Buggy Fun for Summer by Sharen Pearson

STOP BUGGING ME
Buggy Fun for Summer
By Sharen Pearson

Much to the dismay of their mothers, toddlers hold a relentless fascination for bugs. They follow, squish, catch and even eat them! Perhaps the novelty lies in the never-­‐ending variety of creepy crawlers or that bugs are smaller than these little ones. Here are some simple buggy activities that will enchant your children this summer.

Bug Catcher

Save the net from your fresh produce. Lace a chenille wire around the top to support the sides. The net makes a tiny bug catcher for your child. Always help identify any bugs that might be dangerous. Catch, observe and release.

Butterfly or Dragonfly

Attach colored tissue paper wings to a toilet tissue or paper towel tube for wings. Slip a hair band over the tube and place on toddler’s wrist to flap and fly. For more advanced work, drop food color onto a wet coffee filter. Allow to dry and use for wings. Two filters for dragonfly and one for butterfly.

Big Bug 

Fashion antennae with chenille wire and attach to your child’s head with clips. Gather a sheet of tissue paper at the center. Duct tape to the back of the shirt for butterfly wings. Fly away little butterfly!

TotCocoon

Give your toddler the end piece of a roll of toilet tissue. Have him gently spin to wrap the paper around and around forming a cocoon. If the paper breaks, just tuck the loose end in and begin again. Continue as your child is comfortable (most won’t let you cover the face). Count 1, 2, 3 and have your butterfly “hatch out” and fly away.

LadyBug

Make a tiny ladybug from the cup of an egg carton.  Cut the section. Paint red and add black dots. Tape twisted bits of paper on for antennae. For a counting activity: make five bugs and draw 1 spot, 2 spots etc. on the five bugs. Count the spots and the bugs.

Caterpillar

Cut a six-­‐section length from an egg carton. Your toddler can glue cotton balls on each section for “fuzz.” Draw a face on one end of the section and add chenille or paper antennae. Punch a hole in the front and tie a string on to “walk your bug.” For more advanced work, paint each section of the caterpillar yellow or even a rainbow.

Bug Collage

Draw (or print from a website) several bugs on paper. Make a simple paste of flour and water. Your tot can glue on dry rice, macaroni, bits of colored paper and/or cake sprinkles to decorate the bugs.

Bugs in a tub

Pour 6 cups of dry rice into a large flat container. Add toy plastic bugs (or your ladybugs), measuring cups, recycled plastic containers, paper tubes and play as in a sand box. To protect the floor and give your activity a boundary, place the tub in the center of a sheet or shower curtain. Your child will play for hours.

~Sharen Pearson’s Goof & Giggle classes and materials continue to provide a quality Mom/Tot interaction. Widely popular, Goof & Giggle’s child-focused play plans are offered in various Arizona communities. She’s also created a variety of Goof Juice DVDs and filmed episodes of Baby D.I.Y. and written workbooks for BabyFirstTV. Arizona Midday (NBC) tapes monthly segments with Sharen to provide their audience with a variety of original and creative “easy to do” activities for babies and preschoolers. Sharen’s creativity reaches a combined audience over 200 million viewers worldwide. Goof & Giggle classes and products encourage green living, repurposing materials from around the house into affordable objects for play and learning. Learn more at: http://sharenpearson.com/

Teaser Tuesday ~ Project Dad

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for un! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

No matter what the activity, a great dad will prioritize his relationship with his kids

~taken from p. 104 of Project Dad by Todd Cartmell

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

It’s more than just a recipe—it’s a way of life.

For fans of Kristin Hannah and Kate Jacobs, Darien Gee’s deeply felt and utterly charming novel follows two estranged sisters, three newfound friends, and—ultimately—a whole town brought together by a simple loaf of Amish Friendship Bread.

In Avalon, Illinois, a woman and her young daughter return home to find a plate of Amish Friendship Bread along with a bag of starter on their doorstep. There’s no note, just a yellowFriendship Bread cover sticky with the words, “I hope you enjoy it.” The instructions tell them to feed the starter over a ten-day period, then bake two loaves and share the remaining starter with three other people.

