June 25, 2014
A Prayer #WW w/linky
This week’s Wordless Wednesday post is in honour of my Grandfather. He has been admitted to the hospital and is having a rough time. There are so many wonderful things that I love about him especially his drive, his patience and his willingness to do anything for his family. I remember as a child all of our weekly Sunday trips for family time at his house, his incredible vegetable garden, him leaving coins around his house for us to find and so much more. This week’s Wordless Wednesday is all about him and a prayer that he remains well and free from pain.
Link up your Wordless Wednesday post below so that I can visit you as well!
June 20, 2014
Little Champion Reader 3-Level Reading Kit
Reading is one of the most important skills we can teach our children and also one of the hardest. We want to ensure they are challenged but that they are still having fun so that they do not become discouraged. There is nothing worse then a discouraged child when it comes to reading. You want them to know that reading is important but also fun too!
The Little Champion Reader 3-Level reading kit has everything that you could possibly need to ensure a successful introduction into reading. The reading kit combines phonics, sight word memorization and whole language to help young readers get off to a great start. If you have looked into each technique they each have a wealth of advantages as well as disadvantages. The perfect part about this kit is that each one overlaps to ensure your child has the best opportunity to learn.
The kit comes in it’s own box that is easy to carry which is perfect because our eldest son wanted to help out his little brother (and siblings can be the best teachers!). It also keeps everything together so that nothing becomes lost or broken – and as a Mom to two boys this happens more often then not! The kit comes with three DVDs designed to introduce the learning session to your child at the beginning. The DVDs set up for your child what they will be learning without the pressure of being given a list of words to learn.
You then follow up those lessons from the DVD using a combination of phonics books and sight word cards. We love the books! They have beautiful, large and bright photos with an interesting story line. This is actually what sparked our eldest son’s interest to help his brother. The stories were just so funny and cute that he could not resist helping read them aloud!
If you are familiar with sight word cards (or even made your own like me) you know how easily they can be lost, ripped or ruined. These sight words cards are made from a thick material that will not easily rip and are thick and stable for little hands. I also love that they include a slide out picture to help children if they become stuck on a word.
The Little Champion Reader 3-Level reading kit is the perfect resource material to have in your home as your child begins their reading journey. It is easy to use, full of a variety of activities and extensive background research that went into the developing stage combine to bring you one of the best reading kits out there. It is also a PTPA award winner and definitely well deserved.
What did you use to help your child on their reading journey?
June 19, 2014
The Nightingale Girls Series #review
I am a huge fan of historical novels that combine facts with a fictional story. The Nightingale Girls series looked like the perfect British read for me and I could not wait to start reading it! All three books definitely lived up to my expectations and more.
In the first book of this series, The Nightingale Girls finds three very different young girls signing up as student nurses in 1986, while England is still mourning the death of George V. Dora is a tough East Ender driven by ambition but also desperate to escape her overcrowded home and abusive stepfather. Helen, the quiet one, is a mystery to her fellow nurses and avoids fun and gossip. In fact she is in the formidable shadow of her overbearing mother who dominates every aspect of her life. The third character, Millie is a rebellious aristocrat on the run from her conventional upper class life. She is doomed to clash over and over again with the terrifying Sister Hyde and to get into scrape after scrape especially where men are concerned.
Book one really brings the personalities of the characters into life. Each young lady is so different and yet so similar. Donna Douglas makes it easy to imagine the life of each class in England in this time period. I found it hard to imagine the lives of women during this era and the restraints that they were under but I also loved how each young lady was driven by something different but each one is looking to find themselves and gain independence and respect.
In the final book in this series, Donna Douglas serves up so much adventure, excitement and heart break it is hard to believe she managed to do it all in one book! I can not picture any other ending then the one she delivered (even if I wished for just one more book!). The nurses find themselves in this book and develop into the young women that will go out in to the world to work, to serve and to care for others.
This series is incredible! Each book is definitely a 5++++! I could not put these books down and was literally reading non stop. If you love British novels then these are for you and if not give them a try! You may just be surprised.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of these books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my won.
June 19, 2014
OMG that’s Paleo? by Juli Bauer #review
With my gluten free lifestyle I have had to reach out to find new recipes to all my old favourites.
OMG that’s Paleo was actually recommended by a friend who swears by the Paleo diet. This e-book (also comes in paperback format) is written by Juli Bauer who is also the blogger behind PaleOMG.com – this is her debut book which features one hundred recipes each with corresponding photos. In a style unique to her, the recipes are paired with funny side stories as well as cooking tips and advice on following a Paleo diet. She breaks the recipes down by meal, food group and even includes desserts (yes please!).
I loved her writing style – it did not feel like your typical and traditional cook book which was awesome. It was also helpful as a newbie to the Paleo diet to have all of our helpful tips and advice (including cooking advice!). Some of the recipes I don’t think I could see myself trying just due to taste preferences but a lot of the recipes were quite helpful. There was also a great variety as well to keep those taste buds from becoming bored! This would be quite the helpful book for individuals curious about the diet and looking for new recipes to try out. I do wish there had been a few more pictures to help out with the recipes for this newbie but this may just be me!
Rating: 3.5/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 19, 2014
David Gray’s Mutineers
We love music in our house – it lifts your spirits up, allows you to be silly and helps those lovely household chores be done that much quicker.
I was eager to download and listen to David Gray’s new album, Mutineers. I was not familiar with his work and was interested in hearing what the hype was all about. This is David Gray’s tenth album and his first in the last four years. His album was released on June 18th, 2014.
I loved everything about this album – the tune, the lyrics and especially his voice. It was perfect listening to it while I worked on my blog and also while laying out in the backyard for some down time. It even passed the approval of my kids – which is hard to earn especially when it comes to music. His voice is incredible and combining that with those awesome lyrics – it is a win win! My favourite song? It would have to be Last Summer.
Catch this clip of his song, Back In The World:
You can order the album through Amazon or iTunes.
Are you familiar with David Gray’s work?
Disclosure: I received a free download from The One to One Network in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
