Simple Kids » books and music

Weekend giveaway: Sparkle Stories

Kara — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:22:04 +0000

Today’s weekend giveaway is very fitting as it is for one of our family’s favorite non-television activities: Sparkle Stories!

If you are on the lookout for a unique gift for the kids in your life, may I suggest Sparkle Stories, original tales told by an engaging story teller? The tales are entertaining, soothing to listen to, and teach a few lessons along the way.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

A subscription make a unique gift that doesn’t take up any room in the toy box, kids can share, and will give joy week after week.

With six subscription series options to choose from, many are sure to delight your child, as well. Sparkle Stories also offers an audio book for children ages 9 and up called How to Be Super. My children ages 3 (almost 4), 5, and 10 are big fans of the Martin and Sylvia stories.

From the Sparkle Stories website:

“Sparkle is an online resource for high-quality audio stories for children and families. Each week Sparkle Stories delivers delightful audio stories to subscribers around the world. We offer five original Story Series, plus a sixth Series with classic stories, songs and games, all designed to entertain and inspire the whole family.”

You can check out the series, listen to samples, and find out the age recommendations here at the Sparkle Stories website.

Sounds great, right? Are you ready to enter for a chance to win?

Two Simple Kids winners will receive a 3-month subscription to Sparkle Stories – the winners can choose any three stories that they’d like to hear. (So that’s 3 months of subscription to 3 stories of choice).

How to Win

To be entered for a chance to win, simply leave a comment in the comments section below! Note: if you are reading this via email or a reader, you will need to visit the blog to enter.

This giveaway will end tonight, Saturday May 5th at midnight EST. Good luck!

The lovely folks at Sparkle Stories are offering a wonderful discount to all Simple Kids readers — Try Sparkle Stories for $1! We’re offering a $1-for-the-first-month of subscription. Go to http://www.sparklestories.com/trysparkle/ and choose one of our Sparkle Stories Packages. Use the magic code SIMPLYSPARKLE to receive your discount!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

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Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Weekend giveaway: Sparkle Stories is a post from Simple Kids

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We love books! A good read and giveaway winners

Kara — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:22:48 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

Whoops! I realized earlier this week that I never announced the winners from our recent Mother Bear Project pattern and Naturally Fun Parties for Kids giveaways. I apologize.

I also have a fun and unique book to share with you today for this month’s We Love Books: A Good Read review.

Giveaway winners

So, without any further delay, here are the winners:

The Mother Bear Project pattern winner was … Natalie

The winner of the book Naturally Fun Parties for Kids was … Allison

Congratulations to you both! Check your email soon for a message from me about how to claim your prize.

A good read: Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroomland

I also wanted to share with you today a wonderful little book that found its way to our home recently. The book is called Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroomland and it is by Natasha Guruleva.

From first glance, you’ll notice that this book is special because of its pictures.

Lovingly handmade, arranged, and photographed by the author, the story of Herbert is depicted in gorgeous full color photographs. The dolls and the sets are crafted by hand, and then arranged in a natural environment. The result is a beautiful, unique visual storytelling experience that compliments the written word of Herbert’s adventures.

The author, Natasha Guruleva, is an independent writer-filmmaker, who makes the natural world come to life throughout this fairytale series, of which Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroomland is just the beginning.

My two oldest children, at ages five and ages ten, enjoyed Herbert’s adventures and were also inspired creatively by the beautiful dolls and photographs in the book. As a parent, and a crafter, I appreciate the obvious love, care, and attention to detail that goes in to Guruleva’s work.

You can learn more about the Mushroomland series and the author, Natasha Guruleva, by visiting www.mushroomland.net

I was given a copy of this book to review, but I can safely that that Max and Jillian were charmed by the Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroomland and we’ll be purchasing more books from this series.

What are you reading to your kids?

