Director Jewels

Friday, December 4, 2015

The Midnight Visitors by Juliet David {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book for review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

December, and with it, the holiday season, have arrived in full force! I still haven't wrapped any books to get started with my gift-wrapped book tradition this year, but the kids don't seem to mind. They're happy to read books of any kind, at any time! I'm excited to tell you about the latest addition to my Christmas book collection: The Midnight Visitors.

This sweet picture book, written by Juliet David and with illustrations by Jo Parry, is a glimpse into the story of the first Christmas from an interesting new perspective: the animals in the stable where Mary and Joseph find themselves in Bethlehem. Miriam the cow is our protagonist and we watch as she welcomes lots of little refugees to her barn - rabbits, foxes, mice. The stable is almost all filled up by the time the innkeeper introduces Mary and Joseph to their home for the night.

Some of the animals stay asleep, but most of them are wide awake as the baby Jesus is born, the shepherds arrive seeking Jesus, and the star shines brightly in the sky. My kids, especially my daughter, love animals and we have fun counting the number of creatures on each page.

The illustrations are warm and charming and the text is easy to read. The words don't rhyme, but they have a nice flow. I'm glad to have a book in our collection that features the story of Jesus' birth with a spin that kids find intriguing. The tale of Miriam the cow's kindness and her willingness to share her barn is helpful for building character at the preschool stage of life. This one will stay in my Christmas advent book collection for sure!

The Midnight Visitors is available for purchase now from various retailers. Retail price is $14.99.

What's your favorite children's Christmas book?

Thursday, December 3, 2015

52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch {Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

"For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child Himself."
-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

The short tale of Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, The Spirits of Christmases past, present, and yet to come, and stingy old Ebenezer Scrooge himself has always been a favorite tale at Christmastime. It has actually been years since I've read the novel, but every Christmas I can recall has involved seeing a stage production, watching a movie adaptation, or even participating in a community theatre musical. A Christmas Carol is at the heart of the season, and I was so excited to find this little book about a book that has meant so much to so many people.

52 Lessons from A Christmas Carol, written by Bob Welch, is a nice companion for the holiday season. With each lesson rounding out to 3-5 pages, it is not difficult to read a couple each day. The lessons range in content from how one should see Christmas as a child, be aware that one makes the chains that shackle him- or herself, and that seeking forgiveness is a sign of strength. Woven throughout are scriptures to back up these messages.

There is so much to be learned from the characters of this tale and from Charles Dickens' insights to human nature. Whether you must, like Bob Cratchit, realize that even in the midst of tragedy you are needed by others or if you must understand as Scrooge does, that one person's actions can affect a host of others for good or for bad - there is something for each person to apply to their own heart.

Perhaps my favorite lesson is number 39 - Grace Changes Everything. What a message! How very different would the story be if Scrooge visited the past, present and future with the spirits, yet woke up in his bed and decided that his way was still right and there was no need for change? Grace is a gift that is hard to understand - it is freely given. The merriment that Scrooge displays when his heart has truly changed is a testament to the joy given when a life is fully surrendered to Christ. Without grace, there can be no true joy.

I'm so pleased to have this title in my collection and plan to reference it every year. It has been a joyous addition to my Christmas celebration and I know it will be so again in the future!

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Free Printable Holiday Gift Topper + How to Make Dried Cranberries

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareTheHoliday #CollectiveBias

It can be hard to think of something unique to give to family and friends during the holiday season. We don't have a huge budget, but there are usually at least a handful of people that I want to show appreciation to at the end of the year. Since we have spent most of the year learning to handle food allergies, this year I wanted to keep other families who may be in the same situation in mind... so we decided to make some homemade dried cranberries to gift to our friends and family!

Homemade Dried Cranberries
Supplies Needed

-Cranberries (I used a 12oz bag to start, but by the time they cooked, they didn't take up a lot of space, so I would probably do 2-3 bags per gift in the future)
-Colander
-Cooking Pot
-Spoon
-1/4 to 1/2 Cup Honey
-Parchment Paper
-Baking Sheet

1. Preheat Oven to 200 degrees.

2. Rinse cranberries in hot water.

3. Submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cranberries should pop. If they don't, use your spoon to push them against the side of the pot and pop them right open.

4. Pour into colander, drain off excess water. I rolled them in a towel to get even more water off.

5. Toss with Honey. I didn't want our cranberries to be very sweet, so we went with this option. You could use a different sweetener, if preferred.

5. Bake at 200 degrees for 6-8 hours, then allow cranberries to dry for about 24 hours before sealing in an airtight container like Rubbermaid TakeAlongs.

Rubbermaid TakeAlongs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, to fit any holiday gifting needs you might have this year! They're even available in festive colors and designs - I love the red ones. I used the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Deep Square size for this gift.

