I have pretty much played it through kim, so I can help with any questions you have.
the best advice I have, is to stock up on everything you can, it will take a few days, but you will need them! make every tool you can, as soon as they are available, spend a full (sim) day making rope and twine as soon as you have enough of the sissal plant, you WILL need them, and a lot of them.
make shelters! your sim wont sleep on the ground if they dont have shelter, and its storming and if they are exhausted..well, it takes a few days to get her back in shape, and by then...another storm has arrived.
Look around carefully......check the ground, everywhere you go, lots of stuff to find, and you need some of it to advance.
Spend time working on the creativity skill, its the only skill that isn't awarded for doing everyday things, you will end up with a sim with all full stats, except for creativity, which will be sitting on about 2 or 3, and you need many more points to keep progressing through the items :p
I cant think of any more basic advice just now, but if you have any questions, you know where to find me
