The blog theme for December and January month is…wait for ittttt…(nod to Shawn and Gus from Psych)…waiting. The featured books are Waiting Is Not Easy!, What’s Coming for Christmas? and Winter Dance. Waiting can be painful, boring, and hard. Like most people (and definitely like […]
Waiting Is Not Easy!
I love Mo Willems’ books for their passionate and relatable characters, brilliantly simple illustrations, and sense of humor. Waiting Is Not Easy!, however, stands out among his books as one of the more thought-provoking. Incidentally, the book also received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor in […]
My Top 8 Cleaning Products from Grove Collaborative + Product Giveaway!
I buy some of my favorite home and cleaning products through Grove Collaborative. Grove is a one-stop online shop for non toxic, natural-based, home, cleaning, and beauty products. They send you an order each month–or as frequently or infrequently as you choose–with products you select […]
Winter Dance
A couple weeks ago, I unwrapped this book at Christmas, read it the other day, and–wow. Poetical text and adorable illustrations unite to make this book a delight. In addition, the themes of joy, contentment, friendship, and stillness bubble just under the surface of this […]
What’s Coming for Christmas?
This beautiful winter book will engage both your senses and your imagination. Written by award-winning pair Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben, the poetically-written text and rich llustrations evoke a sense of wonder unique to the advent season. Anticipation and mystery build as we learn that […]
Mrs. Meyer’s: What’s the Big Deal? The Joy of Dish Washing + Fall Scents are Here!
I recently had a friend ask me (while eyeing the Mrs. Meyer’s dish and hand soap balanced on the back of my kitchen sink), “What’s the big deal with Mrs. Meyer’s products?” In my opinion, here’s why they are so popular (and why I love […]
Peace + Tranquility Candle
Some blessed individual gave me this candle at one of my bridal showers (if you know who you are, leave a comment below!). Because anxiety is an everyday part of my life, I love to find scents and decorative items that have a calming affect […]
My Ranking System for Books–What, How, and Why
What: Title Choices During my time working as a head children’s bookseller, I kept a running list of (primarily) picture books whose story lines touched on topics like anger, anxiety, bullying, emotions, empathy, grief, and loss. Because of my personal struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, […]
Energy-boosting Apple-Strawberry Cider Smoothie with Ashwagandha Powder
I wake up to teach early in the mornings (these days I am fully booked from 6:30-9), and let’s just say–early nights are not Jeff’s and my strong suit. We’ve also had a lot going on lately–perhaps more on that later. All that to say, […]
She’s Got This by Laurie Hernandez
In this autobiographical picture book, Laurie Hernandez–gold medal-winning Olympic Gymnast and New York Times Bestselling Author–shares her experience as a young gymnast through the character of Zoe, a young girl with a winning, infectious smile. As a little girl, Zoe sees the birds flying outside […]