Category Archives: Books

Books, giveaway

New World Kids Review and Giveaway

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I recently received a copy of New World Kids: The Parents’ Guide to Creative Thinking to review. We all know that it is important to teach our children how to think critically through reading, math and other concrete methods. Well, this book looks at why and how we enable our children (or other children you tech) to think creatively.

I am not the most creative person in the world (heck, even in most rooms) and I wonder where I lost that childhood delight in the creative. I also wonder how to impart that creativity which are so important, in my opinion, in the world our children face. Between new software applications, new media and everything else that will be open for them to create in the new world careers how can I prepare my children for a career of innovation?
This book patiently goes through the many tools that we have to help teach and encourage creatvity. It looks at how we all think creatively when we match our clothes and other normal life activites but also how we can further develop that. This wasn’t just a theoretical book. It gives concrete examples and exercises that you can do with your kids to help them think creatively. I really like that this book isn’t creatively snobby. It values people who like pattern and balance just as much as people who are abstract thinkers.
Overall I think this is going to be a tool that I use frequently with my kids and their educational path. This book is beautiful with its striking graphics and stunning pictures really makes the point. It ties imagination into communicating what would be considered very concrete and critical thinking ideas.
Now after hearing how great it is, how would you like to have your own copy? Well, you could go over to Amazon and buy a copy of New World Kids. Or you could win it!
Win it!
How would you like to win some of your own copy of New World Kids?
To enter:

* Just leave me a comment about education and imagination!
* A random winner will be selected and notified on July 16th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

This giveaway is open to addresses within the US. Please leave a way to contact you in case you win.

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

Books, FRN, gift worthy

Side-Yard Superhero Review

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I recently received a copy of The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) by Rick Niece and it was delightful. The author calls this an Automythography. It is the first time I heard that term but I think it is sweet. This is the tale of his childhood exploits as a paper boy in a small town. It was a book of innocent anecdotes about the various personalities on his route and in his life. I really enjoyed this book. This is the first of a series and I can’t wait to read more. I think that my 8 year old will also be enoying this book. So if you are looking for a sweet, innocent book that leaves you feeling good this is the book for you. So go order it and give it to others!

(This is an FRN review)

Books, gift worthy, giveaway

The Perfect Baby Handbook: Review & Giveaway

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The day I got a pre-release copy of The Perfect Baby Handbook: A Guide for Excessively Motivated Parents I was in serious need of levity. Lucky for me I got it! This book is a refreshing mockery of all the “how to get the perfect kid” talk we here and read. Now I will admit I sometimes try a little to hard to get the perfect kids but sometimes I need to be reminded to take it easy. All to soon these kiddos will be grown so lets find the humor! This book was so funny. I laughed so hard my eyes were watering.

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll encounter a ludicrous number of “expert” baby-rearing manuals. Although The Perfect Baby Handbook provides a solid foundation, it goes without saying that you’ll need to read them all. A sampling:

* Are You My Mother and, If So, Must You Slouch Like That?
* Infants and Their Little Anxiety Attacks
* No Ifs, Ands, or Buts: How to Parent Without Using Certain Grammatical Constructions
* Throat Lozenges of the Baby Whisperer
* 10,001 Great Baby Names Selfish Celebrities Have Already Snapped Up
* The No-Cry-from-4:01-to-4:03-a.m. Solution
* The Obviously Gifted Child: A Guide to Spotting Glaring Brilliance
* Layettes of the Aztec Kings
* What to Expect When the Word “Expect” Becomes Meaningless
* Because You’re a Terrible Daddy Who Just Smoked a Gigantic Joint
* Creating Insecurities in Your Baby—So He Can Triumphantly Overcome Them
* The Tale of Peter Rabbit’s Unfortunate Speech Impediment
* An Angel Fell Out of the Sky and Landed in Our Nursery, Slightly Injuring Our Baby

Win it!
Wants some more humor? Well, you can win your own copy of The Perfect Baby Handbook: A Guide for Excessively Motivated Parents? Well I have 5 copies to giveaway!

To enter:

* Just give me a moment of hilarity from your own parenting experiences.
* A random winner will be selected and notified on April 4th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed.
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter

This giveaway is open to addresses within the US. Please leave a way to contact you in case you win.

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday!

Books, kids, Kids Books, TOS Crew

Nana Star Review

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We recently received the Nana Star doll and book to review and the NerdPie loved it! This soft doll is just precious and comes with her star and the twig he sits on. The book is sweet and well illustrated. The only bad thing that could be said is that is was a bit short. But it is so sweet and also comes with a cd. This is that perfect grandparent gift because NerdPie will have this doll and book for years! They also have a Moonman for boys and it is also very cute!

So go check it out!

Books, FRN, giveaway

Blog Tour and Giveaway! Queen of the Road

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I recently saw an opportunity to become part of a Blog Tour for a book Queen of the Road and I pondered. Then I saw the subtitle, The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband and a Bus with a Will of Its Own, and I was hooked. And that was before I found out the married couple was 2 shrinks!

This book is a hilarious look at Doreen Orion’s huge adventure but it doesn’t stop there. It shows a real relationship between a husband and wife with all its own uniqueness and compromise. In addition it seems to show Doreen’s own struggle to make sense of her husband’s desire to spend a year on a bus (she asks, “Why can’t Tim be like every other normal husband and live out his mid-life crisis by having an affair or buying a shiny new Corvette!?”). I am also touched by the vulnerability she shares with all of us in their often not-so-glamorous adventures. Even all you submissive wives (which I hope to count myself among) have to admit that we wouldn’t be real cool in the same situation.

I thought this book was funny and was an easy read. There are also interesting drink recipes that go with each chapter. I haven’t tried any, yet;). But you don’t have to take my word on this book because I have a few other opinions for you.

