You Will Thank Me For This.

This is the best cd (see above) that I have ever bought. Seriously. Elizabeth Mitchell has an amazing way of creating music for children that is also well enjoyed by their parents. Her voice is fresh, soft, and soothing. And her songs are a perfect mix of energy and calm.

Use this link to sample some of this cd ... and then buy it! It is $10.99 that will be SO well spent. Enjoy ... and you can thank me later :)

Love,
Jodi

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When Momma is Not Feeling Well.

When all I want to do is lie in bed with my humidifier, a bag of Halls, some Vapo-Rub and a good book ... I remember that I am a Mommy ... and staying in bed is not an option. I know that someday soon it will be an option, as I will be moving into my new house in just 2 weeks ... right behind my parents house. And soon, if and when I am not feeling well, Isaac can walk the twenty feet to Grandma's house and be endlessly entertained while I recover.

But this week, that was not an option. So, like many modern Mamas, I had to turn to the television. I am not proud of this. I have a love/hate relationship with television. However, we don't allow for commercial television. Just PBS & well thought out DVDs. I can live with that.


So, when I came down with one of the worst viruses I have had in a long time, I turned to Amazon.com and purchased as many DVDs as I thought would keep my son happily entertained while Momma recovered. I painstakingly read nearly every review of each DVD that I chose ... wanting to be sure that these videos were more than just entertainment, but that they also had some additional educational or social value. I think I did well in my choices ... so I am passing the list on to you Mamas of young ones ... in case you should ever need some recovery time of your own (click on titles for more info):

• Word World: Welcome to Word World
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ... and lots more learning fun.
• Little Bear: Halloween Stories
• Party Time With Max and Ruby
• A Big Big World ... The Sky Above
• Springtime for Max and Ruby
• Curious George: Zoo Night and Other Animal Stories
• The Land Before Time: The Wisdom of Friends
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar ... and other stories.

The biggest hits were Max & Ruby (Isaac identifies with Max's antics), A Big Big World, and Little Bear (as always).

All of the above videos are very gentle. They are not "in your face" fast-paced cartoons. They have a gentle rhythm and flow ... and that is important to me. So, if it is important to you as well, I would check them out.

Oh - and I am almost fully recovered now ... so no worries :) We even played outside for a while yesterday. 40 degrees! Spring is almost here!

Love,

Jodi

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Craft Book Love.

Ahhh ... I can't tell you how happy my recent surge in craft book collecting has made me lately. I used to buy maybe three or four new craft books a year. But in the past two months or so, I have added at least 10 to my collection, and I am almost giddy with excitement. There is nothing like an inspirational craft book to get my creative juices flowing. And I have been well inspired by some of my recent picks.

So, here is a list of the goodies I have obtained ... with some comments on why I love them so ... and some links if you are interested in purchasing your own copies. (Just click on the titles for more info and buying information). Enjoy :

Fabric Art Journals: Making, Sewing, and Embellishing Journals from Cloth and Fibers One of my absolute favorites. The first part of the book gives you all the information you need to get started, including techniques, tools, stitches, etc. All well explained, including visuals. Perfect for beginners & advanced crafters alike. The second part is full of gorgeous projects with step-by-step instruction. All are well within the capabilities of any level of crafter, as it is not so much the construction of the books that is inspired, but rather it is what you do to embellish them that is key. And the last part of the book gives you several pages of examples of cloth books made by others. Lots of inspiration on the possibilites of various embellishment techniques there. I am just wild for this book and am itching to get started!

The Impatient Patchworker: 20 Great Projects You Can Make in a Hurry This is one of those books that should be a staple in any crafter's home. Though it is certainly a beginner's book - it serves as a reminder to advanced crafters of the possibilites of quick and simple gift-making. The instructions are clear and come with detailed illustration of almost every step. I have used this book for making several gifts, including patchworked potholders (not your Grandma's potholders either - these are way more hip), and patchworked pillows (again with the "hip").

Kids Embroidery: Projects for Kids of All Ages I fully intended to give this book to Meaghan for Christmas, but found that I cannot let go of it! I guess the "...for Kids of All Ages" applied to me. There are some sweet and simple craft projects in here that I just have to try. But more than that, the instruction is so well-illustrated that I am going to keep this book as a reference to guide me through the various embroidery stitches that I tend to forget how to do only minutes after doing them.

