Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Saturday, November 8, 2014

must haves: fall reading list


i keep a running list of books that sound like something i want to read, after hearing about them from a friend. i am getting ready to go on a thanksgiving beach vacation with one of my best girlfriends (we are both single mamas, won't have our respective kiddos on this holiday and simply can't bear staying home for the holiday.....so we make the best of it).

i used to be an avid reader, but i now find myself not taking the time to even start a book. vacations are the perfect opportunity to dive into a good read. 

will you help me narrow down my reading list? which of these are your favorites or what did i leave off the list that i should be reading?









































     the goldfinch












  












































    the silent wife 








help! let me know by leaving a comment below on what should be my first read.  





disclaimer: although we received some products for free, many are purchased on our own dime and *all* are products that we love and the opinions are all our own. also, from time to time we do use affiliate links in our posts.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

holiday gift-guide: must have stocking stuffers for kids


when it comes time for santa to stuff the stockings it can be hard to think of enough things to fill it with. today we are sharing with you our favorite must-have stocking stuffers of the year. follow our list and you will be finished with stuffing in no time! 



must have stocking stuffers for kids:


loopeez
shoe tying? eventually every parent is faced with the task of teaching their child to tie their shoes. i have been working on helping my first born learn and have had no luck. loopeez works by accelerating the learning process and eliminating frustration. teaching kids to tie their shoes using the loopeez shoe tying system is simple, fun and most of all requires little time to master. the *perfect* stocking stuffer--useful and much needed. 





dvd's make for a great stocking stuffer for kids of all ages. these two awesome ones are our favorites for this season that your littles are sure to love. 











crayola color bath dropz
Kids love these bath dropz. It's fun to color the water a different color daily. Coming in the primary colors red, yellow and blue, I love that my kids can then learn how to mix colors to create new ones like green, orange or purple.






disney figurine sets:

we have gone through countless of bath toys over the years. most of those end up slimy and gross after having water become trapped in them. a couple years ago i switched to these solid disney figurines. the boys love setting them up on the edge of the tub and pretending to be the characters as well as letting them sink to the bottom of the tub and "diving" for their favorite character of the moment, hidden below the bubble bath. the figurines are solid and won't take on water. they are also easy to clean by sticking them in the sink with a mixture of water and bleach. have fun collecting ones from your child's favorite movies or shows. 














ghost island --- choose your own adventure



i remember being obsessed with the chose your own adventure series when i was in jr high. i loved picking what choice the character would make in a given situation and then seeing what the outcome would be. i am thrilled to hear that they now make them in early readers! while my boys are too little to read these alone, they LOVE mommy reading to them and finding out what the end story will be based on their decisions.
  




i was a huge fan of the handheld water games when i was a kid, so i was so excited to find out they are still being made! i can't wait to see if my kiddos love them as much as i did.






chinese jumprope
another classic game of my childhood that i can't wait for my own children to experience. do you remember playing chinese jump rope too?






slingshot flying monkey
this silly monkey is shot through the air like a slingshot. i know it will be a big hit!




lip smackers

fun flavored chap stick is fun for kids of all ages and genders. 








power kids toothbrush

my kids get so excited for a new toothbrush. santa is sure to bring them a new one this year in one of their favorite animated friends. an easy stocking stuffer and, again, something that they need, but still get excited about too.







i am in love with melissa and doug water wow books. the pages are activated with simply water and you use the small re-fillable brush with water to "color" the pages. once dry, the color disappears and they can color over and over again. the water wow books are the perfect size for taking in the car and will make for fun, effortless learning. 






we hope you enjoyed our stocking stuffer must-haves. what will santa be stuffing your kiddos stockings with this year?





Thursday, November 21, 2013

diy: christmas book advent calendar


i have a serious addiction to advent calendars. christmas is my very favorite holiday and my birthday is christmas eve, so it is a happy season for me. more than that, christmas is a time where everyone is happy and focused on all the good things in life. people seem nicer in general and appreciative of life and loving the people in it. 

this year, i decided to take 24 kids christmas-related books and create an advent calendar to remember. any time i can use to create special memories with the two little men in my life, i will take it! with this advent calendar, i anticipate lots of cuddling on the couch with the littles reading the christmas classics daily. sounds heavenly to me! 

join me in starting this tradition for your family as well!


all you need is:

•24 christmas/winter kids books (i took some classics that i had as a child and also included some i found at target with my kiddos favorite childhood characters (think dora, big bird and even mater). 

•wrapping paper (i used brown, kraft paper)

•tape

•glue stick

•large circle hole punch (you can find one at your local craft store)

•vinyl number stickers (you can find them in the scrapbook section of your local craft store).


directions:

•simply, wrap each book up. 

•then, cut a circle (using the hold punch) of another color of paper. 

•using the glue stick, attach each circle to the wrapped package.

•once dry, attached numbered, vinyl stickers to each book from 1-24.

that is it! 


this would be a fun tradition this would be to start with your own children or grandchildren, don't you think?

enjoy!