Nancy Drew's Ghost of Thornton Hall @HerInteractive

I am a Nancy Drew AmbassadHER and received this game for my honest review.

If you've never played a Nancy Drew Game, then you're missing out! Ever since my 4th grade teacher read us a Nancy Drew book, I was hooked and still am hooked. But it looks pretty silly when a grown adult goes to the library to check out Nancy Drew for herself! So I get my fix for all the mystery and suspense from the Nancy Drew PC Games and have been for years!

The newest Nancy Drew game just came out and I had the chance to play it this past week. And let me tell you, it's all I've been doing! The newest game is Ghost of Thornton Hall and it was a very exciting play!

The story revolves around the disappearance of Jessalyn Thornton and the mysteries that surround the Thornton family. You'll meet and talk to four people who become your suspects as you try and figure out what happened to Jessalyn and all about the dark family secrets.



Have I peaked your interest in playing the game yet? I have to say it was amazing! It took me three days to play it but that's because I played it for hours on end and even had to get help at the amazing Nancy Drew Message Boards when I got stuck! The game is exciting and even a bit scary at times! And since I've been playing them for years, I saw some changes that I loved:

• If you have a fatal error, you can start right back over. You don't lose your entire game anymore which is so nice!
• When you play on amateur level, you can get hints and even the solutions to harder puzzles so you don't have to leave the game to go get help.
• You can earn trophies and track them at the end of the game
• In the older games, usually at the climax of everything there was either a puzzle or conflict you had to solve within a certain time limit or you lost the game or died. In this game, your final puzzle isn't timed so it helps you think about solving it instead of rushing.

Would you like to win a copy of Ghost at Thornton Hall to play yourself? Two winners will each win a copy!

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Motorhome Renovation Tips

When you think of the interior of a caravan or Motorhome, it may bring to mind thoughts of dated furniture with garish patterns. This does not have to be the case however. If you have a caravan or Motorhome that is starting to show its age there is no need to worry, there are a few ways you can renovate your Motorhome bringing it up to date both in style and functionality.

Engine

While not strictly necessary it is essential not to forget about the engine, after all it powers your travels and is not something you want to overlook when renovating a Motorhome. Make sure to get the engine checked out by a reputable mechanic before every trip you go on. This will ensure that your engine stays in good condition. After all making sure your engine is problem-free will make sure you never get any nasty surprises, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere. With the motor section of your Motorhome taken care of you can move on to renovating the home section.

Flooring 

Replacing the flooring is a key way to inject some new life into your Motorhome. Depending on the condition of your Motorhome however it can be a big job to replace your flooring, potentially involving the replacement of the underlying flooring if it has become rotten over the years. Assuming your Motorhome is in good condition however, it should not be too difficult to peel up the previous flooring and easily replace it with new vinyl flooring perfect for a Motorhome as unlike carpeted flooring, it is resistant to mold and won’t easily be ruined by mud and water, making it an ideal choice for when you come back from a day in the country with muddy boots.

Furniture 

Replacing the dated furniture is one of the best ways to bring your Motorhome up to date and will make it more comfortable in the process. You can pick from a wide range of sofas and chairs, all well designed to maximize your space and comfort, whilst being very lightweight.

Upholstering 

You may be perfectly happy with your current furniture in your Motorhome or caravan. So Instead of replacing it with all new furniture you can simply re-upholster it. There are a wide range of materials to choose from various modern patterned fabrics to leather upholstery which will breathe new life into even the most dated of Motorhomes. Or perhaps your current furniture is in need of repair or renovation, many companies can provide zip repairs or if your furniture simply needs re-filling full of foam. Upholstering leaves with an array of options to choose from to bring the look of your furniture right up to date.

Appliances 

Replacing dated appliances can give your Motorhome a new look and with the latest space saving appliances can give you more room in the long run. You can replace the cabinets in the kitchen with specially designed space saving cabinets that will maximize the space you have. Replacing any old appliances with newer space saving appliances will also free up plenty more room, giving you a more compact kitchen area that meets all the relevant safety standards required. You may also want to invest in a newer flat screen television which can save you a large amount of space as these can be mounted in a variety of locations out of the way. It may be possible to get custom fitted televisions to maximize the available space.

That concludes this short guide of just a few ways you can bring your Motorhome right up to date, ready for the next big outing.

About the author:

Andy Morley is the marketing manager at Regal Furnishings, Motorhome and Caravan upholstery specialists based in the UK.

