Thursday, June 17, 2010

Blueberries, bowls, books, and blogs

This weekend we are planning to go do one of my most favorite activities!

Blueberry Picking!

The kids and I have been talking for days about all the yummy blueberry things we are going to make with our freshly-picked berries.

Oh, the happy!

I've already been coaching my kids that they have to fill up their buckets so we'll come home with enough blueberries to enjoy now and freeze some for blueberry cobbler in the middle of winter (or cooked over the gas-stove in the aftermath of a hurricane when the freezer thaws out without the electricity, either way it's super yummy)!

This weekend we'll also be doing this. Feel free to steal the idea if you are looking for a way to help your kids make Father's Day extra-special for your husband.

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Want to know a sign you may have a bigger than average family?

You run out of bowls and spoons part-way through each day!

I know it's bad when I contemplate eating my late-night bowl of Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal out of a small mixing bowl!

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I know I've shared on this blog that I've recently converted from a regular bookstore person to a half-price books person. Well, I just discovered this awesome summer reading program at the Half Price Books! A $3 store credit for each week your child reads at least 15 minutes per day! My kids love reading and read hours each day, so it will be fun to use the credit to buy some books we can't find at our library.

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And speaking of books, my daughter and I have just discovered the best new series of books, The Elephant and Piggie Books. They are great for early readers with simple sentences like, "There is a bird on my head?!" and my 4 year old daughter delights in the fact that she can read them to me with very minimal help! But the best part is the stories are so cute and funny! Most easy reading books lack in story, but these are a gem! I'm thankful our librarian just stocked several at our local library! Here are some favorites we've read so far!



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We're wrapping up week 3 of summer and so far it is going great! I'm so glad I didn't sign the kids up for more day camps! They are really playing so well together these days! Last summer I felt like it took a few weeks for them to adjust to being around each other all day every day again but once they did they were the best of friends. I prepared myself for the first few weeks of summer to be squabble-filled again this summer, but it has been a joy with long stretches of time they can play together without me having to intervene!

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I'm not really a person who loves change, so I can't believe I'm thinking this. But, I'm contemplating a blog design change. I've noticed more and more bloggers getting away from the busy backgrounds and into simpler, cleaner-looking pages. And now my background design and page/font colors are beginning to get to me; I'm longing for some clean, crisp, white space. I'm striving to simplify and declutter my home, so why not my blog, too? This blog is about all the chaos but that doesn't mean it has to look like chaos! So, if you come by one day and only see white with black writing, you'll know what has happened, I finally snapped and made the time to wade through the html code to change this thing. And if you see anything broken along the way, please let me know that, too, because my computer skills are lacking and I've just learned that sometimes graphics and formatting look fine for some internet browsers but look terrible or can't be read in other browsers. I really just ought to leave well-enough alone!

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I love this post from Holy Experience so much, read it at least 3 times! And usually I don't care for music on blogs, but her music? Is beautiful and so peaceful -- definitely turn up your speaker volume!

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Have a wonderful weekend!

7 comments:

  1. Those books look great! Thanks for sharing the info. I am a book nut, I started collecting kids books at yard sales a year before I was even pregnant!

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  2. THANK YOU for the reading website!!! Love it!!! We just started out summer reading program and it's been a bit of a roller coaster from the library perspective ( most of the books are out or they don't have the ones we would like to read... Ugh!) Thanks for the information. I'm going to look into the Elephant and Piggy Books too!!!

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  3. All of my grand children are still in school. But, today is finally their last day and we are headed to the beach for a really good time with 200 or so family members. I have a love/hate relationship with this annual week. So much to do to prepare for it!
    I am just going to relax this year and not care about any sand in the house or anything else that makes me crazy.
    Thank you for the info on the books I am always looking for good books for when I have the kids with me. The little ones do not mind reading the same book a gazillion times but the older ones always want something new.
    What a fabulous idea for Father's Day! I think we might try that..I like your blog and it does not look to chaotic to me but I know what you mean..mine is getting to me too..
    Have a great weekend!

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  4. Blueberry picking sounds like fun, reminds me of my favorite kids book, -Blueberries for Sal- :D

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  5. Love your fragments... great idea with the Father's Day gift. And thanks for sharing the book site, we are just starting our summer reading program.

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  6. We keep running out of bowls around here too!
    Love the book site, thanks for sharing! My kiddos love to read so we are always looking for more books...and they add up FAST!
    Borders is doing a free book if your child reads 10 books promo as well. You pick up a form at the store and fill it in, and then pick your free book. It does have to come off a list of specific books but my TT was able to find a couple he wanted.

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  7. I learned, too, that an over-scheduled summer leads to stressed out families and a summer that goes by too quickly. Playing it by ear these days, and it's nice. Glad you're enjoying your schedule and taking the time to curl up with some good books!

    I feel exactly the same way about blog design lately. However, whenever I think about a switch, I get stressed out, so I forget about it.

    Mmmmm....blueberries....

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I'd love to hear what you think!