Since we have moved, we have less space for all of our stuff. This means that important decisions must be made because we have to cull through our items.

From tool storage to game storage, we need solutions for practically everything we own. Our video games are our most prized possession, so they take top priority although tools are kind of important, too.

Our current entertainment center lacks proper storage, so we’re thinking of either adding shelves or a bookcase to compensate. I’m not sure how either will work out. All I know is that something needs to be done soon before our stuff becomes a huge mess.

Tis the season for giving and when it comes to fun gifts, there’s not many that can top a video game. Casual games make a great gift because of their vast appeal and fun game play. Want to give a gift they will truly appreciate? Then take a look at the Romperz Holiday gift guide for casual games. While my list may not contain any romantic christmas gifts, it does contain some of the best casual games we have played this year.

Peggle Deluxe is a fun casual game that reminds me most of pinball. Hours of fun even after you finish the main game.

Cake Mania 2 is the sequel to the popular Cake Mania. This is one of my favorite time management games. Bring on the baking.

Fairy Godmother Tycoon takes the fairy tale world to a whole new level. In this game you must help fairy godmother restore her potion shop and still be viable in the ever changing market.

The 80s Game with Martha Quinn will help those who grew up in the 80s to relive some great memories thanks to this fun trivia game.

Hidden Expedition: Everest without a doubt my favorite hidden object game. The unlockable video content makes this not only a fun game but an eduational one, too.

While at Best Buy tonight, Wii Boogie was playing on the Nintendo Wii and had my two-year-old mesmerized. I do have to admit that it made me want to break out my platform shoes and get down.

Wii Boogie is one of those games that interests me but with so many other music games, I wonder just how much it will stand out. Of course, the Wii version will no doubt make use of the Wii remote and therefore possibly more engaging.

It did have the little one enthralled, so it wouldn’t be a bad investment that’s for sure.

After seeing Rock Band at our local gaming store, I’m finally getting excited about this game. Take a look at this list of rockin’ songs.

1960s
Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter”

1970s
Aerosmith “Train Kept a Rollin’”*
The Who “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
Boston “Foreplay/Long Time”
Mountain “Mississippi Queen”*
The Police “Next to You”
David Bowie “Suffragette City”
Black Sabbath “Paranoid”*
Blue Oyster Cult “Don’t Fear the Reaper”
The Ramones “Blitzkrieg Bop”
Deep Purple “Highway Star”
KISS “Detroit Rock City”
Molly Hatchet “Flirtin’ With Disaster”
The Outlaws “Green Grass & High Tides”*
Sweet “Ballroom Blitz”*

1980s
Rush “Tom Sawyer”*
Bon Jovi “Wanted Dead or Alive”
The Clash “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
Faith No More “Epic”
R.E.M. “Orange Crush”
Iron Maiden “Run to the Hills”*

1990s
Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly”
Metallica “Enter Sandman”
Nirvana “In Bloom”
Stone Temple Pilots “Vasoline”
Weezer “Say It Ain’t So”
Smashing Pumpkins “Cherub Rock”
Radiohead “Creep”
Beastie Boys “Sabotage”
Hole “Celebrity Skin”
Garbage “I Think I’m Paranoid”
Soundgarden “Black Hole Sun”
Pixies “Wave of Mutilation”

2000s
The Hives “Main Offender”
Queens of the Stone Age “Go With the Flow”
The Strokes “Reptilia”
Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
OK Go “Here It Goes Again”
Nine Inch Nails “The Hand That Feeds”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Maps”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Dani California”
Coheed & Cambria “Welcome Home”
Fallout Boy “Dead on Arrival”
The Killers “When You Were Young”
New Pornographers “Electric Version”

I feel like I am getting sick, which is the worse feeling in the world. My head aches, I am really congested, and I ache all over. Yep, that definitely sounds like a cold is about to hit me. One of the other side effects of when I’m sick is sensitive teeth. I brush my teeth at least twice a day, so when my gums and mouth are sensitive to cold or the toothbrush it makes me that much more miserable.

I have never tried a sensitive toothpaste before but willing to give it a shot. After using Biotene for a few days, I did notice a difference in the level of sensitivity of my teeth. It seems better, so that is a good thing since brushing my teeth always makes me feel better and I really need those little pick-me-ups when I’m sick.

Biotene also helps with dry mouth. It seemed to help with this as I always suffer from dry mouth after eating pizza. After brushing with Biotene, I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night really needing a drink of water.

The toothpaste itself is much different from what I’m use to. It’s not minty flavored nor does it foam up, so it takes a little getting used to. I kept wanting to add toothpaste to my brush since I wasn’t getting a lot of foam. It still works just using a regular amount of toothpaste each time you brush your teeth.

