Mods and who is your go to CC creator?

Yes! My must have Mods come from TwistedMexi and Deaderpool, and my favorite CC creators are Icemunmun, House Of Harlix, and all the creators who make Maxis Match Create-a-Sim content for our games.

SU: Out of all the generations of the Sims games, what has been your favorite so far? In your opinion, what would you say is the best pack EA has released, or which do you find most memorable?

A: My favorite game of the series is The Sims 2 because it draws you into the game in a way unlike the other three in the series. The detailed gameplay, personalities, and storytelling make this a game I can always go back to and play for hours. My favorite packs released to date are The Sims Makin Magic, The Sims

“My must have Mods come from TwistedMexi and Deaderpool” 2 Seasons, and The Sims 3 Island Paradise.

SU: You have attended Sims Camp and Creators Camps in the past, what was it like when you got your first invite? And what insights can you give us on what goes on behind the scenes?

A: It is an amazing feeling to put so much love and work into a game and be invited to meet with the actual people who create it. I know that from the outside it probably seems like a fun stroll in the park, but for me personally, it was just a new environment to work in.

Whenever I attended Camps or Conventions, the work continued. The only difference is that for a few days someone else is dictating your schedule.

I will say that some of the best “behind the scenes” perks when attending these events is touring the studio, getting a first look at future content, and shopping at the EA Store.

SU: There can be a lot of negativity in the community surrounding different Sims Games and who plays what. How do you deal with the negativity and what advice would you give start up creators on the best way to either ‘avoid it’ or ‘deal with it? Also, how do you keep a positive head space being under so much pressure yourself?

A: The honest answer is that I don’t deal with it. I understand that people have their opinions, and that’s what they want to have.

My goal is not to convince players one way or another. My goal is to show them the “goods”. At the end of the day, this is a game who’s purpose is to be an escape from the real world by creating a world you control.

SU: Some people really don’t understand the hours you need to put into any venture to get it off the ground, if you were to tell people, how many hours of your life you have put into the community and Sims VIP, how many would this total?

A: A lot of people may not realize that the number of hours and work required to put together a fun site like SimsVIP is probably on par with a person who’s working at the news desk in a major news organization. I guess the only difference is that I don’t have to go around chasing politicians. Sometimes it’s long hours and little sleep, but to me it’s worth it.

SU: You have an outstanding Youtube channel, what can readers expect to see if they subscribe?

A: They can expect to see the real me! YouTube allows me to bring content to players in a more entertaining way.

I have a

variety of content o n YouTube including News Bits, Content Overviews, and I even hop on a Live Stream here and there to play the game.

SU: You also have a dedicated team of Sims fans behind you, what role do they play within Sims VIP? How can our readers join them?

A: I know talent when I see it, and that’s why I have been able to hand pick some very talented people to be on my staff.

I’m proud of my staff and the great work they do. Readers of the site submit articles, stories, and artwork to me all the time; and you would be surprised to know that I actually take the time to look at

“I know talent when I see it, and that’s why I have been able to hand pick some very talented people to be on my staff. I’m proud of my staff and the great work they do” their work. Some of those people have become staff members. We’re always looking to add talent to our staff.

SU: With the news that Sims 5 is in development, what are your hopes for the game? What elements do you want them to keep and which could you easily let go?

A: I really hope that EA goes back to their roots. I want a game that incorporates the best features from each of the four previous series. The ideal game would have the charm from The Sims 1, the gameplay depth from The Sims 2, the open world (and underworld) from The Sims 3, and the graphic improvements of The Sims 4. I am open to “online” features like a multiplayer option, but only if it is a secondary option for players that does not interfere with the sandbox playstyle of the game.

SU: You will be celebrating your ten years anniversary of Sims VIP in March, how will you be celebrating?

A: I’m going to celebrate with everyone that wants to celebrate with me! I don’t want to give away the details just yet, but I encourage everyone to check out SimsVIP on March 16th!

Su: If you could give your followers and our reader’s one last piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Be kind, have fun, and enjoy the game. The world is harsh, but we don’t have to be.

ww

ww.simsvip.com Join us on th 16 March

Sims 4 CC: How to make cc floors

By Antoinette Muller Extra Time Media If there is a floor tile you want that's not in The Sims 4, make it yourself. It is super simple. And while photo-editing software is helpful, you do not even need it to make your own tiles.

If you have been playing The Sims since it was first released over 20 years ago (Turning 21 in 2021 by the way), you probably remember iconic chequered floor tiles. Almost as iconic as Bella Goth’s Red Dress, those black and white tiles were what Sims aspired to before aspirations were a thing.

We are now seven years into The Sims 4 and yet there is still no floor tile that quite matches those plain, but perfect black and white squares from The Sims1..

Sure, you can make your own black and white floor tiles from items in the game (which won’t even cost your Sims anything), but that might not work for all builds – and it can take a bit of time to put together.

Luckily, as is always the case in The Sims, there is workaround for that. In this case, it’s not so much a workaround, but rather a DIY effort which will unlock a whole new world of possibilities once you realise just how easy it is to make your own CC.

Making Sims 4 CC floors

Do you need Photoshop

with The Sims 4 Studio

to make Sims 4 CC?

You have probably heard of or even used The Sims 4 Studio before. It’s a piece of software which we could not live without.

The answer is absolutely not. While having

Perhaps you have even read a few tutorials, but felt that all this making your own CC stuff just looked far too complicated.

Well, fellow Simmer, it is not. While this More Acceptable Floor Tile is not quite perfect yet, it was whipped up fairly quickly on a rainy Sunday afternoon when somebody (this writer) should have been doing other things.

more sophisticated editing software certainly helps (we use Affinity Photo, which is very similar to Photoshop but is only a once off fee, rather than a monthly bill), it is not a requirement for making Sims 4 CC. You can use freeware options like GIMP or even Paint. Yes, really.

In fact, this floor pattern was made using only Paint. Once you learn how easy it is, you might never use the in-game floors ever again.

Paint won’t be your best option if you want to do a recolor, but it will work if you are playing around with making some of your own patterns – which is far easier than it sounds. Ready? Let’s get started.

It was also a welcome reminder of just how easy it is to do and just how much potential there is even for somebody like this writer who possesses absolutely no talent whatsoever.

Let’s start with the a key question which many players feel is what is preventing them from creating their own CC: editing software.

Make your own Sims 4 CC floors: TS4 Studio Quick tutorial If you have not done so already, you obviously need to download and install The Sims 4 Studio. While our tutorial will help you through the basics, you might

also want to opt for additional reading on TS4 Studio forums. There are many extremely helpful people who and existing tutorials that will help you through the process of more complicated creations.

Before you begin, it’s worth creating a folder for your supplies and creations. Like a little craft nook right on your desktop.

It’s not necessary, but it will help with organizing stuff.

Select any tile and then click next at the bottom of the screen. You’ll be prompted to name and save your file. Name the file something you’ll remember – or whatever you want to call it in-game (you’ll still have to add that officially later on) – and save it to that craft folder you created earlier.

