Sunday 28 September 2014

Halloween Shopping Tips

HALLOWEEN IS COMING: ARE YOU READY FOR THE FUN?
By Toni Weri

Halloween is just weeks away! Do you know what you are dressing up as?



IN PERSON SHOPPING

For those of you that are looking for local stores, in Ottawa, Audrey’s Costume Castle is my go-to for everything. They have various kinds of make-up, wigs, costumes and accessories all year round. They can even order pieces in for you as long as you give about 1-3 weeks for the order to come in. 

For you do-it-yourself folks, Value Village is a great place to find pieces of clothing or fabric you can sew and alter. For example, I once used a vintage looking curtain to make a fun steampunk skirt. No one could tell it was once a curtain AND it only cost me $5.00 for the curtain panel.

Malabar is another costume store in Ottawa (and Toronto). A bit pricey, but another stop to add to the list. I normally venture there to grab my makeup supplies and various accessories. The staff there are friendly and know their products well. 

ONLINE SHOPPING

For those of you that shop for wigs or corsets on eBay, my go-to stores are:

Cosplay Anime Wigs

Wedding Checklist (Please Note: These corsets will probably last about 5-6 wears, hence the price.)

In my experience, ordering a costume from Spirit Halloween has been troublesome. The site offers quite a few neat “online only” costumes, but I would be weary of the quality of the costume. Make sure you read the customer reviews and give about a month for the order to come in unless you pay the expedited shipping fee.


For some fun makeup tips and ideas, I found this link helpful and entertaining.


Have a fun and geek-tacular Halloween!



Toni Weri is a freelance artist and a proud member of the Rebel Legion. She is a geek of all trades, but her forte lies with anime, costuming, video games and Sci-Fi


You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram @ TONIGEEKGIRL


Monday 22 September 2014

Why Youtube is Mad at Sam Pepper

WHY YOUTUBE IS MAD AT SAM PEPPER
By Courtney Lockhart


On an unsuspecting Sunday afternoon cruising Youtube and Tumblr,  I saw something that bothered me. However, it was quickly followed by something that gave me hope.

Sam Pepper
Sam Pepper is a Youtube vlogger with over two million subscribers to his channel. He originally reached notoriety as a contestant on Big Brother U.K, however he is better known these days for his questionable prank videos. Past ‘pranks’ have included licking random strangers and trapping women with a lasso as a pick-up manoeuvre.  This weekend Pepper uploaded a video where he proceeded to stuff his sweatshirt with a fake arm and pinch women’s bums with his real hand while they were distracted.  People were quick to point out that this wasn’t a prank- this was assault.  


“We are really tired of people conflating 'offensive' with ‘edgy’." Julie Lalonde, director of Hollaback! Ottawa lamented when asked about this particular brand of humour.  “The idea that harassing women in public is somehow 'new' and 'cutting edge humour' is incredibly misguided. Harassment and sexual assault by strange men against women in public space is far too common for someone to make a profit from such ‘pranks.' It's not about needing to loosen up or not having a sense of humour. We love a good laugh and there is no shortage of amazing Youtube videos out there. Sam Pepper, and others like him, think they are performing edgy humour when in fact, they are perpetuating the same old tired tropes that make every women the punchline. It's tired, it's sexist and it's definitely not funny.”
Via Youtube
Someone posting horrible things on the internet is nothing new. There is a whole section of the population that believes that is in fact the web’s primary purpose. What was different this time is that the protests and outrage on the video didn’t just come from the viewers, but from fellow Youtube creators.

Laci Green, host of Sex +, took to Tumblr with an open letter demanding that Pepper take down the video.  She asked Sam to “Please stop violating women and making them uncomfortable on the street
Laci Green
for views.  Please stop physically restraining them and pressuring them to be sexual when they are uncomfortable.”  The letter was co-signed by over 60 prominent Youtubers including Wil Wheaton, John and Hank Green, Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig and Tyler Oakley. As a direct result of the video, Pepper’s planned appearance at Playlist Live! was cancelled. He’s will no longer appear on the Fine Brothers’ Youtubers React series, and has been banned from the two biggest Youtube gatherings on either side of the atlantic: Vidcon and Summer in the City.  The video was eventually pulled after a massive campaign under the tag #reportsampepper

Seeing the creative powers of YouTube take a stand made me incredibly happy. It proved that this serious issue is being given the consideration it deserves. It is one thing to see an audience up in arms about content but for his peers to do likewise elevates the whole discussion. The Youtube community prides itself on being safe and welcoming to everyone. Sam Pepper harassing and assaulting women put that in jeopardy. 

