Dreaming of Stardew Valley

Kindness is another important theme in Stardew Valley - you're constantly interacting with the residents of Pelican Town and treating them with kindness will lead to them reciprocating. The main way of being kind to them is by giving them gifts they like, and especially on their birthday. This will increase your friendship level with them and creates a positive feedback loop where they're then kinder to you in return which makes you feel more favourable towards them

The higher your friendship level with the villagers, the better the likelihood that they will gift you useful items.
Pam, for example, will gift you battery packs.
Clint can send you copper, iron, and gold bars
Gaining 2 hearts with Caroline unlocks the tea sapling
Linus sends you a recipe for sashimi which is a decent snack
Gus will send you all kinds of recipes in the mail

Plus, being kind - even in a game - makes you feel good! When you perform an act of kindness, it releases endorphins which have mood-boosting effects. This means that being kind can literally make you feel happier!
So go out there and spread some kindness

One of the things that frustrates me about people in general (but most usually seen when you watch any type of TV show when there's a contestant/s) is how, when they introduce themselves, part of what they say is their job. I understand that to some people that is an important part of their view of themselves, that their job is crucial to their identity, it matters to them and it does actually say a lot about who they are.

But that isn't the case for me. While I enjoy what I do in my job, it's literally just something I do to earn a salary so I can pay for things I need to live, like mortgage and food etc. So why did I just type 'Hi, I'm Erica, I'm 31 and I'm a school receptionist'? I'm so frustrated with myself. I'm not a school receptionist, it's simply what I do and in my opinion, those are very different things.

A much better, more accurate, way to start would be:

Hi, I'm Erica, I'm 31, I live on the coast in Cumbria (north west England), and I am completely obsessed with Stardew Valley (in case being called stardewdreaming didn't make that obvious). Not just Stardew Valley but also Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, etc. I legitimately dream of dropping out of the rate race and moving to small town in the middle of nowhere and becoming self-sufficient, living off my land. I'm like a walking cliche of the Millennial Dream, crossed with Cottagecore and Rusticcore - and I am absolutely ok with this! I'm also fully aware that what all this encompasses is a very romanticized view of rural living and not an accurate portrayal of farming life - but I still strive to embody some of the ideas of simple living, harmony of nature etc.

When not playing these games, I'm often watching people stream them on Twitch. I feel like such a cliche!
I also enjoy reading, baking & cooking, colouring, needlecraft, making jewellery, sleeping, swimming. I've usually got music playing and quite enjoy country/folk.

That's me in a nutshell. It's nice to meet you, and thank you for spending some time reading my blog!