Our tutorial will only focus on the most basic way of making your own floor CC for The Sims 4 and this tutorial is specifically for floor tiles – although a similar process is followed for almost all recolors. Our tutorial will not cover how to use photoediting software, though – there are simply too many options. But, as you’ll discover, you might not even need it.

Sims 4 Studio: Floor tile CC basic tutorial Open The Sims 4 Studio and underneath Build, select Standalone Recolor from the welcome screen. Change Type to Floor and from here you can pretty much select any tile you want. More technical options include creating your package from scratch, but we’re not that technical.

The file will open automatically in The Sims 4 Studio. The tabs on the right are where the magic happens. The Catalog tab lets you set the name (what you see in-game), description and the price. If you want to create zero-cost floor tiles for Rags to Riches challenges, we are not here to bestow judgment.

You can come back to the Catalog tab to fine-tune those details later on. For now, we will work with the Texture tab. Here you’ll see a bunch of options, but the most important is the “Texture” panel with Diffuse, Normal

Diffuse is the part you want to change to whatever it is you want your floor tiles to be. If you want to simply recolor using photo editing software, you can select Diffuse and then click Export. You’ll be promoted to save the PNG file texture… see why that craft folder might be useful?

For this method, find an image of the floor tile you want to use and save it to your craft folder. You’ll need to resize it to be 512×512 and in a PNG format. Follow all of the steps above, but skip the export step and go straight to import – importing the tile pattern you downloaded and resized. And then proceed as normal.

After saving, and if you are doing a recolor, you can open the PNG in your preferred software and adjust it accordingly. Save it once you’re done and then simply “Import” it from the texture panel in The Sims 4 Studio again.

Keep in mind that if you use a square pattern floor tile – whether that’s through your own creation or downloading a texture, you need to make sure that final color is different to the one at the start – or you might end up with rectangles rather than squares when tiling a large area – as you can see below.

If you didn’t do so earlier, head back over to the Catalog tab and add details like name, description and price. You can also the Tags tab to select the categories in which your newly created Sims 4 CC floor tile will appear when using the search filters.

If that is the look you are going for, though, go wild. You do you, this is The Sims… you can do whatever you want to do.

Then hit save and you’re all done. Move the package file over to your mods folder and you should see it in your game remember to turn on Mods and CC, if you have never used any CC before.

Creating Sims 4 CC tiles without recoloring or photo editing The alternative to recoloring is to simply use an existing pattern. There are many sites with free resources from where you can import floor tiles and patterns. Raw Pixel is one great example – and also happens to be where we got our “Paint” tutorial tile showcased above from.

How to recolor Sims 4 items using photo editing software If you want to use the recolor option for your floors and you’re not that familiar with photo editing software, the video below form Illogical Sims is a useful starting point.

They use freeware, so don’t worry if you do not have Photoshop.

YOUTU.BE/K-XA002cSvU \We hope this basic tutorial helps you add your own special touches to The Sims 4. If you have the Adventurous Trait, you go ahead and give recoloring walls a try, too.

Objects are slightly more challenging – as you’ll see in the video above – but every day is a school day.

#ShowUsYourBuilds Hi… Laireen here. In real life, my name is Christina. I'm a 46 yearold female Sims builder from Copenhagen, Denmark. I've been a simmer since day 1! I bought my game on release date in 2000 and I’ve been playing ever since. In august 2018 I was accepted into EA’s Gamechanger program as a Sims 4 builder.

About my builds My favorite game to play is TS2 (and TS1), because of the quirkiness and random stuff that kept happening. I’m not really a fan of TS3, even though I own it and played it a bit in the beginning. TS4, however, is what really sparked my inner builder. Over the years, I’ve always loved building, and during gameplay, I often found myself redoing the house my Sims lived in – so much that I was in build mode more than actually playing the game. I guess that’s what made me realize that I’m a builder at heart.

I’ve been recreating my own houses in all iterations of the game, but with TS4 it’s just so much easier, because of the intuitive building tools we have – and all the great build cheats. I can’t imagine what building would be like without debug or Moveobjects on! Nowadays I never really play the game (except for the occasional play testing) – I just build … all the time!

My favorite builds to do are community lots, often with multiple lot types mixed, as in small towns or full commercial areas with cafes, gym, library, restaurants, shops, offices and apartments - 64x64 FTW! I try to keep my builds realistic, to the extent possible within the game. I spend a lot of time thinking about details and experimenting in game to get the build and decor just right – not always an easy feat, since I never use CC or mods. Building realistic builds also mean that I don’t place plumbing in the middle of a room or counters in front of full height windows (this might be influenced by my time working in construction IRL).

I take inspiration from my own neighborhood, places I go to or see online, or places from movies, TV shows or other games. I have a lot of weird photos on my phone, of buildings I pass by, amazing roofing solutions and screenshots of houses and rooms from shows and app games.

Apart from community lots, I also like to do somewhat ‘weird and quirky’ builds, like recreating the Smurf village, Uncle Scrooge’s Money Bin, The Incredibles’ home, Hill Valley 1955 or the Isle of Berk.

I do build regular family homes too – mostly recreations of real life homes I’ve been to or seen in shows and movies. And I love to do build challenges, as they kick me out of my comfort zone and give me new inspiration.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS Origin/Sims 4 Gallery: Laireen35 Steam: Laireen Twitter: Laireen35 Instagram: laireen35 Redbubble: Laireen

Sul sul!

I'm Kyka a Fan and Comic Artist, and also a simmer since i was very young. My first Sims game is The Sims 1. I watched my brother play it. I try it and I love it until now! Realise that I love The Sims THAT MUCH, I started to make fanart in 2019.

The first thing I draw is Erwin Pries. Little bit information about me, in 2019 I kind of lost my interest in drawing. That made me play The Sims 4 12 hours per days because I had nothing to do. And then I saw Erwin, he has unique design and personality, that brings up my artistic soul. I draw him so much. On the passage of time, I started to draw the other townies, and remake "cover" from every packs that based on pre-made Sims appeared on the trailer. And that I posted it on my social media. Glad to see people like it, I also make comic based on Sims! You can read it on my Instagram or Webtoon.

You can find me on: Instagram: _Kikkass Twi�er: _Kikkass15 DeviantArt: Kikkass15 Youtube: h�ps://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCSo6XvyGfFfmMYnonp2ffGA Origin id: Kikkass15 Webtoon Creator Name: Kikkass

CORNER

Covering Your Old School Favourites From The Sims Franchise.

Generations have been inspired by the Sims Franchise since it was first released in the year 2000. Since then we have gone from the original version through 2/3 and now in 2021, and we are currently playing the Sims 4. With Mother’s Day being around the corner, we thought we would bring you a chance to reminisce with this wonderful article on family relationships & interactions within the Sims 2, written by IvanaRachelle.

