A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Colorado Springs PBS Kids Fun Fest at Acacia Park

Posted on June 13, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Hundreds of happy children and their parents turned out for the Southern Colorado Rocky Mountain PBS Kids Fun Fest on Saturday, June 11^th at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs.

With music and entertainment on the bandstand and Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George in costume, Acacia Park came alive. It was also the official opening of the Uncle Wilbur Fountain that many children enjoy during the hot summer days.

I was thrilled to be partnering with PBS and even before the event got underway, early visitors stopped by to check out the SHOW ME HOW table. Almost 70 parents filled out an entry for the free craft supply kit…and the winner is…Dawn!!! I’ll be emailing her today to let her know she is the lucky winner!

Many of the participants at the Fun Fest offered activities for the children…at the Show Me How! table, we were crafting Curious George paper plate faces and Clifford the Big Red Dog headbands with doggy ears. Easy enough for a very young child to do and so much fun…using inexpensive materials that parents already have around the house…paper, crayons or markers, a paper plate, scissors and glue. Hundreds of happy children walked away proudly wearing their Clifford headbands and waving their Curious George paper plate faces.

It was amazing to see how much the children enjoyed these simple art activities. Even though my book is geared for children ages 2 to 5, many of the older children sat down and eagerly began decorating their headbands or paper plate faces. Just because the headband was for Clifford the Big Red Dog didn’t mean that the children had to color it red. In fact, there were many rainbow headbands and others with detailed designs. One child decided that his Curious George paper plate face needed to be a frog instead of a monkey and so he used green markers to color it in. Hurray for the uniqueness of every child!!!!

I was so happy to see the parents participating with their children because that’s what Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is all about! The book is a road map for parents and teachers…open it to any page and you will find a picture book suggestion with summary and a simple craft project and an easy recipe.

Are you overwhelmed and tired at the end of the day? I know I was when my children were small. I would have loved to have a resource like Show Me How! In fact, that’s why I wrote the book, because I realized that many parents have so much on their plate these days, they often don’t have the time or the energy to plan fun-filled educational self-esteem-building activities for their little ones.

Please head over to my website where you can purchase a copy of this amazing award-winning book for only $22.50…that’s a 50% saving off the cover price! You can’t get much for under $25 these days when it comes to gifts and Father’s Day is right around the corner. Chris Singer @bookdads is doing a tribute to fathers and I did a guest post on his blog. You’ll have fresh ideas for the whole summer and beyond! And here’s a BONUS: if you purchase a copy from my website during the next 14 days, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free craft supply kit for your preschooler…safety scissors, glue stick, construction paper, and more!

I’d also like to remind anyone who is local to the Colorado Springs/Monument Colorado area that next Saturday, June 18^th from 11am to 2pm there will be a town-wide festival for children called the Summer Soul-Stice. I’ll be at the Covered Treasures Bookstore, crafting with children. There was an announcement in the Denver Post and other local papers about it…so I’m hoping there will be a big turnout! Please stop by and say hello.

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Mother’s Day Special

Posted on May 2, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday.

What does every mother really need?

Perhaps some of you might say a day at the salon or a new dress.

Others might dream about a romantic get-away or dinner at a fancy restaurant.

But budgets are tight for most of us and young children really don’t have money to spend.

So what can your young children give you?

Here’s a beautiful solution that involves your young children in the planning and preparation (children love to help in the kitchen and it builds self-esteem, develops pre-reading skills and creates a life-long parent-child bond.

It’s also fun for the entire family and costs nothing more than a regular lunch or dinner at home.

Have a Mother’s Day Picnic…outside if the weather is mild (at a local park if you have one nearby) or indoors if it is cold or rainy. Spread out the blanket on the living room floor and you are all set!

Use paper plates for no-hassle cleanup…not having to prepare or clean up the meal is a wonderful gift for any mom.

MOTHER’S DAY KABOBS

You will need: An assortment of fruit such as grapes, strawberries and apples, a small block of American, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, several slices of cooked turkey or chicken and bamboo skewers.

1. Wash the fruit, cut stems off the strawberries, cut the apples in chunks.

2. Cut the cheese into small cubes.

3. Cut the meat slices into strips. Roll each strip before you push it onto the skewer.

4. Push pieces of fruit, cheese and meat onto each skewer in a colorful arrangement…let your child decide.

5. Wrap each completed skewer in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready for the picnic.

To round off the meal, choose whole wheat rolls or crackers and a juice box for each member of the family. Bring a ball to toss back and forth if you go to a park. If your picnic is indoors, why not turn on some music and have a family dance-off. I guarantee that your young children will treasure this Mother’s Day memory for years to come and, hopefully, you will as well.

Spending fun positive time together (that doesn’t cost a fortune and cause financial stress) builds family bonds. If you want some more Mother’s Day activities, including a craft project that will make beautiful note cards your child can give to a beloved grandmother or preschool teacher, please head over and click the activities tab on my website at http://www.positiveparentalparticipation.com

Summer is just around the corner. I know that many parents are wondering what they will do with their children. Great activities abound in my new book.

For this week only, in honor of Mother’s Day, we are offering a $10 MARSHALLS/TJMAXX GIFT CARD (two of the favorite stores of every mom) that will be included when your book ships out to you…a treasure-trove of fun-filled simple activities for your child and a lovely gift for you! Happy Mother’s Day from MoneyPenny Press, Ltd.

AND THE WINNER IS……!

Posted on April 26, 2011 by viviankirkfield

For the last five days, I’ve enjoyed reading the comments left by bloggers who have been entering the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop on my site.

I’ve tried to visit all of their blogs…there are so many wonderful people out there, writing about their experiences and sharing their triumphs and tragedies. This was a wonderful way to connect.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, left comments and spread the word about this great resource for parents and teachers of preschoolers.

And the winner of the free copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING is…

Phrogmom

The winner was chosen by Random.org True Number Generator and I’ll be emailing her right away to let her know the good news.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please go to my website.

I’m offering a SPECIAL $10 REBATE for anyone who entered the giveaway and wants to purchase the book.

Please stop by tomorrow for What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday.