Giveaway: 16x20 Rolled Canvas Print

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Looking for a great gift idea for family? I love the 16x20 canvas print I've got of Esmé on my wall, and I bet you could think of some great uses for one, as well. They are perfect for home decor, photo prints, and signage.

Online Poster Printing has some great poster options. Be sure to check them out if you're looking for canvas prints.

Giveaway Details: (1) 16x20” Rolled Canvas for One Lucky Winner
Size: 16x20 rolled canvas
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs.

To enter: Leave a comment on this post describing what photo gifts you want to have printed for your family and loved ones. Make sure I have your email address so I can contact you if you win.

We'll randomly pick a winner on December 6th.

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For more information and customer references, check out U-Printing on Yelp.

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

I Adventures

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We had lots of interesting "I" adventures, though we didn't incorporate as much as we've done in the past. But we are moving on to "J" and Jesus for the month of December! So here's "I"!

Paper Mache Igloo. Here's how you make a paper mache igloo. First you get ready to get messy! Then you prepare your igloo structure.

Then you mix up 3 cups water and 1 cup flour. You stir and stir and get messy.

Then you tear up 12 sheets of newspaper into whatever kinds of pieces you feel like tearing it into. You put these into the bowl with the flour mixture. (Mommy's note - if we did this again, I would make it in smaller batches instead of putting all the sheets in at once - they got soggy and clumped.)

Then you get to squish up the newspaper into the mixture to get ALL the newspaper wet - what fun!

Then you take out the newspaper pieces and start patting them onto your igloo structure. Keep patting and patting and patting until it's smooth. And keep going until Mommy tells you you're all done.

Then you admire what you've done and stick it in front of the heater to dry.

And you wait, and you wait, and you wait for it to dry. Several days later, you get to paint it. First, you paint it white, because Mommy says that's the natural color for igloos.

Then, you insist that you need to paint it pink, because pink is much prettier! So you drip a few drops of red into your white paint, and you stir and stir and stir until it's pink, and you paint the igloo all over again!

Edible Igloo. While you're on the subject of igloos, you've got to make an edible one! You can make them out of marshmallows, but we shaped ours out of a rice krispie treat mix. First I got to stir the marshmallows while they were melting...

...and then I had to clean up the pot afterwards. Both equally fun.

And we got to eat this igloo!

Paper Igloo. I also got to cut strips of blue paper into rectangles and then paste them onto this picture of an igloo.

Writing Practice. And I got to practice writing my "I"s. "I"s are very easy to write! And I am getting very good at coloring in the lines.

Inuits. I pasted cotton around the hood of an Inuit boy, and we talked about how they lived in igloos!

Itch. We scratched each others' backs, and read some books about itching!

• Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup (an absolute favorite!)
• The Itch Book by Crescent Dragonwagon

Indian Food. One day we ate curried sweet potato patties. I didn't even pick out the peas!

And then we had curry with rice. I just ate the rice...

Indian Dress. I got to put on Mommy's sari! Of course, I decided to mix up the Indian theme by wearing my thanksgiving Indian headdress, too.

India Books.

• Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young (based on an Indian fable, and one of my favorites!)
• One Grain of Rice by Demi (an Indian mathematical folktale)
• Culture in India by Melanie Guile (we looked at pictures)

Inside. We talked about "inside" versus "outside" and read this book:

• Inside and Outside by Henry Pluckrose

Ice Painting. Mommy froze some water in a popsicle tray so I could do some ice painting! We didn't have dry tempera paint, so I painted on a "paint with water" book instead.

Ice Shapes. I also played with some ice shapes we made from an interesting ice tray. Stars, and flowers, and all kinds of things.

Ice Books.

• Elizabeth Imagined an Iceberg by Chris Raschka

Ice Cream. Of course, no "I" study would be complete without ice cream! First I tried eating it in a cone. Yummy! It's kind of messy, though.

Then we MADE ice cream in an ice cream maker! I had to turn and turn and turn the handle. I kept saying it was done.

Finally I got to eat it. VERY yummy!
Here's the book we read:

• Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons (it was a little long for me, but Mommy learned a lot!)

Iron Books. Here are the books we read about iron and iron horses:

• Iron Horses by Verla Kay
• The Elements: Iron by Giles Sparrow (we looked at pictures)

Icicles. Yesterday I got to put icicles up on our Jesse tree! Mommy says I mustn't clump them, but I don't see why not. And that I don't have to use the whole package, but I don't see why not...

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If you have a post or link related to "I" Activities for toddlers, link up here!

Not Me! Monday

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I would never sit on my little table after Mommy told me not to. Of course not. I would only sit on my little stool, which is meant for sitting on.No one said anything about where the stool needs to be, of course.