In the year 2000, a new kind of game had just entered the market, and everyone was so excited about The Sims, the first installment in the first life simulation franchise developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. For the first time ever, players can now play with the lives of the Sims (the virtual people in the game), build houses, create Sims, form families, and fulfill their needs of their dayto-day lives. With this game also came limitations, such as children never aging and unclear definition of family relationships. According to The Sims Wiki, “the family relationships in The Sims are very simple. Two Sims are either members of the same family, or they aren't, and all Sims who live in the same house are considered part of the same family. Even when two Sims marry, what makes them part of the same family is that one moves in with the other. That the two Sims are married is not recorded.”

Four years later was the release of the most anticipated sequel of one of the bestselling video games of all time, The Sims 2.

The sequel brought innovations and features never seen before, such as a 3D environment, 3D sim models, advanced build and buy mode, more social interactions, family trees, wants and fears system, aspiration system, and aging. Family and social gameplay has greatly improved from its predecessor. In this article, we’ll look at the family relationships and interactions in The Sims 2.

In this game, family relationships are now defined through the family tree and relationship panel, such as parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, and cousin.

For the first time, Sims can now get pregnant (no more endless kissing and pop-up babies!) and other Sims can talk to the tummy or feel the tummy of the said pregnant sim. The mother should also watch over her needs, as it decays quickly while pregnant.

are not stuck in their bassinets anymore, and parents must buy kids’ furniture from the buy mode, such as cribs, changing tables, highchairs, and baby toys to properly take care of the babies and fulfill their needs. The babies in this game are unselectable without cheats or mods, so only through clues like a stink cloud or crying would the parents know what needs to take care of. They can be fed with milk bottles from the fridge, be bathed in the sink and tub, and have their diapers changed on the changing table by teens and older Sims in the household. Babies can be interacted with by cuddling or playing with them. If they failed at taking care of their children, they can be taken away by the social worker and will be ineligible for adoption.

The soon-to-be-father, Cornwall Capp talking to and feeling the tummy of his pregnant wife Regan Capp.

The other ways to have children in the game are through adoption and alien abduction.

Only male adult Sims who got abducted would get pregnant, and the other parent would always appear in the family tree as Pollination Technician. Like their female counterparts, pregnant male Sims would also need to watch over their needs.

Pascal Curious about to give birth to his alien baby

After the babies are born, it is the parents’ job to take care of their children, from babies until they grow into adults. Babies

Jennifer Burb feeding the baby

When they reach the toddler stage, they now become selectable and their wants/ fears, personality, relationships, and other sim details can now be seen by the players.

Parents can now teach them how to talk, walk, potty, and even nursery rhymes. The toddlers will now start having their own wants, such as learning how to walk, talk and potty, and interacting with their parents. There’s an aspiration reward in the game called Smart Milk, and if toddlers drink it, they can learn their skills very quickly. Other interactions available for toddlers include family kiss (also available for other life stages), peek-a-boo, tickle, toss in air, playing toys with them, and

47

reading books to them. Teaching them the basic skills and taking care of their needs/ wants, or choosing not to, would determine their aspiration meter status and how good or bad the toddlers would grow up. They will have memories of these (the skills they learned, if they grew up well or grew up badly) that they will carry throughout their lives. They can also get taken away by the social worker if they’re neglected.

after they got home from school. If the children are not doing well in school, they’ll get scolded/lectured by the parent.

Above: Headmaster having dinner with the Capp family Below: Cornwall helping his daughter with homework

Above: Toddler Tycho Curious in the crib Below: Vidcund teaching her alien daughter Andromeda how to potty

Parents can also influence the personality of their children (including teens) by encouraging them to be nicer, active, playful, serious, etc.

More interactions are now available between Sims in the child stage and other teen sims and older in the household. When it comes to the children’s education, parents now have the option to enter their children into Private School by inviting the headmaster on the phone and entertaining him. They can also help them do their homework, which would help the children do it faster the next time. Sims with the Knowledge aspiration have a special interaction of imparting knowledge / skills to other Sims. If they get an A+ in their report card, they (and teens too) will run to an adult in the household and show their card

Child Sims can improve relationships with other family members by playing, swinging around, dancing together, playing red hands, etc. and if there are other children in the household, they can draw together at the kids’ activity table and play traditional games like catch, cops and robbers and Mary Mack. Other activities they could do together are watching TV, playing video games, etc. These are just some of the things they can do to fulfill the fun and social needs of all Sims.

Children have this cute detail where they run to their parents after they come home from work to hug them.

Hal Capp hugging his mom Goneril after she came home from work

When it comes to teens, there are new interactions and activities that they can do. They can now take care of their younger siblings like what parents usually do. They can ask permission to go out from their parents and sneak out, but once they’re caught, they’ll surely get scolded.

There is this cute detail where teens and older can tuck children in their bed.

Jill running to her room after witnessing an argument

Once the teens become adults, what many players usually do is move them out of their family home to be on their own or start their own family. Family members who are not living together anymore can have family reunions once in a while and they’ll have good memories of this reunion.

There’s a nice detail in the game, in which the parents who were invited over by the adult sim would spread their arms wide open to greet and hug their son/daughter.

Beau Broke tucking his youngest brother in the bed

Parents would usually want their teen children to get a scholarship and go to college (if The Sims 2: University is installed), and it’s the teens’ job to do well on their studies to achieve that.

When it comes to ugly things happening in the household, like parents arguing with each other (or other sim arguing with the parent), child and teen Sims will run to their room and cry. If the parents (or relatives) got a divorce, or if someone in the family died, all the children would have negative memories of them, and will have them mourn for days

Mary Sue Pleasant greeting her mother Coral Oldie

I hope I covered all the family gameplay here. These are based on my experience playing The Sims 2, and I hope you all like this and would inspire you to try out The Sims 2 for yourself. It really is a fun game that’s full of details, even after 17 years.

Happy Simming!

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Sue Simming: Hey and thank you for agreeing to do this interview for us. Please tell us Who is Kamila?

KamilaYtb: I’m a 20 years old student. I am French Canadian. I’m not sure of what I want to do later in my life but I’ve always been into creative things. I especially love to write, read, sing, and of course, play video games.

SS: When did you start playing The Sims?

Kamila: I think I started when I was around 10 years old. My best friend had Sims 2 and Sims 3 at the time, and we played at her house.

She was the one who made me discover the game and I asked my parents to get it for Christmas. It took me a few years to buy Sims 4 but I don’t regret it! It’s the best edition for a builder like me.

SS: Your builds are amazing, where do you get your inspiration and ideas for building and decorating?

Kamila: When it comes to ideas, I’m rarely lost. There’s a note book I filled with tons of build ideas before starting my channel. Also, being in this community allows me to see amazing builds every day, which is very inspiring. It’s probably a boring answer but when it comes to specific styles, I usually use Pinterest or Google Images.

SS: Everyone seems to be heading to social media to showcase their Sims Creations, Why did you decide to create your YouTube channel?

I wanted to have a Sims 4 building channel for 2-3 years before actually starting one. It took pretty long, I know! I finally started in February 2020 and it was one of the best decisions in my life! I love to share my creations with others. Making YouTube videos is a long process. You need to brainstorm ideas, record, edit the whole footage, record a voiceover, edit again, upload the video and promote it. Even if there’s parts of it I enjoy a little less, I always

have fun when creating my videos. Also, it may sound cliché but I love to help others to feel good and get better at building with my tutorials and speed builds!

