A Handful of [LDP] Sand?! *Hmph*

[Note: For those of you who are faithful Neopian Times readers, you will notice I’m the same author of the recent article, “Help! The Fishing Cavern is Causing Excess Garbage!” an article that hopefully helped you with all your unwanted fishing items, and now since the Lost Desert Prizes have been awarded some of you need help again dealing with all those unwanted piles of sand! *grins*]

What a deal after all those hours I contributed to the Lost Desert Plot, to help save the city of Sakhmet! *buys piles and piles and piles of sand!* Ok, let’s back up a few sentences… no I didn’t fall out of my Neo-tree; I am aware of the uber awesome prizes that some of us got for participating (three cheers for TNT) but why am I so excited about the Handfuls of Sand? Well, let me tell you, and hopefully when you’re finished reading my article you and all your Neofriends will consider taking ALL of the sand out of your Safety Deposit Boxes or even going on a shopping spree for some more! I think the Neopian world would be a happier place if owners and their pets were having fun with this sand!

How about these great ideas to help you have fun with that SAND!

1. The obvious…design a sandbox for your Neopets! A favorite outdoor activity for nearly all pets is digging in a sand box. As a bonus, you can drag all that sand into the shed on rainy days. ;) But why not think bigger? How about creating a beach where you and your Neofriends can write your username or even messages in the sand? Try it!

2. Bury your pet (or may I suggest Sloth!) with the sand so you can have a Sand Pet again. (A lot better than dung!) Now that was COOL, I just wish the effect would’ve lasted longer! I have a snapshot of my pet, C_h_i_l_l_yW_i_l_ly on his description page when he had been buried in sand, and of course I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at the little guy! :K

3. What fun it would be to donate some of your sand to the Foreman since he wasn’t so nice calling us lazy worms, thwacking us with his cudgel or making us sit in a corner while we dug out sand or moved blocks! Well, you can feel relieved that the Foreman, who has been unemployed for some time now, passes the time away by counting and recounting each grain of sand and catalogues them in a sand book!! *giggles*

4. Now, here’s the real scoop…I’m sure those adorable Meowclops and Kadoaties could use all the litter they can get! Would even go nicely in a Regal Litter Tray! Your petpets will really love you for it! Who knows it could even become “Neopia’s Best” brand of kitty litter”! *Mew!*

5. Hold a Sand Sculpture Contest! Winner gets all the sand he can carry away in a Meridell Bucket and Spade Set! If you’re looking for some hints for winning, imagine the “ooohs” and “ahhhs” when you recreate the Royal Wedding Ring! This art may be temporary but that may be the biggest part of its charm! Let's go!

6. Bottle them and sell them - if it's good enough for Mystery Island…! (What fun you can have trying to woo the customers away from the Tiki Man!) I don’t know about you but I’m always fascinated with those beautiful bottles filled with sand. Who knows maybe someday we’ll need a bottle of “Handful of Sand” for the cooking pot! :)

7. Wow! The repository was buried under 104,034 handfuls of sand! We were tricked into digging all that sand out, I’m telling you! So why not use all our sand to refill the pyramid…especially the Anubis Toxicology Room, words now considered a swear word because of how annoying it was to find scrolls in it!! I still have nightmares of being lost in that room! [NO…you can’t make me go there again!!] *shudders*

8. Why not have a treasure hunt in the sand! Hide a number of small toys (or even some of those new LDP key chains) in a sandbox or and let your Neofriends dig through the sand in search of fun treasures. Bury the prizes with the higher value deep within the sand, so that it takes a little bit more time. Whee!

Yes, I’m almost done...

9. Sell the sand for a profit to the Terror Mountain grounds keeper. He will be more than happy to use the sand on the walkways to the top of the mountain and in the Icy Tunnel, to allow safe walking for everyone around the mountain! (Watch out for the Snowager, though, as I’m sure he won’t be pleased by more owners coming to steal his stuff now because of you!)

10. The most fun you can have creatively is when you make something by yourself. Why not try your hand at sand painting? Use a page from your Tatty Notebook, along with Meerca Brothers Glue, and make a few wavy lines across the paper and fill in with sand for a very compelling sand painting. After sand has been applied, lift the paper up and shake lightly over a Rusty Old Can to collect the excess sand to use again. One of the most fun images to create in sand on paper is a landscape! Trust me!

11. Make your own quicksand! What you do in this case is have a hole with water seeping in, filled with sand that is very loose and unpacked, and just think... if that doesn’t work…what could be better than playing in MUD!! (Maybe not, eh?)

12. I saved the best for last! This just might be the newest craze to hit the scene…how about make sand balls and attack the ones who made us move that furniture… *shifty eyes*

    Now, see; there was no reason for you to whine and complain and be depressed about all those useless piles of sand you just acquired! Playing with sand is a great way to develop your beloved Neopets' motor skills, especially with plenty of tools and toys: spoons, scoops, cups, sifters, etc. So go, and have fun, but remember though, don't let them throw it or eat it.

Thanks for reading my article and feel free to neomail me with any ideas and comments! Chelle