The Sims 3 Store: Grandpa's Grove Overview + Free Download!

Hello, everyone! Today I will be doing an overview of Grandpa's Grove, a venue from The Sims 3 Store. It currently costs 1,710 but there will be a free download included at the end of this post. As most of you probably know, this venue isn't the newest as it came out in November of 2013, but I still wanted to do an overview.

As you can see, this house–yes, house–is gorgeous! The area around the house is beautiful as well, thanks to Grandpa's tractor. As said before, this is a house. EA releasing residential lots is very rare, they usually release community lots. I think that they made a good choice this time!

Leaving us with this description: "Every Sim should be able to experience the joy of spending time at Grandpa's Grove. With tractor hayrides, orange trees, crop farming, and new fall clothing, it is a playland for Sims both young and old", it is apparent that they were aiming for another farming-themed set. The venue comes with 24 new items, including Grandpa's Grove Tractor, the new premium content. I will include the complete list later on in this post.

"Tired of watering, fertilizing and harvesting all of your plants and trees by hand? Lay down a dirt road near your crops and put the tractor to work! Then, after a hard day of farming, why don't you give the kiddos a fun hay ride?" 

If your Sim loves farming and you have expanded the area in which they plant their crops, this will come in very handy. Here is a list of everything your Sims can do with this tractor!

• Increase your gardening skill by planting your crops and using Grandpa's Grove Tractor to water, fertilize, de-weed and harvest!

• Customize the layout of your grove with varied dirt road pieces to park and drive the tractor.

• Create a full-size orchard, then harvest your crops up to the tractors capacity for a quick and efficient harvest. 

• A hay ride is a favorite with Sims from Toddlers to Elders! Young Sims can shout "Hay Now!" and request a ride from a nearby Sim. 

New moodlets: Hay Now!

Who needs a horse for a ride when you have heavy machinery?

Now, I will be going through the new items included with the set. Some pictured above*

Complete list:

• Grandpa's Grove Tractor

• Country Charm Bookshelf

• Quilted Chair*

• Country Charm Wall Clock

• Snug Rug*

• Jar O' Flowers*

• Wooden Rocking Horse*

• Hodgepodge Frames

• Country Charm Sofa*

• Country Charm Coffee Table*

• China Display End Table*

• Country Charm End Table

• Falling For Fall Women's Outfit

• One Button to Rule Them All Women's Outfit*

• Turtleneck and Scarf Combo Women's Outfit

• Cozy Coat Men's Top

• Four Button Sweater Men's Top

• Pocketed Dress and Stockings Children's Outfit

• Alpine Attire Children's Outfit

• Monster Pant's Children's Bottoms

• Monster Jacket Children's Top

• Fuzzy Bunny Toddler's Outfit*

• Grandpa's Grove

• Puff the Magic Vest Toddler's Top

Thank you everyone for reading!

Download Grandpa's Grove for FREE here.

The Sims 3 - Ghosts

Ghosts appear after your Sims die. It was also made possible to create them in CAS in Supernatural. There are many causes of death throughout the store items and all of the expansion packs. Here is a complete list of causes of death and that ghost's color:

Death Causes and Colors

Fire - Orange (Base Game) - if your Sims is too close to the object that is on fire and they aren't extinguished fast enough, they may die. 

Starvation - Magenta (Base Game) - if your Sim doesn't eat while the "Hungry", "Very Hungry", and "Starving" moodlet are in your Sim's moodlet bank, they will die as soon as the time on the moodlet runs out.

Electrocution - Yellow (Base Game) - if your Sim attempts to fix an electrical object with a low handy skill, they may get electrocuted. They can also be shocked if they try to fix an appliance or electric object while standing in a puddle of water. 

Drowning - Blue (Base Game) - drowning occurs rarely but can happen if your Sim is swimming with low energy they may start drowning. Sims can now climb out of pools even if they don't have ladders, which EA must have included in a patch or update.

Age - Gray (Base Game) - when your elder Sim's time comes, they will randomly die. 

Mummie's Curse - Gold (World Adventures) - when your Sim is cursed by a Mummy, they have 14 days to be cured or they will die. 

Meteor - Dark Orange (Ambitions) - when a meteor falls out of the sky and your Sim is in the way...