Thank you to all of you for your kind words about Jillian and I’s knitting projects this week. We have actually been playing around with the video camera and we recorded a short, very amateur, show talking about the things we’ve been creating each week – video blogging, if you will. If you don’t mind our learning curve about sound, light, and mixing, you can take a peek at Rockin’ Granola to see what we’ve been up to.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

We love books! A good read and giveaway winners is a post from Simple Kids

Yarn Along

Kara — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:32:58 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

This week’s Wednesday post is going to look a little different than usual. I wanted to join in with Ginny of the lovely blog Small Things and share what I’m reading and what I’m knitting this week in the Yarn Along link up.

As my ten year old daughter Jillian has also picked up her knitting needles again recently, she wanted to share with you what she is knitting and reading as well.

Yarn along

Like Ginny, books are knitting are some of my favorite things. It makes me so happy that they are some of my childen’s favorite things as well. Yes, even knitting! My ten year old has been knitting for just about half of her life now and my five and almost four year olds have been learning how to finger knit. We like to make fiber a family affair.

What Jillian is knitting and reading

Knitting – a tie for her Daddy. This was her idea, after taking a look at a necktie in the book Knits for Nerds. She isn’t quite ready for the two color knitting the pattern calls for, but she is doing some textured knitting, alternating rows of stockinette stitch and garter stitch.

Reading – Jillian is reading comic books right now. She has discovered that she can read comics and knit at the same time, so that is how I usually find her in her free moments these days: a For Better or For Worse comic book open on her lap and knitting in her hands. I love this kid!

What I am knitting and reading

Knitting – I’ve started some fingerless mitts for myself. I don’t often knit things for myself, but I have been going through a pretty high pressured season of life and I felt like it was time to do something nice for myself and knit for me for a change.

The mitts I’m especially enjoying, as they are part of a gratitude knit along I’m participating in and there is a positive thought or thankful prayer in every stitch. My hands do a lot during the day. I thought they deserved an extra special treat. The pattern is Gothy Guantlets, though I prefer to think of them as part of my Super Mama gauntlets.

Reading – I have a large stack of books on my nightstand, now that my reading mojo seems to have returned after baby Mia’s birth last August. However, all of the books I’m currently reading have been abandoned after Spirit-Led Parenting by Megan Tietz and Laura Oyer arrived in the mail. I cannot put this book down.

Oh, how I wish I had had something like this during my first year of mothering! As it is, this mother of four is finding so much in the pages of this book that has me nodding my head in agreement as I read along. If you’re a new mom or an expecting mother in my life, you’re probably going to be seeing a copy of this book as a present from me.

If you are looking for more knitting inspiration, or to add some titles to your library list, hop over to Small Things and the Yarn Along link up. I’ll see you there!

I’d love to know what you and your kids are reading and creating? Drop me a line in the comments and share.

Don’t forget about the Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale going on this week. This is a terrific opportunity to pick up some really helpful ebooks for an amazing price! The sale ends at 8am on Friday morning.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Yarn Along is a post from Simple Kids

Announcing the Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale

Kara — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:01:46 +0000

I‘ve got a fun and budget-friendly opportunity to share with you today if you’ve been considering adding to your family/parenting book collection. Corey from Simple Marriage and Mandi from Life…Your Way have brought together some of the top authors in the family life space with 38 ebooks covering a variety of topics related to family life.

From homemaking, cooking, parenting, and marriage to simple living, minimalism, and entrepreneurship, the Simplify your Family Life ebook sale has got you covered.

When purchased separately, these ebooks are worth $375, but for four days only, you can purchase the entire collection for just $29!

This collection is only available this week from 8 a.m. on April 16th to 8 a.m. on April 20th. Alas, there will be no late sales offered. (So, if you’ve been on the fence, considering whether or not you want to add some of these titles to your ebook library, this week is the time to act).

The books

Many of these books I have in my personal ebook collection (in fact, almost every single one), and I think you’ll enjoy and learn from them, too. If you’re a regular Simple Kids reader, I have a feeling you’ll recognize quite a few titles and authors.

If you purchased the collection offered during last year’s sale, then you know what a great value it is. This year, there are 33 new titles included.

