Crafty Moms Share

Hokusai Prints Note Cards -- Product Review

Disclosure: I was sent a set of these note cards in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tell me how you feel when you get a surprise note from a friend or family member in the mail--you know a piece of mail that is not a bill or advertisement or magazine or invitation. How often do you receive a note from family or friends in the mail? I'm guessing you probably only get them for your birthday and the holidays. Am I right? With all of our technology we seem to have lost the art of sending a letter or note. It is funny because receiving those notes make us feel so special and loved yet we don't really send them anymore. It is too bad. Personally I love having beautiful note cards on hand in case the occasion to send one arises or the spirit moves me to send a smile to a loved one. How about you? I also have been known to frame some note cards and use them as home décor. I started this in college and discovered it to be a less expensive way to have my favorite artists hanging in my own space.

Today I am sharing with you Hokusai Prints Note Cards. These beautiful cards feature a print of one of Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was a Japanese artist in the late 1700s and early 1800s. He is known for his woodblock prints and especially his wave one. He is also most known for his views of Fuji prints. With this set of note cards you get to see twelve of his prints. Aren't they beautiful?

With each one you send you not only send a little love and news but you also send this beautiful piece of art and culture. On the back of each card is the name of the print as well as the series it is from and of course the artist and publisher information.

The cards themselves are a wonderful quality. They are a good thickness and the outside is that smooth gloss feel and the inside is the regular note card feel. They also come with white envelopes. My family often sends a note card now instead of a birthday card. I can see my mom and sisters loving these cards this coming year for their birthdays. I hope you will check them out and send some love this year too!! Or get a pack, a nice pen and some stamps and you have a great holiday gift! To see a bit more of what I have shared about Hokusai check out this post.

Hawaii Challenge -- A Look at Native Hawaiians -- Native American Heritage Month

Today we are taking a look at the Native Hawaiians. This is our post for the Multicultural Kid Blogs Native American Month. I figured this was a perfect time to truly explore the Native Hawaiians. They have been making news lately because they are fighting the world's largest telescope being installed on one of their sacred lands. Although they are not actually indigenous people many think of them as a group of them. Since we know they came from the Polynesian Islands they are actually aboriginal people. (Source) As I mentioned in my fist Hawaii Challenge post the Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanoes. South Seas peoples of Polynesia and Tahitian descent came to the islands and stayed. This was around the third century.

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

Well it is raining out, but inside I'm surrounded by cat and dog books literally. Last week we celebrated National Cat Day and somehow I didn't get this review written in time. So sorry. I did celebrate by sharing these previews of Statement Canvas Wall Art on my Thirty-One Facebook page. (Note: I am an independent consultant of Thirty-One and will receive a commission from any Thirty-One purchases through my website.) These are our two fur babies.

Disclosure: Uncommon Goods sent me some sample gifts in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Can you believe it? We have only 7 more Saturdays (weekends) until Christmas! Wow, time is flying by. Have you started your shopping yet? Do you have those people on your list where you just don't know what to buy? I think all of us do. I discovered the great place to find gifts for everyone on the list. It is Uncommon Goods. Have you heard of it? They have an amazing Holiday Lookbook to get you ideas for anyone on your list. They have gifts for men, women, significant others, and so much more. The people I struggle most with are my husband, Steve, and my teenage nephew. They have a section for gifts for teens (over 15). I always have my nephew tell me what he likes at Uncommon Goods because I know it will be something different for him. Otherwise I'll be giving him a check. This year he wanted the Charging Cord Bracelet.

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

Today I am giving you a round-up of books for your younger readers. These books range in ages from 4 to 12 although one is suggested for 0 months and above. One book is about fears and seems perfect for this week with Halloween. Hazel has had high fears in the month of October especially when she was younger. She still does not like to see the Halloween decorations in the stores or on people's yards. Do you know any child like this? If you do this first book is perfect for him or her. It is Frankie's Scared of EVERYTHING by tattoo artist, Mathew Franklin. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

My favorite genre for books tends to be suspense and mystery, but I don't like too much violence. It is a hard balance to find however I did in this fun book. It has suspense, romance and religion. The characters are well developed and the plot is unique. It is A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff.

Awhile ago I read a Facebook post about how Native Hawaiians have been conserving and preserving our wildlife and earth for years. The post challenged people to learn about it. So I am taking the challenge. I want to learn more about the 50th state and its people. It has an interesting history and I am fascinated with the legends and such. Plus I do want to preserve our wildlife, so I want to see what they are doing and how we can help. It is also top on my list for places I want to visit. Are you in?

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

Today I am participating in the blog tour for Summer's Promise by Barbara Cameron. As Hazel has gotten older I decided to spend some time with adult books and have enjoyed the Christian themed novels. This is one of those kind of novels. It is the third book in the Harvest of Hope Series, but is the only one I have read in the series.