SS: How much time goes into creating content for your channel?

Kamila: Hard to tell. I spend one hour on social media management every morning. Then, I spend at least five hours on the content creation part every day. (More than that most of the time) It’s my main occupation at the moment!

SS: Do you make any money from all this hard work?

Kamila: In order to get money from YouTube videos, you need to reach certain requirements.

Those usually take a few months or more than a year to achieve. I was able to reach those and get in the YouTube Partner Program recently. It means I can get a certain amount of money from ads.

SS: How do you keep yourself motivated when you see likes dropping?

Kamila: I’m usually very rational when it comes to these types of things. Studying algorithms helps a lot to understand what you did wrong, and most of the time, it is not your creation. There is a ton of factors to take in account. At what time did you post? What is trendy right now? Were you active on social medias the day before? For creators who are trying to do this seriously, I recommend making research on the subject! It can be complex but it’s also interesting and important. Most importantly, I try to remember I’m not doing any of this for likes, but for my own enjoyment!

SS: How do you handle negative comments from people about your content?

Kamila: I don’t receive a lot of them for now. My community is extremely sweet. When I receive some, it can be hard for me not to answer but I try to tell myself: “If they’re trying to bring you

down, it’s probably because they’re not feeling really good about themselves.’’

SS: What is the best feature that was added to The Sims 4?

Kamila: Platforms are amazing but free windows/doors placement is the best feature that was added in my opinion. I can’t imagine myself living without it anymore! It’s simple, but also very helpful.

SS: What is one thing you would like to add to The Sims 4?

Kamila: I would love the ability to design my own swatches, both for “build and buy” and “create a sim”. Wouldn’t it be amazing to customize everything ourselves? I wish we had that in The Sims 4!

SS: What are your top 5 tips for those looking to step up their building and décor game?

Kamila: Be creative: try to find ways to

use objects differently than you would usually. You would be surprised of everything we can do with simple kitchen cabinets!

Use different ‘’materials’’. Wood, stone, concrete: using a lot of different textures can make a room look ten times better.

Don’t be afraid to use tons of inspiration pictures, both for the interior and the exterior of your builds. You could even mix different real-life houses to create YOUR dream residence.

When you start a new build, maybe you won’t like it at first. Chances are you will change your mind when the landscaping and color scheme are done. Give it some time!

Find your own style. If there’s a thing I learnt since I joined the community, it’s that every builder has a personality of their own. What do you like the most?

Fantasy builds? Family homes? Tiny houses?

Cluttered builds?

Minimal interiors? Build what YOU feel like doing the way YOU feel like doing it and I’m sure you will have great results. The most important thing is to enjoy the process,

and I mean it!

SS: What is something you hope to do or achieve with your channel?

SS: Do you prefer certain builds and décor?

Kamila: For now, I only wish to continue having fun while sharing my creations.

It’s what’s most important for me. I have some projects for the future weeks/ months and they’ll be announced soon!

Kamila: It’s really hard for me to choose because I think every build style has its beauty. I love to try each one of them! I’d say I would definitely choose to live in a cottage instead of a modern home if I had the choice. Victorian homes, container houses and modern mansions tend to impress me too!

Find KamilaYtb on the below social media platforms. https://www.youtube.com/c/KamilaYtb https://www.instagram.com/kamila_ytb/

SS: How do you stay motivated to create content when you hit a creative slump?

Kamila: Sometimes, creators need to take a break and it’s perfectly fine. When I have some ideas but don’t actually have any inspiration to execute them, I go do something else than building. It’s also important to remember that these periods won’t last forever. Don’t feel bad if you need a break, everyone needs one sometimes!

For me, the key is not to force yourself when you don’t feel like creating content.

https://twitter.com/KamilaYtb https://discord.com/invite/HbGPSYaDxZ

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BUILD A BETTER LIFE WITH THE MOM CAVE

It's hard to believe that it's been a year (at least in my area) since the first shutdowns and quarantines began. In the last 12 months, "family time" has looked very different. For many, it's meant separation, and for others, it's meant sharing space in ways they had never experienced before.

Everyday living spaces became home offices, classrooms, gathering rooms, playrooms, and bedrooms for family members who needed a place to quarantine. Spaces began to look different and feel different. Containing time began to look and feel different too. Parents were now juggling teaching with working, simply trying to manage their own feelings of uncertainty while adjusting to what felt like an overnight paradigm shift in life.

I'm not sure many of us realized we would still be here a year later. Yet, here we are.

While this past year has had its fair share of stressors, there have also been positives that have come. For many families, this time has Involved a slowing down of what was an otherwise fastpaced life. Many have shared that they've had more time to play with their children and to take a step back to re-evaluate what is truly important in their lives.

Whether you’ve experienced frustration learning “New Math” as you teach your children, or found that you actually enjoy

working from home and having more time with your family around you, there are a few things to consider as we continue to manage our lives during this pandemic.

It Feels Different Because It Is Different: At the start of the pandemic when many were just experiencing the changes of how they “contained” their time (which I'll explain in a bit), those I was coaching would share feelings that they "should" be doing this or "shouldn't" be doing that.

First, let me start by saying, "Don't 'should' on yourself." This is all new, and no one really knows how to feel or what to do.

Since the beginning, we've all been trying to figure it out day-byday.

We naturally don’t know how to do this, because it’s n e v e r happened to us before. Be gentle with yourself and others if there is stress or

or anxiety about managing a day that feels different, novel, or outright hard.

Get through it the best you can.

Rethink the Time “Container”: The what? That's right, the "time container." When we get into our routines, we form schedules or "containers" of how we experience time. For many, their usual containers are now gone. The containers of the office or the activities that are not available right now. The container of kids physically going to school, sports and to their friends' houses. Those containers have mostly vanished. Take time to sit with your day. What does it look like now? If you're a visual person, take time to write out the things you must get accomplished, hope to get accomplished, and wish you could do. Or, if you're like me with a short attention span (unless I'm doing something creative), then try something like the Pomodoro Method, where you do tasks in manageable timed chunks. Most of all, realize that not all time has to be filled. In fact, if you still have downtime or more time that feels free-flowing, allow it to be just that, free-flowing. Read that book that's been collecting dust, or binge your favorite show or YT series (I have a few if you run out *wink wink).

Give Space/Share Space: This is the biggie! Space can feel really small, really quickly. My husband and I are empty-nesters and have the luxury of having our own spaces. He has "The Man Cave," and I have "The Mom Cave," and yes, that's how I got my creative name! But it wasn't always that way. We raised our kids in a small house with little free space.

Perhaps you can work with your family to create "zone's' or "zone time." Your zone might be your bedroom or the bathtub.

For work, create a work space if possible that is just yours. If not, then get a plastic container or file box where you can keep

or file box where you can keep your work safely out of reach. That way, when it is time to work, you can easily find your work and bring it out. When it is time to stop, then it gets put away. Have your kids do the same. This way, you can reclaim the common spaces for other activities without work/school infringing on them.

