Amazing Adventures from Streamer mom to esports mom

by | Feb 16, 2024 | Uncategorized, eSports, Gaming, Parenting, Real Life

esports

 Gaming has been in my blood since my grandmother said I was old enough to hold an Atari Joystick in my hand. That being said I also raised my boys to love video games. My grandmother loved gaming and she would be so proud today. I have gamed my whole life and in late 2018 I had some friends that suggested I stream on twitch so they could watch me play a game they were interested in. That is how it all started.

Smalltown dreamz was a name I created and started branding over a decade ago. I had created it for a crafting blog/business/shop. However when I started streaming that is when I really started to learn about branding and social media. This is where I learned how to brand Me as a person and not as a thing. This has been a constant learning curve as social media changes constantly.

A few years ago my oldest started showing some serious interest in what it was that I was doing and the industry as a whole. We have slowly built him a pc and we have many deep conversations on a weekly basis about things going on within the industry. Teaching him the ins and outs of how to approach the industry as a whole. It is no secret that times have changed over the last 5 years in the industry and it is important to know how to maneuver with the curve.

Last year he started Esports within his high school. I have honestly never seen him more excited, and that gets me excited for him. He helps out with setting stuff up before and after. He is captain of his team and has played for varsity since his freshman year. Now I am finding myself helping him find a name to brand himself with and to start teaching him the ins and outs of social media. He is helping with my extralife stuff to be able to work on charity stuff to be able to put on his transcripts. I am really excited to work with him over the next few years. It should be an interesting process as I go from streamer mom to Esports Mom.

2024 : No More Roadblocks

2024 : No More Roadblocks

by | Jan 5, 2024 | Uncategorized, Real Life, Travel

“Wanna move to Maryland?”

 

 

Before we move to MD, let’s hang out in 2019 real quick.

We just got married, went on a super fun honeymoon in Europe and rang in 2019 pregnant. We were a dual income couple, a few dogs, and I was about a year or so into my streaming journey. My husband had been streaming for a short while when he showed me a game called Fortnite. Obviously I was hooked. My first gaming experience was Tetris on a boxy PC with a single button joystick, so I’ve been around video games awhile – but I wouldn’t call myself a “gamer.” This was a whole new world of creativity for me! I’m a dance instructor so creative minds are always cool in my book and this was just another stage to perform on. Then we had our first son. And I had no idea who I was anymore. I was a mother now and had to keep a tiny human alive. That’s it. I haven’t streamed since.

I know moms struggle with identity after they have kids – dads too, I see you. “I can’t stream because I have to feed the baby.” “Probably won’t be on until later when the baby is in bed.” “Go ahead and save your sub because I won’t be on for awhile.” Fast forward to 2024 and I’m just now getting my inspiration back. There was a lot going on in those 5 years, but that’s for an entirely different article. I still played games, still watched my friends play and create content. I liked watching them succeed. I just never gave myself the space to succeed, and I’m ready to do that now. I’m tired of allowing detours to become roadblocks and I want to take my identity back!

I enjoyed life. I loved dancing, cooking, crafting. If you go down a deep enough rabbit hole, you can probably find old streams of me singing on Twitch Sings too (remember that game? super fun). I’m bringing those things back into my life with a fresh outlook! I didn’t completely abandon myself, but I am different now. And 2023 was going to bring my family a whole new opportunity for a fresh start.

My husband was offered a new job. He’d been casually looking around for something different, more fulfilling, more rewarding. An offer came in just as casually and he couldn’t refuse. “Wanna move to Maryland?” HUH? Seriously? A big move wasn’t out of the question, we were already scouting properties in Montana. What was another couple thousand miles? Let’s do it! We both needed the change, the adventure, the new beginning and this was our chance. A month later he was officially onboarded, a month after that I resigned, and a month after that we were on the road from one coast to the other. Crazy.

Now what? It’s been 6 months of figuring things out and I still don’t know what the hell to do. I’m a stay at home mom now, whatever that means. My husband travels a lot for work and it seems now I have even LESS time to try and go after my goals. I’m not going to let that type of self talk take hold of my well being any longer. I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet, but it’s not happening. I don’t usually do resolutions, but this year will be different. Detours will no longer become roadblocks. I’m going to make time for me and what I love doing. Period.

I’ve learned that I need to allow myself to do things slowly. I won’t punish myself for not getting to the dishes. I won’t feel bad if I play games all day because I’m having an off day. I’m going to use this fresh start to my full advantage and kick 2024 right in the ass.

I will make time for my small crafting business. I will make time for my self care, physically and mentally. I will make time for my friends and watch them succeed in their careers as well as make time for my own. I will make time to spend quality – QUALITY time with my husband and two children, and the dogs too.

2024 will be the Year of the Gamer Mom in me. The Cooking Mom. The Dancing Mom. The Mom who took her identity back. No more roadblocks.

It’s my year.

ANIMAL CROSSING NEW HORIZONS: GETTING READY FOR UPDATE 2.0

by | Oct 28, 2021 | Gaming, Uncategorized

With all the hype coming up about the Animal Crossing New Horizon 2.0 update a lot of people are running back to their islands to prepare for all the awesome things coming up including myself. I don’t know about you but I had quite the mess when I came back. Weeds, bugs in my house and some very worried villagers that apparently have not seen me in months… GASP!!

There are so many things that you can do in this game daily like exploring, events, and so much more. Need a refresher? No worries so did I… so I put a list together that helped me to remember. Maybe it will help you too!

One of my favorite daily things to do is to find out if I have a special visitor for the day!!

Here is a quick Special Visitor List. Make sure to take a look, there are some new ones since the game release in March 2020

 

Who is your favorite visitor? Mine is Celeste, because she is an owl and she comes on my favorite type of nights. Star catching nights!!!

If that isn’t enough to keep you busy then there is always flower breeding, hanging out with your villagers, traveling to other islands, visiting friends, and if you dare you can always go visit Harv (shivers)

Speaking of visiting friends, I am super excited because this weekend an awesome group of streaming friends and I will be doing a private party to celebrate Halloween. Island tours, cataloging, fun treats and so much more!! I personally built a fun maze for my guests to do when they visit. Watch the party live on Twitch on my channelÂwww.twitch.tv/smalltowndreamzÂthis Saturday Oct 30th at 4 ET. Do you ever do fun events for your friends? Let us know in the comments!

However, that is not the only event this weekend! That’s right. On Sunday Oct 31st the official spooky festivities begin in Animal Crossing from 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM. you can find Jack, the czar of Halloween, walking  around the plaza! Don’t miss out on your chance to get some great items that can only be received during this event!!

With the new free update just around the corner here are just a few things you can look forward to like the long awaited Brewster’s Cafe, along with cooking, new crops, new furniture, new villagers and SO MUCH MORE!!!!!

Enjoy and Happy Trick or Treating!!!!