As for the man himself? This is his only statement so far:  



Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Sunday 21 September 2014

Kill Shakespeare: A Geek Girl Review

KILL SHAKESPEARE: A GEEK GIRL REVIEW
By Courtney Lockhart

The weekend before last I attended Montreal Comiccon. While my main goal for the weekend was to stalk meet Stephen Amell, I was also on the lookout for something new and exciting to recharge the nerd batteries.

While my primary goal was completed  Saturday thanks to the Q&A, Photo Op and  Meet and Greet opportunities, by Sunday afternoon I was starting to think my secondary goal was not going to be accomplished. There was tons of beautiful art and the vendors were well stocked with interesting wares, but I wasn’t getting that ‘zing’.  I define the zing as that feeling  where your radar has been pinged and you are now hyper-aware of the presence of something awesome.  I was just about to turn to my con-buddy and tell him I was going to call it a day when I saw it:


ZING!
This shirt literally stopped me in my tracks. I’ve been a Shakespeare nut since I was about 12 years old. I spend more time at the movie theatre watching National Theatre Live performances than I do actual films and I was gifted a lovely Complete Works of Shakespeare from my aunt and uncle  when I was in university.   The shirt was so genius I didn’t even notice the rest of the table until the gentleman behind the table asked “Have you heard of Kill Shakespeare?” 


That gentleman was Connor McCreery co-creator of  the Kill Shakespeare comic series.  He walked me through the basics: Hamlet is transported to a mythical land which is either cursed or protected, depending on what side of the argument you side with, by a wizard named Will Shakespeare.  The lord of the land, Richard III wants Hamlet to find and kill the powerful wizard. However a rebellion, lead by Juliet Capulet, is calling Richard a tyrant and asking for Hamlet’s help to find Shakespeare and overthrow the king.  The T-shirts were a tie-in and even more clever once you understood the context.  I picked up the first volume of the graphic novel, A Sea of Troubles, and resolved to read it on the bus back to Ottawa.

You don’t have to be a Shakespeare fan to like this book. While there are winks, and references, the authors make sure that the uninitiated have enough information to not be lost. The story is epic in every sense of the word with twists and turns that keep the audiences guessing just as much as the characters. I honestly have no idea what will happen next and I love that.  



With great art by , well rounded characters and an excellent story I’m looking forward to picking up the next instalment.  Of course by next instalment I mean everything that’s currently published. Once I pick it up I know I’m not going to want to put it down until it’s done. 

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Thursday 18 September 2014

Montreal Comiccon Highlights: 2014

by Jordan Danger
Photos by Chris Patten
MONTREAL COMICCON 2014: HIGHLIGHTS
A stunning Bishop cosplay, and moi.

This year I attended the Montreal ComicCon once again. It’s my third time at this con, and it shows no sign of slowing down. With record-setting crowds this year, the con was packed—almost overwhelmingly so—and the entire building was a-buzz with con goers. The Palais de Congres is such a great venue because it offers extensive room to chill out, so the con floor itself isn’t packed with people dragging their feet; indeed, the main mezzanine is a great place to grab some amazing cosplay shots.

COSPLAY FUN

And the cosplay was really the star of the show this con. I estimate that 1 in 4 people seem to be dressed up in some fashion; certainly I could turn in any direction at any point, and find somebody in a glorious costume. I myself attended as Jet Girl (my cosplay that debuted at Ottawa ComicCon this year) and enjoyed the thumbs-up and photo op requests from attendees.

Cosplay really is becoming a major part of conventions, and I think this is wonderful. One can only attend so many cons before you’ve bought all the merch you really need, attended all the panels you wanted to hear, and gotten all the celebrity photos you can afford. After that, the cons can get a little stale—take it from me, who has attended every con in the area for a year straight. What doesn’t get old is the fans and the cosplay.