Mission Sunday

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Grandpa and Grandma are visiting right now! Here's hoping you all had a blessed weekend. Now for our Mission Sunday links:

1. Have you started your list of people you still need to get gifts this year? I realized I had left Christ off the list when I read Lysa TerKeurst's 37 Days of Kindness post. I love this idea of hers, and while there may not be 37 days left, there's nothing wrong with starting the countdown at 25, huh?
2. Speaking of giving, here's another take on the gift list by Matthew West. Check it out for a free song download and a printable Christmas list.
3. Looking for some great Christmas posts to inspire you and maybe change the way you view the holidays? Check out ChristmasChange:
   
4. I love this "whining" post from mmm-BELLY-may Days, perhaps because I can so relate to it, as a returnee from a 3rd world country...
5. Also one I can relate to: My Overloaded Brain...On Culture Shock at I Believe in Love.
   
6. And another post from one of my favorite mission bloggers, Laura at Clearly Living, answering the question, "So, what do you do all day?"
7. Prayer request for Shiloh, a mission mom in Paraguay, who lost sight in one eye a couple of weeks ago.
   
8. If you've clicked on Josie Love's story before, I just wanted to follow up with this post of beautiful smiles on her face, finally with her new family in the US.
9. Speaking of international adoption, here's a fundraiser gift idea with 30% of proceeds donated to a family adopting from Africa: a HOPE for AFRICA pendant
   

Technology

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Isn't technology great?! You can make all kinds of stuff disappear with just a little mouseclick!

Actually, I'm just making my blog...

For more technology, visit PhotoHunt.

Aloha Friday

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Esmé loves sharing stuff with people that she's made, and I also want her to get in the spirit of giving. We've got a nice big family, so we're going to turn things here into a workshop of sorts for Christmas.

Here's my easy question for Aloha Friday - what are some USEFUL gifts a toddler can help make?

We've started a little list already:

1. Bookmarks
2. Soap snowballs
3. Decorated votive candle holders
4. Potpourri sachets
   
5. Cookies...
   

(Note to family if you're reading this: You've got to act surprised when you get the gifts. And we'd prefer that you use the gifts or pass them on to their happy hunting grounds rather than stash them somewhere. 'K?!)

Review: Wright On Time: Arizona

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Ever want to just pack up your family in an RV and traipse the country in an ultimate home road school adventure? As a wanna-be homeschooler mom, that sounds pretty good to me!

Well, for considerably less expense, we can do a virtual tour with the Wright On Time series by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley. You can purchase the first book, Arizona, at www.wrightontimebooks.com. The second book, Utah, can also be preordered for shipment on December 8th. Price is $12.99 for the 100+-page paperbacks, which have a suggested reading age of 5-12+.

Nadia and not-so-little seven-year-old brother Aidan are on an educational spelunking adventure with their mom and dad in Arizona. It is packed with scary moments, discovery of treasures, and an all-around good family time.

What's amazing is how many facts are unobtrusively set into the storyline. Things like how to properly prepare for caving adventure and to respect the rules of the cave. What types of interesting foods are available in the locale, like prickly pear jelly. Some interesting stones and gems found in the area. And the difference between stalactites and stale-egg-mites! There is also a fairly comprehensive glossary and a state fact sheet at the end of the book.

I appreciated the camaraderie demonstrated by the family members - they are real, but they also treat each other with respect.

The series site, www.wrightontimebooks.com, has various resources, including games and Nadia's informative blog, that can be used in accompaniment with the books.

These books would make an excellent addition to any classroom or homeschooling library. It would also be a fun read-aloud choice for children of varying ages - the 5-year-olds might not get all the facts, but they would enjoy the adventure. Tanja Bauerle's black-and-white illustrations, one accompanying each chapter, will engage the visual learners, as well.


Thanks to Wright On Time Books for the review copy of this book, and to Mama Buzz for organizing the tour.

Review/Giveaway: God Is With Me books

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Esmé's Mommy here, reviewing two of Esmé's books, since she stole my computer and wrote a review of MY book on Winning Readings today...

We were privileged to receive two titles by Julie Cantrell: God Is With Me Through the Day, and God Is With Me Through the Night. These 32-page hardcover picture books have a suggested age level of 4-7. They are available for $9.99 each through the Zonderkidz site.

Thanks to Zonderkidz for the review copies.

Here's what the publisher says about God Is With Me Through the Day:

"For a child, so many things can happen in one day. Sometimes the world outside is a scary place. There is so much to be discovered and understood and at times the adventure is simply overwhelming. This story reminds kids that God is always present. He is a protector who never stops caring for all children each day through. With comforting pictures of lovable critters that seem to have similar feelings and an engaging message, children will be assured that God is always near."

