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Happy Easter!! Easter Craft Round-up from Crafty Moms Share and Our Link Parties!

I am enjoying this weekend with family. Hazel and I came to see my parents Thursday night and will stay through tonight. One of my sisters and Steve will join us as well. Then Steve, Hazel and I will go home tonight and to church Easter morning and then celebrate with Steve's mother. It is a busy weekend full of family time, but I wanted to take time to share some Easter crafts and activities. First will be a round-up of ours and then some Sharing Saturday and Crafty Weekends Features from the on-going parties. Be sure to come share at both parties with us this week as well!! Happy Easter!!

Books to Find Calm and Peace in our Crazy World -- Mommy Time Review

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My focus this year is on taking care of myself. I need to lose weight to be healthier. I want to take the time I need to connect with God. I need to focus on my needs and not always on my family's because that is the only way I will successfully take care of their needs. Today I am going to share with you two amazing book that help me meet these goals. They are life changing!! The first book is Hello Mornings by Kat Lee. 

Women of Science

On Pi Day I shared a round-up of science books including two that gave some names of women in science that I had not heard of. I decided to do some research and found books on some of them as well as other great women of science. So to end Women's History Month 2018 I thought I would share a bit about these amazing women. Let's start with Marie Tharp. 

God's Eye Geometry and a Crafty Weekends Link Party 2 Weeks Long!

Last week I shared about Easter in Bermuda and the Bermudian kites reminded me of fancy God's Eyes. It got me thinking about God's Eyes and making some. I looked on-line and there are plenty of tutorials out there like this one over at Crafts by Amanda.  

DVDs for Easter and Spring

Disclosure: NCircle Entertainment sent me these DVDs in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is hard to believe Easter is next weekend!! If you are looking for something special for a preschooler's basket, check out these two DVDs. Both have a bit of Easter in them but are also good for spring or any time. See my reviews below to understand that more. Be sure to check out NCircle Entertainment's Activities & Games page for printables to go with these DVDs. The first DVD is with the characters from the children's classic book, Guess How Much I Love You. It is Guess How Much I Love You: An Enchanting Easter

Sharing Saturday 18-11 Two Weeks Long!



It is hard to believe that Easter is next weekend!! This party will be two weeks long since I know we will be with family all weekend celebrating and focusing on the gift Jesus gave us! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all your diverse/cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop

Easter in France


Today we are taking a look at Easter in France. Earlier this week we looked at Easter traditions in Bermuda. I have to say with giant omelettes, flying bells, and egg battles there are a lot of interesting things going on in France around Easter. I shared a bit about Easter in France a few years ago as well. Now one of the more interesting things are the Flying Bells or Cloche Volant. Since France is mostly Roman Catholic the tradition says that all the church bells fly to Rome to see the Pope on Good Friday. No bells are rung between Good Friday (the day Jesus died) and Easter. This custom started in the 12th century. When the bells return from Rome they drop all sorts of treats for the children to find. Some have changed the Flying Bells to the Easter Bunny, but the Flying Bells are still popular. Candy shops sell chocolate bells as well as bunnies and eggs in France. I was surprised not to find too many flying bell crafts on-line. I found this one to color but that was about it. I decided to make my own. 

Friendship Novels for Grades 1 to 7

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It can be tough being young. Friendships can change and people treat you differently than what you expect. And then there is peer pressure. Talk about stress!!  Today I am sharing five books about friendship and dealing with different issues. These books vary in the range of first grade to seventh grade. There are even some that are about a piece of history. We will start with the two for first grade through fourth. They are a bit of an easier read than the others. They are also part of The Fix-It Friends series from Macmillan Kids  by Nicole C. Kear with illustrations by Tracy DockrayThe Fix-It Friends is a group of friends that help others with problems that arise in regular life of kids. Veronica Conti is the self-claimed president. The group includes her older brother, Jude, and his best friend, Ezra, and Veronica's best friend, Cora. Each book in the series has the group helping someone through a problem. At the end of each book is a Fix-It Toolbox with strategies for dealing with the same issue. Today I am sharing books five and six. The first book today is Eyes on the Prize

Easter in Bermuda


Do you ever wonder how other countries celebrate Easter? I find it so interesting to see what other people do for this important Christian holiday. Today I am going to share some traditions in Bermuda. First a bit about Bermuda.

Easter Craft Books for Kids -- a Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

Disclosure: Candlewick Press sent me these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It is hard to believe Easter is only a few weeks away. I have three fun "craft" books to share with you that are perfect for kids or adults. The first is perfect for younger kids play. It is Make and Play Easter by Joey Chou. 