Quilted Memories: Journaling, Scrapbooking & Creating Keepsakes with Fabric This is the first craft book that I actually read. I mean, I usually just skim these books for what I need, but this book was so intriguing, inspired and well-written, that I was compelled to lay in bed and read the whole book. It is just wonderful. There are some nice instructions for those that want to make similar projects, but the beauty of this book is the inspiration it gives for coming up with your own unique pieces. Incorporating my photography with my sewing has become a goal of mine, and this book gives me basically all I need to get started on doing so. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

How To Make Books : Fold, Cut & Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book I found this book on several other blogs that I read. For a while, this book was all the rage in the blogging world. And although it was so far from my current interests (I hadn't really crafted in paper at all), I thought I would check it out anyway. And I am now yet another blogger who sings the praises of this book - and will begin to explore the possibilites of my own book making... as it looks so much simpler than I ever would have thought. There is even instruction for making a book out of one sheet of paper ... and it is not as basic as you might imagine. The book is well written and quirky-fun. Perhaps the illustrations are somewha lacking fr my taste, as I need things to be visualy "spelled out" for me. But I think the text makes up for this. Anyway, I have now begun to journey into the world of paper craft and am getting exited about it.

Chic Bags: 22 Handbags, Purses, Totes and Accessories to Make My husband gave this book to me for Christmas this year and I was pleasantly surprised by his insight! In fact, just weeks prior, I had been drooling over this very book at my local Borders Bookstore. The patterns contained range from beginner to advanced and all are quite accessible. The illustrated directions are well laid out and easy to follow. And the bags are all quite unique. Some of the fabric choices are hideous (in my humble opinion), but it is not a far stretch for me to imagine the bags in my own fabric choices. And as I am learning, a girl can never have too many bags!

Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts If a craft book can be "classy", then this one is. It is very well-written, so well-organized and the photography is absolute eye-candy. The book is divided into sections of projects that are grouped together by how long they will take you to complete: Less-than-2-Hour Gifts, 2- to 4-Hour Gifts, and so on. Gift projects range from Scrapbooks and coasters ... to pillowcases and tablecloths... to stuffed elephants and quilts. All sorts of goodies. All well described and illustrated. Such a great book!

Crafts to Celebrate the Seasons I have to admit that this is my least favorite of all my recent book purchases. And in fact, I did not purchase this one, but rather I mooched it on Bookmooch.com (the other above titles are not available on Bookmooch at this time). I do think Mary Engelbreit's cheerful artistry is fun & whimsical ... and I appreciate it and am interested in incorporating some of it in my new home, but this book just seems downright silly and unworthy of the rest of my list. But I included it for balance ... and it is not without some charming projects - like the sweet mittens in the above photo. I say, borrow it from a library because you won't need it for long. Quite uninspiring, brief and way-too-quirky (the eggshell Easter projects seem ridiculous).

So There It Is! I hope you enjoyed this list ... and I hope you found some gems within it to add to your own bookshelves. I think that I will make this a regular part of my blogging ... sharing book lists like this one. I have an enormous collection and am always adding to it, so perhaps readers can benefit from these sorts of book reviews.

Please feel free to add some of your recent craft book purchases to the comment section as well as some of your own thoughts on the above mentioned titles.

Thank You & Enjoy the Day!

~ Jodi

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Sharing a Secret ...

Okay, it may be a little late for the holidays (or not), but I have a secret that I am only now willing to share. It may seem silly, but I have been very protective (okay, maybe the word is possessive) of my favorite place to shop for discounted books. As you may have read in the past, we are definitely a "book family". We use them to learn new things, ease into the changes of the seasons, get cozy for bedtime, etc. And we love to give them as gifts.

So, years ago, when I found Bookcloseouts.com, I was thrilled! This on-line bookstore sells some great books at some ridiculously low prices. However, the selection is limited and changes daily, so it is not the first place I go to for books. I use Bookcloseouts.com to see whether the book I already want is available there before I go and pay full price for it elsewhere. And occassionally I will browse through to see if they have any great books that I hadn't yet thought of.

And recently, I found a couple of GREAT winter books that I thought I would tell you all about:

Click on the images to see their info and prices. Then check out their reviews on Amazon here and here.

Here are 2 more reasons to shop there: 1. Their shipping fees are VERY reasonable 2. They give you a $5 off coupon for your next order - each time you order. So, run, don't walk ... and check it out. BUT only share this secret with a select few, as their book supply is limited :)

Enjoy!
Love,
Jodi

P.S. I don't get any kick-backs for sharing this info with you.

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Friday Night is Family Game Night ...

... and not because a tv commercial told us so :) Friday night is game night because that is when Meaghan comes "home". And Meaghan loves games. She recognizes that a good game brings us all together in laughter and playful competition. Games help her to feel better connected to us ... and I think that must be true of anyone who plays games with their loved ones.