Rubbermaid TakeAlongs can be found easily at Walmart - and there is even a $1.00 off the purchase of 2 offer available from Ibotta (exclusively for Walmart shoppers) right now!

Rubbermaid TakeAlongs are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer friendly - so that makes them an ideal option for anything you need to transport while giving the gift of thanks to friends and family.

Once the cranberries were ready, we wanted to package them up and make them seem a bit more festive! The red Rubbermaid TakeAlongs were perfect - we just added ribbon and a Christmas tree top to finish it off!

1. Cut a 20" piece of ribbon or cord. Hot glue around Rubbermaid TakeAlongs container.

2. Print this Christmas Tree Gift Topper. Decorate however you want! Since it's double-sided, you could even let a different child decorate each side.

3. Cut out the tree and fold (make sure you don't snip all the way to the center at the tip of the tree so that it will fold.

4. Fold the base along the lines and tape together. Tape to box.

5. Attach decorated stars on either side of the tree with tape, kids glue, or any adhesive you want. I used hot glue because it was most easily accessible!

That's it! What neighbor or family friend wouldn't love to receive one of these from your hands this winter?

What gifts are you giving to friends and family this holiday season?

Monday, November 30, 2015

Captain McFinn's Swim & Play {App Review}

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Captain McFinn’s Swim & Play App. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

In our house, you can never go wrong if there's a sea creature involved, so when I was given the chance to take a peek at Captain McFinn's Swim & Play app, I was all for it. Captain McFinn's Swim & Play features an interactive underwater world that's filled with educational games and activities.

My son is never one to shy away from testing an app, so he was excited to get set up and check it out! Captain McFinn's is unique because the activities are all led by a LIVE instructor! I have to admit that I found this a little strange at first - but after we tried it out, the idea grew on me. Basically, the instructor watches the interaction of everyone who is currently playing the app and is able to compliment them on the games they play or the art they create, and lead them to additional fun activities in the app that day! It's pretty neat! While kids can see and hear the instructor, the instructors are not able to see the kids who are playing - they can only see their activities through the fish characters they use. If you don't want your child's name revealed, just pick a nickname to use when signing on!

The app is designed to feature prosocial topics like sharing, playing together, being respectful, and more, for 3-5 year olds. My kids both fit that age range now, so I think we will enjoy this app for quite some time!

My little guy will be five years old in a few months. He has enjoyed letting the fish play with musical instruments, mermaids, and more - and one of his favorite parts is the daily video featuring one of the lessons for preschoolers. This week, he learned about empathy!

There's an art studio that inspires creativity. Both of my kids love to create masterpieces here!

Captain McFinn’s Swim & Play app is also featured in the nabi Elev-8, Fuhu’s most advanced and powerful kid-focused tablet to date. Fuhu, Inc., is the creator of the award-winning nabi® tablet and the foremost innovator in high technology solutions for families.

The underwater world is fun to explore whether or not there is an instructor watching or if you're doing a specific activity or not. The ocean is filled with interesting things every time you log on - sunken pirate ships and mermaids, interactions with other creatures, and much more! I have had to give my son time limits each time he has played this app and he's never been thrilled about turning it off when the time ran out.

You can follow along with Captain McFinn's Swim & Play on all their social media channels:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube | Instagram

The app is just $2.99 and is available through the iTunes Store or Google Play Store.

What's your favorite sea creature? You may just find it in this super fun app!

Friday, November 20, 2015

JBF Lees Summit Holiday Toy Sale - now through Sunday!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Just Between Friends of Lee’s Summit. All opinions are my own.

Just Between Friends (or JBF) of Lees Summit is having their 4th annual Holiday Toy Sale this weekend. Believe it or not, Christmas is just about five weeks away (somebody hold me). I try not to go overboard on Christmas gifts, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy finding some things I know my kids will enjoy finding on Christmas morning.

At JBF, you'll find toys of every shape and size, for every age, and in just about every color or style. Kids don't mind if toys have been played with before - so why not save some money and snag your holiday gifts for much, much less this year?

Addie loves baby dolls right now and while she definitely does not need any more dolls, I still had to take a peek to see if there were any fun accessories she might enjoy. The selection was great - and I even spotted quite a few American Girl items up for sale.

This sale features not just toys, but baby gear (lots of strollers) and winter clothing for kids, too. I saw several winter coats and snow pants up for grabs. My favorite section is usually the children's books, but I had to refrain this time because I already have some books on hand for Christmas and our home library is quite extensive.

From princess costumes to hard to find character toys with everything in between, JBF's Holiday Sale is a one stop shop this holiday season.

If you can't find what you need in the gently used toy section, you won't believe all the amazing brand new goodies from Melissa & Doug! I love the classic style of these toys... We've had a lot of them over the years and they have always been popular with the kids and their friends.