Do you love giving books as gifts? One of my sisters always gives Hazel books for a gift. I know I tend to love giving books to friends' children as well. Today I am sharing a variety of books for different ages and people in your life.
Gifts of Books -- Ideas for All Ages -- Crafts, Activities and Non-Fiction Books
Do you love giving books as gifts? One of my sisters always gives Hazel books for a gift. I know I tend to love giving books to friends' children as well. Today I am sharing a variety of books for different ages and people in your life.
Fun Facts about Advent
Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to get ready for Christmas!! Advent begins a bit later because of how the dates fall this year. In the western world it begins on Sunday this year. In honor of that I thought I would share a bit about Advent, its history and other fun facts!
Merry Monday! Religious Reviews & a Middle Grade Christmas Book
Happy Merry Cyber Monday!! Have you been doing your on-line shopping? Be sure to check out my post from Friday of my favorite places to gift shop! Today I thought I would share with you a few religious products and a really sweet middle grades chapter book (which is not religious). We will start with the non-religious chapter book. It is The Nutcracker Mice by Kristin Kladstrup and illustrated by Brett Helquist.
Create and Play Christmas Products for Kids -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Thanksgiving is over and now it is time to focus on our next holidays. For us that is Christmas. Today I am going to share three fun craft "books" for kids. Hazel has been having so much fun with all of these!! The first one is Press Out and Color: Christmas Ornaments by Kate McLelland. (Be sure to check out our reviews of other Press Out and Color books.)
Sharing Saturday 17-46 Continues...
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.
Where to Shop This Holiday Season
Can you believe it is already Black Friday? Do you know why today is called Black Friday? Traditionally this is the day stores would finally show a profit for the year or they would be in the black instead of the red (loss). Can you imaging running a store for almost the entire year in a loss? In honor of Black Friday I thought I would give you some suggestions as places to shop or at least some of our favorite places to shop. A few of these are affiliate links and will provide me with a small payment if you shop there, but most are just places I find amazing and want to let you know about them. Next week I will do a post on our favorite things from our reviews this year with gift suggestions for people of all ages!!
What I Am Thankful For This Year -- Happy Thanksgiving!
The first thing I am thankful for this year is my family. We have had a tough year with the choice to pull Hazel from her school in April and homeschool her for the rest of the school year. Then finding a new school for this year. Can I just tell you what a difference finding the right school makes? She wants to go to school now. It is not a fight every morning to get her moving and to school. In fact she gets upset if we are running late.
Within this great choice also came new friends for Hazel. This has been huge for her. Her classmates are supportive and caring. They are not competing and putting her down like her previous ones. The entire school is full of people who are more down to earth and caring. The environment is homier. It is a wonderful place for her and I love visiting the school and helping out there.
The next thing I am thankful for is my family and how we made the choice for me to quit my job at Paper Source. I loved my job there. It was truly my happy place, however due to a staff shortage my hours increased to a level I could not keep up with my family responsibilities. I have worked almost every weekend since June and I just couldn't continue that and be the mother and wife I want to be. I am thankful that I can stay at home and be the mother and wife I want to be without really worrying about finances. Let's face it everyone tends to have some struggle, but I know we will be fine without me working. I feel so blessed because of knowing that.
I am also thankful for my sisters, parents and mother-in-law. I love how close they are with Hazel. Hazel's favorite thing is to be with family. She truly loves them all and wishes she could see them more. I love how excited she gets to see each of them.
I am also thankful for you, my readers. I love having this place to share our activities, favorite books and products and ideas. I hope you enjoy them as well. And for now I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!!
Who Was at the "First" Thanksgiving? Fun Facts about Captain Myles Standish
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? John Billington and Family Fun Facts
Autumn & Change of Season Picture Books
With Thanksgiving this week, I feel like autumn is slowly slipping away. It is funny since I feel like it just began due to the warm weather we had for much of it. Of course it feels a bit like we went from summer to winter and skipped it all together. Plus the trees did not like the weather and never really turned as beautiful as they usually do. Today I am sharing three picture books with you. The first one is not actually an autumn book but with the shorter days I always think about lanterns and lights during this time of year. It is I Have a Little Lantern by Gan Dayong.
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? Fun Facts about Edward Winslow
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? Fun Facts about Massasoit
Have you been enjoying our Fun Facts Series? This week we are taking a look at Who Was at the "First" Thanksgiving. Now in truth what we celebrate as the first Thanksgiving was not the first in America. The Native Americans held various thanksgiving festivals long before Europeans came to America and the first European Thanksgiving happened well before there were colonies. (Source) Well today we are looking at some Fun Facts about Massasoit.