Sharing Saturday 18-10



It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all your diverse/cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop. (A new one starts on Sunday and I'm hosting it at Multicultural Kid Blogs).

Science Book Round-Up in Honor of Albert Einstein's Birthday and Pi Day! #STEM

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well, this year Pi Day was a snow day for most of the schools around me including Hazel's. Luckily by late morning it was safe to be on the roads. We headed out to celebrate Pi Day at the Capital One Cafe where they were serving pizza pie and various pies. Did you know that Albert Einstein as born on March 14, 1879? And of course there was also the sad news today that Stephen Hawkings passed away this morning. (Source) In honor of all of this I thought it was time to share the pile of science books I have been collecting!! We will look at experiments, the human body, pinball, dinosaurs, underwater and space. Plus some of these books have ties to Women's History Month and more!! We will start with dinosaurs since chronologically that makes sense. The book is from the series Science Comics and it is Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers by M.K. Reed and illustrated by Joe Flood.

Easy Easter Craft

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

Well today in the Northeast we had a blizzard. I was awoken by Hazel yelling when the power went off this morning. It came back on about an hour later and was on for about 40 minutes. Then it was off again for a few hours. What are to snowbound girls to do? Well after putting on some layers to stay warm without heat, we did our nails. Have you heard of Color Street nail wraps yet? We LOVE them!! I have four friends who sell them now. One of them gave me a set of Sunset Canyon and asked me to do a Mommy and Me picture with them. So we did our nails. These wraps are so easy Hazel can do them herself!! And there is no dry time. It literally takes about ten minutes to give yourself a manicure with them and then they are good to go and last longer than regular nail polish. Oh and they are regular nail polish. 

Betty before X -- Women's History Month Review

Disclosure: Macmillan Publishing sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am sure you have heard of Malcolm X, but have you heard of Betty? Betty Shabazz is most known as Malcolm X's wife, however she has a great story of her own. I am going to share with you a fictionalized biography of her life before Malcolm X written by her daughter, Ilyasah, but before I do, let's talk a bit about Betty.

DIY Doll Headbands -- Crafty Weekends Tutorial and Link Party


Hazel fell in love with American Girl's Girl of the Year 2010, Lanie Holland. She of course is retired since she was only available in 2010. However we found her on ebay. I had gotten Hazel Lanie's meet outfit, computer and pet rabbit to use with one of her other dolls, but we couldn't get the doll's hair to curl like Lanie's, so she used some money her grandmother had given her to get her own. The Lanie doll we found on ebay and won was naked, so Hazel could not wait to get her dressed. The dress I had bought did not come with her headband or shoes. I decided to make Lanie a headband since the headbands on ebay were running around $15 plus shipping.

Sharing Saturday 18-9



It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all your diverse/cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop

Artists from Around the World

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I recently read an article about how multiple art-focused field trips raised the scores of standardized tests. At a time when so many school districts are cutting the arts it is important to see the whole picture. Today I am going to share some books about artists from different countries around the world. We will start with Japan and Yayoi Kusama. The first book is Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki and illustrated by Ellen Weinstein. 

Not Your Average Superhero Middle Grades Novel -- Ben Braver

Disclosure: Macmillan Publishing sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a child in the middle grades (grades 2-5) that loves superheroes? This book is for him or her. It is  not your regular superhero book. The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson. It is the first book in the Ben Braver series. 

Phillis Wheatley -- Slave and Poet #womenshistorymonth


March is Women's History Month. Even though I have a bookshelf full of books to review and share with you, I thought I would take time out to share about Phillis Wheatley. Hazel has a history presentation today on Phillis Wheatley so we have been learning quite a bit about her lately. I can't wait to see Hazel dressed up as her and do her presentation. There is a photo below. 

Sewing Machine Adventures with Kids--a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: C&T Publishing sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own! I will receive a small stipend for purchases made through the links in this post. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

Do you have a child who wants to learn how to use your sewing machine? I do. Hazel really wants to use my machine. I have been trying to figure out the best way for her to learn. I found the perfect book to help. It is The Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith. 

Sharing Saturday 18-8



It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all your diverse/cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop

Creating Frankenstein -- Learn about Mary Shelley #WomensHistoryMonth

Disclosure: Macmillan Publishers sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It is the beginning of March so that means it is Women's History Month!! This is another of my favorite months because I love teaching Hazel about strong women. To kick off the month I am sharing a young adult book with you about Mary Shelley and her creation of Frankenstein. What do you know about Mary Shelley? Do you know how she came up with the immortal monster, Frankenstein? You can learn all about her and her life and writing in Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge.