Resolve to Read in 2019

EEEK! It's January and that means our 2019 January - June Catalog is officially out and with it are TONS of brand new titles! You can view the online catalog here! Have you made any "READolutions" for the new year? "READolutions" are goals that encourage a love of books and reading! And they are much more fun than your typical new year, new you resolutions, I promise! Plus there is the added bonus of helping your favorite readers fall in love with books- there are infinite benefits to having enthusiastic readers. Here are a few "READolutions" ideas to kick off 2019:  Read to children a minimum of three times per week. Studies show that reading to children increases their vocabulary. Add 5 minutes of reading time each night. Reading to children can strengthen your bond with them. Encourage your reader to research and read more about what intereststhem. Children often take a liking to reading when they can read about topics/subjects that spark their attention. Start a Book Club within the family or branch out and invite friends to join too! Book clubs are a great way to encourage reading and accountability. Plus they're FUN! Read together as a family. Reading together can create an environment of unity, oneness, and closer bonds. Here's an awesome printable reading challenge from Brightly to keep your READolutions on track!

How We Made Our Fairy & Dinosaur Gardens

The holidays are over and we are READY for spring! Unfortunately for us we still have to wait a few months, so we decided to do a spring-y craft instead. We've been wanting to make fairy and dinosaur gardens for a long time, so when I came across these Fairy Garden accessories at Dollar Tree the other day, I loaded my basket! We already had two planter pots full of soil on our back porch that needed something so I designated one of them a fairy pot and the other a dino pot. I am only mildly "crafty", so I was winging it for the most part. I got out my trusty (and yet rarely used) hot glue gun and created a little picket fence for the fairy garden and a wooden pathway for the dinosaur garden out of popsicle sticks AND I only burnt myself once! I really wanted the kids to own their gardens, so I let them design them their own way and just helped with the trickier parts. We used materials we already had on hand (popsicle sticks, beads for Darby's "colorful road", glass marble beads, little dinosaurs, some old Jurassic Park cake toppers, a little paint and glitter...) and made our creations! I think they turned out pretty good! We still need to add some moss and a few plants. Dollar Tree actually had some fake moss with the fairy garden stuff but I would rather have the real thing. We used our Usborne Gardening for Beginners book to choose the plants we like best. We also plan to add in some fairy lights to top it off! Aven thought red glitter might look like lava on the volcano. I'll update with more pics when we've finished them up! Have you made a fairy garden or dino garden? What would you add?

What if... You Won FREE BOOKS for a YEAR?!

I've wanted to do this for SO long - I'm so excited to announce that I get to do the most EPIC giveaway EVER!! I am giving away FREE BOOKS FOR A YEAR to one lucky winner! Every month in 2019, I will send YOU books at no cost to you, that are perfect for your favorite reader/s!
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WHY? My goal is to kick-start 2019 by sharing these books with as many families as possible! I LOVE books and I LOVE getting families excited to read together!
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HOW? Between now and December 31, 2018 at 10PM (Central) if you book a January "READ"olutions event (party/storytime/Mom's Night In/etc.), you will be entered into a raffle for a YEAR of FREE books!
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To unlock the year of free books to give away, I have to book (and hold) at least 8 events in January! Let's get together on FB or in-person (St. Louis-area only) any time in January to share the new titles with your friends and family! You get the host rewards AND you get entered into my Free Books for a Year drawing! There will be ways to earn additional entries too! Message me on Facebook or send me an email to get your date set! 
 

*Drawing will be held after 8 events are held. 

Exciting news! Usborne Books & More is now offering book box subscriptions! 

A book box subscription is a wonderfully convenient way to gift the child in your life with books that he or she will love! The child will receive three shipments of books that each will include 4 age-appropriate new titles and a bonus gift. Overall value of the box is $130+. 

While customization is not available, the titles included are gender neutral, age-appropriate, and sure to be well-loved treasures by your favorite readers! There are 4 age groups to choose from: 0-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Such a PERFECT birthday gift idea or winter boredom buster! Order by 12/31/2018 to receive shipments in January, February, and March 2019!

Last, but certainly not least -- NEW TITLES are hitting the website NOW! Our 2019 releases are overflowing and have already started appearing online! Browse what's new, make a wish list, or get a jump start on your reader's 2019 book list!  Here are a just a few of my FAVORITE new releases, but there are MANY more! I'd love to hear what your favorites are! This series is PERFECT for teaching young children the importance of self-care! will love following the adventures of two friends, Max and Millie. Through easy and enjoyable stories, Max and Millie learn about going to bed on time, brushing their teeth and other activities, so children can learn from their example. $39.99 NEW from the creator of All Better and Little Bear Needs Glasses, Kisses, Cuddles, and Good Night is SURE to be an immediate favorite! Dog, Mouse, Pig, Chick, and Cow have been busy playing all day, but now it’s time to go to bed. They need kisses, cuddles… and a very special friend before they can say, “good night!” Little readers will love helping the friends pick out the perfect stuffed animal for bedtime using the 5 repositionable, reusable stickers. $12.99 Our favorite book chomper is back in a brand new story! In Nibbles Numbers, the book monster has munched his way through this book of numbers! Count along with him as he chomps his way from one to ten… but wherever will he go next? $11.99 And don't miss our brand new series like Boy Band of the Apocalypse where Sam, even though he’s a disaster at singing and dancing, it’s up to Sam, with help from his best friend, Milo, to infiltrate the band and save the world from Armageddon. $6.99 Or The Book of Secrets, where a dying man hands orphan Gabe a coded manuscript, he’s hurled into a quest that takes him far beyond his monastery home. With new, unexpected friends, Gabe sets out to uncover the book’s secrets and finds himself questioning everything he knows about right and wrong and wondering if he'll ever find a way back home? $5.99

Browse MORE new releases here!

Hoppy Easter!

Easter Bunny scavenger hunt! Complete and ready to be discovered in the morning! Thank goodness for this gem of a book so that I... I mean, the Easter Bunny, could draw a self -portrait! I have the drawing ability of a hamster. Actually, a hamster might draw better... 🤔

Normally, I write up my own Easter Bunny scavenger hunt clues, but I was EXHAUSTED after a busy weekend, so I got some inspiration from Pinterest! I used ideas (and some wording!) from this cute printable by Party Delights. Thanks again to Nichole for sending me this pin!

I don't like to fill my kiddo's baskets full of sugar and I also like to keep Easter SUPER simple, so they each got an egg with some gummies and the rest of the goodies were fun things they needed (tablet chargers!), books to read (Bug Hotel for the 5 year old, 3 Little Frogs bath book for the 2 year old, and Bug Brother and Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters on the Loose for the 7 year old), and a fun surprise! Walkie-Talkies for the boys and cute barrettes for the girl. They were so excited to hunt for their baskets! It actually was COLD and snowy here on Easter, so an indoor basket hunt worked out perfectly!

Wishlist Wednesday: The Outdoor Book

The Outdoor Book

#WishlistWednesday: The Outdoor Book! I love, love, love this book for my outdoorsy kids! It's filled with ideas for all weather and seasons -- even nighttime activities! My kids have learned the different types of clouds, all about camping, how to identify trees by their leaves, birdwatching, and so much more! This book is a MUST-HAVE for kids who love to learn about the world and explore the environment. Grab yours for just $9.99! What would your explorers love to learn about? 📚: The Outdoor Book