Sticks 'n' Stones Book Blast & Amazon Giveaway - WW - ends 05/13

About the Book

Title: Sticks n' Stones and the Garden of Phea | Author: Angela Burkhead | Publication Date: February 6, 2014 | Publisher: Maple Hill Publishing | Pages: 152 | Recommended Ages: 9+


Summary: Rather than spending one more day amongst the humiliating remarks to the amusement of her fellow peers, Emily Fickeltin runs away. Or, rather, walks away. Emily is misunderstood and disliked but what seems to be every other child her age and on top of it all, she is overweight. Perfectly pleasantly plump, her mother calls

her, but Emily feels far from perfect. Her attempt to escape her pain leads her to discover a hidden place with new hope for friends and acceptance. Stumbling into Phea's garden, an eccentric woman skilled in the arts of gardening and imagination, Emily finds she is not alone in her troubles. Phea and her friend rabbit have a past of their own they wish to run from and together the three battle their innermost demons as their world crumbles around them. Will they ever discover peace and acceptance? These lost and disheartened souls must find who they are before they are all lost forever.

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About the Author: Angela Burkhead

Angela Burkhead is a full time writer and a full time mom. Of the two jobs, she cannot decide which is more difficult and time consuming, but both bring the joys of fulfillment and accomplishment. She and her son currently reside in Richmond, Ky, just north of Kentucky's arts and crafts capital, Berea, Ky, where she was born and raised. Her newest book, Sticks n' Stones and the Garden of Phea, an upper middle grade/young adult fantasy novel, was published February of 2014.

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* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

 



Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: May 13, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, David Chuka and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Book Review - Outdoor Crafts

 

 In honour of Earth Day (April 22nd) Dorling Kindersley have put together a fantastic selection of titles that will help you stop and appreciate the world around us. The books in this "Earthly Pleasures Boutique"  are currently available at 30% off  and cover books for children and for adults. One of these books is Outdoor Crafts and we were sent a copy for review.

The best endorsement for this book is not what I can write about it but what I can show you. This is what our 5 year-old daughter thought of the book. When I went to

get the book off the shelf to take some pictures for the review, it was gone and this is where I found it:

 and this is what happened when I tried to take it back for review!



 
So as you can see, this was a very popular one in our house. I only managed to get the book back by promising to do the butterfly, dazzling decorations craft with Evey & Gabriel right away - The pictures of our crafting efforts are at the end of this post, because right now I want to tell you about the book.

Outdoor Crafts from Dorling Kindersley is a collection of fun projects that children can make and do outside - some projects are suitable for kiddos on their own, others need adult supervision & input.



 Outdoor Crafts incorporates natural materials that children can find around the house, in the recycling,  in their backyard, or that they've grown themselves in a garden or pot.

This book is divided into three sections — Make It, Cook It, and Create It. Interspersed among these elements there are also pages about how plants grow, which plants to grow for a fragrant garden or a container garden, bug quizzes and much more.

In Make It you & the kiddos can create labels for the garden, decorate flower pots, and build a "Garden Buddy" from tin cans, plastic cups and any other assorted items you might find around the house or in the recycling. There are 10 projects in this section but many of them - such as the dazzling decorations craft can be adapted in any number of ways.



 

In Cook It, children can get recipes for herb and cheese muffins, blueberry cheesecake in a glass, lemon ices and more using the crops from the garden. I particularly liked  the herb tea made from the herb garden planted in a suitcase with flags of the world to denote where each herb came from.

And finally in Create It, you can learn how to make a Leaf Stepping Stone path in the garden, make paper from corn husks  and so much more.



 

In Outdoor Crafts the projects are complete with the easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photography that are Dorling Kindersley's trade mark. Kids of all ages can take part and create wonderful crafts they'll be proud to display and they don't need a huge garden to, or even any garden at all to enjoy it.

Our "Dazzling Decorations" Craft

Gabriel made a flower

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

DIY T-Shirt Scrap Headband

Supplies

• 
  3 pieces of orange t-shirt cut to approximate 2” wide & 24” long
  
  


• 
  3 pieces of white t-shirt cut to approximately 2” wide & 24” long
  
  


• 
  Additional t-shirt scraps in smaller pieces for creating flowers
  
  
  
  


• 
  Needle & thread (and sewing machine if available)
  
  


• 
  Scissors
  
  

Begin by tying the six full size strips of t-shirt together or sewing across the ends of all six pieces.  Separate the strips, alternating colors.

Using a simple braid, braid all pieces together.

Braid until you’ve reached the end of the strands and sew ends together.

When you reach the end, either run the strands through the sewing machine to secure or sew with your needle and thread.  Unknot the other end, and sew the two ends together (inside out so the seam will be on the inside of the headband when worn.

Next, you’ll begin making the decorative flowers.  While there are several options for making easy flowers, this headband features a quick and easy option.  Begin with a strip of t-shirt in one of the two colors and fold it in half.  Prepare your needle and thread with enough thread length to gather all of the t-shirt onto it.

Begin twisting & rolling a strip of fabric for the first flower.  Start a coil by and tacking it together with your needle and thread.  Continue to roll and twist into the coil, tacking it together until you’ve created a flower the size you desire.  

Repeat with additional sizes & colors of flowers.

Finally, attach the flowers to the braided band with your needle and thread, making sure to secure well.

