April, 2013 | The Angel Forever

Monthly Archives April 2013

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Tuesday Tales – Picture Book to Celebrate Motherhood

Posted on April 23, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Sourcebooks. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Mother’s Day is coming and children all around will be drawing pictures, making gifts, and writing poetry for their mothers. Well, the younger kids will be doing that while the rest of us run around buying a greeting card to send/give along with a gift. Now, imagine being able to read a book with your child that celebrates not simply Mother’s Day, but the adventures of motherhood and love that we have for our children.

Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do… (Affiliate link to Amazon) – ISBN 9781402282157 – Written and Illustrated by Marianne Richmond – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky – April 2013 – 32 page Hardcover $16.99

Motherhood has taught me a lot. It has shown me how to be flexible, laugh at situations that may not seem funny at the time, and how truly the love for your child trumps all frustrations of life. Author and illustrator Marianne Richmond tells a story that celebrates the life adventure that all mothers can relate to. We know that there are times that we need to be goofy and sometimes a bit more serious. No matter which is needed the love for our children is always there and shines through when we need it.

One of my favorite pages of the book is when you see a child jump into bed in the middle of the night.

I can not tell you how many nights I have slept teetering on the edge and clutching for some of the blanket. While I may need a little more coffee the next morning, listening to the calm breathing of my little guy laying next to me melts my heart. I know the nightmare he had is gone and he is at peace. Yes, even JSL (5) thought this page was funny and he is the bed invader in our house.

I recommend Oh, the things my mom will do… because she loves me through and through! as a great way to talk to your children about motherhood and how sometimes they may not always think about the subtle ways you are there for them. Once again, Marianne Richmond shows that she is a double threat in the world of picture books for kids with her adorable story and fun illustrations. A year ago, we reviewed her book I’m Not Tired Yet!

Feel free to share some of your motherhood adventures in the comments below. As always, Tuesday Tales is about spreading love for books. Please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Additional Disclosures: An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to purchase it through that link.

Categories:
books Tuesday Tales

Shutterfly Best Gift Ever and Giveaway

Posted on April 22, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Disclosure: I wrote this post for Shutterfly as part of a Global Influence campaign. I will be receiving a 16oz Stainless Steel Travel Mug and shipping as compensation for participating. Shutterfly is also supplying the same item for the winner of the giveaway below.

How do you tell someone all that they mean to you? This is something that many of us often take for granted. I have to admit that I am probably one of those people, especially with TechyDad.

TechyDad and I have been married for almost 12 year and all but two of them have included our boys. Not only does my husband go to work each and every day to provide for our family, he does so much more. He is a supportive husband who did not question my desire to leave the classroom to stay home with our boys. TechyDad is a fantastic father. He loves to play with the boys and expand their horizons in all of the items that he enjoys. Watching the boys all geek out together is priceless. In addition to this, my husband is also my webmaster and 99% of the time he is our cook (he enjoys it – go figure).

TechyDad loves to take photos. When we go out and about, he almost always has his camera in hand. Macro photos and now experimenting on his SLR camera mean we have lots of pictures. The funny thing, he does not have many updated photos of our family at work on his desk.

Over the years, we have purchased items from Shutterfly, including personalized gifts for our kids and other members of the extended family. I loved that they are meaningful and show a but more TLC when selecting the item. Right now, I would love to get TechyDad a mug for tea or a desk top plaque with new photos that he will cherish. Of course, I could also sit down with the boys and make him a new personalized photobook filled with memories (we have made Shutterfly books for the boys before).

With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduation season among us, we can look at the fun personalized gift options available via the Shutterfly Best Gift Ever page.

Giveaway Time:

Thanks to this Best Gift Ever campaign with Shutterfly, one reader (US or Canada) will be able to make their own personalized 16oz Stainless Steel Travel Mug plus shipping.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Head over to the Shutterfly Photo Gifts page and let me know in the comments what your favorite item is that you would like to give or receive.

The following Bonus Entry may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comment each time you complete this item.

1 Bonus Entry – Tweet the following about the giveaway (may be done twice a day): #Giveaway for a personalized 16oz Stainless Steel Travel Mug from @Shutterfly http://bit.ly/11Bj3hU #win #ShutterflyGifts

Please follow the rules above within the comment section. Giveaway begins April 22, 2013 ends April 28, 2013 at 10:59 EST. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 24 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected.

Open to US and Canadian residents only.

If you are on Twitter and would like more chances to win prizes from Shutterfly, join @ResourcefulMom on Monday, April 2^ndfor the Shutterfly Twitter Party. More information on Resourceful Mommy including the RSVP and prize information.

Additional Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a Global Influence campaign. As noted, we have already purchased several Shutterfly products before, and the opinion expressed is 100% my own.

Categories:
gift ideas giveaway sponsored post TechyDad

A Spark of Inspiration

Posted on April 19, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

A lot of the last few months feel like a blur to me. Thanks to items going on in the background, I was focusing a significant amount of my attention to those areas. During this time, I was able to keep up with blogging and freelance writing. Unfortunately, other projects had to take a backseat. There was simply no time to develop them to the level that was required. Call me a type A individual, but I can’t put partial effort into something.