At the insistence of her five-year old daughter, Julia Evarts reluctantly follows the instructions. Soon, the bread and its starter are making their way through the town of Avalon, touching the lives of its residents in ways both comical and unexpected. Julia befriends Madeline Davis, 74, owner and proprietor of Madeline’s Tea Salon and Antiques who harbors a secret of her own, and Hannah de Brisay, 28, a concert cellist who relocates to Avalon after the premature end of her career and marriage.

Julia’s sister, Livvy, is struggling with her own loneliness as she and her husband, Tom, try for a child of their own. Julia’s husband, Mark, is tired of the sadness that seems to have taken over their lives for the past five years. As the town of Avalon becomes overrun with the Amish Friendship Bread starter, a kernel of a story presents itself and activist and reporter Edie is quick to jump on it, even if it means pointing a finger at Julia as the instigator and dividing the small community that they live in.

When a neighboring town is devastated by high floods, Julia and her friends supply loaves of the bread to the residents and volunteers. As word spreads, so does help. Soon the entire town of Avalon is doing their part to aid their neighbors in need as they put their differences aside. Friendship Bread is a captivating, engaging novel about life and loss, friendship and community, and what endures even when the unthinkable happens.

Read an Excerpt here.
Follow the blog tour here some bloggers have the book for a giveaway.
Find the a recipe for making a starter here.

I thought this book was going to be Amish related but it isn't so if you are looking for Amish don't be disappointed when you read this book.  However, it is a book on friendships and relationships.  For some reason this book came across to me more of a soap opera type book.  Good book don't get me wrong I'd give it a 3 on scale of 1-5, but I guess just not my genre.  Also there are curse words (see my post on curse words here) sprinkled through out this book.  Darien was a new author to me so yes, I'd probably pick up another one of her books. 

Darien Gee lives with her husband and three children in Hawaii. She is the bestselling author of three previous novels (Good Things, Sweet Life and Table Manners) written under the name Mia King. You can visit Darien Gee’s website at www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com. And check out the Friendship Bread Kitchen Facebook fan page.


A copy of this book was provided for review by Pump up your Book tours

Mailbox Monday ~ May 23, 2011

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page

Sentiments of blue by Garasamo A. Maccagnone

Life is not a Candy Store:  It's the Way to the Candy Story by Tal Yanai

Semi Sweet by Roisin Meaney

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

Blood Covenant by Lisa Harris

Undaunted Faith by Andrea Boeshaar

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Undaunted Faith Realms (May 3, 2011) by Andrea Boeshaar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar has been married for more than 30 years. She and her husband, Daniel, have three adult sons, daughters-in-law, and two precious grandchildren. Andrea's educational background includes the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, where she studied in English, and Alverno College where she studied in Professional Communications and Business Management.

Andrea has been writing stories and poems since she was a little girl; however, it wasn't until 1984 that she started submitting her work for publication. Eight years after that, she was convicted about writing for the Christian market. She read books in her genre (Inspirational Romance & Women's Fiction), studied the market, and worked hard to hone her craft.

Finally her first novel was published in 1994. Since then she's written numerous articles and devotionals. Andrea has also published inspiration romance novels, women's fiction, and novellas.

In 2003, Andrea joined the Hartline Literary Agency and worked for Joyce Hart as a literary agent. She saw much success. But then in 2007, Andrea realized she was more of a teacher/encourager than a sales person. She left the agency and became a certified Christian life coach. Now, in addition to her writing, Andrea enjoys encouraging others to use their God-given talents and gifts to their fullest.

Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar is a certified Christian life coach and speaks at writers’ conferences and for women’s groups. She has taught workshops at such conferences as Write-To-Publish, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Oregon Christian Writers Conference, Mount Hermon Writers Conference, and many local writers conferences. Another of Andrea’s accomplishments is cofounder of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization. For many years she served on both its Advisory Board and as its CEO.