Finally, attach the
flowers to the braided band with your needle and thread, making sure to secure
well.

Love your dog, but not the mess in your house?

If you’ve ever owned a puppy (or currently have one) you know the problem: peeing or marking in the house! While most dogs can be successfully house trained within time, others are...well... a different story. Whether your dog is simply stubborn, or if there are medical issues leading to incontinence, belly bands provide a great solution. What is a belly band? It’s a cloth belt that wraps around your dog, and it holds a disposable pad inside to absorb the liquid.

While they’ve been available at pet stores for a while, I highly recommend getting them custom made for your dog. At the Purple Puppy, you can send in your dog’s measurements, and they even let you choose the fabric. What differentiates these hand made bands from store bought ones is the fit. You want the fabric to snugly wrap  around your dog, avoiding slips and leakage, yet still be comfortable for your pet to wear. For extra security, The Purple Puppy has elastics sown into the sides of all their bands, securing a far better fit than most other brands.

We have successfully used these at Evo and Eli’s Love Box, an animal sanctuary I volunteer for. I also use belly bands on one of my own dogs (I have four, but promised I wouldn’t reveal his name to protect his privacy. He’s a great dog, he just can’t quite make it through the night!). Purple Puppy bands are high quality products and, at about $10 each, will only run you half of what I paid for the store bought counterpart. Oh, and if your doggie is a girl, there are panties available too!

You can check out The Purple Puppy here: https://www.etsy.com/people/ThePurplePuppy

Clockwise from top to bottom: Charlie, Oakley, Wyatt, and Jessee (all Evo and Eli's residents)

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Review & Giveaway} Name A Star after your favorite person for a wonderful Gift!

Disclosure: I got this product free for this review.





What better way to give a gift that lasts a lifetime than to name a star after someone you care about?  With Name A Star, you will have the opportunity to purchase an unnamed star in the galaxy, name it after someone, provide a personal message from you to him or her, then receive a special certificate to show off!



For this review, I named a star after my youngest, my daughter.  She recently celebrated her 6th birthday, and I thought it would make a wonderful and unique gift for her.  I wrapped the certificate like a birthday gift, and when she opened it, I explained all about how there is now a star

in the night sky with her name!  We went online to Google Earth, and were able to see her star along side tens of thousands of others, many already named but more without a name.

Disclosure: I got this product free for this review.

My other children have asked if they too can have a star named for them for their birthday or Christmas gifts this year.  I love how excited each of them were to see my daughter's star - and to repeatedly ask to view it online and try to find what part of the night sky it is in.





Name a Star is a wonderful gift for any occasion!  Check it out at:  http://nameastar.thesuperartlab.com

For the Giveaway - Open WW, must be 13 or older to enter/win!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Review} Wall Mount Shampoo Dispenser from Toilet Tree Products

Disclosure: I got this product free for this review.

ToiletTree Products wall mount dispensers are the perfect way to
eliminate clutter in your shower. You can now elegantly store soap,
shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom. Our wide opening top makes
refills fast, easy and spill free. Our clear chamber allows you to see
when it's time to refill. The dispenser is made using long lasting,
quality materials that will not rust or discolor over time.



Easy to Install! No drilling required. Each unit comes with a mounting


bracket which attaches to any surface using water resistant double sided
tape and and non-damaging removable silicone. The dispenser lifts off
the attached mounting bracket for an easy cleaning and refill.



My Review:

I like the idea of the dispenser for the tub and shower.  Having a more convenient place to put shampoo, conditioner and soap where it is handy and easy to find, without taking up precious space on the tub is a wonderful idea.  Personally though, I found this to be a bit too big for my liking.  I would prefer it to be a bit smaller in depth and taller so it does not stick out so far in my small shower space.  For a full-size or larger shower, It would most likely be fine, but it is not the best size for smaller spaces.  Other than that, It does work great.  Is easy to fill and clean and helps de-clutter the shelves and corners of tubs and showers.  Overall a great idea, but I personally would love it to be more space-friendly.

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Review} Pancake Pile Up ~ A fast and fun way to Play with Food!

Disclosure: I got this product free for this review.

Order up! It’s a busy day at the diner, so don’t dilly-dally. Help your
customers get just what they ordered by racing the other servers to the
grill, relay style, and piling up pancakes in precisely the right order
in this stack ‘em high, serve ‘em up, relay race game!



Shh… They’re learning! 

• Develops gross motor skills, balance, and coordination
  
  Teaches following a sequence, a beginning math skill
  
  Encourages social skills from teamwork to being a good sport
  
  Cut to the Chase 
  
  Players race, relay-style, to stack and serve the pile of pancakes that matches their menu cards
  
  Fun and physical – a great energy outlet!
  
  Active-play game builds skills for school success
  
  For ages 4 and up. SRP: $17.99. Available at www.educationalinsights.com and specialty stores.

My Review:

This game is so much fun!  My kids all love to play pretend Restaurant, and what could be more fun than playing restaurant with a fast paced race to fill orders!  All three of my kiddos, ages 6, 9 and 12 love this game.  They race, giggling to fill the orders just the way the cards show - and have so much fun playing pretend restaurant when the race is over.

I highly recommend this game for kids of all ages.  My only complaint is that the pancakes are not edible and it doesn't come with Milk - lol!

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.