HIDDEN GEMS IN ARTIST’S ALLEY

Also infinitely enjoyable is Artist’s Alley. This often-overlooked part of a con’s offerings was a busy place at MTL this year. Many of the artists are repeats; for instance, I see Ron + Indy regularly, and Dr Kyla’s Emporium who makes the most wonderful crocheted characters, like my Gorn who I glued to my hula girl legs on my dash and is now the famous HulaGorn.



What’s great about Artist’s Alley is that, even when you chat with an artist you’ve already met, you get an update on their world and their work. Of course, it’s also great fun to see people having custom sketches done by industry giants like Geof Isherwood and Nick Bradshaw, two highly approachable and awesome comic book artist greats. Over the course of many cons, Nick and I have become well acquainted (and I have a sketch of Rogue on roller skates to prove it), and it can be a real treat to chat with some of the men and women who bring our favourite characters to life.

me with Nick Bradshaw, Marvel's go-to guy


It’s also great fun to discover younger talent and support them with the purchase of a print or postcard. This year, Amy Spaulding and Deena Pagliarello get my vote for ‘best in show’ with their very clever takes on iconic super women.

A GOOD GEEKY TIME


We departed the con after a giant feast of sushi from the Palais’ sushi place, then headed out, full of that bright happy geek energy you can only find at a con. It’s such a joy to live in the ‘golden triangle’ and have such easy access to everything Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto; if you haven’t made the short trip down to Montreal for the con before, I heartily recommend you hit it up next year!


Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor in Chief of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford comma

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Montreal Comic-Con Preview

MONTREAL COMIC-CON PREVIEW
By Angela Hartwick
Welcome to the inner sanctum of my imaginary trip planning (coping mechanism for lack of spending money and free time). Today’s destination is Montreal ComicCon, taking place September 12-14 at Palais des congrès.
CELEBRITIES I MUST MEET
Only this year have I begun purchasing celebrity autographs in hopes to one day have an impressive Whedonverse collection (two down!). I like when conventions group celebrities from specific shows/films together. My main draws for Montreal would be to meet two actresses from my all-time favourite scifi series Battlestar Galactica: Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace) and Tricia Helfer (Cylon “Number Six”).
I’d also lineup to see the Lord of the Rings guys, Billy Boyd (Peregrin “Pippin” Took) and Karl Urban (Éomer). Karl was at the Ottawa ComicCon earlier this year didn’t interest me but Karl Urban and Billy Boyd is a different story. There’s something nostalgic about the release of Lord of the Rings (can you believe it’s been 13 years?)…midnight showings were sold out, cinematics changed, and a new generation of Tolkienists were born.
The Walking Dead is my favourite on-air show and it’ll be represented by Guest of Honour Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), along with as Emily Kinny (Beth Greene) and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (Bob Stookey).
And finally, I’d see Daniel Glover (Sergeant Roger Murtaugh) from Lethal Weapon. I’d ask him to sign several copies of “I’m too old for this” - a frequently used catchphrase in my circle of friends - and turn them into birthday card crafts for loved ones.
CELEBRITIES YOU MUST MEET, MAYBE
Star Trek: the New Generation fans rejoice! Joining Guest of Honour Sir Patrick Stewart is: Jonathan Frakes (William T. Riker), LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Data), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar), John DeLancie (Q). Too bad Wil Wheaton is skipping this one. See (almost) the whole gang together at Star Trek: TNG - Engaged! taking place Saturday, September 13th at 6pm.
Hulkamaniacs can attend Hulk Hogan: Uncut, where Guest of Honour Hulk Hogan will talk about his career and do a Q&A. Wrestling fans can also meet Trish Stratus, Amy Dumas, Jimmy Hart and Jake “the Snake” Roberts. I just finished reading Bret “Hitman” Hart’s autobiography which has caused mixed feelings regarding professional wrestling (especially in when linked to the McMahons)…but part of me wants to meet those formerly part of the WWF crew.
Other Guests of Honour include Matt Smith from Doctor Who who will likely top my list in the future but at this time David Tennant is the most recent incarnation of the Doctor I’m familiar with. Whovians don’t forget tickets to The Hour of the Doctor, a 90-minute talk and Q&A by Matt Smith and a surprise guest.
Check out the full list of guests here
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In addition to the usual marvelous con features of celebrity Qs & As, autographs, photo ops, panels and workshops- all of which can be found in the guidebook smartphone app- exhibitors, artists, and cosplay, the weekend also boasts some extras.
There will be a Masquerade competition for cosplayers Saturday night and winner will be announced Sunday morning. Lovers of horror films and surprises can check out a double screening of Night of the Living Dead plus a surprise second film. Serenity and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog will be screened for charity. There are no charity details on the con website, but the official website for Can’t Stop Serenity, the title of the screening, explains that the primary charitable recipient is Equality Now who advocate for international rights of girls and women.
Since in Quebec, check out the exclusive screening of a new T̻te A Claque episode Рa hit French-language comedy series composed of skits delivered by modelling clay characters Рin which the human race needs protection from smartphones (farfetched concept, right?!).

