The lunar new year (better known as the Chinese New Year) begins next week, February 5, 2019. This year will be the Year of the Earth Pig. (Stay tuned for some facts about pigs, the year of the pig and a pig craft round-up coming soon.) I thought it would be fun to look at some fun facts about this holiday. In China and many cultures this holiday is the big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas is in America. It amazes me how I learn something new about this holiday every year as I prepare post. So read below to learn a bit about the holiday and some fun facts about it.
Disclosure: I was sent copies of these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. How do you discover the world? How do you teach your children about the world and its places without leaving home? Today I am going to share some great resources to do just that. These books and kits help learn about the globe, countries, cities as well as discover parts of the world like the ocean and more. They are for mixed levels of kids and will add some fun to your home or class. The first is Discovery Globe: Build Your Own Globe Kit by Leon Gray and illustrated by Sarah Edmunds.
So it has been a tough week. I am not going to share any crafts with you, so it is time to see what you have been creating! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. It was a small party, but there were some great ideas shared. Below are a few of the features from our last party, but be sure to go back and check out the many great crafts shared! I am sad to say that Sharing Saturday has come to an end. There just has not been enough participation. If you have cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop this month! I hosted this month's party at Multicultural Kid Blogs today. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!
It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to end Sharing Saturday. I have seen a steady decline in the number of posts shared and have found that now there are consistently under ten posts. I am afraid it is not worth the time for the posts or for those of you who take the time to share with us. It saddens me to end this tradition as my goal has been to be a place where people can share ideas and crafts. I will be keeping Crafty Weekends going while there are enough entries. I know link parties have become unpopular because of the ever changing rules of Google.
Today is the day!! Check out the amazing books that have been reviewed for today! Are you looking to bring for more cultures into your home or classroom? These books will do it. There are books for all ages--babies through young adult. Let me know which ones are your favorite!!
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day. All opinions are my own. Can we talk about immigration? I mean it is all over our news. In fact in many ways we can say immigration has shut down our government. But let's look at the positive side of immigration instead of all the bad news our politicians are throwing around. (And in my humble opinion I don't think any of Congress or the President should be paid during the shutdown. In fact I think their salaries and health care should be going to the out of work federal employees, but I don't like to talk about politics too much.) I have an amazing book to share with you today. Tomorrow is Multicultural Children's Book Day and the link-up will be right here tomorrow!! Be sure to come back and check out all the amazing books reviewed this year! The book today is First Generation: 36 Trailblazing Immigrants And Refugees Who Make America Great by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace and illustrated by Agata Nowicka.
Disclosure: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day. All opinions are my own. Imagine being at the top of your world. You just one a competition in your dream activity and then on the way to the press conference a horrible accident occurs and you lose a limb so your dream activity seems impossible. That is how this story begins. It introduces us to Veda who danced before she even walked. She is a young Indian woman trying to figure out life and live her dream. And then in a horrible accident she loses one of her legs. There was no way of saving it. Will she be able to walk again? Will she ever be able to dance? The book is A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman.
Disclosure: I was sent an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Do you have a tween or teen who sews or quilts or wants to learn how? Tonight's book is perfect for him or her. It is Sew It! by Allison Nicoll.
It is time 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop. I am hosting the new one on Sunday! Be sure to stop by!
Disclosure: I was sent these books as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Today I get the pleasure of sharing five of Deirdre Pecchioni Cumming's books for Multicultural Children's Book Day. Most of the books are illustrated by Erika Busse. The first book I am sharing is my and Hazel's favorite of the five. We actually have only received an ecopy since it isn't quite in print yet. It is Like Rain Water. This one is illustrated by Charlene Mosley.
It is time for Crafty Weekends!! This week I have been working on my prayer shawl which is finally almost finished. I started it over seven years ago. I had made my sister one rather quickly when she was going through a divorce and then I liked hers so much I wanted one in pink. I bought the organic yarn and started it. It is an easy pattern (which I still messed up); knit three, purl three. The three stitches represent the Trinity. The idea of a prayer shawl is the knitter says prayers for the person who uses it so the prayers are knit into it. One of my first experiences with prayer shawls was actually a prayer baby blanket. My aunt got one when I was pregnant with Hazel and my mother brought it to me when I was on bedrest. When Hazel was in the special care unit she had this blanket on her. Then my church gave me a prayer shawl to send my aunt when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Did you know January 13 is National Rubber Ducky Day? In honor of it I thought I would share some fun facts about rubber ducks. (Did you know there are some people who spell them rubber ducky or rubber duckie?) There are rubber duck races around the world raising money for charities and it is considered a classic toy. Here are some interesting facts I found out about these little guys.
