Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Giveaway time!!


I have been a big fan of Usborne books ever since I was about 6 years old sitting on my bed and searching for the duck on each page in the "find the duck" First Words in Spanish book. Usborne books were created out of the desire to have quality educational books that were interactive and interesting enough to compete with video games and magazines. Over 20 year later, I am even more in love with them and the richness they bring to my home. We use them in school, we use them for bedtime stories, my 6 year old uses the doodle and activity books during road trips and quiet time and my toddler loves all the touchy feely pages of the board books. I recently started selling them and couldn't be more excited! I love these books and I love sharing my love for them with new people! I have decided to do a quick little giveaway this week! Everyone who orders through THIS LINK before Thanksgiving will be entered to win a free product! The winner will be notified and given a variety of products to choose from, which I will have shipped directly to you! This is an excellent time to buy Christmas presents for the children in your life and possibly get a free item to go with it! I am also linking to a few of my very favorite products that we sell! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!

My top 5 choices for Christmas gifts:
"That's not my..." board books. These are touch & feel books perfect for babies and toddlers. Subjects range from puppy to princess to car and right now the tractor one is on sale for under $4! $4-$9
1001 Things to Spot books- subjects vary from bugs to fairies to pirates! Ages 3+  for only $9.99!
"Big Book of..."-subjects vary from big machines to big monsters to sea creatures! Ages 4+ for $15.99
Doodle books! So many fun activities in these books! From $5.99-$14.99
Sticker books! These are SO much fun and there are so many to choose from! Fashion, history, warriors, fairies, cars, trains, heroes, pirates, you name it! These are one of my favorite products hands down! And they range from $6.99-$9.99 making them a truly affordable gift that your kids will love!

My top 5 choices homeschool supplements:

Children's Encyclopedia's- These books are outstanding! One of the best resources I have found for home schooling across the board, but are excellent for homework and research for children in a classroom setting as well. Not only are they interesting for kids to just flip through with their beautiful illustrations, but the information inside is extremely well written and distributed in a manner that keeps it from feeling overwhelming. $15-$20
Illustrated Dictionaries- These are excellent resources for math and science. So many concepts can be easy to understand, but difficult to explain. These books help break it down in a way that kids can see and understand, without ever talking down to them. I love them!
Beginners books- These come in a wide variety of subjects and are packed with just the right amount of information. Great for early readers and as a general resource for common subjects and interests. Age 6+  only $4.99
My Very First Art Book- This is basically a full art curriculum in one great book. Awesome! $12.99
Famous Paintings- This is my favorite book in that it also makes an excellent gift for anyone interested in art and it makes a beautiful coffee table book. Do yourself a favor and buy a couple :o) $16.99

So get some Christmas shopping done AND get entered into the free giveaway!
*Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Creative Gift Ideas for Kids (All are $25 or under!)

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!” - Neil Gaiman


I love books. I have always loved the escape a good book can provide when you are stuck in one spot. Growing up we did a lot of road trips and, along with my gameboy, books were always a favorite activity to bring on the road. And to have in bed after lights out. And to have at all times in my backpack, then purse, and now diaper bag just incase I get a few minutes of waiting that can be better spent delving into the adventure awaiting me between those pages. Books make my heart so happy. Now that I am a mom and a homeschooler, I have found an even deeper love for books. I love the interests that the right books can create in my children. I love fiction as well as non-fiction. I love anything that sparks creativity, curiosity in the world and people around us, and a desire for more knowledge. My absolute favorite books are Usborne books. Hands down the best books out there for kids. They range from great baby board books to fabulous young adult fiction. The company was created out of a desire to create books that were interesting and interactive enough to compete with video games and magazines and they have done an awesome job of keeping up with this. I am a big fan of giving books as gifts, but am aware that many kids are not a fan of receiving them. I think this is so sad and a clear sign that they haven't been given the right opportunities to fall in love with books. So, out of my love for them, I have decided to compile a list of books, both fiction and non fiction, that make excellent gifts for kids! I have divided the lists by age and provided a link for each book for details, as well as the opportunity to purchase it for the kids on your list! Enjoy!


Babies (from $5-$20)


~Animal Hide and Seek (My personal favorite!) 

~That's Not My... (This series is SO cute! That's Not My Puppy is my favorite, but there are many cute ones to choose based on the interests of the parents/child) 
~Very First Words: On the Farm 
~Animal Noises 
~Touchy Feely Cars 
~Find the Duck (There is also Find the Kitten and Find the Puppy)  
~Hop, Skip, and Jump with CD 
~ Baby Scrapbook 

Toddlers (From $5-$25)


~Construction Sites Lift and Look 

~Cuddle Bear book plus a huggable Cuddle Bear toy (This is such a sweet book and a portion of the proceeds go to the Scott Carter Foundation to help end childhood cancer) 
~Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals 
~Mini Machines Box Set 
~Planes Lift and Look (Especially great if you will be traveling!) 
~The Holes in Your Nose (Because what toddler isn't fascinated by their nostils?)  
~Trains Lift and Look 
~Under the Sea Chunky Board Book 

Preschoolers (From $5-$25)

~Complete Book of Farmyard Tales with CD (One of my personal favorites and a very popular Usborne product. This is perfect for something to keep little ones entertained on road trips or for quiet times in bed listening to the CD as they following along looking at the pictures.)  
~Big Book of Playtime Activities (Tons of ideas for things to make and do- perfect for those blustery days indoors!) 
~Big Book of Big Animals 
~Asia Box Set (Retail value of over $60 if sold separately, but altogether in this set it is just $15!)  
~Book of Fairytales 
~Little Book of Train Stories with CD 
~Book of Princess Stories 
~A Squirrel's Tales (Another favorite of mine! My 18month old AND my six year old love this book and taking turns having the squirrel follow the path through the pages.) 
~Wipe Clean Doodles with pen

School Age Kids (From $4-$20)

~Big Book of Know How (My favorite! This book is so fun and I cannot wait to give it to my son!) 
~Illustrated Classics for Girls 
~Illustrated Stories for Boys 
~The Story of Spying 
~True Escape Stories 
~Improve Your Survival Skills 
~Extreme Adventures Series 
~ Phoenix Files Series (Great  suspenseful young adult fiction) 

--Activity Books-- (All under $20)


~ 50 Science Things to Make and Do 

~ Recycling Things to Make and Do 
~Face Painting 
~Fairy Things to Stitch and Sew 
~100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly
~Write Your Own Story Book 
~Monsters Coloring Book 
~Doodle Pad for Boys 
~Art Deco Patterns to Color 
~50 Rainy Day Activities 
~Big Doodling Book 

These Things to Spot (similar to I Spy) books are so much fun! My eldest son has loved them since he was 3 years old and still spends time looking at them in bed with the flashlight. They have many themes ranging from Bugs to Spot to Things to Spot in Fairyland to 1001 Pirate Things to Spot and at only $10 each, they make a great gift! 


Activity Cards (All of these are ($10!)

~100 Things to Spot in the Sky 
~50 Horses and Ponies to Spot 
~50 Optical Illusions 
~ Hundreds of Silly Jokes 
~Monster Doodles (Wipe clean with pen) 
~ Travel Doodles (Wipe clean with pen) 

Sticker Books (All are under $10!)

Under the Sea
Dollhouse 
First book of Fairies 
Popstars 
1920's Fashion (My favorite!) 
Build Your Own Car 
Heroes
Pirates 
Dinosaurs

... What are your favorite books to gift to the children in your life?  *Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.