Click here to purchase your collection today!

When you purchase the Simplify Family Life collection, you get instant access to each of the 38 ebooks listed below:

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99)

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95) – lots of kid pleasers in this one

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95) – for those of you who asked about my family’s black bean burger recipe from my Day in the Life post, this is where you’ll find it

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health ($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00) – Tsh makes it so easy to give your life a make-over by changing one small thing at a time, which is just my speed

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids ($7.99)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99) – this book is very special and one I’ve come to make reading a chapter of a part of my daily routine

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00) – Amanda is a Simple Kids contributor and I think this ebook especially should be a part of every parent’s toolkit

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

The Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planning app that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon code on a one-year membership with your purchase!

Click here to purchase your collection today!

The sale ends at 8 a.m. ET on April 20th, and there will be no late sales offered, so don’t wait. Full disclosure: I’m an affiliate for the Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale, so I do receive a portion of the sales if you use a link in this post to make your purchase. Thanks for your support!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Announcing the Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale is a post from Simple Kids

A Book for Budding Geologists: If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian

Emily — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:01:26 +0000

Please enjoy the following post by contributor Emily Carter of The Pilot’s Wife, which originally appeared in May of 2010. Do you have a budding geologist in your family?

In my neck of the woods, Spring has sprung and it seems summer will be right at its heels. While there is certainly a multitude of winter outdoor activities, warmer temperatures are more likely to tempt me into natural places.

In light of that, I wanted to introduce you to a book that will hopefully inspire a trip into nature for your family as well.

The book I’m going to share with you today I discovered last fall at a science workshop for teachers that I attended. Our presenter loved tying in fabulous literature with her hands-on science lessons, so we hit it off quite well.

One of my favorites was If You Find a Rock written by Peggy Christian with photos by Barbara Hirsch Lember.

Photo by Yahoo

Peaceful and Poetic

This book is just so lovely in so many ways. Even the cover is so peaceful, don’t you think? With poetic prose, Peggy Christian invites us to find and classify rocks in a beautiful way.

From the first page:

If you find a rock,

a nice flat, rounded rock

that sits just right

in the corner of your finger,

then you have

a skipping rock.

You toss it out

in the water just so

and see it trip

across the surface,

making a chain

of spreading rings.

With text like this coupled with gorgeous hand-tinted black and white photographs, I believe any child would be enchanted.

My educator-brain runs through the possibilities for this gem of a book: an introduction to geology, a look at nature photography, different forms of poetry, a beautifully calming bedtime story. The list could go on.

Appeal for All Ages

I also love the diversity of readers this book would be appropriate for. My toddler is enamored with rocks right now and tries to pick them up everywhere, so I know he would enjoy looking at the photos. The author’s way of classifying is simple enough for younger students to be introduced to the idea of sorting items according to a system.

Older students could compare and contrast the different types of rocks with their scientific classifications, or even create their own books classifying other types of objects in different ways.

I know you won’t be disappointed in If You Find a Rock. If you have a rock lover in your home, I highly encourage you to find this book soon.

What’s inspiring you to get outside these days?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

A Book for Budding Geologists: If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian is a post from Simple Kids

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel: a collaboration of story and song from Maestro Classics

Jennifer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:16:22 +0000

The following is by contributor Jennifer Brown.

Do you know Mike Mulligan? How about the Tortoise and the Hare or Casey at the Bat? These classic children’s stories can now be part of your listening repertoire with the added benefit of introducing your children to classical music through a series called Maestro Classics that I recently had the opportunity to review.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

We love to listen to stories both at home and in the car, so when we got the chance to check out “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel” with its own original score to enhance the story it seemed like the perfect mix for my music and machine loving boys.

The narration is fantastic and engaging, but the music brings a deeper element to the story. Our family really enjoyed listening to the story, but even more we enjoyed listening to the story a second time after hearing the About the Music track which gave insight about how certain sounds were created. My (almost) 2 year old excitedly began imitating the sound of the steam (created with a scuba tank) when we learned about its origin. It’s now his signature sound for requesting a replay.