I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. I have decided to put an end to Crafty Weekends since there was not much participation in the link parties, but keep an eye out for all my fun crafts and craft reviews in the future. A few weeks ago I promised to bring back Fairy Tales in Different Cultures and since today is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month I thought I would share a Hispanic version of a fairy tale. We decided to focus on Sleeping Beauty so today we are sharing a Sleeping Beauty tale from Chile. I have shared various stories, information and crafts related to Chile previously. Including two fairy tales from the same book which I found today's. It is Folktales of Chile edited by Yolando Pino-Saavedra. I took it out of the library, but it available used on Amazon.

Fall began and I started thinking of some fall crafts. I had those frames I bought ages ago on clearance and had made some spring themed décor. To make a fall one I pulled out my Cuttlebug. I have an apple embossing folder and used it for the background paper. Then I used the die to cut out "Hello". I found an apple shaped Post-It Note pad and traced it to cut out an large apple and wrote fall on it. Then I used some leaf punches for the small leaves. I love how it all came out.

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

Fall begins tomorrow and soon the weather will catch back up with the seasons. It has been rather warm here this weekend. It is time to start thinking about the cooler weather and getting ready for it. Today I am going to share a book about knitting fingerless gloves. They are perfect for those cool days when your hands just feel cold but you still want use of your fingers.

With my new business of selling Thirty-One Gifts as an Independent Consultant I have not had as much time and energy to put into Crafty Moms Share. Over the summer I thought and prayed and discussed what to do. Hazel really wants me to keep it going. I considered stopping it. When I started this blog in 2011 I was sharing things I was doing with Hazel and she was only 2.5 years-old. Now she is 10.5 and does a lot on her own. We stopped Sharing Saturday because of the low participation and Crafty Weekends is also dwindling. I love having others share their crafts and ideas but link parties seem to be a bit of a thing of the past. Then I also feel pressure to work on book reviews and I realized I have been getting too many books to review and many do not motivate me to review them, so we decided to cut back on book reviews as well as how many we accept. We also discussed what we would do with Crafty Moms Share. One of our most popular series ever has been Fairy Tales in Different Cultures. While we looked at a few fairy tales we really focused on Cinderella. She was Hazel's favorite princess at the time and there are so many different versions easily available and most are in picture books which were perfect for Hazel at the time. Now she has a few different favorite princesses. Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) and the Frog Princess (Tiana) are among the top ones. So we are going to restart this series and look at some of the other fairy tales a bit more. I even gave our button a new look for it. What do you think?

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

Did you know yesterday was National Coloring Book Day? After I found out I spent the day coloring!! I was going to write this review as well but I got engrossed in coloring. In honor of the fun day I want to share with you a new coloring book. It is The Colors of Nature: A Color, Draw & Sketch Book for All Things Wild & Free by Lindsay Hopkins.

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

I have been gathering all summer some amazing educational books. And now that school has started again, I think it is beyond time for me to share them with you!! These books are for various ages and are for various subjects. There is English, history, geography, science and more!! Talk about a fun mix. I even have some educational game books!! Hazel has been loving these. Let's start with Shakespeare!!

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this kit in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well school has started here and Mother Nature has turned the switch to fall weather. But after a few weeks off from Crafty Weekends we are back!! Today I am sharing a fun origami kit perfect for Sunday School and Bible lessons for kids. It is Origami Bible Stories for Kids Kit by Andrew Dewar.

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

Did you know today is National Read a Book Day? Well that means we should all be reading a book instead of being on our computers!! However before you log off let me tell you about an amazing book that everyone needs to read.

This book helps touch on the issues of sexual harassment, the #metoo movement, and bullying that plagues our society. It does it in a very every day manner for a seventh grader, Mila. The book is Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee. It is being released on October 1st and I have to say I hope every middle school and high school add this to their classes (perhaps summer reading list). The lessons in this book are important for everyone from the young woman who may be harassed to the young men who are playing a game or fooling around and do not realize the true trouble they are causing. Parents and teachers should be reading it as well to help with how to deal with it and how to react when a child approaches them with issues.

Disclosure: We were sent this book for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.

Today we get to share a new novel by Lindsay Lackey called All the Impossible Things. This book is being released today! It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 and since Hazel is in that age, she is sharing the book today.
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Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How do you explain to a young child when someone close to him or her gets really sick? Perhaps it is a grandparent or a parent or maybe it is even a sibling or a friend. No matter who it is a young child may have trouble really understanding and may not know how to deal with it. Today I am going to share a book with you to help you explain and to help the child cope with what is going on. The book is How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear? by Vanessa Bayer and illustrated by Rosie Butcher.