It is time 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Disclosure: Mindware sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I was hoping to get this post written before the holidays, but I got the items a bit late and then went on vacation. However these products are wonderful gifts for birthdays or other occasions as well as just great additions to your family games and activities or home school. One of the many things I love about Mindware products is how they are fun and educational. All of these fit that description. Three of these products are games that are fun additions for family game night. The first is Leaps and Ledges.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. It is January and that means Multicultural Children's Book Day is coming soon!! As a cohost and reviewer I love January. I love being exposed to amazing multicultural books that I hadn't heard of and getting to share them with you. Today's book is an amazing find. Quick when you hear Lewis and Clark Expedition, who do you think about (knowing we are talking about multicultural stories)? I am guessing you said Sacagawea. I know that is who I think of. We have had the pleasure of reading some amazing books about Sacagawea and sharing them here and here. However today's book teaches you about another diverse person who was forced to go on the dangerous expedition. The person is named York, and he was a slave of Captain William Clark. Our book today is The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Hasan Davis and illustrated by Alleanna Harris.
Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Welcome back to weekly Crafty Weekends!! I took a bit of a break over the holidays and had a three week long party to end 2018. We are back and ready to get crafty!! This week I am sharing Sweet & Simple Needle Felted Animals by Sachiko Susa.
Wow, it has been awhile, but we are back!! Are you ready? It is time 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
I took a bit of a break for the holidays. Christmas is often the only time we get to spend with one of my sisters and her son and then Hazel's birthday hits us. It is always a busy time and I decided to focus on family. It was wonderful.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own or Hazel's. Yesterday we started our chapter book extravaganza. We shared the first group of books for ages 5 to 12. Today we are going to get through the rest of them. As I mentioned yesterday, most of these books I have not finished (some Hazel did) so we will be providing limited reviews. Hope you enjoy them and find some new books to read!!
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own or Hazel's own. Ok, I have had this group of books growing on my shelves for awhile. It is time for me to clean house and get ready for the new year. I will admit I have not read all of these books (I have started most of them). Hazel has read some of them so I plan to let her share her opinion on the ones she has read. I hope you will check these out.
Can you believe Christmas is only a week away? To get you in the mood and perhaps to entertain your kids, I am sharing some fun facts about reindeer and a craft and activity round-up.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This year Hazel has really wanted to start cooking on her own. She has been helping me in the kitchen for a long time, but really wants to be able to cook on her own now. I'm always interested in checking out new books that help encourage her with her cooking because it is an important life skill. The first book we are sharing today is a book where she took it and tried a recipe on her own and it was a huge success. (Unfortunately I did not take any photos of her creation. Sorry!!) The book is Say Cheese! by Ricki Carroll and Sarah Carroll.
It is time for Crafty Weekends!! I have spent the day on the couch trying to breathe. Yup, I got a Christmas cold. So I am not going to be sharing any crafts of my own or even reviewing any books because I am a bit tired. So we are going right to the party!! This party will see us through the end of 2018 since I will be taking some time to spend with my family for the holidays!! Come back and keep sharing!!
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. It is hard to believe Christmas is only a little over a week away. This year is flying by way too fast for me, but I am looking forward to having time with my family. Before that happens, I want to share some more books with you. This is a mix of some Christmas related books, a children's Bible and an adult devotional. We will start with the one that is most related to Christmas. It is Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne.
It is time 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Looking for some educational books for kids? Today we look at a bit of the arts--grammar, poetry, art, crafts, history. Our first book is Origami and Haiku: Inspired by Japanese Artwork illustrated by the Trustees of the British Museum.
Today we are walking in a winter wonderland with Penguin Kids. They asked us to share some winter fun and we chose some fun facts about snowflakes. Plus we are doing a snowflake craft round-up and sharing a winter wonderland book.
Today we are participating in Multicultural Kid Blogs's Christmas in Different Lands Series. We decided to take a closer look at Saint Lucia Day in Sweden. We first discovered about Saint Lucia Day in the American Girl books about Kirsten. Hazel fell in love with the retired Kirsten doll. She read all the Kirsten books to my parents over the phone and then my mother was able to get her a used Kirsten doll from her neighbor's granddaughter. Hazel says this doll is still the best gift she has gotten. She was so excited last Christmas to get her. My mother fell in love with Kirsten's clothes and accessories and especially loves the Saint Lucia Day outfit. Now the book, Kirsten's Surpriseby Janet Shaw, shares a bit of the traditions and is how we first learned about Saint Lucia.