ABOUT THE BOOK
 

When Pastor Luke McCabe begins paying extra attention to her, Bethany takes his fine-sounding words with a grain of salt. She's heard sweet talk before. This time she is going to keep her mind on the Lord and on her new teaching job in the Arizona Territory.

But when her reputation is accidentally soiled by the rakish town sheriff, Luke steps in with a marriage proposal to save Bethany's good name. Luke is certain their marriage is God's will...but Bethany is just as certain God must have someone else in mind to be Luke's wife.

Someone sweet and spiritual, who knows the Scriptures better than Bethany does. Someone like Luke's old friend from home.

If you would like to read the first chapter of , go HERE.

Watch the video trailer:

A New Name for Worthless: A Hero is Born by Rocky Shepheard

I was so excited to get to review another children's book.  I have a heart for children's books and any one that has a heart for dogs will fall in love with this book's hero. This book was written to bring awareness of dogs, man's best friend, deserving better treatment than what some owners will give them.  The hero in the book makes a brave and daring escape from a cruel master only to find himself put at greater risk for his life.  He pulls through with the help of his friends and becomes a hero for life and gets royal treatment.  This book was very well written and illustrations are wonderful too.
Some web sites to check out are:
Book's page
Dogs Deserve Better 
Author's site (coming in July)

A New Name for Worthless: A Hero is Born is a romp through the wilds on a good old-fashioned adventure with pals Worthless, Sly Fox, and Otto. Worthless (so he's called by his no-good captor) remains chained to his rickety old doghouse yet longs to be free and loved. His best friends step in and find a way to break his chains, and their quest for a new home takes off. Times get tough, but in the end will they win all the love they are searching for, and just maybe a new name for Worthless?

Written and illustrated by Rocky Shepheard, this Children's Action/Adventure is full of both excitement and rich, magnificent illustrations to thrill your audience and teach a lesson in compassion and humane treatment of Man's Best Friend.

Perfect for all kids, young and old, this story is a wonderful way to educate children at home or in schools.

Rocky Shepheard is a vegan and an artist who has made it his personal mission to help create a better world for humans and animals by way of the visual arts and activism. He was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, received a BS in biology at Youngstown State University-Ohio and currently resides in State College, Pennsylvania, where he owns a small graphic design business. He is also a frequent contributor to Dogs Deserve Better, a national organization that gets dogs off chains and back into loving homes.


A copy of this book was provided by the author and Bostick Communications for the purpose of this review

Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Fade to Blue B&H Books (May 15, 2011) by Julie Carobini
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the author:

I grew up as Julie Navarro, in a family of truly right-brained individuals. Among us you’ll find writers, artists, and musicians, all of us willing to talk about the arts at a moment’s notice.

Over the years, I’ve published several hundred articles and stories in magazines and books, including Aspire, Decision, Expecting, Focus on the Family, Key Magazine and God’s Abundance: 365 Days to a Simpler Life. As I wrote, I found a common theme cropping up: my family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around me.

Maybe it was time to incorporate those interests into novels, I thought.

And so I did. Not once, but twice. Both times, God shut both doors and windows. So I continued to write and dream and raise my kids with Dan. Eventually I decided to write romantic seaside novels, and that’s where I found my voice.

When I’m not writing, marketing, or editing for others, I’m driving my kids around town, imagining that my mid-sized SUV is actually a sleek sailing yacht.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Suz Mitchell is the determined dreamer we should all be and won't allow her ex-husband Len's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, she moves with her child across the country to California's central coast and lands a sweet job restoring priceless paintings at the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the ocean.

To her utter surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, is also now working at Hearst and jumbles the dreams inside Suz's heart. While sorting out the awkwardness of their past split and current spiritual differences, a repentent Len shows up eager to restore his family.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fade to Blue, go HERE.

Whatcha Reading ~ A Great Catch

This is how "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" works this week...

Go to page 1 type in the first sentence. If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something).

Link up over at Busy Moms Who Love to Read

Three blind mice.

Three little pigs.

Three days in the belly of a whale.

Emily Graham stifled a moan.  Some of the worst things in life come in threes, and she was facing her favorite meddlesome trio right now.  

