Book Review – Page 8 – Nurture Mama

Snowy Fun

January 21, 2010January 21, 2010 Nurture Mama 2 Comments

Even after recent record-breaking low temperatures, snow is still proving elusive in my Florida town. But never fear! Even without any snowmen and snow angels outside, we’re still having fun with a few snow-based activities inside.

Marshmallow Snowman from No Time for Flashcards

Marshmallows are very exciting things at my house, even if the Ant Bug sometimes gets confused and calls them mushrooms. I knew this activity was going to be a hit. I drew three circles of a snowman body for the Sweet Bee, and the Ant Bug drew her own. We outlined the circles in glue, then started counting marshmallows and sticking them in place (and eating some along the way). The girls continued filling in their snowman after the outline was done

Cotton-ball Snowman

Here is our take on the ever-popular classic cotton-ball snowman. We cut out circles of three different sizes, glued the circles to a sheet of paper, and then filled in the bodies with the fuzzy balls. We used scraps of felt for the charcoal eyes, carrot nose and stick arms.

Snowy Activities on Paper

Confessions of a Homeschooler has a wonderful page with a number of preschool worksheets and activities. We tried out the snowman pre-writing skills worksheet and played the snowflake matching game.

Snowy Books to Read

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

Potty Talk

January 14, 2010January 14, 2010 Nurture Mama 1 Comment

For the last week at our house we’ve been talking a lot about the potty and reading books like these:

Does a Pig Flush? by Fred Ehrilich

Once Upon a Potty by Alana Frankel

(there is a boy version of this book also available)

How to Potty Train Your Monster by Kelley DiPucchio
This book is a clever step-by-step reminder of the potty training process. It seems to me that the reminders are aimed toward the parents, but kids will like the illustrations.

I’ve also been reviewing these two potty training guides for parents:
Toilet Training in Less Than A Day by Nathan H. Azrin
This book has been around since the 1970s and its method is pretty well proved. If you’re new to potty training, this is a good handbook to start with.

On Becoming Potty Wise for Toddlers by Gary Ezzo
This book is basically the newer, shortened version of the above book by Azrin. Probably the most helpful if you just need a quick refresher when it comes to potty training.

Potty training is going well at our house, but I think the best tool has been a very excited and encouraging big sister who is happy to serve as the example!

Farewell to the Reading List (and my favorite books of 2009)

January 1, 2010January 1, 2010 Nurture Mama 1 Comment

As 2009 draws to a close, I am happy to say that I met my goal of taking time to read good books. I read 45 of them, to be exact! A year ago in January 2009 I launched Nurture Mama’s Reading List as a way of making me accountable for what I read. Over the year I have shared the books I read, my gospel study notes, Caldecott books (another goal, I’m still working on that one), and our family scripture of the week.

As 2010 begins I have decided to close the door on Nurture Mama’s Reading List. Don’t worry–I still plan to read, and I still plan to share it with you, but I’m going to simplify things and just do all of my blogging in this one blog. I’ll still keep the Reading List online for reference, but I won’t be posting to it anymore. I also won’t be doing a Recently Read post for every book I read, just the really really great books that I want to share. You can check out my goodreads list on the right side bar to keep up with all of my books if you’re interested.

If you’re looking for something good to read, the books below were my favorites in 2009.

Best Fiction

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (and the rest of the Percy Jackson series)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Best Non-Fiction

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Happy Reading in 2010!

A book to study and think about

September 18, 2009September 18, 2009 Nurture Mama Leave a comment

One of the books that I am currently reading is Bonds That Make Us Free by Terry Warner. I have read parts of it in the past, but this is one of those books that you could re-read every year and still glean something new, and your relationships would be better because of it. It’s also the kind of book that needs to be read slowly, giving you time to think about it and apply it in your life.

“To the extent that we can come to see others differently, we can undergo a fundamental change, a change in our being, a change of our emotions and attitudes, a change of heart.”

I’ve been typing and deleting this post for the last 30 minutes, trying to put into words what I have learned in the first 100 pages. But without a little background in self-betrayal and self-deception and collusion and…it’s hard to summarize the book. So go read it, and then we can talk about it and learn more together!

I’ve posted before about resources from the Arbinger Institute (of which Terry Warner is a founding member). I would also recommend reading Leadership and Self-Deception.