Merry Monday: Sweet Holiday Picture Books
Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week? The holiday season is upon us. Today I am going to share with you five holiday picture books. These books have stories that are sweet. I am referring to them as holiday books because of one of them is a Hanukkah book. It combines the parents' cultures--Jewish and Indian. Talk about a multicultural mix It is Queen of Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg and illustrated by Anjan Sakar.
Decorations and Gift Crafts & More from Oriental Trading -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving this week? Have you started to look towards Christmas? We have gone a bit Christmas crazy here and have been loving it. Today we are going to share some crafts and other things that are great for gifts and Christmas decor. All of it came from Oriental Trading and their amazing Christmas items. Earlier this month we shared crafts and items that focus on the nativity. Today's are more non-secular. Hazel LOVES Peanuts right now so several of them will be Peanuts themed including this fun Peanuts® Christmas Wreath Craft Kit.
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? Fun Facts about Squanto
Have you been following our Fun Facts series? We started last week looking at a special spin off of "Who was at the first Thanksgiving?" Be sure to check out our Fun Facts about William Bradford, Edward Winslow, and John Billington and Family (coming soon). Today we are sharing our fun facts about Squanto.
Sharing Saturday 17-46 - Two Week Party
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.
An Amazing Doll Shop (Dolls, Furniture, Clothes and Accessories)
Are you ever amazed by a company? I know there have been some companies that I find have horrible customer service. I tend to complain about them. Today I want to tell you about a company that has the best customer service. It is The Queen's Treasures. (Just so you know I am receiving nothing for writing this post. All opinions are completely my own.)
The Grommet -- a Place to Shop for Unique Gifts
Disclosure: The links are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share! I was also paid small stipend to write this post. All opinions are my own.
Do you have those people who seem to have everything and you struggle to find them a gift? You know the type. Those impossible to buy for people. They don't need anything and you have no idea what to buy for them. A place to go for something they do not have is The Grommet: Discover What's Next
A Spiritual Heritage -- a must read for parents!!
There are only a few things that have really influenced my parenting and helped me become a better parent. Obviously my own parents and how they raised me plays a big part in the parent I am, but I also learned so much at the Waldorf Parent/Child class and now A Spiritual Heritage by Glen and Ellen Schuknecht. This post is part of the blog tour for this amazing book!!
Fun Facts about Pie with Pie Recipes & Crafts Round-Up
What are you serving or having for Thanksgiving? Some of the traditional things are turkey (although there probably was not turkey at the "first" Thanksgiving) and pie. Since we have shared fun facts about turkeys and apples I thought we would share today a bit about pies. What is your favorite pie? I love blueberry!! Steve and Hazel love apple.
Digging for Trouble -- a Fun Middle Grades Mystery
Hazel LOVES mysteries!! She loves reading them. It is her favorite genre. However she a bit picky about them. We took the first Nancy Drew book out of the library and she didn't like it. She couldn't relate to Nancy because she could drive and do things Hazel cannot do. Ever since we have been looking for mysteries she will enjoy. She liked the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series for a bit but they are a bit young for her reading level. UGH!! She loves the American Girl Mysteries but there are not that many of them. I was very excited to find The Devlin Quick Mysteries. In the second book, Digging for Trouble by Linda Fairstein, Devlin and one of her best friends, Katie, are on an archaeological dig in Montana as part of their summer vacation to Katie's family's vacation home. It is a far cry from their New York City homes. But the mystery begins when some of the dinosaur bones Katie uncovers get switched.
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? Interesting Facts about William Bradford, Second Governor of Plymouth Colony
- William Bradford was born on March 19, 1590 in Austerfield, Yorkshire, England. He was orphaned at a young age. His father died when he was one and he lived with his grandfather at age 4 when his mother remarried. At age 7 both his mother and grandfather passed away. He lived with his uncles, Robert and Thomas Bradford. They lived on a sheep farm.
- At age 12 he joined the neighboring town, Scrooby, Separatists. He probably learned to read at a school three miles away from his home. One of his favorite books was Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, which told about the brave people that were tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs differing from Queen Mary’s. In 1603 King James I became king and put out a law that Puritans could not meet by themselves.
- In the winter of 1607 he was thrown into jail with fellow Separatists when they boarded a ship for Holland. The ship’s captain had betrayed them. In August 1608 he finally joined the Separatists in Amsterdam, Holland. In Amsterdam William shared a house with the Brewsters and worked at a loom making silk.
- In 1613 he married Dorothy May. They have one son, John, together whom they leave in Leiden when they set sail on the Mayflower. Dorothy goes overboard and dies.
