Because everyone needs a reason to hide secret notes...


I made a mail kit.

It's our Narnian Lamppost.
Our Portal.
Our place where the real world transforms into the magical one.
 
See, Pip and Winnie haven't exactly been excited
about writing time.
They moan and whinge when it's time
to pull out notebook and pen.

But now they have a reason to write.

All manner of small letters, notices and lists
have been appearing in the mailbox, begging for a reader. 
 
Secret message makers, word lovers in the making, I hope.
And if we're not so concerned with punctuation just yet,
still Something is being kindled,
and that Something is what we're going for - 

getting so lost in play so that the unseen world
shines brighter within us,
and the ordinary world shines brighter on our return...

This is what I want for myself, too.
To take more time to play
with my words, with art, with the kids
without focusing on how much I get done.

I have a choice every day -
wear myself out trying to blast through my goals,
or find the sweet spots and savor.

Relish the revision. 
   (thank you Gail Carson Levine and
     Molly Blaisell for your great advice.)
and

if you need a reason to play with your words,
or an incentive for young heel-dragging-writers,
may I suggest a mail box?

Our kit is compiled of:

A domed box (thrift store find)
Denim.
Felt.
Mod podge.
Ribbon.
A cardboard swing arm fastened with a nut and bolt.
 
I added a mail sack, felt envelopes and flannel stamps
plus a thick stack of paper
for good measure.

Any mail today?

Books of Note:

 

The Dove's Letter by Keith Baker


The Jolly Postman, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie
Letters from Father Christmas - J.R.R. Tolkien
Love, Mouserella by David Ezra Stein
 
Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly - Gail Carson Levine

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
The Enchanted Chocolate Pot - Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer

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Who gives heavy, blunt instruments to toddlers for Christmas?
I'm pretty sure this is what inspired "The Lord of the Flies."

My Making-Merry-on-the-Mini
Geoboard Kits are a hit.

And as far as homemade gifts go, how simple is this?
A block of sanded wood.
A bag of screws and nails.
Yarn and rubber bands.
All packaged up and ready to be assembled.



We wrapped a hammer and screwdriver kit for Sugar Snack, too.
He's in Fix-It Heaven,
stomping around the house,
adjusting all the screws.
I keep waiting for the doors to fall off
with the next
ACHOOO!

I don't know how safe a gift of nails
and screws is for the preschool crew.
I've tried to remind them to keep the sharp points
away from mouths, noses and electrical openings,
but you never know.
It helps to have ample adult supervision
when you're dealing with all those hammers.

So, let's just have a proviso here:

For crafty, writing, or artsy tips,
visit me with gleeful abandon.
For safe parenting tips,
go to
someone else.

Happy New Year, my friends!
May it be gloriously rich in the simple joys
and surprisingly glad in all the rest.



Books:



Tools by Taro Miura 
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (Safety tips AND cuteness)

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Today we have two books from the Little Masters, Baby Lit® Books collection from publisher Gibbs Smith, author Jennifer Adams, and illustrator Alison Oliver.  The first, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is a coloring primer that will paint this week’s big day red and green. Then Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a counting primer, will put [...]

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We made ornaments this week...for the birds.

Because they ate all our cherries this year?

 
But then we went birding.
Squinting into far off brambles.
And peace is what we all need this time of year.

So we made gifts for the birds.
 
I never thought I'd buy lard.  
 Or thistle seeds, for that matter.
Who needs more thistles? Birds, I guess.
So we squished together birdseed "cookies,"
I cut up felt and old jeans and t-shirts into bird-ish shapes
 And then we gathered our bounty
 
and strung it up

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Little stocking filler, perfect for posting £5

Chrissie Cress’ or Mingo Mungbean’s Story & Seed Pack.
I recommend either of these packs for a super speedy, indoor growing adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starter Kit £10

The ultimate Starter Kit ; storybook and seeds of your chosen vegetable and funky windowsill propagator. The propagator is colourful, re-usable and made from recycled plastic in the UK.