“A Charles Kuralt-Albert Brooks-style romp where they meet up with nudists, robbers and more. Required Reading.” –The New York Post

“Eat, Pray, Love – without the depression – meets Confessions of a Shopaholic – without the ditz.” – Denver Magazine.

“A charming, insightful and – most important – hilarious book that evokes the best of Bill Bryson and David Sedaris, but spotlights the unique voice of a gifted memoirist.” – Jonathan Kellerman, New York Times Bestselling Novelist


In honor of Queen of the Road I have a giveaway! I am giving away the PC game Discovery: Seek & Find Adventure. It is rated E for Everyone and is for Windows only (sorry Mac users).

This is in addition to the grand prize offered to anyone who comments on any Queen of the Road Blog Tour post! That is a huge giveaway made of:
Mom Logic Tote bag, eye brightener and mouse pad from Mom Logic.
Wrist water bottle from Swiggies $13 value
Gift certificate for free flashcards from Goosie Cards $29 value
Rose Pin ($10 value)
Natural, dye-free dog tug from Purrfect Play $18 value
And there is more!

To enter:

* Just comment!
* A random winner will be selected from the comments given by Dec 13th.

This giveaway is open to addresses within the US. Please leave a way to contact you in case you win.

(FRN Review)

Books, FRN, gift worthy

You Can Call Me Hoppa!

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I have just read the cutest book that would make an awesome gift for a new grandparent! You Can Call Me Hoppa! The Grandparents’ Guide to Choosing a Name that Fits is all about finding a special name for each grandparent that fits them like a glove. Lauren Charpio does a great job of listing various traditional and non-traditional names for both grandmothers and grandfathers. This book helps to address the fact that grandparents are all different ages, ethnicities and even in different amounts per family (we have 8 in ours) with the names but also with sweet little anecdotes. And at 50 pages it is a great gift book because it has an inscription page, grandparent name tree, and a page to place the chosen names.

So it boils down to I love this book! Not only do I plan on giving it as a gift, I am planning on using it myself. We have Grandma “so and so” and Grandpa “so and so”. I much prefer to have a sweet personal name for each! So go get this book for any first time grandparent in your life!

(This is a Family Review Network review!)

Books, WFMW

WFMW: Library Books

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This week we hit a new record in the NerdFamily household. We hit the 25 book limit at the library. That was the indicator that we needed to both NerdBug and NerdPie their own cards. Now we can have a combined 75 books out at a time. When you have books in this quantity you need to have some organizing systems in place. For new, unread books I have a spot on the bookshelf where they all get stacked as they come in. It is when they are taken off the shelf and read that things get sticky. So now I have a library out basket. Each person is only allowed to have one library book off the shelf at a time. Then when you are done with it you put it in the out basket. Then simply pick up the basket and take them in! Easy Peasy!

Books, headlines, Video

Now We Find Out What Ford Really Thought

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I have to say that I have always understood the fine tight rope that former Presidents are forced to walk. They never enjoyed open criticism when they were President yet I am sure that they have plenty to say about the numbskulls that later occupied the White House. Well, Gerald Ford found a great way to handle it. He did a series of tapes with Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Thomas M. DeFrank in order for DeFrank to write Write it When I’m Gone. So far we have found out that Ford thought Bill Clinton was a sex addict and Hillary wore the pants in the family. I think this will not only by anecdotally interesting but we might get more insight into what drove Ford and what really happened in this situations that we are all curious about. Such as,

After the House voted to impeach Clinton but before the Senate’s decision on whether to convict him, the sitting President phoned the ex-President.

“He said he needed my help and wanted to know if I could help,” Ford recalled not long after.

Ford had written two Op-Ed pieces in which he called for Clinton to admit he had lied to federal investigators in exchange for censure over impeachment.

He told Clinton that he would help him, if he agreed to such a deal.

“Bill I think you have to admit that you lied. If you do that, I think that will help – and I’ll help you. If you’ll admit to perjury, I’ll do more,” he said.

“I won’t do that,” Clinton told him. “I can’t do that.”

Let me just declare now, I want this book! If there is a publisher out there who would like me to review this book over here, please just mail me a copy;). I have a request in at the library already (I am #6 and they don’t have it yet) so when I read it I am sure you guys will get to hear about it. But if you read it first Share!

(HT: Instapundit)

Books, Christianity, Reviews

Book Review: Shoes for the Sprit

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I have recently read Shoes for the Spirit by Tamara Nashman and over all it was a very enjoyable book. It is a collection of encouragement pieces that are organized by different subjects, such as fear, developing a clear conscious, and a relationship with God. In each chapter there are various sections each having a scripture, story and exposition. I enjoyed this aspect because I read it in many pieces like a devotional and when you need encouragement in a specific area you can jump right to it. This book is light and fluffy but hits upon real issues. Nashman uses all her dramatic training from her years of acting in the clever short illustrations of scripture in a real world application setting. Her Biblical training was also evident through her insightful use of scripture and relating it in a way that isn’t overwhelming. I completely enjoyed this book and would give it a 4 out of 5. I read and reviewed this book for Active Christian Media.

Books, Christianity, church

Frustration

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I am officially frustrated with book writers. I have been on the search for a biography (or auto) on a woman in church history or women’s ministries. Not the wife of a pastor, missionary, or historical figure (like First Lady). I needed it for a class. I ended up ordering a book on Susanna Wesley (mother of John Wesley) and can find a way to tie it in but it isn’t what I wanted. I know that there are women who are (and have been) involved in church leadership in roles other than pastor. So where are the books? There are many women who are involved in women’s ministries like Elizabeth George, Beth Moore, etc but they seem to be to young to have biographies yet. Maybe I have found a calling or maybe I have just found a rant;).