Centerpieces for a Celebration of Life or Other Type of Celebration -- Crafty Sunday Post

 

My father passed away in January. He had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease for over ten years. It was hard to watch his decline all those years. When he died, I truly felt he was finally in a better place. However, the Friday he died was right before one of the big snowstorms we had this past winter. My mother had just gotten out of rehab for her latest hospitalization and was still struggling. We decided to put off any services for our dad. We wanted our mother to be healthier and thought the springtime would be better as Dad loved flowers. We talked about where we wanted to have a celebration of life for him. I came up with the idea of a park, Elizabeth Park, in Hartford/West Hartford because it was a special place for our family growing up. We would ride our bikes there and my father loved the rose garden. In fact, my sisters and I wonder if this is where his love of roses came from. It is the oldest municipal rose garden in the United States and the third largest. Everyone loved the idea. Then came the question of having it at the restaurant/facility center there or outside. We decided to have it at the Pond House Cafe there. It was a beautiful setting and close to the rose garden in case anyone wanted to visit. In fact, I took Hazel and Steve to the rose garden before we began setting up for the celebration.

A Flame Burns On: Lighting the Yahrzeit Candle

 

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

How do you remember a loved one who has passed? This is a question I have been focusing on lately. My father passed in January, and we are planning his celebration of life. Today we are sharing a book about the Jewish tradition of the yahrzeit candle. It is a tradition I had not heard of. The book is A Flame Burns On by Richard Ho and illustrated by Carmel Ben Ami. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

Kestrel Takes Flight -- Novel in Verse

 

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

Sometimes life is difficult. Sometimes family is difficult. And sometimes the hardest thing is escaping and standing up for yourself. Today we get to share a new book written in verse about a young girl and her mother who escape a tough situation. They escape to a ranch that raises dogs to help with bears. The book is called Kestrel Takes Flight and is by Joy McCullouogh. It is recommended for ages 10+.

Books for Father's Day

 

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

Can you believe Father's Day is just a month away? Are you ready for it? I expect this year to be difficult for me, but my goal is to celebrate Steve. My Dad's Celebration of Life will be just over a week before Father's Day. I know he is in a better place and in many ways, we said goodbye to him years ago as his memory and brain went away, but I still miss him. Today we are sharing four picture books that are perfect for Father's Day and just for showing father figures in the life of kids. So many picture books share the mother-child relationship, but these share a father-child or male adult-child relationship. We will start with Dear Dad by Flamingo Books and illustrated by Natalie Lundeen. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Tall as the Sun -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with Stephanie Henson and The Children's Book Review to bring you this post.

Little kids always want to be taller. Think about it. When they are surrounded by adults or older kids, they cannot see above the people. It must be a bit frustrating. I think this is why so many of them want to be picked up or carried on someone's shoulders. Imagine the change in view when they are on someone's shoulders. It would be like climbing a ladder or perhaps even like being on the balcony of the penthouse of a high rise. Today I am sharing a fun book about a young girl and her imagination when her father puts her on his shoulders at the beach. The book is Tall as the Sun by Stephanie Henson and illustrated by Yasmin Akhtar. This review has a giveaway at the end of it!

Books About Kindness, Culture, School, Family, & Friends

 

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

As spring goes on and the school year gets closer to its end, there are some fun new books that are great for teacher gifts, story time at home and so much more! Today we are sharing three books -- a board book and two picture books -- that share kindness, culture, family, friends and school. We will start with the board book. It is ABCs of Kindness at School by Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Summer Macon. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3 and is part of the Books of Kindness Collection. 

Fun Easy Reader Chapter Books

 

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

Do you have an emerging reader who wants to try chapter books? Today we are sharing two new easy reader chapter books that will entertain the new readers. The first is Penelope Positano Sees It All by Katie Cotugno and illustrated by Amy Jindra Hodgson. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9. 

Newly Released Picture Books About Family and Friendship

 

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

Spring time seems to mean gatherings with family and friends. There is Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, showers and weddings. Today we are sharing three new picture books about special ties with family and friends. The first book is about friendship. It is Sheep & Goat Climb the World by A. C. Paolini and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Mom-Themed Picture Books with a Flower Craft Roundup

 

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

April showers bring May flowers. May flowers are perfect for Mom for Mother's Day! Today we are sharing two newly released mom-themed picture books and one of them is about flowers, so we are including a flower craft roundup! Each book is a wonderful reminder of how important mom is to kids. The first book is When We Were Snails by Nan Cao. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Inbetweens -- Tween Graphic Novel Review

 

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

Ever wonder what it is like to be a twin? What happens when you and your twin follow your shared dream and it isn't what either of you expected? Today we are sharing a new tween graphic novel that explores this. The book is Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14.