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Today I am sharing some six board books for through preschool. These books range in what they cover from fun stories to educational to Halloween. Plus one of our favorite bedtime stories from when Hazel was young. The first book is for babies. It is Look! Babies Head to Toe by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Anoosha Syed.

I need to do some clearing off of my shelf of books to review, so today I am going to share seventeen picture books. These books are for toddlers through kindergarten. These books range in subjects!

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

We are a family of animal lovers. Hazel from a young age was interested in animals and learning about them. She has always seemed to love books about them and today I'm sharing some fun books and an origami kit all themed about animals. These books range for kindergarten and up. Starting with books for the youngest we will start with Hummingbird by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Jane Ray. It is recommended for kindergarten through third grade.

Let's party!! It was a small party (after all it is summer), so there are only a few!! Since our numbers are dwindling and my focus is on back to school for Hazel, I'm going to have this the last one until the week after Labor Day! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

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

Here is my long over due craft review. I now have a new computer but was able to get my photos back!! In the spring my math club group asked for a lesson involving origami. I pulled out some lessons that talk about geometry while making origami stars. I however forgot to take photos of the girls' projects. So I came home and made some more.

We used six different packages of origami paper and then I made some other projects with Rainbow Patterns.

I have to admit I have been disgusted reading much of my Facebook feed lately. I have friends on both sides of the political view and to be quite honest I can't stand posts from either side. I identify myself as a liberal but I also can see some of the conservative side--after all I'm married to a conservative. Awhile ago the discussion turned to President Trump's comment about the four female senators going back to where they came from. As a woman most of the president's comments bother me. As a Christian woman, they really bother me. But truth be told, the man bothered me long before he became our president. That said he is our president so I pray for him and our country and wish him well. But when he says things that insult other leaders of our country I do think he needs to be called out. But this is getting away from where I want this post to go. After that comment a friend from middle and high school posted on her Facebook page her own feelings about being asked "Where are you from?" She is a woman of color. She expressed how hurtful that question can be. After brewing over it all and seeing more than I wanted about politics on both sides in my newsfeed I started thinking about the question.

We had a late start to the party last week and thus it was a small party! Unfortunately my photos for my review is on my computer as well so no review this week. Let's go straight to our party! It was a small party (after all it is summer), so there are only a few!! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

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

Today I get the pleasure of sharing the second book in the Regency Brides: Daughters of Aynsley series by Carolyn Miller. The second book, Underestimating Miss Cecilia, gives the reader a look at the middle Aynsley daughter, Cecilia. It gives us a very different view of Cecilia than the first book which focused on her older sister.

Sorry for the late post. My computer is acting up and will be at Staples this week getting fixed. So I am on Steve's computer and it acted up on me last night so I decided to take a break and try again today. And it is working!! Unfortunately my photos for my review is on my computer as well so no review this week. Let's go straight to our party! It was a small party (after all it is summer), so there are only a few!! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

Disclosure: Canvas Factory sent me this canvas in exchange for an honest review and are offering one customer their own print!

Where are you going this summer? Our family took a vacation to Cape Cod. Now we often go to Cape Cod because my parents live there. This year we got to stay at the house my grandparents built for a week by ourselves. We made the mistake of inviting one of Steve's friends with us, but that is another story. I still took lots of photos and wanted to get a good family shot since the last one we have (which I love) is from a few years ago and Hazel has grown and changed quite a bit in those years. I looked at all the different family pictures we got and found one we mostly liked. It was taken when we were at the National Seashore Visitor Center.

I am away for the Thirty-One Conference this week, so we are going straight to our party! It was a small party (after all it is summer), so there are only a few!! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

Did you know today is National Macaroni and Cheese Day? To celebrate I thought I would share some fun facts about the All-American comfort food and have two link parties! One for our normal Crafty Weekends and one for your favorite mac and cheese recipes!

We are still celebrating Independence Day (the fireworks were rained out until tonight), so I am going straight to sharing the features from last week. It was a small party, so there are only a few!! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

Features

1) From The Real Thing with the Coake Family: Cute 4th of July Decorations

2) From The Scrap Shoppe: DIY Flag Planter

3) From 3 Boys & a Dog: Coconut & Key Lime Homemade Soap

4) From The Style Safari: Oversize Bow Dress

Thank you to everyone who shared the last week!! I hope you will share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. I would love the help spreading the word about Crafty Weekends!!

Chapter Books for Different Ages

Disclosure: We were sent a copy of each of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Summer has hit and now the kids are off school. Looking for something for them to read? This post is for you. It has suggestions from age 6 to 14! And there is something for everyone! Our first book is the third book in a series written for 6 to 9 year olds. It is Big Foot and Little Foot: The Squatchicorns by Ellen Potter and art by Felicita Sala.