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! It has been a crazy week like usual. I have been really wanting to try one of the patterns in today's book, but have not pulled out my sewing machine in quite awhile. Today I am sharing a new doll clothes pattern book. It is Doll Dress Boutique by Erin Hentzel.
It is time 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Disclosure: Wee Believers sent me this gift pack and offered one for a giveaway to one of my great readers!! All opinions are my own (or Hazel's). Do you want a meaningful gift for a tween? Wee Believers offers some great Christian products and has an entire line, Let Your Light Shine, for tweens, and Hazel LOVES them. We reviewed some of their products previously. Hazel was really excited that we got another gift pack to review. This time the theme is Love and we LOVE it!! First there is the Love Heart-Shaped Affirmation Pillow.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Last year Hazel became known for the "Did you know..." cards I put in her lunch and snack. Her teacher had her share them with the entire class and the kids loved it. This year I wasn't doing it and Hazel came home saying the kids are asking where they are. Now one of my favorite places to pull from is National Geographic Kids books like the two I am sharing today!! The first book is Why Not? Over 1,111 Answers to Everything by Crispin Boyer.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am taking some time out of my crazy sharing of children's books to share two religious adult books. Both are devotionals. The first is the devotional to go along with a wonderful book I reviewed previously. It is The Better Mom Devotional by Ruth Schwenk.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Yesterday I did a picture book review extravaganza. Today I am going to share the Christmas and winter books I have been gathering. Just in time to get you ready for the season. I am dividing them as Christmas books and winter books and putting them in order of recommended age.
Did you know that December 6th is Saint Nicholas Day? Many cultures celebrate by leaving their shoes out on the night of December 5th and St. Nicholas comes and leaves treats like coins, nuts, fruit, and candies. This is all in memory of the real St. Nicholas and how he gave so much to others. I thought to celebrate this year we would look at some fun facts about this saint.
Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Are you ready for the holidays? I know there is a saying that says one gift they can wear, one toy gift and one book gift. The next couple of weeks I am focusing on books and trying to clear off my recommendation shelves. Today I am starting with the picture books. There are books in this grouping for the very young to the older lovers of picture books. I am going to share them by age group as best as I can, so if you are looking for picture books for older kids, scroll down. Are you ready for our picture book extravaganza?
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!
We have been having a busy weekend. My Thirty-One career is taking up more time than I planned and this weekend we kicked off the amazing December specials and new products. Then I woke up today not feeling too well and Hazel seems to be coming down with something too. Ugh!! Anyway today we get to share a fun sewing book with you. Do you know all those super soft and cuddly fabrics that are out now? Well this book takes them and makes them into fun and cute products to have the softness on your or near you. These are perfect for the winter and holidays!! The book is Sew Cuddly by Judy Gauthier.
It is time for Sharing Saturday!! So last week it was late Saturday or possibly Sunday when I realized I hadn't posted a Sharing Saturday. I was enjoying time with my family, so I decided we would skip a week. Sorry!! 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 if you have any cultural or diverse posts be sure to share them over at Multicultural Kid Blogs Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Are you looking for some fun science experiments to try at home? These books are great for teaching some science or for those kids that just love to explore and mess around a bit with science. We will start with a fun book that is perfect for dog lovers and owners. It is Dog Science Unleashed by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen and photographs by Matthew Rakola.
Disclosure: MindWare sent me copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This fall I was asked if I would run an 8 week math club for grade 3 to 5. I did some research and discovered an amazing free math club program--Crazy 8s. But we couldn't get into it in time for the fall run. I am hoping to do it this winter. So I needed to pull together some ideas for the fall math club. It is a bit hard working with grades 3 to 5. The third graders have not really learned to multiply yet or what a fraction is yet whereas the fifth graders are beyond that. I turned to MindWare for some fun supplements to math club. They were kind enough to send me some perplexor books and a set of extreme dot to dot books. And guess what? The kids LOVE them. They beg me to copy more each week. I think next week's math club may really be diving into the perplexors. I try to start each week with a perplexor. I made the mistake of starting with a dot to dot and found the kids spent the entire hour on it instead of the other fun activities I had planned. Now I give the dot to dot out at the end. Some of the kids bring them back finished to show us. I love it. MindWare also gives teachers permission to photocopy their dot to dot and perplexor books for use in a classroom, so it is legal for me to copy these for the kids. It is a win-win. (Note: many of the specific products are no longer published but the links will take you to similar products)
