1st Grade Book Club

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Photo by Notturno on Flickr

Recently, Sophie and I have been reading like crazy. I have FAR too many library books checked out right now. A truly UNMANAGEABLE amount. But I can’t stop reserving them and checking them out! And even though we are ready for new ones before the old ones are due, we love the old ones so we wanna keep ’em. SUCH a dilemma!

I want to get into the act with Joshua, too, but I’m not sure what to even search for to reserve for him.  Preschool books are so much easier to pick out that big kid books!  Joshua’s a really good reader, and I want to pick out some books we can enjoy together but also that he will want to read on his own.  He and Bobby have been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for several months now, and he’s loving that.  But I need some suggestions for a good book he can really get into and manage on his own.

So, if you had an almost-7-year-old boy who reads at about a 3rd-grade level – what would you recommend I get for him from ye olde library?  I need your advice!  So get crackin’!

Oh, P.S. – nothing scary please. I have a very sensitive little guy!

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Remembering.

My mom died on October 27, 1986. How we’ve all made it 24 years without her is nearly incomprehensible to me.

The anniversary of her death is hard each fall, but it seems as though sometimes it’s harder than others. This has been one of the more tough years. I don’t know why, exactly, but it has.

I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I have decided that instead of rehashing the sad and difficult stuff that has been going through my mind recently (you’re welcome. But I reserve my right to be depressing next year), I will think happy thoughts and focus on being thankful.

I’m thankful for the time we had with her, for the strong foundation she gave my sister and me that enabled us to be happy and successful adults. I’m thankful to her and my dad for providing an example of what marriage should be. I’m thankful for the memories we have to share with our kids.

But most of all, I’m just thankful she was my mom.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Products that Deserve an Extra Mention

Last night I used my Bissell Steam & Sweep to clean my bathroom floor, and as I marveled at what a great job it was doing, I thought about all the stuff Jenny and I have a chance to try out thanks to this here blog. While we typically only write one review, many of the products are worthy of a little on-going promotion because we use them a lot in our daily lives. Hence, my Top Ten Tuesday – a shout out to some of my favorite products (click on the links to read the original, and more in-depth, reviews).

In no particular order…

1) The Bissell Steam and Sweep. This was part of our Back to School Giveaway Bash (did you like that? There’s more where that came from shaping up for Christmas!) and after using it for a few months, I still love it. It is a vacuum and a steam cleaner all in one, which eliminates the need for buying/storing/hauling out two different devices. It really does a great job!

2) Safety 1st Air Protect Car Seat. This is by far my favorite car seat that we’ve owned in the past 6.5 years. It is sooo easy to install – the Latch clips are much different than ones I’ve seen before and are a lot easier to snap in and out. My knuckles don’t get busted up when I put it in! I love that there are wings, for lack of a better term, on either side that prevent the dreaded toddler head flop. And it’s pretty! It’s also very sturdy and safe, which, of course, are the most important features of a car seat. Jenny’s going to have the opportunity to try out the infant version soon, and I’m sure she’ll love it as much as I love this one.

3) Pledge . This is perhaps the simplest and cheapest product that will make it onto this list, but I recently wrote a post sponsored by Pledge, as they were trying to get the word out about all the different ways Pledge can be used. It’s not only for wood! I had no idea. So in the spirit of a proper review, I used it on my granite counter tops and my stainless steel appliances, and I was shocked at how well it worked. It makes them sparkle and shine! So now I used Pledge on those things as well as my wooden kitchen table every night when I clean up the kitchen.

4) Keurig Coffee Maker. This was from last year’s holiday gift guide (which was I think the only vlog I’ve ever done!) and I’ve used it just about every day since then. I’m the only one in our house that drinks coffee on a regular basis, so brewing a whole pot in the mornings isn’t practical. The Keurig allows me to make just one cup, and I can choose the size cup I am filling as well! I also love the variety of k-cup flavors.

5) Scanpan cookware. Again, this is from the holiday gift guide last year. Scanpan makes green, eco-friendly cookware. It’s non-stick without the nasty carcinogens. The ceramic-titanium interior is safe for metal utensils, and the nonstick factor is so good that cooking requires little to no oil (really!). Look for Scanpan giveaways coming up soon!

6) Yummie Tummie. We’ve done a few Yummie Tummie reviews and giveaways in the last couple of years, and we are both completely sold on their products. I first tried out their tanks two years ago, and I have worn one just about every day since then. They’re comfortable and provide great support, and frankly I feel weird on the rare occasion I don’t have one on! They make regular clothes, too! Jenny let me wear her Yummie Tummie tier top when we met Tim Gunn and it is just about my favorite shirt ever. In fact, I am hesitant to mention it, lest she decide she wants it back. Their newest products are little black dresses, which look amazing!

7) Tide. Speaking of Tim Gunn, I have been completely brand-loyal to Tide ever since we went to the Tide lunch at BlogHer in ’09 and learned all about the science that goes into making their products. Specifically, I used Tide Cold Water, again as a result of working with the company, because I heard about how much energy could be saved if we all washed clothes in cold water.

8.) Lands’ End. We have mentioned Lands’ End a few times, I know, but we love their clothes so much. Before working with them, I bought things from there occasionally, but it really wasn’t my go-to store for clothing. It is now! Have you seen their fall/winter collection? I want one of everything. Christmas list = done. And, they always have sales going on!

9) BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller. I freaking love this stroller. I love it so much that I bought it after my two-week trial was up. I also recommended it to my BFF Jess when she was pregnant, and she loves it as much as I do. It’s tough and durable and pushes like a dream. When we were training for our half marathon this summer/fall, Andy pushed Sam in the Bob for every training run. We are talking up to 10 miles! That wouldn’t be possible with just any jogging stroller, and it was key to making our training possible. We pretty much had to take Sam with us if we were going to get it done!

10) Frigidaire. I know I’ve mentioned my range and microwave a couple hundred times, but this post wouldn’t be complete without it. It’s changed the way I cook and the way my family eats. That is a pretty big deal. Our refrigerator is on the way out, and I know what brand we’ll buy when it comes time to replace it!

Here we are, the conclusion of my long and random post. We have a lot of fun trying out products, and these are some of the best!

But now I want to hear from you…

What products do you love???

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For more Top Ten Tuesday, go visit Oh Amanda!

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