Disclosure: We were sent this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis is a delightful tale about a young orphaned girl, named Margaret, that has lived at a convent all her life. She had a quiet, happy life until the King died, and the true identity of the new ruler is questionable. A mysterious prisoner arrives at the convent, and as they befriend each other, Margaret begins to unravel the mystery of who she really is.

We are having a fun Independence Day week and are planning a barbecue. I found these fun patriotic napkins at Target for $3. I thought it would be fun to make some simple napkin rings for them. These are really easy and cheap. And completely disposable. I used a toilet paper roll and a piece of scrapbook paper. I cut the toilet paper roll into fourths (one-inch each). Then I cut one-inch strips of the scrapbook paper and glued them on.

Disclosure: We were sent these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are our own.

With the start of summer I am in the beach mood even if the temperatures here haven't been beach weather yet. At Crafty Weekends I shared a beach theme craft this week (have you shared your creations there yet?), and today I'm sharing some books about oceans, fish, sea glass and boats. Yup basically beach and boating themed!! So much fun. These books include picture books as well as nonfiction books. Let's start with the nonfiction books. We will start with a new one from National Geographic Kids. It is Captain Aquatica's Awesome Ocean by Jess Cramp with Grace Hill Smith and Joe Levit.

Summer began last week. I am guessing people are getting ready to go to the beach and on vacations. Today I am sharing a simple craft that can be planned with purchased sea treasures or with found ones. The idea for this craft came from a tic-tac-toe game that I saw at our local Hallmark store. I didn't want to spend the money but loved the idea. The one at the store used sand dollars and starfish.

Disclosure: We were sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Which had more viewers the walk on the moon in 1969 or the 2018 Super Bowl? What state has the most people who walk or bike to work? What state's trees helped the colonists during the Revolutionary War? What is the only state name that is one syllable? What building (in the USA) contains rocks from the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza, Abraham Lincoln's tomb, the Alamo, and the Colosseum in Rome? Which state produces the majority of the toothpicks used in the USA? Can you answer these questions? You can if you read the book we are sharing tonight. It is National Geographic Kids Weird but True! USA.

Disclosure: We were sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am going to share three different poetry books with you. They are each very different from one another and each is a wonderful addition to any poetry unit or collection. Two of the books have themes that will also lend toward other subjects as well. We will start with The Day the Universe Exploded My Head by Allan Wolf and illustrated by Anna Raff.

Disclosure: We were sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Today Hazel and I are writing a joint post. She is going to review half the books. All of the books we have put together are biographies and non-fiction stories. Two are novels of stories about war. Let's start with the two picture books. The first book is Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Zosia Dzierzawska.

A few weeks ago I was in one of the craft stores and checked out the flower summer wreaths. I couldn't believe how expensive they were so I looked at supplies. I found this twig wreath and two flower stems on sale. Since our front door gets so much sun that hot glue melts, I used wire to secure the flowers. I cut the stems of the flowers and stuck the stems into the spaces in the wreath. Once I got the flowers arranged how I liked them, I wrapped the wire tightly around the stems and hid them with the flowers and leaves. I added a ribbon to hang it and now have the perfect wreath for my red door.

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

Hazel has always loved cooking and wants to really learn how to cook on her own. I have gotten her a few cookbooks over the years. Tonight I am sharing a new one, 20 Recipes Kids Should Know by Esme Washburn and photographs by Calista Washburn. This is one of my favorites of all of them.

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

Tonight I am sharing a book that is coming out in a couple of weeks (June 25, 2019). It is part of the Victoria & Albert Museum's A Maker's Guide Series. Tonight we are sharing Calligraphy & Lettering: A Maker's Guide.

Disclosure: We were sent these books and kits in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have been sitting on these books for awhile and the pile keeps growing, so I am getting these reviews done. Are you looking for some fun science (mostly space) resources for STEM activities and lessons this summer? I have a group to share with you. The first book is a middle grade novel. It is the first in a series of novels from National Geographic Kids. It is Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit.

I took a break from Crafty Weekends due to the holiday, so now we have two weeks of crafts to add to the party!! So it is time to see what you have been creating! Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party. Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. 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! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there. I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

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

What are your childhood memories? Do they ever sneak in when you think about your own parenting? Or perhaps even your own identity? I remember back in my teacher days taking a class where we were asked to write about our own identities. I was single at the time and only had five or so years of teaching under my belt. I wrote about some of my childhood memories. It was really interesting when we shared our stories. It was a class on diversity training. Unfortunately I lost the paper (and digital) copy of my paper. As a young teacher my childhood memories really helped define me. They are important and will affect our kids throughout their lives. This is the basis of the book I am sharing with you today. It is Memory Making Mom by Jessica Smartt.

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