The Best of the Best: Indie Excellence In Books Awards

Posted on June 9, 2011 by viviankirkfield

They say good things come in threes.

The first good thing: I just had the best four days with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. Spending “quality” time with a two and a half year-old is such fun. We planted flowers, went fishing in one of Colorado’s most beautiful areas, played with puzzles, read stories, made teddy-bear pancakes and crafted a Clifford the Big Red Dog paper plate…one of the crafts I will be doing with the children at the PBS Kids Fun Fest at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. And that’s the second good thing: I’m really excited to be part of this great PBS event and I hope everyone who is local to Colorado Springs will stop by and say hello at the Show Me How! booth.

The third good thing: I wanted to share a recent press release from the Indie Excellence in Books Awards. Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking was a finalist in the Parenting/Family category!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: MoneyPenny Press, Ltd.

moneypennypress@q.com

719-237-3111

Vivian Kirkfield Honored by National Indie Excellence Awards

Contest recognizes outstanding independently published books

Show Me How! Captures Parenting/Family Finalist Award

Colorado Springs, CO – SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING by Vivian Kirkfield has been selected as a Finalist of the 2011 Indie Excellence Award in the Parenting category.

The Indie Excellence Awards are reserved for the “best of the best” in books published in various genres. The criteria for recognition are stringent and include overall excellence in presentation. This award celebrates the highest achievements in independent press and self-publishing.

Winners and finalists were announced on Sunday, May 15. For a complete list of the honorees visit: http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2011.htm.

SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING, a unique resource for busy parents and teachers of preschoolers, pinpoints 100 picture books every young child should hear and provides a story summary, parenting tip, eco-friendly craft project and child-friendly recipe for each recommended title. Parents gain confidence in their own parenting abilities as they help their children build self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond using the simple fun-filled activities.

Kirkfield, a kindergarten and Head Start teacher for many years, developed a program that uses picture books to help young children deal with the many challenges they face. Her Show-Me-How Story-time presentations entertain and educate local school children and she speaks to mom groups and teacher organizations about building self-esteem with positive parental participation and picture books. Endorsed by educators and self-esteem experts, Show Me How! has also won the coveted Kidlutions Preferred Product Award.

Why not head over to my website: http://www.positiveparentalparticipation.com and buy a copy of this unique resource during the Jump Into Summer Sale. For only $22.50 which is 50% off the cover price, you will not be wondering what to do with your preschooler this summer…simple fun-filled activities galore…inexpensive and educational entertainment for the entire family!

Free Summer Fun for Families

Posted on June 3, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by Alaskan Dude via Flickr

$50…the cost to fill up my little Hyundai Elantra!

$42…the cost to take a family of four out to popcorn and a movie!

$207…the cost to take a family of four to a Six Flags Amusement Park…and that doesn’t include any food or drinks!

$208…the cost to take a family of four to a Red Sox baseball game…that is just for the cheapest seats and again, no food or drinks!

How about some ideas for Free Summer Fun for your family?

1. Check out your local paper, either the print copy or online…most have a “GO” section where special events are listed…many of them are free like concerts in the park. Here in Colorado Springs, we have a great FREE event coming up on June 11 from 10am to 2pm in Acacia Park sponsored by PBS. The PBS Fun Fest will feature Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George plus lots of entertainment and many booths that will offer a variety of crafts and activities for children. I’LL BE THERE…CRAFTING WITH KIDS AND HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME! If you are local to Colorado Springs, please stop by and say hello!

2. Check out your local library. Most libraries offer many programs, presentations and activities for children…and they are almost always FREE! A library card is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your children…another FREEBIE!!!

3. Check out one of our fabulous National Parks…there are several days during the year when admission is FREE…the first day of summer, June 21, is one of those. A fellow blogger has some great info in her a recent post.

How do you stay within your budget during the summer while still providing fun-filled activities for your family? Please share…your ideas might be just perfect for another family.

The next few weeks will be pretty hectic for me. My daughter, son-in-law and grandson arrive today from New Hampshire and will be spending several days with us. So far our plans include teaching our 2½ year-old grandson how to fish, spending a day at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and hiking in Garden of the Gods. I’ll be sure to post some photos.

Then on June 11, I’ll be crafting at the PBS Kids Fun Fest at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs.

And, on June 18^th from 11am to 1pm, I’ll be crafting with kids at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO as part of a FREE town-wide festival for children called Summer Soul-Stice.

Still wishing you had some great activities that are easy, inexpensive and fun to do with your kids. Please go to my website where you can buy a copy of my book at 50% off the cover price during the JUMP INTO SUMMER SPECIAL.

Are Children Putting a Strain on Your Marriage?

Posted on May 29, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

A recent study of couples found that 90% were less happy with their marriage once they became parents.

90%…THAT IS REALLY SCARY!

Here are some of the possible reasons for the lack of satisfaction in these marriages.

Lack of sleep
Fragmented attention
Strained finances
Disagreement over how to raise the children
Any or all of the above

What can couples do to reverse this trend?

1. Spend time together…just the two of you…to keep the romance alive. It can be a walk in the park, a night out or just a quick lunch while the kids are in school.

2. Spend time alone…to remember who you are…you are not just a mom or dad or husband or wife. Go for a solitary walk, take a relaxing bubble bath when no one else is home or sign up for an adult education class that meets once a week.

3. Spend time touching each other…and I’m not talking about sexual foreplay…as enjoyable as that may be. 🙂 It is so important to reach out and express your love by holding hands, remembering to give a loving caress on head or cheek as you pass by and making eye contact…your eyes are the windows of your soul.

Paying attention to these three things will go a long way towards keeping the flame alive and the relationship fresh.

There will be an added benefit as well…children tend to model themselves after their parents. Parents who are loving and respectful of each other are great role models for their children.

Is the question of how to fill all those summer hours of children home and nothing to do also putting a strain on you? Head over to my website and purchase a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking, NOW ON SALE FOR 50% OFF THE COVER PRICE. Filled with 100’s of simple inexpensive craft projects, cooking activities and picture book story suggestions and summaries, this award-winning book for parents and teachers does all the planning for you and will keep you and your kids busy and happy all summer long and beyond!