But in the meantime, without having to buy anything, you can check out the online resources of the Arbinger Institute. I thought this article, The Parenting Pyramid, was great information for any parent. A good reminder that before I correct my children, I must first teach them what is appropriate. And before I can be an effective teacher I have to consider the quality of my relationship with my child. And then I better take a look at the quality of my relationship with my husband. But before all that, I need to take a good look at myself–or my “fundamental way of being”. Just go read the article, it makes a lot more sense then I just did!

Over on my reading list: Nature, Magic, and Back to School

August 14, 2009August 14, 2009 Nurture Mama Leave a comment

I recently finished reading two books that have given me some fresh ideas when it comes to focusing on essential activities with my children. Be sure to visit my reading list for my reviews and more information on:

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

and

Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox

If you have children starting school this year you can also check out my recommendations for Back to School Books.

Flags and Fireworks

July 2, 2009July 2, 2009 Nurture Mama Leave a comment

With two important patriotic holidays to celebrate this week, we spent an afternoon making flags.
As suggested on No Time For Flashcards, we used a white paper towel for the base. Add the red paper stripes and trim to size.

Cut a square of blue paper. I drew the yellow stars and the Ant Bug colored them in. Then just glue it all together.
The Canadian flag is a little simpler, as long as you use a maple leaf template. Make sure you sing O Canada while you cut!
After all of this flag making, the Ant Bug was inspired to design a flag for her very own country.
The Fourth of July is not complete without fireworks, so we tried our hand at making these paper fireworks.
We used black construction paper for the sky and white paper cut in a circle. Decorate the circles, fold them up and cut slits before gluing them on to the sky. We also added a few star stickers to make our night sky more authentic.

Check out these great books to learn more about the USA.

How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA by Marjorie Priceman

F is for Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Looking for more ideas for Independence Day? Check out these posts:

Americana Crafty Round Up on Make and Takes
Red, White and Blueberry Skewers on Make and Takes
Red, White and Yummy on No Time for Flashcards

Over on my reading list: Our Favorites for Children’s Book Week

May 22, 2009May 22, 2009 Nurture Mama 2 Comments

In honor of Children’s Book Week (I know it was actually last week, but better late then never, right?) I thought I would share a few of my most favorite books to read with my children. Check out this post over on my reading list.

Red Ripe Strawberries=Homemade Freezer Jam

April 3, 2009October 24, 2010 Nurture Mama 3 Comments

It’s springtime (and nearly summertime) where I live, and that means red ripe strawberries!

My girls and I headed off to a local pick your own farm and had a grand time picking berries. We picked 18lbs in about 30 minutes. Then we went back a week later and picked another 18lbs!

With 36lbs of strawberries, we are stocking our freezer with delicious homemade freezer jam.

This is what you’ll need to make your own.

-Strawberries
-Sugar
-Pectin
-Containers to store your jam

If you’re new to home preserving, this is what you’re looking for when you shop for pectin. Depending on your local store, you might have a few options. No cook pectin is the way to go. To my delight, this year I discovered the no cook packets on the left which use 4 cups of berries and only 1 1/2 cups sugar. The liquid pectin on the left calls for 2 cups of berries and 4 cups of sugar. Hmmmmm. You decide.

Once you have your pectin, it’s pretty simple. Just follow the directions included on the package.

Wash the berries well, then cut off the stems. I cut the berries in half or quarters to save myself a little mashing effort. Crush them one layer at a time using a potato masher.

You’ll need to provide your own cute assistant.

Mash the berries to your desired consistency. I like my jam still a little chunky.

Follow your directions for adding the pectin. Some recipes also call for lemon juice. Mix it really well.
Ladle into jars, leaving space for expansion during freezing. I like the Ball freezer jars shown above (they come in 8 or 16oz size), but you can also use regular tupperware containers. Don’t they look beautiful?

The jam will keep for 3 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 1 year in the freezer. Peanut Butter and jam sandwiches are a staple in our home, so a jar never lasts long!

If you still have strawberries leftover they also freeze well.

Wash them well, then you can cut them up depending on their size. Load them into bags (quart or gallon size) and load them into the freezer. Simple, and you have tasty berries all year round to top your waffles.

Since we’ve got strawberries on the brain, we decided to make this cute lumpy bumpy strawberry from an idea I saw on No Time for Flashcards.

Can’t get enough strawberries? These two books are our favorite “berry books”.

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear
by Don and Audrey Wood

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

Happy strawberry days to you!

Over on my reading list: Great books by Eric Carle

March 13, 2009March 13, 2009 Nurture Mama 1 Comment

In honor of the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar I decided to do a post about Eric Carle. So jump on over to my reading list and be sure to share your favorite book by Eric Carle.