Ramadan in Singapore -- Ramadan for Kids, Global Learning for Kids & Asian Pacific American Heritage Blogs Series & Giveaway

For my final 2016 post for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month I thought I would combine it with our Global Learning for Kids exploration of Singapore and kick off our Ramadan for Kids Blog Hop. Did you know about 15% of the Singapore population is Muslim (according to 2010 statistics)? There are 69 mosques in Singapore.  (Source) The Sultan Mosque or Masjid Sultan is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore.

Nightfall at Sultan Mosque By Erwin Soo from Singapore, Singapore [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Craft Factory: Friendship Bracelets -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Parragon Books sent me a copy of this book free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As always I am providing links to the book for your convenience.

Before I begin today's post, I would like to take a minute to remind all of us in the United States that this is Memorial Weekend and we need to remember all the people who have sacrificed for our freedom and safety. Please say a prayer for the armed forces as well as their families and a very special pray for the families of soldiers not returning home. 

Today I get to share this month's Parragon Book of the Month for their Book Buddies. It is not really a book, but a craft kit. It is their Craft Factory: Friendship Bracelets. It was released this past February. It comes with metallic threads, as well as some black thread, an instruction book, star beads and a needle. 

Sharing Saturday 16-21

Reminder: This link party is for child-oriented crafts and activities and parenting/teaching posts!! 

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. 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 of your cultural posts come share them at the monthly Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week! I always love seeing what everyone has been up to and your creative ideas!! Our features are just a sampling of them so if you haven't checked them all out, you should! My week has been a bit crazed with getting sick after Hazel was sick last week. I'm a bit behind in everything and having trouble staying focused. This week our features are Craft  and Activities.

100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids -- Book Review with one full lesson

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge. 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. This activity has been reprinted with permission from the publisher from book 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS.

Today I get to share an amazing book with you which is being released today!! It is from fellow Kid Blogger Network bloggers, Amanda Boyarshinov and Kim Vij. They are the creators of The Educators' Spin on It.  The book is 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids. 

Exploring Singapore with Books, Food & Maps -- Global Learning for Kids

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me copies of these books free of charge for this 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 month Global Learning for Kids is exploring Singapore. I requested some books about Singapore from my contact at Tuttle Publishing. She sent me six books and a traveling map. We shared Singapore Children's Favorite Stories with you a few weeks ago as one of our posts for Multicultural Kid Blogs' Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month Series and Giveaway. (Have you entered the giveaway yet?) The first book we are going to share is Singapore: World City by Kim Inglis. 

Pop-Up Cards -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Quarto Books USA. 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.

Have you seen the pop-up cards lately in the stores? They seem to be the latest rage. Of course for eight plus dollars they are also very expensive. Today's book will help you make your own fun pop-up cards for any occasion!!  The book is Pop-Up Cards by Emily Gregory. 

Sharing Saturday 16-20

Reminder: This link party is for child-oriented crafts and activities and parenting/teaching posts!! 

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. 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 of your cultural posts come share them at the monthly Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week! I always love seeing what everyone has been up to and your creative ideas!! Our features are just a sampling of them so if you haven't checked them all out, you should! This week our features are animals and flowers & paint.

A Big Surprise for Little Card and More-igami -- Two Fun Books

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copies of these 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.

Here are two new books that bring paper, cards and origami to life. The first is A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Mericle Harper and illustrated by Anna Raff. This book takes a little mix up and makes it fun as well as reminding the reader how fun books and the library can be!

Chimpanzees for Tea & Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be in This Book -- Fun Book Reviews

Disclosure: Penguin Kids gave me a copy of these books free of charge for this 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.

Are you in the need of a laugh? The two picture books I am sharing today will definitely get you laughing. They are so fun and entertaining. The first is Chimpanzees for Tea! by Jo Empson. 

Happy Home Outside -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Quarto Books USA. 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.

The spring weather finally is here or at least was last week!! I am finally ready to be outside (or at least the weather was ready for us to be outside finally). After a mild winter we have had an unusually cool spring thus far. However we finally got into the 70s last week. It was gorgeous!! Then to add to the fun Steve finally had a patio and fence added to Hazel's clubhouse. He has been planning this for several years and finally decided to do it. (I will admit I didn't care much about it, but they both really wanted to do it.) It came out looking really cute and I personally love having the chairs on the patio so I have a place to sit and read or work on my laptop while Hazel is playing outside. 

Sharing Saturday 16-19

Reminder: This link party is for child-oriented crafts and activities and parenting/teaching posts!! 

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. 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 a new Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will start on Sunday morning on Multicultural Kid Blogs.

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week! I always love seeing what everyone has been up to and your creative ideas!! Our features are just a sampling of them so if you haven't checked them all out, you should! This week our features are Crafts, Activities and Parents & Lesson.

