Author: Ashley Mazur

I currently live in Fort Wayne, Indiana but I am originally from Cleveland, OH and also lived in Toledo, OH for a number of years. I am a Talent Services Manager for a company called Great Clips. I have three fur babies (two dogs, one cat) and I enjoy reading, writing, Browns football and my Nintendo Switch. My philosophy is be kind, always <3

Switch to a Switch

Posted on by Ashley Mazur
Nintendo Switch Console

As a millennial, I have gotten to experience the evolution of video games almost in it’s entirety. And, in my personal opinion, the Nintendo Switch is one of the best video game consoles on the market. It’s namesake speaks to the fact that you can switch from playing it on your TV to handheld, which is the first of it’s kind. That, along with the many types of video games you can experience playing on the switch, was one of the main reasons I invested in one. It’s also considerably cheaper ($299 retail price) than some of the other game systems out there making it fairly affordable. I love mine so much that I decided to write a blog post about it, so here we are.

First, a little background on my personal history with video games. I was introduced to video games in the early 1990’s (what a time to be alive!) My cousins had an original Nintendo as well as an original PlayStation. We spent hours playing Dr. Mario and Driver, much to my Aunt’s delight (with the exception of the occasional fight over who’s turn it was). When the handheld Game Boy came out, everything changed. I remember saving up to buy a bright green Game Boy Color and the thrill of playing Pokémon Blue for the very first time. It truly was a gamechanger and that was only the beginning.

Since those days, numerous amounts of game consoles were introduced including various upgrades of Nintendo systems and handhelds. Full Disclosure: I have been an exclusive Nintendo user since my Game Boy Color days (with the exception of the iconic Sega Genesis), so the rest of this blog may be a little biased. After the Game Boy, I had a Nintendo 64 gaming console followed by a Wii and then a Nintendo 2DS handheld. I loved them all, but was often too busy to play all of the various systems and games that I had acquired over the years. By the time the Nintendo Switch was released I had all but given up playing video games with the exception of the COVID-19 shutdown in the Spring of 2020.

Handheld

Being the Nintendo stan that I am, the Nintendo Switch had been in the back of my mind since they came out with Pokémon Sword/Shield in 2019. Fast forward to 2021 and I had started a new job, which not only allowed me more free time but also allowed me to pay off my car – the last bit of debt I had. At that point I knew what my debt-free gift to myself would be: A Nintendo Switch. True to my generation, I did a ton of research before buying one. I looked at everything from the best accessories to which games to buy. Finally, in the Spring of 2021 I bit the bullet and bought my first gaming console in over a decade – and it was the best decision I’ve made in years.

The Nintendo Switch is an amazing investment whether you are getting one for yourself or your children. In my opinion, the best part is the diversity of games you can get. Not only can you get the newest versions of classic Nintendo games, but they offer games from tons of different gaming consoles and platforms like Crash Bandicoot, Rollercoaster Tycoon and even The Lion King (a Sega Genesis Classic) from the 90’s! Another selling point for me was the option for online play. For as low as $20 a year, you can get an online Nintendo membership and play in real time with fellow Switch-owners. Plus you can get discounts on downloadable versions of your favorite games. Having Nintendo Online has been a great way to have fun and keep in touch with my friends and family in Ohio since I moved.

If you are considering getting a Nintendo Switch then this is blog post is a sign that you should buy one. In the 10 months that I’ve had one I have had hours and hours of fun, and it has more than paid for itself. Nintendo has truly outdone itself with this console from it’s design to the quality of graphics and beyond. You can’t put a price on the joy of feeling like a kid again when you play your old favorites and discover new ones. I hope you enjoyed my two cents on this topic. I’ve added an image with some of my favorite games at the end of this blog, and if you own a switch please comment to add what you love about it! Thank you.

<3 Ash

Some favorites of mine: Pokémon Shield, MarioKart Deluxe, Super Smash Bros Ultimate

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 2022

Posted on by Ashley Mazur

Welp, here I am again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now, I’ve always found writing fun and a hobby of sorts. I will never force myself to write to fill some type of phantom contract I’ve made up in my head. I’ll always have a goal to write, but if that goal is not currently serving me then I won’t push myself to do it. So here I am, once again, putting my thoughts on various subjects out there into the universe for no apparent reason.

First, I’ll start off with a little life update. I moved to Fort Wayne last December (2020). I paid off my school loans in the midst of the pandemic which prompted me to jump out of my comfort zone and into a new adventure. My boyfriend of nine years is from this area, and after making the 1 hour and 40 minute commute for eight of those nine years, I decided it was time to make the hop, skip and jump one state over from my beloved home state of Ohio. That may be a bit of a run-on sentence but you get the point.

Since saying goodbye to my wonderful friends and family in Toledo, starting a new job, and moving straight into my boyfriend’s home, I’ve had my hands full over the past year. Navigating this has not always been the easiest but I’ve definitely given myself the time to adjust and grow into this next chapter of my life. We have also added a new pup to the family by adopting a sweet, vocal beagle named Grizzly (Grizz or Grizzle for short), which you can imagine has taken up a lot of my time.

So it’s safe to say that writing was not a top priority for 2021. Although, I have done my fair share of private journaling to work through my feelings given the new situation I’ve found myself in. All in all, moving was a great decision. I’ve always been a believer that growth comes from change no matter how big or small, and being open to those opportunities is the best thing you can do for yourself. So here I am, getting back on the (writing) horse. We’ll see how long I can stay on this time. I can’t wait to see what 2022 brings, and as always, thank you for taking the time to read what I put out here.

<3 Ash

Be Graceful With Yourself

Posted on by Ashley Mazur

We are nine months into 2020 and this rollercoaster of a year is almost over. Count them with me: THREE more months people! Remember New Year’s Day and how we felt going into this new decade? Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we were ready to start fresh and see what the next ten years would bring. Now close your eyes and take a moment to reflect on that feeling. Are there things you haven’t accomplished yet? Goals you haven’t reached? Places you didn’t get to go? Things you didn’t get to do? The list goes on and on, and you know what? It’s okay to be pissed off, sad, disappointed or whatever type of way you are feeling about this crapbag of a year we were handed. So, let’s start focusing on moving forward.

I’m here to tell you that whatever you are feeling is valid. It’s totally fine to mourn the losses we have suffered this year because it’s been really tough. Some of us fell on hard times, some lost relationships, some found out what their natural hair color actually looks like. Whether it be something big like canceling that trip you saved up so much money for, or those little self care rituals like getting your nails done. We have all lost something this year but I think we have also gained a lot.

It’s important to recognize that we’ve grown a lot in these last 7 months or so. Maybe we’ve started to be a little more independent, or leaned into family and friends in ways we never had to before. Perhaps we learned some things about ourselves, or took time to reflect and appreciate some of the things we take for granted. In a way, good comes out of every storm even if it’s just brining people together.

I’m also here to remind you that you need to give yourself, and those around you, some grace. Absolutely no one is perfect and this rollercoaster year didn’t exactly come with a road map, or even a seatbelt. Times like this can bring us down but in the same breath they give us life. You can’t grow when you are comfortable; you can’t move forward if you’re standing still. While the future may be uncertain, all we can do is live in this moment and decide how we are going to show up. No matter what, we need to continue to show up.

Yes, we may have three more months of 2020 to endure but I am hopeful that the worst is behind us (barring the election if you live in the U.S. like me—but we aren’t going to talk about that because we are staying positive here). Hopefully something in this post resonated with you or at the very least made you feel like you’re not the only one if you’ve been struggling. Keep your head up, keep showing up, keep growing, keep living and be graceful with yourself while you do it.

<3 Ash