 

 

 

NEW! Hand Forged Secret Seed Society Trowel £15 not just for kids!

This is a beautifully crafted tool for keen young gardeners or those with smaller hands. Made in Holland to last a life-time. Combine with Story & Seed Packs for the complete Secret Seed Society experience. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOXSET £20

Our most popular gift, the first 4 Story & Seed Packs as a Boxset. All printed in the UK with vegetables inks. READ, GROW, COOK & EAT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW!PERSONALISED Garden Tool Giftset £60  not just for kids!

These tools will last a lifetime. A spade, mattock and rake with long handles will cover most of the gardening jobs. Great for raised beds. The tools will now arrive in the New Year, so we will send a Secret Seed Gift card to your lucky recipient for Xmas to let them know their tolls will arrive shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL OFFER FREE POSTAGE ON ALL XMAS ORDERS

Get in touch if you have any questions about our products or would like to have Secret Seed Society at your Xmas Fayre, we can offer you a retailer discount if you’d like to sell them for your fundraiser.

Best Amy & Shena xx

I love TED talks so I was well chuffed to get asked to talk about ‘My Adventures with Vegetables’

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When you purchase an item from MY STORE, 10% of your purchase price will be donated to my favorite animal charities; Last Chance Animal Rescue and Horses Haven, both in lower MI. Which charity the donation goes to, will depend on the item purchased and I will love you forever from the bottom of my little black heart. ...and even if you don't purchase anything from me, you can go to their site and make a donation! They deserve a chance too!

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It's cupcakes from now on.




Yummy Cake Books:

The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious
High Pie Angel Food Cake - Nancy Willard, Richard Jesse Watson
The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies - Heather Forest, Susan Gaber
Round is a Mooncake - Roseanne Thong, Grace Lin 
Clever Jack Takes the Cake - Candace Fleming, G. Brian Karas
Mud is Cake - Pam Munoz Ryan
Thunder Cake - Patricia Polacco
Moon Cake - Frank Asch
Babycakes - Karma Wilson, Sam Williams
The Fairy Tale Cake - Mark Sperring, Jonathan Langley

What are your favorite yummy books?

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I made this bag for another niece, who had a baby girl in June. I used some fancy trim on the fabric handle, some leftover owl fabric from a  window treatment project and some contrasting black and white fat quarter pieces I had in my stash (though I cannot recall where I got them). The contrasting pink fabric was leftover from a costume project. The most expensive part of the bag was the new beaded trim.

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According to Mommy Secrets, our new book, Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie, is

a fun Mother’s Day gift for grandmas in your life!

Present a copy to the quirky and playful grandmas (and moms!) in your life.

For more Silly Frilly Mother’s Day fun, check out the book trailer and our printable activity pages. You can even preview Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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I love my agent. I think she's fabulous, and I never want her to doubt for an instant that I think she's fabulous.

Are there "rules" governing gifts from the writer to the agent? I figure it's okay to send cookies just 'cuz, but what about a gift when the agent sells your manuscript? Is it okay to send flowers? A bottle of the agent's favorite wine? (I've recently found out you can have anything delivered in Manhattan.)

For the record, my agent has never asked me for anything other than a splendid manuscript.

You sound like a sweet and fabulous client, and what I love most about this post is that I don't often get questions from readers telling me they love their agent. Yay for you and yay for your agent. It sounds like you're a good match.

There are no "rules" when it comes to giving gifts to your agent. Of course no agent expects gifts (editors don't either) and certainly they aren't required, but sometimes we just like giving gifts to show our appreciation and some of us are just natural gift givers.

When it comes to giving gifts I think it's about the giving and not the gift. If you want specific ideas, though, get to know your agent a little and see what she likes or just think about what you see from Tweets and blogs. For most agents, anyway, you can never go wrong with food or booze. I think any of the thoughts you have on what you send your agent will be touching and greatly appreciated. Heck, I'll tear up over a thank-you email from a client. Sometimes that's the best gift I can get.