Be Gentle: Be gentle with yourself and each other. If you need a break, take one. If your kids are acting more emotional, or seem to be more challenging, remember that they too are experiencing stress. Be gentle with yourself and with each other. Take those family time-outs. Be honest with your kids, partners, whomever you share space with when you need alone time. It does not make you a bad partner or parent. It will

or file box where you can keep your work safely out of reach. That way, when it is time to work, you can easily find your work and bring it out. When it is time to stop, then it gets put away. Have your kids do the same. This way, you can reclaim the common spaces for other activities without work/school infringing on them.

Send your thoughts and questions to me at TMC.simmedup@gmail.com - your identity will always be kept confidential

Be Gentle: Be gentle with yourself and each other. If you need a break, take one. If your kids are acting more emotional, or seem to be more challenging, remember that they too are experiencing stress. Be gentle with yourself and with each other. Take those family time-outs. Be honest with your kids, partners, whomever you share space with when you need alone time. It does not make you a bad partner or parent. It will make you a better one.

Stay Connected: Lastly, I want to acknowledge that some have had to be separated from their families, whether it's due to their profession or their proximity or something else. I also want to normalize the grief that comes with this. We celebrated Christmas with my parents over Zoom. It was weird and not as good, but it was something.

Watch parties have become a thing on many platforms. Facetime and other video chats (while not the same) are second-best and can still be fun. Remember that staying safe means that you can have an extralong hug next time.

There has been a lot of change, and with any change, there comes adjustment, feelings, and experiences that surprise the daylights out of us. Our families look different right now because they are different right now. Be gentle with yourself and each other.

Let’s keep the conversation going: Send

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEMOMCAVE VISIT HER ON: TWITTER YOUTUBE TWITCH AND INSTAGRAM

YOU CAN ALSO FIND THEMOMCAVE ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.SIMMEDUP.CO.UK

Simspiration

By K8Simsley

Enhance Family Game Play With Memories and Sentiments.

With Mother's Day fast approaching (and

It is no secret that family gameplay in the

the ongoing pandemic still in full swing

Sims 4 is lacking. In fact, the forums at

around the globe), I have recently been

Sims.com are full of complaints about

thinking a lot about family. As a mother

family life in the game. While having

myself, I can honestly tell you that children

babies that are objects – not actual,

bring so much joy to your life – even when

playable beings – can be frustrating, EA

they are driving you completely crazy.

has attempted to appease the masses by

Sure, I dream of wringing my children's little

introducing Sentiments in The Sims 4.

necks (much like Homer often did to Bart in The Simpsons). However, I don't. Because, despite regularly questioning the choices that led these little demons to my doorstep, I would not give up my life as a mom for anything in the world.

While I love being a parent in real life, I hate children in The Sims, and I rarely indulge in family gameplay. When I play the game

Sentiments were part of a free update to

(which is rare, as I prefer building), I tend to

the base game that coincided with the

create and play single Sims with no children.

Snowy Escape expansion pack release in

I have even made myself without kids as a

November of 2020. This feature works

way of living out the life I sometimes (okay.

with the Sims Profile System, which lets

often) wish I had. Unfortunately (despite

you see how your Sims feel about

copious amounts of wine and some

experiences in their lives and form

hazardous interactions), I always wind up

deeper bonds with other sims. Sentiments

getting bored and having children in the

are created when two Sims have a shared

end. Perhaps, this is because kids (in real

experience or interaction. Although, this

life and The Sims) give you purpose and fill

does not mean that they necessarily have

time. Sure, they are a real pain in the..., but

shared feelings of that experience.

they are your pain, and they become a

Sentiments impact the way your Sims feel

part of who you are as a person.

and

act

towards

another

and

are

dependent on whether they are positive So, with Mother's day on the horizon, I

or negative.

ponder…

45

For example, your Sims might gain romantic Sentiments if they go on a date, or they could acquire a negative emotion should they catch their spouse cheating.

Each Sim can have up to four Sentiments about another Sim, but these go both ways, and you may find that your Sim feels differently about a shared experience than the other Sim. The aim of the Sentiment System in The Sims 4 is to give Sims some personality.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels that they hit their mark…

Comparing the various versions of the game, Sims 4 is seen as the most vanilla. In the past, post-release content was a way for The Sims to play with outrageous themes and ideas that were not included with the base game. Many say that expansion packs in The Sims 4 are merely content that should have been included in the first place. For example, despite TS3 lacking the formal emotional system present in Sims 4, its base game had plenty of emotional depth and ways to add distinct personalities to your sims.

Emotions in The Sims 3 tended to last longer, and traits played a significant role in autonomous behaviors. Therefore, how your Sim felt in the moment could potentially impact the outcome of their story down the line. Still, The Sims 4 has much better CAS and plenty of new and exciting features that have players continually craving more.

The various games differed in their life stages as well. Sims 2 and 3 had the most variety, with Sims 2 having six life stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, adult, elder), and TS3 having seven (baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, elder). While there have been many ongoing complaints about babies being objects in The Sims 4, this is not new. The original Sims game also featured babies as objects rather than actual, functioning, playable sims. So while you may wish for better babies in TS4, these 'objects' should not stop you from enjoying the gameplay because (let's be honest) babies in real life are just as dull and annoying.

It is time to consider Sentiments compared to the previous games to look at how they impact family dynamics positively and negatively.

Sims 2 and 3 had memories, where Sims 4 has Sentiments.

The Sentiments feature of The Sims 4 is meant to encourage gameplay and is perfect for family interactions. While Sims 3 did not have this Sentiment system, it had memories that allowed your sims to look back at moments with fondness.

However, many people do not know that you can create memories in The Sims 4, but it is a user-driven feature.

To create a memory in The Sims 4: Memories are made in the Screenshot Manager of the game. The Manager is linked to the screenshots folder on your computer.

Usually found here: C:\Users\UsernameHere\Documents\Electr onic Arts\The Sims 4\Screenshots To add a memory, do the following: 1.

Open the Screenshot Manager

2.

Pick the screenshot you want for your memory and click on it.

3.

Write a description (optional)

4.

Press the Make Memory button to add as a memory Note: memories don't get added to a specific album, so you'll have to revisit them in the Screenshot Manager.

In Memory Details, there are a couple of things you can do: ● Sims will be automatically tagged in the memory. You can delete the memory for a specific Sim by hovering over their portrait and clicking the cross. ○ You can also Re-apply the memory by clicking the Recall Tagged Sims button. ● Relive the moment by clicking the Have Sims reminisce on the Memory interaction. Doing this will give your Sim a four-hour moodlet, boosting the emotion from memory. ● Adding a description (if you haven't already) can be done from this screen and may help you and your Sim recall specific memories. ● You can also delete the memory if you don't want it anymore.

This fun feature can help you to create family memories for your Sims that ignite

feelings of love, happiness, etc., within the game. However, in some ways, they are more for your pleasure than the Sims themselves.

Still, coupled with Sentiments, this feature allows you to build a solid set of memories for each of your Sims. You can use this to create a backstory or look back and reflect using the screenshot manager.