- William Bradford did much of the administrative planning for the Mayflower voyage.
- While exploring Cape Cod (while the Mayflower was in Provincetown), William Bradford got caught in deer trap set by Native Americans. It was made by strong ropes that wrapped around his ankles and held him in a tree upside down. He was one of the ten men who sailed in a small boat along the coast and found Plymouth. When they returned to the Mayflower he discovered his wife, Dorothy, had gone overboard in the shallow water and no one had been there to save her.
- The first winter the common house was used as a hospital. The common house was the first house built. William stayed in the common house due to his hip hurting so much he could not stand up. He was there when the thatched roof caught fire. There were barrels of gunpowder all around the common house. The Pilgrims were able to move the gunpowder and muskets out of danger and get all the sick people out without any deaths. Most of what William owned was lost in the fire.
- Squanto most likely lived in the same house as William Bradford when he moved into Plymouth. William Bradford wrote that Squanto was “a special instrument sent of God for their good.”
- In 1621 he becomes governor of the Plymouth Colony when Governor John Carver dies. He refused to be paid for the job. He was reelected thirty times.
- When the Fortune was first spotted in the sea, William gathered all the men and boys with their muskets in case it was not a friendly ship.
- In 1623 he marries Alice Carpenter Southworth arrived with her 2 sons and married William Bradford. She mothered his son left in Leiden (came to Plymouth) and they had 2 sons and a daughter. Alice moved into William’s sparse house with her sons and her sister’s family. His house had only one rug and two silver spoons. He taught all of his children to read and write.
- In 1648 William Bradford, Captain Miles Standish and three other men sold of a lot of land to pay off the loan they owed for the Mayflower and establishing Plymouth Colony.
- He was a very fair governor. He made sure the people voted for their leaders and that each man got an equal share of land. He made sure no one starved when food was sparse. He also made sure the church did not rule the people. If Strangers (the non-Separatists) wanted to join the church they were welcomed but it was not forced.
- He leaves public office in 1656 and dies several months later in 1657. He had shared the stories of Plymouth with his children and then wrote them down. He didn’t want people to forget how God had guided the little band of Pilgrims to the New World.
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| William Bradford's Birthplace: The Manor House Austerfield By Anne Hollingsworth Wharton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Embarkation of the Pilgrims (pictured on the Speedwell) By Robert W. Weir (photograph courtesy Architect of the Capitol) (Architect of the Capitol) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Statue of William Bradford near Plymouth Rock ToddC4176 at English Wikipedia [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Sources:
- Herring, Marianne. William Bradford. Philadelphia. (2000) Chelsea House Publishers.
- Honiss Kelso, Dorothy. Beyond the Pilgrim Story: William Bradford. http://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/william_bradford.htm
- Philbrick, Nathaniel. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 2008. New York.
Merry Monday -- Where to Shop for Educational Gifts & a Quick Craft
Even though we had our Multicultural Monday post this morning, I wanted to be sure to share a Merry Monday post with you. Instead of books this week I thought I would share some educational gifts and where to buy them as well as a fun and easy hack on a decoration I saw at Michael's today. Now one of our favorite places to shop is Mindware. Mindware sells different brands however our favorite category is the Created by MindWare one. We chose three products this year to share with you. However I have to mention that we have gotten some amazing products from them over the years including one of our all time favorite games--DestiNation USA, which everyone we have introduced to this game loves it.
Sacagawea and the Shoshone -- Native American Heritage Month Series & Giveaway
As much as I love Native Americans, I tend to stick to the Wampanoag. Perhaps it is because they live in Massachusetts or because they are the ones in the "first Thanksgiving" story. Plus they are often the ones I see displays about or meet because of the locality. Well I already wrote a post about the Wampanoag for Multicultural Kid Blogs for our Native American Heritage Month Series this year and several over the years here, so today I decided to look at another tribe, the Shoshone. I am going to review one of the books that is a prize in our giveaway and take a look at one of the most famous Native Americans--Sacagawea and her tribe the Shoshone. Last month I had the pleasure of sharing another book that is one of our prizes--I Am Sacagawea by Brad Meltzer. I also reviewed a book about Sacagawea a few years ago. Today's book is Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea by Neta Lohnes Frazier.
Gift Boxes to Decorate and Make: Christmas -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Looking for a fun way to present gifts instead of the usual wrapping paper or gift bags? Check out this amazing book--Gift Boxes to Decorate and Make: Christmas illustrated by Sarah Walsh. This book has 24 pages that turn into a gift box and sticker tags to seal them.