Death by Thirst [Vampires only] - Dark Red (Late Night) - if your Vampire doesn't drink plasma juice or drink another Sim's blood before the "Madly Thirsty" moodlet runs out of time, they will turn to dust, dying.

Age [Pets] - Red or Indigo (Pets) - if the Pet that dies has less than 10,000 Lifetime Reward Points, their ghost will appear red. If they have more than 10,000, it will be indigo. Same way of death as Sim. 

Magic Tricks - Invisible (Showtime) - [Buried Alive] failing to escape correctly.

Magic Tricks - Dark Blue (Showtime) - [Watery Grave] failing to escape correctly.

Haunting Curse [Witch only] - Dark Green (Supernatural) - when your Sim attempts to cast the Haunting Curse and it backfires, it will kill them.

Magic Jelly Beans - Dark Purple (Supernatural) - after purchasing a Magic Jelly Bean tree and eating the beans off it, there is a chance that they may die after ingestion. 

Transmutation - Bright Gold (Supernatural) - when your Sim attempts the spell of the Philosopher's Stone but the spinning of the plumbob goes awry, it will turn your Sim into gold.

Freezing - Icy Blue (Seasons) - if your Sim freezes and no one bothers to heat them back up, they with harden and die.

Cow Plant - Magenta (Store) - the plant will simply gobble your Sim up.

Blunt Force Trauma [Vending Machine] - Light Red (University Life) - when your Sim is just a little bit too broke and tries just a little bit too hard, they end up causing the vending machine to fall back on them.

Blunt Force Trauma [Murphy Bed] - Light Red (University Life) - when your Sim pulls down the Murphy bed, there's always that chance it'll give away and crush them.

Ranting - Lime Green (University Life) - your Sim can choke from ranting too hard in which case they will die.

Running out of Air - Turquoise (Island Paradise) - from scuba-diving.

Dehydration [Mermaids only] - Yellow/Gold (Island Paradise) - when your Mermaid spends too much time out of the water and in the sun, they will dry up.

Shark Attack - Purple/Red (Island Paradise) - when your Sim is caught in a shark attack, the sharks devour the Sim whole, leaving the bones behind.

Pit Monster - Blue (Store) - if your Sim is taken by the tentacles of the Pit Monster, start planning their funeral.

Jetpack Fail - Orange (Into the Future) 

Time Anomaly - Brown (Into the Future)

There is one ghost that is not linked to any death which is the Hologram ghost. If you have Supernatural installed, you can choose this form when creating a ghost in CAS.

After your Sim dies, their remains can be brought to the Science Facility where they may be revived.

The Sims 3 Guide to Gardening

Hello, everyone! Are you interested in making a gardening-enthused Sim but don't know where to start? This guide will help you plant things from apple trees to death flowers, watermelons to forbidden fruit, and maui beans to glow orbs. If you have any questions on how to garden, this guide will answer them.

EA has added on a lot to the gardening aspect of the game through expansion packs, including World Adventures, Supernatural and even University Life. How they have added on:

World Adventures:  This expansion pack brings 10 new plants to game play–which you will see them listed later on–and even a new way to interact with the fruit you have grown; nectar-making! [Nectar-making skill post coming soon]. If your Sim is a gardener, it will be easy to make prize nectar and improve your nectar-making skill. 

Supernatural: This expansion pack introduces 11 new plants to game play which you will see listed later on. The gardening skill goes hand-in-hand with the Alchemy skill and is also extremely helpful to Fairies who have a positive effect on plants and are known for their luscious gardens. 

University Life: This expansion pack has added a new occult life state, related to gardening. PlantSims! They also introduce the Forbidden Fruit which will turn a Sim into a PlantSim four hours after consumption. They can be cured before turning if they pay $3,000 simoleons. 

How to start gardening: If you want your Sim to garden, you should give them the Green Thumb, Loves the Outdoors, and Eco-Friendly traits, right off the bat. It will help them gain skill level more quickly and they will understand the concepts of gardening better. Next, switch on the TV and have them watch the gardening channel, Got Garden. Head to the bookstore and purchase the gardening books: Gardening Vol.1: The Watercan Chronicles, Gardening Vol.2: Odor Free Fertilizer, and Gardening Vol.3: Gardening to Riches. Reading these books while sitting near the TV–switched onto the gardening channel–can improve your skill faster.