Although this solution may not be ideal (and it is not the same as having Sims form personal choice memories), it is an option at least. It also prevents Sims from dwelling on useless memories that you wish you could forget.

Using sentiments and memories to create unforgettable family gameplay: There are a wide variety of sentiments that you can gain in The Sims 4. The brief list below may spark ideas that can help to enhance your family gameplay. While it seems most of these sentiments are randomly assigned and difficult to mimic, the list can give you an idea of when and how they form.

● Deeply Connected – Sim #1 has a powerful bond with Sim #2, which is a strength and comfort source.

Imagine a parent and child who spend quality time together or siblings who share secrets ● Closer after a Fun Party – Celebrations can bring Sims together, literally and emotionally. The party's over, but Sim #1 still feels its afterglow when they spend time around Sim #2.

This sentiment can occur after any party but may happen after a parent throws a birthday party for their child. ● Fun in the Snow – A little fun in the snow is a reminder of the simple joys in life. Sim #1 wouldn't mind playing in the snow with Sim #2 again sometime!

This one is self-explanatory – Enjoy some fun in the snow. ● Closer from Happy Memories – This Sim feels close to the other Sim because of the good times and happy memories they share.

This sentiment might occur after a family outing, a date, or a good day together.

● Adoring – Sim #1 wants the best for Sim #2 and thinks they are so wonderful!

Think of a parent who is watching their child learn and grow.

● Growing Closer from Quality Time – This Sim appreciates that the other Sim makes time for them, bringing them closer together. Spending time with your family members, just as in real life, lets them know that you love them and makes them feel good inside.

● Impressed – Sim #2 sure knows what they are doing, and Sim #1 has nothing but respect.

A father who helps his son with a homework project, for example, or fixes a broken dollhouse faucet while the child watches.

The sentiments listed above are only a few of those available in-game, but you get the idea. Spending time with your Sim children, just as in real life, creates fond memories that they can reflect on and brings the two of you closer together.

Useful Positive Sentiments:

Building a bond in The Sims is much the same as it is in the real world, and it takes time and effort. Find small moments that make your heart beat a bit faster and enjoy them while they last. If there is one lesson we can learn from Sentiments in The Sims 4, it is that life is too short, and we need to enjoy each and every moment.

Set forth and build memories with those closest to you this Mother's Day. Whatever family looks like to you, it is valuable, and time flies far too fast to let it slip by unacknowledged.

To all the moms out there reading this post, I hope that you have a fantastic Mother's Day, and I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how truly amazing you are.

Carry on Simming my superheroes. The world would be lost without you!

https://extratime.media/

CAPRiCORNSiMS ON TUMBLR

With Minread Join us on an adventure in Sims photography.

We will start off with some of the basics of using the Sims camera controls and will focus on some uses for the technique of camera zoom.

Hi, I'm Bogey Mann and I'll be the model for today's lesson. I will share my gyoza and sim-tography tips with you today.

Our topic is ZOOM; the photography technique, not the app for video chat meetings.

Let's start with some basics because I want to make sure we are all on the same page.

I play The Sims 4 on PC with a mouse but the keyboard shortcuts are going to be the same on laptop or mac. If you are a console player or play Sims 3 or older you can still play along since the concepts will be the same across platforms.

When taking photos for storytelling or any project where you are showing off your build or your sims in action it is always going to look best with walls up, not down like this.

There is a time and place for having your plumbobs and thought bubbles exposed, even in storytelling, but usually we want to be working with them turned off.

Open the cheat bar first “ctrl+shift+c” then enter “headlineeffects off” to get rid of them.

I highly recommend that you use the Sims 3 camera. It allows you to have much more flexibility in terms of camera movement including the ability to tilt the camera angle with a simple scroll of the mouse wheel or touch pad.

If you have not been using it all along it may take some getting used to, but it is worth it.

Zoom IN to emphasise or draw attention to the most important feature or subject of your image that might otherwise get lost in all of the noise, excitement or distraction going on in the rest of the scene.

Zoom OUT to create a sense of vastness or to show how small a thing is in perspective to the whole of the scene. It can be a great way to Indicate that a sim character is small or lonely or lost for example.

A succession of images gradually zooming in or out can indicate movement or perspective.

Each level of zoomy-ness lends to a different feel or emphasises something different that you are aiming to portray.

Camera Controls and Hot Keys First things first - using the camera in TAB mode.

While in live mode the HUD is visible on your screen.

You can take screenshots in live mode and the HUD will not be captured, but when you click TAB you have a whole new range of motion for your camera.

For true zooming in and out: - the centre scroll wheel on your mouse - the + and - keys For panning or to draw in and out: W for getting closer, and S for backing out Play around with how each of these differs and too see which feels right for you.

Caution, when you use the zoom keys (scroll or +/-) you will notice a distortion in the scene if you scroll too far.

Sometimes this can be a planned visual effect, but usually it is something you want to avoid.

Use W/S keys as a way to back out or draw in without the distortion.

Sometimes when you are drawing the camera back you will find a frustrating object that gets in the way. Sometimes you can just move the object temporarily, but if you can't this is a time for scrolling the use button or using -/+ keys to zoom back then use W to draw back in again.

This is difficult to describe, but by using a combination of zooming then moving the camera back and forth you will be able to get a clean image without the unsightly obstacles

I hope that you will take what you have learned and explore how to use the zoom techniques to improve your screenshots or to add more dimension and ambience to achieve the effect you are aiming for in your shots.

Please share your pictures where you used ZOOM to get different effects with us by tagging #SUPSimtography and #simmedupmag and tag me @Minraed on Tumblr or Instagram @minraedarzhel on Twitter for a chance to be featured.

Get them in the gallery.

Bogey Mann

by Minraed Hanimagawa Street Food by Wafl

Come back next issue where we will explore "the rule of thirds" and play around with square format Simstagram-style photos.

He grew to love this town and knew he would never leave once he found the perfect apartment right above his favourite ramen shop.

The ramen shop downstairs was his favourite in the town. He could eat on a budget and people watch while he studied.

He approached the table with an awkward grin that hinted at both anticipation and trepidation at the same time. He would be tasting marinated eel gyoza for the first time.

The exact same scene, but each zoom in has a different focus. Share your three part zoomed mini story with us.

MAKING A SIMMER In this issue of Making a Simmer, we catch up with the very talented

KawaiiFoxita who burst onto the Sims Scene in 2020 with her amazing designs and we find out more on how she started with the Sims, to giving you a little advice.

SU: Can you tell us more about yourself and how you decided on your social media username?

K: I've been streaming on Twitch for almost 5 years & originally used a different name. After a break, some friends of mine suggested I use a new name as a fresh beginning & as I'm small & love the Japanese aesthetic, Kawaii was the first suggestion. Foxita was added because I like foxes.

SU: How did you get started with the Sims?

K: I began playing The Sims 4 in April of 2020 but started out just renovating some apartments because I was too scared to try building anything! Once I'd grown a little bit more in confidence I decided to challenge myself more with what I create. As soon as I was told about custom content, it was game over! I was obsessed!