So, because I have shared some of our favorite movies and books this week, I thought I might also share some of our favorite family games. It is the holiday season after all ... and perhaps you might find some gift-giving ideas from such a list. (If you click on their titles, you can see their Amazon.com descriptions & reviews.)

Here they are:

Apples to Apples ~ apparently this is the most popular game in America now, but we've been playing it for quite some time. And it can get downright hilarious! Best to play with kids of reading age who also have some knowledge of popular culture. There is also a junior edition available that can be fun, but no where near as fun as the party version. Click link to see a video about the game.

Cranium Cadoo ~ what other game has you playing with clay, acting out secret words, making pictionary style drawings, etc...etc... This game has it all. Though adults will certainly have an edge ( I win almost every game) ... it is so much fun to play, that it isn't really about winning, but about enjoying each other during the playing.

Loot ~ Our family may not be into violence, but we have a weakness for pirates. I offer no defense for this. It just "is". And this pirate game is our absolute favorite card game. We take over one another's merchant ships with wild gluttonous abandon. I am told that the maker of this game, Gamewright, consistently wins "Toy of the Year" awards for their card games. We certainly plan to buy more to add to our game collection.

Clue Jr. ~ Just like the classic game Clue, minus the murder :) Instead, you are trying to find out who took the missing piece of cake. Yum. Find those crumbs, and you'll know who did it. Now you just have to figure out which room they ate it in, what time they did so, and with what kind of beverage! Fun for adults too.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Card Game ~ This game was one of Meaghan's firsts ... and is really good for introducing card games to the younger crowd. I figure that Isaac (who is 4 months shy of 3 years old) will be ready for it soon.

The Enchanted Forest ~ This is probably my personal favorite. It is both a memory game and a strategy game. You need to memorize components of the game, watch your opponent closely, and strategize how to out-wit them. I love that it is a fairly multi-layered game. And it helps that it has a fairy tale theme ... giving it some added interest.

We keep some other games as well, but these have tended to be our favorites. So, again, please share some of your faves too ... I would love to add more to our collection!

Love,

Jodi

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Out Come the Christmas / Winter Books ...

I have had the "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" since I was a child. This is the original first edition with a copyright date of 1932. I have no idea where it came from, but I know that I took it out every Christmas to re-read the tale of how one young boy would grow up to become Santa Claus ... and I still do. It has become a family treasure.

The preface reads as follows:

Draw close to the fire, all those who believe in the spirit of Christmas, whether you call it Santa Claus, or simply good will to men; and listen to the story of Nicholas the Woodcarver, a lover of little children. Follow him through his first years as a lonely little boy who had the knack of carving playthings for children; then as a young man, busy over the little toys; then a prosperous, fat, rosy old man who overcomes all sorts of difficulties in order to attain his ambition: a toy for every child in the village. Learn how he started to drive a beautiful sleigh drawn by prancing reindeer; why he first came down a chimney; how he filled the first stocking; where the first Christmas tree was decorated; and finally how he came to be known as "Saint Nicolas" and "Santa Claus".

Apparently, you can now buy a paperback version of this classic for just $8.95. I highly recommend that you do :)

I also recommend the following Christmas / Winter titles:

Diane Goode's American Christmas : we especially love this one, as the artwork depicts people of all colors. It contains various Christmas songs, stories, poems, etc.

Prancer : Meaghan loves this story. For years, she had an imaginary pet reindeer named Prancer :)

Uncle Vova's Tree : a book that celebrates the preservation of our Christmas (holiday) traditions. Also deals with death in a positive manner.

Olive the Other Reindeer : a sweet and zany dog who believes that Santa needs her help.

Dream Snow : sweet interactive book that is great for a toddler. Introduces the concept of gift-giving.

A Child is Born : Our favorite! This book could be about the birth of any child - but it certainly assumes to be about the birth of Jesus. And Jesus is black :) Isaac thinks the baby is him... which is probably why it is my favorite! "Mama, look ... it Baby Isaac." .... "It sure is Baby."

Santa's Kwanzaa : given that my son's biological roots are based in Africa, we have decided to incorporate Kwanzaa into our holiday celebrations ... and this book not only gives a very basic introduction to it, but it also includes a black Santa :)

Winter Poems : this is such a refreshing book. Full of beautiful poetry by some of the best. And the illustrations depict children of all colors (see a theme here?). A gentle and wonderful book. Gorgeous illustrations.

Is That You, Winter? : a funny and quirky book that celebrates winter. Has a surprise ending.

Snow : a gentle book that follows a child on a walk through the snow ... discovering all the wonder and beauty that is created and revealed by a snowfall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed this list.