Best geeky wishes to all attending the convention. For the rest of us: t-10 weeks until Ottawa Pop Expo!

Angela is a 30-something year old mom of three kids - a baby, a school-aged kid and a teenager – and a furbaby, living in Orleans with her geek soul mate husband. She studied English Literature and Social Work but took an unexpected turn somewhere and ended up working as a policy analyst for the feds. Hobbies include reading, playing boardgames and Magic: the Gathering, cooking healthy foods, blogging, and discussing favourite tv shows and movies. She is the proud organizer of the Ottawa Geek Social Club, which strives to provide meetup opportunities that reflect the many facets of geekdom and beyond! www.ogsc.ca.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Bikinis and Balancing Acts

BIKINIS AND BALANCING ACTS
By Jordan Danger


When I was a kid, I loved Hallowe’en. I grew up in a super geeky household, and costumes were a big deal. Mom made most of our costumes from scratch; later, when my brother and I got into specific genres, this task became a family effort. My brother was Mr Fantastic one year, complete with elongated arms that required an assistant for candy-carrying; I was Rogue one year, and hand-painted my own white streak into my wig; my favourite was probably the year I went as a Bjorn priestess, when my mom sewed my robes and Dad carefully constructed my nose ridges from theatre putty. 

What I’m saying is, back in my day, cosplay was about accuracy. It was about painstaking work. It was about authenticity. It wasn’t about skin and sucking on my fingers for the camera.

WHERE DO BIKINIS COME IN?

So when I look at a lineup of special guests for a comic convention, I feel really frustrated when I see some of the female cosplay guests of honour. I keep wondering how it is that a bikini with an Ark Reactor in the cleavage can be considered a cosplay—nay, a cosplay worthy of being featured as a guest speaker. 

I have friends who slave over their costumes. They spend hours and big money building a costume that is screen- or book-accurate. Yet somehow, these aren’t the girls featured as guests of honour at the cons. 

There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about ‘booth babes’ at cons, and the general exploitation of women’s bodies as marketing tools for conventions. How can we be mad at con vendors for bringing hot ladies to their booths if we encourage and condone the organizers bringing in bikini-versions of Wolverine or Harley Quinn?

HYPOCRISY AND DOUBLE STANDARDS?

So one side of the equation is this: a lot of people have been up in arms about the way women are portrayed in comic books. The recent debacle with the Spiderwoman alternate cover is a great example. Not only were people furious that this heroine was posed in a way that was perceived to be sexual, they also freaked out about anatomical impossibilities in the pose. If we hold a drawing to these incredibly high standards—“Don’t show me women being overly sexualized and be accurate with your proportions, too!”—then why do we not speak up more about the bikini cosplayers that convention organizers spotlight? Bikinis aside, even the posing that female cosplayers often do reflect the comic book drawings that are most offensive: arched backs, winking eyes, and very little fist-punching. It’s like the real-life ‘opposite day’ of the Hawkeye Initiative

A FINE LINE: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION

After San Diego Comiccon, a post by the Associated Press really got my goat. The article ranted about women walking around in belly shirts, and demanded that some modicum of modesty be expected at cons. The thing about this article that really peeved me off was that it seemed to imply that the only place you’d see scantily-clad women was at a comiccon…as if the con culture itself promoted attendees wearing belly shirts. As a woman who has attended many cons, I can tell you that I personally have never ever felt like I was being pressured to dress ‘sexy’ for a day of lineups and impulse purchases. 

But aside from this, there’s another issue here: a woman’s right to wear whatever the Hell she wants. Big or small, black or white, human or cylon, I have always supported a woman’s right to wear whatever insanely revealing clothing she desires—provided of course that she has made this choice consciously, for her own reasons, and with an awareness of the cultural context in which she lives. So I do support a girl’s right to wear a belly shirt, or an Iron Man bikini, or sweat pants and a Pokemon hoodie. 