The Legacy of Ducati Motorcycles

For those of us who love motorcycles, Ducati is a brand name we know and love. Just like Ford, Honda or Mercedes in cars, bikes have a few brand names that everyone can simply nod and smile when they hear. We know about them, because we drive them and have seen these brand names on the roads for years. This company in particular makes quite a lot of different models, but did you know that Ducati has a very long history of making vehicles? Unlike many other brands, they did not come into the motorcycle business in an easy way. The company is old and well respected because of what they did, and the process that they took to become what they now are. Here is an overview of the long history of Ducati motorcycles.

Ducati is Italian and originally came from there. Even though they now have factories and shops around the world and are driven in more countries than most other car manufacturers, it started up as a relatively small family affair. Even though they are now owned by Audi, it did not start that way. The HQ for the brand is in the town of Bologna, and was started in 1926 by Cavalieri Ducati. Him and his three sons originally created a factory that made electronics and scientific equipment for new types of radios. This was an era where technology was only starting to become known, and he had a vision that it would become very big. They started with radios and then moved into vacuum tubes and other components for TVs and communication devices.

Just nine years later they were already building a second factory since their business was becoming so successful. During the war, the Ducati family noticed how widespread motorcycles were becoming, and with the help of another local firm called Farinelli, they started making components for motor engines. For many years they provided parts and Farinelli made the engines, until 1950 when the Ducati group decided to start selling the whole bike. This led to the first Ducati motorcycle ever, a 48 cc bike capable of going at a speed of 40 mph. They used the 55M name for this new type of bike, and it sold very well.

As years went by, motorcycles became bigger, with people wanting more impressive looking vehicles, and Ducati provided these as well. Their new 65TS Cruiser model received a lot of acclaims at the 1952 Milan show, although it did not sell very well. A year later, Ducati decided to split the company in two, one division making motorcycles, the other continuing with electronics. After that point, the motorcycle group created more and more models, and in the 1960s, it quickly became well known for producing some of the fastest models out there. The Mach 1 was a 250 cc road bike which was the fastest at the time.

After 1985, markets were shaping up with very large vehicle makers. Ducati was still a small Italian company, but by then it was hard for them to compete globally. After a series of buyouts and acquisitions, Audi ended up buying the whole firm saying they regretted not having done so before. Now, Ducati bikes still roam the roads, a legacy of a long history of motorcycles creations.

So when you get your hands on a Ducati, you can now take pride in the fact that you are helping sustain a legacy with a very noble history. This is one of the many reasons why you will probably find yourself so attached to these beautiful bikes as I have found myself!

About the author: 

A natural born writer, Stacey Barton writes professionally and for fun across a wide range of niches with particular attention to how classic brands can continue to offer the same product for decades and somehow survive the turbulent and ever changing consumer market.

Easy Gardening Projects for Summer #MiracleGroProject

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

The weather is finally starting to get warm where I live and I'm in love with the fact that I can start planting things again! I love experimenting with new plants and projects so I wanted to share a few fun garden projects that are simple to do.

Grow a Pizza Garden

If your kids don't like vegetables very much, try and tempt them with a pizza garden! Grow all the yummy vegetables and herbs that you need to make homemade pizza!

Materials Needed

• Edging for pizza outline (metal or plastic)
• wood to define "slices"
• seedlings of choice
• compost
• water

Start by preparing your soil by removing weeds. I would also suggest mixing in some Miracle-Gro into the soil you will use as well. The product I would recommend is the LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Advance Starter Kit since you'll be planting outside. The LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food is the best thing to use on outdoor gardens because it will keep your plants growing strong and healthy.  Install a flexible metal or plastic outer edge and use wood to define the "slices" inside. Now plant your plants. Tomato plants need the most room because they grow to be quite big so I would suggest giving them an entire slice. The other plants can be planted with about 3 in each slice. Now just water your garden and watch your kids take an interest in vegetables!

Make a Carnivorous Garden

Remember in science class when you learned about the Venus Fly Trap for the first time? I think all kids are fascinated at some point with plants that actually eat meat. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie! So why not create a carnivorous garden for them to watch and study?

Materials Needed

• Carnivorous plants
• A wide container with no drainage hole
• Spanish moss
• Decorative non alkaline items 

Start by putting the plants still in their containers, into the wide container until you're satisfied how they look. Then add two inches of water to the bottom of the wide container. Then place spanish moss, pinecones, and other items in the container for a "boggy" look. Now make sure to keep your garden in a well lit area outside. These types of plants need full sunlight. 

It's also not best to over feed your plants. It can trap it's own bugs and by over feeding it, you will kill it. The Venus Fly Trap also doesn't like to have it's trap "artifically" activated. Too many times can actually kill the plant.

If you enjoyed these two fun projects, then check out the The Gro Project so you can start your own growing  story! Also, following the Miracle-Gro Pinterest page would be helpful for tips and ideas for new projects. If you're interested in learning more about the Gro Project, check out the video below!