Yesterday, Christina from Well, in THIS House… and I went to a networking event held by Women TIES. The luncheon included an educational program with a focus. The theme was “How to Get Companies to Pay You to Market to Your Audience” with keynote speaker Shannon Cherry.

I had met Shannon before, but not on a professional level. Her enthusiasm and helpful hints made the wheels in my head start to go a mile a minute. I drove home thinking about ways to dust the project off and twist it to something new and even more exciting. A huge thank you to Shannon and the other women in the room who are leading the way to empowering more of us to try new things, think outside of the box, and get out of our comfort zones.

Of course, I also hope to connect with more of the people that were at the event thanks to the sheet with contacts. The fun part, one of the people there was a seventh grade teacher that I had for Social Studies.

So this week I ask you, what are items that have served as sparks of inspiration in your life? I would love to hear about them and please include a link in the comments if you have written about them.

Categories:
local event me moments

Stargazing For Dummies

Posted on April 18, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Disclosure: I wrote this post as an Ambassador for Dummies books through a Global Influence campaign. I received a copy of this book for review purposes, but as a fan of Dummies books, the opinions expressed are 100% my own and no other compensation was received.

To this day, I still remember the fist time I went to a planetarium. It was an amazing experience and changed the way that I viewed the night sky. Call me a geek, but I was fascinated with the constellations and the stories behind them. I was mesmerized with being able to see planets. Of course, I am going to date myself and note that a lot of this happened when Halley’s Comet came around in 1986. I even have a Girl Scout Badge thanks to this occasion. To date, I adore finding Orion in the winter night sky and searching for other constellations close to the great hunter.

Fast forward to being a parent. Now I have a fourth grader that adores all things related to science, but especially the stars, planets, and space. When I saw that there was a new Stargazing For Dummies (Affiliate link to Amazon) book by Steve Owens, I knew this was something our family had to investigate. This would be a book to help us to get a better understand for stargazing at different times of years and what tools we would need. Oh and as a bonus, TechyDad could read up on night-sky photography tips.

As with all For Dummies books, Stargazing for Dummies is broken into sections. There are four parts with 17 chapters that are filled with information to help people navigate the night sky, learn to use binoculars or telescopes, identify the 88 constellations and other celestial objects visible on Earth, and photograph the sky at night. Here is a breakdown of the book:

Part 1: What’s Up? Getting Familiar with the Night Sky – This section begins with a lot of educational items including information about the sky during the day and night, moon, seasons, and more. After this, there are tips on preparing for your own stargazing experience. There are a lot of trouble shooting tips included in this, especially about lights (which is a huge factor for us). The section rounds out with two chapters on using binoculars and telescopes for viewing the night sky. I have to say I am intrigued and wonder if NHL would adore his own pair of binoculars now to go stargazing.

Part 2: Joining the Dots: Learning Your Way Around the Night Sky – Once you are comfortable with viewing the night sky, Owens teaches us about fixed versus wandering stars. We learn how to identify things from planets to the International Space Station. Chapter 8 helps us to connect the star dots to see constellation pictures that are in the night sky. Owen explain how certain constellations like the Big Dipper and Orion can be used as signposts to guide you in locating others. There is also information that will help us to get an app with star maps that I know NHL will adore once we find a better viewing location.

Part 3: Star Hopping – This section highlights all 88 constellations that are visible on Earth. Owen helps to break them down into sections based on what season they can be viewed. There are also star maps within each of the chapters to assist newbies in their search. Tables are also given with each of the constellations that include when they are best viewed and information about the brightest stars within them. Star geeks will be in their glory with all of this detail.

Part 4: The Part of Tens – Two great lists round out this book. This first is a list of ten “targets” that new stargazers should be searching for. I think we may need to try this as a checklist for the boys as we try some more serious stargazing. The second list includes more items to look for under conditions that are more dark. The reality is that the city lights really do play a factor in a lot of what we will be able to see.

After reading sections of this book, I can not wait to dive into it more with my son. I think this book could really get him excited about a new hobby that all of us can explore together. I am sure we will head to planetariums and also see what stargazing events are coming up locally at the many colleges in our area.

If you are interested in seeing some of the cheat sheets from the book, you can view them on the Stargazing for Dummies page.

Do you like to go stargazing? I would love to hear what tips and tricks you have found that work, especially if you are going out with younger children.

Additional Disclosures: An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the Dummies book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to purchase it through that link. The Field of Stars photo above is from NASA and was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Categories:
books Educational

Disney Flora, Fauna, and Fantasy

Posted on April 17, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is celebrating it’s 15th Anniversary this year. It’s funny growing up with Disney because I can remember all of these major Disney World milestones taking place. This week, the theme of the Disney Wordless Wednesday is Flora, Fauna, Fantasy. I figured my adventure on the Wild Africa Trek would be perfect for this occasion. There was lot of flora and fauna to be seen, plus it was a fantasy come true to experience the adventure and eat in the Boma.