Biotene sensitive toothpaste has really made this latest cold more bearable since I don’t have to worry about sensitive teeth and gums. Too bad it doesn’t come packed with Vitamin C or who knows, I might not have gotten sick in the first place.

Child’s Play is a charity that was founded by gamers and has been called the gamer’s charity. Each year, Child’s Play raises money for children’s hospital around the globe. The first year it helped the Seattle children’s hospital and possibly a few others. It really has grown in recent years.

What they do is buy games and toys for children who are in the hospital at Christmas. I had a niece who spent one Christmas in the hospital. The nurses brought her a present to open. It was a coloring book and colors. It really made her day. A little something on Christmas day when you are sick, especially to a child in a hospital, I believe can really help in the healing process.

Gamers have a bad rap for being selfish and never thinking of others, which is the furtherest thing from the truth. So far, Child’s Play has raised about $325,000. Their goal is $750,000.

Romperz has pledged 10% of November earnings from this site to go to Child’s Play. So far, Romperz has donated $10 and hopes to have a stellar end of the month to be able to contribute more.

Child’s Play is a wonderful charity. Click on the link in this post to visit them or click on the banner located close to the bottom of the page.

Second Life is one of those games that I keep thinking that I will play eventually. I haven’t tried it yet. Many things I have heard about the game like it’s addicting and fun. Apparently even businesses are creating their own virtual spot in Second Life. It is a game that I hope to experience on day.

I tried playing on my laptop but it was incredibly slow. Soon I will have to try it again. Just the other day I read about Drew Carey playing Second Life. Sometimes he and his girlfriend will have a virtual date in-game when they are not in the same city. How cool, yet incredibly geeky, is that?

Ever since I read that my desire to play the game has been renewed. Hopefully I can give it a go on the PC sometime soon and see what it is all about.

One of my favorite candies for Valentine’s Day is the little hearts with sayings on them. While they are OK to eat, it’s fun to read the little messages on them. When I was asked if I would like to take part in reviewing educational toys, I was interested especially in light of having a two year old. The Sweet Heart Sayings Smart Snacks really caught my attention, mainly because of my love for the Valentine’s Day candy. Once I received the Sweet Heart Sayings, it was time to put it to the two year old test.

Here is Raegan, my two year old, who was very eager to get her hands on the contents of the box.

The heart-shaped toys come in different colors and either have words or pictures on them. Also it comes with a plastic jar to store all of the pieces as well as a small scooping cup. There are also two strings you can use to put the pieces on. You can either place them vertical or horizontal since there are four holes in each piece. So, you can string words together to make a sentence and then wear them.

Rae loves to place them in the jar and then dump them out. She also enjoys just carrying them around. While Rae doesn’t recognize words yet, she does recognize pictures. It was fun to ‘test’ her with these.

The Sweet Heart Sayings are cute and large enough not to be a choking hazard. There are 26 pieces in all that fit nicely into the supplied plastic jar that comes with a lid. The scoop makes it even more fun to dig and get out the pieces that you want. Right now, though, we are in the stage of just dumping everything out. She does like to put the pieces back into the jar and then promptly dumps them out again.

Raegan has really enjoyed playing with the Sweet Heart Sayings for the past couple of days now. So, for us it’s a good education toy that holds a child’s interest and is fun for both Rae and me.

While the local arcade isn’t nearly as impressive as it was in the 1980s, it’s still fun to go play video games there sometime. It’s great entertainment when the checking account is low on funds since most games cost only a quarter to play. The new games cost 50 cents. For $5 I can have a couple of hours worth of fun playing video games.

There is just something magical about playing a video game in the cabinet. Sure, I’ve played the same games at home but it just isn’t the same. Console games definitely don’t have as much appeal as their cabinet counterparts. Some games like Hydrothunder are fun to play at home but the arcade version is so much better. At home I don’t have a steering wheel and speakers in my chair with sound effects blaring so loud that they vibrate the seat.

The arcade definitely still has an appeal to me even if I’m an older gamer. I’ve learned that it’s fun to play video games at any age and what better place to play than the local arcade.

I kind of suspected that when I bought a Wii that I was really buying a piece of exercise equipment. Although it might be a light workout, I do move more playing the Wii than any other console we have.

In Wii Sports, I wind up to throw pitches and use my best bowling stance. Although I can’t play tennis in real life, I know how to swing, so I do my best backhand and other swings when playing tennis. It really does give maybe not an intense workout but is definitely burning more calories than if I just sat on the couch.

With Wii Fit on the horizon and Wii Boogie available now, there will be plenty of ways to get a good workout with the Wii. If I can make working out fun, then I might stick with it.