SU: I see you are an Interior Design Student. How has that compared to doing interior design in the Sims?

K: Honestly I'm doing interior design BECAUSE of the Sims. The Sims inspired me to try it. I've had so much positive feedback from my designs & people saying "You should be an Architect or Interior Designer" so I thought... why not? I love it. I lost my job in August of last year so I signed up & now I'm studying to hopefully make it a future career. The Sims 4 is a fantastic rendering tool & I hope to inspire others as I have been inspired.

SU: Where do you get your inspiration from?

K: Interior design magazines, websites & other builders. There are so many incredibly talented builders in the Sims community & they challenge me all the time to up my game. It's because

of others that I have built bigger & better, but even now I still think I'm lacking!

SU: What kind of Sims 4 Packs would you want to see in the future that can benefit a builder’s perspective?

K: This is a tough question & I know one of many debates in the community, but I'd really just love some good furniture packs. The stuff we have is good for midcentury or earlier, but there is hardly any contemporary. I think it all needs updating to feel fresher. Also, swatch pickers! Also, matching top cabinets to base cabinets! :) Builders are a huge part of the community but it gets very difficult when we only have a handful of options. Also, I really hope that the team fixes the bugs such as mirrors & platforms as these are

so important to us.

I'm thrilled that they are partnering up with custom content creators & I really hope that they continue to do so because we need up-to-date styles that are available to everyone on every platform, not just PC players with CC. SU: Do you have a few tips for our readers on how they can improve their Sims interior design homes?

K: I'm not really sure I can give any advice, though I do a few things before I fit out a build: 1. Think of the people living there & their backstory, 2. Think of the flow of the space & how they'd use it. 3. Create a cohesive color scheme & style. 4. Lots of big windows & skylights! 5. Use references from magazines & the internet.

Fed up of being left behind? Need more views?

Subs? Followers?

Then advertise with simmedup magazine and this space could be yours.

Various advertising packages at low prices available. email: customerservices@simmedup.co.uk

February 19 - March 20 February has been a busy month (considering we are in a pandemic). Not only have you had things to deal with at work, but home has been hectic in that nothing seems to be getting done right now.

Take time to adjust, you deserve YOU time, and that means just you, not you and somebody else no matter who it is. As we head into March take that time, let your mind relax and give yourself the reboot you so desperately need.

SiMSCOPES

March 21 - April 19

Ever heard of March winds April showers? Well with March bringing fresh energy into your life, things are starting to look up. Not only is that goal you have been wanting to reach closer, its within your grasp. Take a leap of faith and everything will work out.

April 20 - May 20 Hey ho Taurus, or should I say HIGH ho? You are full of beans this month and your energy is a pleasure to be around. No matter who you come into contact with this month, you are going to leave them buzzing.

Good for you, stay happy.

May 21 - June 21 Thank you Gemini for being a consistent joker, but isn’t it time you stopped hiding your true feelings behind this mask you show everyone else? It’s time to open up and really talk to that special person in your life, you know you need to.

June 22 - July 22 Snip Snap Cancer, time is running out, get focused and start putting things into perspective. You have two choices this month, either go for it and enjoy the spoils, or don’t and just don’t.

July 23 - August 22 Why are you so Hangry this month? Stop feeding the beast within, let go and move forward. Times have changed and so have the people around you. This is normal human behaviour, time you learned to stop fighting everything on your own. A trouble shared is a trouble halved.

August 23 - September 22 You are a sassy one this month! Where has all this bravado come from? Just remember that some people are your true friends, even if you don’t like hearing what they have to say. Swallow your pride and yes apologise, that four letter word can go a long way when used right.

September 23 - October 23 Yes and no, you cannot decide yet again, when it comes to being balanced one small tip and you are all over the place. Its OK to say no, its OK to not do anything and its OK to not brush your teeth (for one day). Its OK to not have to please everyone all the time. Do you get my drift?

October 24 - November 21 Yes yes and yes, everything you want and need the answer is yes, but are you willing to work for it? The Time has come for you to march forward to gain the things you want, be strong and use that wilful mind of yours. Anything you set your mind to can be yours, if you are just willing to push yourself that little bit extra.

November 22 - December 21 Another month and here you are sitting pretty. You are the social butterfly the world needs right now or at Least your own social circle. Grab the phone, go for a walk, video call. Just Make sure to keep in touch with Those who are important to you. Your positivity is just what they need right now and you need to release Some of this pent up energy before we head in April.

December 22 - January 19 Don’t believe everything you hear but also make sure To listen to what you are being told. There are Underlying meaning in the words being spoken if only you take time to really listen. Once in a while you can be surprised by what even you can pick up if you take the time to sift through all the bull poop that's being spread about.

January 20 - February 18 Your a true friend, honest and reliable, but you can Tend to day dream about things and then let them go.

Don’t give up on this dream you have been having lately. It’s reoccurring for a reason. Look at the message and follow what it tells you. Sometimes there really is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Written By Grace

SimmErika

It is so great to one day be scrolling through Simstagram and then stumble upon a baby feeding pose pack! So meaningful and something so vital in the lives of many families. Your personal touch behind the creation of the poses can surely resonate with a lot of moms out there. It is a pleasure to be speaking with you today and sharing your story with our readers.

Laar.Studio: Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? Where are you from, what did you do before you

LS: How and when did you discover and started playing The Sims?

SE: I first discovered The Sims when I was in 6th grade, around the era of Sims 2. My friend was actually the one who owned the game and we played whenever I was at her house. We would get zero sleep so we could stay up all night and make imaginary families with our school crushes, which is a bit embarrassing to admit out loud even after all this time! Eventually my parents got me my own laptop and by then Sims 3 came out, so I was able to play on my own! I started playing Sims 4 almost as soon as it was released.

started playing sims, and anything else you are comfortable sharing?

SimmErika: First off, I just wanted to say

LS: What was it about the game that fascinated you most, and which game?

thank you so much for this opportunity! I never

imagined

my

little

Simstagram

account would get this kind of recognition in all my wildest dreams!

I’m 25 years old, a single mom living in Massachusetts with my two young sons.

Before I got back into the Sims in the early 2020, I was just really wrapped up in parenting. I wasn’t making time for myself, for any hobbies or anything. I was actually really

stressed

out

and

SE: I love the idea of “living” a fantasy life.

You can be anyone, do anything, live anywhere, and explore different parts of gameplay to make it whatever you want!

Sims 4 as a whole – expansion, game, and stuff packs included, is just always so fun to me. I never run out of things to do because every choice you make will influence gameplay later. When real life gets stressful, it’s nice to unwind with some imaginary life!

depressed

because I wasn’t doing much to make myself happy outside of my role as a mother. But I got back into the game when my now-ex-husband got a gaming PC and I reinstalled Sims 4 and decided to start my Instagram

account!

In

case

you’re

wondering where my Instagram handle comes from, it’s a simple play on words by combining the end of “Simmer” with my first name.

LS: What aspect of the game do you play with most, CAS, Build Mode, Storytelling?