BRINGING THESE TWO SIDES TOGETHER?

Is there any way to find a balance here? Can I love supporting a woman’s right to wear something skimpy, while also refusing to support the VIP’ing of female ‘cosplayers’ who just wear a colourful bikini? I don’t know. We want to hear your thoughts, though, in the comments below. Do you think there’s something intrinsically hypocritical about demanding less sexualized comic books while prioritizing skimpy versions of cosplay as con guests of honor? Where is the line between a woman’s right to wear what she likes, and a woman’s responsibility to stop feeding into the hyper-sexualization of the geek girl world?


I’ve got no answers for you here. Maybe you’ve got some for me.

Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor in Chief of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford comma

Monday 8 September 2014

Resource Management Games: An Introduction

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GAMES: AN INTRODUCTION
By Tracy Thillmann


When you think back to your childhood, remembering all those fond moments of dice rattling in a cup, arguing with siblings over who wins because they have the most money, or puzzling out what your dad is drawing when all it looks like is a demented duck in a tutu.
So Many!
Fast forward a decade or two; you have decided to try out board games again. So you walk into the local game store, and are dumbstruck by the sheer volume of choice. Dice, deck building, cooperative, zombies, dungeon crawls, and then most daunting of all… the worker placement/resource management (WP/RM) strategy games.
The WP/RM games are by far my favourite games, despite the fact that learning them sometimes make me feel like I have had a two hour brain freeze. Yet don’t let that stop you. From Settlers of Catan to The Village, or Lords of Waterdeep to Noblemen, there is a game for any level of play experience.
*hands of the audience snap up into the air*
“What is a WP/RM game?”
“There are so many, where do I begin?”
“How many…?”
“What about…?”
Don’t worry; by the end of this article, you should be ready to tackle the, often daunting, WP/RM strategy genre.
So where to begin… 
DEFINITION 
A WP/RM game is a strategic, competitive style game. They often involve Meeples (little wooden people, or even little wooden animals, food shapes, ships, and so many more), as well as cubes representing gems/elements/minerals/etc. And who doesn’t love Meeples.
MEEPLES!
Traditionally they are played over a defined number of rounds, or until a goal is met. In Noblemen the game plays over three decades, Lords of Waterdeep is over eight rounds, Hermagor is when you have no more action tiles, and the list goes on.
PLAYERS
So what if you are a couple who often have to play just the two of you, or you are a big family trying to find a game for everyone? Strategy WP/RM games are great for groups of most sizes.  Most are traditionally designed for 2-5, where some play, with expansions, up to 6 players; and some even have solo options. Traditional age range is usually 12+ but some allow for younger players to catch on quickly.
With so many fantastic games coming out every year, the hardest decision is where to begin. Even an experienced gamer can open up a new game that was thought to be a nice, easy strategy game and sees that the rule book is a small novella. The size of the box, the art, the description can all be deceiving. A hard game looks easy or vice versa. I have yet to find an easy way to tell one from another until I start to play; now to be fair I thrive on the heavy brain hurt games. As a teacher of games at a local lounge I have begun to compile a list of beginner, intermediate and advanced list; which I will post at the end of the article. When in doubt, just ask a friend who plays them, or an online group/page; and if by chance you pick a heavier than expected game, there are so many great walkthrough videos that I have used many times to help figure out those sometimes-not-so-clear rulebooks.
STRATEGY
The biggest strategy to a strategy game; don’t take on too much. Often there are more action/play options than there are action turns. You often want to try to do everything to try to gain more points. You usually spread yourself too thin, and actually make a lot less points than focusing on one or two parts in the game. This gives the games lots of playability, because next time around you can try a different strategy, and then a third, and so on. Mix it up; get out of your comfort zone.
The WP/RM style of game has a sea of choices, and so many play mechanics that one article can’t do them justice. All I would say is don’t be daunted by them. Read the rule book, take your time to learn, and have snacks at hand.
The artwork for these games is always so beautiful and unique to the theme.
AS PROMISED: THE LIST
Beginner Games: Settlers of Catan (a great gateway game; and most gamers have played it so you can probably find someone who has a copy), Stone Age, Lords of Waterdeep (D&D based), Pillars of the Earth.
Intermediate: Belfort (made in Canada), Helios, Agricola (many would argue it is an advanced game but the base play is quite quick to catch onto), Valdora.
Advanced: Noblemen, Archipelago, T’Zolkin, Hermagor, Dungeon Lords (you get to be evil dungeon lord fighting off the dungeon crawling adventurers), Glass Road.
Hurt your Brain Hard: Keyflower, Troyes, De. Vulgari Eloquentia, Terra Mystica, Caverna.
.. And my favourite you ask? Hands down, it is The Village. You use time as payment to kill off your people to gain more victory points. It is a strange mechanic, so technically makes it an advanced game, but the strategy itself is more intermediate in level.

