Stay at Home Fun with Bagels & Locks Studios!

This #stayathome thing is really hard.

We've been basically self isolating because of some of our family members' pre-existing conditions and we are trying very hard to avoid exposure to the novel Coronavirus.

That being said, it's hard to stay at home for all this time. 

We have not had the complicating factor of our work outside our home, because our family business, the Safed Puzzle Room, being part of the tourism and entertainment sector, is closed. Unfortunately, this translates into actual, real, serious financial issues for us.

But instead of wallowing in self pity, we allowed ourselves a short period of time to absorb the shock that our business will likely not survive the pandemic, and then we decided to pick up the pieces.

So we worked night and day and day and night, and we created an amazing (if I may say so myself) online Israel-themed game that families, couples, and groups can play from the comfort of home: IsraelQuest: Challenge One, under the umbrella of Bagels & Locks Studios. More games are in the works!

I don't want to give the game away, but let's just say it's SOOO cool and fun for experienced puzzlers and escape room buffs, as well as for novice players and kids. You can choose from 3 options: IsraelQuest: Challenge One (for adults and teens 14+, novice or experienced puzzlers), IsraelQuest: Challenge One Jr. (for kids age 9-13 or novice puzzlers), or IsraelQuest: Challenge One Pro (for experienced puzzlers age 15+). And the price is amazing - it's currently available for an introductory price of just $10 (instead of $14.95) -- this way it's truly accessible to all! And best of all, you can play the game whether you know Israel well, or don't know anything about Israel! It's really that versatile.

Be sure to let me know when you've played, I'd love to hear what you all think of it!

If anyone wants to review the game, please reach out to me privately! Thank you!

Want to help out? Click on one of the share buttons on this page and share with your network! 

Follow Bagels & Locks Studios on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And of course, play the game! (And Virtual Hugs are welcome!)

Hidden Gems

It was the last long Friday of the year.

Obviously, we had to do something, as starting the week right after, we'd be ushering in Shabbat BEFORE 5 pm. We actually thought everyone else would have the same idea, and that the parks and whatnot would be packed.

I imagined finding a park and then having to help my kids navigate playground politics (just exactly how long is a child allowed to stay on a swing when there is a line forming?!).

The boys wanted to practice their baseball skills with my husband, and the girls really didn't care where we went, as long as there are slides and swings.

I know, baseball is not exactly your typical Israeli pasttime...

I was really hoping to find a park with a great playground, big wide open grassy fields, and public bathrooms.

In the end, we didn't find exactly that, but we did find a gem of a place anyhow! It was lacking the big wide open grassy fields, but we went to Park Rabin in Migdal Ha'emek, since we knew it had bathrooms and a great play area.

I really expected crowds, as we only got there in the afternoon, and schools were all out already. But it was practically empty! There was one couple with a toddler there, a family with a few little kids, and 4 kids on bikes. For most of the time we were there, those were the only other people we saw.

The boys got to practice their baseball in a field that was dotted with olive and other trees. Makes for interesting baseball.

When the girls needed the bathroom (they always need the bathroom when we are out), we found the one unlocked toilet and discovered it was very clean, but lacked toilet paper and soap. Luckily I carry toilet paper around in my backpack, and hand sanitizer too, for when we find ourselves without soap...

The girls loved the lack of playground politics in the kiddie playground.




 
But when we ventured up to the upper play area and discovered the HUGE slides... well, they were ecstatic! (And the boys had fun there too.)








 

Those were really huge slides. The kids love all those colors zooming past them as they come sliding down. We literally had to drag them away so we could go home and finish getting ready for Shabbat...