SE: It’s hard to tell! I spend a lot of time building since I try to share builds weekly, but I also spend a lot of time in gameplay to set up my storytelling which also ties into CAS because you always need the perfect outfit to go along with your story! So overall, I probably spend all my in-game time evenly between the three

LS: How did you get into pose making (a little history)?

SE: I was actually getting a little bored with just sharing gameplay screenshots on my Simstagram. A friend told me about the Teleporter and Pose Player mods so I could give my Sim a maternity photoshoot! As soon as I started using poses, I was hooked. However, I’m also a perfectionist and I couldn’t find the exact poses I wanted for Simsta-worthy screenshots. So, I took to YouTube and Katverse’s tutorials and decided to learn how to do it myself so I could create exactly what I wanted!

From then it became an obsession and I wanted to share my ideas with other Simmers, so I started my Patreon in late 2020!

“A friend told me about the Teleporter and Pose Player mods so I could give my Sim a maternity photoshoot!”

LS: What inspired you to create the breast-feeding pose pack?

SE: I’m currently competing in the first season of the Strike a Pose competition (@strikeapose.simsta on Instagram) and one of the challenges was a pose pack that fell under the category “Feeding Baby”. As a mom and someone who fought to reach a year of nursing with my youngest through several struggles, I immediately knew I wanted to create a pose pack celebrating that victory. I chose to highlight important moments: the first latch, the cute bonding when the baby is a few months older, and the uncomfortable reality that is nursing a mobile baby. As a mom with some touch-related sensory triggers, making it through that can be quite a struggle. I wanted to highlight that while it is a beautiful thing to accomplish nursing for a year or longer, it’s not always beautiful or comfortable. To my total surprise, that pose pack actually placed first in the round!

LS: What would you say to the people out there that still think breast-feeding should only be done at home?

LS: What do you think of the new term 'chest-feeding’ instead of ‘breastfeeding' (This is currently being advised in the UK for maternity professionals)?

SE: If this wasn’t a published magazine, I would choose my words much less carefully. Breastfeeding is THE most natural thing in the world, but due to a Western culture that over sexualizes just about anything it has suddenly become “taboo”.

SE: It’s difficult for me to put my opinion into words on this one. Speaking in terms of anatomy, everyone has breasts. The only difference between male and female is that males produce testosterone to prevent the tissue growth that girls/ women experience during puberty (information obtained from a somewhat hasty Google search). From that purely analytical standpoint, there’s no need to adjust the terminology. I can understand why someone in the LGBTQ+ community might want to use “chest-feeding” because we commonly associate the word “breasts'' with femininity and every situation may be different based on identity and pronoun preference, and I fully support anyone’s decision to use whatever term they prefer. I personally

Imagine telling an adult that they should only eat at home because eating in public is gross? Exactly. You wouldn’t because that’s ridiculous.

Women already have a hard job in raising children that easily isolates us because it’s a 24/7 job. There is absolutely no reason to be isolating moms even more just for feeding our children. Somehow moms can’t get any slack: we get shamed for nursing in public, and then if we whip out a bottle (whether formula or pumped breast milk), we are just as heartily shamed for not nursing.

This topic gets me incredibly defensive because I cannot believe there are still people who think women do it for any other reason than just feeding their child the way our bodies were designed to do!

“If this wasn’t a published magazine, I would choose my words much less carefully. Breastfeeding is THE most natural thing in the world”

just prefer “breastfeeding” or “nursing”.

LS: Are there any simmers out there which have inspired you on your sims journey?

SE: Oh my gosh absolutely! Obviously, there’s Katverse on Instagram/YouTube who I’ve learned everything about pose making from. When it comes to builders, I have to say Alana at @coki.creative, @mardyyardy, and @richiepotato to name a few! I love SO many creators.

When it comes to storytelling, @starrysimsie,@branbloomridge, and

from gameplay screenshots to scripted dialogue posts! Like I said, there are so many more I’d love to shout out here, but it would take just too much time.

LS: What are some of your favourite creations so far?

SE: I created a barn house loft that definitely has a piece of my heart, and my other top creation would probably have to be a cute little A-frame house I built to be a Rental lot in Mt. Komorebi. The Aframe was actually one of my first builds to hit 100 downloads on the EA Gallery!

LS:. Is Instagram your main social media channel where you showcase your creations?

SE: Yes! I am a busy mom of two on top of working from home and operating my Simstagram and attempting to have a social life, so creating content for another platform would just be too much on my plate. On Instagram, everything is in one place & it gives me a chance to connect with and hype up other creators!

LS: Where do you see yourself in the future within the Simstagram community, is there anything you have not done but would really like to do?

SE: I really just want to be someone in the community people feel like they can come to for help. I was a beginner once too, and branding/editing/software can get tricky!

Everyone deserves that support regardless of their follower count. I’d love to hit 10,000 followers someday because I just like to shoot for the moon! A kind of “bucket list” thing I’d love to do within Simstagram is a build collaboration with some well-known builders!

LS: Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

SE: If you’re debating starting a Simsta, just do it! It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even pretty, you will figure out your style as you go! Just do what YOU think is fun, don’t put the pressure on yourself when it comes to the amount you’re posting. We all have lives outside of the game and it’s just that – a game. While we all enjoy sharing our love for it in all our gloriously different ways, take the pressure off yourself and keep it fun! And if you enjoyed this interview, give me a follow on Instagram!

SimmErika on Instagram

Do's 1. Spruce up the space under the stairs any way you want any packs, any cc, let your creativity flow!

2. Does not have to be functional.

3. Download from the gallery using #laarstudiospandrel 4. Upload an image to instagram, with the above hashtag, in your description see my example post for inspo.

5. Enter as many times as you like.

Dont's 1. Don't touch the exterior walls and the size of build must remain 4x3, you can remove the wall and door under the stairs if you want to make it open plan.

Find this challenge on Instagram: laar.studio

The Sims 4 Challenges.

Good A�ernoon Simmers, The Sims 4 Challenges is very proud to showcase Candace Kelley as the winner of our Back to School Challenge.

Candace, along side twelve other builders, started this journey thirteen weeks ago. Each week the builders were given a new round, with a new theme for each round. And every week, the group picked new winners, by vo�ng for the entry they liked most. Each week, Candace persevered.

A�ached is some of Candace's work but you can check her out on the gallery, username: candykelley or on Instagram as: candy4sims or on YouTube under: candy4sims. She can also be found sharing her work in the group: www.Facebook.com/groups/631766160710366/?ref=share .

In her own words: I'm a 40 year old, married mommy of 2 beau�ful girls!! I've been playing the sims since the very beginning and sims 4 is my favorite, second being sims 2. I love crea�ng builds and CAS characters in my spare �me and sharing them with others. I also love to see others crea�ons and am always wowed what so many can do and I try to learn my best from them!! Also thanks for the challenge. This one is my all-�me favorite for building challenges, all the rooms go so well together and I loved how it turned out!!

Please join us over at The Sims 4 Challenges. We look forward to challenging you!

Admin, Jesi

Congratulations