If you are even the least bit interested in introducing your children to classical music, you won’t be disappointed by this engaging and educational combination of stories and song that features the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The length of both the stories and bonus educational tracks is approachable and user friendly for even short commutes.

The About the Author and About the Music tracks are so well presented that your child will feel more like they’re being let in on a secret rather than actually learning a new concept.

I really can’t say enough how much we enjoyed Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. It happens to be a favorite story from my own childhood, and I was thrilled to be able to share it with my children. We have listened to it probably four times in just the past week and haven’t tired of it yet. I really love both listening to and learning how the original score plays such an important part in the telling of this classic tale.

Maestro Classics

If introducing your children to classical music or even audio stories is something you’re interested in for your family I encourage you to visit Maestro Classics and check out their offerings. While Mike Mulligan is a hands down favorite in our home, there are currently nine titles offered through the series including the ones mentioned previously.

I would, however, encourage parents who aren’t familiar with the stories to familiarize themselves with their plots as some of the parings use less contemporary tales which may have some elements that are frightening for young children (just as if you read the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales).

Otherwise, I think you will find this collection fun and ear friendly for the whole family.

What have you and your kids been listening to lately?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel: a collaboration of story and song from Maestro Classics is a post from Simple Kids

Book review: Hunwick’s Egg – an Australian Easter story

Catherine — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:01:48 +0000

The following review is by contributor Catherine Way of Adventures With Kids. It originally appeared in 2010, and with Easter around the corner I thought many of you might enjoy hearing about this lovely book. – Kara

For this Easter, being Australian, I have chosen to review Hunwick’s Egg by Mem Fox, illustrated by Pamela Lofts.

After a storm, Hunwick the bilby finds a wonderful egg. When no-one claims the egg, Hunwick decides he will care for it. He befriends the egg and takes good care of it. But when the egg doesn’t hatch Hunwick’s friends worry. But Hunwick is not upset, he knows the secret of the egg.

This charming story of explores the theme of friendship and unconditional love. Hunwick’s relationship with the egg reminds me of my son’s relationship with his teddy. For my son, his teddy is someone who always loves him, listens to him and keeps him company. And I think that is why my son loves this story, because the egg provides friendship for Hunwick and Hunwick loves the egg whether it hatches or not.

The story is accompanied by beautiful detailed illustrations of Australian desert plants and animals.

I thought that this Australian Easter story would be an appropriate review for the Easter weekend because in Australia, many believe that Easter eggs are delivered not by the Easter bunny but by the Easter bilby. By buying bilby-shaped chocolates at Easter, rather than rabbit-shaped chocolates, Australians are supporting research and conservation of bilbies.

You can read the story of the Burra Nimu, the Easter bilby here.

Photo by Stephen Mitchell

Bilbies are marsupials. They are about the size of a rabbit and like rabbits have large ears. They are found in arid areas of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Bilbies are endangered because of habitat destruction and competition for food with rabbits and livestock. You can find out more on this factsheet.

You can read an interview with the book’s author, Mem Fox, where she describes how she got the idea for this Easter story. She named the bilby after her friend John Hunwick who was dedicated to saving the bilby and involved in the movement for an Easter bilby rather than an Easter bunny.

Mem Fox is a very popular Australian children’s author. Two of her other books, Time for Bed and Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild have been reviewed on Simple Kids. Some other wonderful books she has written featuring Australian animals are Possum Magic, Koala Lou and Wombat Divine (an Australian Christmas story).

Kara here, saying thank you to Catherine for introducing me to this author and for teaching us a little about Australian Easter traditions and the Easter Bilby. For those who observe it, how will you be spending Easter with your kids? Have a wonderful weekend!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Book review: Hunwick’s Egg – an Australian Easter story is a post from Simple Kids

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! (and a Cat in the Hat-a-Thon)

Kara — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:44 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

This Friday, March 2nd, would be the 108th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, the beloved Dr. Seuss. Born in Massachusetts in 1904, Dr. Suess wrote 44 books that have been translated into more than 15 languages world-wide.

