Diwali Coloring & Activity Book for Kids -- A Relaxing Friday Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Diwali begins today! Diwali is a Hindu holiday that is known as the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated over a span of five days. Its dates are based on a lunar calendar, so it falls sometime in the autumn months of our calendar. When Hazel was young, we explored this holiday with books and made some crafts for it. The overall theme is light and goodness will always triumph over darkness and evil. It is a time for gathering with family and friends and celebrating each other's inner lights. (Source: Prooker, Brijana. "What is Diwali? Learn the History, Traditions, and How to Celebrate the Festival of Lights." Good Housekeeping. 7 Oct 2025. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a37680263/what-is-diwali-history-story-celebration-facts/) Today we are sharing an activity book for kids about Diwali. It is perfect for people celebrating but also for kids who want to learn a bit about the holiday. The book is Diwali Coloring & Activities Book for Kids by Anuj Syngal. It is recommended of ages 4 to 8. (And yes, kids need relaxing Fridays and screenfree time as much as we do!)

Gifting Ideas: Bird Feeders and Bird Houses

 

Disclosure: I was sent this bird feeder in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. Purchases made through links in this post will provide me a small portion at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

I have always loved birds and have had bird feeders for many years in our yard. In 2020 however I really discovered my love of birds (especially the female cardinal). With everything shut down I spent a lot of time in the backyard and loved watching the wildlife. I even had a squirrel who liked to visit me when I was on my hammock. I even started a series called "Who's in the Backyard?" and shared many of the animals I saw in my yard. I learned more about birds because of it and loved it. I currently have seven bird feeders in my yard. During the summer we have nine with two hummingbird feeders. I also throw food onto the ground for the squirrels and the ground feeders. However, the squirrels have reeked some havoc on my feeders. They don't always understand the food on the ground is for them and the food in the feeders are for the birds. 

Picture Books to Celebrate November

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

November has begun!! November is a month full of so many things. Often here the weather is changing (although this year we have had warm weather thus far). The leaves are falling. There is Day of the Dead, Election Day, Veteran's Day and of course Thanksgiving! November is colorful leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, and a month of gratitude! Today we are sharing a roundup of picture books that are November themed!! They include the month, pumpkins, gratitude, and turkeys!! The first book is Meet November by April Martin. It is part of The Calendar Kids series. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

If You Live on a Farm -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What do you think of when you hear someone lives on a farm? Do you think of a red bard with animals? Or perhaps big fields of grains and vegetables? Today we are sharing a fun book all about different types of farms. The book is If You Live on a Farm by Kari Ann Gonzalez and illustrated by Marie Hermansson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 10. 

Hidden Heroes: Ten Overlooked Trailblazers -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Why are diverse books so important? Why is it important for everyone to be exposed to diverse books? There is a lot out there about diverse books. However, I think the author's introduction to this book says a lot about how I feel. In her own childhood and adulthood, she wanted to know where were the stories about people who look like her and in particular women. Even when she was working for a newspaper she felt like they were writing obituaries for famous white men and not really anyone else. Today we are sharing a book that comes from the New York Times Overlooked project. The book is Hidden Heroes: Ten Overlooked Trailblazers by Amisha Padnani and illustrated by Dominique Ramsey. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9. 

Before going any further, look at the cover and see if you can identify any of the ten from their illustrated portraits. Personally, I had only heard of one of them before.