Giveaway: 3 Pandas Planting by Megan Halsey – Two Winners!

by on April 19, 2011
in books and music, giveaways ·

The following is by editor Kara Fleck.

I am so pleased to share  a fun giveaway with you today!   Just in time for Earth Day and Screen Free Week, we’ve been given a copy of newly re-released book Megan Halsey‘s newly re-released book 3 Panda’s Planting.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you!

This book is a new addition to our Earth Day book basket and a happy, cheerfully illustrated lesson for preschool through early elementary kids that shows conservation in action.

All three of my kids, from age two to age nine, have been enjoying this fun book and, as a parent,  I’ve been enjoying that it helps broach a serious topic in a lighthearted way.

My oldest and I have had some great discussions about what being a good steward of our planet means and even the two and four year olds are picking up on the book’s simple message about caring for the earth.

3 Pandas Planting has been a good way to open the door on conservation talks, and also given us some ideas for turning those discussions into actions that we can take as a family.
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Caring for Kids’ Spaces: Rotating Books and Toys and Knowing When to Downsize

by on April 18, 2011
in nesting · 30 Comments

The following is by editor Kara Fleck.

In April, I have been sharing with you some ways that I care for my children’s things.  Today, I want to talk with you about books and toys: namely, our rotation system for both.

We rotate books and toys because I feel like rotating allows us to have  less toys but enjoy them more.

What This Looks Like at Our House

Rotating Books

We have books that we rotate seasonally.  We also have books that we rotate according to our homeschool themes.  We have books for specific holidays, too.

I keep these books in baskets and I rotate them on a frequent basis. The baskets are in our loft/playroom and on our living room coffee table and in a few other kid-accessible spots.

I also have a small basket that I use to rotate board books from our collection for Lucy, my two year old.  I put two or three books at a time in there for her and she knows that is her basket.

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Weekend Links

by on April 17, 2011
in showcase · 1 Comment

Simplicity Parenting Book ClubThis has been a weekend of knitting, as I try to finish up the girls’ Easter dresses, and of reading.  I have picked up Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne again.  This is one of those books that I like to re-read from time to time, gaining new insights every time.

Rachel over at Clean is hosting a book club for Simplicity Parenting that begins on Monday, if you’d like to read this book and have some company as you do so.

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

Weekend Giveaway: AboutOne Subscription and Keepsy Photo Album – Three Winners!

by on April 16, 2011
in giveaways · 17 Comments

This weekend’s giveaway is from AboutOne. Are you hoping to cut back on the amount of paper clutter in your home?  Looking for a one-stop online household information management system that is secure and is easy to use?  Then AboutOne may be just what you are searching for!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you!

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Preparing for Screen Free Week: 20 Ideas to Help You Stay Unplugged

by on April 15, 2011
in nesting · 19 Comments

This post is by editor Kara Fleck.

Next week is Screen-Free week.  The purpose of the week is to encourage families to turn off the tv, unplug, and spend the week “free” of the screens in their lives.

Turn off your TV April 18 – 24th

From the Screen-Free Week website:

“Screen-Free Week is a national celebration where children, families, schools, and communities spend seven days turning off entertainment screen media and turning on life.  It’s a time to unplug and play, read, daydream, create, explore, and spend more time with family and friends.”

My family isn’t a TV-free household, and I don’t want to give that impression, but we do limit the television we watch, especially for the kids.

Aside from football season and IndyCar, and my love of watching Bones and Project Runway on Hulu, the TV isn’t a main source of entertainment for the adults in our house and so it isn’t for the kids.

But, as I admitted on Rockin’ Granola this week, computer screen time and cell phone screen time are both things I could probably stand to give myself a more restrictive diet of.  Ahem.  (I was going to call this a side effect of being a blogger, but I have to admit that would just be making an excuse.)

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