Two for the Price of One

Posted on May 24, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Here are two great activities for parents and/or teachers of preschoolers.

I pulled them from my award-winning book that is filled with hundreds of simple craft projects and easy healthful recipes just like these.

COOKING: DREAMY FRUIT SALAD

This makes a wonderful dessert that provides healthful fruits as the main ingredients.

You will need: 1 large package vanilla instant pudding, 1 ½ cups milk, 1 diced apple, 1 peeled navel orange, 2 bananas sliced, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup sliced strawberries and a large bowl.

1. Mix the instant pudding and milk in a large bowl. Chill for 10 minutes.
2. Add diced apple, orange sections, bananas, strawberries and blueberries and mix together gently.
3. Makes 4-6 servings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
4. Creative tip: use your imagination and substitute different fruits.

CRAFTING: HAT-MAKING

Kids love to play dress-up…and role-playing gives parents and teachers a wonderful opportunity for observation and discussion.

You will need: 1 circle of felt material (about 12 inches across), ribbons, buttons, silk flowers and/or other items to adorn the hat, glue and a pair of scissors.

1. Cut a hole in the center of the felt circle to fit your child’s head without slipping down over the face.
2. Arrange the ribbons, buttons, silk flowers, etc. and glue in place.

Tomorrow I’ll review the picture book story that completes this unit of activities: ZARA’S HATS by Paul Meisel.

Right now, I’m off to listen to my interview with Lisa Hein on her show, Everyday Parenting at 10am EST today on www.RadioEarNetwork.com

Top Ten Books You Were Forced to Read in School: Should You Read Them Again Now?

Posted on May 22, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Steacie Science and Engineering Library at Yor...

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On Sundays, I usually review and recommend (or not) a movie that I think parents would enjoy.

Today, I was online and happened to see some lists of the top ten in many categories.

I was intrigued by the following list: Top Ten Books You Were Forced To Read in School. Top Ten Books You Were Forced to Read in School

Scrolling through the list, it occurred to me that almost every one of them was a depressing tale of the darkest sides of man’s nature.

I’m not surprised that many high school students don’t want to read!

Here’s the list…what do you think?

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

5. Animal Farm by George Orwell

6. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

7. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

9. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

10.Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Are these great works of fiction? Yes, they most certainly are. But they portray the worst of what we can be and only a few also show the better side of human nature.

It’s been so long since I’ve read these books. Many, if not all, have been made into movies. I believe it is time for me to revisit these classics in literature. I plan to start at the top and work my way down the list. Most of these books are probably available at the local library and I’m sure the film versions are available there as well. Perhaps next Sunday, I’ll be able to give you a movie review of To Kill a Mockingbird and I’ll let you know if it was true to the story as written in the book.

I’m not sure I agree that surrounding our junior high and high school students with depressing reading material is the right path. I think I’d prefer to see some book choices for them with a more positive slant on life and our journey through it. What are your thoughts?

If you are looking for positive stories and activities for your preschoolers, please check out Show Me How!, my award-winning book. You can get a copy for 50% off right now on my website. Summer is just around the corner and this great resource will provide you with story, craft and cooking activities that are easy, inexpensive and fun!

Also, if you are local to the Colorado Springs area (Monument, Woodland Park, Denver, Pueblo, etc.), please come by on June 11 from 10am to 2pm at the PBS Kids Fun Fest in Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs and say hello to Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George and me. I’ll be doing simple craft projects with children along with many other participants.

And last bur not least, please tune in on Tuesday, May 24 at 10am EST to www.RadioEarNetwork.com. Lisa Hein, host of Everyday Parenting, will be interviewing me. We’ll be talking about many topics that are of great interest and importance to all parents.

It’s Thursday…Missed Wednesday…Let’s Pretend That It’s Tuesday!`

Posted on April 14, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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This week is a little mixed up for me.

Does that ever happen to you?

I hosted the Read with Max Book Blog tour on Tuesday and that was kind of a book review which usually appears on my Wednesday post. To find out more information about Leader Dogs for the Blind or to follow Max on the rest of his book blog tour: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html

So I decided to use today’s post, which is usually Healthy Habit Thursday, to fill you in on several important events that are coming up in the next several weeks. And, since I didn’t have a chance to do Quotable Timeless Tuesday, I will add a few quotes to this post that are especially meaningful to me.

It makes sense to me…I hope it doesn’t confuse you too much. 🙂

First of all, this week (April 10 – April 16) is THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD. This is the NAEYC’s 40^th anniversary of this celebration that focuses on young children and their families. https://www.naeyc.org/

In honor of The Week of the Young Child, I’ve got a very special sale going on right now to help enable young families to purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING. You can check it out by going to my website…if you pay by check or money order, you can purchase the book for $14.95 (plus postage…U.S. only)…only one copy per address, no dealers, please. This is an amazing 66% off the cover price of $44.95. The book is a great resource for parents with young children and I am trying to make it available to as many parents as possible.

“IF YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR CHILD’S MEMORIES TOMORROW, YOU NEED TO BE IN THEIR LIVES TODAY.”

The second item I’d like to share with you is that my book has been endorsed by the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) in their 2011 Winter Outreach Newsletter that is emailed to all of their chapters across the country. The Las Vegas, Nevada Chapter has already ordered 15 copies to keep at their headquarters for the use by families who have children with juvenile diabetes. Self-esteem can be fragile and children with disabilities and special needs or conditions often struggle with keeping a positive self-image. The JDRF believes that my book will help.

“WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!”

The third thing I wanted to tell you is that I will be interviewed on Tuesday, May 24^th at 10am by Lisa Hein, host of Everyday Parenting on http://www.encountersouthbeach.com/REN_RadioEarNetwork.htm

I’m really excited about the opportunity to share how I feel about young children, positive parenting and using fun-filled activities to build self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. I was happy to discover that Lisa is originally from Colorado and will be here in June…we already have plans to connect over lunch.

And now for the final item of information: I will be taking part in the EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP from April 20 – April 25. It will be the first time I will be giving away a copy of my book on my own blog, although it has been part of many reviews and several giveaways on other blog sites. The other really cool thing is that there are over 200 bloggers taking part…you will be able to hop from one to another…read their posts and enter their giveaways. So keep your eye on my posts for more information. http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?