Jessica

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http://free-clipart.net/

 

My two favorite this year gifts were:

Reusable Bags for shopping – Baggu

Earrings form Beadz and More

 

What were your favorite gifts?

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Yesterday I read an incredible blog post by Edgar M. Bronfman in The Washington Post‘s “On Faith” section.  I believe Bronfman’s article, “Create a holy Hanukkah,” was penned with the sole purpose to encourage North American Jews to think more deeply about the gifts we choose to give our children on Chanukah.  Rather than summarize [...]

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Wooden ornaments you can buy in the craft stores make perfect gift tags, and they are fun to paint while watching Christmas movies on TV.

All you’ll need:

• Unfinished wooden ornaments
• Acrylic craft paint
• Small paint brushes
• Water
• Paper towels

Simply paint the ornaments as you wish, let them dry, use a Sharpie to write the name of the giftees on them and tape them to the front of Christmas packages. Be sure to rinse off your brush well and tap it dry on paper towels, every time you want to use a new color. You can get creative and use metallic paints, glitter or whatever else works for you. What is great about these is that the ornaments will be used for years to come, and the recipients will think about you every time they put your hand-painted ornament on their Christmas trees.

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Oh man, this Nativity Set by Alexander Girard (at House Industry’s site again) is fantastic enough to make me forget I’m an atheist. That pink/brown/green colour combo is absolutely—I’m gonna say it!—heavenly! 

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If you’re looking for some Xmas/Holiday/Hanukkah/Festivus greeting cards, your mouth will drool at this gorgeous set by House Industries. Look at those closeups. Yowza! I just want to buy these for myself and put them on the wall. #Grinch

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When passing by all the toys on the store shelves, do you ever wonder about where they were made and where they'll end up? Just think of all the stories toys could tell! From the factory, to home, to an attic or basement and beyond, tracing the journey of a toy is an interesting thought. Walter Wick takes readers on the life journey of a toy train in his newest picture book, Can You See What I See? Toyland Express.

Can You See What I See?: Toyland Express: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve by Walter Wick. Scholastic / Cartwheel Books (October 2011); ISBN 9780545244831; 40 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Wick is a genius at creating and capturing incredible, imaginative scenes -- so many fabulous trinkets and toys are all captured in his photographs. The beauty of a Walter Wick search and find puzzle book lies in the dizzying variety of objects and the impressive sets. What my kids wouldn't give to live in his studio and play with all those elaborate sets!

Like Wick's other books, Toyland Express is full of all sorts of delightful finds. Besides the Toyland Express train, readers get a chance to search for more than 250 hidden objects in this fun, photographic adventure that portrays the life of a little blue toy train. The train is created and painted in a workshop. Then it goes from store window display on to become a beloved birthday gift. Later, forgotten in the attic, it finally ends up in a yard sale and finds another loving home. The toy train storyline unites all the photographs in the book and gives the book an interesting fictional depth.

Toyland Express is the first Can You See What I See? series book my family has read, though we've read many of his I Spy books together. We really enjoyed watching the story of a toy train unfold in the photographs. We also learned about a new-to-us Wick character, a "bead boy" named Seymour! Seymour is a cute character that Wick hides in all the Can You See What I See? books. (Here's a little fun tidbit: Seymour is *gasp* "naked" (devoid of paint) in parts of the Toyland Express book!)

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Over the years I’ve made my share of mistakes when it comes to shopping for Christmas. I think I’ve got it down pat now. Here’s what I’ve learned:

