Pip and Posy book giveaway
9:46 am in Likeable Things by FoBaM-Jamie
When you are a kid, your world is made up of small things – a favorite pair of mittens, the promise of an ice cream after dinner, a play date. Events and interactions that are incidental to adults can loom large in the context of a child’s life. Each book in the Pip and Posy series by Axel Scheffler (published by Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press) focuses in on one small event – looking at it from the perspective of a child.
In The Super Scooter, Posy takes Pip’s new scooter for a ride with some not-so-great results. First, Pip is angry that Posy took the scooter away from him and then Posy takes a tumble and hurts her knee. Luckily, Pip comes to his friend’s rescue, helping fix her up and find a less dangerous way to pass the afternoon. In The Little Puddle it’s Posy’s turn to come to the rescue when Pip gets distracted with all the fun he’s having on his play date at Posy’s house and forgets to take a potty break. Posy’s kind-hearted handling of the embarrassing situation makes Pip feel better and the two friends enjoy the rest of the afternoon painting.
Both Pip and Posy books use simple language to tell stories that are just the right size for young children to understand. As I read these, they seemed to me the kind of stories that might spark parent/child conversations that would be helpful in addressing otherwise delicate topics like friendship, sharing, and accidents. Scheffler presents the “crisis” in his stories as a non-crisis. These small experiences that might feel traumatic are actually, for his characters, just a chance to learn something new. The Candlewick site features a video of Scheffler talking about the creation of the Pip & Posy books.
Scheffler, also the illustrator for the Oscar-nominated short film The Gruffalo, fills the Pip and Posy books with illustrations that are bright, cheerful, and full of fun details that kids will love “exploring.” There are keys hanging on the hook and mail on the table, children’s artwork scotch-taped to the walls, bugs hiding from the rain under a leaf umbrella, smiling snails and slugs, and loads of other fun bits and pieces that will tickle funny bones. Most important, no matter the drama, there’s always a happy ending.
If you’d like a couple more happy endings in your home library, we’ve got just the thing. Our friends at Candlewick and Nosy Crow would like to give two lucky winners this pair of Pip and Posy books.
For a chance to win one of the sets of free copies, simply leave a comment below sharing your thoughts about the importance of small events, kindness, or friendship. All comments must be in by midnight EST, Thursday, December 22nd and include a valid email address. Please note that the comment must be on the blog, not on our Facebook fan page to be eligible to win. If you’re one of our randomly selected winners, we’ll be in touch by email to get all your shipping details so the nice folks at Nosy Crow can send out your goodies.
Thanks for sharing a small moment with us. Good luck, happy reading, and be sure to stop by and “Like” Candlewick’s Facebook Page.
Seeing is Believing – Capture the Magic
12:46 pm in Cool Finds, Likeable Things by FoBaM-Meredith
A couple of years ago, unbeknownst to me, my oldest son set up our video camera on top of an armoire in our living room in an effort to catch Santa in the act. He had been on the fence about Santa’s existence, his belief still hanging by a thread with the explanation “you and dad just aren’t cool enough to get me that stuff.” Fortunately, the batteries on said camera gave out prior to capturing my husband and me groggily filling stockings and putting presents under the tree, but his skepticism remained.
Let’s face it – a little proof of concept in the Santa department would help beef up the little white lies that all parents tell. It’s not enough that after the kiddies go to bed we gobble up just the right amount of cookies and milk and put “reindeer” marks on carrots in the front lawn. Our savvy, and often jaded, big kids want concrete evidence that the big guy in the red suit really does exist, and our younger more innocent tots often can’t conceptualize who this Santa guy really is at all.
Created by the father of two to prove to his children that Santa does really exist, Capture the Magic is a simple, fun way to completely blow the stockings off of your kiddies on Christmas morning. The site allows you to instantly upload a photo from your home, drop, drag and resize one of dozens of Santa images in various poses into that photo and immediately download and print the picture. The story that you create about capturing him in the act is totally up to you, but Capture the Magic makes it effortless to provide actual evidence. It took me about 5 minutes to create a print, and even with a less-than-stellar upload of my Christmas tree, the finished product looks legit. For just $9.95 for three photos it’s way more economical than a Santa photo from the mall. And, the elves at Capture the Magic will give the first 10 moms to purchase and download a print a bonus Santa calling card that can be personalized for your child. Check out the demo using the link below and give it a try.