Have you pulled out your holiday / winter books? What are they?

Love,

Jodi

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TV / Movie Reviews (sort of) ...

Our family has a love/hate relationship with television and movies.

We love the storytelling of great movies and programs. We love the education that really great, well-thought and well-intentioned programs can offer : introduction to various cultures, reinforcement of positive values, insights into various human conditions, explorations of the world-at-large, etc...

However, we "hate" those programs and movies that offer our children the following: reinforcement of commercialization, violence, overly sexualized stimuli, negative stereotyping, relentless flashy stimuli (often found in cartoons), etc ...

At first becoming parents, we were going to do away with television altogether - especially considering that even when we appreciate a program that is offered, we have no control over the commercials that are displayed. (Halis would love to have Isaac watch football with him - but the "boob & butt" / "T & A" commercials are ridiculous!) So, we opted for PBS (commercial free & educational) programming and movies that meet our approval. This seems to be working for us. However, it took alot of movie previewing to figure out which ones we would allow into our family! And we had to let go of some of our very favorite movies (i.e. Elf) when they did not meet our basic standards.

My parents and some friends picked on us a bit for being so careful and critical in deciding what our kids watch (we include Meg in this - thus the plural "kids"). But what you allow into your child's brain & consciousness may have a profound effect on who they become, what their values are, and how they view the world. So, this is VERY important to us. Some may argue that we could do away with TV & movies altogether (I have read all those Waldorf articles) but we firmly believe in the benefits of great programming, and plan to use television as a positive tool (how could our son possibly grow up without having Mr. Rogers as his neighbor?).

As a result, we have come up with some very specific opinions on what is worth watching. And now I'd like to share our thoughts with you, with the idea that some of you may be as concerned as we are about what goes into our kids brains :) Certainly, you may disagree with our opinions, as every family is different. I share our thoughts with you merely as a catalyst for discussion and not as a sermon. Your thoughts are most welcome!

Here are our faves:

"The Nice":

Babe : our favorite movie of all. Frankly, there are too many reasons why. Just watch it :)

Sesame Street : love, community, diversity, education, respect, etc. We love almost everything Sesame related.

Secret of Roan Inish : ahhh ... this movie has me believing in fairy tales! It is so refreshing. Great for showing kids that their family/ cultural history matters and is worth preserving.

Disney's Cars: generosity & community will serve you better than narcissism and isolation. History is worth preserving. Folks from all walks of life can live together with respect and harmony.

The Little Bear Movie : such a gentle movie. Shows that we can learn much from one another's differences.

Finding Nemo : a parents love can defeat all odds. We decide how our "handicaps" affect our abilities.

Ever After : (Meg) evil deeds beget negative consequences ... and being true to yourself has its rewards.

Mr. Rogers : He likes you just the way you are because you are special and there is no one else like you. He loves the diversity of life and shows you things you might never see otherwise.

Dancing with the Stars : people learning to master something they never comprehended trying. Full of art, beauty and dedication.

Super Why : my 2.5 year old son is learning to recognize his letters & to solve personal trials through literature. Yes.

Nanny McPhee : talk to your kids. listen to your parents. respect one another. family comes first.

A Series of Unfortunate Events : siblings coming together to thwart evil & to protect one another --- using their brains rather than violence.

Extreme Home Makeover : Thank God we don't need their help. And Thank God they are helping others.

Whale Rider : Believe in yourself. Appreciate your culture. Seek to understand others. Participate in life. Honor your elders.

The Tigger Movie : Family is not necessarily created by blood ... but by love. Great adoption film!

March of the Penguins : A beautiful and educational film that provides an amazing view of the life of penguins.

"The Naughty":

Elf : was a fave of ours until we adopted a child. Terrible depiction of adoption. Makes a total mockery of adoption. Sad.

Hoodwinked : ultra flashy cartoon that would dizzy a race car driver & violence that is most unnecessary to the plot.

The Chronicles of Narnia : children fighting bloody battles? no thanks.

Shrek : all of them. Violent, highly sexualized, unnecessary adult innuendo.

SpongeBob SquarePants : Can someone please tell me what the value is in my child wasting a half-hour of his time with the program??? (How's that for an opinion?)

Meet the Robinsons : Too much flash, not enough content ... adoption messages are "iffy" at best.

Happy Feet : see my scathing review here.

So, there are the views of our family. We would love to hear about yours! Of course, our opinion is that "It's A Wonderful Life" is the best movie ever made ... and we are getting geared up to watch it several times this holiday season. Thank God for movies like this & for a television to watch them on :)

Love,

Jodi

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