Traits in Depth

Green Thumb 

Green-thumbs are the best gardeners. They find solace and comfort amongst their garden and can revive plants in the worst of conditions.

Loves The Outdoors

These Sims love spending time outdoors and find a special joy amidst nature that others do not.

Eco-Friendy (Ambitions)

Eco-Friendly Sims prefer a lifestyle of energy conservation, recycling and sustainable eating.

Skills and Gardening Self-Employment

Each time you improve your gardening skill, you gain new abilities. Here is a complete list of all the abilities you can acquire:

Level 0-1 - you can plant apples, grapes, lettuce and tomatoes.

Level 2 - you can tend your garden by weeding it. 

Level 3 - you can fertilize your plants (with fish, horse manure, etc.)

Level 4 - nothing new.

Level 5 - you can now plant seeds labeled "uncommon".

Level 6 - if your Sim has the "Green Thumb" trait, they now have the ability to revive plants.

Level 7 - your Sim can now plant seeds labeled "Rare" and "Special".

Level 8 - if your Sim completed the attached opportunity, they can plant "Cheese" and "Egg" plants.

Level 9 - if your Sims completed the attached opportunity, they can now plant "Burger" and Steak" plants.

Level 10 - if your Sims completed the attached opportunity, they now have the ability to plant "Omni" plants.

Being a self-employed gardener: If you own Ambitions, you can register to be a self-employed gardener at City Hall. You must be at least be at Level 1 before you register. Here is the list of promotions you will earn through-out this profession: 

Cucumber Smasher: harvest $30 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Dirt Digger: harvest $150 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Clodhopper: harvest $605 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Master Weeder: harvest $1,605 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Fertilizer Flinger: harvest $4,105 worth of produce to earn a promotion and a bonus of $500.

Bushwacker: harvest $11,605 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Seed Sewer: harvest $26,605 worth of produce to earn a promotion and a bonus of $1,500.

Famed Farmer: harvest $56,605 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Progeny of the Harvest: harvest $116,605 worth of produce to earn a promotion.

Dirt Digger: harvest $196,606 to gain a promotion and a $5,000 bonus.

Complete List of Plants

- Apple Tree 

- Basil 

- Cherimola Blan Grapes 

- Cortado Bean 

- Ginseng 

- Grapevine 

- Kona Bean 

- Lettuce Plant

- Mandrake

- Maui Bean

- Midnight Bean

- Peppermint

- Porcinis

- Red Berry Bean

- Red Toadstools 

- Red Valerian Root

- Renoit Grapes

- Tomato Plant

- White Cap

- Wolfsbane

- Avornalino Grapes

- Banana Tree

- Buzzberry

- Carrot

- Cinnamon

- Greenleaf

- Lavender

- Licorice

- Lime Tree

- Onion

- Meloire Grapes

- Mycenas

- Plum Tree

- Pomegranate Tree

- Potato

- Spotlight Mushroom

- Sweet Grass

- Watermelon

- Wonderpetal

- Bell Pepper

- Bumbleleaf

- Chamomile 

- Cherry Tree

- Cranerlet

- Garlic

- Ghost Chili

- Glow Orbs

- Gralladina Fran Grapes

- Pomelo Tree

- Truffles

- Burger Plant

- Cheese Plant

- Death Flower

- Egg Plant

- Forbidden Fruit

- Flame Fruit

- Life Fruit Plant

- Money Tree 

- Omni Plant

- Plasma Fruit

- Steak Plant

List Courtesy of Carl's Sims 3 Guide

More Tips

If you want to make easy money in the gardening profession, grow money trees. The money bags are valuable and your Sims will soon be rolling in cash that they can then donate to charities for endangered species and dwindling rain forests!

There are two Lifetime Rewards that your Sims can purchase to help them with their gardens as well. The first one is the "Super Green Thumb" reward for 20,000 Lifetime Reward Points. It will help your Sim grow higher quality plants which are much more valuable. Then, there is the "Collection Helper" which you can purchase for 40,000 points. It helps your Sim find all the seeds around your neighborhood. 

Sources: Carl's Sims 3 Guide, GameYum.

UPDATED: Secrets about gardening exposed!


• There is a Flame Fruit to be found in one of the pyramids of Al Simhara that gives your Sim the "Cozy" moodlet when there are two or more in their inventory,

The Sims 3 Store: Prism Art Studio Overview and Free Download

Hello, fellow Simmers! Today, I'll be bringing you an overview of the Prism Art Studio from The Sims 3 Store! This set sells for 1,900 SimPoints but can be found for free at the end of this post.