Fun Facts & Crafts about Pilgrims
Have you been following our Fun Facts series? Yesterday we looked at the Mayflower. Today we are looking at the Pilgrims in general, but we will be looking at some of them individually over the next couple weeks. I hope you will join us for all the fun!!
Fun Facts about the Mayflower with Mayflower Craft Round-Up
Have you been following our Fun Facts posts? I have been enjoying learning about the various topics like apples, turkeys, and more!! Today we are looking at the Mayflower. What do you know about the ship the Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic and came to Plymouth? See if I found something new for you to learn. Enjoy!
Sharing Saturday 17-45
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.
Religious Books for Different Ages
Today I am sharing some various religious books for different ages. Two are for kids and two are for adults. This is really just a mishmash of a round-up, so I hope there is something here for everyone. Our first book is a book of prayers from different religions and cultures. It is Talking to God: Prayers for Children from the World's Religions by Demi.
Fun Facts about Apples -- with Apple Craft Round-Up
Our autumn weather has hit New England. The past couple of months have been unusually warm for the most part. One of my favorite fall things are the apples. I love the fresh apples in the fall. A couple of years ago we explored apples as part of our fruit explorations. Today we are sharing some interesting facts about them!
Merry Monday -- Christmas Picture Books Featuring Holiday Songs
Ok, I know we still have Thanksgiving coming up and many people do not want to think about Christmas yet, but I am in a bit of a Christmas mood and have some fun Christmas books to share with you (there has been a pile on my shelf for quite some time). Now I know in the past I have done many round-ups from my Must Read books (featuring religious ones), Multicultural books, Christmas Trees & Classic stories, Advent stories, and so many more!! Today we are going to focus on Christmas music or should I say picture books about Christmas music!! The first item is actually a personalized gift set. Now we have reviewed several amazing personalized Christmas books as well as non-holiday ones over the past couple of years. Hazel's comment about this one was, "This is the best one yet!"
Christmas Crafts - Focus on the Nativity with Oriental Trading - a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Disclosure: Oriental Trading sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
So yesterday we had a Holiday Preview Party at work. We had to be festive even though it is only the beginning of November. I still have holiday nail stickers on. Yes, Santa is on my thumbs. It was fun though and it got me into the mood. Of course it also helps that Hazel has been pulling out holiday DVDs to watch for a couple of months now. Well I always like to find a way to bring the religious side into our holiday and am going to share some crafts and products that do just that. Now Oriental Trading has an amazing collection of religious Christmas products. Hazel and I looked through and choose a few fun things which mostly were crafts. I fell in love with the DIY Unfinished Wooden Nativity & Stable Set, which is no longer available. See their religious Christmas crafts for other ideas.
So yesterday we had a Holiday Preview Party at work. We had to be festive even though it is only the beginning of November. I still have holiday nail stickers on. Yes, Santa is on my thumbs. It was fun though and it got me into the mood. Of course it also helps that Hazel has been pulling out holiday DVDs to watch for a couple of months now. Well I always like to find a way to bring the religious side into our holiday and am going to share some crafts and products that do just that. Now Oriental Trading has an amazing collection of religious Christmas products. Hazel and I looked through and choose a few fun things which mostly were crafts. I fell in love with the DIY Unfinished Wooden Nativity & Stable Set, which is no longer available. See their religious Christmas crafts for other ideas.
Sharing Saturday 17-44
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.
Fun Facts about Turkeys & a Turkey Craft Round Up
Have you been following our fun fact posts? It is November so we are moving on to Thanksgiving. So let's talk turkey!! Below the fun facts are a round-up of turkey crafts and activities. Ready for these fun facts?
The World's Greatest Adventure Machine -- Grades 4 -7 Book Review
Are you ready for the adventure of your life? Are you daring enough to try this new ride? It is not like any ride you have ever been on, and if you ride it more than once the experience will be completely different. Four lucky preteens have won a contest to be the first to try CastleCorp's new adventure machine. Their parents are wondering if it safe and the kids are wondering what it will be like. This is the premise for this exciting new book: The World's Greatest Adventure Machine by Frank L. Cole.
Wishapick --Tickety Boo and The Blank Trunk Giveaway
Disclosure: I am receiving a small stipend for sharing this post with you. All opinions are my own.
Today I get to share with you an amazing giveaway!! Acclaimed Wishapick Tickety Boo and the Blank Trunk by M.M. Allen is making its musical debut!! In honor of this great debut M.M. Allen and Deborah Wynne are giving away an autographed copy of the book, the soundtrack CD and an Echo Dot. You can enter below!!