http://www.cksinfo.com

1. Communicate. If you are on a tight budget, explain to your friends and extended family members that you prefer not to exchange gifts his year. Another option is a gift exchange where each person buys only one gift for one family member, rather than buying for every member of your extended family. There is nothing wrong with this! What IS wrong is buying gifts you cannot afford, out of obligation.
2. Get creative. If you have lost your job or are really strapped this year for another reason, that does not mean you cannot have a wonderful Christmas. Get creative and celebrate economically.
3. Inquire first. Ask those you plan to buy for (including small children), what they really want. That way they won’t be disappointed, and you won’t be tearing your hair out trying to find something perfect. You can get one or two small surprise gifts, but in general, make sure the recipient will use and enjoy what you are buying.
4. Set limitations. Tell your kids they will not get everything on their list, and be open about your budget or gift limitations.
5. Zig when everyone else zags. Go shopping during off hours to limit your stress levels. There are deals every single day of the holiday season.
6. Shop at home. There are so many amazing options online for gifts. Many websites offer free or budget shipping. If you order from only one or two websites, you’ll save a lot on shipping.
7. Beware of shady deals. Two-for-One deals can be wonderful, but make sure prices have not been elevated before you buy. If the price of two for one is not a big savings, don’t buy it.
8. Think before you buy.  Now that I am a much more cautious shopper, I always ask myself these questions: 1) Do I really like this? 2) Can recipient really use this? 3) Is this made well? 4) Will this be in my donation pile in a year or less?
9. Avoid featured holiday gift shelves. You know what these are – those sections of a department store that showcases a bunch of junky low-quality gifts like cheap jewelry or electronics, etc. These are a waste of money and will not last. Don’t buy just to buy.
10. Track all costs. If you are on a budget, add up the cost of the gifts, taxes, shipping, batteries, warranties, etc. It all adds up.
11. Capitalize on leftovers. Buy gift wrap, bows and ribbons after the holidays are over. You are going to need it all next year, so why not buy it for up to 90% off?
12. Attitude is everything. Getting excited about the holidays is a bigger part of the fun than the material aspects. Planning out your meals and activities with your entire family will add to your most memorable moments of the holidays.
13. Spread the joy. If you can afford to, adopt a needy family for the holidays. This does not mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars on gifts. You can buy a turkey for their dinner, or a few small gifts for the children. This is the best way to put the holidays into perspective and show your kids how important it is to give.

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May B. doesn't come out until January 10, but that doesn't mean you can't include it on your holiday gift list! Here are a few creative ways you can help a young reader anticipate a gift that will arrive a few weeks into the new year:

Give Book Pairs
There are all kinds of books that are great companion novels for May B. Consider giving one of these titles along with a note explaining its "partner" will arrive soon.

For another frontier story with plenty of snow:
The Long Winter -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

For fans of survival stories:
Hatchet -- Gary Paulsen
Island of the Blue Dolphins -- Scott O'Dell

For another historical verse novel:
Out of the Dust -- Karen Hesse

Pre-order a Signed Copy
For those of you who would like signed copies of May B., my local independent children's bookstore, Alamosa Books, will be happy to mail them to interested customers. Feel free to drop them an email to request a copy!

Get a Signed Bookplate
I'm happy to send your reader a signed bookplate and May B. bookmark and sticker. Email me with your reader's name, and I'll include a personal note -- perfect for a stocking stuffer!

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Do you have someone on your holiday gift list that loves YA books? Do you know someone that is a Michael L. Printz Award aficionado? If so, then the 2012 YALSA Michael L. Printz Award calendar is the perfect item to put on your holiday gift giving list. The calendar, available for $15 in the ALA Online Store, is filled with information about Printz authors and other YALSA award winners. Each month sports a high quality image of the cover of a Printz winning title.

All proceeds from calendar sales goes to the Friends of YALSA (FOY), whose mission is to ensure excellence in the Association’s traditional programs and services to library workers serving teens and to support growth in new 21st century directions. Over the past few years FOY has used funds to support Emerging Leaders and Spectrum Scholars as well as a number of projects that give YALSA members the opportunity to excel in service to teens. When you buy a calendar you will become a member of FOY and gain benefits of membership including a subscription to the FOY enews.

There are other ways you might want to give to YALSA during this holiday season. You can make a donation to FOY directly by going to the Become a Friend of YALSA page on the association website. Or, why not give a gift of YALSA membership to a colleague or library school student? You can learn more on the YALSA website membership information page.

Wishing you happy holidays.