And about God Is With Me Through the Night:

"In this book, furry friends reveal that even the biggest and bravest of God’s creatures feel frightened sometimes. This comforting story allows parents to build stronger bonds with their children while reminding readers of all ages that fear, loneliness, and hopelessness can be alleviated when we put our trust in God. The story ends with an easy-to-remember Bible verse that teaches children about God’s love. 'Fear not, for I am with you.'"

Author Julie Cantrell is a speech-language pathologist who has worked with preschool kids. When her daughter was five and afraid of the dark, they worked together to create a story that incorporated her daughter's love of animals and reading and dealt with her fear. It also incorporated Julie's observations that young children prefer books with big pictures, simple text, and repetitive prose.

You can find lots of Thanksgiving ideas on Julie's blog: Julie's Journal. You can also join the God is with Me through the Day and Night Facebook group for more information.

Mommy's Notes

These books have a definite WOW factor as soon as you pull them out of the box. They are bright, picturesque, with creative font, and with LOTS of animals.

And the text is a beautiful, simple reminder that God is with each of us wherever we go. It leads perfectly to the culminating verse at the end of each book: "When I am afraid, I will trust in You," and "Do not fear, for I am with you." What better thoughts to leave my child with as we head out for the day or go to sleep at night?

These are definitely cuddle books - I love snuggling with Esmé as we read together. She's fascinated by the animal pictures, which, while they support the text amazingly, can result in stories and lessons of the own. For instance, we've spent lots of time debating which lion is the mommy and which is the daddy in one of the photos - since Esmé is convinced that the one with long hair is the mommy. We act out the expressions and make the animal sounds, too.

It's hard to describe these books adequately - I just want to share them with you! And I will, with two of you...

Giveaway

Thanks to the generosity of Zonderkidz, we've got one of each of these books to give away. And to spread the winning around, we'll pick two winners, one for each book.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. Make sure we have a way to contact you if you win.

We'll randomly pick the winners on December 10th.

International readers welcome!

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Cruel?

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I'm a cruel mom!

It says so right there on page 20 of the October 2009 issue of Parenting (which only arrived last week, for some reason).

Yep - 63% of moms say I'm cruel...

I am bewildered.

Here's the question: "Is it cruel to make your preschooler follow a vegetarian diet?"

And 63% of moms say YES!

I thought cruelty had to do with things like spankings, or time-outs. Or hiding the ice cream at the bottom of the deep freeze. Or rationing the trick-or-treat candy. Or not letting her date until she's 21. Or making her help with the chores.

But tell me how keeping meat off the table is cruel? Please? I don't understand. My kid eats what I eat. Is it cruel to lower her risk of heart disease and cancer? To make the environmentally-friendly choice?

Believe it or not, she hasn't been salivating over the McNuggets and fish sticks. And she can make her own dietary decisions when she can buy and cook the food herself.

Can we please reserve the word "cruel" for actions that truly deserve it?

Thanks.

(If you won't let your daughter date until she's 21, that's your choice. No judgment from this corner.)

Off my soapbox now...

Winners...

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And the winners are...

(Strum, strum, strum, strum...)
The South African Springboks!
Oops - that was the last World Cup. And I already blogged about that, back when I was just a baby. But I'm still celebrating - see my jersey?

And the winner of the 18x24" Poster Print, sponsored by Digital Room, is...
#21 - Michael! Yeah, Michael!

What's In a Name?

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We were tagged a bit ago for this meme (thanks, Pepper Scraps!), and today seems like a good day to play along, so here we go...

1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?

Not really. My husband is South African, and I have a Canadian background, so we probably had a larger range of names we were familiar with between the two of us. But we weren't specifically trying to follow any traditions.

As it turned out, both first and middle names have French origins. The first is fairly common in South Africa (so it represents her father's heritage), and the middle is my middle name and my aunt's name - and the middle name of one of my nieces (representing my side).

2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names?

My husband wanted to use his name if it was a boy. I honestly never thought he was dead serious about it until we really had to start deciding on a name. His name has been passed down several generations so has significant meaning to him.

I personally liked the name "Celina" for a girl and probably would have gone with it if he had been more enthusiastic about the idea. But obviously I was adaptable!

3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together?Did this make any sad eliminations?

Absolutely! After we chose the first name, I considered "Celina" for a middle name, but it just didn't sound right to me. "Delina" sounded better, but my husband used his veto power on that. "Renée" was my next choice simply because I liked the way it went with the first name - and we ALMOST went with that...

