Guess How Much I Love You Coloring Book -- a Relaxing Friday Review

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

This has been anything but a Relaxing Friday for me. We have yet another snow storm starting here. March came in like a lion, treated me like a lion and is leaving like a lion. Where is the going out like a lamb part? I am personally glad to see March 2017 ending. Anyway, since I ran all my errands for the weekend this morning to avoid the snow and storm crowds, I am writing this post later than usual. Today however I have the perfect coloring book to share with you a couple of weeks prior to Easter. It is perfect because I know the classic book that it was inspired by is a book that will find its way into some Easter baskets. The coloring book today is Guess How Much I Love You Coloring Book by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. 

Finding Time for Exercise in My Busy Schedule

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Fabletics. I will receive a small payment for writing it. The links however are for your convenience and I will not receive money if you purchase from them.

Now I know as we all do that I need to exercise on a regular basis. However I have gotten into the habit of not having time. Then in December I had a huge awakening. My doctor informed me that my levels put me at pre-diabetic. She suggested I start exercising more, losing weight and see a nutritionist. My adventure began. I am not on a diet. I have done the diet thing. In fact I was successful as a Weight Watchers member after having Hazel, but by the end I had tableaued. I know what I need to do to lose weight, but sometimes life gets in the way. Now when I first had Hazel walking was easy. I put her in a stroller and actually met a neighbor who became a good walking buddy (and a good friend). We use to meet each other and walk a couple of miles as we pushed our kids. Now that Hazel is older it is not so easy and my friend moved further away. Having a buddy is one of the best motivators for continuing an exercise regime. So if you have one, use them to get you moving and stay moving.

Books about Animals & More

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Tonight I am going to share some books having to do with animals. This group of books has things for different ages from board books to posters and more. Are you ready for some animal fun? We will start with Animalium Poster Book by Susanna Davidson and illustrated by Katie Scott and Jenny Broom. 

Ann Cole Lowe and Ada Lovelace -- Learning about Women in History

For our final post this year for Women's History Month I am sharing two books I found at the library. The first book is Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal and illustrated by Laura Freeman.

Bee Aware -- 100 Plants to Feed the Bees and more -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Storey Publishing. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

Spring has sprung even though it doesn't really feel like it here in Massachusetts. We still have snow on the ground. I have begun to think about my garden. Now I am aware of the issues with bees. Are you? I don't mean the fact that they sting or that Hazel is afraid of them because they sting. I mean that there is a drop in bee population. Why should we care about the bees after all they sting? Well if we don't start caring we will not have fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers for that matter. Bees are pollinators and they are necessary for growth of plants. What can a gardener do to help the bees? Well there are a few things. One is to avoid using pesticides. Many towns now spray for mosquitoes, but the pesticides they spray do not only kill mosquitoes but also the other insects including bees and butterflies, our main pollinators. The pesticides you may use in your own yard will do the same thing. Another thing to do is plant the flowers that attract bees and other pollinators. Tonight's book is too help know which flowers these are. The book is 100 Plants to Feed the Bees by the Xerces Society.