Even though my son is officially in the non-believer camp, he is old enough to appreciate that there’s still something magical about presents under the tree on Christmas morning. And if a photo can reinforce that it’s wondrous to believe in something special that you can’t necessarily explain, I’m all for it. At the very least, we might fool him into giving us props for our sweet Photoshop skills.
Maisy book giveaway
9:44 am in Likeable Things, Uncategorized by FoBaM-Jamie
Here at Fans of Being a Mom, we believe it’s never too early to encourage a love of reading in our kids. That’s one reason we were so charmed by a new title from Candlewick: Maisy’s Snuggle Book. This book is perfect for even the youngest “readers” in the family. It features Maisy and all her friends – Charley the crocodile, Tallulah the chick, Cyril the squirrel, Eddie the elephant, and – of course! – Maisy’s special pal, Panda. The friends are all here, sharing their bedtime routines of getting into their pajamas, brushing their teeth, having some milk, reading a story, and getting a cuddle.
Maisy has always been a favorite at our house. Though my daughter is, in her opinion, too grown up for Maisy now (she is in the second grade, you know), we still read some of our Maisy favorites at bedtime … just for old time’s sake. Maisy and her friends are cheerful without being saccharine. The bright colors and bold lines are especially appealing to the younger set, offering lots of contrast and vibrancy. For kids old enough to follow a storyline, the adventures of Maisy and her friends are entertaining and comforting.
The soft, plush edition of this book makes it a literal snuggle book – the outside cover is a fuzzy, fleece material that’s both printed and embroidered, giving it some great texture for baby’s fingers to explore. The inside pages are a durable material around a soft stuffing, making the whole book soft and squishy and very inviting. The binding on the cover is a smooth, blue satin, like the edging on many favorite baby blankets. The book comes packaged in a gift-worthy striped box with a peek-a-book window that will probably keep your little one entertained for almost as long as the book.
If you think your little one would enjoy a copy of this Maisy’s Snuggle Book, you may be in luck. Our friends at Candlewick Press have offered to give away two copies.
For a chance to win one of the free copies, simply leave a comment below sharing your thoughts about Maisy or bedtime or really young readers. All comments must be in by midnight EST, this Sunday, the 18th and include a valid email address. Please note that the comment must be on the blog, not on our Facebook fan page to be eligible to win. If you’re one of our randomly selected winners, we’ll be in touch by email to get all your shipping details so the nice folks at Candlewick can send out your goodies.
Good luck, happy reading, and be sure to stop by and “Like”Candlewick’s Facebook Page.
Strongback Chair Giveaway – not just for “soccer moms”
1:07 pm in Cool Finds, Likeable Things, Uncategorized by FoBaM-Meredith
Here’s the mommy math: three active, athletic kids plus two extremely involved and enthusiastically encouraging 
parents multiplied by lots of sporting events throughout the year equals a whole bunch of time on the sidelines. Yep, insert appropriate soccer mom cliché here. I relish the moniker, along with a full mini van trunk that’s perpetually filled with spectator equipment: large umbrella in case it rains; extra water and snacks; fleece blanket for chilly days; and above all; collapsible stadium chairs. Suffice it to say, I spend a lot of time in stadium chairs, and have discovered the ULTIMATE chair from Strongback.
Strongback chairs are lightweight, portable, and – bar none – the most comfortable collapsible chair you will ever sit in. On the insistence of a friend, I took hers for a test drive on the sidelines of my daughter’s soccer game and was hooked. Instead of sitting all hunched over in a “regular” chair, trying to balance your cup of coffee in its floppy drink holder, your back, arms (and beverage!) are totally supported. It’s a brilliant and simple design that provides total lower back lumbar support. Even the carrying case is improved from a run-of-the-mill chair with a wider drawstring opening (no wrestling to pack it up) and both a top handle and two shoulder straps to carry it like a backpack.
For tailgating, beach days, camping trips, and – of course – for your favorite sporting events, these chairs will get a ton of use. Your back – and butt! – will love them. Enter a comment below (U.S. residents only by midnight EST, Friday, November 4, 2011) for a chance to win one of two Strongback “Zen” chairs courtesy of Strongback.
Also, during the month of November receive 10% off the retail price of a chair when you enter fansofbeingamom into the discount code section of the Strongback site.