In the end, I think we went with my middle name in part so if we ever had a boy, my husband would feel it was fair play to name the baby after himself.

4. Did you have veto powers?

Theoretically, yes! But I think if either of us felt very strongly about a name, then the other would not veto it.

5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?

Not really. We were both fairly flexible once we knew it was a girl. My husband brought up the first name in one of our baby name discussions. I researched it, decided I really liked it, and made the decision to stick with it. He questioned me a few times as to whether I was sure about it, and since I was, he was happy with it.

6. Do you think it is easier to name boys or girls?

Probably a boy, since my husband has the name all picked out already!

7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind.

Uh huh! There weren't any specific names I eliminated, but I really wanted a name that WASN'T the name of someone I knew. Partially just to be politically correct and not offend anyone whose name we didn't use, and and partially because I didn't want any predetermined images coming to mind... All ex's and old crushes were out, of course

8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?

Absolutely! I'm hoping she'll appreciate her name when she is older, but either way, I'd love to know what she thinks.

9. Did you tell people the name or possible names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”?

Yes - on the first name. And I would never do that again. As long as the baby's name is not official yet, people will try to convince you not to use it or offer "better" suggestions. Once it's official, they either tell you they like it, or they keep their mouths shut.

It's hard enough to come up with a name between my husband and I; it's even harder when people's reactions make us second-guess our choices.

10. Did you use baby name books?

No, but I did check out a lot of baby name sites online. I was looking for several things - I wanted a name that sounded pretty. And had a meaningful meaning (the first is "loved," the middle is "shining light").

And I wanted a name that was obviously a name (no Medicines or Sugars or completely made-up names or names where no one can figure out the spelling), but also was nowhere on or near the top 100 list. My daughter is unique, and I wanted her name to reflect that without being totally odd!

Drumroll Please…What did you name your kid(s)?

Esmé Elaine

That "Mozi" thing? That is nowhere on the birth certificate. It was just used for her MySpace site as an abbreviation for Mozambique, since that's where we were when I set it up. So it's carried over to the blog, too... It kind of grows on you.

And consider yourselves all tagged if you'd like to play along...

Review: Jake the Snake

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If you're looking for a purely fun Christmas story for a 5 to 8-year-old, I've got one for you...

Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair is written by Shelly Faith Nicholson and illustrated by Colleen Konieczny. The story was inspired by Shelly's son Jacob (and I know several kids who could definitely inspire a similar book). You can find this 63-page paperback for purchase at Amazon.com, though I'd recommend visiting booksbyshelly.com for a discounted price and lots of extras including a coloring page and a book trailer video.

Here's an excerpt from the press release: "Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair is about a rambunctious kindergartner who is always getting into mischief! And when that happens, he is sent to the “stupid time-out chair.” Jake the Snake is scared Santa Claus is watching and will bring a stupid lump of coal for Christmas. ’Cause Christmas isn’t far away! When Jake the Snake drowns his brother’s pet lizard in chocolate sauce, he is really afraid. But things only get worse when Jake the Snake goes to the mall to visit Santa and barfs in the mall elf’s hat! Will Jake the Snake get a stupid lump of coal for Christmas? Or will Santa forgive him for all the naughty things he’s done all year?"

Can you imagine one kid getting into so much mischief? Especially when he's simply a kid who wants to be good, but has all kinds of brilliant ideas that just keep getting in the way!

The book is written from Jake's 1st-person perspective, which I love as I also try to get in my own daughter's head on this blog. Jake's favorite words are "Except" and "'Cause," with "Plus" following close behind, as everything ties together and relates in his five-year-old mind. It's fascinating to think about how those things we perceive as being so "naughty" may have very simple explanations behind them.

This book references some Christmas traditions (Santa and the lump of coal), but I would label it a secular book that celebrates the value of family ties as Jake discovers how much his family really loves him, in spite of all the time he's spent on the time out chair...

The black-and-white illustrations add interest to this chapter book. Even though its main character is a five-year-old and it would probably entertain a mature kindergartener, I'd probably recommend it for a 7- to 10-year-old reader.

Thanks to author Shelly Faith Nicholson for the review copy of this book!

One More Wish

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Last week a friend that we had met in Mozambique (but who lives just a couple towns away here in Oregon) gave us a photo he had taken of Esmé last year while we were over there of this incident:

It brought back memories! I smile as I remember how these two little ones "practiced their sharing skills" with Esmé's $0.97 Wal-Mart doll, attracting the photographers' attention while the official church dedication was going on.

And I remember wishing I had packed a suitcase-load of those $0.97 dolls over there with me to hand out.

