website review – Jellybeans in the City

Now that the world is opening up again after being put on an extended pause due to the pandemic, we can expect our days to be a lot busier. Already, Zoom meetings take up quite a sizeable chunk of my workday, along with other tasks needed to churn out the outputs need to support my company’s goals. Soon, I might have to return to the harrowing commute from my home to the office and back again. Sigh!

At the same time, the kiddos will also be returning to some form of classroom learning, which means that they will depart from the relatively less-regulated learning environment to a more structured one in school. For the young ‘uns who have grown used to learning from home, going back to school (literally!) will be quite an adjustment.

The reshaping of our lives that this shift to the New Normal requires should not hinder us from taking care of the family’s mental health, though. Now, more than ever, we need to factor in activities in our day that give us a respite from our run-of-the-mill tasks as well as some enjoyable moments that add up to happy memories for ourselves and the family.

Fortunately, these kinds of activities are easy to find at Plays.org!

Who would have thought that, as a Gen X’er who grew up hearing a near-constant admonishment from my folks about playing computer games back in the day, I would be advocating for online games as a form of self-care?

However, we really shouldn’t discount the various benefits that online games bring to the table. Check out these Plays.org games that are big hits with my fam:

Welcome breaks from the daily drudge.

During my well-deserved coffee break, I like to indulge myself in a bit of low-stakes fun with Space Adventure: Pinball while my little ones can let off some steam after school with an exciting beat ‘em game like Adventure Time: Break the Worm.

Opportunities for fun family time.

We discovered the joys of casting our games from our laptop to our large-screen TV so that the family members can all take part in trying to best each other at the Tetris-inspired Tetra Blocks. On the other hand, educational games such as Garfield Sentences provide a fun way to supplement the kiddo’s school learning.

Brain relaxers before sleeping.

For minds that are too wound up to doze off, playing Neon Invaders, a throwback to Space Invaders, or a few rounds of Classic Solitaire would provide a sense of accomplishment that serves to round up the day and get us in the mood to sleep.

Plays.org is a website that houses thousands of free online games. These highly enjoyable pastimes can be accessed any time of the day using our desktop or mobile devices. Plays.org users are not required to register to be able to play, eliminating the need to keep track of yet another set of login credentials. Plus, since the games are web-based, downloading an app is also not required, thereby saving us some more of that precious storage space in our devices.

Another plus factor of Plays.org is that the site does not serve online ads so you won’t have to deal with irritating commercial interruptions nor the risk of exposing the little ones to advertising.

Ready to engage in some fun family playtime at Plays.org? Be sure to check out its newest games. You can also browse through its entire game catalog posted in the site’s footers.

Let me know how it goes!

Back when I was in my teens, one of the beliefs I held together with my peers was that we won’t be able to get married when we reach our adulthood unless we win a game of Solitaire.

Thus, for the whole summer when I was sixteen years old, I set about learning and trying to win this game using a set of playing cards I found lying around and the family’s desktop computer at home.

If you guessed that I eventually won, you would be right, thankfully so! (I’m now in my forties, by the way, and I’ve been married for fifteen years, whew!)

Just a little patience…

Solitaire is a genre of card games which involve arranging the cards in a systematic order, and most often played by a single player. It is known in Europe as Patience, because playing it is an exercise in patience.

It is both a game of skill and a game of chance, with the aim of building sequences of cards by number and by suit.

The most well-known variation of the game, and the one I always play, is called Klondike. This was the game included in the Microsoft Windows operating system back in the 90’s, coinciding with the time when I was trying to learn the game. With this computerized version, Solitaire has provided untold numbers of computer users hours of entertainment as well as taught them how to use a computer mouse. (See how much my age is showing here?) 😜

Perfect for an introvert like me

People are often surprised when I inform them that I’m an introvert. At first glance, I may seem friendly, at ease with other people and loud-spoken.

However, I do often feel the need to take a break from external stimulation and be more introspective, getting lost in my thoughts, imagination or plans.

This is most likely the reason why I enjoy blogging so much. It’s something I can do on my own and at my own pace.

In a similar vein, playing Solitaire is highly enjoyable for me. It helps me to stave off boredom by stimulating my mind without stressing me out.

Other ways that playing Solitaire helps me to de-stress include:

Giving me a sense of goal-setting and accomplishment. Since the object of the game is pretty simple, I can focus my attention towards achieving it. Once I win a round, it helps to bolster my confidence and gives me the push to apply myself to my other tasks.
Giving my mind a break. Playing solitaire gives me something simple and concrete to focus on. One could say that it can even bring me to a calmer and more meditative state, which does wonders for relaxing, getting rid of anxiety and making sound decisions.
Helping me to think more strategically. While it is simpler (and considerably quieter) than most games, solitaire requires the application of a well thought out strategy, as opposed to just laying cards willy-nilly. Playing this game allowed me to notice patterns, be patient and think a few steps ahead.
Making my “alone-time” a lot more enjoyable. I often feel the need to take a break from other people, or from overly stimulating situations so I would usually hie myself off to a quiet corner or a separate room to be by myself. Playing solitaire affords me with an enjoyable way to pass the time while I savor my solitude.

Now, I don’t go around carrying a pack of cards nor a whole desktop computer setup with me so luckily, I can play Solitaire anytime I want so long as I have internet access and a device with a web browser, thanks to Solitaire.org.

Solitaire.org is a website that offers hundreds of browser-based games which can be accessed through both desktop or mobile gadgets, absolutely for free. We don’t need to sign-up or register so there’s no need to keep track of login credentials. It does not require us to download any apps, thus saving precious storage space in our devices. It also does not serve in-game ads, allowing us to enjoy our chosen games without distracting or annoying interruptions.

Aside from Solitaire, my favorite games in this site include Tetra Blocks (a Tetris-inspired game which is very inspiring when trying to figure out how to fit things in my closet) and Word Search (quite fitting for someone who loves words as much as I do).

So whether I’m passing the time between Zoom meetings, giving my brain a break from a complex problem at work or just getting ready to go to sleep, I can just go online and play my favorite games for a bit while keeping stress at bay.

How about you? What’s your go-to life hack when battling stress? Do share your tips in the comments section!