Those books have inspired cartoons, tv shows, movies, and plays. Many of them are favorites at our house and I bet that some are favorites at your house, too.

We are looking forward to celebrating this special birthday with some Seuss inspired fun!

A Family Favorite

We’re all Dr. Suess fans at our house. In fact, a quick family poll shows we each have our favorites:

Daddy “watching The Grinch every year at Christmas and reading the book to the kids, doing my best Boris Karloff impression”
Mommy “I love the book Green Eggs and Ham. One of my favorite childhood memories is my Mom making us all green eggs and ham for breakfast.”
Jillian, age 10 “I like to watch the Cat in the Hat tv show and also the Cat in the Hat cartoon movie. Those Things remind me of my brother and little sister. I’m excited for the Lorax to be made into a movie. That is a good story, too.”
Max, age 5 “I like the cartoon Grinch because because they have a cute Lucy (Cindy) Lou Who like my sister, Lucy. And a dog Max, like me and a grumpy Grinch.”
Lucy, age 3 “I just like Green Eggs and Ham and reading it. Not eating it. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.”

I’m sure that baby Mia will grow up and love Dr. Suess, too. For now, she happily enjoys teething on our Mr. Brown Can Moo board book.

I’d love to make my own kids green eggs and ham. And, seeing the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden is also on my “bucket list” – wouldn’t that make a fun family road trip?

What a wonderful man, to have inspired so many with his whimsy, artistic skills, and storytelling.

PBS Kids The Cat in the Hat-a-thon

PBS Kids will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a multimedia The Cat in the Hat-a-thon. PBS stations all over will be featuring a two hour marathon of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (check your local listings). There will also be games and video content online for kids as well as on mobile.

Our family got to preview The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, including two brand new episodes that will be featured tomorrow. From age three to age ten, and mommy and daddy, too, we enjoyed ourselves. We’re looking forward to having our weekly Friday Night Nest family movie/game time a little earlier during the day and tuning in to the marathon tomorrow on our local PBS station.

Head over to the PBS Kids Cat in the Hat webpage for coloring pages, video clips, and more Seuss-ian fun!

How will you be celebrating?

Happy Birthday, Theodor Seuss Geisel! Thank you for your wonderful vision and imagination!

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss

The kids and I will be tuning in to the PBS Kids The Cat in the Hat-a-Thon marathon, reading our favorite Dr. Seuss books, and having a tea party (perhaps I can coax Lucy into some green eggs and ham?) with our stuffed Max Dog, Grinch, and Yertle the Turtle. We can’t wait!

If you’re looking for some more idea for celebrating Dr. Seuss, may I suggest?

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday ::: Not Just Cute
The Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Book List ::: Jump into a Book
A Baker’s Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss our family was given this nicely bound volume of Dr. Seuss classics from my parents one year for Christmas and it is one of our favorites

Don’t forget to check out your local library to see what fun they will be up to celebrating Dr. Seuss!

Will you be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday tomorrow with your kids? I’d love it if you’d leave me a note in the comments and let me know what you’ll be up to!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! (and a Cat in the Hat-a-Thon) is a post from Simple Kids

A Fresh Perspective on Mothering: Mindset for Moms (and a Giveaway, too!)

Kara — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:01:19 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

First of all, I have to admit to some bias in this review: not only is Jamie C. Martin a friend of mine, she is also a mother I admire and look up to. My copy of her first book, Steady Days, is a well worn and rarely makes it back to the bookshelf. I am encouraged by her writing on Steady Mom and Simple Homeschool as well.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

Not only that, there have been moments in my life where it was Jamie’s kindness and wisdom, either through a sentiment written on her blog Steady Mom or a through a word of encouragement exactly when I needed to hear it, that have buoyed my spirits or helped to turn a bad day around.

So, when Jamie announced that she had a new project in the works, something that expressed her heart for moms, I knew that it was going to be good.