Bug Books

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copies of these 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.

Today I am going to share two fun books about bugs. These books are so fun with a special time for us since Hazel's class has been focusing on bugs this year. The first book is Among a Thousand Fireflies by Helen Frost and photographs by Rick Lieder. 

Fun Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me copies of these books free of charge for this 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.

Yesterday we shared some great religious books for babies. Today we sharing a couple of books for toddlers and preschoolers. The first book is by Oliver Jeffers and it is The Hueys in What's the Opposite? This fun book teaches about opposites. It is a fun introduction to the concept. 

Religious Gifts (and One Non-Religious) for Baby

 Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me copies of these books free of charge for this 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. The Gymboree links are affiliate links where I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase through them. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

It seems like just about everyone I know is posting about new babies or new pregnancies. And almost all of them are having their second or more baby. This of course means baby gifts. Now I love all the adorable baby clothes. Gymboree has the most adorable baby clothes!! However I remember always getting baby clothes from people and the most recent baby girl already has a big sister (who has plenty of hand-me-downs for her little sister). I wanted to give this new adorable baby something more meaningful for her baptism. Kregel Publications sent me two great ideas. The first book is perfect for any new Christian baby at any time and does not have to be for a baptism. It is First Prayers for Baby, Gift Edition, by Sophie Piper and illustrated by Annabel Spenceley. 

Malaysian and Singapore Children's Favourite Stories -- Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month Review & Giveaway

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me copies of these books free of charge for this 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. 

May brings us into Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month. To celebrate I always like to read some Asian stories. Luckily I have a contact at Tuttle Publishing. Tuttle Publishing focuses on Asia in their books. They are also a supporter of the Multicultural Kid Blogs' Giveaway for this month. As such they sent me a copy of Malaysian Children's Favourite Stories by Kay Lyons and illustrated by Martin Loh which is the only prize from them I have not previously reviewed as well a copy of Singapore Children's Favourite Stories by Di Taylor and illustrations by LK Tay-Audouard. They have quite the selection of Asian countries for this series of books and I have to admit we have quite a few of them as well. Hazel always LOVES these books and never lets me donate them. Actually it looks like I am missing a few. I am guessing they may be hiding in Hazel's room.

Mother's Day Gifts & Heat Embossing Tutorial -- Crafty Weekends Link Party

Today is Mother's Day in the United States. Yesterday Hazel spent the morning making her gifts for her grandmothers and one for me. I bought some canvas bags and she was able to paint them for each person. She also jumped at every chance to make a card for me. She did one at Paper Source, our public library, and Lakeshore Learning. She also made her ice cream cone about me at school and a few cards and a book on her own!

Sharing Saturday 16-18

Reminder: This link party is for child-oriented crafts and activities and parenting/teaching posts!! 

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. 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 the Creative Kids Cultural Blog Hop lasts all month for anything cultural or diversity posts.

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week! I always love seeing what everyone has been up to and your creative ideas!! Our features are just a sampling of them so if you haven't checked them all out, you should! This week our features are Mother's Day (it is Sunday in the US), Crafts and Lessons, and Parenting.

Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook -- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Series

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this 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. 

It is May and that brings several things. In the United States it means Mother's Day, the end of school is near and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. This post is the first of mine in the Multicultural Kid Blogs Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Blog Series and Giveaway. (Scroll down for the giveaway!) Today I am sharing with you a new cookbook from Katie Chin. This book is Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother's Kitchen with photographs by Masano Kawana. Katie Chin is sharing some of her mother's everyday recipes just in time for Mother's Day!!

3 Fun Animal Books from Candlewick Press

Disclosure: Candlewick Press gave me a copies of these 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.

Now I will admit we LOVE animal books and especially ones that are non fiction. Candlewick Press sent us three of these type of books to add to our collection. All three are in the style of some of the other amazing animal books we have reviewed from them (Bees, Emus, Hippos, Elephants, Big Red Kangaroo). This is a style we really love. It tells the story of an animal and then has side notes with facts about the animal. The first book we are sharing is Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London and illustrated by Meilo So.

Summerlost -- Middle Grades Book Review

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this 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.

How does a twelve year old deal with the grief of losing her father and younger brother? How does anyone? How does the remaining family move on in life? What does it take? This is the basis of Summerlost by Ally Condie.

Darkroom -- a Mommy Time Review

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge. 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.

Today I am participating in The Dangerous Darkroom Tour with Mary Maddox and Novel Publicity. My review is below but I have to admit this book is right up my alley. I love to read suspense mysteries and this one fit the bid.

Ultimate Wrap Bracelets -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this 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. 

Tonight I am going to share a fun new book and kit called Ultimate Wrap Bracelets by Patrizia Valsecchi and photographer Antonio Attini. This kit comes with beads, buttons, cords, and some charms as well as a cardboard work surface.