Project Dad by Todd Cartmell

If you want to raise great kids, the first step is to become a great dad!

A Complete Do-it-Yourself Guide for Becoming a Great Father

There is a do-it-yourselfer in every man. He looks for a project to do on weekends, but what about the project of becoming a better dad? Project Dad (ISBN: 978-0-8007-1999-9, April 2011, $12.99) is a humorous, enjoyable, biblically-based guidebook written for dads by a dad. Author, Todd Cartmell, Psy.D., takes readers on a fun and compelling journey of re-building a dad to become a great dad if you want to raise great kids.


Project Dad speaks the language of dads: short entertaining chapters, tongue-in-cheek humor, references to BBQ and a complete look at what it takes to be a great dad. The chapters are broken into five key components:

• 1. How to look at your children
• 2. How to talk to your children
• 3. How to connect with your children
• 4. How to act toward your children
• 5. How to lead your children

At the end of each chapter, there are discussion questions making this book ideal for individual or group study.

This guidebook encourages fathers to raise their children with a renewed sense of purpose and gives them the tools they need to become the dad their children are longing for.

For more information about this book visit here. 

 I think this book should be titled Project Parent.  Why? because I believe this book isn't just for Dads.  I think if a mom picked up this book she could learn from it as well.  The author is very funny in spots, but his advice to dads can also be given to moms. 

Todd Cartmell is a licensed clinical psychologist and a father of two. He is in full-time private practice in Wheaton, Illinois, where he works with children, adolescents, and families. He lives in Geneva, Illinois, with his family.
Visit the author's web site

Project Dad is a humorous and practical guide book written by a dad to other dads. Todd’s warm and engaging style will have fathers laughing from the first few pages, and gives doable hands-on advice for becoming a great dad. You can read much more in the attached press release. This book will make an excellent Father’s Day gift!

12 Rules for Raising Delinquent Children

By Paul Banas
(*note:  this is not written by this book author, I found it on-line)

Want to know the best way to raise delinquent children? Read a humorous take on turning your children into perfect monsters.

• Begin at infancy to give your children everything they want. In this way, the children grow up believing that the world owes them something.

• When they pick up bad words laugh at them. This will make them think they are cute and encourage them to pick up cuter phrases that will blow your mind.

• Never give them any spiritual training. Let them wait until they are 21 and let them decide for themselves.

• Avoid using the word “wrong”. It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition them to believe later, when they are arrested for stealing a car, that society is against them and they are being persecuted.

• Pick up all they leave lying around the house - books, shoes, clothing. Do everything for them so they will be experienced in throwing all responsibility to someone else.

• Let them read any printed matter they can get their hands on. Be sure to sterilize the silverware, plates, and dishes, but let their minds feast on all kinds of garbage.

• Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. That way, they will not be shocked when the home breaks up later.

• Give the children all the spending money they want. And never let them earn their own. Why should they have it as tough as we had it?

• Satisfy their every craving for food, drink, and sensual pursuits. See that all their desires are gratified. Denial may lead to harmful frustrations.

• Always take your child’s side against the neighbors, teachers, and police. They are all prejudiced against your child.

• When they get into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying, I never could do anything with them.

• Prepare yourself for a life of grief. For you probably will have it.

Thanks to Revell for supplying me with a copy of Project Dad to offer as a giveaway to one of my readers.  To enter this giveaway leave a comment telling me something you remember about your dad, a quality your dad had or wish he had, funny story (or a not so funny), Or if you want to share why your dad is the best.  The comment must be dad related.  Please I must limit this to US residents only as I sent a book to Canada last week and it cost me almost $9.00 I can't afford that too many times.  I'm sorry.  I will choose a winner on June 1st and hopefully have the book to the winner in time for Father's Day.

Extra Bonuses:

• follower my blog
• subscribe to my blog
• visit Todd's site and tell me something you learned
• Subscribe to Todd's blog here (left hand side)
• follower my Scraps of Life blog
• subscriber to my Scraps of Life blog

Goes to  Winner

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life. They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.


A copy of this book was provided for this review by