I was wrong.

It is fantastic! (Judging by the reviews the book has been getting, I’m not the only one who thinks so.)

Mindset for Moms: From Mundane to Marvelous Thinking in Just 30 Days

Mindset for Moms begins with Jamie sharing about her own journey as a mom and how her personal evolution took her from wondering if motherhood and life with young children was to be endured to firmly believing it is her dream job and calling.

Her circumstances didn’t change, but her attitude did.

Personally, I have had seasons of motherhood where it feels light, beautiful, and almost easy. I have also been through seasons of motherhood where it feels like I am living just to get from one challenging moment to the next. Those times are lonely, hard, and discouraging, to say the least.

I am not a super hero, I am a human. And this human mother admits that there are those very bad days when I wake up and count the hours until I can go back to sleep again. It is all too easy to feel drained and even depressed.

Life shouldn’t be about merely existing or getting through the day. This time in my life as a mother to young children is a blessing, but my attitude doesn’t always reflect the gift that this season is.

Not a Quick Fix, but Long-Term Change

Jamie’s writing offers a message of hope for those of us who find ourselves struggling, wanting motherhood to be something more than merely getting through the day with our kids.

It is not about putting on rose-colored glasses or never having a bad day or a negative thought. Mindset for Moms is about changing your thinking so that you know what to do when, as Jamie says, “negativity comes knocking.”

Not only is Jamie’s advice encouraging, it is practical. She knows first-hand how the resources of a mother are limited, especially when it comes to time. Her words are simple to read and easily applied to real life.

This isn’t about a quick fix, this is about a long-term change.

In the ebook’s short, easy to read chapters, Jamie provides a 30 day road map that has the potential to be perspective changing, even life changing.

I have been reading a little bit each day and more than once I have found myself thinking over an idea Jamie writes about as I go about my day, the words lingering within me, and yes, even altering my thinking.

Mindset for Moms, for me personally, has come at a time when I really needed it.

Perhaps some of you are in the same place in your lives?

From the book:

“How would you like to find yourself thinking and feeling differently about your family, your self, and your future in just 30 days? A better life awaits – let’s go after it together!”

The Giveaway

Jamie is generously offering FOUR Simple Kids readers a copy of her ebook Mindset for Moms! I’m excited about this because I know this book is going to have an impact and I’m thankful to get to share it with you.

The book is available in four formats: for the Kindle, the Nook, through iTunes, or as a printable PDF.

How to Enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post telling me you’d like to win a copy

(note: if you’re reading this in a blog reader or via email, you’ll need to visit the Simple Kids blog to leave a comment)

~~This giveaway ends at midnight EST Saturday February 11, 2012.~~ Winners will be announced on Sunday during my Weekend Links on February 12. Good luck! This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

Note: there are some affiliate links in this post. Thanks for your support!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

A Fresh Perspective on Mothering: Mindset for Moms (and a Giveaway, too!) is a post from Simple Kids

Sparkle Stories: And the Winners Are …

Kara — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:13:36 +0000

The winners of last weekend’s Sparkle Stories giveaway are:

Andrea H “We would love to win a 3 mo subscription. I keep trying to find new, interesting ways to entertain my kids.”

Angela “Sparkle Stories are wonderful! We would LOVE to win a subscription!”

Congratulations!

Congratulations Andrea and Angela! Check your email for further information on how to get started enjoying your Sparkle Stories.

Coupon Code

For everyone else, the kind folks at Sparkle Stories have created a generous coupon code for Simple Kids readers!

The lovely folks at Sparkle Stories are offering a wonderful discount to all Simple Kids readers — $1 for the first month! Choose from one of three Sparkle Stories story packages, and try four weeks of Sparkle goodness for one dollar. Go to: http://www.sparklestories.com/trysparkle/ Use the magic code 6E32 to receive your discount!.

Happy listening!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

UPrinting - Spread your message.
Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

Sparkle Stories: And the Winners Are … is a post from Simple Kids