library lovers month
|

Library Lovers Month – Love Your Library (she: Victoria)

One of my absolute favorite places is the library. There is something so welcoming about being in a building with so many wonderful books and resources. I love getting lost among the never ending bookshelves searching for a forgotten treasure, or passing by other book lovers in search of just the right book.

February is a month that honors the beloved library and all those who use it on a regular basis. This month as we celebrated love, we also celebrate Library Lovers Month. Have you visited your local library lately? Chances are you may not know what you’re missing.

20 Must-Read Christmas Books for Kids
| | |

20 Must-Read Christmas Books for Kids

I love collecting Christmas books. They’re such an easy and fun way to create a special moment with the kids and build upon the holiday excitement. After Christmas is over, I pack them away with all of the decorations, so each year when I pull them out, the kids are excited to see the, all over again!

I wanted to add some books to our stack this year, so of course, I hit up my trusty Facebook gals! (You girls always have the best suggestions!)

family friendly halloween books
|

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Books (she: Mel)

Oh hey there! Happy Tuesday! It’s Mel from So Festive!, a blog sharing simple ways to celebrate. Halloween is just around the corner and it’s not too early to start thinking about some simple ways you can celebrate with your family.

I don’t know about you, but we love reading Halloween stories and watching family friendly Halloween movies to get in the Halloween spirit. Today I have a list of books and movies your family may love as much as mine at this time of year.

back to school mad libs
| |

Back to School Mad Libs Round Up (she: Brooke)

Hello, hello! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots here with you today. I’m always so excited to spend time here with Mariel and her readers! And I’m always so excited about this time of year. Fall (my favorite season) is on the way, back to school time is just around the corner, and this year it will mean baby boy number four in October for our family. So many fun things to look forward to.
I like to try and add a few new activities to our countdown each year, just to mix things up a bit for my boys. In July, our family took a big road trip from Utah to Arkansas. I packed up a ton of activities to keep my boys busy during the 23 hour (one way!) drive. And ya know what? The big book of Mad Libs was their favorite! It was mine too, actually. I love how my four-year-old already knows that a noun is a person place, or thing (thank you, Mad Libs). And we all get a kick out of how funny our stories turn out. My twins laugh and laugh and laugh over them!
So, I thought I’d see if I could round up a few back to school Mad Libs to add to our countdown this year. They are the perfect way to add a bit of light-hearted humor to what can be a kind of scary first day.

How to Never Miss a Day of Scripture Reading
| |

How to Never Miss a Day Reading Scriptures

Today’s post is all about something that up until last January, was super hard for me… consistent scripture reading. Whether you read The Bible or The Bible AND The Book of Mormon, or whatever else enriches your life, this can work for you.

Okay, so as a member of the Mormon church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), we are asked to actively STUDY the scriptures. And despite the fact that when I do, I learn a ton, I evaluate myself for short-comings, I find answers to prayers, and I feel inspired to be a better person… it’s still hard to make it a habit to read the scriptures every day. It’s been hard my whole life. I get too busy, too tired, too lazy, whatever. But, now I got it down, sista. I haven’t missed a day since January 1st and it’s all because of a simple little trick. The best thing ever.

Favorite Books and California Vacation Giveaway!
| |

15 Favorite Books & California Vacation Giveaway!!

How many times, in your stressful life, have you dreamed about laying out on the beach with a great book? ‘Or so she says…’ to the rescue! So, to further expand on our favorites, all of the OSSS contributors got together to give away their favorite books, perfect for summer reading! The coolest part is, one person will win EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. That’s right, the whole bundle! That’s 15 books, yo. Oh, but it gets better. Get Away Today, the greatest travel agency ever and ‘Or so she says…’ contributor, offered another winner a 3-night hotel stay in Anaheim or San Diego (winner’s choice) with their choice of two adult theme park tickets… PLUS, they get the 15 book bundle too!

children's book and activity
| | | | |

Children’s Book and Activity… A House Is a House for Me (she: Brooke)

Hey, Or So She Says readers! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. How was your 4th of July weekend? Fun, and festive, I hope!
I’m sure if you’re not sick of hearing it by now, you might be soon, but I pulled this children’s book and activity from my first grade teaching files. I’ve been wanting to share it for quite some time, and finally have gotten around to it. It’s the perfect activity for a lazy (or bored) summer day, and you can actually add to it all summer long!
This is the book you’ll need. It’s called A House is a House for Me (click here to listen to it on YouTube). Have you heard of it? If not, it’s one you need to add to your collection as soon as possible. It talks about all of the different houses in our world. A hill is a house for an ant, a web is a home for a spider, the sea is a house for a whale, a husk is a home for a corn cob, etc. So many clever ideas in this book! It makes your children (and you!) realize how many things house things in our world.

favorite garden books for kids
|

Favorite Garden Books for Kids (she: Brooke)

Hey! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. Summertime means garden time for our family. My husband and I both grew up in families that planted a garden every summer (which I am very grateful for!). I guess you can say it’s in our blood. Do you garden? I don’t want to spend this entire post on a gardening soap box, but I can’t tell you the number of benefits that come from having your own garden. My boys (and myself) have learned work, patience, you reap what you sow, the miracle of a tiny seed, the beauty of nature, enjoying the fruits of your labor, living off the land, being self-sufficient, and much, much more. It’s work, but magical!

Okay, enough of my gardening soap box! What I’d really like to share today are some of our favorite garden books for kids. I can’t say I really plan out themes for my boys all summer long, but I do like to build upon what we’re already doing. I love having great books to go along with the summer activities we do. And let me tell you, gardening takes the whole summer. Not all day, every day, but once again, you reap what you sow.

Bookmark Download … (Free Printable!) (she: Sharon)
| | |

Bookmark Download … (Free Printable!) (she: Sharon)

Hi ‘Or so she says’ readers, it is Sharon from Lemon Squeezy! This month’s free download is a set of bookmarks. I love to read (my current favorite author is Fred Vargas) and never seem to have a bookmark when I need it. Click through to the post to access the bookmark download the set and print on 8.5 x 11 card stock!

|

Children’s Book Picks 2014 ~ Valentine’s Day Tradition

This time of year, I’m browsing book sections everywhere I go, looking for the perfect books for my kids for Valentine’s Day. I’ve told you about our scavenger hunt tradition, where the kids find their new books, a card from mom and dad, and some Valentine’s treats along the way. You can read that post, here: Our Valentine’s Day Family Tradition. Anyway, I wanted to share with you the books I currently have in my online shopping cart right now. I think I found some fun ones!

Free Book of Mormon from 'Or so she says...' Blog, plus bonus blogger packet! www.oneshetwoshe.com
|

I Love the Book of Mormon (& it’s my gift to you.)

I remember the first post I did, telling everyone that I’m a Mormon and inviting people to learn more about why I believe what I believe. It was scary! I don’t know why. My readers are the nicest, ever. But, it’s still a little unnerving to put yourself out there and open yourself up for mean comments/emails, and a potential loss of readers and advertisers. But, I knew it was worth it to me. It is because of what I know that I feel so much happiness, hope, and peace, and it feels kinda selfish to not at least offer it to others. So, with much anxiety, I clicked ‘publish,’ and I wasn’t turning back. I was waiting for the rude emails to come in, but they never did. Not once.