Sister to Sister -- Book Review

 

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

Sisters have a special relationship. Sometimes they drive each other crazy. There can be yelling, fighting, crying. Then the next day they are there when you need them even when no one else shows up. It is a special bond that reminds you of who you are and where you come from. Today we are sharing a book that honors sisterhood including ones from another mister. The book is Sister to Sister by Molly Reade. It is a perfect gift for the sisters in your life!

Mama Won't Mind -- 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 is special to a mother on her birthday? If a gift from a child is not what she expected, does she mind? Today we are sharing a sweet book about the special bond between mother and child. The book is Mama Won't Mind by Kathleen Bahr and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Glory Be -- a Middle Grade Novel Review

 

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

Life can be hard. It is extra hard when your dog is gone. You are not sure where, but he is gone. Was he stolen? You best friend doesn't seem to care and is acting strange. Perhaps the friendship is over. Oh, and your father is on one of his disappearances again too. Yup, life can be hard in the middle grades. This is the middle grade novel we are sharing today. It is called Glory Be by Jamie Sumner. It is written in verse. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. 

Ramadan Rain

 

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

What is the most important gift for a child? Is it toys or new clothes? Today we are sharing a new picture book about Ramadan and what a young girl prays for and really wants for EID. The book is Ramadan Rain by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Aliaa Betawi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Navigating Night -- Picture Book Review

 

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

Have you ever thought about what it might be like to be an immigrant? How about an immigrant child? Often the children of immigrants have to take on a role of translator, navigator, and advocate. Today we are sharing a new picture book (releasing tomorrow) that shares the special bond that is often formed by immigrant parent and child. The book is called Navigating Night by Julie Leung and illustrated by Angie Kang. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom -- Middle Grade Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Claudia Mills to bring you this post.

When your life feels like it is falling apart where do you turn? How do you pull it together? In today's book, our orphaned sixth grader turns to Greek philosophy. She tries to find wisdom to change so she can keep her dog and not get in trouble as much. The book is Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom by Claudia Mills. There is a giveaway after my review!

Two Picture Books by Jacqueline Woodson About Family & Love

 

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

Family is important. Family is love. For most family is safety. Today we are sharing two beautiful picture books by Jacqueline Woodson about family with very different messages. The first book is Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Monica Mikai. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Bread Is Love -- New Picture Book Review

 

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

When I was in middle and high school, I loved baking bread. I made it almost every week. I tried to share this love with Hazel when she was growing up. When we did the parent child class at a Waldorf School, we were making bread there or at least kneading and shaping bread every class. Today we get to share a beautiful new book about a mom who shares her love of baking bread with her kids each week. The book is Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

Books About Love for Ages 10+ -- Valentine's Day Reads

 

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

In January we did two roundups of picture books for Valentine's Day. Young children are not the only ones who celebrate or need to read about love and relationships! Today we are sharing a roundup of novels for ages 10+. They include middle grade novels and young adult novels. These books I have either read completely or at least started but wanted to get them shared before Valentine's Day. We will be sharing them from youngest to oldest readers. The first book is Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan. It is recommended for older middle grade readers--ages 10 to 13. 

Joyful Sunday -- Finding My Joy During a Time of Grief

 

Joy and grief do not usually go together. The idea of joy however is for joy to be there no matter the circumstances. I have been trying to find my joy this year, and it has been a bit difficult the last week or so. At school, MLK week is tough. We have parent/teacher/student conferences for two and a half days. These are 15-minute online conferences with the entire group of teachers the student has. We work from 8 to 5 with a few breaks. This year was very different for me. On Thursday morning my sister texted me asking me to call her when I had a break. I did. She let me know the hospice nurse was pretty sure our father was transitioning. Now a few years ago an ER doctor told us this and we all ran to his side and got Covid from him. So, the first struggle was, do we go or do we wait. I decided I needed to go after talking to Steve. We gave Hazel the choice of going with us. So, we picked her up at boarding school and drove to Connecticut to say our final goodbyes. Now I missed an afternoon of conferences as a result. I promised Hazel we would not spend the night in Connecticut. She didn't think she could handle it. The next morning, I started conferences again. Steve asked me if I was going to and my answer was, "What else am I going to do? Sit and cry all day?" I made it through all the morning conferences and started my afternoon ones. As my first afternoon conference came to an end, I received the news that he had passed. That was the end of conferences for me.