As I watch my little one tenderly rock her dolly to sleep, I have one wish to add to Amy Grant's "Grown Up Christmas List": that every little girl would have a doll...

Amy Grant's Grown Up Christmas List

No more lives torn apart,
That wars would never start,
And time would heal all hearts.
And everyone would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end.
This is my grown-up Christmas list.

Review/Giveaway: Ultimate Cloth

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We recently received a complimentary Ultimate Cloth to review here for a Mama Buzz tour. Here's Esmé's honest assessment:

It works GREAT for cleaning raspberry popsicle stains off the window. No streaks!

It does NOT take gouges out of the linoleum. Only God can do that.

Here's the media blurb: "The Ultimate Cloth is an eco-friendly solution for homes as well as a money and time saver. The Ultimate Cloth is a brand new technology – in fact, it is the only cloth to receive a new patent in the last 25 years. The Ultimate Cloth is a simple, green and effective one-step cleaning process. The Ultimate Cloth cleans any hard surface – glass, wood, granite, stainless steel and many more – with just water! No longer do you have to use harsh chemicals in your home, nor do you need spend hundreds of dollars per year buying them. The Ultimate Cloth has been lab tested to remove 96% of bacteria, without the use of chemicals. And it can cut 50% off your cleaning time. The Ultimate Cloth is truly the ultimate in green cleaning."

What do I think? Well, it did a great job on the windows. And the floors. And on the wood furniture that needed dusting. But it got really dirty in our house, really fast!

It IS washable - apparently 100s of times - and you can bleach it, too, but I think I need more than one if I want to get the whole house clean, or I'll constantly be doing laundry...

It's safe for Esmé to use! I love that. It doesn't have strong chemical smells and isn't harsh on the hands.

I'm not entirely sure how it removes 96% of bacteria. A quick Google didn't give me any info, and I'm quite curious about this... You CAN use bleach for additional disinfectant properties, of course.

(Hint: If you like that "clean" chemical smell, invest in a holiday scent of Febreeze. We are partial to Apple Cinnamon at our house...)

There you have it, folks! You can buy this amazing Ultimate Cloth for $6, or less if you buy a larger quantity.

Giveaway

EACH of you can get one of these cloths FREE, too! I can't give you the details here, but this is how you can get the details:

• Follow UltimateClothAmerica on twitter, OR
• Become a Facebook fan of Ultimate Cloth America

Happy cleaning!

Commercial Break

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Esmé's Mommy here with a newsflash...

We are going to take a commercial break for the weekend!

It'll be fun, promise! Kinda like the Superbowl commercials. And we'll throw in a few goodies while we're at it.

So hang around; we'll be right back with our regularly scheduled programming after these messages...

Let's start with a few links:

1. Totally Tots - a totally terrific site for moms of tots with all kinds of resources. We are totally going to be snagging some of their tot Christmas activities - they've got one for every day in December through Christmas! And guess who's featured there today? Seriously?
2. Remember the cool giraffe we made during "G" school? You can find it here at One Million Giraffes. There are some really creative giraffes on that site - join in the fun and submit your own! By the way, Esmé is totally in love with giraffes after that week. Whenever she sees one, it gets picked up and carried around for a long time - toy ones, that is. It's no wonder the giraffes are the most bedraggled in our Noah's Ark sets.
3. I'm guessing most of you already use a form filler tool for online forms, but what about all those giveaways you may be entering where all the data has to go in the comment section? I discovered PhraseExpress recently, and it's terrific! You can set up "shortcut" keys to enter text you use all the time. For instance, all I do to enter my email address in the comment section is type two keys, and it fills my email in for me. And it automatically recognizes text strings you type in all the time, so it'll prompt you to tab and fill in the rest of the string after you've started typing it. It's FREE to download. (and I am getting nothing for this promotion - I just love it and wanted to share! Public Service Announcement and all that.)
4. Did you know that yesterday was National World Toilet Day?! How on earth did I miss this? It would have been perfect for potty practice...
   

Thanks: Days 19-20

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Let's see - we've been putting our Thanksgiving numbering cards in order...
...and we've been painting and coloring bookmarks for all the books we're gonna give away to our many family members for Christmas...
...see? You can find lots of Christmassy printable bookmarks at Activity Village.
And we've been giving lots of love to the moose we picked out for our Operation Christmas Child shoebox. Hope the little girl likes it as much as I do!
Here's what I'm thankful for right now:

• Going to bed
  
• Watching George (that would be Curious George)
  
• Taking a bath
  
• Train tracks
  
• Warm water in the bathtub
  

Mommy's Note: If you're interested in playing along with 30 Days of Thanks, link up at From the Heart of My "Haus"