No matter your likes, the WP/RM strategy game genre is so varied you will probably find something in a style/genre you enjoy. So go ahead, grab some Meeples and just have fun

Married, with four fur babies, Tracy has recently rediscovered her love of board games, and has acquired a wonderful collection. Being new to writing, it is just one more newly discovered world she is exploring. At the age of 37, Tracy now proudly shows off her geekiness, through her love of crafting and creating; well, at least until she defeats Ganon with the master sword, she finds the blue crystal staff, or the TARDIS shows up on her front doorstep.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

School Lunches for Geeky Kids

MAKING LUNCH FUN – HOW TO PUT A LITTLE GEEK INTO KIDS LUNCHES
By Sandi Moser
It’s back-to-school time again. This year will be a bit different for our family – my youngest will finally be going to school full-time. He’s over-the-moon excited, which is catchy, but my husband and I can’t help but groan when thinking about the extra lunches and snacks we’ll have to start packing. We’ve had a bit of experience (my daughter is entering grade 3), but adding that extra lunch bag to the mix has put a bit of a drag on the upcoming return to school.

In an effort to inject some excitement into the lunch-making tedium, I went on a mission to find some new, fun, and (because it’s me) geeky snack and lunch ideas. 
Surprisingly, searching online for ideas wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be. Most searches brought me to links to articles about the importance of healthy school lunches, or to message boards asking questions about what geeks are eating these days while playing computer games (your typical Doritos and Fritos made those lists – I guess they’re not reading the previously-mentioned healthy-snack articles). 
What finally did the trick for finding appropriate school ideas was searching for a particular theme. For example, searching for “Star Wars school lunch ideas” brought me to a blog by Wendy Copely, author of Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches To Go, showcasing the different ways you can use Star Wars cookie cutters (to cut sandwiches, quesadillas, and even cheese slices) and lightsabre picks to infuse some fun into lunch: http://wendolonia.com/blog/2013/05/02/star-wars-lunch-ideas-for-your-little-jedi/. 

The Wendolonia blog brought me to even more Star Wars ideas, including this awesome lunch, with a Princess Leia cheese sandwich with almond butter and jam sandwich hair “buns”: http://www.veggie-bento.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/may-the-fourth-lunch.jpg. While making Princess Leia sandwiches probably takes a bit more time than I’m willing to commit, turning pretzel sticks into lightsabres is definitely a possibility.

Here are a few of my favourite finds. With luck, they’ll help make us all excited for lunch-making time, and won’t result in too many Pinterest fails!
Superhero lunch (http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/back-school-superhero-lunch-box/) – I especially love the idea of using a toothpick to write into the peel of the banana, which will brown up by morning. I can think of many possibilities for that trick!

Minecraft lunch (http://www.bentonbetterlunches.com/2013/04/thriftee-gear-review-minecraft-lunch.html) – I have to admit, when my daughter talks to me about Minecraft, I feel like I have the same expression on my face as my parents did when I tried to explain how to program the timer of our VCR. But, the sandwich looks easy to make, and gives new life to simple squares of cheese.

Dragon lunch (http://www.bentonbetterlunches.com/2013/09/how-to-train-your-dragon.html) – Most of the dragon-inspired things in this lunch come from rings that decorate cupcakes at the grocery store. The idea I really liked on this page, however, was the egg. I make hardboiled eggs every week for my own snacks, but it can be made so much more fun and kid-friendly by cracking it, then soaking it in water and food colouring.  

Don’t forget to get the kids involved in making lunch. With some of these ideas, lunch-making will become an enjoyable game instead of a chore!


Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.
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