The studio is modern with a splash of classic, hence the stained glass windows and simple wood pillars. The hallway that connects the two main building is such a nice touch! The courtyard, situated between all three buildings is very classic and beautiful, with plenty of brick mosaics, luscious shrubbery and even a clear, bubbling fountain. It's enough to give any Sim a positive moodlet!

Now, I'll go through a list of items that comes with this venue (some pictured above)*

• Artisan's Glassblowing and Jewelry Making Station

• Dressmaker Mannequin*

• Basket o' Frames*

• Molded Bust

• Jewelry Tree*

• The Organizer's Wall Shelf

• The Artist's End Table

• Artist Apron - Hers

• Artist Apron - His

• L-Shaped Staircase

• Prism Art Studio

• Self-expression Easel

Now, I'm going to go through all the skills, moodlets, etc. that come with this venue. 

Skills: 

• Glassblowing

• Jewelry-making 

• Perfume-making

If your Sim is an Artisan (or glassblower), they can create an array of things from glass gnomes to stained glass windows.  Here is a complete list of objects that your glassblowing Sims can make:

Glass Objects:

• Dancing Gnome (Beginner)

• Utensil Receptacle (Beginner)

• Vases (Beginner)

• Fighting Gnome (Level 1)

• Scared Gnome (Level 1)

• Partition (Level 2)

• Dragon Egg (Level 3)

• Friendly Gnome (Level 3)

• Stained Glass Window (Level 5)

• Stained Glass Arch Window (Level 5)

• Relaxing Gnome (Level 6) 

• Chess Table (Level 7)

• Menus de vilo (Level 9)

Jewelry-making Sims can make lots of lovely pieces, including coin bracelets, pearl necklaces and stone earrings. Here is a complete list of objects that your jewelry-making Sims can make: 

Jewelry Pieces:

• Stretched Coin Bracelet (Beginner)

• Sunburst Earrings (Beginner)

• Red Hot Necklace (Level 1)

• Triple Ring Bracelet (Level 1)

• Ancient Artifact Necklace (Level 2)

• Coin Bracelet (Level 2)

• Braided Bracelet (Level 3)

• Double Braided Necklace (Level 3)

• Amethyst Necklace (Level 4)

• Spring Bud Earrings (Level 4)

• Turquoise Stone Earrings (Level 4)

• Turquoise Swirl Necklace (Level 4)

• Turquoise Stone Necklace (Level 6)

• More Pearls Necklace (Level 7)

• Hammered Stone Necklace (Level 8)

• Curly Pearl Earrings (Level 9)

Perfume-making Sims can craft a few different perfumes, including:

Perfumes:

• Woohoo Panther Perfume (Level 1)

• Vanity Perfume (Level 2)

• Once Forgotten Perfume (Level 3)

• Amour Perfume (Level 4)

• Bliss Perfume (Level 8)

Now, here is a list of all the moodlets included in this package:

Your Sim will get this moodlet after  they attempt to torch the glass and fail, while trying to mend the torch.

After your Sim succeeds in creating their piece, though, they gain this moodlet.

Sims will gain this moodlet after using Woohoo Panther, the perfume that Level 1 perfume-making Sims can craft. It will cause them to vomit in random places (not the toilet, like when your Sims have the Nauseous moodlet). 

Using the Vanity perfume will cause your Sim to be more sociable and spark up conversations with Sims that are close by. 

                                  

If someone close to your Sim passes away, the negative moodlet will disappear and your Sim won't think about the death.

After your Sims spray themselves with the Amour perfume, other Sims find them more attractive.

The Bliss perfume will put your Sim in a happy mood.

Thank you for reading this overview and I hope you decide to add this to your town and let your Sims indulge in the new skills included! 

FREE DOWNLOAD

Find more free Sims 3 downloads here.

Moodlet screenshots courtesy of Aznsensei's Prism Art Studio Review

ABOUT US

Bringing you the very best Sims 3 tips, reviews, photos and more, this blog will soon be bursting with helpful articles that meet all your Simming needs and questions. Even a free download from the Sims 3 store will pop up once in a while! (You can access the full collection of free store downloads here).